Good afternoon, everyone.

Um the finance, diversity, and equity and inclusion committees call to order.

Madam Clerk, call the roll.

Present.

Present.

Present.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We're gonna start with utilities.

Come up.

Okay.

Ordinance number twenty twelve nineteen dash twenty twenty-five by council members Casey and Griffin by departmental request, an emergency ordinance determining the method of making the public improvement of constructing and installing replacement sewers and repairing and rehab my god, this is wrong.

Um rehab rehabilitating, sorry, it's just my Spanish kicks in existing sewers and sewer connections, religion sewers and constructing and repairing catch basins and manholes at various locations throughout the city on an as-needed basis, and authorizing the director of public utilities to enter into one or more public improvement requirements, contracts for the making of the improvement, and authorizing gifts, grants, or loans for a term of one or two years.

Legislation for the division of water pollution control typically uh results in four distinct contracts that are publicly procured for construction and installing replacement sewers and repairing rehabilitation of existing, which is our emergency sewer repair contract, rehabilitating and relining sewers, approximately two million dollars per year, rehabilit rehabilitating and repairing sewer connections, five hundred thousand dollars per year in constructing and repairing catch basins and manholes, approximately five hundred thousand dollars per year.

Due to the timing of these four contracts, we do have one of them that is expiring in January of twenty twenty-six, but we are working to work towards getting all four um awarded and expiring in approximately the same time as you'll notice in the executive summary.

Um kind of lapse on our part.

We are going to try to get those more aligned.

But this is a standard biennial uh request for us to go out and get these contract assistance and for an as-needed basis and also for emergency sewer repairs.

Um, Councilman Casey, this is heard in utilities.

Any other questions from my colleagues?

So move.

Solbaisky Avenue.

And Area Sewer Replacement and Approving Projects Authorizing Director of Public Utilities to enter into one or more public improvements contracts authorizing the director to employ one or more professional consultants necessary to design the improvement and authorizing the director to apply for and asset any loans or grants from any public or private entity.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

These do this ordinance does give us the authority to proceed on the capital sewer replacement programs for the division of water pollution control as outlined in the five-year capital uh plan that we regularly share and was requested and should be on its way to you from the utilities committee.

The division does identify these projects based on a number of criteria, and then we come and get the um requisite legislative authority to then proceed with its design and construction.

The funds associated with these projects are from any available, but primarily from bond uh proceeds.

Uh the division did go out um within the last 18 months and did borrow those funds, so we do need to get them identified to a project and spent in a timely manner, and this is our effort to continue in that regard.

Thank you, Director.

How do you say that street?

So by the way, so BSP.

Okay, Avenue.

Um Councilman Casey?

Any questions from my colleagues?

Okay.

I do have a question.

Thank you.

Oh, okay, Councilman Slaife.

I did um through the chair to the commissioner.

There, as you know, there's been some localized flooding issues in Ward 17 around some of these streets.

I would presume and hope that this resolves some of that because Melgrave Avenue was paved not too long ago.

So hopefully, hopefully this is controlling for the flooding issue, and therefore I think would be really beneficial.

Do the chair chair council, yes.

That will alleviate some of the flooding issues that have been going on.

All right, thank you.

No objections.

Okay.

Um any other questions?

So move.

Okay.

Ordinance number.

Here we go.

1220 2025 without objections.

So approved.

Please sign.

Is that another one?

Okay.

And um 1219 2025 also approved without any objections.

Please sign.

Here's that one.

Where's that one?

There we go.

She's out of there.

I don't know where this one's at.

Okay.

Now we got finance.

Are you up here for the Director Barrett?

Okay.

Next up we have ordinance number 1210-2025 by Council Members Griffin.

An or emergency ordinance amending section six of ordinance number 29-16, passed January 25th, 2016, entitled an emergency ordinance authorizing the issuance and sell of water pollution control revenue bonds of the city for the purpose of paying cost of improvement to the water pollution control system, authorizing a master trust agreement to secure water pollution control revenue bonds of the city, authorizing and approving related matters and declaring an emergency.

The WPC general bond ordinance to provide for the issuance of subordinate indebtness for the purpose of refunding any outstanding bonds or any outstanding sort of boring indebtness authorizing a third supplement trust agreement, other agreements, documents, and actions related to amendments of WPC general bond ordinance and authorizing and improving related matters.

Director.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair.

So the Division of Water Pollution Control in this ordinance is seeking to amend the previously approved bond ordinance from 2016 due to a change in uh refunding opportunities through the OWDA when the legislation was originally um presented and passed by council.

This opportunity didn't exist.

So we're looking for um an amendment to that authorizing legislation for us to participate in this new refunding market to realize a significant savings to our customers and director Barrett's here for the numbers.

Okay, sorry yes.

So through the chair to the committee, um not to spoil uh the review of 1211 2025, but um you know this applies to that and gives us permission to enter into that agreement for the refunding, um, which would save us 4.3 million dollars if approved uh over 20 years, and the uh total interest cost would be 3.2 percent.

So we're really getting beneficial um terms by going this direction.

Uh this bill 1210 2025 allows us to change the code to enter into the uh loan, the agreement, and then 1211, which is coming up next will um is is more specific in refunding the 2016 bonds.

Okay, thank you.

Um councilman Casey.

Was duly vetted in utilities are recommended for passage.

Any other questions?

So move.

Okay.

Um there's no amendment here.

No, okay.

So without objection, ordinance number 121020 25 is approved.

Please sign.

There you go.

And then the next one that complements that one is the 1211.

Looks like I'm wrapping up present.

Okay.

I still can't find the description.

Okay, am I seeing this right?

Oh, there we go.

Okay.

It's a different okay.

Ordinance number 1211 2025 by Councilmember Griffin.

An emergency ordinance ordinance authorizing the city to apply for accept and enter in cooperative agreement between the city and Ohio Water Development Authority for the refinancing of the city's water pollution control revenue bonds series 2016, the proceeds of which were used for the purpose of paying costs of improvements to the water pollution control system and authorizing and approving related matters, director.

Thank you, madam chair.

So now having the authority and the amendment to the existing or to the authorizing legislation, we're now seeking the authority to participate in this opportunity.

If uh if approved, we hope to get it down to the OWDA by within the next two weeks.

Their board meets in the third week of November, and we would seek approval of this opportunity through the OWDA in the month of November in order to capitalize on current rate uh current bond market uh rates and and actually realize these savings.

Got it.

Thank you.

Councilman Casey.

Duly vetted in utilities recommended for passage.

Any questions?

So move.

Okay.

Without objection, ordinance number 1211-2025 has been approved.

Please sign.

Thank you.

Madam Chair, just before the director leaves, the finance director.

Uh we through the um various council staff, we made requests as it pertains to uh long list of requests as pertains to the Browns um issue.

Uh you have an idea when we're going to get response to all those questions.

So through the chair to the councilman, um we have been working on those and have been consolidating it.

Okay, it does take some input from divisions across the city.

Okay, but those are um being worked on and close to completion.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chairs.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, next up we have public works.

This is the capital, this is the campus piece right here.

Hi, hey director, how are you?

Yeah, okay.

So we'll first start with ordinance number 1222-2025 by council members Bishop and Griffin, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of public works to contract with one or more consultants or firms for consultants to provide professional service necessary to manage the nuisance abatement process that oversees cutting the cutting and cleaning of vacant occupy structures that are in violation of building and housing and or health code ordinance for a period of up to two years, director.

Thank you, Chair.

I don't have that.

Where do we have to do that?

That is number 12.

Oh, you did okay.

Okay.

Yeah, director.

Thank you, Chair and Committee.

This piece is to allow this for us to go back out and to solicit a contractor to work with us in our vacant property uh nuisance abatement program.

This is last year was the first time we used one contractor to kind of supervise other contractors to do our work.

So we uh found some success in that.

We want to be able to do that again, and then not sure that's what this piece is for.

Oh, but for any questions.

I have questions.

Councilman Palenzi.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chairperson to the director.

Um how many contractors did we have uh working on this?

So the uh the main contractor top designer had five other contractors working with them.

So the total with his crews and the others about six contractors.

And they work citywide.

They were citywide.

Okay.

Through the chair.

So they I'm just trying to get clarification here.

Uh so they worked on abandoned homes, not lots, abandoned homes, correct?

Through the chair and to the councilman, they primarily worked on abandoned homes, but in times when we needed to, they would work on a lot.

Okay.

So my question is so on abandoned homes that we cut the grass.

Was there an assessment placed on those properties?

Uh through the chair to the councilman, uh, yes, we build those.

And then if it's not paid, then it gets assessed at the process.

So you would have a list per ward of those structures that you cut through the councilman.

Through the chair to the councilman, yes.

We would and I would request that.

I would request the list.

Through the chair to the councilman.

Uh the that again, that those lists it changed from year to year, but I'll give you this year's.

Yeah, that's what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for this year.

So it's you madam chairperson to director.

So it's your opinion that the program worked.

Through the chair to the councilman, yes.

We were able to focus um a little bit more in the lots with our city state.

Okay.

So it it it uh, yes, I think it worked better.

So who who followed up to guarantee that those lots got cut?

Who was who is the eyes and ears to see?

We send these contractors out.

Who gave them the list?

Uh through the chair to the councilman that is actually our internal staff.

So we have Michael Ingram, uh, Temisha Chris Mond, okay, Jose Rodriguez, those are the folks that are actually watching our giving the list to the contractors, making sure the work was done.

And so they so then I'm good.

What I'm trying to figure out who checked up to know that the grass was cut and the yards were cleaned up properly.

Through the chair to the councilman, those those folks as well as the unit leaders in each of our uh areas.

So when you say unit leaders, are that folks working like in the division of streets, who were they?

I'm sorry, through the chair to the council, those are the folks that work in bacon properties.

Vacant properties.

Yes.

So you can tell the committee without any fair contradiction that the majority of the abandoned structures in the city where there were houses on them, physical house or businesses could be an empty business as well, that those lots were adequately cut and cleaned up.

Through the chair to the councilman, when we say adequately, I will say we we were able to do four cycles.

Okay, I know people would probably want more, but I'm I it's four cycles is better than what we'll be able to do in the past, I can assure you.

Okay.

So you're saying that, and then your vacant lot crews, because I'm talking also to the viewing public here.

Yep, because I've urged people repeatedly in the neighborhood to call in the 311.

That's what we've been told.

When there's a vacant house, a vacant lot to call it in the 311.

Yes.

So then our city crews were able to focus on the lots.

Through the chair to the councilman that's okay.

So the five you had you said five contractors or six?

There's uh including the the main contractor would be six.

Okay.

Uh and where did they work?

They work out of a yard or they just worked out of their own location.

They worked through their own locations.

Okay, and I would respectfully ask for a list of those contractors as well.

If they were and where they're located at.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chairperson.

Can I get it back?

Yep, yes.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm just looking at that.

Any other questions?

Um.

So ordinance number 1220 1222-2025.

Without objection, is approved.

Please sign.

Here, we get it right back.

Thank you.

Thank you, Director.

Okay.

Ordinance number 1299-2025 by Council members Bishop and Griffin.

An emergency ordinance determining the method of making the public improvement of repairing, constructing, and installing various ADA compliant structures, including, but not limited to the curve ramps and authorizing director of public works to enter into one or more public improvement requirements contracts for making for the making of this improvement.

Director?

Thank you, Chair.

This piece is is not new to the city, but it'd be new to public works.

Traditionally, we uh as far as our ADA ramps go with our resurfacing program, we would work with MoCAP.

Uh to they would use their contractor uh to be able to get the uh the ramps done.

Uh that put a burden on MOCAP, and it also slowed us down as well.

So what we want to do with this piece here is to be able to go out, get our own contract to be able to do our ramps, which we believe will make us a little bit a lot more uh efficient and a lot quicker.

So I have with me Commissioner uh Mavic from Traffic Engineering Assistant, Commissioner Sheldon Coleman to talk a little bit more for if you have any questions about our strategy for this.

Okay, director uh to the chair that speak more about just making us efficient on the resurfacing program.

So this contract would be held by public works, um traffic engineering is assisting in creating the specs and actually uh administering that contract.

But it will make us much more efficient um and the task or is can be run written much quicker because it's specific to ADA ramps and the local resurfacing program.

Commissioner Shelton, do you want to thank you to the chair?

To the Chair, uh, yes, as Commissioner Mayvik said, it would make us a lot more efficient, being able to streamline these ADA ramps, which are at the corner of every intersection by state law we have to replace if we're going to interrupt any part of any pavement on any street, and this will help us have our in-house uh internal contractor to operate at our schedule and being able to smoothline that process.

Got it.

Councilman Palencyc?

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson, to the director to your team here.

Um where are the funds coming from?

Uh through the chair to the councilman, these funds will be coming from the resurfacing program.

This is what we traditionally do anyway.

It's not any different.

I I understand that.

So this is separate from the councilmatic allocation.

Through the chair to the councilman, yes, that is correct.

Separate from that.

So in the past, when we resurfaced streets, the uh the handicap ramps were calculated into the cost overall.

So you're telling us now, I want to get this straight, that that will be that will not be part of the charge to the individual ward councilman.

No, through the chair to the councilman.

It will be the same as far as on your end, the it'll everything look the same.

What will be different for us is again the load of the contractor, right?

Was all on MOCAP.

So now we're saying instead of waiting, you know, holding them down with their contract, we're just gonna get our own.

So your for on your side it will look the same.

So we're the individual ward councilman will still be paying for the handicap ramps.

Through the chair of the council, that's correct.

Okay.

And then the this is just handicap.

This has nothing to do about the grinding program.

No, that that's something different.

That's something different.

And um, as I have some real concerns about the grinding program.

Um I've gotten one call after another on that one.

So uh before you leave the table, I I want to be I won't be labeled to point out, but I would like you to respond on the grinding program as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chairperson.

Thank you.

And I am so sorry, Councilman Bishop.

This was heard in your committee.

Any questions, thoughts?

Uh no need to apologize, Madam Chair.

Uh we fully vetted this for passage and recommended for passage.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions?

No.

Ordinance number 1299-2025 without objection has been approved.

No.

Please sign on.

Okay.

Next we have parks and recreation.

I've got one more.

One more.

You have it's okay.

1221.

Yeah.

Actually, I have two.

1068 too.

Do you have that one?

That would be parks.

That would be purchased.

Oh, okay.

That's fine.

Okay.

So ordinance number 1221-2025 by Councilmembers Bishop and Griffin and an emergency ordinance authorizing director of parks and recreation and or director of public works and or the director of finance to contract with one or more temporary employment agencies to prov provide professional service to supply temporary and seasonal personnel for the Department of Parks and Recreation and or Department of Public Works and the Project and the Project Clean Program and for various other departments of the city for a period up to one year.

Thank you.

Uh Chair.

This piece is the piece that we do every year to be able to solicit a temporary labor um agency to provide workers for our vacant properties cutting program.

But also, in addition to that, there are other um divisions or departments throughout the city that use this contract for temporary labor.

So this again would not uh name any specific vendor.

This just gives us the ability to be able to go out and uh uh send out an RFP to to solicit vendors.

Got it, thank you.

Um I have a question.

Okay.

And so first of all, I loved my crew this year.

Um as you know, I have like 55 aileys, the most in comparison to any other ward.

But and I know they could not do them all.

But I'm always been curious to know because this is funded through council members, right?

So uh to the chair, is that the funding actually is through the general fund is also through community development block grant money, as well as each uh ward can allocate funds as well.

So it has multiple sources.

So the has the funding for council increased or decreased.

So this year we add a little bit more.

It did increase this year, which was great because it was a great partnership and we were able to do a lot of good things with that partnership.

Okay, thank you.

Councilman Palency.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Madam Chairperson, and to uh the director would I'm not clear on.

So this of of the 69,000 821, how much of that is block rant?

Uh so uh so just one clear uh through the chair to the councilman.

So uh so just one clear uh three chair to the councilman, for instance, we were talking about war one and it says 69,000.

That would uh it just depends on the the council person, if they want to use casino or if they want to use black, it would be up to the councilperson.

Okay, because I wasn't clear because you said it was block grant.

Yeah, so for instance, for the for the 900,000 you see for general fund, that is through vacant properties through our department.

The 900,000 that you see for community development, that is also through bacon property or through Department of Public Works.

The remaining is independently from each ward.

So if they want to use, you know, if war one wanted to use casino funds, or if they wanted to use community development block grant funds, it would be up to that councilperson.

So but what I was that was not clear.

I think you mentioned that uh as it retains to the hiring.

Are these private contractors or these were people can submit names?

Yeah, that's what I was confused.

So here I'm yeah, and I'm sorry for not making it clear.

But here this contract is typically what we call the Snyder Blade contract.

Right.

So yes, you could submit names and we would hire folks through this.

I wasn't clear whether this would be a private contract or higher.

Yes, yes, through the chair to the councilman.

So a private contractor could be hired as well.

Is that what you're telling us?

No, not through this, not through this piece.

Yeah, this would just be for a labor.

So we will go out and find a company that would provide labor to us only.

I got you.

And then equation to how many people per crew.

Um sorry, one more time.

How many people per crew?

So we typically use about a two-person crew or it could be a three-person crew, depending on where so either the war person may say, Hey, I want three people.

Yes, I got you.

I just want to I want to just I wasn't clear when you describe it.

It was going to be private or these are going to be the names that were submitted by through each of the wards.

So my apologies.

So yes, okay.

So we can do both with this.

So with the war crews, that would be a work that would pay for that.

But for the the 900,000, you know, we add we solicit and say, hey, if you want to give us some folks that we can hire, I guess what we would do through there.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Um Councilman Bishop Uh Yes, Madam Chair.

Um we uh vetted through this morning in uh municipal service of fully recommended for passage.

Thank you.

Without objection, ordinance number 1221-2025 has been approved.

Please sign.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, so I don't know if you're actually me.

Yeah.

Who's 1068?

That would be parks.

Okay, parks and recreation.

Okay.

I know the councilman had a question.

Just before the director leaves.

As it pertains to the grinding, uh, so for the viewing public, you will grind a sidewalk, but over how high will you not grind to the chair to the council.

So uh the milling contract is only for the streets.

I understand.

Yes.

So when we uh have an ADA contractor, uh we will only have them bring it up to grade where the water won't run into the ADA uh ramp.

But when you're when you're grinding the sidewalks on the street, you will not grind over a certain height of the sidewalk being lifted.

That's what I was told.

Okay.

So what is that height?

I was told three inches.

So to the council to the chair, uh to the chair to the council.

We will rip out, we will we will demo uh sidewalks.

The milling is strictly from curve to curb.

So uh no, I think you're wrong.

I'm talking about grinding the sidewalks, the sidewalks that are lifted.

Okay.

Is this uh the program out of LOCAP?

Yes.

I mean, who can answer that?

I mean, I'm I'm I I guess I'm I've Director DeRosa can answer that.

Okay, so okay, Spotolski can't.

So that's not your you don't have anything to do with the grinding.

Not for the through the chair, not for the sidewalks.

Okay, that's what I'm gonna get clarified.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Do you want to move down?

Yeah, sir.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you, Shelton.

Commissioner.

Okay.

This one.

Okay.

So now we're uh we're gonna hear ordinance number 1068-2025 by Councilmembers Bishop and Griffin, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of parks and recreation to accept a donation from changeover, or it's designated to allow and step improvements to two tennis courts located at Harmony Park as a gift to the city.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

Um my name is Susanne De Chineiro, I am the Commissioner of Real Estate, and I will present this piece seeking authority for the uh director of parks and recreation to accept a donation of the tennis courts court improvements at Harmony Park, and also for the placement of private logos in connection with the tennis court improvements.

The work will be done by Changeover, which is a nonprofit corporation that works to transform and revitalize tennis courts throughout the city in order to foster a sense of community recreation and wellness.

In 2024, changeover renovated two tennis courts at the Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center.

They resurface the courts and uh place some signage around the courts.

Um, Harmody Park, so they've identified Harmony Park as their 2025 location.

They intend to do one court or one location per year.

Um and so for 2025, it's Harmony Park in the heart of Old Brooklyn.

Um changeover will resurface the tennis courts, and they do intend to place um a private logo, uh, which is Rocket Mortgage LLC.

It will just be the word Rocket.

Um, it's one of their project sponsors, and so um we are seeking authority again for acceptance of the donation and placement of the logos.

The improvements at Harmodee Park value are valued at about $30,000, and Changeover will donate these um improvements to the city.

Okay, I was just gonna ask you that.

Whose ward is this in?

It's oh, because this is mine.

I would love to give a brief comment.

Yes, go ahead, Council Woman Maurer.

U thank you.

And I know we got this this morning, but I'm gonna be a co-sponsor tonight, right?

Inez, we're gonna get me on there, because this is my third time asking to be the co-sponsor on this bill.

Um, so this is an exciting project that my office helped to coordinate in conjunction with a number of other improvements we were able to leverage at Harmodee Park, including the administration's uh commitment, which has already been done to improve the Treadway Creek Trail and a $300,000 commitment of NEF funds to improve um aspects of Harmodee Park.

So getting this uh money from Changeover is going to take these tennis courts uh from kind of essentially being unusable right now to being usable.

Um, and the addition of the uh logo has already been vetted by both uh city planning and by the community.

They're they're aware of it.

So I just wanted to express my really enthusiastic support for this piece and uh thanks to Mo Cap and Real Estate for getting it across the finish line.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

Um, any questions from my colleagues?

So move.

Um, Councilman Bishop, I was this heard in your committee.

Yes, madam chair.

Um, we fully MSP fully recommend this passage.

Thank you.

Ordinance number 1068-2025 without objection, has been approved.

Please sign.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, we have a miscellaneous for you, Councilman Casey.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, to the commissioner.

Uh in caucus today, we asked about the appraisal of Burke Lakefront Airport, the 450 acres, the 50 acres that Cleveland Brown Stadium sits on, and uh an appraisal on Cleveland Brown Stadium as well.

We were told that we don't have those.

Can we get those uh through the chairwoman to Councilman Casey?

I I will find out and let you know.

Okay, and so specifically for Berk Lake Front Airport for the appraisal of the 450 acres of Burke.

Okay, the appraisal for the 50 acres that the current Brown Stadium sits on.

Okay.

And an appraisal for the stadium itself.

Got it.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chairman, I think you're gonna have to make that officially.

You're gonna have to make that official request.

Didn't I just do that?

I just want to make that clear.

That's an official request through the council.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Good.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Chief Sonia.

Here we go.

So next up we have ordinance number 1315-2025 by council members Griffin.

Um, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of finance to enter into an amendment to contract number CT 0114 PS 1223-0002 with the child care resource center of Kayahua County, doing business as starting point for additional funds for 18 eligible households to continue to provide funding for early childhood education for the Department of Finance.

And this was really from workforce.

Go ahead.

Chief.

Good afternoon, Chairwoman and Council.

Thank you for this opportunity today.

Um, with us, we have Kara Porter from Starting Point, their vice president, um, and they are partners in overseeing this uh program.

They've done a phenomenal job with the program since 2023, um, thanks to this council for providing families with scholarship dollars to help them afford child care so that they can go off to work in school.

Um, since that time, they've been able to support 370 children, 238 families across the entire city, but they found um a specific set of family members really challenged to be able to be uh placed on other uh programs to support them as they continue work in school and get their kids a high child uh quality child care.

So today before you were requesting the ability to spend an additional 120,000 dollars to set support those most high need and high risk families who have not been able to be put on other programs.

Okay.

And Chief, this was our original allocation of ARPA dollars, right?

That is correct.

It was thanks to ARPA dollars that we were able to find these.

And what was the I forgot what was the overall total amount that we provided?

So the total amount for this particular program was about $2 million, and then we did a little shy of $2 million for the retention program.

Got it.

So what happens after this program and we expend all of our dollars?

How do we continue to sustain like unfortunately we don't I don't have an answer for you for that today?

Unfortunately, in addition to the hard circumstances that families were placed in before, um some of the new requirements from the state of Ohio as it relates to the ability for families to qualify for this care are gonna make it a little bit more difficult.

Um our desire and particularly the right now is to support um this significant group of families who are struggling the most, especially understanding um some of the realities with SNAP in the next couple of weeks.

I have a question.

Yeah.

And my you know, my question just with the government shutdown, you know, how are you guys dealing with the vouchers, possibly not getting that funding after November 1st, right?

That would be people losing food and then losing child care at the same time.

Yes, uh, through the chair to the committee, it is uh definitely a challenge, and we are working hand in hand with all of our partners to try to wrap our arms around those families.

Uh we have been in contact with the state and understand as you said that uh those dollars are in place through November 1st and we're in contact with them to figure out what happens next um so that families can continue to access child care and the programs that are providing it can continue to get paid.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Madam Chairperson to the director to the uh what's the from sorry what's your name again?

Uh Kara Porter.

Thank you.

Um I was fortunate I learned about the program, so I would refer families.

What I'd like to find out um if you could tell us, if you have the ability to tell us, um how many families applied that were that could not be serviced?

Do you have those numbers?

Through the chair to the councilman, we did have um a number of families, uh, several hundred, I believe, that applied and were either waitlisted because we didn't have enough funding, or there were families outside the city of Cleveland who applied, and of course could not qualify.

Those were the main reasons that those uh denials were made.

Could you break that down by ward can tell us?

I uh we could get that information from you.

I don't have that data in front of me, but that is something that we could definitely do, especially in terms of the families that were waitlisted.

Okay, if you uh would make that official request through the chair if you could tell us by ward how many families, because obviously all of us around the table are concerned, whether it be the SNAP, the funding in SNAP.

I mean we've had the um the food bank is in my neighborhood.

I worked very hard to get the food bank there.

They have already been cut.

Um I'm worried about other programs being dismantled, like the job core and others.

Um so it's up to all of us.

And I I keep saying this at the various neighborhood meetings I'm at.

Um you have a pothole in front of your house.

Um you know how to call your councilman.

But how many a critical program such as this?

Uh, how many people have contacted their state reps, their state senators, uh, the governor's office to express their viewpoints, their opinions on things such as this.

Um daycare, um, child care is so critical.

If we want to get people back into the workforce, we know there are moms that want to go back into the workforce, but unless they have child care, um quality child care or child care that they can afford, they're not gonna do that.

They can't do it.

And so um I'm just I guess from what I'm asking at this table, I'm asking of you.

What suggestions or recommendations would you have for us here at the table?

Through the chair to the councilman, uh I couldn't we obviously couldn't agree with you more.

It's not only an issue for children and their early childhood education, also for families who want to work, but also in a time when uh SNAP and WIC are at risk, and in this is a place where kids are getting two meals a day most of the time.

Right safe, healthy, clean environment for them that they're able to go to and get some food.

So we know that they're critically important.

In the past, what we have advocated for at the state level is a continual increase in the eligibility for publicly funded child care.

We are one of the lowest states in the nation at 145 percent.

The governor does have a program right now that's raising that up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

We would like that to be continued or increased.

That's really where that leverage can come in to get this um get a child care voucher to more families so that they can participate in the workforce and um you know bring bring funding home to their own family.

So you're active e-lobbying in Columbus?

Yes, we actively uh do educate and advocate on that.

And are you linked up with other counties or other municipalities across the state doing that?

Yes, through the chair to the councilman.

We do actually have a number of sister agencies that are also child care resource and referral agencies.

We work under a state umbrella to um bring these issues to the forefront, and they are issues that impact not only our urban communities but also our rural communities that have trouble accessing child care um in an affordable way.

So it's something we're all pulling on.

So as it so, Madam Chairperson, as it stands right now, when if funding is not restored or increased, when would this come to an end?

Through the chair to the councilman, um we already have 23 families who uh were not able to continue with child care.

I'm sorry, 23 children uh from 18 families who are not able to continue with child care as these funds were depleted.

We did prioritize two uh children who um are in kinship care right now and we're considered especially high risk as those funds were running out.

So we're still in contact with those families, and should um council choose uh to pass this, we would get those children back into care and um getting that early childhood education on a daily basis.

But that would run through when.

I mean, is there is there a end date?

It's end of the year.

End of year.

So after January 1st, you see nothing on the horizon to continue this program.

Through the chair to the councilman, unfortunately, that is true.

You know, this is a sad state of affairs.

I hope everybody watching this from home would really let their voice be heard on a state level, that are state reps, they're state senators.

Um because this is um the challenges that we are faced with today, the this legislative body.

In all my years here, I've I don't think I've ever been faced with the challenges.

In fact, I know I've never been chased with the with the challenges that I'm faced with today.

With um families that are uh that are economically distressed, um, people who cannot repair their homes, um, businesses who are struggling to survive, and yet we see money being given away to billionaires.

Um we're dealing with challenges.

This legislative body, my honorable colleagues, we're dealing with challenges that uh that we have never ever had to face in all of our times here.

And I'm just trying to figure out you know what action do we collectively take, uh what roads do we take to somehow impress upon the folks in power, especially in Columbus and beyond.

Uh because I I personally have given up on Washington at this point, because I'm afraid to turn on the TV every morning to see what else is going to get whacked every other morning.

Um but the folks in Columbus for some reason do not understand the challenges that we have in urban areas.

They just fail to understand.

And it's it's to me, it's uh I don't get it.

I really don't understand.

If you provide child care, daycare, you can put people back into productive uh working environments who pay taxes, who become productive citizens and pride for themselves, can buy things, can maybe buy a home, can can rent a nicer place.

All the other issues that we're confronted with.

So again, I I wholeheartedly support this endeavor.

And I think what I would only ask, you need to keep a surprise as we go forward.

Um if you if there's something we need to pass, a resolution in council, and I would say that to our own staff.

Um if we need to put together a resolution to let our voices be heard about how important this program is, then I would ask staff working with you to put that together as soon as possible so we could do that.

And um to the um uh Chief Prior Jones.

Um again, if there's something, other course of action you think we need to take here to let us know.

Because I I find this stuff, I I'm living in a world I don't understand, quite frankly.

And I I just shake my head every day.

This thought the challenges that my colleagues, and I'm saying this as a senior member, that my colleagues are confronted with every day.

Um we're being asked to do more with less.

Uh we're we're dealing with more challenges than ever before, and yet we see the ch the problems in our communities and the the people who should be helping us aren't helping us and don't get it, quite frankly.

So again, put the give us some bullet points so we can get a resolution to the Chief Briar Jones.

Again, if there's something you think we else we need to do here, then we need to let us know what that is.

So I referred families to starting point, but it's not enough.

So that's why I'd be interesting to know.

I think all of us would be interested to know how many families were could not could not get into the system, could not get in.

That'd be very helpful for us to know that.

Thank you, madam chairperson.

Thank you, Councilman Palency.

Councilman Casey.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair to our presenters.

This is no knock on on you because you guys are doing yeoman's job here, but when we have an administration that's flying to Washington to get 250 million dollars to redo a lakefront, but our babies can't afford to go to the head start or to get child care.

It kind of shows us where the priorities are.

When you guys are here asking for 150,000 uh to expend, this is dollars that you already have, correct?

Ms.

Chairman to the director?

Through the chair um to councilman Casey, this is funding that we have in the budget.

Right.

And you're just asking to expend it, correct?

Correct.

All right.

And then, Madam Chair, to Kara.

Kara.

You gave us this packet, and on the third page, it's at a glance by Ward, families enrolled.

Is that just families enrolled during the month of September 2025 or through September 25?

Through the chair to the councilman.

So that was those were the final families that were enrolled at the end of September 2025.

So we only have 18 total families enrolled in this program and 25 total children?

Through the chair to Councilman Casey, this is that very high risk group that starting point has not been able to enroll on other programs.

So the 120,000 dollars is focused specifically on this group.

So for the highest this the money you're asking for today is for these 25 kids, these 18 families, correct?

Yes, correct.

Okay.

And then uh Madam Chair to to the director, I think you had four million in ARPA for this program, correct?

Through the chair to Councilman Casey, it was four million total, two for, and there's a little less than four million, we're rounding here.

Um two million specifically for the scholarship program.

That's the program we're talking to you about today, and the rest of those dollars were for the employee retention program.

Okay, so madam chairwoman to the director.

At some point after this program started, you went from funding 50 percent of the funds to 75 percent of somebody's need.

Which means you're gonna run out of money a lot quicker helping less people.

Correct?

Because you've cut it by 25 percent, basically, by by taking it from 50 percent to 25 percent or to 75 percent.

So you're gonna instead of paying 50 percent, you're paying 75 percent, which means 25 percent of people aren't going to be able to be enrolled because the money is gonna roll out, and you're helping it at 75 percent.

And listen, it's all good, right?

But I'm just saying we are leaving people out there because we've increased the amount that we're going to pay from 50 to 75 percent instead of leaving it at 50 percent where we can help more people.

Through to Councilman Casey, you are correct about the percentage change, but what starting point found in the midst of the early stages of this program is that people were not able to afford even at the 50 percent support, which means that those families still weren't able to access the care.

And the goal of this overall to Councilman Polenzik's points earlier, families are being squeezed at every side.

And so we want to try to support them and access.

Don't get me wrong, Director.

I mean, direct Madam Chair to the director, don't get me wrong.

I'm I'm I'm all for it, but are we leaving anybody on the table who could afford 50 percent, right, and could use it and need it, but they're not eligible because we're giving the the 75 percent, so we're bypassing those who could use the 50 percent, or do we do it on an income?

What if somebody only needs 25 percent?

What if somebody only needs 10 percent or 30 percent?

You know what I'm saying?

I mean, do you guys do a sliding scale like like that?

I mean, if I came to you and said I could have, you know, I just need help at the 20 percent level.

Do you guys just offer the 20 percent level?

So to the councilman, I want to have Ms.

Porter talk about more about what's been done in the past with the broader number at the top of this program to break all of that down, as well as the other work this starting point does in terms of sliding fee scales.

But specifically what we have in front of you today is for those 25 children at the higher rate because we know that's where the need is.

As she mentioned before, this is like that chronic group that has the highest need.

So we're just focused on that.

I totally understand.

I think it's and it's the the frustration is out there that we we can't help out, you know, we we can't help everybody who needs the help, right?

But there are families out there who only need a 20 percent help and they can afford the 80 percent help.

And are we not are we just overlooking them because they're not at that threshold?

Through the chair to the councilman, I I think the point you make is great and well taken, and it's something we definitely took into consideration.

What you don't see captured on here is the multi-prong strategy strategy that we actually undertook with families.

So um the actual scholarship where folks ended up on it for quite a while, that is correct.

It was at fifth uh 75 percent.

We were also using these dollars to um help families while they were waiting for publicly funded child care to come through.

So, in the case when a family called us and they were trying to the parent was trying to get back to work, but we knew that they would qualify for publicly funded child care.

We use these as bridge funds and then move them on to more permanent um child care assistance.

And we tried to do that in as many cases as we could with other funding that's available that we know of um through our relationships with child care programs, with um invest in children at the county's office of early childhood, so that we were using the benefit that was the best match for that family.

And I think that's why you see that we ended up with a group here that were sort of lower middle income folks who didn't qualify qualify for that child care voucher, but for whom child care was also very expensive, often people with infants and toddlers who, if uh those of you who have children around the table, you may know it is the highest cost of care.

And so we did try to look at what were those other benefit programs that were um could could fit that family and get them onto those before we tapped into those longer-term scholarship dollars.

Your point is well taken.

All right.

And then Madam Chairwoman, one last question is how much does the county put into this program?

Through the chair uh to the councilman, so the county does not put funding into this particular program, but they do have um a similar uh universal pre-kindergarten program that is for three through five-year-olds that has a um scholarship for folks who are up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

And then, Madam Chairwoman, to our presenter, what's what's our age limit?

Age limit?

Oh, uh, through chair uh to the councilman, you all actually mostly provided for chids six and under, but you helped with school age uh child care for kids that had siblings who needed that as well, which was uh very, very critical and critical also during the summer months when those children who were 12 and um mostly uh between eight and ten needed care.

So, madam chairwoman, is is it safe to say that the c that you age out of the counties at five and age five?

Uh through the chair to the councilman, I would say generally five or six, yes.

Wow, ridiculous.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Snade.

Thanks.

I'll just add for the benefit of my colleagues.

I went, oh, it's got to have been about over a year ago uh to a child care summit at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

And one of the proposals that I think has the most enthusiasm, especially among the Republican controlled legislature, is a 333 program where essentially households would pay a third of the cost of child care, uh, the program would pay a third, and then the employer would pay a third.

And my criticism of that program is that it sounds like a good idea, but it entirely relies on your employer's willingness to provide the benefit.

And I think that it's easy to speculate that the employers willing to offer that are already one higher paying, paying higher wages and offering competitive benefits, but the people that we're needing to help, I don't think the dollar stores around town are looking to you know provide a third of the cost of child care.

So it just speaks to the gap here.

Uh so uh I don't have the faith in Columbus right now uh that uh you know maybe Councilman Palency does, but that's just because I was at this meeting.

To that end, though, I would like to think through ways, you know, our current political divide wants to separate everything into urban and rural, and I really think that this is an area where there's a common need uh and a common source of or a common source of uh conditions that are making it difficult for families to afford child care.

So I'm interested in understanding what we can do to partner with communities across the state, what our uh lobbyist is doing down in Columbus, because I will say, you know, I I want to sing the praises of Senator Nikki Antonio and Representative Sweeney who represent me in Columbus, but they're not the problem.

And and I I'm trying to figure out ways I don't want everybody to start calling Representative Sweeney's phone asking her to get on board with something she's already on board with.

The problem is that there's a whole lot of other actors in Columbus who don't understand the scale of the issue at this point, or quite frankly, I think just don't care because they build their wealth off of keeping other people's in poverty.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Slide, Councilman Conwell.

No, we know I heard I mean I hear about starting client uh a lot.

And um you guys do the chair, you guys are located where through the chair to the councilman.

We are um in midtown, right?

Uh we share this parking lot with Dave's supermarket, and uh we're on the Euclid side.

Process I think I've been there before starting point for the days.

Dave is uh is that for Chester?

Chester and Euclid, yeah.

Do you guys share a starting point to the chair with someone else?

Another not-for-profit or something like that.

Uh through the chair to the councilman, uh we're our own nonprofit.

We're at 59th in Euclid.

We used to be at 46th in Euclid, so maybe is that uh right right by the centers for families and children.

Yeah, right by the center for families and children.

So that's what you guys move from over there.

Yes.

You know, yeah, I understand about the uh the scholarship that um that we need and it keeps families um working and uh I know three quarters ahead of ahead of the household in my neighborhood.

It's head about females.

And this right here, we helped them to stay stabilized, and especially times are hard right now.

It's gonna get worse.

It's gonna get worse.

And they need to be able to go to work, and this will help them out that you're requesting for us.

So um, and I've heard nothing but good things about you.

Matter of fact, I even talk with uh my wife about you, you guys and everything.

So we we talk about it.

So um I'm there supporting you 100 uh 100 percent.

Hey, you know what?

Let me ask you this question, because I'm big on fatherhood.

Um we because you could evaluate a dad with his children and your center is a good evaluation point.

You ever thought about putting together a fatherhood program with uh you know a dad here because you can evaluate it better by doing programs to your center?

Uh through the uh chair to the councilman.

It's funny that you should mention that.

We actually were looking at the possibility of doing um a fatherhood literacy-based uh uh program.

So um we and we do um partner with uh fatherhood initiative and lots and lots of organizations.

Not only do we serve child care programs, but also of course those those parents and families.

So we are partnering with um all the community organizations all the time to try to reach reach families where they are.

Yeah, because I was listening to you narrate to the uh my um colleagues, and I was thinking I said this would be great and fantastic uh to work with the fatherhood initiative and we can get some good outcome from you.

Let me know if you need my um support um for it.

Um the chief, you could give him our phone number.

You give you can give her my personal number.

Okay, and you can reach out to me to invite me.

It would be good for you to invite me there.

All right.

Through the chair to the councilman, we would love to have you out.

Thank you very much.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

Um, I do have an amendment.

Um in section two at the end, insert ROS.

Is that an O or is it Q S.

RQS 0114, comma R L A 12 2022-52.

I'll move that.

Madam Chairperson, I'll move that amendment.

Okay, do I have a second?

Second.

Any discussion?

You give me a discussion on it, and that's and that's for what again.

Um he's asking for go further for me a little bit.

Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me.

Um can you read through the chair to the councilman?

Can you repeat the question?

I want to know a little bit more about what the um council um interim council president just narrated to us the amendment on the amendment.

Uh through through the chair to councilman conwell, I think it was just a piece that was missing from the law department that got at it.

Oh, should we just push it?

I'm cool.

I'm cool being all in favor say aye.

Any objection?

No.

Okay.

Umrdance number 1350 15.

1315-1225 with no objection has been approved.

Please sign.

Thank you for all thank you all.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you for the support.

See you later.

Get us those bullet points so we can do that resolution.

Yes.

Next up I have city planning.

City planning.

Oh there's a wrestle resolution.

Oh, this is yeah, it's the resolution number 1097-12 2025.

Do you want to leave this for the end or do you want to do it now?

Is there oh okay, someone's here?

Okay.

By councilmember Spencer, Bishop, and Griffin, an emergency resolution requesting the director of transportation of the state of Ohio, determine and declare reasonable and safe prima face speed limit at 30 miles per hour for Lake Avenue between West 17th Street and Detroit Avenue.

Hello.

Hello, um committee to the council.

1097.

And I will yield to our assistant manager Rick Switowski to provide details, but I also want to introduce our new Vision Zero Manager.

Oh Cameron.

He is here.

He's done a lot of this work and is helping us to make sure that we reach our goals for Vision Zero.

Okay.

Good afternoon, everybody.

This resolution 1096 2025 is for the um 1097.

1097.

I'm sorry.

It's for Cleveland Gare's vacation at East 81st Street off Freeball Avenue in Ward 5.

Uh Cleveland Gare is actually once again.

Can I go to one of the cameras?

Cameron's okay.

So you sending this to Cameron.

Okay.

All right.

All right, good afternoon.

Uh I am Cameron Roberts, uh, Vision Zero Coordinator in the Mayor's Office of Capital Projects.

Uh so good afternoon, Madam Chair and Council members.

Uh this is for a resolution requesting to the Ohio Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit on Lake Avenue in the city of Cleveland from the current 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour.

Uh so this is an initiative that began early last year when the city of Lakewood was able to successfully reduce the speed limit on their section of Lake Avenue to 30 miles per hour.

Uh so one of the goals here is to uh be consistent with our neighbors and create a consistent speed limit across the entire corridor.

Uh but also more importantly, perhaps uh this uh aligns with the city's vision zero goals.

Uh so for those listening not familiar with Vision Zero, it's the city's initiative to eliminate uh deaths and serious injuries that are caused by traffic crashes in the city of Cleveland.

Um we know that uh speeding is uh often a contributing factor for a lot of our more severe crashes that we see in the city.

Uh so anything that we can do to reduce speeds even by five miles per hour can go a very long way in terms of potentially saving a life or preventing a serious injury from occurring.

Uh so in order to reduce the speed limit, uh it requires approval from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Uh part of that process uh is conducting a speed zone study, uh, which is the something that the city did in-house by setting up radar speed devices along the corridor, collecting speed data, traffic counts.

Um, and the finding from that study showed that the majority of drivers on Lake Avenue right now are already driving below the current posted speed limit of 35.

Uh the average speed was 29.3, and the 85th percentile was 33.1.

Uh along with that data, uh, they also uh factor in crash data.

Uh so over the last three years, 2022 to 2024, there were 64 total crashes on the Cleveland section of Lake Avenue, and 15 of those resulted in injury.

And the last factor that ODOT considers is the context of the road as well.

And the important consideration there was just acknowledging that Lake Avenue has changed fairly extensively over the past 10-15 years, uh, with things like reducing the number of drive lanes, adding bike facilities to some sections, um, and adding a lot of concrete uh refuge islands along the corridor as well.

Uh all things that have likely contributed to drivers driving at slower speeds now than they did in the past.

Uh so the results of all of this was put together into a formal request to ODOT.

Um, and they have uh told us that they are fully in support of this initiative and find 30 miles per hour to be a safe and reasonable speed limit.

Um and passage of this council resolution is essentially the last step required by them in order to give us their formal written approval.

Okay, good.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Um thank you, Cameron, and welcome.

Um Councilman Palenze.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chairman, and um whoever can uh besides looking at Lake Avenue.

Besides looking at Lake Avenue, are you looking at any other streets for the same type of study?

Through the chair to the council member.

At this time we are not, however, assessing the city's speed limits and looking for similar opportunities to reduce speed limits is a strategy listed within the Vision Zero action plan.

Okay.

So it is something that I would suspect we continue to do, especially as we identify roads where the context has changed, whether that be adding bike facilities or road diet, things where it might, you know, be uh worth us taking a look back at whether that speed limit is still appropriate for that road considering the changes that were made.

Okay.

So based on that um response, when you say road diet, is that referring to, I don't know, I I call them stanchions.

What do you call those things that you like you put up here on uh downtown?

Uh to the council member through the chair.

So a variety of names, but delineators, ballards are similar to the delineators bollards.

So the delineators and bollers that were put up downtown, how were they funded?

Uh to the council member through the chair.

I am not aware of the funding force for those.

Okay.

Because here is the challenge I want to pose the MOCAP.

Every time we're when we look at uh delineators, road diet, whatever you want to refer to these things, bollers, uh in our neighborhoods, the council people are asked to fund them.

We're asked to fund them, and which comes out of our resurfacing.

So I would like to know who makes the judgment call as to where they're put in, and then why is it that we in the body we have to pay for them out of our discretionary funds or casino funds or NEF funds or whatever the case may be, but yet in in downtown they're just they're placed all over, or in certain neighborhoods they're placed without any requirement of using discretionary funds.

So I'm what what is the the mechanism?

What is the the protocol?

Can someone tell me that?

Again, to the chair to the to the council, to the committee.

Uh those ballots have been placed through the city planning program for traffic mobility through their study and how they're doing the one-way on prospect.

Um so we can direct that question to them and see what their methodology is.

Yeah, I would like to know.

I I don't I can't believe that uh the downtown council person would have the financial wherewithal to pay for that.

So I I would just like to know what the mechanism is and what the process is.

And I just I just want to make sure that we're all being treated equally from an equitable standpoint, uh treated fairly uh and impartially, because I think we can all point to maybe areas of our own wards where those delineators, bollards, et cetera, could be implemented.

Um they're not because again of the whole issue of funding.

So, but the study specifically on lake, um, was that requested through ODOT or how how is the actual request made on that?

And somebody telling us to the council member through the chair.

I may re defer to council member uh Spencer for some background as it started before I joined the city.

Yeah.

Yeah, sure.

Thank you for the lateness.

One second, Madam Chair, yes.

Okay.

Well, uh the upshot is that this is literally been years in the making.

It has been a very long process.

Okay.

Uh like everything around here.

Yeah.

Well, it's also because of ODOT.

So when I joined council five years ago, there were calls to reduce the speed limit on Lake Avenue, and I've been working on it ever since.

Um there was uh, as we mentioned, some road diets and changes to the actual design of Lake Avenue.

And then it had to be tested and retested.

You can't just lower the speed limit for this typology of street.

You have to submit studies to ODOT.

And what really ended up um clinching this for us was Lakewood got there first.

Okay.

And so they had their stretch of Lake Avenue done, and it only stands to reason that ours should follow.

So it it just um it it is really data-based, and ODOT will not arbitrarily reduce the speed, and the city has to produce the data, is my understanding and the studies, if that's helpful.

Okay.

That's the yeah, right.

Uh we appreciate, I appreciate that explanation.

I can understand now if Lakewood did it, uh, the progression right to the west of uh excuse me, to the east, uh, to have um Lake Avenue Cleveland.

Uh so in Lakewood right now is 30 miles an hour.

To the council member through the chair, correct.

Yes, so it's that continuity.

Okay.

I have a better understanding then.

It's just the I think one of the frustration levels we all have here at the table.

It seems like every meeting I'm at, I hear about um requests for traffic enforcement.

People are going too fast.

People are going through the stop signs, they're going through the traffic cycle, they're speeding through school zones.

I I hear it all at every meeting I go to, just not only in my own neighborhood, but across the city as well.

The concerns about traffic enforcement, um traffic calming uh steps that we can take at uh speed tables, which is another major request of members of council, which again comes out of our resurfacing budget.

And I'm hoping as we go forward that the city, and I've encouraged the city, um and will continue as streets are resurfaced on the um speed tables should automatically be installed within a certain distance of long streets, then we speed table should automatically be installed if it unless there's great uh opposition from the residents or the councilperson.

I think we just got to come up with some a better approach uh for traffic calming in the city because it is of great concern, believe me.

Um I tell my own kids when to stop when the ch light changes don't automatically go.

Just wait.

Drive defensively in the city because of what we're seeing all over.

So again, I'm I am hoping uh the action, and I want to commend my colleague um Jenny Spencer for working with Lakewood on this.

And again, as she indicated, it takes so doggone long to get anything done around here.

Um but we need to figure out where we can do more traffic calming um measures and devices because it's that's a big concern, great concern in our city.

So thank you very much, Madam Chair Person.

Thank you.

Councilman Slay.

Thank you.

And just some a little more background information for our colleagues on and again kind of pointing the finger at our our friends in Columbus.

Uh speed limits are set by Ohio revised code, and the process that cities have to go through in order to uh change speed limits on local roads is is pretty complex, pretty costly, and it can actually backfire.

So the whole system set up around making cars go faster.

So if there are if it had been the case where people were going 45 down this stretch of Lake Avenue, it's very possible that the state could have come back and said we disagree with you reducing the speed limit because people are going fast when we're trying to slow traffic down and save lives, right?

And actually in Avon, they went through a process of trying to expand a 25 mile an hour zone, and the state's process required them to get rid of the 25 mile an hour zone altogether.

So there is a, if you're interested in learning more about it, there is a coalition that I'm involved with as I can around the state, trying to get changes made to state law to allow uh more local discretion around setting speed limits.

Frankly, I worry that it's hitting some stumbling blocks because it's seen as an urban issue and in our anti-urban legislature.

They don't want to do anything that's going to help people in cities.

Um but I do think that there it it is, it's not to me an urban or rural, uh left or right.

It's about local control versus uh state authority.

We know best what's right for our streets, but the system we have to go through right now is very difficult and it's very frustrating when residents find out, Councilman Polanzik, for example, that you don't have the ability just to change the speed limit on Lakeshore Boulevard, that you have to go through this elaborate process.

It's not intuitive for people, and it's just another example how our state is not helping us.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Um Councilwoman Spencer's with you.

Thanks, Madam Chair.

Just everything Councilman Slaife just said is absolutely true.

Um glad we are finally here after years of effort.

Glad we now have Cameron in place to facilitate further traffic calming citywide, and I thank my colleagues for their support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Resolution number 1097-2025.

Um approve of no objections.

Here, please sign.

Okay.

And since Councilwoman Spencer, you're hot today.

Umrdnance number 1307-2025, an emergency ordinance changing the name of Herman Park, located at Herman's Avenue and West 59th Street to Judge Raymond Pianca Park upon completion of Herman Park renovations and site improvements.

We don't have that in front of us.

Okay.

I can speak together.

Okay.

Please do that.

Do you want to see it?

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Yes.

Councilwoman Spencer.

And I would love to be added.

Councilman Bishop.

You heard this in your committee today?

Uh yes, Madam Chair.

We uh heard that piece in uh municipal service.

Fully recommended.

Yeah.

I would love to be added.

I mean, that's yeah.

If if that's possible.

Okay.

That's where I was born, and I remember Herman's Park very well.

They used to give us now in the area, not in the apartment.

Um do you want to speak up on it too?

Okay.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity to share a few words about this piece.

Um very much appreciated MS and P committee this morning, uh the support there.

This is a bit of an unusual piece of legislation because it expresses the desire and commitment for a park renaming, but the actual renaming will not go into place until park improvements are fully funded.

And there is not a current timeline.

It is not currently on the Capitol program.

Uh so I have kind of put some initial steps into place to fund the park, and then would be handing it off to my successor to hopefully bring additional resources to bear to redevelop the park, reimprove the park.

So rather than just doing a simple renaming with the park in its current condition, this legislation calls for the renaming to go into place once park uh updates are complete.

So but I just ask my colleagues for the support.

And I think we all understand that uh the impact that Judge Raymond L.

Pianca had on this community is and his legacy.

Uh thank you, madam chairperson, to my honorable colleague Jenny Spencer.

I wonder if you would have any objection.

Um if I'd like to have my name added.

I'm sure a lot of my colleagues would as well.

Judge, you hit it on here.

Judge Ray Pianca was an outstanding member of the court, and um we all I miss him greatly.

I miss him greatly.

And um did a wonderful job for us in housing court, and um I would just ask humbly and respectfully if I can be added to that.

Thank you.

People love him in that area.

Absolutely.

Uh please uh Councilman Polinzik, I love that, and any member who wishes to be added.

Um I mean those of us in Ward 15, all of us benefited from Judge Pianka's work citywide.

Those of us in Ward 15 remember his encyclopedic knowledge of our neighborhood and his walks, his daily walks around the community, and so this park absolutely was near and dear to his heart, and this has really been a long-held dream to further recognize his impact uh through through a dedication like this.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Is there any objections of council members being added to this piece?

That we all want to be added.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

That's fine.

Okay.

Um ordinance number 1307-2025 without objection is approved.

Please sign on.

Um public health.

We have a commitment.

Oh, what do you have?

We have 1096 and we have um 1072.

Hold on.

Sorry, director.

That's okay.

Okay, what do you have?

1096.

1072.

Okay, I have 1072.

I don't see 1090.

Oh, I went to DPS.

Okay.

There we go.

Okay.

So we have ordinance number 1072-2025 by Councilmembers Bishop and Griffin, an emergency ordinance to amend the fourth, whereas clause and section one, three, and four of ordinance number 549-2025 passed June 2nd, 2025, relating to an amendment to a contract with the uh the Osborne Engineering Company to provide additional services related to the North Coast Connector Project, also known as Lakefront Pedestrian Bridge Connector.

Okay.

So we do have an amendment.

Um Madam Chair, I I would offer an amendment to 1072-2025.

And section one is amend as at amended section four strike lines three and four in their entirety and insert not exceed five million dollars and shall be paid from fund or funds to and beginning in line seven strike cash matches and cash contributions accepted and appropriated under ordinance six eighty-three twenty twenty-one is amended.

Do I have a second second?

Second.

Okay.

Any discussion?

Any questions?

No.

Okay.

All in favor?

Any objections?

No.

Okay.

Um, hold on.

I have to read it.

And ordinance number 1072-2025 is uh no objection and pass as an amended.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, here's that one.

I still don't understand that.

Okay.

Director.

Wait a minute, don't go back to the book.

Okay.

Oh, you have a miscellaneous.

Just for director, uh, excuse me.

Mr.

Swotolski.

Just briefly.

On the grinding of sidewalks.

You'll grind over, is it over three inches?

You will not grind.

To the chair to the councilman.

The program is anything two inches and under.

Two inches and under.

Over that, what is the protocol?

Over that.

The grinding program is actually part of the tree damage sidewalk program.

It's one of the tools in the toolbox.

Okay.

Anything over two inches is a traditional tree-damage sidewalk where we move panels.

Okay, the roots.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Sorry.

Okay.

So we're good?

Okay.

Director.

Oh, okay.

Ordinance number 1370-2025 by Councilmembers Conwell and Griffin.

Emergency ordinance to amend Section 7 of ordinance number 589-2024 passed May 20th, 2024 to change the name of Go Beyond Inc.

to go beyond LLC.

Where's this fire on?

Thank you.

Um to the council.

So just uh changing INC incorporated to LLC so that we can enter in a contract with our database program for our mom's first program.

Oh, okay.

For your consideration.

It's the mom's first program.

Okay.

Any questions?

No?

Ordinance number 1370-2025.

Approved without no objection.

Please sign.

This is like a walk-on piece.

Did you get my letter button?

Okay.

I know.

You gotta believe the mobile.

Come on up, Director.

You know, we should surprise him one day.

Every Monday.

He's sitting in the back.

I enjoy I enjoy listening to the code.

Yeah.

Some days.

Okay.

Yeah.

Another walk.

Okay.

Ordinance number 1374-2025 by Council Griffin.

Um an emergency ordinance approving the collective bargaining agreement with the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, CBCTC, and to amend Section 48 of ordinance number 194-2021 passed March 29, 2021 as amended relating to the salaries for various classifications.

Yes, this is to ratify the contract between the City of Cleveland and the CBCTC.

The hourly rates that are associated with the pay ban changes are encompass 80% of what the prevailing wage is that is agreed to between uh the CBCTC and the uh the trades unions.

That's one thing we actually do not negotiate.

Uh we assume the rates 80 percent of the rates that that they negotiate.

Um we did uh negotiate various contract articles um with some minor changes, but other than that, uh it's fairly standard, but certainly happy to answer any questions that anybody has.

Councilman Casey.

Thank you, madam chairwoman.

Madam Chairwoman to the director.

This is only for work that is done by them within the city of Cleveland, correct?

Or for the city of Cleveland?

Correct, through the chairwoman uh to the councilman.

That that is correct.

It's it's for our work here at the city of Cleveland.

Right.

So these are these are members of the union who are working on city-owned facilities or doing work for the city of Cleveland, correct?

Through the chairwoman to the councilman, they they actually are city employees.

All right, do do uh m madam chairwoman to the director.

Do any of our city employees do work outside the city of Cleveland that we pay them for?

They do not.

Okay.

I'm just sorry.

I okay.

I thought I got where you were going, but I I must not have that.

All right, so uh the we have no city employees by the what is this, the building trades?

That are doing work outside the city of Cleveland but getting paid from the city of Cleveland, correct?

That is correct.

All right, thank you, madam chairman.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Okay.

Ordinance number 1374-2025.

No objection, has been approved.

Please sign on.

Um I was looking for a council piece.

Ines, did you take the council piece?

Thank you, Director.

There is uh no.

I don't know where the sign-up sheet is on here.

I saw a council piece in there, but there's no oh I don't see if it's not a good thing.

Oh, it was that one.

Oh, okay.

Never mind.

Okay.

So um I do want to say so.

That's what you're doing.

Yeah, we're done with our ordinance, but councilwoman House Jones wanted to discuss the SNAP.

Um, and so I thought we were just opening up for miscellaneous briefly.

Uh thank you, uh Madame Chairman.

So I hopefully everybody is aware that SNAP will not be Snap beneficiaries will not be receiving SNAP benefits beginning this upcoming Saturday, which is a tune of $38 million lost to Calgary County.

And we're really just ensuring that we are sharing the information to residents about where they can go to be coordinated.

And so if there are changes that you know of any um food banks that may have called may have closed things of that nature, please communicate that so that we can in this difficult time communicate updated information uh to community members and if there are on the other side, if there are businesses, entities that are willing to actually contribute food so that they we can expand our um city's capacity uh to connect people to resources.

Uh this is also in in light of our feder our local federal workers who again are now in week four.

Week four uh of not getting a paycheck but still being required to go to work.

And I literally just had a resident who is a federal worker who asked where kids where they can get food.

So we just have to do um a level of communication during these very tough times.

And I said I know uh thanks everybody for signing on to the letters that we'll be going out um to the governor and our state delegation as well as federal delegation to hopefully compel people to make the necessary investments um through uh um the USDA um and hopefully here in the state of Ohio um through allowing the control and board to actually fund some of our our food banks uh to expand their capacity to to get resources.

And thank you for leading that because I know that you're the one that requested the re uh resolution.

Thank you for that.

Councilman Palency.

Thank you.

Um Madam Chairperson, I'm gonna again thank my colleague and I to the viewing public.

And I I just want to say I really want to thank the Greater Cleveland Food Bank uh for what they're attempting to do and have been doing.

Uh their cunning their funding has been cut.

Um they've been negatively affected by decisions made in Washington and in Columbus.

And again, I just want to say publicly, I appreciate everything they're doing to help families that are approaching them more than ever before, including federal workers.

That's the other thing.

Federal workers are going to the food bank for the first time.

Think about that.

In America, federal employees are seeking assistance out of the food bank because they're not being paid.

What an outrageous and disgusting situation we find ourselves in today in this city in this country.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone.

Um the committee meeting is adjourned um at the call of the chair.

Next committee meeting will be November 10th.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm not sure.