City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone. Welcome to the meeting of the Elyria City Council for Monday, May 4th, 2026. I would ask that you please either turn your cell phones to silent or turn them off out of respect for the council chambers. We'll have a moment of reflective silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Mr. Sierra, would you lead us in the pledge, please? 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. Thank you. Mr. Clerk, may we have roll call, please? Yes, Madam President. Mr. Sierra. Here. Mr. Van Wormer. Here. Mr. Armstrong. Here. Ms. Rothgery. Here. Ms. Davis. Here. Mr. Tolette. Here. Mr. Lippy. Here. Mr. Oswald. Here. Mr. Donney. Here. Mr. Schneider.

Here. Ms. Mitchell. Here. All present. Thank you. Mr. Clerk, do we have any public hearings? We have none. May I have a motion for approval of the minutes, please? Second. Moved and properly second. Are there any Is there any discussion? Question. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed? Motion carried. We'll have remarks and reports from city officials. Safety Service Director Pyanowski. Thank you. Through you. Just the mayor was out wasn't feeling well today, so he's he's not here this evening. But I want to remind you on Wednesday, we have our meeting with Norfolk Southern. We'll be on site and we'll look at the different train overpasses and start having some conversations about what repairs can be made. And there's already a plan in place for East Bridge. This is the other one to start talking about them. Thank you. Available for any questions. Any questions for Mr. Pyanowski? Thank you, sir. Law Director Deary. Thank you. Through you, Madam President. I have no report this evening. Just would like to remind everyone that tomorrow is election day and every election is important. So, if you have not already gone and voted early, uh please consider exercising your right to go out and vote. Thank you. Any questions for the Law Director? Thank you. Finance Director Mr. Paleski. Thank you, Madam President. Just one item. Recently, I received notification from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada that the City of Elyria has once again been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for excellence in financial reporting. This is for the report for the year ended December 31, 2024.

And this marks the 38th time that we've been that we've won this award. So. Wow. [applause]

Thank you, Mr. Paleski. We owe that to your excellent leadership. Thank you. Are there any questions for Mr. Paleski? Police Captain Palmer. Do you have a report for us? Thank you. Fire Chief Vargo. Thank you. Any questions for the Fire Chief? City Engineer Mr. Snyder. Thank you, Madam President. Through you. Just so Council knows, this Wednesday we will be advertising for the street resurfacing. So, I know that's something near and dear to all your hearts. So, I just wanted to let you know that as well as where the Oberlin Road road diet is also out for um bids as well. But with that Mr. Snyder, are we anticipating the the prices being up because of the cost of gas? Unfortunately, yes, right now. Uh the ODOT recently opened up bids for the State Route 57 and Abby Road project and the prices for that were elevated and there was additional funds that we had to put in. So. Too bad. Thank you. Wow. Quite a hands up. Um Mr. Armstrong, please. Through you, Madam President. Engineer Snyder, is there any update on the bids for the pocket park? Hopefully third time's the charm. Yes, through you, Madam President. The pocket park was opened. I believe it was last week and there is a successful low bidder. So, we are working right now to finalize contracts. Awesome. That's been a long time coming as well. Mr. Van Wormer. Through you, Madam President. Just a comment on something

I've done and other residents have mentioned to me. The intersection of Fourth Street and West Avenue. The curbs are a little tight when you're making the right hand turn from Fourth to West or from West to Fourth. Just wondering if that is something that can be addressed. They're seem to be out a little bit and just making that right hand turn especially seems to be tough to avoid the curb. Yes, through you, Madam President. That is something that we've been looking at more and more as we're resurfacing roads. I know over at the corner of Seventh Street there by the or Big Walnut Drive and West Avenue, we have the same issue where they go over the curbs. So, this year because we're resurfacing the road, we're going to widen that a little bit, give it a little extra room, a couple more feet for people to make that turn a little easier. So, once we when Fourth Street needs to be resurfaced, we'll look at it then. But thank you for bringing it to our attention. Mr. Lippy. Thank you. Through you, Madam President. Checking in with you, Engineer Snyder. Any update on Safe Routes to School? Yeah, through you, Madam President. I know Kathy McKillips in our office is working diligently on that. There was a hiccup. She wanted to bid it with the Middle Avenue project as well. And during the the process of looking over the Middle Avenue it seems there might be a few basements over there. So, it's kind of delaying that project. So, she wanted to put them all together so that we have the same contractor bidding at the same time. So, I know she's working toward trying to get that finalized as we speak. So. Through you, Madam President. Do we have an estimated start date? I do not have that with me. I can ask her tomorrow to reach out to you and let you know, though. But this summer, generally. Oh, yeah. Correct. Yes, yeah. Thank you, Engineer. Mr. Tolette. Through you, Madam President. Last year, I mentioned what a nice job the people

that did the paving did with expanding higher up into the driveways. And one thing I noticed this spring that they also did is they used some type of aggregate and they went out past the street paving by about maybe a foot so that that base wouldn't erode and the edges collapse them and fall. So, when you're opening bids and looking at not just the lowest, but best, that group that did it last year did a really nice job and I noticed it this spring while I was cutting grass. I looked at that really nice job. Thank you. Ms. Davis. Through you, Madam Chair. Just a thank you that they're working on 204 Lake Avenue. I just Thank you. Mr. Pyanowski. Thank you. Through you. Just to respond to Councilwoman Davis's comment. That's the building department and actually it's down. It's it's on the ground today. So, they'll be closing down the interior lane tomorrow to put a dumpster there so they can remove everything. But the entire structure is down as of today. That's awesome. Well, I have to bring up Murray Ridge. I can't tell you I am so waiting waiting for it to get done. I know it won't be till later in the summer. That's correct. Yes, through you, Madam Chairman. Yes, the Murray Ridge because of the LPA project, there's a lot of more scrutiny that goes through ODOT and whatnot. So, um we're in that process. We have stage two submitted. Right now, they're doing the what's considered the environmental portion. We actually have on our website a uh public notice for residents as well. There's lots of criteria you have to do before you can bid these type of projects out. And so, we're we're working toward it. We're doing our best. The plan is to have it done this year

for sure. But it it comes down to others as well. I think everyone's as excited as I am. Any other questions for Mr. Snyder? Thank you, sir. Thank you. Hi, everyone. President's referrals and remittances. Number one, Community Development and Finance. Number two, Finance. Number three, Finance. Number four, Finance Utilities. Number five, Finance and Utilities. Number six, Finance and utilities. Number seven, finance and utilities. Petitions and remembrances from the lobby. There are none. Petitions and remembrances from council members. There are none. Reports of standing and special committees. We have one. We considered the matter of a new liquor license requested by Viva Pinches Taco LLC DBA Viva Tacos 360 and 366 Chestnut Commons Drive. And the city of Elyria does not request a hearing. Mr. Snyder. Madam President, I ask that this committee report be passed under suspension of rules and that the city does not request a hearing. Second. Seconded by Mr. Serra. Are there any questions or discussion? Question. On the suspension, all in favor say I. Opposed? On the passage, all in favor say I. Opposed? Motion carried. Committee report number 2026-1. Resolutions,

first reading set. We have one. A resolution that that the city has unfit municipal use certain city property. Mr. Tollett. Madam President, I ask that this resolution be passed in its first reading under suspension of rules. Second. Seconded by Mrs. Davis. Any further discussion? Question. On the suspension, all in favor say I. Opposed? On the passage, all in favor say I. Opposed? Motion carried. Resolution 2026-17. That's all resolutions first reading. Resolution second reading. There are none. Resolution third reading. There are none. Ordinances first reading. Sponsored by finance, an ordinance authorizing the safety service director of the city of Elyria to dispose of city property that is unfit for municipal use.

Mr. Tollett. Madam President, I ask that this ordinance be passed in its first reading under suspension of rules. Second. Seconded [clears throat] by Mr. Snyder. Is there any discussion? Question. On the suspension, all in favor say I. Opposed? On the passage, all in favor say I. Opposed? Motion carried. Ordinance 2026-59. Sponsored by finance, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into the professional services agreement with C&K Industrial Services Incorporated for cleaning of the aerobic digesters at the Elyria Wastewater Reclamation Facility and declaring an emergency. Mr. Tollett. Madam President, I ask that this ordinance be passed in its first reading under suspension of rules and declared an emergency. Second. Seconded by Mrs. Davis. Is there any discussion? Question. On the suspension, all in favor say I. Opposed? On the emergency, all in favor say I. Opposed? On the passage, all in favor say I. Opposed? Motion carried. Ordinance 2026-60. Sponsored by finance, an ordinance amending ordinance 2026-34 known as the 2026 permanent appropriations ordinance to change funds in various accounts. Mr. Tollett. Madam President, I ask that this ordinance be passed in its first reading under suspension of rules. Second. Seconded by Mr. Snyder. Is there any discussion? Question. On the suspension, all in favor say I. Opposed? On the passage, all in favor say I. Opposed? Motion carried. Ordinance 2026-61.

That's all of ordinances first reading. Ordinances second reading. There are none. Ordinances third reading. There are none. Committee calls. Committee calls request all committee members, the mayor, the finance director safety service director and engineer at uh 5:00 on May 11th, 2026 meeting at 6:00 p.m. Joint CD and finance request all committee members the mayor, the law director, finance director, safety service director and engineer to meet on 5/11 2026 immediately following the finance meeting. Finance and utilities request all council members, the mayor, the law director, finance director, safety service director and engineer to meet on May 11th, 2026 immediately following the joint finance meeting. And strategic planning request all council members, the mayor, safety service director, finance director, law director to meet on Monday, May the 18th, 2026 immediately following full council members. That's all committee calls. Thank you. Miscellaneous and unfinished business. Seeing none, Mrs. Davis. Madam Chair, seeing no further business before this council, motion to dismiss. Second. Duly moved and properly seconded. All those in favor say I. Opposed? Motion carried. Good night, everyone. Thank you. Good night.