City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you, sir. It is 801. And with that are we good?

Yep.

Okay.

Alright. It is still 801. We will, 12/18/2025. We have two items up for a public hearing this evening. Before we begin the council meeting, we'll, have a public hearing for ordinance two thousand twenty five one seventeen.

An ordinance considering conditional use permit for a biohacking use in an exclusive industrial district.

Is there anyone from the public that wishes to address counts on this matter? State your name and address for the record.

Good morning or evening. I'm sorry. Dave Del Reigno. 811 Richmar Drive, Westlake. Thank you for having me. First, thank you, mister Sullivan and mister O'Donnell. It's your final one. Last public hearing. So congratulations. Wish you the best of luck with it. And, Dennis, 20 as a resident, appreciate everything you've done for us and the Thank in the city. So thank you very much. On this issue, I wanted to bring out a couple of things. One, I have perspectives perspectives on on it. It.

First one being, I met an individual by the name of Sandy Han, was invited to a fundraiser benefit for Sandy. Sandy suffers from MSA, which is multiple it's kind of like a Parkinson's, and it affects also his the autonomy of nervous system as well, so breathing and digestive systems and things like that. Speaking with Sandy this is a number of years ago he started talking about plunges, cold plunges, and heat therapy. It was a relief for him. It gave him some relief.

Fast forward about a month from that benefit, I had a chance to sit down and actually talk with him. He is an avid golfer, was an avid golfer, and is still an avid golfer. And he credits a lot of that to this therapy. So I have that instance there. With hearing that, this is years ago, I started looking into it a little bit more, started talking to some friends.

I got one that is a workout fanatic, says the therapy, cold punch therapy, does tremendous things for his recovery from workouts. I have another individual friend that suffers from alcoholism. And cold punch therapy assists him in his recovery. So I am strongly for this facility. It is I'm on the planning commission as well.

And the applicant has come in before us. And as Mr. Van Dyck contest, very well spoken, very educated, very knowledgeable on this process. Along with that, she is advocating for some sort of regulatory agency to step in and oversee this. It's currently being done in all the cities around us. Right? Avon has it. Strongsville has it. Middleburg Heights has it. And I think that bringing someone in with the applicant's knowledge and understanding and ability to work with others on it is a great thing for us.

Also, the location next to BioSport. My son works out there. The recovery for for the individuals that are working out at Bio would be tremendous for them. So some synergies in that same general location. So I just ask that we all keep an open mind on this and not put the biohacking term out there as a dangerous or something that is impossible. And it's also it's not cutting edge, to be honest with you. If you read up on it, it's been around for a number of years just hitting The United States now. So I am a strong advocate for it. So thank you.

Thank you. Does anyone else in the audience wish to address ordinance two thousand twenty five one seventeen? Hearing none I'll call I'll call that public hearing on that ordinance closed ordinance two thousand twenty five one twenty four

an ordinance an ordinance supplementing subsection twelve eighteen oh three h the zoning code as to permitted uses in office laboratory districts

is there anyone here that wishes to address council on ordinance two thousand twenty five one twenty four seeing none I'll call that public hearing closed we'll now move into our city council meeting agenda the clerk clerk will please call the roll

mayor Clough here president of council greenspan

here

council members van dyke

here

venari

here

Sullivan here o'donnell

here Pavelka here get say

here We have quorum. I'd ask the audience to please rise and join the mayor in leading us in the pledge of allegiance.

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

Thank you, mayor. Before members of council of the minutes from 12/04/2025, I'll entertain a motion to approve the minutes.

So moved.

There's been a

motion and seconded. Discussion on the motion to approve? Hearing none, Clerk will call the roll on motion to approve the minutes. Greenspan?

Yes. Van Dyke? Yes. Menari? Yes. Sullivan? Yes. O'Donnell?

Yes.

Pavelka? Yes. Katze?

Yes. The motion is approved. The minutes are approved selected correspondence

conditional use permit application from Angela tempest joy beauty salon received December 3 for a salon to include medical micropigmentation medical tattooing as an accessory use at 25125 Detroit Road Suite 125 Parcel 21324311.

That item is being referred to p z l.

Zoning code amendment application from John and Lisa Angelante received December 10 to change the zoning of 1097 Bradley Road, Parcel 2111510 from office building to exclusive industrial to establish a contractor's shop and office in accordance with twelve eighteen o three h four.

That item is also being referred to PCL.

Zoning code amendment application from Hope Point Place LLC Ed Pavasik received December 12 to change the zoning of 30395 Center Ridge Road parcels 21722 3 and 217224 from R 1 F 80 and R M F 40 to r one f cluster to develop a six lot cluster development.

That item is also being referred to PZL.

Communication from mayor Klop dated December 12 requesting authorization to accept the bid of Town Center construction as the lowest and most responsive bid for the Meadowood Golf Course driving range project in an amount not to exceed $3,542,000 and $500 sorry

thank you that items were referenced ordinance two thousand twenty five one thirty three will defer discussion at the appropriate time on the agenda

communication from mayor cleft dated December 17 requesting council to remove ordinance twenty twenty five one twenty seven from the agenda

mayor yes although I would have liked to have a completed contract or tentative agreement with respect to this collective bargaining group I do not have that so I can't ask counsel to pass on something that we don't have before us.

Do you have a motion?

Mayor did I'll make the motion to remove ordinance two thousand twenty five one twenty seven from the agenda.

It's been a motion to remove. Is there a second?

Second.

Motion's made and second. Discussion on the motion? Hearing none clerical call the motion to remove ordinance two thousand twenty five one twenty seven from the agenda

greenspan

yes

van dyke

yes

menari yes Sullivan yes O'Donnell yes Pavelka

yes Gatze

yes the motion carries that item is removed from

and last selected correspondence is communication from purchasing director server dated December 17 informing council of 2025 vendor expenditures with the vendor listed

there is no action on that. That's just a matter of informing counsel. Moving along the agenda, after selected correspondence petitions from the public, I have one person that has signed in, and that is Patrick Crawford. Please come forward, state your name and address for the record.

Hi. Good evening. My name is Patrick Crawford. My home address is 3944 Red Wing Circle in Stowe. I am the president of the Westlake Firefighters Association. Our members were here tonight, partly to, support the service department, local eight sixty, also to take up another matter that occurred during the December 6 budget hearings. I asked miss Rosenbaum to forward you all a letter earlier today and so should have a copy of it. I would just like to read from it now so that it is part of your council records. So, dear members of council at the 12/06/2025 budget hearings, the director of community services reported on her department's activity. Yeah.

Following the presentation, there were several statements made that were concerning to the Westlake Firefighters Association, and I'd like to take this opportunity to set the record straight. The mayor stated that community services department is three times as busy as the fire department before making some jokes about giving community services minimum manning. This comparison was based on the fact that they provided over 13,000 rides for citizens via their transportation program, which is roughly 35 per day. They There are fundamental differences between the work of local eighteen fourteen members and the community services that I hope to clarify. According to the city website, Westlake Community Services provides transportation for seniors to medical appointments, shopping, the library on weekdays during business hours.

This service is curb to curb. Staff do not lift or carry riders, nor do they provide medical care. In fact, wheelchair bound passengers must be accompanied by a separate chaperone. In contrast, local eighteen fourteen members operate twenty four seven in all weather conditions. Our members work in burning buildings.

They manage hazardous material releases. They respond to scenes of violence. They operate on high speed roadways among several other dangerous scenes. Every time they leave the station, they face physical risks as many first responders are injured or killed responding to incidents. When responding to an EMS request, our firefighter paramedics perform advanced clinical assessment, administer life saving medications, and perform invasive procedures on patients from newborns to the elderly.

They extricate victims from mangled autos. They carry citizens out of their homes on their worst days to stabilize them and get them to definitive care. To become a paramedic in Ohio requires years of training, well over one thousand hours of clinical and field instruction. Our members are required to maintain this certification and complete a minimum of seventy five hours of continuing education every three years covering everything from trauma care to advanced cardiac life support. To close, I'll say that the Westlake Community Services Department undoubtedly provides a valuable service that ensures our seniors have access to socialization and care.

However, for the mayor, who also serves as the director of public safety, to compare the duties of a ride service to the life saving work of professional firefighter paramedics is a gross oversimplification, and it demonstrates a concerning lack of familiarity with a crucial public safety service. I would welcome you all to contact me on the letter. Our email is at the letterhead. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Thank you. Yes, sir. There there anyone else wishes to address council seeing none I'll call the petitions of public section of the agenda closed Report of the mayor. Mayor.

Okay normally I wouldn't respond to something like this but I'd like to remind everyone that I don't put one person's job over and above another person. We all work together as a team in the city of Westlake to provide the quality services that we do for the citizens. Whether you're a driver taking a senior citizen to a doctor's appointment that actually resolve an issue so that they would not have to call the fire department is just as important as the fire department's work. I'm very proud of all the people that work for the city of Westlake, whether you're plowing snow, whether you're addressing planning, whether you're working for engineering, whether you're working for building. We have a great group of employees.

And for someone to insinuate that I do not understand the work of a firefighter is really grow underestimating. My grandfather my my shot it, so I stay in the role. I've also visited the fire department many, many times. Fantastic fire and the rest of the departments in the city of Westlake and I think everyone should be part of their services that are given out by each one of these departments. I'm an accountant, I like numbers.

And when I find out that the community services department run more than 35 calls a day, I was surprised about that. And comparing numbers, not comparing skills. So I'd like to make sure that you're aware of that. And I know not everyone understands numbers, but I do. And I like to work with numbers.

But anyway, I'm very proud to serve this community. I'm very proud of the support that we get from these citizens and I'm proud of every single employee that does work for the city of Westlake. Whether you're cleaning or custodial at the recreation department or being a firefighter being a police officer we have a great team and I understand we got negotiations going on and sometimes issues come up that people don't agree with but that's the way it is. But we do have great people and we provide great service and I'm proud to serve this community. Due to the observance of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the City of Westlake offices will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Thursday, January 1.

Rubbish and recycling collections will be on a one day delayed schedule for those weeks. And now on behalf of myself and the city of Westlake and all the departments, we'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you, mayor.

Reports of administrative officials. Chief Beeloser.

Thank you, sir. On behalf of the members of the Westlake Police Department, our heartfelt condolences are sent to the family of North Olmsted police officer Tony Smirk and his friends and colleagues. Officer Smirk passed away from a medical emergency yesterday. The sudden loss of this young husband and father, particularly during the holiday season, has had a tremendous impact upon officers serving North Olmsted and surrounding communities. Westlake police officers have and will continue to provide mutual aid support during the next several days as arrangements are made for officer Smirk's services. The North Olmsted Police Department will be announcing arrangements in the near future. Please keep officer Smirk's family and friends in your thoughts during this difficult time. Thank you.

Thank you, chief. Reports of standing committees. We had two committee of the whole meetings to report. We had a committee of the whole meeting on December 6. Present at that meeting were council president Greenspan, members Van Dyke, Nenari, Sullivan, O'Donnell, Havelka, and Getze.

Also present were mayor Dennis Clough, finance director Prashant Shah, assistant finance director Terry Nisel, and other directors per their respective sections. The meeting convened at 08:34AM, and the subject of the meeting was their 2025 budget hearings. Actually, that should be 2026 budget hearings. Mayor Clough and finance director Shaw gave an overview of the proposed 2026 budget stating that the city is in good position due to a sound financial fiscal planning over the years resulting in a consistent triple a bond rating. They reviewed capital projects, revenue sources, equipment replacement funds, debt obligations, and other general use and reserve funds.

Factors that impact the budget such as possible property tax changes, tariffs, national and global economies, continued work from home efforts, increasing health care and pension costs, as well as maintenance and software and aging buildings and infrastructure need to be anticipated. Sewer rates, despite increases due to EPA mandates, are still the lowest in the area. The department director's presentations included improvements to Clegg Park And Cabin, a possible new structure at Bradley Nature Park using donations from an individual, proposed using for the plea proposed uses of police campus area and the old city hall board of elections building improvements at Crocker Park I 90 westbound on ramp, replacing a fire engine and ambulance, implementing credit card convenience charges, and a co and code amendments related to the process of council approving of planning commission items. Additional requests for for soccer goals, garbage receptacles, picnic benches, netting at the Parkside fields may be added to the final budget. Council's budget including included funds for department directors historical plaques researched by the clerk and the elimination of overtime for the clerk's attendance at council meetings.

Discussions ensued as to legality of the ladder and office coverage in her absence. Council members inquired regarding the status of Cleveland's water issue, the sister city relationship with Kingsville, Ontario, and Trolley, Ireland, a veterans memorial, and the budget review process. Council member Van Dyke moved, seconded by council member O'Donnell, to amend the administration's 2026 budget by removing the Clegg Park Pond dredging from 2027 to 2026. That motion carried six to one. Council member Sullivan moved, seconded by council member Van Dyke to amend the administration's budget by moving the police department police and fire training center study from 2027 to 2026.

That motion carried seven to zero. Council member O'Donnell moved, seconded by council member Van Dyke to amend the administration's 2026 budget by adding $1,700,000 recreation center and auditorium. That motion carried seven to zero. Council member O'Donnell moved seconded by council member Van Dyke to amend the administrators administration's 2026 budget by transferring the compensation study from the human resources budget to the council budget. That motion carried seven to zero.

Council member Nenari moved, seconded by council member Van Dyke to approve the administration's 2026 budget as amended. That motion carried seven to zero the meeting adjourned at 02:52PM respectively submitted david as greenspan chair entertain a motion to receive and file so moved second motions made and seconded discussion on the motion to receive and file hearing none clerk call the roll on the motion

van Dijk yes nenari yes sullivan

yes

odonald yes havelka

yes gatze yes greenspan

yes that motion carries this evening we had a committee of the whole that convened 07:30PM were council members Greenspan, Van Dyke, Nenari, Sullivan, O'Donnell, Havelka, and Getsay. Also present were mayor was mayor Clough, law director Maloney, director Stum, Smallwick, Shaw, Horner, Bedell, Bozic, Serber, Steibel, Graham, chiefs Beloser, and Moran, and clerk Rosenbaum. Discussed were agenda items like the correspondence of planning commission report with outstanding items. Additionally, there was a discussion about adding back the clerk of council's overtime to the budget. We went into executive session inside of the committee of the hall at 07:45PM.

Motion was made by council member O'Donnell, seconded by council member Nenari. The discussion revolved around threatening and pending litigation and contract negotiations. A roll call vote was taken. It was unanimous to go into executive session. Also present were mayor Kluff, law director Maloney, and director Bedell that adjourned executive session adjourned at 8PM, and executive session and the committee of the hall adjourned at 08:01PM. Reports of other boards and commissions. Mister Van Dyke.

Yes. Thank you, mister president. The first item is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints development plan pavilion, 25000 Westwood Road.

Yes. So the purpose is to construct an open air pavilion and related site improvements. It's an 1,800 square foot 30 by 60 foot pavilion. It's about 13 feet in height. And there is a buffer provided as part of this with a six foot high privacy fence. Originally, it was going to be, 17 Norway spruce trees. They have, agreed to almost double the number, to 30. And, the spacing would go from 30 feet to about 15 feet on center in a staggered row, as you'll see here. So this is what it was previously. And now we have a a staggered row.

From a zoning standpoint, it it meets almost all the standards. The only thing is for building size. This is the, residential code. So pavilions are capped at 600 square feet. They're typically meant for single family residential homes. They have asked for 1,800 square feet, which requires a modification. They will also do an a dumpster enclosure. This church has never had a dumpster enclosure. It's masonry. It does meet the code requirements. Planning Commission did recommend approval with the modification and conditions in the report. Some of the ones you see on the screen have already been satisfied.

So I'd like to make a motion to approve the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints development plan pavilion with the modification and conditions listed in the report of the 11/10/2025 planning commission.

There's been a motion. Is there a second?

Second.

Motions are made and seconded. Discussion on the motion?

I do have one item. So this enhanced landscaping, that's included now as part of this motion?

That's a condition you will need to add That was provided to me in an email. Give the date in a minute as soon as I find it. 12/04/2025.

So I would, mister president, I'd like to add one more condition to this, report, which is, the enhanced landscaping as provided to the, planning director on 11/12. 12/25.

12/04/2025.

I'm sorry.

So there's a motion to amend the motion. Is there a second?

Second. Second.

A motion to amend the motion. Any discussion? This is on the amendment only. Hearing no discussion, the clerk will call the roll on the motion to amend the motion.

Nunari?

Yes.

Sullivan? Yes. O'Donnell? Yes. Havalka?

Yes. Getsy? Yes. Greenspan?

Yes. Van Dyke?

Yes. Motion has been amended. The motion before council is to approve as the development plan with the amendment. Any further discussion on the motion?

Yeah. Just one question, mister president. Are they going to be addressing some of the lighting issues that were discussed at the planning meeting? Mister Bedell, can you address that?

There was a question about lighting the under canopy lighting or the with this new structure that was addressed. I did receive a photometric plan and, the cut sheets for the fixtures, and they do comply.

Okay any further questions comments hearing none clerical role in the motion.

Nunari?

No. Sullivan?

Yes.

O'Donnell?

Yes.

Lavelka? Yes. Gedze? Yes. Greenspan? No. Van Dyke?

Yes. That motion carries. Next item on the agenda.

Yes. Mister president, I'd like to move to reconsider the Vuela Park revised design guidelines denied at the 12/04/2025 council meeting.

So there's a motion to reconsider.

Second.

And thank you. In order for a motion to reconsider to be a valid motion, members who voted in the prevailing manner, which would include mister O'Donnell, myself, mister Van Dyke, and mister Sullivan, must agree to the motion to reconsider as part of the motion. Mister Van Dyke and mister O'Donnell both have made the motion and seconded. So it is a valid motion to reconsider. Any discussion on the motion to reconsider? Hearing none, clerk will call the roll on the motion to reconsider.

Sullivan yes

O'Donnell yes Pavelka yes Getsay

yes

Greenspan

yes

Van Dyke

yes Menari

yes the motion carries mr. Van Dyke

okay so I'm gonna make a motion here or do I make I guess I should make the motion and discuss it.

Correct. So

I'll I'll it's four years in. I've learned I'm learning.

You've you have improved significantly.

We'll see what happens. So I'd like to make a motion to approve the Vuela Park revised design guidelines removing the modification to allow the use of vinyl shake siding, retaining the conditions I'm sorry, retaining the condition listed in the December 2025 planning commission report and adding a condition that in addition to the single unit designs, design included in the design guidelines, the developer may propose other complimentary unit designs consistent with the guidelines theme and style provided that the unit sizes may vary by no more than 10% above or below the currently approved size and all alternative designs receive planning department approval of preliminary plans and elevations.

There's been a motion. Is there second?

I will second that.

There's been a motion and second. Mr. Van Dyke, did you wish to now provide commentary?

Yes. Just so as we discussed in the previous meeting, the we we sort of blanket didn't approve the Planning Commission's recommendations, many of which I actually agreed with, which was color palette and some variety of color palette colors, the palette, the use of the stone, and some of those types of things. And then the developer had also asked that they would like to have some flexibility because the original plan had been for the same unit plan and elevation on all the units. So this will actually, I think, make an enhanced for an enhanced development and actually hopefully help the developer with selling and building them.

Very good. Any further comments? Hearing none, clerk will call the roll on the motion.

O'Donnell? Yes. Havalca? Yes. Gadze? Yes. Greenspan?

Yes.

Van Dyke? Yes. Nenari?

Yes. Sullivan?

Yes. That motion carries. Carries. Thank you.

Thank

you. Under legislation, third reading, ordinance two thousand twenty five one seventeen.

An ordinance considering a conditional use permit for a biohacking use in an exclusive industrial district.

I'll entertain a motion to approve. So moved. Second. Motion and a second. Discussion. Hearing no discussion, clerk will hold the role in the motion to approve. Hibelco?

Yes. Getsay?

Yes.

Greenspan? No. Van Dyke?

Yes. Nenari? Yes. Sullivan? Yes. O'Donnell?

No. That motion carries five to two. Ordinance twenty twenty five, one twelve. One twenty two? I'm sorry, one twenty two.

An ordinance approving the preliminary plan of the greens major subdivision in the city of Westlake

entertain a motion to approve so moved second motion and a second any discussion on the discussion on the motion hearing none click call the roll on motion to approve

get say

yes greenspan yes van dyke yes nenari yes sullivan yes odonald yes Pavelka

yes that ordinance is adopted ordinance twenty twenty four

an ordinance supplementing subsection twelve eighteen o three h of the zoning code as to permitted uses in office laboratory districts

entertain a motion to approve

make that motion

second

motions made and seconded hearing none clerk will call the roll on the motion.

Greenspan yes Van Dyke yes Nenari yes Sullivan yes O'Donnell

yes

Pavelka yes Getsay

yes the motion carries legislation for first reading adoption or suspension, Dean O'Donnell, for your last opportunity.

Thank you, mister president. I'd like to make a motion to suspend article three section 10 of the charter, the rule requiring three separate readings for the legislation the heading of first reading adoption under suspension of the rules.

Thank you. Is there a second?

Second.

Motion is made and second. Discussion on the motion to suspend? Hearing none, clerk call the roll on the motion to suspend.

Van Dyke?

Yes nunari yes sullivan yes odonald yes havelka

yes gatze yes greenspan

yes that motion carries the rules are suspended ordinance 02/5129

an ordinance amending appropriations for the city of Westlake Ohio and declaring emergency.

I'll entertain a motion to approve.

So move.

Second. Motions made and seconded. Discussion Mayor.

Again these are the journal entries necessary to reconcile the budget for 2025 with the expenditures for 2025.

Any discussion? Hearing none, clerk will call the roll in the motion to approve.

Nenari? Yes. Sullivan? Yes. O'Donnell? Yes.

Havalca? Yes. Getsay?

Yes. Greenspan? Yes. Van Dyke?

Yes. That ordinance is adopted. Ordinance two thousand twenty five one thirty.

An ordinance making appropriations for the city of Westlake, Ohio for current expenses and other expenditures during the fiscal year ending 12/31/2026 and declaring an emergency.

I'll entertain a motion to approve.

So moved.

Second. Motion and second. Discussion mayor.

This is the proposed budget for 2026 as a result of our meeting on December 6 on Saturday with the necessary amendments that were requested of counsel.

Further discussion, Mr. Getsay.

Yes. I'd like to make a motion to reinstate the overtime for the clerk position that was previously removed during the budget hearing. I'd like to reinstate that, please.

At a rate of $3,000

At the rate of $3,000 That's correct.

Second. Motion is made and seconded. Discussion? Hearing none, Clerk will call the roll on the motion I'm sorry. Motion to amend. Motion to amend. Clerk will call roll on the motion to amend.

Sullivan?

Yes. O'Donnell?

Yes. Pavelka? Yes. Getsay?

Yes. Greenspan? Yes. Van Dyke? Yes. Menari?

Yes. The motion carries. The ordinance is amended. Now the question before us is, shall the ordinance be adopted? Clerk will call the roll on the motion.

Sullivan? Yes. O'Donnell?

Yes. Pavelka? Yes. Getsay? Yes. Greenspan?

Yes. Van Dyke? Yes. Menari?

Yes. Motion carries. The ordinance is adopted.

As amended.

As amended. Ordinance two thousand twenty five one thirty one.

An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Achievement Centers for Children for the provision of incentives available pursuant to the city's job creation grant program and declaring an emergency.

I'll entertain a motion to adopt. So moved. It's been a motion. Second. Motion second. Discussion.

Again, this allows me to enter into an agreement, for the job grant, for, the keeping centers for children.

I will be abstaining from this vote, mister Maloney. Yes, he will. Mister Maloney concurs. Any other discussion? Hearing none, clerk will hold the role in the motion to adopt.

O'Donnell? Yes. Pavelka?

Yes.

Getsay?

Yes. Greenspan?

Abstain. Van dyke yes Menari yes Sullivan

yes that motion carries ordinance two thousand twenty five one thirty two

an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Mazzella lifting technologies for the provision of incentives available pursuant to the city's job creation grant program then declaring an emergency

entertain a motion to approve so moved in a motion is there a second

second second

motions made in seconded. Discussion, mayor?

Again, this allows me to enter enter into an agreement with the job grant for this company. Any further discussion?

Mister Sullivan is good.

Yeah. Mr. Sullivan is abstaining. Correct?

Yes. I will.

You concur? Yeah. I I do. Very good. Clerk Calderall on the motion to approve.

Havalco? Yes. Getsay?

Yes. Greenspan? Yes. Van Dyke?

Yes.

Menari? Yes. Sullivan? Epstein. O'Donnell?

Yes. The motion carries. Ordinance two thousand twenty five one thirty three.

An ordinance accepting a bid and authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Town Center Construction for the Meadowood Golf Course driving range project for the City Of Westlake and declaring an emergency.

I'll entertain a motion to adopt. So moved. The motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion's made and seconded. Discussion. Mayor?

Council received a correspondence as it relates to the bids that were received in the dollar amounts. This is the company that we would like to go forward with being the lowest and best bid.

Any further discussion? Hearing none clerk will call the roll in the motion to adopt

jetzaint yes greenspan

yes van

dyke yes denari yes sullivan yes odonald

yes

avelka yes

motion carries that ordinance is adopted ordinance two thousand twenty five one thirty four

An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a settlement agreement as to case number c v twenty five one twenty two eight nineteen and declaring an emergency.

I entertain a motion to approve. So moved. Second. And seconded. Discussion? This is this is an an ordinance authorizing mayor to enter into a settlement agreement. It's plain and simple as the language before us. Any further questions or comments? Hearing none, clerk will call the roll on adopting the ordinance.

Greenspan?

Yes. Van Dyke? No. Nanari? Yes. Sullivan?

Yes.

O'Donnell? Yes. Havalca? Yes. Gadze?

Yes. Motion carries. That ordinance is adopted. We have two resolutions on the agenda recognized in the service of two retiring council members. We'll begin with the first resolution, resolution two thousand twenty five one thirty five.

A resolution of commendation and appreciation for Michael f O'Donnell for his many years of dedicated service to the city of Westlake.

I'll entertain a motion to adopt. So moved. We got a motion, your own Second. Your own resolution. That's awesome. Anne, have fun. All right. Actually, do you have

I do. Did you want to call the roll or not?

Yes. I'll call the roll. Call the roll to adopt a resolution.

Van Dyke? Yes. Nenari? Yes. Sullivan? Absolutely. O'Donnell? Yes. Helvelca?

Yes. Getsay?

Yes. That motion carries. That resolution is adopted. Mayor, did you wanna go down there and do this?

I I actually we're gonna take a pause and give the proclamation and the resolution.

Okay. Okay. Yeah. I'll go with Mister O'Donnell.

Okay. I think we're going to find some of the wording to be similar. But I think when someone spends as many years as mister O'Donnell has on city council, I think we owe him a reading of the entire proclamation. Of Councilman Michael O'Donnell from the Westlake City Council and representation to his constituents of Ward 4. Whereas Councilman O'Donnell began his tenure with Westlake City Council on 01/01/2000 he has participated in some of Westlake's most historic milestones including the groundbreaking of the new City Hall hosting President George w Bush at the recreation center and playing a pivotal role in the approving of the Crocker Park Complex.

Equity trust development Tri C West Campus and shepherding the transition of the American Greetings World Headquarters into Westlake. Well, maybe I should be facing

you. The

only thing is we'll have to see if the microphone works that way. Okay. Whereas, Councilman O'Donnell has previously retired from the AFL CIO Local three zero four working at Northfield And Thistle Down Racetracks after almost thirty years. How did you do that for thirty years? Working two jobs, baby.

And serving as a director of information technology at American Greetings after thirty eight years. And today, he celebrates the retirement from Westlake City Council after serving the city for twenty six years. Councilman O'Donnell together with Brent Luango represented the city of Westlake at our city of Charlie. At our city of Trolley, Ireland. And he met with Mayor Johnny Wall and town councilors Michael Scannell.

Grace O'Donnell and County Kerry members Terry O'Brien and John Griffin. And received special recognition for Westlake from Tushuk Edna Kenney the Prime Minister of Republic Of Ireland in 2012. And extended to them an invitation to visit right here in the city of Westlake in 2013. Where all shared a host of activities, great stories, good food, great laughter, showcasing Westlake as an internet on an international level. You did all of that.

And you still survive. Okay. Whereas Councilman O'Donnell retired from the Westlake Public Service he looks forward to spending more time with his wife Anne of forty four years who is in the audience here. His daughters Jackie and Katie his son-in-law Eric and his grandchildren Pearson Piper and Pearl at their family lake house on Catawba Island. He plans to golf travel and spend as much time as he can with his grandchildren.

And whereas Councilman O'Donnell is involvement and support of public service in the community of Westlake has resulted in many new and lasting friendships among many of our administration here. Michael has not only been a great councilman for the city but also a true friend. That he will always be available to share thoughts show support or just enjoy a meal or laugh. Of course, he will continue to utilize his great sense of humor as he practices his Irish brogue when telling stories to friends while having a beverage in his new glass. We don't know about that yet, but he's gonna get a new Whereas perhaps in his retirement, Michael can establish a new exciting mod squad.

Now for those of us that are older, we remember the TV show, The Mod Squad. And Mike's already gone so far as to MOD on his license plates. So I think he really was looking forward to that. So in appreciation from Michael's employee and dedicated service to our community of Westlake, I, Dennis M. Clough, mayor of the city of Westlake, do hereby proclaim today, Thursday, 12/18/2025, as Councilman Michael O'Donnell Day in the city of Westlake. And I ask everyone to give him a round of applause for his dedicated Thank

you. Thank you. Thank you.

There's some pictures right there.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Alright. On behalf of city council, I have a resolution on the accommodation appreciation for Michael f O'Donnell for his many years of service and dedication to the city of Westlake, whereas Michael f O'Donnell has served as a council member for Ward 4 for twenty six years since his election to the position beginning in February 2000. That's about where ours and the mayor differ. Denise did a great job in in compiling this. Whereas during his long long standing tenure of office, he has generously devoted his time and abilities to various council committees, including most notably safety, the utilities committee, eighteen consecutive years being in continuous chair throughout, the ad hoc information technology committee, nineteen years of being its chair for sixteen years, the sanitation committee, twenty six years of being its chair, for five years, the service streets and sidewalks committee, and for eight years, the ad hoc sidewalk.

Fourteen years, public grounds, buildings, recreation, eight years in addition to being council representative to the recreation commission of the watershed group in 2021 and whereas prior to his years on council go ahead yeah I'll keep going and now I lost my track my off to start at the beginning a resolution Approach his years on council, Michael F. O'Donnell served at the on the nineteen ninety nine to two thousand Charter Review Committee. And whereas Michael F. O'Donnell has been an integral part of the city of Westlake's prosperous development over the years by providing the community with strong leadership and extraordinary vision. Whereas Michael F.

O'Donnell has always, has always been most serious and dedicated to his role as a representative of the residents of Ward 4 and the Westlake community as a whole. And whereas this council, the mayor, and administration on behalf of themselves and the entire city and its residents wish to commend Michael F O'Donnell for his many years of dedicated service to the City Of Westlake. Now therefore be it resolved by the council and the City Of Westlake, County Of Cuyahoga, and state of Ohio, section one, the mayor and city council of the city Of Westlake join together to offer their accommodation appreciation to Michael f O'Donnell for his superb service to the city of Westlake. Section two, that the clerk of counsel be and she is hereby directed to forward a signed copy of this resolution to Michael f O'Donnell. Now interestingly, if you remember, he was the first to recognize the resolution for himself but did not sign his own resolution.

Section three, that it is founded and determined that all formal actions of this council concerning and relating to this legislation was adopted in an open meeting of this council, and that all deliberations of this council and any of the of its committees that resulted in such formal action are are were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements, including section 10, article 10, blah blah blah. Section four, that this resolution shall take effect and be enforced for all and after the earliest periods allowed by law. This is signed by all council all members of council except council member O'Donnell, and I want to congratulate you on your twenty six years of service.

Thanks, David. Appreciate it.

Thank you all. Also yeah. I also have one one other formal and one informal. So this is a plaque, to honor Michael so you can keep this in your Catawba home if you'd like or wherever you wish. To the honorable Michael f O'Donnell, ward four council member in grateful appreciation of twenty six years of outstanding dedication, commitment, and service to the citizens of Ward 4 in the city of Westlake. It's presented the December 2025.

Thank you, David. Appreciate that.

Thank you. Is an engraved glass for you to enjoy your beverage.

You can drink.

Thank you.

I have I have one more one more item. Off the record. Anne, would you come forward and bring your family? So Michael let me pick this up. I'll put my glasses on.

Oh, man.

So recently, Michael made several comments about his grandchildren want to be present at his swearing out since they claimed that they were at his swearing in. So I've I've created a swearing out oath. Oh. So when you get sworn in, you raise your right hand. I want you to raise your left hand and repeat after me.

Okay. I'm swearing out.

This is your swearing out. Let's get let's get your family.

You pick up on anything.

I I'm I'm pretty smart sometimes. Supreme Court justice. Are you ready? Repeat after me. I, Michael f O'Donnell

I, Michael f O'Donnell.

Having served the city of Westlake, Ohio

Having served the city of Westlake, Ohio.

As a council member for twenty six years

As a council member for twenty six years.

Including four years as dean of council four

years

as dean of council.

To hereby affirm that my service is complete

To hereby affirm that my service is complete.

This affirmation is made

This affirmation is made

an enthusiastic request of my grandchildren

At an enthusiastic request of my grandchildren

who are hereby who are here today to witness my swearing out

And who are here today to witness my swearing out.

And to make sure that I follow through.

And make sure that I follow through.

I affirm that I have upheld the charter and laws of the city of Westlake.

I affirm that I have upheld and and affirm the charter of the city of Westlake.

And the laws of the state of Ohio.

And the laws of the state of Ohio.

Sometimes even on the first try.

Sometimes even on the first try.

I say these words faithfully and willingly

I say these words faithfully and willingly.

And of the loving but firm enforcement of my wife, Anne. Here you go.

Enforcement of my wife, Anne.

I'm thankful, proud, and officially sworn out.

I'm faithfully proud and officially sworn out.

You. Thank you.

Thank you. That's very clever. Thanks. You picked up on that. You guys don't miss a trick, do you?

Nice to see you. Oh.

Where's Denise? Denise, I'll I'll just do this from down here. So I

think you have

Do the next resolution.

So a resolution of commendation and appreciation for Dennis j Sullivan for his many years of dedicated service to the city of Westlake.

I'll entertain a motion to approve. So moved. Second. And seconded. Discussion?

Clerk will call the roll and motion to approve.

Yes. Sullivan? Absolutely. O'Donnell? Yes. Pavelka? Yes. Getsay? Yes. Greenspan? Yes. Van Dyke?

Yes. The motion carries. Resolution is adopted. Mr. Sullivan, would you please come forward?

In honor of councilman Sullivan's exemplary years of service as a council person for Ward 3 and for his involvement in making many of the improvements to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Westlake I have a proclamation here. Whereas today we celebrate the retirement of Councilman Dennis Sullivan from Westlake City Council and his representation to his constituents in Ward 3. Whereas Councilman Sullivan was born and raised in Fair View Park, Ohio and is a graduate of Saint Ignatius High School. I won't hold that against you.

We've talked about that.

Whereas Councilman Sullivan attended the University of Dayton and obtained a bachelor's degree in business administration. And whereas Councilman Sullivan has been married to his wife Nancy for forty three years and they have been blessed with four children Dennis, Katie, Scott and Mike and 10 grandchildren. The Sullivan family have been residents of Westlake for thirty eight years. And whereas Councilman Sullivan began his tenure with Westlake City Council on 01/01/2006. Whereas councilman Sullivan served on various council committees most notably the ad hoc information technology committee for sixteen years and as chair for four years.

He also served on the public grounds building recreation committee the service streets sidewalk committee and the ad hoc sidewalk committee. The planning zoning and legislative committee the sanitation committee the safety utilities committee in addition to being council's representative to the planning commission. And whereas as Councilman Sullivan retires from Westlake Public Service he looks forward to spending more time with his wife Nancy his children and grandchildren and other family members and friends. Whereas Councilman Sullivan's involvement and support of public service in the community of Westlake has resulted in many new and lasting friendships among this administration. He truly was an avid spokesman for his ward and continued to support the programs and projects that enhance the quality of life for all Westlake residents.

I am proud to have served with him for twenty years And am appreciative of the many accomplishments that have been possible with the support of Councilman Sullivan. In appreciation for Councilman Sullivan's exemplary and dedicated service to our community of Westlake, I, Dennis M. Clough, mayor of the city Of Westlake, do hereby proclaim Friday. So you got a little extra December 19, as Councilman Dennis Sullivan Day in the city of Westlake. And I commend him for all of his efforts and dedication can we give him a round of applause for all of the rest of the year.

Thank you. So I've lived in Westlake over eighteen years, and Dennis has been my only Ward 3 councilman. So I I wanna thank him for that representation. This is a resolution of accommodation appreciation for Dennis j Sullivan for his many years of dedicated service to the city of Westlake, whereas Dennis j Sullivan has served as a councilperson in Ward 3 for twenty years since his election to the position beginning in January 2006. The next section has a lot has the same information the mayor, discussed with the committee work.

I'll I'll skip that section, go to the next one. Whereas Dennis j Sullivan has been an integral part of the city of Westlake's prosperous development over the years by providing community with strong leadership and extraordinary vision. And whereas Dennis j Sullivan has always been most serious and dedicated in his role as a representative for the residents of Ward 3 and the Westlake community as a whole. And whereas as a this council, the mayor and the administration on behalf of themselves and the entire city and its residents wish to commend Dennis j Sullivan for his many years of dedicated service to the city of Westlake. Now therefore be it resolved by the council of the city of Westlake, County Of Cuyahoga, and state of Ohio, Section one, that the mayor and the council of the city of Westlake join together to offer their accommodation appreciation to Dennis j Sullivan for his superb service to the city of Westlake.

Section two, that the clerk of council be and she is hereby direct to forward a signed copy of this resolution to Dennis j Sullivan. Section three that it is found to determine that all formal actions of this council concerning and relating to this legislation was adopted in an open meeting for this council and and all the civilizations of this council and any other committee of its committees that resulted in such formal action were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements. This resolution shall take effect and be enforced from hereafter the earliest period allowed by law. This one is signed by Dennis Sullivan, so he did sign his own his own, and I appreciate that. Followed Denise's orders.

Thank you. So I'll give this to you, and

then I'll

give you the other as well. Okay. So. I'll follow that up with this is a plaque, for you to to keep with you. And my son is a Saint Ignatius student right now, so he and I share that in common. To the honorable Dennis j Sullivan, Ward 3 council member, in grateful appreciation of twenty years of outstanding dedication, commitment, and service to the citizens of Ward 3 in the city of Westlake, presented this the December 2025. Thank you.

We also have an engraved glass to remember. You. That's why he may share Ignatius but he shares my first name.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

So that concludes the formal agenda. Now is the time for comments to be made. I I ask that they be tasteful and and thoughtful. But before we have members of council, is there anyone in the audience that wishes to make any have any statements regarding we'll start with Michael O'Donnell. Anybody? Yes. So this this is for Michael O'Donnell, then we'll do mister Sullivan next.

I I can, I could do Mike easily here?

First,

congratulations Mike. Thanks for all the time and effort you've put into this city. I've been a resident of the city for thirteen years and I've been coming to council meetings for nine years and I watch how you prepare and you are knowledgeable and intelligent on everything that you speak about and that means a lot to all the residents. You have definitely propelled the city and its residents to a better place. So I thank you for that.

Personally for me, when I started attending rec commission meetings, you were the council rep and I appreciate the fact that you would call on me and say, hey, What Chris, are your thoughts on on this when you had no reason to, you didn't need to. I was just there as a as a guest, and I I truly appreciate that. But in closing, it is abundantly clear your love for the city of Westlake and its people. You are leaving a great legacy behind, and it will never be forgotten. Though you are a class act, and those who follow in your in your in your footsteps representing ward four have huge shoes to fill. So thank you, Mike. Appreciate you.

Thank you. Appreciate that. Mhmm.

Is there anyone else that wishes to make any comments regarding council

member elect Leveque? Good evening, president Greenspan, members of council. Todd Leveque, for those who don't know, I'm the successor to mister O'Donnell. And I wasn't prepared to speak tonight, so I'll do the best I can with what I wanna say. I I moved into Westlake soon after you came on the council. And for the last twenty five years or so, I never ever thought I was gonna run for city council because I knew that city council in Ward 4 was in good hands. So I thank you for your service, and I will be humbled by your support as I appreciate your help during the transition. And if I can accomplish half of what you've accomplished, I'll consider it a great career. So thank you for everything you've done. Thanks, doc.

Thank you. Anyone else? We have

Ed Hack, a former councilman in Ward 1. I served with Michael from 2000 to 2012, I guess. It was a great time. And recognizing the the work that he put in, the hard work that that the council members put in, I'd just like to thank you for your service. Been great. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks, Ed.

Anyone else? I saw someone move up to the front row.

First off, Merry Christmas to everybody. Merry Christmas. O'Donnell, mayor Clough. Rest. Been a retired city employee in the service department thirty two and a years. I negotiated noncollective bargain agreements with the mayor and the administration and the council. I noticed that the third reading didn't get read tonight. Somewhere along the line, there was a tentative agreement reached. There was a first reading. There was a second reading.

Something happened in between the second and the third reading. These are fine men. They served the city well. I don't know what happened. I wish somebody could explain it to us all, but please don't go down this road again.

Don't put the city in a situation to where an unfair labor practice has to be filed, Fact finding has to gone through. It's an ugly process, and I'm sorry to see it have to get this far. Please support the good men and women of the West Lake Service Department and all the other departments. God bless you all. Merry Christmas. Thank you. I'd like to

I'd like to focus the attention on the two retiring council members. Is there anyone else that wishes to share any thoughts or comments with council member O'Donnell? Former council member

Linda Apple, former council member. I just wanna say thank you to Mike. He was my go to guy when I considered running. He was a sounding board to me. He's always been such a solid rock for this community, and his support of this community inspired my desire to serve, and I'm so proud to call him a friend and a former colleague. Congratulations, Mike.

Good Thanks, Linda. I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else? Seeing none, we'll start with Mr. Getsay. Thank you.

I had a prepared speech and I throw it out, I'm gonna wing it now. So But I'd like to ramble for a few minutes. Hopefully, I'll come back to point after a few minutes, but I'm just in the stage of my life over the last few years. I've been in the position to wish good well to many, many colleagues, okay? And as I've went through that process, whether it's on council or somewhere else, it's become it hasn't become easier. Okay? It's actually become harder. Okay? And I was at a a similar event wishing goodbye, and somebody came up to me afterwards and said, Mark, you just seem to be a little bit off what seems to be the problem. And I said, hey, it's just no.

I don't know. I can't really describe it. And he goes, well, I think you probably know the answer deep down. And I said, I probably do. And he said, let me re give you some reassurance about some things. And he told me a couple things, but a couple key points was, number one is you've surrounded yourself with very good people. Okay? Very good people. No matter what you've done personally, professionally, you're surrounded by good people. K?

You've taken the opportunity to learn from them, and you've taken that what you've learned and you improved yourself. K? So feeling bad, wishing somebody goodbye is not a bad thing. And I thought about that for this happened a couple weeks ago, so I've been thinking about what I was gonna say tonight. And I called Denise this morning, and I was gonna ask her two questions.

One I did. I'll come back to that later. Second one was I was going to ask her to calculate how many meetings we've been in on my sixteen years on council. And I didn't ask that question because I thought she'd tell me no. Okay, other than it's a lot, okay, so as I thought about that, and this goes to both your families, okay, knowing what it takes to be on council and the commitment that it makes, I think it's only fair to thank both families for sharing your husband and fathers with us for the number of years for both of them.

It's been a sacrifice and that should not be overlooked, okay, number one. Number two, okay, you're getting them back. The paid daycare is now over. Okay? So, good best of luck. Okay? In addition to that, as I was thinking, and this is a more global thing on the city, this city has been very successful for a number of different reasons. Okay? And I was thinking about, you know, the good people and the opportunity to learn and improving yourself. And I came to the conclusion quite simply that this city, whether it's through the administration, the directors, or council, even though we've had our differences, k, we've remained focused on the goal the whole time.

So any differences have been resolved, and we've moved on, and we've stayed focused on the goal. Okay? I have the utmost respect for both Mike and Dennis, okay, because you've upheld that the entire time. Okay? And that should be a compliment to you, and thank you for the sixteen years of doing that. I have learned a lot from both of you guys, and I greatly appreciate that. Talking about Mike in particular, you also share two things. I may share a lot, but I'm gonna talk about

two things.

Okay? Number one is I've served my entire term with both of you. Okay? Thank you very much for that. That's much appreciated. Sixteen years is a long time. Okay? Number two, you have something else in common. Okay? I was actively involved in the city in various capacities prior to getting into the election process of it. Okay? My first run-in with Mike was I was the chairman for his first opponent. Okay? And Mike conducted himself very cordially. It was a very good hard fought campaign.

Yes, he won. But it was nice to see that kind of treatment. Okay? And I've never forgotten that. Okay? So for that, I thank you. I thank you for years of service. Okay? And I'll get to Mr. Sullivan here in a few minutes. So thank you very much.

Thanks Mark. Appreciate that.

Miss Ivanka?

Yes. Okay. I'll keep it short. MOD, you have been on Westlake City Council for twenty six years, but I've only had the honor of sitting next to you for the last four. I will miss your wisdom, your advice, and your odanilisms. No one who is at the mayor's retreat this year will ever forget the importance of, wow, interesting, bummer, your most memorable odanilism. I admire your dedication of the city and its residents. You have always been prepared and committed to doing what is right for the community. It has been a privilege to serve alongside you. You will be missed, but I wish you nothing but the best. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

Mr. O'Donnell, do you wish to make comments on yourself?

I'll close with

the comments. Okay.

Well, I'll do counsel, and then come back to the mayor and law director. Mr. Van Dyke.

Thank you, mister president. So how I know Mike a little bit is is that I was on the library board, and he would come and help us, give us advice and help us with the campaign and put signs up and all that kind of stuff. So his service to the community wasn't just limited to counsel and all the other things he listed. He did things that nobody even knew about. And I know his years of working with the Lutheran home, I believe, and some other things.

So I want to be very appreciative for that. And I'll just say, I really appreciated your experience and your dedication to the community and your good nature, which is important as we're addressing all the different issues we have here. And finally, I hope you feel the same way, but I feel like you're a friend and appreciate that. So I wish you the best of luck going forward. Thank you.

Thanks, Dwayne.

K. Mister Nunari.

Thank you. MOD. That's what's on your card, by the way, in there. So, yeah, I'm gonna miss that, your your point. I love that.

I can't tell you how much, you know, you've been you and Dennis have been with me since I started also. Mark and I are now the old guys. Oh, boy. But I'm gonna miss all the council meeting protocol. I'm gonna miss all the wonderful stories and just everything that you've taught me and you know helped me with and you've been a good point on so many different items and kind of even killed a lot of frustrating moments as you recall. But I really appreciate everything. I heard there's a new opening for you on planning.

Oh, I haven't heard that.

Yeah, you haven't.

So you haven't served on planning. I figured you would want to do that.

Got a perfect record so far. Anyways,

thank you for everything, Michael, and your beautiful wife and wonderful family. So thank you.

Thanks, Nick. Appreciate it.

No worries. Mr. Sullivan? Michael, I think

one of the greatest attributes you can give to somebody is you pick up one of their qualities or one of their mannerisms or there's something that stands out that you admire or work into your own moxie of how you present yourself. Two things always strike me about you in meetings or just in conversation about an issue. You want to get to the fact right away. Let's cut the chase. Let's cut the facts. So we're talking about this black and white. And then during the agendas, during all those hundreds and hundreds of meetings, it's, you know, move second, move second, move second. You know, keep it moving, keep it going. So simple. Simple. I think just thank you. Thank you for everything. And give me a holler, we'll fill these.

Yeah really. Thanks Dennis.

Mr. Ordinal, Michael you've been in the city longer than I've lived in here. You've been on council longer And I appreciate all the help, advice, friendship over the years. I'm still learning from you. You've taught me some Indian words that I didn't even know. Still learning. So good luck to you in your retirement and we'll miss the donuts on budget day but I think you're more than welcome to attend those

again. Thank

you again for your service.

Thanks Prashant. Denise?

I concur with everything that's been said so far.

There there you go.

Alright. Mister Mullen. I'll I'll go and then we'll defer to her. And mine's not very long. But I've I've been fortunate with both of you that I've I've lived here eighteen years. I've represented the city of Westlake at the city, county, and state levels. And I could say that if I've ever had an issue or a question to call, both of you have have provided guidance in one way or another. Dennis, specifically, when we worked on at at the county level together. And and experience is important. I moved here.

I knew very few people. As a matter of fact, the mayor married my wife and me as eighteen eighteen years ago. And you often don't know when you move here and you get involved in politics who your friends are and who are truly your friends. And and, Michael, I can say that I would consider you, as mister Sullivan said, truly a friend. Now I will say in my phone for contacts, I have, Michael O'Donnell, Westlake, and Tax Hike Mike.

So Tax Hike Michael O'Donnell is your nephew in Rocky River. So when I need to call and that's because when he first got elected, his first vote was to raise some taxes in Rocky River. I know not to call tax hike Mike when I need although he did represent me as was my attorney in one instance. But I do appreciate guidance. Your words will resonate my mind. Just count to four. There. I will I will never forget that. So, Michael, best of luck in your retirement. You have a beautiful wife, a beautiful family, and I know you'll enjoy yourself as you've always demonstrated you do. So thank you.

Thanks, David.

Mister

Maloney? Mister O'Donnell, it's been a pleasure. I've been in Westlake for twenty five years, but I only worked with you for eight. But I feel like I know you. I I hope you agree. You're a friend. We share professional and business moments. You guys do it for $16,000 a year. Is that what you get paid? I think I is it am I high? Am I over? High.

No. 60 high. No. That's $6.40.

Well, I guess I should ask your family. Linda, what did you get paid? I forget. Alright. You don't miss it. But it is a sacrifice. It's a sacrifice for you. It's a sacrifice for your family. Maybe more, frankly, because you're gone and meeting, meeting, meeting. But it does show that you take it seriously. I I saw enough of you that you take this very seriously. I I wish I had your wisdom and I wish I had your patience. I'm someday I'm gonna

See Anne, I do have patience.

If if Van saw me operate, she'd agree with that comment. You you exercise great patience and you have a great temperament for the work. And I'm happy you've heard me out of the few times you've shared personal stories. I mean it. It meant a lot. So congratulations. I cannot wait. I think I said that to you when I first learned you were wrapping up. I can't wait. And good for you. Good for all of you. I used to say, who retires? A man. Now I know. It's good for you. God bless and congratulations.

Thanks Michael.

Thank you. Mayor? A couple of extra comments. Mike, I think the best thing anyone can say about someone is that you are a friend. And true friendships are sometimes hard to come by.

But I definitely have always considered you a friend despite the fact that every time we'd have a meeting he'd have two pages of notes asking me, well, what's down this one? Tell me about what's going on here and here and here and here and here. And then when we would meet the next time, he would say, Okay, now what happened here, here, and here, and here? But I think what I also cherish a lot is your sense of humor and your ability to make people laugh. And when we're doing a job, many times we really need to have a laugh every now and then.

And I can say that you've always provided that when it was most needed. But I've enjoyed your twenty six years serving the residents who work for and making this community better with all of us here. And we truly have made a difference and as I pointed out earlier we have good people working for the city of Westlake to provide quality service. And I think we can all appreciate that. But you are one of those.

Thank you.

You are one of those. And I really appreciate your dedication and effort to doing your job right. Even though I don't really like technology, Mr. O'Donnell has made sure that I understood enough to continue to move the city forward. So once again congratulations and thank you and that position on planning commission is open.

Thank you. You.

Mr. O'Donnell.

I would like to thank my family and some neighbors and very close friends for being here tonight and for all those who supported us on our campaigns through the years. I'd like to congratulate mister Sullivan on his years of service to as a retiring colleague and thank mister Van Dyke, mister Nenari, our clerk Denise, makes us all look good. Mister Shah, my friend.

Yes, sir.

Mister Greenspan, law director Maloney, mayor, miss Ivelka, and of course Mark Getsay. And all the council members that I've had the pleasure to serve with over the years. Mister Hack is here this evening and missus Apple but there's several. Mister Killeen was a leader in in the day when I first came on and I really do appreciate all the insight that I've learned from them over the years. But I have had the pleasure to serve for over, you know, twenty six years.

Is that a quarter of a century? Yeah.

It it it's been truly my honor, truly. And I'd like to introduce my family. You saw them earlier. My wife, Anne, the first lady award for. She supported me campaign after campaign and I really am retiring Annie.

This is it. So my daughters Jackie and Katie are here tonight. Son-in-law, Eric, who married into a very political family of councilmen and judges, and and of course, my grandchildren, Pearson, Piper, and Pearl. They melt they melt my heart. And I would like to thank the administration, chief Beloser, chief Moran, and all the directors for your continued support.

Council members get the calls and hear the problems and get the request for projects, but it's the leadership of the administration that are the ones that make things happen and get things done. And I've had the pleasure of working with people who are true professionals in their areas of expertise. And when you can work with people that you respect and call friends, it really isn't work. All in all, it's to improve the quality of life in the city of Westlake and for all the people we serve. Now we've we've had a few donuts, we've had a few beverages, and I'd like to think we've had a few laughs.

I've been blessed to serve the city for twenty six years and see a new library, city hall, aquatic center, community center, and ballparks, and the little thing that was the genesis called Crocker Park. It's been humbling to be elected seven times. And kinda like the twelve days of Christmas, I've had four service directors, three law directors, two council presidents, and a partridge in a pear tree here. So one great mayor. And, Dennis, I want to thank you for your patience, always taking the time to listen, provide advice.

And and really, Westlake has come a long way under your leadership. So like Ms. Ivelka said, wow, this is interesting. Time to retire. Bummer.

So my most sincere thanks to everyone. And as the Irish like to say, and God love you. Merry Christmas. Thank you.

Thank you. Mister Sullivan, is there anyone in the audience that wishes to make a comment? We might as well just hand you the mic.

Yeah. Alright.

I I'm

Be kind.

Well, as as Mark said, he wrote a speech and then threw it out. I wrote one about three months ago and then I threw it out. And I wrote one two months ago and I had to throw that one out because that one was definitely not appropriate for public consumption. I'll give you that one later. You can read that. But I am gonna read from this because there's a lot of important things that I I don't wanna I don't wanna miss. As I close the screen, that's not what I'm trying to do. Alright. There we go. First, on behalf of all the residents of of Ward 3, thank you for your service, your dedication, and your hard work to not only to improve the lives of your constituents but to the entire city of Westlake.

You've always been available and willing to talk to the residents of Ward 3. Many times, you and I have been out, maybe having a beverage or two, and your phone your phone rings. You say, I'll be right back. And two hours later, he shows up and, oh, have three phone calls from residents and this went on. I had to do this. Had to answer two emails. Okay. Yep. That's your dedication. And you by seeing you do that, I truly appreciate that because you it's eight, 09:00 at night.

You could say, you know what? I'll deal with that tomorrow. But you you still push forward and and make sure that all of us are act accurately and appropriately represented. Your research and your preparedness on citywide issues has made lasting and impactful benefits on the city. There have been many times I've showed up to your home and you're doing research something that council's dealing with.

And you say, hey. I'll be with you at ten minutes. Sit outside back or so forth. It it's it's that kind of stuff that goes above and beyond, and I personally can can't thank you enough for that. Your ability to gather feedback amongst people will be out at a facility, and you'll start asking questions to people.

What do you think of this? You've always asked me, and I'm grateful for that. It's it's your ability to listen and to hear what people are saying in the city that makes you really great at what you do and it all of you guys at what you do and make this city better. Every day when I go to work, I have to provide my work ID to get through airport security and I have to provide my pilot's license. Because of you and your hard work and this city and all of you up here, it is an honor to have the city of Westlake and my pilot certificate and to everyone asked me especially up in Detroit, where's Westlake at?

And I tell them how great this place is. You are part of that, making this place great. So thank you. Thank you to your wife and your family for giving us you and and your time that you have put forth over the last twenty years. Countless hours that you've put forward to this city and to council that you've taken away from family time, and that's important, especially how much I know your family means so much to you.

You are leaving back a huge legacy behind you and will be nearly impossible for others to overcome. Those following your footsteps have extremely huge shoes to wear, to fill. To the Sullivan family, especially your wife, Nancy, thank you to all to all the ability to support you through all this and and provide you to the city of Westlake. And then finally, on a personal note, thank you for your friendship, your mentorship, your leadership, and allowing me to drive you in those Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades. I I can't thank you enough. Thank you, Dennis, for your service. Thank you for the time you've put to the city. You've done an amazing job.

So thank you. Thank you. But if I could for one split second, Chris approached me with another gentleman, a mutual friend of ours, nine years ago, a little over nine years ago, and asked me about Westlake Council. I was asking questions about it, and I said, why don't you come to a meeting? And that's how it started. I remember the night clearly. We've talked about it. I remember the place. I remember the conversation we had among the three of us about that. Yep. Because Michael, the other guy, was invited also, and you came, and you haven't stopped, basically.

No. I've got problems there.

Is there

facility?

You know, the mayor always talks about good citizens and good people in Westlake, and it's there's an example.

Thank you. Any mister Del Ragneaux, see you're approaching the podium.

Way up.

It's council member elect Del Ragneaux.

Dennis, thank you. Twenty years I've been here, as long as you've been sitting in that seat. So for my family, thank you very much. You represent us well. You put up with my consistent complaints and calls and coming over to the house and helping out when you had to. I got involved, as I said before, when we had some flooding issues. And Dennis was my go to for that. Came to some council meetings and probably raised my voice a couple of times. But the passion that you have and the dedication that you have is insurmountable. And I truly appreciate it and hope to fill the shoes, if you will. As Chris said, they're very big and I'm going to do my best. So thank you very much.

Thank you. If I could for one second again, Dave, if you recall the one of the times I was at your house, that tree had fell over on the garage in the corner of your daughter's bedroom. We're thankfully, and Mary helped us tremendously back then about getting it removed, you and your wife had, you know, make sure your daughter felt secure and safe and everything else and let us help you with all the other stuff. One of the times. The water stuff, let's not go into.

Thank you. Is there anyone else in the audience that former council member had?

Well, yeah, back again. But Dennis, I very much enjoyed the time that I was with you on council. And as to yourself and and Michael, you were two councilmen who spent more time in constituents' homes than I think you did in your own. And it's you know, the praise you're receiving is well deserved. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Ed. Only council member Ed?

I'm coming back too. Yes. Just a thank you, Dennis, for all you've done for the city. And you may not recall, but I remember very clearly on one of my first days serving, and somebody did the Planning Commission report. I was like, oh my gosh, I and you were on Planning Commission at that time, and I didn't understand it. And we were walking out of a meeting, and I stopped you, and you took the time to explain it to me. It was probably five minutes of your time, but I still remember that kindness, and I want to thank you because it is clear that you've shown a lot of people that kindness and that patience. So it comes across in what you do, and thank you for serving.

You're welcome. Thank you.

And then,

Linda, I was just paying back. Mister Heck and mister Kanal sat here and helped me a number of times.

Appreciate it.

Is there anyone else? Now we'll start at this end, mister Van Dyke.

So my gift to you tonight is I'm not gonna say anything.

Thank you. I mean, no.

No. That can't happen. Is there a motion to adjourn?

The time's enough.

Anybody believe that? Anybody? Know. I don't believe it.

Hands on fire. I know.

So I guess I'll start out by saying to mister Delregno, how many times did did you call Dennis because get ready. You may your phone may be ringing off the hook. No. I'm I'm joking. First of all, you know, Dennis was really one of my first supporters and always enthusiastic.

And I I I grew to rely on him and being able to call him up and talk to him about different things. Dennis, one of the things I really appreciate about you is you you've always spoken your mind. Say what you think. You're polite about it, but you are definitive about what you believe in. But at the same time, also listen to opposing opinions and weigh those opinions and and are very thoughtful about about that.

And and I I appreciate that as well. I have to also say, as I've gotten older, just like the mayor, you know, you really you grow to appreciate a person's sense of humor and how, as you're dealing with many of the different issues, a a little levity sometimes makes a difference. And you're a funny guy so I really appreciate that as well and then finally I consider you a friend and you've been a good friend and and important to the work of this city. So you're not just a friend of mine, you've been a friend to the city of Westlake. So I wish you the best in your retirement.

I'm sure you'll have plenty of things to keep your time or keep your keep yourself busy. But thank you again for all the dedication and hard work you've done for Westlake Ohio.

Thank you, Duane.

Mr. Norrie? Thank you, sir. Mr. Sullivan, I remember the first committee that I was on. I was so intimidated by you and O'Donnell because I was on IT with you. I'm the only person in the room that doesn't own a computer and I am not very good at technology. But as you pointed out, my common sense approach helped in many different discussions. But I remember that, you know, and just it was nerve racking for me because you are both experts in IT. And I knew nothing about it, but I learned so much.

So that's just one simple example but what you did in planning and all the different stuff really set the course for me to get interested in that and you truly you know, as as well as, you know, all the older councilmen before me, you guys really have kept Westlake as genuinely the place to be. And I love you think outside the box in so many ways. Everybody will think up stuff and then you come up with this thing. I'm like, wow. I never would have even thought of that and it's unbelievable.

It's like a snapshot of, you know, of what it what life should be thinking about. But the best part of you is Nancy, and I think she's the greatest. And I remember making Italian cookies and delights at your house with Chris, actually, and Nancy, and you eating them, of course.

But anyhow They're called pizzelles.

Pizzelles. No. I know. I know if the audience would know that. But anyhow, I just wanted to thank you. And I do consider us friends. And I will definitely look to you and Mike, you know, for continued advisement on on issues. You're a great shoulder to talk to, and thank you for all you did for the city.

Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Big?

Yes.

Mr. Sullivan, Dennis, thank you for your service to the city. I've been sitting next to you for fifteen years. It's like going through school for fifteen years sitting next to the same colleague. Thankfully, a funny colleague.

Because, you know, going through all these council meetings every two weeks would have been a little bit tougher if it wasn't for you beeping all those corny jokes in my ears throughout the meeting. So, again, I learned a lot from you. And as Mr. Menari said, when we make presentations in front of you, whether it's technology, it's finance, everybody is done asking questions. But when you come up with your questions, they are completely something that we hadn't thought of. So that happened a few times. So you keep us on our feet. And again, thanks for all your service. And good luck in your retirement.

Thank you. Thank you.

Denise?

Again, I concur with everything that's been said so far. Don't wanna belabor it.

She always takes the safe route. Well, I'm watching her write down who makes comments, and she doesn't put her own name down because she passes on making comments. Mister Getsay?

Yes. As I had mentioned earlier, there's a lot of similarities between you and Mike, and one I one I said was I've served my whole time with you, and it's been a pleasure. Okay? Second is Mike was my first political involvement in Westlake politics. You were my second. And let's just say your election was not as cordial as Mike's was. Okay? I don't wanna get into all the facts back then, but I'd like to point out what I asked Denise to pull today, and that was the minutes from the 01/06/2029 meeting. Okay? And I'm gonna be honest with you.

I'm a little bit older, and my memory failed a little bit. Okay? However, I noticed a couple of things. Number one is that people that were in attendance on 01/06/2000, nine. Okay? There's only five of us left. Okay? Soon to be three. Okay? Kinda hard to believe. Okay? I wasn't aware that mister Hack was gonna be here tonight. Okay? I also failed to remember that mister Cleen was not present at that meeting. Okay?

However, as you know, with any agenda, the first item is the roll call, and then we go through the pledges of allegiance. But the third item that particular evening was not the approval of the minutes. It was actually a motion made by mister Hack, seconded by mister Canole to appoint me to fill the board six. K? And I just like to go over the vote real quick on that. K? Hack was a yes. Canola was a yes. O'Donnell, thank you, was a yes. Mister Brady was a yes. And then there's this guy Sullivan that was a no.

Will you please explain to him why? We've talked about this many times.

That's that's here

or there. However,

I do recall some there's an old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Okay? And as we sit back sixteen years later, I'm very happy to say I do not consider you an enemy. Okay?

You're a dear friend, and I appreciate everything over the

last sixteen years. Okay? I was gonna make a motion to reconsider. However, after learning the rules tonight, I have no hope at that. So congratulations on your retirement and all the best. Thank you.

Miss Ivanka.

Ah, yes.

Dennis, your dedication to the city of Westlake has been truly commendable. For the past twenty years, you've been a tireless advocate for the residents award three, and you've been a wealth of knowledge when remembering the city's history and decision making. You've brought a unique perspective to council that will be difficult to replace. You've served with integrity and a true love for this community, and I wish you all the best in your next chapter. Thanks.

Thank you. Thank you. Mister O'Donnell.

Thank you. Dennis, I personally want to thank you for serving on the Planning Commission so I didn't have to. So that really is a plus. But in all seriousness, those that served on planning, I always I listened to them very carefully because they were at all the meetings and these things went till ten, 11:00 at night. This is not a short putt.

And they learned and then I learned from them. And so I I really do appreciate it because he's very candid with how he feels and and he doesn't pull any punches. I you gotta respect the guy for that and I do. I I really do. But that that's in all seriousness very wise counsel and I appreciate that for you.

And in IT, you know, he he's about the only other guy that gets it and and we talk about blade strategies and what Larry understood and Mike understood and Dennis and I are talking about servers and security and everybody's kinda lost. But we really did guide them into an IT strategy over the years and they're following it. And the good news is Dennis and I don't have to be here when they put Oracle in. So but I I do appreciate your your insight and all that. The bad thing is they're losing two good Irishmen here on the council.

So and we're gonna be filling those glass jars with a little libation. So and as far as the vote of 2,009, my granddaughter would say, Frozen's comments are, let it go, let it go, let