Good afternoon.

Today is Monday, February 9th, 2026.

This committee of finance, diversity, equity, and inclusion is called to order.

Madel Clerk Caldero.

Here.

So let's wait till he gets here, and then once he gets here, if you could make me aware, so then we get started.

This is ordinance number fourteen forty-seven dash twenty twenty-five by council members Welsh, Bishops Life and Griffin by departmental requests, an emergency ordinance to establish subfund sixty-five SF011 and ten SF one one four for the deposit and remittance of new community authority parking charges at certain city owned parking facilities and to transfer any such collected charges into the appropriate new subfund.

So previous legislation has already been passed that allow the city to collect funds on behalf of the NCA.

What we need and what this piece of legislation does is create the administrative back end to then actually separate those funds from our parking charges and send those over to the new community authority.

So uh the fees that were that the NCA is assessing is typically a dollar on weekdays, three dollars for weekends, and then five dollars for special events with some exemptions for Willard or um any special events that are ten dollars or under anything above five dollars, yes, has to come back to city council to adjust that ceiling.

Thank you.

Have we um done any projections on how much we anticipate to receive and is there uh legislative process that we would have to do in order to show and where those monies will be applied?

Because we know that the reason for these fees are to try to help with the infrastructure and things that will be associated with building out the lakefront.

Uh however, how does that process go if you could with Mr.

Yes to the chairman?

We've been collecting the new community authority has been collecting or assessing these fees since August of 2025.

Between August and December, around 200,000 worth of fees uh have been collected by the city.

We have not been able to remit those to the new community authority.

Uh those dollars can be used for purposes spelled out in the petition that was already approved by city council.

So that's uh programming, that's uh infrastructure dollars, um, all related to lakefront development.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, just real quick before I go to my line of questioning.

Um services and property, councilman Bishop.

Uh Mr.

President, we've added in fully supportive pass.

Thank you.

Transportation and mobility have uh you revealed this.

Uh yes, same.

Thank you.

Uh okay.

I have Councilman Michael Palency and Councilman Brian Casey.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, my honorable colleagues, and to the director and to Mr.

Vassano.

Um is this pertaining to the new part this this is the new parking rates downtown, correct?

No.

Uh to the councilman through the chair, this is entirely separate from the parking lot.

Totally separate.

That's correct.

So this is specifically what?

Tell me again, because I'm getting calls from downtown businesses complaining about I'm getting calls from residents and and people saying, why do I want to come downtown anymore because of these parking rates?

What specifically this zeroes into?

Yeah, so so these uh new community authority charges, thank you, John.

Um, are really just for specific properties that are in the new community authority.

Those are for the stadium lots, so the lots north of the stadium, the East Ninth Street Pier, North Marginal, Burke, the Muni Lots, and Willard.

Okay, so nothing outside of that, no on-street.

Correct, and no on-street parking.

Okay.

And Miss because Mr.

Chairman, I'm I'm hoping at some point we're gonna have a discussion.

Uh we're gonna have a discussion about this stuff because what I'm hearing, and it's just a point in case Danny's Delhi called me, St.

Clair, said he's got people telling him they're not coming back to his restaurant.

They come in, they they make an order, they come in, the pick something up, boom, they get a ticket.

I got these businesses now, not even in my ward, but I'm as chair of public safety asking me if we can designate you know a pickup zone or drop-off zone.

There I I hope the administration is listening.

There's a lot of angry people out here and a lot of angry businesses.

I'm telling you right now, I've had people tell me they're not coming back downtown.

So I'm gonna leave it at that point, Mr.

Chairman.

So, Councilman, I absolutely concur with you.

I actually had a conversation with some of the administration last week uh because I've been getting mixed messages because I will also tell you that I asked specifically to the downtown Cleveland Alliance and the downtown Cleveland Improvement District, and they have been advocating for these because they claim that most of the businesses want to rotate cars instead of having businesses come downtown and park and then hold uh spaces for too long.

But I will tell you this council did vote when we did the park mobile legislation uh to give the administration the authority uh to increase those fees and to enforce that new way.

But I do know that councilman Bishop and our policy team have really been rolling up their sleeves and working with um the administration on some potential changes.

So this is the time for us to really have that discussion because you are exactly right.

I have had several conversations with business owners, and Saturday, for example, used to be free.

Right.

And now many people that used to try to come downtown on the Saturday and spend money are saying that they're not coming anymore.

And I Mr.

Chairman, I appreciate that in you and and Chairman Bishop because I don't think we I don't believe the council envisioned at the time that the rates may be raised to what they were and the impact that they would have.

Now I know the the previous downtown councilman at the time wanted these as well, but I think we need uh it's like with anything, we need to re-evaluate the action that's been taken because right now I'm hearing nothing but negative stuff.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Councilman Brian Casey.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Mr.

Chairman to the chief.

Uh I know last week you had mentioned to us that this is raised about 200,000.

Um can you explain to us how the new community authority is operating now and where the finances for the new community authority is operating with?

Yeah, uh to the councilman through the chair.

I should maybe first clarify that there are two different entities that's uh that we're talking about here.

Uh when we talk about the lakefront specifically, we have the North Coast Waterfront New Community Authority, which is a quasi-governmental body that has its uh board appointed by both the city council and and the city as the developer of the property.

Um that is what these funds go towards is that new community authority.

Right now, that new community authority has incurred no costs.

Uh beyond some legal bills that have kind of piled up that are waiting to be paid out of these funds.

Uh, we also have the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation.

That's the organization that uh Scott Skinner uh leads.

That organization, uh, its main source of funding right now is ARPA funds.

Uh and that's what pays for that organization's operations right now.

Okay, and Mr.

Chairman to the chief.

So the money that we're talking about today is going to the new community authority.

And that's the one that is just being appointed.

So it does not have an operational.

So the councilman through the chair.

Right now, it does not have any operational costs associated, like I said, beyond legal fees to set up the organization.

Okay, and then Mr.

Chairman to the chief, just my last question is who who will have the authority then to pay the legal bills out of this money?

Yeah, so to the the councilman through the chair, the board of the new community authority will then be able to pay the bills using these funds once they're transferred over.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you, Chief.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions regarding 1447-2025?

Uh Councilman Bishop, I know that this is not pertaining to that piece of legislation, but at some point in time I do want to strategize on if we want to do a hearing on uh the parking lot, I mean the parking rules, either in a hearing or if we want to do them during budget time.

So let's have that conversation because I know that that's a point of constant uh consternation amongst a lot of businesses downtown.

Okay.

Councilman Richard Starr.

Thank you, Council President, for bringing that point up.

Just just real on quick to you as well as um chairman Bishop.

One of the things I did hear back in December when they were talking about prices changes for parking on street parking.

Um, I did talk to downtown Cleveland Alliance, and we the district, we had a discussion, and one of the things that I asked for them to do was um talk to each business so we can make sure we got their actual thoughts.

Um, one of the things when you go 24-hour parking, it does create problematic for people who feel as if they can't come down there because they're accustomed to weekend parking being free.

But now you're saying you're gonna have me park all the time, every time it can't discourage those.

And on top of that, we also spoke about um how do we create different lanes in front of businesses for those Uber Eats, those pick up taxis, things like that to allow people to be able to utilize the business or even from the loading and unloading of equipment.

So a lot of these changes need to be possibly vetted, and we need to have an actual hearing to understand what the changes are going to look like, what is the pros, the cons, and what we can do to make sure everything is not confusing, and then we just have a whole bunch of residents as well as stakeholders not want to participate and come down the downtown business.

So I look forward to that hearing when it comes.

Absolutely, and I know that you have a part of downtown.

I just want to make sure that we also keep residents at uh the forefront of this.

I will tell you that former councilman now employee Zach Reed used to really be adamant uh that we should be a little bit more flexible, um, especially regarding after things days after Thanksgiving as well as other weekend days, in order to try to attract more people to come downtown.

So this is a heavy issue, and um it was just brought to my attention when I talked to a lot of businesses a couple weeks.

So uh Councilman Bishop, it'll be in your court, and then uh hopefully between you and me we can uh talk about how we want to try to look at this some more.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Uh seeing no other questions, ordinance number 1447-2025 stands approved.

Please sign on thank you.

Uh health.

Thank you.

Okay.

This is ordinance number 32-2026 by Council Members Davis, Conwell, and Griffin by Departmental Request, an emergency ordinance authorizing the Director of Public Health to enter into at least by way of concession with Neighborhood Healthcare Inc.

DBA neighborhood family practice for the purpose for the public purpose of providing medical and clinical physician services at the community health center at 2358 Professor Avenue for a term of one year.

So the chair, thank you.

With me to my left is chief of staff for neighborhood family practice, Andrea Lyons.

And she is here to answer any questions.

This uh allows us to extend our current lease, which has been in place for at least 20 years, up to 30 years, uh, with neighborhood family practice and a building that the health department owns in Tremont.

Uh and it's just for one year because they're looking at relocating much of their clinical services to Clark Fulton Blanket Mills Health Center uh in the coming weeks.

Please good afternoon.

Um chair and uh city council members, happy to be here.

Just as um the commissioner mentioned, uh we are moving our services to the Clark Fulton neighborhood from Tremont, however, we want to extend that lease until the end of this year to ensure that we can determine how we can repurpose that space in that community as needed.

Okay.

Uh I do not see the chair of public health here, but I did uh review the hearing this morning, so I'm confident, and it's also passed health human services and the arts.

Uh or is there any questions regarding 32-2026?

Councilman Christopher Harsh.

No, sir.

Okay, okay, great.

Um, and I believe this is in councilwoman Santana's area.

No.

Who's is it?

Tremont?

Councilman Davis.

Okay, is Councilman Davis in support?

Yes.

All right, thank you.

Uh seeing no other questions, ordinance number 32-2026 stands approved, please sign on.

Thank you so much.

Ms.

Lyons, it's always great to see you.

You as well.

Thank you so much.

And neighborhood health is uh neighborhood health uh practice are doing very good job.

So big assets in the city of Cleveland.

So hopefully we could uh at some point in time because of the strains that Neon are going through, um, see how we might be able to expand or engage you guys because you guys have a specific population.

So at some point in time, Dr.

Morgolis, if there's a way that we can engage more, it would be great for to see where they may be able to cover some gaps.

Chair, the neighborhood family practice, if I may, is absolutely interested in in doing more on the east side.

So for those council members who might have a building, that would be a good fit.

Please call Andrea.

Councilman Michael Palency.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, for those comments.

And I was just wondering base to the director.

Have we been engaged with the receiver for neon?

Because the council president uh raised a very valid point.

You know, I'm worried about the Collinwood Clinic going under.

And there's other facilities across the city, and I'm not hearing anything from NEON, the council president raised it.

Have we been in dialogue with somebody?

Through the chair, the way I understand it now is that the receiver is in in court with NEON, trying to continue to negotiate what that would look like.

Um, but I have expressed my desire to the receiver that uh an institution uh better suited to provide high quality health care, uh, take over those those health centers.

Okay, I would hope, Mr.

Chairman, that the city would be engaged.

Um we can't let those centers close.

We cannot let those centers close.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you, Councilman.

Uh seeing other questions, ordinance number 32-2026 stands approved.

Please sign on.

Thank you so much, Miss Lyons.

Have a good one.

Next is ordinance number 103-2026 as amended by council members Conwell and Griffin by departmental request.

An emergency ordinance authorizing the director of public health to apply for and accept one or more grants from Cuyahoga County Invest in Children Program and First Year Cleveland to conduct mom's first mom's first project services under the Invest in Children Partnership and First Year Cleveland Partnership Programs and authorizing the director to enter into one or more contracts with various agencies, entities, or individuals to implement the grants.

Through the chair, thank you.

This is an accept and spend piece of legislation, money coming from first year Cleveland and from the county uh to continue our our great work with the mom's first program.

Thank you, and I apologize.

I forgot to read the um amendment.

The amendment says there is no legal objection to this legislation if amended as follows.

One in section four at the end, insert RQS 5008, RL 2026-8.

This is dated to 526 and is signed by Kevin Roberts, Chief Assistant, Director of Law.

Any other questions regarding ordinance number 103-2026?

Ordinance number 103-2026 as amended stands approved.

Please sign on.

Thank you, Director.

One more it is.

Okay.

One more for health.

This is ordinance number one nineteen-2026 by council members Conwell and Griffin by Departmental Requests and Emergency Ordinance authorizing the director of public health to apply for and accept a grant from Share R Strength to conduct the food access navigators program under cultivating Cleveland's next generation project and authorizing one or more contracts with E66 Street Services Inc.

and elements of internal movement eternal pool inc to implement the grant.

Thank you to the chair.

This is an acceptance span for money uh going towards our food justice work through our local food system strategy coordinator Zaynot Pixler.

All right, Councilman Conwell, this was in health.

Do you have any questions?

Thank you.

Seeing no other questions, ordinance number 119-2026 stands approved.

Thank you so much.

This is ordinance number one zero nine-2026 by Councilmember Griffin by departmental requests, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of finance to pay as moral claims the sums opposite of the names of the claimants.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Through the chair to the committee, uh we're here requesting approval of payment of three moral claims.

Uh the Moral Claims Commission recommended approval uh at their meeting in November 11th, 2025.

The first one is for 379.53 cents for Felicia Clark.

Uh she hit a pothole um about 20 feet from the intersection of Cleveland Parkway and Rocky River Drive on April 19th, 2025.

The amount, the total amount of damage was less than a deductible, so we're asking for um permission to to pay out the total amount of damages.

Uh the second one, Miss Betsy Foster.

Um we are requesting a $500 uh deductible payment.

Uh this was reimbursement for costs associated with a tree branch falling on their car, uh breaking the back window on April 23rd, 2025.

The report was made to 311 and the tree was found to be dead.

Um, and this happened around East 71st Street.

Uh the third one and final one is for Denaris Burgos, $2,000 again for a tree limb falling on a car.

The car was actually totaled.

Uh the comparable um when we looked up the value of the car, the it was $2,000.

They had, I believe they just had liability insurance, so they didn't have a deductible.

Um so in this case, we are awarding them the two thousand dollar value of the car.

Okay, thank you.

Uh could you just briefly, and you don't have to get into details, because I know that I serve on that committee, but can you briefly describe how those moral claims are done just so that the listening public and council can understand how those moral claims are actually submitted?

Yeah, so through the chair to the committee, my understanding is that they get submitted to law and then they go to a moral claims uh commission.

Um at that meeting, there are three council members and two members from the administration that review and decide whether to approve or not approve um the claims.

Thank you.

And the two members of the administration is the law director and Mr.

Romero from the risk, and then the three members of council were councilman Jones, myself, and councilman Danny Kelly.

So we probably have to put somebody in place for uh Mr.

Kelly.

Uh, but we review those.

The other question that I always have for the committee, which is something that I want to make sure that we look at, has council members' recommendations or if council members are aware of any of these judgments because a lot of times the council member is going to get the call after the judgments are made.

We notify them at all or let's do this.

Let's make sure we talk to Director Griffin, because that's not an answer that you can probably have, but that's something that I'm going to press for the committee to do to make sure that the council members are aware uh so that when they're voting on these, they can actually understand the background and why those decisions were made.

Because I'm aware of the trees and the potholes, like I said, because um I actually had to review the cases.

And what we have is on city lots, there's a lot of dead trees, and in this particular case, the dead tree that was on a city lot fell into a private residence and damage the car.

And in this particular case, the dead tree that was on a city lot fell into a private residence and damage the car.

That's the reason why we did the moral claim.

And we do deny some because some people don't have uh the right uh information or they don't have the right deductible.

So just want to make sure that people understand that process uh as we move forward, okay?

I have a question.

Councilwoman, uh Councilwoman Santana, Councilman Connelly.

I I was just um made aware of this process um within this past couple months.

One thing that through the chair I find it unfair is that if utilities comes out, right, and there's a backup in the basement or any damage to the property the property owner has to first claim it through their insurance before the city could help, right?

So we know in many of our neighborhoods, property owners don't have insurance, and so um they have to get a denial letter or the the process that I've experienced was very complex.

This person had to put a down payment, um, they had to pay the deductible, they didn't have that, and even though the evidence prove that the city was at fault, is that a state legislation or is that a city legislation through the chair?

I um through the chair to the councilwoman, it is Ohio Advice Code 2744 dot zero five.

I'm sure law could explain it better, but it it negates us from we only pay the deductible after the person's insurance goes through.

We follow the Ohio Revice Code, so it's not like it's our a city rule.

And the person is notified of that in the claims process.

It's actually on the claim form that they fill out.

Got it.

And then my last question through the chair is why does the process take so long?

I mean, you just mentioned someone getting paid out for 2025, and they're getting reimbursed now.

Yeah, so through the chair to the councilwoman, um, I believe in some of these cases, uh you mentioned there's insurance claims.

So um we look at the result of the insurance claim and what the actual damages were and how much the deductible was, which helps us uh figure out what the actual cost to the resident was, and that's what we end up reimbursing.

Okay, thank you.

All right, councilman Kevin Conwell.

I never did really care for Morrose claims.

I mean when I see my residents there, they always get denied and they come back.

And you know who they who they blame it on, CP.

They blame it on me.

I remember this lady on Lee Avenue, centered through Morrose Claims.

A tree fell in her garage from city owned property.

And the city told her no.

She talked about me so bad I went and got my own personal money to help take care of that tree.

Got Leon Stevenson, Mr.

CP to cut the tree down.

You know, because I can't count on Morrose claims.

And and I've never been, I've never settled Moral's claims.

Why do you guys do do the chair do the residents that bad?

Because they talk about the councilman, CP.

Everything we blame for everything.

And I mean everything.

And I mean everything.

They blame us for it.

So when you don't work with their memorals claims, they don't talk about the mayor.

They talk about that individual council person.

To the chair to the um director.

Um, if I could, councilman, I would really like for us to make sure we ask the law director that question because I can tell you unequivocally, the finance director, nor additional ladies in the room when those decisions are made.

But you know what?

They so I think the law director might be best to you right, you're right, you're right.

But I will say this Mark Griffin.

Yeah, but one thing that I will say that um I've learned is that a lot of times the residents don't have proper documentation.

I think councilwoman Santana just out eloquently outlined some of the challenges that she has that sometimes our folks don't have insurance.

Sometimes there's other things that they don't have in place.

But most of the time, even when it's a pothole or one of those things, a lot of times they don't have um proof.

The other thing that I've learned, councilman, is that if nobody reports, for example, a pothole, and then somebody gets damaged and claimed, and that report is not on record, then it uh the case is not always justified.

So there's a lot of things that I think you might want to come down and be part of the process to look at um because it might help you educate your residents to say this is what you actually need in order to be successful.

Because I think a lot of times they just either are not given the right paperwork or they don't have it.

And we need to let them know these are specifically the things you need to file a direct moral claim.

You can't just say this happened and expect somebody's gonna do it.

You got to actually have a couple of things to prove your case.

Yeah, you know what?

I should have paid um you guys a visit.

Matter of fact, I will do that, but I don't know when you meet.

I'm like, I'll make you aware.

Um, and and I'll make you aware, but it's uh approximately every three months, but I'll make you aware, okay.

All right, all right.

Thank you very much, very, very much.

Thank you.

Appreciate it, Councilman.

Seeing no other questions, ordinance number one zero nine dash.

Oh, Councilman Michael Palency.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I would just want to say this to the to the viewing public.

If you have a dead tree on your tree line, you need to report it.

You need and you will get if you call 311, you will get a number.

If there is a pothole in the street and you hit it, please make a police report.

Right.

And you should also call that in the 311 and get a number.

What I have found over these years is you touch on it, Mr.

Chairman, uh, and others that our residents just assume somebody else turned it in.

But if it can be documented, it's turned in.

That will give you a substantial um leg up and getting something out of moral claims, and that's not to say you're going to, because sometimes I think moral claim was in that was invented to deny people um due process here.

Okay.

But nonetheless, if you don't have any reports, if you don't have any nothing to fall back on to the viewing public, um, you can expect zip.

And so that's why I tell everybody in my own word, please make a report, please call 311, etc.

etc.

And Mr.

Chairman, I would just say this.

Hopefully, in the budget hearings, if if um, because you'll notice a lot of these over the years are based on trees.

It only reinforces us to make sure that we have um the urban forestry ramped up from the standpoint of the budget, because there is a lot of trees out there that need to be fixed.

And as of today, riding around the number of potholes is incredible.

So get ready for pothole season, ladies and gentlemen.

And um, you get if you hit one and you damage your car, make make sure you file a police report.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And councilman, I could tell you unequivocally for the listening public.

The three biggest complaints are trees, sewer backups, that's right, and potholes.

Those are the three main things that people usually submit for moral claims.

Now it may be other things, but I could tell you a bulk of the cases have been those three.

Okay.

All right, seeing no other questions, ordinance number 109-2026 stands approved.

Thank you.

City planning.

Birthday lady.

I've been working with a lot of these folks for a long time.

And my mother's birthday is today, so I always remember.

All right, ordinance number 1536-2025 by Council members Harrison and Griffin by departmental requests and emergency ordinance to amend 3103.21 of the codified ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976, as amended by ordinance number 2393-02 passed February 2, 2023, relating to fees for hearings and time extensions before the Board of Building Stand uh standards and building appeals.

Uh Commissioner.

Got it.

There you go.

Executive Secretary Carmela Davis.

Please proceed.

Um previously this was heard.

Put the microphone a little closer.

In regards to raising the fees for filing before the Board of Building standards.

Okay.

And the fees are in here, and these are fees that the state have set.

Am I correct?

Well, the state passed the law for expedited hearings, so that's the reason we thought we'd just do an overhaul of all the fees.

That applicants can file an expedited hearing to be held within five days of the filing, besides the regular board's agenda.

And these fees have not been changed since February 2, 2023.

That is correct.

Okay.

All right, this passed out of the DPS.

Councilwoman Santana.

Um thank you, uh, Mr.

Chair.

So I didn't share the DPS from the video.

I did see that it was vetted and unanimously passed, but I would defer to Councilman Harsh.

Councilman Harsh.

Mr.

Chair, uh, it was approved and uh supported by the committee for uh passage, recommended for passage.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions for executive secretary Davis?

All right.

Uh seeing no other questions, ordinance number 1536 dash 2025 stands approved, please sign on.

Thank you, Ms.

Davis.

And once again, happy birthday.

Thank you.

All right.

Last but not least, development.

This is ordinance number 28 dash 2026 by Councilmember Santana and Griffin by departmental requests, an emergency ordinance authorizing the Director of Development to enter into an option to lease agreement for a period of up to one year with Penrose Holdings LLC or his designee for city owned property located at 4242 Lorraine Avenue for future redevelopment.

Uh Miss Andrew Jusky.

Thank you, Council President and the committee.

Um this hopefully looks familiar to most folks at the table.

We have authorizing legislation already to enter into either a ground lease or a sale with Penrose for the soon to be former McCafferty Health Center site.

So obviously working hard to be proactive on that redevelopment and ensuring that the site does not sit vacant once public health relocates to Councilwoman Santana's ward in a few short weeks.

Um the purposes of the legislation proposing an option agreement with Penrose is because the project team was awarded over a million dollars in the federal home loan bank uh funding.

Uh but in order to secure that million dollars, we have to have a firmer uh level of site control that the option agreement can exhibit.

However, we cannot yet enter into a full ground lease because that would be considered a choice limiting activity and put at risk other federal funds that we hope will be added to the project.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Santana, this was in DPS.

Also vetted and passed, but I would defer to Councilman Harsh who chaired the meeting.

Councilman Harsh.

Uh Council President, the exact same result.

Thank you.

Are there any questions regarding ordinance number 28-2026?

Seeing no other questions, ordinance number 28-2026 stands approved.

Thank you so much, Miss Andrew Jusky.

Thank you.

That concludes today's finance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This committee is called to uh adjourn until the next uh meeting, which actually won't be until about three weeks from today.

Thank you.