12/07/2009 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Special Council Meeting Minutes December 7, 2009 Page 13 realizing and looking at the numbers, do we have those kind of resources available to us to pay out? Council President Buckholtz throws that back to you. Ms. Longville said she does not know what it will cost, but these Bills have two or three months in the making. Again, if the city can afford to put it off for two or three months, it just doesn't seem right to let them continue to go in, like right now, for just the next - Council President Buckholtz stated, nobody's disagreeing with you. Ms. Longville said, again, she doesn't have a great mind. Mayor Rinker said, it seems pretty sharp to me. Ms. Longville said she thought she had a great idea. Ken Messin e?r Rapo?rt Law Director for NEOGAP Has thought about suing for a long time. We have been dealing with this issue in Highland Heights for about 2-3 years. He has spoken with Diane and Mayor Rinker about the legal situation. There is a strategy for suing the State. The question is, do you have the resources to pull it off and what will the ramifications be? We raised all the correct questions, but there is a strategy. He would be willing to sit down with you and discuss how he thinks we should go about doing it if you should decide to take that step. We chose when we were deciding what strategy to pursue in terms of changing the law to go after the legislature first because it makes sense. It's less expensive and it's where the whole mess started. So, we went to the legislature first and Senator Grendell was our vehicle. So, we have him. We got our Bill introduced. In the House we are looking for sponsors and the best way to put some pressure on the House- and get a better Bill out of this process is to put some pressure on Governor 'Strickland. Talk to him directly and tell him what our concerns are and that we need some measures of local control back. He may change lus mind. Right now it is the way that the Department of Natural Resources is interpreting the current statute that is making the entire difference here. He could administratively fix this problem. He can also legislatively give the signal to fix this problem. But that's not his stance. That's not his particular point of view at this point. So, if you can bring pressure on Governor Strickland, that would change the game. If that doesn't work, then you end up in court: Council President Buckholtz thanked Mr. Messinger Rapport. Do we have anybody else? Mrs. Triner asked, just because we were talking about the Mayors and Managers Association, Mayor Rinker could you tell us besides yourself who are the other two people on the drilling committee for the Mayors and Managers Association? There are two other Mayors right?