Full Document
1 MINUTES OF A MEETING OF LAKEWOOD CITY COUNCIL AUDITORIUM JANUARY 5, 2026 Regular meeting of the Lakewood City Council called to order at 7:31 PM by Councilmember Bullock. Present: Councilmembers Evans, Kepple, Baker, Bullock, Strebig and Hamilton Steiner. Also present: Mayor George, Police Chief Fischer, Law Director Vargo, Finance Director Mahoney, Fire Chief Fairbanks, Planning Director Byington, Public Works Director Gordon, Human Resources Director Dillinger, Council staff and members of the public. Motion made by Councilmember Bullock, seconded by Councilmember Kepple, to approve the minutes of the December 15, 2025 Regular Meeting of Council without the necessity of a reading. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Councilmember Bullock opened the floor to nominate the next Council President to serve a two- year term. Councilmember Baker made a motion to nominate Councilmember Kepple to serve as President, seconded by Councilmember Strebig. Discussion: Councilmember Bullock said that Councilmember Kepple has been a thoughtful leader and he is happy to support the motion. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Councilmember Kepple elected as Council President to serve another two-year term. President Kepple made a motion to nominate Councilmember Baker as Vice President, seconded by Councilmember Bullock. Discussion: Councilmember Bullock spoke highly of Councilmember Baker ’s leadership and expressed his support. Councilmember Baker said he views the role of Council leadership to help navigate the body to best achieve everyone’ s shared goals and that it is an honor to be nominated to continue that service. President Kepple said she greatly values Councilmember Baker ’s partnership and is happy to continue working with him in this capacity. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Councilmember Baker elected Vice President to serve another two-year term. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
2 OLD BUSINESS*** 1. Report from Committee of the Whole held January 5, 2026 ( to be provided) President Kepple provided the following oral report: Committee of the Whole met today to review candidates who had applied for the Ward 4 vacancy, which has become vacant due to the resignation of former Councilwoman Cindy Marx effective at the end of 2025. We reviewed those applications. We had nine candidates apply – eight – sorry - eight candidates apply. Council met in executive session. After exiting executive session, I made a motion which was upheld to invite the following candidates for interviews for that Ward 4 vacancy. Those candidates are Jason Frederick, Matt Bixenstine, AJ (Pixi) Mallo, and Sydney Lightner-Canaday. Those interviews will be held next week here in the Council Chambers and livestreamed so that everyone can view those. We anticipate that Council will then vote on that appointment at the following full Council meeting. We also had a little bit of time left, we also discussed the sort of process and timeline for our upcoming City Hall discussions and discussed a little bit of some of the things that Council would be considering and needing to look at as we went through that timeline.” President Kepple made a motion to receive and file, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 2. RESOLUTION 2025- 77 - 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 Ward 4 seat on Lakewood City Council for the remainder of the four-year term ending December 31, 2027. ( referred to COW 12/15/25 President Kepple made a motion to defer Resolution 2025- 77, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. NEW BUSINESS*** 3. Communication from Councilmember Kepple regarding updated schedule for City Hall facilities discussions. President Kepple made a motion to refer the communication to Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: President Kepple reiterated that this communication is essentially what was discussed at the end of tonight’ s Committee of the Whole meeting. Councilmember Bullock questioned why if the scope of work for the City Hall facilities discussion for 2026 is focused on architecture and design planning, is it necessary to debt finance that since that type of financing is typically reserved for capital projects. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
3 President Kepple responded that the schedule is meant to give Council time to dig deeper into those types of questions. In response to a question from Mayor George, President Kepple clarified that she was anticipating that the Administration would present on January 26th and the additional meetings were for follow-up discussions. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 4. Communication from Councilmember Kepple regarding re-codification of ordinances. Motion made by President Kepple to receive and file the communication, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 5. ORDINANCE 01-2026 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, to approve the 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. Motion made by President Kepple to defer Ordinance 01-2026, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 6. Communication from Mayor George regarding Presenting the Administration’ s Case for Relocating to Downtown Lakewood: 1470 Warren Road- Old Board of Education Building (“ BOE”). Motion made by President Kepple to refer the communication to Committee of the Whole, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: Councilmember Bullock asked Mayor George whether the Administration believed that a two-campus solution was the only option or if they would consider a City Hall expansion instead. Mayor George stated that purchase of the BOE Building allowed for the public-facing departments to reside in one central building, which would include the departments currently working out of the annex across the street from City Hall. She explained that the annex could then be used by commercial purposes. Councilmember Bullock asked if Mayor George and the Administration view the two-campus option as the only solution that they support, or if they would be open to other options after going through the decision- making process. Mayor George stated that based on the Administration’ s findings, they believe that the City Hall expansion on its own is not a suitable option for City Hall. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
4 Councilmember Baker asked that the Administration’ s upcoming presentation include an explanation for the process that would eliminate the need for a criteria architect. Mayor George affirmed that information regarding that issue will be included in the presentation. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 7. Communication from Mayor George regarding Mayoral Appointments to Boards and Commission. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file the communication, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 8. Communication from Mayor George regarding Mayoral Reappointments to Boards and Commissions. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file the communication, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 9. Communication from Mayor George regarding Mayoral Appointments to CASE Board. President Kepple made a motion to receive and file the communication, seconded by Vice President Baker. Discussion: In response to a question from President Kepple, Planning Director Byington stated that Assistant Planning Director Baas will be working with CASE Board, and that there are plans to schedule a first meeting in February. On the motion: All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 10. Communication from Director Vargo regarding Submerged Lands Lease at 1040 Forest Cliff. In response to a question from President Kepple, Director Vargo and Director Gordon confirmed that a review has been completed. President Kepple raised the question of sending Resolution 2026- 01 to committee. Vice President Baker commented that while he would be interested in reviewing the Resolution, he did not want to cause a delay in the timeline. Director Gordon stated that this Resolution is for a private development, and that the easement was needed for a sewer outfall. He noted that the resident has been patient and hopes to be able to move forward. Councilmember Evans and President Kepple discussed a possible timeline for referring the Resolution to the Public Works & Sustainability Committee. Mayor George noted that the resident is awaiting formal approval to move forward. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
5 Vice President Baker stated that the Public Works & Sustainability Committee could review and approve it in time for the next scheduled Regular Meeting of Council. Motion made by President Kepple to refer the communication to Public Works & Sustainability Committee, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 11. RESOLUTION 2026- 01 - 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, approving the use of submerged lands for property located at 1040 Forest Cliff Drive, Lakewood, Ohio PPN 311- 13-073 ( a legal description of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “ A”), in order to permit the owners the opportunity to construct the proposed shore structure. Motion made by President Kepple to refer Resolution 2026-01 to Public Works & Sustainability Committee, seconded by Vice President Baker. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. 12. December 2025 Finance Department vendor report submitted pursuant to LCO 111.03. Motion made by President Kepple to receive and file the communication. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. PUBLIC COMMENT**** Robert Organ, Bayes Ave. Mr. Organ spoke about the safety hazards facing pedestrians and cyclists due to the failure to clear snow from sidewalks and bike lanes. He pointed out the many reasons that residents may not be able to drive a car, and how uncleared snow effects those residents. He stated that additional legislation or enforcement is needed to resolve this issue and asked Council to consider a solution by next winter. President Kepple replied that Council hears from residents often on this topic when it snows and noted that there is a city ordinance that requires home and business owners to clear their sidewalks. She stated that the Building Department has been busy enforcing that ordinance and asked that residents continue to report violations to the Building Department. She also reminded everyone to clear their sidewalks and to assist neighbors when needed. Chris Bindel, Hathaway Ave. Mr. Bindel spoke in favor of rank choice voting. He pointed out that two years have passed since the Charter Review Committee met and reminded Council that rank choice voting was one of the recommendations of that Committee. He asked Council to address the Charter Review recommendations prior to the August 5th deadline for additions to the ballot. President Kepple acknowledged that the Charter Review Committee’ s recommendations are on her radar and that she was considering getting them on the ballot in time for the November election. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
6 ANNOUNCEMENTS**** President Kepple acknowledged and thanked the City staff for working over the holidays to clear the snow and keep the city safe. Councilmember Strebig announced January 16 as Religious Freedom Day, and January 19 as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. President Kepple announced that the Regular Meeting of City Council will be held the Tuesday after MLK Day. Chief Fischer announced that Ward 3 won the Cram the Cruiser contest. Regular Meeting of City Council adjourned at 8:13 pm. Approved: Sarah Kepple, President of Council Maureen M. Bach, Clerk of Council 01/20/2026 Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
Regular Council Meeting 01- 05- 26 19: 30 Agenda Name Comments Support Oppose Neutral 6. Communication from Mayor George regarding Presenting the Administration' s Case for Relocating to Downtown Lakewood: 1470 Warren Road- Old Board of Education Building (" BOE"). 1 0 1 0 VII. Public Comment 1 0 1 0 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: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
Agenda Item: eComments for 6. Communication from Mayor George regarding Presenting the Administration' s Case for Relocating to Downtown Lakewood: 1470 Warren Road- Old Board of Education Building (" BOE"). Overall Sentiment Shannon Mortland Location: Submitted At: 6:23pm 01-05-26 I oppose the city's proposal to move any city offices to the an expensively renovated former BOE building in downtown Lakewood. The BOE moved its offices because "The combined buildings are expensive to maintain, dated, difficult to heat, and not laid out well for administrative offices," according to a 2016 Cleveland.com story. The city would be throwing away more money - in addition to the wasteful spending already slated for the dangerous, ill-fated and largely unwanted Bunts Road Multimodal path. The more prudent solution would be to renovate and expand the existing city hall into its own front yard. This building is more than 50 years younger than the former BOE building. In the past two years, we have seen city officials force on its residents a multimodal path and the closing of at least one school building. There is also talk of building an unnecessary pier at Lakewood Park. Why? This is all being done with no facts to back up these plans and signifiant public resistance. Notice the trend of ignoring the taxpayers' wishes. Do not continue this trend of wasting taxpayer dollars - especially at a time when Lakewood has real needs and problems to solve. Our roads are a mess, many storefronts are empty on Madison, the sidewalks are crumbling, and trash permeates throughout the city. Make 2026 the year you reverse this dangerous trend of ignoring taxpayers and siding with small, special interest groups. Prioritize the city's actual needs. Return Lakewood to being the progressive and attractive city that it once was or all of our property values will suffer - not just those on Bunts. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
Agenda Item: eComments for VII. Public Comment Overall Sentiment Amy Herberger Location: Submitted At: 6:00pm 01-05-26 I urge the City to conduct a thorough and careful review of the proposed Bunts Road Multimodal Path. This 10-foot-wide, 1.5-mile path would run directly in front of homes, cross 95 driveways and four major intersections, create more than 116 potential conflict points, and require the removal of 134 mature trees. These factors present SIGNIFICANT safety risks. As both a residential street and a main entrance to Lakewood, resident and pedestrian safety must be the highest priority. To ensure safety: Multimodal path speeds should be strictly limited to 7–10 mph. Motorized vehicles should be prohibited. Pedestrians and residents must always have the right-of-way. Clear signage and consistent enforcement are essential. The City should provide written policies addressing path maintenance, driveway responsibilities, project timelines, and liability to protect residents and the municipality. Rehabilitation efforts should: Preserve residents’ concrete driveways. Include replacement trees of comparable size. Use shielded lighting and underground utilities where feasible. Remove parking when necessary to ensure safety. Employ durable, long-lasting materials that maintain a residential character. This multimodal path has no precedent in a dense residential neighborhood, making careful design, transparency, Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742
and accountability critical. Bunts Road residents deserve a safe, high-quality project that meets Lakewood’s standards. I respectfully ask the City to ensure this project is executed thoughtfully, setting a strong benchmark for SAFETY and QUALITY in our community. Docusign Envelope ID: D932462A- 0C5B-4459-9073-7EE6D6C35742