Meeting coverage by Cleveland Documenters | Compiled by Doug Breehl-Pitorak, Assignment Editor, Signal Cleveland
Here’s what happened last week in local public government meetings covered by Cleveland Documenters.
Cleveland Public Meetings Report – The week of October 10, 2022
Committee hears about harms of conversion therapy for kids; food-safety inspections explained
Oct. 10 – Health, Human Services and the Arts Committee, Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Karima McCree-Wilson
What happened: Council Member Brian Mooney was a lead sponsor of the legislation. He told the committee the ideas that LGBTQ+ children need cured or that there is something wrong with them can contribute to depression, suicide and homelessness.
Hostile environment: “We’re in a hostile environment for the LGBTQ community [and] for any person with a marginalized identity” in Ohio and nationwide, said the Trevor Project’s Gwen Stembridge. She said the legislation sends a positive message.
Fees for food shops: The committee also advanced legislation that adjusts food-shop license fees. Ward 4 Council Member Deborah Gray asked why some establishments with bad conditions have licenses to sell food. City official Patrick Cusick said structural issues are not critical for selling food. Smooth, durable and cleanable surfaces are. City Council passed this legislation at its meeting later that night.
Wondering about your favorite restaurant? Check out the city’s portal of food-safety reports. You can also file a variety of complaints with the Department of Public Health.
Residents speak about St. Vincent Charity Medical Center; council approves ShotSpotter expansion
Oct. 10 – Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Brandy Smith
Ward 4 resident Samara Knight addresses City Council (screenshot from video on YouTube).
What happened: Community members spoke to council about prayer in council meetings, ShotSpotter, the city’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, and the restructuring of St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. “Demand that the hospital stay open,” Ward 4 resident Samara Knight said of St. Vincent. “Instead of having meetings with the hospital, have meetings with the workers that work there and share their story and hear what they have to say.”
City to expand ShotSpotter: Council passed 10 emergency ordinances. One approved the expansion of ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter is a gunshot-detection technology that the city has piloted in parts of wards 1, 2, 4 and 6 since November 2020.
And also: Council also approved a resolution urging the city to establish a Senior Hall of Fame.
Ever see a council agenda and think, “What’s all that mean?” Decode what you see with our annotated agenda guide.
Learn more about ShotSpotter with our primer.
Panel focuses on developing city’s workforce, especially youth
Oct. 11 – Workforce, Education, Training and Youth Development Committee, Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Nina Awal
Michelle Rose, Executive Director of the local OhioMeansJobs office, addresses the committee (screenshot of video on YouTube by Documenter Nina Awal).
What happened: Michelle Rose, the new Executive Director of OhioMeansJobs Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, discussed her organization’s plans for supporting the local workforce. Focus sectors include healthcare, manufacturing, technology, construction and hospitality, Rose said. She said mental health and childcare are two “high-need sectors.”
Unemployment update: The unemployment rate is generally low in Ohio and across the country, Rose said. But there are other challenges related to employment. One persistent challenge is a lack of wage growth for Black men and women, according to Rose.
February summit: City Council is planning a youth summit for February 2023, according to Committee Chair Jasmin Santana. One focus of the summit will be options for high school students who prefer trade programs to college.
Left wondering: Documenter Nina Awal asked, “Why are most of the training and vocational programs geared to manual-labor jobs?”
Trumpet lessons out, voice lessons in
Oct. 12 – Cleveland Board of Control
Covered by Documenters Rebecca Roark and Gennifer Harding-Gosnell
What happened: The board amended a contract with Center for Arts-Inspired Learning for music lessons. The change replaced trumpet lessons with voice lessons. A city official said there was more interest in voice lessons.
Name change: In September, City Council changed the name of the Office of Quality Control and Performance Management to the Office of Urban Analytics and Innovation. The Board of Control formally concurred with that change in this meeting.
The Cleveland Board of Control consists of members of the mayor’s cabinet and leaders of city departments. City Council passes some legislation that authorizes the city to enter contracts for various services but in some cases leaves vendor selection or compensation to be set by the Board of Control. The board makes those decisions in this meeting and holds votes on the sale and purchase of land parcels.
Poll-worker recruitment on track, absentee requests down slightly
Oct. 12 – Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
Covered by Documenters Tucker Handley and Nick Ventura
What happened: The Board of Elections is preparing for the Nov. 8 general election. It approved about $1 million in payments to thousands of election workers. It also approved teams of bipartisan employees to collect absentee ballots outside the board’s office. The number of absentee ballots requested is down compared to the 2018 election, according to Board Director Anthony Perlatti.
Booths booked: The board finalized the distribution of 4,567 voting booths across all polling locations. It also approved the use of 286 voting units that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
And also: One public commenter addressed the board about the lack of absentee-ballot dropoff boxes throughout the county. Another expressed concerns about election security.
Curious about board members and how they’re appointed? Check out this Twitter thread from Cleveland Documenters’ Paul Rochford.
Commission approves projects at Cultural Gardens
Oct. 13 – Cleveland Landmarks Commission
Covered by Documenters Marvetta Rutherford
What happened: The commission granted two certificates of appropriateness to projects at the Cultural Gardens. One project is a bust of Queen Zenobia at the Syrian Garden. In the Third Century, Queen Zenobia ruled the Palmyrene Empire in what is now Syria. The commission approved it with conditions that the project team submit a photograph of the casting and a clay model. The other project was the final phase of the African American Cultural Garden.
Creative garden approved: The commission also approved a “creative garden” surrounding an arts center in Ward 12.
Curious about presentations made in Landmarks Commission meetings? You can download them right from the commission’s website.
Civic Term of the Week:
Curious about more local-government lingo? Check out this glossary of terms from Signal Cleveland’s Paul Rochford.
A Look Back:
Some highlights from meetings Documenters covered the week of Oct. 3
Oct. 4 – County jail: “I feel more unsafe when I think that the people who are in charge are not representing us. I feel more unsafe from those people than I do with people who get incarcerated.” – Marlene Goldheimer, addressing the Justice Center Executive Steering Committee about the proposed site for a new county jail. The committee did not approve 2700 Transport Road as an acceptable site. Learn more from Documenter McKenzie Merriman’s coverage.
Oct. 7 – City Planning Commission: “If it is the intent for institutions to continue to be insular and concern themselves with what’s inside their four walls, we’re not going to have a successful urban city.” – Commission Member August Fluker reflecting on plans presented for the plaza outside Sherwin-Williams Co.’s new downtown headquarters. Commission members approved the landscaping and site amenities. They added the condition that the project team consider additional seating for the plaza. Learn more from coverage by Documenters Sarah Tan and Marvetta Rutherford.
Oct. 6 – Safety Committee: Community members offered a mix of support for and opposition to expanding ShotSpotter. The committee advanced the legislation, and council passed it Oct. 10. Learn more from Documenter Mildred Seward’s coverage of the Oct. 6 meeting.
What’s ahead?
A look at the meetings Documenters are set to cover the week of Oct. 17.
Oct. 17
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2 p.m. – Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, City Council (livestream)
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7 p.m. – Cleveland City Council (livestream)
Oct. 18
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9:30 a.m. – Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee, City Council (livestream)
Oct. 19
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10 a.m. – Transportation and Mobility Committee, City Council (livestream)
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3 p.m. – Cleveland Board of Control (livestream)
Oct. 20
- 9:30 a.m. – Health, Human Services and the Arts Committee, City Council (livestream)