Meeting Observed: Kent City Council Regular Meeting

Date of Meeting: 5/31/2023

Format: Virtual

Meeting Summary:

This special Kent City Council meeting officially ends the contentious debate over the recycling contract for the city of Kent. As previous reports outlined, the Portage County Recycling group (Portage County Waste Management District), which had a recycling contract with the city of Kent, did not submit a bid for recycling. The city administration recommended that the trash and recycling contracts go to Republic as the lowest and best bid. (Republic currently holds the trash contract for the city). This led to a contentious debate over the action. Three Council members (Kim Turner, Heidi Shaefer Bish, and Tracey Wallach) opposed awarding the recycling contract to Republic, preferring to award the contract to the Portage County Recycling group. On March 31 on the second reading of the ordinance (which would award both contracts to the Republic), the council supported the measures. However, Turner and Bish both opposed the measure. The other Council members – Wallach was missing – supported it. The ordinance passed on the 6 to 2 vote reads as follows: 2023-030: An ordinance accepting a certain bid from Republic Services for the collection of refuse and recycling materials from city customers and declaring an emergency. 

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

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://kentoh.portal.civicclerk.com/

Observer: Kathleen Endres