Warren officials discuss future

By Ed Runyan

Council members want the law department to take their requests more seriously.

WARREN — High unemployment, decreases in the city’s revenue and cuts in services have sent the city reeling.

But it doesn’t mean Warren City Council should stand by and allow itself to become insignificant or ineffective, Council President Bob Marchese and various members of council agreed at a reorganization meeting Monday night.

Marchese outlined his goals, including his desire to see that council sessions are conducted more professionally and that council members receive the training they need. Other council members said their goal is that their work be taken more seriously by other city officials.

Nine of the 11 council members were present, including incoming members Eddie Colbert and John Brown. Dan Sferra and Cheryl Saffold did not attend.

Marchese, on council for 18 years, said the city’s budget problems should not be used as an excuse for council members not attending any professional conferences or having a business card.

“There are some things — if we are going to run the ship and run it right — we need some things,” Marchese said.

Councilman Vince Flask said one of his greatest frustrations as a councilman is that he has proposed solutions to problems, but the ideas have been ignored by the city’s law department.

A month ago, for instance, nine council members asked for legislation that would require the city to bid out its health-care plan to try to find a less-expensive option, Flask and Councilman Al Novak said.

Nothing has been received.

A month ago, five council members asked for legislation that would require the city to hire a professional negotiator to negotiate contracts with the city’s workers.

Nothing happened, Novak and Flask said.

Flask also asked for legislation a year ago to set more strict rules relating to sexually oriented businesses, and nothing has happened, Flask said, adding that he was told that such legislation would take too much time.

Meanwhile, a Cleveland newspaper runs about six ads per weekend for Warren massage parlors, Novak said.

“Is that where we’re headed — the massage-parlor capital of Northeast Ohio?” Novak said. “I think we’re already there.”

Marchese also has proposed forming a citizens study group to look at whether the city needs to change to a charter form of government. That topic did not come up at Monday’s meeting, but a second reorganization meeting will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 15.

runyan@vindy.com