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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH OLMSTED FEBRUARY 1, 2000 Present: Acting President Pro Tem Kasler, Council Members Limpert, McKay, Miller, Nashar, O'Grady Also Present: Mayor Musial, Law Director Gareau, Finance Director Copfer, Clerk of Council Seman Absent: Council President Saringer, Council Member/President Pro Tem Gareau President Pro Tem Kasler called the meeting to order at 8 p.m. in Council Chambers, 5200 Dover Center Road, North Olmsted, Ohio. Members of the audience were invited to join Council in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. President Pro Tem Kasler made the following announcements: • The next Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 8, due to the Primary Election on Tuesday, March 7. • Public Hearings will be held on Tuesday, February 29, beginning at 7 p.m. for Ordinance 99-106; 7:15 p.m. for Ordinance 99-82; 7:30 p.m. for Ordinance 99-109. REPORTS Law Director Gareau: 1) A copy of the decision in the case of North Olmsted Chamber of Commerce vs. the City of North Olmsted is available for any Council member who wishes to read it. As background to this issue, he explained that in the late 1980's, the City of North Olmsted attempted to ban pole signs, which met great resistance from the Chamber of Commerce to such an extent that the Council did absolutely nothing and the matter got tabled for a long period of time. It was revived again in the early 1990's and incorporated into an ordinance that was a comprehensive ordinance and included a sign code that was prepared by Mr. Robert Hill, who was a zoning consultant and expert. The objective of the newly enacted ordinance, among other things, was to improve the aesthetics and provide for greater health, safety and welfare for the residents of the City of North Olmsted. This too was objected to by the Chamber of Commerce, but they waited for seven years before filing a complaint against the City of North Olmsted. Although this complaint that was filed was dubbed by the Chamber of Commerce as the "pole sign litigation," the decision that was rendered by the court does not do what the Chamber of Commerce wanted the court to do-that being that the city would be prohibited from regulating the types of signs (structures). Rather, the Chamber of Commerce pursued the litigation on the basis of content although historically the Chamber had not made complaints dealing with content. Rather, the whole thrust of the