Hudson City Council Workshop Summary: Sidewalks, Five-Year Plan, Short-Term Rentals - October 27, 2026

City Council held a workshop on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 27 East Main Street. The agenda covered Hudson’s Restaurant sidewalk and outdoor-seating improvements, a use study for the Stokes/Steidl property, updates to temporary special events and mobile food vehicle codes, the preliminary 2027-2031 Five-Year Plan, the proposed Nov. 10 consent agenda, and legislation scheduled for Nov. 10, including short-term rental regulation. No legislative votes were taken; the meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.

Council Comments and Announcements

• Council President Bird announced merchant trick-or-treat on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5-7 p.m. in downtown Hudson, with a Hudson High School 'Thriller' flash-mob performance around 6 p.m. on First & Main Green; citywide trick-or-treat is Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6-8 p.m.
• Council will be on recess the week of Nov. 3 due to the election, followed by two consecutive weeks with combined regular meetings and workshops.
• Public Works leaf pickup has begun; the city processes about 18,000 cubic yards of leaves annually.
• Mayor Anzevino noted early voting is underway at the Summit County Board of Elections and lines have been long, urging voters to plan ahead.

Consent Calendar (Proposed for Nov. 10, 2026)

• Resolution authorizing a contract with GAI Consultants Inc. for the redesign of the Barlow Road sidewalk project. Staff said the design would create a new five-foot sidewalk connecting to the existing hike-and-bike trail; resident input is expected in six to eight months. Council noted the earlier construction estimate was about $2.6 million.
• Ordinance accepting $27,000 from the Pipers Key Foundation for a children’s memorial garden at Oak Grove Park.
• Resolution authorizing a change order with Dunlop & Johnston for excess soils at the Public Works Facility and a reimbursement agreement with XL Specialty Insurance. Council noted the actual amount is about $1.718 million, higher than the figure in the draft legislation, and reimbursement is still being negotiated; the wording should be corrected.
• Resolution amending the NorthStar Towers II option and lease agreement to increase five-year extended terms from five to nine, allowing a potential total term of 50 years for the communications tower site. Staff said financial terms are unchanged and the longer term could help fill a coverage dead zone.

Discussion Items

Hudson’s Restaurant Sidewalk Improvements (26-0090)

• Representatives of Hudson’s Restaurant, 80 N. Main St., said they have operated there for 20 years and recently purchased the building. Their proposal includes renovating the front facade, moving the entry, and expanding outdoor seating with accordion doors to create more indoor-outdoor seating and downtown vibrancy.
• The concept would move the 7-foot pedestrian walk zone, enlarge the sidewalk/patio area, and restripe or remove several on-street parking stalls. Staff noted that North Main Street generally requires a 7-foot travel zone and that further engineering design is needed for the brick accent, street trees, lights, bike racks, and regulatory signs in the area.
• Council members generally liked the vibrancy goal, but raised concerns about precedent if other Main Street businesses request similar changes, parking loss, handicap access, and possible Park Lane parking. Staff said the downtown district has enough overall parking capacity; council requested a legal opinion on precedent and more parking/engineering data.
• Councilor D’Eramo said she dislikes angled parking and supported the concept; Councilor Weinstein requested data on the significance of losing spaces; Councilor Brezovec suggested treating the bump-out as an expansion around the crosswalk; Mayor Anzevino noted that removing the mid-block crosswalk could recover about three spaces and should be a separate future discussion.

Stokes/Steidl Property Use Study (26-0091)

• The city recently acquired the 34.37-acre Stokes/Steidl parcel south of Veterans Parkway. Staff presented options including open space, a park, outdoor pool, recreation center, or other public use, and recommended holding the property as open space for now because dedicating it as parkland would require a public vote to undo.
• Councilor Goetz said some Ward 1 residents prefer that the area remain green space. Staff noted the preliminary 2027 budget includes funding for a recreation center study, similar to the Clinton Crossing process, and this parcel could be an option for residents to evaluate. No action was taken.

Temporary Special Events Code Update (TMP-8946)

• The proposed Chapter 872 amendments are mostly administrative; the main change adds a risk-based assessment of events to align with Ohio Administrative Code and Ohio Fire Code requirements.
• Councilor Goetz asked whether new insurance requirements would restrict private-property activities such as backyard bounce houses; staff will provide clarification before council consideration.

Mobile Food Vehicle Code Update (TMP-8947)

• The proposed Chapter 874 amendments are mostly administrative; the principal change would prohibit mobile food vehicle operations in commercial districts unless approved by the city manager.
• Council questioned whether a food truck at a private birthday party would require city manager approval; staff said a request could be added to the application process, similar to the online block-party application. Approximately 39 mobile food vendors were regulated this year.

Preliminary 2027-2031 Five-Year Plan (26-0092)

• Staff presented assumptions, personnel costs, operating costs, and financial indicators. The plan assumes the 2% income tax rate continues; income tax collections through September 2026 are up 3.3%, but the plan conservatively assumes 2.1% annual growth from 2027 through 2031, partly because of the loss of Joann and incomplete backfill of that employer. Property taxes are projected to increase 2% in 2027.
• Personnel assumptions include a 4% COLA in 2027, a 10% health insurance increase under negotiation, and 4% blended personnel cost growth from 2028 through 2031. Operating costs assume 1% growth in 2028-2031. The plan adds three full-time positions: one police dispatcher, one engineering inspector, and one golf food-and-beverage manager.
• Financial indicators: debt service ratio is below the 10% cautionary range of 12-15%; the general fund ending-balance ratio is projected below the 40% target in 2029-2031, with a 30% floor; the actual Dec. 31, 2025 general fund balance was $18.5 million, or 42.71% of disbursements, higher than projected; compensated absences liability was about $5.8 million.
• Councilor Brezovec said the connectivity funding decrease was not fully offset by street/stormwater increases; staff explained that roughly $8 million in prior connectivity work was debt-funded and the Public Works building added debt service. If the road program were cut in half for two years, the pavement condition index would fall from 76 in 2026 to about 72.4 in 2028, still in the 'good' category. Staff will provide a follow-up memo with details.
• Staff flagged funds with declining balances: cemetery, HCTV, fire, and EMS. HCTV franchise fees are declining and the general fund subsidizes HCTV; fire and EMS have negative run rates and longer-term capital needs, including an EMS ambulance purchase in 2031. A dedicated council discussion or retreat on public safety staffing and funding was suggested.
• Operating costs increase across most departments; notable increases include electric power costs and golf clubhouse activity, while fire clothing and gear costs decrease because recently hired staff were already outfitted.

Proposed Legislation for Nov. 10, 2026

Short-Term Rental Ordinance (26-78)

• The ordinance, postponed to Nov. 10, would amend Chapter 876. The baseline amendment adjusts fees and removes the first-time application fee exemption. Councilor Goetz’s separate amendment proposed maintaining the existing fee, requiring short-term rental owners to be Hudson residents, and capping short-term rentals by ward, with six in Ward 1 and three in other wards. A map showed roughly 15 short-term rentals in Ward 1 and four in other wards.
• Councilor Goetz said residents were upset about fee increases and want fewer short-term rentals in Ward 1; she was open to letting attrition reduce the number rather than forcing current owners out. Councilor Sutton said he could not support the initial proposal because it added fee and bed-tax changes residents did not request; he favored caps based on zoning districts rather than wards. Councilor D’Eramo suggested focusing on the downtown/village area, using a simple per-zone cap, and protecting current operators’ livelihoods. Councilor Weinstein questioned the resident-ownership requirement and noted that of about 160 surveyed neighbors, roughly 40 responded and only eight had contacted the city or owner.
• Mayor Anzevino recommended six per zone, no fee changes, grandfathering existing operators, allowing attrition to reduce totals, and adding a distance or separation requirement for new applications. Staff was asked to prepare a revised zoning-based framework, check pending Senate Bill 104 at the state level, and obtain solicitor input on whether a cap could be considered a ban.

No Right Turn on Red During School Hours (26-134)

• The ordinance would allow no-right-turn-on-red signs at the westbound intersection of E. Streetsboro Street/SR 303 and N. Hayden Parkway during school hours. It is scheduled for a second reading on Nov. 10.
• A legal advisor said the westbound and school-hours restrictions appeared only in the summary and preamble and must be inserted into Section 1 to be enforceable; staff said the draft would be updated. Council discussed whether to keep it on the regular agenda or return it to the consent agenda; no final decision was announced.

Other Legislative Items

• 26-138: Resolution adopting in concept the 2027-2031 Five-Year Plan; scheduled for second reading.
• 26-139: Ordinance making 2027 appropriations; scheduled for second reading.
• 26-140: Ordinance prohibiting motor-vehicle shortcutting across public property and public school property; scheduled for second reading.
• TMP-8946 and TMP-8947: Temporary special events and mobile food vehicle amendments; scheduled for first readings.
• TMP-8950: Resolution approving City Manager’s appointment of Dr. James Boex to the Summit County Public Health Board of Health for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
• TMP-8963: Proposed amendment to Section 220.03(g) to broaden public comment to city residents, landowners, and authorized representatives of businesses with a physical location in the city. Councilor Weinstein supported the change; Councilor Sutton opposed it as potentially narrowing the current 'public' comment rules and suggested instead codifying that comments must be pertinent to city business. The mayor said he has used discretion to allow non-resident stakeholders and would continue to do so; the solicitor was asked to review whether legislative change is needed.

Key Outcomes

• Staff will conduct further study on the Hudson’s Restaurant proposal, including parking, engineering constraints, and legal precedent; the mid-block crosswalk discussion will be scheduled separately.
• The Stokes/Steidl property will remain open space for now; no parkland dedication was made.
• Staff will answer questions on Chapter 872 private-property insurance requirements before council action.
• Five-Year Plan comments will be incorporated into the final draft; follow-up memos are expected on PCI/connectivity, and future discussions are planned for HCTV, fire, and EMS funding.
• The short-term rental ordinance will be revised around zoning-based caps, grandfathering/attrition, no fee increase, distance requirements, and legal review of pending state legislation; no ordinance was passed.
• Ordinance 26-134 will be corrected so the enforceable provisions are in Section 1.
• No legislative votes were taken; the workshop adjourned at 10:10 p.m.