The Lakewood City Council held its regular meeting on November 17, 2025, at 7:30 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included committee reports, adoption of several resolutions, referral of numerous budget and policy items to committees, and public comment on handball courts and bicycle infrastructure. The meeting was preceded by a moment of silence in recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
All right, we will call to order um the regular meeting of council. If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Before we take our customary moment of silence tonight, I'm going to um turn it over to Councilmember Street. Thank you. Um November 19th is trans awareness week. And on um 1120, it's trans remembrance day. And I just wanted to do a quick reading for you. This reading is from the Trans Remembrance Project. Twenty-six years ago, trans activists in Boston organized the first trans day of remembrance to mourn those that we've lost and to demand an end to the violence against transgender people, particularly trans women of color. When Rita Hester and Chanel Pickett were both lost to violent anti-trans attacks within a few years of each other, trans people came together to remember to mourn and to demand better for those who would come after them. As we remember those loss of violence, we also grieve their stolen futures. As trans people living openly as ourselves often require immense courage, and that courage inspires others to live more fully and authentically. As one relative of Kelsey Elm, a 25-year-old black trans woman from Missouri who was lost this year, said watching Kelsey grow into her confidence and share it with the world was a blessing. When we lose trans people, everyone loses so much. During this time period, we had a total death of 58 people. Total violent deaths were 27. Total deaths by suicide 21. Gun violence appears over and over in our data. Out of 27 total violent deaths, 17 were due to gun violence. 61% of those lost to suicide were trans children ages 15 to 24. The Trevor Project's latest study released in October 2025 shows that younger trans and gender nonconforming youth age 13 to 17 are at particular particular risk of suicidal ideology. I'm sorry, ideation and poor mental health outcomes. Discrimination and harassment, often targeted at trans women and girls, strongly affects mental health. Trans people who were verbally harassed, denied equal treatment, or physically assaulted were very much more likely to experience suicidal thoughts. On our list, 61% of those lost to suicide were between the ages of 15 and 24. As Daniel De Honisano, Camorra mother, uh Comoral Woods mother said, love your child, accept your child for who they are, because life is too shortened. You just don't know what can happen. Thank you. Thank you. So as we take this moment of silence, uh just want to lift up our trans day of remembrance. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Vice President Baker. Here. Councilmember Bloch. Here. Councilmember Evans. President Kevin. Here. Councilmember Marks. Councilmember Hamilton Steiner. Here. Councilmember Streebig. Here. Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held November 3rd, 2025. Move to approve without the necessity of a reading. Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Discussion. Hearing none. All those in favor?