Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Medina council approves OHM study for Public Square after resident urges faster crosswalk fixes
Loading...
Summary
Council voted 7-0 to hire OHM advisors for a Medina Public Square improvement study aimed at pedestrian safety and event management after a resident recounted a serious crosswalk crash and urged interim fixes such as repainted crosswalks and removal of parking spaces.
The Medina City Council voted unanimously to hire OHM advisors to prepare a Public Square improvement study intended to address pedestrian safety, parking configuration and event impacts, council leaders said at the April meeting.
Resident Stan Sheets told the council he supports the study but urged faster interim action to protect people crossing the square. “My wife has been hit there. My wife was hit three years ago. She was in a coma for almost for a month. She had almost 400,000 in bills,” Sheets said, asking council to repaint crosswalks with hash marks and consider removing two parking spaces near crossings to improve sight lines.
Council leadership cited both short-term steps and a comprehensive study. The council president said the city is “running into several issues around the square,” noting that “I think last year there has been reported 42 accidents that have occurred around the square, both pedestrian and vehicular.” Councilmember Bill Lamb, who led earlier work on other community issues, said the council is gathering data and consulting other communities to produce an effective plan and indicated the administration supports moving forward.
Ordinance 6226 authorizes the mayor to contract with OHM for the Public Square improvement study. Council members emphasized that while the study will produce longer-term recommendations, some smaller measures—repainting crosswalks, removing parking immediately adjacent to crosswalks and convening a steering committee—could be implemented administratively or by committee while OHM completes its work.
The vote was part of a consent or expedited package of items for which the council suspended the usual three-reading rule; the suspension and the ordinance each passed 7-0. Councilmembers present recorded unanimous votes on the package and on Ordinance 6226.
Beyond the square study, the council approved a slate of other routine items by unanimous votes, including intercounty mutual aid for fire and EMS, multiple park renovation donations, procurement authorizations, civil-service rule changes to allow out-of-state lateral police transfers and bridge and roadway easements. The meeting concluded with congratulations to the Medina Police Department on statewide accreditation.
The council did not set a firm implementation date for OHM’s recommendations at the meeting; members said they expect the consultant’s outreach to include resident input and that staff would bring short-term administrative fixes to upcoming committee meetings.
