05/06/2008 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 5/6/2008 be provided to all of Council in case the city is in the same situation as the 1990's when the EPA had enforcement issues against us. With regard to the meeting about revenue enhancement, he assumed the administration might be talking about taking away the 2% credit, income tax increases, and similar things. Shouldn't Council know as soon as possible as to what is going on? Mayor O'Grady said Mr. Ryan's assumptions are baseless at this time. If Mr. Ryan has a particular question, he would be happy to sit down with him and discuss it. Law Director Dubelko commented that open meetings laws do not require that meetings of the administration be held open to the public. Our Charter requires open meetings for public bodies, which are defined to include the City Council and essentially all the boards and commissions. There is no legal requirement that the meetings of the administration be held open to the public. In fact, he thinks that was intentionally done so that the administration could get business done. The public's input and participation is always at the public body meetings. Finance Director Copfer said she and Mr. Limpert could meet with Councilman Ryan to discuss the meeting with the EPA. It was a very general meeting to present the information in a plan of the rate increase and what it was going to do; it was bringing the Enforcement Division up to speed on what our plan is for Wastewater and ensuring that their needs are being met. Councilman Ryan commented he thought it would be good practice to share the information with all the members of Council, rather than cone-on-one situation. Councilman Barker, chairperson of the BZD Committee, made a motion to remove Ordinance 2008-44 from third reading on the agenda and place it back into committee. The motion was seconded by Councilman Gareau. The Mayor said he felt it was bad practice and bad government to take legislation and hold it in committee. In this case, the legislation has been considered for six weeks. He felt, if there was a question, the administration should have been contacted. But to take this and hold it up for two more weeks, he suggested to Council that's bad government. Councilman Gareau expressed the opinion that the Mayor should not lecture City Council on how to do its job. A motion has been made, and Council is within their rights to make a motion and send it back to committee if they so wish. If council believes there is further discussion needed, he sees nothing wrong in sending it back to committee. If the Mayor is correct that it is a bad idea, then the motion will lose. Roll call: Barker, yes; Gareau, yes; Jones, yes; Kearney, yes; Mahoney, yes; Orlowski, yes; Ryan, no. The motion passed with six yes votes and one no vote. Ordinance No. 2008-44 is removed from the agenda and placed back into the BZD Committee. Councilman Gareau, chairperson of the Finance Committee: 1) The Finance Committee men on April 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Present were committee members Kearney, Gareau and Barker; Councilwoman Jones, Councilman Orlowski, Councilman Mahoney; Finance Director Copfer, Service Director Limpert, Planning Director Wenger. The agenda item was Resolution 2008-53, a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Service to advertise for bids for the construction of the North Olmsted branch library improvement project; further authorizing the Mayor to enter into a contract for said construction with the lowest and best bidder subject to the approval by the Board of Control and declaring an emergency. This is the most recent piece and last piece of legislation that was brought forward with respect to the remaining balance within the library construction fund and whether additional construction would take place within that facility. Several meetings were held in the past where potential improvements that would be made to the facility were discussed, not with a new tax but with the residual balance in the construction fund. Originally, consideration was given to a sidewalk and a fence along the side to keep out the students who use it as scut-through near the Service yard. Another facet being considered was a teen homework center and an additional meeting space, both to be located in the basement. Also 4