09/18/2007 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 9/18/2007 decrease odors at the plant. Our current rate is already below that of the Regional Sewer District. With the proposed increases in the rate and operational studies, we will fall even farther below the Regional Sewer District in cost. Overall, this is a great story to tell our taxpayers. Improvements made at the plant have allowed us to take afive-year rate increase and stretch it for thirteen years. Additionally, the rate increase isn't going to be something that just takes money and throws it into a black hole like so many government projects. Rather, these dollars are targeted towards specific improvements at the plant that will make it more efficient and more automated. The greatest cost that we have in service industries like city governments is people; and, by greater automation and efficiencies at the plant, we will be able to reduce the number of people that are employed and reduce the cost to our citizens. 15) In cooperation with the city government and the city schools, spirit banners were hung along Butternut Ridge and Burns roads. This is a great example of the streetscaping as envisioned earlier by our Planning Director. We are proud to take part with the schools in this project, and it was the school resource Police officer Jim Carbone who took the lead on this project. Regarding the Crocker-Stearns presentation, Council Member Dailey Jones asked the Mayor if residents who live along Crocker-Stearns were going to be notified about the meeting. Mayor O'Grady said they would not be individually notified, but the meeting has been well advertised. Councilman Tallon made a motion to amend the agenda by removing Ordinance 2007-99 and placing it back in committee. The motion was seconded by Councilman Ryan. Roll call: Tallon, yes; Ryan, yes; Miller, yes; Barker, yes; Gareau, no; Jones, yes; Orlowski, yes. The motion passed with six yes votes and one no vote. Law Director Dubelko: 1) The Law Dept. is working on the RFP's for outside legal services for 2008-2009. The packets will be issued to all the lawyers who participated two years ago when the first RFP for outside counsel services was done. In addition, there will be advertisements in the Plain Dealer and the Ohio State Bar Association Reporter. 2) The reports have come in from Suburban Auto's expert and from the city's expert. There are some questions as a result of the two reports, and he sent a letter to Suburban's attorney. They are in the process of scheduling a meeting to sit down with the experts, representatives from Suburban, and representatives from the Building and Safety Departments to go over the experts' reports. When there is a definitive view as to what they say, then a recommendation will be made to City Council as to whether or not there has been a successful test or not. 3) Regarding the Tic Tac Fruit issue, he previously reported that he provided advice to Safety the city would go forward in conjunction with the Governor and Attorney General's new consumer sales practice violation directive against permit holders that have these machines. On September 4, there was an action brought against the state to enjoin the enforcement of those new consumer sales practice rules. Since then, another manufacturer has jumped into the litigation. As far as he knows, it's once again tied up to the point where his advice to the administration is to keep it on hold until once again 3