Note to readers:
The following item is a written record of the Akron City Council Ward 2 meeting from Sept. 30, compiled by Akron Documenter Mike Klein. 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
- Family Promise of Summit County is a nonprofit organization that takes homeless families from having nothing to owning a home and building generational wealth.
- The Ward 2 meeting, led by Council Member Phil Lombardo, focused on information distribution and community engagement. There were five speakers at the meeting.
- Ward 10 Council Member Sharon Connor spoke about the ongoing work at the Brittain Road Reservoir in Goodyear Heights.
Documenter follow-up questions
- Will the North Main Street project create a safer and smoother traffic flow along that corridor in Ward 2?
- Will Family Promise continue to succeed? Will it achieve the self-sustaining goal of having 25 homes in its program?
- Will the Family Promise program expand throughout Ohio if Amy Acton becomes governor?
Ward 2 meeting notes
The meeting started at 5:58 p.m. with Ward 2 Council Member Phil Lombardo welcoming everyone and explaining that there would be several speakers.
Nonprofit provides shelter, help for homeless families
Lombardo introduced Jeff Wilhite, executive director of Family Promise of Summit County and District 4 county council member.
Wilhite said Family Promise:
- Is a nonprofit shelter program that helps families stay together, find homes and become independent.
- Does not define what a family is.
- Wants to make sure that the entire family stays together, including pets.
- Understands that once you are homeless, that memory will stay with you for the rest of your life.
- Launched the “Survive to Thrive” program, which buys houses, renovates them and moves families in after they go through a 60 to 90-day educational program. The educational program teaches basic fiscal management and budgeting skills and home maintenance skills. The program moves families into a house where they spend 12 months paying rent and then another 12 months under land contract where they build credit and equity. After those 24 months, the families can go to a regular bank or mortgage lender and refinance.
- Placed families into 10 renovated homes. Once they get to 25 homes, the program will be self-sustaining.
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Program provides low-rent housing options
Wilhite told the story of a current candidate for Ohio governor who contacted Family Promise to learn more about their program. The candidate stressed that they did not want any media as it wasn’t a political event. During their meeting, the candidate shared that they had been homeless too.
Wilhite said he was “excited beyond words…” to get someone in the governor’s mansion who understands homelessness and understands housing. He said we can come up with all the programs we want, but until and unless we solve affordable housing, families will never achieve generational wealth.
Wilhite said they’ve created a program that works and touted the following program highlights:
- Participants become debt-free, equity goes up and credit rating goes up
- A house is saved
- The city saves money by not having to maintain the house or tear it down
- A family occupies the house and contributes taxes and work
- The neighborhood becomes safer
- The neighborhood takes pride in itself again
Wilhite then took questions from the audience:
- What is the rent? Wilhite said they are under market at about $850 per month.
- Do you teach clients budgeting? Budgeting and home maintenance are part of the program he said.
- Do you accept donations of furniture, etc.? Wilhite said yes and to check the website.
- Do you accept legacy gifts of homes? The group does accept legacy gifts. Wilhite said to call the office and they will work through it with you.
- Do you need volunteers? Volunteers help people move in, clean and cook meals.
Lombardo presented Wilhite a small trophy that expressed Ward 2’s appreciation for Wilhite’s work.
Two candidates speak to audience
Lombardo introduced Job Esau Perry, who is running for Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge. Perry said he would like to be one of the 10 judges in the General Division.
Derrick Hall, who is running for re-election as the 34th District state representative, also spoke. His district includes Ward 2. Hall thanked Lombardo for the opportunity and reminded everyone how important it is to vote in a state election.
🗳️ Looking for clear, nonpartisan election info? Our coverage explains what it means for you — find reporting and resources for Election 2026 here.
Brittain Road Reservoir update
Lombardo asked Ward 10 Council Member Sharon Connor for an update on what’s happening in Ward 10, which sits just south of Ward 2. Connor said that the biggest thing happening in Ward 10 is the replacement of the Brittain Road reservoir. Connor said it really is a marvel of engineering and explained how all of the concrete that will line the bottom of the reservoir is poured at night, and it takes about 300 truckloads per night to complete just a quarter of the area. Connor said that the work should be completed in a year and a half.
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Akron Police Officer Karlton Sparks handed out a flyer showing tables of various statistics the police use to track crime in Akron. The flyer showed the statistics for August 2026. (See attached) Starks did not comment on any of the statistics.
Sparks also said he knew there was a lot of concern about mini-bikes and other small motorized vehicles increasingly appearing in the area. He said these vehicles are illegal to ride on streets and sidewalks, and that, technically, the operators of the vehicles should have a license to operate them.
He said those rules don’t apply to e-bikes. He said if anyone sees someone driving one of these vehicles recklessly, they should call in a report to let the police handle it.
Sparks said no one should expect an officer to show up if there isn’t an accident involved, and that his department has found that they usually know who is operating the vehicle and that it is better handled by an officer showing up at the suspect’s house and discussing the situation with the operator and his/her parents. Sparks said if there is an accident, then it should be reported to the police. Sparks also said that, in most cases, the operators of these vehicles don’t have insurance
Lombardo finished the meeting with ward updates
- He passed out a Summa Health pamphlet about men’s health. Lombardo urged all of the men in attendance to read the pamphlet.
- A recent safety meeting reported that use-of-force incidents by police are down, while assaults on officers are up. There was an incident on Copley Road where a female officer was attacked and bitten by an assailant. He said that even though the officer did not instigate the situation, it would still be recorded as a “Use of Force” incident in the police records.
- Barry Pruitt, the city’s project engineer for the North Main Street repaving project, sends out a weekly email to all of the businesses along the construction site with updates on the progress and what to expect next.
- Pruitt also said the goal for this year is to have North Main Street complete from the High Level Bridge to Tallmadge Avenue. If that happens, then next spring, they can attack the final section between Tallmadge Avenue and the Y-Bridge and have the whole road completed by Summer 2027.
- The next Ward 2 meeting on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. will be a Halloween costume party with awards for the best costumes.
The meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m.
