Note to readers:

The following item is a written record of the Akron City Council Ward 7 community meeting from May 27, compiled by Akron Documenter Joy Butch. 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 

  • Legal and rehabilitation programs are available to community members in an effort to provide services to low-income individuals, residents learned during the May 27 Ward 7 meeting held in Akron’s Firestone Park neighborhood. Judge Joy Malek Oldfield’s Turning Point drug and alcohol rehabilitation program has shown a 90% success rate in the first year after program completion. Program partners include Community Legal Aid, which provides legal services, as well as the YMCA, which provides wellness passes to participants.
  • Community concerns were raised about property maintenance and safety issues. Ward 7 City Council Member Donnie Kammer encouraged a stronger collaboration between residents and law enforcement in order to make their jobs easier and to increase police presence in the area. 
  • Heintz-Hillcrest Park won the Akron Parks Collaborative challenge and will be awarded $150,000 to update the park. Multiple individuals and organizations are involved in the planning — anyone interested can reach out to Kammer to find out how to participate.  

Documenter follow-up questions

  • What enforcement policies are available to address unmaintained properties owned by out-of-state individuals or corporations?
  • What strategies could law enforcement implement to increase collaboration with community members? 
  • What additional resources could benefit Turning Point participants in an effort to increase long-term program success?

Ward 7 meeting notes

Conversation with a Councilman started at 5:23 p.m. and ended at 6:05 p.m with 19 people in attendance. Kammer holds these sessions before the Ward 7 meetings to allow residents to ask questions and talk with him. 

Legal aid and addiction help programs available

Judge Joy Malek Oldfield, with the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, spoke to the attendees about several programs designed to support residents.

Turning Point Program: Drug and alcohol rehabilitation

  • Eligibility:
    • Non‑violent offenders only
    • No sex offense history
  • Participants meet with the judge weekly.
  • Outcomes:
    • 90 percent do not reoffend within one year of graduating from the program (no arrests, convictions, or incarcerations), according to the judge.
    • 80 percent remain offense‑free after two to three years.
  • Participants can receive a YMCA pass to support wellness during the program.

Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative

  • Network of volunteer attorneys working with community organizations to increase legal access.
  • Help is available the first Friday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m.
  • Areas of support include child support, child custody visitation, debt collection, housing issues such as evictions and foreclosures and garnishments.
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Local organization provides free services

Community Legal Aid Director of Client Services Ken Mirkin shared the following information:

  • The organization provides free civil legal services for:
    • Low‑income residents (200% of the federal poverty level)
    • All residents over age 60
  • Services include, but are not limited to:
    • Family law, custody and protection orders
    • Public and veterans benefits
    • Education law
    • Record sealing and expungement
    • Housing conditions, tenant rights
  • Program details:
    • There are about 40 attorneys serving eight counties.
    • They handle approximately 1,400 calls per year.
  • Right to Counsel program
    • Applies to eviction cases where:
      • Children are present in the home and household income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty level, or
      • Household includes someone who is 60 years of age or older
  • Residents are encouraged to pre‑register for legal clinics so enough lawyers will be present.
  • Federal funding restrictions determine eligibility related to citizenship/immigration status.

Community members raise concerns, hear updates

  • Kammer announced the Akron Summer Concert Series, including several events at the Firestone Park Community Center.
  • Residents raised concerns about vacant and poorly maintained properties, particularly those owned by out‑of‑state property managers.
    • Kammer advised residents to:
      • Call 311 multiple times to report issues.
      • Contact him directly if concerns are not resolved.

🗓️ New events calendar! From block parties to concerts and kids’ activities, find fun around Akron and Summit County all year long. Dive into the calendar and start planning.

Council member leads public safety discussion

  • Kammer and residents had a discussion about recent crimes in the area, including a shooting on Kenmore Boulevard that happened the day before the meeting and left one man dead.
  • Kammer said that there are some bad cops just as in any profession. He said that 98 percent of people like the police, but that the Akron Police need support and are “getting attacked,” especially in City Council meetings. “Ninety-eight percent of what I hear every Monday is to attack the police, the police are no good.” He said that he loves the police and comes from a police background and knows that some officers are bad. 
  • He said the pressure on the police needs to stop because it’s hurting how he can do his job to help constituents with things like moving cars blocking driveways. 
  • He said that APD officers are not supported and are not able to do things like pull people over to get the guns off the street. 
  • Kammer encouraged residents to support local police efforts.
  • Emphasized the need for an increased police presence in the area.
  • He said he was going to invite APD Police Chief Brian Harding to the next Ward 7 meeting.

Ward 7 meeting started at 6:05 p.m. and ended at 6:33 p.m. with 30 people in attendance. 

Heintz-Hillcrest Park wins the Akron Parks Challenge

A closer look at Firestone Park

Akron Documenters trains and pays residents to document local government meetings with notes and live-tweet threads. We then make those meeting summaries available as a new public record.