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Council Minutes of 03-03-2015 <br /> Council President Jones, Chairwoman of the Committee of the Whole: <br /> The Committee of the Whole met on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 7:41 p.m. Present <br /> were all members of Council, Mayor Kennedy, Planning/Development Director Wenger <br /> and guests. <br /> • Discussed was Resolution 2015-15 which is a Resolution approving and adopting <br /> the 2015 Master Plan for the City of North Olmsted. Director Wenger and Mayor <br /> Kennedy were commended by City Council on the initiation of the Master Plan <br /> process and engaging the community in ways that have never been done in the <br /> past. Director Wenger summarized the Master Plan policy document with goals <br /> revolving around quality/visual appeal of the city, economic development, <br /> improving housing choice, retrofitting infrastructure, and enhancing amenities. <br /> The bulk of the work will be the responsibility of the Planning and Design <br /> Commission to start to structure their work on the agenda items proposed in the <br /> Master Plan with short-term improvements and projects playing a role in the long <br /> term goals of this Plan. Councilman Schumann made a motion to recommend <br /> approval of Resolution 2015-15. The motion was seconded by Councilman <br /> Brossard, and the committee voted 7-0 to recommend approval of Resolution <br /> 2015-15. <br /> AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION <br /> Dennis Lambert, 25057 Carey Lane said he is here to express his personal objection to <br /> the appointment of Michael Gareau, Sr. to the Charter Review Commission. This is not <br /> about his background as the city attorney or him being a lawyer. It's about the character <br /> and nature of a man he's dealt with over the years. Lambert said Gareau, Sr.'s behavior, <br /> and this is his opinion, is not trustworthy and deceptive in the way he did business as the <br /> city lawyer especially in 1995 when Lambert was the Chairman of the Charter Review <br /> Commission. At that time, Gareau Sr. advised Council that those Charter amendments <br /> did not have to go on the ballot. In 1995 under Gareau, Sr.'s recommendation, Council <br /> failed to put the Charter changes on the ballot. The Charter says they shall forthwith go <br /> to the electorate. He knows that Tom Dubowski, who chaired the Charter Review <br /> Commission in 2000, shares the same concern for the Constitution and Charter. <br /> Dubowski's Commission faced the same situation; the advice of Michael Gareau Sr. was <br /> that they were not to go. That's dishonest, deceptive and an abuse of power. Law <br /> Director Dubelko ruled in 2002 that those should have gone on the ballot. Gareau Sr. <br /> chaired the 2010 Commission and the Charter issues were not even discussed in <br /> Council's committees. Non-substantive changes went on the ballot when the Charter <br /> says they do not have to go to the ballot. Lambert said in a letter to the editor, Gareau Sr. <br /> implied that the Civil Service Commission was virtually the same as a union contract <br /> when they're not. Lambert said Barker nominated Gareau Sr. to be on this year's <br /> Commission. He said Barker should have been able to find someone in Ward 2. The <br /> only vote against Gareau, Sr. was Limpert. That's the first time in 20 years he has seen <br /> someone say "no" to Michael Gareau, Sr. He commended Limpert on his no vote. Law <br /> Director Gareau, Jr. said that Michael Gareau, Sr. served the City of North Olmsted for <br /> 28 years with distinction. During his tenure, he worked with the city Charter on a daily <br /> basis. He defended this Charter in every court in the State of Ohio. Gareau, Jr. said that <br /> Lambert has an opinion of the Charter based on nothing. Lambert does not have a law <br /> 2 <br />