City council honors councilwoman who died

Oberlin city leaders honored former councilwoman Sharon Fairchild Soucy, who died, with a proclamation.

Oberlin City Council remembered a former member at a Dec. 17 meeting.

A proclamation was read in memory of Sharon Fairchild Soucy, who died Oct. 7 at age 76.

Councilman Ronnie Rimbert, speaking to members of Soucy’s family who attended the meeting, said the proclamation comes from every level of the Oberlin city government and the community.

“She was dearly loved by this community,” he said. “I had a special attachment to Sharon, and that will not go away.”

Soucy was born in Oberlin and returned to the college to teach. She headed the Lorain County Joint Vocational School’s adult learning program for 30 years, the proclamation said. After retirement, Soucy joined Oberlin City Council and served for 12 years.

The proclamation enumerated a number of causes which Soucy championed during her tenure on the Council including: economic development; safe streets and sidewalks; reducing Oberlin’s carbon footprint; pursuing incentives for police officers to make it attractive to live in Oberlin; and fast-tracking the initial development of the Underground Railroad project.

The proclamation also focused on Soucy’s character which won her the admiration of many in government.

“Her selfless concern for others above herself, her trademark question she would ask city employees when she served on Council ‘What can I do to help you?’ ” Oberlin Finance Director Sal Talarico read from the proclamation. “Sharon’s kindness and concern for others has given us an enduring example of how to truly live life.”

In other news, Council appointed 11 people to boards and commissions in the city.

Don Bryant, who was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals, was at the center of an issue with the board earlier this year which prompted another member of the board to seek a legal opinion.

In a July 12 email to Law Director John Clark, James Cunningham, the then-vice chair of the board, sought an opinion as to whether Bryant could be seated on the board as he did not have an active application on file.

Bryant previously had applied for a position on the city’ Planning Commission on Nov. 9, 2016.