05/05/1999 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 5/5/99 designated landmark district: the Butternut Ridge Road historical district, which is ;~ demarcated by signs along the road. The process created by Ordinance 99-40 is intended to provide for greater administrative oversight to proposals involving historic landmarks or historic landmarks districts. As the system is set up right now, once the City of North Olmsted goes through the administrative process to designate something a landmark, it ends and it can be demolished as though any other building could be demolished. This new and revised landmarks ordinance is simply a process by which the Landmarks Commission can review the proposal to demolish. They will not stop it. However, they can give their insight as to perhaps efforts to preserve the building as it exists or perhaps give insight as to what building will be replacing it. There is no intention on the part of Council or the Landmarks Commission to permanently require someone to maintain a building that is a landmark. It simply provides an opportunity to step back from the proposal and to get a disinterested set of eyes, the eyes of the Landmarks Commission, to review the proposal to see to it that the building and modifications best fit the neighborhood that it is in. After discussion by several of the committee members as well as the Landmarks Commission, which offered great insight to the proposal, the committee unanimously recommended approval of Ordinance 99-40. The ordinance will be passed under suspension of the rule this evening. Mr. McKay, chairperson of the Streets & Drainage Committee, noted that, when he passed Cedar Point Road hill this evening, it looked like the construction workers were completing that project and the road should be open. Mr. Nashar, chairperson of the Public Safety, Health & Welfare Committee: 1) The committee met on April 26. Present were committee members Miller, Gareau and Nashar; Council members McKay and Limpert; Safety Director Jenkins. The committee discussed Ordinance 99-50, which is an ordinance creating a new Section of 537.19 of Chapter 537 of the General Offenses Code entitled "Offenses Against Persons" so as to prohibit the pointing of laser devices at persons or animals. Laser pointers are mainly used for classroom and business presentations, but now have become a popular fade among the children. According to our Police Department, laser pointers are a growing problem especially if the laser is pointed at an officer. A laser could cause damage to the retina of the eye and temporary blindness to a person or an animal. The city schools prohibit students from bringing laser pointers into the building. The committee amended Ordinance 99-50 to prohibit the sale of laser pointers to persons under the age of 18. Mr. Nashar asked Dr. James Kershaw to come forward and give a presentation on laser pointers. Dr. James Kershaw, O.D.: • Lasers are the brightest source of light created by man. A 1 mW laser pointer is 1,000,000 times brighter than a 100 watt light bulb. • Although it is unlikely, laser pointers can cause permanent damage to the eye. When a laser is directed at the eye, it reflexively closes within. 0.24 seconds. Current over- the-counter (less than SmW) lasers do not place enough energy on the retina in that amount of time to destroy retinal tissue. Permanent harm will result after 3 to 5 seconds of continuous viewing. Only two anecdotal cases have been reported (FDA ~:z~~ .,~.. w~..,,a ,~.,.._,, ~.~,~, _..:.,., .._