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Chuck Massarolo From: Dennis <1, Sent: Thursday, September 2, 2021 3:37 PM To: Chuck Massarolo; Nicole Dailey Jones Subject: Comments to be read during the Sept. 7 meeting Attachments: sept. 7th meeting.doc Chuck, Please prepare the following comments [also attached in microword doc below] for the Council meeting on Sept. 7th. Thank you, Dennis September 2, 2021 Sent to the Clerk of Council and the President of Council via email Public Comments To be read during and put into the minutes of the Council meeting on September 7, 2021: I found an article appearing on Cleveland.com by John Benson, very disturbing. It states: "Law Director Michael R. Gareau, Jr. has had enough ...... we need to fill these positions (law director, service director) ........ We need to at least fill the safety director position ....... Late last month, Gareau introduced an ordinance ....... This entire initiative was brought forward by me, Gareau said" I can understand Mr. Gareau's personal frustration although I do not totally agree with him. First of all this is a gross overstepping of his authority. A law director advises and gives direction when asked either by the mayor or council or when litigation may be pending or imminent. It is up to the Mayor and / or Council to take administrative actions and not the Law Director. Realistically (but I've never seen this done in North Olmsted), Council should draft their legislation and then have it sent to the Law Department to review it for form and detail. In other words, the Law Director should be a "limited reactor" and NOT an "initiator". Also, a request for legislation can come from the Mayor but should be introduce by a member of Council and NOT by the Law Director. I find these comments by the Law Director disturbing and fundamentally challenging to North Olmsted's democratic process as well as the Charter. I've noticed in the past 28 years that council members and the mayors come and go, but the Law Director remains consistent. Is this a balanced City government or a latent authoritarian system? One last point: I disagree with Mr. Gareau on the immediacy and the need to fill the Safety Director position. The Fire and Police Departments both have Chiefs and they know their jobs well. The only need for a director is for funding purposes — equipment, labor contracts, etc. and those things ultimately head to the Mayor and Finance Director for approval. In Fairview Park, the Mayor is now the Safety Director as well, citing just what I've said.