Written by the reviewer from the ASR + docket; [verbatim-ASR] = quoted machine transcript; [paraphrase] = reviewer's wording, not a quote.
0:00 Call the full meeting of council to order.
0:03 If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
0:22 Now pause for a moment of silence.
0:30 Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
0:39 Vice President Baker.
0:41 Council Member Bixenstein.
0:43 Council Member Bullock.
0:45 Council Member Evans.
0:49 Council Member Hamilton-Steiner.
0:51 Council Member Striebeck.
0:53 Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held May 4,
0:57 Move to approve without the necessity of a reading.
1:00 Motion has been made and seconded.
1:07 And that motion passes.
1:08 Without objection, I'd like to move items 11 and 12 to the top.
1:16 Communication from Mayor George regarding LGBTQIA plus Pride Month.
1:25 I'm behind on getting my laptop up.
1:29 So I will just say I am proud to yet again this year to introduce a resolution in support
1:35 of Pride Month for the month of June and then also have the pride flag flown right
1:45 And again, this is something I've done for a number of years and I'm proud to
1:48 continue that tradition.
1:54 Sorry, we're having a little technical difficulty.
2:02 And I will first move to receive and file that communication.
2:11 Motion has been made and seconded.
2:13 And then I will see if Councilwoman Striebig would like to make some remarks.
2:20 Thank you, Mayor George, for again bringing the pride resolution to Lakewood City Council.
2:27 Your leadership when not many other mayors are brave enough to celebrate our diversity
2:33 is encouraging and appreciated.
2:35 At this time in history when the queer community is under attack and specifically
2:41 transgender children are repeatedly and maliciously attacked, it's comforting to
2:46 know that we have an ally in you.
2:50 Thank you for showing our city residents and public employees that being an ally
2:55 means taking action and not just uttering words.
2:59 I'd like to talk a little bit about being an ally today.
3:04 And I see we have members of PFLAG here and probably some folks from Colors Plus
3:08 and the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland and generally good citizens.
3:16 Being an ally means understanding that the fight for equality is not just a queer issue
3:27 but a human rights issue.
3:31 Our entire community suffers when anyone is made to feel unsafe or unseen for who
3:37 they are or who they love.
3:41 Being an ally means standing up to those who would joke about us or smear us when we're
3:46 In the lunch room, on the ball fields, and at family gatherings, we're depending
3:52 on you to take the risk and challenge archaic thinking.
3:58 Being an ally means using the right pronouns, showing up outside of pride events, and
4:06 understanding that I have a wife and not a partner.
4:11 Making mistakes, humbly apologizing, and committing to do better next time.
4:18 And doing better next time.
4:22 Ultimately, allyship is about making sure that every person does not just feel included
4:30 with that they belong and accepting that their experiences and opinions are just as
4:41 Other comments from council members?
4:43 Councilmember Hamilton-Steiner.
4:45 Thank you President Keppel and thank you Mayor George for bringing this forward and
4:49 thank you Councilperson Striebeck, as always, for your advocacy and your voice
4:55 and speaking and standing in your truth.
4:58 History isn't something you look back at and say it was inevitable.
5:02 It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of
5:07 the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.
5:10 This is a quote from Marsha P. Johnson.
5:14 In a moment in time, history was made June 28, 1969, a moment which sparked a
5:20 movement and eventually birthing what we know annually in June as Pride Month.
5:24 For those that are not super familiar with that particular date that is known as
5:29 the Stonewall Riots, history is often times marked by these moments.
5:33 A simple act of defiance, a spark of hope, a resistance to oppression.
5:39 This is what history sometimes is.
5:42 And at this moment in time, in this current period we find ourselves in, we
5:46 will need these types of moments.
5:50 Someone somehow will have to just act and push back against the continued assault on us all.
5:59 Because an attack on the LGBTQIA community is an attack on us all.
6:06 How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and
6:10 sisters and human beings in the human race?
6:18 Thank you Councilman.
6:19 Other Councilmembers?
6:25 Vice President Baker.
6:27 Yeah, every year I want to thank the Mayor and thank my colleagues.
6:32 I'm always so proud that we do this every year here in Lakewood and fly the
6:37 Pride flag in front of City Hall because it's city speech.
6:40 It's our city saying, and typically it's a 7-0 vote with the Mayor supporting it,
6:45 that we want to recognize the folks who live in our community and we want to let everyone
6:51 know that that's what we stand for and these are our values.
6:53 So happy to support it.
6:55 Thank you for my colleagues and the Mayor for bringing it up.
7:01 Thanks Madam President.
7:02 Thanks Councilwoman Sri Bigg, Well Said and Mayor.
7:07 The, just to add a couple of things.
7:09 One is my kids go to school in Lakewood Public Schools and they are very, don't blink an
7:18 eye to all the diversity in our community in schools because they've grown up here,
7:23 everyone's been welcome and that's it.
7:28 So I think that's wonderful because the younger generation gets it, is doing it
7:32 well and those of us who, maybe this is for those of us who are a little bit
7:38 older, right, that we have to remind ourselves and kids are like, hey, let's
7:43 just get on with sports on the playing field or coloring or doing a show in
7:50 Thank you to whoever brought the rainbow bracelet.
7:55 My daughter will love it.
8:00 Other Councilmembers?
8:02 Councilmember Bixenstein.
8:04 Thank you President Keppel.
8:05 Thank you colleagues.
8:07 I concur with Councilperson Bullock that when you watch our children, they
8:12 certainly already have instilled in them a culture of inclusivity and acceptance
8:17 to all people and something that many of us adults are playing catch-up on.
8:21 But I'm really grateful for the emphasis on pride each year here in Lakewood
8:27 and among the many important reasons to celebrate this, I think just that
8:33 powerful reminder that the fight against discrimination is ongoing and it's something
8:39 we have to remind ourselves about from time to time.
8:48 I'll just add, we do have quite a few folks signed in to speak on this in
8:52 what has become quite a tradition.
8:54 You know, and former Council President O'Malley, who is himself a member of
9:00 the LGBT community, would always comment when we would do this every year that it
9:05 wasn't always the case that it was a 7-0 vote or that it was assumed that
9:12 Lakewood would probably fly this flag.
9:16 It was something that had to be fought for.
9:19 And I'm sure when we have our Senator Antonio in the audience, who started
9:25 with Councilmember Antonio at one point, will give us more of that history.
9:29 But this is it started as a gesture and then we ended up with folks elected from
9:39 the LGBT community, which has also become an important tradition for Lakewood.
9:43 So it's not just about it's important for us to express our values through our
9:52 city speech, through the flag.
9:54 But it goes beyond that of providing some hope and some encouragement that can lead to
10:00 actual inclusion and change in our government.
10:03 So always excited to see this.
10:05 Thank you, Mayor George, for bringing it forward.
10:07 It is important that we see it from both the legislative and administrative side
10:14 And I will just say another word about allyship as well.
10:17 And I know Councilwoman Stiebig wanted to emphasize that point this year, that
10:21 if no one knows you're an ally, you aren't.
10:24 So it's important that we are all doing the work, not just saying that we what we
10:30 believe when it's safe for us to say what we believe.
10:32 We need to say it all the time and show up and do the work to protect our
10:38 LGBTQ neighbors and celebrate them, not just protect, but celebrate.
10:41 Pride started as a riot, but is also a time to celebrate.
10:48 OK, with that, we do have quite a few folks signed in to speak.
10:55 But first, let me go ahead and finish off because we were on the communication,
10:58 not the not the resolution itself.
11:00 So we have a motion to second to receive and file the communication.
11:04 So all those in favor, aye.
11:07 And that motion passes.
11:08 And let's go ahead and move on to the resolution itself.
11:11 Item 12 resolution 20, 26, 30, a resolution recognizing June 20, 26 as lesbian,
11:17 gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual plus Pride Month.
11:25 Motion's been made and seconded.
11:27 And now I will turn to our public comment since most of us have already
11:31 expressed our opinions up here.
11:34 So we'll start with let's start with Senator Antonio and House and
11:40 minority leader Antonio.
11:50 My name's Nikki Antonio.
11:52 I live in Belle Avenue and I am the state senator and
11:56 minority leader for the Senate and proudly represent Lakewood and Senate district 23.
12:03 I'm going to start by saying, I'm really happy it's not full in here tonight.
12:13 But you're absolutely right.
12:15 The very first time that the mayor,
12:17 Mayor Madeleine Cain decided that the city would fly the pride flag.
12:26 This room was packed.
12:29 There was standing room only.
12:31 The majority of people were upset that Lakewood would take this move to do this.
12:38 That was in somewhere between, I think it was 2002.
12:44 I actually at the time was not a city council person.
12:48 I was actually the assistant to the mayor for community relations.
12:54 And I spend a lot of time having folks in my office telling me why
13:00 it was such a problem that the city would do this.
13:04 It was the very first time that the city of Lakewood received massive
13:08 emails blasts from across the country.
13:12 Because it became a national story that the city of Lakewood was going to fly
13:17 the pride flag during the month of June.
13:22 We got through that.
13:23 We moved through it.
13:24 We moved around it.
13:27 And over the years, we have evolved to where we are today,
13:32 which is a wonderful thing.
13:33 We have members of the LGBTQ community represented on city council,
13:39 also serving as your senator.
13:42 We have folks who are taking the initiative
13:48 to talk about what pride means to them, and we have a mayor that continues
13:53 to take the stand that when we say the Pledge of Allegiance and
13:58 we say liberty and justice for all, in the city of Lakewood it really means for all.
14:04 But just like it took a long time for us to get there, and
14:09 I appreciate the fact that we're talking about allyship front and
14:15 center, because when any marginalized minority group
14:21 strives to have equal rights, strives for civil rights,
14:27 they can't do it alone.
14:29 We can't do it alone.
14:30 We have to work side by side with allies, with the people who are not part
14:35 of the community, but understand how important it is that we are all community.
14:42 And so I wanna thank you all.
14:44 I wanna thank the mayor for bringing this forward again this year.
14:51 Every year that it seems like maybe it's just, yeah,
14:55 that thing we do every year is a good year for that.
14:59 But it's also incredibly important, especially in this time in the world
15:04 where the LGBTQ community is under attack,
15:08 where people are desperately trying to find others to be able to be frightened of.
15:14 And it is even more important that we talk about how
15:19 all of us make up a community, every single person in it.
15:24 No matter who or how you worship or don't worship at all,
15:31 who you love, how you identify, where you come from.
15:37 All those things matter only when they separate us,
15:43 instead of we celebrate the richness that all of the diversity has.
15:50 Emma Lazarus was the first one that said, we are not all free until,
15:58 we are not free until all of us are free.
16:01 Martin Luther King advanced that saying and put it forward, so did Maya Angelou.
16:07 But I think it's really important for us, and
16:09 Emmylou Hammer was also one that quoted that.
16:13 She was a civil rights activist.
16:15 It's important for us to realize that it takes all of us working together to celebrate,
16:21 and celebrate Pride Month as well.
16:24 So thank you again very much.
16:26 I'm excited that some of the young people are here today.
16:29 And honestly, that's what I always, always think about.
16:34 They are watching us.
16:38 Councilman, you said, for your children, it's like rainbow bracelets,
16:43 you know, yeah, everybody is different, and we love it, and we celebrate.
16:48 That is a wonderful thing.
16:51 We just got to get everybody there.
16:53 So thank you again for doing this today.
16:56 And thanks for the work every day.
16:59 Thank you, Senator.
17:01 OK, next I'm going to take Chuck Johnson.
17:15 Thank you for having me.
17:17 Council, Mayor, Senator, my name is Chuck Johnson.
17:22 I'm on the advisory board for PFLAG in Cleveland.
17:26 PFLAG Cleveland Chapter is a local chapter of the national organization PFLAG.
17:32 And our organization is a nonprofit that strives to support, provide education,
17:38 and advocacy for the LGBT community, specifically for family and friends.
17:45 You know, when parents have a child that comes out to them as being LGBTQ+,
17:52 we provide education and support for wherever they are in that process.
17:58 Some people come out of very strict backgrounds
18:01 that maybe don't embrace the LGBT community,
18:05 but we help them find that because ultimately they seek us out
18:09 because they are parents or family that are trying to support their loved ones.
18:15 And to speak about allyship, you know, as a cisgendered white man
18:23 who has a trans daughter, it's important for people, you know,
18:30 that, you know, is kind of boring people like me,
18:35 stand up and say the things that are correct because you're right.
18:40 It is the advocacy of those not affected by the marginalization
18:45 that help us move things forward.
18:49 So I would like to thank you all for, again,
18:52 showing your willingness to support all of us in the community
18:57 because it is not just, you know, specific members of the LGBT community.
19:02 It is their families, their friends, their neighbors, the people you work with.
19:09 We're all one big family and we have to take care of each other.
19:13 So we are not free unless all of us are free.
19:17 So thank you very much for this proclamation.
19:23 All right, next, and I apologize if I misread anyone's writing here.
19:27 Correct me when you come up.
19:29 So, Jess, thank you.
19:38 Thank you, Council President, Council, Mayor, Senator Antonio
19:44 for your great leadership and the history here in this moment is not lost on us.
19:51 I'm Dr. Jess Sellers.
19:52 I'm a licensed psychologist.
19:53 I read much all of my career was in promoting college student mental health.
19:59 I was director of the counseling services at Case Western Reserve for 34 years.
20:04 And together with a social worker, soon to be on our staff at Case Western Reserve in 1985,
20:12 a woman who had the courage to say, I have a gay son,
20:16 and together she and I decided that we needed to have a PFLAG Cleveland chapter here in the city.
20:27 And it wasn't easy.
20:30 And if you think back to that time, we had a president who wouldn't utter the word gay, let alone AIDS.
20:38 We had adversaries against us.
20:42 And it was really frightening for Jane Deroff, our co-founder, to even go on Channel 5,
20:48 I think it was, to say, I'm proud of my gay son.
20:52 And so that then started this movement of creating a chapter here exclusively all about volunteers,
21:02 where we don't have any paid members.
21:04 And I'm going to say a few more things about our support group.
21:08 And then our treasurer, R. Thompson, is going to tell you a bit more, too.
21:14 But our support group is facilitated by professionals.
21:20 And we do it pro bono because we care about not just the parents, but our community
21:26 and hoping to change the community.
21:27 And indeed, I think PFLAG has done that.
21:30 And we're really proud of this organization as it has grown.
21:34 It's not unusual for us to have 40, sometimes close to 50, people in the room
21:40 at Trinity Cathedral.
21:41 And we're now online as well.
21:43 So people, a transgender daughter in California can be in the room virtually with her mother,
21:51 who is, you know, had at one point struggled a little bit in acceptance.
21:56 We work diligently to bring families together when they're in conflict or strife
22:03 and would help move them from that to acceptance and maybe even to love and advocacy.
22:10 I'm going to pause here.
22:15 Thank you, Mayor George, city council members, Senator Antonio.
22:20 My name is Art Thompson.
22:22 I've been with PFLAG Cleveland for 30 years.
22:25 And I'm also the person who signed in Jess, making it difficult to read his name.
22:30 So sorry about that.
22:32 I'll tell you a little bit more about PFLAG.
22:34 We're out in the community on a regular basis to provide education in corporate settings
22:40 and community events.
22:42 Since 2014, we have awarded 25 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students.
22:50 And each year, we present a community award to a deserving individual or organization.
22:57 In 2025, we presented our community award to the Cleveland Public Library in appreciation
23:04 of their partnership with PFLAG.
23:07 That partnership entailed placing LGBTQ-affirming pamphlets and booklets in the main library
23:17 at Cleveland Public Library and each of their 27 branches.
23:21 And our goal in 2026 is to extend that collaboration to other Northeast Ohio libraries, including
23:29 the Lakewood Public Library.
23:32 And finally, I just want to applaud the city of Lakewood for passage of this resolution.
23:38 I was born and raised in Lakewood on Nicholson Avenue.
23:42 And it really makes me feel proud that my hometown is at the forefront and taking
23:47 a lead in support of the LGBTQ plus community.
23:54 And then in terms of advocacy, the council got this button and this postcard.
24:03 And it's our effort to honor a couple from Lakewood, the Stromans.
24:10 Some of you may know or recall Joyce and Bob Stroman, Reverend Stroman.
24:15 They were advocates very early on for LGBTQ plus equality in our community.
24:23 And they were also PFLAG members.
24:28 But Joyce told the story to our PFLAG group one time that whenever she met a store
24:35 clerk or someone in a restaurant serving her or an incidental kind of connection with
24:44 an individual, particularly young folks, she would ask this question,
24:48 are you registered to vote?
24:50 You know, your vote matters.
24:53 And so in honor of them and in dedication to them and to a great Lakewood couple,
25:01 we decided to ask their adult children to write this statement on the back of the
25:08 And PFLAG members across Cleveland will be going out and asking random people,
25:15 just like Joyce did, are you registered to vote and giving them this postcard?
25:21 It's as easy as pointing your camera to this QR code to get ready to vote in November.
25:30 So thank you again to the council, the council president, the mayor.
25:36 We really appreciate this recognition.
25:48 I also have one more person signed in on this topic.
26:01 My name is Mark Zado from Rocky River, Ohio, so just across the river.
26:07 I just wanted to come out and speak in support of this resolution.
26:15 I'm both a member of the military community and the LGBT plus community,
26:18 and I get to see a bunch of memes all over Facebook, Twitter,
26:23 all the other different type of social media,
26:27 kind of pitting the military and veteran community against the LGBT community.
26:32 One of the main basis is that military community only gets two days,
26:36 LGBT community gets one full month.
26:38 I find this to be an insult as a veteran, not as a person,
26:43 well, kind of as a member of the LGBT community, but as a veteran,
26:46 I find it insulting because the military community, we get three months.
26:50 April is the month of the military child.
26:52 May is the month for those currently serving,
26:57 and November is the month for veterans.
27:02 So I find it insulting.
27:03 I find it as a backhanded insult that these people don't know that
27:06 and that they are basically insulting the veteran community.
27:10 But it also kind of erases a couple of folks
27:14 who are members of the LGBT community who have sacrificed their everything.
27:19 Major Alan Rogers, Sergeant Donna Johnson,
27:21 Corporal Andrew Wilfhart and Major Adriana Vorderbergen.
27:25 We will all honor those this coming Monday for Memorial Day.
27:29 There are many folks who have sacrificed everything.
27:33 In the LGBT community, we don't know all of them
27:35 because many have served in silence.
27:39 This current administration is putting transgender folks back in the closet,
27:44 kicking out everybody who has been open.
27:46 So that for a person who is transgender to serve,
27:49 who is capable of serving, they have to do it in the closet.
27:54 Thank you so much for this resolution.
27:58 Our community needs it.
28:00 Um, not just the LGBT community, but all communities.
28:08 And thank you for your service.
28:11 Do we have anyone else who wanted to speak on this topic?
28:14 That's everyone I think I have signed in,
28:15 but if there's anyone else who would like to speak on this topic,
28:18 you're welcome to do so.
28:23 Thank you all who spoke out and participated tonight.
28:28 We have a motion in a second to adopt the resolution,
28:32 anticipating that it will pass.
28:34 After it passes, we will do a photo down front.
28:37 We invite anyone who would like to be in that picture
28:39 to come up and join us for that picture,
28:41 and we'll have a ceremonial copy of the resolution
28:43 to present to our partners at PFLAG.
28:47 And we appreciate being here.
28:48 I know personally, one of my, well actually my best friend,
28:54 that how important PFLAG was in his journey.
28:57 In college a couple years ago when he came out.
29:02 So I know firsthand how important that work is,
29:05 and I appreciate it.
29:07 Any further comments from council before we move on?
29:11 So we have a motion in a second to adopt the resolution.
29:14 All those in favor?
29:16 And that motion passes.
29:17 And we'll do a photo down front.
29:18 All are invited who wish to come up.
30:56 All those in favor?
31:00 And that motion passes.
31:26 Item number one, report from Public Works and Sustainability Committee meeting held May 11, 2026.
31:36 Council Member Bullitt.
31:37 Thank you, Madam President.
31:39 The Public Works and Sustainability Committee met on May 11
31:45 to discuss ordinance 25-2026, which authorizes an agreement
31:50 with the Help Foundation for Operation of Food Concessions at Lakewood Park
31:55 Chief Program Officer of Help Foundation Alison Brischke was present,
31:59 along with Director Mahoney, to answer committee members' questions.
32:03 Topics discussed included the details about Help's agreement with the city,
32:08 menu selection and healthy options,
32:10 and also Help Foundation's mission and operations and staffing.
32:15 Ms. Brischke confirmed that the operating concessions at City Pools
32:19 has been a positive experience for the individuals involved
32:22 who are receiving paid training and experience as part of Help's vocational training
32:26 and services program.
32:28 Committee members agreed that this collaboration between the city
32:30 and the Help Foundation is a positive and mutually beneficial arrangement
32:34 and voiced support for sharing more of Help's story with the public.
32:38 Committee members then requested copies of two proposals submitted to the city
32:42 for the operating agreement so that we have the context of the details
32:47 of the alternatives.
32:48 The committee unanimously voted to favorably refer Ordinance 25-26
32:54 back to the full council for adoption.
32:57 And that concludes this report.
32:59 I've got a written report that I'd like to move
33:02 that be included in the record of the meeting.
33:08 So we'll just move to receive and file the oral report as well as the written.
33:14 Motion's been made and seconded.
33:17 Any further discussion?
33:20 All those in favor?
33:21 And that motion passes.
33:23 Item number two, Ordinance 25-26.
33:26 An ordinance to take effect immediately authorizing and directing the mayor
33:29 to enter into an agreement with Help Foundation Inc.
33:32 for the operation of food concessions at Lakewood Park in Madison Park
33:35 pursuant to section 155.08 of the codified ordinances.
33:41 Motion's been made and seconded.
33:44 All those in favor?
33:46 And that motion passes.
33:47 Item three, report from Committee of the Whole regarding meeting held May 11th, 2026.
33:54 Dear colleagues, Committee of the Whole met May 11th for a two-hour retreat-style meeting
33:59 where the committee set forth plans to identify and discuss
34:02 its priorities ahead of the 2027 budget.
34:05 The goal of the retreat was for council to identify priorities early
34:09 so that the administration may consider them and incorporate them into the 2027 budget.
34:14 A wide range of topics were brought forward for discussion
34:17 and council members were able to identify areas of overlap and collaboration.
34:22 Members were asked to work individually in small groups of no more than three council members
34:26 and in collaboration with directors and community stakeholders
34:30 to complete and submit a one-page worksheet for each priority by June 1st.
34:34 Following the receipt of the worksheets,
34:35 I intend to submit a communication to the June 15th docket
34:39 and hold hearings for further discussion among council and the administration.
34:43 Move to receive and file that report.
34:46 Motion has been made and seconded.
34:49 Hearing none, all those in favor?
34:52 And that motion passes.
34:53 And for a report from Committee of the Whole regarding meeting held May 18, 2026.
34:59 Colleagues, Committee of the Whole met earlier this evening
35:02 to consider the Charter Review Commission, or the Charter,
35:06 proposed Charter Amendments.
35:08 We, most of our conversation was around the options around rank choice voting.
35:14 We talked about essentially four different options.
35:17 Option one being Ordinance 21, 2026,
35:21 which would put forth an amendment to adopt rank choice voting
35:28 for voters to vote directly on adopting rank choice voting into the Charter.
35:33 Option two, Ordinance 27, 2026,
35:36 which is how the Charter Review Commission originally recommended to
35:41 put a Charter Amendment where if passed,
35:43 council would have the option of adopting rank choice voting through ordinance or resolution.
35:49 A potential third option of placing it on the Charter that it would only go into effect
35:57 if Senate Bill 63 was repealed.
36:01 And option four, which would be to wait until after,
36:04 um, potentially the November 2026 election to allow to see any shifts in the legislative
36:10 and legal landscape and add more time for public dialogue and engagement prior to Charter
36:14 vote. We had a robust discussion and we're joined by the Cuyahoga Board of Elections
36:21 Director Tony Pirlati. Council members had the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons
36:26 of each option, some of the details of implementation, and we discussed the timeline
36:31 and process that would be needed. With the remaining elements, the remaining ordinances
36:39 still in committee regarding salaries of elected officials, council appointment process
36:46 that are connected to the rank choice voting ones we didn't touch on as we didn't reach a
36:50 decision on the rank choice voting, but we did briefly discuss the Ward Redistricting
36:56 Ordinance 19-2026. That one we amended to include a language that would allow the
37:05 recommendations of the Planning Commission to come back to council and if council were to
37:09 take no action, they would go into effect as though council had taken action. This is
37:14 language similar to what the languages around Civil Service Commission recommendations around
37:19 council salaries. All of those ordinances remain in committee and we will continue our
37:28 conversation at a future date. I will move to receive and file that oral report.
37:33 Motion's been made and seconded. Any discussion?
37:37 Councilman Bullock.
37:37 Ms. Pirlati, for the previous committee, the whole report that you made a second ago,
37:46 I wanted to say thank you again for the systematic and organized work, as you alluded before,
37:54 keeping a lot of trains running. That is going to increase the effectiveness and the
38:00 throughput and the efficiency of council members in our various initiatives,
38:03 some of which are individual, but many of them have common ground.
38:07 And two, Director Mahoney, we're making good on your invitation
38:13 dating back to the last budget process to begin the council budget priorities process much earlier
38:19 in the process. I think we heard you. It clicked a little better. And so now council
38:24 members are working in that vein and also putting together a systematic form that will
38:33 provide the beginning of a nice foundational point. So we look forward to more discussions
38:37 in partnership with the administration. Thanks.
38:41 All right. Any further discussion on the motion to receive and file the report?
38:46 Hearing none. All those in favor?
38:49 And that motion passes.
38:51 Item five, ordinance 27, 2026. An ordinance to take effect immediately
38:55 submitting to the electors of the city of Lakewood an amendment to the third
38:57 amended charter of the city of Lakewood in order to allow council the option
39:01 of implementing rank choice voting.
39:05 Motion's been made and seconded. Just to clarify, this is on the docket because
39:09 we have the of the four options I just discussed in the report. This is one of those options.
39:15 This allows it to get onto second reading so that once we conclude our work in committee
39:21 of the whole, if either of these are referred out of committee of the whole for adoption,
39:25 it will have already been on second reading like the others. So this is sort of a procedural
39:32 vote at this time. All right. So we have a motion and a second to defer.
39:36 Any further discussion?
39:37 Hearing none. All those in favor?
39:41 And that motion passes.
39:42 Item six, substitute ordinance 24, 2026. An ordinance to take effect
39:46 immediately to approve the editing and inclusion of certain ordinances as parts
39:49 of the various component codes, codified ordinances, and to provide for the publication
39:54 of such new matter.
39:55 This is just our quarterly regular ordinance to codify the things that have already been
40:03 passed, essentially print them. So it's been on, this is our third reading,
40:09 so I'm going to move to adopt.
40:11 Motion's been made and seconded. Any discussion?
40:15 Hearing none. All those in favor?
40:17 And that motion passes.
40:19 Item seven, report from council member Striebig regarding the April 26,
40:22 2026 meeting of liquid youth council.
40:25 Council member Striebig.
40:26 Thank you. Dear colleagues, before the meeting of the liquid youth council was called,
40:34 Dr. Kathleen McGorry from the Lakewood chapter of the League of Women Voters spoke about the
40:39 school levy, primary elections, and the importance of voting. The meeting was called
40:45 to order by Mel Demert and the minutes were approved. The environmental committee is in
40:50 contact with the Tree Advisory Board to better understand more about trees on tree lawns.
40:57 Mental health committee is working on surveys to better understand
41:01 youth interest and interest in youth band performances.
41:05 The public outreach committee is working on a survey about biking.
41:10 We had a lengthy discussion about the difference between problem-solving and identifying
41:14 problems. One problem we began to discuss is the need for young people to be together
41:20 to encourage and support each other and build confidence outside of school.
41:24 The primary function of this youth advisory board is to inform the city council
41:29 of young people's needs, not solve them. It is a learning process to identify needs rather
41:34 than solve those needs as we are all naturally geared to do that. With continued focus and
41:40 refocusing on advising, we will move in that direction. Thank you. Thank you. I'll move to
41:47 receive and file that report. Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Any discussion?
41:53 Hearing none, all those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes.
41:58 Item eight, report from Councilmember Strubig regarding the April 21st,
42:02 2026 meeting of the Community Recreation Education Commission.
42:06 Councilmember Strubig. Thank you.
42:08 Dear colleagues, the Lakewood Community Recreation and Education Commission
42:12 met on April 21st, 2026. Public comment was led by Cesar Vargas about the need for
42:18 community handball courts. Coordinator Leslie Favre-Crogman reported that the youth and adult
42:24 basketball, volleyball, and swimming programs were finished and the spring and summer
42:29 registrations were beginning. There are over 100 different things for residents to do in
42:34 this new season. The Purple and Gold Classic was successful again this year with teams from
42:40 each elementary school participating. Field maintenance is underway and youth soccer
42:45 teams are taking advantage of open fields in Cleveland. The commission voted on and
42:50 approved a nomination for the Baseball and Softball Association. That was Mike Sambrup
42:56 for treasurer. Thank you. Thank you. I'll move to receive and file that report. Second.
43:02 Motion's been made and seconded. Discussion? I'd just like to thank Councilmember Strubig
43:07 for keeping us informed and always being prepared with those reports. Any further discussion?
43:12 Hearing none, all those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes.
43:16 Item 9. Communication from Building Commissioner Parmelee regarding Amendment to Resolution 2025-71.
43:22 Commissioner Parmelee.
43:29 Oh make sure you hit the button there. Sorry. Thank you. Mueller. Everybody's got me.
43:37 Members of Council, Council President. Error was brought to my attention
43:41 regarding Resolution 2025-71. It's that master fee schedule. In our original fee schedule we
43:48 had the language the base fee for each electrical permit shall be $30 to which the following should
43:55 be added subsequent permit fee. This was omitted from the fee schedule so I'm asking
44:01 to have the electrical permit language modified to include the mentioned language and add the
44:06 $30 base fee back into the electrical. Easy peasy. Thank you. So this was in there before? Yeah.
44:16 And then it just got omitted when we were updating the others? Yeah. We all looked at it. I don't
44:20 know how many times. Sure. It happens. There's always one thing. Sure. Okay. Thank you. I'll
44:26 move to receive and file that communication. Second. Motion's been made and seconded.
44:31 Discussion? Vice President Baker? For what it's worth I'm happy to support the ordinance that's
44:37 pending or that we'll get to next just to keep Commissioner Parmelee and his building
44:42 inspectors doing the things they gotta do. Thank you. Okay. So we're on the communication
44:48 right now. All those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes. Item 10. Resolution 2025-71A.
44:58 A resolution to take effect immediately to amend resolution 2025-71. Adopt it March 2nd,
45:03 2026 to include a base fee for electric permits. Move to adopt. Second. Motion's been
45:09 made and seconded. Discussion? Madam President. Councilman Bullitt? Mr. Parmelee can you just
45:15 repeat very clearly where on the chart the maybe on the second page there where the
45:22 proposal is to add back base fee. Yeah, it'd be right down on the bottom of the document.
45:29 On the left. Yeah. Add the base fee back in.
45:36 So it's $30 no matter what and then add the amounts in the center column. That's not an
45:43 increase. That's just a restoration. Not an increase. Your normal customary practice.
45:47 Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Any further discussion?
45:54 All right. On the motion to adopt. All those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes. Thank
45:59 you. Item 13. Communication from Public Works Director Gordon regarding 2026 Community
46:04 Recycling Awareness Grant. Director Gordon. Thank you. Dear President Keppel, members of
46:09 City Council. The City's Division of Refuge and Recycling in partnership with the Planning
46:14 Department was awarded $6,000 from the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District's 2026 Community
46:21 Recycling Awareness Grant program. This grant will be used to support the design, installation,
46:27 and advertising costs for recycling education billboards in Lakewood. A 24-week long billboard
46:33 campaign spanning one full-size board and two junior posters will be created to encourage
46:39 those traveling to learn about proper recycling practices. The one full-size board will be
46:47 located at Detroit east of West Clifton and the two junior posters will be located at 12506
46:54 Detroit west of Cove Avenue. The billboards will include information about which materials
47:00 are and are not recyclable. The graphic information used will be similar to the
47:04 recycling education stickers and magnets distributed in past years. The end goal being
47:09 reduced contamination, continuing education of current recycling best practices, and use of
47:15 several reminder strategies to encourage correct recycling management. Pursuant into Lakewood
47:20 Codified Ordinance Section 111.14b, this letter serves as notice of our intention to
47:25 accept these funds. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you.
47:30 Move to receive and file the communication? Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Thank
47:35 you, Director Gordon, for this update and for the money. We've talked many times before about
47:42 the importance of reducing contamination in our recycling that I think a lot of us over the
47:48 years have been guilty of wish-cycling where we just put it in there and hope that it's
47:52 recyclable because we want it to be but a lot of things are not anymore and that actually
47:57 makes it worse for our recycling stream. So it's important to have this education. We
48:03 appreciate the effort. Any further discussion? Hearing none, on the motion to receive and file
48:09 the communication, all those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes. Item 14, communication
48:15 from Principal Planner Nocta regarding application to the state of Ohio through
48:18 ODNR for the NatureWorks grant program. Thank you. Dear President Keppel and members of
48:24 Council, attached to this letter was a resolution authorizing the Planning Department to apply
48:29 for financial assistance from the state of Ohio through the Ohio Department of Natural
48:33 Resources for the Bex Pool renovation project. ODNR provides funding for public outdoor
48:39 recreation purposes through the NatureWorks grant program. NatureWorks can provide up to
48:44 $150,000 in reimbursement for qualifying park improvements with a 25% match requirement.
48:50 Bex Pool has been identified as a high priority item due to the overall age of the structure,
48:55 increasing maintenance requirements, and growing obsolescence of components and features. The
49:01 pool is heavily used and is a prized asset for both residents and visitors. The initial
49:06 estimate for this project obtained during the RFP process and based on the previous pool
49:10 renovation, which was Foster Pool, has a projected cost of between $4 to $6 million.
49:16 As we begin planning, this resolution serves as a commitment to overall project funding
49:21 that will improve our grant application scoring. Competing for this program will help defer a
49:25 portion of the overall cost and realize the execution of this critical project.
49:30 The departments of Public Works and Planning have begun work with Sixmo, the same consultant
49:35 that executed the Foster Pool renovation project. Sixmo has been provided the Madison
49:39 Park Master Plan, and we intend to execute a similar public engagement process as used in
49:44 the Foster Pool project for residents to participate in the Bex Design process.
49:49 The deadline to submit a resolution of support for this application is tentatively set for July 1st,
49:54 2026. I respectfully request approval of this resolution on first reading.
49:59 Thank you for your consideration. Thank you.
50:01 Thank you. I'll move to receive and file the communication.
50:05 Motion's been made and seconded. Discussion? Hearing none. Oh, yep, sorry. Councilman
50:10 Bixenstein. Thank you, President Keppel.
50:13 Just wanted to say thank you for the continued emphasis on the park and on the improvements.
50:19 I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but last week it just so happened that the same day
50:23 that the public engagement launched digitally, the Bex Pool also got filled. And I thought that
50:31 was an impressive, whether it was a coincidence or not, it was an impressive display of
50:35 cross-department collaboration. So thank you very much.
50:39 It was totally planned. Well done.
50:43 Absolutely. Thank you, Director Gordon.
50:46 All right. Any further comment on the communication?
50:51 Hearing none. On the motion to receive and file the communication, all those in favor?
50:54 Aye. And that motion passes.
50:56 Item 15, resolution 2026. 31, a resolution to take effect immediately authorizing the
51:02 mayor, director of planning and development, director of public works, or city engineer to
51:06 submit an application for the Nature Works grant through the Ohio Department of Natural
51:10 Resources to execute any and all agreements necessary to accept an award and to obligate
51:15 funds required to complete the project to become eligible for reimbursement under the grant
51:19 program. Move to adopt.
51:22 Motion's been made and seconded. Discussion?
51:26 Hearing none. All those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes.
51:30 Item 16, liquor permit, QAJ Enterprise LLC at 14,000 Detroit Avenue.
51:38 Director Vargo, I don't think we have this one.
51:41 That's correct. Council President will need to defer.
51:43 Sure. Yep. All right. So we will move to defer.
51:47 Motion's been made and seconded. Discussion?
51:51 Hearing none. All those in favor? Aye.
51:53 And that motion passes. All right. So we are at public
51:56 comment. We do have quite a few e-comments on a variety of different issues. Those e-comments
52:03 will be included in the public record and all councilmembers should have them in their email
52:11 to read them as well. And then I'm going to go through the sign-in sheet. When I call your
52:18 name. Thank you. When I call your name, if you can please come up to the microphone,
52:23 push the button, or it should be green when you speak. So make sure it's green. Push the button
52:28 if it isn't. And then state your name, if you're comfortable, your address for the record and
52:33 you'll have up to five minutes. Address your comments to the chair. That's me. And avoid
52:38 personalities. All right. So with that, up first is Jared Park.
52:45 Push the button. Thanks. Home rule is at risk in Lakewood. City Council understands this well
52:59 with immigration enforcement bills in Ohio State House and the growing consolidation of federal
53:05 power over states and cities. It's a pressing issue more than ever. As a progressive city,
53:11 unburdened by the corporate interests that our larger neighbor struggles with, Lakewood stands
53:15 in a unique position for taking meaningful action against these developments. City Council
53:21 saw it the same way when you passed resolutions protecting the freedom of gender expression
53:28 and opposing ISIS spread into local policing. However, this model is incomplete. In just the
53:34 last month, we've seen multiple cities and towns in Ohio come to the realization that their
53:38 FLOC safety cameras were commandeered by outside departments for the sake of assisting
53:42 federal immigration enforcement. Despite Dayton's explicit policy not to assist in ICE
53:50 investigations, its FLOC cameras were searched thousands of times by other departments in
53:54 relation to immigration. Dayton's right to home rule was violated by FLOC's system.
54:01 The same thing happened again in Shaker Heights and now possibly in Cleveland. It has
54:05 probably already happened here and we just don't know it yet. Of course, FLOC doesn't care.
54:10 Despite offering a system to block incoming searches based on their reason, FLOC no
54:15 longer requires its clients to log a reason for their searches, meaning a search that
54:20 violates local policy could come through and we would never even know. FLOC's reasoning for
54:25 not providing adequate safeguards is that they don't police the police. The result is a race
54:33 to the bottom. Lakewood's policy becomes only as good as the least trustworthy agency on FLOC's
54:38 network. The first step that we can take and the step that Dayton took earlier this month
54:43 to reclaiming its right to home rule is getting rid of FLOC. Thank you. Thank you.
54:49 All right, next up is Ryan Ream.
54:57 Hi, Ryan Ream, 1409 Marlow Avenue, number four. Good evening, City Council, Mayor George,
55:02 and the rest of the gang. As you know from my previous comments here, I'm strongly in favor of
55:07 policies that protect Lakewood citizens and hold those who would break the law accountable.
55:12 But sometimes in our effort to protect our city, we can go too far and ultimately end
55:16 up with some bad bedfellows. One of those specific, to be specific is FLOC safety.
55:22 There are many reasons why we should question FLOC's presence in our community,
55:25 but I will focus on one tonight and that is FLOC's troubling record of its service being
55:29 abused by both individuals and governmental agencies. With FLOC, agencies are incentivized
55:35 to share recordings and data. According to the ACLU Massachusetts, when an agency shares the data,
55:41 FLOC allows them to tap into a national network of data and recordings.
55:45 This quid pro quo is troubling because it allows other agencies to access our data
55:50 and potentially to do so for nefarious reasons. A 2026 Institute of Justice article points out
55:56 that the last few years, there have been at least 16 cases of people abusing FLOC system
56:01 to stalk loved ones, exes, or even strangers. Imagine how Giddy, former Rocky River police
56:07 officer, or Michael Bernhardt, who was recently convicted of three counts of unauthorized use
56:12 of Ohio law enforcement gateway, would be to have the high quality imaging and AI functions
56:17 of FLOC to further violate the rights of his victims, some of which were minors.
56:22 I will read you another egregious example from a 2025 letter from the House of Representatives
56:27 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to Garrett Langley, CEO of FLOC.
56:33 Recently, local authorities in Texas reportedly used FLOC's automatic license plate reader
56:38 technology to conduct a nationwide search for a woman they claimed had a self-administered
56:43 abortion in Texas. As part of this search, Texas law enforcement appears to have reviewed
56:48 footage from over 83,000 automatic license plate reader cameras, including cameras in
56:53 Washington and Illinois, where abortion is lawfully protected and is a basic right.
56:58 This is summarized as a gross misuse and abuse of surveillance technology.
57:02 In regards to ICE and governmental overreach, although FLOC's policies prohibit federal
57:09 agencies from using its data for immigration enforcement, in practice no effective safeguards
57:14 exist since the company repeatedly refuses to remove law enforcement agencies from FLOC's
57:19 network or cancel contracts in the event of violations. Furthermore, although the Department
57:24 of Justice has historically allowed federal law enforcement agencies to utilize automatic
57:29 license plate readers in investigations, DOJ has also expressed concern with the way
57:34 such technology could be used to intrude on law-abiding citizens. For example, in 2017,
57:40 during President Trump's first term, DOJ published guidance emphasizing that while law enforcement
57:46 and related justice enforcement entities increasingly rely on automatic license plate reader
57:51 technology, individual privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties must also be vigorously
57:56 protected. Using FLOC data to track and surveil immigrants in violation of FLOC's
58:02 own policy is a clear failure to vigorously protect individual privacy, civil rights, and
58:08 civil liberties. With these reasons in mind, I would strongly urge the administration to break
58:13 the contract with FLOC and focus on a smarter and cheaper solution to keeping Lakewood safe.
58:20 On a lighter note, I will use the remainder of my time to spread bike Lakewood propaganda
58:24 and just say that coming up May 28th, I believe it's a Thursday, is going to be another
58:29 one of our social rides. I think around six or seven o'clock, five to ten miles,
58:34 12 mile per hour, average pace, a comfortable pace, and we'll stop at a local business.
58:40 So I would love to see anybody who's listening, anyone here in the audience,
58:43 anyone in the administration or council there. So thank you.
58:46 Thank you. All right. We have next is Joey Arfino.
59:03 Good evening. My name is Joey Arfino. I live on Delaware Avenue. I'm a homeowner,
59:07 a business owner, and a member of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce.
59:11 I moved here from Cleveland, where I spent 20 years specifically to escape the quality
59:15 of life problems I could never get away from there. Lakewood delivered on that promise,
59:20 mostly. For the last five years, one property has undone it, and I'm here tonight because
59:26 every system I've been told to trust has failed me. 14227 Delaware Avenue is a two-unit Airbnb.
59:35 Each unit sleeps six people. The owner lives in Seattle. He's not a neighbor. He's not
59:40 a Lakewood resident. He's a remote investor running a motel business in a residentially
59:45 zoned neighborhood. He's pricing it like one. Both units combine rent for less than a single
59:52 room at the budget motels on Clifton Loom Lake. Do the math. Who do those price points attract
59:58 and why? The results have been exactly what you'd expect. Noise, parties, fights,
1:00:05 suspected drug activity, suspected prostitution. Grass that goes uncut for weeks, but that's
1:00:11 little. We watched the block deteriorate for five years because of this single property.
1:00:19 63, 63, 63. That's the number of police calls to this single address confirmed by a patrol
1:00:26 officer. Excuse the pronunciation. Thank you. 63 calls in a five-year span. One residential
1:00:38 property in Lakewood. This isn't a neighbor dispute. This is a sustained documented drain
1:00:44 on the city's public safety resources paid for by Lakewood taxpayers, myself included.
1:00:52 Here's what five years of doing the right thing looks like.
1:00:56 Police say keep calling. It'll become a nuisance property. We call. Nothing changes.
1:01:01 The building department says call the police. Narcotics says call the building department.
1:01:05 The owner ignores us. Airbnb ignores us. Our past word councilman, Jason Shackner.
1:01:10 I'm sorry if I didn't pronounce that right. Then Tom Bullock, Brian Evans.
1:01:18 Forgive me. We haven't met in person, but we've met through email.
1:01:23 This city has no framework to address any of this. I know it's underway, but we have no
1:01:28 framework currently. Meanwhile, neighborhoods suffer. This is a serious problem and we're
1:01:33 dropping the ball. We've been sent in circles for five years. All the while, the owner keeps
1:01:39 collecting revenue from Seattle. We live with the consequences on Delaware Avenue and Lakewood.
1:01:46 My family is seriously considering leaving Lakewood. That's heartbreaking to say out loud
1:01:50 because I love this city. I chose this city. I invested in it as a homeowner and as a
1:01:56 business owner, but I can't ask my family to keep living like this indefinitely.
1:02:01 It's happening to us. It's happening to others. The police have confirmed. City
1:02:04 officials have confirmed. Lakewood cannot afford to lose invested, stable, community-minded
1:02:09 residents like us. This is not a new or complicated problem. Cities across the country
1:02:15 have solved it. San Francisco requires Airbnb hosts to live in their property full stop.
1:02:21 Chicago allows short-term rentals only if the address is the owner's primary residence.
1:02:26 Los Angeles has made second homes and investment properties non-rentable via Airbnb for exactly
1:02:32 this reason. What's stopping us? Who are we protecting? Here's the one thing that
1:02:39 should matter the most to this council. Shaker Heights, our east side counterpart,
1:02:44 has already banned short-term rentals and properties the owner doesn't live in.
1:02:48 This isn't a radical idea. This is what the city next door is already doing.
1:02:51 We're not. You know what I mean. If we care about community, the time is now. Yesterday,
1:02:57 really. Cleveland just passed short-term rental legislation. It's kind of weak.
1:03:02 Lakewood is behind. The question is how much longer we are willing to wait.
1:03:08 Tonight I'm asking for two things. First, 14227 Delaware needs to be formally designated as a
1:03:14 nuisance property right now. 63 calls is more than enough. The owner needs real consequences.
1:03:20 It's been five years. Second, I know this council began work on a short-term rental ordinance last
1:03:30 year. I'm asking that you finish it. Require registration. Require owner occupancy. Set
1:03:38 occupancy limits. Tie a license to the behavior. The model exists in a dozen cities,
1:03:43 including Shaker Heights. What's it going to take to get this across the finish line?
1:03:48 Whose interests are we protecting? Residential neighborhoods are for residents.
1:03:54 I didn't sign up to live next door to a motel. I don't pay Lakewood taxes to live next door to
1:03:59 a motel. Don't make us leave. Thank you. Thank you.
1:04:09 Madam President. Yes. If it's all right. Sure. We have some other folks on the same topic,
1:04:15 so I know if we want to allow them to speak, but if you want to.
1:04:20 Well, okay. A couple quick responses. First, thank you for speaking, sir. I'm sorry to hear
1:04:24 it. Please do not leave. It's our job to get it right so that you don't have to do that.
1:04:31 So that's what we got to take on. Maybe Councilman Evans might want to talk a little
1:04:37 later. We happen to talk with a number of people here just in the recent days about
1:04:43 reintroducing that ordinance. You're correct. We have to put it back on the docket and be
1:04:49 thoughtful. A member of the administration and I are going to talk tomorrow. But,
1:04:54 Mayor, maybe we could work or the law director, we could work together on
1:04:59 the chronic nuisance ordinance that's in place and has been for years, which to me seems to
1:05:07 apply as the gentleman described. We can partner a little bit on that. That's a matter of
1:05:14 enforcement. So there's two layers. One is using the law that's already on the books,
1:05:20 which would at least partially address what we're talking about, and then proposing a
1:05:24 new and thoughtful framework that is feasible to implement to address the fundamental issue of
1:05:34 how does our community address short-term rentals or not. So thank you for coming to speak tonight
1:05:41 on this important issue. Thank you. Yes, and I'll just also mention that thank you for
1:05:49 speaking. That when we had our council retreat talking about priorities, this was discussed as
1:05:56 a priority for this year among several council members. And I'll also just note a year or two ago
1:06:04 we passed, it's been a little while, we passed an ordinance to require licensure for homes that
1:06:12 were moving from private ownership into being rental that they needed inspection. And I
1:06:21 remember at the time asking if that would include short-term rentals and that the law
1:06:25 department thought that it should include that. So I'd be curious to go and do some searching on
1:06:33 the sites to see which homes in Lakewood are listed on the short-term rental sites
1:06:40 and which ones have had that inspection as well. So that's just another thing that
1:06:44 comes to mind. But thank you for your comments. And we do have someone else
1:06:48 sign in to speak on this topic and we do have e-comments on this topic as well.
1:06:53 But first I want to go to Caitlin Tuig.
1:07:02 Good evening everybody. Thank you for listening. My name is Caitlin Tuig. I also live on Delaware.
1:07:09 I'm a clinical mental health counselor who works in crisis. I'm very close with a lot of the
1:07:13 people in this room. Most importantly, I'm a mother, but I have been a Lakewood resident for
1:07:19 the last 13 years. The pride that Lakewood has earned in itself is being compromised by the
1:07:25 greed of individuals. The last several years of this non-locally owned short-term rental across
1:07:30 the street have caused havoc in my neighborhood that is no longer tolerable. My neighbors and
1:07:35 I pride ourselves on the close-knit block we've invested in, some of us for over 30 years.
1:07:40 I've been raising my family here for about a dozen and I'm shocked at how much chaos and
1:07:44 crime the city has continued to allow this stranger to bring to our block.
1:07:49 Our children have seen sex work, physical and verbal fights late into the night, drug use and
1:07:55 drug deals, innumerable moments of reckless behavior, lack of parenting, obnoxious drinking,
1:08:00 domestic squabbles, all from the comfort of their front porch or while they're on their
1:08:04 way to school. While always prompt in their response, Lakewood PD has been limited in their
1:08:09 legal options. As a licensed professional counselor who works in a local police department,
1:08:15 I'm aware of the limitations that the officers have in these moments, so preventing these
1:08:21 individuals from continuing to make money at the expense of my family's safety is the
1:08:25 responsibility of this council. We need to stop unsafe conditions that these non-local
1:08:32 short-term rentals create for the whole community and this issue requires this council's
1:08:37 immediate attention. As Saturday night, the police were called to the Airbnb across our street,
1:08:42 three separate talks by multiple homes to address the substance use, partying in the streets
1:08:50 and fight on the front lawn at 3 a.m. Later in the morning, they were attempting to break
1:08:55 back into the rental they had locked themselves out of. We are the only homes on the block with
1:09:02 school children. We cannot lament about declining enrollment and school safety and then not address
1:09:08 basic neighborhood safety of those children. We cannot proudly call ourselves a city of homes
1:09:14 and then allow a property owner to use his Lakewood dwelling as a cash grab rather than
1:09:20 as a home like my family and my neighbors do. Please amend the regulations that allows for
1:09:26 out-of-town renters to continue to make money with no regard for the comfort or safety
1:09:31 of our community. Thank you. Thank you. That is everyone I have signed in to speak. Did
1:09:40 anyone else wish to speak on this topic or any other topic?
1:09:47 Okay. I'll just add in regards to the short-term rentals, like I said, that is
1:09:53 we do have, we're limited that only three council members can be working on legislation at
1:09:59 any given time because of sunshine laws. But when we had a retreat, that was one of the topics
1:10:05 that many of us were interested in working on because we do hear from other residents.
1:10:12 I hear from residents, too, who are concerned about, you know, we see both sides of like
1:10:17 when my parents come into town, there's no room in my house, so it's great to have an
1:10:21 Airbnb local, a quality Airbnb locally that they can use but also don't want parties on their
1:10:28 street late into the night. We want proper, we want respectful usage of those properties
1:10:35 if they exist. There's also a concern about affordable housing, and that's something that
1:10:39 this council has also identified as an extremely high priority for us to address, and that the
1:10:45 number of short-term rentals can reduce the number of rental units and housing on the market,
1:10:51 which adds to the shortage and can add to rental pricing. So we are certainly very
1:10:57 concerned about these issues and want to be thoughtful about what we do with our legislation,
1:11:01 but it is certainly on mind. And I also do want to address with regard to FLOC, same thing,
1:11:07 some of these concerns we've been, I know I've been following some of the media that's been
1:11:13 covering some of the stories about our neighbors with that use FLOC, and it's certainly been a
1:11:20 concern of this body as we've talked about with issues with immigration. We talked tonight
1:11:25 about protecting our LGBT neighbors, just so many reasons to be mindful of how surveillance
1:11:32 is used in our community. I appreciate everyone's comments tonight recognizing that, you know,
1:11:38 that this isn't an issue of our Lakewood Police misusing it. It's an issue of how our data is
1:11:44 potentially shared, and that is something that we do have a meeting coming up with the
1:11:50 administration, again, three of us on council, and to talk through some of these concerns
1:11:55 because we share them and want to be thoughtful about this. All right, so with that, I don't
1:12:00 have anyone else signed up to speak. Last chance, public comment, anyone? All right,
1:12:04 and if not, I'm going to go to council members. Vice President Baker.
1:12:07 Yes, and thank you for the comments on the short-term rental issue. I, you know,
1:12:12 I know my two colleagues, Councilman Evans and Councilman Bullock, are working on it. I'm
1:12:15 happy to work on it as well. I know the building commissioner has expressed an interest to
1:12:19 help craft something, and I did speak with Shaker Heights' Kyle Crewson, who
1:12:26 they recently implemented their essentially ban of it unless you live on the property,
1:12:31 and he raised a really good point that I hadn't considered, which is that
1:12:34 not only are the 300 less roughly housing units that could help inventory, which would
1:12:39 bring down rents generally for people living, but it's also, they're not paying income taxes.
1:12:45 They're not residents of Lakewood, you know, so you have to weigh those things,
1:12:50 and in lost revenue, that's, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars that could go to hire
1:12:56 police officer or building inspector or something like that. So I think we have
1:12:59 to be mindful of this approach, but I'm committed to working with my colleagues to
1:13:03 come up with some regulatory regime this year. Now, it's probably not as fast as you'd like
1:13:09 because the deliberative process, only three of us can get together and talk about and work
1:13:13 with the administration and then pump it out. It takes a little bit of time, but know that
1:13:16 I think about this issue as if it was next to me and my family and what I would feel
1:13:20 like if that was happening. So I'm committed to working on it, and also on the FLOC issue,
1:13:25 as Council President said, FLOC solves crimes, but we need to be mindful of how we
1:13:32 share and handle our data. So that's what we're going to be talking about.
1:13:38 All right, other announcements from council members? Council member Striebig.
1:14:38 Thank you. Other announcements from council members?
1:15:01 All right, announcements from the administration. All right, with that,
1:15:08 I have no further business to come before council. Without objection, we are adjourned.