WARREN — City Council members voted Wednesday to split economic development oversight from its Community Development Committee to pair during their organizational meeting.

The meeting also featured talks on a wide range of topics aiming

to improve resident access.

Community Development Director Michael Keys explained he is trending “slowly” toward a retirement and suggested the economic development work shift outside of the federal Community Development program.

Council went along with Keys’ request to separate the Economic Development committee from the Community Development committee, which Keys explained will ease challenges with Housing and Urban Development regulations requiring a three-member committee, explaining that having five became an issue when taking matters to a vote.

He also stated that separating the committees would align the HUD / CD program with other regulatory requirements and “make a little more sense to what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Also during the meeting, Councilwoman Tina Milner, D-2nd Ward, addressed concerns she had about residents getting pulled into private chats with officials during meetings to address their issues, leaving the full council unaware of any promises made.

“My concern is when they leave the podium and they’re taken in the back,” Milner said. “As a council member, I’m not sure what they’ve been told back there … that I’m going to have to live up to.”

She added that some neighbors felt brushed off after speaking publicly.

“They spoke at council, and you just went on to the next person,” Milner said. “There was no response, no follow-up, no anything … they said no one even acknowledged what they said.”

After the meeting, Milner said she thought her suggestion could have been handled better. She repeated that neighborhood residents had shared stories of getting offered solutions in those private talks with no action later, which left all council members to answer for it.

Council President John Brown explained that speakers go through him to keep order, following rules like three-minute limits for speakers. He said council members act as lawmakers, not managers, and urged members to follow up on issues.

Councilman Todd Johnson, I-1st Ward, agreed, calling it part of their duties.

“It is our job as council to follow up with that department head or that resident via email or phone call,” he said.

Councilwoman Honeya Price, D-6th Ward, noted the need for more openness and making sure council members know when legislation or actions are being done to address issues from their wards.

No changes were made to public comment rules, but members said the topic deserved more attention.

Milner also pushed to shift meetings from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for working families.

“5 p.m. does not allow (residents) enough time to get home from work, take care of their family and get to a council meeting,” she said.

Others pushed back, with Councilman Ron White, D-7th Ward, saying people could make it if the issue mattered.

“If people want to come, they should be able to … make a way,” he said.

The council meeting time stayed the same, but streaming got a nod as a future fix.

Johnson said options for live-streaming were ready from the IT department.

“We have already been entertaining options and estimates for streaming,” he said. “We simply need to meet and go over those options.”

Milner pressed for recording and streaming of meetings, pointing to how Trumbull County commissioners handle theirs.

“The commissioners do meet at 10:30 a.m. … they do record them, and they are available later for people to watch. … I’ve watched them much later on at my convenience,” she said.

She stressed it would help older residents and others with physical limitations.

“I’ve got a lot of elderly senior people that would love to be here, but they physically cannot be here … but they would still like to know what’s going on,” Milner said.

On rushed legislation, Johnson flagged a habit of treating late-submitted agenda items as emergencies, which is against council rules.

“We are consistently accepting late legislation and passing it as an emergency, when our rules clearly state (it should go) to first reading and then to committee,” he said.

Law Director Enzo Cantalmessa defended bending rules for urgent cases, like state funding deadlines that pop up the last minute.

Price asked for proof in the form of emails when claiming emergencies.

“I’d just like to see some evidence of that,” she said.

No rule tweaks passed, but council members agreed to talk more with department heads about explaining late items.

In votes, council added “whenever possible” to work session timing rules for more flexibility. They shifted recognitions and resolutions earlier on the agendas to match their usual practice, skipping extra votes each time.

A bid to make the council president supervisor of clerks for personnel issues failed 3-6, with some expressing concern about giving too much power to one person.

Council meetings will remain the same with council meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m.

Standing Committees Chairs:

• Operations Committee – James Shaffer

• Water & Water Pollution Control – Honeya Price

• Police and Fire – Michael O’Brien

• Traffic and Safety – Tina Milner

• Engineering, Planning and Building – Todd Johnson

• Legislative Committee – Greg Thumm

• Education Committee – Michael Shrodek

• Finance Committee – Greg Greathouse

• Health and Welfare Committee – Helen Rucker

• Community Development (CD) Committee – Ron White

Subcommittees / Special Assignments

• Neighborhood Liaison – Greg Thumm

• Parks and Recreation – Helen Rucker

• Strategic Planning – Ron White

• Public Utilities – Greg Greathouse

• Amphitheater, Packard Music Hall, and Bike Trail – Michael O’Brien