September 24, 2013 - Laid on the Table by all the Commissioners

RESOLUTION NUMBER 2013-247 RECEIVING PROPOSALS AND LAYING ON THE TABLE FOR THE ASHTABULA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (ACTS), ACDJFS

The Board of County Commissioners of Ashtabula County, Ohio, met on the 24TH day of September, 2013, in regular session at the offices of said Board in the Old Courthouse Building, 2nd Floor, Jefferson, Ohio, with the following members present: Joseph A. Moroski, Daniel R. Claypool, Peggy A. Carlo.
WHEREAS, on August 20, 2013 by Resolution No. 2013-222, a request for proposals was ordered for the transportation system that will operate within Ashtabula County and provide transportation within selected locations including a deviated fixed service route within the City of Ashtabula and adjacent townships, and a demand response service throughout the remainder of the county, under the Ashtabula County Department of Job and Family Services; and
WHEREAS, on September 18, 2013, proposals were received as follows:

City Taxicab & Transfer Co., 1753 W. Prospect Rd., Ashtabula, OH 44004

Community Bus Services, Inc.  First National Tower, Ste 908, 11 Federal Plaza, PO Box 1863, Youngstown OH, 44501

Ride Right, 16 Hawk Ridge Dr., Lake St. Louis, MO 63367

MV Transportation, Inc. 479 Mason St., Ste 221, Vacaville, CA 95688

            WHEREAS, It is the opinion of the Board that the proposals be laid on the table for further examination and recommendation; now
            THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Board of Commissioners of Ashtabula County, Ohio, that the proposals as outlined above are laid on the table until further notice.


What do they mean by this?  Why did they not give people access to the proposals provided by the three potential contractors?  Is this another Matter of National Security, like the Recycling Issue?  Now, who was it who got laid on the table by the Commissioners?

DEFINITIONS:

table - verb 

Definition: (v.) 1. to hold something back until a later time; 2. to remove from consideration; (n.) an organization of data in columns and rows
Synonyms: (v.) shelve, hold, postpone, defer
Antonyms: (v.) address, consider
Tips: When used as a verb, the word table means "to postpone indefinitely." This meaning came from the English parliamentary term of "laying something on the table for discussion." In American English, it has come to mean "to put something away for later discussion." In business, you will often see the noun table, a spreadsheet or document in which data is aligned in rows and columns.

Usage Examples:
Since we can't come to an agreement, let's table this subject for now. (shelve, hold) verb
I think we need to table this issue until we have the funds to address it properly. (postpone, defer) verb
We tabled the suggestion for discussion at a later time. (shelved, deferred) verb
I have organized all of the data in a table to make it easier to read. (a format of columns and rows) noun

The League of Women Voters of Ashtabula County present a Public Forum

 

Topic:      Charter Change for Ashtabula County

                Guest Speakers will present the pros and cons of this Issue

 

When:      Tuesday, September 24, 2013

                  7:00 P. M.

 

Where:      Jefferson Health Care

                  222 Beech St.

                  Jefferson, Ohio

                      Please enter through the rear door

 

Open to the Public.

Monique Kawalek
440.799.3741

Kittens, Kids or Commissioners, which is easier to train?

by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster

Training a kitten requires you to let the kitten know what will not be tolerated. You have to remove them from the table and sharply say “NO!” while looking them right in the eye until they 'get' it. Eventually, they learn.

When my daughter, Ayn, was two she snuck a small package of candy from a store as we were checking out. I found it clutched in her tiny hand as we arrived home. A few minutes later she was back in the store looking up at a frowning store manager, trembling. It never happened again.

The Commandments are not suggestions. Kittens have to learn the rules, too.

Commissioners, are employees. There are rules which they are required to follow. One of these is making sure we have the facts before money is committed. A FOIA, which I wrote about earlier here, is a tool the people use when this has not been working correctly.

There are many reasons the New Ashtabula Charter is on the ballot this November.

FOIAs are used when things are going wrong. Knowing in advance what is planned allows us to ensure we get the best we can afford. People can look into it themselves, write letters, do research. Therefore, bids on contracts and complete information on ballot measures should be made available early and often.

Of late, our commissioners have shown signs they do not accept our rules. Two examples for bids are the contract for Ashtabula County Transportation and problems with recycling. You would think the information was a matter of National Security instead of reliable rides and trash.

Another issue is the lack of information on the Charter measure on which we vote this November. By law, Article X, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution and Ohio Revised Code Section 307.70. The wording of the Charter must be sent to every registered voter at least 30 days in advance, preferably 35 to accommodate early voting. Indications from those listening at Commissioner Meetings lead to the conclusion they do not think it is important to comply with the law.

If the Charter passes things will be very different.

No form of government is engraved in stone. King George learned this and county government changes at the will of the people.

Kittens don't want to stay off the table. Kids want candy. But they learn. We need to enforce our rules and stay informed.