Akron Council's Weekly Legislative Spotlight! 2025 Issue #7

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 Akron City Council's Legislative Spotlight subscription. We are living in unprecedented times and remain committed to proposing and supporting legislative measures that safeguard the well-being of all our residents.

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, March 3, 2025

Ordinance No. 70-2025 authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, requesting and receiving Requests for Proposals (RFPs), or requesting and receiving quotes, for facility improvements at community centers and downtown buildings to prevent and/or repair water leaks; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 13, Nays: 0. The various community centers and downtown buildings require miscellaneous improvements, including replacement of ceilings and lighting damaged by water leaks.

Ordinance No. 73-2025 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts with the Black Chamber of Commerce – Summit County to provide economic and neighborhood development, marketing, and promotional services for the purposes of job creation, investment, retention, and expansion of existing companies in the City of Akron; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 13, Nays: 0. This is a three-year contract to provide economic and neighborhood development, marketing and promotional services related to job creation, investment, retention, and expansion of existing companies within the City. Learn more about the Black Chamber of Commerce- Summit County here.

Remember...

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

Community Learning Centers

An update on improving access to Community Learning Centers was provided to the Parks & Recreation Committee.

View the presentation here.

2025 Operating Budget Hearings

The proposed 2025 Operating Budget was introduced to Council on Monday. You can watch the overview given to the Budget & Finance Committee here.

Budget Hearings began Tuesday and will continue through Thursday, March 6th. You can view the schedule and provided documents here. You can also watch the full livestreams on our YouTube channel.

The city will host a community townhall to present this budget to Akron residents and allow for Q&A. The townhall will be on Tuesday, March 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at East CLC (80 Brittain Rd.). The city will also host a Facebook live townhall on Monday, March 17 at 4pm for anyone who cannot attend the in-person event.

The operating budget must be passed by March 31, 2025.

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.

Attention Wards 1, 2, & 3!!

There are still cameras available in these wards. If you were approved but didn't pick up, please contact our office at 330-375-2256.

Check out the calendar on

Council's website for

upcoming Ward Meetings!

Lock 3 Survey

As warmer months approach, the City is working to program Lock 3 as an exciting and welcoming place to celebrate the City of Akron. Please take the survey by scanning the QR code or clicking here to share your feedback!

Each year, letter carriers across the country head out on their routes on the second Saturday in May to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries. Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.

The need is great, but you can help. You are invited to join letter carriers and partner organizations in the fight to end hunger in our communities by participating in the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Simply leave your donation of non-perishable food in a bag near your mailbox on Saturday, May 10th, and your letter carrier will do the rest.

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

March 17, 2025

5:00 p.m. Special Meeting

Ordinance amending/supplementing Title 15, Chapter 153, “Zoning Code”, Article 6 “Development and Area District Requirements”, Section 153.305 “Residence Requirements” and Section 4.3.3. “Walls and Fences” of the City of Akron Form-Based Code to amend fencing requirements.

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to establish a dual-use cannabis dispensary at 235 E. Waterloo Road.

Ordinance approving the renewal application of Robert Dunkler to have agricultural property at 1395 Collier Road placed in an "agricultural district" pursuant to Revised Code Section 929.01.

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.

Please Help Us Get The Word Out!

Enjoying the Legislative Spotlight?

Why not share it with your friends and neighbors? The QR code will take them directly to the sign-up page on

our website.

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 "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.

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.