The View From Ward 2

February 16th City Council Meeting Rundown

At February 16th's City Council meeting, Ward 4 Councilman Dan O'Malley introduced a "Pay to Stay" ordinance. Ohio allows a landlord to file for eviction immediately upon the nonpayment of rent. This ordinance will allow renters to avoid eviction if they provide their landlord with the full rent, including late fees, and court costs prior to an eviction hearing. The ordinance also caps late fees at the greater of $25 or 5% of the monthly rent. In its current form, the ordinance would only be in effect during the current State of Emergency due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

Mayor George announced that she has appointed Ward 2 resident, Terry Vincent, to the Board of Tax Review. Mr. Vincent is a partner at Brouse McDowell and has extensive experience representing clients before the IRS and previously served as a senior attorney in the Office of District Counsel for the IRS in Cleveland. Along with his Juris Doctor degree, Mr. Vincent also has a degree in Accounting and Mater of Taxation. Please join me in thanking Mr. Vincent for agreeing to serve our community.

Assistant Building Commissioner Chris Parmelee provided Council with an ordinance to update Lakewood's fence code. Mr. Parmelee explained that the current code has caused confusion for homeowners and contractors, and that the purpose of this ordinance is to make the code easier to read and use. 

Contract Awarded for Reforestation Program

Lakewood awarded a $135,000 contract to Greenleaf Group Inc. for the City's annual reforestation program, which includes private property tree plantings. Greenleaf will plant 400 trees at a cost of $313 per tree, an increase of $10 per tree from last year.

Snow Removal and LakewoodAlive Snow Shoveling Program

Please remember that per City Ordinance 521.06, property owners are required to remove and keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice. It is important that our sidewalks are safe for pedestrians and children walking to school, and that we all do our part to ensure that Lakewood is a walkable city year-round. On that note, LakewoodAlive's new Snow Shoveling Program was featured on Channel 19 News last week. The program consists of 45 volunteers between the ages of 13 and 65, who are currently dispatched to assist 30 residents that have signed up for the program. The program prioritizes our elderly and residents with disabilities, but if you need help please do not hesitate to contact LakewoodAlive. I would like to extend my gratitude to LakewoodAlive for providing this service. 

To report problems relating to clearing snow from sidewalks, please go to http://www.onelakewood.com/report-a-problem-concern/ to use our Report A Problem form or contact the Division of Housing and Building at 216-529-7697 or housing.building@lakewoodoh.net

Jason Shachner

Jason Shachner is the Ward 2 Lakewood City Councilmember. He is currently serving as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Lake County Prosecutor's Offices' Criminal Division.  He can be reached at Jason.Shachner@lakewoodoh.net or at (216) 714-2150. If you are interested in subscribing to the View from Ward 2 Newsletter please visit https://mailchi.mp/shachnerforlakewood/newsletter.

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Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 7:31 PM, 03.03.2021