Akron council approves EPA wetland grant application, WRF improvements and other ordinances on consent

Akron City Council approved a package of ordinances and resolutions on Monday, advancing an EPA Region 5 wetland-mapping grant, water-reclamation facility improvements and several public-works and parks projects.

Key items on the consent calendar included:

- An ordinance authorizing the city to apply for and expend funds from the EPA Region 5 Wetland Program Development Grant to create Akrons first municipal wetland inventory and strategic habitat plan (passed 13–0).

- Authorization to advertise and contract for electrical improvements at the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) to replace existing switchgear and install a new transformer; council also approved authorization to apply for a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund loan with a 28-year term and a match/interest rate referenced at 3.48% (both ordinances passed 13–0).

- An ordinance to publicly advertise for bids and to contract for resurfacing and refurbishment of basketball courts at Prentice Park as part of the Akron Parks Challenge (passed 13–0).

- A contract with Tom Todd Ideas Incorporated to expand the Creative Akron summer program for middle-schoolers to four parks; that ordinance passed 12–1.

- A resolution declaring April 2026 as Fair Housing Month and restating the citys commitment to eliminating housing segregation and discrimination (passed 13–0).

Council members placed multiple street- and sidewalk-improvement ordinances on the consent agenda and approved them without individual roll-call debate; details on contract recipients, project budgets and implementation timelines were not read into the record during the meeting but will appear in posted legislation and committee minutes.