Whitehouse Council Spars Over Committees, Logo Design
BY KAREN BERGER — MIRROR REPORTER
Whitehouse Mayor Angela Kuhn made committee appointments during council’s January 3 meeting, but a 4-2 vote that followed may effectively disband the six council committees.
Instead of using the standing committee system, council member Jim Miller proposed that business be conducted during a committee of the whole meeting, to allow discussion of all topics prior to bringing them to a council vote.
Currently, topics are discussed and voted on first by three council members at the committee level, then brought to a council meeting for a full vote. Those committees include finance, audit and investment, personnel and safety, parks and recreation, franchise, lands and buildings, public service and economic development.
Boards and commissions – including zoning appeals, design review, fire dependency, records, tree commission, charter review and joint economic development district – will not be affected. In addition to a council representative, these boards are made up of citizens.
Earlier in the day, Miller distributed a proposal that outlined how he believes one committee of the whole meeting will streamline the process and offer more transparency to the public.
“Instead of breaking into small groups, we can do this as a big group and have more discussion,” Miller said, adding that it allows all council members and citizens to become more involved.
Council members Maridee Curry and Michelle Tippie opposed the idea, saying that the last few committee of the whole meetings were “painful” and “horrible,” lasting three or more hours.
“In my 16 years on council, I’ve seen the committee of the whole process become more cumbersome, taking two to four hours to get through information,” Kuhn said. “Committee of the whole has its place and there are certain issues where it’s important, but not for every issue that goes to a committee.”
“I don’t know how we can discuss three or four items in one hour,” Tippie added.
“We as a council prove that we get more done in the three-person committee structure,” Curry said.
Council members are assigned to committees based on their experience and interests, and Curry said she relies upon their expertise and trusts their recommendation when she votes.
Like most council members, Miller said he attends the majority of meetings – even committees where he’s not a member. The public is also welcome to attend any meeting, he said.
Streamlining all discussions into one meeting would be more efficient and give the public an opportunity to hear more, Miller and council member Dennis Recker agreed.
Curry disagreed, saying that having just one long meeting wouldn’t necessarily increase public participation and communication with council.
“The committee of the whole system ensures that everyone has a vote at the table,” Recker said.
Contacted later, Miller said the proposal to eliminate the committees was not driven by a disagreement he and May had with how a committee conducted the search for a police chief.
Miller said the idea has been tossed around for several years, and that he had discussions with Recker – a former village administrator – who brought up the concept during an October candidates’ forum.
Solicitor Phil Davis said council has the right to set its own rules and the number of standing committees. He suggested that members review and revise all council rules and then codify them.
The last time the council rules were codified was in 1992 prior to the adoption of the charter in November of that year.
Combining committees into one meeting has been done in other municipalities, Davis said, and some have done it well.
Miller said he hoped to discuss the topic further during a January 10 orientation meeting for council members.
During the meeting, council also:
• Appointed May as council president by a vote of 4-2 with Curry and Tippie dissenting.
• Discussed May’s request to have a committee review the new logo that is now appearing on signs and letterhead, because he’s heard that some people don’t like it.
While Miller agreed that it should warrant a second look, Curry echoed audible disagreement in the audience, explaining that a citizens’ committee and administration spent a lot of time researching and developing a marketing strategy and logo, which was approved in the fall.
“If we throw it down the drain, this is a huge injustice to those who worked on it,” Curry said.
Discarding the current logo would mean throwing out $3,000 to $5,000 plus a lot of administration and citizens’ time, administrator Jordan Daughtery said.
May decided to drop the request.
• Heard Recker ask Daughtery to look at ways to improve communication between council members and the public. Currently e-mails and a newsletter are available.
• Voted 4-2, with Curry and Atkinson dissenting, to have Davis and Daugherty look into having a short prayer led by area pastors prior to each council meeting. Curry said that while she’s a Christian, she recognizes that others have different beliefs and it puts council into a sticky situation.
• Heard citizen Rob Casaletta criticize May for questioning the new logo.
“There’s a lot more important issues that council needs to deal with in 2012,” he said.
• Approved appointments to commissions and boards, including: Robert Keogh, board of zoning appeals; Robert Casaletta and Michelle Tippie, charter review; Louann Artiaga and Maridee Curry, design review; Norma Keogh, Jim Miller, Bill May, Josh Hartbarger and Ernie Gehrke, fire dependency board; Fred Ortner, records commission; and Casaletta, Waterville Township joint economic development district.

New Members Begin Service At First Waterville Council Meeting Of Year
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
The city of Waterville kicked off the first council meeting of the new year on January 9 by swearing in council members Barb Bruno, Jim Valtin and Tim Pedro.
Assistant law director James Hart administered the oath of office to the council members.
In November, Valtin was re-elected to his council seat, and Bruno and Pedro defeated incumbents Tim Guzman and John Gouttiere.
Newly elected Mayor Lori Brodie was sworn into office on January 8 so her out-of-town relatives could attend.
Maumee Municipal Court Judge Gary Byers administered the oath of office to Brodie at Zinful in Waterville.
“I’m excited to begin working as mayor and I appreciate the voters of Waterville who supported me,” she said.
Brodie defeated council member Ann Cherry for the mayor’s seat.
“I’m very pleased that Lori was elected. She represents the largest demographics and it was the right way to do it – it’s the way government representation should be played out,” Cherry said.
Brodie presented Gouttiere, Guzman and outgoing Mayor Derek Merrin with certificates of commendation for their service to Waterville.
Council elected Cherry to serve as vice mayor by a vote of 3-to-2. Mike Metzger, Valtin and Cherry voted for Cherry, and Brodie and Bruno voted for council member Jeff Marty. Marty and Pedro did not cast a vote for vice mayor.
In other action at the meeting, council members:
• Approved changes in the number of members serving on committees and approved those appointed to the committees.
• Removed from the agenda a previously tabled ordinance that would have increased city employee health contribution to 20 percent. Jeff Marty voted against removing it from the agenda.
• Approved an ordinance requesting the auditor of Lucas County to issue advance payments on current collection of property taxes.
• Approved a $6,000 lease agreement with Amplex Electric to lease space on the city water tower.
• Approved a $10,246.50 expenditure for leaf collection services with Clean Wood Recycling.