City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. We're going to call the meeting for Akron City Council to order. At this time, our clerk will read the roll.

Bolden.

Aye.

Boyce. Aye. Connor. Aye. Davis. Aye. Garrett. Present. Greer.

Aye.

Hanna.

Aye.

Kamer. Aye. Lombardo.

Aye.

McKittrick.

Aye.

Momobian?

Aye.

Somerville? Aye. Wilson?

Aye.

All members are present.

For those who voluntarily wish to do so, would you please stand at this time as we're led in prayer by Minister Nadine Bates from First Apostolic Faith Church. Immediately following our prayer, I'm going to ask if Councilperson Wilson will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

If everyone will bow your heads, please. fathers in the mighty name of jesus we honor you today thank you for your loving kindness tender mercy and grace we thank you for the opportunity to come before your presence for this wonderful city the city of akron father we lift up our mayor tonight and this great council all of the officials in the city father we thank you because your word declares that if we need wisdom we can ask you So we pray that the wisdom that is needed in this council on tonight, that we will seek you, Father, for strategies and techniques. We pray for every concern in this room, God, that you will give answers, give clarity and understanding. And we thank you for all that you have done and all that you're going to do in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The minutes from our previously held meeting have been provided. Are there any additions or corrections?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it.

The motion to approve the minutes passes 13 to 0.

We'll now move to our public comment period. I'm going to ask all those who signed up to participate it if you'll please stand at this time so that you may be sworn in by our clerk.

Could you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you give will be the truth? If so, please say, I do. I do. Thank you.

I do.

Thank you. So just going to ask when you hear your name, if you'll please approach the podium. Just as a reminder, you will have three minutes to speak to this body. And we're going to begin with Wayman Griffin. Is Wayman here with us? Georgette Prince.

Right. Hello, Council. I am a Georgia at Prince and I'm here to address the issue that I had with what I was at Walmart last week on the 7th. I was asked to I was told to get out the store by the Springfield police. They we were waiting for me to come out the store. I went in the store to make a return. OK, so they didn't do the return. So I ended up making a purchase. I bought a printer and you know, they wouldn't exchange one I had, so I bought one. Okay, as I was leaving out the store, there was three police officers, three uniformed Springfield police, two security guards, they were waiting for me at the door. So as I was going out with my two printers in my buggy, they say, get out of here. Get out of here. And I said, excuse me. So I look around to see if anybody else was behind me. Nobody else was there. And I said, excuse me, you talking to me? He said, yes. So all three of them, the uniform one says, get out of here. You're trespassing. You're trespassing. And at that time, I was outside the store. So my car was parked in a handicap. They followed me to the car, started telling me, get out of here. Get out of here. You're trespassing. And I say, well, how am I trespassing? What have I done inside the store? I just made a purchase in here. He said, you're trespassing. Get out of here. I had asked the customer service woman for her name, because she was acting rude. She took off running behind the customer service thing. She turned her badge over. She runs back out. She didn't want to talk to me anymore. So I said, OK, that's fine. Can I speak with your manager? I don't feel comfortable giving you his name. She rambled off the name of Coach. So I said, Coach, I can't tell you that. I went back in the store. I hadn't left the store. I was still inside, but I was at customer service. I went back to the jury department. There was some employees there. They were talking. He gave me the information I needed. So I was leaving there. They told me to get out of there. You're trespassing. I did. I got in my car, and I rode towards Arlington Street. So I was so nervous, my blood pressure was going up. They scared me because they couldn't give me an explanation why you're putting me out the store. Get out of here. Exactly. Get out of here. So I got in my car. I rode almost to the Arlington Street. I pulled over. I dialed 911. And I told them I need a cruiser. I need the sergeant there because I didn't like the treatment that I was receiving by the officers there. They were acting real radical. So the dispatch says, oh, you have to give me the address there. I said, I don't know the address here. I'm at Walmart on Arlington. He says, oh, I can't do anything until I get the address. So I turned, and I came down the aisle that's going straight to Walmart. When I get there, they were still standing there looking at me. So I get the address. I turn to the left, headed towards the hotel. I pulled over again to talk to 911. When I looked in my mirror, they were all coming at me full speed, running outside.

Mrs. Prince, I am so sorry.

Oh, I'm out. I need to tell you, they did drag me out of my car. I'm injured. They dragged me out of my car. They arrested me. They took me back into Walmart. They snatched me so hard out of my car. I have torn tendons in my arm. I have no feeling in my arm.

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that that happened.

Yes, but I wanted to bring that to the attention. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Jerome McClendon.

Today I'm going to ask this like back pockets. Recently, a publication of another council person and I circulated social media in hopes to gain support for a forum we'll begin to have at the Akron Public Library every last Friday of the month. This forum is to spark awareness, answer questions, and truly find out what your ward needs. This was not a campaign endorsement or any type of literature that would suggest that anyone was endorsing either candidate. Yet we were met with resistance from the Greater Urban League, Akron Public Schools, and even the city law department for adding logos and a seal to the flyer for the forum. The Urban League, who has received city state funding for now over 100 years, all while still charging for karate classes, couldn't send someone to this forum to speak to the community and listen on its behalf. Akron Public Schools, who refuses to hire real adults who can identify with these kids and its current state, yet continuously hire these syllabus-shoveling in it for the paycheck grads from these debt-producing institutions couldn't send out a representative to speak and listen either. The worst feeling about it was the cease and desist from the clerk Kayla Gardner and the City of Akron Law Department about a seal. A seal as a tax-paying citizen I should be able to use. A seal as a native-born citizen in Akron is on my birth certificate, so why should I not be allowed to use it? stating it could lead to inaccurate opinions of the future candidates and the city's stance with them. Well, where is that seal when it comes to Spring Hill and their living conditions? Or years of bad sewage and plumbing for families in Akron? Or let's put the seal on the grave sites of those officers have taken from us. You obviously endorse those actions because you do nothing about correcting the actions and conditions that have cost the lives. You want to sit here and act as if the image of a seal would be tainted by associating it with fresh ideas and new people, yet believe it hasn't been compromised by the actions it has set back and watched transpire. Believe me, we see just how important that seal is to you. The mayor, Seamus, and all you folks in the city government. But we also see that none of you offer to come speak or listen to what the people you make decisions for every day have to say, yet find time to draw up desist letters making long posts about what you do and do not support on social media. That's everyone in city council chambers, Tashamis, his law flunkies, John M. Williams, president of the Akron Urban League, and inaccurately quoted what the flyer was, and APS officials. This, I'm sorry, hopefully after hearing this, some stance has changed and we can seal the deal on the continuing outreach of the community without us paying for it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McClendon. Thank you. Randy Clark? Is Randy Clark here?

Hello, how everybody doing?

Good.

I've been going through a lot for these past two years. Everything changed when my father died, like a lot of family started stealing from me. I've been being harassed from people I don't know, people making false accusations. Currently I'm clean. I was doing meth, amphetamines. I was hooked up on that and stuff. It's just been a lot of weird stuff going on. It's starting to seem like I'm having a problem with officers or one in particular. I just want a regular life. I want to be treated like a regular citizen. I just had a job. And when I was working there, people were saying all type of stuff, and everything's being recorded. So, you know, when I mentioned, like, to the supervisor how I didn't like what they were doing, they moved me to a different place at a job. And when I went down to a different place at a job, which was on cue by Chapel Hill Mall, They came down there with the same stuff, and then I end up exploding at the job and stuff like that. And I just, you know, I just needed some help, you know, with some law enforcement, you know, something. You know, I deal with a lot of mental health and stuff like that, so I don't really know the law, all like that. And, you know, I just needed some help in this case to where I could be treated like a fair citizen of Akron, Ohio, you know, and not be messed with. That's all I have to say.

Thank you, Mr. Clark. And I don't know if there's someone from the administration that can speak with him after. Thank you. Reverend John Beatty,

Madam President and members of the Council, the day before yesterday my wife Linda and I attended a funeral for Michael Stanley Scrooge at the Somerville Funeral Home. Michael was born March 6, 1979, four years after our younger son was born and nine years after our older son was born. 10 years after our younger daughter was born, and 11 years after our older daughter was born. We are a diverse family, half white and half black. When they were born, segregation was the order of the day. When I was born in 1938, I had no black schoolmates, except one. When I was born in 1938, I had no black schoolmates. When I was in high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, I cannot remember a single black student at Warren Central. When we moved to Akron in June of the year 2000, the second time, there was only one black family on our street. Now the neighborhood is so much better. The homes are improved. The yards are beautiful and cared for. There are immigrants from Laos, immigrants from Mexico, lesbian families with children, gay families with children, black and white families like ours, black families, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and no religion at all. This last Saturday in the funeral for Michael Stanley Scrooge, there was so much pain and suffering because of our common loss, black and white, young and old, male and female, white motorcycle riders, and black teammates, and white teammates, and a 10-year-old son who was the idol of Michael's fatherly eye, and such a devastated mother, and such distraught siblings. But you know what I saw, and what I felt? Heaven on earth. I saw and heard such beautiful eulogies, including a poem by one of Michael's brothers, and my own daughter's loving perspective as a chaplain. This man was a man for all people who freely gave of his capable love for all people, including my daughter. Thank you, Michael. Thank you for blessing my daughter with wise advice and kindness and Linda's and my family at our family table. We will see you soon in the promised land. You have been welcomed by our savior and, uh, Well done, Michael. No deranged would be king to take away our diversity, equity, and inclusion. Come to Sherrod Brown's office this Thursday at 3.45 p.m. at 1477 South Hawkins and vote as if our life together depends upon it.

Thank you, Reverend Beatty. Thank you so much. Is Donnell Hilton here with us? Janos, are you online with us?

Yes, I can hear you.

Perfect. You can begin.

So first, I want to say a big hello to John Beatty, my gracious and wonderful friend. The amount of work that you have done for, well, just about everybody in this amazing city, the amount I could say about it would be an absolute understatement. I hope that you, Linda, and your family are well. But now onto my main topic. I've decided to look at the math again, if you will, and see how much time has passed since the death of Jasmeer Tucker. And it looks like we are going to have to commemorate the second anniversary of his death in a little over four months. And yet all we can say about it is that we have buried Jasmeer Tucker and that we have once again suspended the officer who killed him, Davon Fields, but not for the crime of killing Jasmere Tucker. We have instead suspended him for sexual assault allegations. Why we don't screen for these properly in the Akron police is frankly disturbing. It's not surprising because the APD has a long history of predators. I'm sure there are people who do the research better than me that can go down the list, but the point still stands. We are looking to cut funding for infrastructure for education, put up surveillance flock cameras in the city of Akron, much like in another city I love, the city of Cleveland. And we've decided, Oh, We're just going to keep on cutting. We're going to keep on building police training centers because that's what we need. We need to screen more predators into the APD. What a wonderful idea. And then we keep on training the APD, shoot first and ask questions later. Precisely the same sort of thing that ended Jasmeer Tucker's life at Miller South School for the Arts. on Thanksgiving 2024. That, that should horrify you into action. That should make front page news for Signal Akron. That should make front page news for the Akron Beacon Journal. And the fact that it does not is just frankly disturbing. Surprising, not, but disturbing, yes. Have a good night.

Thank you, Janos. Thank you for sharing. That concludes our public comment period. We do want to thank all of those who took the time to participate. Council, before you is the consent agenda. Is there a motion to approve? Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? The ayes have it.

The consent agenda passes 13 to 0.

We'll now move to our old business, planning and economic development. Councilman Kamer. Continue time. Thank you. Time will be granted. Public safety. Councilman McKittrick.

Continue time, please.

Thank you. Time will be granted. That concludes our old business. We'll now move into new legislation.

Item number one, offered by Wilson, Ordinance Repealing Title VII, Traffic Code, Chapter 75, Bicycles, Motorcycles, and Snowmobiles, Section 75.12, Bicycle Licensing of the Akron Codified Ordinances and Declaring an Emergency. Councilman McKittrick.

Consent agenda, please.

Thank you so much. This item will be placed on the consent agenda.

Item number two offered by Lombardo, ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts to extend and continue the early childhood resource centers managing the implementation of phase one of the unified early learning system and declaring an emergency. Councilman Lombardo.

Committee's report is favorable and we're asking for suspension of the rules.

Are there any objections to suspension of the rules? Seeing and hearing none, the rules have been suspended.

Thank you, Madam President. This ordinance will extend this pilot program throughout the end of the year, giving much needed support and assistance to our child care providers.

Thank you so much. The rules have been suspended, and the committee's report is favorable. All in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it. This ordinance passes 13 to 0. Item number three offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the director of the Department of Planning and Urban Development to enter into a contract with Habitat for Humanity of Summit County for the construction of two affordable single-family homes for low-income families in Akron and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

This signing will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number four, offered by Kamer, Garrett, and Connor. Ordinance authorizing the removal of designation as a through street for a portion of Hazel Street from its west terminus at North Adams Street to its intersection at North Arlington Street and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Set agenda.

This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number five, offered by Kamer. Ordinance authorizing the removal of designation as a through street for a portion of Cyberlink Street from its intersection at Hobart Avenue to its intersection at Salem Avenue and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

Item number six offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts without the formality of publicly advertising for bids with Amrise Building Envelope LLC, doing business as Duro Last Roofing for the construction of 717 Credit Union Park roof replacement and declaring an emergency.

Councilman Kamer.

Thank you, Madam President. The committee's report is favorable, and we're asking for suspension of the rules.

Are there any objections to suspension of the rules? Seeing and hearing none, the rules have been suspended.

Thank you, Madam President. This is to move forward with full replacement of the roof at 717 Ballpark, and we're asking for passage.

Thank you. The rules have been suspended, and the committee's report is favorable. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it.

This ordinance passes 13 to 0. Item number 7, offered by Wilson, Ordinance Amending and or Supplementing Title IX, Chapter 92, Animals, Section 92.29, Beekeeping of the Akron Codified Ordinances in order to modify beekeeping standards in the city and declaring an emergency. Councilman Bolden.

Consent agenda.

Thank you. This item will be placed on the consent agenda. That does conclude our new legislation for this evening. We'll now move into our committee assignments. Rules, Councilman McKittrick. 2 p.m. Public Safety, Councilman McKittrick.

2.15.

Budget and Finance, Councilman Lombardo.

3 p.m.

Parks and Recreation, Councilwoman Conner.

1.45.

Planning and Economic Development, Councilman Kamer. 1 p.m. Housing and Neighborhood Assistance, Councilman Bolden.

3.30.

Public Service, Councilman Kamer. 2 p.m. Health and Social Services, Councilwoman Davis.

2.30.

Thank you. Is there anything else coming before Council at this time? Councilman Greer.

Thank you, Madam President. I just wanted to stand and recognize one of our Akron Public Schools educators, Rachel Johnson, who was named the top educator in our region. She teaches in the APS deaf and hard of hearing students. And I just want to thank her for her outstanding work and especially that outreach to members of our deaf and hard of hearing communities, and she is a potential finalist for the state teacher of the year, so we are definitely wishing her well.

Thank you so much, Councilman, for sharing. Is there anything else coming before Council at this time? Seeing and hearing none, is there a motion for adjournment?

So moved.

If there are no objections, meeting adjourned.

This concludes the live broadcast of Akron City Council. Margo Somerville, President of Council, presiding.