MIN 09-02-25

1 MINUTES OF A MEETING OF LAKEWOOD CITY COUNCIL AUDITORIUM SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 Regular meeting of the Lakewood City Council called to order at 7:30 PM by President Kepple. Present: Evans, Kepple, Baker, Bullock, Strebig, Steiner Also present: Mayor George, Law Director Vargo, Finance Director Mahoney, Human Resources Director Dillinger, Public Works Director Gordon, Planning Director Byington, Fire Chief Fairbanks, Human Services Director Berry, members of the public and Council office staff President Kepple made a motion to excuse the absence of Councilmember Marx, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion approved. Motion made by President Kepple, seconded by Vice President Baker, to approve the minutes of the July 21, 2025 Regular Meeting of Council without the necessity of a reading. All members voted in favor. Minutes approved. Motion made by President Kepple, seconded by Vice President Baker, to approve the minutes of the July 22, 2025 Community Conversation without the necessity of a reading. All members voted in favor. Minutes approved. Motion made by President Kepple, seconded by Vice President Baker, to approve the minutes of the August 12, 2025 Community Conversation without the necessity of a reading. All members voted in favor. Minutes approved. OLD BUSINESS*** 1. ORDINANCE 23-2025 - 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, enacting new Section 783 Short Term Rentals and new Section 1161. 03(cc) Short Term Rentals of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances. ( 1st read & referred to HPD 07/21/25) President Kepple made a motion to defer Ordinance 23-2025, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: President Kepple explained that the ordinance is being deferred because it has already been referred to Housing, Planning & Development Committee where it will be discussed. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

2 Councilmember Bullock emphasized that this is a working draft, and he and Councilmember Evans have been meeting with stakeholders and members of the administration for feedback to refine the ordinance. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Ordinance 23-2025 deferred. 2. ORDINANCE 24-2025 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect at the earliest period allowed by law, authorizing the City of Lakewood, Ohio to transfer title to certain real property located within the City and enter into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Belle Ave Partners, LLC for the purpose of supporting the redevelopment of certain real property in the City of Lakewood. ( 1st read & referred to COW 7/21/25) President Kepple made a motion to defer Ordinance 24-2025, seconded by Councilmember Bullock. Discussion: Vice President Baker said that he will be abstaining from voting on Ordinance 24- 2025 and Ordinance 25-2025 out of an abundance of caution since he works for a TIFF funded agency. On the motion: Councilmembers Bullock, Strebig, Hamilton Steiner, Evans and Kepple voted in favor. Councilmember Baker abstained. Motion passed. Ordinance 24-2025 deferred. 3. ORDINANCE 25-2025 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council declaring improvement to real property within the City of Lakewood, Ohio to be a public purpose; exempting such improvement from real property taxation; requiring the owners of the property to make service payments in lieu of real property taxes; establishing an urban redevelopment tax increment equivalent fund for the deposit of service payments, making related authorizations pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Sections 5709.41, 5709.42, 5709.43 and 5709.83; and authorizing a service payment agreement in connection with the same. ( 1st read & referred to COW 7/21/25) President Kepple made a motion to defer Ordinance 25-2025, seconded by Councilmember Bullock. Councilmembers Bullock, Strebig, Hamilton Steiner, Evans and Kepple voted in favor. Councilmember Baker abstained. Motion passed. Ordinance 25-2025 deferred. NEW BUSINESS*** 4. Communication from President Kepple regarding recodification of ordinances. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

3 President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 5. ORDINANCE 26-2025 - 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 editing and inclusion of certain ordinances as parts of the various component codes of the Codified Ordinances and to provide for the publication of such new matter. President Kepple made a motion to defer Ordinance 26-2025, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Ordinance 26-2025 deferred. 6. Communication from President Kepple regarding upcoming board and commission vacancies. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 7. RESOLUTION 2025-39 - 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, to appoint Chitra Walker, Dawn Ellis, Jason Frederick & Marissa Ostromek to the Anti-Racism Task Force effective immediately and until the publication of the City’ s Racial Equity Plan. President Kepple made a motion to adopt Resolution 2025-39, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: Councilmember Bullock thanked President Kepple for the thoughtful process and encouraged residents to consider applying for a board or commission vacancy. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Resolution 2025-39 adopted. 8. RESOLUTION 2025- 40 - 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, appointing _______________ to the Planning Commission for the five-year term beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2030. President Kepple made a motion to refer Resolution 2025-40 to the Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Resolution 2025- 40 referred to Committee of the Whole. 9. RESOLUTION 2025- 41 - 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, Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

4 appointing _____________ to the Tree Advisory & Education Board for the three- year term beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2028. President Kepple made a motion to refer Resolution 2025-41 to Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Resolution 2025- 41 referred to Committee of the Whole. 10. RESOLUTION 2025- 42 - 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, appointing four volunteer members to the Complete and Active Streets Education & Advisory Board and one ex-officio non-voting member of Council to serve as liaison. President Kepple made a motion to refer Resolution 2025-42 to the Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Resolution 2025- 42 referred to Committee of the Whole. 11. RESOLUTION 2025- 43 - 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, appointing Councilmember Cindy Strebig as the liaison to the Community Recreation & Education Commission for a one-year term beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2026. President Kepple made a motion to adopt Resolution 2025-43, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: Councilmember Strebig said that she is happy to serve again and looks forwarding to continuing to work with the Recreation program on the many initiatives they oversee. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Resolution 2025- 43 adopted. 12. Report from Councilmember Strebig regarding August meeting of the Community Recreation and Education Commission. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 13. July 2025 Finance Department vendor report submitted pursuant to LCO 111.03. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion approved. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

5 14. Communication from Finance Director Mahoney regarding Audit Committee. President Kepple made a motion to refer to Finance Committee, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion approved. 15. ORDINANCE 27-2025 - 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, repealing Chapter 160, Audit Committee of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Lakewood. President Kepple made a motion to refer Ordinance 27-2025 to Finance Committee, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: Vice President Baker requested that Finance Director Mahoney be prepared to talk about why they are not proposing to add a new section to the code that states that the Finance Committee will serve as the audit committee. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Ordinance 27-2025 referred to Finance Committee. 16. Communication from Human Services Director Berry regarding 2026 Community Social Service Program ( CSSP) Funding. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: In response to a question from Councilmember Strebig, Director Berry explained that the contract is with the Department of Adult Services of Cuyahoga County. He said that transportation and adult development services for the Seniors Program qualify for partial reimbursement under this funding source. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 17. Communication from Law Director Vargo regarding Opioid Litigation Settlement. Discussion: Law Director Vargo emphasized that the continuing settlements are identical in structure to the existing opioid settlements that Council previously approved. He said the only difference is that new defendants are being added to contribute to the settlement fund. In response to questions from President Kepple, Law Director Vargo said the next round of settlements is scheduled for October 8th. He also confirmed that the terms of the settlement require that the funds be used to address the opioid crisis. Councilmember Bullock requested a briefing at a committee meeting to review how the funds have been used to date. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

6 Councilmember Hamilton Steiner asked clarifying questions about how the funds are distributed. She echoed Councilmember Bullock’ s request for a briefing and advocated for the Health and Human Services Department to be part of the conversation. Motion: President Kepple made a motion to refer the communication to the Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: Vice President Baker requested more information on how the funding is handled from a legal perspective. Law Director Vargo said that the Administration came prepared to answer many of the questions brought up during the discussion so far, and they will be prepared to answer those questions in committee as well. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 18. RESOLUTION 2025- 44 - 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, authorizing the Mayor or her designee to enter into agreements to participate with other communities and the State of Ohio in the settlement of opioid claims against various companies ( the “ Settling Defendants”). President Kepple made a motion to refer Resolution 2025-44 to Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Resolution 2025- 44 referred to Committee of the Whole. 19. Communication from Planning Director Byington regarding Acquisition of 1470 Warren Rd – Due Diligence Discussion. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: President Kepple said that Council has gone forward with conducting its own analysis and they will be ready to soon reconvene at a Committee of the Whole meeting to review all the additional detailed information. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. LIQUOR PERMITS*** 20. Liquor Permit Notice – Aladdin’ s Natural Eatery @ 14536- 38 Detroit Ave. President Kepple made a motion to file without objection, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

7 21. Liquor Permit Notice – Humble Origins LLC, 15400 Detroit Ave. (pg. 61) President Kepple made a motion to defer, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. PUBLIC COMMENT**** Matt Brown, Lake Ave – Mr. Brown thanked the City for completing the Birdtown Connector Path at Madison Park. He urged Council to introduce and pass a resolution to support trans rights in Lakewood at the next Council meeting. He said he has collected over 1,000 signatures from people in support of protecting trans rights in Lakewood. President Kepple responded that she intends to have something ready for the next Council meeting and she provided more background on what she and Councilmember Strebig have been working om. Mackenzie Frato, Ridgewood Ave – Ms. Frato expressed her support for a resolution to support the trans community. She spoke about how she is tired of hearing about community members being afraid to live in the state anymore due to the influx of anti-trans legislation. Robin Zakowski, Wagar Ave – Ms. Zakowski expressed support for legislation to support trans rights as well as frustration with seeing people in the trans community feeling like they need to move out of the state. She said she would like the City to do what it can to make sure the trans community continues to feel heard and protected. Rev Nathan Self – Rev Self said he serves at St Peters Episcopal Church, and he is imploring Council to pass a resolution in support of trans rights. He said as a religious leader in the City he believes it is the clear moral choice. Michael Gill, Edwards Ave – Mr. Gill added his support for the trans community and said the matter touches him both professionally and personally. Christina Gill McCallum, St Charles – Ms. Gill McCallum said she has lived in Lakewood since 1994 and one of the things that drew her to the community was the diversity, and she would like to see that tradition carry on in support of the trans community. Councilmember Bullock pledged his support for any forthcoming legislation to protect the trans community. President Kepple said that she does not want this resolution to be a performative gesture, and she is trying to craft something that will provide as much protection as legally possible for the trans community. Billy Fronimo, Clarence Ave – Mr. Fronimo said he owns a business called House Hotels that manages short term property rentals. He said he would like to be involved with the process of Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

8 crafting legislation to regulate the short- term rental industry, and that he has helped other surrounding communities pass similar legislation. Councilmember Evans said that they are very early on in the process, and they would be happy to sit down Mr. Fronimo to discuss the matter. He said as of now there is not a plan to convene a taskforce, but they plan to solicit public input through the committee meetings and stakeholder meetings. Jeff Dudzik, Bunts Rd – Mr. Dudzik spoke about his concerns with potential safety issues along the planned multi-modal path on Bunts Rd. He recounted recent accident reports in the area involving minors on bicycles and scooters. He suggested the more interactions between bikes and cars, the higher the risk of accidents. He asked Council to consider what they will do to prevent accidents along the path. President Kepple said that Council is currently working with the Administration on legislation for bikes and scooters in Lakewood. ANNOUNCEMENTS*** Councilmember Strebig announced that the application for Youth Council is open. Planning Director Byington shared that the Planning Department has language drafted for a Bike Ordinance that will address some of the issues brought up during public comment. Councilmember Evans encouraged residents to attend the Lakewood Community Festival at Madison Park on Saturday, September 6th. Meeting adjourned at 8:39 p.m. Approved: Sarah Kepple, President of Council Maureen M. Bach, Clerk of Council 9/15/2025 Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

Regular Council Meeting Meeting Time: 09-02-25 19:30 eComments Report Meetings Meeting Time Agenda Items Comments Support Oppose Neutral Regular Council Meeting 09-02-25 19:30 31 11 1 5 3 Sentiments for All Meetings The following graphs display sentiments for comments that have location data. Only locations of users who have commented will be shown. Overall Sentiment Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

Regular Council Meeting 09- 02- 25 19: 30 Agenda Name Comments Support Oppose Neutral 10. RESOLUTION 2025- 42 - 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, appointing four volunteer members to the Complete and Active Streets Education & Advisory Board and one ex- officio non- voting member of Council to serve as liaison 2 0 1 1 VII. Public Comment 9 1 4 2 Sentiments for All Agenda Items The following graphs display sentiments for comments that have location data. Only locations of users who have commented will be shown. Overall Sentiment Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

Agenda Item: eComments for 10. RESOLUTION 2025- 42 - 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, appointing four volunteer members to the Complete and Active Streets Education & Advisory Board and one ex-officio non- voting member of Council to serve as liaison Overall Sentiment Shannon Mortland Location: Submitted At: 3:27pm 09-02-25 Please appoint a group of people who represent the residents who will actually be impacted by the decisions of this group. Proper representation is imperative. Don' t just include people who are part of special interest groups with an agenda. Amy Herberger Location: Submitted At: 2:29pm 09-02-25 Opposition to the Emergency Resolution Appointing Members to the Complete and Active Streets Education and Advisory Board. While I support the overall goal of establishing this advisory board, I am concerned about the lack of transparency in the process being used. Declaring an emergency to fill volunteer advisory positions, positions that are, by their nature not urgent, is an inappropriate use of emergency powers. These measures are meant for true emergencies, not to bypass the standard deliberative and democratic process. Rushing appointments in this way undermines public trust and limits meaningful input. These initial appointments will set the tone and structure of the board for years to come. As such, they deserve REAL public engagement, through vetting, and open discussion with the community. We must ensure this board is not dominated by any SINGLE INTEREST GROUP, and that the broader community is aware of these open positions and has a chance to participate. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

I urge Council to SLOW DOWN, INFORM the public, and make these appointments through the normal legislative process- ONE THAT INVITES TRANSPARENCY, PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Agenda Item: eComments for VII. Public Comment Overall Sentiment Tyler Teran Location: Submitted At: 7:01pm 09-02-25 My name is Tyler Teran and I have been living in Lakewood for 2 1/2 years. I live in Ward 4. I am a member of Cleveland DSA. I am writing to strongly urge you to include the Trans Sanctuary City Resolution to the agenda for the next meeting. I'm disappointed to hear it didn't make it on the agenda for tonight when DSA was given confirmation that it would be. It's incredibly important not just to me but several hundred of Lakewood residents that you make this town a safer place for all residents. Thank you. Ashley Lubecky Location: Submitted At: 6:54pm 09-02-25 My name is Ashley Lubecky and I have been a Lakewood resident for 5 years. I am also a member of DSA Cleveland. I am writing to you to ask to include the trans sanctuary city resolution to the agenda for the next meeting. I am very saddened to see that it did not make it on this week's agenda. This resolution was introduced to council almost 6 months ago now, where is the sense of urgency in this matter? The Trump Administration will only continue to attack trans rights, this resolution needed to be introduced months ago, but the second best time to do it is now. As you will see today from DSA organizers hard work, many many Lakewood residents support this matter and want to see Lakewood before a safe haven for trans folks. Please treat this matter with the urgency it needs and introduce the resolution ASAP! Thank you. Ryan Bergstrom Location: Submitted At: 6:47pm 09-02-25 Good Evening, Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

My name is Ryan Bergstrom, I live in ward 4 at 1587 Ridgewood Ave Apt 2. I am writing this today because I am disappointed to hear that you did not include the trans sanctuary city resolution on today’s agenda. This is simply unacceptable. Trans people are under attack all across the country. As both the State and Federal Governments continually take away trans healthcare especially for youth (such as the Supreme Court ruling that bans or restricts trans healthcare for youth in 27 states including Ohio. The case is US vs Skrmetti), ban books related to trans and other LGBT subjects and publicly demonize trans people across the country. The situation and fear that trans people, their friends and family have to endure gets worse everyday; time is of the essence. The City of Lakewood needs to show that we stand in solidarity with the Trans community and that this city is safe and welcoming place for them. I implore the entire council to ensure that the Trans Sanctuary City resolution makes on to the next meeting agenda on September 12th. Jeff Dudzik Location: Submitted At: 6:41pm 09-02-25 Adding a side path that encourages use by all ages on a busy arterial street like Bunts—without a clear bicycle ordinance or enforcement framework—is a recipe for disaster. With 116 driveway and street intersections, high traffic levels, frequent turning movements, and limited driver visibility, the risks of conflict are significant. I urge Council to pause this project until safety concerns are fully addressed and appropriate regulations are in place. Matthew Herberger Location: Submitted At: 6:12pm 09-02-25 Bunts Road Multi Modal Path Initiative This proposed project is destined to be a failure. Lets begin where it has already failed This project: Failed to properly notify residents that a multi-modal path was planned for Bunts Road. Failed to notify impacted residents of Bunts Road in a "...manner that the service of summons is required.."(131.01(c)) Failed to engage those most impacted in the initial planning stages of project Failed to follow ODOT's recommendations in it's "Multimodal Design Guide and project-level planning" Failed to complete a comprehensive environmental review and publish for public consumption Failed to follow the city's own guidelines as outlined in "City of Lakewood – Tree Action Plan 2022" Failed to listen to legitimate safety concerns expressed by residents Failed to complete a comprehensive traffic review and publish for public consumption Failed to take into account the ongoing and continuous funding for the upkeep and maintenance of the project Failed to anticipate legal issues arising from, and the necessary ordinances required, to maintain the safe and lawful use of the multimodal path I leave you with this thought, though the list of failures has hardly been exhausted Something born of such failure is doomed to failure Thank you John Rodemann Location: Submitted At: 6:05pm 09-02-25 I'm unable to attend today's meeting but wanted to comment; apologies if this is only for those that can attend. Last week I was pretty upset about the state of the sidewalks in Birdtown. Walking my son to and from school was unsafe/treacherous, I'm glad I was there to help navigate. My worry is for those kids that didn't have an adult to assist, or really all pedestrians that live in the neighborhood. Sidewalks on both sides of each street ( Lark, Plover, Thrush, Robin, Quail, and Dowd) were closed at various points, leaving no Public Right- Of- Way. The only way through was walking in the street or crossing where there wasn' t a crosswalk. The hired safety crew were only interested in getting car traffic through, they had 10+ people stand and watch as we tried to figure out a safe way to traverse. It took a couple of days to find the only route that allowed us to get there using crosswalks and not walking in traffic. We approach the school from the east and had to walk twice the distance ( passing the school and doubling back) in order to walk "the right way." I'm not sure how this gets approved, It seems like there was Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

no forethought to keep the neighborhood ADA accessible/ PROWAG compliant and that is a problem. I understand that projects need to be completed and there are timelines involved but I do wish there would be more thought about how it impacts the neighborhood it serves while being completed. I just filled out a survey regarding the walkable aspects of the city for schools just a few days ago and now regret my responses. I thought making Lakewood a walkable city was a priority? Rebecca Loyd Location: Submitted At: 5:50pm 09-02-25 Oppose the Bunts Rd multi use shared path. There are safer ways to do this. The city shows no concern for property owners and does not engage owners in planning and revision of ideas. Shameful that the power has been taken from the people. Shannon Mortland Location: Submitted At: 3:28pm 09-02-25 The recent public meeting with First Energy was spirited - to say the least. As you have heard from many residents, it is unacceptable to have a malfunctioning and inadequate electrical system in Lakewood. As you prepare to embark upon the Bunts Road project next spring, please consider burying the electrical lines. It is the perfect opportunity to test how buried lines can improve the performance of our electrical grid. Multiple industry sources agree that, though it can be more expensive up front to bury lines, they are significantly more reliable. Buried lines: Are not impacted by weather Are safer because people cannot touch them Need less maintenance because they are not impacted by weather and surrounding vegetation Have fewer outages because they are not susceptible to weather Are More aesthetically pleasing – which you should be striving for on all major entryways into Lakewood These five points make Lakewood more a desirable location for businesses and residents, which increases our property values and, therefore, tax income for the city. The trees surrounding electrical wires running through my backyard were scheduled to be trimmed 3 weeks ago. First Energy’s contractor never showed. When we called, they said they would get to it when they could. If they can’t even trim trees according to their own schedule, do you have any confidence that they will improve our electrical system anytime in the near future? Don’t wait for them to make a move. Take the initiative. As many of you come up for reelection now or in the coming years, this could be a great talking point to show that you took the initiative while First Energy offered minor band-aids such as trimming trees and installing meters that seem to have very little impact. A reliable electrical system is not just a want – it’s a need. For safety. For stability. For a brighter future for Lakewood. I hope you will listen to the residents and do what’s right for us. Amy Herberger Location: Submitted At: 12:41pm 09- 02- 25 Oppose - Bunts Road Shared Use Path Project Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232

There are so many compelling reasons to RECONSIDER this project based on DATA, SAFETY, PROCESS and COST. Demand does not exist. No studies or data shows any significant bicycle demand. No traffic study or true connectivity analysis has been released to justify this project. The path will end abruptly at city line. Safety is not improved- it is worsened. With 116 intersections and driveways along the route, users will face constant conflict points. Shared use paths like this are known to increase accidents, especially for children, seniors and people with disabilities. It also creates new legal liabilities for the city and homeowners. Planning has been poor. Major decisions were made made before the public input period closed. Reasonable alternatives, like painted bike lanes instead of parking or sidewalk improvements, were not seriously considered. Over 1300 residents and growing have already signed a petition against this project. Environment and cost are major concerns. Mature tree removal will permanently alter the neighborhood. No environmental impact or cost-benefit study has been provided. Long term maintenance, snow removal, repairs, landscaping, will become an ongoing burden for taxpayers. EV planning is nonexistent. There are no local ordinances or planning efforts to regulate the growing use of e- bikes and e-scooters. Without rules for speed, right of way and safety, and noise, the path will become chaotic and extremely dangerous. Lakewood should support smart, SAFE, and sustainable infrastructure. This project is the OPPOSITE. It is unsafe, unjustified, and POORLY PLANNED. It is reckless on the part of the city and will likely become a costly failure due to the lack of proper research, transparency, and community support. Please change course and pursue safer, more sensible alternatives that truly reflect the needs and priorities of the Lakewood taxpayers. Read the signs. Docusign Envelope ID: EC035A29- 3822-4DB5-91FD-C0F27410B232