Mentor · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Mentor public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Emergency generator upgrades
Fire Station 4 gets a new generator, Station 5 and the amphitheater get transfer switches, and the city buys a portable generator for outages.
Police union fact-finding dispute
The city locked in a three-year deal with its police officers — 4% raises each year, retroactive to March 2026. Union already approved it.
Flock Safety camera privacy concerns
A resident made his third appeal to cancel the Flock camera contract, citing abuse of the system elsewhere. Police credited the cameras with catching violent criminals and finding a kidnapped Mentor victim; officials say data is deleted after 30 days and audits show no local misuse.
Police chief transition
Chief Ken Gunch retires at the end of October after 33 years with the department, and Captain Mike Majernick — a 29-year veteran and FBI National Academy graduate — was named his successor.
Deer hunting permit transparency
A resident asked for broader notice before deer culling occurs near neighborhoods, saying only residents within 500 feet are notified and gunshots are unnerving.
E-Bike Safety Regulations
Kirchner proposed a community education event on e-bike classes and rules; the police chief agreed classifications are hard to enforce and plans Facebook outreach and possibly a Mentor Rocks event.
Flock license-plate reader oversight
A resident told council the police department says no audit records, search logs or access logs exist for the city's Flock license-plate cameras — making it impossible to verify safeguards are working. She's asking council to explain who reviews searches and how the system is held accountable.
Municipal Annex Building Construction
Rycon Construction won the $6.9 million contract for the new municipal annex serving police and parks/recreation, with centralized records storage and 11 new restrooms for the amphitheater grounds — targeted before the 2027 Mentor Rocks season.
Homelessness and panhandling guidance
Councilmember Donovan reported constituent calls about panhandling as weather changes, and the law director's office compiled the legalities so council members can respond correctly.
New Fire Station #3 Construction
Bids for the new fire station are due May 15 with award expected June 2; groundbreaking mid-June and completion targeted for August 2027.
Carpenter Park fence safety complaint
A resident says the rotting, leaning fence at Carpenter Park has been falling apart since 2014 and borders an unsecured junkyard — a safety worry for kids at the park and in neighboring yards.
Culver Boulevard speeding
Police have stepped up enforcement; speed data will be reviewed at the end of April to decide whether a driver feedback sign is warranted, since the street's emergency-route status limits traffic calming options.
Police Equipment Upgrades
The police department is getting 155 new Glock Gen6 handguns and new Getac in-car computers to replace a 12-year-old handgun fleet and aging cruiser laptops.
Safety Town permanent facility
Mentor wants Safety Town—a kid-sized village for street-safety lessons—to have a permanent home by summer 2027. If you have little kids, this is where they’ll practice crossing streets and learning traffic basics. The city hasn’t shared cost details yet.
Sidewalk snow and ice clearing on Mentor Avenue and overpasses
Donovan pushed for more or better sidewalk snowplows — maybe one per ward — and stricter enforcement of property owners who don't clear sidewalks; Kirchner suggested a policy work session.
Park House Apartments fire response
A resident argued the 2025 short-term rental ban left families displaced by the January 31 Parkhouse Apartments fire with nowhere to turn, and asked Council to revisit the ordinance with balanced regulations.