Mayor Defers to New Sign

Residents reminded of rules for public speaking at Kent City Council

Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala has one less thing to say. The city recently installed signs at Kent City Council chambers informing members of the public on the procedure for speaking publicly during council meetings. The signs simply inform residents that if they want to speak publicly during the meeting they must register to do so, and they are limited to three minutes to get their point across. Fiala joked during council's meeting Wednesday that "for 100 years" the presiding mayor always had the duty of sharing this information at the start of each meeting. "Now did anybody sign up tonight?" Fiala asked Wednesday, the first meeting since the signs were posted. "No."

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Mayors, Service Directors Meeting in Stow to Discuss Shared Equipment

Mayor Sara Drew said officials will talk about sharing pieces of equipment to use intermittently instead of each city purchasing an expensive tool.

Nearby cities already work together and share services, especially when it comes to large fires or police chases through several communities. But, a group of city officials from Summit and Portage County are gathering at Stow City Hall to talk about the possibility of sharing expensive service equipment. A concept that Mayor Sara Drew says is unprecedented for this area.  "Service departments have not been a place of mutual aid in the past," she said. Stow is playing host for the second regional meeting Thursday afternoon and officials from 12 communities, including Streetsboro, Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, Twinsburg and more will be present to talk about how each city's service department could provide assistance across city lines. Streetsboro …

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VIDEO: 'It's Tradition'

Mayor Jerry Fiala's Bocci team competes to win another championship

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Committee: No Raise for Kent City Council Members

Kent Salary Review Committee recommends pay should stay the same

The Kent Salary Review Committee agreed today on a recommendation that pay should stay the same for the 10 members of Kent City Council. Committee members John Bard, T.N. Bhargava, Iris Meltzer and Warner Mendenhall signed the group's final recommendation at its last meeting this afternoon. Committee member Mary Kennely declined to sign the overall recommendation and instead submitted her own report to council.  The recommendation states neither a raise, nor a reduction in pay is appropriate for council's six ward representatives, three at-large members and the mayor. Council members are paid $6,200 each year and the mayor is paid $6,600. Both elected offices are ineligible for coverage under the city's health insurance programs that are …

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