Macedonia Council Approves Demolition, Advances Drive Through Law, Cemetery Board OKs Budget

Macedonia City Council, a Summit County city in the Nordonia Hills area, met Sept. 24 alongside the Northfield Macedonia Cemetery board for a packed agenda. Council voted to demolish a long vacant building on Highland Road, advanced a drive through safety ordinance and heard from a candidate for the Ohio House. The cemetery board, which also serves Sagamore Hills Township, Northfield Center Township and the Village of Northfield, approved its 2026 budget. Watch the entire meeting video here: https://www.youtube.com/live/lOvEQi75LGY?si=Qp2UTM9mwaZNfXwC Council Approves Demolition of Highland Road Building Council passed Ordinance 63, authorizing demolition of a dangerous building at 311 E. Highland Road. The cost of demolition will be certified and placed on the property's tax duplicate. Macedonia Hospitality LLC remains the title owner despite a mortgage foreclosure filed against the property by Berkshire Bank through Summit County. Mayor Nicholas Molnar called the property one of the most persistent problems of his time in office. "This is the bane of my existence," Molnar said. Molnar said finance and engineering staff spent the day working to secure a grant that would cover most of the upfront demolition cost. Law Director Mark Guidetti confirmed ownership will not change hands until the property sells, at which point any liens on the property, including the pending foreclosure, would be addressed from the sale proceeds. Drive Through Ordinance Moves Toward a Second Vote Council held a second reading on Ordinance 48, known as Megan's Way Out. The measure would require a separate bypass lane next to any drive through in the city. Planning consultants recommended expanding the rule beyond banks, pharmacies and food establishments to cover any non residential drive through. Mayor Molnar asked council to hold off on a final vote so staff can keep refining the language. "I can't in good conscience force existing businesses to spend money," Molnar told council. Council discussed exempting current locations that cannot physically add a bypass lane, such as some landlocked bank and fast food drive throughs. Any business that later makes major improvements would likely have to meet the new standard. The ordinance follows the council's earlier decision denying a 7-Eleven driver training center while backing the same drive through safety rule. Contractor Permit Affidavit Also Held for More Work Council held a second reading on Ordinance 61, which would require homeowners pulling their own building permits to sign an affidavit acknowledging they take on legal risk by acting as their own contractor. Mayor Molnar said the change followed a staff meeting where officials described cases where residents lost money after hiring unbonded contractors. Council did not vote and expects to revisit the ordinance at its next meeting. Occupancy Permit Ordinance Adopted Council passed Ordinance 62 on all three readings. The change updates the city's building code so either the building commissioner or the fire chief can sign off on a certificate of occupancy. Assistant Building Commissioner Todd Allen said the update reflects current practice and does not remove any fire department inspection duties. Surplus Equipment Sales Approved Council also passed two resolutions authorizing the sale of surplus city property through auction. Resolution 64 covers about 20 pieces of service department equipment, including trucks and trailers that have reached the end of their useful life. Resolution 65 authorizes the sale of a 2005 Pierce fire engine that has been out of service for months after developing a hole in its frame. A replacement engine is expected to arrive in 2027. Cemetery Board Adopts Flat Budget, Weighs a Columbarium Before the regular council meeting, members convened as the Northfield Macedonia Cemetery board, which represents Macedonia, Sagamore Hills Township, Northfield Center Township and the Village of Northfield. Fiscal Officer Jeff Snell presented a flat funding request of $161,000, the same amount received last year. The four member communities split the cost based on taxable property values. Macedonia will contribute $71,592.64, Sagamore Hills Township $52,246.02, Northfield Center Township $26,515.59 and the Village of Northfield $10,645.75. Snell said the cemetery has cut costs by renegotiating its landscaping contract, which now runs about $23,000 to $24,000 a year, roughly half what the cemetery previously paid. He also said the cemetery is running low on space and is considering adding columbarium units for cremated remains, pointing to a similar project in Chagrin Falls that priced units between $3,500 and $5,500 each. No columbarium has been added to a capital plan yet. The board approved the 2026 budget and its supporting financial documents. Historical Society Reports on Restoration Work Ellen Bertel, representing the Historical Society of Old Northfield, updated council on the Palmer House Museum. She said a