Akron Council's Weekly Legislative Spotlight! 2026 Issue #4

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From the Desk of

Akron City Council President

Greetings!

Welcome you to the Akron City Council's Legislative Spotlight.

The Legislative Spotlight remains your trusted source for staying informed, engaged, and connected to the work of your City Council. Through this publication, we aim to keep residents aware of the issues shaping our city and the actions Council is taking on your behalf.

Why the Spotlight Matters

Each issue is thoughtfully prepared to support an informed and empowered community. Inside, you’ll find:

Legislative Updates: Highlights of recent Council actions, decisions, and initiatives.
Council Business: Insight into how your City Council works to serve Akron.
Akron Facts & Events: Community news, local highlights, and opportunities to stay involved.

We believe informed residents help build stronger neighborhoods and a stronger Akron.

Looking Ahead

This year, we look forward with optimism and resolve. Together, we will confront challenges, build on progress, and pursue policies that enhance the quality of life across our city. We encourage you to stay engaged, share your voice, and partner with us as we move Akron forward.

Be sure to follow Akron City Council on Facebook and share this Legislative Spotlight with your neighbors, friends, and family.

Thank you for being an essential part of Akron’s story. Now, let’s take a look at the latest updates from Council.

Sincerely,

Margo Sommerville

Council President

Ward 3 Council Member

Legislative Highlights From Monday, February 2, 2026

Ordinance No. 27-2026 authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts without the formality of publicly advertising for bids with the Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition for maintenance services at Lock 3 for the 2026 season; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 13, Nays: 0. Check out this website for information on events happening at Lock 3!

Ordinance No. 30-2026 authorizing the Director of the Department of Planning and Urban Development, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts with 441 Zahn LLC for the acquisition and redevelopment of a multi-family apartment building on Zahn Drive to carry out the intent and purpose of programs under the Consolidated Plan for the year 2025; authorizing payment therefor; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 11, Nays: 2 (Garrett & Wilson).

Ordinance No. 32-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to, if awarded, accept and expend funds from the 2026 United States Conference of Mayors DollarWise Innovation Grant Award; and declaring an emergency. Funds from this grant will be used to support the planning and design of a childcare business accelerator in Akron. The childcare business accelerator is intended to strengthen Akron's childcare sector by providing business development, operational, and workforce support to childcare providers, with a focus on increasing high-quality childcare options for Akron's working families. Learn more here . Vote: Ayes: 13, Nays: 0.

Resolution No. 34-2026 expressing condolences to the family of Alex Pretti; calling for a full, transparent, and independent investigation into his death; affirming the City of Akron’s commitment to due process, civil rights, and human dignity; and urging the pursuit of public safety policies that protect life and uphold constitutional values; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 10, Nays: 3 (Bolden, Fusco, McKitrick). You can view the discussion held during the meeting here.

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Council held a Special Meeting on Thursday, January 29th. The meetings held on Monday, January 26th were held virtually due to inclement weather. This included two public hearings. Council held the additional meeting for those who wanted to give their remarks in person. At that meeting, they passed the following Ordinance:

Ordinance No. 21-2026 authorizing a Conditional Use to establish a dual use marijuana dispensary at 1140 W. Portage Trail; and declaring an emergency. Vote: Ayes: 7, Nays: 5 (Bolden, Garrett, Hannah, Lombardo, Omobien) (Kammer absent).

Remember...

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

2026 Capital Investment Budget

Council held a public hearing regarding the Capital Budget on January 26, 2026. The meeting was held virtually due to inclement weather. Another opportunity for residents to give remarks in person was held at a Special Meeting on Thursday, January 29th. View the full proposed budget here.

Per Charter, Council must pass the Capital Budget by February 15, 2026. This budget is focused on key infrastructure investments in the areas of public safety, transportation, water and sewer systems, parks and recreation facilities, other public facilities, as well as certain investments in economic development, housing, and community services.

You can view the first review session held last week here. You can view the second review session here.

Registration for the 2026 Akron Parks Challenge is open! The deadline is February 23rd. Executive Director Bridget Ambrisco attended the February 2nd Parks & Recreation Committee meeting to provide information. You can watch that meeting here.

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.

Upcoming Open Comment

Public Hearings

February 23, 2026

5:00 pm Special Meeting

Ordinance authorizing a Conditional Use to construct an addition to a day care business center at 1264 Copley Road.

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!

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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 "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.

Quorum:

The minimum number of members who must be present to officially conduct business. A quorum of Council is a majority of all of the members of Council, a quorum of a committee is three members.