Hudson City Council Workshop: Fire and EMS Models, Flag Design, and May 21 Agenda

The Hudson City Council held a workshop on May 14, 2024, at 7:30 PM at Town Hall, 27 East Main Street. Mayor Anzevino called the meeting to order and turned it over to Council President Foster. The workshop covered Fire and EMS operational models, the revised city flag design, park tennis and pickleball court policy, and the proposed consent agenda and legislation for the May 21 Council meeting. The meeting adjourned at 9:26 PM.

Council Comments & Correspondence

• Council President Foster declared a conflict of interest regarding proposed consent item C (TMP 7254).
• Council Member Banweg noted he had just presented a recognition certificate at a Leadership Hudson graduation ceremony.
• Council Member Sutton reported he first learned of the school student matter over the weekend from a student teacher and was "shocked" that the information never reached Council or staff. He also discussed the Preserve of Hudson conditional use, noting the applicant used "alley" rather than "street" in their plan, and stated he had requested the item be repealed to provide clarity to property owners.
• Mayor Anzevino corroborated that the student issue was not discussed at any meeting he attended; in his official capacity as mayor, he was not aware until the information recently came out.
• City Manager Sheridan announced an introductory meeting with Akron Mayor Malik scheduled for May 17.

Consent Calendar

• The May 21 consent agenda was discussed but, because this was a workshop, no vote was taken. Items reviewed included: Item D, a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into an amended Local Public Agency agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Adaptive Signal Project; and Item E, an ordinance adopting a Hudson City flag, scheduled for first reading on May 21.
• The Tax Incentive Review Council item was forwarded to City Council, and a code amendment was postponed to July 9, 2024, after Park Board review.

Discussion Items

Fire and EMS Operational Models (24-0047)

Council President Foster requested the discussion of a hybrid full-time EMS and Fire model first brought to Council in 2022. Staff presented four models, including the current paid-on-call fire/EMS model, the full-time combined model (updated from the April 2022 presentation), and a hybrid model designed to get one engine out the door in under three minutes.

• Fire staff emphasized that "almost everything we're talking about tonight has nothing to do with EMS"; the community risk level is determined by population density, and Hudson falls between suburban and rural categories.
• Response performance: the city gets 10 firefighters on scene within 13 minutes when the station is staffed, but 16 minutes when not staffed, missing the NFPA benchmark. Two turnpike vehicle fire calls have taken up to 17 minutes.
• The Fire Chief stated, "I'd rather we held ourselves to the suburban standard across the board."
• Staff explained that the centralized station is the only model the volunteer call system can support; any future satellite stations would require combined fire and EMS staffing.
• A new safety center is required before any model change. The current design (approximately $15 million, including EMS and station buildings completed or underway) is being planned to accommodate the current, hybrid, or full-time model, with housing for combination units.
• Staff described recruiting challenges: many members have 30 to 40 years of fire service experience, over 20 serve on county special-operations teams, and many work full-time at other departments. Unlike current paid-on-call firefighters, full-time staff would not be required to live in Hudson.

City Flag Redesign

• Mayor Anzevino outlined revisions to the city flag: updated parapets on the clock tower, four points representing Hudson's four wards, and the text "Hudson Ohio."
• City Manager Sheridan stated he will produce a proof of the flag for Council review before printing. Council Member Goetz asked that line weights be re-evaluated and requested proofs for small-size flags as well.
• Council decided not to approve the flag through the consent agenda and instead scheduled it for first reading on May 21, allowing opportunity for public comment. A June 21 deadline means the city cannot wait 30 days after third reading if action is needed by that date.

Park Tennis and Pickleball Courts

• A tournament group is raising money for park lighting. Council Member Sutton stated, "I 100% respect the group that wants to do this tournament," but added, "I do feel it's important that we maintain public access to the park."
• Sutton noted these courts are unique because there are no other public tennis courts available in Hudson unless membership-based. He interpreted the event policy as "one event per facility, not per group" and called Council Member Heater's comment valid.
• The Park Board approved the event. Council discussed how staff could fairly prioritize future events without being placed in a position to "pick and choose."

Boston Heights Economic Development MOU

• Council Members asked whether the city has similar MOUs with communities other than Boston Heights regarding economic development.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken at the workshop.
• The city flag ordinance was moved off the consent agenda to a first reading on May 21, with a proof to be prepared for Council review and public comment before final adoption.
• No Fire and EMS model was selected; the safety center design will remain flexible to accommodate the current paid-on-call, hybrid, or full-time model.
• Council requested clarification of the park court event policy so staff are not required to mediate event requests.