CITY HALL, 100 LOCKVILLE ROAD
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 14, 2009
REGULAR
MEETING
7:00
P.M.
1. ROLL CALL. Mr. Smith called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M., with roll call as follows: Mrs. Hammond, Mr. Wisniewski, and Mr. Smith were present. No members were absent. Others present were Tim Hansley, Lynda Yartin, Tricia Sanders, and Brian Sauer.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF December 3, 2008, Regular Meeting. Mr. Wisniewski moved to approve; Mrs. Hammond seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Smith, Mrs. Hammond, and Mr. Wisniewski voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0.
Mr. Smith stated if there were no objections, he would like to reverse the order of the items under Scheduled Matters as the one discussion should be very brief. All Committee members concurred.
3. SCHEDULED MATTERS:
A. Review and discussion regarding Ordinance 2004-28 regarding filing of financial disclosure forms by City Manager, Law Director, Finance Director, and City Engineer. Mr. Smith stated these were the employees of Council and Mrs. Yartin brought this to his attention last week. He stated Pickerington is one, if not the only, city that requires the filing of financial forms by non-elected officials. He stated this was prompted by a call from the Ohio Ethics Commission informing us that they have no jurisdiction over non-elected officials. He stated with the consent of the other members of the Rules Committee he would like to request the law director look at this ordinance to see what, if any, amendments should be made. Mr. Smith further stated that we have two Council employees who were employed for only a portion of the year in 2008. Ms. Gilliland resigned on January 4, 2008, and Mr. Hansley was not appointed as City Manager until May of 2008. By this ordinance they would be required to file financial disclosure forms for the entire year. He stated he questioned why they should file these forms with the Ethics Commission when they have no jurisdiction and perhaps it would be better to have them file these forms with someone who has the authority to take action. Mr. Wisniewski clarified that the Ohio Ethics Commission had contacted Mrs. Yartin on this issue. Mr. Smith stated he understood the concept that the employees of Council be held to the same ethical standards as elected officials but he did not feel this ordinance did that. Mr. Wisniewski stated he agreed that the law director should review this ordinance. Mrs. Yartin stated she had provided this legislation to Mr. Hartmann and he was going to provide an amended version for Rules Committee to review at the next meeting. Mrs. Yartin stated she would request that Council approve by motion that the non-elected officials not be required to file this form if they were Council employees for only a portion of 2008. Mr. Wisniewski stated he felt this should include all non-elected employees in 2008. Mr. Smith moved to exempt all non-elected employees from filing financial disclosure forms with the Ohio Ethics Commission for 2008; Mr. Wisniewski seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Wisniewski, Mrs. Hammond, and Mr. Smith voting “Yea.” Motion passed, 3-0. Mrs. Yartin stated she would include this motion on the next Council agenda.
B. Review and discussion regarding proposed revisions to the City Charter. Mr. Smith stated this will be the job of this Committee over the next year and he would like to have a discussion on the process for going forward with this. He stated he would expect this Committee to come up with a good, sound plan on this issue, and he foresees a multi-step process to turn this action over to a Charter Review Commission. He stated the Rules Committee has done their part in taking the first look at the Charter and suggesting proposed revisions, and through a series of work sessions over the coming months Council will review this and also add new revisions as they see necessary. He stated this could then be turned over to the Charter Review Commission as a starting point if they so choose. Mr. Smith stated, however, the Charter Review Commission is an independent commission and they do not answer to Council. Mr. Wisniewski stated he would definitely like to see the Charter as it is now and with the revisions proposed by Rules Committee. Mr. Smith stated Rules Committee was provided a red-lined version of the Charter and Mrs. Yartin would forward that to all of Council. Mr. Wisniewski stated he would like to have a chance to review this document and discuss it at the next Rules Committee. He stated he felt the City’s main issue this year is a financial one, there will be four council seats on the next election, and possibly a tax issue. Mr. Smith stated he felt next spring would be the earliest this would be ready to go to the voters, if not next November, and he did not see a rush to get this done. Mrs. Sanders clarified the last Charter Review was in 2003. Mr. Fix stated perhaps Mr. Smith could bring a proposed timeline to the next meeting for everyone to review. Mr. Smith stated he would put together a proposed schedule for the next meeting and everyone would have had time to review the red-lined version of the proposed revisions by that time as well.
4. CHAIRMAN: Mr. Smith stated had nothing further to bring forward.
5. OTHER BUSINESS: No other business was brought forward.
6. ADJOURNMENT. There being nothing further, Mr. Wisniewski moved to adjourn; Mrs. Hammond seconded the motion. Mrs. Hammond, Mr. Wisniewski, and Mr. Smith voted "Aye." Motion carried, 3-0. The Rules Committee adjourned at 7:20 P.M, January 14, 2009.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
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