12/16/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 12/16/2008 20) Mathew Beck, 19573 Cyclone Drive, Cleveland, a patrolman on the North Olmsted department. At the Finance Committee meeting on Saturday, December 13, Council President Kennedy had posed the question to the Mayor, who was not in attendance, of why the city hired three patrolmen and two firemen a year and a half ago. He wonders why the city spent thousands of dollazs training him and the other officers. He and the other officers now have a lack of trust in the government. They are not going to wait for a call back but will take their training and go to another department. When he gets there, he will be sure to have his future chief send the Mayor a letter thanking him for the service and the training provided. 21) James Fleger, 24387 South Oxford Oval, said he called every Councilman and the Mayor's office. He thinks everyone should find another way and not lay off security forces. This is completely wrong.. 22) Bill Evans, 6000 Columbia Road, was assisted by the Police and Fire Departments within the last year. The departments responded and did a wonderful job. He does not want to see any of these forces let go. He thinks that there may be other areas in city government for reductions that would not impact or affect the safety forces. He doesn't know really what a Planning Director does or what a Property Maintenance Inspector does. He leaves that to the Mayor who is in charge of the budget. One of the functions of a commander in chief is educating and inspiring. It's especially critical in a democracy. Abraham Lincoln said succinctly, "Public sentiment is everything." 23) Dani Lee, 4149 Walter Road, a resident for 24 % yeazs who raised her family here, wanted to point out there have to be other places to cut. The only line that comes to mind is you don't cut off the head to save the intestines. Think before you make the cuts. 24) Shaun Kasza, 23759 Lucille, noted the Mayor said the Chief is his expert. At a meeting this past summer, the Safety Director said she wanted to fire the Chief and she didn't because she didn't want to promote the Assistant Chief because he only has a high school education. How smart is it to use him as an expert when you are on the record saying you wanted to fire him? Mayor O'Grady asked Mr. Kasza to bring the record of that statement to his office. Mr. Kasza said it is on tape, and he would provide it to the Mayor. 25} Lauren Sammon, 26936 Chapel Hill Drive, said people are talking about this like a business. It is not always about business; it is about people's lives. When she herself was 14, she was 45 minutes away from dying. But because of the emergency crews in this city, she is here today. If you're talking about a business, when a business needs something that's out of the budget, it's called an investment. You invest in this city. If you can't invest in this city, then you're not going to make revenue. She finds it ironic that Mr. O'Grady was her government teacher. And in her adult life, she has learned how government can fail the people. 17