Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting - March 17, 2026
Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting - March 17, 2026
The Lakewood City Council held a regular meeting on March 17, 2026 (the meeting convened on the evening of March 16, 2026 and extended into the early hours of March 17). The Council addressed a broad agenda, including passage of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) ordinance for community cats, a front yard planting ordinance, resolutions supporting a school levy and honoring local institutions, and deferral of multiple proposed charter amendments.
Public Comments & Testimony
- School Levy (Issue 2): Several residents spoke during the discussion of Resolution 2026-16. Beth Blackmire opposed the 6.9-mill levy, arguing that Lakewood's property taxes are already among the highest in Cuyahoga County and that an additional $36/month (on an average $300,000 home) would further reduce affordability, particularly for seniors. Mitch Zacom, a landlord, also opposed, stating that high taxes drive tenants away and criticized the framing of opposition as not supporting schools, suggesting an income tax levy instead. Martha Warner supported the levy, emphasizing that public schools require shared community investment and noting that levy funds do not increase with property assessments.
- TNR Ordinance (Ordinance 03-2026): Nancy Binder, Chair of the Lakewood Animal Safety & Welfare Advisory Board (LASWAB), and Megan Galeda, a volunteer with the Citizens Committee for Lakewood's Animals and Shelter (CLAWS), spoke in strong support of the ordinance, thanking Council and the administration for two years of collaborative work.
- Transgender Day of Visibility (Resolution 2026-17): Four residents spoke in favor: Eugene Miller, Cuyahoga County Council President Dale Miller, 17-year-old transgender Lakewood student Sean Miller, and Ben Van Learn. They underscored the importance of affirming transgender residents and standing against rising anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
- General Public Comment: Anson Hall urged stronger city-school collaboration on traffic safety around schools, especially with the Lincoln School repurposing. Chris Bindle supported Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) but asked for careful consideration of financial impacts and state law changes. Kelly McCarthy, representing Clean Fuels Ohio, presented the City with an "Empower Workplace Charging Project" certificate for leadership in installing public electric vehicle charging stations.
Discussion Items
- Shore Restaurant 40th Anniversary (Resolution 2026-15): Councilmember Bixenstine introduced a communication and resolution celebrating the family-owned Shore Restaurant, which opened on March 25, 1986. Council members praised its role as social infrastructure and its historic facade restoration after a 2014 collapse. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
- School Levy Endorsement (Resolution 2026-16): Vice President Baker sponsored a resolution endorsing Issue 2, a 6.9-mill levy on the May 5, 2026 primary ballot proposed by Lakewood City Schools. Baker noted the levy would cost the average homeowner about $36/month. Multiple Council members spoke in favor, drawing on personal experiences as graduates or parents. Council President Kepple abstained because her business works with the Lakewood Recreation Department (which is part of the schools' programming). The resolution passed 7-0-1.
- Transgender Day of Visibility (Resolution 2026-17): Councilmember Strebig presented the resolution declaring March 31, 2026 as Transgender Day of Visibility. Council members highlighted that 616 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2025 and affirmed the value of transgender residents. The resolution passed unanimously.
- College Club West 100th Anniversary (Resolution 2026-18): President Kepple presented the resolution recognizing College Club West's century of service, including its scholarship program awarding over $10,000 annually to local women. The resolution passed unanimously.
- Trap-Neuter-Return Ordinance (Ordinance 03-2026): Councilmember Hamilton Steiner reported from the Public Safety Committee. The Committee had amended Section 9(b)(4) to clarify that a cat could be held over 24 hours for TNR with proper care. A further technical amendment (correcting a code citation to 955.16) was adopted on the floor. Council then adopted the ordinance as amended, updating Chapter 505 (Animals and Fowl) to formalize TNR procedures, define community cat caregivers, and provide legal protections for them.
- Front Yard Planting Ordinance (Ordinance 02-2026): Councilmember Evans reported from the Housing, Planning & Development Committee. The committee's substitute version included updated diagrams for clarity. Council substituted and then adopted the ordinance, which requires that plantings within two feet of the property line be managed to preserve sight lines for public safety.
- Tree Advisory & Education Board Appointment (Resolution 2026-03): Councilmember Bullock reported from the Public Works & Sustainability Committee, which recommended Marco Oriella to fill a vacancy. The resolution was adopted.
- Committee of the Whole Report: President Keppel reported on a pre-meeting discussion covering a public art master plan update and the proposed charter amendments. Following the report, Council moved to defer Ordinances 16-2026 through 21-2026 (which would put six charter amendments on the November 2026 ballot concerning: Civil Service Commission salary review frequency, vacancy appointment process, legislative amendment formatting, ward redistricting, charter amendment clarification, and Ranked Choice Voting). These items remain in committee for further discussion.
- Community Recreation & Education Commission (CREC) Report: Councilmember Strebig shared updates from the February CREC meeting, including record basketball participation, planned fitness equipment upgrades, and the upcoming Purple and Gold Classic (April 18, 2026) requesting hygiene product donations.
- Building Safety Month (Resolution 2026-19): Building Commissioner Christopher Parmelee presented the "Built to Last" campaign for May 2026. Council adopted the resolution declaring May as Building Safety Month.
Key Outcomes
- Adopted 4 resolutions: (1) Shore Restaurant 40th anniversary recognition; (2) Endorsement of Lakewood City Schools Issue 2 levy (7-0-1, with President Kepple abstaining); (3) Transgender Day of Visibility declaration; (4) College Club West 100th anniversary recognition.
- Adopted Ordinance 03-2026 (TNR for community cats) as amended, updating animal control provisions.
- Adopted Ordinance 02-2026 (Front yard plantings) as substituted, establishing setbacks and public safety requirements.
- Adopted Resolution 2026-03 appointing Marco Oriella to the Tree Advisory & Education Board.
- Deferred six charter amendment ordinances (16-2026 through 21-2026) for further committee discussion.
- Adopted Resolution 2026-19 declaring May 2026 as Building Safety Month.
- Received and filed all committee reports and the February 2026 vendor report.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Thanks for your patience, everyone. We'll call full council to order. If you are 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. Here. Councilmember Streebig. Here. Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held March 2nd, 2026. Move to approve without the necessity of a reading. Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? Aye. And that motion passes. Without objection, we have I would like to move items 14 through 18 to the top. We have a series of resolutions. We'll probably do a photo with each one, but look, we'll get through all four of them and then we'll come down for pictures. But hearing no objection, item 14. Item 14 communication from Councilmember Bixenstein regarding 40th anniversary of the Shore Restaurant. Councilmember Bixenstein. Thank you, President Keppel. Dear colleagues, much has changed in our city over the last 40 years, but one establishment located at Detroit and Hopkins Avenues near the eastern edge of our city remains a beloved diner style eatery in landmark four decades later. Lakewood residents Angelo and Tina Scantzos first opened shore restaurant for business on March 25th, 1986. Since then, this Lakewood institution has become renowned for its delicious food and kind hospitality. To this day, as Angelo and Tina continue to operate their eatery with help from their son Steve and Mike, Shore Restaurant serves as an outstanding and unpretentious spot for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a coffee meeting. My personal favorite dish is the corned beef omelet. Perhaps no situation better exemplifies Angelo and Tina's commitment to their business and their community than a setback they endured in 2014. A sudden collapse of ornate facade from the front of their historic building left a pile of rubble on the sidewalk below. As Tina told 19 Action News at the time, we are so happy that nobody was hurt. We have insurance. Angelo and Tina committed to rebuilding in the spirit of the structure's historic architecture and spent the better part of two years doing just that. Terracotta tiles in all. Today, the building that houses Shore Restaurant continues to reflect the same historic splendor passers by have enjoyed for more than a century. Thank you, Angelo and Tina, for your longtime commitment to the Lakewood community, and congratulations on 40 years of Shore Restaurant. We are grateful to have you, your family, and your business in this community. Can't wait to stop in for breakfast again soon.
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