Committee of the Whole, pt.1 (9am-12pm)

Committee of the Whole meetings include all 17 council members. It’s a chance for the full @CleCityCouncil to meet and discuss legislation before it gets voted on at tonight’s City Council Meeting

Since tonight’s @CleCityCouncil meeting is the final one of the year, there’s a lot of legislation to discuss … the agenda has 45 items on it (!!)

This meeting is expected to last all day, and I’ll be covering it up until the Councilmembers break for lunch 🥪

After lunch, another Documenter will pick up w/ the live tweets & I will take a nap. Follow #CLEdocumenters and @cledocumenters for the thrilling conclusion of the meeting!

You can download the agenda for today’s meeting here: https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1060327&GUID=C4934EC7-373A-4763-B903-9FD7C13ACE98&G=2EB18EF1-2C21-4D1D-85C9-B38100AB8FFD

There’s A LOT here, but some things that stand out to me:
-paid safe leave for City employees
-wage theft legislation for City contractors
-applying for/accepting a variety of grants re: police

You can watch the meeting on TV20 or on @CleCityCouncil‘s YouTube channel here:

The meeting is scheduled for 9 am, and is about to begin

the meeting is being called to order now https://t.co/Vtiv4UE7l2

Council President Griffin says this is the order the meeting will tackle the agenda:

Public Utilities,
Human Resources,
Community Development,
City Planning
Economic Development

So the meeting won’t follow the agenda’s order but will group ordinances by dept

first item is approved https://t.co/roElafzMUn

approved, by the way, means it will be heard at this evening’s City Council meeting

next up, renewal of the contract w/ HomeServe USA approved. This is insurance for home water/sewer lines (and water heaters? Did I hear that right?). Utilities Dir. Keane sez 67,000 customers are enrolled. Councilmember Kazy encouraged everyone eligible to opt in to this program. https://t.co/wUWAh4wYrz

next up: contracts for cable pulling equipment and backflow prevention - both approved https://t.co/Xsa5gLgsQr

finally for Public Utilities - replacement of the roofs at Garret Morgan & Crown water plants. approved https://t.co/1dEyhx5MxA

next up - applying for and accepting a grant for drug court programming. A renewal of funding for existing programming. Approved. https://t.co/VOD6kCkOfJ

next up - legislation for up to 60 hours of paid safe leave for City employees dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Details 👇
http://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=32b21122-28c9-4030-a973-dd0a63f57c29.docx https://t.co/THnVvCEekV

Councilperson Slife notes that this will go to non-union employees. There’s a legal snag that prevents Council from directly bestowing benefits to union employees, but the intent is that the bargaining unions will take it up as well.

Paid safe leave legislation approved and will be voted on by Council this evening https://t.co/fkLzXJEgif

Moving on to Community Development. This previously approved ordinance didn’t specify the agency and is being amended now that a nonprofit org has been selected. This is for a housing project in Hough https://t.co/FYANcQAAdZ

Moving on to City Planning- first up, allowing the City to enter into an agreement w/ Metroparks, Black Environmental Leaders & Port Authority in order to begin planning for the CHEERS lakefront park project https://t.co/FU94JxWYiE

part of this agreement includes each partner paying for a portion of the planning process. The City will pay $150,000 now. The total cost of this project is projected at ~$300 million.

Council President Griffin asks how residents, Council (esp. Ward 10, Councilmember Hairston), and other local stakeholders are involved. It sounds to me that Council President Griffin is suggesting that the community hasn’t had a great deal of input in the plan to this point.

the Intercity Yacht Club was brought up. It sounds like the Metroparks has been in contact w/ IYC and someone there named Commodore Rock.

COMMODORE ROCK is the coolest name EVER

Councilmember Slife mentions that lakefront development is challenging and long-term. This is a multi-decade project.

Asks about the possibility of contaminated dredge. Port Authority sez the dredging that gets pulled out of the river today is much cleaner & safer today

Councilmember Polensek asks if the City will retain ownership of Gordon Park (owned by City, run by Metroparks) … Dir. of City Planning sez yes

SeMia Bray, of Black Environmental Leaders, says that the community has been involved in the planning of this project https://t.co/uF4ef7Hw0x

Councilmember Hairston says he is in full support of the Intercity Yacht Club staying where it is. I’m not clear if the plans include removing the IYC.

Hairston also says communication was “rocky” at first, but has improved. He sounds excited & supportive of the project

Councilmember McCormack asks if this will be a park or a preserve? The lakefront nature preserve doesn’t permit dogs, cookouts, other uses. It sounds like there will be elements of both. Ms. Bray says these are some of the things Black Env. Leaders has been discussing

after a presentation and some comments, the ordinance is approved to go to tonite’s City Council meeting https://t.co/AkdKI8F1Te

now we’re hearing a presentation from City Planning Director about form-based code https://t.co/NtPBdcwUUo

the idea is to update the zoning code. Form based code stresses the “form” of the streetscape rather than just permitted uses. Dir. Huang sez 3 & 4 unit houses are mostly illegal

It’s also meant to be more reader-friendly. Here’s an example to read w/ your Sunday coffee: https://t.co/rq1DOV7KYU

Councilmember Jones (ward 1) says Cleveland neighborhoods should have the same amenities as other communities. Wants to make sure that gas stations, for example, have public restrooms available.

+1 from me

Councilmember Polensek wanted to make sure that residents still had input under form-based code zoning

The ordinance is approved - the contract with Code Studio to run the current form-based zoning project will be voted on this evening. https://t.co/0RDmuWFovo

moving on to an ordinance selecting a consultant for the Lakefront Master Plan. https://t.co/tpIEtrmYSx

The ordinance was amended so that James Corner Field Operations will be hired for $500k for their consulting work + $400k for community engagement.

Councilmember Kazy says Council shouldn’t be hearing about this and deciding the dollar amounts at this late stage. Kazy opposed the amendment

Councilmembers have a lot of questions for City Planning. It does seem like a lot of this is new info for Council. Why is this happening at this meeting instead of at a Development, Planning, Sustainability committee meeting? Did it previously happen at a DPS meeting?

and after a glowing presentation about the consultant and lots of questions, comments from Council, the ordinance as amended is approved and will be voted on this evening. https://t.co/eG2Vzf3nct

President Griffin says the plan is to get thru Economic Development, Public Works, Capital Projects before breaking for lunch 🥪

This ordinance approved re: a new, 64-unit apartment building. https://t.co/wvKF1EYvkC

next up: approval of a 15-year tax abatement & a 30-year tax-increment financing (TIF) plan for a new housing project in Tremont. It, too, will be voted on at this evening’s Council meeting https://t.co/MfpiaR3epF

next up: approval the last tax-increment financing plan of the day and OF THE YEAR for a $99 million housing project along Carter Road in the Flats. The TIF will support remediation of the site.

Project will also support a pedestrian path along Carter Road https://t.co/8lv95CnZ9o

This didn’t appear to be on the agenda, but was added because it was time-sensitive. 1282-2022 will be voted on this evening as well. Council President Griffin calls it perfunctory. Details: https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5954688&GUID=0AF54D54-8C54-4D76-824F-F01F06911B56&G=2EB18EF1-2C21-4D1D-85C9-B38100AB8FFD&Options=ID|Text|&Search=1282 https://t.co/z3aoYL6yDg

Moving on to Public Works-

Council is hearing about a $60k grant that includes a contract with Rust Belt Riders to develop a composting project at the West Side Market.

approved & will be voted on this evening at the City Council meeting https://t.co/wuv2O65Qhj

next up: a grant providing food services for kids at Camp Forbes. Councilmember Howse asks about enrollment at Camp Forbes. Enrollment was still down last year due to COVID.

Councilmember Polensek is glad to know that there are cooks cooking real food at Camp Forbes, unlike at CMSD.

Councilmember Howse mentions that CMSD allocates just 10 cents per meal – wants to see an investment in higher quality food/school nutrition. TEN CENTS!

Approved - and will be voted on at this evening’s Council meeting https://t.co/Wok4B4MwDl

moving on to Capital Projects. The meeting will cover Capital Projects and Port Control before breaking for lunch @cledocumenters

Council President Griffin is stepping away and Councilmember Santana is taking over as chair

resurfacing of Lee Road - approved & will be voted on this evening https://t.co/sW5MvQdPtk

next up: approval sign of a sign for MAGNET on Chester. Councilmember Howse gives a shoutout to MAGNET https://t.co/cClUBXar7E

moving on to Port Control - this is mostly a series of leases at the airport to airlines & carriers

first off - this ordinance approved and will be voted on this evening https://t.co/FuRecmkAUT

someone is breathing very heavily into their microphone

next up - allowing a consortium of airlines to act together to purchase services (like de-icing) thru 2030.

Approved and will be voted on this evening https://t.co/7BdBdCBpxE

also approved - a contract keeping the runways free of rubber and stuff https://t.co/oiEYSTZjrj

next up: continuing the lease with Alaska Airlines at Hopkins https://t.co/3aV9K04YeZ

and finally, renewing a lease with Swissport for support services for airlines. Airlines pay Swissport, the airport leases them the space. This was not previously heard at a committee meeting.

Approved https://t.co/sVqmRN7R0x

and that’s it! the committee has broken for lunch and will return at 1 pm @cledocumenters

Follow @cledocumenters & #CLEdocumenters for PART TWO of this meeting beginning at 1 pm. There’s still quite a bit of agenda left to get thru, including anti wage theft legislation and several public safety grants.

I’m left with some questions, which I’ll mull over in my nap:

A lot of time was devoted to City Planning presenting some pretty big projects & it seemed like for the first time … why all of this big stuff right at the end of the year and not in the usual committee process?

Also– why is so much crammed into this last meeting of the year anyway?

How much of it has an urgent or hard deadline at the end of 2022? How much of it could have just as easily waited until next year?

If the answer is plain ol’ procrastination, then I am intimately familiar.

this concludes Committee of the Whole Meeting PART ONE. Thanks for reading along with me.

Come back at 1 pm for PART TWO

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