Lorain Council may look to curb homelessness, crime through increased penalties

LORAIN — City Council will take aim at addressing homelessness, weapons violations and crimes committed by juveniles. Three ordinances introduced at Tuesday's regular Council meeting, all sent to the Police, Fire and Legislative Committee for further review, seek to address violence and crime in the International City. Mayor Jack Bradley spoke in support of the legislation at the start of Tuesday's session, Council's first since its summer recess. "I've lived here my whole life," Bradley said. "And it's always been, you know, Lorain, but it's just getting out of hand and we know it's getting out of hand." The first of the three ordinances could see parents or guardians charged with a first-degree misdemeanor if their child breaks curfew or commits a crime. The second ordinance, if passed, would criminalize individuals sleeping on sidewalks, streets, vehicles or other public properties as a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The last of the ordinances seeks to increase penalties for failure to advise police of a concealed weapon in a person's possession. In addition to the ordinances — which will require Council's approval — Bradley announced plans to restart the Patrol Impact Team, a proactive police unit that used informant information and proactive traffic stops to find individuals in possession of illicit substances or illegal firearms. The PIT, started in 2022, saw some success, netting more than 40 gun seizures and 92 felony arrests in its first 20 weeks. The unit ended due to staffing levels within the police department. Bradley said the city needs to get its police department staffing above 100 officers. "We need them to investigate these violent crimes, these gun crimes, to make sure that Lorain is the kind of place that we all want to be proud of and that we enjoy living in," Bradley said. During public comment, residents expressed concerns about the proposed legislation. Sabrina Gonzalez, 5th Ward council member-elect, touched on the ordinances that would criminalize homelessness in the city, noting the fine a misdemeanor would carry would be a burden on someone already struggling. She instead suggested the city try to connect individuals with housing or social services before imposing fines. Brandon Wysocki, a member of the city's Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, agreed with Gonzalez, saying he hoped to see further discussion of all three ordinances in a committee meeting. Treasurer Terri Soto called for unity and compassion in the city beyond what was shown in the wake of the shooting death of police Officer Phillip Wagner. Wagner, 35, was shot and gravely injured during an ambush by lone gunman Michael Parker on July 23. He died the next day of his injuries. Responding officers shot and killed Parker at the scene. Two other officers, Brent Payne and Peter Gale, suffered serious injuries in the attack. Soto heard the news while traveling out of state and said she saw kindness and compassion in the days that followed, and begged for it to continue. As the wife of a longtime Lorain police officer, now Chief of Staff Rick Soto, she said she prayed every day she would not receive the kind of phone call Wagner's wife, Jessica, did on July 23. She called on everyone to help the administration in supporting its efforts to curb crime in the city, noting everyone has the right to live in a safe environment but it takes teamwork to make that happen. Ahead of each ordinance being sent to committee for further discussion, Tony Dimacchia, D-at Large, commended the administration for bringing the legislation forward. He hosted a lengthy town hall in April that discussed safety and quality of life concerns, including issues with homeless men near Catholic Charities' St. Elizabeth Shelter and a shooting on Tower Boulevard that left two young men dead. "It took a lot of effort, research and collaboration to craft these three pieces of legislation and if we don't start changing how we do business, we're not going to make an impact," Dimacchia said. The committee meeting is slated for 5 p.m. Sept. 29. St. Joseph Community Center Council unanimously passed two pieces of legislation to start the demolition of St. Joseph Community Center. First, the city entered into an agreement with the Lorain County Land Bank to use $6.5 million in state brownfield remediation funds to finish cleaning the property for redevelopment, including tearing down the parking deck and clearing debris left by the botched demolition several years prior. A7 Development Corp. started demolishing the hospital in 2021 and the city halted work in March of that year after demolition company Earth Exchange Inc. failed to pull permits for all the buildings it had torn down. A7 Development Corp. sold the property to An Haoi Tran, of Florida, in 2023. He was the owner at the time of the foreclosure. The county recently foreclosed on the property, and it will go to sheriff's sale next month. If there are no buyers, the land bank will take possession of the parcels. The city received credit for the funds it spent to remediate the site over the past 20 years. That credit will cover the $1.6 million local match required by the Ohio Department of Development to use the $6.5 million in brownfield redevelopment funds granted to the city for the central Lorain property. Tied to the St. Joseph rehab is the Stoveworks property at West 13th Street and Long Avenue. Eventually, the city will use the dirt removed from the Stoveworks site as fill to level the St. Joseph lot. Lorain has received about $4 million in brownfield remediation funds toward the Stoveworks site in central Lorain. In connection with the Land Bank agreement, Council unanimously approved a second ordinance contracting with Verdantas LLC for the community center's remediation. The $2.1 million contract with Verdantas will be paid using a portion of the brownfield grant funds. Councilmembers lauded the administration for pushing the central Lorain sites forward. "It has been a long time coming," said Victoria Kempton, D-2nd Ward. "I know how much the people of my community, my ward, have wanted to see that torn down." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.