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Meeting coverage by Cleveland Documenters | Compiled by Signal Cleveland’s Doug Breehl-Pitorak
Edited by Signal Cleveland’s Rachel Dissell, Lawrence Caswell, and Mary Ellen Huesken
Here’s what happened last week in local public government meetings covered by Cleveland Documenters.
Cleveland Public Meetings Report – The week of Feb. 13
Signal Cleveland staff jamming on week one of General Fund budget hearings.
Budget Season: Opening Comments
Mayor Justin Bibb and City Council kicked off budget hearings on Feb. 14 by discussing their priorities for the city. The initial proposed budget—known as the Mayor’s Estimate — calls for about $711 million in spending from the General Fund. Bibb mentioned the following priorities:
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Revitalizing the East Side
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Developing the lakefront
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Public safety
Council Member Brian Kazy said he wanted to ensure the administration’s budget priorities supported the whole city, not just the East Side. Bibb said he is mayor of the whole city but believes supporting the East Side will benefit the whole area. “I believe that a rising tide certainly lifts all boats and that a thriving East Side is in the best interest of West Park and Kamms Corner and Detroit-Shoreway and downtown Cleveland, as well.”
Several council members touched on the Department of Public Safety in their opening comments. The department, which includes the Divisions of Police, Fire, EMS, and Animal Control, is set to receive about 53 percent of the budget. Though he said residents’ safety is his top priority, Bibb said more police won’t solve the issues of violence.
Ward 7 Council Member Stephanie Howse said the city should do something transformational on the issue of home ownership. Howse cited how the federal government created suburbs decades ago by insuring mortgages, an initiative that discriminated against Black people. Watch what Howse said.
For more coverage on those topics, check out a live-tweet thread by Documenter Gennifer Harding-Gosnell and notes by Documenter Kellie Morris. Find more coverage from Signal Cleveland’s Abbey Marshall.
City Planning
Council wrapped up the first day of hearings by discussing the City Planning Commission (CPC) and its commissions and boards. The CPC reviews development plans and potential changes to the zoning code. Its proposed 2023 budget is about $3 million. Director of City Planning Joyce Pan Huang talked about a vision for 15-minute walkable communities, and also mentioned replacing the city’s outdated zoning code with form-based zoning.
Ward 8 Council Member Mike Polensek said he would like to see the city build different types of housing, such as homes that can be built quickly, like tiny homes and homes built in a factory. He wants homes that can be built for under $200,000.
For more coverage on those discussions, check out this live-tweet thread by Documenter Giorgiana Lascu and read notes by Documenter Marvetta Rutherford. Abbey Marshall has more.
Department of Public Safety
Council spent two days digging into Public Safety’s proposed 2023 budget. Here are a few highlights of what officials discussed.
Retention and Recruitment
The administration is proposing cutting more than 150 vacant public safety positions. Those cuts will save the city about $15-$16 million, according to Cleveland Chief Financial Officer Ahmed Abonamah. Council members honed in on the department’s recruitment and retention efforts. Director of Public Safety Karrie Howard mentioned a public safety ambassador pilot program. It would employ 18- to 26-year-olds in public safety roles while providing mentoring. Howard also mentioned using social media, job fairs, and the council’s August 2022 approval of a 7% raise for police officers as tools for recruitment and retention.
Division of Police
The Cleveland Division of Police is requesting $218 million for 2023, more than half of Public Safety’s total proposed budget. Officials discussed police staffing levels. The budget would cut 142 vacant positions in the division. Chief of Police Dornat “Wayne” Drummond said he was “optimistic” about filling 180 remaining vacancies. Ward 16 Council Member Brian Kazy called it a “pipe dream.” The budget would cover 1,041 employees within the division’s protective services, which includes patrol officers, safety aides, trainees, and traffic controllers.
Officials also discussed ShotSpotter, a gunshot-detection company used by the city in a three-square-mile area in the Fourth Police District. In October, the council gave the city the green light to expand the technology to cover a total of 13 square miles using about $2.75 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Drummond said the city hopes to expand by the summer.
Division of Animal (out of) Control
Chief Animal Control Officer John Baird said 2022 was a more demanding year for the division than the previous year. Calls for service were up, as were the number of animals trapped and removed from neighborhoods. “Our elderly residents are under siege,” said Council President Blaine Griffin regarding nuisance animals like groundhogs that are damaging residents’ homes and properties. The division is proposing a budget of about $3.7 million in 2023, up nearly $1 million from the year before.
Wondering what else came up in discussions about Public Safety, including with the Divisions of EMS and Fire? Check out live-tweet threads by Documenters Gennifer Harding-Gosnell, Rosie Palfy, and Emily Anderson. Dig deeper with notes from Documenter Tina Scott, Sarah Tan, Gennifer Harding-Gosnell, and coverage from Abbey Marshall on Feb. 15 and 16.
Cleveland Housing Court
Toward the end of week one, the council turned its attention to the proposed 2023 budget for the Cleveland Housing Court, which is about $5.4 million.
A protest momentarily interrupted the hearing, with members of the audience chanting “Let Jeff go!” They directed their protest toward Housing Court Judge Moná Scott, who recently jailed 60-year-old Jeffery Ivey for 90 days because the home he owns near the Cultural Gardens had outstanding housing code violations.
The protest happened at the conclusion of the Housing Court presentation, with protesters following Scott out of the room. Prior to that, Scott and Housing Court Administrator Samantha Coleman discussed staffing levels and plans for more kiosks for virtual court hearings. One kiosk opened in July 2022 at Cleveland Public Library’s South Branch in Clark-Fulton. More are set to open later this year at the Mt. Pleasant Branch, Glenville Branch, and Carnegie West.
Council also discussed the Departments of Port Control and Aging and the Office of Urban Analytics and Innovation. Learn more from Abbey Marshall and Documenter Dan McLaughlin.
Can’t get enough budget material? Take a look at some outtakes from last week’s hearings.
What’s ahead?
It’s (still) budget season! Documenters are set to cover week two of General Fund budget hearings the week of Feb. 20.
Feb. 21-24
- 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. – City Council budget hearings (livestream)