Ceremony For Local Hero & Grant For A Local Business On City Council Agenda Tonight

Mentor City Council will have a full agenda during its work session at 5:30 p.m. and meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at .

Council is slated to recognize Sgt. Mark T. Smykowski (who passed away while serving in Iraq in 2006,) discuss putting limits on garage sales in the city and vote on a grant for an expanding local business.

• It is also expected to discuss and possibly vote on a proposed ordinance that would legalize the bow hunting of deer on certain private property in the city. The ordinance -- and the debate surrounding it -- .

Mentor native Smykowski died at the age of 23 after the Hummer in which he rode hit a roadside bomb in June 2006 in the Al Anbar province of Iraq.

In recognition of his sacrifice and service, Route 84 from Broadmoor to Chillicothe Road was renamed in his honor.

. However, State Representatives Kenneth Yuko and Ron Young, as well as State Senator John Eklund, will be at the Council meeting to thank the Smykowski family for his sacrifice.

Also at the meeting, Council will revisit an ordinance that would place some limits on garage sales in the city.

The legislation was initially presented during the Council's most recent meeting. If passed the ordinance would require people to:

• get a permit to have a garage sale. The permit would be free and available online, Mentor City Manager Kenneth Filipiak said.
• have no more than three garage sales per year, which could last no longer than four consecutive days.
• not hang or post signs advertising the garage sale on utility poles, traffic signs or in the public right of way.
• not hold the garage sale before 9 a.m. or after to 7 p.m.
• have "adequate traffic supervision" to prevent logjams.

Assistant City Manager Anthony Zampedro said the issue came up after Mentor residents complained to the Council members about neighbors who held perpetual garage sales.

Also at tonight's meeting, Mentor City Council can vote on an economic development grant for a local business that is both moving and expanding.

is moving from 7062 Wayside Drive to the former Center Street Village School. It is hoping to reopen in its new location by November.

As a result, the business will have 1,300 more square feet, which it intends to use by adding staff, according to the Council's proposed legislation.

In fact, its payroll is expected to increase from $515,000 in 2011 to $725,000 in 2013.

Furthermore, the move and expansion is expected to cost Foot & Ankle about $125,000. Consequently, City Council will vote on giving the business a one-time $4,000 grant to help them with the expenses of moving, building out and buying new equipment.

Finally, Mentor is working on a joint project with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the cities of Willoughby and Kirtland to repave Route 306.

If Mentor Council passes the proposed legislation, it will accept the responsibility for about $91,000 of the project, which is expected to cost more than $800,000.

Kirtland and Willoughby are slated to pay $96,000 and $73,000, respectively. ODOT will cover the remainder.

The complete legislation for tonight's meeting is attached to this story as a series of PDFs.