Macedonia City Council tackled a packed agenda at its February 26 regular meeting, voting down two controversial ordinances while approving new trucks, a firefighters’ contract, and a slate of park and recreation projects.
MACEDONIA, Ohio – Macedonia City Council’s February 26, 2026 regular meeting covered a wide range of topics, from a failed cats ordinance and a rejected Airbnb ban to new service department trucks, a new firefighters’ contract, and a series of capital improvement projects for the city’s parks and recreation facilities.
Cats Ordinance Fails Unanimously
Council took up Ordinance 85-2025, which would have amended Section 505.16 of the city’s codified ordinances to set a maximum number of cats allowed on residential property. After a work session discussion in which council members questioned who would enforce property-specific limits and noted that existing nuisance ordinances already address problem conditions, the ordinance was brought to a second and third reading and voted on the same evening. It failed unanimously, with all five council members voting nay. Mayor Nicholas Molnar indicated the administration could revisit the issue in the future with a revised proposal if needed.
Short-Term Rental Ban Also Rejected
Ordinance 86-2025, which would have created Chapter 783 of the city’s codified ordinances and banned short-term rentals such as Airbnb listings citywide, also failed unanimously. Councilor Jessica Brandt led the discussion, noting that council was not in favor of an outright ban and that enforcement would be difficult since rental platform websites do not publicly display property addresses. She noted that Macedonia currently has only a few short-term rentals and that, with one notable exception, they have not caused problems.
Brandt said she had spoken with Law Director Mark Guidetti about a nuisance-based alternative, referencing models used in Akron, Toledo, Cleveland, and Milwaukee. Under a draft concept, three documented incidents of criminal conduct tied to a rental property — such as disorderly conduct, menacing, or public intoxication — would trigger required corrective measures. A fourth incident after those three could result in a third-degree misdemeanor charge. Council expressed interest in reviewing the draft as a separate ordinance in the future.
New Service Department Trucks Approved
Council approved two pieces of legislation authorizing new equipment for the service department, both purchased through the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing program.
Ordinance 11-2026 authorized the purchase of two Freightliner M2 106 Plus multi-use dump trucks from Cleveland Freightliner Inc. Service Director Daniel Wilson explained that the hook-lift, roll-off style trucks can accommodate interchangeable bodies including dump beds, flatbeds, and V-box salt spreaders, and are also equipped for plowing and brine application. The trucks match others already in the city’s fleet, making parts interchangeable across all six vehicles. Wilson noted that high repair costs on aging trucks, combined with the trucks already being part of the five-year capital plan, drove the purchase.
Ordinance 12-2026 authorized the purchase of a Ram 4500 multi-use truck from Valley Truck Centers. Wilson described it as a smaller, non-CDL dump truck — roughly the size of a large pickup — that can plow, spread salt, and haul small loads in tighter spaces such as courts and cul-de-sacs. It will replace an older pickup truck. Wilson also noted the city is preparing a spring auction list of equipment to be retired.
Firefighters’ Contract Ratified
Council approved Ordinance 13-2026 as an emergency measure, ratifying a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Macedonia Firefighters, International Association of Firefighters Local 3947, covering 2026 through 2028. Council entered executive session prior to the vote to review the contract details.
Mayor Molnar called the contract a retention and recruitment tool, saying the city had been losing experienced firefighters to neighboring communities that offered higher pay. Fire Chief Brian Ripley said the negotiation went smoothly because all parties came to the table with the same goals. The ordinance passed unanimously.
Parks and Recreation Projects Move Forward
Council approved four resolutions authorizing plans, bids, and specifications for capital improvement projects, all part of the city’s five-year capital plan.
Resolution 14-2026 authorizes bids for the 2026 Recreation Center lap pool resurfacing project. Parks and Recreation Director Peter Eckendorf explained that the activity pool was resurfaced in fall 2025, and the lap pool — including the diving well — is next. The process involves sanding down the existing surface, applying new plaster, and finishing with a product called Diamond Brite.
Resolution 15-2026 authorizes bids for a permanent vault-style restroom at Sugarbush Park. Because there are no utility hookups at the park, the city is pursuing a vault-style structure that uses a solar-powered fan to remove moisture and eliminate odor. The unit will be ADA accessible, single-stall, and located at the southwest end of the parking lot. Eckendorf said the anticipated cost is no more than $100,000 for the complete project, and that the technology is environmentally friendly and virtually odor-free.
Resolution 16-2026 authorizes bids for the Manor House roof replacement at Longwood Manor. The slate roof has reached the end of its useful life, and the city intends to replace it in kind to preserve the building’s historical character. Mayor Molnar noted the city will be submitting a Community Project Funding grant application through the office of U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, seeking approximately $250,000 for the roof and $200,000 for porch repairs. The grant portal opened recently with a March 6 deadline. The city has already secured $500,000 toward the new service center building through the office of State Sen. Kristina Roegner.
Resolution 17-2026 authorizes bids for ballfield netting at Longwood Park. The project will add safety netting approximately 20 feet above the existing chain-link fencing along the first and third base lines on all four fields, extending slightly past the dugouts. Eckendorf explained that spectators watching one field often have their backs to another, making foul balls a safety hazard. The project has been discussed for approximately six years.
Donations Accepted
Council accepted a $1,500 donation from Plastic Process Equipment, Inc. for the police department fund, and a $1,000 donation from the Hudson Community Foundation/Dufour Family Foundation for the city’s 2026 Shop with a Cop program.
Longwood Manor Historical Society Reports Productive Year
Deb Mikulski president of the Longwood Manor Historical Society (LMHS) presented the organization’s 2025 year-end report. She described it as possibly the most productive year in her 15 years of membership. Completed projects included roof and chimney repairs, new entry doors, drywall and wallpaper work on the second floor, new windows, gutter replacement, basement waterproofing, and removal of obsolete oil drums that had been preventing the building from passing fire inspections. The society logged more than 159 volunteer hours at the manor in 2025, plus 85 hours contributed by six Nordonia High School students since September.
Looking ahead to 2026, the society noted that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the home of Colonel William F. Long, the city’s first mayor, and plans to align events with the United States 250th birthday celebration. Planned events include monthly open houses, a Memorial Day parade, a ladies’ tea, a patriotic outdoor band concert, an August rummage sale, a haunted manor event with the Recreation Department, a Christmas open house with Santa, and a talk by author and educator Mike Olszewski, known for his work on Cleveland television history including Ghoulardi, Big Chuck and Hoolihan, and Little John.
Mayor’s Report Highlights
Mayor Molnar reported January 2026 income tax revenue of $41,997.98. He said construction on the new service center building is progressing well, with utilities going in and vertical construction expected to begin around March, with a target completion date of December 31, 2026.
The mayor recognized School Resource Officers Daly and Moss in honor of SRO Day on February 15, thanked the service department for its work during a heavy snow season, and recognized a city employee for 30 years of service upon her recent retirement.
Molnar said the city is aggressively pursuing state and federal grant funding this year, with Finance Director John Veres attending a two-day grants conference and working directly with Congresswoman Sykes’ office on Community Project Funding applications. The police department was also awarded a $40,598 grant toward its body camera program.
A thank-you letter was read into the record from a resident who credited fire medics Rob Severson, Ryan Zapora, Rory Skolnik, and Sully Staub with saving her life after she lost her pulse during a medical emergency on January 4, 2026.
