Council Considers Anti-Discrimination Legislation

At 7:30 P.M. on June 1, 2015, the City Hall Auditorium was fairly full of spectators awaiting the start of the Council Meeting. Missing however was the Council. Stuck in executive session in the Committee of the Whole, Council did not finish their deliberations until nearly 8 P.M. At 8:08 P.M. Council President and Ward IV Councilwoman, Mary Louise Madigan finally called the meeting to order.

During role call Councilman Tom Bullock (At-Large) was missing, but no motion was made to excuse his absence. He did, however, show up some time later and join Council already in session.

Next Councilwoman Cindy Marx (At-Large) read a letter from Council members Sam O'Leary (Ward II), David Anderson (Ward I), Mary Louise Madigan, Tom Bullock, and herself regarding an anti-discrimination ordinance. Councilwoman Marx remarked that only 21 states protect people from discrimination based on sexual and gender orientation, and that Ohio is not one of them. The lack of an anti-discrimination law in Ohio is in contrast to a 2013 poll of registered voters that shows Ohioans overwhelmingly oppose these kinds of discrimination by 79%. “Lakewood is considered a unique city that is progressive and embraces diversity...we must demonstrate that Lakewood stands for protecting the rights of all people,” Councilwoman Marx said. She continued, saying Lakewood needs to take a stand to protect the rights of all the people and to serve as an example for other communities in Ohio to follow.

The ordinance introduced will update and clarify language in three sections of Lakewood's Codified Ordinances. Although Lakewood already has anti-discrimination wording throughout the Codified Ordinances the proposed ordinance would help strengthen and expand what is already there.

Council referred the ordinance to the Rules and Ordinances Committee for consideration.

Councilwoman Madigan then introduced an ordinance that if passed would submit the proposed Third Amended Charter of Lakewood to be approved by citizens by popular vote. Last year a Charter Review Committee met several times over months to review and make changes to Lakewood's Charter. The Committee submitted their final revisions to Council in August of last year. Per the Charter Council may either submit the Charter as presented to them by the Committee or make changes themselves before submitting it to the public. Any changes Council may wish to submit need to be done by September 4, 2015. Due to Council's summer recess in August, Councilwoman Madigan recommended they try to pass the ordinance before then. The Amended Charter requires the support of five of the seven Council members to move on to the public.

Council referred the ordinance to the Committee of the Whole.

Councilman Anderson then read a letter asking his Council colleagues to join him in a discussion on how to improve parking conditions along Madison Avenue. Councilman Anderson said that he has heard from several business owners along Madison that they have continual issues with cars that take up parking spaces in front of their businesses and stay there all weekend. This makes it difficult for customers to find parking, potentially hurting these businesses. Councilman Anderson wishes to discuss some possible options and strategies to help solve this problem including the possible extension of weekday parking restrictions to the weekend. He also invited input from the administration to help come up with a solution.

Director of Planning and Development, Dru Siley then asked Council to review an update to the Rockport Square development which would hopefully, finally develop their lots which have sat bare for years. The owners of the project, Forest City, have singed on with a new partner, Ryan Homes, for a new plan that would includes 51 townhouse units on the two currently empty lots. The original four phased project contained a development agreement with the City that included Tax Increment Financing which would pay $4million in land acquisition, public improvements, and demolition. Due to the changes in the development plan Council has to review and approve the agreement before the plan can move forward. The project also needs to be reviewed by the Planning Commission before it can start, but that process is already under way.

Council submitted the matter to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

Next Police Chief Malley informed Council of a donation of $156.10 from the students of Mrs. Hvizdos second grade class at Hayes. The students had heard that another member of the community had donated $10,000 to the City to go toward buying a new K-9 dog and the training for a handler and wanted to help. The students held a lemonade sale to raise the money.

Continuing with the K-9 theme, Chief Malley then informed Council that the original anonymous $10,000 donor contacted the department after finding out that the cost of the dog and the training of the handler exceeded their initial donation. They proceeded to donate the remaining cost of $4,350, for a total donation of $14,350.

Coming to the end of the regular agenda items, Council opened the floor for public comment. The room was full of people interested in the issues regarding Lakewood Hospital. For the first time three people spoke in support of the Letter of Intent from the Cleveland Clinic and the plan for Lakewood Hospital. They each were a part of a formal letter which had more than 100 signatures that they submitted to Council asking them to approve the letter of intent. On the other side, there were four members of the public who spoke in opposition to the hospital plan.

After the public comment portion of the meeting, which was just about as long as the regular business of Council, Council President Madigan adjourned the meeting at 9:20 P.M.

Christopher Bindel

I have been a Lakewood resident my entire life and have been covering the Council meetings for the LO since March of 2009. I am a former Mayoral appointee to the Citicens Advisory Committee, a Council appointee to the Board of Zoning Appeals, on the Board of Directors for Pillars of Lakewood, and President of Eaters of Lakewood.

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Volume 11, Issue 13, Posted 5:55 PM, 06.09.2015