ADAMHS Board Stepping Away From MHRAC; Esports Coming to Rec Centers

Meeting coverage by Cleveland Documenters | Compiled by Signal Cleveland’s Doug Breehl-Pitorak

Here’s what happened last week in local public government meetings covered by Cleveland Documenters.

Cleveland Public Meetings Report – The week of November 7, 2022

ADAMHS board stepping away from MHRAC

Nov. 7 – Mental Health Response Advisory Committee (MHRAC)
Covered by Documenters Sarah Tan and Marvetta Rutherford

The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County announced it is giving up its leadership role at MHRAC. Photo credit: Signal Cleveland’s Jeff Haynes.

What happened: The City of Cleveland will soon operate the Mental Health Response Advisory Committee (MHRAC) on its own. The Cuyahoga County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board (ADAMHS) is stepping away from MHRAC. It has been Cleveland’s partner in running the committee since 2015 when it was formed as part of Cleveland’s reform under a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree. ADAMHS officials informed MHRAC members of their decision in this meeting. They said they gave the city a 45-day notice. That is the minimum notice required by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two parties. Cleveland Public Safety Director Karrie Howard is set to meet with ADAMHS officials to discuss the transition.

CIT personnel questioned: Meeting participants discussed the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) selections for crisis-intervention team (CIT) personnel. New CIT Coordinator Captain Heather Miksch attended the meeting. The CIT coordinator has served as one of three chairs of MHRAC. ADAMHS Board Member Rev. Benjamin Gohlstin raised concerns about Black representation among CDP’s CIT leaders. Josiah Quarles, with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, questioned the extent of Miksch’s CIT training. DOJ rep Mike Evanovich attended the meeting. He said people should direct hiring questions to the chief of police.

Left wondering: Documenter Sarah Tan asked, “What do the various stakeholders need to feel more positive about working together on issues of policing and mental-health crisis intervention?”

The city’s consent decree with the DOJ required the creation of MHRAC. The committee focuses on law enforcement’s response to people experiencing mental health issues. Visit the ADAMHS website to find MHRAC’s annual reports dating back to 2015.

Lead-safe certificate compliance lagging
Nov. 10 – Lead Safe Advisory Board
Covered by Documenter Giorgiana Lascu

What happened: Lead Safe Advisory Board members discussed challenges to meeting the city’s goal of being “lead safe” by 2028. Lead Safe Auditor Rob Fischer said only about half of Cleveland’s rental homes are registered with the city. He said compliance with the lead safe certificate requirement is increasing but still low.

Some takeaways:

As of Sept. 30, about 18,000 units have been issued a certificate. That means an inspector found no lead hazards.
Registered rental properties are far more likely to apply for certificates.
More units have been denied recently, and the city is processing applications more slowly.

Other cities: Cleveland’s compliance with the new certificates is lagging. But Cleveland’s progress is in line with where Detroit and Rochester, N.Y. were in the second year of their programs.

And also: The board discussed whether to have public comment during its meetings. Some members suggested allowing comments in writing or in person.

Want to see how many lead-safe certificates have been issued? Or how many children were lead poisoned in your neighborhood? Check out the Lead Safe Cleveland Data Dashboard.

Residents talk honorary street signs, participatory budgeting

Nov. 7 – Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenters Kellie Morris and Chau Tang

Kimberly Brown, president of the Black Women Commission of Cuyahoga County, gives a public comment (screenshot from video on YouTube).

What happened: Ward 1 resident Kimberly Brown addressed council about rules for honorary street signs. Brown, president of the Black Women Commission of Cuyahoga County, said council denied a request for an honorary street sign in 2018. The sign would have honored Saniyah Nicholson, a nine-year-old victim of gun violence. Brown said she was told Nicholson did not meet the criteria for an honorary sign. Brown said one requirement was that the honoree had to be dead for at least two years. The person also had to have made an impact on the city, she said. Brown gave examples of honorees who did not meet those criteria. “Council, if you want rules and if you want respect from your constituency, you gotta follow your own rules,” Brown said. “Either take down these signs that did not meet the requirement, or do something for Saniyah Nicholson.”

Participatory budgeting: Matthew Ahn, a Ward 3 resident and Cleveland State University professor, spoke about participatory budgeting. He urged council to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support a participatory-budgeting pilot. “The goal of [participatory budgeting] is not to sideline people who traditionally hold budgeting power, but, instead, to give voters more opportunity and reason to be civically engaged,” Ahn said.

ARPA legislation passed: Council passed legislation that would use about $5 million of ARPA funds to expand the city’s co-responder program. Cleveland’s five co-responder teams include one police officer and one mental health professional. The city aims to increase the number of teams to 10 to 12. Council also passed legislation that would use another $5 million of ARPA money to support the rehabilitation of abandoned properties.

Watch the full public comments or read transcripts edited by Documenter Carolyn Cooper on Public Comment CLE (website created by Ohio City resident Angelo Trivisonno).

Board approves contracts for esports at rec centers, updates to city website

Nov. 9 – Cleveland Board of Control
Covered by Documenters Daniel McLaughlin and Nina Awal

The board meets in the Red Room at City Hall (screenshot from video on YouTube).

What happened: The board approved a contract with EsportScholar. The company provides after-school programs for esports, which is competitive video gaming. The contract would provide for one year of esports programs at four city rec centers, said Sherry Ulery from the Mayor’s Office of Prevention, Intervention, and Opportunity for Youth and Young Adults. It would cost no more than $146,121.

City website work continues: Recess Creative, a local company, will continue updating the city’s website. The board approved a resolution to add services to a contract that it previously allowed in February 2021. The total cost of the contract is now not to exceed $543,373.

And also: The board selected a vendor for citywide window-washing services. Central Window Cleaning, Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, got the job. The contract is for one year, with two one-year renewal options. It costs $247,446.

Curious about what else is happening at your neighborhood rec center? Check out the city’s guide to fall programming for youth and adults.

Muni Court software contract revisited

Nov. 7 – Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Tina Scott

Committee members meet with officials from the Cleveland Municipal Court (screenshot from video on YouTube).

What happened: The committee discussed and advanced a contract for the Cleveland Municipal Court. It allows the city to contract with NashWest LLC for a project manager who will oversee the continued implementation of the court’s case-management system. The services are estimated to cost $234,000 for one year. Council voted against the contract at its Oct. 24 meeting. A new emergency ordinance was drafted so that council could reconsider the court’s request. Council passed it later on Nov. 7.

Apartment projects move forward: The committee also advanced two pieces of legislation to help finance apartment developments. One emergency ordinance was to approve financing for a 102-unit building in Tremont. The financing would address a project gap of about $750,000, said Director of Economic Development Tessa Jackson. Council Member Jenny Spencer asked about parking. A project rep said there would be about 120 parking spaces. Council also passed this legislation at its Nov. 7 regular meeting.

Left wondering: Documenter Tina Scott asked, “Would it be possible to provide name tags for presenters so that the public is aware of presenters’ names, titles, and roles?”

Curious about council’s legislative process? Check out our one-page guide.

House of Blues looking to update facade

Nov. 10 – Cleveland Landmarks Commission
Covered by Documenters Gennifer Harding-Gosnell and Tina Scott

The commission reviewed a mural concept at The Shoreway, 1200 W. 76th St. (screenshot from video on YouTube).

What happened: The commission granted several certificates of appropriateness. It granted one for plans to update the House of Blues facade on E. 4th St. The commission approved the project unanimously.

Waves of change at The Shoreway: The Shoreway, an apartment building at 1200 W. 76th St., is set for some updates. The commission approved plans for a mural by artist Nolan Meyer. It also approved design plans for an additional tower. Commission members asked about the color of the new tower. Bill Neburka, with Evident Architecture Office, said the building material would be natural. He said the building will catch different colors in different lights.

And also: The commission approved new signage for A Step Above Daycare in Ward 14. Director of City Planning Joyce Pan Huang discussed her vision for the department at a June 28 City Club forum on Public Square. Check out this Twitter thread by Signal Cleveland’s Paul Rochford for a recap of the conversation.

Civic Term of the Week:

Curious about more local-government lingo? Check out this glossary of terms from Signal Cleveland’s Paul Rochford.

What’s ahead?

A look at the meetings Documenters are set to cover the week of Nov. 14.

Nov. 14

9:30 a.m. – Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals (livestream)
2 p.m. – Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, City Council (livestream)
7 p.m. – City Council (livestream)

Nov. 15

8:30 a.m. – Quality Improvement Subcommittee, Mental Health Response Advisory Committee (Zoom)
9 a.m. – Committees and Board of Trustees, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (livestream)
9:30 a.m. – Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee, City Council (livestream)

Nov. 16

3 p.m. – Cleveland Board of Control (livestream)

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Ron Calhoun, is a retired IT professional with 15 years of experience, emphasizes the importance of effective backup and recovery strategies in minimizing data loss and operational disruptions.