11/20/2007 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 11/20/2007 towards the infrastructure of the system and the plant. The increase is 9% over the next four or five years. It would be nice if 100% of that money actually went to what the rate payers are expecting it to go to. He requested that Council consider this issue. LEGISLATION Ordinance No. 2007-96 introduced by Councilman Ryan on behalf of himself and Councilman Orlowski was given its third reading. An ordinance creating new Section 111.09 of the Administrative Code of the City of North Olmsted entitled, "Project Labor Agreements," providing the Mayor with discretion and authorization to negotiate and enter into Project Labor Agreements on specific city improvement projects as amended. Councilman Ryan moved for adoption, and the motion was seconded by Councilman Tallon. Councilman Gareau asked for discussion and commented that, had the matter been sent back to committee, he would have been able to find out some more information regarding the issues that Mr. Martin brought up. Since that's not the case, he wanted to at least ask Mr. Ryan and Mr. Orlowski a question. The question goes to the statement that through this legislation we're giving the Mayor a tool to allow him to do his job and to assist union members or assist the working man. The Mayor already has the discretion and authority right now. He has that authority to go and enter into a PLA and suggest one to City Council should he feel one is necessary. Why would City Council voluntarily remove itself from all future debate and discussion regarding PLA's under the guise that the Mayor is now somehow getting authority that he already has? What's the benefit to City Council? Councilman Tallon answered that the Mayor does not have the authority. He is only granted the authority by this Council on each individual project. This legislation gives him the authority without referring it back to Council so that it can speed up the process for these projects and help develop the project in the beginning so that everybody knows we're all on the same page-that a project will or will not be a PLA project. It doesn't take the Council's responsibility or power because Council has to approve the projects. Councilman Gareau commented true the Mayor does have the authority to negotiate these and bring them to City Council. The typical process would have been City Council to then review them. And, again, contracting is a very elongated process. This isn't something where, if somebody comes in with a public works project, it's got to be sped up. It took several years to build the library and the fire station. His question is, wouldn't it be beneficial to the public, Mr. Martin or his constituents, labor, or anybody else who would like to come forward and speak on its behalf, to allow for a case-by-case basis-for people to step up and say, we believe, or we have an opinion as to why we think this is or is not a good thing. This is one of City Council's responsibilities for oversight as to contracting and expenditure of dollars. We can be trusted and can do a good job when presented with the right set of facts and the right rationale as Mayor O'Grady did when he brought forward the fire station as a PLA project. Council approved it. He is not sure why taking Council out of the process is necessarily a good thing. Councilman Tallon answered that the PLA for the fire station was under Mayor Musial. It was enacted by Mayor O'Grady, but the original ordinance was under Mayor Musial. Secondly, Council is doing just exactly what Mr. Gareau is saying. If in fact the Mayor would bring back a project that was a PLA that this Council didn't agree with, Council wouldn't fund it. On the other hand, the process is expedited 11