The Finance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee of the Cleveland City Council met on Monday, September 22, 2025, at approximately 5:58 PM under the chairmanship of Council President Griffin. The committee considered over two dozen ordinances and resolutions, including grant acceptances, contract authorizations, bond issuances, salary updates, and community reinvestment area designations. Substantive discussions focused on affordable housing financing, capital improvement priorities, speed table deployment, fair wage compliance, and airport safety concerns.
The committee approved the following routine items with limited discussion and without opposition:
Gateway 66 Affordable Housing (Ordinance 1170-2025) Sheila Wright of Frontline Development Group and Angela Bennett of Stark Enterprises presented the $27 million, 80‑unit mixed‑income project at East 66th Street and Linwood Avenue in Ward 7. To obtain financing clarity, the developers requested the redesignation of four market‑rate units to 80% area median income (AMI). Rent thresholds were provided: a two‑bedroom at 80% AMI would cost $1,200–$1,235; at 60% AMI, $1,125; at 50% AMI, $945. Council members expressed strong support, noting the project aligns with neighborhood investment from the Cleveland Foundation and Midtown Collaboration Center. The ordinance was recommended to the full council.
Bond Issuance and Capital Improvement Plan (Ordinances 673, 675, 676, 677, 678 as amended) The administration, represented by the Director of Finance, presented a new borrowing strategy that aligns bond issuance with actual project contracting needs. The original $76 million capital improvement program (CIP) was reduced to $36.044 million plus issuance costs, resulting in a total $40 million bond package. Amendments lowered principal amounts, increased interest rate caps to 6.5% to accommodate longer‑term rate fluctuations, changed the trustee from Huntington National Bank to Argent Institutional Trust Company, and extended certain dates. During debate, several council members raised concerns:
Salary and Wage Update (Ordinance 1169-2025) The Human Resources department presented legislation to amend pay bands in conformance with the Fair Employment Wage Ordinance (Ordinance 194-2021). The city's minimum wage will increase from $15.85 to $16.26 per hour, a 2.6% adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index. Bishop Eugene Ward, Vice Chair of the Fair Employment Wage Board, highlighted the need for broader public awareness of the city's worker‑friendly policies. The ordinance was recommended to the full council.
Community Reinvestment Area Amendments (Ordinance 1079-2025) Council President Griffin and Councilman Harrison sponsored amendments to add three parcels to the opportunity area near the East Cleveland border (Penrose‑Brightwood). The correction of parcel numbers allows the properties to qualify for 100% tax abatement to spur redevelopment. The ordinance was recommended to the full council.
Airport Safety and Land Acquisition Concerns During the Port Control segment, Council President Griffin raised concerns about the proposed Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park. He criticized the state's intervention and lamented the city's failure to acquire the 170‑acre site adjacent to Hopkins Airport for future expansion. Councilman Polensek echoed these concerns, questioning why the airport had not pursued the land earlier and calling for a comprehensive council discussion on safety and congestion impacts. The comments were for discussion only; no formal action was taken.
Today is Monday, September twenty second is the lady of finance diversity equity. I'll uh start out if I could find our guests. Chief McKinney? Good afternoon, Chairman. Um Griffin, I am Michelle Kinney. I am the finance director for Cleveland Municipal Court. Um our judge early was not able to make it today, so I'll be um representing the court on behalf of these two pieces that we have coming forth. This piece for the specialized docket, we're receiving 230,000 to help constituents that come through the court for the four specialized dockets that we have. We have been receiving this fund funding for over 10 years coming through the court, so it helps the constituents get assistance that they may need while they're getting treatment or help from our human trafficking drug court, veterans court, and also mental health court. So some of the treatment that they receive comes from help with their rent, if they need assistance with that, help with their utilities, their cell phone transportation, or things that they need in order to stay in the treatment that they do receive. Okay, thank you. Uh this is pretty routine. So this is just drug court, is it veterans court and all those other ones as well? Yes, it's human trafficking court, veterans court, mental health, and also drug court. Okay. So you use how much of what percentage of your general fund is this? No percentage of general fund. All that is is grant funded, and there is no match required. Okay, so no match required, and it's all grant funded. Yes. And it's only 80,000? 230,000. 230,000? Yes. Okay. And we get this on an annual basis. And they actually went up this year for the allocation. Normally we get between 180, 200,000 was last year, and this year is for next year's service is 230,000, which starts July 1st. Well, outstanding drug court is a very good tool, and we know that we uh have a lot of uh constituents and a lot of family members that are dealing with addiction, so definitely uh well needed. I'm always uh sticker shocked at how little we get for these programs, and you guys are really so nimble. So kudos to all of you guys. Thank you. All right, any uh anyone else want to uh comment on ordinance number 1081-2025? Councilman Mike Messenger. It's an outstanding program, and I support the legislation. Okay, any other questions? Seeing no other questions, ordinance number 1081-2025 stands approved, please sign on. Thank you. All right, next one is 1080-2025 by Councilmember Griffin by Departmental Request, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of finance on behalf of the Cleveland Municipal Court to apply for and accept the grant for from the Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County to expand access to evidence-based supervision and treatment services for defendants of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court and the Human Trafficking Special Document. Ms. Kenny. Good afternoon again. Now, this funding also comes from ATP. We also get this on an annual basis. So this would be our ATP admin fund used towards drug court and um human trafficking court. So this money does not expire, so they give us an opportunity to use it until we need to use it. And some of the things that has been used for this funding over the past years under drug court, um, Judge Lauren Moore, who used to be with our court, she was able to provide a book for the constituents that graduated from drug court. They were able to write a story about themselves and their experience, and this funding um provided the book to be printed and given out to those individuals that came through the drug court. So this funding can be used for anything that we may need for those constituents to help um throughout the drug court. Uh once again, this is uh great program, and it's mainly for administration, but it's only 17,000.