Women’s History Month Proclamation Presented to Farah Emeka, OC ’97

City Council President Eboni A. Johnson, OC ’97, presented the March 2025 Women’s History Month Proclamation to Farah Emeka, chief prosecutor and assistant law director for the City of Oberlin. The Proclamation acknowledged the important roles women have played as workers, as homemakers, and as volunteers. It also encouraged participation in activities that promote learning more about women’s history. Upon receiving the Proclamation, Emeka paid tribute to Johnson.

League of Women Voters of Lorain County Presents on Primary Election Participation

Voter Registration Coordinator Maureen Simen of the League of Women Voters of Lorain County shared data regarding the participation of Oberlin voters in off-year primary elections. The data showed that these elections have a lower turnout, which means every individual vote is worth more. Simen also shared resources for researching candidates and issues, such as Vote411.org and VoteOhio.gov. The primary election takes place May 6, with voter registration closing April 7. April 29 is the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot. Forms are available at the Oberlin Public Library.

City of Oberlin IT Department Shares Accomplishments, Future Plans

Michael Wargo, IT manager for the City of Oberlin, provided information on recent IT upgrades, including new firewalls, running a fiber connection to the Oberlin Enrichment and Activity Center, switching to a Microsoft Office 365 email server, and a new phone system. New security protections have also been implemented to ensure the safety of City information. In the future, the City IT department hopes to completely integrate City employees into the Office 365 suite, in addition to further rebuilding firewalls and running fiber to the Oberlin Enrichment and Activity Center. Councilmembers were especially excited by the possibilities of the new phone system.

Ordinance for Amendments to Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee

Proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee were passed on a first reading, with the finalized amendments to be passed at a future meeting. Changes include meeting only once a month on the third Wednesday of the month at 8:30 a.m. at the OEAC. Also, the amendments will make it possible for the Committee to make changes to their rules without having to appear before the Council for each change. 

Council Communications

Councilmembers Libni López and Joe Waltzer, OC ’98, as well as Council Vice President Michael McFarlin, participated in the Ecolympics as torchbearers. The Arbor Day tree planting celebration is set for the end of April, while the Public Utilities Commission March 11 meeting has been canceled due to a lack of business to discuss. City Council President Johnson and Vice President McFarlin will be attending the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C. next week, where they will meet with state and federal legislators. Community members with concerns are encouraged to communicate messages to McFarlin, who will convey these communications to the representatives. 

The Lorain County Commissioners have also approved the annexation of land from the Pittsfield Valley Township. Interim City Manager Jon Clark met with the commissioners last week to advocate for approval of the plan. The transcript of the approval will be delivered to the city clerk and Council can vote on an ordinance to approve it after 60 days. 

Information regarding tax parcels will be provided to Council at the next meeting.