FINAL LIST OF RECOMENDATIONS (17)

1. Preamble (Sec 1-3):

• Recommendation: A Charter Review committee will be convened annually by the Mayor. The committee shall consist of city resident electors: three (3) appointments by the Mayor; one (1) appointment by each ward councilperson; and one (1) appointment by the President of Council. The Law Director will appoint one (1) secretary to the Commission.

• Reason: The committee feels that waiting four years to review the charter is too long. There is too much to review. With a standing committee in place, issues can be addressed on a more regular basis. The committee also feels that the current selection process was fair. The Mayor and every member of City Council feel the same.

2.  Mayor (Section 4):

• Recommendation: Term Limits: Term limits will be abolished for the office of Mayor.  Vice Mayor: The position of Vice Mayor should be created. The Vice Mayor would succeed Mayor if the seat is vacated. (It is currently filled by the President of Council). The Vice Mayor would be elected along with the Mayor as part of a ticket.

• Reason: Term Limits: An election should be what dictates the termination of service regarding this office. Vice Mayor: The Committee felt than an elected Vice Mayor – someone who is more well versed in the day-to-day operations of the city as well as the Office of Mayor - is a more appropriate succession plan than President of Council. The Mayor currently has the option to appoint a Chief of Staff. This would be a replacement of the same position but it would be elected rather than appointed.

3. President Of Council (Section 6-6-1a):

• Recommendation: Eliminate the current seat and have City Council select a POC among themselves.

• Reason: The current position of POC is largely ceremonial. It has no voting power (except in the rare instance of a tie vote); no committee assignments; and yet recieves more compensation than any other Council position ($28,117.24 plus benefits). At present, the POC’s primary responsibility has been to run Council meetings and assumes the role of Mayor in the rare instance this should occur. There is not enough relevance to justify the further existence of this position. Additionally, eliminating this position would save the tax payers over $50,000K annually.

4. Meetings Of Council (Section 7):

• Recommendation: Meeting Times: All regularly scheduled meetings must be conducted no sooner than 5:30pm. Notification of all regularly scheduled meetings will be three (3) business days in advance. Additionally, meetings must have an agenda included when notification of a meeting is sent (ex. posted to the city website). Public Comment: The public should be allowed to register to speak the day of the meeting. Note: part or all of these recommendations may fall under 'Rules Of Council' which, if so, could be amended by Council themselves without a change to the charter.

• Reason: Meeting Times: The public must be afforded the best possible opportunity to attend public meetings. Many cannot attend during daytime hours. Also, three business days (with a published agenda) allows for adequate time to make plans to attend a meeting as well as review the items which will be discussed. Public Comment: Following suit with most other communities, the public should be allowed to speak on items without having to provide a week’s notice and with approval of City Council. There may be items in which the public’s only opportunity to voice input or feedback may be the very day of the meeting.

5. Salaries (Section. 18-19):

• Recommendation: Salary: The position of City Council will be designated as part-time at 32 hours per week. Salary will be based on 32 hours of what the average full-time income figure is among city residents. This will adjust with each decennial Census. Benefits: If a member of City Council is able to receive benefits through other means (ex. other employment/retirement, spouse, etc), those benefits will take precedent. Penalty For Lack Of Attendance Of Council Meetings: Council will be penalized $300.00 for each unexcused Council meeting that they miss.

• Reason: Salary: The salary for a city council member is $27, 817.24 (plus benefits). The salary for the President of Council is $28,117.24 (plus benefits). The average full time salary for a resident in the city of Youngstown is $25, 902.00. Basing salary on the actual average income figures of those whom Council represents is a fair and logical way in which to determine salary. It also creates incentive for Council to see the city and their constituents improve economically. Benefits: Cost savings to tax payers. Penalty For Lack Of Attendance Of Council Meeting: The $12.00 penalty was not amended in the charter after Council’s salary was dramatically adjusted in 2004. With only two meetings per month in addition to a summer recess, the Committee feels that $300 is an adequate penalty based on current and proposed salary figures.

  

6.  Administrative Departments (Section 20):

•  Recommendation: Create Departments of Human Resources; Information Technology; and Economic Development.

• Reason: Human Resources: Nearly all of the department heads and council members voiced concern for the need to manage employee issues. These also currently handled by each individual department. Information Technology: Nearly all of the department heads and Council members voiced concern for the need for the City IT department to have a more organized and autonomous structure given the many changes in technology over the years. The department currently is part of the Finance Department. Economic Development: This would become a department reporting directly to the Mayor rather than the Finance Department. Such a change would provide added accountability.

7.  Department Of Public Works (Section 27-29):

• Recommendation: Change the Building, Plumbing, and Wiring Inspection to the Division Of Property Maintenance which would include: Inspection (code enforcement, rental & vacant property registration programs, property inspection website, and property maintenance appeals board); Zoning; and Demolition.

• Reason: This Division would organize existing personnel and services in order to create more coordination and efficiency. The Mayor made this initial recommendation. It was supported by city administrators involved with this work as well as City Council.

8.  Park & Recreation Department (Section 31):

• Recommendation: Abolish the Parks & Recreation Commission and create a department of Parks & Recreation whose head is appointed and accountable to the Mayor.

• Reason: Based on the majority of feedback received from the public and City Hall administration, it was determined that there is a need for the management of the Parks & Recreation to be accountable to the Mayor rather than a separate Park & Recreation Commission. The Commission would be abolished accordingly.

9.  Nominations & Elections (Sec. 69-73):

• Recommendations: Elections: Elections should be non-partisan (open) elections. Filling Of Vacancies: If a Council seat is vacated with the individual having served less than two years, a special election in that ward will be held. If having served two years or greater and then vacating the seat, all precinct committee members from that ward will vote for a replacement.

• Reason: Elections: This would allow for the maximum opportunity for electoral participation. Other communities in the Mahoning Valley use this format. Filling Of Vacancies: This idea was borrowed from the Ohio Municipal League and adjusted to reflect an non-partisan (open) election format.

10. Recall (Sec. 74-81):

• Recommendation: Signatures needed for a recall will be changed from 5,000 for Mayor and 700 for Council to 15% of those who voted in the last general election.

• Reason:  Population and voting figures fluctuate over time but the number of signatures needed for a recall are currently static.  With a percentage, the number can automatically adjust with changing population and voting figures.

11. Division Of City Into Wards / Redistricting (Sec. 83):

• Recommendation: The present Council shall divide the City into seven wards.  All wards shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory, as nearly equal in population as possible, and bounded by natural boundaries or street lines.  If the Council fails to make sub-division into wards within said time, the Director of Law shall make such sub-division within (30) days thereafter.  Upon annexation of new territory to the City, Council shall apportion the same to an existing ward or wards.  Following each Federal Census, Council shall (instead of ‘may’) re-district the City so as to maintain a reasonable equality of population among the seven wards.  Additionally, Council has the continuing authority to re-district the city into proper wards when an increase or decrease in population occurs.  Following each decennial Federal census, Council must subdivide the city into wards, equal in number to the members of legislative authority to be elected from wards within 90 days after.  If Council fails to make the subdivision within the time required, it shall be made by the Director of Law.

• Reason: Redistricting has not been completed in over 30 years which now leaves the city in constitutional violation of one-man, one-vote. The most logical way to address this issue to mandate that it be done through a specific language change (ie. ‘may’ to ‘shall’).

 12. Contracts (Section 111):

• Recommendation: When any expenditure in any department other than the compensation of persons employed therein exceeds monetary limits of more than $10,000 dollars, it shall first be authorized and directed by ordinance of the City Council.

• Reason: This would create more oversight/accountability regarding the allocation of contract work.

13. Interest in Contracts (Section 113):

• Recommendation: No officer or employee of the City shall have a personal interest, direct or indirect, in the profits of any contract or job with the City or be personally interested directly or indirectly in the sale to the City of any supplies, material, service or land, except on behalf of the City as an officer or employee. The City shall maintain a Conflict of Interest Policy and annually all employees and elected officials shall complete and sign a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form. Any violation of this Section shall constitute malfeasance in office, and any officer or employee found guilty thereof shall forfeit that office.

• Reason: The intent of the recommendation is to enhance ethical behavior and increase accountability.

14. Interest in Contracts or Supplies (Section 114):

• Recommendation: Public improvements of all kinds will be made by the appropriate department, by direct employment of the necessary labor and the purchase of necessary supplies and materials, with separate accounting for each improvement so, made and Council will by ordinance require any specific improvement to be so made.

• Reason: The intent of the recommendation is to increase accountability regarding contacts and supplies.

15. Hours of Labor (Section 115):

•  Recommendation: A day’s work for employees in the City of Youngstown will be eight (8) hours and forty (40) hours in a 7-day week, but not exceed forty-eight (48) hours in a 7-day week. If there is extraordinary emergency, then Council must make and pass a resolution to suspend the operation of this section, detailing the additional monies needed and capping the costs needed as to any particular job or operation.

• Reason: The intent of the recommendation is to update existing charter language to reflect today’s working realities.

16. Official Time (Section 115-1):

• Recommendation: From 2 o’clock A.M. of the second Sunday of March of each year and ending at 2 o’clock on the first Sunday of November of each year, a standard time, based on the mean astronomical time of the 75^th meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, and from 2 o’clock A.M. of the second Sunday in March to 2 o’clock A.M. of the first Sunday of November, a standard time one hour faster than that of the 75^th meridian of longitude west of Greenwich shall be the official time in the City of Youngstown, for the handling of municipal affairs and for governmental purpose. In all official use by officers and employees of the City of Youngstown, official time of the City shall be designated as “Eastern Standard Time” during the period between the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November, and as “Daylight Savings Time” during the period between the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.

• Reason: This section of the charter needed to be updated per today’s official time standards.  

17. General Provisions (Section 120): 

• Recommendation: Amendments to this Charter shall be submitted to the Electors of the City of Youngstown in the manner provided by the Constitution and laws of the State of Ohio.  Amendments shall take effect on January 1 following the certification of the general election in which they were adopted.

• Reason: The intent of this recommendation is to provide clarity as to when approved changes would take effect.