City Council - Regular Meeting

You find anything in that?

I didn't do it. I'm not sure. every

I heard. ladies here. She's our community

coordinator. Director of community.

I started sweating. How are you guys? How are you doing?

Good.

Remember me from the meetings, Megan? Okay.

ready. Ready, Matt. All right. It's 6 p.m. today, uh, Monday, March 9th. I'm going to call the public safety committee meeting to order. You hear me? Oh, can you hear me now?

Okay, perfect. Sorry. Okay, so let's try that again. Uh, today is Monday, March 9th, and I'm going to call to order the public safety committee meeting. Um all members are present and today we have uh four items on the agenda agenda today and the first is approval of the October 20th 2025 public safety committee meeting. Is there a motion? A motion to approve the minutes. Thank you. Do we have a second? Second. All those in favor? I.

That motion carries. The second item on the agenda is a communication from fire chief Fairbanks regarding the neighbor paramedic program. This presentation was completed at the September 15, 2025 public safety committee meeting. I am going to go ahead and make a motion to receive and file this communication. Second. All those in favor? I

I. And that motion carries. So, we're going to come to the last items on our agenda, which is the communication from council member Stribbig reintroducing an ordinance to amend chapter 505 to create regulations regarding a trap, neuter, and return program and ordinance 03-2026. Today, we have with us uh members of Laswab and Claus along with Off Officer Crumbley. Um I'm not sure if our members would like to introduce themselves quickly. I'm Nancy Binder. I'm chair of Law Swab. Hello, I'm Emily Christ. I am the secretary of LSWAB as well as the president of Claws.

I'm Megan Galada. I'm the community cats director for CLAW, which is the citizens committee for Lakewood's Animals and Shelter. Just we have it on the record. Thank you.

Thank you. And then we also do have um other members that are present in the audience here um as support and backup for the group. So thank you for uh being here. So the ordinance in front of us um today has undergone a number of changes and has been carefully considered. And I think the goal for today should be deliberate if this ordinance will do what it's intended. Um and so I'm going to first um make a motion to insert some additional language and then we could talk about the ordinance. um and go from there. This was based on conversations with some of the lisu swab and class members. So I want to make a motion to insert um in section uh 9 B4 and I'll wait for the clerks to pull that up. Mhm. B4. Okay. So after um 24 consecutive hours um yes. So it's already in there. Thank you. So, um I am going to make a motion that we insert in section 9B4 after 20 24 consecutive hours, comma, without providing for the cat's needs pursuant to revised code section 999 59.131D.

Period. Second. Okay, we have the motion in the second. All those in favor? Wait, we have to discuss first. Sorry. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Are we? So, first, um, we'll go pull that back. Just kidding. Um, sorry about that. Um, do we have any discussions on that? Okay. Any discussion? Okay. All those in favor?

I I All right. And that motion passes. Okay. So now we have an updated ordinance in front of us that adds that additional language and I think it is a good thing um because it does um provide for the intent of the trapping that and in in this trapping I'll refer to Claus and LWAB a little bit um after committee members to explain a little bit more in detail um but basically making sure that this is clear that the cat may be trapped um for longer than 24 consecutive hours and um that as long as they're being cared for, food, water, that that would be okay and that's for the intent of the TNR. So um I don't know if any other committee members have any discussion points or questions. I would just want to say thank you for catching that. The attention to detail from this group is unbelievable. I mean, I can't imagine anybody um paying more attention to every word and every comma that is is and is not in this uh document. So, um I would just like to at this time extend my thanks to Lewab and Claus and um attorney Dana and everybody else really that that's um provided a lot of input here, including uh animal control officer Crumbly and the law department and uh Kira Lasher. I mean, I could just I really I actually I have a list of people that I could probably save for the next uh minute, but you all know who you are. So, thank you very much for the attention to detail to make sure that we get this right. And also with the

understanding that as we get into this, if it's not right, we can go back and fix it again, right? I mean, it's not we're not pouring the cement, we're writing the document. So, thank you all. And I'd just like to uh echo that that sentiment as someone who's uh new to this. I you know it's certainly not lost to me that you you folks have been have been working on this issue for for months and months at this point. And um you know having done kind of a a little crash course um you know just uh yesterday and today on this uh I'm realizing there's there's there's a lot of layers and and nuance to to this sort of um this sort of this sort of issue. And so I really appreciate all your work of to get us to this point, both my council colleagues and uh the folks um in the room.

Thank you. Thank you to my council colleagues for um that input. Um I don't know if um Officer Crumbley or Director Vargo, would you like to speak first or do you want to hear from can we hear from the clause and swap group and you wrap it up or what would you prefer? Um uh thank you, Madam Chair. I'll I'll follow um the experts. Thank you. Okay, perfect. Thank you. Okay,

I'm Nancy Binder. I'm the uh chair of Law Swab and want to thank every council member for helping us along this two-year impassion journey that we've had. Um we've worked closely with Claus. Floss has taken the lead in finding attorney Dana Perino Panella

Panella and they've taken the um the efforts to find groups that do largescale TNR programs. Uh clauses of 501c3 that works with the Lakewood Animal Shelter as we know. Uh having the lawyer and having the large group people is that's the difference that made the difference and their efforts should always be thanked for. Um we the members of law swab have voted and we recommend the passage of this ordinance as is. Uh we also want the right to come back and you know perhaps suggest uh some other differences. Uh Lakewood loves their animals. We found that out in the spay and neuter program. We just we are a city that welcomes everyone. However, when it comes to community cats, we do have some problems. Um some major ones. Gary's first year here. And talk about, you know, entering by fire. Uh Davis Court brought in approximately 40 cats that they did not like that were community cats and he had to euthanize them. He and his staff. That is not a good day at work for anyone. Um, callulling creates a vacuum. It's an emptiness. Other colonies start coming in because, you know, suddenly it's there. Suddenly it's gone. Hey, we've got like a new condo. Um, it's been two years. We're in a period of cats are going to be having kittens soon. Davis Court is in my best guess going to bring cats and kittens back to

Gary and that is part of the job of uh acco but if it's preventative um we'd like to prevent some of that. Uh it's um since our ordinance is with best practices, the evidencebased um treatment of of areas like Davis Court is to go in surround the area and TNR, especially that area, the epicenter being Davis Court. Because of that, um, we would like to ask for a grant to Claus who has the infrastructure to do a large program like this. They have the connections. They have the 501c3. So, the um city doesn't have liabilities as far as the uh, you know, um, using TNR. And it's a um something that I would like council to consider. Without starting that, Gary is going to have another large group of cats from that specific area. Uh and other areas are complaining. Uh to me, people are calling saying, "Are they going to come to our neighborhood?" I'm like, "Well, you guys can start a program as soon as this is passed." But given we have an epicenter of need, I do recommend and Lasab recommends a grant to clause of $20,000. And I want to thank everyone on council for being so supportive of our efforts. Thank you.

Anyone else?

Are you done? Okay. All right. Hi everyone. Emily Christ here. Um, as I mentioned, I've been the secretary of the SWAB for years and um, six years now, I think, at least. We've been working on this for two now, and I'm just so excited to see this version. I think is the best it's been. Um, I've lost track of the number of times I've compared these back and forth, and I'm just very grateful that everybody's contributed to this point. I think it looks fantastic. Um, I also forgot to put my claws cap on. I'm the president of Claws now and big props to uh Cara Lasher who's was previously in in this position and she got us to a great starting point. So I'm really grateful for the work she's done. Um and Erin McDonald who was the uh former LAWAB chair. So um a lot of people as you said Cindy that we should recognize for all the work that has happened to this point. So, um maybe Megan could kind of clarify um a little bit about what we recommended to be added as far as the time frame with the 24 hours in a trap. She's our resident G&R expert.

Thank you, Emily. Thank you, council. And thank you everybody who is working on this and has worked on this. Again, I'm Megan Galleta, the community cats director for CCLAS Claws. Um, in terms of that little amendment that was made, um, that came directly from Dana Panella, um, our attorney, and she is with Holland and Miran. Um, they are an animal welfare, an uh, firm that specializes in animal welfare in the state of Ohio. And we had talked about that 24 consecutive hours. um that actually doesn't work because every TNR is has a trapping day, a uh vet day, and then a return day. So that's three days. Um and she talked uh she gave us that part of the revised code which um addresses having animals in traps and that specifically talks about um and we're saying without um complying with that that provides for food and water in the trap. It also talks about um animals in traps must be kept um from being in freezing cold, extreme heat, um you know uh temperature fluctuations, things like that. So that was at her suggestion to put in there. Um because otherwise no one can TNR because you're going to have to keep a cat in a trap longer than 24 hours because you can't trap it, take it to the APL and recover it all within 24 hours. So that's where that came from and that's refers specifically to Ohio code. Um so if anybody has any questions, I will try to address them, but that's where that came from directly from our attorney.

Thank you. Yeah, I have a question regarding that. What is considered cruelty then? How long do you think you can just keep these cats in a live trap because there's not a lot of room in there?

That goes to best practices. As so many things that we've talked about, the um Alleycat Allies, Neighborhood Cats of New York, they produce what are essentially two bibles on doing trapneuter return. And in general, it is three days by and large. There's a trapping day, there's the veterinary day at the APL or Pet Fix, and then there's a return day. So return is typically 24 hours after they've been put under anesthesia because it takes about that amount of time for it to work its way out of their system. Um, if you have a pregnant and and I can point to the best practices that address this, but if you have a pregnant cat, you're very likely to keep it a little longer for recovery. If you have an injured cat, uh, you might keep it longer for recovery, but by and large, 3 days. But best practices address that question and those durations. And that comes back to the training that we've talked a lot about providing training on on the web to guide people and providing in-person training so that people will know.

Dr. Vargo, go ahead. Yes, thank you. Uh, Madam Chair, just a question. When would the committee or council take up the grant request? Are you taking it up now to recommend or will it be part of the budgeting process? because we may speak to that but no reason to speak to it now if if it's not ripe.

Yeah. No, because I I know there was so once we discussed this I was going to talk about the policy because there was something there was a question in the policy in the last line about liabilities. So that's connected. So we can talk a little bit about that. Um I'm not sure. I think um what that's something we would have to consider potentially in the budget and there may be some external funding sources that we could help them maybe um be directed towards as well. So we could work to find some funding sources non- city maybe a combination but I think that would have to be something that we would have to refer um you know put together a communication recommendation and have it referred to finance committee.

Thank you. One question I would have about the funding, how does a city guarantee that this is going to be used for the TNR, not for something else?

Um, so I think I it would be like any other grant, you know, dollars that are, you know, distributed to community organizations. they would have to have um you know mechanisms and controls in place, budgeting, all of that stuff. So we do we do have those par parameters in set and we would just have to make sure that clause would be able to manage that and they are a 501c3 so they are accountable to dollars um you know uh public dollars. So, so they would already have those parameters and controls. Anything else from the administration? Officer Kremley?

Nothing here. No, Madam Chair. Thank you. Okay. All right. Um, so if there's uh council members, do you have any other points of discussion? No. Okay. Well, um, with that, I think, uh, with no other further discussions, um, with additional language, um, I will make a motion to favorably refer this ordinance back to, uh, uh, city council to vote on. Second.

All right, we have a second. Um, all those in favor? I. And that motion passes. So, we will refer this back to uh, city council. Um and with the remaining time left um in the committee um we are going to um talk a little bit about the policy if that's okay director Vargo the updated policy that we have. So, we have the ordinance and so the other um mechanism that needed to be updated was the policy and um council members, you should have um had the email from um assistant director swallow and I did also email that out to uh Claus and LWAB as well. Um so I hope that you all have had a chance to review it. Um and the clerks have pulled up uh the policy which has the red lines. So, um I am going to actually, if it's okay, turn it over, um to director Vargo and maybe you could talk us through um some of these changes and then we can have a discussion about this.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The u the policy is not uh it's not of much uh significance at this point. Uh it's a it's really of no legal significance to the individuals engaging in TNR. Originally uh the legislation had compliance with this policy a provision in the ordinance uh at the request of the uh advocates and the organizations that was taken out. So the policy is a aspirational internal administrative policy. It is not tied to the ordinance. It's not required to be complied with. There is no legal sanction for violation of it. So, it has been neutered if I can throw a pun out there. Okay. Now, I'll I'll continue with the neutering of the ordinance and just uh as uh the committee has been very responsive to the advocates uh in this field, the experts in this field. And just as a reminder where we are now with this ordinance um and how it differs from the original proposed legislation, uh the current ordinance that's being recommended out of committee uh does not require training uh to any degree for any ent any person. Uh does not require registration before engaging in TNR that was taken out. does not require written permission of the land own land owner to the extent TNR has taken place on other private property. Uh does not require any reporting to the city on numbers after it and again like I said it does not require compliance with the internal

administrative guidelines. So uh initial um restrictions or or guard rails have been taken out uh after due deliberation by the committee and input from the people that should be recognized. So, um th this guideline will be subject to change by the administration and uh I'm sure uh upon consultation and advice of uh officer crumbley uh from time to time. Thank you.

Thank you. Um council members, did you have any points or response or questions? Thank you, Director Vargo. Just to make sure I'm understanding properly, so um what the ordinance we passed today, it it doesn't include these guardrails, but they could be added down the road should we foresee any um complications that arise. Is is that the thought process? We can always uh thank you through the chair. We can always uh amend the ordinance in the future if we're seeing problems. uh if we want to go through this again, we can we can do that.

Let's go. So yeah, if so if we see problems, we can do it. Uh but right now this really um the city is not active. I think part of the uh directives to the city from the um experienced advocates was stay out of its city. Let these good-minded citizens act. and this ordinance and the policy not being tied to the ordinance reflects an absolute approach that the city is staying out of it uh as as requested or directed. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you.

Thank you, Director Vargo. So really this policy really I think serves as as a guide I would think um for folks and people that are serious um about it and these are sort of you know this is this this is what you should do right and then here's the ordinance but here's sort of the guide and how in reality um it it should work. So I I think that's one way to look at it is is that it's just a guide and you know the people that are going to be doing this um are going to be doing things hopefully you know they should be uh the correct way in line with the ordinance in line with the law the existing laws that are already there and obviously if they don't we've got officer crumbly that will get them in line and and do and do what's needed right so um uh ladies do you have anything um clause and luab anything to add to that

I just want to thank everybody for their efforts on this. Um Cindy or Councilwoman Stry, I really really appreciate you're helping us get it through. Council member Hamilton Steiner, thank you so much for guiding us as well. And Council Member Evans, thanks for saying yes. Stein, we appreciate it. Bixenstein.

Sorry. Oh, no worries at all. Of course, Council Member Bixenstein, thank you so much. And absolutely, I will remember forever. You are Council Member Bix. No problems at all here. Thanks. Bye. Okay. Anything else? This is this is a record for for you all. Megan Yes, Megan. Almost there.

Everybody's shocked. Megan wants to say something. I just wanted to agree um with what Nancy said and thank everyone and thank you both for hearing what we've said and giving us a chance to um have a permitted program in the city and uh get started. I've already uh tnarred several cats in Cleveland and one in Lakewood and uh one day at the APPL. Every cat that went in was pregnant already. So, we are trying really hard to prevent pregnancy and get this um overpopulation problem under control. I'm I'm very happy with the ordinance as uh you've all have um approved it today and I look forward to it going to uh the full council where they it will hopefully get approved as well. So, thank you all for for taking this on and for the two years of taking it on.

You're you're welcome. And you know, so I I guess you know, final notes, I think this is this shows that um what can what we can accomplish when we work together collaboratively um you know, committee with committee members with um you know, council members with administration and um and just you know, all parties really wanting the same thing, right? Um but us coming together and maybe speaking different languages, right? we want the same thing and we're speaking different languages and then it's understanding the languages that we're each speaking and then we can say oh okay this makes sense right so I appreciate officer Crumbley for being here and I don't think I introduced you in the beginning I do apologize as well as director Vargo I did not introduce you as well um but I appreciate the both of you uh being here and my council colleagues um being here as well and I think we're setting a record for for this group yes so there are no other Oh, Officer Crumbley, there we go. I keep saying that.

I'll make it brief. Um, I just wanted to say it's been a pleasure working with the uh groups and getting this resolved. Same with council members. Um, Mayor George also talking with her was in agreement and let's getting this done. So, y um it's just going to be nice that it'll be there for them. I just wanted to say it was nice working with them to get this through.

Yep. Absolutely. Absolutely. Anyone else? The swab members, would you like to provide any public comment or no? Okay. All right. All right. Okay. Once going twice. Without any other further business, the meeting of a public safety committee is over. Adjourned. So you guys

I know. I didn't know you were Thank you. You're exciting. So come to the next meeting and hopefully

Yeah, that's I think we meet next week, right? Yeah. So next Yeah. Come Monday full council meeting. They'll Yeah. Hope Well, hopefully if it makes the If it Yeah, it will be

Yeah. Wear your t-shirt. So, does it have to be three times or No, that's what I was already read. So, it's it's been two years. So, we did the rules. Yeah, we did the years. I don't even know. Yeah, I remember that.

We are Charlie. No. And Jennifer the day after

he's like I'm gone

now. What are we going to do? We are going to work with social media. We are going to work with Claus to get um the collaborative.

You know, you got to worry about the timing. I think the last time I looked at it was too late. you send me any.

Thank you. Thank you. I was like, now what are we gonna do? Thank you, director. Thank you so much.

All right. I will call to order the March 9th, 2026 meeting of the Housing Planning and Development Committee. We have all members present plus a couple other council people. Thank you. Uh, first order of business, approval of the minutes of the March 2nd, 2026 Housing Planning and Development Committee. I'll make a motion to approve. Second.

Motion a second. All in favor? I I motion carries and main order business night substant or uh substitute ordinance 02-2026 um pertaining to uh amend the chapter 1775 for weeds the codified city ordinance ordinances of the city of Lakewood for the purpose of establishing regulations for front yard plantings. Um we've been um around the block on this a few times. I think we're pretty much to the end here. Um, so, um, I'll turn it over to, uh, Commissioner Parmaly for his thoughts. What? There we go. My thoughts are it was a long Monday back and I'm It's nice to come to work to be able to relax. Um, yeah, we uh updated the diagram like we talked about last time. So corner lot two foot two twoft interior lot 2 foot two twoft um kind of makes sense not as heavy-handed you know as the 4 foot for the corner lots still gives us a little bit of sight triangle that that we can work with there in the corners um the rightway we had a little bit of well it wasn't language change it was a number change um Councilman Baker pointed that one out so I think that got edited kind kind of ready to get this one just in the books uh so I could spend some time with the property maintenance staff before we start getting heavy in the planning seasons.

All right, great. Thanks. Um, one thing I wanted to bring to attention. So, um, Councilman Bulock, you had pointed out something you thought was an error. I'm not sure that's the case, but what was your where you thought there was a discrepancy?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Uh yeah, let me uh find the so um in subsection 3. So under 177503 B3 on any other lot managed landscape shall have no less than a setback of no less than two feet from the public rightway two feet from the side property line. See figure two interior lot. Uh okay wait a minute that's wrong on the corner lot managed landscape shall have so this is section two a setback of no less than two feet from the public rideway and two feet from the side property line. So I think the diagram, the substitute diagram doesn't show that. It shows just two feet from the public rideway, but not from the side property line or the interior lot as an error because the interior lot diagram I don't know if we can display uh on screen the diagram if we go scroll down. All right. So and scroll up just a little bit. A little bit more. A little bit more. So, if you can see section two, we actually need to see section two. Yeah, that wait too much. Sorry.

You could probably click on the margin and it'll tighten if you do that. That would be ideal.

No. Uh, click on the space in between. Okay. Well, well, so maybe just let's go on the on the picture. Thank you. So, okay. The point I'm driving at is is are we sure that the the charts match the the word in the text? And I I'm confused about the interpretation here. Uh it says on any other lot and three setback of no less than two feet from the public rideway and two feet from the side property line. So the bottom right figure two interior lot shows two feet from the public rideway which is the bottom of the picture of the sidewalk and then two feet from the side property line. So that the interpretation would be that the driveways normally one driveway belongs to the property.

So maybe the orange zone shouldn't be there for one of the driveways. Uh or if it's correct that it should be there for both of the driveways, then the implication would be that the corner lot diagram in figure one also should have an orange. No, because if you're on a corner lot, that is your driveway. So, so the driveway in the corner lot diagram belongs to whom that would be that property owner. Okay. Because opposite of that you have the rightway being the sidewalk, right? Okay. So, so your argument is that that diagram is accurate. Then how is then the interior lot diagram accurate because

one of those driveways would have to be to the homeowner who owns that yard. So, one of the two or I I I think so my analysis there um would be that this is showing the ownership and so over that orange line could be a driveway, right? Because there are some instances where your driveway and your neighbor's driveway is the property line, right? Like there's literally So, so this is just showing what you can do on your lot if you have a driveway next to your uh lot. Yeah. I mean, the the other thing we could do is take one of the orange boundaries out of one side of the interior lot. I

I think that's the that's the point of crux of the issue. So, if you just if you labeled one driveway owner's driveway and remove that, I think I mean, if you want to dial it in that tight, that's fine. We can do that. Yeah. I just for the sake of having them Yeah. what we're saying, unless we're trying to render the the two properties on Warren Road that lack

Yeah. Yeah, cuz I mean with with the corner lot too that that orientation I mean your driveway, you know, like Franklin and Clarence, right? Like your driveway is on Franklin. You don't have a driveway on the opposite side like that corner lot. So I think if we take one side off of the interior lot like you know we take the right side off and then the left driveway would be owner's driver. Correct. Yeah. So So that's we can do that. So probably all that needs to happen is that change and then a little explanatory owner's driveway like my colleagues are saying and and what owner over owners over driveway all that is

and if we if we were to um have an agreement that we'd expect that update by the floor of the council meeting next time. Perfect. you know, maybe the committee would be willing to refer out with the Yes. with that understanding. Yeah, that that'd be my thought. Yeah. And I'll just get the updated diagram because it'd be nice. I don't know if it's possible the the way our

Is it is it possible to add that in with the ordinance when it actually gets published or is that something that we'd have to go through AM legal or whatever to have them do that? Okay, because we don't have any other ordinance that we actually have besides tables like we don't have any pictorial explanation. I can I can get that cleaned up. Okay. I I think that makes a lot of sense. Um are there any other comments from the committee from the uh other colleagues? Any other please?

So, Commissioner Parmley, we talked last meeting about this, but

the enforcement and education roll out of this, I think, is going to be a significant deal to have reasonable implementation and notice to a homeowner who may well have been doing this because it's either legal today or ambiguously legal today. And even if they missed reading the proper standards, they've sunk a bunch of money into their yard. So, you know, the city may be technically correct to say, "Hey, you got to rip it all up." But I I think it's best if we if we have some kind of notice, some um discretion in how we implement this with of course the most um clear and timely enforcement on the public right ofway sighteline blockage, right? Um

we work with folks as much as they want to work with us, which is true, which is which is your standard operating procedure.

Yeah. So, I mean, if we, you know, this thing rolls out, we, you know, it gets approved during next council meeting, uh, you know, administration's office, we like doing some PR stuff on social media, post it on the city's website, on on housing and buildings website, have a chat with the property maintenance inspectors and uh, Mark Jwitt, get this thing rolling this year. Um, again, it's just having something in our back pocket that that gives inspectors some directive. But if we do get those complaints that come and if there is stuff that is greater than 3 foot within that two-ft boundary and it's a legit complaint, I mean, we we'd have to cite it under the ordinance, uh, under the new ordinance, you know, that they'd have to clip that back and maintain it. Um, it'

be cited under the old ordinance as well.

Oh, 100%. Yeah. And we do that. all that stuff that hangs over the sidewalk gets cited. But I mean, we're like I said before, it's it's obvious there's a lot going on in the city and we're not looking for trouble. Um, and the roll out is is going to be soft. It's not going to be heavy-handed. I mean, we've all worked with each other for a long time. That's not how we operate. um un unless we have to and I don't like doing that. But it's it's going to be a a good season of coaching and having these conversations and fielding the phone calls and you know, hey, can I plant XYZ there? What whatever that's going to be. It's it's going to be a coaching moment for for us and my staff and the general public as well. But just like any other new ordinance roll out, it's it's a good year of feeling it out process. And we might be talking about this again, you know, a year after roll out and maybe we have to dial it in or make some changes. But it it it gives folks opportunity. I mean, I'm a big property rights advocate, but it gives folks the opportunity to be able to do what they want, you know, on on their premises and but gives us a little more leeway when it comes to enforcement and and just the vagueness of of the ordinance that we had prior to it. it it makes it rough on the property maintenance inspectors.

Well, there is going to be there's going to be a learning curve for staff and and residents for sure. Yeah. And I I appreciate that and you you do work with people who work with us and I just want to get on the record that that's the intent here. Again, I can picture one corner lot property in particular who have perennials, I'm sure, within the two foot orange zone. We we we have a we have a property block over from us that you know kind of

you know and some of some of them are going to be higher than the height. Now they probably don't block any sight line because the position could so there's going to be stretches where it would be a problem and other stretches where it wouldn't be a problem. So that's the kind of thing we're not going to make a diagram for everything. So that's where the educational process you just said is is crucial. an ordinance. I mean, ju just like any state building code, right? I mean, you have to have reasonable interpretation and put your common sense hat on with a lot of this stuff, too. So,

like I said, it's going to be a learning curve for for all, but that that first year will be a it'll be a good, you know, feel this ordinance out, kind of see where it gets us, and maybe it'll come off without a hitch. You know, we'll give it a peak. But I think we've we've spent some time on this thing and we were all pretty generous and there was a little give and take involved and we landed where we landed and I think it's a good spot and we'll take the we'll take the new car out this summer and see how it drives and then you know might be back in the shop next year. Um yeah, on that note I I definitely want to thank um you for your work on this uh Commissioner Parmaly. Um

thanks for your help. makes a lot of sense and and and uh to uh Councilman Baker who who kind of kicked this effort off. And um for the record again, we'll just say this is this explicitly allows these things. This is why we're doing this. This is not punitive. Um this is to uh weed out um bad act. See what I did there? Weed out. Yeah, good. I waiting on that one for weed out bad actors who who are just trying to use a a um an ordinance to not take care of their yards. Um so that's not what we're looking for.

Exactly. And so just want that out there in the record for folks watching at home. Um so this is really trying to bring and and it's in alignment with the rest of our maintenance standards. Um so we're not having two different sets of standards for folks who have a lawn and for folks who choose to do a natural planting yard. So I appreciate all that effort. Um any other final comments from my please.

Yeah, I'll say thank you Commissioner Parmley. I think this is a you know good way to start. See where it goes, right? And um I do think that I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the eyehip and kind of what this might do for storm water kind of retention um and maybe like attenuation on certain private properties that if people you know turf grass my my front lawn is turf grass. I like the way it looks. Um it doesn't do a great job of absorbing storm water. Uh and there are other things you can do to absorb storm water. And if and if we give people permission to be creative in a way that's isn't them just not maintaining their lawn um it can it can potentially attenuate down all the way to this, you know, our our wet weather issues. Uh by holding back some of that um water. So I I I think that needs to at least be mentioned. Um but I think I could see this, you know, us tweaking it a little bit. I do think, you know, kind of the idea is that there's a buffer zone that the public needs to see things. Uh, and beyond that, this is about private property rights and just cuz someone likes one thing and someone likes another thing, well, that's their property as long as it's um respectful and and fits the code. So, with that note, I will make a motion to substitute the ordinance with the version that's in Granicus

uh with the updated with the Well, no, so the diagram I think is going to have to happen on the floor. Okay. Of of full counsel, assuming that. Okay. Yeah. Um, so, so I think the substitute would be this version and then we just let President Keell know that on the floor there'll be a figure that we'll we'll have to add in. Happy to second that motion. There's a motion to second. All in favor? I I uh Thank you again, Mr. Motion to recommend. Oh, sorry. And we'll make a motion to refer this back favorably to all of council. Second. All in favor? I I uh that's all the business before council or before the committee. Uh, thanks for being here, Mr. Parmaly. Go home and enjoy the weather. We'll talk to you talk to you next time.

uh call to order the meeting of the public works and sustainability committee. Um let's call up the agenda here. One second. Okay. Okay. So, I'd like to move well first item is minutes from the February 17 meeting. Motion been made to approve the minutes. Is there a second? Motion been made in second. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I.

Oppos. The eyes have it. The second item of business is resolution 2026-03 to appoint a member of the tree advisory and education board for the unexpired term beginning and no beginning immediately and ending December 31, 2026. Um, I uh would like to uh entertain discussion of this but very likely uh go into executive session or consider going to an executive session due to the nature of uh discussing u an employee a personnel matter. Um first any opening comments uh Mr. Mr. Bickenstein, are you uh regretful of losing this position as a ward for council person?

Not regretful, just excited for whomever is appointed to you. Uh it's a great it's a great uh board to to be a part of. So I'm I'm excited for whomever that may be. Wonderful. Any comments by members of the committee or Counciloman Hamilton Snider? I'll just say we have an excellent uh group of applicants, so I'm excited to talk about them. Great. And of course, a great job.

As the former um and highly engaged chair of this committee of public works and sustainability, Councilman Evans has put in a lot of time on trees and with the applicants. So, we appreciate that. Okay. So, I'd like to move that we uh enter executive session for the purpose of discussing an appointment, a personnel decision, an appointment. Uh clerk Bach, can you help me with my language? I don't see it. Got to actually open. Okay. Right. I'd like to move that uh we enter executive session pursuant to Ohio revised code section 121-22G a mo um for the purposes of considering the appointment of a public official.

Second motion's been made and seconded. Now, I'd like to note as part of that motion that we intend to include the law director and the council staff in executive session and all members of council not committee. So, that's the motion. It's been seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, I'd like to call roll call. Um, Mr. Evans, Mr. Baker, I uh Mr. Bullock, I all the the vote is carried, so we're now entering executive session. I'm gonna have to call you tomorrow.

Okay.

That's the quickest way to do it. He's probably

my opinion on shared.

Okay. Like to call um like to move that we end executive session. Second. Motion been made and second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Let's call roll. Councilman Evans. Councilman Baker. Yes. Councilman Bulock. Yes. Uh that motion carries. We're now out of executive session. I'd like to move Maybe somebody else can make the motion since my screen died. I'll make a motion to insert the name Marco Oriela uh into the ordinance.

Motion made a second. Any discussion? Um I'll briefly say uh we've received um a group of applicants that dates back to last fall. There are multiple excellent applicants. Um once again we're in a position of having an embarrassment of riches. Um what we a number of people were uh really uh stood out as qualified and were blessed to have so many people willing to commit time, expertise and um and their passion to uh what is really a a central issue of importance to a town called Lakewood with wood in the name. Um, we have one uh appointment available today, but we in the fullness of time anticipate we'll have future open seats and uh we hope to return to this uh group of appointees of applicants rather to uh consider their future appointment um the next time soon enough. Uh any other discussion? Okay, with uh hearing none, uh all in favor of the motion say I. I oppos. And the eyes have it. That is um the only item of business, the only other item of business we had. Okay. I'd like to move to refer the resolution as amended favorably to the full council.

Second. Motion been made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I oppose. The eyes have it. That concludes the work of the public works and sustainability committee for tonight. Without objection, we are adjourned.