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Session 1930 <br />July 26, 2004 <br /> <br />Mr. Ollendorff said that he believes that the Charter is pretty clear that the Council does <br />not have the authority to direct City staff. You can make inquiries and encourage city <br />staff, but to direct and call meetings for city staff, spend money beyond the contract or <br />any other administrative issues is not in order. What you are doing is anti-staff and anti- <br />consultant. This isn't right. <br /> <br />Mayor commented that the City Council is getting very close to violating, not only the <br />spirit and letter of the law - that is the Charter of University City. <br /> <br />Ms. Welsch said that this wasn't meant to be a slap in the face to city staff. It should be <br />seen as an action by some of the Council, at least herself, to attempt to learn more <br />about an issue she doesn't have much knowledge. She has documents going back to <br />December 2003 when she asked city staff to be considering issues of life cycle costing <br />and other environmental issues. She keeps getting told that they have been considered <br />and she also has been told that we can't afford them. She, as a councilmember, is <br />charged for maintaining fiscal responsibility, which is part of the Council's job. She does <br />not feel that she has been given the answers she has deserved over the past six <br />months. She does not like being in this position. She also doesn't like her desires being <br />ignored over the last six months. If City Manager Ollendorff will say that Mr. Michels <br />can sit in a meeting with Nancy MacCartney and Jacobs, she will withdraw the <br />resolution. She is not qualified to make some of these decisions and she does not think <br />that Mr. Ollendorff has been giving the Council the information it needs to make <br />informed decisions regarding this issue. We just want one meeting where all these <br />issues can be discussed which will probably be all that is needed. <br /> <br />Mr. Ollendorff said he is willing to give consideration to her requests and takes her <br />suggestion very seriously. <br /> <br />Ms. Brot said at the heart of the issues is the desire to have a recreation center that the <br />City is proud of, that is energy-efficient, and keeps the City fiscally sound. At a meeting <br />on June 30th some Councilmembers asked for everyone to work as a team. University <br />City resident Tim Michels has outstanding credentials and could understand and <br />interpret for the Council the points they are unable to understand from the presentation. <br /> <br />Mayor Adams said that Michel's and Jacobs diametrically oppose each other. How can <br />this possibly be productive? How are we to know which one's advice to follow? Why <br />should I automatically assume that Mr. Michels is correct and Jacob's is wrong? He <br />isn't attempting to be derogatory in any way to Mr. Michels; he just has a legitimate <br />concern over whom the Council is supposed to be listening. <br /> <br />Mr. Ollendorff said that he would do much better at informing the Council. He <br />understands more information must be gathered and dispensed to the Council on this <br />part of the issue, especially on the heating and cooling system design. <br /> <br />Page 10 <br /> <br /> <br />