Meeting Notes: Feb. 6, 2012

Present: Jerome Williams, Chair; Scott Schulick, Vice-Chair; Phil Kidd: Nikki Posterli; Jacqueline Taylor; Leona Crogan: Glenda House; Sandra Horton-Teague; William H. Carter; Thomas Rusback

Chairman Jerome Williams called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. in the City Council Caucus Room, City Hall 6^th floor.

Old Business: None

New Business / Discussion Items: 

• Organizing and meeting with the community regarding changes in the City Charter. Tentative dates for Public Forums and Locations. Presence of City Council and Department Heads.

• Jerome Williams (Chair)--presented tentative public forum locations and times which are:

(1)  February 28, 2012 at Newport Library beginning at 5:30-7:30 p.m. (Market St. & Midlothian). This meeting will be conducted by Jacqueline Taylor and William H. Carter.

(2)  February 29, 2012 at The Main Library Downtown beginning at 5-7:00 p.m.

(3)  March 3, 2012 at the East Branch Library (Early Rd) beginning at 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Meeting at this post will be conducted by Leona Crogan and Tom Rusback.

(4)  Tentative date of March 1, 2012 at the Davis Center Downtown or at West Branch Library to be determined and decided at next charter commission meeting.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) asked commission for ideas regarding forum locations.

• Leona Crogan suggested 2 day forum meetings and 2 evening meetings, so that citizens who work during the day will be able to attend the evening meetings.

• Phil Kidd recommended Chaney H.S. or the Shrine of Our Lady Comforter Of The Afflicted (Free) as a tentative place to have a future public forum.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) explained that the public forums that are being held at the libraries are not designated for only those individuals from that side of town. The meetings are open to the public. The libraries or locations were chosen due to their location and the size of the facility.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) suggests that all commission members attend the forums (if possible), so that notes can be taken for the commission to review.

• Jacqueline Taylor suggests that there be items available such as pens, paper or cards so that the public could record notes or list their concerns and return these to the commission or hand them in before leaving the forum.

• Commission members approved the public forums and locations (Leona Crogan made the motion and Jacqueline Taylor 2^nd the motion). All members approved.

Agenda for Public Forums Discussion:

• Scott Schulick (Vice-Chair) recommended that it is important to ensure that the public and the commission members have a clear understanding that the focus of the public forums are to address the concerns that the public have regarding the city charter or changes that they would like to see within the city charter. The public must not be allowed to deviate from the commissions’ agenda. He also suggested that the public should be informed to visit the website, review the charter and write down their concerns.

• Nikki Posterli suggests that copies of the city charter should be made available in paper form to the public.

• Leona asked William H. Carter to give input on how prior meetings were organized in order to ensure that the public did not deviate from the commissions’ set agenda.

• William H. Carter informed commissioned members that prior meetings did not consist of large groups of people so they were more easily managed and were easy to keep the focus on the agenda. However, William H. Carter suggested that it is important to expose the public to these meetings and make them aware that the Charter Review Commission is here and needs citizens input to help make changes for the better for the City of Youngstown.

• Phil Kidd agreed to create a written agenda that will be utilized at the public forums. He will send a copy of the agenda to the committee for approval.

• William H. Carter says that he will meet with his contacts at the Vindicator and the news media outlets in order to get the information out to the public regarding the public forums. He also suggested that the Review Commission needs to get City Council involved in some of these public forums, if possible. Leona Crogan agreed.

• Jacqueline Taylor suggested that written materials regarding the agenda be made and distributed to the public at the public forum meetings, so that the public will have a better understanding of the commissions’ agenda at the forum and what will be discussed.

• William H. Carter and Phil Kidd will work on getting information out to the media and check/review old commission agendas and information.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) ask commission members do they have any other concerns or issues that need to be discussed.

• Scott Schulick (Vice-Chair) suggests that tablets, pencils and written agenda forums be distributed for citizens to take home from the forum and complete them by writing their concerns and what changes they would like to see to the city charter. Scott Schulick suggests that these forms are to be uniform and are to be mail back to the commission, so that the commission can address these concerns at the commission meetings.

• Phil Kidd will email information ( www.youngstowncharter2012.blogspot.com ) regarding website information to review charter to commission members. He suggests that public should be informed to visit the ConwayGreene.com website, go to City of Youngstown website and review updated Charter.

• Leona Crogan suggests that people should be informed to use the City of Youngstown website. Leona Crogan expressed concerns regarding the difficulty for the elderly and for those who are not as computer savvy trying to locate the charter by using the www.youngstowncharter2012.blogspot.com website.

• Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) suggests that the commission should choose a date and reserve a copy of the city charter at the library so that the public can copy and review the charter themselves.

• Tom Rusback agrees with Scott Schulick (Vice Chair). Tom Rusback says that making the charter available at the library will allow individuals to copy it, take it home for review and get familiar with it on their own time.

• Phil Kidd agrees to change the www.youngstowncharter2012.blogspot.com website and make it easier to access(change made to www.youngstowncharter2012.com). He says that he will include the website in and on all of the Charter Review Commissions’ information.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) ask if anyone has any suggestions regarding other ways to get information out to the public regarding the Charter Review Commission and all of the meetings.

• Leona Crogan expressed concerns about getting the information out to the public and making them aware of the Charter Review Commissions’ meetings and their presence in the City of Youngstown.

• Jerome Williams will contact Phil Kidd in regards to putting the city charter information in each library (about 20 copies).

• Nikki Posterli recommends that the city council members should be informed and receive a copy of the agendas / schedules for the public forums so that they can attend.

• Sandra Horton-Teague suggests that the commission create a sign-in sheet in order to maintain control of the Questions and Answer sessions with the public. She suggests that those individuals who attend the public forum and have concerns about the charter that need to be discussed, should write their names on the sign-in with their concerns in order to have more control over the forum.

• William H. Carter says that at prior meetings they gave individuals time to speak their concerns then the commission addressed those concerns. William H. Carter says that he and Jacqueline Taylor will get together and create an agenda to structure the public forum meetings.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) suggests that all public forum meetings must be structured identically.

• William H. Carter says that meetings should be set up according to Robert Rules Of Order.

• Sandra Horton-Teague suggests that they inform the public that they (the speaker) will have a limited amount of time to express their concerns.

• Jacqueline Taylors suggests that the commission members must be able to steer the public’s concerns and opinions back to the commissions’ agenda, should the speaker deviate from the agenda.

• Tom Rusback agrees and says that the commission must re-iterate that the commission is seeking input regarding changes to the city charter or concerns regarding how the city charter applies to the public.

• Sandra Horton-Teague re-iterates that the commission must follow the agenda.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) clarifies that the commission does not want to create a political agenda for the public. He wants the public to bring their issues regarding the charter to the public forum meetings.

• William H. Carter suggests that the commission must let the public know that whatever is spoken about at the public forums must be in regards to the public's concerns regarding changes to the charter and how it applies to the public.

• Leona Crogan agrees with William H. Carter and re-iterates that the commission does not have to address or entertain issues that deviate from the agenda.

• Phil Kidd agrees with Jacqueline Taylor in regards to creating an outlined agenda and go down the line and address the charter in order of concern. Phil Kidd suggests that each section of the charter should be read. For example. “Section 18 of the Charter (ask if there are any concerns), if there are concerns, address them, but put a limit on the time. Also have the public email or mail in written concerns to the commission.

• Phil Kidd motions to set a 2 minute time limit on individuals (public) who speak or express concerns at forum. All commission members agree. Time limit on speakers is approved.

• Phil will work on written outlined agenda tonight (February 6, 2012).

• Jerome Williams (Chair) suggests to Phil Kidd that agenda needs to be worked on and sent out immediately. Phil will email agenda to everyone. Commission members should email Phil Kidd once they receive the copy of the outlined agenda and say whether they approve or disapprove of the outlined agenda.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) suggests a target date to receive information regarding public concerns. He suggests April 1^st.

• Scott Schulick (Vice-Chair) agrees and says that June 1, 2012, would be a good target date. However, he suggest that the commission members should target April 1, 2012 as a target date to meet with city council and department heads regarding their concerns about the city charter. Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) suggests bringing city council in during one Monday commission meeting then bringing the mayor or the department heads in during another Monday commission meeting.

• Jacqueline Taylor expressed her concerns with Section 18 of the City Charter. Jacqueline Taylor suggests that she is concerned over parts of the City Charter herself.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) asks commission if there is a need to have someone come in to speak about the city charter and clarify things within the charter with the commission before or after the commission has the public forums or after the commission has the public forums.

• Jacqueline Taylor says that she is not sure.

• Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) suggests that Law Director Tony Farris should meet with the commission to address their concerns and clarify issues within the city charter with the commission members.

• Jerome Williams expresses concerns that due to Tony Farris short time as the Law Director that he may not be able to clarify or address concerns regarding the city charter with the commission members.

• William H. Carter agrees with Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) and says that although Tony Farris has been the Law Director for a short period of time, his prior position was as an attorney within the Law Department. Because Tony Farris was an attorney within the Law Department he has experience and is familiar with the city charter.

• Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) suggests that the commission should give Law Director Tony Farris a heads up and let him know that the commission members have concerns with things that are within the city charter and they need clarification. The commission should request a meeting with the law director and give him a date so that it will give Law Director Tony Farris time to research and review the city charter prior to meeting with commission members.

• Nikki Posterli expresses concerns about the time frame of April 1, 2012 to gather information regarding changes or issues with the city charter. She suggests that April 1, 2012 is too much time. Nikki Posterli says that the commission should utilize the month of March to gather the information and to get it approved amongst commission members. The commission still has to deal with the back and forth changes that may come with the approval of changes and issues between city council, department heads and the mayor.

• Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) suggests February 27, 2012 and March 5, 2012 to get meetings scheduled with city council.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) suggests that it may be good to have Mayor Sammarone attend the February 13, 2012 commission meeting to express any concerns that the mayor may have with the city charter. Jerome Williams says that he has received a break down list of department heads from Tony Farris

• Tom Rusback, Leona Crogan and William H. Carter-suggest and agree that the commission members meetings should only be with the department heads that are mentioned within the city charter.

• William H. Charter will get in touch with Clerk of Council and have them schedule city council to meet with the commission.

• Phil Kidd shows an example of how the website will be set up and what it will include. He will also create a section on the website where the public can post their concerns. He will use bullets to identify key information.

• Jerome Williams (Chair) asks about web name and cost.

• Phil Kidd says that cost of the website is $10.00 (he does not mind covering cost). However, the use of the blogspot is free. Phil also says that if anyone has any ideas to please contact him. He also asked the commission members about their opinion on creating a Facebook page for the commission.

• Jerome Williams (Chair), Scott Schulick (Vice Chair), Leona Crogan and Sandra Horton-Teague agree on getting rid of blogspot and creating a commission website and Facebook page.

• Commission members authorize Phil Kidd to set up a commission website and Facebook. No members oppose.

• Phil Kidd asks for commission members’ permission to place their contact information on the commission website pages. Sandra Horton-Teague request that only her land line contact information be placed on the website. Phil Kidd says that he will place on the information that the commission members want placed on the websites.

• Scott Schulick (Vice Chair) motions for the changes to the websites and Jacqueline Taylor 2^nd the motion.

• Commission members motion to adjourn meeting.

·         Meeting is adjourned at 6:42 p.m.