05/19/2009 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 5/19/2009 considered primarily the motion to amend the proposed legislation to remove the city option for one year. Upon consideration of the proposal, the amendment was withdrawn. Upon motion by the chairman, seconded by Mr. Brossard, the committee voted 2-0 to recommend approval of Resolution 2009-45. • Resolution 2009-59, a resolution authorizing the Cuyahoga County Public Library to make structural changes to the North Olmsted Library building located at 27403 Lorain Road and declaring an emergency. Attached to the resolution were two schematics or drawings of proposed changes that were being made to the North Olmsted Library. The resolution is required because the lease between the city and the County Library requires that any changes being made at the library meet with city approval. The proposal consists of removing the rubber flooring near an oxcart which is in the children's area and enclosing that oxcart so that it will become a visual exhibit instead of an interactive exhibit. The change is being requested because of safety considerations over people tripping and falling on the safety flooring. Present at that particular meeting along with Council and committee members was Ms. Tracy Strobel, Ms. Katie Armstrong, and Mr. Dan Chinrock, all representatives of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. They indicated that, since the children's area was opened, there were 92 reported falls or incidents involving people of all ages, children as well as an 83 year old woman who tripped and fell. The city administration position was presented by Planning Director Kim Wenger. She noted that the city had a number of concerns: first and foremost, that the city purchased the piece of equipment (oxcart) at a significant cost, $8,000, plus costs to install it. Ms. Wenger further indicated that the item was meant to be played on and played with by the kids, and that now it was being converted into a site attraction and it would actually become a bit of a tease for the children. Meaning the children would see it anti not be able to climb up and touch it because it would be enclosed in a clear plastic barrier. The administration, through Ms. Wenger, made a suggestion to relocate the oxcart and integrate it in a different area of the library. Various photographs were shown by not only the library personnel but also Ms. Wenger for potential relocation of the oxcart. The library personnel, amongst other things, indicated that they did not favor this suggestion. Moving it to another location of the library would mean it was in a smaller, cramped area and that it might not fit because it was a bit cartoonish. It's a children play exhibit that would go into a different area of the library that might not be well suited for it. The committee members, as well as all of Council, made a number of comments and raised several issues. The suggestions included changing the elevation on the flooring as you enter the children's area. Another would be moving the oxcart but keeping it in the children's area. The next was creating a buffer, placing some type of a strip near the children's area entrance so as to minimize the slope. The problem being there is anon-stick, non-slip surface going into the children's area and there is ~ bit of an elevation which is causing a bit of a trip hazard for not only the children but apparently some of our seniors as well. Overall it did not appear from the comments of Council that the proposal by the library would meet with approval. The general consensus was that other options needed to be explored and/or contemplated. Based on those comments and questions raised by Council, the 8