Ravenna Council Approves Youth Ebike Helmet Rule, Reworks Historic Home Rescue Deal

HR Director Heather Richkowski gave council her annual update, telling members the city settled all five collective bargaining contracts earlier this year and addressed pay inequities that she said improved recruiting. Richkowski also outlined a new Mental Health First Aid training through the Portage County Mental Health and Recovery Board, aimed at public facing employees. She said the city is close to launching an applicant tracking system through ADP this year to streamline hiring from application through onboarding. Richkowski noted two hard to fill positions, an entry level street department mechanic and a seasonal parks worker at the fishing cabin and lake grounds. She also said the city's wellness program is running at roughly 35 to 40 percent employee participation, which the city's insurance broker told her is strong compared to similar municipalities. Council also discussed a possible high deductible health plan option for employees, an idea Richkowski said came from the employees themselves. Councilmember Carmen Laudato raised concerns based on personal experience. Every option, she said, "I've only had one year of my entire life on a high deductible plan and now I will pay anything, any month to get out of that." Richkowski clarified the plan would supplement, not replace, existing coverage, and that preventive care carries no cost under any plan option. Council Clarifies Terms Of Flock Camera Contract Council President Rob Kairis confirmed the city's contract with license plate reading camera vendor Flock does not expire until spring. The two year agreement was approved in April 2024 and renews automatically unless the city provides 30 days notice. Councilmember Laudato asked whether that meant the city would need to notify Flock by March if it wanted to cancel, and Kairis said that timeline was correct, though he did not have the exact contract date on hand. Kairis added that Councilmember Amy Michael, who chairs the Public Health and Safety committee, may bring the city's Flock policies and practices to a future committee agenda for further discussion. Parks Department Reports Field Upgrades And Fall Events Parks and Recreation Director Chris Bundy told council that Haverst Park's Field One has been extended to accommodate 90 foot base paths, opening the field to more age divisions. A new girls volleyball league registered 59 participants for its season, and youth soccer programs are underway alongside a planned players night with the high school soccer team. Bundy also announced Sunbow Fall Fest for Saturday, October 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sunbow Park, featuring trick or treating, hay rides, pumpkin archery and a haunted walk. Vendor applications are open. Main Street Ravenna Plans Fall Fundraiser Council President Rob Kairis introduced Trisha Schum as Main Street Ravenna's new executive director. Schum is planning a fall fundraiser called Prisa Palooza, involving downtown merchants offering gift baskets for online bidding along with one larger grand prize. Kairis said Main Street is also considering adding one or two nonvoting high school students to its board. Main Street will present on downtown wayfinding signage at the September 21 committee meeting and give a quarterly update in October. Council Approves Helmet Rule For Young Ebike Riders Council passed Ordinance 2026124 on first reading, expanding the city's electric bicycle helmet requirement. The existing code already required helmets for anyone riding a Class 3 ebike. The new language adds that no one under 18 may ride or operate a Class 1 or Class 2 ebike without a helmet meeting Consumer Product Safety Commission or ASTM standards. Council voted against attaching an emergency clause, so the rule will take effect 30 days after passage rather than immediately. Councilmember Chris Bundy, along with several council members, suggested informing residents through the city website and a possible water bill insert before the change takes effect. Councilmember Matt Harper, who sponsored the ordinance through the Streets and Sidewalks committee, said the goal was to bring the rule for younger riders in line with the existing Class 3 requirement. Multifamily Housing Standards Head Back For Second Reading Ordinance 2026126, sponsored by Councilmember Laudato through the Planning committee, would replace the city's flat square footage standard for multifamily housing with a bedroom based model. Under the proposal, a studio unit would require 450 square feet, a one bedroom 550 square feet, a two bedroom 750 square feet, a three bedroom 950 square feet, and units with four or more bedrooms 1,100 square feet. Laudato said the change would align Ravenna with standards used by most surrounding communities and would make the city eligible for developers seeking low income housing tax credits. No motion was made to waive the standard three readings, so the ordinance remains on the table for a second reading next month. Laudato also said Ravenna's