Council approves 4-way stop at Nixon and Oakland Parkway after extended debate

Lima City Council voted 8–0 to pass an ordinance on first reading to install 4-way stop signs at North Nixon Avenue and Oakland Parkway, moving to act on a long-running neighborhood safety concern.

The measure came after a prolonged exchange about whether the city should place stop signs immediately or complete a consultant-driven traffic-calming program that officials say will take months to design and fund. City Engineer Ian Colai told council the program requires four coordinated steps — emergency-services coordination, resident outreach, construction plans and funding — and described the traffic-calming track as a "long term" process requiring more time and resources. Mayor Schmidt told council that the administration could continue the long-range program, but said, "If council would prefer that we just put up stop signs wherever you all request ... we would do that and we will abandon the whole traffic calming program." (S16)

Councilor Lowe, representing neighborhood concerns, pressed for immediate action and explicitly tied public-safety urgency to the decision: "I will support this as long as the ordinance is to install the 4 way stop signs," he said, adding that residents had waited years for relief and that the stop would be in place until a permanent project is completed. The ordinance passed on first reading by an 8–0 recorded vote, authorizing installation of the four-way stop signs.

The vote was taken after multiple councilors recounted prior efforts with the traffic commission and consultant work; the mayor and staff said the city will still be able to propose changes later if the traffic-calming project requires different measures. Next procedural steps are standard implementation by public-works crews and, if needed, a future council action to remove or amend signage once longer-term projects are implemented.