OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting – February 18, 2026

Council Meetings — Wednesday, February 18, 2026
BodyLakewood, Ohio
SessionCouncil Meetings
DateWednesday, February 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:38:27

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

All right.

0:02

We will call the meeting of council to order.

0:04

If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:23

Now pause for a moment of silence.

0:34

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

0:36

Vice President Baker.

0:37

Here.

0:38

Councilmember Bixenstein.

0:40

Councilmember Bullock.

0:41

Here.

0:41

Councilmember Evans.

0:42

Here.

0:43

President Keppel.

0:44

Here.

0:44

Councilmember Hamilton Steiner.

0:46

Councilmember Strivig here.

0:48

Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held February 2nd, 2026.

0:53

Move to approve without the necessity of a reading.

0:55

Second.

0:55

Motion has been made and seconded.

0:57

Any discussion?

0:58

Hearing none.

0:59

All those in favor?

1:00

Aye.

1:01

And that motion passes.

1:03

Without objection, I'll like to move items 15 and 16 to the top.

1:08

Item 15.

1:10

Communication from Councilmember Bullock and Council Colleagues regarding recognizing the contributions of city crossing guards.

1:16

Councilmember Bullock.

1:19

Thanks, Madam President.

1:28

First, I'd like to say if you're crossing guard, please raise your hand.

1:33

Look at that full house tonight.

1:35

Welcome everyone.

1:41

And family as well.

1:45

Dear colleagues, please consider the attached resolution to recognize the important contributions of Lakewood Crossing Guards to our community.

1:52

As we know, the goals of the City of Lakewood include both active transportation and active healthy lifestyles, which make safe walking and cycling conditions a high priority priority for our community.

2:02

In addition, our identity is a streetcar town, long ranked as Ohio's most walkable cities, city, and Lakewood City School status as a walking school district mean that Lakewood crossing guards are essential personnel.

2:17

The benefits of crossing guard service help not only Lakewood school children but also adult pedestrians as well as motorists who are aided by accident prevention, that the increased visibility of pedestrians and cyclists for pedestrians and cyclists at a crossing guard provides.

2:33

The presence of crossing guards significantly improves safety, including for vehicle pedestrian collisions and dangerous near misses.

2:40

Combined with safe routes to schools and intersection improvements, crossing guards are key components of interventions that can reduce child pedestrian injuries by 20 to 50 percent, according to Federal Statistics.

2:52

In addition, Lakewood is served by this dedicated group of individuals who perform crossing guard duties on every school day in our community, regardless of weather conditions, and boy have we noticed that recently.

3:03

They do so for modest pay and are required to work a unique split schedule, and that requires dedication, and that dedication helps others be safe.

3:14

Just as importantly, Lakewood crossing guards perform their duties with kindness, courtesy, and friendliness that brings smiles and neighborliness to our mornings and afternoons and thereby enrich our community.

3:25

For all these readings, I hope you will support these important public servants by considering this resolution for adoption tonight.

3:32

Uh sincerely.

3:39

Second.

3:40

Motion's been made and seconded.

3:42

Further discussion.

3:45

Vice President Baker.

3:46

Yes, uh, thank you, Councilman Bullock, for bringing this um forward.

3:51

Uh and thank you to all the crossing guards out there.

3:54

I know on my walk to Hayes, uh, I encounter no less than three crossing guards every day, and I'm thankful for their presence in our community.

4:02

Um, I have to cross with my kids uh the marginals of I90, which can become a challenge.

4:09

Um other families have their own, you know, routes that have trouble intersections and the amount of times that the crossing guards have pointed out, hey, that light's not working, or hey, the the uh walk sign is out so that we can quickly then you know let public works know and get it fixed.

4:25

Uh so not only are they providing you know safe visibility for our students um and everyone that's walking in the morning and then after school, not just students, uh, but they're also kind of doing walk audits every day for the city to make sure some of our infrastructure is working uh and that it's all working well.

4:42

So I certainly owe just personally as a parent um and also as a student at Lakewood when I was a kid, a debt of gratitude to a few dedicated folks out there.

4:51

Um it's an odd schedule, so we appreciate that you're willing to do it.

4:55

Um this is long overdue, so thank you for coming and thank you for your service to Lakewood.

5:01

Thank you.

5:01

Uh Councilwoman Hamilton Steiner.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Energy Infrastructure█████████████████████████25%
Procedural██████████████████████22%
Transportation Safety██████████████14%
Immigration Policy███████7%
Budget Equity Analysis█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Tree Preservation████4%
Environmental Protection████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting – February 18, 2026

Note: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting was held on February 17, 2026, but the provided timestamp specifies February 18, 2026. This summary uses the timestamp date.

The Lakewood City Council met on February 18, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The meeting included a special recognition of crossing guards, adoption of the 2026 budget and related ordinances, a resolution opposing state immigration enforcement legislation, introduction of six charter amendments, approval of NOPEC grants, and a resolution supporting community energy programs. All votes were unanimous unless noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Reading and disposal of the minutes of the February 2, 2026 regular meeting – approved.
  • Reports from Committee of the Whole (February 9, 2026) and Finance Committee (February 9, 2026) – received and filed.
  • Reports from Public Works & Sustainability Committee and Housing, Planning & Development Committee (both February 17, 2026) – received and filed.
  • Communications regarding tree board appointment, NOPEC grants, and historic district grants – received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tim Collingwood (1528 Elmwood) spoke in favor of the resolution opposing ICE legislation, asking about policy implications and expressing support for the resolution.
  • Tom Smith (1528 Elmwood) spoke in favor of the community energy resolution, noting that only 175 solar installations have been added in Lakewood over 15 years and that community solar would enable more residents, especially renters, to benefit from lower electricity costs.
  • Glenn Campbell (15305 Lanning Avenue) spoke in support of the community energy resolution, sharing his personal experience with solar savings and urging passage.
  • Roger Sykes (Solar United Neighbors Action) spoke in support of the community energy resolution, explaining that House Bill 303 would enable 1,500 megawatts of community solar, power 300,000 homes, and save subscribers 5–20% on electric bills.

Discussion Items

  • Crossing Guard Recognition (Items 15-16): Councilmember Bullock introduced a resolution recognizing the contributions of the city’s crossing guards. Multiple council members and Mayor George expressed gratitude. Sergeant Dave Aklin (Special Operations Division) thanked the crossing guards and noted the resolution was initiated after a conversation with Councilmember Bullock in August 2025. The communication was received and filed, and Resolution 2026-05 was adopted unanimously.
  • City Hall Facilities (Item 1): The Committee of the Whole report (February 9, 2026) summarized options for renovating City Hall: Option 2 (remain at City Hall with large addition) and Option 3 (relocate administrative offices to Warren Road). Assistant Planning Director Baas presented a high-level analysis without cost. Council postponed a vote on bond legislation to March 2, 2026, to allow further study.
  • Budget and Contracting Ordinances (Items 3-8): The council adopted the 2026 budget (Substitute Ordinance 33-2025A) with $270,122,444 in total appropriations. The ordinance includes $50,000 for LakewoodAlive, $100,000 for block clubs, $60,000 for traffic calming, $150,000 for safe routes to schools, and $160,000 for public art. Mayor George questioned the $50,000 for LakewoodAlive; Councilmember Bullock explained it was based on council retreat discussions and the organization’s need for operational support. The council also adopted ordinances authorizing professional services contracts (34-2025A), service contracts for Planning & Development (36-2025A, amended to correct authorized officials), fund transfers (04-2026), equipment leases up to $2,375,000 (05-2026), and salary ordinance (37-2025A).
  • Front Yard Plantings Ordinance (Item 11): Ordinance 02-2026 to amend weed regulations and allow managed natural landscapes was deferred at the administration’s request for cleanup. The Housing, Planning & Development Committee expects to report it favorably next meeting.
  • Host Community Cannabis Fund (Item 12): Ordinance 15-2026 to establish a fund for cannabis tax revenues was deferred to the Finance Committee.
  • Immigration Enforcement Resolution (Items 13-14): President Kepple presented a communication and resolution opposing Ohio House Bills 26, 42, 281, and Senate Bill 172, which would empower ICE and penalize non-cooperating local entities. She noted two additional bills have since been introduced. Councilmembers Strеbig, Hamilton Steiner, and Baker spoke in support, citing constitutional violations, home rule, and community safety. The communication was received and filed, and Resolution 2026-04 was adopted unanimously.
  • Charter Amendments (Items 17-23): President Kepple introduced six proposed charter amendments from the Charter Review Commission: (1) codify council vacancy appointment process, (2) allow redlining of legislation, (3) establish ward redistricting process, (4) increase frequency of Civil Service Commission salary reviews, (5) clarify charter amendment process, and (6) adopt ranked choice voting. Council referred the communication and six ordinances (16-2026 through 21-2026) to the Committee of the Whole.
  • Tree Advisory & Education Board Appointment (Items 24-25): The council received a communication about filling the vacancy left by Councilmember Bixenstine. Resolution 2026-03 was referred to the Public Works & Sustainability Committee.
  • Community Energy Resolution (Items 26-27): Councilmember Bullock and Mayor George introduced a resolution urging the state to create a community energy pilot program (House Bill 303). After public comment, council adopted Resolution 2026-06, amended to replace “high housing costs” with “high energy costs.” Mayor George’s name was removed from the sponsor list, as the resolution can only be sponsored by council members.
  • NOPEC Grants (Items 28-29): Planning Director Byington reported that Lakewood received $159,719 for the NEC Grant Program and $3,500 for a community event sponsorship. Resolution 2026-07 authorizing acceptance was adopted unanimously. Councilmember Bullock suggested discussing future use of NOPEC funds in the 2027 budget process.
  • Historic District Grants (Items 30-31): Two communications from City Planner Cramer announced grants for a Madison Avenue Historic District nomination: a $12,000 Pipeline Grant and an $18,000 Certified Local Government Grant. The total project cost is $70,000, with the city’s share $40,000. Both communications were received and filed.

Key Outcomes

  • Adopted Resolutions: 2026-05 (crossing guard recognition), 2026-04 (opposing ICE legislation), 2026-06 (supporting community energy, as amended), 2026-07 (accepting NOPEC grants).
  • Adopted Ordinances: 33-2025A (2026 budget), 34-2025A (professional services contracts), 36-2025A (Planning & Development service contracts, as amended), 04-2026 (fund transfers), 05-2026 (equipment leases up to $2,375,000), 37-2025A (salaries and compensation).
  • Deferred Items: Ordinance 02-2026 (front yard plantings) deferred to next committee meeting; Ordinance 15-2026 (cannabis fund) deferred to Finance Committee; bond legislation for City Hall facilities deferred to March 2, 2026.
  • Referred Items: Charter amendment ordinances (16-2026 through 21-2026) and tree board appointment resolution (2026-03) referred to committees.
  • Next Steps: The Committee of the Whole will discuss charter amendments and City Hall facilities. The Public Works & Sustainability Committee will interview tree board candidates.

Meeting Transcript

All right. We will call the meeting of council to order. If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Now pause for a moment of silence. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Vice President Baker. Here. Councilmember Bixenstein. Councilmember Bullock. Here. Councilmember Evans. Here. President Keppel. Here. Councilmember Hamilton Steiner. Councilmember Strivig here. Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held February 2nd, 2026. Move to approve without the necessity of a reading. Second. Motion has been made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes. Without objection, I'll like to move items 15 and 16 to the top. Item 15. Communication from Councilmember Bullock and Council Colleagues regarding recognizing the contributions of city crossing guards. Councilmember Bullock. Thanks, Madam President. First, I'd like to say if you're crossing guard, please raise your hand. Look at that full house tonight. Welcome everyone. And family as well. Dear colleagues, please consider the attached resolution to recognize the important contributions of Lakewood Crossing Guards to our community. As we know, the goals of the City of Lakewood include both active transportation and active healthy lifestyles, which make safe walking and cycling conditions a high priority priority for our community. In addition, our identity is a streetcar town, long ranked as Ohio's most walkable cities, city, and Lakewood City School status as a walking school district mean that Lakewood crossing guards are essential personnel. The benefits of crossing guard service help not only Lakewood school children but also adult pedestrians as well as motorists who are aided by accident prevention, that the increased visibility of pedestrians and cyclists for pedestrians and cyclists at a crossing guard provides. The presence of crossing guards significantly improves safety, including for vehicle pedestrian collisions and dangerous near misses. Combined with safe routes to schools and intersection improvements, crossing guards are key components of interventions that can reduce child pedestrian injuries by 20 to 50 percent, according to Federal Statistics. In addition, Lakewood is served by this dedicated group of individuals who perform crossing guard duties on every school day in our community, regardless of weather conditions, and boy have we noticed that recently. They do so for modest pay and are required to work a unique split schedule, and that requires dedication, and that dedication helps others be safe. Just as importantly, Lakewood crossing guards perform their duties with kindness, courtesy, and friendliness that brings smiles and neighborliness to our mornings and afternoons and thereby enrich our community. For all these readings, I hope you will support these important public servants by considering this resolution for adoption tonight. Uh sincerely. Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Further discussion. Vice President Baker. Yes, uh, thank you, Councilman Bullock, for bringing this um forward.

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