10/15/2002 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Council Minutes 10/15/2002 respect to those issues. Ohio cases have held that unexplained failwes to timely fill vacancies and positions which are funded may constitute an abuse of corporate power. His request to the Mayor was consistent with the role of the city Law Director to serve as a guardian for city taxpayers in these matters. Acting in that capacity, he simply needed objective asswance from the Mayor that the two month delay in filling the position of Service Director (now 70 days), did not constitute an abuse of the city's corporate powers. He fully expects to receive the documents he has requested. His request will have been mooted by the Mayor's action tomorrow, and that is what he was trying to accomplish. He has been serving as Law Director for nine months, but at the first Council meeting he stressed the importance of the roles of all in city government. The Council minutes of the January 2, 2002 Council meeting reflect his comments that he was beginning his duties as Director of Law with positive feelings and with optimism, which he still has. He advised that all government officials try to do their best during their next term of office to always respect the various offices and positions in the city government. It was his feeling that, if everyone plays their own role and respects the roles in government assigned to others, the city's business will be done more effectively. 8) On October 11, Chief Bak officially retired as Fire Chief. Because the Safety Director's position was vacant, he offered his services to the Mayor to assist in planning for the promotional examination. It should be noted that we presently have at least four Charter position vacancies which must be legally filled: Service Director, Safety Director, Fire Chief and Recreation Commissioner. He trusts that all these positions will be timely filled. 9) On October 8 and 15, the Board of Control met to consider a change order in the library demolition contract brought about by the live bwn of two of the city's vacant residential structwes on Butternut Ridge Road. Dwing caucus, he mentioned that the Board of Control approved these changes. The decrease in the demolition contract price was modest, only $400. The manager had explained the reasons why that was so. 10) On October 9, he attended a department heads' meeting at Old Town Hall. Various department heads presented information on current matters in their departments. He took the occasion to discuss the relationship between the direct service departments (Service, Safety and Human Resowces) and the support departments (Finance, Law and Personnel) and to stress that it's the function of the support departments, to provide support for the efforts of the direct service departments who have the immediate contact with the general public. 11) He and the Finance Director continue to research issues relating to the city's organizational structure. These issues include what departments and divisions are required by the Charter, the role of Council in the organizing of the departments of the city, whether the city's present organizational chart complies with the requirements of the city's Charter, whether the Council by ordinance should provide for existence of every position of the city. The Finance Director's office has akeady conducted a survey of the various ordinances in existence which create and identify these positions. He hopes to have a report to Council by the year's end. 12) On October 14, he provided a legal memorandum to all directors and division heads on the subject of contract authorization procedwe. A lot of questions have arisen this year regarding this subject. He has also recommended that Council consider by ordinance providing the Mayor with advance authorization to execute contracts at certain 4