Akron Council's Weekly Legislative Spotlight! 2024 Issue #8

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Akron City Council

Weekly Legislative Spotlight

From the Desk of the Council President

Hello Joan,

Happy Women's History Month. Join us in recognizing the importance and contributions of revolutionary women throughout history, and celebrating their stories.

Welcome to our new subscribers. We are so excited that you are joining 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 you are enjoying the wealth of information 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 want 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, March 11, 2024

ORD. NO. 68-2024 authorizing the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, requesting and receiving Requests for Proposals (RFPs), requesting and receiving quotes and/or self-performing work for the construction of the City nursery; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. Read more about Project ACORN here.

Council held an open comment public hearing on Summit Lake Rezoning. The Planning & Economic Development Committee requested Time. View the presentation given to the committee here.

2024 Operating Budget Hearings are taking place this week. View the schedule here. The city will host a community townhall to present this budget to Akron residents and allow for Q&A. The townhall will be on Wednesday, March 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Firestone Community Learning Center (470 Castle Blvd). Residents can also share their feedback or ask questions by visiting the engage page here .

The Final Appropriation Ordinance and Budget Resolution must be passed by March 31, 2024.

Remember...

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

Check out the calendar on

Council's website for

upcoming Ward Meetings!

Marilyn Keith

First Female President of

Akron City Council

Her tenure as Ward 8 Councilwoman also included being the first woman to hold the Council president seat. For a city that was founded in 1825, she said that was surprising to her.

“You’re telling me another woman didn’t come before me that wasn’t bright, that wasn’t accountable, that wasn’t respectable? So, it was a glass ceiling that needed to be broken, without a doubt,” she said.

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.

Upcoming Open Comment Public Hearings

Up For Public Hearing March 25, 2024:

(during 5:00 p.m. Special Meeting)

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to construct additional parking at 2330 Smith Road.

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to expand an auto salvage business at 1483 Triplett Boulevard.

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to place an off-premises hi-rise sign at 1570 Frederick Boulevard.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.