City Council Meeting

Margo Sommerville, President Jeff Fusco, Vice-President Brad McKitrick, President Pro-Tem Members of Council: Jeff Fusco, At-Large Johnnie Hannah, Ward 5 Linda F. R. Omobien, At-Large Brad McKitrick, Ward 6 Eric D. Garrett, Sr., At-Large Donnie Kammer, Ward 7 Fran Wilson, Ward 1 Bruce Bolden, Ward 8 Phil Lombardo, Ward 2 Tina Boyes, Ward 9 Margo Sommerville, Ward 3 Sharon L. Connor, Ward 10 Jan Davis, Ward 4 www.akroncitycouncil.org Council Agenda for March 30, 2026 1:00 P.M. Planning & Economic 2:30 P.M. Housing & Neighborhood Assistance Development 1:45 P.M. Parks & Recreation 2:30 P.M. Health & Social Services 2:00 P.M. Rules 3:00 P.M. Budget & Finance 2:00 P.M. Public Service, Public 6:30 P.M. Regular Council Meeting Utilities, & Green 2:15 P.M. Public Safety Regular Meeting held on March 23, 2026. All members were present. Minutes of the previous meeting approved. Ayes: 13, Nays: 0. CONSENT AGENDA 1 RESOLUTION declaring it necessary to improve various off-street parking facilities in the Kenmore Business District and the Canton Road Business District by sealing, resurfacing and repairing, painting parking space stripes, sweeping, removing snow, cleaning sewer openings, providing lawn, turf, shrub and tree maintenance, litter and other general clean-up and otherwise improving and maintaining the same, and all when and where necessary; and declaring an emergency. (Public Service, Public Utilities, & Green) 2 ORDINANCE ratifying the actions of the Director of Public Service, or his 1  designee, in entering into a contract or contracts with Kenmore Construction Co., Inc. without publicly advertising for bids for the emergency repair of a water main; and declaring an emergency. (Public Service, Public Utilities, & Green) RULES (McKitrick, Chair) NO ITEMS BUDGET & FINANCE (Lombardo, Chair) TIME: 1 RESOLUTION adopting an annual operating budget for the fiscal year 2026; and declaring an emergency. (03/09/26) 2 ORDINANCE to make the annual appropriation for the current expenses, other expenditures and the capital outlays of the City of Akron for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026; and declaring an emergency. (03/09/26) (See Substitute Item #2A in New Legislation). PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (Fusco, Chair) FIRST READING AND REFERRED: UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 6, 2026: 1 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to expand parking at 839 S. Arlington Street and 1037 Wyley Avenue; and declaring an emergency. (03/23/26) FIRST READING AND REFERRED: TO BE SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING: 2 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to establish a tire sales business at 21 N. Arlington Street; and declaring an emergency. (03/23/26) TIME: 3 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to establish a defense education training facility at 1928 Eastwood Avenue; and declaring an emergency. (02/23/26) (Public Hearing held 03/09/26) (Substitute offered as an amendment 03/09/26) 4 D-14 Petition of David Walker for a Conditional Use to Establish a Training Facility at 1928 Eastwood Avenue PC-2025-80-CU (02/02/26) 2 5 D-37 Petition of Mohammad Alzawahreh for a Conditional use to Establish a Tire Sales Business at 21 N. Arlington Street PC-2025-82-CU (03/02/26) 6 D-38 Petition of Akron Summit Community Action Inc. for a Conditional Use to Expand Parking at 839 S. Arlington Street and 1037 Wyley Avenue PC-2026-01-CU (03/02/26) 7 D-132 Petition of Crasi Homes for a Conditional Use to Construct Two- Family Dwellings at 940 Pitkin Street and 953 Dayton Street PC-2025- 37-CU (6/30/25) 8 ORDINANCE amending/supplementing Title 15, Chapter 153, “Zoning Code”, Article 6 “Development and Area District Requirements”, Section 153.305 “Residence Requirements” and Section 4.3.3. “Walls and Fences” of the City of Akron Form-Based Code to amend fencing requirements; and declaring an emergency. (2/24/25) (To be scheduled for Public Hearing.) 9 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to establish a Type A daycare home at 782 Bellevue Avenue; and declaring an emergency. (11/27/2023) (Public Hearing held 2/5/2024) 10 D-730 Petition of Keisha Burney for a Conditional Use to Establish a Type A Daycare Home at 782 Bellevue Avenue PC-2023-60-CU (11/06/2023) 11 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to establish an auto dealership at 338 N. Arlington Street; and declaring an emergency. (11/28/2022) (Public Hearing was held 1/23/2023) 12 D-576 Petition of Abraham Zabay for a Conditional Use to Establish an auto dealership at 338 N. Arlington Street (PC-2022-52-CU) 13 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to construct a parking lot at 921 Cordova Avenue for the Maple Valley Resource Center at 1474 Copley Road; and declaring an emergency. (9/18/2023) (Public Hearing held 9/25/2023) 14 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to establish and construct an addition to a bed and breakfast at 814 Bloomfield Avenue; and declaring an emergency. (Public Hearing was held 9/13/21) 15 D-285 Petition of Louie Berrodin for a Conditional Use to establish a bed and breakfast and construct an addition at 814 Bloomfield Avenue (PC- 2021-30-CU) (7/12/21) 3  16 ORDINANCE authorizing a Conditional Use to construct a parking lot on the east side of W. Center Street (PN 6716587); and declaring an emergency. (Public Hearing was held October 21, 2019) 17 D-774 Petition of Community Action Agency for a Conditional Use to construct a parking lot and the sale of City-owned land on W. Center Street. (Parcel No. 6716587) (PC-2019-63-CU & S) (9/16/19) PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC UTILITIES, & GREEN (Kammer, Chair) REFERRED: 1 D-51 One (1) Objection to Arterial/Collector Street Resurfacing per R- 432-2025 (03/23/26) TIME: 2 D-45-1 Two (2) Objections to Unimproved Street Resurfacing Per R- 434-2025 (03/16/26) 3 D-45 One (1) Objection to Unimproved Street Resurfacing per R-434- 2025 (03/09/26) PUBLIC SAFETY (McKitrick, Chair) TIME: 1 ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, without the formality of publicly advertising for bids, with Farber Specialty Vehicles for the purchase of a mobile command vehicle; and declaring an emergency. (10/28/2024) (Substitute offered as an amendment 11/4/2024) PARKS & RECREATION (Connor, Chair) NO ITEMS HOUSING & NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE (Bolden, Chair) NO ITEMS HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES (Davis, Chair) NO ITEMS 4 FILED D-49 Notice of Transfer of Type C1 and C2 Liquor Permit to HA Valley LLC 1352 Copley Rd Ward 4 D-50 Notice of Transfer of Type D1, D2, and D3 Liquor Permit to Merriman Pub, LLC The Basement Sports Bar & Grill in the Valley 1841 Merriman Rd Ward 8 D-52 Weekly Demolition Report – Week of March 16, 2026 D-53 Vacant Commercial or Industrial Appeals Board – April 8, 2026 ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT PREVIOUS MEETING RESOLUTION NO. 85-2026 congratulating City employee Melvin Blake for his selection as the recipient of the 2026 NFHS Ohio Service Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to interscholastic athletics; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. ORDINANCE NO. 86-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, without the formality of publicly advertising for bids, with Governmentjobs.com, Inc., dba NEOGOV, for the purchase of NEOGOV Human Resources Software for the Department of Human Resources; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. RESOLUTION NO. 87-2026 approving and confirming the appointments and/or reappointments of Mayor Shammas Malik, Chris Ludle, Kyle Julien, Helen Tomic, Margo Sommerville, Tina Boyes, and Fran Wilson for the year 2026 as members of the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO), with alternates Michelle DiFiore (Mayor Malik), Jeff Bronowski (Ludle), Dylan Garritano (Julien), Kurt Mulhauser (Tomic), and Dr. Joan Williams/Sara Biviano (Sommerville); and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. ORDINANCE NO. 88-2026 authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, for the painting of fire hydrants in the City of Akron water service area; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. ORDINANCE NO. 89-2026 authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee to, if awarded, accept and expend grant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and/or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the rehabilitation of Taxiway P at the Akron Fulton Airport; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. 5 ORDINANCE NO. 90-2026 determining to proceed with the improvement of Vernon Odom Boulevard (SR 261) between the termini of I-77 to Rhodes Avenue and Romig Road to Medina Line Road by resurfacing; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. ORDINANCE NO. 91-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to file applications and enter into an agreement or agreements with the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and with the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) for planning, design, and/or construction of two (2) Water Supply Bureau capital improvement projects; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. ORDINANCE NO. 92-2026 authorizing the Mayor, or his designee to, if awarded, accept and expend funds from the State of Ohio for enhancements to the City of Akron’s Public Safety Training Facility; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 13-0. RESOLUTION NO. 93-2026 in which City Council and the Administration commit to working together to establish a pre-activation look-back requirement for all body-worn cameras utilized by officers of the Akron Police Department; and declaring an emergency. Vote: 7-6 (Bolden, Boyes, Connor, Fusco, Lombardo, and McKitrick). NEW LEGISLATION RULES 1 RESOLUTION acknowledging the retirement of Jeff Fusco, Councilman At-Large for the City of Akron; and accepting the same; expressing appreciation for Councilman Fusco’s services as At-Large Councilman; establishing the process to fill the vacancy caused by this retirement; and declaring an emergency. 2 RESOLUTION amending Resolution No. 373-2023 to implement Rules 7.11, 7.12, and 7.13 of the “Rules of Procedure for Akron City Council”; and declaring an emergency. BUDGET & FINANCE 2A ORDINANCE to make the annual appropriation for the current expenses, other expenditures and the capital outlays of the City of Akron for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026; and declaring an emergency. (Substitute Offered as an Amendment. See Regular Agenda Item #2). 6 3 ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts with CHW Advisors to provide certain professional consulting and lobbying services; and declaring an emergency. PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC UTILITIES, & GREEN 4 RESOLUTION declaring it necessary to improve Abington Road between the termini of Triplett Boulevard and Wedgewood Road, N Seiberling Street between the termini of Market Street and Bauer Boulevard, Bauer Boulevard between the termini of Cutler Parkway and Brittain Road, Breiding Road between the termini of Betana Avenue and Independence Avenue, Verdun Drive between the termini of Market Street and Mogadore Avenue, Goodyear Boulevard between the termini of Eastwood Avenue and Eastland Avenue, Hillside Terrace between the termini of Eastwood Avenue and Eastland Avenue and Meredith Lane between 80’ E of Pinebrook Trail and 370’ W of Stone Creek Trail; and declaring an emergency. 5 ORDINANCE authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, for the construction and replacement of various sections of sidewalks throughout the city; and declaring an emergency. 6 ORDINANCE authorizing the removal of designation as a through street for a portion of Delia Avenue from its intersection with Thorndale Drive and Warrington Road to its eastern terminus at its intersection with West Exchange Street; and declaring an emergency. 7 ORDINANCE authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, without the formality of publicly advertising for bids, with GPD Group, Inc. for the design and implementation of the Main Street Corridor Phase 3 project; and declaring an emergency. 8 ORDINANCE ratifying the actions of the Director of Public Service, or his designee, in entering into a contract or contracts with A. Crano Excavating, Inc., without the formality of publicly advertising for bids, for the emergency repair of a road median barrier; and declaring an emergency. 9 ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor, or his designee to, if 7  awarded, accept and expend funds from the Region 5 Wetland Program Development Grant program through the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to facilitate the Akron Wetland Mapping, Assessment, Research, and Strategic Habitat (MARSH) Plan; and declaring an emergency. 10 ORDINANCE authorizing the Director of Public Service, after publicly advertising for bids, to enter into a contract or contracts for construction of the WRF Secondary Treatment Process Electrical Improvements Project; and declaring an emergency. 11 ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to apply for a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) loan, sign all documents for, and enter into WPCLF agreements with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) for the construction of the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) Secondary Treatment Process Electrical Improvements Project; and declaring an emergency. PARKS & RECREATION 12 ORDINANCE authorizing the Director of Public Service, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts, after publicly advertising for bids, for the resurfacing and refurbishment of basketball courts at Prentiss Park; and declaring an emergency. 13 ORDINANCE authorizing the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into a contract or contracts with TomTod Ideas, Inc. for a partnership with the City of Akron in the Creative Akron Summer Program for 2026; and declaring an emergency. HOUSING & NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE 14 RESOLUTION declaring April 2026 as Fair Housing Month and restating the City of Akron’s commitment to furthering the goal of eliminating housing segregation and discrimination; and declaring an emergency. For more information, scan the QR codes below or visit our website at www.akroncitycouncil.org 8 Public Comment Receive our weekly Upcoming Frequently Used Period Sign Up: legislative spotlight meetings: Terms: email: 9