12/18/2001 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 12/18/2001 ~, REPORTS - Law Director Gazeau: 1) The documents to eliminate the consent decree with the U. S. EPA which the city is under with respect to certain stipulated findings and orders is currently being circulated. The city had stipulated to fines and penalties of $338,000. Being circulated is the consent decree with agreement to pay $75,000 and end the consent decree, after which the city will no longer be under the findings and orders of the U. S. EPA. This happens only once in a lifetime-it is rare to get out from underneath a consent decree. 2) The library contracts are still not signed but are being circulated with the construction manager and the architect. 3) Fire Department union negotiations will begin on Friday. He and the committee have been meeting to plan the sessions. 4) The Law Department is ready to close on three parcels regarding the Claque Road project. Law Director Gareau made an additional "Final Report" to City Council: "During my tenwe in office, I have spent 28 wonderful years serving the people of North Olmsted. I assisted in the planning and construction of the Recreation Center, this City Hall, the Bus Garage, the numerous additions and modifications to the Treatment Plant, additions to the Police Station, the Senior Center, the Fire Station and to some exterrt the new Library. To accomplish these tasks, I had the pleasure of working with my public servant colleagues Mayor Ralph Christman, Mayor Robert Swietyniowski, Mayor Yvonne Petrigac, Mayor Ed Boyle and lastly Mayor Norman Musial. On the legislative side, I always had the companionship, respect and cooperation of all of the members of Council for the past 28 years. Some who are no longer with us, I praise their memory. To those who aze still with us, I commend your public service. Some say that service on City Council is a thankless job, paying practically nothing with more complaints than praise. I say it is a noble cause for which all who serve will be memorialized on the public records of ow city with every vote cast. On the administrative side, I have spent countless hours with directors accomplishing the city's businessr-public service-with Joe Corrigan, Earl Weldon, Henry Caster, Harry Crider, Gene Petre, Ernie Gundy, my father, Rick Noble, Don Copeland, Dave Conway, Paul Deichmann, Tom Jenkins, Tom Terbrack and Ralph Bohlmann. This non-exclusive list of dedicated public servants is what keeps the machine running that delivers the service to those whom we serve. It has been a pleasure to serve with them. As for the Law Department, it has been my pleasure to serve with my invaluable, trusted, most capable assistant James M. Dubelko. He has been beside me for the past 20 years. The city is fortunate to have had him elected to the position of Director of Law. I believe he will never be as fortunate as I to have such a capable legal scholar on his staff. I have enjoyed working with all of the city work force, police, fire, bus line employees, the clerical and technical staff, and yes the Service Department employees. Today in honor of those employees both the skilled and the unskilled-I present to the city a table that I constructed. I understand the benefit of education, but I appreciate the value of working with your hands. Often it is the work that is accomplished by our Service Department that is what is seen and appreciated '"` most. In the back of the room is the table that I built. I took a 10 foot x 10 inch board ~~ 4 I