The Macedonia City Council met on January 9, 2025 for their first meeting of the new year, which included both a work session and regular meeting. Several significant items were addressed:
Leadership Changes The council elected new officers, with Jeff Garvis being chosen as the new Council President and Vinnie Ventura continuing as Vice President.
“I am honored to be elected as council president and grateful to my peers on council for their trust and support electing me into this leadership position,” Garvis said following the vote.
This followed the December 31st resignation of longtime council member Jan Tulley, who had served for 28 years. The council announced they are now accepting applications until January 17th to fill Tulley’s vacant seat for the remainder of the term through 2025.
Infrastructure Updates The council approved multiple measures related to road improvements:
- Authorization to seek bids for resurfacing Ledge Road from North Bedford to Shepard Road, a project that received a $42,000 state grant covering 50% of the costs
- Approval of the 2025 Road Improvement Program, which will include complete repaving of several streets including Bobolink, Highland Point Parkway, Hampton, Sherwood, Ashford and Starlight
- The city engineer presented data showing Macedonia’s average pavement condition rating has improved from 73.2 in 2015 to 85.7 in 2024
Community Loss
During his report, Mayor Molnar shared the sad news of the passing of longtime Macedonia resident Bart Benjamin. The mayor noted that Benjamin’s death came as a surprise, having texted with him just days before. “Anyone that knows Bart loves Bart,” Molnar said, describing him as “a big personality” and “a great guy” who was very fun to be around. The mayor expressed that Benjamin’s passing was “a bit heartbreaking” and asked the community to keep Benjamin’s family in their thoughts and prayers, especially given the sudden nature of his passing.
Other Business
- The council approved updates to compensation schedules for non-union employees, including changes to the fire department’s part-time inspector positions
- An agreement with Chagrin Valley Engineering was amended regarding 2025 fee schedules for engineering services
- City engineer Joe Gigliotti reported that snow removal crews have dealt with 26 inches of snow in just the past week
Mayor Nicholas Molnar also provided updates on the new service building project, stating his goal to have it operational within two years.
The meeting included reports from various department heads on matters ranging from HR updates to public safety statistics. The council concluded with an executive session to discuss personnel matters. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for January 23, 2025. Related article: City of Macedonia Police Reports – January 2-5, 2025
