Lakewood Public Works & Sustainability Committee Meeting - October 8, 2025
Lakewood Public Works & Sustainability Committee Meeting - October 8, 2025
This summary reflects the meeting originally noticed for October 8, 2025. The actual meeting convened on October 13, 2025, per the agenda and transcript. The committee discussed two main agenda items: five submerged lands lease resolutions (2025-55 through 2025-59) and a proposed resolution (2025-48) to enhance public input on infrastructure projects, particularly the Bunts Road Rehabilitation Project. Public comments were heard, and several actions were taken.
Discussion Items
- Submerged Lands Leases: Law Director Vargo explained that five resolutions were needed for lakefront property owners to obtain submerged lands leases from ODNR for coastal erosion control measures. City Engineer Papke had reviewed and approved the submittals, finding no encroachments on city interests. Resolutions 2025-55 (1025 Nicholson Ave.) and 2025-56 (1031 Nicholson Ave.) were deferred at the property owners' request. Resolutions 2025-57 (1040 Erie Cliff Dr.), 2025-58 (1041 Forest Cliff Dr.), and 2025-59 (1039 Forest Cliff Dr.) were referred favorably to full City Council. Councilmembers briefly clarified that each project is individual; some include revetments or stairways.
- Resolution 2025-48 – Enhancing Public Input for Infrastructure Projects: Councilmember Bullock introduced the resolution, which aims to have City Council convene separate public input hearings for Active Transportation Plan projects (including Bunts Road) and reserve the right to take further action. He argued that the current process left some residents feeling unheard, especially regarding the Bunts Road shared-use path. The administration (Mayor George, Public Works Director Gordon, Engineer Papke) responded that the project is already fully designed, with approximately $1.7 million spent on engineering and $12 million in outside funding secured. They stressed that the public engagement process (started April 2024, with meetings, notices, and a comment period ending June 9, 2024) was followed, and that changing the process now would jeopardize deadlines, funding, and the city's ability to manage future Local Public Authority (LPA) projects. Councilmember Hamilton Steiner suggested focusing on improving implementation processes for all city plans, not just Bunts Road. Council President Kepple noted that the complete streets ordinance and Case Advisory Board were recently adopted and should be given a chance. After discussion, the committee deferred the resolution for further work, with Councilmember Bullock agreeing to refine it.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Amy Herberger (1448 Bunts Rd.) spoke in strong support of Resolution 2025-48, stating that the current process ignored community concerns about safety, traffic, environment, and transparency. She noted more than 1,400 residents have formally objected to the Bunts Road plan and urged Council to pass the resolution to ensure meaningful input before decisions are finalized.
- Shannon Mortland (2125 Bunts Rd.) criticized the process as flawed because Bunts residents were not involved from the start. She alleged the city misrepresented the path as a bike lane, chose a plan before the public comment period ended, and ignored resident research showing safety and property value risks (at least 15% decline per realtor estimates). She urged passage of the resolution and improved engagement.
- Matt Herbert (1448 Bunts Rd.) thanked Councilmember Bullock for the resolution. He argued that the planning process should start by consulting stakeholders (residents) first, as is done in corporate IT projects. He questioned the claim that the project cannot be stopped, suggesting legal avenues exist, and urged Council to keep alternative plans ready.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes Approved: The minutes from the June 9, 2025 Public Works & Sustainability Committee meeting were approved unanimously.
- Submerged Lands Leases: Two resolutions deferred (2025-55, 2025-56); three referred favorably to full Council (2025-57, 2025-58, 2025-59).
- Resolution 2025-48: Deferred by committee motion (with a second) for further refinement. Councilmember Bullock indicated he would work on a revised version.
- The committee did not direct any changes to the Bunts Road project itself; the administration confirmed they will continue to follow the adopted Active Transportation Plan and Complete Streets ordinance.
Meeting Transcript
In the interest of time, um that uh councilman councilwoman Hamilton signer is here, we're gonna start the um October 13th, 2025 meeting of the public works and sustainability committee. Um a few items on the agenda this evening. Uh first item I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from the June 9th, 2025 Public Works and Sustainability Committee. Do I hear a second? Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Motion passes. Um without objection, I'm gonna move um several items to the top of the docket so we can get those out of the way relatively quickly. Um there's a communication from uh law director Vargo regarding uh submerged land leases. This is something about a stabilization project going on on obviously the the lake. Um if you could just give us a quick update on that and then I'll move to the motions after that. Director Vargo. Sure, thank you, Mr. Chair, and and we have the city engineer, Mr. Papke here to answer any specific questions uh because it's the engineering group that um analyzed uh these proposed leases and um agreed to go forward with them. But for the work to be commenced and done by these um uh residents to protect the shoreline uh which is in the the property owner's best interest and of course in the best interest of the city, um they need a lease from the city that that encroachment will not impair any right of the city uh either today or in the future. That's what Mr. Papke really had to work on. Um uh in order to go forward, um the uh Ohio Department of Natural Resources requires that the local council uh approve in a resolution in a resolution the uh the lease of the land, the submerged land lease. So it's uh it's standard practice once the city engineer signs off on it. And he's here to answer any specific questions. Great. Thank you, Director Vagger. I appreciate that background. Um any questions from the committee on these leases? Um we have uh we'll go through them one by one, uh, but they're all pretty much the same. Two will be deferred and three will be um hopefully referred for favorably to a council to my colleagues have questions. Mr. Chair. It would be great to just get a briefing on on what the projects are and what the proposal is and and um why the city is um not issuing an objection. I guess what you're saying, Director Vargo, is that we don't really comment on the substance other than to say to confirm the facts that there's no encroachment, right? But beyond that, we typically have been in favor of where we're reasonable and possible of trying to help our property owners manage and prevent erosion. Is that category that we're in here? Yeah, basically they're they're on uh private property and they're um protecting their land. So you know it's a formality with ODNR that we confirm that you know the city doesn't have any objections to it, that we don't have any you know future projects in these areas or anything that would uh you know prevent them from doing their uh coastal erosion projects great, thank you. Um councilwoman Hamilton Steiner or any other council present, any questions? Okay, with that, um the first two um residents have requested deferrals. Uh they're not ready to move forward at this time, but we'll uh so we'll go through these one at a time. So for resolution 2025.55, I'll make a motion to defer. Second. All those in favor? Aye. For resolution 2025-56, I'll make a motion to defer. Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye.
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