08/19/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 8/19/2008 these Charter changes will yield authority from the City Council-in some cases to the President of Council, in some cases to the administration. Our system of government is based upon not just three separate branches but three separate and equal branches. He encourages Council to allow the citizens to make that decision. To correct the record, during the committee process, he stated that the recommendation for Ordinance 200$-69, which deals with the Fire Chief, was supported by the Safety Director. He misspoke. It most assuredly was not. That is a recommendation that came to us and the Charter Review Commission from the Law Department, not the Safety Department. He apologizes to the Director. Councilman Gareau inquired of the Mayor whether the administration supported that piece of legislation. Mayor O'Grady replied, on a personal level, he has disagreed on that piece and he stated that during the Charter Review Commission hearing and at the committee process because the Fire Chief has been separated out from the Police Chief. In his view, if we were to take that step, both the Fire Chief and Police Chief should be treated the same. If he had brought the suggestion forward, it would have been in that form. Overall it's his belief it is a step in the right direction. When one looks back at the difficulties that we've had very recently with filling the position of Assistant Fire Chief, to him it sends a signal that something is not working properly and needs to change. We have a good person that became the Assistant Fire Chief, but it's a person who never was in a position of authority or a supervisory position, such as a Lieutenant or Captain. When he sees that happen, it sends a signal that something needs to change. Although this isn't perhaps exactly how he would have proposed it, it seems to head in the correct direction to address that issue. Councilman Ryan questioned if the origin of the legislation was from the Law Department. The Mayor said it had been sponsored by Council Members Mahoney and Barker. President Kennedy noted for the audience that Charter amendment legislation needs five votes to move forward. Law Director Dubelko: 1) In answer to Councilman Ryan's question, he said that in his annual report last year he had recommended two changes to the Charter, and then same people on Council picked up and sponsored the legislation. He strongly supports Ordinances 2008-69 and 2008-70 as good government measures. 2) On August 6, attended a BZD Committee meeting regarding the proposed group homes for the developmentally disabled in Ward III. He expressed his compliments to all those who participated in such a positive way at that committee meeting, particularly Ward III Councilwoman Nicole Dailey Jones, BZD chair Paul Barker, and Safety Director Dr. Lisa Thomas. This was government at its best. The city government provided extremely helpful and useful information to residents which helped to educate, and by educating, helped to allay fears. It was a very good committee meeting. 3) During the period August 7 through 11, he provided legal advice to Councilman Orlowski regarding questions on Rainbow Drive and the island on Vernon Drive.