Blog: What Happened at Thursday's Council Meeting

My notes from Thursday's meeting are below:

• We heard from several residents who are concerned about Stow's bare-bones approach to police and our emergency response time, which is double the national average. Let me clarify something: Stow is a safe city. But we have to keep it that way. Not replacing officers is a bad way to ensure that Stow remains a safe suburb. It's true, as the mayor said, there are other vacancies in the city. But I believe we are at a critical point in our city's history, where the city can maintain itself and remain a safe place, or it can become more dangerous. You know where I stand.
• Assistant City Engineer Jim McCleary said that Hudson Drive will re-open Monday by 7 a.m. The project is on schedule and on budget (or at least the latest revised budget). If you get a chance, stop by Amber Tree, which is one of the businesses that has been hurt by the ongoing construction.
• Chief Dirker rightly pointed out the positive publicity that Dave Scott of the Akron Beacon Journal gave to our dispatchers. If you haven't read the article, click here. It really gives you a good look at what these women have to deal with on a daily basis. Scott is a really good reporter, which I witnessed first-hand when I worked with him at the Beacon Journal. His series of stories regarding municipal government is certainly worth following. Follow Dave on Twitter here.
• Stow recently purchased new police cruisers, and you'll see they also have a new design: black and white.
• As for our ordinances ... I voted NO on suspension of rules regarding the engineering study. You probably read about it in the Beacon Journal. The administration wants us to spend $60,000 on an alternate study for the Graham Road project, despite admitting that the project won't be changed and the $60,000 is only to placate the public. If the administration was serious about re-considering the plan, that would be different. As it is, it's a huge waste of money, and I'll delay the vote as long as I can so residents can learn more.
• We voted to promote an employee to the position of Acting Street Supervisor. If you attended the meeting, you saw me offer an amendment, which was adopted. The legislation gives the employee an option to return to his prior job as engineering inspector. As it was written, it almost surely gave him rights beyond the typical at-will employment situation. My amendment was to clarify that he would continue to be an at-will employee if he moved back to the engineering department. Regardless, I'm confident he'll do a great job in his new position.
• Did you hear the bell ring? We are now in recess. Don't get me started on that. Council will not meet again until the week of Sept. 5 with committees on September 6 and a council meeting on Sept. 8.
• Please remember to vote in the Sept. 13 primary. 

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