OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting - April 17, 2026

Council Meetings — Friday, April 17, 2026
BodyLakewood, Ohio
SessionCouncil Meetings
DateFriday, April 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:53:52

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right, we will call to order the meeting of council.

0:03

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

0:22

Now pause for a moment of silence.

0:33

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

0:35

Councilmember Bixenstein.

0:37

Here.

0:38

Councilmember Bullock.

0:39

Councilmember Evans.

0:41

Here.

0:41

President Keppel.

0:42

Here.

0:43

Councilmember Hamilton Steiner.

0:47

Not present.

0:48

Councilmember Strebig?

0:49

Here.

0:50

Vice President Baker.

0:51

Here.

0:52

I'm going to Councilmember Hamilton Steiner is currently at the school board meeting for her daughter's recognition.

1:01

So I'm going to move to she'll be here, but I'm going to move to excuse the tardiness of Councilmember Steiner.

1:05

Second.

1:06

Motion's been made and seconded.

1:08

Any discussion?

1:09

Hearing none, all those in favor, aye.

1:12

And that motion passes.

1:18

Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held April 6th, 2026.

1:23

Move to approve without the necessity of a reading.

1:25

Second.

1:26

Motion's been made and seconded.

1:28

Any discussion?

1:29

Hearing none, all those in favor, aye.

1:32

And that motion passes.

1:35

Okay.

1:35

So without I know we have a lot of folks here for public comment.

1:41

We also have a lot of folks here for we have four resolutions that a lot of folks are here for.

1:46

So without objection, I'm gonna move uh items eight through sixteen to the top.

1:51

That'll be those resolutions, and then after that, we'll make some space for additional public comment related to handball.

2:03

All right, so uh let's go ahead and do that.

2:07

Item eight communication from Councilmember Streiebig regarding lesbian visibility week.

2:11

Councilmember Stiebig.

2:13

Thank you.

2:14

Dear colleagues, lesbian visibility week is an international celebration and recognition of women and non-binary people who continue to build upon a shared legacy of sisterhood for future generations.

2:30

It is crucial that we take this opportunity to uplift these women in our community and beyond.

2:37

We must use one of our most powerful assets, our attention, to shine some of our light on them.

2:45

We must demonstrate that even as many LGBTQIA plus people feel pushed into the shadows.

3:00

Today we turn our attention to one of the brightest lights in our community, Jean Cosmic.

3:08

While some trailblazers are meant for the spotlight, others work tirelessly behind the scenes.

3:15

They allow themselves to be visible in their workplace, in their communities, and in their daily acts of service, all while refusing to hide or sideline their identities.

3:28

They set an example of a life full of connection, community, and action.

3:34

Jean Cosmic is one example of this type of trailblazer.

3:40

A Lakewood resident for 33 years.

3:49

From coaching travel soccer to serving as treasurer for the Lakewood Arts Festival.

3:55

She and her wife Nikki raised their two daughters here.

3:59

And Jean continues to enjoy Lakewood's many festivals and events, as well as running, reading, and protesting injustice.

4:09

Notably, she spent 24 years working at the independent printing collective, Orange Blossom Press, which played a crucial role in local progressive media for many years.

4:24

A tireless advocate for social justice, Jean has deep roots in the Cleveland area.

4:31

For much of her life, she has volunteered her time and energy to the unhoused members of our community who are so often overlooked and underserved.

4:43

Through St.

4:43

Malachi Parish, she volunteered for the Backdoor Ministry, which serves free bagged lunches and prepares hot meals for their Monday night meals program, which continues to serve hundreds of guests a home cooked dinner every Monday evening.

5:02

All made possible by volunteers like Jean.

5:06

At the Catholic Worker Storefront, she has helped coordinate free Sunday meals through the urban hope community and can still be found there Sunday evenings assisting guests with housing.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████████████31%
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████21%
Youth Programs████████████12%
Community Engagement█████████9%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Active Transportation█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Racial Equity███3%
Pending Litigation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting - April 17, 2026

Note: The source material (agenda and transcript) indicates the meeting took place on April 20, 2026, but the system metadata specifies April 17, 2026. This summary uses the specified date but includes the actual meeting actions as recorded.

The Lakewood City Council met on the specified date to conduct regular business, adopt several ceremonial resolutions, hear public comments on handball court installation and sidewalk maintenance, and act on financial and administrative ordinances. Key actions included adoption of resolutions designating Lesbian Visibility Week, Arab American Heritage Month, and Fair Housing Month, recognizing the Lakewood High School boys' basketball team, approving tax-related resolutions, correcting a code numbering error, and updating purchasing thresholds.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of the April 6, 2026 meeting were approved without reading.
  • Communication and resolution recognizing the Lakewood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team (Resolution 2026-27) were adopted.
  • Liquor permit for Sundaybird LLC at 15027 Madison Ave was filed with no objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Handball Court Advocacy: Multiple speakers (students Cesar Vargas, Wyatt Dietz, Charlie Ammin, Dante Zieman, Evan Van Lear, Carson Westfall, Xander Hoffman, Peter Humphries, Brody Stevens, Parker Williams, Hank Jenko, Jack Jenko, Miles Scharfeld) urged council to install outdoor handball courts. They highlighted growing participation (80+ players grades 6-11), lack of outdoor space, and potential for tournaments. Cesar Vargas proposed repurposing Kaufman Park tennis courts. Council members expressed support and committed to follow up.
  • Sidewalk Snow Clearing: Emily Lindbergh advocated for year-round pedestrian and bicycle network maintenance, noting that current snow removal policies create a patchwork system that disrupts transportation for non-drivers including students, people with disabilities, and older adults.

Discussion Items

  • Finance Committee Report (April 20, 2026): Chair Baker reported discussion on fund transfer ordinances (22-2026 and 23-2026) and tax budget resolutions (2026-21, 22, 23). The committee favorably referred the three tax resolutions to full council for adoption. Transfer ordinances were deferred for additional readings.
  • Committee of the Whole Report (March 30, 2026): Vice President Baker presented a report on the Madison Ave and Hilliard Rd/Carabel Ave safety study, summarizing nine short-term and four long-term recommendations. Short-term items (e.g., high-visibility crosswalks, green bike lane markings) are being implemented in coordination with signal timing optimization. Long-term recommendations require further study. Council expressed support.
  • Recodification of Ordinances: President Kepple introduced communication regarding routine update to Codified Ordinances via American Legal Publishing. Ordinance 24-2026 was deferred.
  • Correction to Ordinance 27-2025: Vice President Baker explained a numbering error in the Audit Committee ordinance (160.05-.06 should be 160.01-.04). Ordinance 27-2025A was adopted on first reading after suspending rules.
  • Report from LakewoodAlive Board (March 18, 2026): Baker reported appointment of Jo Higgins as Executive Director after an 8-week search with over 50 applications. Higgins previously served as Interim Executive Director.
  • Report from CASE Board (March 24, 2026): Baker summarized ongoing work on shared use path code amendments and the Madison-Hilliard safety study. Key themes included clarifying definitions for mobility devices and reconsidering e-bike/e-scooter restrictions on shared paths. Next meeting anticipated late May/early June.
  • Foster Pool and Becks Pool Concession Lease: Law Director Vargo presented an agreement with HELP Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit providing work adjustment training for people with disabilities, to operate concessions at Lakewood Park and Madison Park. Ordinance 25-2026 was referred to Public Works and Sustainability Committee.
  • LCO §111.02 Other Departmental Contracts Correction: Law Director Vargo explained a clerical error where the bidding threshold was not updated from $7,500 to $75,000 in subsection (c) of §111.02 following the December 2023 amendment. The change is ministerial and consistent with other sections. Ordinance 26-2026 was adopted on first reading.
  • Litigation Update: Assistant Law Director Swallow requested a Committee of the Whole meeting in executive session (estimated 30 minutes) to update council on pending court matters. The communication was received and filed.

Key Outcomes

  • Adopted Resolutions:
    • Resolution 2026-24: Designating April 20–26, 2026 as Lesbian Visibility Week and honoring Jean Kosmac.
    • Resolution 2026-25: Designating April 2026 as Arab American Heritage Month.
    • Resolution 2026-26: Recognizing April 2026 as Fair Housing Month.
    • Resolution 2026-27: Recognizing Lakewood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team for back-to-back conference championships (2024-2026).
  • Adopted Tax Resolutions: Resolution 2026-21 (approving 2027 tax budget), Resolution 2026-22 (requesting advance of property tax collections from county), Resolution 2026-23 (accepting budget commission rates and levying taxes). All passed.
  • Adopted Ordinances on First Reading:
    • Ordinance 27-2025A: Correcting numbering in Audit Committee ordinance.
    • Ordinance 26-2026: Updating §111.02 bidding threshold to $75,000.
  • Deferred: Ordinances 22-2026 and 23-2026 (fund transfers) and Ordinance 24-2026 (recodification).
  • Referred: Ordinance 25-2026 (park concession lease) to Public Works and Sustainability Committee.
  • Filed: Liquor permit for Sundaybird LLC with no objection; communication requesting executive session on litigation.
  • Public Comment Follow-up: Council members expressed support for exploring handball court installation and committed to working with the school district and YMCA. The sidewalk snow clearing concern was noted as budget priorities are considered.

Meeting Transcript

All right, we will call to order the meeting of council. If you're able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Now pause for a moment of silence. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Councilmember Bixenstein. Here. Councilmember Bullock. Councilmember Evans. Here. President Keppel. Here. Councilmember Hamilton Steiner. Not present. Councilmember Strebig? Here. Vice President Baker. Here. I'm going to Councilmember Hamilton Steiner is currently at the school board meeting for her daughter's recognition. So I'm going to move to she'll be here, but I'm going to move to excuse the tardiness of Councilmember Steiner. Second. Motion's been made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, aye. And that motion passes. Reading and disposal of the minutes of the regular meeting of council held April 6th, 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. Okay. So without I know we have a lot of folks here for public comment. We also have a lot of folks here for we have four resolutions that a lot of folks are here for. So without objection, I'm gonna move uh items eight through sixteen to the top. That'll be those resolutions, and then after that, we'll make some space for additional public comment related to handball. All right, so uh let's go ahead and do that. Item eight communication from Councilmember Streiebig regarding lesbian visibility week. Councilmember Stiebig. Thank you. Dear colleagues, lesbian visibility week is an international celebration and recognition of women and non-binary people who continue to build upon a shared legacy of sisterhood for future generations. It is crucial that we take this opportunity to uplift these women in our community and beyond. We must use one of our most powerful assets, our attention, to shine some of our light on them. We must demonstrate that even as many LGBTQIA plus people feel pushed into the shadows. Today we turn our attention to one of the brightest lights in our community, Jean Cosmic. While some trailblazers are meant for the spotlight, others work tirelessly behind the scenes. They allow themselves to be visible in their workplace, in their communities, and in their daily acts of service, all while refusing to hide or sideline their identities. They set an example of a life full of connection, community, and action. Jean Cosmic is one example of this type of trailblazer. A Lakewood resident for 33 years.

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