Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting - April 20, 2026
Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting - April 20, 2026
The Cleveland Heights City Council convened on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 7:36 PM. All members were present. The meeting included a student report, presentations on immigration legal services, proclamations, reports on infrastructure and demolitions, legislative actions, and public comments.
Student Report
Bailey Evans, a ninth grader at Heights High and member of the Superintendent’s Student Cadre, reported on recent school activities. Athletic achievements included the indoor track team’s state meet placements (4x200 boys 2nd place, 4x400 boys 6th, 400m boys 6th, 3200m girls 7th), two girls wrestling state placers (Tamaya Bowie 6th, Chelsea Gibson 8th), and the boys basketball team winning a district final over St. Ignatius. Upcoming events included the No Hate Tour (BMX assembly), a Holocaust course trip to Washington D.C., OST testing (April 9/10), the Creative Heights Art Show (April 14 – May 8), the High Tide Drama Club’s production of As You Like It (April 16–18), and spring concerts (April 30, May 1).
Presentations on Immigration Legal Services
Representatives from Legal Aid of Cleveland and Catholic Charities addressed the council.
- Legal Aid of Cleveland (Lisa Polowinski, Corey Lee Drazda): Described their mission of securing justice for low-income individuals and their focus on civil immigration cases for victims of crime. They are currently at capacity, not accepting new general cases; each of the four immigration attorneys manages 60–75 clients. They confirmed they serve detainees at the Geauga County Jail.
- Catholic Charities (Alison Brown): The Associate Director of Immigration Legal Services outlined their focus on children (unaccompanied minors, children in foster care due to parent detention) and refugees (green cards, citizenship). She warned against immigration scams. Their intake number is 216-939-3769, and they expressed interest in hosting brief advice clinics in Cleveland Heights.
Proclamations and Honors
Lutheran East High School Basketball Team: The council issued a proclamation recognizing the team’s legacy of sustained excellence, noting Coach Sam Liggins’ leadership (9 consecutive regional and 11 consecutive district championships). Individual player awards highlighted included Dylan Ziegler (Division 5 Northeast Player of the Year), Chris Hill, Devontae Perkins, Ty Harrison, and freshman Bryce Irby. The team thanked the council for the recognition.
Communications from the Mayor
Mayor Petris led a moment of silence for a student who passed away during an athletics practice. He announced progress on road repairs, crediting the council for doubling the resurfacing budget to $5.1 million. Pothole crews have been increased from one to two full-time crews, with a third unionized contractor crew starting Wednesday. He promoted community events: a screening of the Greenprint documentary (April 21, Noble Library) and an Arbor Day ceremony (April 24, Cumberland Park).
City Administrator’s Report
Michael Reese provided updates on administrative operations and the Hillside Dairy Demolition Project (Mayfield/Noble intersection). The council passed a motion to bid the project. The tentative timeline includes opening bids on May 7, contract finalization in June, and abatement/demolition/securitization from June through August. A budget adjustment will be required.
Legislation
- Adopted:
- Ord. 078-2026 (codified ordinance updates)
- Res. 079-2026 (ODOT road salt cooperative purchasing)
- Res. 074-2026 (ADA bleachers at Forest Hill Baseball Complex)
- Res. 075-2026 (landscaping services for 2026)
- Resolutions 085-093 (Consent Agenda): Recognitions for Bike Month, Municipal Clerks Week, Air Quality Awareness Week, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Military Appreciation Month, National Preservation Month, and School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.
- First Readings (no vote):
- Res. 081-2026 (housing rehabilitation/lead abatement)
- Ord. 082-2026 (lease at 1807 Coventry Road)
- Res. 083-2026 ($7,500 contribution to Heights Music Hop)
- Res. 084-2026 ($2,500 contribution to Heights Tiger 5K and Fund Run)
Committee Reports
Council members announced upcoming committee meetings:
- Municipal Services (May 11), Climate and Environmental Sustainability (April 21).
- Planning and Development (April 28). ADU meeting postponed from May 5 (Election Day), new date TBD.
- Finance, Public Safety, and Health (May 27, times tentative).
- Housing and Building (May 11, short-term rentals, code study).
- Council workshop reconvening on April 28 for rules and procedures.
Public Comments
Four residents addressed the council on non-agenda items:
- Gail Bromley (Coventry Road): Expressed deep concern over the Shaker Lakes project. Noted a petition requesting a pause garnered over 500 signatures. She stated the community was shocked to learn 2,000 trees will be cut down, as reported at the sewer district board meeting, and called for collaborative discussion.
- Jason Smith (Northway Road, Cedar Taylor District): Voiced strong opposition to Ordinance 75-2022 (prohibiting conversion therapy). Argued the ordinance attacks religious counseling and prayer. Contested the evidence that sexual orientation is unchangeable and that conversion therapy poses health risks, asserting the LGBTQ lifestyle itself has inherent risks. Questioned the need for the ordinance in a city he described as a haven for the LGBTQ community and criticized its sponsors. Urged the council to repeal the ordinance.
- Christopher Wood (Edge Hill Road): Criticized the city and school board regarding the Hebrew Academy property on Blanche Avenue. Highlighted property appraisal discrepancies (valued at $1,000 by the auditor while selling for approximately $100,000 per lot). Argued the city and school board are derelict in not collecting back taxes, as the lots are not used for an educational purpose. Stated the development will increase taxes on existing residents.
- Edgar Mitchell: Thanked the Home Repair Resource Center for assistance and offered condolences regarding the student who passed away.
Key Outcomes
- Council approved bidding for the Hillside Dairy demolition project and expanded road repair crews.
- Several pieces of legislation were passed regarding codified updates, salt purchasing, bleachers, landscaping, and a slate of proclamations.
- First readings were held for housing, lease, and community event funding legislation.
- Council announced a public hearing on Ranked Choice Voting (April 29) and a meeting on the new Culver’s restaurant (May 20).
Meeting Transcript
Okay, I'd like to call this Cleveland Heights City Council meeting to order at 7:36 on Monday, April 20th, 2026. Acting Clerk Larson, would you please call the role? Happy to do so, President KUDA. Cohen here, Stone, Cobb, CUDA, Larson here, Posh, Duit Foy. Here. All right. Nobody's absent. We have no amendments to the agenda. We have no minutes to approve. We do we have a Cleveland Heights High School student here. Yay. Come on up. So when you come up, I I don't know your name, so you can say your name in that microphone and you can adjust it. And we're really glad you're here because we always want to know what's going on in the schools. And also when you tell us your name, what tell us what year you're in at school as well. Okay. Okay. Good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is Bailey Evans, and I am a ninth grader at Cleveland Heights High School. As a member of the superintendent student cadre, I am here to give a brief report about what's happening at Heights High. I am honored to be here. Thank you for this opportunity. First, I would like to tell you all about our athletic teams. Athletics wrapped up a successful winter season. Indoor track. The indoor track team had an impressive showing at the state meet. Four by 200 boys, second place, Aiden, Sirius, Marquise, and Diani. Four by 400 boys, 6th place, Aiden Sirius, Harrison, and Marquise. 400 meter boys, six sixth place, Aiden West. 3200 meter girls, seventh place, Cassie Thompson. Girls wrestling. The girls' wrestling had two representatives at the state tournament with both placing with both placing. Tamaya Bowie placed 6th and Chelsea Gibson placed 8th in their respective weight classes. Boys basketball. Boys basketball won a district final over St. Ignatius and advanced to the regional semifinals. This is their second district final in four years. Heights Athletics looks forward to a busy spring season. Here are a few important meet events happening at High Time. On March 6th, the No Hate Tour visited Heights High for a BMX style assembly where students saw award-winning BMX bikers perform tricks while learning about important the importance of kindness and positivity. Almost 410th through 12th grade students enrolled in the lessons of the Holocaust course traveled to Washington, D.C. before spring recess to visit the U.S. National Holocaust Museum, African American Museum, the Arlington National Cemetery, and tour various major monuments. The trip allowed students to connect up close with the artifacts and evidence they have learned about as they study the Holocaust and other genocides. Upcoming events in April. OST testing has been has started being administered in April, starting with ELA 2 tests on April 9th and 10th. In preparation for the OST testing, Heights held a pep rally to encourage students to do their best on their upcoming test and remind them, reminded them of effective test strategies through various games and activities. Heights High National Honor Society also held study sessions after school in the cafeteria before the OST test to help their peers feel prepared. The opening night of the Creative Heights District Art Show took place on April 14th at the Leero Library from 6 to 8 p.m. The annual showcase featured students' artwork from all seven elementary schools, both middle schools, and multiple art classes at Heights High.
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