Now Mr. Picard, I don’t expect you to accept my sworn statements, or the words of a single City Council member, so next I turn your attention to an excerpt from the minutes of the February 12, 2009, meeting of the Finance “Subcommittee”:

*************************************************************

FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING

February 12, 2009

4:30 p.m.

Second Floor Conference Room 2C

Members Present: Bill Becker, Chair              Staff Present: City Manager, J. Gilleland

D. Schiavone                                                                     Russ Carolus, Finance Director

A. Scott Jones                                                                   Duane Wooton, Asst. Finance Director

L. Mulligan                                                                         Betsy Parr, Clerk

Others Present: Bob Cramer, Financial Consultant; Mike Presta; Ed Richter, Cox Ohio Publishing

**********************************************************************

You can verify the accuracy of the above, and read the entire meeting minutes by accessing the March 17, 2009 City Council Workbook and looking in the “Consent Agenda” area!!!

Now, Mr. Armbruster, YOU stated that you spend MANY HOURS during the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before each council meeting READING and studying the workbook. You added that one can tell who has and who has NOT read the workbook by who has to ask questions and who does not.  I notice that YOU do not ask many questions, Sir, so I must assume that YOU read the workbook, mustn't I???

Well, Sirs, the minutes of the February 12, 2009, “subcommittee” were not only INCLUDED in the workbook for March 17, 2009 City Council meeting, but Mr. Armbruster, who states that he spends HOURS studying these workbooks before every meeting, WAS ONE OF THE UNANIMOUS VOTES approving those minutes, AS WRITTEN, WITHOUT QUESTION!!!

Yet last night, Mr. Armbruster, YOU agreed with Mr. Picard that NO such meetings EVER occurred!!!

So, now we have:

1. A citizen that was actually IN ATTENDANCE, and willing to swear UNDER oath that this occurs.

2. A blog from a sitting Council person that this occurs.

3. Minutes, unanimously approved by City Council DOCUMENTING that it occurred!

In either of your minds, would all of THAT move this out of the realm of “rumor, hearsay, and innuendo” and into the world of “proof beyond a reasonable doubt”?

I won’t hold my breath waiting for a response or an apology, especially from Mr. Armbruster. I realize that, as a sitting Councilman, he is “not set up to answer questions” from mere citizens!!!　

PS: Before anyone sticks their foot in their mouth and claims that this was an “isolated incident”, I suggest that the following “subcommittees” had at least four council persons IN ATTENDANCE, AS PARTICIPATING MEMBERS, on the noted dates: Housing: 05/08/09; Finance: 05/13/09; Finance 4/23/09; Housing: 03/11/09; Finance: 07/22/09; Housing: 10/02/09. I could go on, but I won’t. ALL of the listed meetings had their minutes, including the ATTENDANCE ROLLS, voted upon and UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED by the FULL CITY COUNCIL!!  (Once again, fully studied and approved by Mr. Armbruster with NO QUESTIONS, yet he now says "It's just hearsay"!!!

You might notice that I listed several “Housing”, and “Finance” meetings where FOUR or more council members were present. These are two of the most complicated issues currently before council and are exactly what prompted my question and why I prefaced it with: “It seems that complicated issues frequently come before council and, with little or no discussion, are acted upon.”! Yet even Mr. Armbruster, who studiously examines his workbook for hours, has no questions on these issues and doesn’t realize that a QUORUM of Council has PRE-ARRANGED DISCUSSIONS on these issues beforehand!!!

Finally, If ALL of the above, does not sway this from the realm of rumor and hearsay, the council approved minutes indicate that Mr. Doug Atkins, Esq., an officer of the court and Mr. Picard’s colleague on of the Bar, was in attendance at many of them!!

NOW what say ye???