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Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting Held December 15, 2025 7:00 pm. A regular meeting of the Oberlin City Council was held on December 15, 2025, in the Council Chambers of the Oberlin City Hall, located at 85 S. Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio. Council President 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 B in| Jessa D. New =) oO Michael McFarlin, Vice President B oO Ray English 8 Oo Libni Lopez 8 O Kristin Peterson 8 oO Eboni A. Johnson, President oO = Appointees: Greg Holcomb, City Manager Jon Clark, Law Director Marin Fowler, Finance Director Belinda Anderson, Clerk of Council (b) Approval of Minutes — Public Hearing and Regular City Council Meeting — December 1, 2025 The minutes were approved as submitted. (c) Schedule a Public Hearing for January 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to consider a Recommendation from the Planning Commission Regarding the Approval of a New Draft Zoning Code and Zoning Map for the City of Oberlin. English, seconded by Waltzer, moved to Schedule a Public Hearing for January 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to consider a Recommendation from the Planning Commission Regarding the Approval of a New Draft Zoning Code and Zoning Map for the City of Oberlin. City of Oberlin I Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 (d) (e) Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried A Motion to Authorize the Disposal of a 1986 Caterpillar Model 416 Backhoe from the City of Oberlin Public Works Department, Buildings and Grounds Division. Baumann remarked that the City’s surplus ordinance requires the Council’s authorization to surplus any personal property that is valued at more than $3,000. This has a residual value of around $10,000. Council discussed repealing the 2011 surplus ordinance. Lopez, seconded by Peterson, moved to authorize the disposal of a 1986 Caterpillar Model 416 Backhoe from the City of Oberlin Public Works Department, Buildings and Grounds Division. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried Consider a Motion to Adopt an Updated Handbook for Boards and Commissions. Members of Council discussed and considered a motion to adopt the revised membership handbook for boards and commissions. New, seconded by Lopez, moved to adopt the updated boards and commissions handbook. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried ANY CONCERNS NOT ON THE AGENDA MAY BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME N/A OPPORTUNITY FOR A REPORT FROM A CITY BOARD OR COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE N/A OPPORTUNITY FOR A REPORT FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE NA OLD BUSINESS: A. ORDINANCE No. 25-56 AC CMS: An Ordinance Declaring 8.6994 Acres of Real Property Located on U.S. Route 20 to be Surplus and Authorizing the City Manager to Sell Said Property to GPH Holdings, LLC to Go into Immediate Effect (3°) (P) The Clerk read the Ordinance by number and title only. English, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the third reading of the Ordinance. Clark commented that they have not been able to finalize this matter at this time. He asks that the Council postpone the ordinance indefinitely. City of Oberlin 2 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes { December 15, 2025 English, seconded by Peterson, moved to postpone the consideration of Ordinance No. 25-56 AC CMS indefinitely. Roll Cali: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Third Reading) B. ORDINANCE No. 25-61 AC CMS: An Ordinance Implementing 3735.65 through 3735.70 of the Ohio Revised Code, Establishing and Describing the Boundaries of a Community Reinvestment Area in the City of Oberlin, designating a Housing Officer to Administer the Program, and Creating a Community Reinvestment Housing Council and a Tax Incentive Review Council (2"4) The Clerk read the Ordinance by number and title only. New, seconded by Waltzer, moved for passage on the second reading of the Ordinance. Porter briefly recapped the proposal to establish a Community Reinvestment Area, designating a Housing officer to administer the program, and creating a Community Reinvestment Housing Council and a TIRC, and the discussion from the previous meeting. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Second Reading) C, ORDINANCE No. 25-64 AC CMS: An Ordinance to Appropriate Monies for Municipal Purposes for the Fiscal Year 2026 to Go into Immediate Effect. (274) The Clerk read the Ordinance by number and title only. English, seconded by New, moved for passage on the second reading of the Ordinance. Fowler reviewed several revisions to the budget that have been made since the ordinance appeared before Council on first reading. e The revised exhibit includes: o an $84,000 increase in projected Income Tax Fund revenue to reallocate funding for a police cruiser that was previously allocated to the Sustainable Reserve Fund. o A corresponding $84,000 decrease in the Sustainable Reserve Fund expenses, removing the cruiser cost from that fund. o A $4,000 increase in projected Income Tax Fund revenue to maintain a positive Capital Improvement Budget balance, based on year-to-date income tax receipts. English, seconded by Lopez, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-64 CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) City of Oberlin 3 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 English, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-64 AC CMS go into immediate effect to ensure that the annual appropriations ordinance for the City of Oberlin, Ohio, is approved in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code prior to January 1, 2026. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) 6. NEW BUSINESS: (Clerk Note: Ordinance No. 25-70 AC CMS was considered at the top of the New Business order. [The reason is unclear) However, to ensure continuity, the ordinance remains in the order of the original agenda.) A. ORDINANCE No. 25-65 AC CMS: An Ordinance Authorizing the City Manager to Dedicate Land Owned by the City of Oberlin for Public Outdoor Recreational Uses to Facilitate the Replacement of the South Pleasant Street Bridge to Go into Immediate Effect The Clerk read the Ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. Peterson, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. Members of Council considered a recommendation from the Public Works Director, Jeff Baumann, to dedicate vacant city-owned land, formerly 66 South Park Street, for public outdoor recreation use to facilitate the replacement of the South Pleasant Street Bridge. It was noted that, upon completion of the dedication, ODOT would contribute more than $800,000 towards the bridge replacement project, which is anticipated to be ready for bid in early 2026. New, seconded by Lopez, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-65 AC CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) English, seconded by Lopez, moved that Ordinance No. 25-65 AC CMS go into immediate effect to facilitate the replacement of the South Pleasant St. bridge over Plum Creek. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) B. ORDINANCE No. 25-66 AC CMS: An Ordinance Accepting the Bid of Buckeye Excavating and Construction, Inc. of Norwalk, Ohio for the Oberlin City Municipal Area Parking Lot Improvement Project to Go into Immediate Effect The Clerk read the Ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. Peterson, seconded by New, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. Members of Council considered a recommendation from the Public Works Director, Jeff Baumann, that City Council award the Oberlin City Municipal Area Parking Lot Improvement Project City of Oberlin 4 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 to Buckeye Excavating & Construction, Inc. of Norwalk, Ohio in the not to exceed amount of $296,367.00 After hearing the background and overview of the proposed project and clarifying questions concerning the reallocation of 2025 funds, Lopez, seconded by English, moved to waive the three- reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-66 AC CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) Lopez, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-66 AC CMS go into immediate effect to facilitate the improvements to the municipal area parking lot. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) C. ORDINANCE No. 25-67 AC CMS: An Ordinance Enacting New Chapter 707 of the Oberlin Codified Ordinances to Prohibit the Provision of Conversion Therapy to Minors within the City of Oberlin Clark pointed out that, due to the length of this ordinance, a charter provision provides that Council may by unanimous consent, waive the requirement for a reading of the substantive portions if Council determines that it is not necessary and a dispensation of the requirement would promote efficiency in the conduct of the meeting. English asked if, in lieu of reading the ordinance, someone could provide a summary of it. Clark remarked that the ordinance prohibits the provision of Conversion Therapy to minors in the City of Oberlin. It defines what Conversion Therapy is. There are provisions that state that it is not the Council’s intent for this to infringe on free speech but it is rather a regulation for the protection of minors in this area. This issue is before the United States Supreme Court. At this time, many communities across the country have adopted these ordinances. It remains to be seen how the Supreme Court will rule on these. If this is adopted, it may be repealed depending on what the Supreme Court says. It may stand. It may be amended. We just do not know. But this has been prepared at the request of Council, and Mr. Lopez has reviewed this and may have additional comments. After discussion on who to proceed with reading the document. McFarlin asked that the ordinance be read in full with assistance. The ordinance was read as directed. New, seconded by Peterson, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. Lopez remarked that he had prepared additional remarks in addition to those made by Mr. Clark. Lopez stated that, not only as a council member but also as a mental health therapist, because the perspective is central to his support for this ordinance. He wants to be clear about what this ordinance is and what it is not. This is a preventive standard meant to set clear professional boundaries before harm occurs. It is not a regulation of beliefs, speech, or religious expression. People remain free to hold, express, teach, or discuss any views that they have about sexual City of Oberlin 3 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes {| December 15, 2025 orientation or gender identity, publicly or privately. Clergy and pastoral counseling are explicitly excluded. This agreement is not being criminalized here, but what is being regulated is professional conduct by licensed mental health practitioners in a very narrow and clearly defined way. As a therapist, I want to explain what ethical treatment looks like. Therapy, like medical practices, follows professional standards. We are also sworn to do no harm. We conduct a psychosocial assessment, develop a diagnosis, and a treatment plan. That plan is collaborative, evidence-based, and most importantly, it is client-centered, especially when we work with minors, The goal of therapy is not to impose therapists’ beliefs; the goal is to help the client reach the highest possible level of functioning, safety, and well-being. If a young person comes to me distressed because they came out, or because they don’t want to be gay, or because they are questioning who they are, my role is to support the client in what they bring into the room as they are. I can disagree with a client, I can share my beliefs with a client, but the treatment is never dependent on my beliefs or what J think. Conversion therapy is fundamentally different. It centers on a provider’s belief system, rather than the client’s needs, and uses discredited practices to push a predetermined outcome. That is why every major medical and mental health association has found it to be ineffective and harmful to minors and to anyone. That is why when complaints are filed with the boards, the boards do take disciplinary action, including fines, revoking or suspending a license, and conducting supervisions. Conversion therapy is something that every association has banned. This ordinance does not ban exploration, support, or difficult conversations. It does not prevent clients from seeking care or therapists from helping young people cope, reflect, or grow. It simply draws a clear boundary around what licensed providers should not do in treatment. Minors do not always have the power to refuse care, or switch providers, which is exactly why safeguards like this exist in pediatric and adolescent treatment. This ordinance stays in the City’s proper lane, respects constitutional rights, and reflects our responsibility to protect young people using evidence-based practices. I hope that it is clear about what it is and what it isn’t, and I think that it is important that we have people who are in the field speak about it. I have been practicing for 13 years, and I see the harm it causes when we don’t check our biases. That is why our training is evidence-based. Peterson commented that she is a retired, licensed independent social worker, and the NASW is one of the groups that has banned its licensed people from doing this; how that gets implemented, she doesn’t know, as she has been retired for quite a while. She asked if they had any instances in Oberlin where this had occurred. McFarlin replied, no, we don’t. Lopez replied that in his investigation, it hasn’t; it typically happens under the radar. Usually, it is a situation where the person dies by suicide, and then it comes out that they went through this treatment, so it is very much under-reported. Members of Council heard from Brandon West, 1125 West 17" Street, Lorain, Ohio, who remarked that he is an activist from Lorain and expressed his support of the conversion therapy ban. He remarked that he had spearheaded a number of coalitions resulting in the banning of conversion therapy in the City of Lorain and in Cuyahoga County. He remarked that after the passage of those bans, he received hundreds of messages from families saying that their children finally felt safe enough to get proper mental health support from licensed therapists. By passing this ban, Oberlin will see the same result. Tonight, Oberlin has the chance to join a Northern Ohio safety net. One of the areas of protection, education, and care that he and his team, along with many other activists and unsung heroes, have been working to establish across the region. He asked Oberlin to please expand this safety net to Oberlin and protect LGBTQIA+ youth from the dangers of a discredited and dangerous practice. One that deserves to stay in the history books. City of Oberlin 6 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 Anne Francis, 49 Kendal Drive, commented that she believed this ordinance was extremely important. She is a member of the LGBTQ community, and she is now 83 years old and has seen over many decades the harm that conversion therapy does to young people, which this covers. It is very important that the public understand what conversion therapy is. A lot of people in a town like Oberlin would think that they don’t need something like this here. However, given the state of things, in the state and in the nation, this kind of protection and this kind of information will be very helpful going forward and will strengthen us as a community and will help us live up to the values of our Social Equity Plan, even ifthe Supreme Court rules differently. English thanked Mr. Lopez for his leadership on this issue. He thinks that it is very important that they make a clear statement affirming this through this ordinance. He noted that nothing here restricts free speech and that in this country, even hate speech, is, in general, protected. So, nothing prohibits or restricts speech either in favor of or opposed to conversion therapy, or speech related to issues of gender and sexuality. The last thing he will say here is that conversion therapy, as he understands it, is basically equivalent to professional malpractice. In view of that, he thinks that they should state clearly that they do not want to see it practiced in Oberlin. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (1° Reading) D. ORDINANCE No. 25-68 AC CMS: An Ordinance Authorizing an Increase in the Compensation for the City Law Director, and Amending Ordinance No. 13-13 AC CMS, Appointing the Law Director, for the City of Oberlin, Ohio, to Go into Immediate Effect The Clerk read the Ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. Waltzer, seconded by English, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. Clark asked for a motion to amend the Ordinancée, adding the words “as amended” to the end of Section 1, so that subsequent ordinances would be incorporated. English, seconded by Waltzer, moved to add the words “as amended” to the end of Section 1. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Amended) New, seconded by Waltzer, moved to amend section 3, to replace the word “resolution with the word “ordinance”. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Amend as Amended) English, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-68 AC CMS as amended. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) City of Oberlin 7 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 English, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-68 AC CMS, as amended, go into immediate effect to provide an increase in the compensation for the Law Director before the end of the fiscal year. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) E. ORDINANCE No. 25-69 AC CMS: An Ordinance Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association to Align Pay and Benefits with the Addition of 12-hour Shifts within the Oberlin Police Department to go Into Immediate Effect The Clerk read the Ordinance by number, title, and substantive portions. New, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. Clark remarked that the police department wants to implement the option of 12-hour shifts to attract younger officers and to make us more competitive with other communities that do offer 12-hour shifts. This doesn’t do away with 8-hour shifts, which will still be offered. To make this change, some minor changes to the existing OPBA Contract. Clark reviewed the changes that were made. Waltzer asked if we had researched the impacts the longer shifis would have on officers. Clark replied, not to his knowledge, but this is an accommodation that people are looking for and is being offered in other communities. Presumably, it allows for more free time throughout the pay period. McFarlin asked why the contract was only for 6 months, going this through June 2026 and whether that was because that was what remained on the current contract. Holcomb explained that the six months are a trial period to see if it works. New, seconded by English, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-69 AC CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) New, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-69 AC CMS go into immediate effect to maintain operations in the Oberlin Police Department and thereby provide for the safety of city employees and members of the public in the delivery of essential city services. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) F. ORDINANCE No. 25-70 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. New, seconded by English, moved for passage on the first reading of the Ordinance. City of Oberlin 8 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 Fowler provided the background and overview as follows: * The first grouping consists of transfers within the same fund and between departments, primarily related to salaries. e The second grouping includes various departmental adjustments, also largely attributed to salaries. e The Building Department requested $30,000 for the acquisition of Open Gov software. * Two requests from the Income Tax Fund, totaling $276,460.45, were reviewed, including $223,000 for the municipal parking lot project. e An additional $25,000 was requested from the Stormwater Replacement/Reserve Fund for the same project. e Requests were submitted to increase funding for both the Indigent Alcohol Treatment Fund and the Indigent Interlock Monitor Fund. English, seconded by Peterson, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Ordinance No. 25-70 CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) English, seconded by Peterson, moved that Ordinance No. 25-70 AC CMS go into immediate effect to ensure that the annual appropriations ordinance for the City of Oberlin, Ohio, is timely amended in order to provide for the usual daily operation of the municipality. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nay Motion Carried (Effective Immediately) G. RESOLUTION No. R25-17 CMS: A Resolution Amending the Procedural Rules Relating to the Meetings of the Oberlin City Council to Go into Immediate Effect The Clerk read the Resolution by number, title, and substantive portions. New, seconded by Lopez, moved for passage on the first reading of the Resolution. Clark reviewed the proposed changes: e Article XVIII: Transition of Leadership: In conjunction with the special meeting to be called at the end of a council term to discuss Board and Commission liaisons, said meeting will also allow the incoming and current council members to discuss roles and expectations of the President and Vice President for the next term. New remarked that it made sense to remove the portion about the Board Liaison, but leaving the special meeting to discuss roles and expectations for the next term should remain. However, she believed they could make that Ianguage an option rather than requiring it. Clark asked why Council would want to constrain itself to a special meeting to discuss this, because then if Council wanted to talk about it at a regular meeting, they would have to wait for a special meeting. This would be an unnecessary constraint. He suggested removing the entire section. City of Oberlin 9 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 Council concurred. New seconded Peterson by moved to strike Article XVII: Transition of Leadership and renumber the subsequent sections accordingly. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Amended) e Article XV: Boards and Commissions: Clark suggested striking the following language: After the Council's organizational meeting following each election, the members of Council shall designate a liaison from its membership for each board or commission. Because it implies that this discussion would occur at the end of the Council term in conjunction with the incoming Council. So, there is a conflict between those two provisions. It seemed to him that it didn’t make sense for an outgoing Council to appoint liaisons for the next term. Secondly, there was some question in his mind about how a meeting would be structured between the outgoing and the incoming Councils, which has no authority to take any official action. He suggests that if Council agrees it should be done at the beginning of the term, then this section should be removed, along with the list of boards and commissions that do not have liaisons. New remarked that the list of boards and commissions that are listed here was not meant to be in the final draft. Those were left over from her notes. New seconded by Lopez moved to strike the list of committees. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Amended) English, seconded by Lopez, moved to waive the three-reading rule for Resolution No. R25-17 CMS. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (Suspension of Rules) English, seconded by New, moved that Resolution No. R25-17 CMS goes into immediate effect to facilitate the efficient conduct of the meetings of the Oberlin City Council. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried (immediate Effect) 5. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS: (A). Referrals (B). Advocacy (C). Correspondence (D). Reports City of Oberlin 10 Printed on 1/6/2026
Oberlin City Council Regular City Council Minutes | December 15, 2025 Council members provided updates on board and commission meetings, initiatives, and community event, announced upcoming meeting dates; followed up on a request for summary of changes to the zoning; and revisited a discussion related to a shared email service for all council members. Dissolved Communication Committee New, seconded by Lopez, moved to dissolve the communications committee of Council effective immediately. Roll Call: 6 Ayes 0 Nays Motion Carried English offered final remarks, marking the end of his term. He’ thanked appointees, members of Council, employees, and the Oberlin community. Members of Council also expressed their gratitude for Mr. English’s years of service and wished him luck. 6. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT: City Manager Greg Holcomb reported on the following: * Noted that discussions are in the works with the Oberlin School District and a potential developer for the Eastwood Schoo! District. e Participated in the “Walkin’ in a Winter Oberlin” Parade. Expressed his appreciation for working with Ms. English for the short time that he has been here, 7. OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER APPOINTEES TO REPORT: e Clark’s remark expressed his appreciation for working with Mr. English. 8. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: N/A 9. ADJOURNMENT: Being that there was no additional business before Council, the regular meeting adjourned at 8:39 pm. Attest: BELINDA B. ANDERSON, MMC EBONI A. (ot CLERK OF COUNCIL PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL APPROVED: 01/05/2026 POSTED: 01/06/2026 City of Oberlin il Printed on 1/6/2026