City officials and residents discuss support for the arts; issues with fire-detection systems shared with Safety Committee

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

Cleveland Public Meetings Report – The week of March 28, 2022

Organizations push for Cleveland to establish a department focused on the arts

March 28 – Health, Human Services and the Arts Committee, Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenter Kathryn Johnson – See full coverage here.

• Representatives from several local arts organizations met with City Council’s Health, Human Services and the Arts Committee (HHSA) to discuss the creation of a city department focused on the arts.

• Each representative shared some background information on their organizations before the discussion shifted toward policy ideas and the roles a city department could play in supporting the arts.

• The committee did not review any pending legislation at this meeting.

   

Have ideas on how the city could support the arts? Let the HHSA committee know. You can find the contact information for Committee Chair Kevin Conwell here. Considering making a public comment? Prepare with this helpful guide from Cleveland Documenters’ Paul Rochford.

Council upset by plans to close Collinwood grocery store; residents ask council to allocate ARPA funds to artists

March 28 – Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenters Kellie Morris and Chau Tang – See full coverage here.

• Several community members made public comments at the City Council meeting advocating for council to support the arts with ARPA funds. Others spoke about participatory budgeting, decriminalizing fare evasion on public transit, and the Cleveland Browns hiring of quarterback Deshaun Watson despite civil lawsuits from 22 women accusing him of sexual misconduct and assault in massage therapy sessions. 

• City Council passed legislation authorizing the Department of Public Safety to spend $2.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on refurbishing two police helicopters (learn more in the recap of the Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion meeting). Council also passed legislation regarding rental-car operations at Cleveland’s airports.

• Council Members Mike Polensek (Ward 8), Kevin Conwell (Ward 9), and Joe Jones (Ward 1) spoke about the closing of Dave’s Market in Euclid Beach, the lone full-service grocery store within several miles. Dave’s Market has said it will provide free transportation for nearby residents to its other store locations, according to reporting from Cris Belle and Melissa Reid for Fox 8.

Listen to all of the public comments or read transcripts edited by Documenter Lauren Hakim on Public Comment CLE (website created by Ohio City resident Angelo Trivisonno).

Committee questions but approves last-minute $2.8 million in ARPA spending to refurbish police helicopters

March 28 – Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenters Carolyn Cooper and Gennifer Harding-Gosnell – See full coverage here.

• City Council’s Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (FDEI) Committee advanced legislation authorizing the Department of Public Safety to spend $2.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to refurbish two police helicopters.

• Funds for that effort come from the roughly $26 million in ARPA funds that City Council set aside for Public Safety in November 2021.

• This legislation would not have been eligible for passage as of April 1. The U.S. Treasury’s “final rule” on ARPA spending took effect that day, and it no longer allows spending ARPA funds for this use.

• The FDEI Committee also advanced legislation regarding rental-car operations at Cleveland’s airports.

Mayor Justin Bibb wants to create a Center for Economic Recovery to focus on how to spend Cleveland’s remaining ARPA funds, according to reporting from Courtney Astolfi for Cleveland.com. In case you missed it, check out this searchable database created by Cleveland Documenters’ Rachel Dissell of more than 1,100 spending suggestions from community members.

Have your own suggestion? Find your council member and their contact info on these flashcards.

Riders complain about changes to bus routes in Cleveland’s Ward 1; new RTA labor contract starts workers at $20/hour

March 29 – Board of Trustees Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

Covered by Documenters Xavier Yozwiak and Emily Anderson – See full coverage here.

• Some public commenters said changes to bus routes 48A and 50 in Ward 1 have affected access to schools, hospitals, and Social Security offices. Board members are set to discuss a resolution on the issue at their next meeting, which is scheduled for April 26.

• The board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Transit Union that includes new starting wages of $20/hour for union members.

Want to speak about the Ward 1 bus issues or other public transit concerns? You can make public comments at the April 26 Board of Trustees meeting by calling 440-276-4600 during the public-comment period or attending in-person. The meeting is set to start at 9 a.m. in the boardroom on the first floor of the Root-McBride Building, 1240 W. 6th St., Cleveland. You can also find live-streams of the board meetings here. Check the GCRTA website to confirm meeting times and locations.

Council committee hears about fire detection and inspection woes, proposals for a new system to inspect buildings

March 30 – Public Safety Committee Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenters Mildred Seward and Marvetta Rutherford – See full coverage here.

• Cleveland City Council’s Public Safety Committee advanced legislation that would expand the number of home-security companies the Director of Public Safety can enter into agreements with for the purpose of sharing crime and safety information with residents and requesting access to and storing footage from cameras — with the owner’s permission. Currently, the director can engage only with Ring, one seller of camera-equipped doorbells. This legislation still requires City Council’s approval.

• The committee learned the Division of Police has 1,414 officers, which Council Member Mike Polensek (Ward 8) said is about 200 short of what the 2022 budget calls for.

• Fire Chief Angelo Calvillo and Deputy Lieutenant Gregory Lightcap presented to the committee potential solutions to getting in-building fire-protection systems up to code, saying that only about 50 percent of such systems are maintained properly. They discussed the different challenges and potential solutions with the committee.

Want to brush up on City Council’s legislative process? Check out a visual guide from Cleveland Documenters’ Paul Rochford and Doug Breehl-Pitorak here.