Ravenna considers slowing speeds, buying parking lot and more

Ravenna City Council members met May 11 to consider a number of items, including lowering speed limits on Main Street. 

The speed limit through town is 25 mph, but increases to 35 mph at Ravenna’s eastern city limits.

Council President Rob Kairis said residents who live in the area have expressed concerns about motorists increasing their speed before reaching city limits and of cars racing to beat caution lights.

They’re not alone. The city has already installed traffic calming devices on Highland and Chestnut, treating motorists to readouts of exactly what speed they’re reaching and advising them to slow down.

Now council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee is considering installing another traffic calming device on state Route 59 near Ravenna’s eastern limits. Before doing so, Kairis said city leaders need to determine if the engineering department can simply install one or if council action is needed.

The committee forwarded the matter to council’s committee of the whole, which is set to meet May 18. Should council action be needed, the issue will be considered during the legislative body’s June 1 session.

Personnel 

Council’s Personnel Committee decided not to transition the city’s law director position from an elected to an appointed one. Doing so would require voter approval, as an elected law director is currently required by Ravenna’s city charter, Kairis said.

Longtime city Law Director Frank Cimino has handled Ravenna’s legal affairs for about a half century and is not running for re-election when his term is up next November, Kairis said.

Instead of rushing to the ballot, committee members opted to wait to see if anyone files for the November 2027 election. It may be a moot point: Kairis said the city’s charter review board convenes next year and may propose making the law director’s position an appointed one. That, too, would require both council and voter approval, and Kairis said an informal poll of council members now indicates local legislators have no appetite for such a change.

It’s not the first time council has transitioned an elected position to an appointed one. In 2019, Kimble Cecora, Ravenna’s then-finance director, did not run for re-election on the November 2019 ballot. No one else did, either, prompting council to amend the charter to make the position an appointed one. Voters approved that charter change in the November election.

In an unexpected turn of events, though, Ravenna resident Brian Huff ran a write-in campaign for finance director. He won the November 2019 election with 72 votes and served as finance director from April 2020 to April 2024. The city then hired Tami Lorence as finance director, and she remains in that position. 

Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee also hit on personnel matters, wondering whether to relieve the mayor of his dual role as city safety director.

The idea hits as city officials mull transitioning from a strong mayor form of government to one headed by a city manager. Should that happen, the mayor’s role would be largely ceremonial.

Some council members voiced concerns that a future mayor may not fully understand how safety forces work and that an independent person would better serve city residents. Others said an independent safety director would still have to report to the mayor.

In the end, the committee took no action. Having an independent safety director would also involve a charter change council and voters would have to approve.

Cannabis revenue

Noting that the city is collecting about $30,000 a month in cannabis revenue, City Council has been mulling how to spend the funds. The city’s finance committee ended up heeding Mayor  Frank Seman’s and Kairis’ advice to delay any decision until the end of the year.

Behind their suggestion is a proposal to eliminate state property taxes altogether. Should that happen, Kairis said, the city’s annual budget of roughly $36 million would take a $1 million hit. An economic downturn could also impact city finances, he said.

Sidewalk repair

City residents whose sidewalks are in disrepair have long been required to fix them and could take advantage of the city’s offer to cover one-third of the cost of needed materials.

Turns out few did. Also turns out that a 0.25% earned income tax increase city voters approved in 2015 was specifically earmarked — at least in part — for sidewalk repair. All of which means the city has been repairing sidewalks itself, without involving Ravenna residents.

Council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee decided to eliminate the shared cost program. Council’s committee of the whole will take up the matter, which may not need full council action, Kairis said.

School resource officers

Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee eyed contracts for school resource officers for the 2026-27 school year. Under standard agreements, the city and school district each pay half of two SROs at district schools. Council's committee of the whole is set to consider the contracts and to forward them to City Council for consideration in June.

Planning committee meeting rescheduled

City Council’s Planning Committee meeting has been rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. May 18 in council chambers. On the agenda is freeing up $6,500 for the July 11 DEK of Hearts concert at Sun Beau Valley. The event caps the county’s only celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

The concert is set for 7-9 p.m. July 11 at Sun Beau Valley Event Center. Tickets cost $15 and are available through the Ravenna Parks and Recreation website: ravennarecreation.recdesk.com.

The committee will also consider purchasing a parking lot at West Spruce Avenue and South Meridian Street. Now owned by a bank, the city wants to use it for police vehicle parking. No purchase price has been publicized