OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting - February 2, 2026

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, February 3, 2026
BodyCleveland Heights, Ohio
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateTuesday, February 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 33:28

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

Okay, welcome to Cleveland Heights City Council meeting.

0:12

It's February 2nd, Monday at 738.

0:18

Andy, would you call the role?

0:23

Cobb.

0:24

Here.

0:25

Larson.

0:26

Here.

0:27

Posh.

0:28

Here.

0:28

DeWitt Foy.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Cohen.

0:31

CUDA.

0:32

And I am getting Jessica.

0:35

All right.

0:37

Yeah.

0:37

And uh Councilwoman Cohen is joining us via Zoom.

0:45

So nobody's absent.

0:46

No amendments to the agenda.

0:49

Correct.

0:52

I'd like approval of the minutes.

0:53

We got October 20th, November 3rd, and November 17th.

0:56

I looked them over.

0:57

They look pretty good.

0:58

Anyone else?

0:59

Good to go.

1:00

All right.

1:01

So we'll approve those minutes.

1:03

Um communications from the mayor.

1:05

Thank you, Mr.

1:05

President.

1:06

As many people have heard, Cleveland Heights has someone going to the Olympics.

1:11

Layla Edwards.

1:12

I'm very excited about this.

1:14

In case you've not heard, we're having a watch party at the community center on Saturday.

1:18

So doors open at 10 a.m.

1:20

The match against Finland starts at 1040.

1:23

So I hope to see everyone there if you're available.

1:26

On Friday, I met with CHUH Superintendent Liz Kirby.

1:30

We talked through a lot of opportunities for collaboration between the city and the school district, and we agreed that we're going to meet quarterly going forward to make sure that we have good open lines of communication.

1:41

Also, the city is hosting its Black History Month celebration from noon until 5 p.m.

1:47

on Saturday, February 21st.

1:49

And I'm really excited that this year the City of University Heights is co-sponsoring the event.

1:54

So they are providing both financial support and manpower for the event.

1:59

Also, um I'd like to thank Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights for organizing the visual last week.

2:15

Even though folks have not heard many public updates from the administration, please know that many of us continue to work on this.

2:29

And in working with councilwoman Jessica Cohen, there are some other things that she will share some updates on later.

2:37

And with that, Mr.

2:38

President, I'm done with my comments for this evening.

2:40

All right, thank you.

2:41

And in honor of Black History Month, you'll see I'm supporting my Miles Davis t-shirt.

2:47

My guy.

2:48

Okay, so City Administrators Report.

2:52

Of course, we don't have that, but we will be voting on the city administrator tonight, so hang around for that.

2:58

Um no departmental reports, but we do have a report from the clerk of council.

3:03

Yes, I'd like to report that I've received the following notices to legislative authority from the Ohio Department of Liquor Control.

3:08

First for a transfer of a D5 permit from Christopher's PUP LLC to late black management LLC Culture Culture Ultra Lounge located at 3962 Mayfield Road, a new C1C2 permit for Care and Petroleum Inc.

3:20

located at 2294 Lee Road, a new D5 permit uh for four on six Inc.

3:27

Savoy located at 1318 Warrensville Center Road, and a new D1 D3 permit for 1223 Lounge Place LLC located at 2558 Noble Road.

3:36

These matters have been referred to the mayor in chief of police.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████23%
Community Engagement██████████████████████22%
Immigration Services██████████████████████22%
Arts And Culture█████████████13%
Personnel Matters████████8%
Public Safety████████8%
Transportation Safety████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting - February 2, 2026

The Cleveland Heights City Council convened on February 2, 2026, to approve meeting minutes, address public communications, and handle key appointments. The meeting featured significant discussions regarding the appointment of a new City Administrator, the formation of the Arts Commission, and a contentious exchange between the Council and immigrant rights advocates concerning resource allocation and community safety. The Council also discussed state-level legislation impacting immigration enforcement and acknowledged the tireless work of public works during severe winter weather.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes from October 20th, November 3rd, and November 17th, 2025, without amendment.
  • Unanimous approval of three resolutions reappointing or appointing members to the Climate and Environmental Sustainability Committee (Resolutions 024-2026, 025-2026) and the Citizens Advisory Committee (Resolution 026-2026).
  • Unanimous approval of Resolution 027-2026 appointing 11 members to the newly revitalized Arts Commission.
  • Unanimous approval of Resolution 029-2026 authorizing an agreement with Hall Public Safety Utifiers for police department equipment.
  • Unanimous roll-call vote (all 'Aye') on Resolution 030-2026 confirming the mayor's appointment of the new City Administrator.
  • Unanimous approval of Resolution 021-2026 authorizing the city's participation in the NOPEC Green Community Choice Program starting June 2026.
  • First readings granted for Resolutions 028-2026 (Lead Abatement), 031-2026 (Recreation Center Lease), and 032-2026 (Heights Schools Foundation contribution), and Resolution 028 was deferred for further review.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Judith Ryder (Arts Commissioner): Expressed full support for the relevance of arts in building community security and connection. Stated pride in joining the new administration as a member of the Arts Commission.
  • Edgar Mitchell: Thanked the Council and Mayor for addressing a drain issue on Neil Road and for maintaining community peace amidst national security concerns.
  • Carly Whitaker (Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights): Expressed gratitude for Councilwoman Cohen's initiative to secure legal clinics for the immigrant community. Highlighted collaboration with the "See You Next Tuesday" arts collective for a recent vigil and announced an upcoming ICE defense training event.
  • Vice President Larson: Expressing personal hurt and disappointment, stated opposition to the characterization of Council members as "fascist collaborators" and emphasized the need for unity rather than division in the face of external threats.
  • Councilman DeWitt Foy: Raised concern regarding four state bills (HB 26, SB 172, HB 281, HB 42) that expand ICE collaboration. Expressed strong opposition to these bills, stating they risk escalating tensions and potential loss of life, urging residents to contact state representatives.

Discussion Items

  • Arts Commission Formation: Council members discussed the logistics of convening the newly appointed 11-member Arts Commission. The President noted confusion regarding the committee's authority (whether it is a council or mayoral committee), clarifying it advises both bodies. Staff were tasked with scheduling the first meeting.
  • Lead Abatement Project (Resolution 028): The Mayor and Council agreed to defer the vote on Resolution 028 regarding the Green Home Solutions agreement. The Mayor expressed a preference to "dive deeper" following questions raised in the Committee of the Whole to ensure the project's scope is fully understood before authorizing the contractor.
  • City Administrator Appointment: Mayor Petras detailed the hiring process, noting over 50 applications and 13 interviews. He highlighted the appointee's 20 years of experience in Columbus, including nine years as Chief of Staff. Council members praised the efficiency of filling this key position within 30 days.
  • Immigration and Legal Aid Debate: Following public comments, Councilmember Cohen and Mayor Petras discussed the balance between direct funding for legal counsel (as requested by advocates) and alternative partnerships. Cohen confirmed a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association to provide at least three bilingual legal clinics. Councilmember Cohen and Vice President Larson expressed their personal investment in immigrant rights while distancing the Council from the inflammatory "fascist" label used by some advocates. The Mayor noted that while the Council supports the cause, no legislation has been sponsored to fund specific legal services, as the legislative process requires sponsorship.

Key Outcomes

  • Appointments Approved: Resolution 027-2026 officially established the new Arts Commission with 11 members. Resolutions 024, 025, and 026 appointed members to the Climate and Environmental Sustainability Committee and Citizens Advisory Committee.
  • City Administrator Confirmed: The Council unanimously confirmed the mayor's appointment of the new City Administrator via roll call vote.
  • Program Authorization: Resolution 021-2026 authorized the city to join the NOPEC Green Community Choice Program.
  • Action Deferral: Resolution 028-2026 authorizing the lead abatement agreement with Green Home Solutions LLC was tabled for further review.
  • Community Initiative: The Council and Mayor confirmed the arrangement of three (3) bilingual legal clinics for the immigrant community, with implementation expected by the end of February, secured through the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, welcome to Cleveland Heights City Council meeting. It's February 2nd, Monday at 738. Andy, would you call the role? Cobb. Here. Larson. Here. Posh. Here. DeWitt Foy. Here. Cohen. CUDA. And I am getting Jessica. All right. Yeah. And uh Councilwoman Cohen is joining us via Zoom. So nobody's absent. No amendments to the agenda. Correct. I'd like approval of the minutes. We got October 20th, November 3rd, and November 17th. I looked them over. They look pretty good. Anyone else? Good to go. All right. So we'll approve those minutes. Um communications from the mayor. Thank you, Mr. President. As many people have heard, Cleveland Heights has someone going to the Olympics. Layla Edwards. I'm very excited about this. In case you've not heard, we're having a watch party at the community center on Saturday. So doors open at 10 a.m. The match against Finland starts at 1040. So I hope to see everyone there if you're available. On Friday, I met with CHUH Superintendent Liz Kirby. We talked through a lot of opportunities for collaboration between the city and the school district, and we agreed that we're going to meet quarterly going forward to make sure that we have good open lines of communication. Also, the city is hosting its Black History Month celebration from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 21st. And I'm really excited that this year the City of University Heights is co-sponsoring the event. So they are providing both financial support and manpower for the event. Also, um I'd like to thank Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights for organizing the visual last week. Even though folks have not heard many public updates from the administration, please know that many of us continue to work on this. And in working with councilwoman Jessica Cohen, there are some other things that she will share some updates on later. And with that, Mr. President, I'm done with my comments for this evening. All right, thank you.

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