Michael Anderson, along with many family members, he worked with a group of case West Preserve University Law Stud, which was the first version of Tunisia's law that was presented to this body in November of 2024.

From that point to now, um, when you start off to what you have in front of you is a piece of legislation which will create uh the Bureau of Um response, which will be housed in the division of EMS with Commissioner Wheeler, under the leadership within public safety, with Director Drummond, and um from that point, um this legislation creates a position of a deputy commissioner of community crisis who will then be tasked once hired to build out this division where we will have um unarmed crisis professionals that will be utilized as we know the fourth option currently when people call 911, inspire EMS, police fire EMS.

Uh we were going through the process to create a fourth option, which um we have yet to title what that fourth option will be, but the new deputy commissioner uh will do that.

Um as part of that you will find that there are a minimum of some training standards for uh our current uh first responders, um, as well as creating a path for mental health professionals as well as um peer specialists, those with lived experiences from I will say the multitude of behavior health and mental health.

Um lived experience to get training to hopefully uh then be able to provide care if it is deemed necessary.

Um that's basically what you have in front of you all.

Um there were a multitude of professionals that have gotten us to this point, and as we look to hopefully pass this legislation, um our community stakeholders will be working in partnership with um uh the team in EMS, uh, specifically in the Bureau of Community Crisis Response to ensure that the vision that we have laid out is actually carried out with fulfilled.

First of all, thank you, uh Councilwoman and great work.

I know that this was um uh labor of love that you want to take on.

I want to take a moment if I can.

I believe that a couple of members of uh this and family are here.

I didn't think any other family members are here.

Okay, so they'll be here later tonight.

Okay.

I just wanted to make sure that we acknowledge them.

Um I do want to hear from council and drumming and then uh any remarks from the chair of the same chair to our council members.

Thank you for giving out to come relative to Tisha's law.

Um we've had in hand with uh the council members.

Um specifically uh council member House Jones and uh tomorrow uh assistant director Shaq to come up with this legislation.

Uh and uh working hand in hand uh to make sure that uh the best possible work is together.

We we have this cooperative uh both uh administration the council members want to get this uh to the finish line.

Thank you.

Uh I'm gonna ask any remarks from uh councilman Michael Belissy, the chair of public safety.

Thank you, uh Mr.

Chairman by the colleagues and to the uh members of the administration to my colleagues Stephanie House Joseph.

Um here is a classic case, Mr.

Chairman.

We're always believed that reasonable people can come up with reasonable solutions.

We went into this with the administration opposed to it, uh, what was being proposed by and the mayor post to it um uh by being proposed by the prime sponsors, but through negotiations through dialogue through sitting down and coming to understand each person to each side's um concerns and issues, we were able to come up with the piece of legislation is before us today.

So again, um, and I say that especially for the viewing public, because we live in a world today, as we see in Washington, especially in Washington, where there was no compromise, there is no meeting middle ground, coming to middle ground.

It's just an adversarial relationship.

But I'm glad to say, and I'm proud to say that uh through the efforts of both the sponsors and the administration, and then which came before the safety committee, we're able to effectively put forth a piece of legislation, which again will take time to implement.

We all understand that, but I believe we're on the right path and right course in dealing with this issue that we've been confronted with from our first responders.

So again, I want to commend everybody who was involved in the process.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

And I wholeheartedly support it, and I hope all the other members of the safety committee, including myself, which who asked to be added, were put onto the piece.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman Brian Casey, thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

You know, Mr.

Chairman, as council members, we're not supposed to be human, and we're not supposed to put emotions into things.

But it's no surprise or it's no shock to anybody that I'm a father with a daughter who has a developmental disability.

And I wear that with the with the badge of honor.

And I didn't want to get involved with Tanisha's law because I felt that I would be too emotional in the process.

And I didn't think that that would be fair to the people who were trying to put this together.

But I sympathize immensely with with the Anderson family.

And when I keep going over that case, I could just imagine, and everybody at this table has met my daughter, right?

And you I don't think anybody could imagine Brianna going through something like Tanisha did.

The hard work and dedication and and councilwoman House Jones, we don't always see eye to eye.

Um, but I have to commend you immensely on this, as well as the administration.

My only question uh on this is that if a police officer encounters Mr.

Chairman to the director, an individual who is encountering a mental health crisis, or somebody who is obviously developmentally disabled, and for whatever reason the police are involved.

What will be the protocol for the police to back off and to bring the this to the scene when it when it's happening in real time?

Through the chair, councilman uh Casey.

Uh great question.

Uh as you know, once we get this uh legislation passed, uh we bring the uh deputy commissioner on board's gonna be responsible for the beer of community crisis response.

Part of uh what you're talking about will be part of their job to get a protocol in place uh right now.

If what you just uh described occurred, the uh the divisional members, the officers have options available to them right now.

Um they're all trained as you're aware for crisis intervention training, but they have the option to call co-responders and so forth, and if those particular officers are not specialized, CIT trained, they can call for individuals if they're working to respond to handle those particular situations that you just described.

All right, thank you.

And uh, Mr.

Chairman, to to councilwoman Jones, you should wear this one with a badge of honor.

Yeah, when you're done with your time and public service, look back and say, hey, this was one of one of my greatest accomplishments.

Congratulations.

And and if if it's possible, Mr.

Chairman, I'd also like to be added as a co-sponsor.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, please add councilman Casey to this piece of legislation.

Thank you.

Um other comments from my colleagues.

Uh seeing no other comments, I do want to once again commend you, councilwoman, for your hard work on putting this together.

Had a chance to meet the mother before the mother passed away and all the brothers.

And uh it's definitely something that they've been fighting for for a long time.

So kudos for you for bringing it across the finish line and kudos to the administration for working closely with our colleague to come up with something that we both feel is reasonable and is gonna be impactful for uh years to come.

We have one addition, which uh assistant director uh Shachner will uh describe to the to the chair.

Uh to the chair.

Um, upon final review of the legislation after the amendments um were incorporated into this final desk copy.

And uh, I'm looking to Vishnu over there.

Um we we heard uh from one of our officers that's in charge of our CIT program.

Um he had one concern and one um proposed amendment if somebody if one of your membership would be so kind as to propose it, would be in section it'd be amendment to section 135.481 B, where it's speaking about um the training and designation of specialized CIT officers.

It'd be line one, two, three, four, five, six.

Line six and seven of that paragraph where it says the assessment shall include an examination of the officers written application, supervisory recommendation recommendations, disciplinary file, and an in-person interview.

Um we would ask that we strike in person and just have interview.

Those interviews are currently conducted over the phone because those it is difficult to schedule 15 to 22 interviews, officer interviews at a time with the many different schedules that they have to get everybody in one place.

Um we would just ask that that amendment be proposed and hopefully supported to strike in person from that.

Read that section again.

It's in uh subsection B.

Uh, you find it on page seven of the uh desk copy.

It's section B of 135.481.

Um it's the it's in line starting in line one, two, three, four, five, six at the end of line six.

Um this assessment shall include an examination of the officers written application, supervisor recommendations, disciplinary file, and an interview.

That would we would like to read and an interview instead of an in-person interview.

So just to strike in person from line six.

Which mean it could be inclusive of both in-person and file.

Correct?

Correct, correct.

Okay, all right.

Councilwoman, uh, would you mind um sorry?

She's not on the committee.

So um we need somebody on council to proffer that amendment.

Mr.

Chairman, I I um I'll support that.

I'll move that we amend that.

All right.

Do we have a second?

Second by Councilman Richard Starr.

Mr.

Gagliani, do you have all of the information that they're looking for?

All right.

Uh is there any discussion on the amendment?

Proffer.

Seeing no discussion, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, the ayes have it.

The amendment carries.

And I believe that is it.

Um, Tanisha's law will be heard on the floor tonight and uh passed um by the full body tonight.

Congratulations, everyone.

Thank you.

Council lady.

All right, we're gonna bring up Muni.

Oh, we got safety.

Let's just do safety while you're here.

Safety since you're at the table, let's keep it going.

This is, and I believe Miss Uh Hart Song is going to be coming up.

Is she?

Yes.

All right, this is ordinance number 26-2026 by council members Polinsick and Griffin by departmental request, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of public safety or law to apply for and accept grants from Cuyahoga County Public Safety and Justice Services for the FY 2025 Stop Violence Against Women Act program for a sexual assault advocate and for the law enforcement and prosecution components of the Cleveland Domestic Violence Program and authorizing one or more contracts with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and other entities to implement the grants.

Mr.

Uh Director.

The purpose of the grant, the goal of the Violence Against Women Act, the VOWA grant program is to provide funding to enhance an investigation, prosecution, and victim advocacy of domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault cases.

Just will be reimbursed for costs associated with operating the Cleveland domestic violence program.

This is a partnership with the Cleveland Police Detectives, Cleveland Prosecutors, the victim advocates from County Witness Victim Services.

Cleveland will also be reimbursed for the cost associated with the victim advocate from the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center being assigned to the police, Cleveland Police Sex Crimes Unit.

And this includes three programs.

This is one is the DV program for law enforcement.

And the cost of that uh to be reimbursed.

Uh personnel is about 153,255,090 cents for detectives, 4500 for annual uh conference.

Uh supplies is 3,727 uh $1.67 for a total of 161,453,057.

Um the grant award is uh 121,09018 cents.

The matching fund with this is 40,363,039 cents for the total that I mentioned before.

The other part of the program as well is for the sexual assault program and the contractual order, the cost of being reimbursed is sixty-two thousand nine hundred and forty dollars eight cents for the uh Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, um, three hundred and ninety-eight dollars forty-nine cents for supplies, a thousand sixty-eight for phone for a total of sixty-four thousand four hundred and seven dollars and twenty-nine cents to grant awards for 48,305,047 cents.

A matching amount is sixteen thousand one hundred and one dollars and eighty two cents for the total I mentioned before.

And the last is the DV uh program for prosecution, and that's uh 200,966,050 cents for the uh prosecutors and law clerk.

Uh travels uh for for conferences, 17,913 supplies, 181.37 cents, and others it's a printing of information pamphlets that's six thousand dollars for a total of two hundred and twenty-five thousand eight hundred and sixty dollars eighty seven cents.

The grant award is one hundred and sixty-nine thousand three hundred and ninety-five dollars sixty-five cents.

Matching awards is fifty fifty-six thousand four hundred and sixty-five dollars twenty-two cents.

And again, that's for the total that I mentioned before.

And uh the grant information, the grant period is from January 1st of this year through December 31st of this year.

This is the eighth year we've received uh this grant, and we've uh received a domestic violence grant since 1997.

Thank you.

Um I know we know most of your people at the table, but did anybody want to you want to introduce your team at the table?

Sure.

Can we start with uh prosecutor Jordan?

Far in.

Uh good afternoon, Council President, Chair to the IRS at Council of Quayla Jordan, City of Cleveland Prosecutor's Office.

The Chair of City Council, good afternoon.

Kyle Freeman, Lieutenant Domestic Violence Unit.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Uh the chair, this Don Hartong, Cleveland Public Safety Grants Coordinator.

Jason Shachner, Assistant Director of Public Safety.

Thank you.

Uh Councilman Mike Balenciag, any comments?

Yes, Mr.

Chairman, thank you.

As I indicated to the administration at the hearing, uh, these are areas that were um of great concern to council members in the day.

We council, we set up uh city council, we set up the um and move to create the um uh domestic violence unit uh issue with regard to this uh domestic violence, sexual assaults.

We felt very passionate about this in the day within the body, and we moved working with the administration at time to set up these sections within the department of public safety.

We had asked though at the table uh for additional information.

Is that information been provided to us?

We have that information.

I did uh assistant director Shachner will provide the questions.

I believe that part of what you're wondering is how many people were prosecuted for prosecuted for domestic violence or sexual assault charges broken down by awards.

We weren't able to break it down by wards, but we have that information for you.

When will we be receiving that?

We have uh some of the information for you right now.

Okay.

Prosecutor Jordan could provide that uh information.

Uh yes, to the chair to the rest of the council.

So our office is not able to break it down by war.

We have to manually count these numbers.

We're working on getting a more efficient case management system, but we do have some overall numbers of the cases we received.

Okay.

So last fiscal year for domestic violence dating cases, 2,220 cases were received, 12 of those were stalking cases.

Of those 2,220 cases, 1,076 cases were accepted, 12 of those were stalking cases, 1,041 cases were declined, and 521 cases were referred for felony prosecution.

Okay.

So Mr.

Chairman to the administration, we've asked in the future whatever data they have that they can be broken down by ward.

So again, I would hope you would be able to implement that.

And with other any other additional data you can provide to members of the body so we can have a better understanding as per teams of what's actually taking place within our wards and what sections of the city have the most severe problem that would be helpful to us.

So again, outside of that want of information, Mr.

Chairman, I wholeheartedly support this legislation.

The members of the committee did it was overwhelming.

So again, I urge its passage.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions for the director and his team?

Seeing no other uh questions, ordinance number 26-2026 stands approved.

Please sign on.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We passed it already.

We'll bring up Muni Court next.

This is ordinance number 25-26 as amended by Councilmember Griffin by Departmental Request and Emergency Ordinance authorizing the Director of Finance on behalf of the Cleveland Municipal Clerk of Courts to apply for and accept a grant from State Justice Institute to conduct the continuity of operations plan and authorizing the director to enter into one or more contracts with the National Center for State Courts to establish and execute the plan.

All right.

Thank you, Council President.

So through the chair to the committee, uh this is legislation sponsored by finance on behalf of the Muni Clerk of Court.

Uh it is to accept $75,000 grant with $7,500 matching funds.

Uh the grant is from the State Justice Institute.

And um also to enter into a contract with the National Center for State Courts for continuity of operations and also uh to help develop a strategic plan for the clerk of courts, and we have a representative from the clerks, uh clerk of courts here today.

Should there be any questions?

Thank you.

I'm Kim Bates, I'm chief of staff for the Clerk of Courts.

Please speak into the mic if you could.

I'm Kim Bates.

Thank you.

I'm Kim Bates, and I'm the chief of staff for the Clerk of Courts Office.

So the Clerk of Courts Office has been working on a continuity of operations plan.

Uh early last year in February, we had a cyber incident, which increased the need for us to put something in place.

We have developed about 40% of our plan, but realized that at this point we needed additional information and consultation to help us bring it to a full um fully developed project.

So we talked to the National Center of State Courts, which is actually an organization that uh deals specifically in courts and what their specialized needs are.

Um they already have people who have developed the plan.

They will come in and help us with our plan from where we are now to get us to the fruition of it.

Okay, thank you.

Uh anyone have any questions for Ms.

Bates or for the finance director.

All right.

Seeing no questions, ordinance number 25-2026 stands approved.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Move to public works and capital projects.

This one is ordinance number 33-2026 as amended by council members Bishop and Griffin by departmental requests, an emergency ordinance authorizing the purchase by one or more requirement contracts of residential carts, street receptacles, and compactors for the division of waste collection and disposal, department of public works for a period of up to three years.

And there are amendments, the amendments state there is no legal objection to this legislation if amended as follows.

In section two, at the end, insert the director of public works shall provide written notice to the clerk of counsel whenever any purchases made through the cooperative process, which notice shall include the details of such cooperative purchase.

Number two, in section three, lines one and two strike in quotations shall be charged against the proper appropriation accounts and insert in quotations in the estimated amount of two million three hundred dollars per year shall be charged against the general fund from the fund or funds to which are accredited the proceeds from the sale of 2026 through 2028 bonds if issued for this purpose and fund number 11 SF006.

made through the cooperative process which notice shall include the details of such cooperative purchase number two in section three lines one and two strike in quotations shall be charged against the proper appropriation accounts and insert in quotations in the estimated amount of two million three hundred dollars per year shall be charged against the general fund from the fund or funds to which are accredited the proceeds from the sale of 2026 through 2028 bonds if issued for this purpose and fund number 11 SF006 this is signed February 2nd 2026 by Vishnu Gaglani Assistant Director of Law Director and team thank you chair uh this piece will allow the division of waste to replace approximately 10 000 to 12000 broken carts uh uh our mixing carts that we have each year the division of waste collection is also replacing age and damaged street receptacles throughout the city and we'll be adding trans compactors to uh city facilities uh this uh per the ordinance we uh this was was increased to about 2.3 million dollars per year this 2.3 million dollars will allow us to buy not only carts but it also allows to buy the receptacles as well as some compactors uh we will have to use a mix of both capital and general fund money to do it the the we've spent about maybe 1.8 million dollars just on carts alone but this legislation allows us to do a little more than just carts with that I will give it to the commissioner if you want to add anything and then we'll open for questions there thank you Mr.

Chair so this this uh ordinance gives us the ability to expend is not a request for any new funds it just gives authority so we can spend past the $5000 thank you and you want to announce your other team members here yes uh mr we we brought uh folks from the division of waste I'll let them introduce themselves and describe what they do for the city of Cleveland my name is Crystal Lazaway Patterson and I am the administrative manager for the division of waste collection Tangela Scott administrative manager for waste collections thank you all right uh what questions uh councilman bishop did you have any comments before we go to our colleagues for questions yes mr.

This morning fully recommended for pasture thank you councilman policies thank you thank you Mr.

Chairman my honorable colleagues to the director and to the commissioner my question is this on um waste collection slash recycling um what are we doing to get a better handle on the carts that we have in in our that we are purchasing I I constantly get these calls with the carts being broken and um and then the carts being eaten including my own cart that was eaten um okay okay uh what are we doing to make sure because what what is each one of the carts cost uh through the chair a cart uh cost about sixty five dollars to replace okay the first uh generation of carts that we received about 12 15 years ago uh they were manufactured uh by those were um those are auto carts and they're different resin uh a a cart generally lasts seven to ten years is useful life okay uh the warranty for the carts that we initially bought were 10 years and we had them plus now almost uh 15 16 years they outlast their useful life uh the cars that we're currently purchasing are auto carts they have a longer uh life cycle they're about uh 12 year uh warranty receipt for those carts uh one thing that we did to try to address for carts that are falling in uh we have different uh one arm mechanisms on our trucks and we had different sizes so for example you had a 96 gallon cart a 64 gallon cart and a 48 in order to get your calipers on the trucks to work correctly for all three either you were squishing the 96 gallons and cracking them or you're losing the 48 gallon so what we did is we eliminated the 48 gallon size cart we only have 64 and that way you can oh you can right size your uh calipers on your one arms to try to prevent uh cars being lost okay so mr chairman based on that so have the number of carts that are being eaten has that decreased uh through the chair it significantly okay so the carts that we are purchasing now where are they where what we where do we get them from uh through the chair we get them through our we have a cooperative uh agreement and we purchase them through our repest equipment is our rep there most all carts are manufactured in the Carolina Carolinas in around North Carolina uh they purchase those carts from a North Carolina deliver here to the city of Cleveland okay um and uh and the other question I have is pertains to the recycling aspect I notice on my own street as I did this morning um the majority of residents on my street do not have the white label on their on their cart what are we doing to promote the recycling program again so through the chair to the councilman we actually are working with the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District to help with an education and communications plan so we can actually restart the well not only say restart but actually grow it uh to do more for that so um as we sit today I think one of the things no excuses but I think one

Um the majority of residents on my street do not have the white uh label on their stuff on their cart.

What are we doing to promote the recycling program again?

So through the chair to the councilman, we actually are working with the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District to help with an education and communications plan so we can actually restart the well, not only say restart, but actually grow it uh to do more for that.

So um as we sit today, I think one of the things, no excuses, but I think one of the things that we are grappling with is being able to have a good system that actually helps us track our uh CRM that actually helps us track our people who's there, uh, who's been added.

We don't really have that right now, so we're trying to add that, but we're working with uh the Callahaga County Central Waste District to help us with that part with that process as well as more education, better education.

Because I we do believe that this is more of this is gonna be an education kind of a process process because I think for most people, some people are going to recycle, other folks won't, and there's a probably a band of people that just don't understand it.

So we really want to try to do more education this year to grow so we don't get too many, we get a lot of people, but they don't know how to recycle, and so our contamination rate goes up.

We want to try to educate and grow at the same time.

That's one of our focuses for this year.

And I I think that's important because I think my one neighbor with all the parties he has with beer bottles and beer cans, he could pay for the system in itself, okay?

Uh, which are going into garbage.

Um, so um that being said, Mr.

Chairman.

I believe I just I always want to say this for the record.

I believe we have a good commissioner of waste collection.

He's always been responsible to me, uh, to my citizens.

Uh I always have to remind everyone the best commissioners are the ones that come out of city council.

Remember that, okay?

And um so I want to thank him and I want to thank the director who's been uh responsible as well.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I did all that any time that we call the commissioner, any time we reach out, him and uh Mr.

Richard always you know, step up and do a great job.

So appreciate um and to all of your workers.

I know I mentioned before it started.

Um I admire all of them out there in that zero degree weather out there.

I just on behalf of Cleveland City Council to all the workers.

Um I was actually gonna call you and see when it might be uh an assembly or something that you guys are doing, because I really want to thank those guys that really went out there and worked hard.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We always like to say that um the employees, we're just we just represent them.

We you know, they are the backbone of the city of Cleveland.

Uh and if you want to, um we'll uh through the through the director.

Every first Wednesday of the month, uh, we always have something.

We always give them hot dogs and handshakes.

So any member of council is more than welcome.

Uh just get in contact with me, and we'll more than welcome you uh when we pass out hot dogs.

Absolutely.

My team will be in touch with you so that I can kind of pay my respects, okay?

Tell them to notify all of us.

Yeah, if they could just notify all of us, and we'll just have the clerk give it out to everybody, okay?

We'll do.

All right, thank you.

Any other questions for ordinance number 29-20.

I'm sorry.

Go ahead, go ahead, uh, Councilman Conwell.

Um walking the neighborhood yesterday to um Commissioner Um Pruitt.

Um, write this down for me.

Because you guys do a great, great, great job.

And I don't get beat up in my committees, the work you do.

The 1035 land drive.

Said 1035 land drive through the chair.

Yes.

They need a recyclable um trash can, recyclable can.

Okay, through the chair, too easy.

All right, it's too easy.

Thank you.

All right, any other questions for the commissioner and the team?

Seeing other questions, uh, ordinance number 33-2026 as amended stands approved.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh we got one for MoCap.

All right, this is ordinance number 1541-2025 as amended by council members Bishop and Griffin by departmental request.

An emergency ordinance authorizing the director of capital projects to enter into an amendment to lease agreement number CT 0103 NF 20-15, 2015-052 with flats east management LLC, the designee for flats east development LLC to authorize charging boat docking reservation fees.

Um Mr.

Chairman's.

Let me read the amendment.

Yes, sir.

Uh, there's no legal objection to this legislation if amended is paul is as follows.

One, in the title, at the end, between fees in quotations, and the period in second whereas clause, line two after premises, and in section one line four, after the amendment, insert for a period of five years in all three places.

This was dated to 2026 by Vishnu Gaglani, Assistant Director of Law.

And this was Mr.

Chairman, as you mentioned, this is related to docking fees at the Flat Seat Eats project.

And uh this relates to a lease that was authorized in 2014 and signed in 2015 with Flats East Bank.

And uh before I hand it over to Commissioner De Janeiro, uh we'll introduce ourselves because we have some guests at the table that are here to answer any questions.

So I'm Director Derezo with the Office of Capital Projects.

Good afternoon.

Jim Havlin, executive director of Flats Ford.

Good afternoon, Captain Drew Ferguson, CEO of Argonaut, founder and champion of the Davis Aerospace Maritime High School.

Didn't we just meet over there with the uh Commodore and those guys at uh lake with the yacht club?

Yeah, inner city yacht club.

Inner city club.

Okay, good, good.

Okay, uh please proceed.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

So the the lease with Flats East Management LLC was entered into between the city and and flats in 2015.

Um and it covers the roadways, the sidewalks, the boardwalk, and the park space in the development area, and under the lease, flats was required to keep those areas free and open to the public.

Um so fast forward to 2025.

Flats saw it is seeking uh a waiver from the U.S.

Coast Guard um to dock boats, recreational boats uh on the dock that's adjacent to the development.

It's approximately 900 feet um from NS1, the NS1 Drawbridge upriver to the lake house, and this area of the dock has been designated by the Coast Guard as a safety zone, which is an area where recreational craft are not permitted to dock when a commercial vessel is traversing the river due to safety concerns.

Um in connection with this waiver, Flats developed a docking program.

Um it is operated by Argonaut with trained students and alumni from uh Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School.

Um there's a web-based program uh with that allows boaters to reserve dock space and also um allows the crew to notify them in the event that a freighter is coming through one hour in advance, they're required to come back to their vessel and relocate it out of the safety zone.

If they're unable to do that, the students and the dock managers will do that for them.

And so Flats is requesting an amendment to the lease to allow them to charge docking fees to cover the expenses of the docking program.

Thank you.

All right, Councilman Bishop.

Uh, yes, Ms.

Chairman, we vetted this uh piece this morning fully recommended for pasture.

Okay, thank you.

Councilman Brian Casey.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Mr.

Chairman to the director, and I just forgot to ask this morning.

Have you gotten the waiver yet?

From the Coast Guard.

Mr.

Chair, through the chair to the councilman, we have not, they're waiting for this legislation to be approved.

All right, so if you get the legislation, and then what happens if the Coast Guard still comes back and says no?

Then this is just all null and void.

We're good.

Correct?

I can give you a little more on that one too.

Yeah, but generally, if the Coast Guard doesn't approve it, we can't move forward.

Okay, all right.

So they they would work to ensure that any uh challenges the Coast Guard saw were resolved and try again for an application.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Councilman Michael Palency.

Mr.

Chairman, my my question is more broader than this.

Um, and I know I don't the administration can answer this question, but I'm gonna pose it to the other two representatives that are here at the table.

Just briefly, give me your observation of how you well the you feel the flats are doing each side of the flats.

The chair to Councilman Plancy, the question was how do I feel it's going?

Yeah, yeah.

As um, as a nonprofit representing the stakeholders from Cleveland Cliffs Cleveland Works Steel Mill, all the way to the Port of Cleveland.

We definitely include all of the entertainment and also the tourism, maritime, and industry, as well as residents.

So the Flats East Bank, as we all know, because so much work was put into it by the city and and others, um, is a premier destination that needs to be um a premier destination uh top class.

So right now we feel as though we have a tremendous unprecedented collaboration between the operators of the restaurants um and the establishments, the city, the owners, um, and um the nonprofits and other partners.

Um we're all talking about making sure that we program, we provide security, um, and that we market that the flats, east bank is a safe and dynamic location.

And to your uh to your point, Mr.

Chair, through to Council McLensake, this is seen as a safety issue and economic development issue and a tourism issue, bringing people who are coming by boat to this location, not just the flats, but to the city of Cleveland as well.

Well, you were very diplomatic.

Did some real dodge in here, okay.

So, but I'm gonna state for the record that I've been in dialogue with the half dozen merchants and operators down there who believe the flats are going backwards.

Believe the flats are going backwards, that they're having a problem attracting people on Friday nights, Saturday nights, which are their prime nights to make money.

They don't make money during the week, they make money on the weekends.

So I'm I'm just I don't I don't need any great discussion, but I but I what I'm expecting as we go forward uh through the chair into the administration until the folks that are involved in a flat, some transparency and some real honesty as it retains to what because what I hear from the operators is completely different than what I'm hearing from the spin that is repeatedly put on.

Um that there's not enough security, there's not enough assistance from the city on the east bank, and if we do not step up to the plate, and when I say we, I don't mean we, we mean the administration does not step up to the plate.

Um we could go back to where the flats once were.

So I just want to pose that.

Um you obviously um are putting a different spin on this, but I'm telling you for the record how operators and property owners feel on the east bank.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions?

Seeing no other questions, ordinance number uh 1541-2025 as amended stands approved.

Please sign on.

Thank you.

All right, we will go to ordinance number 29-2026 by council member Griffin by departmental request, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of human resources to employ one or more professional consultants to develop and implement a comprehensive management training program.

There you go.

Thank you, Council President.

Um if you remember last year, uh the city performed a very comprehensive um organizational training needs assessment.

Um as part of the the effects of that, the city developed a uh comprehensive performance management um uh process and tool, which we rolled out in October of 2025.

It was a soft launch.

Um also as part of that structure for a management training program was also developed.

And um this piece of legislation is to request us to uh issue RFP and then um enter into contract with one or more um firms to actually develop the content associated with that um citywide management training program.

Um as I mentioned, we already have the structure of it, but we need an um a firm or firms to uh uh finalize the content and then assist with the actual training.

Um there's uh over 700 supervisory staff across the city of Cleveland and is much research of uh as I've done have not found where the city has done this previously, so this is an attempt again to bring all of the departments and divisions across the city uh together as it relates to training.

Uh happy to answer any questions that anybody has.

So looked at the executive summary, and executive summary was a little bit vague.

Didn't we just pass something like this about two years ago?

Uh to the chairman, that might have been uh for the firm called Consult HR who actually did the assessment um and then developed the actual um uh structure of both the performance management and management training programs.

So so we have this they were brought on to to create the structure.

Now this is to actually um take that structure, put content into the structure, and then um is the same company gonna do the actual if I'm hearing you correctly, they were hired to do the activation.

I mean, they were hired to do the structure, but now you're saying is this same company going to do the activation, or are you going out for bid for that?

Uh to the chairman, out for bid.

We're gonna issue an RFP.

So the group that actually did the structure would have to be in and actually win to actually operate the structure that they created.

Uh to the chairman, that's correct because um the structure of the program uh based upon the identified core competencies and the way that we actually want to have the training look is one thing.

Um, but the content that goes into that structure is is uh a much more um difficult and arduous process um because it's basically taking each of the uh cohorts within the levels of training and then developing content for all of it that is city specific.

So we paid 900 for that service too.

How much do we pay for that?

That first one uh to the chairs.

I remember we paid I think sixty thousand dollars, and that was for the uh development of both the performance management and management training structures.

So we never paid 900,000 for any of these tools or anything else?

No, sir.

Okay.

All right, any other questions regarding this 20 Councilman Chris Harsh?

Mr.

Chair, uh I had the same question you did when this came up.

We went through this, and I was kind of dumbfounded the first time because it sounds like we're outsourcing HR to HR.

Like it sounds so redundant.

I mean, the job of HR is to help uh manage our our our personnel, and we're spending 900,000 dollars for on-the-job training for people that have already been hired to be managers.

I don't I don't understand this.

It doesn't make sense to me.

This seems like a total redundancy of what the department is supposed to exist for in the first place.

So, through the chair, could you please explain, Director Cole, what exactly it is that these folks can accomplish that you can't uh through the chair to the councilman uh sure.

So um is you're well aware the city's a massive organization with uh nearly 8,000 employees and over 700 supervisors within each department and division.

Uh they have their own uh culture and subculture uh on top of that.

Historically, um the city from from what I've you know learned through my tenure here, uh a lot of promotions were done by tenure, not necessarily skill.

Um, in addition to that, um you have many individuals who are already in these positions that are are sorely lacking um a lot of the skills necessary to perform their jobs effectively.

Um in part it's because the city's never undertaken anything like this before.

Um our department does do quite a bit of training um for departments on various topics.

Um the problem with this type of a situation is we simply would not have the bandwidth to do this kind of a training.

Um you're talking about um a massive number of people over um hopefully a reasonable period of time um with three simultaneous cohorts um for or levels of training going on uh at the same time.

So the this is this would take a whole training team, um one that not only would have to develop all the content um to make it most uh effective and useful for today's standard in today's standards, but then actually be able to deliver all of that training.

Well, Mr.

Chair, either sounds then like this is 900,000 to train every single manager in the city of Cleveland also seems what woefully inadequate.

I mean, if we're trying to train every single manager because you're saying that we have a large number of incompetent people, this is not good.

This this is like a really bad look for us.

It's a really bad admission to make, and I don't know that we're gonna solve it with 900,000 on a consultant.

I don't I don't know.

I'm to me this seems this really seems like uh Largas.

What's the word I'm looking for?

Uh fat.

It seems like just wasted money.

You're being polite.

We did this two years ago, and we're back doing it again.

Through the chair to the councilman, I'm not sure what you're referring to from two years ago, and I I certainly want to correct the record.

I never said there was a bunch of incompetent people.

Um what I said was that there um are definitely skill gaps, and and historically there's been a lot of people that um were not set up to succeed uh in the roles that they're currently in.

Um not being I'm sorry, being put in a role where you're not set up to succeed means that you're the wrong person in the wrong place.

I'll leave it at that.

So um, I mean, these are any other questions.

Mr.

Just put me down for a no.

Okay, you guys can do this.

I don't know, but I'll just then uh Kyle, you had some comments too.

Um right, right team.

I love training, and training can save you money, and training can uh training is ongoing.

So narrate this one more time.

You want to do through the chair what with the training?

You trying to set up a department or systems or what uh what you what you're doing?

Uh through through the through the chair to the councilman.

This is to set up um citywide training for all managers.

Um, and specifically there's three levels.

Um, I I can certainly give m more detail to it, but but essentially it's three curriculums or three cohorts that would cover all supervisory staff through the city, um, people leaders, executive leaders, and then core leaders.

Um, and each has its own purpose, but in some ways overlaps, and the intent is um to uh assist to develop them in um specifically core competencies that came out of actually the analysis that we did pretty comprehensive analysis last year, um, including communication, decision making and problem solving, um, customer focus, teamwork collaboration, personal accountability, and then adaptability.

Um, and we we do have very three three uh three very distinct um outline training programs that I could actually um provide if it would be beneficial to review, but I wasn't sure how how in depth you wanted me to get, but it's it's all very mapped out.

Um it's really to benefit the the supervisors um in the city, and again, you know, nothing like this, at least um based on the um the um research that I did has ever been done um in the city, so and so when the trainers get this knowledge uh for point of clarity who is through the chair, who is gonna train the trainers again uh through the chair to the councilman, so all of all the content that's gonna go into each of these cohorts is is gonna be um provided by would be provided by one of the vendors, um, and then they would actually do the initial training, and then from there um we as the city of Cleveland would pick up and train on an ongoing basis.

Now the trainers, do you know them?

How do you pick them?

You have to go out for a bid to pick the trainers or what?

Uh through the chair to the councilman, the the trainers would be part of um the actual RFP.

So it'd be the same firm who is selected to create the content.

And so with these trainers, they'll train as supervisors, and the supervisors will train the workers.

Is that correct?

Uh no, through the chair to the councilman.

No, this this is to train all the supervisors.

So this is to give them additional skills to to be supervisors or managers.

Um the effects of that, you know, included, but not limited to um, you know, them being able to more effectively manage um evaluate the performance of their employees, um, create up success, create succession planning um through all levels uh through the city um in terms of you know future placements.

Um if a manager doesn't have the skill base to be a manager, we're putting them at a disadvantage.

So this is to assist from uh a lead all the way up through and including you know those who who who may manage uh many people at the same time.

Well, you know, through the chair training is ongoing, is we know that right.

So if you spend money on bringing a trainer in, that trainer really should be training his or her workers the way that supervisor should because the supervisor would get the knowledge from the trainer, take the knowledge, and coaching council workers.

Is that correct?

That's the way it should go.

I mean, if we're gonna spend all this money, how do it benefit the supervisors?

But that supervisor must always train the workers.

It gotta be ongoing.

Through the chair.

Through the chair of the councilman, I wholeheartedly agree.

This is this is more of the um management skill based, not the performance of duty um training, but I I agree with what you're saying.

But this is to train the the managers um in in being managers in and being more effective managers.

Don't take it personal.

If you you'll be a manager, then manager should be able to take this knowledge and cultivate workers.

Our job is to cultivate workers, which will help with training, it helps with recruiting, it helps to fight uh uh uh attrition, because a lot of times you if you have a trained workforce, you have less attrition.

So it just can't benefit the supervisors, it must benefit the other workers.

So I mean director, I'm not there on this right now if it doesn't benefit the whole, because that's my understanding of training.

If it's just you just train, you just train me, and I don't take it to train the workers, then it's not efficient.

I'm not pointing at you culture through the chair to the uh human resource um director.

Through the chair to the councilman, I I I do agree with what you're saying.

I just want to make note that the intent of this particular training is to develop the managers themselves.

It's not to say that they wouldn't use what they learned to then pass on to their subordinates, because I think a manager's job is to always cultivate their staff because they have to replace them someday.

Right.

So as I mentioned earlier, you know, the whole goal kind of on a bigger scale basis is to um develop a culture of succession planning and and have individuals ready to step in and move up as individuals you know, leave or retire.

And also make our our our departments efficient as well.

We have a trained workforce.

So I it's not person, I need to see what you have.

I want to take a look at it.

Sure.

No, you can go.

Can you bring it later today?

At this moment, I'm not there.

Um directors, nothing, you know.

But I do want to take a look at to see it.

I understand training.

I like I like reading it.

And and you have you have what you um can you bring it later today around 7 p.m.

Uh through through the chair to the councilman.

I I could actually I could actually afford this this whole packet to to you all if if that's what is preferred.

Sure.

And I'm there for training.

I I I think you should have a training department across the line, the constantly trained workers and cross-trained workers and uh the whole nine yards.

But uh I need to take a look at that right there.

Sure.

All right, and don't you know just want to see it.

Train is good.

All right, thank you.

All right, thank you.

I have uh Santana Star Harsh.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, through the chair to the director.

Just looking at this, um the summary here.

It says that the first phase will end March 2027.

So next year, once you hire an organization, correct?

Uh through the chair to the councilman.

I I think it's no later then, and that's that was just being um leaving plenty of room as necessary because this wouldn't actually be um in until the budget beginning uh in April of this year.

Got it.

Um second question, you have an estimated budget of 900,000.

Where did that amount come from?

Um through the chair of the councilman, great question.

So I asked the same thing as we were going through the initial process.

Um that is what the firm who evaluated this type of a program rolling out to an entity of our size could could cost.

So we don't know that it would cost 900,000.

Um, but um, you know, some of the estimate we got was a little above and some was a little below.

This was kind of in the middle, so we thought that it would be a a good amount.

Um, hoping, of course, that it would come in less than that.

Got it.

And then through the um chair, it was just my understanding that when you do an RFP, you don't put the money the amount out there because if an RFP comes in, I'm sure they're gonna go as close to the 900,000.

Is it different in this case?

Uh through the chair to the councilman, um, we wouldn't put the amount on the RFP.

But isn't it estimated budget 900,000?

Well, that's the amount that we're estimating that we had to put in for request into our 2026 budget.

So in request and expectations, so we just wanted to let you know what we thought it could cost if in fact we did uh enact it in 2026.

But we would not uh post that as part of our RFP.

But I'm saying if uh an organization sees this right now on TV20, I'm a consultant, I say, hey, they can pay up to 900,000.

I am going to quote it.

It's close to that 900,000.

I mean, that's possible, correct?

Through the chair of the councilman, I guess that could be possible, yes.

Okay, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Councilman Starr.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, just brief.

Because I see some of my colleagues touch on some of the thoughts that I have.

So this is an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of human resources to employ one or more professional consultant to develop and implement a comprehensive management training program.

And this is for specifically a certain management, which management team is this for or department to the chair?

Uh through the chair to the council, but it's for all managers in all departments.

And this is something that we just did, we haven't done this before through the chair to the council, but not to my knowledge.

I was not able to find any citywide management training.

So through the council president.

Um orders numbered one 10 2024 authorizes the director of human resources to employ one or more consultant to provide assessment and design of a citywide management training strategy and implementation programs and citywide employee performance management and implementation program we pass as city of City Council pass.

So what is the difference between ordinance number one 10 2024 and ordinance number 29, 2026?

And councilman, could you give us the the amount on that ordinance?

The amount on that ordinance give me two seconds.

One, two a hundred.

Yeah.

It I don't have the actual dollar amount.

I'm pulling it up.

While he's looking at that, that's what I remembered.

And I'm glad that they found the actual ordinance, but that's what I was asking you earlier.

And while he's looking up that amount, could you um start to answer his line of questions?

Because could you explain what the difference is?

Sure.

Uh through the chair to the councilman, as I had mentioned earlier, the the initial RFP that we did uh was for the assessment and design of these programs, um, which was completed.

The assessment and design was completed for both performance management and training management.

Um again, this is to to fill in all of the content and then the delivery of that training.

So we do have an assessment that was done citywide.

We did a comprehensive organizational training needs assess uh analysis, um, which incorporated departments throughout the city.

Um our current needs were then put into core competencies we saw as um areas in which were deficient across the city of Cleveland, which our managers needed training on.

Um those were outlined, which is part of the document.

I'm happy to to send you all, which would have which is actually a the draft RFP of what we would send.

Um this is to then hire a firm or firms that would deliver on all the content to go in to that into those programs.

Well, I'm sorry, actually, not the performance management program because we that was completed and already launched, but for the training, um there are many modules and many sub-modules, and there's an enormous amount of content that would have to be created into all of those, which really requires uh a specialized firm that has the bandwidth.

Um in terms of your earlier question um for citywide training, something like this.

I am not aware of some this kind of citywide training never being performed previously.

Yes, council president.

Uh I tried to search, I was able to find um just the funding source number, but I can't find anything attached to the actual dollar amount for the legislation.

So I would definitely um want our staff to look at that.

But then second point, I would definitely ask um with this type of services.

Um I believe when was this introduced?

I can't get a date on when this was introduced.

Uh through the chair of the council.

I think it was introduced the first week back in the session.

On the fifth, okay.

And then also I would say um as a chair of workforce education, trainer, and youth development committee.

Um, council president, I would definitely um ask if this can be sent back to workforce committee simply because this deals with training as well as different type of management.

I think our committee should be able to vet this to be able to make sure we get everything asked of this.

So on this one, I want to make sure that we do have an opportunity to send it back to our training.

I will tell you that most expenditures for human resources, especially when it comes to contractual, usually comes through finance.

That's the reason why it was fast track to finance.

But I do want to better understand this contract.

I did find the amount for the former contract was 100,000.

Okay.

100,000.

So here's what I'm going to do, director.

I'm going to give Harsh an opportunity to ask a question.

And then what I would like for you to do is have a conversation with Councilman Starr about um how we proceed on this um moving forward.

Because I think the biggest issue is that council really wants to better understand what are we spending taxpayer dollars on.

Sure.

Um, it's one thing to say we're gonna train all 700 managers in the city, but I think they want to understand a little bit more about this expenditure because this is almost a million dollars of taxpayer dollars, and we want to make sure we have a better understanding, okay?

Totally understood.

So I'm gonna ask you to have a conversation with councilman starr.

If um, I know he has a committee coming up.

Uh, so um you might want to have a conversation with him like today to be able to have that discussion, okay?

All right, councilman Christopher Harsh.

And oh, you got one more councilman?

No, just for a point of clarification, just for um the director to know, as well as just for this committee.

Uh one of the things that I want to make sure we uh work on with the committee of workforce education training and youth development to make sure we do the right research, investigate, and develop public policy and advocate for equity empowerment and jobs for the city and its residents.

Um so I believe the work that they do in HR, civil service, and those different things um should come through um workforce committee, and then they'd be able to go to any other additional committee so we can make sure we have enough eyes on it.

So therefore, when it gets to finance, I know council president can do his due diligence as well.

And that's all I have, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilman uh Christopher Harsh.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh, Councilman Star did beat me to the punch.

It was 110 2024.

I remember scratching my head when it came up two years ago.

But I just want to clarify, Mr.

President, it does say provide assessment and design of a citywide management training strategy and implementation program.

And a citywide does say implementation.

It does say implementation program.

My hunch, Mr.

President, is that 100,000 does not go far in the world of consultants.

They spent the hundred grand and said we need way more money for this, and here we are two years later for 900,000.

I'm curious to see if consult HR partners, LLC would be the ones bidding on this.

They were the ones who were awarded the 100,000 two years ago.

So I I would I I I support and encourage the idea of this going to uh Chairman Star's committee.

We're gonna kick it back to workforce um education and training.

What I would ask the director to do is help delineate that because usually what we would do is just expand the contract that of the kind of the company we already have, or you know, instead of going out, especially since it says implementation, I read it the same way.

Um so I just I need us to get a better understanding of this, and I am gonna be more dogged on trying to push things through committee because by the time they get the finance, we shouldn't have a lot of uncertainty.

We should just be talking about the dollars and cents of it, okay?

Sure, and uh through the chair, if I can answer to the councilman, that was absolutely not the intent.

Um and and um I understand the word implementation, but I believe that was not intended uh to mean in the same way that you're thinking it was intended to.

So that's what threw a lot of us off.

We read the legislation.

Um I have a pretty decent memory, and I was like, we just passed something like this.

And it was two steps.

Okay, it's just two steps.

So I get I get what you're saying, but need to make sure we suss that out a little bit.

So we're gonna make sure we assign that to councilman.

And I know he has a committee coming up, so you might want to have that conversation with him, okay?

So we're gonna kick this back to workforce and we'll go from there, okay?

Gotcha.

All right, seeing no other questions.

Uh we're gonna hold this and kick this to workforce education and training.

Uh 292026.

And uh there is no more legislation, therefore, this committee of finance diversity, equity, and inclusion is adjourned.