Cleveland Prepping $15 Million Investment for Southeast Side

Cleveland Public Meetings Report – The week of May 22

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.

Gun violence, balloon releases addressed in public comment; new birthing center coming to Hough 

May 22 – Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenters Janelle James and Christina Easter

‘Get rid of the sore’: Ward 8 resident Dorothy Walwyn spoke to the council about gun violence in Ward 9. She referenced a Mother’s Day shooting in St. Clair-Superior that killed her cousin. She urged city officials to address a building near E. 76th and St. Clair that she said is a hub for violence. “I talked with a few commanders yesterday, and they say everybody in the City of Cleveland knows about that building and what’s going on, but they don’t have substantial enough evidence to get rid of the sore that’s in the community,” Walwyn said. The community is ready to end gun violence, she added.

Balloon releases: Juan Collado, a Ward 11 resident who works for West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development, spoke about balloon releases in Cleveland. Last year, the council banned the outdoor release of 10 or more balloons within 24 hours (except for government-approved releases for science and weather, and recoverable hot air balloons). Collado questioned how the city is enforcing the law. He said he has seen more than 37 balloon releases this year, which he said threaten the environment. Police say they cannot do anything unless they see the release when it happens, according to Collado. Families often release balloons to honor deceased loved ones. When the council originally considered the legislation, Council Members Stephanie Howse and Joe Jones called for community education before enforcement.

A boost for birth outcomes: Council approved up to $1 million of federal stimulus money for Birthing Beautiful Communities. The nonprofit aims to improve birth outcomes with a focus on Black babies, which have higher infant mortality rates. The money is set to support a new birthing center in Hough.

Watch the full public comments or read transcripts edited by Documenter Gennifer Harding-Gosnell on the Public Comment CLE website created by Ohio City resident Angelo Trivisonno.

Cleveland prepping $15 million investment for Southeast Side

May 23 – Zoning-Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee, Cleveland City Council

The Southeast Side: The city wants to invest $15 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money on the Southeast Side. The initiative would support neighborhoods that Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration says the public and private sectors have neglected. The city is honing in on Lee-Harvard, Mt. Pleasant and Union-Miles. The committee discussed three $5 million proposals for:

Leery of lending: The committee advanced the three proposals. But some members expressed concern about projects relying on loans. Council Member Anthony Hairston asked why the city would provide more money for home repair loans than it would for rehab grants ($4 million to $1 million). Jeff Epstein, a city official, said the loans for home repair would be forgivable.

Other council members expressed skepticism about banks lending to residents to begin with. Council Member Joe Jones, whose Ward 1 includes Lee-Harvard, said residents often cannot get a loan to buy a neighboring property. Outside investors can, he said.

Council Member Kerry McCormack said systemic racism has influenced lending practices. He asked how the city can ensure these proposals are successful. “If a Ward 1 resident in three years still can’t get a loan, none of this conversation matters,” he said.

Progress starts with the city showing banks that it has a concrete plan for the investment, according to Director of Community Development Alyssa Hernandez.

Check out the city’s presentation for more proposal details.

Which banks and nonprofits would give out loans and grants for home repairs and rehabs? The Cleveland Board of Control would get to choose, according to the legislation. Learn more about the Board of Control with our explainer.

May 22 – Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Cleveland City Council

Covered by Documenter Gennifer Harding-Gosnell

Jobs, jobs, jobs: City Council’s finance committee heard a proposal to invest $50 million into a $100 million fund for site readiness. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank will manage the fund. The money will be used to prepare vacant sites for companies wanting to build job facilities in Cleveland, as opposed to housing or another use. Site preparation would include work such as demolishing existing buildings and remediating polluted land. Chief Financial Officer Ahmed Abonamah said this work could bring more than 25,000 jobs to Cleveland. The full council passed the legislation later that evening.

Mystery sites: Abonamah said the goal of the site readiness fund is to prepare 1,000 acres of land for development in the next 10 years. All the sites will be within Cleveland city limits. Council Member Brian Kazy expressed frustration no one would share the exact locations of potential sites. Abonamah told him that sharing the locations risks driving up the price before the city is able to buy the land.

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

Want to brush up on local government lingo? Check out our Glossary of Civic Terms.

Statewide ballot initiatives have been on the mind of council members and public commenters alike. Last Friday, People’s Budget Cleveland brought the conversation to the local level with a ballot initiative to put participatory budgeting on the ballot this November. Learn more about the initiative with this run down from Signal Cleveland.