Garfield Heights council adopts sewer-study partnership, animal-code updates and small vehicle fee in unanimous votes

Garfield Heights City Council on May 11 adopted four ordinances aimed at infrastructure, public safety and housing repairs, voting unanimously on each measure.

Ordinance 41-2026, approved to partner with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, funds a sewer-study focused on the East 135th Street neighborhood. Councilwoman Thompson moved to consider the ordinance by title, the council suspended the three-reading rule and approved the measure by roll call vote, 7–0.

The council next adopted Ordinance 42-2026, sponsored by Dr. Tanisha Mack, which amends the city's animal-control chapters to align with provisions described in the transcript as "Avery's Law." Dr. Mack told the council the updates "strengthen enforcement, improve empowerment, and procedures, and then also they increase accountability for irresponsible pet owners," saying the changes are intended to enhance public-safety protections related to dangerous animals. The motion to consider and related suspensions passed by roll call, 7–0.

Council also approved Ordinance 44-2026 to add a $5 fee to the municipal motor-vehicle license tax; the council’s stated purpose is to capture local revenue before a county fee applies and to use the funds for road repairs. Council members moved to consider by title, suspend reading rules and waive procedural requirements; the ordinance passed 7–0.

Finally, Ordinance 45-2026, sponsored by Mayor Matthew Burke and cosponsored by council, earmarks and matches funds for an exterior home-repair grant program. The mayor noted strong resident demand for the program, saying roughly 51 applications had been received. The council moved, suspended readings, waived rules where needed and approved the ordinance by roll call, 7–0.

Among procedural steps recorded in the meeting, council repeatedly used motions to consider ordinances by title, suspended the three-reading rule, and invoked a waiver of rule 24 before calling the roll. The meeting record shows each adoption recorded as unanimous on the roll call.

What happens next: each ordinance was adopted as recorded; the council did not record lengthy debate on the ordinances themselves in the minutes beyond sponsors’ remarks. Any implementation steps (scheduling work for the sewer study, setting up grant-matching flows, or establishing the mechanics of the $5 fee) will be handled through the appropriate city departments or subsequent council directives.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 41-2026 (sewer-study partnership) — Adopted by roll call, 7–0. - Ordinance 42-2026 (animal-code amendments, incorporating "Avery's Law") — Adopted by roll call, 7–0. - Ordinance 44-2026 (municipal motor-vehicle license $5 fee) — Adopted by roll call, 7–0. - Ordinance 45-2026 (exterior home-repair matching funds) — Adopted by roll call, 7–0.