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Minutes of a Public Hearing October 6, 2010 Page 5 really concerned about the inability of the country to be governed. On the local level, it's not nearly as bad as at the national level. So at the end I will conclude with some thoughts on how we need to think about governing that I would think would help and then we will talk about and conclude with what's the implications of that for issues like zoning and referendum. I am always open to questions. It's a decision obviously for you to make as citizens and it's an important decision for your future. Charters are really in Ohio constitutions with a small c. Ohio, in the last Constitutional Convention in 1912, adopted home rule which allows cities to design their own government structure, to design how they want to conduct that government and the goals they want to reach. Even though it's been constricted recently by the Supreme Court unfortunately and the legislature, cities in Ohio have extensive home rule. I think that's really important because it gives a chance for people like you sitting here tonight to participate in important decisions that we won't be able to do if we had a lazge regional government or something like that. We wouldn't be in the room talking about those things. Well that's made possible by the 1912 Constitutional Convention which allows home rule. Once charters are adopted and the provisions for adopting charters are in the Ohio Constitution, Article XVII, they can be periodically amended. They can be amended by Council. T'here's a process that they have to follow in proposing amendments. Any proposed amendment will always go to a referendum. Nothing is added to the charter unless it's adopted by the people. In addition, many charters in Ohio like the Ohio Constitution itself, have a provision for periodic review by a charter review commission and that's what you are dealing with tonight, is that periodic review. In 2004, I was the secretary of the Lakewood Charter Review Commission, which is the first time I participated in a commission. I have been staff. I was Staff Director for the 1995 Lakewood Charter Review Commission. A few months ago I spoke in Sandusky as part of their Charter Review Commission. I really enjoyed the work and see it is as part of the duties of a professor at a public university because there really is democracy, that's the best example of it, where people can talk and debate meaningful issues for their daily life.` The Ohio Constitution every 20 years has the issue come up whether we want a Constitutional Convention or not, so that issue will be coming up in Ohio before too long. I keep hoping people will vote for it because I want to attend one in my lifetime. I read about Constitutional Conventions but I have never been in one, so I keep hoping.