Ravenna Council Committees Debate E Bike Rules, Housing Standards and Safety Building Levy
The Ravenna City Council focuses on tightening e‑bike rules and helmet requirements, then turns to raising multifamily housing and rental standards while tackling ward redistricting, ethics reforms, fire department space needs, and a growing mental health crisis. 72mins
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Original Meeting
In This Video
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A speaker cited a newly signed Ohio law exposing e‑bike riders to vehicular homicide liability for serious crashes and raised concerns about how insurance coverage would work for riders who were not required to carry the same documentation as motorists, speculating that claims might fall under homeowners or renters policies.
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City Engineer Finney outlined a $133,000 stormwater infrastructure plan for 2026 covering catch basin and pipe upgrades on North Scranton Street, erosion control along the ditch by North Freedom Street near the bike trail, and continued work on the Jones Avenue storm project, and the committee agreed to move the item forward.
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A speaker referenced recent incidents of utility lines being struck and asked about logistics for state excavation notifications, while City Engineer Finney outlined an in‑house email process to handle up to 500 annual notices and confirmed that city staff would continue going out to mark utilities when required.
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A speaker described plans for at least two public sessions where residents could review and draw ward maps using an online tool, emphasized keeping neighborhood character intact while adjusting boundaries around Routes 59 and 44, and stressed completing redistricting before January so upcoming ward elections and candidate eligibility would be clearly defined.
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A speaker outlined plans to post the ward‑mapping tool on the city website, described upcoming public presentations with League of Women Voters support, and explained that while ward boundaries were set in local code and guided by Ohio law, council would ultimately vote on any redistricting changes rather than sending them to the ballot.
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A speaker argued that adopting Ohio Housing Finance Agency space requirements would improve livability for renters, attract more invested developers, protect property values, and enable projects to qualify for low‑income housing tax credits compared to Ravenna’s current smaller multifamily and duplex standards.
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A speaker acknowledged that the proposed housing changes would require amending multiple code sections, advocated adopting the Ohio Housing Finance Agency model to qualify projects for low‑income housing tax credits, and criticized the Ohio Building Code’s extremely minimal space standards as allowing inhumane, closet‑sized living conditions.
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Fire Chief Chapple and a speaker described unsafe multifamily conversions in century homes where some units lacked proper kitchens and relied on hot plates and bathroom sinks, noting that such residential units were not subject to local inspection requirements despite other communities mandating kitchen access standards.
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Fire Chief Chapple supported reducing unsafe five‑unit conversions to fewer, safer dwelling units that would likely increase property value, while a speaker read the zoning definition of a dwelling unit—emphasizing required cooking facilities—and suggested the mobile home exclusion might need revision.
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City Engineer Finney and a speaker discussed how current rental setups were being treated as multifamily dwellings due to gaps in the code, clarified that new space requirements would not retroactively affect existing units, and explained that nonconforming or conditional uses would only lapse after 12 months of nonuse.
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City Engineer Finney and a speaker described zoning challenges on West Main Street, noting that homes zoned for commercial use were originally built as residential, that one long‑vacant former dental office would need setback variances to become multifamily housing, and that council might need to consider reverting the area to residential zoning.
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City Engineer Finney and speakers reviewed how the code defined multifamily versus duplex housing, suggested adding duplex as a conditional use to better regulate it, and criticized existing four‑ and five‑tenant units as harmful to neighborhood quality and unfair to residents despite being treated as livable space.
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City Engineer Finney explained that listed cooking appliances met the dwelling definition, acknowledged concerns about a bedroom unit lacking a true kitchen and only outside access before gaining access to another unit, and responded to a remark about letting such problem units burn rather than repeatedly addressing fire risks.
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Cheryl Wood urged council to use the new comprehensive plan to overhaul zoning codes rather than pursue hazardous spot zoning, explained how Ohio Housing Finance Agency tax credits applied mainly to larger multifamily projects, offered to share expertise on aligning local standards with those programs, and encouraged a long‑term vision for rebuilding Ravenna the right way.
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A speaker reiterated support for applying Ohio Housing Finance Agency standards across residential districts and pressed officials to have tangible code changes ready within two weeks for the Committee of the Whole, emphasizing that council needed detailed draft language to properly evaluate the proposal.
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Speakers pointed out gaps in the commission’s rules by urging added language to protect applicants when meetings lack a quorum and calling for clearer incorporation of Ohio Ethics Commission conflict‑of‑interest guidance, including highlighting the relevant section of the ethics document for council review.
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Speakers clarified when applicants could appeal to council by agreeing to restore a 30‑day option alongside multiple denials and decided to advance proposed updates incorporating Ohio Ethics Commission recusal guidelines—extending conflict‑of‑interest rules beyond just abstaining from the vote—to the Committee of the Whole for further review.
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Finance Director Lorence reviewed the city’s annual property and casualty insurance renewal process, noted recent moderate premium increases, and confirmed that new policy quotes covering vehicles, equipment, assets, and leases were expected before the Committee of the Whole meeting ahead of the September 14th effective date.
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A speaker questioned hiring consultants before a ballot initiative passed, while City Engineer Finney explained that pre‑ballot design and budgeting work—costing $7,000 to $14,000—was needed to refine the project concept and establish a total budget for a potential $25 million proposal to present to voters in November.
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A speaker stated on the record that City Engineer Finney’s grant applications through officials such as David Joyce and Heidi Workman for police and fire facility upgrades had been fully denied, criticized higher-level representatives for prioritizing projects like playgrounds over safety forces despite touring Ravenna’s poor conditions, and emphasized that residents should know these funding efforts were made and are documented in public records.
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Fire Chief Chapple and City Engineer Finney explained that the project drew a single, higher bid due to its complexity and bowstring roof, with the Chief recommending the more durable Plan A and suggesting that if no project moved forward this year, council should instead fund heating for the existing cold storage building to keep the fire apparatus on city property.
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Finance Director Lorence and Fire Chief Chapple weighed the cost‑benefit of a new vehicle building against tight small capital budgets, with the Chief suggesting interim investments like adding heat, water, and electric to existing cold storage to improve apparatus housing until a potential levy‑funded station could be built.
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City Engineer Finney and speakers explained that the existing Quonset Hut could not accommodate the ladder truck and discussed installing a manufacturer-built, insulated steel structure with garage doors as a long-term, budget-conscious solution that could later serve multiple city departments while avoiding an additional $100,000 in spending.
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Finance Director Lorence and Fire Chief Chapple explained that signing an MOU to join a Medicaid ambulance supplemental funding program would tap unused federal dollars via the city’s existing billing service and could provide an estimated $50,000–$75,000 in additional annual revenue based on call volume.
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Speakers criticized funded agencies and rental programs for failing to provide promised case management to vulnerable residents, described constant police and medic responses to unmanaged mental health crises, and insisted that service providers must start answering calls and taking responsibility before conditions worsen further.
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