Well, all council members take your seat.

Madam Clerk, please call the role.

Griffin.

Here.

Bishop.

Great.

Kirston.

Harsh.

House Jones.

Jones.

Casey.

Kelly.

Moore.

Polentick.

Santana.

Slife.

Spencer.

Star.

Welch.

You have poor Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Will everyone please rise for a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance?

One nation.

Liberty and Justice.04 of the codified ordinances.

Under section 605.04 of the codified ordinances, no person with purpose to prevent or disrupt a 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 gavel 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.

By Councilmember Kelly that the reading of the minutes of the last meeting be dispensed with the journal approved.

Seconded by Councilmember Moore.

Thank you.

We'll now move to public comment.

I'll ask all of the uh speakers to remember to uh recognize your time when you see the yellow light, that means to wrap it up.

When you see the red, that means to abruptly stop.

Uh and the chair will call the meeting to order if you go past your time.

I'd ask all the council members to turn around and acknowledge the speakers if they could.

Thank you.

First, we have Ben Heidi from Ward 11 to talk about Cadell, the lakefront, city symbolism.

He's not representing anyone, and not being paid by anyone.

Ben, you had the floor.

Good evening.

Um I wanted to first of all stop and thank a couple of the outgoing council members for your service here.

Um I'm not, Danny, in your ward.

I know we disagreed on things I particularly on the CVS, but I always got the sense that you were in it to help out for the greater good of the city.

Um, so I really do wish all of you the best on your new endeavors here.

Um really briefly on the lakefront.

I think we're on the edge of a huge opportunity for the city here.

Uh it's going to be a once in literally a century uh chance for us to make it better.

Uh, and I hope we keep going in the direction of positive uh public space for everyone.

Uh the last thing I wanted to talk about is far from the most pressing need of the city, but I did want to remind people that our civic symbols are under attack from people outside Cleveland here.

Uh the Cleveland Heights founder of the Clevel Flag Project is deliberately sewing confusion on his new flag.

His success is actually a mirage.

A man who has sold less flags than a single night's crowd at Severance Hall claims to represent the people.

Uh so in response, what I did was I designed these and other variations to the Cleveland flag that respect Susan Hepburn's original plans, but bring kind of youth and a new a new movement to the city here.

Um so I just encourage us to respect the history of Cleveland and to consider adopting these variations.

We also have uh an Italian variation, an Irish variation.

Um but when we brought them around the city, thank you.

When we brought them around the city, uh it was more than just symbolism.

People saw themselves.

You should see the excitement when people see a flag uh of their city that represents their community.

Uh it was possible, it was really a powerful thing.

Um really out of respect for the thousands of heroes who wear our flag every day on their shoulders uh when they go into the line of duty.

I really urge the city in the future to reaffirm our original flag and authorize variations that let our community's voice shine year-round.

Uh, not only from Pride Month, but to Black History Month, St.

Patrick's Day, the Feast of the Assumption, Hispanic Heritage Month.

Uh, we have an opportunity here.

Uh, and thank you.

Happy holidays, everyone.

Thank you.

Next, we have Stephanie Ash.

Stephanie Ash is from Shaker Heights.

She is in support of Tanisha's Law.

She's here with the National Association of Social Workers for Ohio and not being paid by anyone.

Stephanie had the floor.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Stephanie Ash, and I'm a licensed social worker who works in Cleveland.

I represent over 600 social workers and students on the board of the National Association of Social Workers Ohio chapter.

I also serve on the care response committee for the Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County.

I'm here in enthusiastic support of Tanisha's Law.

And I've brought a few friends, as you can see, all the supporters wearing purple in the chambers tonight.

Clevelanders need a robust non-police mental health crisis response.

When people are having a mental health crisis, the last thing anyone needs is a police officer or a carceral system.

People need care.

People need resources.

People need a trained mental health professional.

That's why Tanisha's law is critical to Cleveland.

We need a new Department of Community Crisis Response and a care response team to help our most vulnerable neighbors.

Keeping mental health crisis response inside the Department of Public Safety is not the best way forward.

Police are not social workers.

Police are not therapists.

Police are not licensed behavioral health professionals with years of specialized education and training in person-centered trauma-informed mental health care.

Clevelanders, actively in a mental health crisis, deserve experienced clinicians who approach them in a trauma-informed way, without guns, without force, and without threat from a punishing system.

The proposed department of community crisis response must be separate from police and punitive systems.

We need to build something completely new to truly meet people where they are and keep our community and each other safe.

Clevelanders deserve to have licensed and experienced mental health experts design a system that upholds the dignity and worth of each person in crisis.

It's important to codify the new cre codify the creation of a new department to build sustainable infrastructure aligned with professional codes of ethics, provide skilled support, and ensure dedicated funding the department will need to be successful.

Codifying the creation of this new department will also keep it safe from easy erasure by each new administration, which may not be as supportive.

Over the past couple of weeks, you've heard from others in support of Tanisha's Law.

I hope that you will continue hearing from us in the days ahead.

It has been over a year since Tanisha's Law was proposed to this esteemed council, and over 11 years since Ms.

Anderson was killed in police custody.

It's unacceptable that no real action has been taken in over a year, even though the city of Cleveland has funds through the Connect and Protect grant to embed mental health clinicians and 911 dispatch and start this important move toward a care response model.

I'm asking you to make Tanisha's Law a reality and pass this proposed ordinance into law.

I look forward to talking with you more at the Public Safety Committee hearing on Thursday, December 4th at 1 p.m.

Thank you.

Next, we were here from Council led.

There is no ward listed as representative, and there is no topic listed, not representing anyone, and not being paid by anyone is cancel led in the house, cancel led.

Cancel led going once, cancel led going twice, cancel led is gone.

Next, we have uh Bobby Rytale from Ward 15, thanking Councilperson Jenny Spencer, and uh is not representing anyone, not being paid by anyone.

Miss Rytel, you have the floor.

Jenny Spencer, we as your friends, neighbors, and constituents, have come here together tonight to thank you for all you have given to our community and to say heartily job well done.

You brought a combination of dedication, intelligence, precision focus, compassion, and progressive values to this job as our ward representative for the past five years.

We want to take this moment to reflect on what your leadership has meant to Ward 15 and the city of Cleveland.

From traffic calming with lowered lowered speed limits and traffic tables in dangerous locations to street surfacing and new trees, our neighborhood streets are safer and more beautiful and sustainable because of your work.

Neighborhood cleanups, code enforcement, demolition of distressed and abandoned homes have improved the day-to-day quality of life for thousands of residents.

You have sought to represent all members of our neighborhoods by being a champion of affordable housing, mixed income housing, led safe housing, and age in place housing.

You have supported LGBTQ issues, theaters, and the arts district in too many ways to count.

What truly stands out is the way you have treated people with respect, kindness, and compassion.

You have ensured that many voices were at the table speaking on their own behalf on major investment projects and community issues.

You have always truly listened to the people you have served and always led with integrity.

You are a role model as an elected official.

When navigating difficult decisions at a citywide level in which you were in the minority, you voted your conscience and upheld your progressive ideals.

You have always shown up prepared.

You have shown up ready to collaborate.

You have shown up whether the task is easy or hard.

Our neighborhoods and city are better, stronger, and more connected because of your work.

On behalf of our community, thank you, Jenny Spencer.

Your contributions will continue to shape our community for years to come.

I'm going to wait till those council members have an opportunity.

But we're all fond of her too.

All right.

Next is Dale Snyder.

Dale Snyder has no ward listed.

He's here to talk about the Scouting Report.

He's representing Road Gold Inc.

and not being paid by anyone.

Mr.

Snyder, you had the floor.

All right, thank you.

How are you doing, Council Mayor?

Hope y'all enjoyed your holiday.

And I'm gonna do what my grandfather said to the fat with y'all a little bit.

For those that know what that means, let me talk to you.

So I do represent Rogue Inc., which is an initiative to fight recidivism through Class B CDL training, but it doesn't stop there going into social enterprising, which is pushing front for housing for at-risk youth veterans, children, things of that nature, and pushing forward in that.

And also pushing forward in that.

I'm noticing networking with people that I realize something in the city of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County.

There's not a shortage of initiatives.

There's not a shortage of great ideals, good ideals.

There's not a shortage of people who want the best for this city and for this county.

I see that.

I see their life.

What I also see is there's a process.

I think it's a little antiquated, outdated.

I think it impedes the very light and brightness that the people that want to be productive for this city are trying to push their initiative in order to bring about the things that they want for Cleveland, the better of the community.

Man, I there's an old adage.

If you don't know your history, you repeat it, but some history need to be repeated.

Man, Cleveland got a great history, y'all.

I mean, I mean, we we got to get our swag back.

Like we were the first to really deliver home mail.

We were the first to have the first streetcar, the first street light, Garrick Morgan and his inventions.

We were the first to have the black mail.

We were innovative, pioneers.

Man, Superman was Superman.

I'm saying that to say this the end of the year, but let's keep that in mind.

We are not the mistake on the leg, and we will not have that mentality is a very pressing time.

We love the Browns, but we're bigger than the Browns.

I want to keep the Browns, but we bigger than the Browns.

Last time I checked anywhere I went, real estate with a lake has always been more expensive and a rarity and something that is cherished than any other real estate.

Man, we have the lake.

Let's be great.

Thank you.

Next, we have Abby DeMaio, Abby Dumayo's from Ward 15 here to say farewell to City Council member, not representing anyone, not being paid by anyone.

Abby, you have the floor.

Thank you.

But an acknowledgement of this time that we shared her with the City of Cleveland.

As a resident of the retired Ward 15, I was proud to be represented by Council Member Spencer.

Jenny's work to support affordable housing, safer streets, and the health of Cleveland residents has left a lasting mark.

She also shepherded new initiatives, including this opportunity for public comment that has brought forth polite many voices and views of important topics for the residents all throughout Cleveland.

Jenny's thoughtful approach to legislation and politics will be missed.

The loss of another woman's voice and point of view on the city council will also leave a gap that should be a priority to address in the future.

The city is richer for her service and the legacy she leaves behind.

Thank you, Councilwoman Jenny Spencer, for your tireless work and service to Cleveland and your beloved Ward 15.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Matthew Thomas.

Matthew Thomas is from Ward 15.

Also would like to thank Councilperson Jenny Spencer.

And he's representing the Ward 15, Democratic Club and not being paid by anyone.

Good evening, uh, Council President Griffin, Mayor Bibb, members of Council, and members of the public.

My name is Matthew Thomas, and I serve as the Ward 15 Democratic leader.

I'm here tonight to offer my deep gratitude to Councilmember Jenny Spencer as she concludes her service on council.

I first met Jenny when I worked for the then Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization during her tenure as managing director.

As a fresh out-of-grad school employee, navigating my way through the professional world, I was truly blown away by her example.

I admired her work ethic, her clarity, and her unwavering commitment to service.

Seeing her up close revealed a level of diligence, attention to detail, and genuine dedication that shaped not only the organization, but my own understanding of what real community service looks like.

That same dedication, grace, and professionalism have defined every stage of her career.

As council member, Jenny brought those qualities every single day.

No matter the challenges, she showed up with unwavering commitment and purpose.

She approached every meeting and every issue with intelligence, careful preparation, and thoughtfulness.

Her thoroughness is not just admirable, it stands as a model for public service.

Her work ethic has also been clear in my own professional interactions with her.

She has earned a strong reputation across the city and county for her consistency, her preparedness, and her devotion to the residents of her ward.

These qualities have made a real impact, sometimes visibly and sometimes in quieter ways that only those working alongside her fully recognize.

But they matter and they have strengthened trust in city government.

Councilmember Spencer, thank you for everything you have done for our community.

Your generosity, your steadiness, and your commitment to service will deeply be missed on this council.

Thank you as well for your thoughtful preparation for those that are transitioning into their own council roles.

Your commitment to a smooth handoff speaks volumes about your integrity.

I look forward to seeing your next chapter and the many ways you impact you can will continue to make an impact.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Terry Wang.

Terry Wang is from Tremont.

She's here to talk about the flock trap of Catch 22, representing nobody and not being paid by anyone, Ms.

Wang.

Council Pers uh President Griffin, my name last name is Wong, and you know that very well.

Please pronounce it correctly.

Thank you.

You had the mics, ma'am.

It is the most popular last name in China.

Thank you.

Caveat empture.

Sometimes you don't get what you think you paid for.

And with Flock, Cleveland didn't just buy a product, it brought a liability.

We now know Flock's system is astonishingly leaky.

Cybersecurity researchers have shown it can be hacked in under one minute.

Its passwords are stored in securely, and its firmware is outdated enough to make a high school robotics club blush.

Wouldn't it have been great if Cleveland had checked whether this technology was safe before it wasted two million dollars of taxpayer money on it?

And wouldn't it be great if it had asked the Cleveland Community Police Commission what it thought about it, as it has final authority on police policy?

And just this month, a Washington state judge ruled that Flock's records are public records.

Of course they are.

Anytime a government creates a record, especially a record of people's movements, it belongs to the public.

That means surveillance goes both ways.

When a city chooses a system that documents tens of thousands of license plates a day, it's not just documenting crime, it's documenting you.

Every council member, every staffer, every political ally and donor.

When you create this dragnet, this pervasive, the scorpion's tail can swing back around and sting the hand that bought it.

So imagine hypothetically, I'm not sure where she is right now.

What flock data will show about whether Council member House Jones actually lives at her stated address in Ward 8, or if she lives in Cleveland at all.

This is a simple illustration of what you have unleashed.

This is what happens when you normalize round the clock surveillance with no democratic guardrails.

Eventually, the accountability extends in directions you did not intend.

Throughout history, every expansion of state surveillance has been accompanied by counter movement of public oversight.

The people adapt, they turn the camera around, they phone the police during stops, they document misconduct.

They comb through public records, even as Mark Griffin's law department unlawfully denies requests.

As surveillance expands, accountability expands with it.

And the more the state watches and surveils the people, the more the people will watch and surveil the state.

So as we enter this holiday season, I want to encourage each one of you to think carefully about the long-term consequences of adopting poorly structured surveillance technology.

Not just for the public, which increasingly feels like an afterthought to this council, but for yourselves.

He gives gifts to everybody.

And in this story, the gifts you may receive will not be candy canes, but a big lump of malfeasance and corruption coal.

Placed directly in the stocking you hung when you voted for Flock in the first place.

Thank you.

And I do want to note the stunning um I I don't know your record very well, but I've heard completely a different story about it, and I'm stunned that the West Side seems to have no understanding of what the East Side is going through in terms of gentrification.

Thank you.

Next we have Asley Dudinsky.

Ashley Dudensky is from Shardin in support of Tanisha's Law, as he represents the National Association of Social Workers Ohio and not being paid by anyone is Ashley Dudinsky here.

Ashley Dudensky going once, as the Dudensky going twice, Ashley Gudensky.

Dudinsky is not here.

Next we have Kayla Pinkis.

Kayla Pink is from Tremont.

The topic that she would like to discuss is democracy.

Uh Kayla is not representing anyone and not being paid by anyone.

Kayla, you had the floor.

November 2024, I filed a police report stating that I was raped by Marcus Perez, the administrator of the Office of Professional Standards of the Cleveland Division of Police.

A two-hour explainer video on YouTube called My Case on Cleveland's Oversight System will be available after the meeting.

She refused to be interviewed.

In August, the Cuyoga County prosecutor declined my case, even while telling me they believed I said no.

Marcus Perez is no longer in Cleveland.

The timing of his departure and his and his investigations into the mayor raise obvious questions.

During his interrogation, Perez and Bobby George's lawyer repeatedly invoked the mayor, not because he was involved, but because of a past personal connection between us.

That strategy pulled a political dimension into the case, which raises its own questions about why the case was buried.

Let's talk about a trauma uh a trauma response called fawning.

When you realize escape is impossible, your mind contorts reality to survive.

You jump ship and board your attackers.

When an assault victim fawns, the mind abandons the body.

When public officials fawn, when they cling to power by aligning with the forces harming the public, the bodies they betray are ours.

Cleveland is living that trauma dynamic out before our eyes and inside of our lives.

In parallel, we hear senior Trump advisor Cory Lewandowski say to the nation, we want every sanctuary city to understand we can touch people any place, any time.

When asked if he considers himself part of the resistance to Trump, Mayor Bibbs says Clevelanders are tired of the resistance.

He's talking about a city that fought tooth and nail for police oversight.

We said no to abuse loudly.

But to take that example, this administration has made police oversight so untenable, so hamstrung by predators and detractors and delays that exhaustion became the point.

Police oversight in Cleveland is now as true to its name as Donald Trump's Epstein Transparency Project.

Bibbs law department is a self-serving as Trump's DOJ.

Democracy is consent, and we dissent.

As this council term wraps up and a new council enters, know that we dissent to a government that ward silence sees our presence in this building as a threat and the people who live here as its enemy.

I cannot ask you to bravely rebuke cynicism if I am unwilling to do the same.

As a woman, I can count the times in my 32 years that telling the truth brought me anything besides ostracism.

But if I don't act from the world I aspire toward, I obey hopelessness in advance by fawn.

In one lifetime, we will each be victims, survivors, heroes, and perpetrators many times over.

Today we get the me whose truth is bigger than my fear, who isn't giving up under duress, isn't obeying in advance during or after.

This is me holding up my end of the social contract, no matter who is on the other side.

The full video is available after the meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That ends our public comment portion.

Madam Clerk, please share communications.

Notice of employment extension for patrol officer Bowden Roshetsky.

File number 1549 2025 from the Office of Mayor Justin M.

Bibb.

Notice of grant acceptance from George Gunn Foundation of $5,000 in support of the junior mayors association.

File number 1550 2025 dedication plat for five new simple town homes located on the southeast corner of West 47th and Taylor Court in Ward 3.

Approved by committees on municipal services and properties and development planning and sustainability without objection.

The plat is approved.

From the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, file number 1551 2025 regarding a new license application at 5110 Clark Avenue Ward 3.

File number 1552 2025 regarding a transfer of license application at 1301 East Ninth Street, suite 240, Ward 3.

File number 1553, 2025 regarding a transfer of ownership application at 819 Jefferson Avenue Ward 3.

File number 1554 2025 regarding a transfer of ownership application at 2057 East Fourth Street Ward 3.

File number 1555 2025 regarding a transfer of license application at 5505 St.

Clair Avenue Ward 10.

File number from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.

File number 1559 2025 regarding a transfer of location application at 1400 West 25th Street, Ward 3.

File number 1560 2025 regarding a transfer of license application at 1313 West 6th Street Unit 110 Ward 3.

File number 1561 2025 regarding a transfer of ownership application at 3753 Pearl Row Ward 12.

File number 1562 2025 regarding a transfer of license application at 10435 Clifton Boulevard Ward 15.

Thank you.

Are there any condolence resolutions?

Resolutions of condolence by Councilmember Cromwell for Ronald W.

Boone.

Are there any other condolence resolutions?

Councilman Charlie Slife.

Vlad.

Can we hold out a number for David Cope, the father of Mike Hope?

So newly noted.

And is Mr.

Cope here?

I'm going to ask if all the counsel can be added to that on behalf of all the council and uh our condolences to uh Mr.

Cope.

So noted any other condolence resolutions.

Seeing no other condolence resolutions, Councilmembers please stand for a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Are there any recognition resolutions?

Resolutions of recognition by Councilmember Slife for Edna Orasco.

Outstanding.

Are there any presentations?

None that I've been told of.

Uh can we hold out a number for and I did um neglect to hold out a number for Willem May Wilburn.

Willa May Wilburn.

If we could hold that, I know that we have one expected, but I did want to hold out a number for her.

Okay.

So noted.

All right.

Any uh we don't have any presentations.

We'll now move the first reading emergency resolutions to be adopted.

Resolution 1556 2025 by Councilmember Griffin objecting to the transfer of ownership of a C1C2 and D6 liquor permit to 3230 East 93rd Street.

Thank you.

Read the motion to suspend the rules.

By Councilmember Kelly that the rules be suspended and the legislation just read be placed on final passage, seconded by councilmember Moore.

Thank you.

Call the role.

Griffin, Bishop Conwell Gray, Hairston Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey, Kelly, Moore, Palencick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Star, Welch.

15 years.

Call to roll on adoption.

Griffin, Bishop, Conwell Gray, Hairston Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey, Kelly, Moore, Polencick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Starr, Welch.

15 Yes.

Thank you.

Second reading emergency ordinances to be passed.

Ordinance 1082-2023 by Council Members Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing Director of Capital Projects to apply to District 1 Public Works Integrating Committee for state funding for constructing improvements to portions of State Route 283 to apply for and accept any gifts or grants for this purpose from any public or private entity authorizing professional services, agreements with public and private entities, and any relative agreements and authorizing the Commissioner Purchases and Supplies to acquire, accept, and record for right-of-way purposes and real property and easements necessary to make the improvement.

Ordinance 1226-2025 as amended by Council Members Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request to rename the Department of Economic Development to the Department of Development by amending the title to Chapter 144 and various codified ordinances to amend Section 144.02 relating to the director's duties to enact new section 144.021 to establish a new office to amend 183.021 relating to the land reutilization programs to establish a new special revenue fund and to authorize the hiring of an additional of additional employee.

Ordinance 1316 2025 by Council Members Star Bishop Harrison and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing the Director of Parks and Recreation to execute a deed of easement granting to Cedar Redevelopment Phase 4 LLC, certain easement rights and property located on East 26th Street between Central Avenue and Community College Avenue and declaring the easement the easements rights no longer needed for public use.

Ordinance 1321-2025 by Councilmember Slife, designating old John Marshall High School Building as a Cleveland Landmark.

Ordinance 1325-2025 as amended by Mayor Bibb, authorizing the mayor and director of law, parks, recreation, port control, andor office of capital projects as appropriate to enter into one or more agreements and or amendments to a lease by way of concession with the Browns or their de or their designees to effectuate the terms and conditions and settlement term sheet regarding the relocation of the Cleveland Browns to the City of Brook Park and the demolition of Huntington Bank Field, determining the method of making the public improvement of designing and performing demolition and site preparation of such sports facility and other structures, and designing and constructing various lakefront improvements, authorizing other professional service contracts, accepting gifts and grants, and establishing the community benefits project and lakefront development subfunds.

Ordinance 1397-2025 by Councilmembers House Jones Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing the Mayor and the Commissioner Purchases and Supplies to acquire and reconvey properties presently owned by RJL 2230 SALLC or its designee, located at 2230 Superior Avenue for the purpose of entering into the chain of title prior to the adoption of tax increment finance legislation authorized under Section 5709.41 of the revised code.

Ordinance 1399-2025 by Councilmembers House Jones, Harrison and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing the Mayor and the Commissioner Purchases and Supplies to acquire and reconvey properties presently owned by 2202 Superior LLC or its designee, located at 2202 Superior Avenue for the purpose of entering into a chain of title prior to the adoption of tax increment financing legislation authorized under Section 570941 of the revised code.

Ordinance 1403 2025 by Council Members Polencick and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing Director of Public Safety to apply for and accept a grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services for Fiscal Year 26 Recovery Ohio Law Enforcement Grant Program to provide funding for the operation of the Cartel Gang Narcotics Laundering Task Force.

Ordinance 1411 2025 by Council Members Santana Harrison Spencer and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing the Mayor and the Commissioner Purchases and Supplies to acquire and reconvey properties presently owned by TW58 Cleveland LLC or its designee for the purpose of entering into the chain of title prior to the adoption of tax increment financing legislation authorized under Section 570941 of the revised code.

Ordinance 1440 2025 as amended by Council Members Welch, Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request, approving the addition of property located at 1301 East Ninth Street to the Northeast Ohio Advanced Energy District, accepting and approving a petition and plan from a property owner in the district identifying a special energy improvement project, declaring it necessary to conduct the special energy improvement project, providing for the assessment of the cost of such special improvement, special energy improvement project, authorizing Director of Economic Development to enter into an energy project cooperative agreement and a special assessment agreement to implement the project and declaring an emergency.

Ordinance 1452 2025 by Council Members Polensick House Jones Kelly Santana and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing the Executive Director of the Community Relations Board to enter into one or more contracts with Esperanza for the public purpose of providing outreach services for programming for high-risk youth in hotspot areas in wards 7, 11, and 14 under the SAFES, the Safe Streets Safe Schools Project Program for Youth for a period of one year with three one-year options to renew, exercisable by the Executive Director of Community Relations Board.

Ordinance 1454 2025 by Council Members Harrison and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing the Director of Economic Development to enter into a grant agreement with Greater Cleveland Media Development Corporation, DBA Greater Cleveland Film Commission or its designee to assist with the general operating expense of the organization.

Ordinance 1456 2025 by Council Members Welch Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing the Director of Parks and Recreation to enter into an amendment to a property operations and programming agreement effective June 30th, 2016, with Downtown Cleveland, Inc.

An assignee of the Group Plan Commission to provide a restricted contribution to support the ongoing maintenance obligations at Public Square.

Ordinance 1460 2025 by Council Members Welch, Slife, and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing Director of Port Control or other appropriate director to terminate the City of Cleveland's lease with Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's original site and approving the consolidation of the original site and adjacent expansion site into a single lease agreement directly between City of Cleveland and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Ordinance 1461 2025 as amended by Council Members Bishop Hairston Conwell and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Authorizing the purchase by one or more requirement contracts of trees and labor and materials needed for urban forestry services, including but not limited to maintaining and planting trees and removing trees, stumps, and tree waste material for the Division of Urban Forestry, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Departments of Aging, Public Works, Community Development for a period of one year with a one year option to renew, exercisable by the Director of Parks and Recreation.

Ordinance 1462 2025 by Council Members Bishop and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing the purchase by one or more requirement contracts of various pool chemicals for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Ordinance 1464 2025 by Council Members Conwell and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing the Director of Public Health to enter into one or more contracts with the Merrick House Friendly End Settlement, Westside Community House, Lexington Bale Community Center, Birthing Beautiful Communities, the Metro Health System, Ronald White DBA, the Transparency Project, Case Western Reserve University, and other organizations to provide mom's first services to women at risk of poor birth outcomes in the City of Cleveland for a period of one year.

Ordinance 1470 2025 by Council Members Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request, giving consent of the City of Cleveland to the County of Cuyahoga for the resurfacing of Nottingham Road from St.

Clair Avenue to the South Corporation line to apply for and accept an allocation of County Motor Vehicle License Tax Funds for the Improvement, authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to enter into any relative agreements and making of the improvement and to cause payment to the county for the city's share of the improvement.

Ordinance 1471 2025 by Council Members Bishop and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Determine the method of making the public improvement of repairing or replacing specific noncompliant sidewalks under the noncompliance sidewalk repair program, formerly known as 5050 Hazardous Sidewalk Repair Program, authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to enter into one or more public improvement requirement contracts for the making of the improvement for a period up to two years and authorizing the director to apply for any gifts and grants, any gifts or grants from any public or private entity to implement the program.

Ordinance 1472 2025 by Council Members Star Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request to vacate a portion of East 73rd Street.

Ordinance 1481 2025 by Council Members Star Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request to vacate a portion of East 70th Street.

Ordinance 1486 2025 by Council Members Star Bishop and Hairston by Departmental Request to vacate a portion of East 71st Place.

Ordinance 1487 2025 by Council Members Moore, Bishop, Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request to vacate a portion of Ridman Avenue Southwest.

Ordinance 1488-2025 by Council Members Kelly, Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request to vacate a portion of West Boulevard.

Ordinance 1492 2025 by Council Members Gray, Bishop Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing Director of Parks and Recreation to apply for and accept a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for St.

Luke, I'm sorry, for Luke Easter Skate Park Project to accept cash donation from the MGK Foundation and the Skate Park Project for this purpose, determining the method of making the public improvement of designing and constructing a skate park at Luke Easter Park and authorizing the Director of Parks and Recreation to enter into one or more contracts for the making of the improvement.

Ordinance 1494 2025 as amended by Council Members Casey Hairston and Griffin by Departmental Request.

Determine the method of making the public improvement of designing and constructing local renewable power projects for the Division of Cleveland Public Power and authorizing the Director of Public Utilities to enter into one or more public improvement contracts for the making of the improvements, enter into one or more professional service contracts and other contracts needed for the making of the improvements, to apply for and accept gifts and grants, and authorizing the direct employment of necessary labor for the Department of Public Utilities for contracts executed no later than December 31st, 2030.

Ordinance 1496, 2025 by Councilmembers Bishop and Harrison by Departmental Request authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to issue a permit to Cleveland Clinic Foundation to encroach into the public right of way of alien court by installing using and maintaining a concrete driveway and riprap erosion control barrier along the existing ravine.

Ordinance 1508 2025 by Councilmember Griffin by departmental request to make additional appropriations of $1,200,000 to the special revenue fund.

Ordinance 1509 2025 by Councilmember Griffin by departmental request to make temporary appropriations for the current payrolls and other ordinary expenses of the City of Cleveland for a period from January 1, 2026 until the effective date of the annual appropriation ordinance for fiscal year ending December 31st, 2026.

Ordinance 1510 2025 by Councilmember Griffin by Departmental Request to provide for the transfer and amendment to the general fund appropriations in the amount of $19,555,000 and $100,000 within the Small Enterprise Fund.

Ordinance 1512 2025 by Councilmembers Welch, Bishop, Slife, Hairston, and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing the Directors of Parks and Recreation and Port Control to enter into a seventh amendment to the Lakefront Parks Lease with the Board of Park Commissioners of the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District to add the North Coast Inner Harbor and Marina to the lease.

Ordinance 1514 2025 by Council Members Slife and Griffin by Departmental Request, authorizing the Director of Port Control to enter into one or more contracts with Amadeus Airport IT Americas to provide common use self-service kiosks for the common use airport operations program, including hardware, software, installation, and maintenance for the Division of Airports Department of Port Control for a period of one year with four one year options to renew, exercisable by the Director of Port Control.

Thank you.

Read the motion to suspend the rules.

By Councilmember Kelly that the rules be suspended and the legislation just read be placed on final passage, seconded by Councilmember Moore.

Caldero.

Griffin, Bishop Conwell Gray, Hirston Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey, Kelly, Moore, Polencick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Star Welch.

15 Years.

Carterolong Passage.

Griffin, Bishop, Conwell Gray, Hairston Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey, Kelly, Moore, Polencick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Starr Welch.

Thank you.

The Chair acknowledges Michael D.

Polencic as well as Brian Casey.

Please.

I wanted to speak, Mr.

Chairman, on the issue of 1325.

I rose my mic before the roll call.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

And my honorable colleagues, honourable mayor, members of the administration, I rise to exercise my vote against 1325.

2025 pertaining to the agreement pertaining to the Cleveland Browns.

Mr.

Chairman, I've been here through a lot of debates over the years, and I do appreciate the tone and tenor of the debate.

It was very cordial at the table.

There was a lot of good questions asked by my colleagues of the administration.

And Mr.

Chairman, I learned a long time ago when I came into this body.

They taught me how to count.

And I learned that very quickly when I came in here.

I don't know if the starting point was 200 or 250 million and we got to 100 million.

But at the end of the day, when I look at the deal, um, I just my gut tells me this is not a good deal for the City of Cleveland.

And when I go through the legislation, and I have, I've I've gone through it, I've read it, I've read all the information has been provided to us, and I appreciate our staff doing the due diligence that they did.

But here at the end of the day, we're going to pass this hundred million.

Uh we're being asked to pass this hundred million right off the top comes 30 million for the demolition.

I'm not convinced, as I've said publicly, I'm not convinced that the stadium needs to come down.

I want to see an independent review.

I want to see an in independent engineering report of the stadium to tell me definitively that this facility, which we're being told needs to be needs to come down, and yet I'm looking at the report that was given to us by Osborne.

Page six.

Overall, the Cleveland Brown Stadium is in good condition considering the age of the facility.

Based on the assessments, team's observations, the stadium is considered to be well maintained, thus maximizing useful service life of the various systems and compromise modern-day professional sports facility.

It should also be known that the city and the Browns have been proactively addressing issues via implementation of annual repair replacement program using available funding sources.

We know we've been maintaining the facility because we're whacked every year to maintain the capital on the facility.

But now we're told it's got to come down.

But even better yet, in the agreement, the Cleveland Browns get the recycling rights for the stadium.

Now think about that.

We own the facilities.

But they're going to get the recycling and scrapping rights for the facility.

If they were to sell the seats just for a hundred bucks a pop, they would get 6.7 million in their pocket, not the taxpayers.

Think about all the steel that's in there, the aluminum, the copper, the brass, the stainless steel.

I could go on.

They get control of it.

But it's our building.

It's our building.

I don't get it.

I don't get it.

And then so when I go further down in this agreement, then I get under where run, we're we're going to enter a where we can give them an extension.

Should the facility in Brook Park, and let me say this.

We know they're going, at least we think they're going to Brook Park.

Every indication is, and Jimmy Hazlinn owns the team.

I don't dispute that at all.

We think it's our team.

It isn't our team.

He owns the team.

But with the extension of the lease, for the first year he has to pay, if he wishes to extend it, he has to pay a million dollars.

Seems like a lot of money.

But the property tax and the insurance are over a million dollars.

We're not even breaking even.

Now tell me who in this room.

You can raise your hands if you want.

If you had rental property and you were going to extend your lease, would you extend the lease and lose money?

Nobody in their right mind would do that.

Nobody, but we're being asked to do that in this lease agreement.

And I appreciate the amendments and the efforts to try to make lemonade out of the lemons that we were sent.

But at the end of the day, I don't believe this is a good deal for the people of the City of Cleveland.

There's three lawsuits, not counting the Kucinich lawsuit.

I learned a long time ago when I walked through that door, when you have leverage, you never give it up.

When you have political leverage, you don't give it up.

We're giving up our leverage.

They get to tear down the stadium.

They get the recycling rights from it.

City building.

They get an extension less than the bills that we have to pay on it on the stadium if they stay there two years longer.

And I go through this page by page by page by page, and at the end of the day, when you look at what we owe in our debt service and what we spent, and today we heard again 1.5 million dollars for legal fees.

We're 4.9 million in the red on this deal as presented to us.

So, Mr.

Chairman, uh to my honorable colleagues, I want to say to the health director, you better check the pipes here to see if there's lead in the pipes here.

Because something is wrong here.

We continue to make too many bad deals.

Think about what we're about to experience.

We're losing the jail.

Now we're losing the Browns.

Councilman, we're faced with losing 18 schools on top of the 28 that they've closed already on the east side of the city.

How many deal bad hits can we take?

How many bad deals do we enter into?

I didn't get elected to make bad deals.

I got elected to make good deals on behalf of the citizenry.

And I can I want to thank you to Council President.

I think you have tried to make you know the best deal we can out of this mess.

But one thing came clear out to me in this, we need to be talking more to the team owners.

We need to be talking more to the corporate community because if they don't understand, they have to be partners with us as we go forward in the 2026.

Then all bets are off because we're gonna continue to find ourselves behind the curve.

So, Mr.

Chairman, and I'll do respect to this institution, the body to the mayor and administration.

I can't good faith support this.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Councilman Brian Casey.

Thank thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I'll make it much quicker.

A pig with blipstick is still a pig.

Please mark me no on 1325 and 1456 2025.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman Jenny Spencer.

Thanks, Council President.

Please mark me as a recusal from 1512.

Thank you.

That is all of the call.

Madam Clerk, please call the role on passage.

Griffin Bishop Conwell Gray, Hairston, Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey Kelly, Moore, Polencick, Santana, Slife, Spencer, Star Welch.

On 1325, 2025, 13 years, two nays.

1512.

Okay, I'm sorry.

On 1456, 2025, 14 14 years, one nay.

On 15.

Okay.

On 1512, 2025, 14 years, one nay.

On all others, 15 years.

One recusion.

One recusal.

And one recusal.

All right.

Thank you.

We'll move to second reading.

Emergency resolutions to be adopted.

Resolution 1407 2025 by Councilmembers Griffin, Bishop, and Hirston by departmental request, declaring the intent to vacate a portion of Mount Carmel Road.

Thank you.

Read the motion to suspend the rules.

By Councilmember Kelly, that the rules be suspended and the legislation just read be placed on final passage, seconded by Councilmember Moore.

Thank you.

Call to roll.

Griffin Bishop Conwell Gray, Hairston Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey Kelly, Moore Palencick, Santana Slife, Spencer Starr Welch.

15 Yes.

Call to roll on passage.

Griffin Bishop Conwell Gray, Harrison Harsh, House Jones, Jones, Casey Kelly, Moore Palencick, Santana Slife, Spencer Star Welch.

15 Yes.

Thank you.

We will um call the roll on adoption.

Oh, that's that was it?

Okay.

Uh introductions.

Uh, a couple of people that I want to make sure that I introduce.

I see uh the former mayor, former senator, former Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

Uh if we could acknowledge him.

Thank you.

And I do appreciate uh Congressman's comments today, even though I I wish we would um have more time.

I wish um we could have engaged him a lot more earlier.

Um, and I do appreciate what he brought to the table today.

I also want to acknowledge the uh one of my new precinct committee people in Ward 6, Mike Seals.

If Mike Seals could please stand, Mike Seals.

He's part of the new Ward Six, the huff part of Ward 6.

And um, I gotta say that when I went out walking, the first face I seen was Mike Seals.

So I think I got a welcome partner over in that neighborhood.

So looking forward to it.

Uh, are there any other introductions?

Any other introductions?

Councilwoman Lauren Welch.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I would be remiss not to uh acknowledge Stephanie Herbeck.

You didn't expect me to do this, but uh you cannot think about Ward 3 without thinking about Stephanie and her late husband George and her children.

Um she was one of the instrumental parts of my childhood, grabbed me from the West Side Community House, and then was a I was a part of Near West Theater that was in Ohio City before it moved to Gordon Square.

Um so when you see this loud, ambitious woman, it's because she dragged me on stage and in a couple of commercials that aired on ABC family, so I couldn't be here if it wasn't for her mentorship and her guidance, and I just want to acknowledge her and her family today.

So thank you so much, Stephanie.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other introductions?

Uh Councilman Mike Polensk and then Councilman Richard Starr or Councilman Kevin Conway.

Excuse me.

Vicky Crowder here.

Miss Vicky Trotter.

She's one of the true activists.

She gets out there in the neighborhood and work, and not just in the Glenville community.

And she loves to work with children, and she teaches them gardening and and um she worked with father child bonding with gardening.

The whole nine yards, she's a true activist, and she worked, she's from Glenville.

And Sonya, I wanted her to meet with you.

Um Vicky Trotter is right over there.

The reason I'm sitting now, so if I can't get to you, then you know Sonia to reach.

Vicky Trotter.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Uh any other Councilman Richard Starr.

Yes, I see Warfire Resident Ms.

Walker here in the building today.

How you doing?

Okay.

All right.

Uh any other introductions.

Seeing no other introductions, we'll now move to announcements and the public's uh works chief has asked me to make an announcement that we are expecting a blizzard.

I don't know if the weatherman got it right tonight.

But uh, but anyway, uh she is uh asked to make sure that everybody knows to let your residents know that 12 o'clock a.m.

tonight there will be a snow ban, which means do not park your car on the street uh because they need to vacate the streets in order to clean the streets appropriately.

So wanted to pass on that message on behalf of uh the public works chief.

Uh Councilman Politics said, Will you guys be announcing that publicly too?

And I anticipate that they will.

Okay.

So I know that I have a network that I'll send out in my networks as well.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Appreciate it.

All right.

Uh any other announcements.

Any other announcements?

Any other announcements?

Uh I'm going to go to miscellaneous, and I know that uh a couple of members, this is their last meeting.

Uh Councilman Starr, did you want to go after?

Because I know a couple of the council members asked for extra time, or did you want to wait until after they spoke?

You want to speak because let's let them go first and then we'll make comments, okay.

Um, so today is the last meeting for four esteemed members of council.

Uh, as you heard, Councilwoman Jenny Spencer, she has asked for additional time.

Councilwoman Rebecca Moore, who has also asked for additional time, and uh has some handouts that she and her team would like to make sure that council members have.

Uh Councilman Danny Kelly is this is his last meeting.

Uh and councilman Anthony Harrison, this is his last meeting.

Before I give them the microphone, uh we're shadow.

Lauren Welch, I'm sorry, Lauren Welch, she's hiding behind that little chair over there, hiding behind that little chair over there.

Uh Lauren Welch as well.

Before I give them uh the floor, and any of them might want to have extended time.

I'm gonna ask if all council members and anybody else would like to stand and give them a round of applause for their service.

Uh I'm gonna save any comments for the towards the end, but um, I know that in this uh in this um in this way.

I'm gonna start out with Councilwoman Spencer, then Moore, then Kelly, and I believe Mr.

Harrison uh might have had an uh another thing to go to already, but in that order, um, Madam Spencer, and then uh Councilwoman Mara.

Wow, it's feeling real, Council President.

Hard to believe.

Um, so to my colleagues, um, I know our numbers are dwindling here a little bit, but these comments are really to be addressed to all of all of the colleagues because I have taken much joy in you all.

I have seen you up close.

You each give of yourselves completely in order to do the work.

You are public servants of the highest order.

Even though it's been over a year since I announced I wouldn't run again, it will not surprise any of my colleagues to hear that this job has kept me hustling right up until the end.

This job has never failed to surprise me, but I have also never failed to grow.

What a gift.

What a gift.

One thing I will not miss, Council President, are the tough votes.

We made some of those tonight.

During my term, every tough vote was tough.

And for me, it did not become easier over time.

And therefore, I'd like to express my gratitude to the decision makers for those who will continue to stay in the arena, who will do the work that needs to be done, and who will lead.

This includes all of my colleagues, and it also includes you, Mayor Bibb.

Thank you.

And Council President, I have said this to you many times before, but I will say it again.

I believe you have the toughest job in the city of Cleveland for all the things you do, seen and unseen, thank you.

And for supporting me for these past five years, and for helping me get priority pieces of legislation passed, thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Additional thanks goes without saying to my council office staff, Joseph Nasser and Heather Lazar.

The war in Gaza has been for Joseph a deep wound.

And how?

How can it heal?

But Joseph served the residents of Ward 15 very faithfully and with so much integrity.

When I announced I wasn't running, people said, oh good, is Joseph gonna run?

Joe, you won the community's trust and their respect.

And Heather, would you please stand, Heather Lazar?

Heather served Councilman Zone, and she agreed to stay and continue to serve the Ward 15 Council office.

And Heather, you are fierce.

When you dedicate yourself to an initiative, you deliver.

I'm so proud of the work you've done.

I can't tell you how many irresponsible property owners and landlords we were able to get into housing court, thanks to Heather's efforts.

Heather will be moving on to work with the vacant and abandoned property action council, or VAPAC, and they are so lucky to have you.

Thank you for everything, Heather.

Watch out, BayPack, watch out landlords.

Heather's coming.

I'm telling you.

Thank you to my amazing constituents in Ward 15 who held me accountable and who amplified community impact.

You are making a difference.

Abby and Bill.

I hope that you know and saw that my work was my love language.

I hope you felt that.

It has been phenomenal working with you.

You have my admiration.

Cleveland is lucky to have you.

I have to thank my family, above all, my mother, brother, and husband who never failed to have my back.

And in conclusion, a few more comments this evening.

First, we don't talk about vulnerability much on this body.

You all can be tough as nails, okay.

But make no mistake, as strong as these people are, many of them are sacrificing their health in order to do this work.

So take care of yourselves.

You are precious.

Second, if I could do it all over again, I would want to do even more policy work.

And I'll tell you, tell you what, that's tough in our ward-based system.

My office is now up to over 6,500 unique constituent concerns.

Right, Heather?

It's amazing.

To which we have responded since the beginning of the term.

But I believe that the times we are in mean that our jobs will be getting tougher, not easier, and policy and strategy will become even more important.

If I could do it all over again, I'd do more to build even stronger coalitions within this body, and I'd explore statewide relationships with other policymakers in other cities.

We need each other now.

This week, I will be publicly releasing a transition memo to the three new council members in wards 7, 11, and 12, who will be representing parts of the former Ward 15.

The memo, while not comprehensive, is over 40 pages long.

And yeah, I think it's a page turner.

All right, it's great.

All right.

So I know you will all join me in supporting these new members.

Their success is our success.

So in conclusion, Council President, I am a bit tired.

I've run a marathon these past five years, but again, I am so grateful to those of you who will keep on running, who are still running.

Because at the end of the day, it's about service to Cleveland and Clevelanders.

And it's about love for our fellow citizens.

What else but love?

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll now go to Councilwoman Rebecca Moore.

Councilwoman Rebecca Moore has also asked for more time.

I'm gonna make sure she gets more time.

Thank you, thank you.

It's always tough to follow Jenny, so thank you.

Good evening, Council President, my colleagues on City Council and in the administration, my friends and family in the audience.

This will, of course, be my last council meeting as a member of the body.

I'm saddened at the outcome, certainly not the one I was hoping before.

I will never pretend to have done everything perfectly at this job.

I've grown a lot in the last four years, as you also mentioned, councilwoman, and I know that like all of us, I still have more growing to do.

But in the last month, since learning that my time here will end, I've had the chance to reflect on what it's meant to serve for the past four years.

I read recently a line that stuck with me that when you love a job and it's also really hard, it can be a little bit like trying to learn astronomy by staring at the sun.

And if that's indeed what this job is like, the past month has been a chance to look away, blink, and try to see what's around me.

And as I do, what I see is what I'd like to talk with you about this evening.

How I see this moment and where we go from here.

Again, I won't pretend that this is the only way to view things, but at least for right now, it's how I see it.

The first thing is my vision comes back, it's splotchy, it's got the marks in it.

You can see the simple narrow version of things.

It's this room, it's this chambers just about a year ago.

Council had to go from 17 to 15 under our charter, and I wasn't deemed a team player, and my ward was cut into six pieces.

And as I was told on the floor of this council, my house would be put right where it belongs, drawn away from 96% of the residents that I serve.

And that's of course what made the election this fall so difficult for me.

But as more of my vision returns, I can get a fuller picture.

And as I see it, the story of the maps is about something bigger.

It's about a philosophy of power and how we choose to lead.

From what I see, there are two very different versions of power in this city that have come into conflict over and over again.

One version of power is top-down.

It's retaliatory, closed door, quick to punish dissent, and far too comfortable with deciding outcomes for people instead of with them.

The maps were one expression of that, but they weren't the only one.

Look at PB, look at the opposition to public comment.

Frankly, I've had dozens of people reach out to me since the maps, sharing their own stories of times that speaking up in Cleveland caused them backlash.

There can be a loyalty demanded in this town that is hurting us more than it helps.

But there's also another version of power that's possible, the one I believe in, the one I've tried to practice, and is bottom up.

It's slower, it's harder, it demands transparency and accountability.

It requires us to trust residents, not just as voters, but as partners.

And no, this isn't you don't swing the pendulum so far that you just throw up your hands and you say let people decide and let it all descend into chaos.

That's not it.

It's a middle way.

It's leading alongside the public.

It's doing the hard, difficult work of setting the menu, but letting residents place the order.

And when we actually do that, when we build power with and instead of over, we see what local government truly can be at its best.

Responsive, human, and capable of real tangible change.

This city is still deciding which version of power it will choose.

This country is too.

The end of my time on council isn't the end of the story about which one we'll choose, but at least for me, it's one chapter in that story.

And as this chapter comes to its conclusion, I take seriously the responsibility to both transition the substantive work as best I can and also call out the structural questions that lay ahead.

And so, much like Councilwoman Spencer, I have also drafted a transition memo.

I've been accused of many things in my life, some of them on the floor of this body, but not being prepared for a meeting is not one of them.

So I have copies that I'd like to make sure to hand out.

Councilman Slife has agreed very kindly to make sure that copies of this get to members of the body and members of the administration, and just make sure that we'll follow along.

I promise there is an end to this speech, but I only have one more chance to give one, so we'll make sure that I say my piece.

There's three sections of this document, and I'll begin with the first one, which is the real wins, the tangible changes.

You'll find this in the first few pages of the transfer memo.

Over the last four years, my office, much like Councilwoman Spencer Spencer's and all of you, all of ours, has dealt with thousands of constituent service requests.

And those weren't just numbers, they were people, seniors waiting for streetlight repair, families navigating housing issues, and I forgot, of course, there's also copies in the audience from my amazing EA and team.

So anyone in the audience today who wants copies to follow along, there are some in the audience as well.

We approached every one of these calls rooted in our belief in the dignity of our residents that we serve.

I'm particularly proud of the first document we ever created as an office, which was our core value statement.

And if you work in my office, it's the first thing you have to read on your first day.

And I welcome you all to read it as well.

It's on page five.

Housing has been the cornerstone of my work, and while there's still a long way to go, I'm proud of my efforts to tackle rental rentals, homeownership, vacant and abandoned properties.

In the last four years, I've also invested heavily in our parks and recreation system because every park and every rec center in this city should be a crown jewel.

Calgary Park, Forest City Park, Stella Walsh, all received major investments during my during my term to the tune of millions, with more to come at Harmony Park Warsaw and again as Stella Walsh.

I work to establish friends of groups that have been part of practicing this bottom-up power that I talked about, so that these coalitions can help steer and inform the capital improvements.

We also invested in small businesses and commercial corridors with a dedicated Ward 12 commercial corridor fund.

I need to move on, but this report contains so much more: everything from road repaving to rebuilding a sense of community to decreasing the garbage bin delivery time from 10 days from over a hundred days to 10, and those are real wins, real problems we solved.

To me, they represent the heart of local government.

The second part of this memo is about projects that we're transferring.

Projects that will have to continue after I leave office.

Each one is formatted with a nice, easy cover page and then an amazingly dense memo that I don't expect everyone to read, but I hope that they're there for the future.

One major area is lead safe housing.

This is work that initially brought me to council.

Over the past four years, I served as council's main point person on this work, sitting on the Lead Safe Advisory Board, partnering with the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, and chairing the health and human services meetings on lead.

In June 2025, I released a report highlighting the need for legislative changes, better enforcement, and dramatically faster spending of available resources.

The incoming council will need to make several big decisions in 2026 about this program, and the memo outlines these challenges clearly.

My hope is that the next class of council members approaches them with urgency.

Alongside my co-sponsors, I certainly want to make sure to acknowledge them and the community partners, many of whom are in the room, the draft legislation is done.

The research is in place.

But as I write about extensively in the transfer memo, the biggest thing we are missing now is political will.

I was disappointed to not receive a response to my efforts to problem solve the administration's main concerns about not creating a new department.

If the administration continues to offer new reasons to delay, I urge my colleagues to consider passing this law and consider budget amendments that could make it a reality.

Those budget amendments are outlined in the memo.

Finally, I offer a transfer memo about Harvard landfill.

This was not a project that I expected to have to be so concerned about, but in recent months we learned that the administration is walking away from the chance at millions in federal money to turn the long-abandoned Harvard landfill into a solar farm.

Again, if you believe in power with and not power over, we need to offer the neighborhood transparency and a renewed commitment to bringing this landfill out of receivership.

The last section of the memo, end of this speech, focuses on structural challenges ahead.

And let me be clear.

Every time I swap war stories, I think I have good ones.

Raccoons stuck in garbage bins, traipsing through collapsing buildings to rescue kittens, hoarders and rats and groundhogs, and there was even a brief moment where we were concerned wrongly that we were on the phone with an 82-year-old arsonist.

But every one of you has war stories just like mine, if not more challenging.

You all have handled decaying animal carcasses.

You've painted people's homes when the city could not.

You've called funeral homes and brought groceries and driven people to the hospital.

In other words, to a person, I honestly believe you all care.

I've seen it up close.

You want better for the city.

But the other thing I'm here to say is that the structure of this council makes it nearly impossible for us to make the difference that we want to make.

And I firmly believe that every system is perfectly designed for the outcomes it achieves.

So if we want different outcomes, we need a different system.

On page 43 of this booklet, I have a diagram, and it goes into more detail in the next few pages, but my thesis goes a little bit like this.

First, we must improve council operations.

To outsiders looking in, I know this can seem a little navel gazy, but you haven't seen how bad it can get.

Council is in survival mode, just like our wards are.

We need to reform the council operations, and I don't want to watch this city's legislative body wither on the vine.

Next, we must rebuild council resident trust to my colleagues.

I know this is the section of my recommendations you might not like.

But when you're in power, and I know that when you're in power, it does feel a lot easier to just exert that power and control without oversight.

But that type of power is why so few residents engage with local government, why they don't think voting matters.

And fixing this trust gap is to me the heart of the work ahead.

But to do that, you have to be willing to build power with residents.

That is why I offer a few recommendations of ways that council can show up and rebuild trust.

The first is a new idea an office of an inspector general.

It's not reasonable for the clerk, the person who we appoint to her role to oversee accusations against council members.

Plenty of other cities maintain an office of inspector general role that oversees council.

But here the ethics office is not set up to address council issues, and we just have a single Office of Inspector General who only deals with issues in public safety.

I happen to be pretty sure that we're saving some money in the budget to the tune of salaries for two council members and two EAs, starting in 2026.

And my recommendation is that you take that money and add a staff member to the Office of Inspector General who can do independent oversight of council.

The second is independent maps.

Yes, I am, of course, biased in this regard, but I admit my bias and I am still clear-eyed in my values, just like I was a year ago.

I am not saying independent maps will be perfect or that neighborhoods will never be split up, but we must remove ward lines from a political analysis of which council members are deemed team players.

Third, we need to do more to get money out of politics.

It is far too easy for a developer with business with business before the city to donate in our local elections.

Cincinnati dealt with this after they had council members arrested on similar charges, and they created the equivalent of the their Office of Economic Development maintains a list of developers doing business with the city and makes explicitly clear when those people can and cannot donate.

If we follow the Cincinnati model, we could just give everybody clarity.

That way we know who can and can't donate and remove that perception of pay to play.

If we had a better functioning council and stronger trust between council and residents, we can focus on delivering.

To me, that looks like many things we've already talked about.

A successful led safe law passing Tunisha's law.

It also looks like a relentless drive to improve the day-to-day quality of life issues that our residents see and feel.

And it doesn't have to be rocket science.

You know what was the lowest hanging fruit that I saw this past year?

Lights and litter.

Street lights seem to be unusually challenging to get turned back on, even when the wires aren't being stolen.

And this city service request is not yet integrated into 311, even though it should be.

And resident complaints about litter are real.

They are rooted in a totally reasonable desire to feel respected by the city and by our neighbors.

If you spent 2026 focusing on lights and litter, I really feel that residents would see a difference.

There's too much crammed into the rest of the memo, and I'll end my review here, and just give a few other short thanks.

Thank you to the residents of Ward 12 for trusting me, challenging me, partnering with me, and showing me every day why local government matters.

Thank you to the community groups, the block clubs, the volunteers, and the neighbors who stepped up.

Thank you to my small but mighty team who kept me grounded in the work every day.

Although my title will change in January, my commitment to Cleveland will not.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Spencer.

And thank you, Councilwoman Maurer.

I'll now go to Councilman Kelly and then end up with uh Councilwoman Welch and then any other council members that would like to make on this.

Councilmember Kelly.

Sure, thank you.

I just want to say, uh, President Griffin that it's been an honor to serve in this body, uh, especially with you at the helm.

Uh to all my colleagues in Cleveland City Council, and on the other side of the coin, the people uh in administration's offer, it's been a privilege.

And uh Mayor Bibb, Brother Bibbish, but a privilege to serve how you're at the helm as well.

To City Council staff, who when I came here, I certainly just say I didn't know much about technology was a stretch.

And I had told them listen, when you work skyscrapers or walk a beam, you only don't have to fall.

There's no technology up there.

You kept me from falling very many times, and I appreciate that.

Um, to my family, uh to my lady Andrea, who's probably wondering we got along so well the last three years, I think that might have been because I wasn't around.

Now I might be around a little more, so hopefully that works out.

But I want each and every one of you to continue the seas today for our citizens and and for the city of Cleveland.

I want to especially thank all the men and women that work for this city, folks, especially those that sweat for a living, whether they're tapping a keyboard or running a jackhammer.

I want to thank all the unions that represent those sisters and brothers, because I've been at all of them.

And it's it's just been a great experience for me.

It was really a great job.

I got to help people I never thought I could help.

Um I'm rooted in my faith.

I believe the creator, if he doesn't have me helping with my hands here at City Council, he'll have my hands helping somewhere else.

Um that's it.

Thank you so much.

I'll end with uh councilwoman Lauren Welch.

Councilwoman Lauren Welch.

Oh, okay.

I didn't ask to speak, but that's okay.

I will speak.

Um, because I'm not afraid to, thanks to Stephanie Herbeck.

Um, I just want to say it is um the honor of a lifetime to sit with each of you and work alongside each of you and the administration to really serve um our community.

I think so many people are asking me, like, was this crazy for you?

Do you think this is crazy?

And I'm like, no, because I love the city of Cleveland, and I've always loved the city of Cleveland.

And um to be able to be a part of a body of people who are also as passionate about this work um has been the joy of a lifetime.

I obviously have to thank former councilmember Carrie McCormick, who really paved the way for nearly a decade in Ward 15.

Um not Ward 15, Ward 3, Jesus Christ.

But I also want to say that I was also a Ward 15 D precinct leader with Jenny Spencer before I got back to three.

Um, but I just want to say thank you.

All the words that were expressed today, I could not express them enough.

Um, because again, it's just a joy and an honor.

You this is not the last time you'll probably see me.

As many of you know, I cannot stay away from advocating for our city.

Um, and I just want to thank you again.

Thank you.

I'll now go to any members of council that would like to say anything, but I'll begin if I could.

And I just want to go in order.

Uh Jenny Spencer, rock star.

Enjoyed working with you.

Um, some of the ideas and creativity that you brought.

Um, I always enjoyed uh, you know, you and I have always had great synergy, always work well together, and uh, you know, I always like to feel like I've had your back because you know, even when it was tough times, I was trying to be there as much as I could for you.

So we're gonna miss you, and thank you so much for all of your hard work.

Uh I'll say to uh Councilwoman Rebecca Marr, uh, Councilwoman Maher, and I used to have a joke to say who was gonna work the hardest.

And uh I would have to say that she might be one of the only persons that gave me a run for my money.

Uh you know, a lot of people think that councilwoman Maher and me really were at odds.

I would tell you that most of the time we agreed on more than we differed with.

And we tried to work with each other.

Uh there were times when we did have significant disagreements, uh, but I would never uh never underestimate how smart she was, how much she cared about the city, and uh how genuine her concerns were as far as working with the community.

So um, even though I know that there were times when, you know, I may have made comments or you might have experienced what you felt uh was me being um authoritarian, which I disagree with at times, but what I will say is at the end of the day, I enjoyed working with you and appreciate your professionalism and your hard work and the wisdom that you brought to the job.

So thank you so much.

Uh Danny Kelly, all I could say is, man, the day after the election was resolved.

Danny Kelly was out delivering turkeys to his residents.

That's a person who really cares about Cleveland.

That's a person who really commits.

And a lot of people don't know this, but me and Danny started out on different sides of an issue and just became very close friends through the years.

And uh his sons are like nephews to me, and my sons are like nephews to him.

We will continue to work with you.

Brother, I appreciate you bringing a worker man's perspective to council, and don't worry about technology.

Your heart is what mattered most in this job, and thank you for that.

Uh I want to say to Councilman Anthony Harrison, I know he's not here, one of the brightest, sharpest, most intelligent young people uh that I've had the privilege of working with.

Uh, a guy who I think has a bright future.

I think if any developer or any public body uh were in their right mind, they would try to find a way to hire this man.

Uh this man is actually very, very good at what he does.

He helped us figure out some of the most complex and vexing economic problems.

And uh, you know, Anthony was tough, but at the same time, he was a person who understood the complexities, especially of economic development.

So I'm gonna miss Anthony, and I believe he has a bright future.

Lauren, the short time that we worked together, I want to say that you've been a rock star.

I didn't know you could sing like you do.

We're gonna hire you and Conwell to play together.

Uh, but at the end of the day, I really appreciate the youthful perspective that you brought.

And you know, I'll close by saying this, ladies and gentlemen in the audience, it's a tough job.

And a lot of you may not realize it, but talk to your friends.

Uh I had the unenviable task of manage managing a conservative wing of council.

We do have a conservative wing of council, even though we're all Democrats and a very liberal wing of council.

And I often was charged with trying to find consensus, even up till today.

Uh the last meeting of this term where we tried to find a common sweet spot on things that really could go 17 different ways when you have 17 different strong opinions.

Uh oftentimes I had to serve as the arbitrator and had to call balls and strikes.

But at the end of the day, I always tried to be fair, firm, and consistent, and most of all protect the interests of this body, and most of all, protect the interests of our community.

Uh so I want to just say thank you for allowing me to serve as your council president.

I look forward to serving the incoming council members.

You'll find that I'm not the boogeyman that the media tries to say that I am.

Um I just believe in really being honest and transparent with people, because at the end of the day, I really do love this city and really do want the best for this city, even in the face of opposition and a lot of the uh pushback that we get as a body.

So thank you all for serving in this body.

I will now turn it over to the dean, and then I do have Councilman Richard Starr after Councilman Michael Palency.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, Honorable Mayor, my colleagues, members, administration.

You are the boogeyman, I'm only kidding you.

But anyway, um to I was sitting here thinking, I think this is with Kerry leaving this uh several months ago, and now five more leaving.

I think this is the most that we've lost of council members since 78.

Think about that.

I think it's the most members that we've lost in a term and since that period of time.

Mr.

Chairman, um we come in, we have different attitudes, each one of us is different.

And I say this to the view in public.

There's no two members alike.

In fact, I serve with both of the Kucinich brothers, and they were both different, okay?

They were both different in their attitude and their approach to the job.

And I served with Matt Zone and his mom, and each one were different in their approach.

But each one brings uh a level of integrity, uh uh level of spark, and I just want to say to each and every one of them, um, I wish you well.

I wish you well in whatever path you take.

Nobody, I don't know what that path is gonna be.

We hope that you're gonna stay in contact with us, participate with us.

We are a family.

Sometimes people don't realize that, Mr.

Chairman.

We disagree at times.

We're on different sides, we're on different issues.

But at the end of the day, council is a family.

And again, to the people who are watching this or sitting in the gallery, um it is the most difficult job in politics being a member of Cleveland City Council.

I've had members, friends that have gone on to this from this body on to state senators, state representatives, house of representatives, and they all tell me the same thing.

Being in council was the most difficult and toughest job they ever experienced because of the contact, the issues that you're dealing with.

So often we're dealing with things we have no control over.

But at the end of the day, each member has tried to do the best job they can.

So to Lauren, to Jenny, to Rebecca, to Anthony, to Danny.

I look forward to working with Anthony and New War 10.

Danny, I go back a long way with you and your family.

You are a Collinwood boy, your roots are there.

I know you'll be engaged in whatever role you take, you'll be engaged with this body.

But I want to say to all of you, please stay in contact with us.

When you we want your input, we want your thoughts, and I gotta tell you, Rebecca.

And I'm impressed with this.

And to Jenny, I'm looking forward to your novel that you're gonna put together for us, okay?

And so please stay involved, be committed, and um, I just want to say to each and every one of you, thank you for the job that you've done on behalf of the people in your wards on behalf of the people of City Cleveland.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Richard Starr, Councilmember Richard Starden, and Councilman Kevin Conwell.

Thank you, Councilbrother.

I know we had a long day today.

Um I try to be brief.

And with that being said, been here since about nine in the morning.

But before I go into my remarks, I definitely would like to turn to my colleague, Councilwoman Rebecca.

Before 2025, we seen eye to eye on quite a few things.

No problems, understanding, reach out to you.

And I want you all to understand that elections bring out the good, the bad, the ugly, and then the media.

So I want you to know that election is over with.

You're a war five resident, I'm a war five resident.

I look forward to working with you, learning from you, growing with you, so we can move War 5 forward.

So I wish you the best.

Anyway, I can support you, I definitely will do that, Councilwoman.

Um Farewell's is always rough.

And what I mean by that is in 2010, I met a person.

Fierce, light spoken all the time, didn't say much, and we just had a relationship where we just used to talk all the time.

Then in 2017, when I said, in like April, I'm running for office.

I picked up the phone, I called him, and he told me to come on down to the Cuyoga County Council office.

What I mean by this individual, he is not just someone you call a friend.

He's an individual who has helped get folks elected in the city.

And what I mean by that, even in the county, when you talk about Judge and Councilmember Jeff Johnson, Judge Gail Williams Byers, Judge Monet Scott, Judge Taya Jones, Judge Deborah Turner, State Representative Terrence Up Church, Cuyahoga County Councilmember Michael Hauser, and of course me, Richard A.

Starr.

When I'm talking about a real individual, he's more than a colleague, friend.

He's a member of the city of Cleveland.

So today I rise with deep respect and appreciation to recognize and honor my colleague, my brother, and my friend, Councilmember Anthony Harrison, who had to go pick his son up from boxing tonight.

That's good.

Councilmember Anthony T.

Harrison has served the city of Cleveland with a dedication that cannot be measured by votes or titles, but by countless people whose lives he has touched through his work.

For years, he has been a steadfast advocate for the residents of War 10 and for our entire city.

He has approached every issue, big or small, with a seriousness and that reflects just how much he cares about the people he represents.

Public service is not easy.

It demands long nights, tough decision, and a willingness to stand firm when the winds blow in the opposite direction.

Councilmember Anthony Harrison has done that with integrity.

He has done that with heart.

And he has done that with a clear commitment to lifting up every corner of his community.

Although this chapter of his service, uh Cleveland City Council is coming to an end, his impact is not the projects he's championed, the voices he's amplified, the young people he mentored, and the neighborhoods he fought for, those contributions will continue shaping our city long after today.

Councilmember Anthony T.

Harrison, I want you to know you serve with honor, you serve with courage, and you serve with a genuine love for the people.

Elections do not define a legacy.

Your work does.

And your work will continue to speak for you.

On behalf of War 5, War 10 community, and our city of Cleveland, thank you for standing up.

Thank you for showing up, and thank you for giving so much of yourself to Cleveland.

I have no doubt that your leadership journey is far from over.

Wherever you go next, you will continue to make an impact because that's who you are.

My brother, I honor you, I appreciate you, and I wish you all a success and blessing in the world as you move forward onward.

Thank you.

And we have Councilman Kevin Conwell.

Councilman Kevin Conwell.

Thank you very, very much.

I'm gonna thank I'll see a lot of you guys out in the community.

You know, Danny, I like, especially when activists become um political people because when they're on the ground, they get an up close view of what's going on with the people.

And I met this brother right here in the schools, when he was a good father and working and pushing school levies and working with the children, and they're crazy about you and um CMSD, just being out there working, and they know you and the children know you.

And it's really cool when the children know you.

I mean, you could walk through a school and the principal or administration know you, but the children, when the children know you, man, that's cool beans, and that's cut from working in the community.

And that's when you first became a council member.

I talked about it.

When I saw you, I said, that's Danny Kelly, man from the schools.

That's Danny Kelly.

He's an activist in the schools, and that's good.

And a lot of the young boys need to see father figures, man.

And you even won our fatherhood of the year award also.

That fatherhood piece is really, really cool as well.

I'm gonna move along with Rebecca, who is the vice chair and overlay, you really care, and you helped the shine.

You don't get a lot of credit, and um with the work you did with the lead, you shine, you helped to shine a light on the lead issues that was going on.

And from those ill-led issues, you were chairing the health committee and pushing to get lead in the city doing your piece, but she is the activist on the outside didn't have any her hands was not handcuffed at all because you were out there pushing with the lead about dealing with cognitive behavior for children, and you got them to see to see the way that I like that lead shining and being an activist is really really cool, beans.

So thank you.

And you you're extremely bright too.

Very, very smart.

Because I used to always call you the genius, didn't I?

Oh, all the time.

And I like your book.

I'll sit back and uh and I'll read your magazine.

It's really a magazine.

You know, I could take something away from that.

You know, and Jenny, I really really dig.

Do you ever get mad, man?

I never seen you frown at all.

Even when I think you mad, you smiling.

She never get mad.

You know, and you always came to the table prepared.

And I tell you what, uh, when she hear another council person, you know, ask a question.

She's not trying to ask the same question.

She said, I yeah, you could take my time, council president.

You know, that way, because I always looked at that, and you always came prepared.

So I really appreciate that.

Really appreciate it.

And I was shocked that you said you were gonna leave.

You know, man.

I mean, they'll they're losing a star in you, but um, we'll see the next person.

You know, my wife told me she's cool beans, so I'll be able to see what's going on with her.

All right, I don't know her, but the wife says she's cool, so it's gotta be cool beans.

Um I want to move forward.

Man, I wanted to do a gig with you, but no, you you went to Australia and all them other places.

I wanted to do a gig with you.

She can really sing.

We were in Salt Lake City.

You went up and started singing.

I said, Who was this singing?

And you were singing.

I paid attention.

I stopped talking and I started listening to what was going on.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.

She was singing in the KF.

You were you were doing a very good job.

Even in person that did the karaoke came back to us and said, She can sing, man.

So, you know, I got a gig Thursday, you can talk with me about it.

That will put you to work.

I gotta do my job.

But that could be your job too.

Because I'm talking about going in schools, talking with children.

Here's the thing when they when they see the band come in and they're talking with the children, and you let them get up and play on the instruments, and then they start talking with us about their issues and concerns, and you'll sit back and you'll listen to them, and uh that way we can get a chance.

Yeah, we'll get a chance to really kick it, and you really care also, but you'll push it through your through the arts.

And I really really dug being with you.

So thank you and thanks for the time, and we'll talk and God bless.

All right, all right, thank you so much, madam clerk.

Please excuse the absences.

Council members House Jones and Jones are hereby excused, seconded by councilmember Moore.

Thank you.

Councillors adjourned to the call of the order.

The next meeting will be on January 5th, 2026.