WCOG meeting covers COVID vaccine response

This report contains member observations and selected highlights of a meeting of the Westshore Council of Governments, and is not an official statement by the League of Women Voters, nor does it represent the official minutes of the meeting.

Present: Mayors Cooney, Fairview Park, presiding; Koomar, Bay Village; George, Lakewood; Kennedy, North Olmsted

The meeting was held Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Gemini Center in Fairview Park. It was called to order at 9:30 a.m.

Fiscal Officer’s Report, Renee Mahoney: New financial system for payroll has gone live. Ms. Mahoney will send her report next week. It will catch up for January, February and March.

RTA: Mayor Clough presided last month, his last session. Mayor Koomar is waiting for his term to begin next month; he also attended last month’s meeting.

NOACA: Mayor Koomar is acting as alternate for Mayor Bobst, who has been appointed chair of programming and planning. She will have more to report at the next meeting.

Land Bank: No report; they meet quarterly, and all meetings have been virtual.

Planning Commission: They have not met since the last WCOG meeting. Their new director will come to the next WCOG meeting.

Mayors and Managers Assn.: Mayor Koomar said they are planning to have meetings with state and federal representatives. They are trying to work as a group to formulate a capital budget request.

Old Business

COVID vaccines: Lakewood has second doses for those who have already received their first, meanwhile they are still vaccinating members of the 1B group. It seems reactions to the second dose are worse than to the first. Some EMS workers missed work due to side effects, and those workers who have had the disease have been out longer.

Mayor Cooney stated that they received about 60 extra doses that had to be administered on short notice. The Senior Center had a list of seniors and police officers waiting for their vaccines, so the city was able to take care of them at the last minute. Those who received the vaccine will come back on Feb. 23 for their second doses. The State wants every city to have backup lists like this. Fairview Park Senior Center helps people who don’t have access to technology to sign up, but it may be a problem to follow up to find out whether they are actually getting the shot.

Mayor George asked whether any of the others are tracking people getting the vaccine. Mayor Koomar said they are asking people if they’ll release information through HIPAA; if they do, they receive guidelines for return to work. AFCSME sent a questionnaire to the cities, but it didn’t require detailed answers. The cities are simply reporting that they are “following the guidelines,” without getting more specific.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of WCOG.  Some of the city websites make note of this. Mayors agreed they should all look through archives for photos and highlights.

There being no New Business, the Council went into Executive Session to discuss hiring of a Special Agent in Charge of the Westshore Enforcement Bureau.  Adjournment followed.

LWV observer Judith Weiss

LWVGC-Rocky River Chapter Chair. Retired librarian, writer, volunteer. Rocky River resident for 11 years.

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Volume 13, Issue 5, Posted 9:50 AM, 03.02.2021