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<br />Council Minutes of 03-02-2010 <br />their employers. I know I have. Have you? We, by law, have to have a balanced budget <br />by March 31 S`. You took an oath to serve the citizens of North Olmsted by fighting fires <br />and helping them in health emergencies. I took an oath to follow the state laws and the <br />Charter of North Olmsted. I also made a personal promise to watch their pocketbooks <br />when it comes to city spending. With the help of all the other employees of this city, I <br />have. My vote is yes. Roll Call continued: Brossard, yes with comment. It saddens me <br />that we've reached an apparent fork in the road in the negotiation process with our valued <br />firefighters. With that being said, I do want to echo Mr. Mahoney's comments that we <br />are simply enabling the Administration to make tough decisions regarding our city <br />budget. So, ultimately the final say - as Mr. Smith put it -will rest with the <br />Administration and the firefighters. Thank you. Roll Call continued: Kearney, no with <br />comment. One of my colleagues just said that the other unions agreed to their contracts; <br />that they agreed to concessions. The firefighters, I believe, also agreed to concessions of <br />monetary amounts. However, in their contract is language that would be binding for the <br />rest of the term of the city while the other unions were for two year terms of their <br />contracts. I think it is unfair, and I vote no. Roll Call continued: Jones, yes with <br />comment. Council's role in this situation is to take the Administration's <br />recommendations for how to balance a budget and see if those recommendations made <br />sense for our residents. To do this, we can offer to the Administration tools to reorganize <br />for efficiency which was presented in the Ordinance we are voting on right now - 2010- <br />29. We could go back to the unions and non-bargaining personnel of the city who have <br />already made concessions and perhaps ask them to make additional concessions. Or, we <br />can increase the taxes on our residents who, at this point in time, I cannot in good <br />conscience ask residents who are facing a horrible economic situation in their own lives <br />to do that. Therefore, my vote is yes. Ordinance 2010-29 adopted 5-2. <br />Resolution 2010-30 was introduced and placed on first reading by Mayor Kennedy. A <br />Resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the Western Reserve <br />Area Agency on Aging to provide for Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance for <br />the North Olmsted Senior Center, and declaring an emergency. Councilman Mahoney <br />made a motion to suspend the rule requiring three readings and formal committee review <br />as the agreement needs to be returned by March 11, 2010. The motion was seconded by <br />Councilman Barker and passed unanimously. Councilman Mahoney moved for adoption. <br />The motion was seconded by Councilman Barker and passed unanimously. Resolution <br />2010-30 adopted. <br />MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS <br />Councilman Barker scheduled a Finance Committee meeting for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, <br />March 4, 2010; for 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 6, 2010; and for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, <br />March 9, 2010. <br />Councilman Mahoney scheduled a Public Safety, Health and Welfare Committee meeting <br />for 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 to discuss a liquor permit. <br />12 <br />