09/16/2003 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 9/16/2003 That has always been a substantive part of the equation in any negotiations of sale to the school board. Awide-ranging discussion was had as to whether the site should be sold. Ideas for possible use, some of which have been previously discussed, included cultural activities use, possible mayor's court, youth drop-in center, use by city departments including but not limited to the Law Department, a children's center in association with the current library system. Numbers were discussed as to how much rent the Law Dept. pays at their current location, how much it costs to operate the library building, the advantages of selling and perhaps using the proceeds to purchase other land or to pay for some of the cost of relocating the former Rebecca's Florist building. In the final analysis, the committee decided to let the Mayor continue on with his negotiations. Appraisals have been received by both the city and the school board and have been shared with each other as a part of the negotiations held by the Mayor. There may be new ideas coming from those discussions. 4) Due to the lateness of the hour, a discussion of the Rules of Council was postponed until the next committee meeting. Councilman Gareau, chairperson of the Recreation, Public Pazks and Buildings Committee: 1) The Recreation Commission met on Monday, September 8, at the North Olmsted Recreation Center administrative offices. There were several items on the agenda: Rec Commissioner Ted DiSalvo reported that the presentation at the Homecoming tent was successful. A survey was conducted on recreational needs and desires. Two hundred thirty persons participated, most of whom were North Olmsted residents. The results seem to show a largely satisfied, informed and interested class of respondents. Interestingly, one issue that came out was that of 230 people surveyed, 189 indicated they would in fact take advantage of a functional cardio fitness center if they were given access to one. This has been discussed in the past, and it is good to see that the public is in tune with some of the suggestions that have been considered. Mr. DiSalvo reported that training of staff continues. The Police Dept. participated in what he referred to as a "verbal judo" which is a process to abate inappropriate or unlawful behavior through voice commands and use of voice. The staff was not only trained in how to talk to people, they were apprised and reminded of safety procedures and protocols for emergencies and threats to persons. The D7 Friday Night Skate has began and will run through May. Changes this year include pre-paid cards for admittance and skate rental. These cazds would include a small discount for persons who purchase a series of programs at one time. There will now be five recreation supervisors and four auxiliary police officers present for the Friday Night Skate. Mr. DiSalvo noted that there will be a zero tolerance policy for fighting or abusive language, which has been a problem in the past. Violators will be removed from the building, and parents will be notified of the behavior. An update on the status of the pool bleachers and the basketball courts at the pazk was given. There should be action soon on the bleacher contract as Law Director Dubelko reported he has reviewed it and returned it to the Rec Commissioner. The basketball court continues to be a problem. The successful bidder noted that some of the specifications were inadequate. The city is working to improve the specifications to 10