Kyle Baker: public-record dossier (v1, link-verified)

Compiled 2026-10-13 (ET). Coverage: Lakewood City Council records from Oct 12, 2025 to Oct 12, 2026 (approved minutes, dockets and official video), the official city page, and certified 2025 election results where relevant. Only the public record is used. Positions appear only as the minutes' own wording (marked [paraphrase from minutes]), signed documents, or recorded votes. Nothing here describes beliefs or motives beyond what the record says.

How to check a claim: every claim has an ID and at least one link to the exact page or video moment. PDF links open at the page (#page=N is the PDF page; desktop browsers honor it, some phone viewers don't, so the page number is also in the link text). Rules: dossiers/RULES.md.

Labels: [paraphrase from minutes] = the Clerk's summary in the approved minutes, quoted word for word. machine transcript = our automatic transcription of the public video; wording can be off, so listen at the link. machine speaker ID = the speaker was identified automatically by voice matching, not by any official record. Self-description = the person's own words, not independently verified.

1. Identity and office

BA-01 Seat on Lakewood City Council: Ward 1; Vice-President of City Council (city page); "Term Expires: 12/31/2027" (city page).
BA-02 Lakewood Council elections are non-partisan (lakewoodoh.gov/city-council).
BA-03 Current committee assignments on the City's committee pages: Chair of the Finance Committee; Member of the Housing, Planning, and Development Committee; Member of the Public Works and Sustainability Committee. These pages show only the current roster; past rosters for the full 12 months are pending (U-1).
BA-158 Re-elected Vice President of Council on Jan 5, 2026: "Councilmember Baker elected Vice President to serve another two-year term." (1/5/26 Regular Council minutes p. 1).

2. Attendance (approved minutes)

Each meeting's minutes list members under "Present:" on the first page. "Listed present" means named there.

ID	Meetings (with approved minutes)	Listed present	Not listed (links)	Present at (links)
BA-04	Regular and Special Council meetings	20 of 22	Apr 6, 2026 p. 1, Jun 1, 2026 p. 1	10/20/25 p. 1, 11/3/25 p. 1, 11/10/25 p. 1, 11/17/25 p. 1, 12/1/25 p. 1, 12/15/25 p. 1, 1/5/26 p. 1, 1/20/26 p. 1, 2/2/26 p. 1, 2/17/26 p. 1, 3/2/26 p. 1, 3/16/26 p. 1, 4/20/26 p. 1, 5/4/26 p. 1, 5/18/26 p. 1, 6/15/26 p. 1, 7/6/26 p. 1, 7/20/26 p. 1, 9/8/26 p. 1, 9/21/26 p. 1
BA-05	Committee of the Whole	17 of 17	none	10/13/25 p. 1, 11/17/25 p. 1, 12/5/25 p. 1, 1/5/26 p. 1, 1/12/26 p. 1, 1/20/26 p. 1, 1/26/26 p. 1, 2/2/26 p. 1, 2/9/26 p. 1, 2/23/26 p. 1, 3/16/26 p. 1, 3/30/26 p. 1, 5/4/26 p. 1, 5/11/26 p. 1, 5/18/26 p. 1, 6/15/26 p. 1, 9/28/26 p. 1
BA-06	Finance Committee since Jan 20, 2026 (chair on today's roster)	7 of 7	none	2/9/26 p. 1, 3/2/26 p. 1, 3/23/26 p. 1, 4/20/26 p. 1, 6/22/26 p. 1, 6/29/26 p. 1, 7/6/26 p. 1
BA-07	Housing, Planning, and Development Committee since Jan 20, 2026 (member on today's roster)	10 of 10	none	2/17/26 p. 1, 3/2/26 p. 1, 3/9/26 p. 1, 3/30/26 p. 1, 4/27/26 p. 1, 6/22/26 p. 1, 6/29/26 p. 1, 7/6/26 p. 1, 7/13/26 p. 1, 9/8/26 p. 1
BA-08	Public Works and Sustainability Committee since Jan 20, 2026 (member on today's roster)	2 of 3	Jan 20, 2026 p. 1	2/17/26 p. 1, 3/9/26 p. 1

3. Recorded votes

Most Council votes in these minutes are recorded only as "All members voted in favor" (or similar), so a member's vote on those items is a yes only if the member was present. The minutes do not keep a per-member roll for most items. The entries below are every vote in the window's minutes where the record names this member as voting no, abstaining, recusing, or absent for the vote, plus split votes they took part in (found by searching each minutes page for "Nay", "abstain", "recuse" and "absent for the vote").

BA-09 Nov 3, 2025, Regular Council: Referral of Res. 2025-65 (Fourth Amended Lease with the Lakewood Child Care Center) to the Finance Committee. Recorded as: "Vice President Baker said he will recuse himself from this conversation because his wife is on the board of the Lakewood Child Care Center." … "Councilmembers Bullock, Evans, Kepple, Marx, Steiner, and Strebig voted in favor. Councilmember Baker abstained." (11/3/25 Regular Council minutes p. 8). Kyle Baker: abstained (recusal).
BA-10 Nov 3, 2025, Regular Council: Roll call to suspend the rules and adopt an ordinance on second reading. Recorded as: "Yeas: Baker, Evans, Kepple, Marx, Hamilton Steiner, Strebig Nays: none Absent: Bullock" … "All members voted in favor (including Bullock)." (11/3/25 Regular Council minutes p. 4). Kyle Baker: yes (seconded).
BA-11 Nov 10, 2025, Finance Committee: Finance Committee: amendment to Res. 2025-65 (Lakewood Child Care Center lease), "deeded" to "deemed". Recorded as: "Councilmember Baker explained that he is recusing himself from this vote due to a potential conflict of interest with his wife serving on the Board of Lakewood Child Care." … "On the motion: Yeas: Bullock, Strebig Abstentions: Baker Motion passed." (11/10/25 Finance Committee minutes p. 3). Kyle Baker: abstained (recusal).
BA-12 Nov 17, 2025, Regular Council: Adoption of S. Res. 2025-65 (Lakewood Child Care Center lease). Recorded as: "Vice President Baker said he will abstain from the vote because his wife is on the Board of Directors for the Lakewood Child Care Center." … "On the motion: Councilmember Baker abstained. All others voted in favor. Motion passed. S. Resolution 2025-65 adopted." (11/17/25 Regular Council minutes p. 2). Kyle Baker: abstained (recusal).
BA-13 Dec 15, 2025, Regular Council: Split vote: Bullock amendment to the 2026 appropriations ordinance (Ord. 33-2025, Exhibit A) adding $50,000 to the General Fund for composting. Recorded as: "Councilmember Bullock made a motion to amend Ordinance 33-2025 Exhibit A to add $50,000 to the amount appropriated to the General Fund and increase the dollar figure listed after totals by the same amount, seconded by Councilmember Hamilton Steiner." … "Yeas: Bullock, Evans, Marx, Hamilton Steiner Nays: Baker, Strebig, Kepple Motion passed. Ordinance 33-2025 amended." (12/15/25 Regular Council minutes p. 4). Kyle Baker: nay.
BA-14 Mar 16, 2026, COW: COW: recommending Charter-amendment Ordinances 18-2026 and 20-2026 favorably to Council (2 votes). Recorded as: "Councilmember Hamilton Steiner said that out of an abundance of caution she will recuse herself from participating in dialogue related to the Charter Review ordinances, due to her membership on the 2024 Charter Review Commission." … "Councilmembers Evans, Kepple, Strebig, Bixenstine, Baker and Bullock voted in favor. Councilmember Hamilton Steiner abstained." (3/16/26 COW minutes p. 4). Kyle Baker: yes (seconded both).
BA-15 May 4, 2026, COW: COW: motion to strike Section 1 of a Charter-amendment ordinance under review. Recorded as: "President Kepple made a motion to strike Section 1 and replace that with the current Section 2, seconded by Vice President Baker. Councilmember Hamilton Steiner abstained. All other members voted in favor." (5/4/26 COW minutes p. 3). Kyle Baker: yes (seconded).
BA-16 May 4, 2026, COW: COW: roll call to enter executive session on threatened and pending litigation. Recorded as: "Councilmember Bullock said he needed to excuse himself early so he would abstain from the vote." … "Yeas: Bixenstine, Evans, Baker, Strebig, Hamilton Steiner Nay: none Abstain: Bullock" (5/4/26 COW minutes p. 4). Kyle Baker: yes (moved).
BA-17 Jun 15, 2026, COW: Split vote: COW, Ord. 16-2026 (Charter §6.7 salary recommendations): Baker motion to strike the sentence capping salary increases at 10%. Recorded as: "Councilmember Bullock expressed a preference for leaving the 10% cap in the charter, stating that he would like to maintain the existing salary structure with adjustments for inflation rather than encourage large increases." … "On the motion: Councilmembers Baker, Bixenstine, Evans, Kepple & Strebig in favor. Councilmember Bullock voted nay." (6/15/26 COW minutes p. 4). Kyle Baker: yes (moved).
BA-18 Jul 20, 2026, Regular Council: Adoption of the Charter-amendment ordinances S. Ord. 16-2026 to 19-2026 (4 votes, p. 3 to 5). Recorded as: "She explained that Councilmember Hamilton Steiner will abstain from voting on these ordinances due to her participation in the Charter Review Commission." … "Six members voted yes, one abstention (Hamilton Steiner). Motion passed." (7/20/26 Regular Council minutes p. 3). Kyle Baker: yes (seconded).

4. Motions made and seconded (approved minutes)

Found by searching the minutes for sentences where Baker "moved" / "made a motion" or a motion was "seconded by" Baker. Window total: 75 motions made, 412 seconded, across 56 meetings. Most are procedural (receive and file, refer, approve minutes); the notable ones are in section 3 and the sponsorship list in section 5.

ID	Meeting	Moved	Seconded	Pages
BA-19	Oct 13, 2025 COW	0	3	p. 1, p. 6
BA-20	Oct 20, 2025 Regular Council	0	17	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6
BA-21	Oct 20, 2025 Public Safety Committee	0	2	p. 1, p. 4
BA-22	Oct 27, 2025 HPD Committee	3	0	p. 3, p. 4
BA-23	Nov 3, 2025 Regular Council	1	24	p. 1, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9
BA-24	Nov 10, 2025 Special Meeting of Lakewood City Council	2	0	p. 1, p. 2
BA-25	Nov 10, 2025 HPD Committee	1	0	p. 4
BA-26	Nov 10, 2025 Finance Committee	1	0	p. 3
BA-27	Nov 17, 2025 Regular Council	1	33	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9, p. 10, p. 11
BA-28	Nov 17, 2025 COW	0	3	p. 4
BA-29	Nov 24, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing	3	2	p. 1, p. 3, p. 13, p. 14
BA-30	Dec 1, 2025 Regular Council	0	14	p. 1, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7
BA-31	Dec 1, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing	0	1	p. 1
BA-32	Dec 5, 2025 COW	1	0	p. 5
BA-33	Dec 8, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing	2	4	p. 6, p. 7, p. 8
BA-34	Dec 15, 2025 Regular Council	0	27	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9
BA-35	Dec 15, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing	3	5	p. 1, p. 4, p. 5, p. 7, p. 8
BA-36	Jan 5, 2026 Regular Council	1	11	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5
BA-37	Jan 5, 2026 COW - Review Ward 4 Applications	0	3	p. 1
BA-38	Jan 12, 2026 COW - Ward 4 Candidate Interviews	0	5	p. 1, p. 7
BA-39	Jan 20, 2026 Regular Council	1	26	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7, p. 10
BA-40	Jan 20, 2026 COW	0	1	p. 1
BA-41	Feb 2, 2026 Regular Council	0	11	p. 1, p. 2, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9, p. 10
BA-42	Feb 9, 2026 Finance Committee	8	1	p. 1, p. 2, p. 4, p. 5
BA-43	Feb 9, 2026 COW	0	1	p. 1
BA-44	Feb 17, 2026 Regular Council	3	21	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9, p. 10, p. 11
BA-45	Feb 17, 2026 HPD Committee	1	1	p. 2
BA-46	Feb 23, 2026 COW	0	14	p. 1, p. 4, p. 5
BA-47	Mar 2, 2026 Regular Council	2	20	p. 1, p. 4, p. 5, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9, p. 10, p. 12, p. 13, p. 14, p. 15, p. 16
BA-48	Mar 2, 2026 Finance Committee	4	0	p. 3, p. 4
BA-49	Mar 9, 2026 PWS Committee	1	3	p. 1, p. 2
BA-50	Mar 9, 2026 HPD Committee	1	1	p. 2
BA-51	Mar 16, 2026 Regular Council	1	18	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7, p. 8
BA-52	Mar 16, 2026 COW	0	3	p. 3, p. 4
BA-53	Mar 23, 2026 Finance Committee	7	1	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4
BA-54	Mar 30, 2026 COW	1	0	p. 4
BA-55	Apr 20, 2026 Regular Council	4	24	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 8, p. 9, p. 10, p. 11
BA-56	Apr 20, 2026 Finance Committee	5	0	p. 2, p. 4
BA-57	May 4, 2026 Regular Council	0	16	p. 1, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6
BA-58	May 4, 2026 COW	1	2	p. 1, p. 3, p. 4
BA-59	May 11, 2026 COW	0	1	p. 1
BA-60	May 18, 2026 Regular Council	0	16	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7
BA-61	May 18, 2026 COW	1	1	p. 1, p. 5
BA-62	Jun 1, 2026 Regular Council	0	1	p. 3
BA-63	Jun 15, 2026 Regular Council	2	12	p. 1, p. 2, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6
BA-64	Jun 15, 2026 COW	1	7	p. 4, p. 5, p. 6
BA-65	Jun 29, 2026 HPD Committee	0	1	p. 1
BA-66	Jul 6, 2026 Regular Council	2	19	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 6, p. 7
BA-67	Jul 6, 2026 HPD Committee	0	1	p. 1
BA-68	Jul 6, 2026 Finance Committee	1	0	p. 1
BA-69	Jul 13, 2026 HPD Committee	0	1	p. 1
BA-70	Jul 20, 2026 Regular Council	4	14	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6, p. 7, p. 8
BA-71	Sep 8, 2026 Regular Council	2	11	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3, p. 4, p. 5, p. 6
BA-72	Sep 8, 2026 HPD Committee	1	1	p. 1, p. 4
BA-73	Sep 21, 2026 Regular Council	2	7	p. 1, p. 2, p. 3
BA-74	Sep 28, 2026 COW	0	1	p. 1

5. Legislation sponsored and communications signed

Docket "BY:" lines naming Baker (first docket appearance in the window; the PDF page shows the BY: line). Co-sponsors are as printed.

ID	Legislation	BY: line as printed	Docket page
BA-75	Ordinance 02-2026: to amend Chapter 1775, Weeds, of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Lakewood for the purpose of establishing regulations for front yard plantings.	"BY: BAKER"	1/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 26
BA-76	Ordinance 15-2026: to enact Section 129.65 of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances entitled Host Community Cannabis Fund, to provide guidance regarding the use of new tax revenues related to the sale of cannabis.	"BY: KEPPLE, BAKER"	2/2/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 170
BA-77	Resolution 2026-05: to recognize the important contributions of crossing guards in our community to Lakewood school children, adult pedestrians, and motorists.	"BY: BULLOCK, KEPPLE, BAKER, BIXENSTINE"	2/17/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 48
BA-78	Resolution 2026-16: endorsing Issue 2, the new 6.9 mill tax levy proposed by Lakewood City School District to maintain the District’s existing standards of excellence in programming, teaching, technology, and security.	"BY: BAKER"	3/16/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 43
BA-79	Resolution 2026-27: to recognize the Lakewood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team on its historic two season run (2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons), winning the conference in consecutive years for the first time…	"BY: Baker"	4/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 33
BA-80	Ordinance 27-2025A: to amend Ordinance 27-2025, adopted April 6, 2026 to correct an error in the numbering.	"BY: BAKER"	4/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 39
BA-81	Resolution 2026-38: recognizing the Lakewood Rangers High School Varsity Baseball Team on its historic 2026 season, capturing back-to-back District Championships, winning the Cleveland West Conference Championship with…	"BY: EVANS, BAKER"	7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 25
BA-82	Resolution 2026-37: declaring it necessary and determining to proceed with acquiring, constructing, installing, equipping, improving, maintaining and repairing improvements necessary for making improvements to abate…	"BY: BAKER"	7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 31
BA-83	Ordinance 29-2026: levying special assessments for acquiring, constructing, installing, equipping, improving, maintaining and repairing improvements necessary for making improvements to abate erosion along properties…	"BY: BAKER"	7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 35

Communications and reports listed on dockets under this person's name (the link opens the docket page that lists the item; the letter itself follows later in the same PDF):

BA-84 Nov 10, 2025: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding September meeting of the LakewoodAlive Board of Directors." (11/10/25 HPD Committee agenda PDF p. 1)
BA-85 Jan 20, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker re-introducing an ordinance to amend Chapter 1775 and address front yard plantings." (1/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-86 Feb 2, 2026: "Communication from President Kepple & Vice President Baker regarding establishing a Lakewood Host Community Cannabis Fund." (2/2/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 5)
BA-87 Feb 2, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding report from January 2026 Lakewood Alive Board Meeting." (2/2/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 6)
BA-88 Mar 2, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker regarding Report from Complete and Active Streets Education & Advisory (“CASE”) Board Meeting held February 24, 2026." (3/2/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 6)
BA-89 Apr 20, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker regarding Resolution Honoring the Lakewood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Teams." (4/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-90 Apr 20, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker regarding correction to Ordinance 27-2025 regarding Audit Committee." (4/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-91 Apr 20, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding LakewoodAlive Board of Directors Meeting – March 18, 2026." (4/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 3)
BA-92 Apr 20, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding CASE Board Meeting – March 24, 2026." (4/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 3)
BA-93 Jun 15, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding May 20th meeting of the Lakewood Alive Board of Directors." (6/15/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-94 Jun 15, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding June 3rd meeting of the Complete and Active Streets Education & Advisory Board." (6/15/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-95 Jul 6, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker & Councilmembers Bixenstine and Evans regarding the City of Lakewood’s Traffic Calming Program." (7/6/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-96 Jul 20, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding Council Budget Priorities for 2027." (7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-97 Jul 20, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker, Councilmember Evans and Mayor George recognizing the 2026 Lakewood High School Varsity Baseball Team." (7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 2)
BA-98 Jul 20, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker regarding legislation related to the Lakewood Shoreline Special Improvement District, Inc." (7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 3)
BA-99 Jul 20, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding July meeting of the Lakewood Alive Board of Directors." (7/20/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 3)
BA-100 Sep 8, 2026: "Communication from Councilmember Hamilton Steiner, Council President Kepple and Vice President Baker regarding City of Lakewood Flock Contract." (9/8/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 1)
BA-101 Sep 8, 2026: "Communication from Vice President Baker regarding Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the City of Lakewood for the audit period January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025." (9/8/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 1)
BA-102 Sep 8, 2026: "Report from Vice President Baker regarding September 1st meeting of the Complete & Active Streets Education & Advisory Board." (9/8/26 Regular Council agenda PDF p. 1)

6. Statements on the record (minutes)

Each item quotes the approved minutes word for word. These are the Clerk's summaries of what was said, not verbatim speech. Items that state support, opposition, concern or a preference are included first; the selection is capped, so this is not every remark.

BA-103 Nov 10, 2025, HPD Committee [paraphrase from minutes]: "Chair Baker added that he thinks that the work of Lakewood Alive helps to contribute to the social infrastructure of our community, and that while need still exists, that infrastructure helps to fill in the gaps." (Nov 10, 2025 HPD Committee minutes p. 3)
BA-104 Nov 17, 2025, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "In response to a question from President Kepple, Vice President Baker stated that if Resolution 2025-72 were referred to Housing, Planning and Development, it would be referred back to full Council favorably." (Nov 17, 2025 Regular Council minutes p. 10)
BA-105 Nov 24, 2025, Finance Committee Budget Hearing [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker stated that he is in support of Resolution 2025-68 and expressed interest in further discussion on the topic." (Nov 24, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing minutes p. 1)
BA-106 Nov 24, 2025, Finance Committee Budget Hearing [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker stated, and the Administration agreed, that it is preferrable for the City to have plans and goals in mind to proactively propose to the EPA." (Nov 24, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing minutes p. 9)
BA-107 Nov 24, 2025, Finance Committee Budget Hearing [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker praised roundabouts as an effective traffic calming tool but acknowledged that drivers will need education and reminders about how to navigate them." (Nov 24, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing minutes p. 10)
BA-108 Dec 1, 2025, Finance Committee Budget Hearing [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker inquired as to the level of specificity Council prefers in budget ordinances, pointing out that a variety of Capital work was bundled into one ordinance." (Dec 1, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing minutes p. 5)
BA-109 Dec 15, 2025, Finance Committee Budget Hearing [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said he would prefer to keep the $1.5 million in the land acquisition fund since Law Director Vargo confirmed that the City could not move on the purchase of any properties without Council approval." (Dec 15, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing minutes p. 5)
BA-110 Dec 15, 2025, Finance Committee Budget Hearing [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said that he is hearing from the Administration that they would not move forward with any City Hall expansion efforts without first agreeing on a shared strategy with Council, therefore he is comfortable with substituting Ordinance 35-2025 as proposed by Finance Director Mahoney." (Dec 15, 2025 Finance Committee Budget Hearing minutes p. 7)
BA-111 Jan 5, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker asked that the Administration’s upcoming presentation include an explanation for the process that would eliminate the need for a criteria architect." (Jan 5, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 4)
BA-112 Jan 20, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker requested that Council receive the bond counsel’s package of documents in advance of the committee meeting and President Kepple agreed." (Jan 20, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 7)
BA-113 Jan 26, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker voiced concerns with what he identified as an imbalance of information between the City and Liberty." (Jan 26, 2026 COW minutes p. 7)
BA-114 Jan 26, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Regarding the documents that Liberty committed to sharing, Vice President Baker cautioned that when purchasing any property, the buyer should have assessments, reports, and appraisals performed by their own contracted entities rather than relying on the seller’s information." (Jan 26, 2026 COW minutes p. 7)
BA-115 Feb 2, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker acknowledged that there may be a way to make a development agreement work with Liberty but that he would like to see the City have an owner’s representative." (Feb 2, 2026 COW minutes p. 4)
BA-116 Feb 2, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker pointed out that Garrett Morgan, mentioned previously as an important Black Ohioan, also invented the gas mask." (Feb 2, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 8)
BA-117 Feb 17, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker spoke about the benefits of reviewing the recommendations from the Charter Review Committee before the November election, which would allow time to inform residents about the potential amendments." (Feb 17, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 8)
BA-118 Feb 23, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said that whatever is recommended tonight still needs to be approved at the next full Council meeting so that would give them more time to think through everything." (Feb 23, 2026 COW minutes p. 4)
BA-119 Mar 2, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker stated that because Resolution 2026-11 did not involve City-owned property, he would be comfortable adopting it without objection but clarified that each Resolution should be evaluated separately." (Mar 2, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 14)
BA-120 Mar 2, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker voiced his support for the passage of Resolution 2026-14." (Mar 2, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 16)
BA-121 Mar 9, 2026, HPD Committee [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker expressed support for the ordinance and noted that the ordinance is supportive of the Integrated Wet Weather Improvement Plan in that it permits plantings that absorb water better than standard turf grass." (Mar 9, 2026 HPD Committee minutes p. 2)
BA-122 Mar 16, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said he supports the amendment as part of a package of Charter amendment ordinances but would not be in favor on putting just this ordinance on the ballot." (Mar 16, 2026 COW minutes p. 4)
BA-123 Mar 16, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "In response to a question from Councilmember Bullock, Vice President Baker said he believes the language is safe to stand the test of time and not overly prescriptive." (Mar 16, 2026 COW minutes p. 4)
BA-124 Mar 16, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker spoke about the important role of Shore Restaurant in the social infrastructure of the Lakewood community." (Mar 16, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 5)
BA-125 Mar 16, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "He said he shares some of the concerns that Vice President Baker raised, and he acknowledged the legal environment has changed significantly since these recommendations were made." (Mar 16, 2026 COW minutes p. 8)
BA-126 Mar 23, 2026, Finance Committee [paraphrase from minutes]: "Chair Baker responded that he is satisfied to imply that the required public hearing is an exit conference but does not see a need to change the language further." (Mar 23, 2026 Finance Committee minutes p. 3)
BA-127 Apr 20, 2026, Finance Committee [paraphrase from minutes]: "Chair Baker expressed concern for other entities that rely on the advances for cash flow and encouraged colleagues to speak with County Council." (Apr 20, 2026 Finance Committee minutes p. 2)
BA-128 Apr 20, 2026, Finance Committee [paraphrase from minutes]: "Chair Baker remarked that he is prepared to recommend adoption tonight but that he remains interested in exploring the possibility of dedicating portions of revenue to residents in need, such as seniors on a fixed income." (Apr 20, 2026 Finance Committee minutes p. 3)
BA-129 Apr 20, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker acknowledged the ongoing need for spaces for middle school-aged kids and spoke about the potential partners that the City could work with to fund the project." (Apr 20, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 8)
BA-130 Apr 27, 2026, HPD Committee [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker also recommended that the Planning Department return to in-person landlord trainings now that the Covid-era online necessity has passed and offered to help." (Apr 27, 2026 HPD Committee minutes p. 3)
BA-131 May 4, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said his concern is the way the ordinance is currently written, if approved by the voters, it would trigger a redistricting once adopted and then again only a few years later once the 2030 Census results were finalized." (May 4, 2026 COW minutes p. 1)
BA-132 May 4, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "President Kepple and Vice President Baker also discussed that it will be important to consider the filing deadline for the Ward Council seats in relation to the redistricting timeline." (May 4, 2026 COW minutes p. 2)
BA-133 May 4, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said that it is important to think about this from the perspective of the Charter and that ultimately the wards belong to the residents." (May 4, 2026 COW minutes p. 2)
BA-134 May 4, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker expressed concerns about whether socio-economic data will remain a core component of the census data." (May 4, 2026 COW minutes p. 3)
BA-135 May 4, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker said he agrees with that suggestion because Council is the more accountable body and should therefore have the final authority." (May 4, 2026 COW minutes p. 3)
BA-136 May 4, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker reminded drivers to slow down in construction areas and noted that safety is needed for both students walking to school and drivers." (May 4, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 7)
BA-137 May 11, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker commented that the budget process in nuanced and in the past Council has gone to the Finance Department with its priorities but really, they should probably be starting with the Department Directors." (May 11, 2026 COW minutes p. 1)
BA-138 May 11, 2026, COW [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker confirmed that timeline should work well with the Finance Committee since the Finance Department committed to discussing the third quarter transfers and advances in September." (May 11, 2026 COW minutes p. 2)
BA-139 May 18, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker spoke in support of Resolution 2025-71." (May 18, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 4)
BA-140 May 18, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Vice President Baker voiced support for displaying Lakewood’s values through Resolution 2026- 30." (May 18, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 5)
BA-141 Jun 15, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Bullock and Vice President Baker voiced their support of the resolution and thanked colleagues and community members for their work on this issue." (Jun 15, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 4)
BA-142 Jun 15, 2026, Regular Council [paraphrase from minutes]: "Councilmember Baker spoke about the Planning Commission’s current process for reviewing parks and voiced his support for a more thoughtful and intentional process in the future." (Jun 15, 2026 Regular Council minutes p. 6)

7. Remarks in meeting video (machine transcript)

These are remarks heard right after the chair recognizes or addresses the person by name. The words come from our automatic transcription, and the speaker from automatic voice matching. Both links are given so you can check.

BA-143 Jul 6, 2026, Regular Council: "Thank you, Council President. Dear colleagues, the finance committee met on June 22nd and June 29th to review and discuss the 24 council budget priorities that were submitted to the following the council's retreat on May 11th. Priorities address a wide range of topics, some of which build upon existing investments," (video 1:43; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 1:42 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-144 Jul 6, 2026, Regular Council: "Mouthful but I'll read it all thank you Council President Keppel. This is regarding the Lakewood's traffic calming program. For more than a decade the city of Lakewood has made significant progress in addressing neighborhood traffic and speeding concerns through a traffic calming program. The administration developed a program to respond to resident concerns regarding" (video 18:08; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 18:07 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-145 Jul 13, 2026, HPD Committee: "Yes, and I, that's certainly one way to do it. In fact, Chicago, I think recently did their requirements that at least as it relates to non, like big apartment buildings can have up to 25%, I think, can be Airbnbs and I think the, I had to demise the legislative policy intent" (video 39:06; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 39:04 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-146 Jul 20, 2026, Public Safety Committee: "So I serve ex officio on the Lakewood Live Board and the problem that they've, I'm sure you've coordinated a lot with them, one of the problems is like obligations of stealing, right? So you're trying to help and then they're like, you took this really important thing and police reports and everything, so" (video 19:24; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 19:21 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-147 Jul 20, 2026, Regular Council: "Thank you colleagues Another long one bear with me But important by way of background on april 4th 2022 council authorized creation of a shoreline Special improvement district under ohio revised code chapter 1710 In response to petitions from 18 lakewood homeowners And I was appointed to the syd board of directors through substitute substitute …" (video 47:42; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 47:40 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-148 Jul 27, 2026, COW: "And yes, I agree that, you know, waiting until we have a little bit more information in the law department to go into executive session I also think that, you know, a reason to go into executive session is talk about initiating litigation, but also the acquisition of real property," (video 115:19; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 115:17 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-149 Sep 8, 2026, HPD Committee: "you, Chair Evans. And the communication speaks for itself in the sense that it's, you know, the traffic calming program was started a few years ago by this administration. A lot of, but it was also kind of new. Not a lot of communities were doing this. So a lot of what" (video 0:53; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 0:52 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-150 Sep 21, 2026, HPD Committee: "Yeah, and I think if you think about it from a practical perspective to Assistant Director Abbas' point, I mean, our law enforcement's out there radar-ing people driving, right? But even under Ohio law, I think law enforcement officers are allowed to determine that, in my judgment," (video 14:40; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 14:40 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-151 Sep 21, 2026, HPD Committee: "I guess I have a process question. So there was a formal ordinance with some changes, some of which are kept, but a lot of which have been refined through these word documents you provided, from current code provisions. Process-wise, is the law department gonna need" (video 29:49; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 29:48 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-152 Sep 21, 2026, Regular Council: "I have backup now too. Dear colleagues, Lakewood Alive Board of Directors met on September 16th at the Lakewood Public Library for its bi-monthly meeting. The board reviewed the organization's fiscal year 2027 budget, closed out discussion on the 2026 fiscal year and received updates from its committees." (video 5:49; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 5:49 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-153 Sep 21, 2026, Regular Council: "Yeah, so I think NatureWorks is just state-based and LWCF is federal-based, but are we going for NatureWorks, too, or?" (video 22:07; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 22:07 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-154 Sep 21, 2026, Regular Council: "I forgot, yeah, Healthy Lakewood Foundation's annual meeting is tomorrow at Lakewood Congressional Church. I will be coaching youth basketball, but I encourage everyone else to go." (video 27:50; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 27:49 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).
BA-155 Oct 5, 2026, COW: "Thank you, and thank you, Meg Cheney, who is a Lakewood resident, by the way And so, you know, as a career and then as a resident, I'm sure you're interested in this Thank you, the Planning Department, thank you, Councilman Evans A couple things as I read through this, very exciting, very glad we're …" (video 33:01; machine transcript; check against the video). Speaker: Baker, machine speaker ID. Voice ID: the chair recognizes or addresses this speaker by name at video 33:02 (Speaker identified automatically by voice matching, not by official record).

8. Self-description (city page; own words, not independently verified)

BA-156 "Kyle Baker began serving on Lakewood City Council in early 2022 when Council unanimously appointed him to complete the remainder of the term vacated by Lakewood Municipal Court Judge Tess Neff" (city page).
BA-157 "The residents of Ward 1 sent Kyle back to City Council to represent them in November 2023" (city page).

9. Unverified / pending public source

Nothing in this section is stated as fact. Each item says what's missing and what will settle it.

U-1 Which committees did this member sit on before the current rosters? The City's committee pages show only today's members, and the 2025 minutes show different chairs (for example "Chair Baker" on HPD and "Chair Bullock" on Finance in fall 2025). Pending: Council's 2025 and 2026 committee-assignment communications.
U-2 How did this member vote on the many items recorded only as "All members voted in favor"? The minutes don't keep a per-member roll for those items, so this dossier lists only votes where the record names the member. Pending: roll-call records from the Clerk (not requested; needs Justin's OK).
U-3 Meetings after the latest approved minutes (Oct 5, 2026 and later) aren't covered here except through machine-transcript remarks. Speaker attributions in section 7 rest on machine speaker ID. Pending: approved minutes, which name speakers in paraphrase.
U-4 Not yet pulled: campaign finance reports (Cuyahoga BOE), the Ohio Ethics Commission financial disclosure (needs a public-records request; not sent), and candidate questionnaires.
U-5 Nov 2023 Ward 1 election result. Pending: Cuyahoga BOE certified Nov 2023 results PDF.