WARREN — During public comments at a Warren City Council meeting Wednesday, vehicle break-ins and security failures at the Franklin Street parking deck in downtown Warren sparked discussion.

Officials are seeking options to immediately improve the situation and long-term solutions to address safety concerns surrounding the deck.

The talks began when Michael Engram, founder of Game Changers LLC, detailed how his vehicle was vandalized earlier this month in the Franklin Street structure.

“I paid for parking here in downtown Warren, only to find my car damaged,” Ingram told council members.

He expressed frustration that surveillance cameras failed to capture the incident, leaving him responsible for nearly $1,000 in repairs.

Councilman Todd Johnson, I-1st Ward, amplified these concerns, sharing that his wife and her colleagues at an area business have faced issues in the deck’s stairwells.

“We have paying customers and employees who deserve security,” Johnson said, calling for increased police patrols and clearer signage identifying privately controlled areas of the structure in lieu of other solutions.

Johnson called for additional patrolling of the area during the day and closing hours for businesses, “because this could put a black eye on our development efforts in the city. So we should get a hold of it quickly,” he said.

Safety Services Director Eddie Colbert acknowledged the deck’s complex ownership situation, noting the first two floors are privately owned while upper levels are public.

Colbert also acknowledged structural issues with the parking deck, noting the administration plans to bring a bond proposal to council later this year to fund repairs.

Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, challenged the private-public arrangement.

“We take the brunt of what happens in that deck,” Rucker said. “They don’t say ‘private owner’ — they say ‘Warren city.’ If these private owners have a section that’s just for them, and we’re taking out a bond to repair the deck, they ought to pay for their portion absolutely.”

Rucker also said that while the city previously maintained the entire structure when it was fully public, private operators should now bear costs for their sections.

“When the deck was open to everybody, we assumed that responsibility,” she said. “But if you’re closing it off to the public, then you ought to pay for what you use — from the ground up, including security.”

Colbert offered to inspect the deck himself to check for areas that are marked, verify all signage and follow up with the council to see what is privately owned.

Mayor Doug Franklin promised a “comprehensive”security overhaul, stating, “We need to make significant adjustments so people feel safe parking downtown.”

About two weeks ago several downtown Warren businesses were vandalized with graffiti.

In other business:

Johnson spotlighted Warren Forward’s civic education program, led by Lea Dotson, which brought seventh- and eighth-grade students to observe the meeting.

“These young people are learning how the government works through visits to Columbus and Washington,” Johnson said, praising the initiative’s focus on community engagement.