Brecksville Council Hears Outage Concerns, Approves Zoning Requests and Valor Acres Signage

Brecksville City Council met August 18 for committee sessions followed by its regular meeting. Council approved funding requests, zoning variances and contractor agreements, while residents used public comment to raise concerns about recurring power outages and a police pursuit that passed through their neighborhood without direct notification. Storm Recovery and Power Outage Concerns Dominate Discussion Mayor Kingston told council that a storm the previous Monday knocked out power to roughly 13,000 residents, close to a quarter of the city, around 9 a.m. Crews restored power to the entire city within 36 hours. No injuries were reported, though there was some property and vehicle damage. The mayor addressed a report that circulated online claiming an F3 tornado touched down in Brecksville, calling it false. He said the city confirmed with the National Weather Service that no tornado touched down, and that Cuyahoga County has not seen a tornado in more than two years. Two severe thunderstorm warnings went out roughly eight minutes apart ahead of the storm. Several residents from the Lloyd, Vera and Sunnydale area told council the outages in their neighborhood have become a recurring problem. Kingston said he requested outage history data from a FirstEnergy representative and will share it with council once received. During public comment, a resident from the Lloyd Drive area said her neighborhood experienced four power outages in six days, following a July 4 outage and a three day outage in April. She asked whether buried power lines could be considered. A neighboring resident, who has lived in the area since 1986, echoed those concerns and said her household has stopped shutting off water when traveling out of town because outages have become so frequent. She also raised a separate concern about drivers running the stop sign at Sunnydale Drive and Mill Road, particularly during the morning school bus route. Flock Camera Program Draws Mayor's Defense Safety and Services Chair Jantzen used his committee report to address Flock camera use, saying the topic has drawn national attention. Mayor Kingston said council first authorized the cameras in 2021, with the first units installed in 2022. He said the system does not use facial recognition, all information is purged after 30 days, and accessing footage requires going through a documented process. Kingston said the cameras have been a valuable tool for the police department's clearance rates and that he received one email raising privacy concerns. Council did not take a vote on the topic. Council Approves ARPA Funding, Purchase Order Increases Council approved Resolution 5879, authorizing the mayor to apply for a second round of American Rescue Plan Act funding through Cuyahoga County Council District 6. City official Monica Bartkiewicz said the city has about 25,000 dollars remaining from a prior ARPA allocation that must be spent by year end. The funds would go toward a community message display board and ADA and family restroom improvements at Stadium Drive. Council also approved Resolution 5880, raising the ceiling on two blanket purchase orders. The asphalt materials purchase order increases from 550,000 dollars to 650,000 dollars, and the fuel purchase order increases from 375,000 dollars to 450,000 dollars. Service Director Kickel said the city does not expect to spend the full amount this year but requested the higher limits for flexibility given fluctuating fuel prices and anticipated asphalt needs. Bartkiewicz noted the city has already used about 217,000 dollars of the current 350,000 dollar fuel order and remains on pace with its budget. Noise Ordinance Review Sought Over Rooster Complaints The Legislation Committee moved to have the assistant law director review the city's noise ordinance as it applies to domestic animals, following at least one complaint about a rooster. Jantzen said an anonymous resident called about noise from a nearby coop. Council compared the issue to feeding deer, noting it can be difficult to enforce. The motion directs the law director to review the ordinance and recommend possible changes, including any enforcement options. Zoning Board Approves Five Variances The Board of Zoning Appeals brought five items to council, all approved unanimously. Council approved height variances for a new house at 6727 Victoria Lane, allowing an overall height of 40.5 feet and a building height of 33 feet, along with a roof area variance allowing 46 percent coverage above 30 feet where 10 percent is typically permitted. A separate roof area variance was approved for a new house at 6721 Victoria Lane, allowing 19.8 percent coverage. Council approved a fence variance at 8700 Riverview Road, allowing a six foot fence and permitting a driveway gate outside the required side or rear yard placement. Mayor Kingston said the board's chairman and vice chairman reviewed a late letter of concern from a neighbor and determined it would not have changed