OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026

City Council Meetings — Wednesday, March 4, 2026
BodyCleveland Heights, Ohio
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateWednesday, March 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 58:37

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

Okay, I'd like to call this meeting of the Cleveland Heights City Council to order.

0:14

It is March 3rd.

0:16

It's 739.

0:20

Cobb.

0:21

Here.

0:22

Larson.

0:23

Here.

0:24

Posh.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Do it for Cohen.

0:27

Here.

0:29

Here.

0:29

Stone.

0:31

All right.

0:32

Our first order of business today is to give the oath of office to our newly appointed councilwoman, Sarah Stone.

0:42

Now she has been actually appointed be uh earlier, but this is the kind of ceremonial swearing in.

0:48

So uh Sarah, if you would agree.

1:10

By the way, when I say swear or firm.

1:18

I did it.

1:22

Hi, Sarah Stone.

1:23

You solemnly swear or affirm.

1:25

Do solemnly swear or affirm.

1:27

Support your constitution and laws of the United States of the American.

1:35

The Constitution and laws of the State of Ohio.

1:37

And the Charter and ordinances of the City of Cleveland Heights.

1:56

Discharge the duties of that office.

2:09

Councilwoman, would you like to say a few words?

2:12

Yes.

2:13

Thank you, President Kuda.

2:17

Members of City Council, I would like to thank you for the honor of this appointment and for your generosity with time, advice, and support as I join your ranks.

2:28

Meeting most of you for the first time, I am impressed by your breadth of knowledge, dedication to our community, and the sheer volume of work you accomplish every week on behalf of Cleveland Heights.

2:38

Thank you for all you do and for this opportunity opportunity to serve with you.

2:44

In these times when national politics for many of us seems so remote from our beliefs and everyday lives, I believe city government offers the best case tangible example of democracy that works for our community.

2:56

That's why I sought this position.

2:58

Because in our world today, I believe that we need that reassurance that public officials are listening and working for all of us.

3:05

The voters of Cleveland Heights and city leadership have done a remarkable job in rebuilding our city government to live up to that promise.

3:14

Joining in that movement, I pledged you to represent all of Cleveland Heights.

3:19

As residents, we chose to live in this special place.

3:23

As a public official, it means taking the time to listen, to be present and responsive to all our neighborhoods, because we are richer for being around those who don't look or think as we do.gov.

3:44

I look forward to seeing you throughout our community in the months ahead.

3:47

Thank you.

3:47

Thank you.

3:48

Thank you and welcome, Councilwalker.

3:50

Thank you.

3:51

Next, we're going to move on to approval of the minutes.

4:02

Okay, then the minutes are approved.

4:04

Communications from the mayor.

4:07

Thank you, Mr.

4:07

President.

4:08

I'd like to begin by recognizing special guest here this evening, Mr.

4:13

Chuck Williams is here in the front row.

4:16

Mr.

4:16

Williams is not a stranger to our city council meetings, and I was really excited to see that at our recent Black History celebration, he was recognized for

7:00

It took us a little bit longer because there was a leak, and we had to find the source of that leak address map before we uh dealt with the elevator.

7:09

Um there's a new free parking sign up at Coventry, and um the Cedar League parking garage elevator will continue to be out of service.

7:19

Let me explain.

7:20

We just found out this year that the parts are too old to repair, and because of a situation we inherited where gradual improvements were not made over the years as part of maintenance.

7:33

We need a full modern modernization elevator, which will cost a minimum of a hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.

7:40

And this is not budget.

7:43

I'll talk more about Cedar Lee in just a moment.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Community Engagement███████████████15%
Racial Equity███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Technology and Innovation██████████10%
Public Engagement████████8%
Parks and Recreation██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Economic Development████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026

Note: The transcript indicates the meeting occurred on March 3, 2026, but the provided metadata states March 4, 2026. This summary uses the latter date per instructions.

The Cleveland Heights City Council met on March 4, 2026, at 7:39 PM. The meeting began with the ceremonial swearing-in of newly appointed Councilwoman Sarah Stone, followed by approval of minutes, mayoral communications, multiple legislative readings, public comments, and committee reports. Key topics included data privacy concerns around traffic analytics, a new municipal pool funding resolution, and public calls for greater racial equity in city leadership.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved without discussion or objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Agenda Item Public Comment: A resident (name not stated) expressed concerns about the Urban SDK geospatial AI contract, arguing it collects data from phones and cars and sets up infrastructure for future data use. She questioned why the city cannot pay residents instead of an outside organization and asked when the public can have a say in data collection. Council members responded that the tool has been used for years, data is aggregated and not personally identifiable, and the matter will be discussed further in the Public Safety and Health Committee in about two weeks.
  • General Public Comment (5 speakers):
    • Lee Barbie (1048 Rogue): Called for a charter review commission to evaluate moving from at-large to ward-based council representation, arguing that the current system dilutes accountability.
    • Miriam Hosh Shafian (Hampshire Road): Raised concerns about racial representation, noting that 42% of the city is Black but only one Black person serves on council. She also questioned the lack of transparency in recent appointments and asked for an update on parks and recreation commission appointments.
    • Amy Eugene (Scarborough Road): Cited a Tufts University study showing that white, wealthy elected officials are less responsive to minorities and lower-income residents. She urged council to ensure policies represent all citizens, given that Cleveland Heights is 54% non-white.
    • Lou Radovievich (Middlehurst Road): Thanked Councilman DeWitt Foy for his advocacy for diverse representation. Criticized council for not supporting former Councilwoman Zenobia Sheets and for missing an opportunity to correct racial imbalance. Welcomed Councilwoman Stone but urged independent thinking.
    • Unnamed speaker: Paid tribute to Reverend Jesse Jackson and called for honoring Olympic gold medalist Layla Edwards with a parade.

Discussion Items

  • Swearing-In of Councilwoman Sarah Stone: Council President Kuda administered the oath. Stone thanked council and pledged to represent all of Cleveland Heights, emphasizing listening and responsiveness.
  • Mayor's Communications (Mayor Petris): Recognized Chuck Williams for his Black History Month recognition. Reported on elevator issues at Cedar Lee parking garage (needs full modernization, $175,000 not budgeted) and community center. Met with state representative for capital budget. Announced a breakthrough on pedestrian safety road project reviews. Reported pothole repairs and efforts to support the Cleveland International Film Festival (April 9-18).
  • First Readings (adopted unanimously unless noted):
    • Resolution 041-2026: Roof replacement for Alma Theater at Kane Park (leaking, emergency measure).
    • Resolution 042-2026: Purchase of a Freightliner dump truck for Public Works.
    • Resolution 043-2026: Purchase of a Ford F-350 truck for Streets Division.
    • Resolution 044-2026: Purchase of an International Hot Box Combo truck for Streets Division.
    • Resolution 045-2026: Grant agreement with NE Ohio Regional Sewer District for Overlook Road area SSO-46 control project.
    • Resolution 046-2026: Application for Safe Routes to Schools grant for a bicycle boulevard from Canterbury Elementary to Roxboro Schools. Councilwoman Cohen abstained, stating she received the document that day and could not review it. Per city ordinance, abstention counts as an affirmative vote.
    • Resolution 047-2026: Declaration of intent to finance a new outdoor municipal pool and pursue funding. The mayor noted Cumberland Pool is 100 years old and polluting the watershed; a lobbyist (Retzel) has been hired, and a capital request will be submitted to the state on March 12.
    • Resolution 048-2026: Appointment of Samiya Azazuddin to Transportation and Mobility Committee.
    • Resolution 049-2026: Reappointment of six members to Transportation and Mobility Committee.
    • Resolution 050-2026: Resolution opposing Ohio House Bills 2642 and 281 and Senate Bill 172 (requiring local law enforcement to assist ICE). Council members emphasized home rule and protecting immigrant residents.
    • Resolution 053-2026: Approval of D. Weber as Director of Human Resources. Mayor noted a confirmation hearing was held; Weber is an experienced HR professional.
    • Resolution 052-2026 (first reading only, no vote): Authorizing playground installation at Denison Park.
    • Resolution 051-2026 (first reading only, no vote): Amendment to T-Mobile tower lease at 14200 Superior Road.
  • Second Readings:
    • Resolution 037-2026: Purchase of a claw truck for refuse division (approved).
    • Resolution 038-2026: Agreement with Urban SDK for geospatial AI and roadway data. Council members assured residents that data is aggregated and not personally identifiable; the tool has been used for years. Councilwoman Cohen (a cybersecurity and privacy lawyer) supported the contract and suggested a broader data policy. Councilman Posh noted the safety committee will continue discussions. Approved.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes: All first-reading resolutions listed above passed unanimously except Resolution 046-2026 (Cohen abstained, legally counted as affirmative). Second-reading resolutions passed unanimously.
  • Appointments: Councilwoman Jessica Cohn and resident Daniel Waters were appointed to the Community Reinvestment Area Housing Council.
  • Committee Reports:
    • Planning and Development Committee (March 9, 5 PM): Agenda includes accessory dwelling units update, severance discussion, and zoning code review.
    • Community Relations and Recreation Committee (March 9, 6 PM): Discussion of youth scholarship fund and parks and rec topics.
    • Municipal Services and Environmental Sustainability Committee (March 9, 7 PM): Update on EPA consent decree for sewer infrastructure.
    • Climate Environmental Sustainability Citizen Committee (March 17, 4 PM).
    • Transportation Mobility Citizen Committee (March 25, 6:45 PM).
  • Councilmember Comments:
    • Vice President Larson noted March is Women's History Month (theme: leading the change) but no awards ceremony this year; plans to request a budget for 2027.
    • Councilman DeWitt Foy announced Cleveland Heights received Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation and challenged the city to aim for Silver or Gold. He also thanked residents for their engagement.
    • Councilman Cohen acknowledged the Jewish holiday of Purim and its significance.
  • President's Report: President Kuda thanked all attendees and adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:53 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, I'd like to call this meeting of the Cleveland Heights City Council to order. It is March 3rd. It's 739. Cobb. Here. Larson. Here. Posh. Here. Do it for Cohen. Here. Here. Stone. All right. Our first order of business today is to give the oath of office to our newly appointed councilwoman, Sarah Stone. Now she has been actually appointed be uh earlier, but this is the kind of ceremonial swearing in. So uh Sarah, if you would agree. By the way, when I say swear or firm. I did it. Hi, Sarah Stone. You solemnly swear or affirm. Do solemnly swear or affirm. Support your constitution and laws of the United States of the American. The Constitution and laws of the State of Ohio. And the Charter and ordinances of the City of Cleveland Heights. Discharge the duties of that office. Councilwoman, would you like to say a few words? Yes. Thank you, President Kuda. Members of City Council, I would like to thank you for the honor of this appointment and for your generosity with time, advice, and support as I join your ranks. Meeting most of you for the first time, I am impressed by your breadth of knowledge, dedication to our community, and the sheer volume of work you accomplish every week on behalf of Cleveland Heights. Thank you for all you do and for this opportunity opportunity to serve with you. In these times when national politics for many of us seems so remote from our beliefs and everyday lives, I believe city government offers the best case tangible example of democracy that works for our community. That's why I sought this position. Because in our world today, I believe that we need that reassurance that public officials are listening and working for all of us. The voters of Cleveland Heights and city leadership have done a remarkable job in rebuilding our city government to live up to that promise. Joining in that movement, I pledged you to represent all of Cleveland Heights. As residents, we chose to live in this special place. As a public official, it means taking the time to listen, to be present and responsive to all our neighborhoods, because we are richer for being around those who don't look or think as we do.gov. I look forward to seeing you throughout our community in the months ahead. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you and welcome, Councilwalker. Thank you. Next, we're going to move on to approval of the minutes. Okay, then the minutes are approved. Communications from the mayor. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to begin by recognizing special guest here this evening, Mr.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com