Council members, please come to the table.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Here.

President.

President.

Thank you.

And I jump right in to uh roll call, but today is Monday, April the twentieth.

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

And uh first we will hear parks and recreation.

This is ordinance number two twenty six dash twenty twenty-six by council members House Jones, Bishop and Griffin by departmental request, an emergency ordinance authorizing the director of parks and recreation to cause payment to downtown Cleveland Inc.

for the cost of providing landscaping maintenance services at Malls B and C in the year twenty twenty-five.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um I am here today, uh representing the Department of Parks and Recreation alongside Sam Rocco with Downtown Cleveland Inc.

and Nicole Carlton also with downtown Cleveland Inc.

Today uh we are before this committee requesting uh authorization um to pay downtown Cleveland Inc.

for the maintenance of the malls at Mall B and C for the year twenty twenty-five.

Parks and recreation as a new department received uh the authority to work and collaborate with the partners as it relates to public space, uh, downtown.

And uh this work had previously been done under the group plan commission.

Group plan commission is no longer um an entity, and it has become the downtown Cleveland Inc.

organization.

Um I apologize, there was a clerical error, and the um legislative summary was not received prior.

Um, hopefully that has been received by members of this committee at this time.

Um anyway, we look forward to uh approval of this item, and we are happy to answer any questions that you all may have.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Did your guests want to make any uh comments?

Hi, I'm uh Sam Rocco, Senior Director of Policy and Research with Downtown Cleveland.

Uh, we just want to thank City Council's continued support um of our organization and our mission, uh, which is to grow the city of Cleveland, uh, make downtown a vibrant place to live, work and play, and uh this legislation is a piece of that, and we really appreciate your support.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

This was heard in uh public uh works or in uh parks.

Uh to the chair, this item was heard at municipal services and properties committee um as well, and it did pass through that committee.

All right, thank you.

Do we have any questions regarding 226 Councilman Brian Casey?

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman to the director.

This morning during this hearing, we had the conversation about um council members using discretionary funds uh to hire landscapers to do uh maintain public rights away and stuff like that.

And I have learned that we have to run the money through your department, and then your department would have to contract with the third party.

Is that Mr.

Chairman to the director?

Is that something that that your department would be willing to take on on behalf of the council?

Thank you.

Uh through the chair to the councilman.

Uh, yeah, we'd be more than happy to do so.

I did do a little bit of research and saw that um it looks like casino money has been used in the past to help maintain some of these green spaces in the um neighborhoods, and we'd be more than happy to work with uh your team to to do this in your neighborhood and in your award.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

Uh, are there any other questions regarding 226-2026?

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

Please sign on.

All right, we'll go to capital projects and public works.

All right, this is ordinance number two three six-2026 as amended by council members Bishop, Santana, and Griffin by departmental request, determining the method of making the improvement of the public improvement of design and constructing, rehabilitating, renovating, replacing, and otherwise improving roadways, streets, bridges, sidewalks, and other similar projects, including site improvements and appurtens, and authorizing the director of public works or capital projects as appropriate to enter into one or more public improvement contracts for the making of the improvements.

Enter into one or more professional services and other contracts needed to implement the improvements to apply for and accept grants and gifts and authorizing the direct employment of the necessary labor for the Department of Public Works and or the Office of Capital Projects.

And the amendment states there is no legal objection to this legislation if amended as follows.

One in section one line six, strike two thirty six-2026A, and insert 236-2023-b and after ordinance insert in the estimated sum of 52 million six hundred and one thousand two hundred and twenty-four dollars.

Number two in section nine, line three, after restricted income tax fund, insert fund numbers 20 SF 568, 20 SF 574, 20 SF 579, 20 SF 586, 20 SF 592, 20 SF 597, 20 SF 702, 20 SF 712, 20 SF 718, 20 SF 722, and 20 SF 729.

Lines 3 and 11 after unspent insert road and bridge and strike future bonds and insert 2026 debt in all four places.