Note to readers:
The following item is a written record of the Akron City Council Ward 5 community meeting from May 21, compiled by Akron Documenter Jessica Rice. It is not a reported story.
Documenters are residents who are trained to observe and document local government meetings. Their notes are edited before publication for clarity and accuracy — unless quotation marks are used, all text is paraphrased.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalakron.org with "Correction Request" in the subject line.
Summary:
- A volunteer from Freedom BLOC spoke to Ward 5 residents about housing initiatives the want added to the ballot in November. They said they need 5,000 signatures by August.
- The meeting focused on reviewing a summary of the development and construction of a new waste transfer station on East Archwood Avenue. Three representatives from the city were in attendance to answer the community’s questions.
- Community members voiced their unhappiness with the project by saying that they would have preferred that the new development be moved to another location away from East Akron because of the pest and health issues that they have been experiencing.
Documenter follow-up questions:
- What are the cancer rates of the residents in East Akron because of the trash facilities?
- A volunteer stated that Akron has the highest eviction rate in the state. Why is the eviction rate so high? Why isn’t the city doing more to help?
Ward 5 meeting overview
The meeting was held at the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. (EANDC) on South Arlington Street. There were 28 people in attendance. A lectern was set up with a microphone, which was passed around the room to the community members with questions.
The meeting began at 6:10 p.m. and was led by Ward 5 Council Member Johnnie Hannah. He began the meeting by asking the community if anyone had any concerns in their neighborhood. Many residents expressed their concerns about trash being dumped in various locations. Hannah asked for the address of where the trash is and said that he would go to the locations and determine which department needs to be contacted.
Rental application fees would be eliminated, deposits spread out
Hannah then introduced a volunteer from Freedom BLOC who was working to get housing initiatives added to the ballot in November.
The initiatives include:
- The elimination of fees for rental applications.
- The creation of a way to break up the payment of a security deposit at move in into multiple payments.
- The removal of restrictions for people with criminal records who are not sexual offenders.
The volunteer said she needs 5,000 signatures by August.
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East Akron transfer station moves forward
Suzie Graham Moore, director of economic development for the City of Akron, and two other representatives from the city reviewed the WM project and passed out a summary of the progress that has been made.
The city has created an agreement with WM (formerly Waste Management) that includes development requirements, community benefits and service agreement terms.
They include the construction of the $14 million to $16 million waste and recycling transfer station in East Akron, closure of the original station in Middlebury, a $1 million charitable investment ($100,000 over 5 years) and long-term rate stability for 25 years.
The development of the project began in 2024, and the new station should be operational at the end of 2027. The old facility on Fountain Street will be demolished and cleaned up within 90 days of the new facility opening. Read the summary of the agreement here.
Residents express concerns about the project
Residents voiced their unhappiness with the project, saying that they would have preferred that the new development be moved to another location away from East Akron because of the pest and health issues that they have been experiencing.
Moore said that within the new agreement, they will clean daily within half a mile of the facility and that pest control will be in place. She said the new facility will be zoned as commercial and that the EPA requirements will be stricter as a result. She also said that the pests should be minimal because no trash will be stored on the site, as it will only be a transfer station and is expected to be cleaned inside daily as well.
The decision to put the new facility on Archwood Avenue was made by the city — this location will pay property taxes, while the old facility did not. She encouraged everyone to contact 311 if they have any issues once the new station is opened so that the city can have a record of any complaints.
The meeting ended at 7:31 p.m.
Akron’s community calendar
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