Cleveland City Council Meeting Summary - January 12, 2026
Cleveland City Council Meeting - January 12, 2026
Cleveland City Council convened on January 12, 2026, beginning with a series of ceremonial recognitions honoring local athletes, law enforcement, and community organizations, followed by extensive public comments addressing public safety, housing policy, foreign relations, and administrative accountability. The legislative body then proceeded to review and vote on various ordinances regarding funding, leases, and administrative authorizations, concluding with council announcements and expressions of concern regarding infrastructure and school district policies.
Consent Calendar
- Oaths of Office: Administered to Mayor Justin Bibb and Joy Anderson (Interim Director of Community Development).
- Grant Acceptance: Accepted a $5,000 grant from the Jack Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation for the Junior Mayor's Association.
- Clerk Designations: Designated Kita Stigers as Clerk of Council Pro Tem for various dates in December 2025 and January 2026.
- Plat Approval: Approved the dedication plat for the Lake Avenue Town Homes Subdivision in Ward 11.
- Liquor Licenses: Approved (with one exception noted below) various applications for new licenses, stock transfers, and ownership transfers across multiple wards.
- Condolence Resolutions: Passed resolutions of condolence for numerous deceased residents, with all council members added as signatories.
- Recognition Resolutions: Passed resolutions of congratulations for Kappa Alpha Psi, Brianta Spencer, Lisa Gamben, General Joseph Berger, and the Divine Nine organizations (specifically Zeta Phi Beta, new Theta Zeta, and Gamma Alpha Zeta chapters).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Daryl Houston (Bedford Heights): Expressed strong opposition to the current city cabinet; demanded the removal of the Chief of Operations, Utilities Commission members, and the Health Chief, stating they had "given us nothing" in 48 months and lacked accountability. Mr. Houston positioned himself as advocating for a "brilliant" mayor blocked by a failing cabinet.
- Latasha McFarland (Ward 3): Expressed full support for renaming Manor Avenue in honor of her grandmother, Katie E. Brown, describing the change as a "meaningful and lasting way" to recognize a life of service and love over the violence that took her life.
- Ben Heidi (Cleveland): Expressed support for Cleveland to adopt a specific historic female design flag and embrace a "social democratic" governing model inspired by international examples to address diversity and working-class needs.
- Foziy Badour (Ward 11, representing a coalition): Expressed support for returning land to city ownership to re-integrate it into Cudell Park and support for the city to acquire the gas station at 1022 Denison Avenue.
- Terry Wong (Ward 8, Asiatown): Expressed demand for the enforcement of all Cleveland laws regarding ICE activities; contrasted non-cooperation with enforcement, arguing that laws only matter if enforced.
- Andre Daly (Ward 10): Expressed support for a moratorium on short-term rentals (Airbnb/Vrbo), arguing they reduce long-term housing supply and drive up rents.
- Joseph Lewis (Beachwood): Expressed opposition to the Trump administration's "coordinated military assault" on Venezuela and support for an anti-war resolution, citing illegal actions and funding cuts to social programs.
- Heather Hall (Solon) & Ronald Watkins (Ward 8, representing Cleveland Liberation Center): Expressed opposition to a war on Venezuela and support for protecting residents from ICE; positioned the current administration's military actions as directly connected to domestic terror and refugee crises.
- Clarissa Foster (Owner, Mastermind Your Business): Expressed concern and opposition to the management of the "Home for Every Neighbor" (H4EN) program, citing inconsistent rent payments and unreimbursed damages totaling over $20,000 to date; requested a public hearing to examine the program's administration.
- Councilman Charles Slife: Expressed support for Councilman Davis's resolution regarding the death of Renee Nicole Good and added Catherine Waters to the resolution.
Discussion Items
- Burke International Airport Decommissioning: Councilman Charles Slife expressed concern and skepticism regarding the proposal to close Burke Airport and redevelop the 450-acre lakefront. He positioned the need for a "fact-finding mission" over glossy visions, citing potential fiscal burdens on the general fund and the need for community analysis before any action.
- First Energy & Power Outages: Councilman Brian Casey expressed strong opposition to First Energy's request to lower state reliability standards to allow more frequent and longer power outages. He cited the company's history of bribery and failed performance, arguing that the proposal puts public safety at risk.
- Traffic Safety: Councilwoman Nikki Hudson expressed deep concern and urged drivers to slow down and avoid phone use following the recent pedestrian death, emphasizing the lethal nature of vehicles.
- CMSD & School Closures: Councilman Michael Palencick expressed concern that proposed CMSD school closures in his ward would lead to voter disenfranchisement by removing polling locations, and requested to meet with Dr. Warren Morgan to discuss the plan.
- Technology Issues: Multiple council members expressed frustration with the new audio system, noting an "echo" and poor acoustics that hindered listening to public comments.
Key Outcomes
- Emergency Ordinances Passed (Unanimous Vote: 14-0):
- Ordinance 1108-2025: Extended the lease for Justice Center space with Cuyahoga County (Tabling approved).
- Ordinance 1507-2025 (amended): Updated rules regarding the use of city credit cards.
- Ordinance 25-2026: Acceptance of a State Justice Institute grant for continuity of operations.
- Ordinance 26-2026: Funding for the Stop Violence Against Women Act Program.
- Ordinance 27-2026: Designating Mount Moriah Baptist Church as a Cleveland Landmark.
- Ordinance 28-2026: Option to lease city-owned property at 4242 Lorraine Avenue.
- Ordinance 34-2026: Amtrak right of entry for the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway station (with ADA improvements).
- Several Ordinances (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 71) authorizing various contracts, purchases, and transportation improvements (Detroit Road Bridge, East 66th Street, CUY Memorial Bridges).
- Legislation Rejected/Reserved: Councilman Slife and others added their names to Councilman Davis's condolence resolution regarding Renee Nicole Good.
- Committee Scheduling: Scheduled Safety Committee meeting for Wednesday to discuss "Tanisha's Law" and police staffing levels.
- Transparency Action: Councilman Slife directed the Transportation Committee to hold four hearings on the Burke Airport closure to analyze costs, obstacles, and community impact before any vote.
Meeting Transcript
Will all council members. Will all of the council members please come in the well so that we can get the meeting started. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Griffin. Here, Bishop, Conwell, Davis, Gray, Harsh, House Jones, Hudson, Jones, Casey, Polensic, Santana, Shaw, Slife, Star. You have a quorum, Mr. President. Thank you. Will everyone please rise for a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. For which can stand one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. We have a very patched house and busy schedule today. This meeting of Cleveland City Council is a lawful meeting under section six oh five.04 of 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 or 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 six oh five dot oh four. Anyone who disrupts this lawful meeting in violation of the codified ordinances commits misdemeanors and is subject to prosecution. I'm sorry. Third, we're gonna invite the presidents up from Zeta Phi Beta, the uh women of Zeta Phi Beta. And then last but not least, we're gonna hear from the state champions, Glenville Tar Blooders. In that order. If the Mason family can join up here, let's get him a round of applause. How are you doing, man? Good to see you out there. Hey man, what's up, bro? You want to start off when I do uh you want him to just jump in? Okay. All right. Okay. Well, first of all, we want to honor this young man, and today is uh an evening of champions. And this young man actually came to our community meeting and got really involved with us a few months ago. And lo and behold, after he went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he has come back as the WBO World Lightweight Champion of the world. We all should stand up. Give it that a round of applause. So we'll go into Abdullah Mason, the youngest world champion in men's boxing today. Today is January 12th, 2026. This is in recognition of his extraordinary athletic accomplishments and for bringing honor and distinction to the city of Cleveland, Cleveland City Council proudly honors Abdullah Mason and the entire Mason family. And it goes on to say on November the 22nd, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at just 21 years of age, Abdullah Mason captured the WBO World Lightweight Title, becoming the youngest active male world champion. We need to get that a round of applause. Cleveland City Council commends Abdullah Mason for his historic achievement and celebrates the pride he brings to Clevelanders. He serves as a shining example of determination, perseverance, and greatness for people everywhere. Abdullah, on behalf of all of Cleveland City Council, and I also want to see if the mayor would like to join us. We honor you in the city of Cleveland. Brother, you make us all proud. Thank you so much. Thank you. Wanna move this up a little bit? Hold up, I'm gonna get him, make a couple of remarks.
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