Updated: Mayor said Councilman request for information ‘totally inappropriate’
Written by Lisa Renee Ward | | lward@toledofreepress.comMayor Mike Bell told Councilman D. Michael Collins a request for information related to the proposed merger of fire services with the Village of Ottawa Hills, is seen as “attempting to interfere with decisions of Chief Michael Wolever” and “It is totally inappropriate, not to mention a violation of Charter Section 30.”
Both communications were obtained by Toledo Free Press on Dec. 20.
Collins made a request for public information to the Bell administration on Dec. 19 asking for:
- The annual reports for the past three (3) years that are used to define the risk and justifications for equipment and staffing in each of the 17 fire stations.
- The inventory of what equipment and apparatus found in Heavy Squad #7 that are exclusive to that unit.
- The number of working fires in the past (3) years that Heavy Squad #7 did not report to the scene, which each year reported out as an individual yearly report for service.
- The study and or evaluation records which support moving Heavy Squad #7 from Franklin and Bancroft (Station 7) and an explanation as to how the study was conducted.
- The number of runs Heavy Squad #7 made to Districts 2 and 5 in the past (3) years as reported on a yearly basis.
He also stated as a part of his request, that he acknowledged it was a last minute request and was not being made to challenge the administration on staffing issues. Collins said the information was necessary so that members of council would have the information to evaluate the outcomes of the legislation.
In the city’s response, dated Dec. 20, the Mayor additionally said, “As the Chair of the Public Safety, Law and Criminal Justice Committee you have had ample time to examine the proposed agreement with the Village of Ottawa Hills and to ask questions. For the reasons stated above, we will not be responding to your request for information.”
The Mayor also reminded Collins that he is a member of City Council and not the Chief of the Department of Fire and Rescue Operations.
At the Dec. 16 Public Safety, Law and Criminal Justice Committee, Chief Wolever, in response to questions by Collins on how the decision was made to as which piece of equipment would go to Ottawa Hills, said, “We do that by doing a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, and we do that on a regular basis, throughout the city, presently. That tells us the types of runs that we respond to, the numbers. It allows us to better determine if the equipment we have in an a particular area is appropriate.” Wolever said that the assessment was part of the accreditation process for Toledo’s Fire Department.
Later during the committee hearing, Wolever in response to a question on the risk assessments by Councilman Tom Waniewski said, “We do a major one every year, but when we move a piece of equipment, such as Truck 5 when we moved it into 25′s, we look at it quarterly to ensure that if we made a big mistake we can jump on it earlier rather than later.”
Section 30 of the charter for the city of Toledo states, “Except insofar as is necessary in the performance of the duties of his or her office, no member of the Council shall interfere, directly or indirectly, with the conduct of the administration or directly or indirectly take any part in the appointment, promotion, or dismissal of any officer or employee in the service of the City other than the officers or employees of the Council and except insofar as Council confirmation is necessary to fill a position as required by this Charter. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the members of Council shall deal solely through the Mayor regarding the administration.”
Toledo Free Press contacted the office of Mayor Mike Bell on Dec. 20 for clarification on the public record availability of the assessment documentation that Wolever referenced on Dec. 16. No response was received prior to publication.
On Dec. 21, Jennifer Sorgenfrei, public information officer for Toledo said via e-mail, “The information that Councilman Collins requested is contained in the ‘Vulnerability and Public Risk Assessment’ manual. This information is not public record as it contributes directly to the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department’s planning and preparedness for Homeland Security and Terrorism Response efforts and releasing the information contained within creates potential and opportunity for public harm.”
Tags: D. Michael Collins, Mayor Michael Bell, Ottawa Hills, Toledo, Toledo City Council, Toledo Fire Department
Are you kidding me? Our democracy hinges on the free flow of information and the fact that information be kept public. But what would you expect from a politician in this town…of course it would be too much to ask to make INFORMED decisions.
This comment was posted on December 20th, 2010 at 10:13 pmThe numbers just dont support Toledo supplying Ottawa Hills fire service for only $430,000. There is no possible way to furnish a piece of equipment, utilities, manpower, station supplies, repairs, etc for anywhere near even one million dollars, let alone less than half that. Even if you consider hiring the 10 employees they currently have it would be cheaper for Toledo to hire off the existing eligibility list than hire them at a higher rate with higher benefits. plus, as Collins is trying to justify, you would be taking equipment and manpower from downtown in one of our busiest districts to cover one of the richest communities in Ohio!! Just fyi, I am a member of TFRD and also am currently in the process of buying a home in Ottawa Hills, and I am opposed to this idea from BOTH perspectives.
This comment was posted on December 21st, 2010 at 10:05 amOttawa Hills, getting in bed with Little Detroit’s , unionized entities, is the WORST idea since the University of Savage & Associates Insurance Agency / Bancroft High School, went that dissolute way !!!
UNIONS: The last remnants of pure communism left in America…
Don’t buy an Ohio built Acura, says Little Petey Gerken or, the unions won’t send you their members dough for re-elections !
And, if you are a laid off union member,DO NOT attempt to find employment outside of the union otherwise, they’ll pull your ” book “!
Ahhh, the dictatorial psychotic Machiavellian stranglehold of union bureaucrats on their members…a bane to Free Enterprise and to Free Will !!
Here puppy here…good boy…here’s a treat…
This comment was posted on December 21st, 2010 at 11:17 amHey Dan, glad to see our public service employees moving to the “richest communities in Ohio”. I will agree to your point though, this sounds like a crap idea and I’d advise Ottawa Hills to run, run fast. They certainly don’t need the union drama that Toledo is beholden to.
This comment was posted on December 21st, 2010 at 3:25 pmSteve/Tycoon,
Maybe someday you will get your wish, unions will be a thing of the past and you will have a transitional worker making minimum wage knocking on your door when you call 911 for a medical emergency or fire, who could care less about your situation, and lack the training required to remedy. Your obviously white color folk who forgot the past, unions were created to insure workers do not get trampled on by the corporate machine.
Perhaps you will get your wish, corporate will rule america, and our standard of living will be that of our southern neighbors, there will be no unions and a living wage/health care will be the a thing of the past.
This comment was posted on December 21st, 2010 at 7:12 pmDude, Pat, the wages and benefits of unions are so far from minimum wage that line doesn’t apply.
Speaking of our southern neighbors, have you happened to see that Texas is one of the fastest growing states as shown in the Census data. It’s also a state with very low taxes, no income tax, and much less stringent union laws and a smaller union workforce. Most of all, they have jobs. And after a quick look, salaries tend to be higher in Texas than in Ohio and I’ll wager that median income is higher in Texas than in Ohio. Kind of defeats your argument.
I’m all for fair wages, but the wages + benefits of union jobs are so bloated it’s sick. Just take a look at the salaries on the Toledo Blade — there are 10 police officers that make up over $1 million…and please don’t use the argument about them endangering their lives because no one forced them to be a police officer. And then to hear of all the crap contract items that allow pension spiking, etc. We aren’t talking about forced child labor, or long 18 hour days in unreasonably unsafe working conditions….so no, the real purpose of unions from the heyday are long gone.
The difference is, unions feel they are owed something…that they deserve something. You aren’t owed a damn thing in this country, the only thing guaranteed to us is an opportunity that is left up to us to seize. I have much more respect for the small business owner, the entrepreneur, who goes on his own to start a business, make or sell a product, hire employees and generate wealth for himself, his employees, and his community. And I have much more respect for the employee who climbs his way to success and earns his high salary and benefits through hard work, not hostage negotiations.
And please, don’t use garbage talk like “corporate rule America” and other propaganda. The fact is, it’s small businesses that make up 75% of net new jobs in this country. It’s small businesses that drive this countries economy, not big businesses like GM, Chrysler, or Ford. It’s not big business like HP or Microsoft, or many of the Wall Street banks. So yes, Pat, I do hope that I get my wish: that small businesses CONTINUE to rule America, and that the private, entrepreneurial go-getter attitude rules the day.
This comment was posted on December 21st, 2010 at 10:30 pmSteve,
This comment was posted on December 21st, 2010 at 11:06 pmYou are so indoctrinated that there is no hope left for you. Don’t use the argument about them endangering their lives because no one forced them to become a police officer? Then how much should they be paid? Toledo Police aren’t the highest paid in Ohio, not by a longshot. Those figures in your anti-union Bible, The Blade, include total compensation. They don’t see that money in their checks.
Texas has jobs? Look closer – they have GOVERNMENT jobs! And illegal immigrants, and oil companies getting massive tax breaks from the government and the Bush era “Energy Policy” they helped write. Your excuses for Wall Street and total dismissal of the $800 billion bailout for the banks shows your ignorance. Wake up and see what’s happening. Stop listening to right wing radio and bashing unions. If the unions have so much power, why is union membership at an all time low? If union numbers are so low, how can union candidates possibly get elected over the candidates allegedly representing the other 78% of the work force? Use your head.
As for the entrepreneur who can get out there and seize his opportunity, let me ask you a simple question: why do we only have 3 American car companies? Is it because only 3 organizations want to make cars? Or is it because corporate influence squeezes the little guy and denies competition through government regulations and the influence they have on the banking industry? Just a thought…
I’m not gong to get into the REpublican/Democratic rhetoric. Here is the Fire side of it. Toledo Fire has less firefighters per capita than anyother full time fire dept. in Ohio. When we show up at your door, you get paramedics, EMT’s, HazMat, Confine Space, High Angle Rescue and Divers as well as Experienced firefighters. Firefighters with plenty of medical and fire experience. It was heard that some of the Ottawa Hills FFs have been in one fire in 11yrs. I’m not slaming them, just pointing out that you don’t call an electrician who has wired one house in the last 11 years to do major wiring at your house do you. Many firefighters get additional training on there own time with their own money. Many go to school to get degrees to assist in advancement and become proficient in their job. We have given up raises for years, long before the City “actually” became financially challenged. The few raises we did get were in pension pickups. That means no money in their pockets and less burden on the city when it comes time to pay out those pensions. We are not unskilled auto workers or laborers. We also don’t have the luxury of arm chair quarterback or long term debates at scenes. Decisions are made in seconds that effect many people’s lives. I think we have done an excellent job and think that we are underpaid for the workload. We are probably going to break 53,000 runs this year with only 17 stations and a decrease in workforce over the last 30 years. As for Ottawa Hills needing a rig inside their community, There are 3 Toledo stations on the fringes that have beat Ottawa Hills to their own runs.
This comment was posted on December 22nd, 2010 at 11:00 pmDear pat, The history of unions in Little Detroit, is one of horrendous criminal behavior.
Along, with greed , that would make Midas, cringe !
I recall the fire / police unions striking Little Detroit,circa 1978-79…HOLY MOLY, the firemen burnt down the only Republican on City Council’s bar / restaurant, who was opposed to the hysterical demands made by their selfish union bureaucrats / members !! !!
This comment was posted on December 23rd, 2010 at 6:18 pmEvery fellow watching it burn had on navy blue T-shirts, with navy blue pants, and black shoes !!!!
We could see it from the 3rd floor of the O-I, R & D lab, on Adams St. !!!
Plus, the average union loafer here, who is paid by tax payers, earns more than TWICE, what the average Toledoan, does ?!
They do not work that hard to earn TWICE, what others around here do.
Besides, history is DUST !!!
UNIONS: High benefits/ wages for a few, high unemployment for the rest…ask any electrical unionist around here who sits , while the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, has Bahamians working at Fermi, NOT WOLVERINES nor, BUCKEYES !!!
Now, post to someone who isn’t a inimitable genitor…you are way to green and square to edify me!
More on point…I’m quite confident mike collins wouldn’t understand the data given to him and if he does get it….he’d better prove that he really reviewed and analyzed the info… if he doesn’t prove it- bill him….what he is asking for will take some time to assemble, at taxpayer expense, but I believe he and every other taxpayer is entitled to the information, if desired.
Homeland Security?-What a joke of an excuse.
As for Toledo’s Public Service Unions..you
This comment was posted on December 26th, 2010 at 2:32 pmdon’t have to fight every battle…everybody needs to be on the same page or soon there will be nothing to fight over. Adding firefighters to your ranks using an affordable alternative to expensive ‘newby’ training really is a win for you.
wow, I dont believe I said anything about unions or anything of the sort. As a CITIZEN of Toledo and possibly Ottawa Hills this merger only makes financial sense for Ottawa Hills, NOT Toledo. I agree small business runs this country and NO small business person would provide a service or product for less than what it costs them to make/ or provide. You would not be in business very long. To make things worse if you had to take employees away from your busy factory to operate a new revenue loosing one then BOTH would be in jepordy.
This comment was posted on December 28th, 2010 at 10:27 amSteve: you have no idea of my situation or the deal I have worked out on a property, nor the fact that I have worked 2 jobs for most of my adult life to attain what I have. So since I am employed by the city I should not be able to live somewhere nice?? I hold no judgement of you. But thankyou for agreeing in principal.
jdm: we dont fight every battle, we have watched our contracts be violated repeatedly without action and have made many concessions over the years, but noone seems to remember those.
I am not completely against the idea, but make Ottawa Hills pay what it actually costs to operate a fire station, otherwise do not come to me asking for concessions.
Steve, I was inferring our southern neighbors mexico, by the way I agree with you on small business, but you can’t possibly believe that corporations and big interest don’t rule our country.
tycoon, yes guess you have been around a while, but how can you compare the city unions today to that of 32 years ago.
and to you both….hope you would agree that a police or firefighter would put their life in danger to save you and the ones closest to you. What is that worth to you? Exactly what wage do you think is fair?
This comment was posted on December 28th, 2010 at 11:59 am