Commenters Address Displacement of Residents, Stalled Start of City Commission; Council Committees Advance Plans for New Police HQ

What happened: Andre’ Dailey of Collinwood made a public comment about the displacement of more than 100 residents of the Euclid Beach Mobile Home community. Western Reserve Land Conservancy plans to create a new park along Lake Erie. Some residents who live on the property along Lakeshore Boulevard have been told they need to leave by September 2024, according to News 5 Cleveland. “Everybody should be able to age in place,” said Dailey, who urged the council to ensure those residents are taken care of.

‘Do you believe in Black women?’: Chinenye Nkemere, co-founder of Enlightened Solutions, asked about the status of a new city commission her firm consulted on. City Council approved the Commission on Black Women and Girls by law in June 2022. But officials have not formally established it. Angela Shute-Woodson, director of the city’s Community Relations Board, said last month that interviews were ongoing and the city hoped to make an announcement in March. The commission will advise on improving Black women and girls’ well-being. A 2020 Bloomberg report ranked Cleveland last among major U.S. cities for Black women overall, considering health, education, and economic outcomes. Nkemere asked the city to accelerate the process and fund the commission. “I believe in you,” she said. “Do you believe in Black women?”

And also: Council passed an ordinance approving Tax Increment Financing for the Bridgeworks project in Ward 3.

Caucus looks for ways to improve community development corporations
March 13 – Caucus meeting, Cleveland City Council

What happened: Council members expressed their concerns with Community Development Corporations (CDCs) in a discussion with reps from Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP). Issues included accountability for CDC board members, the services CDCs provide, and how the city should fund the nonprofits. CDCs receive much of their funding through federal grants issued to Cleveland. Those grants carry strict eligibility restrictions, which council members criticized in February budget hearings. CNP President and CEO Tania Menesse said the federal funds provide operational support but not the capital for actual projects. CDCs are often left fundraising, Menesse said.

Not just ‘bricks and sticks’: Ward 10 Council Member Anthony Hairston pushed back on the idea of CDCs needing to limit their work to “bricks and sticks,” or work centered on construction. There is a place for social services, too, he said, adding that CDCs often fill gaps in city functions. “If the CDC in my neighborhood didn’t have a food program, some people wouldn’t eat,” Hairston said.

Flat tax getting flak: Council also received a presentation about a potential response to Ohio House Bill 1 (HB 1). The proposed state law would create a flat income tax. CNP’s Ed Stockhausen discussed the draft of a different bill intended to offset the effects of HB 1 by providing property-tax relief for low-income homeowners. Ward 7 Council Member Stephanie Howse, a former state legislator, asked for a study on HB 1’s projected financial impact on Cleveland.

March 15 – Joint Committee, Cleveland City Council

What happened: City Council’s Safety, Municipal Services and Properties, and Development, Planning, and Sustainability Committees advanced legislation for the new Cleveland Division of Police headquarters (CDP). Officials from the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects said moving the headquarters to a refurbished ArtCraft building would cost $90 million. The original proposed site for constructing a new headquarters along the Opportunity Corridor would have cost an estimated $161 million, with the city already having spent $9 million on it.

Powered by CPP: Council Member Brian Kazy asked what company would provide electricity to the building. Jon Pinney, a managing partner with the project’s developer, told him FirstEnergy is the current provider. Officials are looking into expanding Cleveland Public Power (CPP) service north of Payne Avenue so that it can power the building. Council Member Michael Polensek said, “I’m serious as a heart attack on this one. If we’re gonna own a building, it better be on CPP.”

‘A lot of horse feed’: Council members questioned the decision to move CDP’s mounted unit stables from downtown to the Central neighborhood. Council Member Richard Starr said he spoke with residents on Thackeray Avenue who don’t want the stables in their backyard. Polensek said it was unclear why they should move the stables outside of downtown since that is where the mounted unit does the majority of its work. The stables have to move from the current location when the state transportation department straightens out Dead Man’s Curve. The estimated cost for the new stables is $13 million. The mounted unit currently consists of seven horses and three assigned officers.