May 23, 2016 - North Canton City Council Meeting

North Canton Residents and Anyone Having Interest in the Business of North Canton City Government:

Pasted below is a link to a video of the North Canton City Council Meeting followed by a Special Committee of the Whole Meeting, held on Monday, May 23, 2016.

https://youtu.be/99jFSK6zrpI

 

Description of Video: 

May 23, 2016, – North Canton City Council Meeting followed by a Special Committee of the Whole Meeting:  

The video covers a North Canton City Council meeting lasting approximately one hour and 40 minutes immediately followed by a Special Committee of the Whole meeting that lasted approximately four minutes. 

The meeting is called to order about two minutes after the video begins. 

The meeting began with a prayer by Senior Pastor Eli Klingensmith of Zion United Church of Christ, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

          At 4:40 minutes into the video, Council President Peters takes attendance by having the Clerk call the roll. All seven members of Council answered roll call. 

The agenda for the City Council meeting consisted of legislative votes on the following ordinances: 

·        Ordinance No. 37-2016:

2^nd Reading to increase the salaries of  top level exempt employees, specifically, Director of Administration, Director of Finance, Director of Law, and City Engineer. 

·        Ordinance No. 38-2016:

2^nd Reading to increase to four weeks, the number of weeks of allowed vacation for top level exempt employees, specifically, Director of Administration, Director of Finance, Director of Law, and City Engineer. 

·        Ordinance No. 32-2016:

1^st Reading to expand the boundaries of the City’s Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) as well as the term and percentage of taxes abated.  

·        Ordinance No. 40-2016:

1^st Reading to approve, confirm, and accept a perpetual public fire hydrant on the site of the proposed Walther Café on Applegrove.

·        Resolution No. 3-2016:

A resolution designating the Dogwood tree as the City’s official tree.

5:30 minutes into the video, Council President Peters outlines the rules for visitors who wish to address City Council. Mr. Peters specifically states that there would be no discussion between speakers and members of City Council during what is termed Recognition of Visitors on the agenda and generally referred to as “Public Speaks.”   

16:40 minutes into the video, Councilmember Griffith fails to observe this directive given by President Peters immediately preceding the Recognition of Visitors.  

Six City residents addressed City Council:  

       6:15 minutes into the video, City resident Melanie Roll speaks in opposition to the proposed expansion of the City’s CRA tax abatement program. Mrs. Roll reads prepared remarks on behalf of Miriam Baughman who was unable to attend.

      9:45 minutes into the video, City resident and former member of  North Canton City Council Chuck Osborne reads prepared remarks in opposition to Council legislation to expand the City’s CRA tax abatement program. 

       15:00 minutes into the video, City resident Ronald Jeskey addresses his concerns about two issues. First, regarding traffic noise and speeding in the vicinity of his residence on the corner of Glenwood and Woodland. The second issue was his opposition to the City’s CRA abatement of property taxes. Mr. Jesky was very unhappy that multi-millionaires would be given abatements on their property taxes un the proposed expansion of the City’s CRA program. 

       19:40 minutes into the video, City resident Glenn Saylor came forward to speak at the podium. Before Mr. Saylor began his remarks, he pointed out to President Peters that Councilmember Griffith was indeed out of order and that he too needed to comply with the stated rules that Council will not engage in any discussion with speakers. 

       In recognition that next Monday is Memorial Day, Mr. Saylor reminded members of City Council of the extreme sacrifice of military veterans who fought in the Korean War in 1950. 

       25:10 minutes into the video, City resident Larry Tripp questions Council’s actions regarding the proposed expansion of the City’s CRA tax abatement program. 

       29:05 minutes into the video, City resident Rod Covey presents remarks to City Council.

 

       34:45 minutes into the video, Council reads and votes on Ordinance No. 37-2016. 

       36:45 minutes into the video, Council reads and votes on Ordinance No 38-2016. 

       38:30 minutes into the video, Council reads Ordinance No. 32-2016.  

       This is the CRA legislation that has generated a great deal of discussion on Council and so much opposition from citizens and most especially, a great deal of concern from all affiliated with the North Canton City School District. 

       Councilmember Doug Foltz votes against reading the proposed ordinance. Councilmember Domonic Fonte abstains as he has a conflict of interest due to the fact that he is a Real Estate broker and he would benefit in the passage of the legislation.  

       Councilwoman Keisling leads off the discussion which last until 1:20:40 minutes into the video when Council moves ahead with its first reading in spite of the fact that important terms of the abatements have not been finalized. 

       Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling makes between some very interesting and revealing remarks at the following points in the video. 

·        43:20 minutes into the video, Mrs. Kiesling is obviously defending Mr. DeHoff and DeHoff realty when she expresses her disfavor that I singled out a Mr. John Arnold, as a lobbyist for Bob DeHoff. Mr. Arnold has attended at least three City Council meetings in which the CRA has been discussed and spoke twice in support of the CRA legislation. I simply stated that as a member of the DeHoff Development Team along with beth Borda, that he should be required to publicly reveal that DeHoff Realty is his employer and that he very likely will benefit financially from passage of the CRA legislation.  

·        44:15 minutes into the video, Mrs. Kiesling reveals that Bob DeHoff called her.

·        44:45 minutes into the video, Mrs. Kiesling states that the homes in North Canton are not what we want. I will leave Mrs. Kiesling statement for viewers of the video to decide its meaning. 

·        45:30 minutes into the video, Mrs. Kiesling states that in a phone conversation Bob DeHoff has offered to pay the North Canton City Schools $10,000 per year to aussage the loss of the $127,500 in property taxes he would have had to pay to the City Schools.

 

·        46:45 minutes into the video, Mrs. Kiesling states Mr. DeHoff doesn’t have to give the schools anything, that he is not required to do anything. 

       From my vantage point, and solely my opinion, I would have to say that Marcia

Kiesling is spearheading this legislation through City Council to benefit Mr. Bob DeHoff and Mr. Bill Lemmon. 

       Mr. Foltz again votes NO and Mr. Fonte abstains just prior to the 1:20:40 minutes mark when the discussion ends and the ordinance receives its first reading. 

       The approximately 42 minutes (between 38:30 minutes and 1:20:40 minutes) of discussion on the CRA property tax abatements is very informative and well worth watching. 

       What strikes this videographer is the ease at which this Council so casually and irresponsibly talks about handing out tax revenue desperately needed by the North Canton City Schools. 

       1:00:05 minutes into the video, Glenn Saylor speaks out from the audience in appreciation of the pleading by Councilmember Doug Foltz to curtail the terms of the tax abatements being proposed. Mr. Saylor’s remarks prompt some spontaneous applause in the audience. 

       Law Director Tim Fox prods Council President Peters to note, for the record, that Mr. Saylor was out of order. 

       Councilmember Foltz continues to plead for less generous benefits after Mr. Saylor has left the Council Chamber. 

       1:20:45 minutes into the video, Council reads and votes, on an emergency, to approve Ordinance 40-2016. 

       1:22:50 minutes into the video, Council reads and votes on Resolution No. 3-2016. 

       1:24:30 minutes into the video, Council Reports begins. At this point, everyone seated at the dais is allowed to make remarks on the record. 

       1:41:38 minutes into the video, the council meeting is adjourned.

       1:41:40 minutes into the video, the Special Committee of the Whole is called to order. 

       The sole item on the agenda was a discussion of an ordinance to advertise and receive bids for the City’s Garbage contract. 

       1:45:38 minutes into the video, the Special Committee of the Whole is adjourned.        

       The video continue to run until 1:55:20 minutes. 

Thank you,
Chuck Osborne

 

 

May 16, 2016 - North Canton Council of the Whole Meeting

North Canton Residents and Anyone Having Interest in the Business of North Canton City Government:

Pasted below is a link to a video of the North Canton Council of the Whole meeting held on Monday, May 16, 2016.

https://youtu.be/JIAqkjjlTWk

Description of Video:

May 16, 2016, – North Canton Committee of the Whole Meeting:  

The video covers a North Canton Council of the Whole meeting lasting approximately one hour and thirty-two minutes. The meeting is called to order approximately four minutes after the video begins.   

          Immediately upon the meeting being called to order and members of Council answering roll call, Council President Jeff Peters calls for a vote to excuse member Marcia Kiesling who was absent and failed to answer roll call.  

          This is Councilmember Kiesling’s fourth meeting absence this year. Mrs. Kiesling has also failed to attend meetings of Council on February 8, 2016, on March 7, 2016, and on May 2, 2016. 

          Council President Peters was about to adjourn the meeting of Council when an hour and eleven minutes into the meeting, Councilmember Kiesling arrives. The meeting continues for another twenty-four minutes.         

The agenda for the City Council meeting consisted of discussions on the following:

·        Continued discussion for the expansion of the City’s Community Reinvestment Area (CRA), tabled as Ordinance No. 32-2016. 

·        Discussion of a resolution designating the Dogwood tree as the official City tree. 

·        Discussion on the construction of a dog park and a community garden, both near the East Maple Street Little League ball fields.   

·        Discussion of an ordinance approving a perpetual public fire hydrant and waterline easement near the proposed Walther Café on Applegrove Street. 

·        Discussion of an ordinance vacating portions of Orchard Street NE and Witwer Street NE was tabled.

 

·        Discussion on the purchase of solar-powered speed-limit signs. 

5:00 minutes into the video, Councilmember Stephanie Werren addresses the proposal to designate the Dogwood tree as the City’s official tree.

          7:30 minutes into the video, Councilmember Dog Foltz begins the discussion to build both a dog park and a community garden adjacent to the East Maple Street Little League ball fields. The discussion was expanded to possibly build a shelter much like the shelter at Dogwood Park.

25:10 minutes into the video, Council President Peters announces that discussion of the vacation of Orchard Street NE and Witwer Street NE will be held up for a later meeting. Later in the meeting, at 45:45 minutes into the video, President Peters officially removes discussion of the proposed vacation of the two streets by calling for a vote to table the vacation.

25:30 minutes into the video, Councilmember Domonic Fonte begins the discussion to purchase solar-powered speed-limit signs and gives a PowerPoint presentation. City Administrator Grimes advises Council that the costs for each sign would be $3,600 to $4,300 plus the cost of a pole to mount the sign and solar panel.

45:50 minutes into the video, Council returns to discussion of the expansion of the CRA. Although this was the first item on Council’s agenda for the night, discussion was delayed due to the absence of the Chairman of Economic Development, Marcia Kiesling.

Council at this point in the meeting is left with no choice than to move ahead with discussion on the CRA without its Chairperson present.

Council President Peters leads off with one of the many issues that have been raised in the discussions that have taken place regarding the proposed expansion of the CRA and that is the dollar amount of the abated taxes that apparently is to be given to North Canton Developer and multi-millionaire, Bill Lemmon, in the construction of the assisted living facility being built on the site of the former Bob-o-Link Club house, known locally as The Barn.
 

A frequent attendee at North Canton City Council meetings has let it be known that they have information that someone in the City promised Bill Lemmon a tax abatement for this gargantuan development.

Attendance at this meeting was sparse as can be seen on the one occasion where I pan the audience. Interestingly, there was one individual in the audience tonight who is not a regular attendee at North Canton City Council meetings.

That person was Miss Beth Borda. An Internet search revealed that Miss Borda along with John Arnold makeup the DeHoff Development Team. If "Public Comments" had been allowed at this Committee of the Whole meeting, I expect Miss Borda, like her fellow team member, Mr. Arnold, would have spoken in support of the expansion of the CRA program.

Miss Borda's fellow team member, John Arnold, spoke in support of the legislation to expand the City's CRA boundaries at two previous meetings of City Council on April 11, 2016 and again on May 9, 2016.

Clearly, Miss Borda and Mr. Arnold are lobbying for passage of the CRA legislation on behalf of their employer, Bob DeHoff, from which all three will gain financial benefit.
 

At 46:00 minutes into the video, President Peters reveals to members of Council the amount of taxes that would be abated if the assisted-living facility under construction (to be called the Sanctuary Grande) on the former site of the Bob-o-Link Golf Course Club House is included in the proposed expanded CRA.

Mr. Peters stated that a 50% abatement for 12-years would result in forgone taxes amounting to $127,500 per year and that over the 12-year term of the abatement would amount to approximately $1,530,000.

WHY North Canton City Council is even contemplating such a proposal is beyond comprehension!!!

Further compounding Council’s total failure to represent City residents and taxpayers in this sorry scenario is the fact that the City may have to give one-half of the income taxes paid by employees at the facility to the North Canton City School District.

This loss of needed revenue by the North Canton City School District and the North Canton library is simply one of an unknown number of tax abatements that will overrun the City.

The construction of this $60,000,000 facility is just the largest of the abatements that will come with the expansion of the CRA program.

With the CRA program on steroids with the proposed expansion of the program, the City’s School District and the City library stand to lose millions of revenue that rightfully belongs to them and that they desperately need.

47:30 minutes into the video, President Peters states that if Councilmember Kiesling does not arrive soon to lead the discussion that he will push discussion of the proposal into next Monday’s meeting.

55:10 minutes into the video, Councilmember Doug Foltz again raises concerns as to what is being proposed regarding the proposed abatements.

1:13:05 minutes into the video, and nearly thirty minutes after discussion began on the proposed expansion of the CRA program for which she Chairs, Councilmember Kiesling arrives to the meeting that has been in progress for nearly one and a quarter hours.  

Interesting to note was that at 1:24:25 minutes into the video, Councilmember Kiesling asks Economic Development Director Eric Bowles what terms were given to Bill Lemmon on the 40-unit apartment complex (called North Ridge Place).

Mr. Bowles apparently was unable to answer or could not recall. Councilmember Foltz pulls out a spreadsheet that I had compiled (and given to Council in prepared remarks on April 11, 2016, showing all the current CRA abatements) and answers Mrs. Kiesling’s question as to the terms of that abatement.

Amusing to me, Mrs. Kiesling bellows out, “…Chuck produced that…” to which Mr. Foltz replied, “…I am going to use it, because it looks fairly accurate.”

1:26:10 minutes into the video, Mr. Foltz passes the spreadsheet I compiled to Council President Peters for him to study.

 

Why can’t the City put together a spreadsheet that is understandable and accurate for members of City Council? Inserted below is a listing of the property taxes currently being abated. Note that six of the eight abatements are going to corporations and two of the abatements are to North Canton multi-millionaires.

 

This is revenue intended for the support of the North Canton City Schools and the City Library.

 

North Canton's CRA program is nothing more than tax giveaway, pure and simple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I should say here that I myself had to go to the Stark County Auditor’s office to get accurate information as the information I received from North Canton’s Economic Development Director, Eric Bowles, was not accurate.

1:28:55 minutes into the video, Councilmember Cerreta makes the statement that it will take three readings to pass the ordinance expanding the City’s CRA.

Astonishingly, Mrs. Kiesling fires back saying “…It isn’t actually, it’s not a zoning issue, and we will probably pass it on an emergency on the 3^rd reading…It does not require three readings... next week it is going on the agenda.”

Why is Mrs. Kiesling in such a rush to give away millions of dollars of property taxes that support our schools and our libraries?

1:35:50 minutes into the video, the Council of the Whole meeting is adjourned. The video continues to run until 1:41:47.  

Thank you,
Chuck Osborne

May 9, 2016 - North Canton City Council Meeting followed by a Special Committee of the Whole Meeting

North Canton Residents and anyone having Interest in the Business of North Canton City Government:

Pasted below is a link to a video of the North Canton City Council meeting followed by a Special Committee of the Whole meeting held on Monday, May 9, 2016.

https://youtu.be/02dEZ6vtHVA 

Description of Video:  

May 9, 2016, – North Canton City Council Meeting followed by a Special Committee of the Whole Meeting:  

The video covers a North Canton City Council meeting lasting approximately 55 minutes and approximately twenty minutes of the one hour and five minute Special Committee of the Whole meeting. The meeting is called to order approximately soon after the video begins.  

Tonight’s meetings of North Canton City Council ran longer than the internal memory capacity of my camera. In the future this videographer will utilize the higher capacity external memory to insure lengthy meetings can be recorded. 

The combined length of both meetings ran nearly two hours. Consequently, only fifteen minutes of the nearly one hour and five minutes Special Committee of the Whole was captured on video.  

The meeting began with a prayer by Father Jay Clarke from St. Paul Roman Catholic Church. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 

At 2:00 minutes into the video, Council President Peters takes attendance by having the Clerk Call the Roll. With only six members answering Roll Call, President Peters call for a vote to excuse Councilmember Dan Griffith who was absent. This is Councilmember Griffith’s first absence since the first of the year. 

The agenda for the City Council meeting consisted of the following actions requiring approval by Roll Call vote:

·        Ordinance No. 33-2016 - Approval of CRA agreements granting tax abatements to LMD Property and to Reed Funeral Home. 

LMD Property is a corporation affiliated with well-known North Canton multi-millionaire, Robert DeHoff. 

Reed Funeral Home is a corporation affiliated with Dennis Reed. 

·        Resolution No. 1-2016 – repealing and replacing Resolution No. 547 – a 1963 designation calling the City of North Canton “The Dogwood City”.

·        Ordinance No. 37-2016 – increasing the salary for top level exempt employees, specifically, Director of Administration, Director of Finance, Director of Law, and City Engineer.

 

·        Ordinance No. 38-2016 – increasing, to four weeks, the number of weeks of allowed vacation for top level exempt employees, specifically, Director of Administration, Director of Finance, Director of Law, and City Engineer. 

·        Ordinance No. 39-2016 – authorizing expenditure of $3,000 in donated funds for trees. 

·        Emergency Resolution No. 2-2016 - authorizing the Mayor to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the North Canton Police Department and the Stark County’s Sheriff’s Office to support the Stark County OVI Task Force.  

3:00 minutes into the video, there is a call for Recognition of Visitors

(referred to as Public Speaks). Six individual addressed City Council:  

          3:15 minutes into the video, North Canton resident and former Councilmember Greg Sarbach spoke in opposition to the passage of Resolution No. 1-2016, which called for removing North Canton’s designation as “The Dogwood City.” 

          5:40 minutes into the video, a City resident asks that an access road that loops behind their Portage Street home from Portage Street NW to Willaman Avenue NW be named to allow them to give directions to their home. 

          9:30 minutes into the video, North Canton resident and former Councilmember, Chuck Osborne spoke to City Council in opposition to the proposed tax abatements for two corporations; LMD Property, owned by local multimillionaire, Robert DeHoff and, Reed Funeral Home, Inc. (Ordinance No. 33-2016). 

          Mr. Osborne also spoke in opposition to proposed increase in salary and vacation benefits (Ordinance No. 37-2016 & Ordinance No. 38-2016) for North Canton’s high level exempt employees. The specific positions initially targeted for the increase in compensation levels are depicted in the following table. The current annual salary depicted in the spread sheet in column one are per Ordinance No. 51-2013 passed in 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I might add that any increase in salary would not reflect the added sixteen percent in pension contributions paid on behalf of the employee by the City. For example, an exempt employee making $100,000 annual actually receives $116,000 per year. The extra sixteen thousand dollars is the City’s contribution to that employee’s pension. 

In the Mayor’s State of the City presentation just a week ago, if memory serves me correctly, income tax collections for this year are down from last year. 

14:45 minutes into the video, City resident Miriam Baughman also spoke in opposition to the proposed increases in salary and vacation benefits (Ordinance No. 37-2016 & Ordinance No. 38-2016) for City’s high level exempt employees.

18:50 minutes into the video, Akron resident John Arnold spoke in support of the City’s proposed expansion of the City’s CRA program. This is the second time in recent weeks that Mr. Arnold has come to a North Canton City Council meeting to speak on behalf of expanded approvals of property tax abatements.

I was told after the meeting that Mr. Arnold is employed by Robert DeHoff. I have not verified this but if it is true, I can only say that the multi-millionaire, Mr. DeHoff, has benefitted greatly from the property tax abatements that he has been given by North Canton City Council over the years.

Further, Mr. DeHoff and his partner at the Hoover District, Stewart Lichter, have received nearly $7.0 million dollars by way of the generosity of North Canton City Council. And with no obligation to repay any of the millions of dollars back to the City or its taxpayers.

I think it is fair to say that Mr. Arnold’s endorsement of the City’s CRA program financially benefits not only his employer, but Mr. Arnold as well.

I would suggest that Mr. Arnold is acting as a lobbyist for Mr. DeHoff and that he should state that fact in his remarks to North Canton City Council the next time he speaks at Council!

20:20 minutes into the video, Ordinance No. 33-2016 is read and passed. The tax abatements for multimillionaire, Robert DeHoff and Reed Funeral Home was approved for another year, thus diverting revenue intended for the North Canton City Schools, the  City Library, and City coffers.

21:30 minutes into the video, Resolution 1-2016 is read and passed despite pleas from several residents in recent weeks that the legislation be voted down. The designation of North Canton as "The Dogwood City" will end.

24:03 minutes into the video, Ordinance 37-2016 is read, receiving its 1^st Reading toward passage of the higher salary caps of $115,000 for all four department heads.

I might add that North Canton has advertised the opening for the Director of Finance position, at the yet unapproved higher salary cap since April 11, 2016.

Is there any doubt that the legislation will be approved when it has been advertised at a salary cap of $115,000 for nearly one month?

30:25 minutes into the video, Ordinance 38-2016 is read, receiving its 1^st Reading toward passage allowing four weeks of paid vacation for all four department heads.

33:10 minutes into the video, Ordinance 39-2016 is read and adopted on an emergency.

 35:40 minutes into the video, Resolution 2-2016 is read and adopted on an emergency.

37:40 minutes into the video, Council Reports begin with some remarks made in support of the increased salary caps and increased vacation time for high level exempt employees.

54:40 minutes into the video, the City Council meeting was concluded.

The Special Committee of the Whole immediately follows.

The agenda for the Special Committee of the Whole meeting consisted of one item:

·        Continued discussion of tabled Ordinance No. 32-2016, the boundaries for the Community Reinvestment Area.

55:40 minutes into the video, Chairperson of Community and Economic Development Committee Marcia Kiesling leads the discussion on what should and should not be included in the expanded Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). 

The following discussion is worth listening to as long as the video lasts. 

Mrs. Kiesling first states that Monticello and the Sanctuary are out and that Waterside Park and Summit Street are in. Later in the meeting, after Doug Foltz says he wants Waterside Park taken out, Council realizes that Waterside Park has been in the Main Street CRA since it was first created in 1999.  

The discussion is worth listening to until the end of the video. I will make no further comments on the discussion as long as it lasts. I will let the viewer decide whether members of City Council really understand the issue. 

I will only add this. City Council is discussing greatly expanding the number of property tax abatements that could be offered throughout the City. Property taxes support the North Canton City Schools and the North Canton Library. 

Current tax abatements already approved resulted in nearly $100,000 a year in revenue lost to North Canton Schools and the City Library. If all the tax abatements currently approved play out, nearly $1.4 million dollars will have been diverted away from the City’s schools and libraries. 

And now City Council wants to increase the number of property tax abatements exponentially. 

The video ends at 1:15:16 minutes. Unfortunately, the meeting continued for approximately another forty minutes.   

Thank you,
Chuck Osborne

 

 

May 2, 2016 - North Canton Council of the Whole Meeting

North Canton Residents and Anyone Having Interest in the Business of North Canton City Government:

Pasted below is a link to a video of the North Canton Council of the Whole meeting held on Monday, May 2, 2016.

https://youtu.be/NsWm08pzIyo

Description of Video:  

May 2, 2016, – North Canton Committee of the Whole Meeting:  

The video covers a North Canton Committee of the Whole meeting lasting just under an hour in length. The meeting is called to order approximately one minute into the video.   

Following roll call, Council President Peters calls for a vote to excuse Councilmember Marcia Kiesling as she was absent. This is Councilmember Kiesling’s third meeting absence. Mrs. Kiesling has also failed to attend meetings of Council on February 8, 2016, and on March 7, 2016. 

           The agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting consisted of the following for legislative action: 

           •         Emergency legislation to increase the salary and vacation allowance for of exempt employees. These are employees who work at the pleasure of either the Mayor or City Council. 

           •         Emergency Resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the North Canton Police Department and the Stark County’s Sheriff’s Office to support the Stark County OVI Task Force.  

           •         A presentation on the City’s response to mitigate impact of flooding from the Zimber Ditch.  

           •         Legislation authorizing expenditure of $3,000 in donated funds for the purchase of trees.  

          1:50 minutes into the video, Council President Peters, as Chairperson of the Personnel and Safety Committee, introduces proposed legislation to increase the salaries and vacation allowances for the City’s exempt employees. The specific positions initially targeted for the increase in compensation levels are depicted in the following table.

 

 

 

           The discussion on the proposed increase in compensation levels ultimately was expanded to include all exempt employees. The Clerk of Council position was clearly one of the additional exempt positions mentioned but there are several other exempt positions in the City. It is my understanding that the two clerks in the Mayor’s office and the Director of Economic Development are exempt employees.  

I might add that any increase in salary would not reflect the added sixteen percent in pension contributions paid on behalf of the employee by the City. For example, an exempt employee making $100,000 annual actually receives $116,000 per year. The extra sixteen thousand dollars is the City’s contribution to that employee’s pension. 

In the Mayor’s State of the City presentation just a week ago, if memory serves me correctly, income tax collections for this year are down from last year. 

With City Council’s plans to expand the City’s Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs) thus increasing the number of tax abatements going to Corporations and multi-millionaires, one has to wonder how the City is going to survive financially.  

The proposed increases in compensation levels to employees who work at the pleasure of either the Mayor or City Council was the significant topic of the meeting. 

I might add that there was no mention of the nearly forty-four percent raise in the cards for North Canton Law Director Tim Fox. And I might add that Mr. Fox did not utter a word the entire night. Perhaps he did not want to bring any attention to his proposed hefty raise. 

16:20 minutes into the video, Chairperson Peters discusses the proposed Emergency Resolution noted earlier. 

17:25 minutes into the video, Ward 4 Councilperson, as Chairperson of Street and Alley makes a presentation an update to Council on the Zimber Ditch and the City’s flood mitigation efforts. Mr. Fonte concludes his presentation at 43:25 minutes.  

43:25 minutes into the video, Chairperson Dan Griffith discusses his proposal to authorize expenditure of $3,000 of donated funds for the purchase of ornamental trees. 

44:50 minutes into the video, Council President Peters asks to amend the agenda to allow Councilmember Cerreta to propose that the Dogwood tree serve as North Canton's official City tree. Mr. Cerreta made this proposal in anticipation of the upcoming 3^rd Reading next week to remove the North Canton tagline as “The Dogwood City” given that there was some citizen opposition to removing the "Dogwood City” tagline. 

47:20 minutes into the video, Chairman Peters again amended the agenda to allow Councilmember Foltz to update Council on Park and Recreation issues. 

57:20 minutes into the video, the Council meeting was concluded. 

The video ends at the one hour mark (1:00 minutes). 

Thank you,
Chuck Osborne