Prepared Comments Made to
NORTH CANTON CITY COUNCIL
December 14, 2015
It would seem
that everyone at City Hall, and most especially individuals connected to the
Office of City Council, no longer feel compelled to follow or comply with the
City’s Charter or its ordinances.
Section 2.04 of the City’s Charter
states in part, “…Council shall meet at such times as may be prescribed by its
rules, regulations, by-laws, or by resolution or ordinance, except that it
shall hold regular meetings at least once during each calendar month.”
In the months of
July and December of 2014, this Council body failed to hold a regular meeting
during each of those calendar months.
Under the City’s
Codified Ordinances, Part One, Title Three, Chapter 111, titled COUNCIL:
“Chapter
111.01(a) states “Council of the City of North Canton, (“Council”) shall meet
on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Council
chambers….”
Why
did this Council body hold a regular Council meeting on the first Monday of the
month?
(December 7, 2015) when North Canton Ordinance requires a
Committee of the Whole meetings on the first Monday of the month?
How can residents
observe voting on legislation when legislative voting nights do not comply with
rules of Council and City ordinances?
This is one of many meetings over
the last eighteen months that have not complied with the rules of Council
regarding the scheduling of Council meetings on the prescribed night.
These actions by North Canton City
Council are contrary to our City Charter and the very laws each of you are
sworn to uphold.
“Chapter 111.01(f) states: “Council
shall meet as a Committee of the Whole on the first, third, and fifth Monday…”
Tonight you have scheduled a “Special”
Committee of the Whole meeting. What is a “Special” Committee of the Whole?
In the nearly
sixteen years I have observed North Canton’s legislative agenda, I have never
seen such an animal. It is not described in City ordinances nor is it described
in the City Charter.
A “Special” Committee
of the Whole meeting is an invention of the newly appointed Council Clerk who,
unfortunately, was never trained to function under North Canton’s municipal home
rule form of government.
How could this
current membership of City Council have expected an individual to fill a
position as Clerk of Council with absolutely no training? Previous appointees
as Council Clerks had trained for years before appointment as Clerk of Council.
This is the fallout from the loss of
a highly valued, highly-skilled, and extremely professional Council Clerk who
had served North Canton City Council for nearly seventeen years before she was
pushed out as North Canton Clerk of Council.
Your actions in allowing her to be
treated in such a manner were shameful and counterproductive for yourselves.
“Section 2.04 of the City’s Charter
further states in part, “…Special meetings of the Council may be called as
prescribed by its rules, regulations, by-laws, or by resolution or by
ordinance. In the absence of any such provisions, special meetings may be
called by a vote of Council taken an any regular or special meeting thereof, or
shall be called by the Clerk of Council upon written request of the Mayor, or
the President of Council, or by any three (3) members of Council.
Notice in writing of each special
meeting called at the request of the Mayor, President of Council, or by
three(3) members of council, shall state the date, and time , subjects to be
considered and no other subject or subjects shall be considered thereat…”
Is City Council following
all of the requirements specified in the City’s Charter to call a Special
Council meeting? To confirm compliance, I would like to see all written
requests for Special Council meetings held over the last two years.
They are called Special
Council meetings for a reason. The subjects to be considered must be described
in the written request for the meeting. I do not believe that this is being
done.
On December 1,
2014, a Special Council meeting was held. Ten pieces of legislation were voted
on. This was a Committee of the Whole night.
Did this Special
Council meeting comply with North Canton’s City Charter?
No, it did not!
North Canton City
Council must comply with the laws it legislates for itself and for its
citizens.
Due process and
the laws of North Canton must be followed.
Each of you took an oath to do just
that!
Thank you,
Chuck Osborne,
Resident
City of North Canton
