10/05/2004 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 10/5/2004 organizations. It is not a slam on them. He is concerned why these organizations are -~, „~„ taking their events outside the city when they could very well be held at Springvale. It's about leadership. It's about building those bridges. When the bridge runs out of town instead of staying in town, it is hard to cross that bridge. Robert Whiting, 215 Brookfield Road, Avon Lake Ohio, president of AFSCME 3517 which represents NOBML employees. The members are pleased that Council is supporting Resolution 2004-152. The No. 53 bus route has been along-standing tradition in this city. From 1995 until the present, there have been over 481 discussions on his part with management about taking the No. 53 and changing it into a community circulator and how best RTA could take a look at the route and best make changes so it would be a viable entity-not only to North Olmsted but to citizens of the county. He went to his leadership 481 times asking that they bring it up to the administration and Council and they bring it to RTA. The employees discussed many times how to make the 53 a better route and came up with several ideas. Tonight he believes his 481 conversations were meaningless. AFSCME 3517 believes the No. 53 should have been made a community circulator in 1997. The union made concessions to bring in separate language for the community circulator knowing that No. 53 was always #1 on RTA's priority list to make a community circulator. Time after time, the 53 was denied. He is concerned because the Mayor will not attend RTA's public hearing regarding Route 53 at Noon on October 21, but will be giving a State of the City address to the Chamber of Commerce. AFSCME 3517 is trying to get 100 citizens to the public hearing to show support for the route. He is sadly disappointed the Mayor won't be there because the employees cannot attend the 5 o'clock public hearing as they will be working the rush hour runs. He requested Council's help in notifying citizens and asking them to attend the public hearing. The union does not agree that Council's resolution should only to be passed to the mayors of Fairview Park and Westlake and Joe Calabrese at RTA. They believe the time is now-the line in the sand is the 53. If North Olmsted loses this route, then the other runs that will be left will soon be gone and will be incorporated into RTA. The employees are proud of the job they do, and they understand what is at stake-the future of NOMBL. Councilman McKay said that two citizens have told him they will probably lose their jobs if the No. 53 is eliminated as they rely on the bus to go to work. Mr. Whiting agreed that there are a number of people who depend on this bus line. Ridership on No. 53 is up this year. Last year, 14,000 people rode, and this year ridership is already about 10,000, which is a couple percentages over last year. Charles Dial, 27959 Gardenia, noted that the records commission had met yesterday and he had expected to be notified of the meeting. What was the public notice? Safety Director Jesse came forward and said he was aware it is an open meeting but didn't know there was prior notice required for that. There was a prior meeting held almost a year ago and that was handled the same way-internally. There is a tape of the meeting which is available if Mr. Dial is interested. Law Director Dubelko said notice should have been given as the City Charter states that commissions of adecision-making nature have to ~"" give notice. There will be another meeting to replace it, and it will be noticed. ,,~_ 14 ...~, ~..