Solon council retains Kasimov as planning department consultant

SOLON, Ohio -- City Council has authorized Mayor Ed Kraus to retain the services of Frank Kasimov Consulting for the city’s planning department.

On Monday (Oct. 3), council voted to extend the contracted services of Kasimov, a retired city planner who was hired as a consultant this summer, through Dec. 31.

Frank Kasimov Consulting will be paid $75 per hour for a maximum of 25 hours per week, not to exceed 100 hours per month.

The city’s planning department is experiencing “significant staffing shortages” and has no planners currently on staff, so it is necessary to retain the services of a planner, the ordinance states.

“We’re having obviously some issues in our planning department, and Mr. Kasimov has been with us for three or four months,” Vice Mayor and Ward 5 Councilwoman Nancy Meany said.

“But the contract we had (for Kasimov) expired, so we felt as a group that it was important that we keep the consistency of Mr. Kasimov.”

Since June, in the absence of a director of planning and community development, the city has contracted with Kasimov, who relocated to Solon from California, and OHM Advisors, a planning firm with an office in Cleveland, to handle its planning duties.

Ashley Holloway’s employment as the city’s director of planning and community development ended in early June after just 10 months on the job.

Kraus said in a recent interview that Holloway resigned from the position, but Holloway claimed in a separate interview that he was terminated.

Holloway, a Cleveland native, was hired in August 2021 to succeed Rob Frankland, who retired after 20 years as the city’s director of planning and community development.

Kraus said the city is in the process of interviewing candidates for the planning director’s job and that he hopes to have someone hired for that position by the end of the year.

In addition to the job of director of planning and community development, the positions of senior planner, planner I and planner II remain open on the employment page of the city’s website.

Park Master Plan update

Also on Monday, Ward 7 Councilman Bill Russo said “a lot of information was passed along” when the city’s Park Master Plan Steering Committee met last week.

“I think one of the designs (presented) might conflict with how we do (Solon) Home Days,” said Russo, council’s representative on the committee. “There may be an alternate location for (activities in) a different part of the (Solon Community) Park.”

Russo said Bicentennial Park, on Bainbridge Road near SOM Center Road, may need to be used for some of those activities if space permits.

“But it is something that we need to look at, because it’s going to be impossible to squeeze everything that people are looking for into the space that we have available,” he said. “I just don’t know how it’s going to be possible to do everything and to do it well.

“But nothing has been finalized, and we will have another meeting (of the committee) shortly.”

Kraus said he agreed with Russo that there was good discussion at the committee meeting and “a lot there to try to pack in.”

“We need to look at Bicentennial Park and sort of a holistic approach to what we’re doing, and I think we need to think out of the box as to what we want to do for the future of our park,” Kraus said.

“My goal would be to use part of the capital budgeting process to present the plan.”

Council’s budget hearings are slated to begin in November.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department held a series of community open houses this summer to receive input from residents on the Park Master Plan.

In addition, the city conducted an online survey this summer, focusing on the parks, recreation services and programs.

Last November, the city hired Brandstetter Carroll Inc., which has an office in Cleveland, to serve as a consultant for professional services regarding the master plan.

Fall Festival set for Saturday

Kraus and Ward 6 Councilman Bob Shimits encouraged residents to take part in the city’s annual Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 8) at Solon Community Park, 6679 SOM Center Road.

The event is being presented by the Solon Center for the Arts and the Parks and Recreation Department.

The festival will feature activities for people of all ages, according to the city’s website. They range from decorating pumpkins in the Solon Orthodontics Pumpkin Patch to participating in “backyard games,” such as Connect 4 and Tic-Tac-Toe and playing in the Corn Box.

Additional activities include hayrides, inflatables, crafts, interactive demonstrations, live music and the Premier Martial Arts Bainbridge petting zoo. Food vendors such as Manna Food Truck, Pete’s BBQ and Chick-Fil-A will be onsite serving a variety of menu options.

Also at the event, an Artisans and Crafts Market, presented in conjunction with Avant-Garde Arts and Crafts Show, will showcase 45 vendors selling their homemade wares, including soap, jewelry and home décor.

“It should be a really fun day for the community,” Kraus said.

There is no admission or parking fee for Fall Festival. Attendees may park in the Solon Community Park parking lot, with overflow parking available at Solon Middle School.

Fire department open house

Fire Chief Mark Vedder noted that Solon Fire Rescue will host its annual open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at Fire Station 2, 6320 SOM Center Road.

Attendees can meet with firefighters, see the fire trucks and tour the station. There will be snacks and games for children. Fire safety information will be provided.

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.