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? <br />r . <br />i <br />benefits will accrue to the city if a separate <br />agency is created. I believe some basic <br />questians need to be asked and discussed <br />before such a decision is made. I would ask -- <br />what services would be provided senior <br />citizens under a separate department that are <br />not now provided? Wha.t would be the cost of <br />operating a separate entity? Would new sta.ff <br />be hired and what would they do? Would new <br />services be added and what will they be? If the <br />senior department were created with the exieting <br />staff at the same cost providing the same servicesj <br />then, by what logic are there to be any benefits <br />to anyone? Wha.t would be the reasons for <br />creating a separate department? <br />It seems to me that the motive for this entire <br />matter is a self-serviag political one. Since <br />this is election year, and since seniors vote, <br />it seems to me that sponsors of such legisla.tion <br />are not being completely honest. Our city has <br />severe problems and certainly a separate de- <br />partment on aging cannot be a high priority matter <br />in the ranking of issues facing the city. <br />I also believe that what needs to happen is that <br />the city administration needs to exert its autharity <br />to make the Department of Huma.n Resources a co- <br />hesive unit. Clear lines of responsibility and <br />accounta,bility need to be set down for the staff. <br />For some reason there has been a reluctance to <br />take such action. <br />For more than eight years I served as the cha.irma.n of the <br />Advisory Board. The Board involved itself in the va.rious programs of <br />the DHR. The history of the DHR and of the Board clearly indicate the <br />sensitivity of the DHR to senior citizens needs and of the responsiveness <br />of va.rious community groups to work through the existing department to <br />provide for the senior citizen needs. <br />I would ask tha.t the pending legislation to create a department <br />on aging be defeated. I do not see how such an agency could provide benefits <br />to the residents and taxpayers of the city of North Olmsted. <br />Sincerely, <br />Paul D. Wise <br />PDW /mf