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.

Boyes. Aye. Connor. Aye. Davis. Aye. Garrett. Present. Greer.

Aye.

Hanna. Aye. Kamer. Aye. Lombardo. Aye. McKittrick.

Aye.

Amobian?

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 Pastor Mark Tibbs, who's the pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church. Immediately following our prayer, I'm going to ask if Councilman Greer will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

There we go. Praise the Lord. I would invite you to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ as given in Matthew chapter 5, verse number 14. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Last time I stood at this podium, you guys gave me three minutes. I hope you give me a little bit more as we talk to the Lord. Amen, somebody. Glory to the Lord. The name Akron, as you well know, means its highest point. In fact, in scripture, it's translated as the chief cornerstone. And as the highest point, everything that this city does is transparent. As he said, a city on a hill cannot be hidden. That means good things and bad things. That means justices and injustices. And so Lord God, we come to you this evening asking that you magnify the good and remove everything that's not like you. We thank you, oh God, that you make our shortcomings into our victories. We pray that you bring us together in unity around your principles of truth and love and justice and equality. Help each one of us in our own unique way to do our utmost for your highest. For you, oh God, are higher than any other. You, oh God, are Akron. You are the summit, and you have created this city in your image. Let us walk in your image as well, as a city that cannot be hidden. We pray this in your 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? 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 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.

Thank you. Just going to ask, when you hear your name, 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 Randy Katz.

Okay, thank you for allowing me to speak. Talking tonight about the legislation for the honeybee code. What's really great about the statute is it doesn't add new or additional burdensome regulations to an already difficult and somewhat complicated hobby. Instead, the legislation points beekeepers to the Ohio Department of Agriculture's published Best Management Practices, or BMPs, which all beekeepers should follow. As the county inspector, I'm constantly encouraging beekeepers to look at the BMPs and track their varroa mite levels and inspect for disease. The first Varroa mite appeared in 1987. Before that, folks could be bee havers. They could keep bees year after year with little intervention. But since the 1980s, you have to be a vigilant beekeeper. Instead of treating, inspecting and treating for Varroa is necessary. Ohio State University had 20 test hives they didn't treat, and they lost 19 of them in a single season. Many other best management practices listed from the ODA recommends seasonal management. In the spring, beekeepers are encouraged to split a strong colony to discourage swarming. In the summer, they should check colonies for eggs and larvae and verify that the queen is still there. In the fall, they want to feed the bees sugar water if necessary, to build up winter storage of food. As you can see, beekeeping isn't a simple task. You just don't get a hive, dump in some bees, and collect gallons of honey. Colonies that aren't managed according to these best management practices will most likely die out within a year. The Summit County Beekeeping Association is currently thriving. We have over 250 paid subscribers at the moment. And we offer classes, monthly meetings, and mentorship groups. If you don't want to have bees or you're not able to have bees, I encourage you to join in the fun and learn more about these magical bugs.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Emily Mueller.

Thank you very much, Council, for allowing me to speak. My name is Emily Mueller. I am a beekeeping educator, former county apiary inspector, and owner of Mueller Honeybee Rescue in South Akron. I teach at Akron Community Schools, mentor beekeepers within the city limits, and provide free swarm removal for Akron residents through the city's 311 service. I just wanted to address some conflicts with the current apiary ordinances, which is why we are asking for an update that will better accommodate beekeeping practices. The first concern is that the current ordinance places permits and oversight of beekeeping with the director of neighborhood assistance. We recommend revising this section so that the director forwards apiary-related concerns to the Summit County County Apiary Inspector, who works under the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Apiary Division and the state apiarist. This ensures concerns are handled by officials with specialized training and beekeeping while maintaining coordination with the city. Second, the ordinance requires a backflow prevention device for a bee water source. Ohio's best management practices for beekeeping already recommends that beekeepers provide a reliable water source, making this additional municipal requirement unnecessary. Honeybees naturally prefer mineral-rich water sources rather than treated drinking water. Removing this provision would align with the state's science-based management practices. Finally, I encourage Council to adopt the proposed revision to the hive density requirements. The updated language recognizes that honeybee colonies naturally require occasional splitting to prevent swarming and maintain colony health. It also reflects that foraging bees disperse over several miles and do not remain concentrated on the property where their hive is located. This balanced approach is more consistent with modern beekeeping practices while continuing to protect neighborhood properties. I respectfully encourage council to adopt these proposed revisions and align Akron's ordinance with Ohio's best management practices for beekeeping. Ohio has already established a science-based framework that reflects the current understanding of honeybee colony management, protects public safety, and supports responsible beekeeping. Thank you very much for your time and your consideration. Thank you so much. Carl Harp.

Good evening, Council President and members of the Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Carl Harp, and I serve as the Board Vice President for the Summit County Farm Bureau. Over the past several months, we've had the pleasure of working alongside Councilperson Fran Wilson Lead for Pollinators, Summit County Beekeepers Association, the Summit County APA Area Inspectors, and many other advocates to review Akron's existing honeybee ordinance. Our goal was simple, not to reinvent the wheel, but to create practical, balanced updates that support responsible beekeeping while providing clear, common sense standards for both residents and the city. Every day, honeybees quietly pollinate the gardens that feed Ohio's families, the flowers that brighten our neighborhoods, and the crops that support our state's number one industry, agriculture. They also provide opportunities for young people and adults alike to learn new skills, start small businesses, and become more connected to where their food comes from. At the Summit County Farm Bureau, we've seen firsthand that people are hungry for this knowledge. Through our agricultural education seminars at the Akron-Summit County Public Library branches, including programs on gardening, backyard chickens, canning and beekeeping, we've consistently seen strong attendance and enthusiastic participation. Residents aren't just curious, they're eager to grow their own food, become more self-sufficient, and reconnect with agriculture in a meaningful way. And agriculture has always been a part of Akron's story. Long before it became the rubber capital of the world, it was a community rooted in farms, orchards, and its rich soils. While the city has grown and changed, those agricultural roots are still here. They live through community gardens, urban farms, backyard beekeepers, and residents who simply want to put fresh food on their table. We're also seeing a renewed appreciation for that heritage. In fact, this year's Highland Square Porch Rocker Festival T-shirt features a beekeeper standing beside a hive made from a speaker. That's more than a clever design. It's a reflection of a community that recognizes the importance of pollinators, sustainability, and local agriculture. Akron is embracing this identity, and our ordinances should evolve alongside it. We see this proposal as a first step in a broader conversation about strengthening agriculture in Akron. Small changes like this can plant the seeds for bigger opportunities tomorrow. I'd like to thank Councilperson Wilson, our coalition partners, city staff, and everyone who's helped to shape this proposal through months of collaboration. We believe it represents a balanced approach that benefits beekeepers, neighborhoods, and the city of Akron. Thank you for your consideration, and we respectfully ask for your support.

Thank you so much. I'm sorry, I don't want to, you know, butcher your name, so I do apologize in advance. Is it Seamus Lee? Last name Lee, no one here by that name? Okay.

We'll move on to Katie Carver. Hello everyone, my name is Katie Carver and I'm here today to express my support for the Highland Square Special Improvement District. Before I do that, I'd like to thank Mayor Malik, Councilmember Wilson, local property owners, and the many city staff, including Sean Vollman, who are working so hard to make this a reality. I moved to Highland Square 15 years ago, and I was drawn to the city of Akron for my job, but I was drawn to the Highland Square neighborhood for its sense of vibrancy and community. Having grown up in a small town and moving to the big city, I just felt like this was a place where neighbors looked out for each other, and I felt like I could belong there. And so I've been involved in the neighborhood ever since as a volunteer organizing community events that highlight the unique attributes of Highland Square, such as Pork Tracker. I believe it's a crucial time for our Highland Square neighborhood, and it's an opportunity for the city, property owners, and residents to come together to improve neighborhood safety, beautification, and connection. While I currently feel safe in my neighborhood, I know so many of my neighbors that do not, and many of them have discussed moving out of the city of Akron and into neighboring communities as a result. Many of my family members and friends have told me that they worry for my safety, and I get a text or a call checking in on me whenever there are reports of violence in the square. It's disheartening because the neighborhood I know and love is not defined by these acts of horrific violence. it's defined in me helping my neighbor with her yard or meeting up with someone on the sidewalk when they're walking their dog by my house or walking to a friend's house to plan one of our city's most loved events the work already done by the city to improve the lighting and beautification are so appreciated and i know mean a lot to our residents but i believe that the special improvement district really is just the start of so many amazing things to come FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD IT BECOME A REALITY. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU ALL CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND I ALSO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

LAURA HANSELMAN?

THANK YOU. I want to start by painting a picture for you guys real quick. So say you're driving home from work tonight, driving past maybe Rubber City Comics or somewhere past the Akron Civic, and as far as you know, everything seems normal, right? And you'll maybe even stop and get some groceries or get some takeout, whichever you prefer these days. I mean, I'm not you, so I don't really know that for sure, right? But what you don't know is that you're being tracked constantly, and so is your car. Your GPS data and your location are being tracked and stored without your knowledge, and without knowing why, as well as your consent. And next thing you know, a police might be at your doorstep and you might be getting arrested without knowing why. This might sound like something out of a bad dystopian sci-fi movie, but this is happening all over the nation with flock cameras. And there are flock cameras in Akron as well. Flock cameras are AI-powered, faulty, unwarranted, and most importantly, unethical and heavily flawed. And they still have a presence in Akron, which I gotta ask, isn't that a little weird? Now, flock cameras are the complete opposite of secure. They're invasive, there's an alarming lack of security, and they also aid organizations who have done nothing but harm this city's residents, such as ICE, for example. ICE uses these cameras to search for people who are nonviolent and who are not criminals. And the presence of flock cameras in Akron goes against our Fourth Amendment right, which is the right to protection from illegal search and seizure. With these cameras, words could go right out the window just like that. And on top of that, the cameras can be hacked into in just a matter of seconds, even by somebody just walking by. In Shaker Heights up north, their police department showed data that revealed that flock cameras were accessed 700,000 times in less than six months. 700,000 times in less than six months from law from outside law enforcement agents and God knows who else and if I'm not mistaken The people on this council voted 12 1 0 opposing any and all laws that will force you guys to work with ice Do I have that correct? I'll take that as a maybe all right Now I'm not from the city I'm from Cuyahoga Falls just next door but I have a lot of people who I know and care about that live here that flock cameras effect and These cameras do not help the city, and they only endanger it. These cameras pose a guaranteed risk of data misuse, abuse, privacy violations, and many more things. The one thing I'm asking the council tonight is to see to it that flock cameras are banned from the city of Akron to protect the privacy of everybody that lives here. I might not live here, but I figured I'd ask for the sake of those that do. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Donnell Hilton.

Good evening everyone. Holding leaders accountable tonight, currently Akron has lots of blighted vacant buildings, parks and rec centers and roads that are poorly maintained, litter and weeds throughout some of those areas, neighborhoods are declining, they look bad, code enforcement is passive and the legislation is weak against owners who allow deteriorating property conditions, trash, junk, clutter, overgrown vegetation to wreak havoc. Your inaction as leaders invites blight to be the catalyst for Akron's urban decay. This neglect is causing businesses and residents to leave. Increased neighbor disputes, pest infestations, and I feel sorry for those at Spring Hill, decreased property values, and a declining quality of life for residents. While upgrades to community centers and schools are nice and housing initiatives are positive, They do not offset the risk of our youth and residents if Akron leadership continues to ignore low housing standards and blighted neighborhoods. I urge you to stop deprioritizing blight because blight attracts crime, which spreads throughout the city and you're overburdening your police department indirectly. It also increases demolition costs, degrades the city's profile, and also rentals begin to outweigh home ownership. You all know this is happening in your wards. You see it just like we do. So why aren't you doing anything about it? Why does the city government ignore the widespread neglect throughout Akron? Taxpaying residents who maintain their properties don't deserve a slap in the face while you give blight a slap on the wrist. All Akron residents deserve a stronger city action against blighted conditions. I recently circulated a survey among Akron residents, and 75% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the Department of Neighborhood Assistance handling complaints and following up on them. The survey reveals much more I'd be happy to share with you later. Solutions are needed. Former Mayor Don Pasquelic spearheaded the redevelopment of the severely blighted former Edgewood and Elizabeth Park housing. I don't know if anyone remembers. It's really bad there. But the result was significantly reduced local crime and drug activity, and it improved the community's housing and appearance. However, redevelopment is not the only solution. There's others that residents want. So please take notes in action if possible. Residents will like a lawn care program to support at least 300 elderly residents. You can utilize a paid youth program or an outside contractors. The city should partner with big banks to offer 0% interest loan repair loans that are zip code targeted. We should have proactive code enforcement and anti-blight legislation. I'm pushing for that the most. I suggest higher civil fines, and I'm not saying criminal, but civil fines and penalties to curb neglect. The city should also consider hefty vacancy tax on structures that have sat in our communities for four years or longer. If you don't want to make revenue, I suggest utilizing a seize and sell approach to get new owners to take over the blighted ones. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Ms. Hilton. Thank you. Kristen Boozer.

Hello, thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. My name's Kristen, I'm with Akron DSA. I'm here with concerns about the use of flock cameras within the city of Akron. Currently there's about 145 automatic license plate reader cameras in Akron. These cameras use AI to fingerprint every passing vehicle and store this information for up to 30 days in the cloud by Amazon Web Services. This system has a high potential for abuse, privacy violations, corporate misconduct, and oversight circumvention. Phlox data practices are opaque and deceptive and the cameras themselves are not secure. Phlox Safety Company has poor corporate ethics. There have been many instances where Phlox Safety has allowed out-of-state law enforcement agencies and other federal other federal agents to access local data without the knowledge of local municipalities. In February of 2026, you, Akron City Council, voted unanimously 12 to 0 in a resolution opposing the proposed Ohio State Bills HB 26, HB 42, and SB 172 that would force local municipalities to assist with ICE operations. Flocks access policies have shown to be a side door option for ICE to search urban areas without a warrant or consent. Having these flock cameras surveillance in Akron goes against this resolution. The use of AI cameras tracking people's movements is a violation of our Fourth Amendment right. Individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their long-term movements, even in public, according to Carpenter v. United States Supreme Court decision in 2018. The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Ohio, is actively campaigning against the use of flock safety ALPRs. They're citing that these cameras pose a severe threat to civil liberties, mass surveillance, and data misuse. These cameras do not decrease crime. What actually reduces crime is addressing economic instability, access to healthcare, steady employment, access to safe housing, building green spaces, community violence, interventions, and youth social investments. Akron is not a surveillance state. We're not a city that sacrifices our privacy and that of our neighbors out of fear. We don't want FLAC safety here. We demand Akron City Council immediately end its contract with FLAC safety and remove all FLAC-owned recording devices used by the city. Thank you.

Thank you so much. That concludes our public comment period. We do want to thank everyone who came down and participated. Council, before you is the consent agenda. Is there a motion to approve?

So moved.

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, starting with planning and economic development. Councilman Kamer.

Thank you, Madam President. We do have one item. I'm not sure if Sarah wants to read it in just for the record so everyone knows what we're voting on.

Sure. This is item number one. It's an ordinance approving the 2026 Consolidated Plan Annual Action Plan, including applications and certifications for the Community Development Block Grant, the Home Investment Partnership, and Emergency Solutions Grant Programs. authorizing the Director of Planning and Urban Development to enter into all necessary contracts for the operation and term of the programs and declaring an emergency.

Thank you, Sarah. Committee's report is favorable. We're asking for passage.

Okay, thank you. So the committee's report is favorable. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it.

This ordinance passes 13-0.

Councilman Kamer.

Continued time on everything else.

Okay, thank you. Time will be granted. Public safety. Councilman McKittrick.

Continued 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 Kamer, ordinance amending or supplementing Title 15, Chapter 153, Zoning Code, Article 1, General Provisions, Section 153.140, Definitions, Article 14, Conditional Uses, Section 153.464, Uses Permitted as Conditional Uses, and Section 153.476, Special Standards Applicable to Specific Conditional Uses of the Code of Ordinances, City of Akron, to define and specify conditional use development requirements for data centers and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Thank you, Madam President. We're going to refer this item for a public hearing to be held on July 27th.

Thank you. This item will be referred. Item number two offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the director of the Department of Planning and Urban Development to enter into a contract with East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, EANDC, in Akron for the implementation of the Akron Down Payment Assistance Program 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. The purpose of this legislation is to move forward with a down payment assistance program where we're asking for a passage.

Thank you. The rules have been suspended. 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 zero. Item number three offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to file applications and to enter into agreements for funding of certain capital improvements under the Ohio Public Works Commission's Local Transportation Improvement Program and the State Capital Improvements Program, committing city funds for the local share of these improvements and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number four offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into an agreement with Bounce Innovation Hub to support Bounce as a presenting partner for 2026 and 2027 in order to provide small business assistance and programs for businesses located in Akron and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number five offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts with the greater Akron Chamber of Commerce to provide economic and neighborhood development, marketing and promotional services for the purpose of job creation, investment, retention and expansion of existing companies within the city of Akron and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number six offered by Kamer, ordinance approving the petition for approval of the City of Akron Highland Square Special Improvement District Incorporated's services plan, 2026 to 2029, authorizing and or ratifying execution by the mayor of the City of Akron of the petition for approval of the City of Akron Highland Square Special Improvement District Incorporated Services Plan 2026 to 2029. Adopting the City of Akron Highland Square Special Improvement District Incorporated Services Plan 2026 to 2029 and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kammerer.

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

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

Thank you. I appreciate this. I know the mayor's office and Sean Bowman from our economic development department worked really hard on this with the council person, Fran Wilson. This is a petition with signatures of about 60%. of the frontage that is required to levy assessments to fund the service plan. And with that, we're asking for passage. I'm not sure if the board council person has anything to add.

Thank you, Chair, Madam President. I picked up a torch when I came in this seat from Rich and Nancy and Sam of getting some kind of assessment in place and working with business owners and property owners. So really thankful for the work that I've been in with the last 10 months working on this, and we are excited for passage. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

If you could add my name to the legislation on both, that would be great.

Yes, we will. 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 seven offered by Kamer and Wilson is a resolution declaring it necessary to levy assessments for public improvements and public services for the City of Akron Highland Square Special Improvement District, the Highland Square SID, in accordance with the previous read-in ordinance, which approved the City of Akron Highland Square Special Improvement District Incorporated Services Plan 2026-2029, all when and where necessary, and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Thank you, Madam President. The committee's report is favorable. 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 resolution will trigger notice to be given to all the property owners, and it will allow owners to file an objection, if needed, with the Assessment Equalization Board. We're moving forward, asking for passage.

Thank you. Councilperson Wilson, any further comment?

No, thank you, Madam Chair. Okay.

You're welcome. The rules have been suspended. The committee's report is favorable. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it.

This resolution passes 13 to 0. Item number 8 offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the director of the Department of Planning and Urban Development to enter into a contract or contracts with nonprofit organizations for the provision of tenant-based rental assistance to carry out the intent and purpose OF THE HOME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE HOME ARP AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP FUNDS, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. COUNCILMAN KAMER.

CONSENT AGENDA.

THIS ITEM WILL BE PLACED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER NINE OFFERED BY KAMER, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE OR HIS DESIGNEE AFTER PUBLICLY ADVERTISING FOR BIDS OR REQUESTING AND RECEIVING REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT OR CONTRACTS FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE AKRON DOWNTOWN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE REPLACEMENT MASTER PLAN AND DECL Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number 10 offered by Kamer. Ordinance 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 Barrington Pumps and Systems Incorporated, for the purchase of a replacement fiberglass tank for the water reclamation facility 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 just a move forward with getting a new tank. The city received quotes from two suppliers, and this is our best bet moving forward.

Thank you. The rules have been suspended. 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 11 offered by Kamer, ordinance authorizing the director of public service or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts after publicly advertising for bids for the construction to improve and upgrade the water main at the water plant and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number 12 offered by Kamer. Ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to file applications and enter into an agreement or agreements with the water supply revolving loan account with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and with the Ohio Water Development Authority for construction of the water plant water main upgrade project and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kamer.

Consent agenda.

Thank you. This item will be placed on the consent agenda. Item number 13, offered by McKittrick. Ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee, if awarded, to accept and expend the Bureau of Justice Assistance FY 2025 JAG grant for the purpose of essential equipment for use in the police department offices and at crime scenes and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick.

The committee's report is favorable. 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.

This one and the next two will be grants that we're trying to get to offset the cost in each of these particular grant areas. This one's for 48 months for $175,000, and we're asking for passage.

Thank you. 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 14 offered by McKittrick. Ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee, if awarded, to accept and expend the Office of Criminal Justice Services 2026 Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program grant to purchase equipment for evidence storage and preservation and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick.

The committee's report is favorable. 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.

Again, this is another grant. It's a 15-month grant, and this will be able to obtain a refrigerator to keep items refrigerated, and it has uninterrupted power in case the power goes out to preserve it, asking for passage.

Thank you. 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 zero. Item number 15 offered by McKittrick, ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee, if awarded, to accept and expend the Office of Criminal Justice Services 2025 Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant to fund certain personnel and operational costs associated with sexual assault investigations and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick?

The committee's report is favorable. 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.

Again, this is a four-month grant, which will help offset the cost of personnel for being able to do these tests.

Thank you. 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 zero. Item number 16 offered by McKittrick. Ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts without the formality of publicly advertising forbids with Howell Rescue Systems for the purchase of extrication tools for the Akron Fire Division and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick.

The committee's report is favorable. 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.

This will allow the department to buy two new sets of extrication equipment. When somebody's in an accident and they're trapped, this is what this is for. They had one of them during training had a catastrophic failure. They are 13 years old and we're asking for passage to get more newer frontline equipment.

Thank you. 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 17 offered by McKittrick. Ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a contract or contracts without the formality of publicly advertising for bids with Vector Solutions for the use of their frontline public safety software for the safety communications center and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick.

The committee's report is favorable. We're asking for a suspension of the rules.

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

This is a company that they've used regularly before for software, and it will allow them to use it for multiple different uses and day-to-day use.

Thank you. The committee's report is favorable. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed?

The ayes have it. This ordinance passes 13-0. Item number 18 offered by Kamer, resolution opposing and objecting to the renewal application of Andes and Firestone Park, LLC, 1751 South Main Street, Akron, Ohio, 44301, for a class D5 and D6 liquor permit, 0211611, before the Division of Liquor Control and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick?

The committee's report is favorable, asking for a suspension of the rules.

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

I'd like to yield to Councilman Kamer. This is in his word.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the opportunity. Madam President, thank you. We're just asking for this business to be a good neighbor. And with that, we can't move forward with being a good neighbor when we have fights going that go on constantly at this location. I have the police calls in front of me from 2024, 2025, 2026. But I'll go from 2026, work my way backwards. And if you want me to continue, I can continue. But I'll focus on 2026, where we've had eight fight calls at this location, one stabbing, several assaults, a shooting where one male was shot, another shooting where two males were shot. We've had fights with guns, fights with injuries, noise complaints from the neighbors, and that's very important because we want to make sure the neighbors that live in this neighborhood are able to live in a good quality of life neighborhood and have peace and quiet. So if any of my colleagues need more information going back into 2025, where we've had a few more shootings in 2024, where we've had more fights and shootings, I can go on, but for time's sake, I'm going to end it there. So appreciate it. I would love the support of council on this. Uh, so we can, the prosecutor's office can, uh, you know, work with the state and see what we can do. Thanks.

Thank you, Councilman Kamer. The committee's report is favorable. One more comment. I'm sorry, Councilman McKittrick.

Yes, I'd like to make a motion for Mayor and Council as a whole, please.

Is there a second? Thank you. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it.

This resolution passes 13 to 0. Item number 19, offered by Garrett and Wilson, resolution expressing the support for the administration examining ways to limit vehicular pursuits for low-level and non-violent offenses in order to prioritize the preservation of life and community safety and declaring an emergency. Councilman McKittrick.

The committee's request is time.

Time will be granted. Item number 20 offered by Garrett, resolution expressing support for the administration examining ways to make window tint violations a secondary offense in order to eliminate practices that create the appearance of profiling and declaring an emergency. Councilman Kittrick.

The committee's report is a suspension of the rules with favorable report.

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

I'd like to yield to Councilman Garrett.

Okay. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President. As it relates to the window tent request, we're requesting, Madam President, to have it to become a secondary fence as opposed to a primary fence. We all understand around this horseshoe that we can't direct a mayor or the police department to do anything. So this is just urging them to have further conversations around pulling individuals over for window tent. Majority of the officers, if you go to the parking lot of the police department, you just take a look around their vehicles, a lot of them have window tint. I think it's very hard for them to police other folks when they actually have window tint themselves. I had a chance to go around the city, Madam President, as a councilman at large. I went to every single ward. Unfortunately, a lot of my colleagues didn't show up for those ward meetings to hear individuals talk about police reform. They decided not to show up for a lot of them, and so a lot of the constituents had concerns. Some of their concerns was, hey, if we're looking at the police department and their budget, and we're giving the police department $7 million of all of their ass. You have $3 million for staffing, you have Academy $500,000, you have police gear replacement, and you have a few other things that they wanted. The constituents agree with most of their requests, $7 million. The only issue they had for the most part was the $255,000 for long guns. And they were sort of concerned about why are we putting more guns in our community? So that was one of the issues they had. Other than that, no issues with the $7 million. The fire department's asking for $4.9 million. And so we don't begrudge those departments for their requests. But however, Madam President, during these town hall meetings that we went to every single ward, with the exception of Ward 10, and I'm on my way there, we talked about things that concerned them in their community. Some of the things that concerned them in their community And part of this conversation was the whole piece of legislation where the mayor directed his police department not to engage with ICE. And I think that's so important that we remember that because on that resolution, number 45-2026, he directed our police department. He told them what to do. He gave them direction. His direction was don't engage with ICE. And so during our town hall meetings, the constituents said, well, hey, how about stopping high-speed pursuits in majority black and minority communities? How about we stop doing that? How about we stop chasing people for low-level offenses throughout our community? Heaven forbid there's a major crime take place, do 150 miles an hour after that. But for low-level offenses, they said, no, we're not interested in that. They also talked about head strikes, and I'm getting to the window tint. They also talked about head strikes. They didn't want these, and it's free. It doesn't cost us anything. We talked about $7 million. It is free to do this, Madam President. We're asking for command intensifiers to be stopped. And so that's cussing at people as soon as they get out of their car or being very disrespectful. Zero dollars, doesn't cost anything. We're asking for body cam look back. We're asking for a full 60 to two minute look back, audio and video. And one of the most concerning things about that resolution that my colleagues assisted with passing is that it's still sitting on the mayor's desk and still to this day there's no movement on body cam. Why is that? It's just sitting there. It's not a priority. It's not a priority. It's not a priority to him in this administration that we protect officers from being, allowing officers to be exonerated from when they are falsely accused, are also to be able to protect the community when something's wrong. No movement. We get to window tent, Madam President, and it wasn't until a 20 to 30-year-old city employee reached out to me to say he was pulled over in his front yard in front of his grandkids and family members over a window tent. He was berated, embarrassed in front of his family and friends over a window tint. And so we're just asking, Madam President, so folks don't feel. I mean, it's part of this. It reduces the glare. It cuts down on if you drive into Youngstown first thing in the morning or back on 76 North, I think that is. It cuts down on migraine headaches. It stops shattering of glass when accidents happen. It reduces individuals from being able to look in your vehicle to break in and take things. And lastly, as a president, it stops targeting. This will reduce racial profiling. This will reduce stereotyping. This will reduce disproportionately targeting throughout our community. And most folks would just sit back and say, what's the big deal about window tent? Well, with police officers, nearly 40% of their calls for services, people are calling in and asking for service. The other large portion of it is self-identified issues that police decide to pull people over for. And window tent could be one of those reasons to just pull you over. My colleagues earlier today had an issue. They had a head-scratching issue. They couldn't understand why. They were confused as to why would you bring this before us, allow the administration just to handle it. But they're not a black male. They're not a black male in this community who is being targeted and racially profiled. Because if you take a look at those close to 60% of those non-calls, let's pull them over because he got window tint. And then they have no earthly idea about the 145 flight cameras. When you think of those 145 flight cameras, because my colleague said, you know, how would you know if a person's black or white in the vehicle? Out of 145 flight cameras that we have in our city, Madam President, nearly 60 of them are in your ward. About 30 of them are in Ward 5. About another 20 plus is in Ward 4. Why is that? Because that's a poor, that is a black community. That's majority black. Overly surveilled. So it's easy to profile them because you already know. The folks already talked about it. You've chased them. You've tracked their license plate. And if we're suggesting that flat cameras is for public safety to help, so they don't need help in Ward 8 with only four of them? They don't need help in Ward 6 with only six of them? But they need all of these in our poor black community. Why is that? So when we talk about the need for window tint to be judged as a secondary offense, Madam President, the list can go on. Lastly, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. I would like for my colleagues to understand that this is just the beginning. This is just an opportunity to have a conversation. That's all we're asking for, to have a conversation about Wendell Tent and not making it a top priority, to make it a secondary offense, Madam President. Thank you so much, and I would ask for a passage by my colleagues. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you so much. Councilman Kamer. I'm sorry. I thank you. I thank you for the applause, but we're going to ask no applause during the official meeting, okay? But thank you. Councilman Kamer.

Oh, thank you, Madam President. I appreciate the opportunity. Today during the committee, there was a discussion and there was the possibility of an adverse report, and I'm the one that made the motion to suspend the rules because I wanted to bring this out to council as a whole so we can discuss this and vote it up or down. First of all, when my colleague had a town hall in Ward 7, I was there. I was sitting in a seat in the community center. So when you stand on council floor, it'd be nice if you don't paint that picture of nobody coming to your town halls. That's all I ask. Number two, the resolution. It's not a good resolution. I mean, my colleague just said that the previous resolution is still sitting on the mayor's desk and nothing's getting done. That's why this resolution is not good, okay? If you want to change policy, bring in some legislation to make the window tent a second offense. Not a primary offense, make it a second offense. What I just heard from my colleague is, I don't like the police. I heard 30 seconds roughly of window tint topic, and then the rest of it was just why I don't like the police. That's what I just heard. I didn't get a good example of why I should be supporting this and setting it down to the mayor's office. But like I said during committee today, and I said it twice, I would support, uh, legislation, uh, with our city ordinance, uh, making window tent a second offense, uh, or whatever word you want to use instead of a primary offense, because, uh, You know, window tint has come a long way from when it first came about and when our state legislators went after making it illegal. It makes animals more comfortable, dogs, cats. It cools the temperature in the car. So there's a lot for us to look at. But a resolution to go back and sit on the mayor's desk, and I'm not talking bad about the mayor, but I'm only quoting what my colleague said, is let's do the work right here in council chambers and pass the law instead of making a resolution to send it down to the mayor's office. Thank you.

Thank you. I want to respond to Councilman Garrett.

Madam President, as a member of the 10th Special Forces Airborne Unit who fought, who decided not to stay at home, who fought for this amazing country, how dare you suggest that I don't like law enforcement because I'm holding them accountable? I think that's very disrespectful of the service I think this is extremely disrespectful of the service. I'm addressing the chair. I'm a little cockeyed today. Help me out. Councilman Garrett, thank you. Thank you. I just find it extremely disrespectful that a person who decided not to fight for this amazing country would come to that conclusion because you want to hold someone accountable. Shirley Chisholm said, I'm unbossed and unbought. Take a look at a lot of campaign finance reports and you will wonder why so many people stand so hard for the police. Madam President, I have no issue with the police at all. They're just trying to paint this young black man as anti-police because I want to hold them accountable. That's it. That's all. They know it. They know it and they're afraid of it, Madam President. I am here for accountability sake. They know it. If you came to that Warrick meeting and you had a hat on and you tried to disguise yourself, excuse me for not recognizing because you weren't interacting or engaging. Excuse me for that. He didn't want to come anyway. He didn't want to hear anything about this. He's excluding those people in his community. It's sad. It's sad, Madam President, that he would stoop to that level. But this is what we're dealing with. And all we're asking for is for accountability. If this mayor, I sat down and had coffee with him, he's seen all the resolutions. He said he was going to take them back. He'll get back with me. But once again, just like he lied to us on issue 10, He neglected his duty here as well. Nothing. We came through and we pushed together the resolution for the body cam. It's still sitting on his desk because he has no respect for the poor black and brown community. And now we're just asking to have a conversation. Oh, I don't want to have a conversation. Let's redo your piece of legislation and bring it this way instead of assisting with it. This is what I get. So it's really sad, Madam President. Martin Luther King said, as I said, in reading the letter from the Birmingham jail, he said he expected a lot of the segregation and racists to have their point of view. He expected that. But what broke his heart, Madam President, is the silence from the individuals who should be standing with him when it came to police, well for me, when it comes to police reform, the individuals that should have been standing with him when it came to how he felt at that time when he went to Alabama to help all of those folks. And now we get to this point today. I feel heavy hearted to stand by myself to watch to watch individuals just be silent when it comes to what folks have been standing at this podium asking for, what people in the community have been begging for. And now I'm standing here. My heart hurts. My heart hurts for the silence, Madam President. I thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Garrett. Councilman Camber, then Councilman Lombardo, okay?

Thank you, Madam President. I just want to say, for the record, my colleague did recognize me at the town hall meeting at the firestone park community center so i appreciate that and i also was recognized by him on his social media page and i did have a photo on his social media page so thank you okay thank you so much councilman lombardo thank you um truthfully i'm not a big fan of this ordinance a couple reasons i think some of the cars well i know the cars today are produced with some tint

I think what we talked about in the committee today was that anything coming from the manufacturer, let's just say is legal, but then it's the aftermarket that the businesses can tin them up to being something illegal. I think that's what I got from today. A couple of things. All these cars, police cars, I think you said in the parking lot, they're tinted. Is that from the manufacturer or is that from the aftermarket? And the second thing is, is it as easy as, you know, if the police can stop, if the police can stop you for window tint, how many shades are there that someone knows that that's illegal? I mean, is it, it can't be as easy as, let's just say a haze versus maybe a charcoal versus black. Like, is there just three levels where we know the black is illegal or is there like, eight shades and our officers happen to know that, oh, that's past the shade limit. I just don't buy that. So I'm just not a big fan of this. And I just really am looking for, well, I'll stop there. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Councilperson Wilson.

Thank you, Madam President. I also attended one of the meetings in Ward 1. Happy to be there and took some notes. I think there was some good conversation there. I'm going to vote in favor of this. I'm not a huge fan of some of the rhetoric that's being thrown back and forth, frankly. When I read this, I read that we just want the administration to consider some policy change and if we can make any positive change. I think when we back out really far away, we can see that, and I think a lot of us know that there are issues on this matter. And I personally would love to see the administration look into this deeper, whether that's knowing for sure that we can or cannot take certain action, or it's identifying an area of the law that we can emphasize, or a part of practice or policy that we could change or get better at. I think that's a positive and honestly simple thing.

um if we get through some of the cloud here thank you thank you so much councilman greer thank you madam president um yeah i just wanted to stand and say uh just looking at this issue from just a simple objective standpoint uh after our committee meeting i was able to talk with a former officer and he walked me through and uh all of the aspects about window tent I think that when we look at the issue, what a lot of people have inhibitions about is that window tint being the primary reason or the first reason why someone might be stopped. And not really necessarily about the window tint infraction itself, but if someone is stopped because of the tint on their windows and then all of a sudden that leads to other infractions. Wanting to make sure that the issue of window tint does not become a method of fishing for other infractions. I think that like one of my colleagues, you know, I do think that this issue would even be really better served as a piece of legislation just to make sure that this doesn't get put on the back burner and nothing happened with it. But I think when we look at this issue and taking the passion out of it, it can be a simple thing to just say, this shouldn't be the first reason why someone is stopped. Now, if someone is stopped for another reason and then an officer might see that there is a window tint infraction, that's another story. But if someone is stopped as the first reason being window tint and then It leads to other infractions being found. That's where there has been some pushback in our community. And so I do agree with the intent of this. And again, I do think that at the very least, we should just take time, look at this from an objective standpoint, realize that it's a simple thing we can do to bring healing to our community.

Thank you, Councilman Greer. I was just going to say just one thing. And I do want to thank Councilman Garrett for bringing this forward because, again, we've had much conversation, you know, during committee and also now around this topic, which I think is really important and healthy that we do that. You know, and so I hear people even saying, you know, things about bringing in legislation. But, again, it goes back to education, the fact that the state code says window tent is illegal and it is a requirement. primary offense. So regardless of what we put on the books in Akron, right, state code is going to trump what we say. And so I think it's also important that the public knows and understands that. But I am in total support of making window tint and feel that window tint should be secondary. It should not be the first and main reason why someone is pulled over. I still have some questions and concerns about even putting officers in a position to decide, you know, is the tent too dark? Is it really illegal? I mean, being able to spot that, I think it also puts our officers, you know, in a compromising and dangerous position at times as well. Councilwoman Mobian, I see your hand.

I almost don't think I need to get up because everything that's been said recently by Madam President and Councilman Greer are the things that I wanted to say. I don't have a problem with us talking about this. It's just trying to understand what are we talking about. Are we saying that they're using this as a precursor to stop someone because they're fishing for other things? And what I want the safety director to do for us, as I requested for the other piece of legislation, is can you bring us numbers? Can you bring us information as to how many traffic stops have we had around this issue that may have led to other things? And I'm not sure how the officers document these things, because I would imagine that you need to give a reason for stopping a person. And then if you find something else, I didn't think you could go in anybody's car without a warrant, even though you stopped them, but maybe that's because I'm so naive, but it will be helpful to have the documentation, the data to support what we're talking about. How many of these have we had and how big of a problem is it? And I know you told us today earlier that Ohio revised code, as Madam president just said, cited as a primary offense. And if we want to make it into a secondary offense, how do you do that? Because I thought the state trumps the city and the federal government trumps all levels. So maybe if we could get more information about this. I mean, it's a nice discussion to have. I don't have a problem with us discussing things because what we're really talking about is racial profiling or a group of people being treated differently or whatever the case may be. if we could get some stats on what's going on in our city. How many times have we had this? How recent? I know the first one, the piece of legislation regarding the, what's the other one? High-speed chase. High-speed chase for a low-level fence. I requested information for that. I know you're working on that. So if you can work on some information for this one as well, that would be helpful because I'm not sure what we do with this at this point without having some data. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman. Any other comments?

Councilwoman Boyce. Thank you, Madam President. I share both concerns. I think data, having data is important before coming to a conclusion. I also agree. There's times when officers' lives are put at risk. I saw a video recently that was sent to me that was on Channel 3 like four years ago that an officer was sitting in their cruiser and there was a car sitting next to it with two gentlemen laughing at the fact that they were pointing guns straight at the officer and he could not see. Okay, so that's worrisome to me. The other part that I worry about is this. Windshield window tint has gotten so dark that I think it impedes folks' ability to drive at night. And I've seen that in my ward, not just in wards three, four, and five. We have plenty of window tint in my ward as well. And I think it's cool. It looks great on these cars, but for the second time in four months on Edwin Avenue, we had a child on a bike hit. a few days ago. While I understand the desire to balance people's rights, no one should be antagonized over their tent. I agree with that. I just want to be sure that the risk to public safety, particularly in circumstances with pedestrians and bikes, when it is dark, is not outweighed with the rights part of things. I think we need to balance those things. know i think the piece of the resolution says we need to look for ways to make tent violations secondary what does that mean to someone driving at night with a windshield that is so dark that they may hit somebody i think that's a primary reason to pull someone over so you know i'm not i'm not saying i'm not for this i very well maybe but i would like more information thank you thank you so much any other comments at this time mr morgan

Yeah, thank you, Madam President. I just want to assure you, Ms. Moby, and to both your points, we'll certainly get all the numbers, both in terms of the pursuits and in terms of any, you know, citations or violations for this particular thing. You are correct. There was both a state code and a city code, as I mentioned at the Public Safety Committee earlier. And regardless of whatever change we would make, it would not have any constructively it would have no impact because you know the officers are allowed to use either code and the officers would still be able to initiate a stop regardless of what we do with our ordinance you know for the tent violation and I just want to make sure it's clear because this a lot is about conversations and I'm willing to have conversations with everybody on a more macro level. A lot of the things that were mentioned here tonight, whether it be the look back into the body-worn camera or even issue 10, I will tell you all and I commit to all of you, the work is being done. The work is being done. We were at the oversight board last week. Quite frankly, we have the healthiest relationship that we've had. We're very committed to getting them the responses that they need. The look back, Councilman Garrett, very much a subject of the PERF report. We are, myself, Deputy Chief Miller, we're manning the committee that's implementing that report. That work is getting done. We're gonna produce results. So a lot of those things that were mentioned earlier, It's not here before you right now, but that work is being done. It's being thoughtful work, but as part of that, happy to have conversations with anybody about it. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr. Morgan. Councilman Garrett?

Thank you, Madam President. As we look for more information that my colleague, Ms. Linda Mobian, mentioned, can we also look up how many times the ORC difference from ordinance that we have? There are several ordinances that we have that are opposed to what the ORC has. And so we're still able to go with those ordinance from our city. So as he's getting ready to do that research, just to be able to bring that information back as well, because I am certain that we could make window tent a secondary offense here in the city of Akron, just like the mayor directed Our law enforcement not to engage with ice. He can direct our law enforcement to say, Hey, window tent is a secondary fence here in this city. Just thank you so much, madam president.

Thank you. Councilman Bolden.

Thank you, madam president. Um, my understanding of this, that window tent at a certain degree is a primary offense by the state running a stop sign is primary defense. Loud mufflers are primary defense. How do you tell it was a loud muffler? It's the officer's decision. At what point are we going to say these are not primary offenses, they aren't, you can't pull over people. Anyone that's ridden with the police, and it's been a while since I have, have known that when they pull some over, they usually pull some over for a reason. I've been with them where they pulled over for somebody, didn't make a complete stop, and when they pulled them over, ends up there was warrants in the car, there were things going on that... They just felt they needed, it wasn't right. I got to trust our officers out in the field there to make these decisions. So I'll be voting no on this.

Thank you. Any other comments at this time? Anyone who has not had an opportunity? So the committee's report is favorable. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Roll call.

Bolden.

No.

Boyce. Nay. Connor. Nay. Davis. Aye. Garrett?

Aye.

Greer?

Aye.

Hannah?

Aye.

Kamer?

Nay.

Lombardo?

Nay.

McKittrick?

Nay.

Omobian?

Abstaining.

And your reason for abstaining, Councilwoman?

Yes, I want more information.

Okay, well, you have to vote up or down. You can only abstain when you have a conflict. So you have to make a decision. You're going to vote it up, you're going to vote it down.

Respectfully, I think we might need a rule reading on that one, because my understanding is there is ability to abstain.

I thought if you give a good reason why you're abstaining, you can abstain.

We can read it, and we can have law do that. But in city council's rules, in order for you to abstain on anything, there has to be a conflict.

Well, can I make a motion that we take time?

You could have done that, yes.

Can we stop the vote and do that? Because I would like for us to take time.

But I'm going to have her read that just so that you do know that is in our rules that this body voted on.

This is rule 5.8, abstention. Unless a conflict of interest or other legitimate reason prohibits a member of council from voting on a particular matter, it is expected that all members will vote on all items upon which they could vote. Abstention shall not be used by any member of council in order to avoid taking a position on an issue. It shall be in order for the president or any other member of council to question another member's abstention if they believe it is in violation of this rule by making a point of order as described in Rule 4.12. In that instance, the abstaining member would be given an opportunity to explain the conflict of interest or other factor that prohibited them from voting on the issue. The president shall enforce this rule up to and including discipline as set forth in Section 9.

This creates a conflict for me that I am forced to vote on something without the information I need.

It's a legitimate reason, is it not?

Technically, no. But we will take your abstention. Councilman Garrett.

That is technically, it is not a reason. It is not a reason, and I object to it. I mean, the residents are looking for leadership here. The residents are looking for a person who's been here for years and people who know how we're being treated in our community. And all we're asking is for a vote for the mayor to consider having conversations around stop profiling majority black folks in their community. That's all we're asking, poor white, Poor black, poor brown folks are being heavily surveilled. We've seen the numbers. And we're just asking to have this to be a secondary offense, Madam President. It's just a conversation we're trying to have. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you. And before I recognize you, Councilwoman Mobin, I'm sorry, Councilwoman Davis had her hand. Thank you, Madam President.

None of us have the information. This is a resolution. How did we get here for a conversation? Simple. And I'm going to stand in support of it. This is crazy. It doesn't make any sense. It's simply to have a freaking conversation. That's it. That's all. I don't have data either. But I'm willing to have that conversation. Thank you. Thank you.

Council Member Mobian?

I think people are free to say and do what they want to do in terms of voting. I don't have the information to tell me that African Americans are pulled over more than whites, poor whites, or whatever the case may be. I suspect that's probably true. But I need the information to make an informed decision about my voting. I don't like some of the way this thing is crafted. But I don't want to vote yay or nay. I'm not opposed to a conversation, and I think I participated in the conversation tonight. I should be allowed to abstain. That is part of Robert's rules. You can abstain, and I've given a good reason why I'm abstaining. I want information. Give me some numbers. Tell me what's happening. I heard one report about a person that's being disrespected in front of his children and grandchildren. I want more data about this. So that's why I'm voting to abstain.

Council Member, did you have a comment? I'm sorry. Did you have a comment? No, no, no. Okay. And again, if you need information, you don't have enough information, request time so that you can get information.

I'm sorry, Madam President.

Do not use abstention as a way to say I don't have additional information or I still have questions. That's all I'm saying, okay? So thank you. So let's begin our roll call again, okay? Sure.

Bolden?

No.

Boyes. Nay. Connor. No. Davis.

Aye.

Garrett.

Aye.

Greer.

Aye.

Hanna.

Aye.

Kamer. Aye. Lombardo.

Nay.

McKittrick.

Nay.

Omobian. Nay. Somerville. Aye. And Wilson.

Aye.

The vote was six to seven, so this resolution does not pass.

Thank you. And that does conclude our new legislation for this evening. We're going to move into our committee assignments. Councilman McKittrick. 2 p.m. Public Safety. Councilman McKittrick.

2.15.

Budget and Finance. Councilman Lombardo.

3 p.m.

Parks and Recreation. Councilwoman Conner. 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. Is there anything else coming before Council, Councilman Kamer?

Thank you, Madam President. I just want to say a couple things. One, I was able to go to the Blue Heron Festival over the weekend. I thought it was really cool. So great job to everybody from the city that worked to organize that and the volunteers. Number two is we'll circle back to the resolution that we just voted on. And I'm saying this to you, Madam President. I want to address you, but I don't want to say the wrong thing because I work with a lot of great people here on the third floor. I think I have great work relationships with the mayor too, but I agree and disagree with the guy, okay? Because that's our job. Our job here is checks and balances. I don't think we can continue bringing in resolutions to send down to the second floor. I can't support that. I'm not going to continue supporting that. So I think we were all elected by our constituents that have faith in us, that want us to lead, want us to make those tough decisions. And I think that's what we need to start doing more. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman. Councilperson Wilson?

I appreciate the debate tonight. I think it brought out a lot of feelings and thoughts on an important topic that is affecting people's lives. I think in response to the comment just made, I think this job, from watching it from afar for many years and now being in it, it looks a lot of different ways. And people interact with it in different ways. And I think that's OK, and it's OK to preserve that. Sometimes when things aren't moving forward, sometimes we have to push a little bit. Sometimes we have to use the different tools that we have in our tool belt to do that. A resolution is one way to do that. I think it's also good for us to reflect, those who voted yes and no on the legislation, that it was a choice made in committee to bring it before council instead of taking time. It was choices made to not sit with the legislation, to tease out things that could be enacted into our policy or code. Those were choices made. We chose to bring up a hot, sensitive, hot button issue in front of everybody at night while live streamed and get our air out instead of taking time and just working through the policy on its merits. So I just want to say that. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Anything else coming before council at this time? Can we please have a motion for adjournment? No objections. Meeting adjourned.

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