Mayor Edward Kraus delivered hard news at the Oct. 19 Solon City Council meeting. Nestle plans to close its frozen food plant in the city, and about 370 positions will be eliminated. The call came on a day that also brought praise for Solon’s business climate and a new company to town. Council approved up to 10 part time police officers and updated the city’s deer feeding ban. Members also passed two large note ordinances for park and trail projects. Council President Nancy Meany presided over the meeting, which fell on her birthday. Nestle Plant to Close by End of 2027 Kraus said Nestle called him at 12:30 p.m. that day with the news. He said about 370 factory positions will be eliminated. Many of those operations will move to Nestle facilities in South Carolina. The closing does not affect the company’s other Solon operations, Kraus said. Corporate offices, research and development, the test kitchen and the Innovation Center will stay. So will the pizza divisions and other Nestle divisions based here. A required WARN letter about the positions will go out sometime in March, the mayor said. Jobs will likely be eliminated in late summer 2027. The plant will close at the end of 2027. “My heart goes out to those employees whose positions were eliminated,” Kraus said. He spoke with Team NEO CEO Matt Dolan about helping workers who want to stay in the area. Kraus said many local companies are hiring. The city will work to place employees in other jobs at Nestle or with other employers, he said. Nestle built the frozen food plant in the late 1960s. “We stick with Nestle through good times and through bad times,” Kraus said. What Nestle Has Said In an email to employees on Oct. 19, Nestle said it is moving its Nestle Professional Solutions frozen meal pouch production from Solon to its factory in Gaffney, South Carolina. Restaurants, hospitals, schools, hotels and convenience stores use those pouch products. The company said changing customer needs and volumes led it to build on capabilities already in place elsewhere in its network. Nestle has not confirmed the exact number of employees who will be cut. Company officials said the decision affects only the Solon factory, not the Solon campus or the Cleveland factory on West 25th Street. Affected workers will receive separation and transition support, and the company is working with state and local partners. Employees can also apply for open roles at other Nestle locations, including in Ohio. In a statement to 3News, Kraus called it “difficult news for Solon and for the employees and families affected.” He said the city will work with Nestle and its state and regional partners to connect workers with job placement and support services. The closing follows earlier cuts at the site. Nestle announced in 2024 that it would lay off 216 workers at the Solon factory, which employed 780 people at the time. Crain’s Spotlight and a New Business Earlier that day, Kraus thanked Crain’s Cleveland Business for spotlighting Solon as the premier business community in Northeast Ohio. He said Dolan, a former state senator, told the publication no city understands business better than Solon. Kraus said he received many calls from business leaders about the article. The mayor pointed to the roughly 900 businesses in the city. He also met that day with FedPro, a new business coming to Solon, and welcomed the jobs it will bring. Planning Commission Items Council approved two variances for a property on Bainbridge Road. One is a 2 foot driveway side yard setback variance. The other is a 554 square foot accessory pavement area variance. The Planning Commission approved each by a 4 to 1 vote. Both depend on compliance with Planning Department and Engineering Department memos dated Oct. 7. The property owners were present and agreed to the requirements. Meany said council discussed the item in caucus and was comfortable moving forward. Councilman Jeremy Zelwin made the motion. On the Planning Commission consent agenda, council approved an accessory structure location variance on Acorn Court. Approval depends on a Planning Department memo dated Oct. 6 and an Engineering Department memo dated Oct. 7. The applicant was present and agreed to the requirements. Park and Trail Notes Pass on Third Reading Ordinance 2026-149 allows the city to issue up to $7.2 million in notes in anticipation of bonds. The money covers improvements to city recreational facilities, including Solon Community Park. Meany said council will need to address the notes during budget hearings, since the city keeps paying interest. Members were advised this was the right approach, she said. Still, council will have to decide how best to move forward. Councilman Robert Pelunis said the Finance Committee will ask the finance department and administration for several options. He moved for passage. Ordinance 2026-150 allows up to $6 million in notes for the Norfolk Southern Headwaters Connector Trail. That money covers acquiring