Cleveland City Council Meeting - October 13, 2025
Cleveland City Council Meeting - October 13, 2025
The meeting on October 13, 2025, began with ceremonial proceedings and public comments from residents addressing housing disparities, environmental remediation, property taxes, and police accountability. Council then celebrated the 50th anniversary of Cleveland EMS with speeches from former and current officials. After passing several emergency ordinances, council members engaged in a lengthy debate on the proposed relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Brook Park, raising significant financial and procedural concerns.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Austria Everson (Buckeye Woodhill, Love Project movement): Expressed devastation over the Garden Valley explosion families leaving the previous meeting in tears, criticized council for not acknowledging their suffering, and argued that residents feel unheard and hopeless across several wards.
- D'Artanian Ward (Shaker Heights, Slavic Village CDC President): Requested city funding to supplement a grant for remediating the Harvard Landfill and installing a solar farm, stating that current conditions cause environmental harm to nearby residents and that the neighborhood deserves investment.
- John Francis (Ward 11): Asked council to officially table legislation 791-2024 concerning a former CVS parcel at West Boulevard and Madison Avenue, stating that residents in Wards 11 and 15 oppose its reintroduction.
- Bridget Smith Jackson (East Cleveland): Criticized council for failing to support 150+ displaced residents from the Garden Valley explosion nearly four months ago, accusing the body of deflection and insufficient coordination between city departments.
- Terry Wang (Tremont): Discussed the burden of rising property taxes on seniors, cited Langston Hughes, and urged council to explore local property tax relief programs similar to those in Lorain County.
- Chairman Fahim (Buckeye Woodhill, New Era Cleveland): Announced an evidentiary hearing on October 24 regarding police officer Lance Henderson, pushing for termination, and accused the mayor of being fraudulent on police reform promises.
- Lou (Ward 8): Criticized lack of transparency in Cleveland Public Services, cited delayed construction on Payne Avenue, and called for a utilities committee hearing on the Harvard Landfill project after Cleveland Public Power reportedly backed out.
Presentation: 50th Anniversary of Cleveland EMS
- Former Councilman Matt Zone recounted how his father's death from a heart attack in 1974, due to a slow emergency response, led his mother, Mary Zone, to champion the creation of a professional EMS system. The first academy graduated exactly 50 years ago on this date.
- Commissioner Wheeler thanked council and the mayor for their support, highlighted new programs like whole blood administration, and introduced Lee Nathan, who wrote the original grant and served as the first EMS director.
- Dr. Jeremiah Escajeda, the newly appointed medical director, noted that EMS is changing medicine in the streets and pointed to the June 2025 implementation of whole blood for traumatic injuries.
- Council members praised the legacy of Mary Zone and the ongoing commitment of EMS staff.
Discussion Items: Cleveland Browns Relocation Proposal
- Councilman Christopher Harsh questioned the financial details of the announced deal with Haslam Sports Group: $100 million total, with $25 million upfront (likely spent by 2029), $30 million set aside for demolition (likely insufficient), and $45 million restricted. He argued moving the Browns to Brook Park would harm the downtown economy and infrastructure.
- Councilman Brian Casey sharply criticized the mayor, saying he “sold out” by not fighting harder to keep the team downtown, and also raised concerns that his personal information was exposed in the GovQA system since 2022 without redaction, calling for immediate action.
- Councilman Michael Polensick, the only remaining member from the original Browns deal, calculated that after inflation and demolition costs, the city would end up with “zero” from the $100 million. He requested a detailed briefing with spreadsheets, arguing the state’s $600 million could have been used to redevelop the lakefront stadium.
- Councilman Kevin Conwell echoed the need for a written financial breakdown rather than oral explanations, and called for transparency.
- Council President noted that discussions with the law director and mayor would follow to provide briefings and understand legal obligations.
Key Outcomes
- Emergency ordinances were passed with 14 yea votes (one nay on Ordinance 1215-2025):
- 1295-2025: Authorizing amendment to MOU with Greater Cleveland RTA for additional services.
- 1304-2025: Authorizing contract with West Creek Conservancy for wetland mitigation.
- 1307-2025: Renaming Herman Park to Judge Raymond L. Pianca Park.
- 1310-2025: Requiring voluntary payments for Herman Park renovations.
- 1309-2025: Authorizing agreement with Slavic Village Development for the Rooms to Let Project.
- 1082-2025: Contract with Heritage Health Systems for medical billing for inmates.
- 1215-2025: Enacting new code sections on underspeed vehicles (13 yea, 1 nay).
- 1216-2025: Establishing the local government test fund.
- 1217-2025: Authorizing agreement with Granicus for legislative management software.
- 1224-2025: Transfer and amendment of $350,000 within the general fund.
- Approved plat for a small land dedication at East 15th and Carnegie (Ward 6).
- Approved several liquor license applications and transfers.
- Council recessed to the call of the chair; next meeting scheduled for October 20, 2025.
- Absences of Councilmembers Gray, Slife, and Spencer were excused.
Meeting Transcript
How many I got? How many? I can start with nine, can I? Madam Clerk, please call the road. Here Gray. Hairston, Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey, Kelly, Moore, Polancick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Star, Welch. You can start, Mr. Mr. President. Will everyone rise for a moment of silence, followed by a presentation by the City of Cleveland Color Guard? Sharon Cozo, Dave Saunders, Megan Frederick, Anisia Chapman, Ashley Clark, Ray Beth Hughes leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Oh, say can you see by the light? What's so proudly we held at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the pert or the parts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rock catch my gal, the bombs bursting, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say does that spangle that way or the land of the free and the home of the breath. I make the following statement. This meeting of Cleveland City Council is a lawful meeting under section 605.04 of the codified ordinances. No person with purpose to prevent or disrupt the lawful meeting shall do any act which obstructs or interferes with the due conduct of such meeting. Members of the public are invited to speak only under the rules set by this council. Disruptions, including but not limited to speaking out of turn and making loud noises and loud utterances are in violation of the rules and interfere with the due conduct of this lawful meeting. Such disruptions may constitute a misdemeanor and a violation of Section 605.04. Anyone who disrupts this lawful meeting in violation of the codified ordinances, commits misdemeanors and is subject to prosecution. The following is the first and only warning. If this meeting is disrupted, I will gather a halt to the proceedings and direct the assembled officers to escort any person participating in the disruption out of the chamber. Once persons participating in the disruption are outside of the chambers, the officers will close the doors and the disruptors will be handled as directed by the director of public safety. The council proceedings will not begin again until those that participated in the disruption have left the chamber and the chamber doors are closed. Disruptors will not be allowed back in the chamber after the meeting resumes. Again, this is the first and only warning. Madam Clerk, please dispense with the journal. Thank you. We'll now move to public comment. And you need to uh stop. First is Stephanie K. Thomas from Ward 11 to talk about the CVS gas station on West Boulevard. And uh she's representing shelter to people Cleveland and not being paid by anyone. Is Stephanie K. Thomas here? Stephanie K. Thomas. Stephanie K. Thomas here. I do not see Stephanie K. Thomas. I will move to the next person. The next person is Austria Everson. Uh she's in the Buckeye Woodhill neighborhood. The topic that she would like to discuss is love. She represents the Love Project movement and not being paid by anyone. Uh Miss Everson, you had the floor.
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