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1 MINUTES OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SEPTEMBER 29, 2025 EAST CONFERENCE ROOM Present: Councilmembers Kepple, Baker, Bullock, Marx, Strebig, Steiner, Evans Also Present: Council staff, Planning Commission interviewees Call to Order: 6:00 p.m. Approval of the minutes of the September 22, 2025 Committee of the Whole. Motion by President Kepple, seconded by Vice President Baker to approve the September 22, 2025 minutes. All members voted in favor. Minutes approved. 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. 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, appointing _____________ to the Tree Advisory & Education Board for the three- year term beginning January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2028. 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. Planning Commission Interviews Ken Farley In response to an opening question from President Kepple, Mr. Farley spoke about his current profession in risk management at First Federal Lakewood, as well as other aspects of his professional experience. He shared his interest in serving the community and stated that he has a background in lending for commercial real estate, lives in Lakewood and has several rental properties in the city. He expressed his interest in zoning and planning as well as a personal investment in the city’ s growth and development. Vice President Baker provided background on the Planning Commission and the recent addition of the Complete Streets process to its work and inquired as to Mr. Farley’ s familiarity with the Complete Streets program. In response, Mr. Farley acknowledged that he has not had experience Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B 2 with Complete Streets but brought up aspects of his professional work that he felt could be applicable. He explained that he is accustomed to explaining complex information to executives and boards of directors, who are sometimes community members. Mr. Farley spoke about his extensive experience receiving large amounts of information, collecting data, and then translating, interpreting and presenting it to members of the investment community. In response to a question about handling disagreements, Mr. Farley mentioned his experience managing personalities during his decades of work as a basketball official. He also brought up his 15 years in internal audit, and his experience encountering people with different areas of expertise as well as handling confrontation. In response to a question about balancing competing interests between groups, Mr. Farley spoke about his decades as a landlord, which involves managing contractors and tenants. He also spoke about his work in banking, in which there is an incredible amount of regulatory oversight. He noted that his job involves building relationships and good communication and emphasized the importance of being direct and specific. In response to a question about how he would prioritize gender neutral bathrooms, Mr. Farley replied that he did not have the information to offer any experience or perspective on that issue. In response to a question regarding balancing development with residential concerns, Mr. Farley acknowledged that he does not have firsthand experience with negotiating conflicts between residents and developers. He acknowledged that his general perspective is pro-growth, as he sees how commercial investment can benefit the entire community but does not have experience in navigating the impact on residential properties. Mike Finucan In response to an opening question from President Kepple, Mr. Finucan spoke about his desire to get involved in local government and his appreciation of the impact that decisions and actions of local leaders have on the future of a community. He spoke about his background in construction management serving various clients, as well as the many roles he has held in the construction industry. When asked about how his skills would fit into the goals of the Complete Streets Ordinance as part of the Planning Commission’ s process, Mr. Finucan spoke about his experience dealing with a city’ s Planning Commission as part of the scope of his work on a college campus involving a crosswalk. He emphasized the importance of looking at conflicts and issues from the perspective of the residents of Lakewood, who the commission would be representing. In response to a follow-up comment, Mr. Finucan expressed the opinion that review during the pre-design stage is a good addition to Complete Streets to make sure that changes are made early, particularly when it comes to ADA compliance. In response to a question about making potentially unpopular decisions and handling conflict, Mr. Finucan spoke about the importance of first gaining a true understanding of why a person is Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B 3 upset. He advocated starting with alignment on ordinances, laws, and contracts, and then trying to do as much as possible to help resolve concerns. In response to a question about how to prioritize gender neutral bathrooms, Mr. Finucan responded that he would view his role as not to advocate for or to prioritize one type of project over another, but to make sure that all plans and projects align with the current laws and regulations. In response to a question about how inclusion looks in the planning process, Mr. Finucan stated that he is an advocate of giving everyone a voice in the planning process. He stated that the Planning Commission would be representing the residents of Lakewood, and that inclusion means everyone has a role and has a say in that process. Nicholas Miller In response to an opening question from President Kepple, Mr. Miller described his appreciation for the walkable communities he has lived in, including Lakewood. He demonstrated an understanding of the sometimes- competing interests of Lakewood being a historic streetcar suburb with the modern day needs and demands of residents. He expressed interest in helping to shape the city and to navigate through its competing interests. In response to a question from Councilmember Baker on the concept of Complete Streets, Mr. Miller stated that a Complete Streets framework is the backbone of RTA’s strategy to improve access to the transportation system. He described recent RTA projects of which he has been a part that have incorporated Complete Streets. He asserted the importance of Complete Streets as essential to a community’ s vibrancy and livability and mentioned the small but noticeable changes that he has seen happening in Lakewood. In response to a question about managing conflict, Mr. Miller pointed out that transit is a conflict point for many people. He described how when he worked for a transit authority in Buffalo, that stops needed to be removed and that it caused upset for some. He described how he navigated that situation. In response to a question about gender neutral bathrooms, Mr. Miller shared his thoughts that gender- neutral bathrooms are an easy way to be inclusive. He stated that if the City is looking to promote unisex bathrooms that he would fully support that. In response to a question about the meaning of inclusion in the planning process, Mr. Miller pointed to reaching out to folks with disabilities, people who speak other languages, people who are disconnected from social networks, and the LGBTQ community. He spoke of the importance of getting feedback and input from these groups and also mentioned his role as a member of an accessibility council, where he learned about different tools that people use to navigate their disabilities. Councilmember Bullock asked Mr. Miller to expand upon a previous remark he made comparing Ohio City to Lakewood. Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B 4 Mr. Miller explained that Ohio City is facing unprecedented levels of development that is changing the community. He noted that while Lakewood is in a similar situation, the City has more control over the process and has affordable senior living as an anchor of stability. Still, the two communities share similar challenges such as ensuring that there are places to live for people who want to stay in the area. Both communities need to balance the benefits and drawbacks of development and grow housing diversity without pushing existing residents out. Councilmember Evans asked about Mr. Miller’ s experience working with Zoning Code updates, noting that the City of Lakewood’ s code is currently being revised. Mr. Miller provided examples of his experiences with Zoning Code updates, including his work on a zone overlay proposal that was emulated by other communities. In response to a final question about his overall experience working with planning commissions, Mr. Miller replied that he attended many Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals meetings in the last place where he lived. He also attended these meetings as part of the requirements for his Master in Urban Planning degree. Shannon Smith In response to a question from President Kepple, Mr. Smith explained how his skills and background will be an asset to the Planning Commission. He spoke about his 22 years living in Lakewood and the variety of civic activities with which he has been engaged such as sports, scouting, and the schools. He spoke about his career in architecture, including among other experiences, his work to convert the underlying zoning at Oberlin College from residential to commercial. He expressed care for and commitment to Lakewood and the desire to share his experience. In response to a question from Councilmember Baker on the concept of Complete Streets, Mr. Smith explained that he has a personal connection to the issue since his children all walked to school in Lakewood and have also experienced bike accidents. He spoke about how he has worked on projects to make college campuses more friendly to bikes, pedestrians, skateboards and other modes of transportation. In response to a question about managing conflict, Mr. Smith emphasized the importance of listening to all parties involved and having good two-way communication. He emphasized that City planners need to explain their rationale to the public or else there will be conflict. In response to a question about gender neutral bathrooms, Mr. Smith noted that he is used to designing projects like this for college campuses and that gender neutral bathrooms are very common on college campuses. He added that he would also make sure that such projects complied with state laws. In response to a question about balancing competing interests, Mr. Smith spoke about projects on college campuses where different departments felt territorial, even though they are supposed to be one campus. He acknowledged that every project can potentially result in one group being upset, but that good communication can mollify some of those feelings. Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B 5 In response to a question about his experience with planning commissions, Mr. Smith explained that he has worked with many cities to bring projects forward by working with planning commissions. His work has taken him across the country to present to a variety of planning commissions. In response to a question, Mr. Smith shared his observations about development in Lakewood, noting the significant changes in the built landscape over the past 15 years including the recent groundbreaking at the former Lakewood Hospital site, and the transformation of used car lots to housing. He stated that if he were to serve on Planning Commission, that he would like to continue to move the City forward in this direction. He would like to be welcoming to development and developers, but not overly so. Amy Haney In response to an opening question from President Kepple, Ms. Haney spoke about her previous involvement with serving on the Lakewood Heritage Advisory Board and the Architectural Review Board. She also spoke about her professional background, which has been a blend of urban planning as well as design as a licensed architect. She explained that in her role as an architect she has gravitated towards commercial real estate and affordable housing, and she has interacted with various Planning Commissions to work towards a decision that benefits both the developer and the community. She said in her current design role she manages over $100 million worth of projects with a focus on multi-family housing. In response to a question from Councilmember Baker, Ms. Haney spoke about her personal and professional interest in the concept of complete streets. She shared her belief that while Lakewood is walkable, a lot of work needs to be done to make alternative modes of transportation safe within the City. She also spoke about her involvement in the active transit planning meetings and her interest in placemaking and design. Ms. Haney agreed that having the Planning Commission involved in the pre-design phase of projects to review active transit components is a great strategy. In response to a question from President Kepple about how she responds to conflict, Ms. Haney said that in her experience working in private development she has been labeled the “ bad guy,” but ultimately comes away friends with all parties involved. She stressed the importance of listening and understanding the goals of all stakeholders and finding the right way to progress forward with the goals in mind. Ms. Haney asserted that she has found a way to reach consensus with each project she has worked on. In response to a question from Councilmember Strebig about how she would prioritize all gender restrooms, Ms. Haney responded that she would prioritize accessibility and equal treatment for everyone and that bathrooms are just one way to do that. She also said that any restrooms proposed as part of a project before planning commission would need to comply with applicable building code. In response to a question from Councilmember Hamilton Steiner regarding inclusion, Ms. Haney said she would take time to understand the goals of all stakeholders involved in a project before moving something forward. She also shared her belief that inclusion in Lakewood can be Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B 6 difficult to manage because there are so many stakeholders involved, and you need to be careful to make sure you are not prioritizing certain voices over others. In response to a question from Councilmember Evans, Ms. Haney said that she has worked with multiple communities as they are in the process of rewriting their zoning codes. She said that she believes Lakewood’ s Zoning Code is difficult for applicants to interpret and that she has already been participating in the zoning refresh conversations. Ms. Haney said she sees the zoning refresh project as an opportunity to push the progressive values of the community and she would welcome the challenge of being more involved. In response to a question from Councilmember Bullock, Ms. Haney spoke about how the current process for developers in Lakewood can be frustrating since it seems like the different City departments involved are not always aligned. She suggested it could be helpful to have a collaborative planning meeting where all parties are involved from the beginning. She expressed her belief that flexible zoning codes are a nightmare and that a zoning code should have a certain amount of rigor behind it to avoid grey areas. Ms. Haney said she believes more structure is better for the zoning code so that there are clear guidelines to back up the decisions made, and those decisions are aligned with the goals of the city. In response to a question from President Kepple, Ms. Haney said that she does not have much experience with right of way planning since she has mostly worked in private development, but that accessibility is a major component of multi-family housing projects. Meghan Zahriyeh In response to an opening question from President Kepple, Ms. Zahriyeh said that she wanted to get involved with local government because she has a parent that was a public servant, and she has since been inspired to contribute to her community as well. She shared that since moving to Lakewood in 2019 she received her real estate license and is passionate about maintaining the character of Lakewood’ s century homes. Ms. Haney said that her role as a real estate agent gives her a holistic perspective of how a project will impact a neighborhood. She also said she can provide an outside perspective since she grew up in a different community. In response to a question from Councilmember Baker regarding the concept of complete streets, Ms. Zahriyeh said that if Lakewood is going to claim to be a walkable city, then it needs to do more to make that a reality. She spoke about the importance of collecting opinions from residents and using data to make a case for change in the way active transit is prioritized and implemented. In response to a question from Councilmember Strebig, Ms. Zahriyeh said that she does not see any reason against having gender neutral bathrooms and that in New York it is common practice to have single occupancy bathrooms. She said she would want to understand better why someone might be against that approach and then work from there. In response to a question from Councilmember Hamilton Steiner regarding inclusion, Ms. Zahriyeh said that it is very important to hear everyone out and make inclusion part of the planning process. She said that her family is mixed race and that they have found Lakewood to Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B 7 be a welcoming community. She said that everyone is a part of the Lakewood community, and we need to make decisions that meet the needs of the community as a whole. In response to a question from Councilmember Bullock, Ms. Zahriyeh spoke about her experience as a real estate agent and how that would serve her as a member of the Planning Commission. She said she is used to explaining technical topics like the zoning code and property taxes in laymen’ s terms to her clients and that would be an asset when explaining the decisions of the Planning Commission. She also said her experience as an event planner has taught her that no two situations are the same and there is always a different way to approach a seemingly difficult matter. A motion was made by President Kepple, seconded by Vice President Baker to enter executive session for the purpose of considering the appointment of a public official. A roll call vote was conducted as follows: Yeas: Baker, Bullock, Evans, Kepple, Marx, Steiner, Strebig All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Committee of the Whole entered executive session at approximately 8:05 p.m. At 8:51 p.m. Committee of the Whole exited executive session and adjourned. Approved: Sarah Kepple, Chair Committee of the Whole Maureen M. Bach, Clerk of Council 10/13/2025 Docusign Envelope ID: 254266B4- 16A4-469A-B646-E4482D92439B