Um Madame Clerk, please call the Rose.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Um, so everyone should have received all of the information regarding the I think we have five candidates that we're looking at today.

Um, starting off with the port um appointment consideration of Mr.

Eddie Taylor.

Um next, we'll be looking at um Benita T.

Win for the Gateway Economic Development Corporation.

And then it's only two, I think it was three people for community relations, but either way, um, I only have Stephanie Morrison here back in Yesir Hamdala.

But it was one more other person.

I'm gonna have to look back the way.

But either way, we're gonna start off with um Mr.

Taylor.

Uh so good afternoon.

Please come up to the committee table.

Um, and if you can do me a favor with a mic.

No, no, sit down.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sit down.

Um, with the mic, uh, if you just it press the push button, yep, like that.

Yep, you good right there.

And just bring it towards you and bring it towards you.

Uh and so we'll just get started.

If you could just give us an introduction of yourself and your nomination to the greater uh the port of Cleveland board.

Absolutely.

Well, good afternoon, everyone.

Eddie Taylor is my name.

Uh president, CEO of a company called Taylor Oswald.

We're headquartered a few blocks from here, downtown Cleveland in the Flats.

I have a partner in this process, company called Oswald Companies made the decision to remain in downtown and continue to invest on this company for a number of years, but also have uh been an entrepreneur in town uh throughout most of my career.

Um civically a number of other organizations from uh the partnership to the sports commission and other things that keep me involved.

Umly a lifetime northeastern Ohio and uh the consideration for your consideration for the Port Authority came as a result of uh a conversation with an outgoing member and Mr.

Darrell McNair, who I believe saved uh served the Port Authority Board Um, and then subsequently conversations with uh the administration thank you.

Um I will now just start with uh Councilman Pallinsik.

If you have any questions.

Okay, thank thank you, madam chairman.

Chair person to my colleagues, Mr.

Taylor.

Um are you a resident of the city of Cleveland?

No, as I mentioned that we've maintained our our businesses in the city of Cleveland, but I'm a resident of of Solan.

Solar.

Um of the questions we had posed to the previous um appointees or um that came before us is that we have found over the years there's been a lack of communications with the council in the port authority, the members of the port authority.

So what we're hoping for as we go forward, that there is a greater understanding with the members of the board, uh, the port authority board, especially those who are appointed by the city, um, as it pertains to um hearing our concerns and our issues, and how can the port be of greater assistance to many of the businesses in our neighborhoods?

We find that a lot of people don't even know what the port does.

When we think of port, they're caught in this historical thing, a ships unloading.

Yeah.

And we know that the port can do far more things from the standpoint of financial packages, financial support for businesses in our neighborhood.

So what we're looking for, and I'd like to hear briefly, um, because we have uh I obviously we have a wide range of people we have to interview, but just briefly what your thoughts are and how we can build better bridges between the port and council.

Yeah, a couple of things what you're saying.

Yes, I will be brief.

Thank you, uh Councilman.

Uh I'm agreeing with you.

I think the port largely is misunderstood in terms of its work by the general public.

Normally we think of maritime-related activities.

I'm a newbie at this, right?

Haven't joined the board, waiting, of course, your consideration.

But for me, almost all of this, and again, in agreement with what you said, begins with communication.

So we have to respect, of course, the lines of authority, right?

There's a chair of the port authority, and we have to accept the CEO's role.

Who knows how ahead of any story you want individual board members to get?

But I couldn't be in more agreement than to say communications uh are the key to sort of an effective understanding for the general public, in addition to the good work that has to be done uh by council and the administration itself.

Of course, we want you know the community to benefit first and foremost uh through the work, whether it's the financing activities or the maritime activities of the port, but you won't get disagreement from me in terms of the need for robust communications.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Okay, uh next I have is uh councilwoman Santana.

Thank you, um Madam Chair.

Um good afternoon.

So going back to Oswald, isn't that the company that did the master plan for City Hall?

Uh you're thinking of the engineering company, Osborne.

Oh, Oswald.

Yeah, no, it's a fair question, and easily confused.

Oswald is an insurance agency.

Uh took over this space where the EY formerly was when they built the EY headquarters.

Got it.

That's where we are now.

Can you give me a little bit more of your background?

How did you get here?

And what is your interest and the port authority?

Thank you.

Uh fair questions.

Uh as I mentioned, I've been an entrepreneur.

I've been in an entrepreneur, an entrepreneur in town in a few industries from warehousing distribution, owned a workers' comp company at one point, uh, approached by the folks at Oswald some years ago because they were uh and I don't want to belabor this, but they recognized they needed um diversity inside of the organization.

While I'm not necessarily that candidate, I saw an opportunity for business growth to create an a business in an industry that hadn't supported uh diversity, at least uh to uh scale.

So that's how we created this partnership so many years ago.

And again, it's an insurance brokerage firm that's grown into the largest black-owned insurance agency in the state, and I'd say a wider range uh as well.

The interest um was an interest brought to me, quite honestly.

Um we're all busy, right?

But if there was a suggestion of need and to have a candidate considered who is going to be open-minded about it all, uh that's what I suggested I'd be um when the administration approached me on the subject.

Got it.

And then just my last question.

What are you hoping to bring to this committee?

Any goals that you've set in place.

I know that the opportunity presented, but I'm sure you did the background of the poor authority, you understand their master plan.

I mean, what got you excited about being part of this potential?

I think we have an opportunity in town, the city in particular, right?

We've got a bridge that'll be built eventually.

We're gonna do some different things around the waterfront.

I heard mentioned earlier what's happening at um the lake the Burke.

Uh I think we just have a golden opportunity.

So the thing that excites me most is to hear it all, and hopefully you folks can make decisions which are generationally generationally impactful, right?

The things that can for the next 30, 40 years with the port's assistance, uh make a difference that will be profound.

So that's the energizing part for me.

I don't know much more in terms of details, but that's the part that that jazzes me up about this work.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

Taylor.

Absolutely.

Uh uh Councilman Casey.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

Um, Madam Chairwoman to Mr.

Taylor, first of all, thank you for coming in today.

Appreciate that.

Um of the issues, I don't know if you've seen any of the other um committee hearings we've had on the port authority.

So um I just have some some basic questions.

I'm I'm not looking for somebody to go in and be a rebel rouser over at the port, but I am looking for individuals who are gonna go over there and um vote their conscience.

Right.

So one of the issues um with the port was the prevailing wage issue where the where the port uh voted to uh get rid of prevailing wages on projects that the the port was gonna help fund.

We were able to um get other candidates who came before us to say that they would be willing to um re-evaluate that decision that the board has made, correct?

Um and I would hope that when that comes up that you would you would look at it and vote your conscience and not just go um because somebody would want you to vote a certain way.

I hope you're gonna go over and be an independent individual and look at things in a very large basque of information that you're gonna receive.

And then remember, we're Cleveland City Council, and I understand that the port is much larger than the city of Cleveland, but for us, we're looking for individuals who have the city of Cleveland's best interest in mind first and then the rest of the county.

Um with that being said, um, how do you think you would feel um if the port, as rumor has it, would be a part of a new community authority um with the HSG um out in Brook Park.

Oh, has them sports group?

Yes.

Um a couple of things, and thank you for that, Councilman.

Um, you know, part of the story is um, especially with respect to prevailing wage.

I was a signatory years and years ago because I'm old now when we did uh community benefits agreement with GCP and contractors and so many others.

I was reminded of that when I saw a picture of that uh memorable event.

My father-in-law, Mr.

Lonnie Coleman, it uh has uh roots in this world pretty deep, so we talk about this pretty often.

But to your point, and I think it's the the larger best point, and I've said this before, you've got to be open-minded, right?

Uh I am not going to have a single preconceived notion.

I think I understand why decisions were made, but ultimately uh the point you made, you've got to do what's in the best interest of the community.

You have a constituency, and that is your ward and the city.

I think that also has to be a factor because I am an appointee of the city, but you make decisions given the entirety of the information as you mentioned, and I think that's where I will be.

I understand the consternation around this.

I really do.

I think we just have to still keep in mind that generational impact that we talk about.

What's long-term best interest for us all collectively.

So no closed-mindedness for me on this subject.

I'm open to what the best decision should, given our best guidance at the time should be.

Okay.

And and I appreciate I appreciate that.

Um seeing how you're a new appoint appointee.

You don't currently, Madam Chairwoman, to Mr.

Taylor, you don't currently have any contracts with the city of Cleveland, do you?

Um I do have a contract with the city of Cleveland in my business.

Um, same is true with county as an insurance agency, uh, my partner quite honestly has a contract.

I don't directly uh, but I'm connected to that work in some ways, and that's on the the good work that our folks have done um with uh the uh the benefits administration, the the health insurance um of the city.

So that's just true.

Madam Chairwoman, would that be a could that be a possible conflict?

Possibly, but we will get uh I will it's not a direct contract with me.

Yeah, it's not I will we will um I will get I would get an official yeah I will we will get an official um something in writing from um I I can't even say legal because it meant they don't choose to to represent uh Cleveland City Council, so uh we will have to get an official and it would either be with you or with Oswald companies that's yeah, maybe these are separate companies, they truly are separate companies.

Um I just I just want to make sure that we're not gonna jackpot anybody up.

And then my my last question is um as a new appointee, we haven't I haven't had the chance to check this out, but um have you contributed to the bib campaign, either you personally or your company?

Not for a number of years, right?

Well, there's only been two opportunities.

So you didn't contribute the last cycle but you did the first cycle.

I just need to because there's fairness.

There's also a legal, a legal entity this was term then first campaign before election.

Okay.

All right.

I just want to I just want to make sure that we're not jackpoting anybody up with what we're doing.

That's a fair quote.

That's a that could be easily identified as a chapter.

Right.

I just want to make sure there's no conflicts going on.

I'm not thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Thank you, Mr.

Taylor.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

And next councilman Shah.

Thank you.

Uh good good morning.

Thank you for your time.

Uh good afternoon.

Um I I wanted to follow along the line of um questions uh from Councilman Casey.

I I appreciate your candor and your thoughts about being open-minded.

Uh I think for me at least, I after the conversations we had at the last port appointees, it was raised and brought to my attention, you know, that perhaps the port appointees have not gotten sufficient direction from the Cleveland city.

Um that's how some of the appointed nominees felt, um, which I hear.

So I want to kind of give that opportunity since you're a new appointee, uh, you're gonna be going on with a clean slate.

But I do want to see, you know, at least I think we've been clear in some of the needs that the city has, whether that's uh affordable housing to better food access.

Wanted to understand how you felt about prioritizing those needs and how are you planning on making sure that those get fulfilled for the city of Cleveland through the port's powers.

Yeah, I I can't offer the how right now because I don't have those details, but I do know and believe this.

Two different things, but I both know it and believe it.

Uh affordable high housing and the crisis that exists before us is real, right?

It means a number of different things to a number of different people, uh, but it has to be solved.

Uh so I am in that corner.

Uh, again, I don't you don't need a life story, but I uh I know why the need exists, I know that it has to be addressed, and uh I would be a supporter of hearing all the best information around how we how we solve that particular issue.

There are other issues that I think that you're you're alluding to.

And Mr.

Taylor, do you believe the port has a role to play in it?

Well, I I don't know that yet.

I I I know the port's role, but I hear you.

But if if you're appointed to this, yeah.

Through the chair, uh I hear you.

Um I I want to just make sure we're talking uh it's a conversation.

Yeah, yeah, to the chair to the council person.

But potentially, uh a hundred percent.

Um but that's potential because I facts matter, right?

Details matter and how the port plays a role, right?

No, don't worry about those silly things.

Uh but yeah, so potentially you can't.

I hear you, Mr.

Taylor.

And I I do I think um my residents are tired of us talking, right?

And and I that's not about you, that's about the city.

That's about government officials being able to deliver.

And the way I see this uh appointment process in this board is that it has to be an extension of what the city's priorities are.

And as part of that, I do want a commitment that if you are appointed to this board position, you will be pushing for the priorities of the city of Cleveland, which includes affordable housing and improving food access.

Is that something you're willing and able to commit?

So here's what I would say to that.

And I know you're not gonna be satisfied with this answer, council person, but I'm gonna say it anyway.

I think the job is the job, right?

The port represents the community.

To the extent that the administration has nominated me, yes, I understand sort of the dance and who brought you, right?

So my commitment in terms of our company to the city is clear.

My commitment to making the city as great as it can be is also clear.

So, as a board member of the port, potentially, that should also be clear.

Uh is it an inside out sort of dynamic?

I don't know.

I think looking at the entire picture for the entire county is what matters.

But man, I know the needs are great, and I'm going to be one who advocates for the great needs to be addressed.

And as unsatisfying as that may have been.

I didn't I didn't hear a yes.

So it is not not very satisfying, but I appreciate your willingness to understand my position.

Um this is you know, one of the questions that I also asked other nominees was regarding how the port is financing different projects.

And one of my frustrations in the past has been that we keep doing more and more public and private partnerships.

I understand the port is trying to maximize the amount of money it has and make an actual impact, right?

I I get that philosophy, so I'm not asking you to explain the utility of that financing uh strategy.

What I am pushing for honestly is a commitment to having more fully publicly financed projects that are running through the board because that is the only way we get control over what happens.

That's that leaves the entire previous that leaves the prevailing wage conversation in the public entities' hands.

And that is what I want to see more of because uh I've been you know consistent in this with other committees.

Uh the more we we keep having more and more of these public private partnerships where we're we're subsidizing private companies, the profits become private, but the losses become public.

And we have to at some point draw a line in the sand.

And for me, these nominations and these authorities are a way to do that is start having shifting the conversation and coming up with a different way of what development should look like where actually serves the people and not just a few people.

Um if you're after a never from me, I'm with you on the never should the equation be private gain, public loss.

That should never be the thinking going in.

That's great.

How do we guarantee that?

Oh, I don't I don't have an answer to that, but you are I'm 100% with you, councilman, on that as a premise to begin with, right?

Fair is fair, and sides should both win, maybe even the third side, which is the community, primary winner, but um 100% in agreement with you there.

And with that being said, then will you commit to as being a board member pushing and advocating for fully publicly financed projects as a board member of the port of Cleveland?

Well, that I can't do because the deal is unknown to me, right?

It depends on the deal itself.

I I'd be unwise to commit to something where I don't know.

Okay.

Uh I'm not asking you to commit to any specific deals or any specific entities.

What I'm asking you to commit to our principles that transcend specific deals, because in your time over four years, uh you're gonna be seeing a lot of different things, right?

And I I want to see commitments to principles that you will hold to.

Um, and one of those being a commitment to affordable housing, another one of those being a commitment to fully publicly financed projects.

Are those things and finally the third one will be a commitment to having prevailing wage being brought back to all uh port finance projects?

Are those three things that you can commit to?

I can't because you're asking me to deal in absolutes.

Um principally affordable housing is important.

Let's solve it.

Principally, let's make sure we're paying folks a fair wage for the work performed, prevailing or otherwise, right, to get jobs done.

And principally, I'm in agreement that the public should win, right?

And it sh shouldn't all be for private gain.

So a hundred percent principally, I'm committed to those things.

So through the chair to Mr.

Taylor, you can see my predictive predicament, right?

If we cannot get those commitments from you, we are only appointing you or approving this appointment once here.

Over the next four years, we're not gonna be in those meetings every day trying to tell you how to do your job.

I don't want to be there because I want to trust you to do this.

Um, but I need to understand exactly what are the principles that will be guiding you and some commitments of what we can expect from the board port going forward, because as of right now, I think without those hard commitments, um, I I cannot vote in good conscience to appoint you without those commitments.

And like I said, I've I've been trying to be as consistent as I can with the other appointees as well.

So those will be my three questions.

And if you're not able to commit to that, then unfortunately.

I I certainly understand and appreciate that.

I I I'm not willing to commit to something where I don't know the details any more than I'd ask you to commit to something where you don't know the facts surrounding that commitment.

Just it's an unfair request.

But you certainly principally from a caring standpoint, from knowing the the city, caring about the city, yeah, principally I'm gonna commit to absolutely having that as my top interest because that's where the appointment arises 100%.

Um I hear you.

I appreciate the fact that it may not be something you're interested in.

And uh and I I appreciate your candor and uh being willing to understand through the chair to Mr.

Taylor.

I think my final question then will be um how do you remember uh how much was the contribution that you made to uh Mayor Bibbs?

I think it was a thousand dollars.

A thousand dollars.

Thank you.

Uh thank you.

Uh thank you, Mrs.

Haler.

A couple of questions.

Um, one, uh, because you are such a successful business uh owner here in the community.

Do you have the time to commit to um being an active board member on the port authority?

The answer absolutely is yes, I've created space, I've resigned from some things that were other priorities.

I recognize this as a priority, so the answer is absolutely.

I have committed, I wouldn't have said yes, or at least to this process without making certain that I could give it my fullest.

You'll be surprised.

No, you you would you would be surprised, and that's one of the things as we go through this process, um, especially looking for um you know, candidates as we are consideration considering reappointments, um, looking at attendance records and and and things of that nature.

So um that's just good to know that you have to uh uh uh resign from some boards to ensure that you can't prioritize this board appointment.

The other thing is uh seeing that this appointment will be for four years, what do you see as what would success look like come April of 2030 from you being on the port?

So thank you for that.

It's a great question.

Lots of things we have to imagine or envision because we just don't know at this point.

But I I think we have a lakefront.

I think we have other development that makes us all proud uh around the assets brought to the city, assets that are publicly enhanced and enriched.

Um, but we have a multiplier as well because perhaps we have other investments.

I also believe that um the communities find benefit, our neighborhoods find benefit in what we've done to enrich uh not just the the work from the port authority in central in the downtown area, but that somehow the neighborhoods are made better um because of the work of the port authority.

Again, short on details, but it's a wish list, right?

It's a desire, it's a principle that it's just not a benefit to downtown but the entire city, and thereby then an extension extended from the city that there's benefit created.

That's that would be the desire.

Okay, yeah, and thank you for that.

And just a follow-up based on your response here in this four years, um looking to see that neighborhoods in the city of Cleveland are better.

Um what do you think uh should be or what could you offer as a starting place and a way that we can actually track that to see if that measure of better is is is included um in the work of the port.

Yeah, I think some of the work that GCP is doing, tracking job growth, job opportunities, business growth, um, business uh jobs created, uh it's a good set of tools, but bringing those tools closer to the neighborhoods so that we are seeing that this intractable issues around poverty and and maternal health and on and on and on, that we are doing a better job of tracking those things because they're all tied to economics, right?

Generally.

Um so I think the more we do of that, the data, reviewing, assessing, and reporting on the data, the better off we are.

So that's the tracking.

You know, the numbers can but shouldn't lie.

Okay.

Last question.

And so with that, because I know we have the data and facts and figures.

What would it look like for the everyday people tests?

Because that's more of my measure than you know, people talk about facts and figures.

But I feel like what do people at the grocery store, gas station, corner store, that measurement?

What does you know how do we start to penetrate that from a litmus test from the everyday cleanlet?

Yeah, that's fair.

It's a bigger question than I can answer, but uh, but it it's it starts with a feeling do people feel that their quality of life is made better, and then are they experiencing an improvement in the quality of life?

Is there access to jobs transportation-wise, job availability?

Is there access to growth and development?

We all just want to take care of our families.

And if folks believe that their families are better, that's how we sort of know, right?

In the end, that the quality of life and our families feel supported and provided for.

Okay.

Well, thank you so much, Mr.

Sandy.

Thank you.

Appreciate everyone's time.

Yes.

Um so now um report of the mayor's appointments committee, consideration of mayor's appointments as a Cleveland Coyote County board of authority, um, Eddie Taylor.

Um, Adam Clerk, can't you call the role?

Um time John.

No.

Um Madam Chairwoman, that my my today is uh is based on the information we get back on the legal Yeah, no, I will put in a formal request to the Ohio ethics commission, and that's the way we'll solve that.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Muffer for the time.

Appreciate everything and you can uh next we'll have um Chief Twin up for consideration for the Gateway Economic Development Corporation.

Hi, good afternoon, good afternoon.

Uh yes, so if you would like to take a moment to introduce yourself, um this is appointment or reappointment.

This is your first time serving on the reappointment.

Um so yes.

No disappointment.

So I've been on the I've been on the board as the de facto um member for the resignation of um uh Ahmed.

Um so this would be the official appointment of that.

Yeah, because she well that's a whole other thing.

Anyway, um so if you can just go ahead and um introduce, you know, introduce yourself and I guess share why we would, you know, should consider you for reappointment.

Thank you.

Um as you said, I'm uh Bonnie Twin.

I'm currently the chief operating officer for the city of Cleveland.

Um I've been with the city for four four years and three months.

Um I my experience um I'm a engineer by trade by education um for the last 40 years.

Yes, it's been 40 quick years.

Um I've been um working in the engineering and construction industry on both the private and the the pub public side.

Um also uh in the administration, public administration side.

Okay, I will start off with Councilman Casey.

Yep, and I'm going by and by attendance now.

You were first.

Okay.

Thanks.

Thanks, madam chairwoman.

Madam Chairwoman to the chief, thanks for being here today.

I realize you've sat on the board for two years, about roughly two years now.

Give or take.

Yeah.

Somewhere around there.

How is your how has your attendance been?

Um I have uh made all of the board meetings.

How often does the board meet?

Uh quarterly.

All right.

Uh with the exception of special meetings.

Okay.

And then how many of those special Madam Chairwoman to the chief, how many special meetings has there been?

There's probably been about three, I would think.

I'm going off memory.

All right.

So last year, Gateway came to us uh looking for 20 million dollars, and we have heard the rumblings now that Gateway is coming back to us for additional dollars, and or um looking looking to support uh tax increase of the syntax, which is a regressive tax in it in and of itself.

As a board member representing the city of Cleveland, right?

And I understand gateway is a funny thing, a funny thing with the city and the county.

It's a complicated situation.

Um, but you're there to represent the city of Cleveland and ultimately the residents of the city of Cleveland.

So what proactive steps has Gateway taken to not use the public's money in order to help finance the gateway, which ultimately are billionaire owners of the sports teams that happen to just pay a little bit of rent on facilities we own.

So first things first, it's it's knowing what problem you have financially.

So they have that document now that you know basically puts a dollar value to the next to the uh end of the terms of the lease.

Um now that we have that um uh it's you know up to gateway to determine um you know what kind of um how how that interacts with the finance with the available funding.

Um based on the projections for this year, um the syntax should be enough, and that's how g the improvements are and maintenance are funded is through the syntax.

Um based on projections through this year, um there should be enough money in the syntax that's being collected um that there won't be a an ask this year.

Um in the in the meantime, um the the county um is working on uh revising the syntax and there's still discussions, nothing has been been finalized as far as how how um that, but it's in anticipation of future funding needs and uh based on that what kind of money that needs to be collected.

Um at the same time, the city has um proposed the possibility of a new community authority as another funding source.

But uh all that being said, is I think but the city has been very clear, both the the administration, the mayor, and council when we uh you know had those discussions with you that that uh gateway should not be funded with general funds.

Um so we're doing everything we can to um ensure that there's other funding sources that can go towards gateway.

Okay.

And then, Madam Chairwoman to the chief, I'm glad you brought up the new community authority, because um the county owns Rocket Arena and the City owns progressive field, correct?

Uh that might go that to through the chair to the councilman.

That might be a little liberal in in that discussion.

It's um we both have um stake in gateway, and gateway are is the landlord for both facilities.

Right.

What you're referring to is if gateway would default, then the city would become responsible for the ballpark and the county would become responsible for the arena.

All right.

So the question is with a new community authority, okay?

Um it would be gateway who would make that decision on whether to make that area over there a new community authority and charge user fees to people who use the facilities and not the individual owners or our tenants, correct?

So it would be gateway.

In other words, if we went over there and said we want to be a new community authority, gateway has the final say on whether that area would be a new community authority and not the tenants of Gateway, correct?

And I'm I'm not gonna pretend that I am an authority on uh new community authorities, but as I understand it, it's the property owners.

Um gateway owns the property, correct?

That determine whether they are part of the new community authority.

And then within the new community authority, um there's different opportunities for additional fees that can be charged.

Right.

And as a board member, would you be in favor of creating a new community authority over there if it relieves the taxpayers and the general fund um from supporting gateway?

I think there's many tools in the toolbox that we have to look at.

I'm not sure that there's one solution to everything.

I you know, I think there's there's we have to approach this with with um you know several prongs on how how we address this funding shortage.

Okay.

Uh and um I think that's it for me, Madam Chairwoman.

Thank you, Chief.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh okay.

Uh Councilman Pelinsick.

Thank you.

Madam Chair Persmond and my colleagues to um Ms.

Twin.

Um the present do you have any idea what the present breakdown is now the funding sources for gateway?

Um uh through the chair to the councilman, and what do you mean more specifically?

Um for operating.

Like like the percentage.

Who who shares in the um in the funding that goes in the gateway and who's on a hook?

Who's ultimately on a hook for gateway?

So um there's operating cost, which is uh a little over about three million for gateway to run.

Um that's split uh 50-50 by the teams they pay for that.

Um as far as the capital improvements, um that's through this that's being paid through the syntax.

Okay.

And obviously there's great deal of discussion from Councilman Casey's line of questions.

There's great discussion that the syntax is um substantially short.

Do we know what that dollar amount is?

There's been projections.

Um I think whether you think this is good or bad, but the but um less people have been smoking and drinking, so the syntax is going down.

Um that doesn't necessarily help the uh you know our our um our stadiums that are need to be funded by that.

So um there's projections we have the projections on the the uh money that we need for the improvements, and then there's also some projections as far as what those collections would be.

Okay.

How many people are on Gateway authority now?

The the Gateway um they have a staff of it's a very small staff.

It's under 10 for sure.

I want to say maybe seven people.

So the development corporation, how many folks sit on the corporation?

That would be Gateway.

Yeah.

Yeah, that would be seven.

So you you're being reappointed, so how many others are there?

Seven?

Oh on the board?

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

Oh, yeah.

So I thought you were talking about staff employees for Gateway.

So the staff employees is about seven.

The board consists of five people, five positions.

And who are they, do you know?

Um GG Benjamin is the chair, myself represented.

We have a vacancy um for from the city's appointee.

Um then we have Debbie Berry from the county and um Bryce Sylvester from the county's appointee.

So we have one vacancy from the city.

That's correct.

Thank you, Mr.

Madam Chairperson.

Councilman Shaw.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for your time.

Uh can I have I I know uh I've heard it before, but I've heard of being pronounced a couple different ways.

So through the chair, um to Ms.

Can you pronounce your last name for me?

Because I feel like I can't.

English pronunciation or the American pronunciation is Twin.

We just had some uh Dutch consultant in and he corrected me on the correct Dutch way to say it, it's Taewin.

So I go by T Win.

T Uin.

T Win.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um I appreciate that.

Uh Chief Twin?

Is that the correct?

Okay, Chief T Wen.

Um thank you for your time.

Uh I want to make sure I'm getting your name right as someone whose name is often mispronounced, so thank you.

Uh I I had a couple questions.

I wanted to follow up on um Councilman Casey's line of questioning.

The you mentioned, you know, with the syntax and raising revenues, you know, one of my concerns as well is to make sure that the stadiums are not being additionally funded or subsidized by the taxpayer.

This is something, you know, for me is a basic one-on-one, it doesn't make sense.

They're making enough profits, they're making enough money, they should be responsible for every single dime for improvements to operations of these properties.

It's a shame in the first place that we own them, but that that's a ship too late for me to worry worry about.

Um, we want to make sure they have additional revenue.

And you mentioned outside of the syntax, or you know, um you would not commit to uh you said there's other tools in the toolbox, or you want to look at all of it.

So in your viewpoint, what are some of those other tools in the toolbox to raise additional money outside of the syntax revenue for the corporation?

Yeah, I think that the the biggest um opportunities is the new community authority that would, you know, that would be the uh the other options.

If if there's other ideas out there, I think we're all willing to listen and you know see what they are.

But as of right now, I don't have those any other ideas, but the new community authority, I think is a is an opportunity um in addition to the syntax if necessary.

Thank and um through the chair to Ms.

Chief Two and uh can you just walk me through what that looks like or how that would work um for viewers and for my own benefit as someone who's not as familiar with these different financing mechanisms?

I'm probably the wrong person to talk about new community authorities, um, but there's there's a lot of people, a lot of lawyers that um are pretty skilled and and knowledgeable and new community authority, so there it might be an opportunity to um have a committee just on that.

But um as I understand, um similar to what happened on uh um the North Coast Connector, there's a new community authority there.

Um the designated area um that that's defined that's within a new the community authority.

Within that community, the property owners have the option to have the option to opt into any additional fees, whether it's a fee on hamburgers, whether it's a fee on parking, whether it's a fee on admissions, that that there's there's a fee associated with that.

Okay.

So through the chair to Chief Two.

And so if I'm understanding it correctly, a new community authority would give Gateway the ability to essentially add on taxes or fees to the users.

It's not a tax.

It's a fee.

We have to be very specific that it's not a tax.

Yes.

Um through the chair to Chief Two and to add additional fees to individual users.

So people who would be visiting the stadium or or the arena, is that correct?

It m it may or may not, depending on you know how you pattern it, it may affect the people that are attending uh uh an event or it may not.

It may just be um, you know, ancillary prop properties that benefit from gateway for by way of example, and uh again, you know, this is not something that we're going to do.

It's it's you know a hypothetical that if you have um a bar that's associated that's next to Gateway but not part of the gateway complex, um, whenever there's a game, um they benefit because people come to the bar, they have a few cocktails, um that that might be an opportunity for the users of that facil of that facility that are drinking and eating food that you we might charge an additional um fee uh to the the beverages and and food that they purchase at that facility because they they are a direct benefit to the events that happen at Gateway.

Okay.

I I think I understand, Chief Two, and thank you for walking me through that through the chair.

Um so it would be uh additional fee that the surrounding properties could then would they have to opt into that, or is that in under this hypothetical?

I understand this is yes, they would have to it it's it's purely optional.

And I can imagine um through the chair to Chief Too, and any you know bar owner or any restaurant owner, they they are probably running on smaller margins than most.

Uh why would they be in set w what's what's the benefit for them to have that to agree to such an additional fee?

Well, you you know, and just keep in mind there's new community authorities all over the country that do this.

There's many examples.

Cincinnati is doing it, um, I believe Dublin, Ohio is doing it.

So there's there's all sorts of examples of where this has been successful.

Um, you know, why would a property owner or a bar that has low margins, it's it's actually um you know not impacting their margins because it's it's you actually have to show the line item of that new community authority fee.

So it's an additional fee that's attached to it, and you use you see that on on the bill when you receive it.

So again, the reason why they would do it is because if gateway is not there, probably their bar or restaurants not there either.

So they see the benefit the direct benefit.

I see.

Uh Chief Two.

And so it through the chair, so to make sure I think we're making we're talking about the same thing.

I guess I'm I'm struggling to understand how this wouldn't be an additional burden on the people who are attending these events.

Um and this would still be offsetting the costs from the owners of the stadium, well, the major beneficiaries of these stadiums, and which I see as the private individuals who own the calves and the guardians uh and the um monsters, because at the end of the day, their profits are still not the ones that are being that are being impacted.

If people are coming to visit, that cost is still going to be passed on to them.

So if someone's coming to get a drink at a bar, um instead of paying ten dollars for a cocktail, they're gonna be paying 1250 or whatever additional fee the community authority would agree to is this is this a miss is this uh wrong mischaracterize or is it a mischaracterization of how this would work?

Yes, through the chair to Chief Toon.

Yeah, to the to the chair to the councilman.

Um I so I think we need to stay focused on, you know, we have an agreement.

Um, you know, Gateway has an agreement with the teams.

Um the gateway is the landlord of the facility.

So we have certain obligations as the landlord, just like we're trying to hold our our um property owners accountable, you know, if to um to the the people that live in their their buildings.

So that's an agreement that we have with them.

Um, you know, we we can't we can't change that now.

You know, we have to wait until the the the agreements of the lease um uh run out.

You know we have to wait until the the the the agreements of the lease um uh run out so um you're right in the fact that it is an additional fee to users that's correct but we have an obligation through our contract that none of us at this table site I don't think so maybe Michael Polencick did but um you know none of us agree to um so uh that's that's what we have to abide by is that we're we're holding we're holding everybody to what's in the contract thank you chief uh to the chair I I I hear you I um I I think for me it's it's not really I think how long is the lease can you um to the chair to the chief it's a difference of two years uh I believe the guardians go out to 2034 and the CAVs go out to 2036 or it might be reversed.

So it's they go out to 34 and 36.

Okay.

And how long is the term that we're going to be appointing you for through the chair to the chief it's a five year term and which actually expires in uh 27 so I'm I'm uh I'm for the balance of the five year term.

I see I see so to the chair to the chief so you'll be will be reappointing this seat next year.

June of 27 correct got it um I appreciate that and can you just clarify uh are you is this a position that is paid it is not no it is not okay and um you indicated that the other vacancy on the board has uh it's the other city position is vacant on the board is that correct that that's correct they're in the process of having conversations with another candidate okay so the um administration is has someone in mind and they they've moved forward on it okay that's helpful um that that's all that I have thank you uh thank you chief um for your time uh just a couple of questions um for what do you think what is the economic value of um gateway to the city of Cleveland I don't know those exact numbers right now okay where could we get those information probably from the finance department from the finance department okay um and based on what the purpose of the gateway economic development corporation what is what is their purpose and their charge so generally speaking very on the very basic level they're the landlords of um both the ballpark and the arena the responsibility they're responsible for the maintenance um and capital improvements okay and as the landlords uh for the property and the maintenance of um the properties within the gateway has this proven to be uh the best structure for uh local governments when it comes to being property owners wow i'm not sure I can answer that question um I don't know all of the structures from previous and from current and what's the best structure so I'm not sure I can answer that question apologize Sub me as a question do you all have conversations of the economic vitality of the current structure of the Gateway Economic Development Corporation um yes in two ways um just the really talking about the the the sustainable funding um for our responsibility as landlords what when it comes to the operations and the capital improvements so that's where we get into the conversations of the syntax and the NCA so there's that um you know the gateway nonprofit was um the the the actual title is an economic development corporation um there's there's an opportunity there where it can be actually more than just landlords of the facility that if you really want to get into developing the neighborhood around Gateway that there could be an opportunity um by way of example um you know Playhouse Square um you know that originally started as you know let's save our theaters and you know being the landlords of the theaters but it's grown into so much more that it's actually a true um hub in the city and it actually it's driving the economy in that in that neighborhood um gateway could be that um as well um if that was the charge from the board members um to the um to the staff um but but right now their sole focused is on the capital improvements and maintenance of the building and then uh with that being stated um who

Um gateway could be that um as well if that was the charge from the board members um to the um to the staff.

Um but right now their sole focus is on the capital improvements and maintenance of the building.

And then uh with that being stated, um who what timeline is the board giving itself to be able to present a real sustainability plan for the Gateway Economic Development Corporation?

What thank you for the question.

I think it's it's it's vital that we need to um by the end of the year because that's when our financial model um starts going um in the negative that that we should uh bar any emergencies that will come up.

You know, we should we should have enough funding through the syntax um to get us through this year.

But then once you start looking at 27, 28, 29, um the the funding that we look at um is not enough for the improvements that we need.

So by the end of this year, we definitely need a plan um as far as what we're gonna do in future years.

And in your role as the city appointment on the Gateway Economic Development Corporation, what roles does the city have to do an analysis to see if this is the best option for the city of Cleveland and this participation in the Gateway Economic Development Corporation.

Right.

And I and thank you for that question.

And I think it's important that we work very closely with the county because they're partners with us and and working with them to try and come up with a sustainable option.

And so just I just want to hear you correctly.

Uh, based on being on the road thus far, you've indicated that well, it's likely needed to have a solution by the end of 26 as we go into 2027 because the economic outlook is a bit shaky in the red.

And so I don't think it would be well, I'm gonna just say from a place of Cleveland City Council, it is not helpful to get a solution by the end of 2026.

We probably should have something much sooner than December of 2026 of economic downfall is happening in 2027, which will then put Cleveland City Council members in a position to make decisions.

And so I will request, since you are the board and you will have to talk to Cleveland City Council, that you all actually come up with something I'm gonna say probably by September to offer to us of real options to actually do a thorough analysis of at this moment when we are looking at the next generation and our involvement and our um commitment on a sustainable economically sustainable pathway and working with the county to come up with some real options and not do what was proposed to us in the last term of basically saying we have to do this or else we should not be in that same predicament come December 2026.

It should be thoughtful and given real options for us to consider to consider based on how we are going to utilize the people's money.

Yeah, I agree to the chair, I agree with you 100%, and I have no desire to come before council and ask for 20 million dollars again.

Um with that being said, that there, you know, working with the county, there's there has been ongoing conversations about the increase in the syntax.

Um so that's um ongoing conversations and um I know there's been some discussion with council leadership uh about the the syntax option.

And again, uh just or clarify you talk about the syntax.

How do we change the syntax here in Cyoga County?

Again, I'm not an expert in it, um, but as I understand it that um that the county um needs to put a request to the state legislator um to allow an increase in the um uh syntax um with with that increase, then it would it we have to ensure that it gets on the ballot um and then the voters approve um would would either approve or deny yeah the the syntax.

So the hope would be that that all happens this year.

Okay.

All right, and so uh we'll just stand waiting for that um thorough analysis to give us options.

All right.

Um any other questions?

Okay.

Uh councilman Casey and then Councilman Shaw.

Just a clarification.

Um being a city employee, there's no conflict sitting on the board, correct?

I I believe the um code of regulations requires that at least one member has to be an employee of the city to be on the board.

And then you didn't contribute to the mayor's campaign.

I did not.

Okay, good.

Thank you.

Councilman Shah.

Uh thank you.

I I believe it's important um just in closing my last comments to put it on the record.

Uh just so we're all talking about the same people and the same thing, right?

Uh just for the record, uh, Chief Two and through the chair.

Do you who owns the Guardians?

Do you know?

Uh the Dolan family owns the Guardians.

Do you know their net worth?

Do you think I do not?

Uh I'll just put it on the more than me.

I can tell you that.

Sorry, what's that?

More than me.

Definitely more than me and you both combined.

Um just but just for the record, let's just uh put it out there.

Uh the Dolan family's combined net worth of approximately 4.6 billion to 5.6 billion dollars.

That's with a B.

Um and then the do you know how much the team itself is worth uh through the chair to not uh Chief Touan the team itself um as of 2025 has an estimated franchisee value of 1.4 to 1.5 billion dollars.

And uh let me ask the same thing about the reading.

Well, they're actually the not the principal uh owners by themselves, there's also a private equity owner, um David Blitzer.

Uh are you familiar with Mr.

Blitzer's uh net worth through the chair to Chief Two?

Uh David Blitzer is a prominent investor, um private equity Blackstone.

His estimated net worth is four billion dollars, and um those are the principal owners of the Guardians.

And then we if we're talking about the Cavaliers, uh, are you familiar with who the owners are of the Cavaliers?

Dan Gilbert.

Do you know uh uh his net worth?

I do not.

Uh through the chair to Chief Tuan, just once again for the record.

I'm sure you're familiar, it's a lot more than both of us, so it's a lot more than the city of Cleveland's annual budget as well.

It's uh David Dan Gilbert's net worth is approximately 32.5 billion dollars.

So I just want us to keep this in mind when we are talking about the land or the landlords, right?

These are our tenants, and our fiscal responsibility is not to these folks, uh, it is to our residents.

And I know you agree with me on this as someone who is managing all of our other assets and helping us make sure we're in a good financial position.

I think it is more uh even more imperative that we make sure that they're footing the right amount for the bill, which is a hundred and twenty percent they should be paying for these things, and not a dime should be passed on to our users who are still our residents, the majority of them, because the more we do that, the less affordable these become.

Um but once again, and nothing prevents them from taking all the profits and leaving us with the bill, which has been happening time and time again.

So I I just want to make sure we put it on the record that uh these are our tenants and they're the ones that keep begging us for more money.

So thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Are there any more questions?

Nope.

All right.

Uh Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

John?

Yes.

Oh, yes, I forgot to say, and this was the vote was for uh the mayor's appointments committee, consideration of the mayor's appointment of Bonita Twin to the Gateway Economic Development Corporation.

Thank you.

Uh next up, we're gonna bring up uh both of the reappointments uh to the Cleveland Community Relations Boards uh in consideration of uh Mr.

Yasir Hamdala as well as Mrs.

Stephanie Morrison Herbeck.

Please uh join us at the table, please.

She does the best way that she wants to put that why don't you guys see you're not yeah so you're in front of the chair.

You're fine, you're fine there.

You're good.

Just so you don't look like you're off by yourself.

Well, good afternoon.

Thank you so much for your patience.

Um, you know, we try this option of when there are people on the board together, same place, new appointees, reappointments, you know, probably can be uh helpfully efficient with our time.

Um so if you all can do me a uh a favor, uh just introduce yourselves.

Uh both of you all are reappointments for consideration for the Cleveland Community Relations Board.

Um, if you can tell us about just your experience here and why we should consider you, uh you both for a reappointment.

Okay.

Please press the button, uh green, push button.

Push.

Okay, and bring the mic towards you.

Yes.

Bring the mic torching.

Sorry.

To the chair to the board.

Um, yes, I've been living on the nearwest side of Cleveland since 1979, and have been on the community relations board for a number of years.

With each director, I will say that my involvement has varied.

Um, and in most recent years, it has deepened.

Uh because also um I've been able to have more time.

I was running Near West Theater, developing that organization for a number of years and a capital campaign to form the Gordon Square Arts District and build a building.

So my time is freer to invest more fully, and my main job right now for myself is to more fully engage and understanding the issues that are pressing around the consent decree and this rather controversial request for its uh termination and attending as many meetings as I can around that.

Also uh I'm a member of the Marshall Projects Advisory Committee, and they host a lot of um really helpful panels around the new jail.

Um tomorrow, excuse me, Thursday, there'll be one on juvenile rather on judicial lack of database for sentencing.

So I'm constantly trying to learn more.

I've been a long-term member of the second district uh community policing committee.

Uh I think that's the new name.

Anyway, um, so I I'm kind of a student of the issues right now as I come into the boardroom with with greater intensity, and I'm happy to avail myself of that.

And I'm really proud of the work that is done by this department on a number of uh levels, particularly with the outreach team and the kinds of impacts that we're hearing that young people are experiencing with the presence and being seen and the relationships that are happening to interrupt violence and the data is there, and they relay that.

But we also hear stories.

So I see myself as an ambassador, and I'm really grateful for this opportunity to continue.

Good afternoon.

My name is Yasir Hamdala.

Um I've been living on uh Store Avenue for approximately 40 years.

I spent time there, 40 years on Store Avenue in the stockyard area.

Um my appointment, uh, I've been on the board for over 20 years.

Um I'm simply a bridge to City Hall from the residents and the business owners of my community.

I'm the first uh Arab American uh Muslim to be on this board, appointed, and all I do pretty much and not to be long-winded, I just help provide the services and help from my community to City Hall.

Just kind of like let them help them out with whatever they need.

And me being an asset to uh this board is that I can reach my community in certain areas that other people can't reach.

Thank you.

Okay, uh, do you have the questions?

Yeah, um I'll start this time with uh councilwoman Santana.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Madam Chair, um to Mr.

Hamdela and Herbert, thank you for being here today.

I know you've been on the board for quite some time.

I will I serve on the board for for one term.

Can you talk about through the chair?

Is there a strategic plan through community relations?

Like what are the goals?

What are the mission?

How do you measure success?

And I know that you mentioned um through the chair's um Ms.

Herbreck, some goals.

Um where did that come out from?

Like, where are you guys aligning these this these goals to?

To the chair to the board.

Um, I'm not aware of a specific plan, but we get written reports each month that represent all the different staff people's areas of responsibility.

So we hear on the district representative what's happening in the five districts.

We also know we can go to an annual meeting for that.

Um again, the outreach team is reporting.

So but I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if a plan, but I assume there is uh plan within the departmental staff led by Director Shute Woodson based on the experience of what we're hearing and the kind of reporting that's happening that seems to be methodical.

They're sending people to restorative justice uh uh conferences to up the educational capacities of the staff.

They're on a trajectory, it seems, of of growth and depth and learning and improving what they do, but specifically to knowing about a strategic plan, I'm not aware of one.

Got it.

So through the chair, um, and anyone could answer this.

There's no boxes or anything to check to ensure we're moving the needle when it comes down to community relations.

To the chair to uh the councilwoman.

Um let me just give you like an example.

Sometimes um, I'll give you an example.

Uh on 44th in Fenwick, uh, there would be like a store shooting, and it would have been like, I want to say might have been like midnight, 1230 in the morning.

At the time um it was director uh Johnson uh was the director of community relations, just giving you example, and he would call me out, store shooting the uh the owner got shot, seven, I want to say the seven-year-old, maybe six-year-old saw the whole thing.

We try to get resources to the family, see what was going on.

Uh police obviously was deployed out there, we social services trying to get things done.

Uh the the support team, the support staff was out there trying to find out what's going on, but we also have to de-escalate what's going on in the community.

Uh, because sometimes you might have hate crimes involved, sometimes it's just a normal robbery, but whatever the s circumstances uh present itself, we just have to address those issues.

So those issues can happen at any time.

And we also have teams that go out into the schools.

Some some issues uh are race motivated, some issues are just you know, uh gang related, some issues are just uh, you know, just you know, in this now in nowadays uh violence, violence is a big uh subject, you know.

Um so it depends on what the issues are.

That's how we got we got it's like on the fly, we have to try to figure things out.

Yeah, um, but everybody represents a different community, and we have to just we're you know, the ones that are uh representing that particular community, we gotta go out there and try to de-escalate whatever we can.

And sometimes we do have plans ahead of time.

That's why we have meetings that we go out in a certain communities.

Uh giving you example, like I might go out, we might have a meeting in the Somali community.

Somali communities predominantly like Muslim, some of them Turkish community, most of them are Muslim.

So I'll address those issues.

Some communities are not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arab.

I'm just you know what I'm saying?

So just different communities we have to address.

Got it.

And through the chair, thank you for that.

So you sound like a staff member for community relations rather than a board member, and I guess that's where my confusion comes in.

Like, as a board, what are your responsibility versus community relations staff, right?

Everything you explain now, it sounds like something that Lewis would do, right?

Through the chair.

Um so I'm just trying to get that clarity.

What is that line of what is the board focused on, what are their goals, and then how do they oversee the department and the staff goals to the chair to the board?

I think the question is well taken in terms of I've um it depends on how this goes today, but I'm supposed to become the chair uh and I think it's an opportunity, and I've been thinking about this to set goals for the board because right now, yes, it's a hundred percent attendance ideally, and we enter into robust conversations and questioning of programmatic staff.

Um I'm not doing the kind of work that Yasir is doing, um, and I find it very impressive that he does what he does.

But I do try, I've there was a time when I could go and observe the community youth diversion program, for example.

So it it is an uh getting clearer on we're not necessarily creating policy, but how do we effectuate um the work it's happening in the boardroom and then showing up as much as possible again from my standpoint to best understand what is happening in the community that is, for example, AJ Rickhoff.

How come that model works so well in that school that Jaque Simmons was reporting on as head of the outreach team?

They're trying to replicate that in other schools and to understand what exactly those goals are.

I I know they're being efficient, I really trust that, but to really know that on a different level.

I think it's a fair question.

Just here.

Do you want to?

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't want to, I don't want to interrupt.

No, I'm done.

The the chair to the uh council um woman.

So sometimes different board members have different, you know, uh I guess you can say like how proactive you want to be.

So in certain situations, like I'll just give you example of what I do, because I'm here for my appointment.

So it doesn't matter, like um, we go to a meeting, we we hear what's going on.

We have to, we should actually take more initiative because sometimes people have a misconception of what City Hall has, the services and the policies and how City Hall perceives, you know, like how like the council members are perceived outside of City Hall, how the mayors can perceive outside of City Hall.

So sometimes we are like the foot soldiers, and we got to let them know that listen, City Hall's friendly, you can come here, get your services because you are constituents.

You can come here, get you know, certain cer services that uh beneficial stuff that you can help out, uh that will help out, you know, certain residents, business owners.

Um that way you don't have this misconception of you know, City Hall is just you know, this bad, you know, council is bad.

I'm not saying that they are council is bad, the mayor's bad, or anything like that.

We just want to go out there, give them a perception that you can come here, it's friendly, you can come here, get anything that you need done.

Um, and that and that we go out there every day, and sometimes we stay out real late, have different meetings in different uh communities, and we report back.

But it's it's not just like a once in a month meeting, it's just like an everyday thing.

We have issues that we discuss about ice, I do anyways.

Certain issues that we go into certain communities about um certain you know, hate crimes.

We discussed that.

These are everyday ongoing things, stuff in the schools that are going on right now that they want to address.

Um kids are smoking, taking drugs, parents don't know what's going on.

We try to help uh, you know, some of them because of religious aspects or you know, some of them cultural differences, certain people can go in there and talk to these uh individuals.

Not everybody can.

So that's why we have certain people on the board, and you know, no pe certain people know how to address these particular issues.

Yeah.

Well, thank you.

I mean, once again, you sound like a staff member.

You're very passionate, and I've seen you guys in many events.

So I've just wanted just a little clarity of board duties rather, you know, than staff.

But thank you, Madam Chair.

Councilman Palency.

Thank you.

Um to both of the um reappointment candidates that are before us, uh, as briefly as you can, because I know some of my colleagues have to leave.

What is the greatest challenge?

Greatest challenge facing CRB.

The greatest challenge, I believe, is that sometimes if, and this is just honest to God truth, if sometimes before a politician makes a comment on TV, I wish they would ask the CRB for a little bit of advice before things get out of hand.

And it really helps.

If we all can just, I believe one word, one team, we're all in the same team, we can help each other.

Um it would de-escalate so much things.

Because I'm here, I would let I don't want to go into specifics, but I feel like that's just for my I'm just you know, sometimes you know, different politicians will go out there, say something and address something without you know having the full knowledge of you know certain things and and and it becomes like you know, you know, becomes you know, people protesting out here and doing certain things.

If if we all can just get on the same page, we can help each other out.

We really can.

Okay.

That's the biggest challenge.

Thank you, Ms.

Herbic.

Yes, uh, to chair to the board.

Um I think it does depend on which department within the department you're talking about.

So I know, for example, with youth outreach, the overall challenge is the proliferation of guns and how to stem that uh and it's on a small scale that they're able to really effectuate change.

It's a it is happening, um, but I know they wish they could do more and be out there more with the small staff that they have, but they have been able to increase uh the number of outreach workers they have.

And then with the district committees, I know it's community engagement.

I go to the second district, and they've been going for a very long time, and it's now picking up some steam just recently, but to get the community to want to show up to a meeting at 6 o'clock at night about area crime is not inspiring to some people.

And so they're trying to also look at the model of what is happening interactively with those who are gathering.

And there's more and more speakers coming forth at the second district to ask answer questions from different departments of the city, as well as um just speak to the concerns, for example, we had a whole presentation on opioid addiction.

Yes.

Um I I think community engagement is huge, and I know that's been a concern for the compliance for the community relations board with the consent decree, frankly, was understanding how the community is is engaging.

Um again, if I was speak if I was um Chai speaking about the Asian community, she would have her own uh answers to that, and I know it's been translation work and they're trying to increase that across the city and all kinds of platforms.

Okay.

I'll stop there.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

You're welcome.

Council Michelle.

Thank you, Chair, thank you to both nominees for your time.

Uh good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

I uh wanted to just kind of understand, you know, historically I've gotten a chance to sit down with the director um and understand the history of the board a little bit, and that was really helpful.

It seems, you know, the original vision was for intra-community relations to be improved through the board, and I think my understanding was, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, uh, that after the Huff uprisings, it trans it changed a little bit to making sure that the intra-community relations were also good with, you know, the police, um, how policing was conducted in the neighborhoods.

Uh so this has been a historical shift that we've seen over time.

Um I I wanted to understand kind of how how do you envision kind of pushing the board more in the direction of assessing the intra-community relations uh and and kind of bringing that focus back more into what the board does.

I I hear um Mr.

Hondola talk a little bit about how you know conversations have been going around with ICE, like that's one of the examples I I think of of how we can, you know, Cleveland is unfortunately still a deeply segregated place, and what what are the ways that we can um not not talking regarding the police but outside of the police approach of how do we improve these relations between uh our different communities that are living in Cleveland?

And wanted to hear your thoughts on kind of that approach and where you see the board going um to either one through the chair.

Go ahead.

Um to the chair to the board.

Well, first of all, there's a vernacular issue here for me.

When we refer to the board, the department is actually called the community relations board.

There is a board for the community relations board.

So we're not uh necessarily pressing on the kinds of programmatic things that are happening or hearing.

There's reporting.

Um so if the question is about what the work is of the community relations department, if I could just use that term, Jeffrey Marks has told me the attorney not to use that term, but I it helps distinguish.

Um Mr.

Shah, so clarify so what your question is.

If I'm following up, if I understand through the chair to uh back uh if I'm understanding correctly, the does the board not direct the board that you two would sit on.

Does that board not direct the community relations board?

They are accountable to us, yes.

Okay.

So um, but I'm saying it kind of goes back to the other question about strategic planning.

Um there's a way in which I feel that we're landing in the work and not necessarily shaping it, but I could be wrong about that.

So go ahead, please.

So to the chair to the councilman.

Um so the team already uh under uh director uh shoots Woodson, they already have a blueprint of how things work.

And things are working really, really good.

If they had a bigger staff, it would even be better.

But they have a uh a blueprint where everybody goes out to the schools.

Uh they handle, you know, each uh staff member goes out to a certain school.

Each staff member handles a certain district.

Um each staff member um handles like certain um if there's crimes that are hampling happening between like say 10 o'clock till three o'clock in the morning, they're gonna be called.

Um we all try to chip in, it's all it's all one team.

So we don't try to like push our agenda because they already have a blueprint on how things are working.

We just kind of jump in there, roll up our sleeves, and we just try to help out whatever the wherever there is needed, if you if that makes sense.

It it it does.

I appreciate you explaining Ms.

Ramdola through the chair.

Uh I I think part of the only I wouldn't even call it pushback, but I think the only um thing I would add to that is in understanding how this process works, right?

If effectively director reports to not just council or the mayor, the director also reports to you two along with the rest of the board, right?

Um and is looking to y'all for for that strategic leadership.

Um and this isn't to cast any doubt on the director's ability or any of the wonderful staff there.

This is more, I think for me, a uh a philosophical understanding of where do we see the board going and what is the board's role in our everyday communities, and that's where I'm asking of like how do we shift and you know for me, once again, I am newer, I'm sure you know.

Um I'm I'm getting to learn all the different parts and processes of City Hall, but the more I see um I it seems like the police have ample resources in order to address different relations.

Uh I know they have their own squad as well.

Uh it's like the I forgot the exact community resource uh squad, right?

I you can correct me if I'm wrong about what that exact terminology is, but officers that are housed within each district that is responsible for going out, making sure the relations are good.

I think that's a good thing.

We should that they should keep doing that.

So I want to understand how do we shift the community relations board focus back to intra community relations um separately from the police, and that's where does that make sense?

Um to the chair to the council uh to the councilman.

That makes perfect sense and maybe I probably didn't uh speak correctly on it.

They do have staff members when they have their district meetings, their district meetings are set up as they one of the district m members from uh community relations, they'll have the commander there, and then what they do, they've empowered the community members, the residents, they will be there at the district meetings, and they usually run how things work and at the uh at the community uh events.

So when they need something, they'll report to the district member to the district uh members to the commander and everybody.

The district member will report to the director, let them know what's going on, what we need, and then the district then the c the uh the director will report to us, let us know what's going on.

We then figure out what we need to do, and then maybe we will all you know have a plan and we implement that plan.

Does that make sense?

It does.

And I think my my question is slightly different of what are the priorities of the board, the the department, right?

Not not you board, but the department.

And my question is let's say for example, uh Mr.

Amdullah hopefully this makes sense to the chair of your member as you identified as of the Arab American community and the Muslim community.

Yes, they obviously have I I've heard, right, some concerns with how ICE has been targeting the community.

Um what are the ways, for example, within that community that you envision the board being able to um and not not you as the board but rather the department, what are the ways over the next few years that we the board can start directing its resources in order to um work within the community or to understand and provide city resources on facilitating that so that the community understands that City Hall is there to integrate that community into our everyday life and not you know support ice, which we've all been clear on.

So does that make a little more sense on like what is the strategic vision going forward on how we interact within different communities?

Um to the chair, madam chair, to the council, councilman.

So we have a plan.

Um I've talked to the director that we're going to have um the com the her command staff, we're gonna have some uh law enforcement go to some of these mosques.

We're gonna team up with uh some of the uh maybe care ohio and try to team up with uh other uh residents in the area in the Cleveland area.

We're all gonna have certain meetings and we're gonna discuss the stretch the strategy with the ICE situation, if that's what you're referring to.

Like we're gonna, you know, I'm talking to the director right now as we're gonna have we're gonna have like meetings at these mosques at you know, all the Cleveland area mosques.

We're gonna try to talk to them, explain to them, and she'll probably bring out her command staff, uh which will bring the you know the services that you know City Hall can provide, and we're gonna have you know just discussions about what we are you know our rights and what are not our rights and stuff like that.

Does that make sense?

It does.

Okay.

I don't know if um Ms.

Her back to the chair had any other things to add fascinated by the question and still pondering um the the term you're talking about the communities at large the pockets of Asian community and Latino community and how the work across communities is really the question.

That's right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because I um you know for me through the chair to uh Ms.

Herbeck it's like I said I I I we've shifted into this um framework where the board community relations department and the board itself are are working as intermediaries or you know um ancillary police relations with the community um which I don't think is a bad thing it's always helpful uh but I also want to see uh a return back to the mission of the board which was making sure that uh you know it started with of course it was the black and white communities in Cleveland there was a lot of strife between the communities how do we get back to the that mission of making sure that the communities are working with each other how do we decrease the levels of segregation that we see in our city how do we have more community engagement events where we can have more of this overlap so that we don't have simply just pockets of people that don't trust each other um and are only talking to each other and how do we break those barriers down and that's one of the ways I'm hoping that the board moves to in the future um it you don't have to give me an answer on this right now but I it's something that I certainly hope you take to heart and think about and um pursue so um with that I'll I'll conclude my unless you want to please go ahead and respond but I'll conclude my question quick thing chair if I can um to Mr.

Shaw yeah I was gonna say I would I think using the model of these events that are being hosted is a medium at least at this point to hopefully engage people into coming and understanding and seeing people who might we might not even know are doing the work in their community uh when it's at City Hall.

But you know again that's convening in the rotunda and who does have do people feel free to do that are these events are free but I I'm just kind of standing up for a minute to to know that I think that's a mechanism that's been uh useful I know as a white woman I enjoy going and learning more uh at these different events about different communities who are being celebrated and what they're celebrating but then we're also talking I think you're talking about a deeper level of not just at events obviously but anyway it's a good very good question.

Thank you.

I don't have any more questions but I think it's it's okay.

Go ahead.

Okay so for to the chair madam chair to the councilman like for an example um I'm trying to answer your questions as best as possible.

So at the time when uh director uh blane griffin was the director we had taken uh city council um a lot of uh city hall members to one of the mosques to give them a tour to dispel a lot of myths that was going on in Cleveland at the time um so we took them we we we had like a nice little lunch over there we should we gave them a tour um and made it to the plane dealer or whatever and everybody felt comfortable because there was questions that they needed asked it was answered and then from that point on we had dialogue between both you know the both communities you know city hall and uh the residents of of the uh of the community so to answer your question a lot of this stuff works you know but you just have to be a foot soldier out here you know that's all sorry for being long-winded oh councilman casey thank you madam chairwoman madam chairwoman to mouth to both yesir and Stephanie I think I've known you guys for decades right probably before we even had beards um so I think you're both doing just a marvelous job and especially you see the way you're you're an overly active board member in the way that you actually use utilize that role to engage in in the community I have one question um for you and I and I understand and congratulations on being the first individual of Arabic descent to be a member of the board are you the only one it's sad but yes so and that's probably something that I would hope that the administration or anybody who needs to appoint we do have a very growing Arabic population in the city of Cleveland and sir you can't do it all yourself right um but as maybe the possible chair of the board next year it's something that you you may want to put in the back of your mind to make sure that we have a board and I don't know all the board members who are representative of all the nationalities that that reside within the city of Cleveland um I I know that I represent the largest uh Somalian uh refugees in the city of Cleveland and I knew nothing about the culture and his I've had I had to learn it right just by representing them but it would have been it'd be nice to be able to utilize community relations in a way that we haven't before um and and I my only

Um I I know that I represent the largest uh Somali uh refugees in the city of Cleveland, and I knew nothing about the culture in his I've had I had to learn it right just by representing them.

Um but it would have been it'd be nice to be able to utilize community relations in a way that we haven't before.

Um and I uh my only issue that I have, and and I again I don't want to jackpot anybody up, but I just want to make sure that I know this is a paid board, right?

And and I know Stephanie, you're not a you're not a city employee, but you see you are, and I think when you're ready to retire over there, there's gonna be a permanent place for you over here in your role that you're doing now.

But we need to make sure, madam chairwoman, that it's okay that somebody receives that a city employee receives a check if you're being compensated for the work that you're doing.

So um, I I would just think that we should get uh an opinion on that one as well, just because I don't want to see anybody get jackpotted up later on, you know, and say that we've been doing something illegal or whatever, and we ran into that situation about eight years ago or seven years ago with RTA and a city employee, and and I just want to make sure that we're doing everything on the up and up.

So uh very supportive of these two.

I think they're marvelous individuals, great representatives, but I would still, Madam Chairwoman like to get that opinion on whether um somebody can be a city employee and receive a paycheck from uh for doing additional city work as a board member.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Uh thank you.

Uh so as we are running out, I just have a couple of questions.

Um looking at the duties of the board.

Um there was a thing that is around um as uh around um a symbol analyze, disseminate authentic and factual data relating to interracial and other intergroup relations.

Um in the last four years, how much data has the board actually published to the community regarding interracial and intergroup relationships?

Has there has any analysis been done in this area to the chair to the board?

I am aware of much longer than four years ago, the community engagement conversations of Peter Whit, who is a community relations board member, was helping to lead, and it was a racial analysis of what's going on through conversation and and tracking these conversations that were happening in the community and a report was generated, but this is a long time ago.

So to answer your question, I'm not aware that we are again unless you're talking about the department and have they put forth generated some kind of report about that.

Yeah, well, I'm just yeah again it says do the duties of the board that you are a reflection of the board, and so really trying to get an understanding of that work as that is one of the responsibilities of the board.

Um so that is that um I know that um the second thing of like the investigations on complaint situations and currences, um I believe we did get a report of some sort um of the work that the staff members were doing.

Um but one of the things when councilwoman Santana was asking about like what is the strategic plan of the community relations board um really getting to what are we trying to get accomplished?

Because again, that's one of the things that we get consistently during our uh uh budget hearings.

People always tell us how much they do.

We don't know it is not connected to what is the goal to begin with.

And we really have to get in the city of Cleveland beginning to come up with real goals and measuring ourselves of what we're trying to do, not just checking off activity activities because we were there.

That that that's not in 2026 and beyond, that cannot be the the expectation.

Yeah.

And I I just I really want to make this come here to you all as representatives, that is that will not be good enough as we are looking into next year in 2027, as you are going into the share, the expectation is that you all are gonna have real goals, and it is not just gonna be, oh, we showed up at an event.

What does that mean?

What is the purpose of it?

I'm just because it's like this is my fifth year now in city council, and I just really need to be explicitly clear of people.

We have a lot of work to do.

Yes.

Uh showing up is just it's not good enough.

And I I really want our various departments and agencies to understand, know what you are supposed to do, come up with goals, and let's start measuring the improvement in the city of Cleveland according to that.

going into the chair the expectation is that you all are going to have real goals and it is not just going to be oh we showed up at an event what does that mean what is the purpose of it i'm just because it's like this is my fifth year now in city council and i just really need to be explicitly clear of people we have a lot of work to do yes uh showing up is just it's not good enough and i i really want our various departments and agencies to understand know what you are supposed to do come up with goals and let's start measuring the improvement in the city of cleveland according to that the last thing is um how many times has the community relations board been in coordination with the office of equal opportunity in the last four years to the chair to the board i believe director would shoot wood so would have to answer that i know that she does work with the director um of that department but i i can't specifically answer that right and so i'm asking these questions because the though that is what the duties of the board is supposed to be you understand what i'm saying a lot of times people getting to do the stuff that they want to do versus the stuff that they actually supposed to be doing and again as a board member your responsibility is to ensure that your your department is doing the things that are outlined in our ordinances so I would offer to uh you all um to a make sure the board understands what the community relations board is supposed to be doing there are some things that are being doing exceedingly well there are other things that have room for improvement and expectation is that those things and it's not just for it's not good enough just for the people on the board to know it the public needs to be knowing because many of the things that you are supposed to be doing is supposed to be in benefit for the city of Cleveland Office of equal opportunity intergroup relationships interracial relationships those things are important yes we have down the community relations with what the police department but there are many other things that are supposed to be happening the that it does not seem in a very clear way to myself and others that those things are actually being fulfilled so I will leave that as that um are there any other further questions for the board or our consideration for board members all right um without further ado um report for the mayor's appointments committee consideration of the mayor's appointment to the community relations board your searhamdala uh madam clerk yes yes yes yes yes congratulations uh next reports to the mayor's appointments committee consideration of the mayor's appointment to the community relations board uh stephanie morrison herbeck yes yes yes yes yes yes five days uh yes uh so just a couple of things to committee members um we are scheduled we will not be meeting in two weeks as Tuesday May 5th is the primary election day encouraging people to exercise your vote and take part in our democracy um we will be meeting on may 19th for the consideration of two new appointments uh for the community relations board and there were changing of the appointment terms for I think three remaining community relations boards meeting and if there are any other remaining mayor's appointments we will consider them on June 2nd I just want to make people aware of that we haven't received anything but if there is we will do that um also as I have shared with the administration for reappointments before they will be considered we need to have their attendance records or they will not be seeing so I'm just letting people know that and we are all in one accord uh without further ado mayor's appointments committee will come to an end thank you