Village Solicitor Paul Lafayette offered a lesson in village government before Plain City’s council meeting Monday. Above, from left, newly elected council members Sherry Heineman, Shannon Pine and Jody Carney, along with returning members Kerri Fergusson and John Rucker, listen as Lafayette, right, teaches. Fiscal officer Renee Sonnett also participated in the session. Newly elected council member Darren Lee chose not to attend.
(Journal Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
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Plain City’s new village council members got a civics lesson Monday night.
In November, Plain City voters elected four new council members — Jody Carney, Sherry Heineman, Darren Lee and Shannon Pine. Monday Carney, Heineman and Pine, along with sitting council members John Rucker and Kerri Fergusson, attended a Village 101 training session.
“We want to make sure that as far as citizens and residents are concerned, we are on the same page and we keep in mind our respective roles,” village solicitor Paul Lafayette said.
He outlined the role of the council, the village’s legislative branch, as well as the role of the mayor, the village’s executive branch.
Lafayette outlined the job descriptions for council members, the mayor, the fiscal officer, the police chief, the solicitor and the village administrator. He said that in the past, council members would make promises only the village administration could address. He used the example of a broken water line. Lafayette told the story of a resident who spoke to a council member about a problem with a water line on his property. The resident told the council member that village officials had broke the line. The council member told the resident the village would make it right. Lafayette explained that village policy said the impacted line was the owner’s problem to fix. He said the property owner was frustrated when the village administrator said Plain City would not repair the line.
Lafayette explained that if the owner wanted to talk about fixing the problem, he needed to speak with village administration. If the owner wanted to talk about changing the policy, speaking to council members was the correct approach.
He said everyone needs to “stay in their lane.”
“If you don’t stay in your lane, that’s where you get confusion and problems,” Lafayette said.
The solicitor explained that in years past, the village was smaller and processes were less formal.
“We are small, but we are getting bigger and we are dealing with more complexities,” Lafayette said.
The solicitor also offered an overview of public records as well as public meetings. He explained the bidding process and the process for passing legislation.
Lafayette said the public also has a role, but council can determine how active it wants the public to be at the meetings.
“This is your business meeting,” he told the council members. “It is a public meeting, but the public does not necessarily have the right to participate. It is a public meeting in the sense that the public has the right to come and watch as you conduct business.”
Officials were unable to perform one of the most basic functions of the business meeting. Typically, the passage of minutes is one of the first items on the agenda. However, because four of the six council members were not on council at that meeting and three were not even in attendance, it is difficult for them to approve the minutes. Village solicitor Paul Lafayette is researching ways that minutes can be passed.
As the actual meeting began, Mayor Darrin Lane swore in the new council members.
“I am really excited to work with all of you,” Lane said. “I don’t think the residents could have picked a better resume of candidates.”
He said each of the council members brings something of value to the table and the wide variety of skills, strengths and experiences will serve the residents.
Lane said the village is “riding a wave of momentum going into 2018.”
Fergusson was elected council president. Rucker and Heineman were appointed to the village Capital Improvement Plan Committee. Both have been serving on the committee for a year, though Heineman has been a resident member. Her resident appointment will need replaced on the committee. Before leaving council Leslee Perkins said she would volunteer to be involved in the process.
“She is no longer interested in serving,” Rucker said.
Pine will serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Comprehensive Plan Committee. She asked to remain part of that group saying she has “been on the steering committee since it began.”
Lee was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, a committee he served on as a resident in the past.
Lane said that in the past it would be up to the mayor to appoint Lee’s replacement as a resident representative. Lane said he wants to establish a small committee to name the replacement.
“That way everybody gets a fair shake and it doesn’t look like we are just putting whoever we want on there,” Lane said.
Heineman and Carney were appointed to the Parks and Recreation Committee. Carney and Fergusson were appointed to the Personnel and Finance Committee.
At the last meeting, Rucker was appointed to the Design Review Board and will also serve as a representative to the Pleasant Valley Fire Board.