04/06/2004 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 4/6/2004 Councilman Miller asked that Mr. Gareau review the situation wherein a developer does not come forward with their plans and the Planning Director makes the presentation. He questions whether this is a good policy and wondered if the city should recoup the costs of the Planning Director having to make the presentation. Councilman Gareau said it was unusual not to have someone show up. That evening it was past 10 p.m. when the proposal was discussed and the Planning Director had been there since 6:30 p.m. There was discussion on whether or not to proceed; and, because of the late hour and the nature of the project, he felt it could go forward. The committee does not intend to make it a practice to review proposals without a representative present. AUDIENC>~ PARTICIPATION Tom Herbster, 4965 Porter Road, asked the Mayor if he has returned or plans to return any of the $2,508 raise he received as of January 1, 2004. Mayor Musial answered that he was considering it. Mr. Herbster said he understood that the Mayor's salary was set by ordinance, but he hoped the Mayor could take a pay freeze for one year. While no increase will impact the union members greatly, no group will be impacted more than secretaries. Secretaries currently earn $23,192 this year. The Mayor's $2,508 raise represents 5.63 weeks of their pay. It is the secretaries that help kip this organization running. If they take a zero percent increase, which has been proposed for non- bargaining units, their zero percent increase is a permanent and total zero. Unlike the Mayor's salary, as he will receive another $2,582 next year, bringing his salary up to $88,674. He asked that the Mayor write a check for $94.46 per pay retroactive to the first of the year until the final pay of 2004. The city has recemly received poor publicity. The Mayor of North Olmsted is the leader of the city, and good leaders lead by example. Mr. Herbster presented a sample chart to compare percentages of raises for union members and city management, which includes the Mayor and elected directors, by using a flat rate of $10,000. On that amount, the unions would receive $1,370, while city management would receive $1,836. He is asking that everyone feel the pain together as it is not fair to single out certain groups. Mayor Musial said it should be remembered that negotiations on these contracts are not yet totally over. When the negotiations are totally over, then a decision shall be made Mrs. Kasler noted that the police contract was complete with a zero percent increase for the first year. Mayor Musial said that was correct, but the contract contains an equalization clause. If any union gets a raise, everyone will get a raise. Scott McKernan, 27972 Andorra Drive, asked for an update regarding the street repairs in North Park Estates as to when the complete repairs would be accomplished. Mayor Musial said there is approximately $250,000 that has been appropriated for the Sandy Ridge development and North Park Estates. The appropriate monies will be spent in North Park Estates, depending upon the severity of the streets to be repaired, which is being undertaken in terms of the analysis by Service Director Driscoll. Mr. Driscoll came forward and said, based upon a visual inspection of the streets without measurements and without having firm prices for the work that's going to be done this year, he is estimating that it's probably going to be at least two to three more years at the present rate of spending to be able to get through an entire development of that size. Mr. McKernan said that was not acceptable given the condition of the streets. He noted that money was appropriated to finish the job in 2003, but only ten or fifteen percent of the job got done. It is really difficult to know that they will have to wait another two to three 8