01/20/2004 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 1/20/2004 project. Also discussed at the meetings was a recommendation that he has made to the Board of Control to formalize rules and procedures for Board of Control business. 6) The Ohio Ethics Commission has issued an advisory opinion regarding whether the employee of a public college may accept entertainment, gifts, meals and other items of value from a private student lender. This is an irneresting issue especially for our city. The commission referred to and based its judgment on the Revised Code criminal statute and the ethics provision. He encourages Council members and all city officials to read the advisory which is posted on the Ohio Ethic's Commission website. Finance Director Copfer: 1) Regarding the recent story of the lottery winner in another suburb, she has reviewed our tax laws to determine if lottery winnings aze taxable. Our tax is 2% per annum upon the following: salaries, wages, commissions, and other compensation earned on and after March 1, 1999 by residents. Lottery winnings are not included on the exemption list. However, there are court cases which provide that, if the law does not specifically state lottery winnings are taxable, then they are not taxable. The Law Director will be looking into the court cases. If there is interest on the part of Council and the administration to tax lottery winnings, it would be in our best interests to specifically state it in our law. She believes this issue was discussed in the late 1980's or early 1990's and it was decided not to tax lottery winnings. Councilman Gareau agreed that the issue should be clarified one way or another. Councilman Miller commented that he has asked for a legislative request to be sent to the Law Department regarding the taxing of lottery winnings. He has suggested that winnings over $10,000 be taxed as a starting point for the issue to be discussed. Councilman McKay said that former Finance Director Burns had brought this issue to Council some years ago. At that time, Council decided they did not want to tax lottery winnings. He was one of the persons who objected to taxing winnings because the city would simply be taking money from a person and not providing a service. Councilwoman Kasler, chairperson of the Finance Committee, inquired of the Mayor as to when the projected 2004 budget would be presented to Council as she would like to schedule the budget discussion meetings. Mayor Musial said he is in the process of getting the first draft ready for the Finance Director. Currently, there aze extensive union negotiations going on which will have an impact on the budget. Mrs. Kasler noted that the deadline is February 15, and she hopes that deadline can be met as Council has much work to do to meet their deadline also. Councilman McKay, chairperson of the Environmental Control Committee: 1) The committee met on Tuesday, January 13. In attendance were committee members Dailey, Nashar and McKay; councilpersons Gareau, Kasler, Miller and Limpert; Law Director Dubelko, Safety Director Jesse, Personnel Director Farver, Finance Director Copfer, and Fire Chief Klecan. Agenda items were as follows: • Resolution No. 2003-177, a resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into a fourth interim agreement with the City of North Royalton, Ohio, for the stabilization and disposal of biosolids generated by the North Olmsted Wastewater Treatment Plant and declaring an emergency. North Royalton owns and operates a sludge composting 4