Council Discusses Changes And Appointments To The Public Art Task Force

Council President and Ward IV Councilwoman, Mary Louise Madigan, called the November 16, 2015 Council meeting to order at 7:46 P.M. with apologies for the delayed start. Council had been held up in a Committee of the Whole meeting.

Skipping ahead to new business, the first matter of business was a communication from Councilman Tom Bullock recognizing Lakewood Alive and Paisley Monkey for statewide awards they received from Heritage Ohio. Lakewood Alive was awarded Heritage Ohio’s Best Committee Event for their second annual Wine and Craft Beer Festival which was held September 13, 2014, and Paisley Monkey was awarded the Heritage Ohio Main Street Business of the Year for their unique custom children’s boutique.

Councilwoman Madigan and Councilwoman Cindy Marx both thanked Lakewood Alive for all they do for the community and attracting residents with diverse events such as the Wine and Craft Beer Festival.

Council then passed two resolutions, one recognizing Lakewood Alive and the other recognizing Paisley Monkey.

Next Councilwoman Madigan delivered a report from the Committee of the Whole regarding the newly established Public Art Task Force. When the Task Force was established it was decided that it would be made up of seven members, two would be appointed by Council, two by the Mayor, and the remaining three would consist of a member from the Planning Commission, a member of the Architectural Board of Review, and a member from a leading community arts organization. During their meeting the Committee reviewed applications for their appointees to the Task Force and settled on their choices. However, due to a proposed change to the makeup of the Task Force that would be presented by the Mayor later in the meeting, Council decided to defer the resolution appointing those members until the latter issue had been resolved.

The Mayor then asked Council to consider his resolution changing the makeup of the Task Force. The proposed change would keep the Task Force at seven members but eliminate the requirement that there be members from the Planning Commission, Architectural Board of Review, and an arts organization. Instead, the appointments would simply be split between Council and the Mayor, giving four to Council and three to the Mayor. The Mayor believed that this would give more flexibility to the process and allow for the inclusion of more of the people who submitted applications.

Council proceeded to pass the resolution approving the changes.

The Mayor then took a moment to recognize Small Business Saturday. Starting in 2010, Small Business Saturday was created in response to Black Friday as an incentive to get people to shop at local small businesses and support them during the holiday season. In collaboration with the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, this is the sixth year Lakewood has participated. This year Small business Saturday will be Saturday, November 28th. The Mayor asked people to join him this holiday season by shopping at local merchants in celebration of Small Business Saturday, and Lakewood.

Next, Finance Director, Jennifer Pae, kicked off the 2016 budget season by presenting Council with 16 ordinances that will make up the bulk of the 2016 budget. Council proceeded to read through them all and place them on first reading and referred them to the Finance Committee where they can be discussed. A schedule for the budget hearings had already been put together, and will likely have begun by the time you read this.

Director of Planning and Development Department, Dru Siley, then asked Council to review the recommendations from the Citizens Advisory Committee. The Committee, which is made up of volunteer citizens, has the nearly insurmountable task of combing through applicants and working through legal limitations to recommend to Council ways the City should spend its continually dwindling Community Block Grant. After six weeks and countless hours the Committee compiled their recommendations and have submitted them to Council for their consideration.

Council referred the recommendations to the Committee of the Whole.

The last item on the agenda was a request from Police Chief Malley to pass a resolution in support of the Division of Police’s grant application accepting support in the amount of $51,284 from the Ohio Attorney General. The grant would support the salary of the officer who facilitates the D.A.R.E. program.

Council proceeded to pass the resolution.

Coming to the end of the agenda items, the meeting moved on to the public comment section. Several members of the community spoke, all speaking in regard to the Lakewood Hospital Situation. The public comment section began at 8:17 and continued until 8:52.

When the public comment section was over, Council President Madigan adjourned the meeting at 8:53 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 25, Posted 3:39 PM, 11.24.2015