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DRAFT <br />Council6/20/OS <br />Page 11 <br />Mayor Rinker asked Mr. Caticchio why he didn't think it was a good idea. <br />Mr. Caticchio felt that the safety forces should belong to the Village itself, and it should be <br />specific to the Village and should not be part of a regional system. <br />Mayor Rinker said that this didn't answer the question. It just says what the Commission <br />feels, not why; why do they feel like that? Mayor Rinker wanted clarification for what the <br />reasons were. If we are going to put to our voters, a substantive change in something like <br />this; give the reasons why. The Village is not looking at it now, but it is something that the <br />media are talking about more and more; in fact, we have gotten more and more <br />questionnaires in the last six months than previously. This creates a distinct category <br />separating police and fire from other issues. Mayor Rinker asked why segregate those two <br />forces out. If it's a health and safety reason, which is what it sounds like people are <br />eluding to, doesn't it make sense to quantify or at least qualify why that is important, how <br />regionalism would undermine or challenge or somehow be detrimental. Mayor Rinker said <br />this seems like a conclusion, and wanted to know what the rationale is. <br />Mr. Caticchio said they feel that the people in the Village want to keep the police and the <br />fire as something that is totally within their control, it's theirs, it doesn't belong to <br />Cleveland, it doesn't join the other communities all around them; this again is just a feeling <br />that the Commission has. Whether or not the community will vote for the change, we don't <br />know. <br />Mayor Rinker stated that was his whole point, we would not want to put something out to <br />the community without giving some insight, so people can make an informed decision. <br />Mayor Rinker said the way they are characterizing to him sounds logical; what he doesn't <br />understand is what the assumptions are that support that characterization. When you say, <br />we have a feeling or we think or we don't feel, as an attorney, that makes me feel a little <br />queasy. <br />Mr. Caticchio stated on the other hand, all we are doing is creating something we are <br />presenting to the voters, it is up to them to decide whether or not they want to do it this <br />way. This was a majority conclusion of the Committee, that Police and Fire should be <br />retained especially for the community itself. <br />Mr. Hanculak stated the Commission found out that this was important; it still allows <br />regionalization of the Police and Fire districts, only upon referendum through the voters, so <br />it would be a voter choice at that point. <br />Mr. Buckholtz clarified that Council could make decisions when it comes to other areas, <br />but Police and Fire, it would automatically go to the voters. <br />Mr. Brett questioned, what about EMS?