Oberlin City Council Makes Women’s History Month Proclamation
At their regular meeting this Monday, the Oberlin City Council proclaimed that March 2026 will be Women’s History Month in honor of all the impactful women in the Oberlin community.
Their statement highlighted their support for female leaders — past and present — with the hope that it will inspire future generations of daughters and advance equity and equality. This year’s theme was “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”
Council recognized community member Cindy Frantz for her work making the City of Oberlin a more environmentally sustainable and equitable place. Frantz is the co-founder of Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating energy poverty and climate change.
Some of their biggest accomplishments include starting programs like POWER Home Efficiency Grants, which provides financial assistance to all Oberlin residents to weatherize their homes, and a rebate program that covers certain low-energy appliances.
“I’m speechless. I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Frantz replied to Council’s edict.
City Increases Fees for Recreation Programs
City Council heard from Ian Yarber, Oberlin’s recreation director, who pushed to increase fees for recreational programs in the Oberlin Community, including an after-school enrichment program. Councilmember Libni López raised concerns, saying a 35 percent increase in fees — on top of a 30 percent increase in 2025 — may become a significant financial barrier for many families. The total cost would increase from about $130 to $175, which would work out to roughly $1 a day across a 177-day school year, according to Yarber. The increase in costs would theoretically account for the costs of snacks, craft supplies, and instructor salaries. Yarber claimed that most of the recreational programs, like the after-school program, operate at a deficit, and the increased cost would close the gap.
López responded with further concerns about the cost for single-earner households and suggested that a free or low-cost program may attract young families. Yarber replied, stating that “no child is turned away from a family’s inability to pay,” and suggested that scholarships may be awarded to lower-income families. However, some payment system must be in place to accommodate staff, as some children are turned away due to the number of children already enrolled.
Council decided to hold another meeting in the future about the after-school program fees and scholarships to look into plans that may increase the number of scholarships, maintain the fee for families who receive financial assistance, and raise fees for families that can pay full price.
Council Discusses Updated Climate Action Plan
At Monday’s meeting, Council discussed the City’s proposed new Climate Action Plan. Since 2011, the City has operated off of a series of Climate Action Plans aimed at making the City more sustainable. The new plan aims to reduce carbon emission by 75 percent by 2030, make Oberlin a climate-positive community by 2050, and introduce measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Arbogast said the plan would be publicized on the City’s new website pending its launch, along with a dashboard supported by the nonprofit Local Governments for Sustainability that would track the City’s emissions under the plan. Greg Holcomb promised that a Committee would track the implementation of the Plan, along with the Comprehensive Plan, Social Equity Plan, and other municipal plans. Multiple members of the Community used the public comment section to express their support for the plan. Council supported the plan but decided to delay the final vote to a second reading for more opportunity for consideration and public input. They will vote on it at their next regular meeting.
