Meeting Observed: Kent City Council

Date of Meeting: 12/14/2022

Format: Virtual

Meeting Summary:

Special City Council Committee Meeting.
The Kent City Council just barely had a quorum for this meeting but there were lots of people in the audience; most, if not all, had applied for positions on council committees and boards, the only topic on the agenda for the open meeting on the 14th.

Committee of the Whole:
Observations: In a shift from typical applications, there was a relatively large number of women who had applied for positions on the committees. However, it did not appear that any minorities had applied for positions. Vote will be taken at the next regularly scheduled meeting, Dec. 21.

Applicants:

• Zoning Appeals: Jona Burton -- City Staff asked him to reapply for the position. He said, if appointed, he will remain on the board until he starts his PhD program in the fall.
• Board of Building Appeals: Greg Seifert, resident of Stow, This is the only committee that allows non-Kent residents to apply. Seifert is an architect. He's on the committee already. He said that the committee meets infrequently. But he was a big supporter of non-Kent residents filling Kent city board and commissions.
• Board of Health: Two spots and two applicants. Emily Mattern, a current resident of the board, a nurse, who was not there for the interview; and Dr. Evan Howe, a family physician teaching at Akron City Hospital with a master's degree in Public Health. He has a special interest in the homeless population.
• Area Housing Council: Audrey Kessler, who is already on the board. Council only meets once a year
• Design and Preservation: William Dunich, who is already on the committee. He has a background as a manufacturing manager and is the preservation carpenter at Hale Farm. He has a special interest in preserving 19th-century buildings. John Turkowsky, not present.
• Fair Housing: Susan Rocksville (sp?) -- to fill the open spot on the board. She's a sociologist with an interest in mental health and stress. The other two candidates were not present, including Jennifer Nichols, who was seeking another term on the board.
• Income Tax Board: Denise Mote was not present. Other candidate was James Maddox. He said he had 40-plus years of experience in finance and tax.
• Planning Commission: This is often a high-stress, busy commission. Alisa Travigno applied. She has a BA in legal studies, and sees herself as a kind of liaison between town and council.
• The other candidate was Derrick Celestro (sp?), general manager and partial owner of North Water Brewery. KSU grad studied health and crime.
• Shade Tree: John Belfiore, currently a member of the commission, and Tom Keipera (arborist at the Summit Metro Parks). Council asked lots of questions about the favorite trees of each applicant: Redbuds for Belfiore and white oak and red buds for Keipera.
• Sustainability: Judy Nelson rotated off 2019, ad hoc KEC, and Mary Jayne Stone created a monarch waystation in Akron, part of KEC. The other applicant Ian Noran (sp?) was not there.

The vote on all these positions will be at Dec. 21 council meeting.

Which members of the board/council were present: Jack Amrhein, Ward 2; Heidi Shaffer Bish, Ward 5;  Gwen Rosenberg, At Large; Roger Sidoti, At Large; Michael DeLeone, At Large. Absent was Garret Ferrara, Ward 1; John Kuhar, Ward 4;  Tracy Wallach, Ward 6; Robin Turner, Ward 3.

Was there a public notice of the meeting that included the time and place of meeting: Yes

Was an agenda of the meeting or handouts available to visitors: Yes

Are minutes from previous meetings posted/available: Yes

https://www.kentohio.org/737/Agendas-and-Minutes

Observer: Kathleen Endres