City Council

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Here is the agenda for this evening’s meeting: https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?LEGID=3202&GID=635&G=2EB18EF1-2C21-4D1D-85C9-B38100AB8FFD

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland And stream here: http://www.tv20cleveland.com/watch-now/

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Public comments are beginning!

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Forest City Block Club president talking about a house in state forfeiture occupied by squatters. Fire hazards, public health issues, and shootings have been associated with house. Attempts to reach out to squatters, police, and gov’t have all gone ignored. Requests legal action

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next: eastside has many vacancies, including abandoned houses, which takes a physical and emotional toll on community, including anxiety and cardiovascular disease. Cites redlining history. Requests clean-up of neighborhoods with distressed homes.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next: Stella Walsh Rec severely underfunded. Examples include lead poisoning, no playground (crowd: “Sad!”), the ceilings are leaking (observes that the council has nice ceilings). Not what Stella stood for. “I’ll be back next week.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next: Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance. “Everyone has a part to play” in stopping gun violence and making communities safe. Excited for council and community to hear more about how they can incorporate these initiatives.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next: Student from CWRU. Tobacco use is a major threat to the public. Targets African-American communities, flavored vapes specifically to the youths. Suggests policy that ends sale of all flavored tobacco products.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next: Med student at CWRU. Also discussing the mortal dangers of tobacco, especially flavors that target youth. Also wants a policy that takes tobacco products off the shelves. “Nothing frightens me more than the thought that my friends could become my patients.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Final commenter on the agenda is absent. Moving on to reports and communications.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Condolence resolutions for Elaine Sanders and Jack Lee Love. Addition of Larry Gardner Sr., who passed away today. Moment of silence.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Several Congratulation Resolutions, no presentations. onto First Reading Legislation.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Motion to suspend the rules and legislation just read be placed on final passage passed.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Onto Second Reading Legislation.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Rules suspended for this batch also, ordinances all passed. Concludes legislative section of meeting.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland No intros or announcements. It’s a quiet bunch tonight.” -Councilperson McCormack

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Misc time. Councilperson Jones has requested extra time to talk about senior citizens, especially in Ward 1. Discussing an activist/public servant of over 70 years who just turned 101 (Drew Chilis? Unsure of name, please reach out to @cledocumenters with any additional info! 😀!)

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland con’t: Jones is returning to Council after ~15 years, is troubled by “what we take our citizens through” to qualify for program, during which time they can become deceased. Need to “deliver quality services in a timely manner.” Wants to work with council to find out the holdup.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland con’t: Glad to have a new administration bc the last time this was brought up it “fell on deaf ears.” Seniors take care of their homes, and we need to do everything we can to move improvements for these programs along.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland con’t: “I submit to my colleagues, how can I work with you to move this along?” Lastly on this issue:

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland “Cleveland Housing Network receives millions of dollars from the state to put programs… to help our senior citizens out, and they can’t even get them on the phone, so this council is gonna have to do something to get these folks on the phone to help our people.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland “When we talk about a ‘poor city’, that’s why we’re poor. Because we’re failing to get the money from Block Grant, from state coffers, from county coffers, onto the streets fast enough. And we shouldn’t have our people waiting to get life-saving programs that are out there.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jones is discussing how he values his colleagues and their passion “for what they do and what they say”, is proud to be a part of the council. Won’t be able to get things fixed overnight, but proud to work alongside passionate people.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jones is referencing earlier public comment about the rec center, remembers his own recreational center having similar problems. Says that children should have better facilities “proper and befitting for them as human beings.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Jones is saying that he doesn’t know if he thinks that there have been significant improvements over the years, and that families are moving away to pursue better educational systems. Some policy specifics about elected officials and superintendents. Finishes, thanks President.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Might be slightly editorializing here, but that was a pretty dense/effective use of the extra time. Empathetic delivery on extensive (largely pre-written) speech.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Next misc.: Councilperson Starr, who jokes that he shouldn’t have to go after Councilperson Jones. “That was great, and I do understand exactly where you’re coming from, us looking at our own skeletons, and our own closets.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Starr opposes law transferring power of the Education and State Board to the governor, as would take away democracy from those who elected the board. Says community should directly lobby Columbus. “Taking away from public education in [CLE], or anywhere, should not be tolerated.”

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland End of Starr’s misc. time. (I already snuck in an little postscript about the other misc. speech, so just want to note that this was also pretty effective.)

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland No additional miscellaneous, all absences excused, meeting adjourned, next regular council meeting will be on February 13, 2023.

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Note about direct quotations: they might not always be COMPLETELY word-for-word! There is often specific phrasing that directly accompanies comments that I try to highlight. This is a caveat that I’ll include at the beginning of future threads!

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Apologies to anyone I’ve misquoted!!!!

@CleCityCouncil @cledocumenters @signalcleveland Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters. Or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com.