02/03/2009 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 2/3/2009 Regarding an issue at the Rec Center, Councilman Ryan said he had received complaints about the lack of hot water in the women's showers and asked Director Dailey to take care of the problem. LETTERS AND CUM1tlI,U~ TA~IaN_S 1) The Clerk read an e-mail from Terrence J. Smith who proposed turning the lectern where citizens speak in Council Chambers at a 45 degree angle so gestures can be seen by the Council, Mayor and audience. Mr. Smith thought the new website was well done in general but did not like the picture of Springvale which showed five carts within close proximity to each other thinking it might discourage golfers who might think the course was full often-somes. 2) The Clerk read a letter from Michael J. Genaro which was addressed to Mayor O'Grady regarding snow plowing in the south section of Bretton Ridge which the Mayor told him was done immediately after the north section but which he believes is untrue. Mr. Genaro noted that Ward III Council Member Jones had written to the Service Director regarding the horrible condition of his street, and the Mayor said he doubted that. (A copy of the memo from the Council Member was attached.) Mr. Genaro felt the Mayor owed him an apology. Regarding street lighting and paving projects, he noted that the project in the north section was started many months after the south section and was completed first while the project in the south section has not been completed. The Mayor has stated the city does not have the money to complete the project. Mr. Genaro was not pleased with the snow removal during the storm of Friday, January 9. After waiting for more than 24 hours and making numerous calls to the Ward Council Member, he personally drove on the dangerous streets and made it to the city Service Dept. where he got involved in a heated discussion with the Service Director. He noted there were more than 13 trucks with plows parked and not out cleaning the streets. The Service Director said that City Council would not hire outside contractors to plow, and he had only six drivers out. Mr. Genaro asked the Mayor why he would layoff the city's men and then contract out to a private contractor? It doesn't make sense to him. He noted that the north section of Bretton Ridge, where the Mayor lives, was plowed out by 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, but the south section was not plowed until 11:30 p.m., which confirms the Mayor's statement is untrue that the south section is plowed immediately after the north section. On January 20, when the Mayor was in Washington attending the inauguration, his street was plowed some 24 hours after the snow fall and almost 12 hours after the north section of Bretton Ridge. He feels the Mayor does not step up to the plate and admit his faults but tries to blame City Council. He feels city services have suffered greatly since the Mayor took office. He was concerned that the Mayor had the audacity to layoff Fire and Police forces when there are many other areas to cut costs. The residents rely on the safety forces first and foremost. He feels the Mayor has failed as a leader. Mr. Genaro requested the following: an immediate review of the safety force layoffs, make cuts in other areas, and recall the safe forces immediately; the Mayor and his staff take a 10% pay cut; a review of the snow removal policy; the Mayor work with Council instead of making threats to Council; the tax credit not be reduced. He feels, if the Mayor cannot perform, he should resign. The Mayor needs to stand up to the plate 7