Akron Council's Weekly Legislative Spotlight! 2026 Issue #29

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From the Desk of

Akron City Council President

Greetings!

Akron is moving — and you deserve a front-row seat.

Welcome to the Akron City Council Legislative Spotlight, your direct line to the decisions, debates, and developments happening right now at City Hall. No fluff. No runaround. Just the real work your Council is doing — for you, your block, and this city we all call home.

What’s Inside This Issue

Every Spotlight is packed with what matters most:

Legislative Updates — The ordinances and resolutions on the table, and what they mean for your daily life.

Council in Action — Your representatives, ward by ward, fighting for the neighborhoods that make Akron great.

Akron Community Hub — Local events, community news, and ways to make your voice heard.

Why It Matters

City Hall shouldn’t feel like a mystery. When you know what’s happening, you can shape what comes next. Informed neighbors become engaged neighbors — and engaged neighbors build stronger communities.

Whether we’re talking infrastructure, public safety, housing, or economic opportunity, the Spotlight keeps you plugged in and ready to act.

One Small Ask

If this newsletter speaks to you, share it. Forward it to a neighbor. Post it on your block’s Facebook group. Tag a friend who needs to know what’s happening in Akron. And if someone shared this with you — subscribe here so you never miss an issue.

Now — let’s get into it. Here’s what your Council has been up to.

Sincerely,

Margo Sommerville

Council President

Ward 3 Council Member

Legislative Highlights From Monday, September 21, 2026

Resolution No. 275-2026 approving and confirming the appointments of John Skakun, Mark Wallace, and Gwendolyn Bryant to the City of Akron Public Art Commission for terms ending July 31, 2029; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 11, Nays: 0 (Davis & Sommerville absent). Learn more about the Public Art Commission here.

Ordinance No. 281-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, after requests for proposals, with Premium Parking to provide operating services and parking management for City lots and decks; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 12, Nays: 0 (Sommerville absent). This agreement will allow the City to acquire the necessary equipment and services to modernize parking technology and improve overall parking operations.

Ordinance No. 286-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to file an application for and enter into an agreement or agreements with the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and with the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) for the Water Main Replacement Program 2028 Design; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 12, Nays: 0 (Sommerville absent). This funding will facilitate the Water Main Replacement Program 2028 Design, which will replace chronically breaking and deteriorating water mains.

Ordinance No. 288-2026 authorizing the Director of Law, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, without the formality of publicly advertising for bids, with Victim Assistance to provide services for the City pertaining to the victims of crimes; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 12, Nays: 0 (Sommerville absent). Victims of crime and trauma often face overwhelming emotional distress, fear, confusion, safety concerns, and significant barriers to accessing support services in the aftermath of victimization. Without Victim Assistance's advocacy, support, and crisis intervention services, many individuals would face increased risk of ongoing trauma, isolation, and further victimization. They offer free 24/7 services to victims of crisis, violence, and tragedy in Summit County. You can learn more about Victim Assistance Program here.

Ordinance No. 292-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, if awarded, to accept and expend grant funds from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), FY25 Youth Gang Prevention and Intervention Program to support details to address youth gang violence, the Juvenile Diversion Program and community partners; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 12, Nays: 0 (Sommerville absent). This is a competitive grant program with no match. Community partners include Project Ujima, Fallen Fathers, Students with a Goal, and Winners & Leaders.

Remember...

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

The Public Safety Committee welcomed Chief of Public Safety Craig Morgan at their meeting on Monday. Chief Morgan presented on the implementation of the PERF report, 2026 first half review of responses to the Police Auditor, and a review of public safety efforts year to date. Some of the data is as follows:

Murders:

· Reduction of 17% from 2025 to 2026 (18 to 15)

Shooting Victims Non-Fatal:

· Reduction of 31% from 2024 to 2026 (126 to 88)

· Nearly identical rate year to date from 2025 to 2026 (89 to 88)

Recovered Firearms:

· Increase YTD of over 10% (11) from 2025 to 2026 (552 to over 611)

Park and Walks:

· Increase YTD of nearly 60% (58) from 2025 to 2026 (almost 4,200 to over 6,500)

Use of Force and Complaints:

· Reduction in Use of Force of 13% from 2025 to 2026 (187 to 163)

· Reduction in Complaints of 15% from 2025 to 2026 (18 to 15)

Assaults on Officers:

· Increase of over 75% (76) from 2025 to 2026 (17 to 30)

You can view the full presentation here. The Transparency Hub referenced can be accessed here.

Welcome John Casebere

Council was pleased to welcome a special visitor at Monday's Council meeting. Ward 8 resident John Casebere, a Scout with Troop 1, joined us to learn more about local government as part of his work towards earning the rank of Eagle Scout.

The 2027 Neighborhood Partnership Grant is coming soon!

See the below video for details:

flyer with information for 2026 Akron Marathon

Flyer on Info sessions for Leaf Removal Seasonal Laborers

You can learn more about Leaf Removal here.

Check out the calendar on

Council's website for

upcoming Ward Meetings!

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Explore the toolbar on our site today: https://www.akroncitycouncil.org

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

September 28, 2026:

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to maintain and store more than five vehicles at 1167 Eastland Avenue.

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to construct an oversized garage/accessory structure at 911 Merriman Road.

Ordinance amending/supplementing Title 15, Chapter 153, “Zoning Code”, Article 6 “Development and Area District Requirements”, Section 153.305 “Residence Requirements” of the Code of Ordinances, City of Akron, 2004 to amend residential lot sizes and developmental standards.

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to establish an automobile service station at 944 Brown Street.

Notices are posted on our website.

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). These 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.

flyer with a cell phone stating to call 311- Your one call to city hall.

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.

Committee:

A smaller group of members of Council that meet to consider legislation before it is considered or voted upon by all of Council. Standing committees are established by the Rules of Procedure of Council and have five members each. Special committees are appointed by the President. Committee meetings take place on Monday afternoons.

Watch this video for more information.