08/20/2002 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 8/20/2002 paved in his lifetime. The northern edge of Broxbourne Road is actually the center. The width was reduced by 2 feet when the new force main was installed in 1998 from the pump station to Whitehaven Avenue. The people on Broxbourne were told that their mailboxes were too faz from the road, and they informed the post office that the contractor put in the mailboxes. Mr. Nashaz said he addressed the issue of the street condition with the Building Department. They will be out to look at it, and the Service Department will look at the high manhole. Mayor Musial said he would like to get together with Mr. Creadon, the City Engineer and Councilman Nashaz to discuss this issue. The revelations brought forward tonight aze the first he has heard of them. It will be looked into and taken care of. Ann Whitney, 4540 Cazsten. On behalf of the Pine Ridge homeowners, she said thank you for the installation of the light at Driscoll and Dover. She realizes it's an adjustment for all the other residents in the community who drive through that azea, but for the residents of that azea it's a tremendous relief to not have to second-guess oncoming traffic and the possibility of an accident and to know they will get out of their development in a timely fashion. Jim Dolance, 5968 Forestwood Drive, said he wished to address Resolution 2002-123 which urges the Ohio General Assembly to study the traffic safety risks associated with elderly drivers in Ohio and to consider changes to the state's drivers license law as they relate to drivers over the age of 80 years. This past June 14, four members of his family were involved in a traffic accident. His oldest son Jack became a fatality. His youngest son Pete, his wife and Jack's wife were severely injured. The accident happened because an elderly man, age 82 and suffering from dementia, crossed over the median strip and headed west on an eastbound lane of I-90 just outside of Erie directly in the path of Jack's caz. How anyone survived is considered a miracle. According to the police report, the elderly man, who also perished, had a valid driver's license issued by his home state of Pennsylvania. His daughter notified the Highway Patrol of his dementia condition and stated he was on the highway. Unfortunately, this call came within a minute of the crash. Why was this man allowed to have a license and what determined the validity of the test? Our own Ohio driver's test maintains that, if you can read an eye chart and determine which side a flashing red light appears with help from the instructor, you are able to drive. Why not an in-the-car test where the individual is tested for mental awareness and physical reflexes that respond to various situations? The States of Illinois and Maryland have a testing procedure for people over 75. He also suggested that doctors who determine that patients have impairments such as dementia or Alzheimer's be required to report this to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. People aze living longer-well into their 80's and 90's. Is it asking too much of society to test everyone over the age of 70? Although the resolution calls for 80, he and his family aze asking for 70. Driving is a privilege, not a right. It is not his family's iirtention to deprive anyone of the independence driving does afford an individual, but there is a responsibility that goes with that privilege. An individual driving with a severe impairnnent who has an accident is no different than the drunk driver who injures or kills someone-the results are the same. If an individual cannot pass the proposed driver's test, then their ability to obtain the keys to an automobile should be restricted by an appointed guardian. The guardian 12