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Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting Held July 7, 2025 7:00 PM. A regular meeting of the Oberlin City Council was held on July 7, 2025, in the Council Chambers of the Oberlin City Hall, located at 85 S. Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio. President of Council Eboni Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Roll Call was taken as follows: 1. COUNCIL BUSINESS (a) Call Regular City Council Meeting to Order and Roll Call — 7:00 PM. Council Members: Present Absent Joseph Waltzer Jessa D. New 4 al Michael McFarlin, Vice President a 0 Ray English GO 0 Libni Lopez = O Kristin Peterson GO J Eboni A. Johnson, President 8 Appointees: Jon Clark, Interim City Manager/Law Director Marin Fowler, Interim Finance Director Belinda Anderson, Clerk of Council (b) Approval of Minutes— —Regular City Council Meeting — June 2, 2025 The minutes were approved as submitted. (c) Consider a Motion to Authorize the Formation of a Social Equity Plan Implementation Committee Members of Council heard from Terri Richardson-Sanders, Community Liaison, as she gave a summary of what the Social Equity Plan Implementation Committee will do. McFarlin said he can see that the terms are written as “not to exceed two years”, but there appears to be some goals in the plan that go beyond that period. He asked, that being the case, what is the expectation for the end of this committee’s work? Richardson-Sanders responded that she didn’t City of Oberlin I Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes } July 7, 2025 (d) (e) have an end in mind for the committee. it should have said until the life of the plan. She hopes that everyone will be able to stay on the committee for as long as they can and if not, they would be switched out. She felt that a two-year term would be good enough to evaluate the progress of the committee. Peterson noted that the terms applied to the committee members not to the committee. Richardson- Sanders reiterated that the committee will not be dissolved and that it will be ongoing. New asked how often the committee would be meeting. Richardson-Sanders noted they would be meeting quarterly, and the first meeting would be at the end of the month. New, seconded by Lopez, to authorize the formation of a Social Equity Plan Implementation Committee Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried Discuss and Consider a Motion to Authorize the Green Acres Development Committee to Negotiate the Terms of a Contract for the Development of the Green Acres Site for Approval by City Council New, seconded by Peterson, moved to discuss the topic stated above. Members of Council heard from Clark, Interim City Manager/Law Director, as he explained the committee met to review the two proposals that were received in response to the proposal that was sent out. Both of the proposals received were sparse. The committee would like an opportunity to meet with each of the developers who submitted a proposal so they could get more details and get a better idea of what they have in mind. There is a meeting scheduled for later in the week to discuss how to move forward and then schedule meetings with each of the developers independently between now and the next Council meeting in August. Clark asked Council to consider a motion to postpone this until the next Council meeting on the third Monday in August. English asked if there is an understanding that the committee would be focusing on one developer after interviews have been conducted, and work towards a contract and understanding between that developer and the City, and bring it back to Council, or would the contract happen later. Clark responded that his hope would be that the committee would be in a position to make a recommendation to Council as to which of the two developers to go with, and then Council would authorize the committee to move forward with negotiating a contract. English asked that authorization would happen at the meeting in August. Clark responded in the affirmative. English, seconded by Peterson, moved to postpone item 1d until the next Council meeting on the third Monday in August. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried Schedule a Public Hearing for August 18, 2025, to Consider a Recommendation by the Planning Commission to Amend the Zoning Map from "R1-A"/Single-Family Dwelling District and "R- 1"/Single-Family Dwelling District to "PDOD"/Planned Development Overlay District for 45918 Maple Street (Parcel Nos. 09-00-006-000-016 & 09-00-006-000-015), Parcel No. 09-00-066-000- 017, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-001, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-002, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101- 057, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-028, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-029, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-030, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-061, Parcel No. 09-00-076-101-062, Submitted by Anthony Hiti of Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold on Behalf of Kendal at Oberlin. City of Oberlin 2 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 Members of Council heard from Carrie Porter, Planning Director, as she gave a brief overview of the recommendation. Lopez asked if the zoning could be changed; would this have been the same process? Porter responded with the new zoning that we’re looking at, the planned development district goes away, but if this gets approved now, they would be grandfathered under that PDOD zoning. These are recommended to be Neighborhood Mixed Use District and Traditional Neighborhood District, which, when looking in the comprehensive plan, mention those two future land uses are mentioned and what’s included in those. English asked how long the public hearing would need to be. Porter responded that there were some members of the public who attended the Planning Commission meeting where this was discussed. There will probably be a few people who would like to speak. A half-hour meeting should be enough, but forty-five minutes should suffice. English, seconded by New, moved to schedule the public hearing to consider the recommendation from the Planning Commission for August 18" at 6:15 pm. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried 2. ANY CONCERNS NOT ON THE AGENDA MAY BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME English noted that Clark sent a notice to Councilmembers relating to Ordinance No. 25-39 and potentially dismissing the reading for the substantive portions of that ordinance. Clark noted the charter was amended in 2014, and one of the things added was the option for Council, by unanimous vote, to dispense with the reading of substantive portions of ordinances. We did that because our bond ordinances often took some time to read. We have used it a few times, and Ordinance No. 25-39 uses language from AMP’s legal counsel. Under our charter, Council has the authority to waive the requirement that the substantive portions be read by number and title only. English, seconded by McFarlin, moved to dispense the requirement for the reading of substantive portions of Ordinance No. 25-39, as a reading of those sections is not necessary in dispensing, but the requirement is to promote the efficiency of this meeting. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried Lopez stated last month that he read the LGBTQ proclamation for Pride Month. At the time, he wanted to present it to the LGBTQ group at Kendal at Oberlin, but they were unable to attend that meeting and receive the proclamation. He would like to present the proclamation to the group due to the long- standing commitment to justice, equity, and visibility in our community, and has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights. Not just within Kendal, but across Oberlin through education, engagement, and many years of activism. Seth Vilensky, CEO for Kendal at Oberlin, and Anne Francis, co-chair of Kendal’s LGBTQ¢+ allies interest group, were there to receive the proclamation and gave a brief overview of the contribution Kendal at Oberlin has made towards LGBTQ rights. Several community members from Pleasant Street near the proposed Kendal at Oberlin development voiced their concerns about the traffic, the height of the buildings, and the City services taking on too much in terms of water and sewer. City of Oberlin 3 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 3. OPPORTUNITY FOR A REPORT FROM A CITY BOARD OR COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE N/A 4. OPPORTUNITY FOR A REPORT FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE N/A 5. OLD BUSINESS: 6. NEW BUSINESS: A. ORDINANCE No. 25-34 AC CMS: An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 24-74 AC CMS, the 2025 Annual Appropriation Ordinance, to Provide for the Appropriation of Funds, to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the Ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. English, seconded by McFarlin, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. Fowler gave a summary of the appropriation of funds. She remarked that there were a few key points to highlight: e There was a request to move an administrative assistant from the City Manager’s department to the Planning Department. e One of the code administrative assistants will move to the City Manager’s department. e Various departmental adjustments including an adjustment to fund a new full time Chief Building Official position and the E-Bus services McFarlin asked about the e-bus funding and whether the existing ARPA funds can be used for that. If not, what are some of the consequences in terms of those funds that can no longer be allocated? Fowler responded that work is still being done. She spoke with the software developer, and they said they are to help and move the money, and be allocated and unencumbered for the year unbudgeted. If they are unable to move them for us, the City would lose them and have to take them back. We are still in the process of figuring out whether or not a budget adjustment is necessary, and this is a precaution in the event we are unable to. McFarlin asked how much the City has currently in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds because a couple of years ago, the amount was $60,000, and that it would be matched by Lorain County Transit. Clark responded initially, we thought we couldn’t change vendors on what’s already been encumbered, but now it looks like we may be able to. If we were not able to, then we would have to send that money back to the county. New asked if the Microsoft licensing is something brand new for the whole City. Clark responded that the IT Manager is moving everyone over to Microsoft Office 365, and there is a per-person licensing fee. New asked about the advertising fee for public bids and whether that came up because of specific advertising or just because we need more money. Clark is unsure why that was ry City of Oberlin 4 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes } July 7,2025 requested. Fowler noted it is to compensate for advertising in The Chronicle Telegram for public bids. English, seconded by McFarlin, moved to amend Exhibit A of Ordinance 25-34 in accordance with the redline version the interim city manager sent to Council. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Amendment) English, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-34 AC CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) English, seconded by Lopez, moved that Ordinance No. 25-34 AC CMS goes into immediate effect to ensure that the annual appropriation ordinance of the City of Oberlin is timely amended in order to provide for the usual daily operation of the municipality. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (1*, Effective Immediately) B. ORDINANCE No. 25-35 AC CMS: An Ordinance Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into an Agreement with First Transit, Inc. to Provide Transit-Related Services to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. McFarlin, seconded by English, moved for passage on the first reading of the ordinance. Porter gave an overview of the agreement with First Transit, Inc. Discussion ensued where councilmembers asked Porter how the transition from Slidr to First Transit will go in terms of the employees, how much leasing the e-buses would be, and using federal funds to operate the service. Porter responded to the questions as First Transit will have a similar app, and there will be GPS units on the two buses for us so anyone can track where they are. The drivers make eighteen dollars an hour and First Transit has agreed to let them reapply their hiring process, and if everything checks out, they will be making the same hourly wage, and there are also benefits. First Transit is a union, and so they have benefits. The City will lease two buses for $53,000 over two years, including new chargers. At the end of the lease period, the City could purchase the vehicles for $75,000 each and then have it be an in-house service to the City, but it requires training and figuring out the logistics. Federal funds will still be available if the City takes over the service, as long as public transit remains open to everyone. English, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-35 AC CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) EE ners a a City of Oberlin 5 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 English, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-35 AC CMS go into immediate effect to authorize an agreement to continue local public transit fixed route service for two (2) years. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) C. ORDINANCE No. 25-36 AC CMS: An Ordinance Accepting the Bid of Crossroads Asphalt Recycling, Inc. for the Park Street and East Vine Street Resurfacing Project to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. McFarlin, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the first reading of the ordinance. Members of Council heard from Jeff Baumann, Public Works Director, as he gave a summary of the bid to have Park and East Vine Street resurfaced by Crossroads Asphalt Recycling. English noted that there was a minor typo in section three with an extra closed quotation mark after the word long. Lopez asked if the company had finished their last project on time and within their original bid amount. Baumann responded that the most recent project they did was South Main Street to east of the corporate limits, past Pleasant Street. There were some unanticipated underground utility conflicts, so there may have been a minor change order. Lopez asked if they were within their time frame. Baumann responded in the affirmative. Lopez asked about the performance evaluation with QCI. Baumann noted QCI provides inspection services and contract administrative services. The main component of what they do is to monitor construction as it proceeds and provide a liaison with the neighbors and other stakeholders that may be affected by the construction while it's ongoing. McFarlin, seconded by English, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-36 AC CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) McFarlin, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-36 AC CMS go into immediate effect to accept the bid within the time limitations provided by law. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) D. ORDINANCE No. 25-37 AC CMS: An Ordinance Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Enter into a Professional Services Agreement with TRC Engineers, Inc. to Provide Construction Administration and Inspection Services for the East Vine Street Bridge Replacement Project, to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. Peterson, seconded by McFarlin, moved for passage on the first reading of the ordinance. Esa City of Oberlin 6 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7,2025 Baumann stated that with his recommendation for the proposed agreement with TRC Engineers, there is a bullet list to recap the project development that’s been done over the past three years. A big milestone was when the Council awarded the construction contract to D2 Excavating on May 19, 2025. There were two proposals, and they evaluated them according to ODOT’s criteria, both separately and then together. The city engineer and he felt that the TRC proposal was a little bit stronger than QCI. Administering a federal project is a bit different from the day-to-day administration of one of our local projects because of the numerous state and federal responsibilities that our inspection team is in charge of managing. McFarlin, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-37 AC CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) McFarlin, seconded by Lopez, moved that Ordinance No. 25-37 AC CMS go into immediate effect to ensure the orderly and efficient replacement of the East Vine Street Bridge. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) E. ORDINANCE No. 25-38 AC CMS: An Ordinance Amending the City of Oberlin Position Classification Plan Relating to the Administration Department to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. McFarlin, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the first reading of the ordinance. Clark stated this ordinance re-establishes the position of chief building official that would give the City the option to hire a full-time employee to replace the part-time person that is offered under our contract with SAFEbuilt at a lesser amount of money. It also moved the existing administrative support to the planning department under the administration to provide support services to the chief building official. This ties in with an upcoming resolution regarding the office space for the city manager, but this is one component. McFarlin sought clarification on moving the position from part-time to full-time. Clark responded that the services we are currently getting are four hours per day. This would move to eight hours per day, as his understanding is that there is enough work to do that. That would give us twice the hours we have right now, and in addition, we would be in charge of deciding who the person is who provides the services. Right now, it’s SAFEbuilt who have the authority to assign who they want. This gives us a significant amount of control over the person who is providing the services. New commented that this is needed as some feel that doing business, construction, and development is not the easiest thing for the City, and one of the components has been the lack of a | full-time building employee. Clark noted that in addition to the chief building official, SAFEbuilt provides inspection services for electrical and plumbing on an hourly basis and may include portal- | to-portal transportation. We anticipate we will be training our code enforcement officials to become licensed in those areas to provide those services in-house, which will lead to additional savings. New, seconded by Lopez, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-38 AC | CMS. City of Oberlin 7 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7,2025 Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) New, seconded by English, moved that Ordinance No. 25-38 AC CMS go into immediate effect to amend the Oberlin Position Classification Plan to ensure the efficient operation of the Building Division. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) F. ORDINANCE No. 25-39 AC CMS: An Ordinance Authorizing the City’s Participation in the American Municipal Power, Inc. (“AMP”) “On Behalf of” Financing Program and the Execution of a Loan Agreement and Promissory note in Connection Therewith; Authorizing the City’s Participation in the Ohio Treasurer of State’s Ohio Market Access Program and Authorizing the Preparation and Filing of an Application for that Program and the Execution and Delivery of a Standby Note Purchase Agreement in Connection Therewith, and Other Necessary and Appropriate Documents to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the ordinance by number and title only. Peterson, seconded by English, moved for passage on the first reading of the ordinance. Members of Council heard from Drew Skolnicki, OMLPS Director, as he gave an overview of the AMP financing program and execution ofa loan agreement and promissory note. It has been known for some A substation south of town would eventually be needed should the loads increase to the point where it is necessary. The City is to that point due to the new industrial park that will be going in. The main hold-up would be the purchasing of major equipment, and they would like to put it out for bid this year. We were told that transformers could take as long as four years to get, maybe even longer. The transmission line construction could begin once everything has been put out to bid, and the construction could take six months for that and a forty-week lead time for steel poles. A substation could be in place by late 2029. The estimated project costs total up to fourteen million dollars, and that is not to exceed the number from AMP, as the City does not have to spend that amount, and it can only be spent on this project. Skolnicki went over the agreement terms as the loan would be fourteen million dollars with a twenty-five-year term, with an expected interest rate of four percent, with the annual interest rate resetting annually. Amber Teitt with AMP is available to answer any further questions. Waltzer asked that since transformers take about four years to acquire, there would be no power to service any tenants in the new industrial park area. Skolnicki noted not any, but it would be limited. There is some capacity in the system, and it could easily do 2.5 to 3 megawatts, but it could not comfortably do more than that. McFarlin asked Skolnicki if the four percent expected rate will be reset annually, and what it is that based on. Skolnicki deferred to Teitt to answer the question. Teitt said AMP will reissue short-term security every year. The four percent rate is the interest rate the City will pay. Lopez, seconded by English, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-39 AC CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) City of Oberlin 8 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 Lopez, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-39 AC CMS go into immediate effect to assure favorable financing rates. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) G. ORDINANCE No. 25-40 AC CMS: An Ordinance Accepting the bid of Callihan Electric Inc., for the Colony, Hawthorne, and Mulberry Underground Rebuild Project for the City of Oberlin, Ohio, to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. McFarlin, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the first reading of the ordinance. Skolnicki remarked that this item has been before the Council and has been budgeted more than once. The project would have started last year, but he did not budget enough for it. It’s an ongoing effort to get rid of the 4-kV electrical system we have, and a lot of that is located on the west side of town. If anyone were to talk to the OMLPS distribution crew chief and ask which part of the system needs to be rebuilt first, they would say this project because the conduits and cables are not in great condition. If something were to fail, OMLPS would have to get creative because the conduit would no longer be usable. Two bids went out, and Callihan Electric was awarded the bid as there was a $365,000 discrepancy between them and Premium Utility Contractor from West Palm Beach, Florida. Peterson asked if the difference in the price was that Premium Utility Contractor was based out of Florida. Skolnicki assumed that was the reason since the City would be paying for travel and housing. Lopez asked what the construction of the project will look like, and if there would be any notification to residents about how long the project will last, and if there will be any disruption. Skolnicki responded that notifications will go out. Once we have the contractor secured, it would be great to sit down and discuss the time frame with them and do a town hall meeting with the community that would be affected. Peterson asked Clark if a councilmember who lives on one of the streets on which this project is being done would have to recuse themselves. Clark responded in the affirmative. {Clerk's note: Lopez recused himself from the rest of the discussion and vote due to a conflict of interest} English asked if the existing conduit it made with some metal of some kind that has been degrading. Skolnicki said he is unsure and that they believe it’s made of steel that has started to rust. English asked what the new conduit would be and how deep down the new line goes. Skolnicki said the new conduit would be made out of plastic or PVC. The depth could be either two or three feet. English, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-40 AC CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) aE EEE nS ns City of Oberlin 9 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 English, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-40 AC CMS go into immediate effect to accept a bid within the time limitations. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) {Clerk's note: Lopez rejoined the meeting. } . RESOLUTION No. R25-09 CMS: A Resolution Declaring that the Amount of Taxes that May be Raised within the Ten-Mill Limitation by Levies on the Current Tax Duplicate to be Insufficient to Provide an Adequate Amount For the Necessary Requirements of the City of Oberlin and Declaring the Necessity to Levy a Tax in excess of Such Rate for the Purpose of Providing Funds for the Current Expenses of the City, to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the resolution by number, title, and substantive portions. English seconded by McFarlin, moved for passage on the first reading of the resolution. Fowler stated this resolution is for the general fund levy, which helps support safety, recreation, parks, cemetery, code enforcement, and other general government services. The Lorain County Auditor has certified the property tax revenue to be $156,709. McFarlin asked if Fowler could discuss the advantages of doing a levy renewal now instead of a replacement. Fowler said the benefit of doing a renewal over a replacement levy is that a renewal will not increase taxes and will maintain the residential state rollback, which is the state-funded discount for taxpayers, specifically for refuse and recycling. English, seconded by McFarlin, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Resolution No. R25-09 CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) English, seconded by McFarlin, moved that Resolution No. R25-09 CMS goes into immediate effect to ensure the filing of this Resolution prior to the deadline for placing levies on the November 4, 2025, ballot. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) RESOLUTION No. R25-10 CMS: A Resolution Declaring that the Amount of Taxes that May be Raised within the Ten-Mill Limitation by Levies on the Current Tax Duplicate to be Insufficient to Provide an Adequate Amount for the Necessary Requirements of the City of Oberlin, and Declaring the Necessity to Levy a Tax in Excess of Such Rate for the Purpose of Providing Funds for the Collection and Disposal of Garbage or Refuse, to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the resolution by number, title, and substantive portions. Peterson, seconded by English, moved for passage on the first reading of the resolution. Fowler stated this resolution is for the refuse levy, which supports the collection of refuse, brush, and recycling services. Also, the associated capital is mainly for trucks, refuse, and recycling carts. City of Oberlin 10 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 The benefit of a renewal over a replacement levy is that it is best to close any budget shortfall by increasing residential or commercial rates rather than increasing the property tax levy. McFarlin, seconded by English, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Resolution No. R25-10 CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) McFarlin, seconded by English, moved that Resolution No. R25-10 CMS goes into immediate effect to ensure the filing of this resolution prior to the deadline for placing levies on the November 4, 2025, ballot. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) J. RESOLUTION No. R25-11 CMS: A Resolution Designating a Portion of the 2" Floor of 69 South Main Street as Office Space for the City Manager, to Go into Immediate Effect. The Clerk read the resolution by number, title, and substantive portions. New, seconded by English, moved for passage on the first reading of the resolution. Clark stated he has been working with the other department heads, trying to find space for the new incoming city manager, and there aren’t a lot of options. What appears to be the best option is to renovate a space on the second floor of 69 South Main Street, which is currently occupied by the building department. That is a large enough space that could with some minor improvements and make an attractive office. It is immediately adjacent to a conference room facility, and that seems to be the best that we would have to offer. Our codified ordinances require an office space for Council appointees and their staff which is to be determined by resolution of Council. All other office assignments are made by the city manager. New, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Resolution No. R25-11 CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) New, seconded by McFarlin, moved that Resolution No. R25-11 CMS goes into immediate effect to facilitate the renovation of office spaces for the City Manager. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) K. RESOLUTION No. R25-12 CMS: A Resolution Declaring Opposition to Conversion Therapy in the City of Oberlin. Johnson would like Lopez to read the resolution in its entirety and asked if a motion needed to be made. Clark responded affirmatively. McFarlin, seconded by New, moved to read Resolution No. R25-12 CMS into the record in its entirety. a City of Oberlin 11 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | July 7, 2025 Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Read in Full) Councilmember Lopez read the resolution in its entirety. Clark proposed an amendment adding a new section five to indicate that this resolution will go into effect by the earliest date allowed by law. English, seconded by McFarlin, moved to amend the resolution as Clark suggested. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Amendment) Peterson noted the wording in section four should either be “oppose to the practice” or “opposes the practice.” Clark noted that it would be corrected. English, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Resolution No. R25-12 CMS. Roll Call: 7 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) Waltzer commented that he had heard from others in the community urging Council to take this a step further and follow through on section three, where we consider legally banning it instead of in the form of a resolution, and would like to work on that with whoever is up to it. Lopez remarked that he is in contact with organizations that will provide us with the support and answer any legal questions that may need to be answered. Want to make sure that no other laws would be violated and that it is constitutional. He hopes that it becomes some sort of law or ordinance that prohibits the practice, but appreciates that this is a start and hopes that this moves forward. Cuyahoga County is reviewing its first reading of an ordinance for the county this week, and he is watching carefully what the discussion is like and who is involved, and maybe form connections through that so they may come to the City and have a discussion on that. 5. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS: (A). Referrals (B). Advocacy (C). Correspondence (D). Reports Council members provided updates on board and commission meetings, initiatives, community events, and announced upcoming meeting dates. 6. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT: Interim City Manager/Law Director Clark provided updates on the following: e Thanked the Council for letting him have the chance to serve as the interim city manager. 7. OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER APPOINTEES TO REPORT: City of Oberlin 12 Printed on 8/19/2025
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes } July 7, 2025 N/A 8. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Jeff McConeghy, 281 Reserve Avenue, expressed his concern about the multi-use path and the divider located at Reserve Avenue. 9. ADJOURNMENT: Being that there was no additional business before Council, the regular meeting adjourned at 9:25 pm. Prepared by: Briana Reynolds Clerk of Council’s Assistant Attest: BELINDA B. ANDERSON, MMC EBONI A. ee CLERK OF COUNCIL PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL APPROVED: 08/18/2025 POSTED: 08/19/2025 City of Oberlin 13 Printed on 8/19/2025