2011-02-14 Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

spending of money for items without Council vote. It is funny that there many things that happened in the past that are now being complained of. Ms. Ricci said she could assure anyone that there was nothing going on. She said it was an improper appointment and she would encourage Ms. Nickerson or anyone else who is interested in serving to apply so you can serve the City as the City does need their help. Ms. Ricci stated that to make these kinds of allusions is wholly inaccurate. As far as the Economic Sales Tax Board, she said she has attended almost every meeting that she could and would tell everyone that there were terms that had expired, yet individuals were still serving. The prior Mayor was not interested at that time in addressing it and then all of a sudden at the prior Mayor’s last Council meeting some of Council received the surprise of his appointments. Mr. Glickert spoke on the meeting he called concerning the Wilson buyouts most recent changes in the grant opportunity for the City. He thanked Kelly O’Day and the Rev. Burns for assisting in having a fully engaged meeting. Mr. Glickert thanked Ms. Ricci, Mr. Kraft, City Manager Mr. Walker and selected staff and Mayor Welsch for their attendance and assistance. He thanked all Wilson Ave residents affected, for their patience in the City asking for another four weeks for the possibility of the City getting another one million dollars. Next he mention the City’s Pension Board and noted that there will be three openings in July and he is asking Council and the citizenry present if they know of anybody who has experience in investment in the fiduciary world to ask them to fill out an application for the Board. Mr. Glickert noted that we are talking about the employees of the City, uniformed and non-uniformed, their retirement and he would like to find three people to serve on this board. Lastly he noted that on Saturday he participated in organization called University City Participates and invited everyone to come to their gatherings, usually held in the EO C Room of City Hall, starting at 10:00 a.m. the Saturday before a Monday night Council meeting. An idea discussed was why any or all of the City’s Commissions and Boards meetings don’t have some form of a tape recording system. This would provide anyone interested in what all happened at any of the meetings. This could possibly be streamed through the City’s website. Mr. Price thought he would not be out of civility to make a comment because colleagues did editorials plus talk about Commissions. Therefore he said he was going to do his editorial now. For clarification on the Wilson buyout, he was at the last Council meeting and recalls he raised holy-cane about citizens not being notified. He said that none of the individuals who were mentioned made any comment of meeting with the citizens prior to that Council meeting. Mr. Price said secondly, on the Wilson buyout, a statement was made, why Mr. Crow is taking the action he is taking and he commended Mr. Crow for stepping forward. He said initially months ago, people’s private information was taken off premise by sending to outside emails which never happened before; Wilson people were notified on January 19 that the buyout was going to start then at the Council meeting the following Monday there was a totally different story which nobody on Wilson was told; Councilmembers posting website information months ago about things that were going to happen in the City and wanted to know how this person could have this kind of crystal ball that they would know in advance as to what was going to take place. Mr. Price said when he looked at other websites, people are making statements about downsizing, reorganization, right sizing and then he hears people in government making the same commonality. Mr. Price then said people are making statements that are totally misleading that the City is in catastrophic condition but the City has a 50 percent fund balance. He noted that on a blog someone said he doesn’t care what happens in ten years. Mr. Price said that if he has a child, he has to feed his kid today, because they won’t make it ten years from now. He said if he saved 6