By Julie Erickson

Attendees

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call with all members of council present.

The meeting minutes for the June 16 council meeting and the minutes for the June 23 council workshop were approved as provided.

Anzevino recognized Eric Hutchinson for 35 years of service to the Hudson community in the Public Works Department and Hudson Parks.

Peg’s Foundation was recognized for 25 years of providing resources and support to individuals facing mental health challenges. Former Hudson resident Rick Keller accepted the proclamation on behalf of the foundation.

Hudson resident Robert Pappas addressed council regarding reducing the speed limit on state Route 303 from 45 miles an hour to 35 miles an hour; this was recently done on state Route 91 in Hudson. Pappas is concerned with the high-speed traffic on the west side of 303, which is Streetsboro Street, and would like to see the speed limit reduced on Streetsboro all the way to Boston Mills to improve safety.

Todd Zedak, member of the comprehensive plan steering committee, again addressed council regarding what he described as a lack of transparency and failure to follow the required process in establishing District 11. He said he believed the process had been rushed through by council primarily for the benefit of the developer.

Zedak also commented on council’s recent removal of the censure of former Council Member Nicole Kowalski, noting that Sutton did not support that action. He said Kowalski had been censured for good reason and referenced Sutton’s earlier statement that council members needed to review the facts.

At Zedak’s remarks regarding Kowalski, D’Eramo appeared to react to his comments by visibly smirking then laughing. Zedak addressed her directly, saying, “If you have something to share, I am looking forward to hearing it.” 

After being asked to proceed, he stated, “This is the kind of disrespect that is horrifying.”

Citizen Anthony Revita addressed council regarding his ongoing dispute with the city concerning a previously received permit to build a fence on his property. The city later disputed that the fence constructed on the property encroached on the city right of way and the materials used were not authorized per city code.

D’Eramo recognized Zedak’s comments and said “I will not sit here and be chastised by you as if I committed a crime and I will not sit here and be threatened by you.” 

In addition, she addressed the gas explosion in Twinsburg and the need to keep community members informed as information from the investigation is made available. She requested additional information from City Manager Thomas Sheridan of tools available to keep citizens aware of emergencies.

Weinstein also requested a review of the communication tools available to notify Hudson residents about emergencies and community events. 

Brezovec addressed Pappas’ request to lower the speed limit on West Streetsboro Street, noting that the city has limited authority because the road falls under ODOT jurisdiction. He said the city would review the concern and asked the city manager to identify available options or prior actions. He also addressed Revita’s comments and encouraged him to consider a compromise to resolve the matter. He also noted that additional specifications are being added for directional drilling for fiber installation, with the hope that by Aug. 11, requested changes can be shared with council.

Anzevino shared that there were two ribbon cuttings: one for the Daisy Pop kiosk and Ivory & Birch and one for the new gazebo on the green. The small birds installation, the Birdsong Project, is on the Park Lane green for the next few months on the final leg of their tour. 

Sheridan provided updates on several ongoing city matters.

The DREAM program at Oak Grove Park is expected to be completed in July, after which the area will be ready for children to use.

Sheridan said he will review the Route 303 speed-reduction request with the city engineer.

Regarding communication tools, Sheridan said the city needs to improve how it informs residents when roads reopen and when power outages or similar issues are resolved. He plans to provide a report in August.

On directional drilling, Sheridan noted that Hudson was among the first communities to place a hold on the practice. He and the city engineer have been reviewing revised standards for future installations. Regarding utility flags, the city is working with the contractor to remove flags where feasible.

None.

All consent agenda items were approved as follows:

Before the consent agenda vote, Weinstein requested that the review period for Resolution 26-108 address gaps in the city code. She noted that the code does not currently include a specific classification for data centers and said the city should clearly define what constitutes a data center, consider the scale of potential facilities and evaluate their full impact on city infrastructure.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. with a 10-minute recess before council workshop.