Cleveland City Council Finance Committee Meeting - October 6, 2025
Cleveland City Council Finance Committee Meeting - October 6, 2025
The City Council Finance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee met on October 6, 2025, to discuss several ordinances and departmental updates. Key topics included questions about supplemental insurance RFPs, a street renaming, an air quality grant renewal, and a corporate sponsorship initiative. The meeting also featured a heated discussion regarding a YMCA land transaction.
Discussion Items
- AFLAC Supplemental Insurance Inquiry: Councilmember expressed concern that AFLAC representatives were unable to obtain RFPs for supplemental insurance. Director confirmed that RFPs are issued for supplemental insurance and will check on the next opportunity. No vote was taken.
- Ordinance 1174-2025 - Street Renaming: Proposed to rename a portion of East 159th Street to Euclid Beach Boulevard. Councilman Polensek supported, citing the road was never officially dedicated and to honor historic nature. Approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 1167-2025 - Air Quality Grant: Authorized acceptance of $2.7 million annually from Ohio EPA for air quality division operations. Councilman Conwell noted robust discussion in committee. Approved.
- Ordinance 820-2025 - Corporate Sponsorship Consultant: Authorized hiring of Superlative Group for up to $305,000 over two phases to assess and sell naming rights/corporate sponsorships for city facilities. Council debated return on investment, amendment to require semi-annual reports to council, and assurances no existing facility names would be replaced. Approved as amended.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 1174-2025 approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 1167-2025 approved.
- Ordinance 820-2025 approved with amendment requiring semi-annual updates on sponsorship revenue and usage.
Additional Discussion
- YMCA Land Controversy: Councilman Conwell expressed frustration that the administration denied a YMCA request to purchase land in Glenville without consulting council. Chief McNair explained deed restrictions prevent sale, but offered to meet. Council President Griffin urged a follow-up meeting. No formal action was taken.
Meeting Transcript
Is this an RFP process, or is this uh health insurance how we change the company? Through the chair to the councilwoman. So we do our RFPs for the major health care contracts. Uh, director, just real quick, I got a question for you. And I'll just ask the question, but then if you need to get back to me offline, let me know. Uh AFLEC. Why don't we have options like that or uh people for RFPs with AFLAT? Uh a couple of representatives from AFLEC asked why they aren't able to get RFPs in order to um try to apply to be a provider for supplemental insurance. Or do you or is it uh is it a process or when do you let out that uh that that bid um to the chair? So we do RFP that um I can check on the the the next round that we will be RFPing, but um uh we do RFPs for the the supplemental as well. Let me know when the next one RPs are, and then let me know if AFLAC, because they claim that you know they they owe it a copy of the RFP and they don't have an opportunity to compete. So I just want to make sure that either I give you their names andor uh you want to take a picture, you can their names and/or uh you know make sure that uh if you if they can uh apply next time. So you want to just take a picture of it real quick. I'll print your time. Okay, thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, Director. All right, uh public health, public health here, public health, public health. There's public health here. Public health is not here. We'll go to the next one. Someone might want to try to tell public health if they want their peace heard, they might want to come in. Next one is Capital Projects. Capital Projects is Ordinance Number 1174-2025 by Council members Polencick and Griffin by departmental request an emergency ordinance to change the name of a portion of East 89th Street to Euclid Beach Boulevard. Director. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman. Um as you said, this is to change just a portion of East 159th Street, um, that's north of Lakeshore Boulevard to uh Euclid Beach Boulevard. Euclid Beach Boulevard is what the road is named uh just past that point. And the goal of this um at the request of um Councilman Plensick is that we have um signification of the um historic nature of that area on Lakeshore Boulevard. In in so the idea is that you would see a street sign Ucley Beach Boulevard off of Lakeshore. Um, and this does meet the requirements, which is that there's no uh business or uh house addresses that come off this portion of the roadway, and that's why we're able to make that request here today for your consideration. Thank you so much. Uh Councilman Michael Palency. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Obviously, I'm here to support the legislation. Um presently it's called East 159th Street, which was never officially dedicated nor accepted by the city of Cleveland in the day. It was put in by the developer of the high-rise departments north of Lakeshore Boulevard. And what we're trying to do is clean up this mess. Found out that the road was deficient, was not being adequately maintained. So this legislation uh came after the fact of the renaming after the fact that we had um assessed all the adjacent property to construct the new roads. We'll be a dedicated and accepted city tree, and officially called Newton Beach Boulevard. So I urge my colleagues and ask my colleagues respectfully to support uh this my request on this piece of legislation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. All right.
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