Click here to view the City’s Boards & Commissions videos.

Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Transition Plan Task Force was established in 2020 to create a framework for the establishment an ADA Transition Plan for the City of Lakewood.  Lakewood is required by law is to have an ADA Transition Plan in place for the upgrade and compliance of city properties and facilities including but not limited to buildings, signage, website, sidewalks, curbs, crosswalks and pedestrian signals.

The ADA Transition Plan Task Force shall be composed of seven members, three of whom shall be appointed by City Council and four of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor. The appointees shall have no formal term and may select a chairperson from among them. Council may appoint a representative from among councilmembers to attend task force meetings as a non-voting member, and in that event Council’s representative shall report to Council following each public meeting of the task force. The Mayor or any designee of her choosing shall serve as a non-voting member.

ADA Transition Plan Adopted

On November 20, 2023, Lakewood City Council adopted the ADA Transition Plan.

Click here to view the plan.

Public Comment Sept 5-Sept 19, 2023

City of Lakewood’s ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan

The City of Lakewood, Ohio has completed an ADA self-evaluation of all Lakewood-owned facilities and programs for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and produced am ADA Self-evaluation and transition plan document. Title II of the ADA requires that each of the city of Lakewood’s services, programs, and activities be readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. Title II also requires public outreach to the community. The comment period will be open until from September 5 -September 19, 2023.

A copy of the draft Transition Plan will be made available for public review and comment at the following local facilities:

• Lakewood City Hall -Planning Department, located at 12650 Detroit Avenue
• Cove Community Center, located at 12525 Lake Avenue
• Madison Library, located at 13229 Madison Avenue
• Main Library, located at 15425 Detroit Avenue
• Or click here to view it online.

The City of Lakewood, Ohio complies with the ADA and, upon request, will provide written materials in appropriate alternative formats. Please contact the city’s ADA Coordinator Michelle Nochta at michelle.nochta@lakewoodoh.net or 216-529-5906.

City of Lakewood ADA Survey –
Community Input Needed

The city of Lakewood has partnered with DLZ to perform an ADA self-evaluation of all city-owned facilities and programs for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title II of the ADA requires that each of the city’s services, programs, and activities be readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. Title II also requires public outreach to the community, especially persons with disabilities, their caregivers, and advocacy groups for the disabled. The city of Lakewood is soliciting public input and comment on barriers that exist, or are perceived to exist, to persons with disabilities to access city programs.

Click here to fill out the ADA survey.

We welcome your input to assist us in this project. All comments will be reviewed and considered and included in the final report. Please feel free to pass the information about this project on to others that you believe might be interested in providing input or comments. The comment period will be open until the adoption of the plan. A copy of the draft Transition Plan will be made available for public review and comment at local facilities and the city website, and you will be notified when it is available.

The city of Lakewood complies with the ADA and, upon request, will provide written materials in appropriate alternative formats, or disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in public meetings. Please send a written request, including your name, mailing address, phone number, and brief description of the requested materials and preferred alternative format or auxiliary aid or service at least three (3) business days prior to the close of the comment period or the Public Hearing for adoption.

Please forward any comments, questions, or input to 12650 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood Ohio 44107 or via email at michelle.nochta@lakewoodoh.net.

Click here to fill out the ADA survey.

Click here to report an accessibility problem to a City of Lakewood public building, facility, space, right-of-way, etc.

Click here to read the resolution creating the ADA Task Force.

2023 ADA Task Force Meetings

ADA Task Force Agendas

ADA Task Force Minutes

ADA Task Force Meeting Videos

The Lakewood Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board was established to serve in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and Council on issues related to the health and welfare of humans and animals as they interact in our community.

The Lakewood Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory board is composed of eleven members. Board members include a representative from the Lakewood City Council, the Director of Public Safety or a representative of that office, and nine members who are residents of the City of Lakewood with  some area of expertise in animal behavior, animal safety or other experience that would bring diversity to the membership of the Board.

The Lakewood Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board is an advisory board and shall coordinate its activities with the Administration and Council.  The board shall report to Council and the Mayor at the request of either or at its own discretion.

Click here to view the 2024 Meeting Calendar.

Click here to view the Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board agendas.

Click here to view the Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board minutes.

For information about a particular Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board meeting,  please visit http://www.lakewoodoh.gov/calendar

Links

• 2018 LASWAB Annual Report
• Animals in Lakewood
• Application to serve on Board/Commission
• Balloon Releases Harm Wildlife & Cause Environmental Hazards
• Bird Feeding Guide
• City Chickens
• Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips
• Coping with the loss of a pet
• Coyotes
• Dog License Renewal
• Dogs Running at Large
• Keeping Cats Indoors
• Preventing Bird Collisions
• Summer Safety For Pets: Safety In The Heat   
• Summer Safety for Pets: Keeping Your Pets Safe On The 4th Of July

The Anti-Racism Task Force advises and works with the administration to ensure the value of anti-racism is foundational and unambiguously expressed in all city objectives, such as, safety, housing, education and culture, and community wellness.  The Task Force may consider any subject referred to it for review and advice.

The Anti-Racism Task Force shall be composed of eleven members, six of whom shall be appointed by Council and five of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor.  The appointees shall serve a two-year term, are eligible for reappointment and may select a chairperson from among them.

2024 Anti-Racism Task Force Meeting Calendar

Anti-Racism Task Force Agendas

Anti-Racism Task Force Minutes

The City of Lakewood Audit Committee was established (LCO Chapter 160) in 2007 to provide independent review and oversight of the City’s financial reporting processes, internal controls, and the independent auditor comments. The Committee shall review financial statements, independent auditor reports and follow up on corrective actions; review the City of Lakewood’s comprehensive framework of internal controls; to assess the performance of the independent auditor; and to provide an independent forum to report findings of management fraud, abuse or control override to the independent auditor.

The Audit Committee shall be composed of the Lakewood City Council Finance Committee members, two Lakewood residents appointed by City Council and four Lakewood residents appointed by the Mayor. The appointed Lakewood residents must currently or formerly have been employed in the finance industry, or serve in a finance capacity, preferable within government finance, and/or must be a recognized expert of the finance industry. Committee members shall receive no compensation for their service and shall have a point of contact in the Department of Finance.

Architectural Board of Review (ABR) includes design professionals and is tasked with three different review boards, which include: 

• The Board of Building Standards reviews applications for variances to the city’s Building Code. 
• The Architectural Board of Review considers architectural proposal for commercial and residential properties. 
• The Sign Review Board reviews all sign proposals, including those that require a variance. 

IMPORTANT – PLEASE VISIT THIS SITE PRIOR TO SUBMITTING APPLICATION 

 ABR meets the second Thursday of the month at 5:30 pm in City Hall’s Auditorium.

Click here to view the 2024 Meeting Calendar.  

Click here to view the 2025 Meeting Calendar.

Click here to view the BBS/ARB/Sign Review Board agendas. 

Click here to view the BBS/ARB/Sign Review Board minutes. 

The Board of Control consists of the Mayor, the Director of Law, the Director of Finance and the Director of Public Works, who may be represented by designees approve contracts by the execution of a written authorization or ratification of a contract by three of its members or their respective designees, with or without a meeting. Contracts or purchases in excess of $7,500 or professional services in excess of $5,000 require the approval of the Board of Control. All meetings take place at 2:30 PM in the Mayor’s Conference Room at Lakewood City Hall, 12650 Detroit Avenue.

Board of Control Meetings 2024

Click here to view Board of Control Agendas.

Click here to view Board of Control Meeting Minutes.

2024 Charter Review Commission Final Report

In January of 2024 and each 10th year thereafter, nine registered voters of the city shall be appointed as members of a charter review commission. Five members of the commission shall be appointed by council and four members shall be appointed by the mayor. Members of the commission shall not hold any other office or position of employment with the city. The commission shall review the charter and within six months after the appointment of its members may recommend to council, by a two-thirds vote of all the members of the commission, revisions and amendments to this charter. Council may submit any proposed amendments recommended by the commission to a vote of the people in the manner provided under this charter and the state Constitution. Amendments shall be in the form provided by council.

Amendments to this charter may be submitted to the registered voters of the city by a two-thirds vote of all councilmembers and, upon petitions signed by 10 percent of the registered voters of the city proposing an amendment, shall be submitted to the voters by council. The submission of a proposed amendment to the registered voters shall be governed by the requirements of Article XVIII, Sections 8 and 9 of the Constitution of the state of Ohio as to the submission of the question of choosing a charter commission; and notice of the proposed amendment may be mailed to the registered voters as provided by the Constitution or notice may be given pursuant to ordinances adopted by council. If any amendment is approved by a majority of those voting on the amendment, it shall become a part of the charter of the city, except that if two or more inconsistent amendments on the same subject are submitted at the same election and each is approved, only the amendment receiving the largest affirmative vote shall become a part of the charter. A copy of the charter or any amendment shall be certified to the secretary of state within 30 days after its adoption by the registered voters.

2024 Charter Review Commission Calendar

2024 Charter Review Commission Agendas

2024 Charter Review Commission Minutes

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is a 17-member committee, and includes 9 members appointed by the Mayor to serve two-year terms and 8 members appointed by the City Council to serve one-year terms.

The CAC is charged with the responsibility of reviewing and researching Community Development needs and the Consolidated Plan of the City of Lakewood. In this context, the CAC reviews various proposals for federal funds and makes recommendations to the City Council as to what programs would be funded and at what funding levels in a particular year. The CAC members analyze requests for funds in relation to the needs of the community and the amount of funds available.

In order to ensure that all citizens of Lakewood have an opportunity to discuss community needs and proposed programs, the CAC holds two public hearings. The first, held near the beginning of the review process, provides an opportunity for discussion of community needs. The second public hearing, held at the end of the process, is devoted largely to comments with regard to any proposed programs.

The work of the CAC takes place over approximately seven evening meetings, beginning in early August and ending in early October. The first meeting includes a training session for new CAC members. The first or second meeting is a general organizational meeting for all members providing a review of federal regulations and distribution of Committee members’ notebooks. The final meeting of the CAC is also the date of the second public hearing at which citizens may comment on any proposals being considered by the Committee. Citizens may also comment on the Consolidated Plan and various community needs. The Mayor is invited to this meeting to present comments with regard to the various proposals.

Following this public hearing, the Committee will discuss the proposals for using the funds in relation to community needs. Proposals are prioritized and funding recommendations are made. A written CAC report is sent to the Mayor and to City Council.

When City Council receives the CAC recommendations, the report is generally referred to a Committee. CAC members are then invited to attend the Committee meeting(s) for their input during the final decision-making process.

Click here for more information about the CAC process.

Application to serve on Board/Commission

The City Records Commission is composed of the Mayor or his or her appointed representative, as chairperson, the Director of Finance, the Director of Law and a citizen appointed by the Mayor. The functions of the City Records Commission shall be to provide rules for retention and disposal of records of the City; to review, revise and approve schedules of records retention; to review all applications for records disposal and schedules of records disposition submitted by the City; and to ensure compliance with general law related to records retention, disposal and disposition. The Commission shall meet at least once every six months and upon the call of the chairperson.

Click here to see the Record Retention Polices for the City of Lakewood.

Among the duties of the Lakewood Civil Service Commission, the Commission provides testing to determine merit and fitness of qualified applicants for original and promotional appointment to classified positions with the City of Lakewood and Lakewood Board of Education.

Board Members:

• John Mills
• Nathaniel Szep
• Terry Vincent

Click here for the 2024 Lakewood Civil Service Commission meeting schedule.

Click here to view the Lakewood Civil Service Commission agendas.

Click here to view the Lakewood Civil Service Commission minutes.

For information about a particular Lakewood Civil Service Commission meeting,  please visit http://www.lakewoodoh.gov/calendar

Civil Service Rules (Rev. 2-27-2024)

Formed by Resolution 2023-09, the Community Health Needs Standing Committee, now known as the Community Health Action Team,  supports the development and implementation of actions related to identified health needs as well as the consideration of future opportunities for community partnerships, programming, and other initiatives to build and sustain a culture of health action in Lakewood. The Committee is composed of seven core members, with additional stakeholder organizations participating as necessary.

The duties of the Committee:

1. To advise and recommend actions to Council, the Mayor, and other public and private entities related to health needs within the City;
2. To promote the general improvement of partnerships, programs, and other initiatives related to health needs within the City; and
3. To encourage education and investment in health needs and to identify opportunities for action;

Core Membership:

• Department of Planning & Development
• Department of Human Services
• Healthy Lakewood Foundation
• Three Arches Foundation
• City Council
• Lakewood City Schools – Community and District Activities
• Lakewood City Schools – Student Services

Click here to view Committee Agendas.

Click here to view Committee Minutes.

The Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission was established (LCO Chapter 142) in 2005 to serve in an advisory capacity for the purpose of educating, informing and making recommendations to City officials, departments, boards and commissions on matters relating to community relations within the City of Lakewood in an effort to advance:

• Respect for diversity: Acknowledge we live in a dynamic community with an ever- changing variety of group and individual experiences, and affirm values derived from the understanding of our differences (whether based on socio-economic class, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation).
• Bonds of mutuality: Recognize the interdependence of our different interests as we work toward serving the common good, and ensure community relations have substantive meaning by acknowledging, as Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
• Equity: Affirm our commitment to social justice, and assure all groups and individuals have the opportunity to participate fully in civic affairs with equal access to employment, community resources, and decision-making processes.

The Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission is composed of thirteen (13) residents that broadly represent the social, economic, and cultural interests of Lakewood, Ohio. City Council has 7 appointments and the Mayor has 6 appointments to the Commission. Each member of City Council shall appoint one (1) member to the Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission.

Commission members shall serve a term of three (3) years. Whenever possible, one member shall also be a member of the Lakewood Board of Education, one member shall be a member of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and one member shall be a member of the Lakewood Ministerial Association.

The Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission is to be advisory to and shall coordinate its activities with the Mayor, Lakewood City Council, Planning Commission, and any other such boards, commissions, agencies, or departments of the City of Lakewood, Ohio. The Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Commission is also authorized to undertake community relations tasks as requested by the Mayor and City Council.

2021 Community Survey Results

Click here to view the 2023 Meeting Calendar.

Click here to view the Community Relations Advisory Commission agendas.

Click here to view the Community Relations Advisory Commission minutes.

For information about a particular Community Relations Advisory Commission meeting,  please visit http://www.lakewoodoh.gov/calendar

Application to serve on Board/Commission

The Fair Employment Wage Board (FEWB) reviews the effectiveness of the living wage ordinance (LCO Chapter 113) to ensure that the community is informed on whether those companies that are being awarded service contracts by the City are adhering to the ordinance. Effective January 1, 2024,  covered employers are to pay no less than $17.59/hour. The FEWB also makes recommendations to the Administration and Lakewood City Council, when appropriate, regarding issues pertaining to the living wage policy.

Application to serve on Board/Commission

Lakewood Heritage Advisory Board (LHAB) has been established to serve in an advisory capacity for the purpose of educating, informing, and making recommendations to City Officials, Departments, Boards and Commissions, and the community on matters relating to historic preservation.  

To nominate a Lakewood property for historic designation, click here. For the long-form (fillable PDF), click here.

2024 LHAB Meeting Calendar

2025 LHAB Meeting Calendar

 Click here to view the LHAB agendas. 

Click here to view the LHAB minutes. 

Downloads

• Building Construction By Decade
• Historic Preservation Ordinance PowerPoint
• Potential Historic Districts Map 2011
• FAQs about the Lakewood Ohio Historic Preservation Ordinance

The Human Rights Commission was established in 2016 as part of the city’s comprehensive Human Rights Ordinance, which protects citizens from discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, education, and public accommodation (LCO Chapter 516). The responsibilities of the Human Rights Commission are to receive, initiate, investigate, seek to conciliate, hold hearings on and pass upon complaints alleging unlawful discrimination, and to cooperate with the community in the development of education programs regarding equal opportunity of all individuals in Lakewood.

The commission is made up of three members: One will be the Director of Planning and Development or his or her designee for the City; the second member is be appointed by the mayor; and the third member is appointed by majority vote of council. Each member of the Commission shall serve a term of three years and until his or her successor has been appointed and qualified for office.

Application to serve on Board/Commission

Click here for the Keep Lakewood Beautiful page.

Loan Approval Board (LAB) reviews and approves applications for the various rehabilitation programs offered by the City of Lakewood’s Division of Community Development (DCD). 

2024 Loan Approval Board Meeting Calendar

2025 Loan Approval Board Meeting Calendar

Click here to view the Loan Approval Board agendas.

Click here to view the Loan Approval Board minutes.

The Local Board of Tax Review hears appeals from taxpayers appealing their income tax obligations to the City. The Local Board of Tax Review meets as needed and performs a necessary due process function for residents.

The Local Board of Tax Review shall consist of three members.  Two members shall be appointed by City Council.  ,One member shall be appointed by the Mayor.

The term for members of the Local Board of Tax Review appointed by the legislative authority of the Municipality shall be two years. There is no limit on the number of terms that a member may serve should the member be reappointed by the legislative authority. The board member appointed by the Mayor shall serve at the discretion of the administrative official.

More information about the Local Board of Tax Review can be found in Section 128.18 of the Lakewood Codified Ordinances.

Click here to view information about the Lakewood Planning Commission.

The Public Art Advisory Board (PAAB)  has been established to serve in an advisory capacity for the purpose of ….collaborating with City officials regarding its public art policies and practices, promoting the City’s public art initiatives, and educating residents on the benefits of public art on public and private properties.  

2024 PAAB Meeting Calendar

2025 PAAB Meeting Calendar

Click here to view the PAAB agendas. 

Click here to view the PAAB minutes. 

Click here for the Tree Advisory & Education Board web page.

The Youth Council shall be composed of fifteen Lakewood residents who, at the time of their appointment, are between the point of entering the eighth grade and entering their freshman year of college in the fall of the year of their appointment. The Mayor shall appoint the original fifteen members with confirmation of Council, and thereafter the Youth Council shall submit slates of members appointed by the Youth Council every two years for ratification by the Mayor with confirmation of Council. Members shall receive no compensation for their service.

Youth Council members shall be eligible to serve up to two consecutive two-year terms. Vacancies in terms shall be filled by action of the Youth Council without additional approval of the Mayor or Council.

The Youth Advisory Council shall meet at least on a quarterly basis and shall devise its own officers, governance, and place and time of assembly.

2024 Youth Council Meeting Calendar

2025 Youth Council Meeting Calendar

Youth Council Agendas

Youth Council Minutes

Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) reviews applications for variances to the zoning code. BZA meets the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm in City Hall’s Auditorium.

2024 Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting Calendar

2025 Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting Calendar

Click here to view the Board of Zoning Appeals agendas.

Click here to view the Board of Zoning Appeals minutes.

Application to serve on a Board/Commission