Akron Council's Weekly Legislative Spotlight! 2023 Issue #38

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Akron City Council

Weekly Legislative Spotlight

From the Desk of the Council President

Hello Joan,

Welcome our new subscribers. We are so excited that you have decided to join us! To our regular subscribers, thank you for your commitment to staying informed and engaged through your continued subscribership to Akron City Council's Legislative Spotlight.

We hope that you are enjoying the wealth of information being shared with you each week.

We share highlights from the Council's legislative agenda from the previous Monday's Committee and Council meetings. Definitions and information about commonly used terms and council-related facts are also featured.

We encourage you to stay connected and abreast of the issue before Akron City Council.

The information shared in each week's Legislative Spotlight will continue to educate, empower, and liberate you to become increasingly engaged with your City Council in making Akron a better place for all its residents.

Sincerely,

Margo Sommerville

Council President

Ward 3 Council Member

Legislative Highlights From Monday, December 4, 2023

Ordinance No. 372-2023 amending and/or supplementing Title 3, Chapter 30 “Mayor and Council,” Section 30.01 “Meetings” of the Akron Codified Ordinances in order to provide for safe, accessible, and efficient City Council Meetings; and declaring an emergency. This legislation states that attendees of Council meetings are subject to security screenings prior to entering Council Chambers and prohibits items such as backpacks, banners, horns, smoking or vaping devices, and laser pointers. Vote: Ayes: 8, Nays: 5 (Holland, Malik, Mosley, Neal, Omobien)

Resolution No. 373-2023 amending Resolution No. 2-2021, to amend and/or supplement the “Rules of Procedure for the Akron City Council;” and declaring an emergency. These Rules update the regular meeting time to begin at 6:30 pm instead of 7:00 pm and update the public comment period to the beginning of the meeting. The public comment period will consist of up to ten members of the public. Those wishing to speak will need to register no later than 4:00 pm on the date the individual intends to speak. Vote: Ayes: 8, Nays: 5 (Holland, Malik, Mosley, Neal, Omobien)

Ordinance No. 374-2023 authorizing the Mayor or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts with the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services Board (ADM) for the purpose of establishing a mobile behavioral health crisis response service, purchase required equipment, and accept reimbursement from ADM for costs; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 13, Nays: 0.

Ordinance approving certain rules proposed by City of Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board; and declaring an emergency. Council voted on an Adverse Report and the Ordinance was Filed. Ayes: 9, Nays: 4 (Malik, Mosley, Neal, Omobien). You can read more about the Board here.

On Monday, the City released the Reconnecting Our Community Phase 1 Innerbelt Report compiled by spatial justice activist and city contractor Liz Ogbu. You can read the press release and documents here. You can also view her presentation to the Planning & Economic Development Committee here.

Remember...

You can see all the legislation discussed during the meeting at: https://onlinedocs.akronohio.gov/OnBaseAgendaOnline/

December 11th, 2023 is

the last regular Council

meeting of the year.

Resolution No. 359-2023 was passed to allow Council to conduct its regular meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 11th, 2023. The new Council will be sworn in at 7:00 p.m.

Check out the calendar on

Council's website for

upcoming Ward Meetings!

Your Councilperson Is Available

to Serve You!

There are several ways to reach your Ward Representative:

View their information on Council's website .
Attend their ward meeting .
Call or email them.

Please Help Us Get The Word Out!

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If you have a specific city issue that you'd like to see resolved (a pothole, water leak, tree down, missed trash collection, etc.), you can enter it in the online system or call 311.

Upcoming Open Comment Public Hearings

***

Notices are posted on our website at least 15 days before the meeting.

Suppose the Ordinance is a Conditional Use (Zoning measure). In that case, a notice is also mailed to the owners and residents of property within, contiguous to, and directly across the street from the property involved in the Ordinance (per Charter Section 34). Notices are also published in the Akron Beacon Journal.

You do not need to fill out any forms to participate. You're able to attend in person in Council Chambers or remotely via videoconference.

Those wishing to attend remotely need to notify the Clerk of Council as outlined in the meeting notice in order to receive the information to join remotely.

Public Comment Period

Those that wish to participate in the public comment period of a regular Council meeting need to submit a public comment form.

The sign-up form is available here.

For those that do not have a mobile device/computer to utilize, or need additional assistance, Council staff will be available in person before the meeting.

Signing up is a requirement of Council Rules, similar to other bodies. The only change from our previous sign-up procedure is that we made the process digital!

SECTION 30. - POWERS OF COUNCIL.

The Council shall be the judge of the election of its own officers. Except as otherwise provided herein, and as restricted by law, the Council shall determine its own rules of procedure, keep a record of its proceedings, and discipline any member for disorderly conduct or violation of its rules.

Neither the Council nor any of its committees or members shall dictate or attempt to dictate, either directly or indirectly, the appointment of any person to office or employment by the Mayor, or in any manner interfere with the Mayor or prevent him from exercising his own judgment in the appointment of officers and employees in the administrative service.

Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely through the Mayor or his designates and neither the Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any of the subordinates of the Mayor either publicly or privately.

(V 97 p 487; Adopted by voters Sept. 12, 1967) (Amendment approved by electorate 11-4-80)

You can view the Rules of Procedure for Akron City Council here.