Ohio Municipal League
175 South Third Street
Suite 510
Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-221-4349 Office
614-221-4390 Fax

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Legislative Inquiries
John Mahoney
General Inquiries
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OML E- BULLETIN
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PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF

Bulletin No. 16                                                                    November 3, 2000

In addition to November 8 and 9, November 14,15, and 16, and December 5, 6, and 7, the House and Senate will be in session December 12,13. and 14.

Annexation
SB 289 as passed in September by the Senate has raised some questions in the Ohio House. Meetings between leadership and the various opponents and proponents have been taking place over the past three weeks to try to find some common ground. An issue that keeps reoccurring during these discussions is the major surgery performed by the Senate on the 100% petition owners procedure. The OML continues to be opposed to SB 289 and its clone H13 98 but continues to express a willingness to work towards improvements. The House Local Government and Townships Committee has scheduled both bills for a hearing Wednesday afternoon November 8 (see the hearing schedule for time and location). Municipal officials should plan to attend and testify if they so choose.

Police and Fire Fund Continues to Explore "DROP"
The Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund continues to explore the possibility of establishing a DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Plan) program for members of the Fund. Under such a program, police officers and firefighters would have the option of continuing their service and building up additional retirement benefits after they reach their retirement threshold of 48 years of age and 25 years of service. In the Fund's last newsletter, the DROP plan was touted as something as seen favorably by police and fire members of the Fund. This favorable view seems in conflict with the state FOP's tabling of support for the program at their annual conference.

So far the Fund has not spoken in any detail about the DROP program to the League or sought our reaction to the program. And while the Fund often seems to downplay DROP as a program on their immediate agenda, clearly the Fund is positioning itself for selling this program to the General Assembly in the new session. The League has a great number of concerns about this program.

Whether a member of the Fund should be given new incentives to continue active service will impact on the future management of police and fire departments and the continued effectiveness of those departments. City management should have to approve any individual decisions which impact a department's overall effectiveness. Additionally, if the stress of police and fire work merits the early retirement thresholds of 48 and 25, why would a program designed to obviate those thresholds make any sense?

We also need to ask whether this program will negatively impact the actuarial balance of the Fund. Or, if on other hand, the impact of this program is positive, why shouldn't some of those dollars contributed by employers be returned to employers through a contribution reduction?

All of these and many more questions have to be asked about this program before the League could even consider doing anything other than oppose such a program.

HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 9 a.m., Rm. 122, Chr. Womer Benjamin, Phone: 466-2004.

HB 727 HIV TESTS (Schuler) Allows law enforcement officers to obtain existing HIV test results of offenders. (2^nd Hearing-Proponent)

SENATE JUDICIARY, 10 a.m., North Hearing Rm., Chr. Latta, Phone: 466-8060.

SB 325 MUNICIPAL COURTS (Oelslager) Permits judges of a municipal court with an elected clerk to appoint an administrative assistant for personnel matters. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent)

HOUSE STATE GOVERNMENT After session or 2 p.m., Rm. 116, Chr. Terwilleger, Phone: 644-6027.SB 262 LIQUOR PERMITS (Gardner) Creates the D-8 permit to be issued to certain retail stores to allow the sale of tasting samples of beer, wine, and mixed beverages and makes other changes. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested parties)

HB 769 STATE AUDITS (Mettler) Changes the law governing the Auditor of State's audits of public officers and private persons who receive public funds. (3 rd Hearing - Proponent, opponent & interested parties - Substitute bill - Possible vote)

HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & TOWNSHIPS, 4 p.m., Rm. 12 1, Chr. Schuler, Phone: 644-6023.

HB 98 ANNEXATION LAW (Terwilleger) Revises the laws governing municipal annexation. (5^th Hearing - Proponent/opponent)

SB 289 ANNEXATIONS (Cupp) Revises the law governing municipal annexations. (1^st Hearing -Sponsor -Pending referral)

SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVT. & VETERAN'S AFFAIRS, 4 p.m., South Hearing Room, Chr. Mumper, Phone: 466-8049.

SB 329 STATE AUDITS (Hottinger) Makes changes in the law governing the Auditor of State's audits of public offices and private persons who receive public funds. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent-opponent)

HB 548 SUNSET REVIEW (Terwilleger) Extends the expiration date of a number of state agencies, creates the Sunset Review Committee, and terminates certain provisions of this act on Dec. 31, 2004. (15^th Hearing - Sponsor, proponent, opponent Amendments - Possible vote)

HB 565 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (Young) Specifies that state law does not require a municipal corporation fire chief or village fire prevention officer to be a resident or elector of the municipal corporation and makes other changes. 1^st Hearing -Sponsor, proponent opponent - Amendments - Possible vote)

HB 621 FIREFIGHTER EXAMS (Cates) Allows promotional examinations for firefighters to be oral as well as written in nature. (2^nd Hearing - Proponent-opponent - Possible vote)

HB 298 SMOKING RULES (Schuler) Requires that any orders or rules enacted by a board of health related to smoking be adopted by the legislative authority of a municipal corporation or township before those orders or rules are effective within the boundaries of that political subdivision. (3^rd Hearing - Proponent & opponent)

SENATE INSURANCE, COMMERCE & LABOR, 9 a.m., South Hearing Rm., Chr. Nein, Phone: 466-8072. HB 203 EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS (Wilson) Prohibits an employer from terminating an employee who is a volunteer firefighter or a volunteer provider of emergency medical services when that employee misses or is late to work because of an emergency to which the employee was dispatched as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer provider of emergency medical services. (1^st Hearing Sponsor & interested parties)

HOUSE FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS, 9 a.m., Rm. 313, Chr. Corbin, Phone: 466-6504.

HB 712 PAY RAISES (HOOPS) Provides a 3% compensation increase to nonjudicial county elected officials in 200 1; reduces the number of population classifications used to determine the compensation of those officials beginning in 200 1; provides a cost-of-living increase capped at 3% for calendar years 2002 and thereafter for all of those officials except county auditors; provides a cost-of-living increase capped at 3% for calendar year 2003 and thereafter for county auditors, township trustees, and township clerks; and requires that certain county elected officials receive the increase in compensation in 2001 based on additional responsibilities. (3 rd Hearing - Proponents & opponents) Additional hearing on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13.

HOUSE WAYS & MEANS, 10:30 a.m., Rm. 121, Chr. Mottley, Phone: 644-6008.

SB 3 10 ARTS FACILITIES (Ray) Authorizes cooperative undertakings by counties, municipal corporations, port authorities and nonprofit corporations to provide for educational and cultural performing arts facilities, authorizes counties to levy an excise tax on lodging transactions for that purpose, and declares an emergency. (I"' Hearing - Sponsor & proponents)