02/09/2011
After School Program wins Council praise, funding
Akron school's After School Program was awarded $185,000 in funding at the Jan. 31 council meeting. The After School Program provides expanded learning opportunities after school hours to 4,750 students at 27 elementary and 3 middle schools. This is the 11th consecutive year that Akron has provided funding to the program.
01/28/2011
Local Muslim community thanks Council
City Council was presented with a certificate of thanks from The Islamic Society of Akron and Kent following Monday night's meeting.
01/24/2011
Council makes pitch for jobs
City Council passed legislation Monday night that will give 12 acres of city-owned land and about $50,000 a year in tax rebates to Roechling Automotive if the German manufacturer builds an automotive plastics plant in Akron.
12/17/2010
Council expresses sympathy to Wyatt family
City Council passed a resolution submitted by Mayor Plusquellic and Council as a whole Monday evening offering sympathy to the family of Marine Corporal Derek A. Wyatt, who was killed in action in Afghanistan last week.
12/14/2010
Sommerville calls for calm in Ward 3 following arson
Before beginning City Council’s regular business, Council President and Ward 3 Councilman Marco Sommerville informed Council members that the FBI has agreed to investigate a recent arson fire in his ward as a hate crime. Queen’s Convenient Store on Copley Road was torched over the weekend and anti-Arab graffiti was left at the store. The store is owned and operated by an Arab-American who recently was involved in an altercation with two African-Americans. Though those involved were meeting to resolve issues, some residents had begun picketing the store.
12/14/2010
Council approves wage freezes
City Council passed an ordinance Dec. 6 approving wage freezes in 2011 for three of the five city employee groups. The wage freezes were for members of the Akron Firefighters Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union, and for city employees who are not in the union bargaining unit, are management, or are un-classified workers. Budget and Finance Committee Chair and Ward 7 Councilperson Tina Merlitti said that the city is still trying to negotiate a wage freeze with the two remaining bargaining groups: the Fraternal Order of Police and the Civil Service Personnel Association.
11/30/2010
City budget passed, hearings pending
Council passed an ordinance approving a city budget for the period Jan. 1 to March 21, 2011. The temporary budget is traditionally passed by Council to allow time for comprehensive budget hearings that generally begin in February.
11/30/2010
Community leaders are working to streamline services for seniors
Councilwoman At Large Linda F. R. Omobien is serving on the Social Services Advisory Board where services for senior citizens are being discussed by a number of agency leaders. Summit County Executive Russ Pry recently convened the board to talk about services for senior citizens, and elder abuse emerged as one critical area to address.
11/30/2010
Council approves zoning for $5 million development
Rockynol Retirement Community on Akron’s near west side will be getting a little bigger. City Council approved an expansion that will include a two-story, 16,000 square foot addition housing 20 single-occupancy rooms and a separate community center. Weather permitting, construction on the community center could begin yet this year, and construction of the two-story expansion is scheduled to begin next summer.