05/03/2011 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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r Dear Members of Council; Due to the recent rescheduling of this meeting back to this Tuesday, I am unable to be here to speak to you directly. First of all, I would like to congratulate Paul Schumann for being the 2011 Citizen of the Year. He was nominated this year based on his community service prior to his appointment to Council. William Kahler was our first North Olmsted Citizen of the year in 1954. William was selected for his volunteer leadership on building, of what was then called, "the Community Club House", known today as the North Olmsted Community Cabin. This building was a park shelter. Through the efforts of Community Council, with Mr. Kahler as its chairman, the City Council was persuaded to set $25,000 aside. The Community Council provided $4,700. The Community Council also provided most of the work to transform that structure into the building we all know as, "The Community Cabin". I want to address Ordinance 2011-33, an ordinance to allow, with permit, alcoholic beverages in the North Olmsted Community Cabin located in the middle of the North Olmsted Park, directly adjacent to the play ground area. This ordinance places the responsibility of the permitting process solely in the hands of the City's Director of Public Safety. Once passed, City Council will have no say. For over 60 years, the Community Cabin has been getting busier and busier as a dry facility. There is no need for the alcoholic beverage to find groups and people wanting to use the building. Recently through grants and our own municipal funding, improvements have been made to the cabin. It has never looked better and more improvements are on the way. Wear and tear has always been an issue with the Cabin. I don't see where the introduction of alcoholic beverage will benefit the up keep of the facility. When addressing this ordinance, the Administration said, "the City needed to rp ovide a place where people can bring in their own alcoholic beverage." I question, does the city have that responsibility? Icontend there is no such responsibility. If City Council believes there is, then I believe they should fmd a different location, or at the very least, a different process. It has been stated, the Director of Public Safety will be able to determine what individuals or groups will be permitted; that he or she will be able to determine on a case by case bases which events can and cannot be permitted to have alcohol. They also say that Director will be able to determine under what times and whether the event can take place with or without a police officer on site. From experience I submit they will not be allowed to exercise such discriminatory judgment. If the Director allows the ABC Club, he or she has no right to deny the XYZ Club. How can they say the Smiths can bring in alcoholic beverage, and the Jones family can't be permitted or would need a police officer present? If you think so, based on what grounds can the Director discriminate? There is no experience to justify denial, only perhaps a note to not let them do it again after a problem. It was stated, added fees from allowing alcoholic beverage would provide additional funding to the city. Where is the business plan to support that statement? What is the expected revenue and what are the projected costs? And, there will be costs; both in added wear and tear on the property and perhaps human costs. I request Ordinance 2011-33 be voted down tonight. This ordinance went through committee with only 2 of the three members present and there was at least one non committee member that thought 2011-33 was going to be held in committee that night. Then, rapidly, a motion to approve was made. The vote was taken and the committee process was over. There has been no input from Community Council as to their desire for the use of this building that they had such a major role in building as a "club house" for community groups. To each of you I ask, "Vote Ordinance 2011-33 down tonight!" If you truly believe there are circumstances or occasions that warrant permitting alcoholic beverage into the North Olmsted Park property, then let them come before this City Council the way the AFL/CIO and VFW did. If someone wants alcohol, have them seek a sponsor for legislation and put the legislation for that event before this council, as those groups did. If it makes sense and is felt to be needed, I'm sure this council will grant it. If it is not worthy and they cannot find a sponsor, I know of no liability of such a request being denied for lack of a sponsor. I urge you. Please vote no!