Resolution for Trash Collection

As usual, the Minerva Park way of handling this legislation was to waive the readings and pass the item as an emergency. They've even added a clause to the legislation now, as if to justify the way they do things (ask me if you want details, or go ahead and attend just one council meeting):
"It is hereby found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the adoption of this Resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Council, and that an

y and all deliberations of this Council and any of its committees that resulted in

such formal action were in meetings open to the public, in compliance with all

legal requirements of the laws of the State of Ohio."

Looks an awful lot like the typical self-policing of Minerva Park politics. This statement of openness came from council itself, how can they "find" themselves in compliance with the law.

The waiving of all three readings means that they never had to read it in public to accept public comments on it. Typically, an item is supposed to be read once at each meeting, and typically those meetings are held once per month.

When an item is passed as an emergency, it takes effect immediately, rather than having to wait 30-days for it to become effective.

There has been casual talk about making residents pay for trash since at least 2011. The resolution was passed March 11, 2013, theoretically with much discussion ahead of that quick, weighty decision. We didn't get notice until 10 days ahead of time?

Rumor has it they considered not sending any notice what-so-ever to residents. But then again, that's just a rumor. Good thing we got our postcards. Ten days before the Village and Local Waste officially hold us responsible for our refuse collection ---but wait--- the Village wants us to stay in contract with Local Waste. Didn't they just violate that contract? No, instead they amended it. We are responsible for paying for it, but they want us to do it their way, naturally.

Local Waste expects us to pay them; they have indicated they will send individual records to collections if they are not paid directly.

Topping things off, Local Waste was not notified that leaf collection is no longer going to be offered (likewise, residents have been kept in the dark about this).

This means huge increases in our yard waste, given our environment. Which means huge increases in the labor and metrics on Local Waste's end of things.

The Village supposedly gave them our names and addresses for the billing (not that it isn't public record anyway, but they facilitated the move even more).


Meanwhile, you ought to know that "our" Mayor, as a member of council prior to her taking office as mayor, was part of the movement to increase the salary of the mayor's position, while the previous mayor was on vacation. He returned and found the unnecessary pay increase, but it was too late for him to do much about it.
Since Lynn took office, the salary that our previous mayor received went from the neighborhood of 14K/year to her 27K/year with benefits. For a part time job. With an assistant. Who makes $18/hour.

And the mayor and council can't find a way to make a proper budget that doesn't simultaneously involve increasing taxes, taking away services (leaf collection), and passing on financial responsibilities to individual residents (waste collection)???

If you care to look at the actual resolution: