Council Approves Installing Bike Lanes on Detroit

Council President Brian Powers called the July 2, 2012 meeting of Council to order at 7:33 p.m. He then asked Chelsea Polk and Danny Toner to lead everybody in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Councilman Shawn Juris (WardIII) then asked Council to pass a resolution recognizing Chelsea Polk and Danny Toner who were both selected by the National Association for Music Education to perform in the National Honor Orchestra at the Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington,D.C. Both talented cellists, the two were selected to not only represent Lakewood, but Ohio as a whole, in the orchestra. Councilman Juris asked that the City recognize them for their achievement and for representing Lakewood with honor at the national level.

Council passed the resolution and presented them both with signed copies of it.

Councilman Powers (At-Large) then asked Chuck Greanoff, a teacher at Lakewood High School, to speak. Mr. Greanoff came to the meeting to ask Council and members of the administration to participate in the Lakewood Community Summer Reading project. Beginning last year teachers decided that instead of having their students all read different books, that they would choose one book that every high schooler would have to read. At the same time the teachers invited parents, friends, family, or anyone else from the community to also reed the same book. Throughout the summer there were discussion groups that would get together that were open to anyone who was interested, student or not. This year they decided to do it again and the social studies department got to choose the book. This years book is, “The Other Wes Moor.” It is a book about two men who grew up in inner-city Baltimore around the same time, who both are named Wes Moor. One of the men becomes an educated successful member of society while the other ends up in jail. The book looks at the situations surrounding both Wes Moors'  upbringing and education to discuss how they ended up so different.

Mr. Greanoff presented each member of Council and the Mayor with a copy of the book so they can participate.

Councilman Powers then read a communication from the Committee of the Whole regarding two items the were introduced at previous Council Meetings. The first item was a resolution which, if passed, would allow the city to spend up to $20,000 dollars installing bike lanes or ‘Sharrows’ on Detroit Avenue. The second item was a resolution which would allow the city to conduct a feasibility study not to exceed $7,000, related to hotel, banquet facility or bed-and-breakfast use in the city. The money for both items would come from a fund set up for Council to use toward economic development. The Committee agreed to recommend both resolutions for passage.

Upon the completion of Councilman Power’s report Council passed both resolutions.

Director of Planning and Development Dru Siley read a communication to Council telling them that the city was chosen to receive a grant from RTA to construct an enhanced transit stop in front of City Hall. The grant was for $14,400 dollars and will cover purchase and installation of the transit waiting area. Director Siley then asked Council to pass a resolution allowing the City to accept the money so it can start the bidding process.

Council referred the matter to the Public Works Committee to be considered.

Finance Director Jennifer Pae then asked Council to pass an ordinance that would allow they city to increase a  loan with Key Bank for an additional $600,000 dollars, and not to exceed $4.1 million dollars. The increase in the current loan would help pay for the new 2012 Fire Quint Apparatus purchased by the Fire Department. As the city has already received the new truck, having traded in an old one towards part of the purchase, Director Pae asked that Council suspend the three reading rule on this item and pass it on its first reading. Councilwoman Mary Louise Madigan (Ward IV) stated that, even though the item had not been officially submitted to Council yet, the Finance Committee discussed it and decided that they believed the city could hold the extra debt and recommended adoption on first reading.

Council agreed and passed the ordinance.

Coming to the end of the agenda items, Council President Powers adjourned the meeting at 8:32 P.M.

Council meetings are held every first and third Monday of the month at 7:30 P.M. in the City Hall Auditorium. The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be held on July 16, 2012. For a copy of the agenda or for any other information regarding the LakewoodCity Council, you can find it at onelakewood.com/citygovern_council.html.