Lakewood City Council Meeting - September 2, 2025

The Lakewood City Council met on September 2, 2025 at 7:30 PM. The meeting included deferrals of major zoning and development ordinances, appointments to boards and commissions, and public comment primarily urging council to pass protections for the transgender community. The council also referred several items to committees and received updates on city finances, recreation programs, and the opioid settlement.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the Regular Meeting on July 21, 2025, and Community Conversations on July 22 and August 12, 2025.
• Received and filed Communication from President Kepple regarding recodification of ordinances (Item 4).
• Received and filed Communication from President Kepple regarding upcoming board and commission vacancies (Item 6).
• Received and filed Report from Councilmember Strebig on the August meeting of the Community Recreation and Education Commission (Item 12). The report noted that over 900 children participated in softball and baseball programs, summer camp and pool attendance increased over the prior year, and the high school track was re-striped.
• Received and filed July 2025 Finance Department Vendor Report (Item 13).
• Received and filed Communication from Human Services Director Berry regarding 2026 Community Social Service Program (CSSP) funding of $67,000 per year from Cuyahoga County (Item 16).
• Received and filed Communication from Planning Director Byington regarding acquisition of 1470 Warren Rd due diligence (Item 19).
• Filed with no objection the liquor permit notice for Aladdin’s Natural Eatery (Item 20).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Matt Brown (830 Lake Ave) presented approximately 500 in-person signatures and nearly 700 online signatures supporting protections for the transgender community. He urged the council to act quickly, citing state and federal discrimination. Council President Kepple responded that legislation is being drafted in collaboration with Councilmember Strebig and the ACLU, covering transgender protections, gender expression, and all-gender restrooms.
• McKenzie Fretto (1497 Ridgewood Ave) shared personal stories of friends leaving Ohio due to anti-trans laws and urged passage of a sanctuary city resolution.
• Robin Sikkowski (1500 Wager Ave) recounted friends dropping out of school or fleeing the state and asked council to protect the LGBTQ+ community.
• Rev. Nathan Self (St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights resident) spoke as a DSA member, expressing that protecting trans residents is a moral duty and that friends have moved away due to lack of medical care.
• Michael Gill (1372 Edwards Ave) expressed personal and professional connections to the queer/trans community and thanked council for their ongoing work.
• Christina Gil MacCallum (1629 St. Charles) noted Lakewood’s history as a gay-friendly community and urged making it a sanctuary city.
• Billy Franimo (Clarence Ave), owner of The House Hotels, offered his experience with short-term rental (STR) regulation. He advised against a ban and offered to share industry insights. Councilmembers Bullock and Evans confirmed they are early in the STR legislation process and will meet with stakeholders.
• Jeff Dutzek (address not given) raised concerns about bicycle and scooter safety on Bunts Road, citing four August accidents involving minors. He asked council to address safety before completing the Bunts Road path. Council President Kepple noted that scooter legislation is in development, and Director Byington confirmed a draft bicycle ordinance is being internally reviewed.

Discussion Items

• Short-Term Rentals (Ordinance 23-2025) – Deferred on first reading. Councilmember Bullock noted he and Councilmember Evans are working with property owners and administration; the draft is a placeholder and further dialogue is planned. Deferred.
• Property Transfer & Redevelopment (Ordinance 24-2025 and 25-2025) – Both deferred on second reading. Vice President Baker abstained due to his employment with a property-tax-funded organization. These were in committee of the whole and will proceed to third reading.
• Recodification of Ordinances (Ordinance 26-2025) – Deferred on first reading. This ordinance authorizes American Legal Publishing to incorporate recently passed ordinances into the codified code.
• Board and Commission Appointments:
  • Resolution 2025-39 (Anti-Racism Task Force) was adopted, appointing Chitra Walker, Dawn Ellis, Jason Frederick, and Marissa Ostromek until the Racial Equity Plan is published.
  • Resolution 2025-40 (Planning Commission), 2025-41 (Tree Advisory & Education Board), and 2025-42 (Complete and Active Streets Education & Advisory Board) were referred to Committee of the Whole for candidate review.
  • Resolution 2025-43 (Council liaison to Community Recreation & Education Commission) was adopted, reappointing Councilmember Cindy Strebig for a one-year term beginning January 1, 2026.
• Audit Committee Repeal (Ordinance 27-2025) – Referred to Finance Committee. Finance Director Mahoney proposed dissolving the separate Audit Committee and having the Finance Committee review the annual audit instead, as the current committee’s terms expire at year-end.
• Opioid Litigation Settlement (Resolution 2025-44) – Referred to Committee of the Whole after discussion. Law Director Vargo explained the settlement is similar to previous ones; the city releases claims in exchange for funds to abate the opioid crisis. Councilmembers requested a briefing on past fund usage and outcomes.
• 1470 Warren Rd Acquisition – Communication received; council is moving forward with an independent estimator, consultant PMC, and Weber Murphy Fox. A Committee of the Whole meeting is anticipated after due diligence is complete.
• Liquor Permit for Humble Origins LLC (Item 21) – Deferred to a future meeting as the council did not have the necessary report.

Key Outcomes

• Deferred ordinances: 23-2025, 24-2025, 25-2025, 26-2025, and liquor permit for Humble Origins.
• Adopted resolutions: 2025-39 (Anti-Racism Task Force appointments) and 2025-43 (Strebig as CREC liaison).
• Referred to committees: Resolutions 2025-40, 2025-41, 2025-42; Ordinance 27-2025; and opioid settlement items (communication and Resolution 2025-44) to Committee of the Whole; Ordinance 27-2025 to Finance Committee.
• Excused absence: Councilmember Cindy Marx was absent; motion to excuse passed unanimously.
• Public comment record: All written and oral comments will be included in the official record.
• Next steps: Council President Kepple expects to introduce transgender protection legislation at the next meeting; scooter and bicycle ordinances are in draft; STR legislation will proceed through committee with stakeholder input.