5/21/2019 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 5-21-2019 • Discussed was Resolution 2019-62, which will be introduced later tonight. A Resolution authorizing the Director of Human Resources to solicit proposals from health care provider's for the vision component of the City's Health Care and Hospitalization Plans for 2019, and further authorizing the Mayor, subject to approval of the Board of Control, to enter into a contract for health services, and declaring an emergency. This is regarding eye insurance for the employees. It allows for the city to go out to market for eye coverage for employees. Due to the bankruptcy of Union Eye Care, any non -bargaining employees, police, fire, dispatch and corrections officers who opted for this coverage will experience a lapse in coverage. Suspension is being requested due to the lapse in coverage. The committee voted to recommend to Council with suspension 3-0. Councilwoman Hemann asked for a moment of personal privilege. To address 2018-90 for the benefit of all of the residents in attendance tonight, I have left a copy of my committee report for you to take home with you on the back table. I would like for each resident to know this was not an easy subject. As the committee chairperson, I spent six months researching this subject. I reviewed the contracts, the water lines and all of the facilities owned by 40 communities. Really at this time, while there is some benefit it is not as great as it could be in the future. Part of the complexity is this is essentially a grant program. There is no guarantee they are making the investment to replace our waterlines. We are in a pool of 40 communities based on a formula. Eighty percent of our water lines are too new to qualify. Perhaps we will have an up -front grant given to us. The documents are very complex. I wish I could describe them simply, it's just not possible. Our committee meeting was two hours and I probably could have addressed the issue for four more, going into much greater detail. The presentation by the City of Cleveland tells us the things they did grant to communities, but when asked which things they denied and which communities did not participate, we did not get an answer to that. So while I do think there is some value to this, I do not think now is the time. Primarily because the City of Westlake is currently in litigation with the City of Cleveland. All of our water comes through the City of Westlake. Knowing the outcome of that litigation could become important to us at a time in the future. I am very willing to look at this again, I just do not think it is the time right now. I do have one other thing Madame President. I do some volunteer work at Horizon Education. At the little daycare over on David Drive. Those kids are so darn cute. May 6, the firetruck came with Lieutenant Adam Hudak and Firefighter/Paramedic John Callahan. May 8, Police Officer John Downs came with the police cruiser. The kids were just loving the whole inside of the cruiser. It was just like a playground piece of equipment in and out in and out. Probably about 30 toddlers fit in the back and they have pictures. They had a lot of fun and they enjoyed it. On May 10, Officer Ryan DiMatteo came with our new K-9 Match and that was quite a task for the officer as it was in the gymnasium and the dog is young, although very well trained. The kids were just, probably eight groups of them came in different shifts to see the dog and appreciate our new K-9. I would also like to announce that I will be fundraising to raise $1,700 for a lightweight vest for our K-9. I believe it is important that we, not only important, but our responsibility to provide all of our officers with the proper equipment. The standard K-9 vest are too heavy and too hot. So I will be approaching the VFW and some other 3