COULD NORTH CANTON'S MEETING LAST NIGHT BE THE "BEGINNING OF THE END" FOR TIM FOX AS NORTH CANTON LAW DIRECTOR?

UPDATED:  02:11 PM

BREAKING NEWS!

NCCS-BOE LIKELY TO APPROVE ABATEMENT AGREEMENT TOMORROW NIGHT

VIDEOS

OSBORNE ON "OTHER PARTNERS"

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OSBORNE ON "DELAY THE VOTE"

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FOLTZ "LET'S DELAY VOTE ONE WEEK"
(INCLUDES FOX ["DO NOT DELAY VOTE')
ALSO
HELD, KIESLING & FONTE

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CITIZENS POINT FINGERS AT MAYOR HELD

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HELD RESPONDS TO CITIZEN 

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CITIZEN TRIPP ON COUNCIL PRESIDENT PETERS

...

 On the surface of it, I agree with North Canton Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling (Republican, at-large), council waiting six days is not going to change the ultimate outcome on council's quest to pass legislation approving the city entering into agreements with the North Canton City Schools (NCCS) and North Ridge Place, LLC (owned by developers William Lemmon, Robert DeHoff and Dan DeHoff) in settlement of an "imperfect" process (per Councilman Doug Folts) in which (2012) North Place Ridge, as part of an Held administration "administrative" process was awarded a 100% property tax abatement on a 40 unit apartment complex on the west side of North Main Street close to the intersection of Main and Applegrove.



But digging deeper, Councilman Doug Foltz's (Democrat, Ward 1) move to put aside the legislation until next Monday night when Councilman-at-Large Mark Cerreta (a Republican) returns to council proceedings inasmuch as the vote on the ordinances is as "an emergency," may, as implicitly warned by Law Director Tim Fox, give the opponents of the legislation time to put together bombshell revelations (my characterization; not Fox's) that might derail North Canton's "best plan of mice and men" to settle a tax revenue dispute among North Canton government, the NCCS and North Ridge Place, LLC.

This blog has heretofore written three installments on this overarching issue consuming North Canton government these days, to wit:

LINK TO INSTALLMENT #1

LINK TO INSTALLMENT #2

LINK TO INSTALMENT #3

Bombshell revelations?

That's what I am thinking more and more.

I have this sense that some of the opponents that Fox was referring to are looking deep and wide at relationships between North Canton School board members, North Canton council members and others involved in the abatement approving process in an effort to plant in the minds of North Cantonians that the proposed settlement agreements are not the "arms-length" work products that they appear to be on the surface level.

For those listening closely last night, citizen activist Chuck Osborne (a former councilman who has been a council "nemesis extraordinaire" ever since he departed council) brought up—during the "Visitor Comments" portion of council meeting— the "relationships" factor alluded to above, to wit:

Osborne went on to ask council to delay a vote on the abatement measures pending the return of Councilman Cerreta; a plea, it turns out, was picked up upon by Ward 1 councilman Doug Foltz.

Here is a video collage-esque presentation of Foltz in action in persuading his fellow councilpersons to vote 6 - 0 to hold off on vote until next week.

Note:  The SCPR has been in contact with NCCS treasurer Todd Tolson on the spectre offered by Law Director Fox that councils failure to act on the abatement pieces of legislation would likely result in an extended delay in getting the school and North Ridge Place, LLC agreement completed.

Apparently, Fox's analysis was more scare tactic than what he knew or, as it turns out, didn't know.  I think Fox should have "actually" known what the NCCS BOE is likely to do at its meeting tomorrow night rather than speculate as he obviously did with council members last night. 

It is reprehensible for a legal professional who knows better to engage in fear mongering.  

Look at this e-mail exchange between the SCPR and Mr. Tolson 

Tolson, Todd <tolsont@northcantonschools.org>  Today at 1:25 PMTo:  Martin Olson
...
Mr. Olson, 

It is my belief the NC BOE still plans to approve the agreement tomorrow evening with the contingency language, "...contingent upon North Canton City Council's approval of this agreement." 

Todd TolsonTreasurer 

On Tue, Jun 20, 2017 at 12:28 PM, Martin Olson <tramols@att.net> wrote: 

Treasurer Tolson, 

In light of North Canton City Council putting off its vote on the subject matter of this e-mail, will NCCS BOE go ahead tomorrow night with approving the agreement from its perspective?If not, when is it likely that the NCCS BOE will take up the matter again. 

Thanks,
Martin OlsonSCPR

While I believe that opponents focusing on "relationships" will not be able to produce revelations which will derail the Law Director Tim Fox crafted settlement agreement, this video collection of Fox's extensive plea to council to vote down Foltz's initiative, I believe the video reveals how utterly unnerved he is of the opponents having another week to re-think, double-down on techniques and strategies to undo his work.

Another aspect of last night's meeting which should be highly interesting are the comments made by various citizens on Mayor David Held's "I'm  against it" ([paraphrase], the North Ridge Place abatement) statement of August, 2016.

The irony of the past Held position, as pointed out by Councilman Foltz, is that the action of abating North Ridge Place was an "administrative" decision; not a legislative one.

The SCPR thinks that council is not off-the-hook because council in putting together the abatement process at its initiative should have provided for council "check and balance" procedures.

After all, North Canton is a strong council form of government.

Here the videos:

First, the citizens:

Secondly, Mayor Held's response:

And finally, here is citizen Larry Tripp making accusations on council president Dan Peters.  (note:  I gave Councilman Peters an opportunity to respond, but he declined which is included at the end of the video]):

All-in-all, Foltz persisting/prevailing with his fellow councilpersons on the vote delay is a "glimmer of HOPE" for North Cantonians that Foltz might be a catalyst going forward for reigning in Fox.

A number of North Cantonians think that council created Fox (a former councilman himself) and his overbearing ways vis-a-vis any citizen who questions him, Mayor Held or council members in some sort of "in a private counsels sort of way" back in September, 2012 when he was hired.

The SCPR subscribes to this point-of-view.

Now it is time for council to put Fox in his proper place as being a legal advisor and retract his de facto status as being a virtual "one-man-rule" of all of North Canton government.

It is fitting and proper for Foltz to assume this role, if, indeed, he has the chutzpah to do so.

For he is the dean of North Canton council having served longer than any other member.

My take on observing/taking with Foltz over my years of coverage of North Canton City Council is that he knows "dysfunctional" city government from the days he worked for the city of Canton.

Is he up to being a "spark of HOPE" that council will rein Tim Fox in and thereby make North Canton government more responsive to, interactive with and embracing of the city's "inquiring" citizens?

POLITICAL INTRIGUE IN NORTH CANTON?

Village and city council organization meetings are normally uneventful.

However, there has been a mini-revolt brewing on Daryl Revoldt over the past two weeks or so.

The SCPR is told that Councilpersons Davies, DeOrio and Foltz have been "talking" about teaming up with Council Vice President Jon Snyder (he voting for himself) to make him president.  Snyder tells the SCPR he had no desire to be council president, but that he was approached about the possibility of going along with the move should Davies, DeOrio and Foltz have the courage to step forward.

But in the end, they did not.

On occasion, Revoldt bristles various members of North Canton Council because of his authoritative and directory manner.  However, though some of them fuss and fume about Revoldt's assertive ways, is sure of his thinking and generally getting his way, they always seem to come over to Revoldt's way of thinking.

Revoldt is a seasoned politician who has served in some pretty high political circles (as chief of staff for retired Congressman Ralph Regula for a spell, and as a relatively high economic guy for former Governor Bob Taft) and in the course of doing so, has developed a thick hide to the point that very little bothers him.  Snyder tells yours truly that Revoldt has been aware of the aborted mutiny that never passed the talking stage and wasn't in the slightest bothered by it.

It appears that Councilman Pat DeOrio was most bothered by the continuance of Revoldt as council president and apparently could not bring himself to be present on Wednesday night to do the obligatory.

The official reason was that DeOrio had family obligations to attend to.  But apparently Marcia Kiesling was not buying as she feigned objecting to a motion made during the session to excuse the councilman.

The timing of the ouster talk is a bit surprising.  Other than losing Alex Zumbar to the Stark treasury via his election to the post on November 2nd, all has been pretty peachy in The Dogwood City.  Some council members are pleased to see former Chief Administrator Wise on his way out the door (come December, 31st) and probably all are breathing a sigh of relief that North Canton's finances in the near term are looking a whole lot better these days.

The only major things facing the Held administration and Council is the hiring of a director of finance to replace Zumba,r and the finding of an assistant administrative person to help Chief Administrator James Benekos.

There is talk that Benekos' assistant could end up being North Canton Chief of Police, Michael Grimes.  Mayor Held wants to take in a slew of resumes to see whether or not the job marketplace is so much in favor of employers these days that a highly qualified administrator - in terms of actual experience - might be available to North Canton for a manageable salary.

One has to wonder whether or not re-elected Council president Revoldt will be handing out victory cigars to certain council members come the next North Canton City Council meeting?

WHAT IS COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARYL REVOLDT'S HURRY?

Does anyone on North Canton City Council, besides Councilman Jeff Davies, have any backbone?

North Canton is about to finalize an agreement with Maple Street Commerce (Stu Lichter) on the continuing development of the former Hoover complex into a facility reconfigured, refitted for new tenants.

North Canton officials released the proposal at the past Monday's council meeting as emergency legislation. The SCPR's sources have no idea what the emergency is and even after asking Council president Daryl Revoldt still do not know.

Councilman Davies did try to put the breaks on by asking for a second reading prior to the vote. Council President Revoldt was having none of that.

Of course, there are other concilpersons. Let's see there is Doug Foltz (Ward 1), Daniel Peters (Ward 2), Jon Snyder (Ward 4) and Marcie Kiesling (at-large). Pat DeOrio (at-large) was on vacation.

Apparently, Foltz, Peters, Snyder and Kiesling sat there mum. No support at all for Davies.

We all know that when someone (in this case, Revoldt) is giving something the "bum's rush," watch out. Someone is about to get the shaft. In this case, it is likely the "someone" is going to be North Canton taxpayers.

Deals with developers are notorious for not protecting taxpayers.

Public officials are under enormous pressure to give developers everything they ask for because of the politics of producing jobs to replace rapidly vanishing jobs.

If Council sits back and let's Revoldt rush this agreement through without being properly vetted, then they share in the public accountability should things go wrong.

As we all know from life experience, "haste makes waste."