Public Works & Sustainability Committee Meeting - January 15, 2026
Public Works & Sustainability Committee Meeting - January 15, 2026
The Public Works & Sustainability Committee of Lakewood City Council met on January 15, 2026, at 4:45 PM (UTC) to approve prior meeting minutes and to consider Resolution 2026-01, a submerged lands lease for erosion control improvements at 1040 Forest Cliff Drive. All three committee members were present: Chair Bryan Evans, Tom Bullock, and Angelina Hamilton Steiner.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the October 13, 2025 Public Works & Sustainability Committee meeting. Motion carried with aye votes from all members.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 2026-01 – Submerged Lands Lease (1040 Forest Cliff Drive): The resolution authorizes a lease of submerged lands in Lake Erie to permit the property owner (Susan H. Krebs) to construct a stone revetment and a crib pier for shoreline erosion control. City administration (Director Gordon, Mr. Papke, and Law Director Various) explained that the property contains an existing city stormwater outfall (L4 outfall) for which the city had no recorded easement. Working with ODNR, the property owner, and the law department, the city secured a permanent storm sewer easement covering both upland and submerged areas (Parcel 1 on the lease exhibit) to guarantee future access for maintenance. This is the first submerged lands lease involving a city outfall on private property. Committee members discussed the scope of the easement, the condition of the outfall (no near-term maintenance expected), and noted that the city has approximately 58 similar outfall pipes along the bluff, many without recorded easements. Councilwoman Steiner commended the administration for educating the public and committee members on the process.
Key Outcomes
- Favorable Referral: The committee voted unanimously (3 ayes) to recommend Resolution 2026-01 favorably to the full City Council. The motion was made by Chair Evans, seconded, and carried with aye votes from all present.
- The lease and easement are considered a model for addressing similar situations in the future.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, everybody. I'd like to call the January 20th, 2026 meeting of the Public Works and Sustainability Committee into order. We do have all three members of the committee present. Just two items on the agenda this evening. First approval of the minutes from the October 2020 13th, 2025. Meeting of the public works and sustainability committee. I'll make a motion to approve. Can I hear a second? All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion carries. Next item, resolution 2026-01. This proof is in regards to merged land lease. That a resident is acquiring for some work for stabilizing their uh their yard and property. I believe we're going to hear from members of the administration today. So I will turn it over to is it uh Mr. Papke, Director Gordon or or Director of Argo who wants to go first. I guess I'll go. Okay, great. Thank you. All right. Uh good evening. Uh so uh the submerged land leases for uh the Krebs property located at uh 1040 forest Cliff Drive. Um so they want to do some revetment work along the bluff of their property and also includes um a uh tower with uh uh proposed crib pier. Um this uh one that's before us was a little bit unusual because we do have an outfall um that extends um off of uh the Krebs property. Um so we did a lot of discussions uh with ODNR on this submerged land lease because you know for one we we didn't want to um stop the Krebs from doing you know any improvements to their property and and you know trying to um stop the erosion. Um but on the other hand, you know, we have to protect our interest in our outfall that's there in case you know we have to get in there and do uh any work. Um so in doing some thorough research and that we don't have any um we never had any easements for the L4 outfall or the um storm line that goes uh through the property. So we worked with um ODNR, the Krebs and our um consultant uh that does our all of our coastal engineering and um we obtained an easement um on their property both up land and uh within this uh submerged land lease area um to protect the city's interest um as well as being able to provide them um their submerged land lease so that they could um properly do their um stone reventment and and their project. So uh what you have before you is um a submerged land lease that references this recorded easement that has um you know we work with the law department as well um to craft um the permanent storm easement that references the submerged land lease as well that area that will uh provide the city um you know future access maintenance in that if uh in the future we need to do any approvements to our storm outfall. We've done these before in the past um for this very reason. This is the first time we worked with one where there was an outfall that is like the first our first go at this where we had a yeah, this is the the first one that um there's an outfall on the property that uh is there and actually uh ODNR, this was something new for them too, uh, with the private property uh being there. So, you know, we we worked all collectively together to make sure that we uh got this right. Then I'll just one more thing and I'll turn it over to unless anybody else from the administration has any comments. So everybody like from the administration side, we're all satisfied with the work done here that the they'll serve the city well, the easement and still be allowed the homeowner to the autonomy to do their work. Yes. Okay. Any other comments from the administration? Director Gordon, Director Various. No, thank you, Mr. Chair, other than uh Ms. Wallow uh work with public works and Mr. Papke on drafting the uh easement and getting clearance from ODNR. It was a process that took took some time, months. But uh from the law standpoint, very satisfied with the terms of the easement. Great. Thank you, Director. Director Gordon. Uh thank you, Mr.
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