Akron Council's Weekly Legislative Spotlight! 2024 Issue #36

From the Desk of the Council President

Hello Joan,

Welcome to our new subscribers. We are glad you joined us! To our regular subscribers, welcome back! Thank you for continuing to receive our newsletter and your commitment to staying informed and engaged through your subscription to Akron City Council's Legislative Spotlight.

We hope you enjoy the information shared each week, including highlights from the Council's legislative agenda from the previous Monday's Committee and Council meetings. Definitions, information about commonly used terms, and council-related facts are also featured.

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, November 25, 2024

Ordinance No. 416-2024 authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, with an engineering consulting firm or firms for the supplemental engineering services required for the 2025 Capital Investment and Community Development Program and the 2025 Operating Budget; authorizing payment therefor; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 12, Nays: 0 (Kammer absent)

Ordinance No. 419-2024 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to apply for and, if awarded, accept and expend grant funds from the Ohio Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) 2025 Body Worn Camera Grant Program; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 12, Nays: 0 (Kammer absent). An award of funds from the OCJS's 2025 Body Worn Camera Grant Program would support the acquisition of cameras for SWAT and SNUD units, and video processing software for the Crime Scene Unit.

The Parks & Recreation Committee welcomed Dan Rice, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition and Co-Executive Director of Ohio and Erie Canalway. An update was provided on Lock 3, Akron Civic Commons 2.0 and Summit Lake Park projects. You can watch the update here.

Remember...

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

Ring Doorbell Cameras

Each ward was allotted 300 cameras. The staff has worked hard to distribute these at ward meetings, before Council meetings, and during office hours. We're continually working through waitlists, so please make sure you check your email if you applied!

Check out the calendar on

Council's website for

upcoming Ward Meetings!

Your Council Representative

Is Available to Serve You!

There are several ways to reach your Ward Representative:

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

Each week, we will feature a different

City Council Member.

Be sure to check out upcoming issues of our legislative spotlight for more!

Upcoming Open Comment

Public Hearings

Up for Public Hearing December 9, 2024

5:00 p.m.

• Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to vary the rear yard setback to construct a retail building at 435 Darrow Road.

• Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to construct a residence providing for storage of more than five vehicles at 2010 Stockbridge Road.

• Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to establish an arts and cultural resource center at 989 N. Portage Path.

• Ordinance amending and/or supplementing Title 15, “Land Usage,” Chapter 153, “Zoning Code,” Sections 153.110, “Certificates of occupancy,” 153.130, “Enforcement,” 153.140, “Definitions,” 153.150, “Notice of violation and order to comply,” 153.199, “Penalty,” 153.412, “Appeals from Superintendent’s decision,” and 153.422, “Transmission to planning staff and Superintendent,” of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Akron.

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 can 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, to receive the information to join remotely.

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311- Akron's One Call to City Hall

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, call 311, or download

the new "MyAkron311" app.

The app is available for free on all Apple or Android devices in the app store.

After downloading, residents can create a profile, enter a service request, look up timely city information, and set up notifications specific to their address such as trash/recycling collection reminders.

All City of Akron Municipal offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28th, and Friday, November 29th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

There will be no curb service on Thursday, November 28th. There will be a one-day delay of trash/recycle collections for the remainder of the week, with curb service resuming on Friday, November 29th, and continuing through Saturday, November 30th.

Public Comment Period

A public comment period is held at each regularly scheduled Council meeting, where up to ten (10) members of the public may address Council on matters within Council's authority. No member of the public shall be permitted to address Council during the public comment period more than once every 30 days.

Those who wish to participate in the public comment period of a regular Council meeting need to submit a public comment form by 4:00 p.m. on the date of the meeting.

The sign-up form is available here.

This brief video demonstrates how to fill out the form.

For those that do not have a mobile device/computer to utilize, or need additional assistance, Council staff is available to help.

Signing up is a requirement of Council Rules, similar to other bodies.