08/16/2005 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Council Minutes of 8/16/2005 candidates. There are two wards that are appointed and unopposed. All four wards are wide '; open. The Mayor's race could use a few more people. Finance and Law certainly are not locked up. We now have non-partisan elections and anybody can run. He does not want a dais of f appointed officials making decisions for him. He wants people who faced the voters and won an ~ election. He agrees with the young man who previously spoke. He thinks appointments equal incumbency equal electoral advantage. Larry Orlowski, 4804 Bailey Road, as a resident of Ward 4, would like to thank Dean McKay for his 23 years of dedicated service to the residents of Ward 4. For 23 years of service, he had to be doing something right. Mr. McKay was always available any time of the day or night to take calls from his constituents. He and his neighbors were helped by Mr. McKay numerous times. They are all going to miss him Dennis Lambert, 25057 Carey Lane, said he felt North Olmsted residents were insightful, intelligent and grasp onto things quickly. He feels change is afoot in this community and change is going to happen. The old guard is going to see some diversity, and the community is going to be better off for that diversity. He feels some of the Charter issues are two-pronged. They appear to be honorable, but they have underlying features that are less than beneficial to the general public. Ordinance 2005-27 appears to be a good idea. Basically, the President of Council is a figurehead waiting for an appointment to the Mayor. He respects the idea behind the legislation to make change. However, in reading the legislation, it gives Council the powers to determine the position of President of Council and the things he does. It takes those powers away from the people, which should have been articulated in that legislation. He has an interest in it because he presented an alternative piece of legislation that he felt should have been probed and picked at and the best parts used to add the specific issues to it to make it right. This is not unlike 2003-101 which took the Charter Review Commission and turned it into a toothless tiger. It took a check and balance that gave this city 40 years of service, an alternative to review the Charter every five years and give the people an option to make choices. One of biggest things Council refused to put on the ballot for many years was the non-partisan issue. When it was finally forced to the ballot, it cleared about 75%. People need to have alternatives. It's not about the members of Council. It's not about the old guard-it's about the people. It is his opinion that Council should not choose what Charter amendments to put before the people, but all that are proposed should be placed on the ballot. He believes that the Charter issue regarding the President of Council should have language that states it is not giving the people the right to determine the terms and conditions under which the President of Council functions. Mr. Lambert expressed his concern over Mr. McKay's decision to retire early and he is concerned that his opponent has already received the endorsement of a number of elected officials, including Council members who will make the appointment to fill the vacancy. (Mr. Lambert's comments sparked a lively discussion. Councilman Gareau suggested that Mr. Lambert's comments were negative and wondered who the "old guard" was. There are people on Council who have given service to the city for many years, and he believes all who serve do so for the right reasons. Councilman McKay said he felt it was unethical to say that Council would try to tell people how to vote. He cannot believe that anyone would think that he and his colleagues could tell people how to vote. People vote with their own minds and their own desires. Councilman Ryan said he would like to make it clear that Council and the Intra-Governmental Relations Committee which he chairs worked very hard and considered every single item that 16