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Regular Council Meeting — 2026-04-20

Decision notes (reviewed)

Written by the reviewer from the ASR + docket; [verbatim-ASR] = quoted machine transcript; [paraphrase] = reviewer's wording, not a quote.

Per agenda item (official Granicus index → ASR evidence)

0:02I. Pledge of Allegiance
Motion type(s) spoken: — · no passage phrase heard by ASR
    0:22II. Moment of Silence
    Motion type(s) spoken: — · no passage phrase heard by ASR
      0:33III. Roll Call Reading & disposal of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of Council held April 6, 2026.
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 0:58 “her daughter's recognition, so I'm going to move to, she'll be here, but I'm going”
      • 1:03 “to move to excuse the tardiness of Councilmember Steiner.”
      • 1:05 “Second.”
      • 1:06 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:11 “All those in favor?”
      • 1:13 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:47 “So without objection, I'm going to move items 8 through 16 to the top, that'll”
      2:078. Communication from Councilmember Strebig regarding Lesbian Visibility Week.
      Motion type(s) spoken: receive and file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 6:42 “All right, I'll first move to receive and file that communication.”
      • 6:45 “Second.”
      • 6:45 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 6:50 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 6:52 “And that motion passes.”
      6:549. RESOLUTION 2026-24 - A RESOLUTION to designate April 20 – April 26th, 2026 as Lesbian Visibility Week in the City of Lakewood and to highlight the life and work of Lakewood resident and proud lesbian, Jean Kosmac.
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 7:10 “Move to adopt.”
      • 7:11 “Second.”
      • 7:12 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 10:03 “We have a motion and a second to adopt the resolution.”
      • 6:52 “And that motion passes.”
      • 10:06 “All those in favor?”
      • 10:07 “And that motion passes.”
      10:0910. Communication from President Kepple regarding Arab American Heritage Month.
      Motion type(s) spoken: receive and file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 11:23 “I'll move to receive and file that communication.”
      • 11:25 “Second.”
      • 11:26 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 10:06 “All those in favor?”
      • 10:07 “And that motion passes.”
      • 12:56 “the communication, all those in favor?”
      • 12:59 “And that motion passes.”
      13:0011. RESOLUTION 2026-25 - A RESOLUTION to join with states, municipalities, and other jurisdictions around the country to designate April 2026 as Arab American Heritage Month in the City of Lakewood, Ohio by celebrating the Arab American culture and paying
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 13:21 “Move to adopt.”
      • 13:22 “Second.”
      • 13:23 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 14:29 “Hearing none, we have a motion and a second to adopt.”
      • 12:59 “And that motion passes.”
      • 14:32 “All those in favor?”
      • 14:33 “And that motion passes.”
      14:3512. Communication from Councilmembers Kepple, Steiner, & Evans regarding Fair Housing Month.
      Motion type(s) spoken: receive and file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 16:29 “I will move to receive and file that communication.”
      • 16:32 “Second.”
      • 16:32 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 16:36 “Council Member Evans, first I'll give you a second”
      • 22:28 “We have a motion and a second”
      • 14:32 “All those in favor?”
      • 14:33 “And that motion passes.”
      • 22:33 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      22:3713. RESOLUTION 2026-26 - A RESOLUTION to recognize April 2026 as Fair Housing Month in the City of Lakewood.
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 22:45 “Move to adopt.”
      • 22:46 “Second.”
      • 22:47 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 22:36 “And that motion passes.”
      • 22:51 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 22:54 “And that motion passes.”
      22:5614. Communication from Councilmember Evans regarding affordable housing.
      Motion type(s) spoken: refer · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 23:35 “I'll move to refer this communication”
      • 23:41 “Second.”
      • 23:42 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 22:54 “And that motion passes.”
      • 25:35 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 25:38 “Motion passes.”
      25:3915. Communication from Vice President Baker regarding Resolution Honoring the Lakewood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Teams.
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 32:29 “We have a motion and a second”
      • 25:38 “Motion passes.”
      • 32:34 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 32:37 “And that motion passes.”
      32:3816. RESOLUTION 2026-27 - A RESOLUTION 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 since the early 1960s,
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 32:56 “Move to adopt.”
      • 32:57 “Second.”
      • 32:58 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 32:37 “And that motion passes.”
      • 33:21 “All those in favor?”
      • 33:24 “And that motion passes.”
      42:19VII. Public Comment
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · no passage phrase heard by ASR · ASR heard nay/opposed/abstain wording — verify
      • 1:01:26 “And the second day we were standing there playing on a court,”
      • 1:08:20 “And I think after the first or second time,”
      • 42:20 “I'm gonna, without objection,”
      • 46:47 “as opposed to building from the ground up.”
      1:19:231. Report from Finance Committee held April 20, 2026. (to be provided)
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:19:47 “Quarter, second quarter and third quarter.”
      • 1:22:04 “Second.”
      • 1:22:05 “Motion's been made and seconded discussion.”
      • 1:23:02 “going to be in second reading.”
      • 1:23:27 “So we have a motion to second to receive and file the communication.”
      • 1:23:32 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:23:34 “And that motion passes.”
      1:23:352. ORDINANCE 22-2026 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, authorizing the tr
      Motion type(s) spoken: defer · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:23:43 “Move to defer.”
      • 1:23:44 “Second.”
      • 1:23:45 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:23:32 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:23:34 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:23:48 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      1:23:513. ORDINANCE 23-2026 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, authorizing the tr
      Motion type(s) spoken: defer · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:23:59 “Move to defer.”
      • 1:24:00 “Second.”
      • 1:24:01 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:23:48 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:23:51 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:24:04 “All those in favor, aye, and that motion passes.”
      1:24:074. RESOLUTION 2026-21 - A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it received the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law approving the T
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:24:21 “Move to adopt.”
      • 1:24:22 “Second.”
      • 1:24:23 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:24:04 “All those in favor, aye, and that motion passes.”
      • 1:24:25 “Hearing none, all those in favor, aye,”
      • 1:24:28 “and that motion passes.”
      1:24:295. RESOLUTION 2026-22 - A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council or otherwise, to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law requesting the
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:24:48 “Move to adopt.”
      • 1:24:49 “Second.”
      • 1:24:50 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:24:28 “and that motion passes.”
      • 1:24:52 “Hearing none, all those in favor, aye,”
      • 1:24:55 “and that motion passes.”
      1:24:566. RESOLUTION 2026-23 - A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law, accepting the
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:25:09 “Move to adopt.”
      • 1:25:10 “Second.”
      • 1:25:11 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:24:55 “and that motion passes.”
      • 1:25:13 “Hearing none, all those in favor, aye,”
      • 1:25:16 “and that motion passes.”
      1:25:177. Report from Committee of the Whole held March 30, 2026. (deferred 4/6/26) New Business
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:27:17 “Second.”
      • 1:27:18 “Motion's been made and seconded discussion.”
      • 1:25:16 “and that motion passes.”
      • 1:27:32 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      1:27:3517. Communication from President Kepple regarding recodification of the ordinances.
      Motion type(s) spoken: receive and file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:28:08 “I'll move to receive and file.”
      • 1:28:10 “Second.”
      • 1:28:11 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:27:32 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:27:35 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:27:51 “new adopted ordinances are batched together”
      • 1:28:06 “adopted after December 15th.”
      • 1:28:14 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      1:28:1718. ORDINANCE 24-2026 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, to approve the ed
      Motion type(s) spoken: defer · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:28:32 “Move to defer.”
      • 1:28:33 “Second.”
      • 1:28:34 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:28:14 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:28:17 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:28:37 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:28:39 “And that motion passes.”
      1:28:4019. Communication from Vice President Baker regarding correction to Ordinance 27-2025 regarding Audit Committee.
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:28:56 “Technical difficulties for the second time this evening.”
      • 1:30:33 “Second.”
      • 1:30:34 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:28:37 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:28:39 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:29:47 “we spent a lot of time on adopted by council”
      • 1:29:54 “adopted by council on April 6th,”
      • 1:30:38 “All those in favor?”
      1:30:4120. ORDINANCE 27-2025A - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, to amend Ordinan
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt, suspend · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:30:52 “I'm just gonna move to suspend the rules”
      • 1:30:56 “Second.”
      • 1:30:57 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:31:07 “All right, then I will move to adopt.”
      • 1:31:08 “Second.”
      • 1:31:09 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:31:40 “All right, so we have a motion and a second to adopt.”
      • 1:30:38 “All those in favor?”
      1:31:4821. Report from Vice President Baker regarding LakewoodAlive Board of Directors Meeting - March 18, 2026.
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:33:08 “Second.”
      • 1:33:09 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:31:45 “All those in favor?”
      • 1:31:47 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:33:37 “and file the report, all those in favor?”
      1:33:4022. Report from Vice President Baker regarding CASE Board Meeting - March 24, 2026.
      Motion type(s) spoken: — · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:33:54 “for its second meeting.”
      • 1:35:27 “Second.”
      • 1:35:28 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:40:06 “Okay, so we have a motion and a second”
      • 1:33:37 “and file the report, all those in favor?”
      • 1:33:40 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:40:17 “All those in favor?”
      1:40:1923. Communication from Law Director Vargo regarding Foster Pool and Becks Pool Concession Lease.
      Motion type(s) spoken: receive and file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:40:55 “I'll move to receive and file the communication.”
      • 1:40:58 “Second.”
      • 1:40:59 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:41:07 “on this move to both support a important cause”
      • 1:41:40 “All right, so we have a motion and a second”
      • 1:40:17 “All those in favor?”
      • 1:40:19 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:41:45 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      1:41:4824. ORDINANCE 25-2026 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law, authorizing an
      Motion type(s) spoken: refer · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:42:09 “All right, so I'll move to refer”
      • 1:42:12 “Second.”
      • 1:42:13 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:41:45 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:41:48 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:42:15 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:42:18 “And that motion passes.”
      1:42:1925. Communication from Law Director Vargo regarding LCO 111.02 Other Departmental Contracts.
      Motion type(s) spoken: receive and file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:43:39 “I'll first move to receive and file the communication.”
      • 1:43:42 “Second.”
      • 1:43:43 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:42:18 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:42:43 “council adopted legislation that amended”
      • 1:44:24 “and file the communication, all those in favor?”
      • 1:44:27 “And that motion passes.”
      1:44:2826. ORDINANCE 26-2026 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, to amend §11
      Motion type(s) spoken: adopt, suspend · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:44:43 “I'm gonna move to suspend the rules”
      • 1:44:46 “Second.”
      • 1:44:47 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:49:57 “And that motion passes, and then I'll move to adopt.”
      • 1:50:01 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:44:27 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:49:54 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:50:04 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      1:50:0727. Communication from Assistant Law Director Swallow regarding Litigation Update.
      Motion type(s) spoken: refer · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:50:41 “I'll move to refer to Committee of the Whole.”
      • 1:50:43 “Second.”
      • 1:50:44 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:50:04 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:50:07 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:50:48 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:50:50 “And that motion passes.”
      1:50:52VI. Liquor Permits
      Motion type(s) spoken: file · ASR heard “motion passes”
      • 1:51:20 “Okay, so with that, I will move to file with no objection.”
      • 1:51:26 “Motion's been made and seconded.”
      • 1:50:50 “And that motion passes.”
      • 1:51:30 “Hearing none, all those in favor?”
      • 1:51:33 “And that motion passes.”

      Full ASR transcript

      0:00 All right, we will call to order the meeting of council.
      0:03 If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
      0:23 Now pause for a moment of silence.
      0:34 Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
      0:36 Councilmember Bixenstein?
      0:37 Here.
      0:38 Councilmember Bullock?
      0:39 Here.
      0:40 Councilmember Evans?
      0:41 Here.
      0:42 President Keppel?
      0:43 Here.
      0:44 Councilmember Hamilton-Steiner?
      0:45 Not present.
      0:46 Councilmember Striebig?
      0:47 Here.
      0:48 Vice President Baker?
      0:49 Here.
      0:50 I'm going to, Councilmember Hamilton-Steiner is currently at the school board meeting for
      0:58 her daughter's recognition, so I'm going to move to, she'll be here, but I'm going
      1:03 to move to excuse the tardiness of Councilmember Steiner.
      1:05 Second.
      1:06 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:08 Any discussion?
      1:10 Hearing none.
      1:11 All those in favor?
      1:12 Aye.
      1:13 And that motion passes.
      1:14 Okay, so without, I know we have a lot of folks here for public comment.
      1:41 We also have a lot of folks here for, we have four resolutions that a lot of folks
      1:45 are here for.
      1:47 So without objection, I'm going to move items 8 through 16 to the top, that'll
      1:51 be those resolutions, and then after that we'll make some space for additional
      1:56 public comment related to handball.
      2:01 All right, so let's go ahead and do that.
      2:08 Okay, so we have a motion to approve item 8, communication from Councilmember Striebig
      2:13 regarding Lesbian Visibility Week.
      2:15 Councilmember Striebig?
      2:16 Thank you.
      2:17 Dear colleagues, Lesbian Visibility Week is an international celebration and recognition
      2:24 of women and non-binary people who continue to build upon a shared legacy of sisterhood
      2:31 for future generations.
      2:33 To uplift these women in our community and beyond, we must use one of our most powerful
      2:39 assets, our attention, to shine some of our light on them.
      2:44 We must demonstrate that even as many LGBTQIA plus people feel pushed into the shadows,
      2:53 we still see them, we still value them, and we will not let their lights be dimmed.
      3:01 Today we turn our attention to one of the brightest lights in our community, Jean Kosmic.
      3:08 While some trailblazers are meant for the spotlight, others work tirelessly behind
      3:13 the scenes.
      3:14 They allow themselves to be visible in their workplace, in their communities, and
      3:20 in their daily acts of service, all while refusing to hide or sideline their identities.
      3:28 They set an example of a life full of connection, community, and action.
      3:34 Jean Kosmic is one example of this type of trailblazer.
      3:40 A Lakewood resident for 33 years, Jean has always contributed her skills and talents
      3:47 to area organizations, from coaching travel soccer to serving as treasurer for the
      3:53 Lakewood Arts Festival.
      3:56 She and her wife, Nikki, raise their two daughters here, and Jean continues to enjoy Lakewood's
      4:02 many festivals and events, as well as running, reading, and protesting injustice.
      4:08 Notably, she spent 24 years working at the independent printing collective Orange
      4:16 Blossom Press, which played a crucial role in local progressive media for many years.
      4:24 A tireless advocate for social justice, Jean has deep roots in the Cleveland area.
      4:31 For much of her life, she has volunteered her time and energy to the unhoused members
      4:36 of our community, who are so often overlooked and underserved.
      4:42 Through St. Malachi Parish, she volunteered for the Backdoor Ministry, which serves
      4:50 free bag lunches and prepares hot meals for their Monday night meals program, which
      4:56 continues to serve hundreds of guests a home-cooked dinner every Monday evening,
      5:02 all made possible by volunteers like Jean.
      5:07 At the Catholic Worker's Storefront, she has helped coordinate free Sunday meals
      5:13 through the Urban Hope community, and can still be found there Sunday evenings
      5:17 assisting guests with housing.
      5:21 Jean has worked at Eden, an organization that supports people with housing,
      5:27 rental assistance, shelter access, and homeless prevention.
      5:33 And at the Metoya Project, a grassroots seasonal homeless shelter.
      5:38 In case that wasn't enough for a lifetime of service, for the past five and a half years,
      5:45 Jean has worked on street outreach for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless.
      5:51 When asked what she enjoys about her current work as a street outreach worker,
      5:57 she stated, I've been blessed by the many wonderful relationships that I've developed
      6:03 with our unhoused neighbors living on the streets.
      6:08 Her work is a demonstration of service to others.
      6:11 Her dedicated civic involvement exemplifies her place as part of the fabric of life
      6:16 in our community, and her life is a demonstration of courage, conviction,
      6:21 and purpose.
      6:23 What an incredible person, and what an honor it is to recognize her today
      6:28 as part of Lesbian Visibility Week.
      6:31 Thank you.
      6:33 Thank you.
      6:42 All right, I'll first move to receive and file that communication.
      6:45 Second.
      6:45 Motion's been made and seconded.
      6:47 Discussion?
      6:50 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      6:52 Aye.
      6:52 And that motion passes.
      6:54 Item nine, resolution 2026-24, a resolution to designate April 20th through April 26,
      7:01 2026 as Lesbian Visibility Week in the City of Lakewood,
      7:04 and to highlight the life and work of Lakewood resident and proud lesbian, Jean Kosmak.
      7:10 Move to adopt.
      7:11 Second.
      7:12 Motion's been made and seconded.
      7:14 I'll just say, too, because we do have, I think, four resolutions
      7:19 that we have ceremonial copies of for different events, including jeans,
      7:24 basketball, the Arab-American heritage, and housing.
      7:28 So we're going to do all four of those, assuming they all pass.
      7:31 Then we'll come down and do pictures altogether.
      7:33 So just procedurally, we'll get through all of them,
      7:37 come down one time, and do pictures altogether.
      7:40 OK, so I just want to also comment that it's been my privilege
      7:44 to know Jean personally and see her great work.
      7:48 It's not easy also to be the spouse of an elected official,
      7:51 as many of our spouses would attest.
      7:54 So it's particularly notable to be doing that
      7:59 and be very visible as a member of the LGBT community.
      8:03 And so it's really remarkable and brave,
      8:10 and has been brave for many years.
      8:11 And it's important for our community
      8:13 to see leaders, whether they're more in the shadows like Jean,
      8:18 but doing the good work in our community every day.
      8:20 So thank you, Jean, for everything that you've done
      8:23 and being part of our community.
      8:25 Any further?
      8:26 Oh, thank you.
      8:27 Thank you.
      8:27 Yeah.
      8:28 I'm too shy to stand out.
      8:30 I know.
      8:32 And she's hiding in the back, too.
      8:35 So any further discussion?
      8:37 Councilman Bullock.
      8:40 Thanks, Madam President.
      8:41 And Councilwoman Striebeck, very well said,
      8:43 very eloquently put.
      8:44 And I also agree it's an excellent choice
      8:48 because Jean is an unassuming and very hardworking
      8:55 and cordial person who's been doing
      8:59 all kinds of important work for society
      9:02 and for our communities for years.
      9:04 So happy to join in in celebrating Jean's service.
      9:07 And I can also vouch.
      9:08 I do see Jean running out all the time,
      9:10 quite early in the morning sometimes.
      9:13 So talk about an energy of every type, dynamo of a person.
      9:20 Thanks.
      9:21 Thank you.
      9:22 Any further discussion?
      9:24 Councilmember Striebeck.
      9:25 Thank you.
      9:25 Just one additional point on this resolution.
      9:29 We are also extending for one year
      9:32 the honorary designation of Bell Avenue
      9:36 as Nikki Antonio Way after conversations
      9:40 with Councilmember Evans, who splits Bell Avenue with me
      9:44 between Ward 3 and Ward 2.
      9:47 And zero complaints about this.
      9:51 We have decided to extend this for another year.
      9:53 Thank you.
      10:00 All right.
      10:01 All right, so no further discussion.
      10:03 We have a motion and a second to adopt the resolution.
      10:06 All those in favor?
      10:07 Aye.
      10:07 And that motion passes.
      10:09 Item 10, communication from President Keppel
      10:11 regarding Arab-American Heritage Month.
      10:15 Dear colleagues, I am pleased to introduce
      10:17 the following resolution to continue
      10:19 our tradition of recognizing and celebrating
      10:22 Arab-American History Month in Lakewood.
      10:24 As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East,
      10:27 it feels important to pause and acknowledge
      10:30 the impact of the ongoing conflicts
      10:33 on our community members who have
      10:34 familial, cultural, and religious ties to the region.
      10:38 We hope that by taking a moment
      10:39 to celebrate the numerous contributions
      10:42 of the Arab-American community in our city and our nation,
      10:46 we can help to foster a shared sense of humanity
      10:49 and a renewed appreciation for diversity.
      10:52 In Lakewood, we will continue to work
      10:54 towards building a community that values and respects
      10:57 the rich tapestry of cultures that have shaped our identity.
      11:01 The Arab-American members of our community
      11:04 have contributed significantly to the cultural, social,
      11:07 and economic fabric of our city.
      11:10 From business owners to educators,
      11:12 artists to public servants,
      11:14 their contributions are as varied as they are valuable,
      11:17 enriching our collective experience.
      11:19 Please join me in supporting the following resolution.
      11:23 I'll move to receive and file that communication.
      11:25 Second.
      11:26 Motion's been made and seconded.
      11:27 Discussion?
      11:29 Council Member Stubak.
      11:30 Thank you.
      11:31 Thank you, President Keppel.
      11:32 I'm happy to recognize April
      11:34 as Arab-American Heritage Month.
      11:36 When we recognize the rich diversity of Lakewood residents
      11:40 and honor our differences,
      11:42 we continue to strengthen our community
      11:44 by bringing lived experience and awareness
      11:47 to the conversations and decisions.
      11:49 To my Arab-American neighbors,
      11:51 thank you for being an important part
      11:53 of our Lakewood community and Lakewood family.
      11:56 Thank you.
      11:57 Thank you.
      11:59 Any further discussion?
      12:06 Council Member Bixenstein.
      12:08 Thank you, Madam President.
      12:10 I did just a little bit of research
      12:12 and found out Lakewood has the sixth largest population
      12:16 of Arab-Americans in the state.
      12:17 There's more Arab-Americans in Lakewood
      12:20 than there are in the city of Cincinnati, for instance.
      12:23 And a Birdtown neighborhood has the highest concentration
      12:27 of any neighborhood in Lakewood.
      12:29 And so I really am happy that we are taking this time
      12:32 to celebrate the rich culture, history,
      12:34 and contributions of our Arab American population
      12:38 and also challenge any existing stereotypes that are out there.
      12:41 So thank you for doing this as a way
      12:44 to really just encourage and celebrate inclusivity.
      12:50 Thank you.
      12:52 Further discussion?
      12:54 Hearing none, on the motion to receive and file
      12:56 the communication, all those in favor?
      12:58 Aye.
      12:59 And that motion passes.
      13:03 Item 11, resolution 2026-25, a resolution
      13:07 to join with states, municipalities,
      13:08 and other jurisdictions around the country
      13:11 to designate April 2026 as Arab American Heritage
      13:14 Month in the city of Lakewood by celebrating
      13:16 the Arab American culture and paying tribute
      13:18 to the contributions of Arab Americans.
      13:21 Move to adopt.
      13:22 Second.
      13:23 Motion's been made and seconded.
      13:25 And I see we have Pierre Benjani from Cameo
      13:29 and a few members of the public.
      13:30 Pierre, would you like to come up and say a few words?
      13:33 Oh, if you push the button there so it turns green,
      13:35 then everybody at home can hear you.
      13:37 OK.
      13:39 Just have a, I want to be here.
      13:41 I'm president of Cameo, the Cleveland American Middle
      13:44 East organization.
      13:45 I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart
      13:48 for celebrating this important message every year.
      13:52 And I want to thank the whole council,
      13:54 and especially you, the council president,
      13:56 for always remembering and always acknowledging
      14:00 this important message.
      14:02 Thank you so much and we appreciate you.
      14:04 As the Arabic community is a big part of this community,
      14:08 you, Lakewood, is a big part of us also.
      14:11 Thank you so much.
      14:11 We appreciate you.
      14:13 Thank you, Pierre.
      14:20 Did anyone else want to speak on this resolution?
      14:23 I didn't see anyone else signed in on this one.
      14:25 OK.
      14:26 Any further discussion from council?
      14:29 Hearing none, we have a motion and a second to adopt.
      14:32 All those in favor?
      14:33 Aye.
      14:33 And that motion passes.
      14:35 Item 12, communication from council members Keppel, Steiner,
      14:38 and Evans regarding Fair Housing Month.
      14:42 Dear colleagues, on April 11, 1968, the Fair Housing Act
      14:46 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
      14:50 This April, we observe Fair Housing Month
      14:52 not only to commemorate that act,
      14:54 but to call attention to the ongoing necessity
      14:56 of anti-discrimination legislation
      14:59 and the continued fight for housing equity.
      15:02 Following years of half measures and delays
      15:04 of federal action on housing discrimination,
      15:07 the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1968
      15:10 and the Fair Housing Act marked a pivotal moment
      15:13 in the fight for civil rights.
      15:15 For the first time, it provided legal protections
      15:17 against the entrenched practices of housing discrimination
      15:21 that had deliberately held back black Americans
      15:23 from one of the most crucial keys to wealth accumulation
      15:27 and quality of life in America, home ownership.
      15:30 Since the passage of the Fair Housing Act,
      15:32 housing discrimination has persisted and evolved,
      15:36 remaining a massive and complex issue
      15:38 that continues to shape our community.
      15:40 It's still too easy to view segregation
      15:43 as a natural feature of American cities,
      15:45 perhaps rising out of the natural desires
      15:47 of our community members,
      15:49 rather than as a reflection of the long history
      15:52 of structural housing discrimination
      15:54 and the profiteering of the private sector
      15:56 that drive the modern housing market.
      15:58 Today, as first-time home ownership
      16:01 often feels more out of reach than ever,
      16:03 and many renters struggle
      16:05 to find long-term affordable housing,
      16:07 the Fair Housing Act remains an urgent
      16:09 and necessary piece of legislation
      16:11 and a crucial piece of the continued fight
      16:13 for the civil rights of black Americans.
      16:16 This month, we are compelled to look closely
      16:18 at our own community and examine
      16:20 what equal access to housing looks like here in Lakewood
      16:23 to reflect on how far we've come
      16:25 and to confront the work that still must be done.
      16:29 I will move to receive and file that communication.
      16:32 Second.
      16:32 Motion's been made and seconded.
      16:34 Discussion.
      16:36 Council Member Evans, first I'll give you a second
      16:37 to settle in Councilwoman Hamilton-Steiner.
      16:39 Council Member Evans.
      16:40 Thank you, President Keppel.
      16:42 As the communication said,
      16:44 a big part of fair housing is affordable housing,
      16:47 and that's something all of us on council
      16:50 take very seriously,
      16:51 and it's an issue that's affecting more and more folks
      16:52 in Lakewood specifically.
      16:55 So this month, we are beginning to take a closer look
      16:58 at this issue through council,
      16:59 which you'll hear about momentarily.
      17:02 So I'm happy to co-sponsor this bill
      17:04 and bring this issue to lights
      17:05 and work together as a community to find solutions
      17:08 to this problem, so thank you.
      17:10 Thank you.
      17:11 Council Member Hamilton-Steiner.
      17:13 Thank you, President Keppel,
      17:14 and thank you, Councilman Evans,
      17:17 for your communication and beginning to look at this issue.
      17:22 I want you to imagine, in 1949,
      17:25 you are a black man that fought valiantly in World War II
      17:28 and was looking to purchase a home
      17:30 with the assistance of the federal government
      17:31 through the GI Bill.
      17:33 Imagine that you found a home in a perfect suburb,
      17:36 somewhere you wanted to plant your roots
      17:37 and grow your family, except for one little problem.
      17:41 You were the wrong skin color.
      17:43 This happened to a gentleman by the name of Eugene Burnett
      17:47 and happened to 1.2 million black veterans.
      17:50 The GI Bill helped to grow the white middle class
      17:53 and made homeownership affordable
      17:54 and continued white America's trajectory
      17:57 from out of the Great Depression into the middle class.
      18:00 The exclusion of blacks from the GI Bill
      18:01 through the intentional inclusionary manner
      18:03 in which it was crafted
      18:05 and their inability to get the loans needed
      18:07 to purchase homes and then, if they did get a loan,
      18:10 be denied access to certain neighborhoods
      18:12 was yet another hurdle in the history of black America
      18:15 which has further slowed black progress
      18:17 and has us here in the present day
      18:19 where just 44.7% of blacks own a home
      18:22 compared to 72.4% of our white counterparts.
      18:27 Through the Civil Rights Act
      18:28 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968,
      18:30 the government at the time,
      18:32 upon listening to activists and civil rights leaders
      18:34 and countless of organizations enacted legislation
      18:37 to fix previous wrongs that have been done,
      18:39 ensuring that buyers and renters are protected
      18:42 and not just black buyers and renters,
      18:44 but anyone of any race, religion, national origin,
      18:48 gender, disability status, or families with children
      18:51 are not discriminated against.
      18:53 When black people get protection, we all get protection.
      18:57 However, as we see with what has happened
      18:59 with the overturning of Roe v. Wade
      19:01 and of course, the elimination of DEI at the federal level,
      19:04 the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act
      19:06 are under threat of losing its ability
      19:08 to enforce anti-discrimination protections
      19:10 and it will fall upon states
      19:11 to enforce their own standard of anti-discrimination.
      19:15 Our state and our local communities must remain committed
      19:17 to ensuring fair housing for all.
      19:20 I appreciate our local realtors
      19:21 and realtor associations
      19:23 for understanding the importance of fair housing
      19:25 and that fair housing means healthy,
      19:27 thriving, and livable communities.
      19:29 Whether a homeowner or renter,
      19:31 all people deserve a safe and affordable place to live
      19:35 in a community they want to be in
      19:36 to establish their presence and build a community.
      19:39 Ensuring fair housing
      19:41 lends to building strong communities.
      19:45 Thank you.
      19:47 Any further discussion?
      19:48 Council Member Striep, thank you.
      19:51 Very quick.
      19:53 Thank you, council members.
      19:55 Hamilton Steiner and Evans,
      19:56 and thank you, Council President Keppel
      19:58 for bringing this forward.
      19:59 I support fair housing, anti-discrimination
      20:02 and housing equity for everyone
      20:05 and I'm happy to support this resolution.
      20:08 Thank you.
      20:09 And also note, Council Member Hamilton Steiner
      20:12 added as we were working on this resolution
      20:15 to make sure we call out to that here in Lakewood
      20:18 that our Lakewood codified ordinances
      20:21 also expand the protected classes
      20:23 to include prohibitation of discrimination in housing
      20:26 on the base of both sexual orientation
      20:28 and gender identity or expression,
      20:30 which should be included everywhere
      20:32 but is included here in Lakewood.
      20:34 Any further discussion?
      20:37 Hearing none, we do have one person signed in
      20:40 to speak on this from our partners
      20:41 at Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors
      20:44 who actually helped bring this matter to our attention.
      20:47 Campbell Shaw, welcome up, Campbell.
      20:49 Looks like the mic's on,
      20:49 so you can just go ahead and speak.
      20:52 Good afternoon, my name is Campbell Shaw.
      20:55 I'm the Advocacy and Communications Coordinator
      20:57 for the Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors.
      21:00 ACAR covers Cuyahoga Summit and Portage County
      21:04 and we represent approximately 6,000 real estate professionals
      21:07 in Northeast Ohio,
      21:08 including those living and working in Lakewood.
      21:11 I'm here today in support of recognizing
      21:14 April as Fair Housing Month in the city of Lakewood.
      21:17 Fair housing is more than a list of do's and don'ts,
      21:20 rights and penalties and mandatory continuing education
      21:23 for real estate licensees.
      21:25 As stewards of the right to own, use,
      21:27 and transfer private property,
      21:29 fair housing protects our livelihood
      21:31 and business as realtors
      21:33 and depends on a free open market
      21:35 that embraces equal opportunity.
      21:38 April 2026 marks the 58th anniversary
      21:41 of the Fair Housing Act.
      21:43 We recognize that any progress made
      21:45 stands on the shoulders of generations
      21:47 that preceded us.
      21:49 Again, we encourage Lakewood and all cities
      21:51 to recognize and celebrate the 58th anniversary
      21:53 of the Fair Housing Act.
      21:55 Your attention to this matter will further
      21:59 community education and awareness.
      22:02 We also encourage you to keep an eye out
      22:03 for some Metro buses that will have some ads
      22:06 celebrating Fair Housing Month around the city
      22:09 and we wanna take this opportunity
      22:11 to thank Council President Keppel
      22:12 and council members Angelina Hamilton-Siner
      22:16 and Brian Evans for their leadership and support
      22:18 on housing and sponsoring this resolution.
      22:21 Thank you.
      22:22 Thank you.
      22:24 All right.
      22:25 So we have a motion, we're still on the communication.
      22:28 We have a motion and a second
      22:30 to receive and file that communication.
      22:31 Any further discussion?
      22:33 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      22:35 Aye.
      22:36 And that motion passes.
      22:37 Item 13, resolution 2026-26,
      22:40 a resolution to recognize April 2026
      22:43 as Fair Housing Month in the city of Lakewood.
      22:45 Move to adopt.
      22:46 Second.
      22:47 Motion's been made and seconded.
      22:49 Any further discussion?
      22:51 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      22:53 Aye.
      22:54 And that motion passes.
      22:56 Item 14, communication from Council Member Evans
      22:58 regarding affordable housing.
      23:00 Council Member Evans.
      23:02 Dear colleagues,
      23:03 as chair of the Housing Planning and Development Committee,
      23:05 I'm starting an initiative to reboot
      23:08 a community conversation around affordable housing.
      23:11 I'll be calling a meeting of the committee
      23:13 on April 27th to have the planning department staff
      23:15 talk us through existing programs and efforts,
      23:18 pain points they have encountered
      23:20 and plans for the future.
      23:21 This is designed to give council
      23:22 a better understanding of where we are
      23:24 and as a start of an initiative
      23:25 to find out where we can be
      23:27 and how council can help enact meaningful progress
      23:30 on this very serious issue
      23:31 of housing affordability in our community.
      23:33 Thank you, Brian Evans.
      23:35 I'll move to refer this communication
      23:38 to Housing Planning and Development Committee.
      23:41 Second.
      23:42 Motion's been made and seconded.
      23:44 Any discussion?
      23:46 Council Member Book.
      23:49 Thank you, Madam President.
      23:50 Thanks, Councilman Evans,
      23:51 for taking this issue in your hands
      23:57 and beginning an ongoing discussion.
      24:01 It dovetails nicely with the Finance Committee
      24:04 discussion we had just prior to this meeting
      24:06 where we were trying to understand
      24:09 the state of the city's revenue collections
      24:11 and against expenses and see if there's
      24:13 a budget capacity to begin to be responsive
      24:16 to what we're hearing,
      24:17 which is that for many in our community,
      24:20 affordability is under pressure
      24:22 and something that I think we've all seen
      24:25 is that socioeconomic diversity
      24:28 is the keystone to all forms of diversity in Lakewood.
      24:31 We care about diversity because it's part of our character
      24:34 and who we are and yet the economy doesn't stand still.
      24:39 The housing market doesn't stand still.
      24:41 So here we are with a good thing
      24:44 which is a strong community and housing values
      24:47 but that has ripple effects throughout our community
      24:50 and I think this is one way
      24:54 where we can begin to identify tools and strategies
      24:58 where we can do more to, as a city,
      25:03 try to navigate that.
      25:05 We don't control all that much
      25:07 but we have some levers
      25:09 and I think also what we can do
      25:12 is probably work steadily over a long period of time
      25:15 so it's good to be clear about what we might do
      25:20 and begin doing that so we can have some impact
      25:22 over a long period of time.
      25:23 So it's a good conversation.
      25:26 I look forward to participating.
      25:27 Thanks.
      25:29 Thank you.
      25:31 Any further discussion on the motion
      25:33 to refer to housing planning and development?
      25:35 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      25:37 Aye.
      25:38 Motion passes.
      25:40 Item 15, communication from Vice President Baker
      25:42 regarding resolution honoring
      25:44 the Lakewood High School boys varsity basketball teams.
      25:47 Vice President Baker.
      25:48 Thank you.
      25:49 Dear colleagues, I'm introducing the attached resolution
      25:51 to recognize the remarkable accomplishments
      25:53 of the Lakewood High School boys varsity basketball teams
      25:57 over the 2024, 2025, and 2025, 2026 seasons.
      26:01 Over this two-year span,
      26:03 the Rangers achieved a historic milestone
      26:05 by winning back-to-back conference championships
      26:07 for the first time since the early 1960s,
      26:10 and their sustained excellence is reflected
      26:11 not only in their dominant conference record,
      26:13 but also in their defensive performance,
      26:15 individual player honors,
      26:16 and recognition of Coach Alex Kamach
      26:18 as Coach of the Year in both 2024, 25,
      26:21 and typo here, 25, 26,
      26:25 as much as he probably doesn't want to be recognized
      26:26 for that.
      26:27 Beyond those wins and accolades,
      26:29 this resolution also highlights
      26:30 the broader impact of the program.
      26:32 Strong participation across varsity,
      26:34 junior varsity, and freshman levels,
      26:36 growing engagement in youth basketball,
      26:37 and the continued support from the alumni,
      26:39 families, and the community,
      26:40 and this success is a testament
      26:42 to the culture built by a coaching staff,
      26:43 the dedication of the players,
      26:44 and the strength of Lakewood's basketball tradition.
      26:47 I look forward to council support
      26:48 in recognizing this outstanding achievement
      26:50 and celebrating the players, coaches,
      26:51 and community members who contributed to this historic run.
      26:55 And here in the crowd is Coach Kamach, Coach Higgs,
      26:57 and Coach Sunney, who are on the varsity staff,
      26:59 and then I see Coach Hall, Coach Bentley,
      27:01 and Coach Carney in the back.
      27:03 The program isn't just the varsity
      27:05 and the high school level, it's also youth,
      27:08 so third grade travel on up through eighth.
      27:10 A lot of volunteer nights that people put into it.
      27:13 I was actually the third grade coach,
      27:15 and it may have been more time intensive than council is,
      27:18 so it was a fun October through February.
      27:22 But to see kids grow and love something
      27:24 is just so meaningful.
      27:26 And it is very difficult,
      27:27 switching back to the high school level,
      27:29 to win a conference championship, let alone two.
      27:31 Coach Kamach and I were on the same team
      27:33 20 some years ago, and we couldn't even win one.
      27:36 So it's very difficult,
      27:37 and their accomplishment deserves to be honored
      27:40 with this resolution.
      27:41 So thank you all.
      27:44 Thank you.
      27:50 Very well said.
      27:51 Further discussion?
      27:52 Council Member Striebig.
      27:53 Thank you.
      27:54 Congratulations, Coach Kamach, assistant coaches,
      27:58 members of Lakewood High School men's basketball team,
      28:02 your families and friends,
      28:04 and your back-to-back team championships
      28:07 and extraordinary individual achievements.
      28:10 I'm a fan of women's basketball,
      28:12 and I was recently in Phoenix for the women's final four,
      28:16 where I was reacquainted with a quote
      28:18 from legendary Tennessee head coach, Pat Summitt.
      28:22 She said,
      28:24 "'My parents taught me a long time ago
      28:27 "'that you win in life with people,
      28:29 "'and that's important.
      28:31 "'Because if you hang with winners,
      28:33 "'you stand a great chance of being a winner.
      28:37 "'You all stuck together to achieve your goals,
      28:40 "'made the required sacrifices,
      28:42 "'grew and learned a lot,
      28:45 "'and now have two championships
      28:47 "'in memories that will last a lifetime.
      28:50 "'Congratulations on all your successes.'"
      28:54 Thank you.
      28:55 Council Member Evans.
      28:57 Thank you, President Keppel.
      28:59 Yeah, congratulations to all the team, the coaches.
      29:02 And it's just, it's really exciting
      29:04 to see Lakewood's teams having success at this level.
      29:09 That's not something that happens overnight,
      29:10 you know, with the snap of a finger.
      29:12 It really speaks to the culture
      29:13 that so many are building,
      29:14 like Councilman Baker coaching the younger kids
      29:17 all the way up through.
      29:18 So I really appreciate it
      29:19 to so many people in the room
      29:21 who are making that possible
      29:23 and seeing success with our kids.
      29:24 And it's just, it's really exciting to see,
      29:26 and it gives the community a great source of pride.
      29:29 So thank you all.
      29:32 Thank you.
      29:32 Thank you.
      29:33 Other comments, discussion?
      29:39 Council Member Bullitt.
      29:40 Just briefly, firstly, congrats and excellent work.
      29:46 I've got a fourth grader and fifth grader
      29:48 who just participated in rec league basketball
      29:52 and the dare tournament that was at the high school.
      29:57 The fourth grader won the rec league.
      29:59 The fifth grader won as part of Grant Elementary,
      30:02 go Grant, winning the dare tournament.
      30:05 And his fourth grade brother is going to want to win too
      30:08 as he's not, so he's gonna have the eye of the tiger.
      30:11 So this is good.
      30:13 And Coach Bentley in another sport
      30:16 also is working hard to increase participation.
      30:19 It's good for your health.
      30:20 It's also good for neighborliness
      30:22 because I'm meeting a ton of people
      30:24 I wouldn't otherwise meet in our community.
      30:28 And it just, you put down roots
      30:30 and then the roots grow stronger
      30:32 through all this engagement.
      30:34 So I agree with Councilman Baker,
      30:37 the profound joy of enjoying sports
      30:43 and then seeing your kid develop is not to be missed.
      30:45 So keep up the good work and let's keep dominating.
      30:52 Thank you.
      30:53 Council Member Hamilton-Steiner.
      30:55 Not to be outdone by comfortable.
      30:57 Like my kiddo was participating
      31:00 in the purple and gold classic, which was amazing.
      31:03 And what I love about sports
      31:04 is the opportunity to bring people together.
      31:07 So you don't have to play sports.
      31:10 You don't even have to like sports.
      31:11 You can just want to be a part of the atmosphere.
      31:13 And the atmosphere that was in that gym Saturday
      31:17 was just amazing and just the community.
      31:19 And so I appreciate all that you have done coach
      31:24 to bring the team together.
      31:26 And all I can say is,
      31:27 there's gonna be some great kids coming up.
      31:29 So be on the lookout.
      31:33 Thank you.
      31:35 This is actually our,
      31:36 this is our last ceremony of resolution for the evening.
      31:39 So we're almost there guys.
      31:40 And then we'll call everybody up for pictures.
      31:41 But as we've gone through all of these,
      31:43 it just strikes me how interconnected
      31:45 a lot of these things are
      31:46 and that having our strong diverse community
      31:51 and leaning into this with the sense of community
      31:55 and togetherness that having sports in our community
      32:01 all the way from all the different levels,
      32:03 all the volunteers that help in coaching,
      32:07 in the boosters, in the bands, in the cheerleaders,
      32:10 and everything else that goes into it.
      32:12 You know, that all the support staff,
      32:16 it's just, it's a whole team effort
      32:18 and it really is remarkable.
      32:21 And we're really proud of our boys teams
      32:23 for their accomplishment
      32:24 and everyone that helped make it so.
      32:26 So with that, we're still on the communication.
      32:29 We have a motion and a second
      32:30 to receive and file the communication.
      32:33 Any further discussion?
      32:34 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      32:36 Aye.
      32:37 And that motion passes.
      32:39 Item 16, resolution 2026-27.
      32:42 A resolution to recognize
      32:43 the Lakewood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team
      32:46 on its historic two season run.
      32:48 Winning the conference in consecutive years
      32:51 for the first time since the early 1960s
      32:53 and accomplishing many team and individual accolades.
      32:56 Move to adopt.
      32:57 Second.
      32:58 Motion's been made and seconded.
      33:00 Discussion, I don't have any members
      33:03 of the public signed in to speak.
      33:04 Did anybody wanna speak on this, coach?
      33:07 Did you wanna say anything?
      33:09 He definitely does not, okay.
      33:10 All right.
      33:11 I'll let the record reflect
      33:12 that he asked the coach of the year
      33:13 to be removed from the resolution,
      33:15 but I demanded that it stay in, so he's a humble guy.
      33:17 Yeah, all right.
      33:19 All right, any further discussion?
      33:21 All those in favor?
      33:23 Aye.
      33:24 And that motion passes.
      33:25 All right, so we were gonna now come down.
      33:28 We'll do these pictures in order.
      33:30 Anyone who would like to be in any of these pictures,
      33:32 you're welcome to come up with us.
      33:33 We'll stand in front here.
      33:35 We'll have a ceremonial copy to present,
      33:36 and then we'll go through in order.
      33:38 So first is Lesbian Visibility Week,
      33:41 then Arab American Heritage Month,
      33:43 then Fair Housing Month, and then basketball.
      33:47 Before we go,
      33:48 did anybody wanna have public comment for Jeanne?
      33:52 Did we have someone for public comment for Jeanne?
      33:57 Councilwoman Shubick thought we might have someone
      33:58 for public comment for Lesbian Visibility Week for Jeanne.
      34:03 Did anyone wanna speak?
      34:04 Okay, all right.
      34:05 All right.
      34:17 No.
      34:36 I didn't know if you wanted to see.
      34:37 I mean, I did, but then I didn't.
      34:39 Oh, okay.
      34:40 Okay.
      34:41 Hi.
      34:42 Hi.
      34:43 Okay.
      34:43 Come on.
      34:44 Do you want to go to the end?
      34:45 I really do.
      34:46 I was gonna say something,
      34:47 but I'll just give you a hug and sorry if I did it in.
      34:51 Do you want to go to the end?
      34:53 Yes.
      34:54 Okay, great.
      34:55 Great.
      34:58 I don't know.
      34:59 Okay.
      34:59 Okay.
      35:00 Okay.
      35:01 Okay.
      35:02 Okay.
      35:03 Okay.
      35:04 Okay.
      35:04 Okay.
      35:05 Okay.
      35:06 Okay.
      35:07 Okay.
      35:08 Okay.
      35:09 Okay.
      35:09 Okay.
      35:10 Okay.
      35:11 Okay.
      35:12 Okay.
      35:13 Okay.
      35:14 Okay.
      35:14 Okay.
      35:15 Okay.
      35:45 Thank you.
      36:15 Thank you.
      36:45 Thank you.
      37:15 Thank you.
      37:45 Thank you.
      38:15 Thank you.
      38:45 Thank you.
      39:15 Yeah.
      39:45 Thank you.
      40:15 Thank you.
      40:45 Thank you.
      41:15 Thank you.
      41:45 So you like him?
      41:58 All right.
      41:59 We will reconvene.
      42:04 All right, sorry.
      42:05 Just trying to get rid of his attention.
      42:07 All right.
      42:08 Let me scare everybody.
      42:10 So if you were here for one of those ceremonials
      42:12 and you want to leave, it's not rude.
      42:14 You're welcome to do so.
      42:16 Out of respect for that,
      42:17 we have a lot of young folks signed in
      42:19 and it is a school night.
      42:20 I'm gonna, without objection,
      42:21 move a public comment forward.
      42:24 We have a lot of folks here to speak to us about Handball.
      42:28 So I'm gonna take this in order.
      42:30 Hearing no objection.
      42:32 No, okay.
      42:33 So I'll take you in order.
      42:35 When I call your name,
      42:36 you can come up to the microphone.
      42:39 We may need some help lowering microphone.
      42:42 And then it looks like it's already on
      42:43 so you don't need to push anything.
      42:45 You'll say your name and if you're comfortable,
      42:47 your address for the record.
      42:49 You address the chair.
      42:49 That's me.
      42:50 And you'll have up to five minutes to speak.
      42:54 And so kicking us off.
      42:57 Let's start off with Mr. Vargas.
      43:01 Thank you.
      43:02 Thank you.
      43:03 Thank you.
      43:03 Thank you.
      43:04 Thank you.
      43:05 Thank you.
      43:06 Thank you.
      43:07 Thank you.
      43:08 Thank you.
      43:08 Thank you.
      43:09 Thank you.
      43:10 Thank you.
      43:11 Thank you.
      43:12 Hello.
      43:13 Thank you.
      43:14 My name is Cesar Vargas.
      43:16 I live on Daleview Drive
      43:18 and we're obviously here for Handball.
      43:22 As it stands right now,
      43:23 we have a little over 80 players
      43:27 between sixth and 11th grade.
      43:30 And that's projected to grow
      43:32 with every incoming sixth grade class to Harding
      43:35 by at least 20, 25 players.
      43:38 And we need a proper space
      43:40 to continue to grow this perfect lifelong game.
      43:47 We wanna expand it into Lakewood more
      43:50 and maybe work with the rec department
      43:52 and possibly the Y in developing a junior
      43:56 and adult league to also be able
      44:00 to hold after school and summer programs.
      44:06 A proper court will allow us
      44:08 to continue to promote this active lifestyle.
      44:12 We also need a proper court to applaud the efforts
      44:17 and countless hours that they put in into this game
      44:23 by hosting tournaments.
      44:26 Not just local tournaments,
      44:28 but national and international tournaments.
      44:31 And we could do them.
      44:32 I've been to those places
      44:34 and people travel from all over
      44:37 to come to these tournaments.
      44:39 We could do that in Lakewood.
      44:40 We can showcase the talent that we have
      44:43 and also our awesome city.
      44:46 The United States Handball Association
      44:48 based in Arizona.
      44:50 The Inner City Handball Association from New York
      44:53 and the Gaelic Athletic Association from Ireland
      44:56 are all aware of us.
      44:58 I'm hounding them all the time
      44:59 and they're in total support of what we're doing.
      45:02 And they will continue to support
      45:04 and guide us in developing our handball program
      45:08 in Lakewood and creating sanctioned tournaments
      45:12 that we can host here.
      45:16 What's a proper court look like?
      45:19 It looks identical to the Kauffman Park tennis courts.
      45:23 That same tidy area, that fenced in space,
      45:29 removing both of those nets
      45:31 and putting up the walls for a handball court
      45:35 will get us four handball courts in Lakewood.
      45:38 And that's plenty of space
      45:39 to accommodate the numbers that we have
      45:41 and the numbers that were projected to have.
      45:46 A space like that, again, supports our numbers.
      45:49 It allows us to expand and host other players.
      45:53 Now, I've done my own independent study,
      45:57 my own independent research,
      45:58 and that's simply walking from my house in Daleview
      46:01 to Kauffman Park and to look at that space.
      46:06 And a lot of times, many times,
      46:08 there were people there, maybe two, maybe four.
      46:13 But many, many times, that place is empty.
      46:18 I vote to repurpose Kauffman into a handball court
      46:23 for many reasons, for many reasons.
      46:26 What we could do with that space
      46:28 will be bigger than what's going on at that space now.
      46:31 And yeah, they're great things,
      46:32 but we could do something bigger in that space
      46:35 and see the activity increase tenfold, really, I believe.
      46:43 Repurposing a place like Kauffman is cost-effective
      46:47 as opposed to building from the ground up.
      46:50 80% of the work is already done.
      46:53 We just need walls and border lines.
      46:58 At the gem of a park that we have,
      47:02 which is Lakewood Park,
      47:04 there are already pickleball courts.
      47:05 There are already beautiful tennis courts.
      47:08 The apparatus at Kauffman
      47:09 to manipulate the height of the net
      47:11 to easily be relocated over there,
      47:14 allowing us to maybe take over that space.
      47:18 And whatever pushback comes from there
      47:20 could be redirected, again, over to that space.
      47:25 If for some reason there's no way,
      47:28 I can't imagine why,
      47:30 but if there's no absolute way
      47:32 that that could happen at Kauffman,
      47:34 then thinking about that same space,
      47:36 that same footprint, maybe in another area like,
      47:40 and this is from the ground up build,
      47:43 there's an area in Kauffman by the railroad tracks.
      47:47 Between the railroad tracks and the garden that's there,
      47:50 there's a space there that would accommodate
      47:53 a court like that.
      47:55 Or even at Madison Park, there's a space
      47:59 east of the Rust Belt Riders bins,
      48:03 where I now there, I think it's a holding area
      48:05 for trees that are gonna be planted
      48:07 in the city somewhere, I guess.
      48:08 That space would accommodate a handball court.
      48:13 We're gonna continue to grow,
      48:14 and we need a proper space.
      48:17 Thank you.
      48:18 Thank you.
      48:19 Thank you.
      48:20 Thank you.
      48:20 Thank you.
      48:21 Thank you.
      48:22 Thank you.
      48:23 Thank you.
      48:24 Thank you.
      48:25 Thank you.
      48:25 All right.
      48:26 Next up is Wyatt Dietz.
      48:36 Hello.
      48:38 So,
      48:41 I go to Harding Middle School,
      48:44 and it's hard for me to go in the morning to handball.
      48:48 So, to have a new one in a different space,
      48:52 so to accommodate for all the people
      48:55 that what Mr. Vargas said are coming in,
      48:58 and new people,
      48:59 because during the summer,
      49:00 there's no outdoor courts in Lakewood to play.
      49:04 So, all these people in here that play handball,
      49:08 they like to play somewhere else,
      49:10 and there's not any spots in Lakewood,
      49:12 and there's a lot of open space that could be filled in.
      49:16 That's all I have to say.
      49:18 Thank you.
      49:19 Thank you.
      49:20 Thank you.
      49:21 Thank you.
      49:21 Thank you.
      49:22 Thank you.
      49:23 Thank you.
      49:24 All right.
      49:25 Next is Charlie Ammon.
      49:35 Hello.
      49:36 My name is Charlie Ammon,
      49:37 and I live on Lakeland Avenue.
      49:38 I'm here to support my art teacher
      49:40 and handball organizer, Mr. Vargas.
      49:42 I completely agree with the point
      49:43 that we need more handball courts in the city of Lakewood.
      49:46 If you're not familiar with the sport,
      49:47 handball is a cooperative and multi-generational activity.
      49:50 I've made so many friends through the handball club
      49:53 through my school.
      49:54 I'm currently an eighth grader at Harding Middle School
      49:56 and a member of the handball club.
      49:58 The game is so fun and active,
      50:00 but the one issue is that after I graduate
      50:02 in a few months and go to Lakewood High School,
      50:05 there aren't any handball courts,
      50:06 which my friends and I can use to play outside at school.
      50:09 I think it would be a great idea
      50:10 to add some courts around Lakewood for everyone to play.
      50:12 Thank you for your time.
      50:14 Thank you.
      50:14 Thank you.
      50:15 Thank you.
      50:16 Thank you.
      50:17 Thank you.
      50:18 Thank you.
      50:19 All right.
      50:19 Next is Dante Zeman.
      50:28 Hello.
      50:28 I am a student at Harding Middle School in eighth grade
      50:32 and I will be graduating soon.
      50:34 And there's like,
      50:36 I go almost every morning to handball club
      50:40 and I really, really enjoy playing the sport.
      50:42 It's become a really big thing for me
      50:45 throughout my entire middle school career.
      50:48 And I think having an outdoor handball court
      50:52 at an open space,
      50:54 whether it's at a park or somewhere else,
      50:56 I think it just would be very good for the community
      51:00 and the entire city of Lakewood.
      51:02 Thank you.
      51:06 Hey, next is Evan Van Leer.
      51:17 Hello.
      51:18 I'm Evan Van Leer.
      51:19 I live on Woodward Avenue
      51:20 and I play handball at Harding Middle School.
      51:23 And without Mr. Vargas,
      51:24 middle school would have been a lot more boring
      51:26 because I love to play handball.
      51:28 It's extremely fun and I really enjoy it.
      51:30 It is extremely fun, and I look forward to whenever we play at recess or at our morning handball club.
      51:36 But the end of the school year is approaching, and when I go into high school, I won't be able to play handball because we don't have any handball courts outside of Harding.
      51:44 And it wouldn't take much, just one or two courts at a park or at a park or someplace else.
      51:49 This will allow me, my friends, and the other people who play handball at Harding to play outside the school.
      51:54 I would appreciate Council's help to make this possible.
      51:56 Thank you.
      52:01 Alright, next is Carson Westfall.
      52:16 Hi, I'm Carson Westfall. I go to Harding Middle School and I play handball.
      52:21 Handball has, at this point in my life, become basically a part of me.
      52:26 I go every Thursday and Friday morning, and I play all the time during recess.
      52:31 I've been playing handball for over a year now.
      52:34 I'm a dedicated player, but the main problem is I don't have a solid court to play on.
      52:39 A lot of middle schoolers and a group of high schoolers love the game, and I think we can all agree that the Harding court just doesn't work.
      52:46 If we can install a handball court in Lakewood, I can guarantee you that many kids would use and have fun with it.
      52:51 Not only is it hard for us middle schoolers to play, but it's also hard for the high schoolers to play.
      52:56 And since many of my peers and I are going there next year, we will need a solid place to play.
      53:02 I would appreciate Council's help to make this possible.
      53:05 Thank you.
      53:11 I'm impressed that you prepared that on your watch.
      53:15 Alright, next is, I am not sure what this is.
      53:21 So, it starts with a K. Hoffman.
      53:27 Good evening. My name is Zander Hoffman, and I'm here to talk about handball.
      53:43 Handball is a great sport to play. It keeps you active, and you can play with friends.
      53:48 It's a great game to play when you are just bored or just want to hit something.
      53:53 One thing I enjoy about handball is definitely that you can just play with your friends pretty much almost anywhere.
      54:01 There is like a wall. But the problem is any wall that we have outside, it's not a very well-kept wall, or the pavement is like cracked, so we really need a place to play.
      54:12 A new court could bring interest in younger kids that want to play the game, and then that could help grow the community of handball.
      54:20 A lot of kids also show up in the morning showing their dedication to this sport and would definitely be willing to play on an outside court outside of school hours.
      54:29 Thank you.
      54:37 Next is Peter Humphries.
      54:38 My name is Peter Humphries. I live on West Clifton Boulevard. I'm a junior at Lakewood High School.
      54:44 I started playing handball in middle school, and I remember it just kind of started with us playing during lunch and recess, and Mr. Vargas teaching us a new game.
      54:51 That was completely new to us. We had like no clue what was going on, but it was a lot of fun to just have a friendly competition.
      54:57 During recess and lunch, and then it became going after school and playing with Mr. Vargas on weekends and whenever we could.
      55:02 And I made a lot of new connections with people I wouldn't really talk to if it wasn't for handball.
      55:08 You know, everyone played, no matter who you were. It was just a really fun spot to play.
      55:12 And a new court would give these players an opportunity to play handball.
      55:16 And I know this sounds crazy, but I recently joined the lacrosse team.
      55:19 You would not realize how hard it is to find a brick wall to pass off of.
      55:23 And that's a big part of lacrosse.
      55:25 And I play soccer, too, and just passing off a wall is a big thing.
      55:28 And I drove around Lakewood for a good hour or two hours.
      55:32 It was a lot of fun.
      55:33 It was a lot of fun.
      55:34 It was a lot of fun.
      55:35 It was a lot of fun.
      55:36 It was a lot of fun.
      55:37 It was a lot of fun.
      55:38 It was a lot of fun.
      55:39 It was a lot of fun.
      55:40 It was a lot of fun.
      55:41 And just passing off a wall is a big thing.
      55:43 And I drove around Lakewood for a good hour or two hours trying to find a perfect wall.
      55:47 And it's not really a thing.
      55:48 So it could be really multipurpose.
      55:50 And it definitely helped the city of Lakewood.
      55:52 Thank you.
      55:59 All right, next is Brody Stevens.
      56:03 Were you here for?
      56:04 Yep.
      56:05 Okay, come on up.
      56:06 I'm Brody Stevens and I go to Harding Middle School.
      56:12 I think it would be a perfect court to put to Lakewood because the community would thrive
      56:21 and there's a lot of players that would connect and have fun just playing on the court.
      56:28 But no one always has the place to play because it's only at Harding.
      56:34 So I'd love to have more courts around Lakewood so we could play more often.
      56:39 That's all I have.
      56:44 All right, and last that I've signed in on this issue is Parker Williams.
      56:56 I grew up in Lakewood and I live on North Planned Avenue.
      57:02 I go to Harding Middle School and it's been a very welcoming experience playing handball every morning.
      57:08 And sometimes I can't really make it and actually that's a lot of times.
      57:13 But it would be nice to have a court outside to play with.
      57:17 And my grandpa actually grew up in Ireland playing and he has taught me a few things.
      57:23 And it would be a very good experience to be able to connect with the younger people
      57:30 that aren't in middle school or high school to create a better community.
      57:36 And it would be, as Mr. Vargas said, the Kauffman tennis ball and pickleball courts.
      57:45 There's not many people there all the time and there's all those courts down at Lakewood.
      57:51 So I feel like it would just be a good addition to add to Lakewood
      57:57 and it would connect a lot of youth and high school people together.
      58:02 Thank you.
      58:07 All right, did anyone else want to speak about handball?
      58:11 I do see I have other people. Yep, come on up.
      58:19 Hi, my name is Hank Janko. I live on French Avenue.
      58:23 Handball is something that, I don't know, it's full of a lot of good memories.
      58:29 Some of my favorite memories were going over to the Harding parking lot
      58:35 with my brother and my best friend over there over the summer.
      58:39 More times than I can count, we got kicked out of there
      58:42 because we weren't supposed to be there because Mr. Vargas wasn't there.
      58:46 We spent time looking for places over near LCA.
      58:50 We got kicked out of there. It was really hard to find a spot.
      58:53 Handball was something that was really important to me.
      58:55 I didn't have a lot of friends.
      58:57 It brought me together with these people.
      59:00 It built a community for us to, I don't know, hang around.
      59:05 It's enriching athletically, it's enriching socially,
      59:10 and having this court would really help a lot of other kids who might be struggling in that
      59:15 to find a community, to find a space.
      59:18 Yeah, that's all. Thank you.
      59:26 Anyone else who wanted to speak on handball?
      59:35 Hello. My name is Miles Sharfeld. I live on Gladys Avenue.
      59:39 I started playing handball in sixth grade.
      59:44 And ever since then, it's been a really big part of my life.
      59:48 I'm a sophomore in high school now.
      59:51 And it's really hard to find times to play now.
      59:55 It would be amazing to have a new court.
      59:58 Me and my friend Jack, we went to state championships and we won.
      1:00:03 So there's a lot of skill involved.
      1:00:05 But also, the age range of this game is huge.
      1:00:10 I've seen people way younger than me playing.
      1:00:13 I've seen people way older than me playing.
      1:00:16 And nearly all age ranges can benefit from this.
      1:00:20 And like I said, me and my friend won the state championship together.
      1:00:24 We got to go on trips together.
      1:00:26 We saw the national championship, which was amazing, great experience.
      1:00:30 And it would just be super beneficial to have more courts to play at
      1:00:35 other than the kind of crappy one at our middle school.
      1:00:40 Thank you.
      1:00:43 All right.
      1:00:47 Anyone else who had not come on up?
      1:00:56 Hi.
      1:00:57 I'm Jack Janco.
      1:00:58 I live on French Avenue.
      1:00:59 And like everybody else, I play handball at Harding.
      1:01:03 It's a great sport.
      1:01:04 I think one of the most valuable things about it is a lot of things
      1:01:08 you can get out of a sport, physical activity.
      1:01:12 But one of the biggest things about handball to me is the community.
      1:01:16 Miles talked about it.
      1:01:17 We went to the national championships in Toledo.
      1:01:19 And it was really intimidating as like a middle schooler to see all
      1:01:22 these adults and these pro players that do this for a living.
      1:01:26 And the second day we were standing there playing on a court,
      1:01:29 and we saw, I guess you could describe him as the Michael Jordan
      1:01:32 of handball.
      1:01:33 He's the best player in the world.
      1:01:35 And the first thing he did is he saw a bunch of middle schoolers,
      1:01:37 and he walked up and shook our hands and told us how glad he was
      1:01:40 that we were there learning the sport that he loved.
      1:01:43 And that whole weekend, everybody was so kind to us.
      1:01:46 And I see that starting to happen in Lakewood,
      1:01:48 that there's no other sport that I can play,
      1:01:53 that there's a community from sixth grade up to 11th grade
      1:01:56 where everybody can be connected and share something that they love.
      1:02:00 Obviously, you saw all these sixth graders, seventh graders,
      1:02:04 eighth graders sitting quiet, being respectful.
      1:02:08 There's not a lot of things that could have got me to do that
      1:02:11 when I was in sixth grade even now.
      1:02:13 So I think that kind of speaks volumes to what it does
      1:02:16 and who it unites.
      1:02:18 And I think it's a great opportunity to have this wall,
      1:02:22 to be able to build community,
      1:02:25 and to do something that everybody can enjoy and do together.
      1:02:29 Thank you.
      1:02:30 All right, anyone else who hadn't signed in
      1:02:33 that wanted to speak on handball?
      1:02:36 I see Emily.
      1:02:38 Are you here to speak on this issue or a different issue?
      1:02:41 Okay.
      1:02:42 So we'll finish up with this one.
      1:02:44 I assume so, but I didn't want to skip over
      1:02:46 in case you were a handball enthusiast as well as everything else.
      1:02:49 All right, anybody else that wanted to speak on this?
      1:02:52 So I'll just say before we go on,
      1:02:55 you know, it was interesting.
      1:02:56 We all patiently sat through our first four ceremonial.
      1:03:00 But what you saw, I think, with that was just the sort of
      1:03:05 universalism in the community of Lakewood,
      1:03:08 of all those different elements.
      1:03:10 And, you know, I certainly see it here as you were all talking.
      1:03:13 It also reminds me very much of the advocacy we saw for years
      1:03:17 well before I was on council too from the skating community.
      1:03:22 Before Lakewood had a skate park,
      1:03:24 and now we're onto phase two of the skate park.
      1:03:27 And it was a lot of advocacy from the community
      1:03:31 and from the young people themselves coming to council.
      1:03:34 It is really impactful for us to hear directly from,
      1:03:37 from the community and particularly from young people.
      1:03:40 And you all spoke very well.
      1:03:41 I know it's not easy to get up necessarily
      1:03:44 and speak on a microphone,
      1:03:46 but it really means a lot to us.
      1:03:48 And we do take it very seriously.
      1:03:51 You know, it certainly seems to me like that
      1:03:53 there could be many viable solutions
      1:03:56 to solving this problem.
      1:03:58 So I'm certainly interested in working on that.
      1:04:02 Councilman Block.
      1:04:03 Thanks, Madam President.
      1:04:05 I got the feeling of being John Lithgow
      1:04:07 listening to Kevin Bacon in Footloose.
      1:04:09 So I think we've got our marching orders.
      1:04:12 Yeah, you're going to have to look that up
      1:04:13 in YouTube or something for everybody.
      1:04:16 YouTube or something for everybody who just spoke.
      1:04:19 The parents might, you're right there with me.
      1:04:22 The, I think what drives good park planning,
      1:04:27 I know this from Director Bidington, is parks users.
      1:04:31 So if we've got a clear group that wants to make,
      1:04:37 you know, significant use of a portion of a park or parks,
      1:04:43 then that's a good case and a good beginning point.
      1:04:46 So to me, it's pretty clear that there is.
      1:04:49 And Mr. Vargas, thank you for your leadership.
      1:04:52 You've been consistent.
      1:04:53 But I didn't know that it spanned the ages
      1:04:55 as much as it did and does.
      1:04:57 And congrats to the state champs over there.
      1:05:00 Lakewood's bringing it all over the place.
      1:05:02 So, you know, I think to me,
      1:05:05 I'd be happy to join the council president
      1:05:07 supporting some planning this year
      1:05:10 to identify where we might expand
      1:05:13 and keep people active and connected.
      1:05:15 Thank you.
      1:05:16 President Baker?
      1:05:18 Yes.
      1:05:19 Nothing warms my heart more than Lakewood students coming.
      1:05:21 And, you know, thank you for spending your evening with us.
      1:05:24 I'm sure you could be watching the Cavs or doing something
      1:05:26 or playing handball, but you can't
      1:05:27 because it's not available in the parks.
      1:05:30 So thank you for your advocacy.
      1:05:32 I, you know, I'll say that in my day job,
      1:05:35 I work in parks and, you know, looking around.
      1:05:38 A, I think this is going to be a partnership
      1:05:41 with the schools as well.
      1:05:42 They have some park space that could be available.
      1:05:45 It is strange about tennis.
      1:05:46 I mean, I don't play tennis, but, you know,
      1:05:50 we seem to have lots of tennis courts in Lakewood.
      1:05:52 There's also one at Webb Park
      1:05:53 people don't know about behind the gardens, you know,
      1:05:56 so there is already kind of two smaller
      1:05:58 satellite locations with tennis courts.
      1:06:01 You know, don't want to step on Ward 2,
      1:06:03 but, you know, Coughlin Park does have.
      1:06:06 Part of it's, and we even had the community health needs
      1:06:09 assessment kind of team came in and talked about how
      1:06:12 we need to find places for 12 to 16 year olds
      1:06:16 to be where they're not told to leave every time
      1:06:18 they're doing something, right?
      1:06:19 That they're being truant,
      1:06:20 that they're not being appropriate.
      1:06:23 Giving them a space in our parks
      1:06:25 to have a healthy outlet is something
      1:06:28 we need to be doing as a city
      1:06:29 and we need to work with the school on as well.
      1:06:31 You know, I was just at the high school
      1:06:33 for Friday Night Baseball.
      1:06:35 There's five tennis courts behind the football stadium too,
      1:06:38 you know, that, you know, maybe take one of those.
      1:06:40 So I don't know what the cost,
      1:06:42 and perhaps I'll get with Mr. Vargas on this,
      1:06:45 to retrofit a tennis court into a handball court,
      1:06:49 but I do know that the city has funds
      1:06:50 and I'm willing to work with my colleagues
      1:06:52 to appropriate those funds.
      1:06:54 And I know that groups like Healthy Lakewood
      1:06:56 and the county's casino funds, you know,
      1:07:00 other kind of like small grant funds
      1:07:02 might be able to be a good source
      1:07:03 to kind of match some of that capital to make it work
      1:07:06 because if we have this many young folks
      1:07:09 that are looking for an outlet
      1:07:10 and we don't give it to them, that's a shame on us.
      1:07:12 So we're willing to work with my colleagues
      1:07:14 to make that happen in the administration
      1:07:15 and the school district.
      1:07:16 So thank you for coming and spending your night with us.
      1:07:19 Councilmember Hamilton-Steiner.
      1:07:20 Thank you, President Keppel.
      1:07:22 I won't be long.
      1:07:23 Thank you, Vice President Baker, for your remarks.
      1:07:25 I do think that it's important
      1:07:27 that we do listen to the young people
      1:07:29 and I know that's something that I hear a lot
      1:07:32 that, you know, there isn't a lot for them to do
      1:07:36 in Lakewood where they're welcome at.
      1:07:38 They sometimes get yelled at when they're at the park
      1:07:41 because the equipment that's there is designed
      1:07:44 for, you know, 11 and under, 10 and under, right?
      1:07:48 So I think we need to listen to you all
      1:07:51 and I hear you and I appreciate you
      1:07:54 for coming out here, for getting up here,
      1:07:57 for speaking your voice and for speaking your truth
      1:08:00 and sharing that with us.
      1:08:02 And I am willing to work with my council colleagues
      1:08:05 and school board colleagues to make sure
      1:08:09 that we can get something going for you all.
      1:08:13 Thank you.
      1:08:14 Thank you all for coming and thank you, Mr. Vargas.
      1:08:16 I think this is the third time that you've been here,
      1:08:19 if I'm not mistaken.
      1:08:20 And I think after the first or second time,
      1:08:22 I was able to have an audience
      1:08:24 with Kevin Bourne Crowe from the YMCA
      1:08:27 and I did mention to him that you are interested
      1:08:30 and he said that he thought he could accommodate you.
      1:08:33 So I would encourage you to call him tomorrow.
      1:08:38 Very good.
      1:08:39 And is that going to work out?
      1:08:42 Okay.
      1:08:43 Okay, great.
      1:08:44 And then.
      1:08:45 Yeah, sure.
      1:09:12 Right.
      1:09:17 And I would, you know,
      1:09:19 without getting into the whole YMCA mission,
      1:09:21 talk to him about that and about their efforts
      1:09:25 to include young people,
      1:09:29 the specific age that you're working with,
      1:09:31 at little to no cost.
      1:09:33 So definitely talk to him.
      1:09:34 And then also.
      1:09:43 All right.
      1:09:44 So, you know, I'd be happy, let's,
      1:09:46 public comments are not usually back and forth.
      1:09:48 So let's, we can, we can,
      1:09:50 but we can, I'd be happy to,
      1:09:52 and I'm hearing a lot of interest from colleagues too,
      1:09:54 so we can certainly set up some more meetings
      1:09:56 and talk about this too.
      1:09:57 But Councilman Schieffel, did you have a further comment?
      1:09:59 I just wanted to also say that at the CREC meeting,
      1:10:02 which I am the liaison to,
      1:10:04 the Community Recreation and Education Commission,
      1:10:07 I also brought up your concerns about handball courts
      1:10:12 and Leslie Faber did a full review
      1:10:15 of the entire park system of the city.
      1:10:18 And I would be interested to hear from her more
      1:10:21 after you, after you talk with her
      1:10:23 about possibly converting some of these tennis courts
      1:10:26 that are around her city.
      1:10:28 Yeah.
      1:10:29 I definitely would reach out to her tomorrow as well.
      1:10:32 Thank you.
      1:10:33 I hope she also reviewed the school properties
      1:10:36 and she works for the school.
      1:10:37 Okay.
      1:10:38 Yeah.
      1:10:39 All right.
      1:10:40 Let me go, Evans and Bixenstein.
      1:10:42 Thank you, President Keppel.
      1:10:44 Yeah, just very quickly, as a War II councilperson,
      1:10:47 I know there's three viable parks that are in War II
      1:10:50 that could accommodate this,
      1:10:51 so very happy to work with my colleagues
      1:10:53 on trying to find a way to make this happen,
      1:10:56 at least one of those spaces.
      1:10:57 I agree with all my colleagues.
      1:10:59 Thank you all for being in here, for your passion for this.
      1:11:01 It does make a difference.
      1:11:02 So thank you, and certainly I will be more than happy
      1:11:07 to work with you all to find solutions for this.
      1:11:09 Thanks.
      1:11:10 That's member Bixenstein.
      1:11:11 Thank you, President Keppel.
      1:11:12 Thank you all for being here this evening.
      1:11:15 My late grandfather was a die-hard daily handball player.
      1:11:18 I only got to play with him a couple times.
      1:11:20 I remember one time I brought a racket to play,
      1:11:25 and I learned very quickly he was a purist,
      1:11:27 and he explained that racquetball
      1:11:29 is a very different sport, and handball,
      1:11:31 a big part of the game is being able to play
      1:11:33 with your left or your right hand.
      1:11:34 So anyways, I have a great deal of respect
      1:11:37 for the game that you all have learned
      1:11:39 and built community around.
      1:11:41 I concur with my colleagues that we need more activities
      1:11:45 in our city for teens,
      1:11:48 for people who are too old for playgrounds,
      1:11:51 not that you can never be too old for playgrounds,
      1:11:53 but more activities for teens.
      1:11:55 And as somebody who lives right by Madison Park,
      1:11:58 you know, I've seen firsthand the concept
      1:12:01 of taking an underutilized space,
      1:12:03 and in this case the old tennis courts at Madison Park,
      1:12:06 and they were converted back eight or nine years ago
      1:12:10 into a futsal court, kind of a soccer-style court,
      1:12:14 and to this day now they're currently being renovated,
      1:12:17 and we're really excited about that,
      1:12:19 but to this day you just see every day
      1:12:22 dozens upon dozens upon dozens of young people using them.
      1:12:26 And so I've seen firsthand the power of repurposing
      1:12:30 and making the best use of space
      1:12:32 for the benefits of young people,
      1:12:33 and I'm hopeful we can accomplish that
      1:12:35 in some form or fashion for you guys as well.
      1:12:37 Thank you.
      1:12:40 All right. Thank you all.
      1:12:43 So, you know, we'll follow up on Mr. Vargas.
      1:12:48 We'll be in contact with you,
      1:12:50 and it sounds like we've got a lot of interest from council.
      1:12:54 We really appreciate everyone being here tonight,
      1:12:56 taking time out.
      1:12:57 When you show up, it really shows us
      1:13:00 how important it is to you.
      1:13:02 When you come, it really speaks volumes.
      1:13:04 So that helps.
      1:13:05 So thank you for making yourselves heard.
      1:13:07 I'm going to...
      1:13:09 I only have one other person signed on
      1:13:11 for public comment of any kind, I believe, at this time,
      1:13:14 so I'll go ahead and take her,
      1:13:17 and then we'll come...
      1:13:18 We can come back if anybody else comes
      1:13:20 for general public comment at the end of the meeting,
      1:13:22 but while we're paused we'll go ahead and do that,
      1:13:24 and so Emily Lindberg.
      1:13:26 Do you want to come up?
      1:13:27 And then after this, if you were here for this issue
      1:13:29 after Emily gives her comment,
      1:13:31 feel free to go home and watch the calves
      1:13:34 or whatever you need to do.
      1:13:40 Good evening.
      1:13:43 Good evening, President Keppel, members of council.
      1:13:48 Over the last month or so,
      1:13:51 we've seen some very pleasant temperatures,
      1:13:54 and the trees are budding,
      1:13:57 my lilac is blooming,
      1:13:59 and the days are getting longer,
      1:14:01 and, you know, spring is here, and it feels great,
      1:14:05 which is exactly why I came here to talk about snow.
      1:14:11 Because when the weather improves,
      1:14:13 it's easy to forget how difficult this winter actually was.
      1:14:19 This year, winter arrived early
      1:14:21 and brought long stretches of extreme cold
      1:14:24 and more snowfall than we've seen in recent years.
      1:14:28 Experiencing those conditions highlighted something for me,
      1:14:33 and that is that our city does an excellent job
      1:14:38 of maintaining our streets in the winter.
      1:14:41 We really do.
      1:14:42 Like, when you compare us to our neighboring municipalities,
      1:14:46 we are awesome.
      1:14:48 After every snowfall,
      1:14:50 all 90 miles of our roadways were eventually cleared
      1:14:55 and treated with salt.
      1:14:57 We do that because we understand something fundamental.
      1:15:01 A transportation network only works when it's connected and reliable.
      1:15:07 But that realization led me to a question.
      1:15:11 If we recognize the importance of maintaining our roadway network,
      1:15:16 why do we accept a very different standard
      1:15:19 for our sidewalks and designated bikeways?
      1:15:24 These spaces are also part of the public right-of-way.
      1:15:28 They are also transportation infrastructure.
      1:15:34 And yet, in winter,
      1:15:36 their usability depends almost entirely on individual property owners
      1:15:41 clearing the snow and ice.
      1:15:44 Everyone who walked anywhere in Lakewood this winter
      1:15:48 likely noticed the same thing that I did.
      1:15:51 A patchwork system where some sidewalks and bikeways were cleared,
      1:15:56 some were partially cleared,
      1:15:59 and others remained icy and impassable for days
      1:16:05 or even weeks at a time.
      1:16:08 For anyone traveling outside of a car,
      1:16:11 that means the transportation network breaks down block by block.
      1:16:18 That matters because not everyone in Lakewood drives.
      1:16:24 Some non-drivers are school-age children
      1:16:27 who rely on walking and biking to access their education
      1:16:31 because our school district does not provide transportation.
      1:16:35 Some non-drivers are people with disabilities,
      1:16:39 and some non-drivers are older adults
      1:16:42 who used to drive but no longer feel comfortable behind the wheel.
      1:16:47 When sidewalks and bikeways become unreliable in winter,
      1:16:52 these residents lose their independence.
      1:16:55 Trips that should be simple and easy become difficult or impossible.
      1:17:01 Lakewood takes pride in being a walkable and bikeable city.
      1:17:06 We promote active transportation, safe routes to school,
      1:17:10 and environmental sustainability.
      1:17:14 But if we want walking and biking to function as real transportation
      1:17:20 and not just recreation,
      1:17:23 then our pedestrian and bicycle network must be dependable year-round.
      1:17:30 I recently wrote to the mayor and city council
      1:17:33 about our winter sidewalk maintenance.
      1:17:36 I appreciate Councilmember Bullock responding
      1:17:39 that he and Councilmember Hamilton Steiner
      1:17:42 are exploring potential options
      1:17:45 for how to tackle this important accessibility issue.
      1:17:49 My hope is that this conversation continues
      1:17:53 because the issue of Lakewood being walkable and bikeable in winter
      1:17:57 is not just a matter of the weather.
      1:18:00 It is the result of the policies and priorities we choose as a city.
      1:18:06 And those choices are made here.
      1:18:09 Thank you for your time.
      1:18:11 Thank you.
      1:18:17 Thank you.
      1:18:18 And it's well timed because we were talking in finance committee
      1:18:20 before this about how we're actually beginning,
      1:18:23 starting budget for next year in the next few months.
      1:18:28 And those kind of priorities and every policy decision we make like that
      1:18:32 also has budget implications,
      1:18:34 so it's good timing to be thinking about winter
      1:18:37 as it's hopefully finally ending.
      1:18:39 So thank you.
      1:18:40 All right, so that's everyone I have signed in for public comment.
      1:18:43 If you would like to stay for the rest of meeting,
      1:18:45 you are, of course, very welcome,
      1:18:47 but feel free to go home if you would like to.
      1:18:49 Thank you.
      1:18:57 Thank you.
      1:19:10 Barb's going to stay.
      1:19:22 Back to the top.
      1:19:24 We have a question from the board from finance committee meeting held today,
      1:19:27 April 20th, 2026.
      1:19:30 President Baker.
      1:19:47 Quarter, second quarter and third quarter.
      1:19:49 Thank you.
      1:20:22 And then we have a question from the board from the council.
      1:20:25 We have a question from the council about the priorities and the council
      1:20:28 retreat.
      1:20:30 And what we discussed with director Mahoney was that after the August
      1:20:35 recess,
      1:20:36 we will put a communication in the docket where we could kind of
      1:20:39 review where we were at that point in the budget year.
      1:20:43 As we thought about, you know, the budget process going forward,
      1:20:47 although we, we encourage colleagues to.
      1:20:51 We encourage the public to think about how big the pile will be.
      1:20:54 So that'll be really helpful.
      1:20:55 And then we favorably referred those out of committee.
      1:20:57 Full council.
      1:20:58 And then resolution 2021, 2022 and 2023, 2026.
      1:21:02 Related to property tax.
      1:21:06 Which every year the city has to.
      1:21:09 Put forth an ordinance or a resolution collecting our.
      1:21:13 Millage.
      1:21:14 A lot of great discussion and committee about it.
      1:21:17 And then we thought it was worth it to pass the resolution.
      1:21:19 And we thought it was worth it to pass the resolution.
      1:21:21 And so we thought that would be the best way to budget and kind of
      1:21:25 how we, you know, we're related to the earlier point.
      1:21:29 So all three of those residents and one of the resolutions related
      1:21:32 to advances that the County gives.
      1:21:34 Which director Mahoney was notified that the County.
      1:21:36 Intends to stop doing that.
      1:21:40 But we thought it was worth it to pass the resolution anyways,
      1:21:42 and in case that the County changes their mind.
      1:21:45 We do not see the County passing a right to vote on the
      1:21:48 changes they're making.
      1:21:49 We did not see a death in a rank count in 60 days.
      1:21:52 But I'm sure that's probably why they're doing what they're
      1:21:53 doing.
      1:21:54 So either way,
      1:21:55 all three resolutions were favorably referred out of
      1:21:57 committee to council for approval tonight.
      1:21:59 And on that note, I will receive a file.
      1:22:02 Make a motion to receive and file this oral report.
      1:22:04 Second.
      1:22:05 Motion's been made and seconded discussion.
      1:22:07 And president.
      1:22:11 Thank you to the chair for the time and thoughtfulness with which you convened the discussion.
      1:22:19 And the other point is thank you, Director Mahoney, for your collegiality and your,
      1:22:25 you know, patience in explaining the fundamentals and the mechanics, which sometimes can get
      1:22:30 confusing.
      1:22:33 It's helpful to have that clarity.
      1:22:34 And then secondly, as council is trying to get our hands around how we express
      1:22:39 our priorities in various ways, you've been very collegial, and I appreciate that.
      1:22:44 Thank you.
      1:22:46 Thank you.
      1:22:50 And I'll just add, as Mr. Baker mentioned about, referred back favorably,
      1:22:55 the ordinance 22 and 23, I was going to probably just defer because they're only
      1:23:02 going to be in second reading.
      1:23:02 Is there any reason that we can?
      1:23:05 Unless Director Mahoney says otherwise, I just wanted to refer them out of committee
      1:23:09 for the regular courses to defer again at full council, then I'd certainly welcome that.
      1:23:15 Yeah, it's preferred to have three readings for this, especially in case someone from
      1:23:21 the public wants to make a comment.
      1:23:23 OK, just making sure that there wasn't a reason.
      1:23:25 OK, all right.
      1:23:27 So we have a motion to second to receive and file the communication.
      1:23:30 Any further discussion?
      1:23:32 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:23:34 Aye.
      1:23:34 And that motion passes.
      1:23:36 Item two, ordinance 22, 2026, an ordinance to take effect immediately, authorizing the
      1:23:41 transfer in advance of certain funds.
      1:23:43 Move to defer.
      1:23:44 Second.
      1:23:45 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:23:46 Any discussion?
      1:23:48 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:23:50 Aye.
      1:23:51 And that motion passes.
      1:23:52 Item three, ordinance 23, 2026, an ordinance to take effect immediately,
      1:23:56 authorizing the transfer and advance of certain funds.
      1:23:59 Move to defer.
      1:24:00 Second.
      1:24:01 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:24:02 Any discussion?
      1:24:04 Hearing none.
      1:24:04 All those in favor, aye, and that motion passes.
      1:24:08 Item four, resolution 2026-21,
      1:24:10 a resolution to take effect immediately approving
      1:24:13 the tax budget of the city of Lakewood for the year 2027
      1:24:16 and authorizing the filing of the same
      1:24:18 with the Cuyahoga County fiscal officer.
      1:24:21 Move to adopt.
      1:24:22 Second.
      1:24:23 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:24:24 Discussion?
      1:24:25 Hearing none, all those in favor, aye,
      1:24:28 and that motion passes.
      1:24:29 Item five, resolution 2026-22,
      1:24:32 a resolution to take effect immediately
      1:24:34 for requesting the Cuyahoga County fiscal officer
      1:24:36 to draw in the Cuyahoga County treasure
      1:24:38 to pay to the city of Lakewood
      1:24:40 in advance of all real personal property
      1:24:42 and special assessments collected in the year 2027
      1:24:45 in such amounts as may be requested and available.
      1:24:48 Move to adopt.
      1:24:49 Second.
      1:24:50 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:24:51 Discussion?
      1:24:52 Hearing none, all those in favor, aye,
      1:24:55 and that motion passes.
      1:24:56 Item six, resolution 2026-23,
      1:24:59 a resolution to take effect immediately
      1:25:01 accepting the amounts and rates
      1:25:02 as determined by the budget commission
      1:25:04 and authorizing the necessary tax levies
      1:25:06 and certifying them to the county fiscal officer.
      1:25:09 Move to adopt.
      1:25:10 Second.
      1:25:11 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:25:12 Discussion?
      1:25:13 Hearing none, all those in favor, aye,
      1:25:16 and that motion passes.
      1:25:17 Item seven, report from committee of the whole
      1:25:19 held March 30th, 2026.
      1:25:22 I'm gonna actually go to Vice President Baker
      1:25:23 since he chaired that meeting.
      1:25:25 Poor imitation.
      1:25:27 So committee of the report
      1:25:29 from March 30th, 2026 to your colleagues.
      1:25:31 On Monday, March 30th,
      1:25:32 committee of the whole met regarding
      1:25:33 the Madison Avenue and Hilliard Road,
      1:25:35 Carrabelle Avenue safety analysis study
      1:25:37 submitted to council earlier this year.
      1:25:39 Due to President Keppel's absence,
      1:25:42 I served as acting chair of the committee.
      1:25:44 The study was initiated in 2025
      1:25:46 in partnership with ITARIS
      1:25:47 to evaluate engineering and operational alternatives
      1:25:50 to enhance safety at this location.
      1:25:52 It was undertaken in response
      1:25:53 to several high profile accidents
      1:25:55 at the intersection in a short period of time,
      1:25:57 including one fatality,
      1:25:58 as well as existing operational challenges
      1:26:00 for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
      1:26:02 Committee was joined by Director Buyington,
      1:26:04 Director Gordon, Assistant Director Boss,
      1:26:06 and via Zoom, Mr. John Albeck,
      1:26:08 the traffic engineer from ITARIS
      1:26:09 who worked on the study.
      1:26:11 The study proposed a set of nine short-term recommendations
      1:26:14 to improve safety at the intersection,
      1:26:16 some of which have already been implemented,
      1:26:18 such as adding high visibility crosswalk marking
      1:26:20 and green pavement markings for bike lanes.
      1:26:22 Mr. Albeck and the administration
      1:26:24 expressed confidence that these recommendations
      1:26:26 will make an immediate and significant improvement
      1:26:28 to the safety of the intersection
      1:26:30 and implementation of these recommendations
      1:26:31 will be rolled out this year
      1:26:33 and will happen in coordination
      1:26:34 with the previously planned
      1:26:35 signal timing optimization project.
      1:26:38 The study also proposed four long-term recommendations
      1:26:41 that were discussed in detail.
      1:26:43 Because these recommendations require larger investments
      1:26:45 and additional study,
      1:26:46 their timelines extend several years into the future.
      1:26:49 Members of the administration advised
      1:26:50 on the benefits of taking a sequential approach
      1:26:54 to the improvements
      1:26:54 rather than implementing all recommendations at once.
      1:26:57 Members of council expressed support
      1:26:58 for both short and long-term recommendations,
      1:27:00 asked questions and offered suggestions.
      1:27:02 The administration shared that planning commission
      1:27:04 and the case board were both supportive
      1:27:06 of the recommendations.
      1:27:07 I look forward to experiencing the rollout
      1:27:10 of these recommendations over the next several months
      1:27:11 and appreciate ITARIS and the administration
      1:27:13 for their work on this.
      1:27:15 I'll make a motion to receive and file the communication.
      1:27:17 Second.
      1:27:18 Motion's been made and seconded discussion.
      1:27:21 Thank you, Vice President Baker for chairing
      1:27:23 and thank you to the planning department
      1:27:25 for providing an excellent presentation.
      1:27:29 All right, any further discussion?
      1:27:32 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:27:34 Aye.
      1:27:35 And that motion passes.
      1:27:36 Item 17, communication from President Keppel
      1:27:39 regarding recodification of the ordinances.
      1:27:43 Dear colleagues, the liquid codified ordinances
      1:27:45 is a living document continuously updated by city council.
      1:27:49 Approximately three times per year,
      1:27:51 new adopted ordinances are batched together
      1:27:53 and sent to American legal publishing
      1:27:55 to be incorporated into the codified ordinances.
      1:27:59 The following ordinance authorizes American legal publishing
      1:28:02 to perform one of these routine updates
      1:28:03 to incorporate all relevant legislation
      1:28:06 adopted after December 15th.
      1:28:08 I'll move to receive and file.
      1:28:10 Second.
      1:28:11 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:28:12 Any discussion?
      1:28:14 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:28:16 Aye.
      1:28:17 And that motion passes.
      1:28:19 Item 18, ordinance 24, 2026.
      1:28:21 An ordinance to take effect immediately
      1:28:23 to approve the editing and inclusion of certain ordinances
      1:28:26 as part of the various component codes
      1:28:28 of the codified ordinances
      1:28:29 and to provide for the publication of such new matter.
      1:28:32 Move to defer.
      1:28:33 Second.
      1:28:34 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:28:35 Discussion?
      1:28:37 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:28:38 Aye.
      1:28:39 And that motion passes.
      1:28:40 Item 19, communication from Vice President Baker
      1:28:43 regarding correction to ordinance 27, 2025
      1:28:45 regarding audit committee.
      1:28:47 Vice President Baker.
      1:28:49 Yes, get to it.
      1:28:56 Technical difficulties for the second time this evening.
      1:29:19 It's been a long one.
      1:29:26 Be prepared like Councilperson Striebeck with a paper copy.
      1:29:32 I'm bringing paper back.
      1:29:35 Under Mifflin, thanks to you.
      1:29:43 Dear colleagues, as you know,
      1:29:45 as you will call ordinance 27, 2025,
      1:29:47 we spent a lot of time on adopted by council
      1:29:50 on April 6th.
      1:29:51 And we're going to move on to the next item
      1:29:54 adopted by council on April 6th,
      1:29:56 2026 amends chapter 160 audit committee
      1:29:58 of the codified ordinances.
      1:30:00 After months of discussion and finance committee,
      1:30:02 the final version of the ordinance reassigns
      1:30:03 the duties of the audit committee,
      1:30:05 city council's finance committee
      1:30:06 and requires an annual public meeting
      1:30:08 to review council's annual audit.
      1:30:10 Following the adoption of ordinance 27, 2025,
      1:30:13 an error in the numbering
      1:30:14 of the proposed revised code sections
      1:30:15 was brought to my attention.
      1:30:17 While this error is minor,
      1:30:18 it is not insignificant and should be corrected
      1:30:20 prior to incorporating new ordinance
      1:30:22 into our codified ordinances.
      1:30:24 If filing legislation seeks to amend ordinance 27, 2025
      1:30:26 and make this correction,
      1:30:28 please consider this for favorable passage
      1:30:30 as soon as possible.
      1:30:31 I'll make a motion to receive and file the communication.
      1:30:33 Second.
      1:30:34 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:30:36 Discussion?
      1:30:37 Hearing none.
      1:30:38 All those in favor?
      1:30:39 Aye.
      1:30:40 And that motion passes.
      1:30:41 Item 20, ordinance 27, 2025A,
      1:30:44 an ordinance to take effect immediately
      1:30:46 to amend ordinance 27, 2025,
      1:30:48 adopted April 6th, 2026,
      1:30:50 to correct an error in the numbering.
      1:30:52 I'm just gonna move to suspend the rules
      1:30:54 and adopt on first reading.
      1:30:56 Second.
      1:30:57 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:31:02 Okay, all those in favor?
      1:31:04 Aye.
      1:31:05 And that motion passes.
      1:31:07 All right, then I will move to adopt.
      1:31:08 Second.
      1:31:09 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:31:11 Discussion?
      1:31:12 Vice President Baker.
      1:31:13 Just so the colleagues are aware,
      1:31:14 you can see if you look on your screens
      1:31:16 that as it is now,
      1:31:18 the numbering goes from 160.05 to 06 to 03 to 04.
      1:31:23 That's wrong.
      1:31:24 The new version goes 01, 02, 03, 04.
      1:31:26 So that's the only distinction you'll see there
      1:31:29 between the two versions,
      1:31:30 which is why we're seeking passage tonight.
      1:31:32 Thank you.
      1:31:33 And also, passing it tonight allows us
      1:31:35 to include it in the codification
      1:31:37 that I mentioned moments ago.
      1:31:40 All right, so we have a motion and a second to adopt.
      1:31:43 Any further discussion?
      1:31:45 Hearing none.
      1:31:45 All those in favor?
      1:31:46 Aye.
      1:31:47 And that motion passes.
      1:31:49 Item 21, report from Vice President Baker
      1:31:51 regarding Lakewood Alive Board of Directors meeting
      1:31:53 March 18th, 2026.
      1:31:56 Vice President Baker.
      1:31:57 Dear colleagues, the Lakewood Alive Board of Directors
      1:31:59 met on March 18th at the Lakewood Public Library
      1:32:01 for its bi-monthly meeting.
      1:32:02 I appreciate your patience with my tardy report
      1:32:04 as I've been traveling the past few weeks.
      1:32:06 While I was unable to attend
      1:32:07 due to the aforementioned traveling
      1:32:09 and other work obligations,
      1:32:10 I wanted to provide an update
      1:32:11 during this period of transition.
      1:32:13 The Lakewood Alive Board of Directors
      1:32:14 appointed Joe Higgins,
      1:32:15 who was serving as executive director.
      1:32:19 The board conducted an extensive search
      1:32:21 over the course of about eight weeks
      1:32:23 and received over 50 applications.
      1:32:25 Higgins rose to the top.
      1:32:26 She joined Lakewood Alive in March 2023
      1:32:28 as a small business and events coordinator
      1:32:30 where she managed logistics
      1:32:31 for large-scale community events
      1:32:33 while building strong relationships
      1:32:34 with local businesses and owners.
      1:32:36 Her leadership and dedication quickly led
      1:32:38 to a promotion as operations manager later that summer.
      1:32:42 In that role, she guided the organization
      1:32:43 through several significant milestones,
      1:32:45 including staff transitions and office relocation
      1:32:48 and assuming the role of interim executive director.
      1:32:50 I look forward to working with her in her new role
      1:32:52 and I'm confident she will be very successful
      1:32:54 in leading the organization.
      1:32:55 Council members looking to get more involved with
      1:32:57 and support Lakewood Alive can attend an event
      1:32:59 or talk to me about joining the committee
      1:33:00 or participating in a volunteer project.
      1:33:02 For a full list of Lakewood Alive's upcoming events,
      1:33:04 please subscribe to their weekly newsletter.
      1:33:06 I'll make a motion to receive and file that communication.
      1:33:08 Second.
      1:33:09 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:33:10 Any discussion?
      1:33:12 Councilman Striepich.
      1:33:13 Thank you.
      1:33:14 I'm very excited for Ms. Higgins in this role.
      1:33:16 I had the opportunity to get to know her
      1:33:19 through the Downtown Lakewood Business Alliance
      1:33:21 and found her to be very capable
      1:33:23 and I'm very much looking forward
      1:33:26 to see what she'll do next.
      1:33:27 Thank you.
      1:33:28 Thank you.
      1:33:29 Definitely congratulations to her
      1:33:31 and look forward to working with her.
      1:33:33 Any further discussion?
      1:33:35 Hearing none, on the motion to receive
      1:33:37 and file the report, all those in favor?
      1:33:39 Aye.
      1:33:40 And that motion passes.
      1:33:41 The 10 a.m. 22 report from Vice President Baker
      1:33:43 regarding case board meeting, March 24th, 2026.
      1:33:46 Vice President Baker.
      1:33:47 A lot of reading.
      1:33:49 Dear colleagues, the case board met on March 24th, 2026
      1:33:51 at 10 a.m. in City Hall Council Auditorium
      1:33:54 for its second meeting.
      1:33:55 I was also unable to attend due to work conflicts.
      1:33:57 I am ready to provide a brief summary of the meeting
      1:33:59 along with key follow-up items for council's awareness.
      1:34:01 The case board reviewed several items of ongoing work,
      1:34:04 including the shared use path code amendments
      1:34:06 and the Madison Hilliard safety study.
      1:34:08 The study highlighted a data-driven approach
      1:34:10 to improving conditions at a complex,
      1:34:12 high-traveled intersection with recommendations
      1:34:15 focused on pedestrian visibilities,
      1:34:16 signal timing improvements,
      1:34:17 and targeted geometric changes
      1:34:19 to reduce conflicts and crashes.
      1:34:21 The case board also continued discussion
      1:34:23 on proposed amendments to the city's codified ordinances
      1:34:25 covering shared use paths and mobility devices.
      1:34:27 Key themes included clarifying definitions,
      1:34:30 particularly to avoid confusion
      1:34:31 between mobility devices and other assisted devices,
      1:34:34 and reconsidering restrictions on adult e-bike
      1:34:37 and e-scooter on shared use paths.
      1:34:38 These items remained under active review.
      1:34:41 In a follow-up communication to the case board,
      1:34:43 administration staff outlined several priorities
      1:34:45 ahead of the next meeting,
      1:34:46 anticipated in late May or early July,
      1:34:48 including continued refinement
      1:34:50 of the shared use path code amendments,
      1:34:51 incorporating the case board feedback and redline revisions,
      1:34:55 finalization and adoption of case board rules
      1:34:57 and regulations,
      1:34:58 particularly regarding agenda setting procedures,
      1:35:00 and determination of preferred meeting schedule,
      1:35:02 balancing daytime versus evening options
      1:35:04 to maximize in-person participation.
      1:35:06 Overall, the board's work reflected continued focus
      1:35:09 on advancing multimodal safety,
      1:35:11 modernizing codified ordinances
      1:35:13 reflect evolving mobility options,
      1:35:15 and strengthening internal governance practices.
      1:35:18 We'll continue to attend these important meetings
      1:35:19 and report back to city council
      1:35:20 so that we and the public can stay informed
      1:35:23 on the workings of the case board.
      1:35:24 I'll make a motion to receive and file that communication.
      1:35:27 Second.
      1:35:28 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:35:29 Any discussion?
      1:35:30 Madam President.
      1:35:31 Councilman Bullitt.
      1:35:32 Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed report,
      1:35:36 Mr. Baker.
      1:35:38 Couple quick questions to the administration.
      1:35:40 Maybe we can talk about it right now,
      1:35:43 or maybe it's a follow-up discussion,
      1:35:44 but do we yet know the cadence or the frequency
      1:35:48 of the case board meetings?
      1:35:50 I guess I'm looking at the planning director,
      1:35:52 because I think the planning director has the lead on this.
      1:35:55 And then secondly,
      1:35:57 city council did prioritize an allocation of $210,000
      1:36:02 in total for availability to case priorities.
      1:36:08 I don't expect that that would be something
      1:36:10 that we've already identified and worked through,
      1:36:13 but time has a way of speeding by.
      1:36:16 And so before you know it,
      1:36:19 if we're not planning to analyze
      1:36:24 and potentially make use of resources,
      1:36:30 even if that spending actually occurs late in the year
      1:36:34 or into the next year,
      1:36:36 the opportunity slips away.
      1:36:38 So I'm mindful of that.
      1:36:39 I'm not on the case board I haven't attended,
      1:36:41 but I do try to keep in touch
      1:36:44 with some of our appointees.
      1:36:45 So it's a good group,
      1:36:50 and I'm hopeful that they'll be able to make progress.
      1:36:52 So that was a long-winded double question.
      1:36:55 Any thoughts?
      1:36:57 Thank you, through you, President Keppel.
      1:37:00 So as you know, the ordinance that created the board
      1:37:04 requires a minimum of four times a year,
      1:37:06 unless there's a necessary action
      1:37:08 that needs to be taken care of.
      1:37:11 So that we are having another meeting
      1:37:14 because we need to have one,
      1:37:16 but we haven't set anything beyond those minimum of four.
      1:37:19 I would assume they'll always be more than four,
      1:37:23 but we don't have any sort of other set schedule.
      1:37:26 And then as far as the budget,
      1:37:28 we've kind of talked internally
      1:37:29 a little bit about that allocation,
      1:37:31 and just there are certain things
      1:37:32 that traffic calming,
      1:37:35 different studies that need to be done,
      1:37:37 that of course we can use those funds for immediately,
      1:37:39 but I think that we do need to take a better look at
      1:37:41 what we can do with that budget yet this year,
      1:37:43 and I hear what you're saying,
      1:37:46 and we will be doing that.
      1:37:48 Madam President, quick follow-up.
      1:37:50 So thank you for your good work
      1:37:52 to engage and support that group.
      1:37:55 You know what, what I'm hopeful is
      1:37:57 that the citizen chair and co-chair
      1:38:00 would set the schedule.
      1:38:02 I know that's a tricky dance
      1:38:03 because there's staffing and staff time involved
      1:38:07 in supporting and facilitating that work,
      1:38:09 and those are public meetings, I believe.
      1:38:11 So there's gotta be some intersection between
      1:38:16 kind of what the planning staff professionals envision
      1:38:20 and can prepare for,
      1:38:22 but ideally it wouldn't be a situation
      1:38:24 where the citizen appointees aren't clear
      1:38:30 about the schedule,
      1:38:32 and if they wanna initiate something,
      1:38:33 I hope that we're gonna work with them
      1:38:36 to give them the runway to do that.
      1:38:40 That's not to say that the administration
      1:38:41 wouldn't engage in that,
      1:38:44 and I know there's several ex officio members as well,
      1:38:48 so hopefully it'll be a good partnership.
      1:38:50 We're just in year one,
      1:38:51 so I get it, but I'm hopeful that we can get off
      1:38:56 to a thoughtful and rapid start.
      1:39:00 And I'll just say,
      1:39:02 Assistant Director Bass has been thoughtfully,
      1:39:06 I think all council members have been on receiving,
      1:39:08 maybe it was just me,
      1:39:11 of giving some reports after the meetings,
      1:39:13 and the agenda for the next one
      1:39:14 also talks about the frequency and the timing
      1:39:17 of the meetings and putting that to the group,
      1:39:19 so hopefully that'll be in the upcoming meeting,
      1:39:23 discuss some more too.
      1:39:24 So there's been good reports as well,
      1:39:27 so give us some good information.
      1:39:29 Council Member Striepich.
      1:39:30 Thank you.
      1:39:30 I don't think I received that,
      1:39:32 so that might be something,
      1:39:34 because this is news to me
      1:39:36 that they're talking about the bike path,
      1:39:39 which I'm thrilled to hear about,
      1:39:42 because there's a lot of my neighbors
      1:39:44 that are still reaching out to me
      1:39:45 and asking me about what's gonna be allowed
      1:39:48 on this new path and what's not gonna be allowed
      1:39:50 on this new path,
      1:39:51 so I'm quite sure that that would've stuck out to me
      1:39:53 if I had seen this before,
      1:39:54 so any forwarding of this information
      1:39:57 would be appreciated.
      1:39:58 Thank you.
      1:40:00 Yeah, I can certainly send those on,
      1:40:01 or we'll ask Assistant Director Bass
      1:40:02 to send it to all council members too.
      1:40:06 Okay, so we have a motion and a second
      1:40:09 to receive and file the report
      1:40:10 from Vice President Baker,
      1:40:12 which clearly was helpful.
      1:40:14 Any further discussion?
      1:40:16 Hearing none.
      1:40:17 All those in favor?
      1:40:18 Aye.
      1:40:19 And that motion passes.
      1:40:20 Item 23, communication from Law Director Vargo
      1:40:23 regarding Foster Pool and Beck's Pool concession lease.
      1:40:25 Director Vargo.
      1:40:27 Thank you, Dear President Keppel
      1:40:28 and members of City Council.
      1:40:30 The city has awarded the food concession lease
      1:40:32 for Foster Pool and Beck Pool
      1:40:34 to the Help Foundation Inc.
      1:40:36 Help Foundation is a nonprofit entity
      1:40:39 and the current concession lessee at Foster Pool.
      1:40:43 Attached, please find the form of agreement
      1:40:45 negotiated between the city and Help Foundation
      1:40:47 for your review and approval.
      1:40:49 Please refer this matter to the appropriate committee
      1:40:51 for further discussion.
      1:40:52 Thank you.
      1:40:54 Thank you.
      1:40:55 I'll move to receive and file the communication.
      1:40:58 Second.
      1:40:59 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:41:00 Discussion?
      1:41:02 Councilman Bixenstein.
      1:41:04 Thank you, President Keppel.
      1:41:05 I just wanted to commend the administration
      1:41:07 on this move to both support a important cause
      1:41:11 that empowers people with, individuals with
      1:41:14 intellectual and developmental disabilities,
      1:41:16 but also by providing concessions at Madison Park,
      1:41:22 both for people inside the pool and outside.
      1:41:25 It also has a safety benefit in that
      1:41:28 you have less youth and young people
      1:41:30 who will just jaywalk across Madison to the gas station
      1:41:33 because now they can get their refreshments on site.
      1:41:35 So thank you very much for this update.
      1:41:39 Thank you.
      1:41:40 All right, so we have a motion and a second
      1:41:41 to receive and file the communication.
      1:41:43 Any further discussion?
      1:41:45 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:41:47 Aye.
      1:41:48 And that motion passes.
      1:41:49 Item 24, ordinance 25, 2026.
      1:41:52 An ordinance to take effect immediately authorizing
      1:41:54 and directing the mayor to enter into an agreement
      1:41:56 with Help Foundation Inc.
      1:41:57 The operation of food concessions
      1:41:59 at Lakewood Park in Madison Park
      1:42:01 pursuant to section 155.08
      1:42:03 of the codified ordinances.
      1:42:05 I believe this has historically gone
      1:42:06 to public works and sustainability.
      1:42:09 All right, so I'll move to refer
      1:42:10 to public works and sustainability.
      1:42:12 Second.
      1:42:13 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:42:14 Any discussion?
      1:42:15 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:42:17 Aye.
      1:42:18 And that motion passes.
      1:42:19 Item 25, communication from law director Vargo
      1:42:22 regarding Lakewood codified ordinance 11102,
      1:42:25 other departmental contracts.
      1:42:27 Director Vargo.
      1:42:28 Thank you.
      1:42:29 Dear President Keppel and members of city council,
      1:42:32 the attached legislation addresses
      1:42:33 an inadvertent omission regarding the city's
      1:42:36 prior amendments to LCO section 111.02.
      1:42:41 As you may recall, in December of 2023,
      1:42:43 council adopted legislation that amended
      1:42:45 various sections of chapter 111,
      1:42:48 purchasing and contracting,
      1:42:50 to increase the bidding threshold to $75,000.
      1:42:54 By clerical error, one provision in the chapter,
      1:42:58 specifically 111.02C, other departmental contracts,
      1:43:05 that provision did not include the amended language
      1:43:07 regarding the new bidding threshold.
      1:43:10 The attached ordinance would update that section
      1:43:13 and make it consistent with the entirety of the chapter.
      1:43:16 Because this ordinance only addresses
      1:43:19 a ministerial item, a typographical error,
      1:43:22 and does not result in a material change in operations,
      1:43:25 we ask that you consider adoption of this
      1:43:28 on first reading.
      1:43:30 Of course, there is no urgency
      1:43:32 if you did want to refer it to committee, though.
      1:43:34 And I'm here to answer any questions.
      1:43:36 Thank you.
      1:43:37 Thank you, Director Vargo.
      1:43:39 I'll first move to receive and file the communication.
      1:43:42 Second.
      1:43:43 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:43:45 Discussion.
      1:43:47 I do think it would probably be useful for us
      1:43:50 to adopt on first reading for the same reason
      1:43:55 that it can then be included in the codified ordinances.
      1:43:58 And it doesn't change what we already said
      1:44:01 we wanted to do, it just changes it
      1:44:03 correctly in the code.
      1:44:06 Any discussion?
      1:44:08 Peltz-Wilman-Strubeck.
      1:44:09 Thank you, I agree.
      1:44:09 I think a typo here and there
      1:44:12 isn't something that's gonna change how we function,
      1:44:15 but something that can be corrected immediately.
      1:44:18 Thank you.
      1:44:20 All right, any further discussion?
      1:44:22 Hearing none, on the motion to receive
      1:44:24 and file the communication, all those in favor?
      1:44:26 Aye.
      1:44:27 And that motion passes.
      1:44:28 Item 26, ordinance 26, 2026.
      1:44:31 An ordinance to take effect immediately
      1:44:32 to amend section 11102,
      1:44:35 other departmental contracts of the codified ordinances
      1:44:38 to update it for consistency with the current purchasing
      1:44:40 and contracting ordinances.
      1:44:43 I'm gonna move to suspend the rules
      1:44:45 to adopt on first reading.
      1:44:46 Second.
      1:44:47 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:44:49 Any discussion?
      1:44:51 Madam President.
      1:44:52 Peltz-Wilman-Strubeck.
      1:44:53 I've got some clarifying questions.
      1:44:54 I mean, I could do it now
      1:44:55 or wait for them to follow in motion.
      1:45:01 I guess if it would affect your vote on this,
      1:45:02 then maybe do it now.
      1:45:03 Okay, thanks.
      1:45:04 So Mr. Vargo, can you just make sure
      1:45:09 we're all understanding and seeing the change?
      1:45:12 Is it in subsection C or section C of 1102?
      1:45:18 That is correct.
      1:45:20 Through the council president,
      1:45:22 Councilman Bullock, if you refer to section C
      1:45:27 in the repeal provision,
      1:45:28 you'll see the amount 7,500.
      1:45:32 In the new section C,
      1:45:36 that 7,500 is switched out to 75,000
      1:45:41 consistent with the other provisions of the chapter
      1:45:44 and the intent of the changes made in December of 2023.
      1:45:51 Thank you.
      1:45:52 And so as follow on the factor impact
      1:45:56 of that language in that section
      1:45:59 is applies for just this 111.02,
      1:46:05 other departmental contracts.
      1:46:06 So first of all, what are other departmental contracts?
      1:46:09 And then are you saying that the...
      1:46:15 Well, just tell us how this would operate
      1:46:17 in the real world, I guess, before and after.
      1:46:20 Just the other departmental contracts,
      1:46:22 if you look at the entire chapter,
      1:46:25 which is not laid out here,
      1:46:27 the first section deals with public works contracts
      1:46:30 because there's so many of them, streets and et cetera.
      1:46:34 This is other departmental contracts,
      1:46:36 a lot of professional services.
      1:46:38 And every provision in here
      1:46:42 was increased to 75,000 after deliberation.
      1:46:47 And just in other departmental contracts
      1:46:49 in subsection C, for reasons that I can't imagine,
      1:46:55 we failed to pick up the 7,500 and make it 75,000.
      1:47:00 Now, it's not operative.
      1:47:03 That situation, the current provision speaks of 7,500
      1:47:08 but says only if competitive bidding is required
      1:47:12 pursuant to chapter 111.04.
      1:47:16 That is the operative section.
      1:47:18 And that section makes clear
      1:47:20 the $75,000 bidding threshold.
      1:47:23 So it's not a material error, but for consistency,
      1:47:27 we recommend changing the 7,500, obviously, to 75,000.
      1:47:32 Okay, so you're saying that the wording
      1:47:35 without the change points to section 111.04,
      1:47:39 which already has the change?
      1:47:41 That is correct, Councilman.
      1:47:42 Okay, and the final question I have would be,
      1:47:46 as I recall, what City Council agreed to,
      1:47:50 trying to balance efficiency, updating the amounts
      1:47:54 in the ordinances for inflation,
      1:47:56 which we were experiencing in those years after COVID,
      1:48:02 with transparency.
      1:48:03 So the compromise was that the finance department
      1:48:06 would agree, and the finance department has done so,
      1:48:10 to periodically publish on the docket
      1:48:14 those expenditures and contract awards
      1:48:17 that were below $75,000.
      1:48:20 So would that practice continue
      1:48:24 for anything that's new here
      1:48:28 in this change before us tonight?
      1:48:32 And you may say yes, and it's already being adhered to
      1:48:37 because this doesn't have a material change.
      1:48:39 We're just making a clerical consistency at it.
      1:48:44 That is correct, Councilman.
      1:48:45 This change has no impact on the practice
      1:48:49 of the finance department of submitting
      1:48:52 that monthly report as required
      1:48:54 by the prior amendment to this ordinance.
      1:48:57 But we're gonna do that,
      1:48:58 and we've been doing that already.
      1:49:00 We're gonna comply with the spirit
      1:49:01 of the transparency reports is kind of what I'm driving at.
      1:49:04 Is that true going forward even after this change?
      1:49:07 Oh, absolutely, Councilman.
      1:49:08 The other compromise was Board of Control
      1:49:12 was triggered at $50,000,
      1:49:13 and this was, Councilman Baker
      1:49:16 and I think Councilman Schachner,
      1:49:19 we exchanged drafts, numerous drafts
      1:49:22 over a period of several months,
      1:49:24 and how the three of us takes more than three lawyers
      1:49:28 is a screw in a light bulb, obviously.
      1:49:31 But so everything stays the same.
      1:49:33 We're just switching that $7,500.
      1:49:35 Okay, I appreciate, you know,
      1:49:36 maybe I'm either being overly detailed or slow,
      1:49:42 but I appreciate getting the record clarified,
      1:49:44 so I'm happy to support the motion.
      1:49:47 Thank you.
      1:49:48 So we are on the motion to suspend the rules to adopt.
      1:49:52 Any further discussion on that motion?
      1:49:54 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:49:56 Aye.
      1:49:57 And that motion passes, and then I'll move to adopt.
      1:50:01 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:50:03 Any discussion?
      1:50:04 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:50:06 Aye.
      1:50:07 And that motion passes.
      1:50:08 I am 27, communication from Assistant Law Director
      1:50:11 Swallow regarding litigation update.
      1:50:14 Director Fargo.
      1:50:15 Thank you, Council President.
      1:50:16 Dear members of council,
      1:50:17 I am submitting this correspondence
      1:50:19 to request a Committee of the Whole meeting
      1:50:22 so that the law department can provide council
      1:50:24 with an update on pending and imminent court matters
      1:50:27 involving the city of Lakewood.
      1:50:29 We recommend that this meeting
      1:50:31 take place in executive session,
      1:50:34 and we estimate that it would take
      1:50:36 about 30 minutes in total.
      1:50:38 Thank you.
      1:50:39 Thank you.
      1:50:41 I'll move to refer to Committee of the Whole.
      1:50:43 Second.
      1:50:44 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:50:46 Any discussion?
      1:50:48 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:50:50 Aye.
      1:50:50 And that motion passes.
      1:50:52 Item 28, liquor permit, Sundaybird LLC
      1:50:55 at 15027 Madison Avenue.
      1:50:57 I believe we had the report from this
      1:50:59 and the law department had no statutory reason
      1:51:02 to object, both let the record reflect
      1:51:04 that Director Fargo and Chief Fisher are both nodding.
      1:51:07 All right, so unless you have further comment on that,
      1:51:11 Councilman Evans, this is in your word, any comment?
      1:51:16 I met with the owner, looking forward to it.
      1:51:18 Seems like a good concept, no objections.
      1:51:20 Okay, so with that, I will move to file with no objection.
      1:51:26 Motion's been made and seconded.
      1:51:28 Any further discussion?
      1:51:30 Hearing none, all those in favor?
      1:51:32 Aye.
      1:51:33 And that motion passes.
      1:51:34 All right, and we are back to public comment,
      1:51:38 but unless Ms. Rhodes wants to, no, okay.
      1:51:40 All right, so.
      1:51:42 Take your five minutes.
      1:51:44 All right, any announcements, Vice President Baker?
      1:51:48 You know, even though we just gave a resolution
      1:51:50 to the basketball team, I would recommend folks
      1:51:53 in this room, or listening to go
      1:51:55 to Friday night baseball at Lakewood High School.
      1:51:57 We have one of the best baseball teams
      1:51:58 in the state right now.
      1:52:00 They are tremendous.
      1:52:01 And it is, it's just so wonderful
      1:52:03 to see all the types of people
      1:52:05 that come and watch high school baseball,
      1:52:06 which typically doesn't draw a crowd,
      1:52:07 but they do on Friday nights.
      1:52:09 I went on Friday with my kids, it was incredible.
      1:52:11 So, just putting a plug for that, thanks.
      1:52:14 Councilwoman Hamilton-Steiner.
      1:52:16 Thank you, Vice President Keppel.
      1:52:18 I'm just going to comment again
      1:52:20 on the Purple and Gold Classic,
      1:52:23 and give thanks to Officer Betz
      1:52:25 and Officer Jamieson, who were there,
      1:52:29 and they were, and the kids loved seeing them.
      1:52:31 They all rushed up to them and said hi,
      1:52:34 and so they were very excited,
      1:52:36 and we appreciate having them there
      1:52:38 and being a part of the community with the kids,
      1:52:40 and taking time out on their Saturday morning to come out.
      1:52:44 So, thank you.
      1:52:47 Thank you.
      1:52:48 All right, any further announcements from council?
      1:52:50 Councilwoman Striebig, not to be disappointing.
      1:52:52 Just a little calendar update.
      1:52:55 I don't want the chief to miss out on any of these updates.
      1:52:59 We did miss one on April 10th was the Day of Silence,
      1:53:03 and this is a day that students,
      1:53:07 it's primarily a student day of silence
      1:53:11 to a queer student day of silence,
      1:53:14 in response to the silence that they often receive
      1:53:19 when coming out or starting to talk about their identity.
      1:53:24 So, they participate in this day by not saying anything.
      1:53:29 So, we missed that on April 10th,
      1:53:31 but we will not miss that again next year.
      1:53:33 And the other one for this,
      1:53:36 well, you all heard about Lesbian Visibility Week,
      1:53:38 and Earth Day is coming up on the 22nd.
      1:53:42 Thank you.
      1:53:43 Thank you.
      1:53:45 All right, announcements from the administration?
      1:53:48 Nope, all right.
      1:53:48 Well, no further business to come before council.
      1:53:51 We are adjourned.