Mentor City Council approves $30,000 toward Mentor Safety Village building improvements

Ron Wassom, president of Mentor Safety Village, told Mentor City Council on April 15 that the nonprofit needs roughly $30,000 to complete plumbing, framing and finishing work in a city-owned building the group is converting for its interactive safety education programs.

The council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 25-0027, a transfer and appropriation ordinance that closes out the Edge Hill Road culvert fund and contains several appropriation revisions, including the $30,000 increase for Mentor Safety Village. The ordinance was passed after council suspended the rules and called the roll; all voting members recorded aye.

Wassom, describing the Safety Village’s 25-year history, said the organization runs safety education for third-graders, parochial and home-school students and operates largely on donations. He presented a cost estimate for remaining building work — plumbing rough-in ($13,900), framing/walls/drywall/electrical ($27,280) and finishes (~$7,600) — totaling about $53,260. He told council the group currently has just over $20,000 and expects to raise more through an annual golf fundraiser on June 20.

City Manager Ken Malinowski (identified in the staff memorandum attached to the ordinance) and other council members praised Safety Village’s community value and confirmed the $30,000 is included in the appropriation ordinance on the night’s agenda. Malinowski noted the city would be sharing roughly half the cost and that the building is a city-owned facility leased to the nonprofit.

Because the appropriation is part of Ordinance 25-0027, the council used the emergency/appropriation suspension procedure and then approved the ordinance during the same meeting. The clerk called the roll; the recorded vote was: Mr. Freeman — yes; Mr. Kirschner — yes; Mr. Krieger — yes; Mr. Marr — yes; Mr. Blake — yes; Mr. Donovan — yes; Mrs. Dowling — yes.

The council did not discuss additional conditions or an implementation schedule in detail on the record; Wassom said the group aims to have much of the work done before the program resumes with third-graders in October and to complete remaining work by next spring to expand programming.

Mentor Safety Village is a 501(c)(3) that relies on donations, and Wassom identified longtime corporate donors and an upcoming fundraiser as part of the group’s financial plan. The staff memorandum referenced in the meeting ties the specific $30,000 appropriation to the ordinance adopted by council.

Ordinance 25-0027: approved (see “Votes at a glance” for full council action listing).