Council Reviews Proposal for New Police Department Video Retrieval Guidelines

At Monday’s Oberlin City Council meeting, the second reading on adopting a policy for Oberlin Police Department’s video production and inspection guidelines passed unanimously. OPD Records Coordinator Sara Podrosky said the proposal would charge those requesting records with the actual cost of producing them, taking into account the labor-intensive and legally complicated process of bodycam footage review. According to Podrosky, the proposal aims to manage the video retrieval requests from “YouTubers and media,” as well as other uninvolved individuals, ensuring the costs of retrieving and producing the footage do not fall on Oberlin taxpayers.

In a memorandum to Council, Law Director Jon D. Clark, OC ’86, indicated that the proposal was modeled after Ohio House Bill 315, which was signed into law in January 2025. Councilmembers Joe Waltzer, OC ’98, and Jessa New, OC ’01, expressed concerns about language meant to waive the fee for those directly involved in the recorded incident being unclear and requested a revision. The measure will be addressed for a third and final time at Council’s next regular meeting. 

Council Reviews New Zoning Code

Council also looked at the new zoning code. At a public hearing earlier that day, Director of Planning and Development Carrie Porter gave a presentation highlighting the goals of the new zoning code. Changes include allowing for more and denser housing, consolidating commercial district zoning, and providing a shorter review process for multi-family residential and mixed-use developments. Council unanimously voted to advance the measure to a second reading, with no questions. However, Council President Eboni A. Johnson, OC ’97, emphasized that it would require more discussion before final approval.

Council Addresses East Vine Street Bridge Delays, Moves Forward with South Pleasant Street Bridge Project 

Due to unanticipated delays caused by the presence of utility issues, the construction of the East Vine Street bridge at South Main Street has stalled. As a result, the contractor D2 Excavating LLC incurred additional costs of up to $225,000 and requested a change to their contract with the Public Works Department to cover these costs. This proposal was unanimously approved on first reading and will take immediate effect, with the bridge’s projected substantial completion date being May 15 and final completion projected by the end of May.

Council unanimously approved D2 Excavating’s bid to replace the South Pleasant Street bridge for just over $1 million. It also approved the city manager to enter a Professional Services Agreement with TRC Companies, as well as to receive ongoing consultation from Shaffer, Johnston, Lichtenwalter & Associates, Inc. of Mansfield for the South Pleasant Street bridge project.