City Council Moves Neighborhood Safety Fund Forward

Cleveland Public Meetings Report – The week of May 8

Meeting coverage by Cleveland Documenters | Compiled by Signal Cleveland’s Doug Breehl-Pitorak and Anastazia Vanisko | Edited by Rachel Dissell and Mary Ellen Huesken

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

Residents ask Cleveland City Council to support accessible housing.

May 8 – Cleveland City Council

Accessible and affordable senior housing: Two public commenters spoke to City Council about the need for affordable, age-friendly housing. Diana Cyganovich and Marge Misak belong to Cleveland Westside Village, a volunteer community that aims to help people age in their homes. They urged City Council to raise accessibility standards in the city’s housing code. “Cleveland is an age-friendly city according to AARP [American Association of Retired Persons] and the World Health Organization, but are we really?” Cyganovich asked. Accessible housing should include at least one entrance with no steps and first-floor living, she said.

Keying in on home loans: Ward 2 resident Craig Guy spoke about “unethical, questionable practices” by KeyBank. The bank initially approved the home loan application he and his wife recently filed, only to later reject it without explanation, Guy said. The Slavic Village home they wanted to purchase was sold to a cash buyer who didn’t intend to live there, he added. “We invest in the homes we want to live in. We invest in Cleveland. If we continue to compete with outside organizations…we’re going to lose the battle to regain our streets, regain our communities.”

Utility bill relief: Council introduced legislation to offer some residents relief from utility bills. The plan calls for using up to $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to cover overdue electric and water payments.

Curious about housing accessibility in Cleveland? Illustrator John G. and Documenter Nat Ziegler take on the issue in this comic series.

Cleveland City Council talks community benefits of new construction

May 9 – Joint Committee, Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenter Keith Yurgionas

The ABCs of CBAs: City Council members discussed a proposed law that would set city requirements for Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs). In this context, CBAs are contracts intended to make sure publicly funded construction projects benefit the community. The city has used CBAs for 10-plus years. This legislation “sets the legal framework for how Community Benefits Agreements are developed,” said Jennifer Heinert O’Leary, a City Council lawyer.

Equity and opportunity: If the city gives a project $250,000 or more in funding or financial incentives, here are some things developers would have to do:

If a project costs $20 million or more, and the city’s contribution is at least $250,000, additional requirements would include:

The proposal allows the city to recover money it gave to a developer if it violates a CBA.

Chill the market? Some in attendance said parts of the legislation could slow development. Baiju Shah, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, expressed concern about tax abatements and tax-increment financing being considered city financial assistance under this law. Doug Price, CEO of apartment developer K&D Group, shared Shah’s concerns about tax abatements and explained why. Ward 3 Council Member Kerry McCormack said he would support removing tax abatements from the legislation, saying he felt council already addressed that issue last year. Council President Blaine Griffin said he wanted to discuss it more. He added that council doesn’t want to halt new construction. “We definitely don’t want to chill the market. If we chill the market, it won’t be a benefit,” he said.

Officials also discussed a community survey about new construction. City Council launched it last December. As of May 6, 350-plus people had taken it. Take the survey.

Violence interrupters urge committee to support new safety fund

May 10 – Safety Committee, Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenters Monica Doyle and Gennifer Harding-Gosnell

A drop in the bucket: For more than two hours, violence interrupters told City Council members about their work to stop gun violence. They urged the committee to pass a proposal that would create the Neighborhood Safety Fund. The city would use $10 million of federal stimulus money to create the fund. The Cleveland Foundation would manage it and distribute an estimated $500,000 each year to initiatives addressing the root causes of violence. Violence interrupters told council members that this funding is necessary, but $10 million is not enough.

Fighting for the last word: The legislation would give the Cleveland Foundation the final say on who receives grants. Council Member Richard Starr argued that City Council should be doing that. An advisory committee including council members would recommend grantees to the foundation, but the foundation would not have to fund them. Council members voted to increase the number of council reps on the advisory committee. They also voted to require that those council appointees report back quarterly. Starr was the only committee member to vote against the changes, saying, “It doesn’t solve anything.” City Council’s Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee was set to review the proposal at its May 15 meeting.

Note: The Cleveland Foundation is one of Signal Cleveland’s funders.

Bookmark our Meeting Briefs page for more short summaries, and visit Documenters.org for all Documenters coverage.

Committee learns about plans for vacant school buildings

May 8 – Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenters Carolyn Cooper and Nicholas Ventura

School redevelopment: The city is set to transfer two vacant Cleveland schools to developers for renovation. The developers will pay up to $110,000 total for the two properties. According to city official Trudy Andrzejewski, some Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) properties have been vacant for more than 10 years. The two projects—Empire School in Ward 9 and Nathaniel Hawthorne School in Ward 16—will include new housing. The Empire School redevelopment will include affordable housing for seniors.

Abandoned properties: Council Member Kevin Conwell said residents often call him about vacant CMSD schools because of issues with debris and vandalism. Council Member Mike Polensek said he also hears about CMSD neglecting its vacant properties. He had to obtain city landmark status for the Henry W. Longfellow Elementary School to ensure its maintenance. The school has since been converted into a senior living facility.

And also: The committee advanced legislation that will provide free legal help to people facing eviction. The proposal allows the city to give $500,000 to United Way for that work. Despite concerns from Polensek that this would have unintended impacts on landlords, City Council passed the ordinance later that evening.