Prepared Comments Made to
NORTH CANTON CITY COUNCIL
March 24, 2008
Given that this new city council has completed its first one-hundred days in office, today being day one-hundred fifteen, and in keeping to this council’s interests in performance audits, I thought I would provide an audit of what I have observed of this body. My audit of council’s performance comes free of charge.
My first observation of this council is that despite efforts to ensure that there is a free flow of public discussion on the issues, in recent council meetings this has not occurred. On March 10, 2008, North Canton Mayor David Held was abruptly cut off when the council meeting was gaveled closed by the council president. The rules of parliamentary procedure were not even followed as there was not a motion and a second to close the meeting. Failure to allow the mayor to speak two weeks ago was followed by a denial to allow public comments at last week’s council meeting.
I hope the two occasions cited above are an oversight and are not a predictor of future actions by this council to limit discussion on public business before this body.
Although my first comments were less than glowing, I would like to offer some positive comments for Mr. Revoldt’s actions as a leader of this body. President Revoldt, I believe your efforts to lead this council to passage of legislation on a number of issues was sound in judgment, well thought out and certainly in the best interest of the city. I would like to commend you on the following legislative efforts:
Your first proposal was that the city extend the deadline for compliance with nonconforming signs by businesses. Unfortunately, your recommendation came after Community and Economic Development Chairman Kiesling had already embraced discussions to simply remove the entire section of the zoning code regarding compliance with nonconforming signs.
Extending the deadline should have been every politician’s knee-jerk reaction. The issue is resolved and the politician is off the hot seat. This city paid a Cleveland firm over fifty thousand dollars to draft the zoning regulations and many of the members on this council voted to codify that zoning in 2003. The issue of nonconforming signs needs to be addressed. Most communities that are current in their zoning regulations deal with this issue in a more responsible manner than simply sticking their heads in the sand and stripping the language from their zoning code.
I would like to add that having the Community Economic Development Committee handling zoning issues is inherently a conflict of interest. Issues with regard to zoning and issues of economic development have diametrically opposing goals.
This council can offer relief to business owners at this time by simply leaving the legislation on the books as it is and extending the deadline for compliance. I urge you to embrace President Revoldt’s recommendation and do just that.
President Revoldt, I commend you and support your recommendation that council implement legislation dealing with nepotism. It is inconceivable how anyone on this council can argue in support of maintaining a practice that is so detrimental to good government. There is no way to hide or contain the problems that arise from hiring practices that permit nepotism.
Nepotism instantaneously creates problems of perception for the public and the city. President Revoldt framed this issue very eloquently and succinctly. It is a problem of management.
Hiring relatives creates a minefield of problems. Whenever any decision is made by a manager responsible for a relative in an organization, the first thought that comes to mind, consciously or unconsciously, is that the employee is related to the mayor, a city council person, the city administrator, or a department head. It is human nature. And due to the nature of that kinship there will be a natural tendency to treat that employee as family. And even if there is no bias, there is no way to convince someone that there is no preferential treatment. It will exist if someone feels slighted or if one’s relative is not hired or simply if it is believed by citizens. Nepotism undermines good government and good management practices.
Why should anyone apply for a position in North Canton when it is common knowledge that relatives are favored over non-relatives?
On a Web site from Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, there is the following: “…because favoritism is often covert (few elected officials are foolish enough to show open partiality to friends, and family), this practice undercuts the transparency that should be part of governmental hiring and contracting processes.” The Web site is titled Favoritism, Cronyism, and Nepotism.
Clearly, the council members who spoke last week in opposition to legislation regarding nepotism are not acting on behalf of their constituents or in the best interests of the city. And the most vocal critic of the nepotism legislation was Council member Foltz who argued that the ownership of the Hoover Company, a private corporation, by multiple family members was a good example in support of nepotism.
I do not think that argument has any connection to the issue at hand. Ownership of a private corporation by related family members has no relation to hiring and management practices of city government that is responsible to the public.
Lastly, I would like to commend Council member DeOrio for his research in disproving the existence of a council policy for construction of sidewalks. Council member Foltz has argued against the construction of city sidewalks for many years citing the existence of council policy to support his position. Even if such policy did exist, that does not mean successive city councils are bound by it for eternity.
There is nothing more important for bringing citizens together than sidewalks. Sidewalks provide a path to your neighbor’s house. Sidewalks take children to school. Sidewalks allow citizens to exercise and explore their city. Sidewalks can also allow citizens a path to their city parks.
Last week, Mr. Foltz argued against the construction of a sidewalk that would allow citizens’ access to Price Park without having to walk down Glenwood Street and across a narrow bridge that carries traffic in to the city from Belden Village and The Strip. What is the rationale for supporting the spending of thousands of city funds for construction of park trails and upwards of $150,000 for a bridge on park trails in the middle of the woods and not supporting spending of city funds for sidewalks? There really is no logic just as there is no council policy against enhancing the quality of life in this city with funding for city sidewalks.
In spite of the position taken by Mr. Foltz against the construction of sidewalks, I do hope this council realizes that it only takes four votes to move legislation through council. Legislation before this council does not require a unanimous vote. Your membership on this council requires putting the citizens first and not your fellow council members.
I realize that this council seldom listens to my comments but I do hope you follow the recommendations of your council president for dealing with the deadline for nonconforming signs, the need for nepotism legislation, and the construction of sidewalks on the south entrance to Price Park.
Thank you,
Chuck Osborne
Resident
City of North Canton
