Lakewood City Council Regular Meeting - October 19, 2026

The Lakewood City Council held its regular meeting on October 19, 2026. The docket included presentations on community beautification, reports on mental health response and surveillance technology, a major debate on a short-term rental (STR) moratorium, and a referral to executive session.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approved: The minutes of the regular meeting held October 5, 2026 were approved without a reading.
• Committee Reports Received: Reports from the Health & Human Services Committee (Lakewood Community Care Response Team) and the Public Safety Committee (ALPR Technology) were received and filed.

Presentations

• Keep Lakewood Beautiful - Beautiful Home Awards: The 42nd annual presentation celebrated five homeowners for their property care. The program received a record 156 nominations for 119 unique properties in 2026. Council commended the volunteer board for their broader environmental work.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Short-Term Rental (STR) Moratorium:
  • Joshua Coretta (STR operator) expressed general support for regulation but urged council to weigh the economic impact, estimating the moratorium could threaten 50-100 local jobs. He requested clarification on grandfathering for multifamily properties.
  • Dan O'Malley (resident) argued the moratorium was motivated by a personal dispute between Councilmember Bullock and his brother's property rather than data. He urged council to be more transparent.
  • Susan Bradley (homeowner/STR operator) shared her positive experience using STR income to maintain her historic home. She advocated for a 30-day effective date to allow property owners time to comply.
  • Barbara (resident) questioned the transparency of adopting floor amendments and a substitute resolution on a first reading. She warned of a potential application rush under a short effective date.
• Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs / Flock System):
  • Lynn Hein (resident/auditor) identified gaps in ALPR policy regarding data sharing controls, audit frequency, and public reporting. She requested to submit detailed recommendations.
  • Jack (resident/software engineer) detailed specific security vulnerabilities in the Flock cameras (outdated Android OS). He raised concerns that Flock's National Lookup Tool could circumvent Lakewood's policies restricting data sharing with federal agencies, and requested independent security audits.
  • Jacob Dalkey (resident/software developer) expressed fundamental distrust of Flock's business model, comparing it to big tech data monetization. He predicted vendor lock-in and erosion of privacy, ultimately calling for the cameras to be removed rather than just regulated.

Discussion Items

• Community Care Response Team (CCRT): Councilmember Strebig reported on the committee hearing. The CCRT presented on its mental health response origins and clinical successes. County officials expressed support for the program. Council received the report.
• ALPR Technology: Councilmember Hamilton Steiner reported on the committee hearing. Chief Fisher confirmed policy revisions including an ALPR coordinator (Sgt. Ciresi) and cessation of data sharing with federal agencies. Councilmembers and residents maintained privacy concerns regarding the third-party vendor (Flock). The contract expires July 24, 2028. Council requested ongoing dialogue and notifications of policy changes.
• Review of 2026 Finances: Vice President Baker announced the Finance Committee will review 2026 actuals vs. the budget before the 2027 budget presentation on November 16. The item was referred to the Finance Committee.
• Short-Term Rental (STR) Moratorium (Resolution 2026-49): Vice President Baker and Councilmember Bullock proposed a six-month moratorium on new STR permits to allow for policy review.
  • A substitute resolution was introduced amending the whereas clauses.
  • Council debated the effective date. An initial amendment to change it from 14 to 30 days passed, but was later amended back to 14 days. The resolution was then deferred to the November 2 meeting to allow for a public second reading and effective 30-day total window.
  • Language was added to Section 3 explicitly grandfathering existing registered STRs, but prohibiting an expansion of the number of units used for STRs during the moratorium.
  • Councilmember Baker noted the city lacks a codified policy for STRs, currently relying only on an administrative checkbox on housing licenses. He stated the goal is a comprehensive regulatory framework, using the City of Cleveland's model as a baseline.
  • The item was referred to the Housing, Planning, and Development Committee.
• Public Arts Master Plan Implementation: Councilmember Bullock requested a committee hearing to discuss implementation, specifically the role of Public Works in infrastructural and functional art, commercial corridors, and budget scaling. The administration noted no specific projects are developed yet. The item was referred to the Public Works and Sustainability Committee.
• Workers' Compensation Settlement: Council entered Executive Session (7-0 roll call vote) to discuss settlement terms for a claim with a retired employee, consulting with outside legal counsel. Following the session, the communication was received and filed.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Minutes of October 5. Reports from Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committees. Communication on BWC claim settlement.
• Referred: Review of 2026 Finances (to Finance Committee). STR Moratorium discussion (to Housing, Planning, and Development). Public Arts Implementation (to Public Works and Sustainability).
• Deferred: Liquor permit for Devrod, LLC. Resolution 2026-49 (STR Moratorium), amended and deferred to the November 2, 2026 meeting with a 14-day effective date from passage.
• Executive Session: Held to discuss pending litigation/disputes regarding the workers' compensation claim.