12/02/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 12/2/2008 should go to Washington and ask for some bailout money so we can keep the safety forces working in our community. This is a crucial time, and we need the safety forces now more than ever. Mayor O'Grady commented that he did not say he was underpaid. He did go to the international court of justice at the Hague, as a representative of the Mayors for Peace organization, where world peace was discussed. He was there on the anniversary of a determination that we should move towards a world that is nuclear free. He took that trip because he felt it was very important, and it was not at city expense. 2) Bill Saringer, 6256 Surrey Drive, a North Olmsted police offer and lifelong resident thanked Mr. Lambert for his comments and said the safety forces appreciated it. He wished to speak about a critical issue every resident in North Olmsted is facing at this time. The city has sent layoff letters to five full-time North Olmsted police officers notifying them that they would be laid off from their employment as police officers effective midnight December 31, 2008. By those letters, the city has indicated that, as of January 1, 2009, the citizens in this city will be denied the full protection that they pay for, that they deserve, and that they need. With those letters, the city has sent a message to the public indicating that it's going to reduce the overall cost of government by jeopardizing the safety of the community. The elected officials whose duty it is to protect and serve all the citizens of North Olmsted must not allow this injustice to occur. He realizes today's economy is not good; however, we cannot turn our backs on the fact that with an economic downturn comes an increase in crime. Our community statistics show from 2006 to 2007 to the present day in 2008, all theft offenses have gone up, crimes against persons are up, and we continue to battle criminal activity involving drugs right here in North Olmsted. The Mayor's decision to cut five full-time police officers when the department is already down two, with another retiring soon, and one soon to be deployed to Iraq, is a serious public safety issue for the citizens of North Olmsted. With the layoff of five full-time police officers, residents can expect an increase of police response time and a decrease in vital services offered by the police division due to a lack of personnel. Laying off five officers will result in the reduction of each shift's manpower, ultimately reducing the number of officers on the streets. With the decrease in manpower, response times will suffer. In emergencies, we may have to rely on neighboring jurisdictions to provide assistance from much farther away, inevitably taking much longer to respond. As a police officer and a resident of North Olmsted, he wants someone responding from his city in an emergency situation. It is extremely important to maintain the current staffing level of the safety forces to insure that the level of protection expected by the residents stays the same for North Olmsted. Having been involved as a member of the FOP negotiating team for the current collective bargaining agreement and as a current member of the FOP negotiating team, they have been receptive and willing to work with the city administration. This potentially damaging move, however, was never discussed during negotiations of the current contract, passed by Council in March of 2008. As a police officer, the commitment and focus is on making North Olmsted a safe, thriving community in which you can raise a family, be employed and retire knowing that you live in a safe community. They are asking the elected representatives to prioritize their commitment to the citizens of North Olmsted by focusing on public safety. He is hopeful that the Mayor's layoff letters to the five police officers were mere notices and will not be implemented by prioritizing the city's budget to protect the public's safety. 11