06/06/1989 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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' ~ Council Minutes of 6/6/89 _4_ Mr. Bohlmann stated that he was the other member of the Finance Committee who had opposed the limit on the cap as proposed by Mr. Wilamosky. He is a firm believer in a cap considering the astronomical cost of hospitalization but feels it should be fair and consistent. The cost of health benef its have gone up for the entire city; there are 45 people who do not fall under a bargaining. group, such as secretaries, Fire Chief, Police Chief, etc. Council establishes a cap for these people. For the remaining 375 people, the city automatically picks up the cost of the cap because they DO belong to a bargaining group. City should be consistent; city should establish a cap; it should be fair; it should continue. Thinks the most appropriate place to establish a cap is NOT with the non-bargaining unit people but with the bargaining unit people. If a cap is established with the bargaining unit people, it should be passed on to the non-bargaining unit people. Believes further discussion is needed on this subject. President Saringer stated that she would set up a Council-as-a Whole Committee meeting to discuss the hospitalization cap. Letters and communications: Clerk of Council reported that the National Waste Paper Company of Lorain had contacted her and cancelled all collection of newspapers; will inform the city if this program is ever reinstated. Clerk thanked .the reporters for getting this information out to the public since there had been no prior warning that the program would be stopped. Mr. O'Grady read portions of a letter from a young lady with respect to the bad condition of her street. While sharing her frustration, he also is concerned about the other f fifty-six streets in Ward Two. To address this problem, council met in 1987 and thought the best solution to solve the street repair problem would be to increase the 17 income tax to 1.57. All monies raised by the 507 increase would be targeted 507 for streets and drainage and 507 for capital improvement. The City Engineer stated that within 15 years the city could rehabilitate every street in the city and have a maintenance program in place that would prevent the streets from ever regressing to the deplorable condition they ale today. Only one precinct out of the forty-eight precincts supported this tax increase and that was only by two votes. City-wide, 2,639 residents voted for the increase and 4,923 residents voted against it. The 1989 appropriation of $9,000,000 will only have a $13,000 surplus at the end of the year. If any emergency arises, the city will have to borrow money to handle it; the city can only go so far on such "credit-card" spending. Audience participation: Every person who addressed council this evening mentioned the same problem, namely, the storm damage caused by the severe flooding during the early morning hours. of May 26, 1989. .The following people were heard: Joann Lodig, 24237 Woodmere; Kathy Kirallah, 5438 Burns; Frank Geffert, 4336 Lansing; Leonard Geroski, Parma; Joan Puinno, 27181 Goucester; David Glowe, 5911 Forest Ridge; Henry Merkel, 4384 Lansing; Ronald Cansky, 24048 Maple Ridge; Dick Cotleur, 25197 Deerf field; Joe Siena, 25211 Chase; Eva Marsico, 22.969 Stoneybrook; Mrs. Sokol, 4909 Porter Road, Christine Kundtz, 3328 Walter; Jeanine Morano, 25212 Chase; Carol Reed, 27752 Blossom; Karen Preslan, 23621 Stoneybrook; Jack Smith, 23496 Stoneybrook; Mrs.. Michael Gadus, 4279 Bentley and Kevin Kelley, 3924 Woodside. President Saringer said she would schedule a Council-of-the-Whole Committee meeting with the admin- istration to address the flooding problems of the city.