LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / University Heights City Council meeting highlights
JANUARY 6, 2025, regular meeting
- Mayor’s report
- Directors’ reports
- Council actions
- Council committee reports
Present were Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan and council members Michele Weiss (vice mayor), Christopher Cooney, Brian J. King, Threse Marshall, John P. Rach, Sheri Sax, and Win Weizer. Also present were Clerk of Council Kelly Thomas, Law Director Bradric T. Bryan, and City Engineer Brenda Mockbee. The meeting began at 7:01 p.m. and adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Mayor’s report
The mayor read into the record a letter dated Dec. 23 citing reasons for his veto of the ordinance to amend the salaries of the mayor and safety director. He maintained that the ordinance would discourage qualified candidates for mayor and erode the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of city government. He cited the law director’s analysis that the ordinance would reduce the mayor’s salary from $75,000 to $50,000 and give council discretion to approve or disapprove the mayor’s desire to also be safety director for an additional $50,000 salary. It also allows council to alter the safety director’s salary based on their determination of job performance. The mayor noted potential areas of disagreement between council and safety director that could cause council to determine the safety director as not performing satisfactorily. The full transcript of the mayor’s report is included in the revised agenda packet for this meeting.
Councilperson Weizer responded to the mayor’s statement. Regarding the independence of each branch of government, she said the mayor failed to acknowledge that the mayor and council have to work together in good faith. She claimed the ordinance would be part of the checks and balances to enable council to review the mayor’s actions. As the mayor’s and safety director’s duties appear to be conflated, she was looking to the administration for a safety director job description. She said council cannot alter the safety director’s salary based on job performance without a job description.
Directors’ reports
Service Director Allen Pennington said leaf collection has ended, as weather conditions have changed, and the trucks have been converted to snowplows. Part-time workers have moved into two vacated full-time positions and there is a search for two more part-time workers.
The building department reported 1,134 permits for 2024 with collected fees representing $51 million in construction valuation.
City Engineer Mockbee reported that the Silsby watermain project has paused until March; the street will be opened to two-way traffic.
Communications Director Mike Cook said the mid-February Mosaic issue is being prepared and will include information on the John Carroll University Gateway project, the second recycling phase, the April sustainable homes fair, Eagle Scouts, and a citizen who is a children’s book author. Additional stories are welcome.
Council actions
With Weizer abstaining from the vote, council appointed her to the CIC to replace Rach, who resigned saying he lacked time for the position.
Council approved payment of $16,150 for rebuilding two shower stalls in the fire department. The original estimate was $14,000, but rotted joists and rusted galvanized piping discovered after construction began needed replacing.
With King and Cooney voting no, council overrode the mayor’s veto of the ordinance establishing separate salaries for mayor and safety director. Discussion addressed Weizer’s comments regarding a job description for safety director. The law director noted that the charter has no such job description and does not require one. The mayor said council should write the job description and could establish it by ordinance; Vice Mayor Weiss said the new human resources firm could generate a description without an ordinance.
Council did not override a line-item veto of the transfer of $25,000 to the CIC as there was no motion to do so. Cooney noted that all departments had endured cuts in the budget process, but the CIC, which has more than $80,000 on hand and no pending projects, was awarded another $25,000 from the general fund. Recent changes to the structure of the CIC may lead to programs that can come before council and additional funding could be addressed then. Saks noted a strategic planning meeting of the CIC was set for Jan. 16.
Council committee reports
Community Outreach Committee Chair King reported that the new video system received by Starfish is being tested. The next step would be to coordinate with the school district for installation, which may take place before the next council meeting.
LWV observer: Marilyn Singer
Meeting packets, legislation, and other information can be found on the city website at: https://www.universityheights.com/council/
Videos of council meetings can be viewed on the “City of University Heights” YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA82j5L_CkQxK9cXP_qrXvw/videos