Okay, welcome to the special Cleveland Heights City Council meeting.

It is Monday, June 22nd at 5 PM.

And I guess I'll call the roll.

Sarah Stone.

Here.

Jessica Cohen.

Here.

Craig Cobb.

Here.

Tony Kuda is here.

Vice President Larson.

Here.

Councilman Joe DeWitt Foy.

Here.

And Councilman Jim Posh is on Zoom.

Here.

Actually, you're on team.

Um, so uh the meeting is called to order.

Uh our first order of business is communications from the mayor.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I have no comments right now.

All righty.

Thank you.

Uh the next thing we're gonna do is uh we're gonna flip around five and six, and we'll do uh public confirmation hearing for the HR director nominee Christina Halstead.

Uh Ms.

Halstead, are you there?

I am, yes.

All right.

Um Mayor, would you like to do the introduction?

Thank you, Mr.

President.

It's my pleasure to introduce Christina Halstead for consideration as Cleveland Heights Human Resources Director.

Christina currently serves as HR manager for the City of Columbus's Department of Public Safety, one of the largest and most complex municipal workforces in the state.

In that role and throughout her career, she has built hands-on experience across virtually all facets of human resources, labor relations and contract compliance, employee discipline and grievance proceedings, FMLA and performance evaluation, and the list goes on.

Christina holds a master in the study of law from the Ohio State University with a concentration and employment law and a master of public administration from Franklin University with the concentration and human resource management.

She's also a credentialed professional in human resources, PHR, and a member of the National Public Employee Labor Relations Association, reflecting both her formal expertise and her ongoing commitment to best practices in public sector labor relations.

Christina's combination of municipal experience, legal and administrative education, professional certification, and a labor relations expertise make her exceptionally well qualified to lead Cleveland Heights Human Resources Department.

I'm pleased to present her for your consideration.

All right, thank you, Mayor.

Um before we go into questions, um I I want to say that this situation comes about because uh we did amend our charter in November.

Uh council believed that uh it was very important to establish an actual HR department with a direct, you know, a director at that level.

And um, you know, with 400 plus uh full-time employees and I know over a hundred seasonal employees, we thought that this was very appropriate.

Um, and previously this job was divided up between the finance director, uh well, actually was given to the finance director.

And we know the finance director has plenty on his plate.

Um, so uh Christina, would you like to speak first?

Um would be welcome to hear you from you, or we'll we can go to questions.

Sure.

I think that Mayor Petras did a wonderful job in uh his introduction.

Um he took a lot of the words out of my mouth when it comes to what I was going to say as an introduction for myself.

Um so um uh I would welcome the questions that you have.

Sure.

Who would like to start?

Well, um I guess I'll go first.

Uh thank you for uh interviewing with us.

I do say your name because everybody you have.

I'm uh councilman Craig Cobb.

Um what was it about this job that uh drew your interest?

Absolutely.

Um I as Mayor Petras mentioned, I am the HR manager for the City of Columbus.

And the um next step for me would be a directorship role.

What drew me to the city of Cleveland Heights was the diversity of the community um and its um employees.

Um along with the size of the city as well.

Um the city of Columbus as a whole is uh large.

It's the 14th largest city, and um we have um roughly nine to ten thousand employees.

I don't serve all of them, but working in a department of public safety, um my division specifically has 182 personnel, but I am polled often to assist with the division of fire and division of sport of uh police, excuse me, which have um roughly 2500 and 1700 employees respectively.

Um while that has given me a robust experience in um um labor and employee relations in um um all matters of HR really, um I prefer the scale of um a smaller municipality um and Cleveland Heights um is uh their size is very similar to the division of sport services.

I feel um as if I um can have a greater impact on the employees that I serve because I am a talker and a communicator and I prefer to meet employees at their level and spend some time um um understanding their roles and what their pain points are and um what our opportunities and challenges are for um their respective sections and um for the HR department and assisting them.

Um so that is what drew me to um this role with Cleveland Heights.

Okay.

How many employees do you currently supervise?

And then if you would tell us how would you characterize your management style.

Yeah, I currently supervise two human resource analysts.

They um are the equivalent of what HR generalist is.

Um my management style is at first um it I am more hands-on and um in the weeds, so to speak, um, ensuring that they understand um what their roles and responsibilities entail.

And once uh myself and the employee um start to gain the confidence um and um knowing the job, then um it switches to more of a trust but verify.

Um I want my staff to know that I trust them and their ability to perform the job uh competently and efficiently.

Um, but I also want to make sure that we're compliant um in the federal, state, local laws, and the city's regulations.

Have you had an opportunity to speak to any of the employees that you would be supervising here in Cleveland Heights?

I have, yes.

Um the during the interview process, both um the first time and a second time, because I interviewed twice twice for this role.

Um I met April Harrison, um, had a chance to speak with her and understand um how um she prefers to be managed.

Um and I also have corresponded via email with um the HR generalist as well.

Okay, I'll pass it on to someone else.

Hi, I'm councilwoman Jessica Cohen.

Nice to meet you.

Uh my question is around what I think is going to be quite a bit of work to stand up an HR department since we haven't had one.

Um, I would presume that you stepped into a role at the city of Columbus that already was established and uh an HR department that was established.

So as you're thinking about coming into this role, what are you concerned about?

What do you what are you excited about?

Just talk about how you're gonna move us forward by building this uh this new structure for us.

Yeah, um, really what excites me is building that structure.

Um I'm very passionate about um creating positive um work environments and um the foundation of that is having um uh these HR processes in place, such as um a structured uh performance evaluation process um and review system, um, having that open line of communication, not only between HR and the employees, but management as well.

Um and um really making sure that employees understand how their role fits in with the city um and um what their expectations are.

Um as far as the challenges go, um, as you mentioned, um the city of Columbus already has these processes established.

And because we are such a large organization, um we're a little decentralized when it comes to um some of our um systems or HR systems.

So for example, we have our own compensation department that um handles the performance evaluation system.

Um but on um uh the flip side of that, although they wrote the system and um the manual that we're to um follow, um, it's left on the HR departments within the um individual departments to um carry out the performance management system and um the um uh compensation equity.

Um so um I think that that would be the biggest challenge is keeping that in-house, but I'm confident that my experience in um uh managing these systems from a division level is going to help tremendously.

Thank you so much.

I'll pass it.

Actually, if you don't mind, uh I'd like to follow up on your question, uh, Councilwoman Cohen.

So talk could you just talk a little bit in detail about establishing performance objectives and um then an evaluation system.

I take it you have something in place in the public safety department.

And uh because I know that's a big reason why we as council members wanted to wanted to have a director level position.

Um I mean, for this would be for 400 employees and uh how do you get started?

Yeah, um that is the most challenging aspect of creating uh performance management system from the ground up is how do you get started.

Um as I mentioned, I think that my um foundational knowledge in the um the system that we have in place at the city of Columbus is going to help.

Um with performance management systems, that is arguably one of the most critical aspects in um maintaining um that positive work culture and um creating um a uh stable retention rate.

Um if employees don't understand what is expected of them, it's unfair for us to expect them to um crew to complete their role as um it's directed.

They need to know what their goals are, what their areas of improvement are um and um where they're doing well in.

Um so in um creating an effective performance management system.

Um what I have seen work is um uh the city of Cleveland Heights has, I believe, a hundred and eighty day probationary period.

Um at the city of Columbus, it's a year long.

Um so when scaling it down to 180 days, um the probationary period itself is the most critical um uh time for a new employee.

Um we need to make sure that they're set up for success.

And therefore, I think that um there needs to be a periodic touch pit points.

I would suggest that um they be at um, for example, the first 30 days to set those to re um reinforce those um expectations, and then maybe at um uh 90 days, 120 days, and then the final probationary period.

They may seem excessive, but um employees um we want to make sure that they're successful in their role and um to ensure that we need to ensure that management is giving that periodic feedback and by having that structured um performance evaluation um we will um um it will ensure that they get that feedback.

Well, let me just follow let me just follow up on one thing that you just said.

Are you comfortable?

I mean, if if you think it's a better policy to have a year, I mean, there's okay, there are some policies in place here, but are you comfortable going to the mayor or the uh city administrator and saying, you know, actually I don't think that's a very good policy because I mean we don't have uh, you know, we we haven't had a director in place.

So I mean, what I want to, you know, you can tell what I want to hear is that you would be comfortable doing that.

Yes, yeah, that's um an understandable concern.

And yes, I would be.

Um I like to approach it from a collaborative standpoint um in um giving what my opinion is and thoughts are succinctly so that um Mayor Petrus understands um what my concerns are um and having that dialogue to find um a better way to structure some sort of policy.

Well, thank you for that.

Councilman Stone.

Hi, I'm Sarah Stone, councilperson.

Um I'm just gonna return to or turn to the recruitment side.

Um, you know, cities across the United States have had trouble uh uh uh in recruiting uh police officers and others uh uh safety officers.

Um I think Cleveland Heights has had its own history of sometimes not being fully staffed.

I wondered if you on the recruitment side in the city of Columbus have any strategies that have been successful for you in having robust police department.

Yes, working in public safety.

So in career centers, we would start going in and having conversations with law enforcement programs and creating that talent pipeline, helping them understand what it means to be a police officer or firefighter or for us at 911 emergency call taker or dispatcher, going into the community and helping bridge that for lack of a better way to describe it, distrust and public safety personnel.

By doing that, you also create that talent pipeline, always having those conversations to help employees and the pretend potential employees feel comfortable.

We've also previously contracted with a third party vendor called All Star Talents, which I wouldn't necessarily bring in as a priority because it's it's um dependent on the budgetary uh constraints.

But um that has also helped tremendously because they have helped us with social media, um, targeted ads and um creating um forums for um the community to come in and ask questions, have um hiring discussions, um, and also um just um it just helps to get our name out there.

Um again, I wouldn't think I wouldn't want that to be our first priority.

The priority um uh in my opinion should be um creating those um talent pipelines through employment fairs and um uh career um voced educational um schools um but those are all um potential ideas to consider uh councilman posh uh uh yes it's nice to meet you.

My name is Jim Posh.

I'm uh city councilman, uh city councilperson possibly.

Um so the the one thing that's concerning on your resume is you have a Columbus address.

And although I love Columbus, it's gonna be pretty hard, I think, to do your job while you're in Columbus, but maybe not.

I mean, do you plan on moving to Cleveland Heights?

That is that is a fair question um to answer.

Yes, I am.

I'm actually from Northeast Ohio.

Um, and while um Columbus has been a great home to me the past 10 years, um I uh me and my husband are ready to come home.

Um so um we will be moving up.

I um will be up in the Cleveland area as of um July 4th weekends.

Um I will not be completing this role um from Columbus.

That sounds good.

That's a wonderful answer.

And and I hope in your um places to look, Cleveland Heights will be on your list.

Um but we understand there's other communities and family needs and everything like that, but it would be really great if you were local.

Thank you.

Uh Vice President.

Hi, Ms.

Halstead.

I'm Gail Larson, vice president of council.

It's nice to meet you.

Um I want to go back to the evaluation system because it's extremely important to us to have that in place since we found out they don't have one here.

Um what resources and training, because it will require training of supervisors.

Um you encourage the mayor to use as a basis for implementing a performance management evaluation system.

There must be software out there, but um, is there software out there that directors can tap into for some online training so they can implement this system in your name as a director of HR, but you can confidently feel that they are going to um administer the performance evaluation system the way that would you you would like it done.

Yeah, um that is something that I would need to explore as far as um third party training.

Um I would feel comfortable and eventually I would hope that my team would feel comfortable and having these um these training sessions with management.

Um I actually prefer that idea because um that way management um can get their questions answered in real time.

Um but I um uh do agree that having some sort of third party training um is also helpful.

Yeah.

I think especially since um it's another skill that a director should have if they're writing evaluations and judging performance throughout the year.

So it's it's not an easy thing to do as a supervisor, but I with your help, I think we'll get there.

I'd also like to know you you are certified as a professional human resources.

Why was it important for you to achieve this certification?

I I feel that I'm a lifetime learner and um you should never stop learning because then you're just going to hinder yourself.

Um the world of HR changes constantly like a flip of a coin.

And um, you're doing yourself and really the employees that you um serve a disservice if you choose to just stop.

Um in addition to getting that PHR certification, um, Mayor Petris mentioned that um I'm a member of the National Public Employee Labor Relations Association, and I um have regularly went to um the trainings that they have um um partnered or um they've put on um to um continuously improve my knowledge.

Thank you very much.

Councilman DeWitt Foy.

Hi, thanks for joining.

My name's Joe DeWitfoy.

Um you alluded to part of this earlier, but I just I want to expand on it.

I think Cleveland Heights, it's safe to say is in a transition period and uh with a new administration, several new members of council.

Um, you know, trying to build on the culture that does exist, but to improve and expand on that.

So um, you know, you talked about having clear expectations and regular feedback.

What other aspects of building a positive workplace culture would you be hoping to bring to Cleveland Heights, both to make it a more um attractive place for recruits, but also just a better place to work for um for employees.

I think that there's value in including um your employees in decision making processes.

Um not so much um when it comes to the final decision, but getting their inputs.

Um we have a quality of working life committee that um has um um that sorry, let me start over the quality of working life committee um is consisted of um both management, HR and um some members of um our division.

Um they bring um concerns that employees have um to um the table.

We discuss it, we figure if there's any way to um improve um the work life there.

Um so it can be something as a little as um, can we get the chairs cleaned um in our 911 emergency center to something as large as um uh employees are noticing a um uh an uptick in employees marking off or overtime, which is therefore causing a strain on their fellow co-workers who have to um who have to stay for that overtime that the employee that the other employee did not um stay for.

Um and I um that has helped employees feel valued.

Um, it also helps them understand um what goes into the decision making process.

It's not just a matter of um we don't want to do it that way.

Um, so we're not going to um they see um the um the fact that we have to look at the policies, procedures, um, whether it's going to be a liability for the city.

Um we've had that happen when we were um planning our family fund day, and we were just we were trying to figure out if we can um um have a tank tank and um uh use there.

Um so um I think that that is one um um aspect that I would like to see implemented at some point.

On the topic of the family fund day, I think that it is also helpful to have those employee recognition programs.

It was a 24-7 unit.

So we put extra care to ensure that employees on all shifts were getting the same care and recognition despite the fact that they're on an opposite shift as us.

Great.

Thank you.

I just want to question it back to, I know we've been talking a lot about evaluations.

You described the probationary period and it the importance and onboarding new employees.

But as you implement your employee evaluation system, there are also those existing employees.

Yeah.

Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at it, I'm no stranger to those instances.

So at the first sign that an employee is not meeting their expectations.

And really, if I can go back a little bit with performance evaluations in particular, it's important to develop development standards for the employee, which are just goals and areas of improvement for the next rating period.

That's your foundation for evaluating the employee.

They have a negative connotation to them that I have committed a lot of work into breaking that stigma.

Employees feel that or believe that it is just a tool to discipline them out of their employments.

But that is not how this should be viewed.

How much time do you believe in giving an employee to adhere to performance standards, improve their attendance, improve their attitude, improve how they deal with the public?

How much time do you believe is reasonable to give an employee to meet those expectations?

And if they're not, are you able to have the hard conversation with the department head and that employee?

Yeah, I'm actually going to work backwards if that's okay and answer the last question first.

So I have had to have those difficult conversations.

I've actually been on the um at the table telling the an employee that they did not meet the expectations of their performance improvement plan.

And therefore, we unfortunately need to terminate your employment.

As far as a timeline that I would give an employee to per to improve, I would say that that is dependent on the situation.

You don't want to give somebody 30 days or 60 days, for example, to improve upon something that is performance-based and it's unrealistic to improve in that time frame.

Now, attendance, that's that's different.

Um with attendance, um, I think that shorter time frame is necessary because especially if the employee has had um habitual tardiness or um they uh have um exhausted all of their paid leave time.

Um you know um that you know that pattern and uh likely whether that pattern is going to continue or not.

Um so um I I I truly believe that it's just dependent on um the situation.

And what what's your view on uh employees that are um on their uh cell phones or surfing the net at their desk when they should be doing work for the city um I think that that is unacceptable.

Um while I think that it's unrealistic to think that employees are going to be um uh working 100% of the time.

Um and I say that because studies have shown that in order to have a um um a comfortable work environment or an environment that's not overwhelming to an employee.

Um you should follow the 7525 rule where 75% of their time um is taken up with their um responsibilities and 25% is um is downtime.

But when it comes to that downtime, there is always something work-related to do.

Um, and that is what the expectation is.

Now, if you are on your phone because um you have um a child that is sick or something that is personal that needs um handled right then, that is fine.

But it's you it cannot be um employees should not be allowed to just be on their phones.

Sorry, I'm sounding like a boomer that I am you on work from home versus you know working in the office.

Do you mean personally or when thinking about employees in general?

Um I have never worked from home um unless except for the off times when we had a level three snow emergency, for example, this year.

Um I personally don't like it because I um have everything that I need in my office, and I don't have that at home.

Um so I feel like I'm less productive when I'm working at home.

Um so personally, I would not want to work.

Well, what about employees that ask for that?

You know, some flexibility.

I'm not saying you know, totally work from home, but some type of split between do you do you have you like um seen any research or do you have any experience where you've seen you've you've been able to see the difference between the product productivity of uh somebody who works from home versus the work they do in the office?

Yeah, um I think that that is a value-added policy um because it provides that um flexibility to employees.

Um while I don't necessarily agree with a 100% work from home policy, I also understand that um life happens and um sometimes employees may need to stay home, but may need to be may be able to work from home, for example, if they're getting a water heater replaced or something like that.

Um so I think that that is something to consider.

Um, but I don't think that um I don't think that it should be a 100% remote um work.

Okay, any other questions?

Is there anybody who would like to ask any questions in executive session?

Okay, uh hearing none.

Um thank you very much for your time.

We really appreciate it.

Um scheduled to vote on Friday.

So again, thank you.

Anything else you want to leave us with?

I I don't want to have the necessarily have the last word.

No, I just want to thank you, Council, um, for um this opportunity to speak with you and talk to you a little bit more about my backgrounds um and for uh Mayor Petris and City Administrator Um Reese for um having the confidence and um my knowledge and and competency um to um effectively um execute this role.

So thank you so much.

Sure.

But one last question I just thought of who who would you be reporting to?

Um the city administrator.

Okay, very good.

All right.

Uh with that, I'll I'll say goodbye and thank you, and um you'll hear from us on Friday.

All right, you all have a great night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

President, um, when we go back in the committee of the whole, there is a um period for an executive session.

Yes.

I I'd like to discuss her situation when we do have that.

That would be fine.

Um appropriate.

Yes, president.

If I could, am I remembering that earlier you swapped the executive session and the public confirmation hearing on this agenda?

So I think that we now have the opportunity to go into executive session if you wanted.

Understood.

But what I think we're gonna do is just wait till we go into committee of the hall.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right.

So um we do have uh some legislation.

Uh so we'll start with uh let me put my glasses on here.

I can do it, Tony.

All right, I think I'll pass this off to the vice president.

So we have first readings for consideration for adoption tonight.

Just one.

Ordinance number 129-2026, an ordinance amending the city's housing and business maintenance codes by enacting new subsection 1347.03G of the city's codified ordinances and repealing in their entirety sections 1351.34 and 1369.

C of the city of Cleveland Heights, Ohio's codified ordinances, repealing ordinance 126-2026 and declaring the necessity that this legislation become immediately effective as an emergency measure.

So moved.

All right, we have a motion.

Is there a second?

A second.

Okay.

Very good.

Any discussion.

Uh okay, so this just uh the big change is the is uh the where is clause number five.

So this would be repealing what we did on the 15th of June.

Uh all in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

That motion passes on to uh first readings only.

Mr.

President, if I might just uh it does it does repeal what was done on the 15th with regard to these sections um and makes those changes now separately and immediately effective.

Thank you for the clarification.

All right, two for first reading only.

Resolution number 127-2026 resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into professional services agreement with RFC contracting LLC for owners representative services for the Cumberland Pool facility facility modernization and rehabilitation project and declaring the necessity that this legislation become immediately effective as an emergency measure.

So move.

Well, this is first reading only.

However, you know, since we don't really um you know have this in committee of the whole, if anybody has any questions about this, or I could speak to it.

No, now would be the time.

Yeah.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

President.

So um we received, as the legislation says, six responses to the proposal that we put out, and we had interviews with uh three finalists and follow-up interviews with them.

We also checked references for each of the three, and there is another piece of legislation that would create um that that's a budget amendment for this, which is 300,000.

Uh this specific legislation uh which would authorize and direct the mayor to enter into an agreement with RFC is for 132,000.

There are some additional services that we may choose to opt for.

So for example, Concord Township, they chose to have someone on site every single day.

Whereas right now that is not currently factored in here.

We may potentially choose some of these services, but we still anticipate that it will be substantially below the 300,000 um of that budget amendment.

Um we also in uh looking at RFC, we're really pleased to see that they have done multiple projects in the city of Strongsville.

That city has um repeatedly hired them.

They did the uh upgraded library in the city of Shaker Heights, and they are currently finishing a poll in Fairview Park.

That relevant experience made them uh the firm that we decide to go with.

Very good.

I would like to bring to I've already sent this to our clerk ballister.

There are two typos in the legislation, and it's a numeric.

It's doesn't affect the wording, but um it talks about the narrative is 132,820 and zero one hundred dollars.

The actual numeric is one hundred thirty-two thousand eighty-two.

So I've asked her to fix that before we vote on it.

Just to bring that to your attention.

Mr.

Mr.

President.

Um normally we see the contracts and the scope of work when we approve a contract.

Is that coming before we read this for adoption?

I mean, I think that it's sort of like chicken in the egg.

This legislation is authorizing and directing us to negotiate and sign an agreement.

And so sometimes we're at a point where we have an agreement that's in process, um, but we're moving pretty quickly here.

And so we recently made the decision to go with RFC and uh put them in touch with the law department so that the law department could negotiate a contract, or I'm sorry, could draft a contract with them.

So I don't know that that'll be ready by Friday.

Um, but I think that um it may be that the proposal or some some additional information could be provided, and I do think that we'll be likely using an AIA form as the template for the contract.

We can pass along the proposal.

I provide that to the clerk and could send it off to all council members.

Yeah, I think that would be helpful.

I mean, obviously there was there's an agreement on what the scope of services are because there's an amount that we're being asked to approve.

So to have more information behind that would be helpful.

And again, we may choose to go with some additional services as we work on that agreement, but we could certainly provide the proposal to you.

That would be helpful.

Thank you.

I would like to know if that agreement or the contract, the professional services contract will include a time frame for when the work will start and when it when you anticipate it will end.

Yes, yes, and we were very clear with all of the folks who we spoke with that we have a particular timeline in mind, and uh they're certainly aware of that.

Well, I want to make sure that we have what council needs before we vote.

So, councilwoman Cullen, what do you need to see?

I I would like to see the proposal that they that has, I presume a number on it in terms of what the cost is for the services and the scope of services that they're offering.

And then if if for instance, for example, if they're offering $300,000 of work, if the administration can indicate what is meant to be included in what skirt services are meant to be included in the amount that we've been asked to approve.

It doesn't have to be in any sort of formal contract, but just some communication that we have.

I don't I don't think I saw it in that.

So um whenever finance was working on the budget amendment, we were looking at proposals that had a wide range of numbers.

Um so there's the 320, uh, I'm sorry, 332,000 on the lower end.

The one proposal was like 650,000.

And so I think that finance chose the 300,000 because it seemed that most of them were within that range, and we had not yet selected one.

And so um we still think that you know it's appropriate to go with the 300,000 because we may add additional services, but I anticipate that it will be substantially below the 300,000.

And and just to be precise, what I meant was not the budget adjustment number, was the number in this piece of legislation, the 182.

Right.

But yeah.

So we can provide that uh proposal that that details that.

Um, and then as we draft the contract, we could share those proposals, or I'm sorry, those drafts with you.

Thank you.

And the timeline, no problem there.

Start date, end date.

Uh yes, I I think that we're comfortable with that.

Okay, very good.

Um read the next one.

Yes.

Resolution number 128-2026, a resolution appointing Helen Hertz, Linda Straevsky, Corey Clark, India Bird Song Terry, and William Fidel as members, the municipal property development and disposition committee of the city of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

All right.

And then we have three second readings that we are going to vote on.

Can I just have point of order, Mr.

President?

This particular piece of legislation, um, perhaps the law director could help us.

Is this meant to be adopted on Friday, or is this meant to be at our July 6.

July 6.

No, I'm asking July 6th.

That's what, yeah, that's what I'm asking, which meaning You're asking about um 128.

Yeah, the MDC PP.

Yeah.

Yes.

Um I I think it's it's council's uh discretionary determination on uh when they would make those appointments.

I mean, this is not an emergency, so I mean, I have no problem with July 6th.

No, well, well, I the reason I was asking is because we did have a con we had a conversation.

I'm just we're a little off kilter with committee of the like we're doing legislation in this meeting.

We have a committee, we have another meeting on Friday, then we have another meeting on Monday.

So um we did have a conversation at the last committee of the whole regarding one of my my concern with this legislation, and I think we've come to a a good conclusion on how we can um is that I'm sorry, am I getting these two mixed up?

Four though, right?

Okay, uh, right.

For oh, that is for it today.

Oh, this is the appointment versus the appointments to the one that will be finalized whenever that's voted upon.

Okay, but is that one and my computer's battery is lost, so I can't.

Second reading.

Yeah, that's that's second read.

That's next.

Okay, so let's then that's fine.

Then we do not have I've been I will.

And I'm gonna plug in my computer while I can.

Just on the point of of this piece of legislation.

Um I had worked with the clerk that it it is anticipated to be on Friday's agenda.

First reading tonight, second reading on Friday.

But as the law director said, there's no rush in this, there's no emergency.

So if you choose to do it on the sixth night, it would be fine as well.

But that was her intent, the the clerk to have it on for Friday.

When you say it, you're talking about 128.

128, correct.

Yes.

Okay.

All right, I'm good now.

Yes, but I'll I will save what I was gonna say for the next piece of legislation.

All right.

So on so Beck, I'm sorry, did you read 120?

I'm sorry.

No, I haven't.

Okay, let's.

Did I mean to do so?

Yes, please.

All right.

Ordinance number 120-2026, an ordinance to amend certain subparagraphs of ordinance number 241-2025 and subsequent amending ordinances relating to appropriations and other expenditures of the city of Cleveland Heights, Ohio for the fiscal year ending December 31st, 2026, and declaring the necessity that this legislation become immediately effective as an emergency measure.

And I heard councilwoman Cohen thinking that she might want to amend this particular piece of legislation.

Yes.

So as a as a reminder, this is this is two pieces to it.

One is the owner's rep for the Cumberland Pool project, and the second piece was the street sweeper, that public works there's associated legislation with.

I had raised some questions about the street sweeper in response to those questions that committee of the whole.

It my understanding of what the response was was that this was going to be an additional street sweeper, a fourth one in addition to the three we have.

And my question was whether that was really necessary and if we could use these funds for something else.

Uh the director of public works who is not available at the committee of the whole meeting, followed up with me after that to say that this is actually a replacement of one of the three street sweepers.

It is needed, and the funding is uh needs to be this needs to be wrapped up by July 1st for the um for the matching fund opportunity, or I'm sorry, not the matching fund opportunity.

The uh community cost share.

Yeah, the community cost share.

Thank you.

So um, so with that, I I'm okay.

My concern about buying equipment that is a surplus and not a need has been alleviated, and I'd be happy to revert back to the original form of the legislation that had both budget amendments in it, if that's if the rest of council's amenable.

And the law director will be happy to guide us through how we do that.

Um well, so I don't have the original piece of legislation in front of me, and this one has been modified both in the memo and I believe in the exhibit to remove the um appropriation for purposes of the sweet street sweeper purchase.

So we would have to um substitute the one that was read last week um for the one that is in the packet for this evening.

Can we do that via motion?

Or we could just have it on Friday because we talked already with Director Hannah about making sure because there are two other pieces of legislation that are critical to this purchase as well.

So we can make sure that that budget adjustment is done on the 26th.

Correct?

Yeah.

I think that works with all the data.

As long as the administration is okay with that.

I know that they were concerned about getting this passed.

So all right.

So in that case, we're just going to You've read it, right?

It's been read into the record.

Yeah.

We'll move on to uh 124.

Are we vote on it?

You want to vote on it?

We're voting on the current amount, correct?

You just suggested that we wait until Friday to consult.

Or the street sweeper.

Oh.

But we have that would be a separate piece, a new piece of legislation.

That's what I was thinking of.

I thought you were talking about consolidating.

I think I think the budget amendment could wait until Friday and then a third reading.

Correct.

So that we don't create more work for the law department.

Yeah, that will be it keeps everything then being adopted at the same time, and it'll be more straightforward, I think.

So I'll put that in my email to Clerk Ballister when I send it to her that that's what we're doing.

And the number on the legislation will be ordinance 120.

I'm not sure that we're consolidating.

We're in essence having a third reading so that we can go back to what was first read.

The original version.

Right.

Yes.

That's accurate, but it sounds yeah.

I'm okay with that.

All right.

All right.

So we're not voting.

Okay.

Next one.

Ordinance 124 2026.

An ordinance amending ordinance number oh numbers.

13-2019 is amended previously by ordinance number 11-2022 and ordinance number 195-2023 to reduce the number of directors on the board of directors of the Cleveland Heights Community Improvement Corporation to include only the mayor, president of council, and the director of the city's department of planning development, authorizing the mayor to file appropriate amended articles of incorporation and declaring the necessity this legislation become immediately effective as an emergency measure.

All right.

Do we um have a motion?

Oh so moved.

All right.

All right, it's been motioned and seconded.

Um, I just want to ask is this the legislation that we were uh I'm asking the mayor, I guess, that we were going to divide up the appointments between or that's the 125.

So we decided that going forward, rather than closing the CIC, it would make more sense for it to stay open.

We would make it the annual disclosure, but it would not have any activity in it.

And so this is in essence right sizing the organization so that we can do that annual disclosure without there being additional activity in there.

All right.

So maybe my question was for the next piece of legislation.

Okay.

And I'll hold it until then.

Um so uh it's been motioned and seconded.

Is there any other discussion?

I have it.

I have a point of I'd like to say something about it.

Sure, President.

So there's some really great people on the CIC.

And I do know that this sort of morphs into 125, the next thing we're gonna read, but you know, I want to make sure that everybody understands um this act.

Um to demote those folks and dilute their authority.

I mean, they're really great people.

They've done a lot of um great work for the city, and I I like how this is transitioning.

I think it's it's it's best for the city.

Uh and I I just didn't want anybody to think that it's we had some great people on this, and now we're just sort of kicking them off to the side.

And I don't feel like that's happening.

Thank you.

Uh and with that, all in favor?

I any opposed that motion passes.

Ordinance number 125-2026.

An ordinance establishing a municipal property development and disposition committee and prescribing its composition, purpose, powers, duties, and procedures, and declaring the necessity that this legislation become immediately effective as an emergency measure.

Thank you.

Um we can I can make a motion or I can just provide some additional explanation on this piece of legislation.

Well, why don't you do both?

Okay.

On the amendment, yeah.

Okay.

So moved.

Section six, you said.

Well, the section six, yeah.

Okay.

Well, before I move, I will go back.

This is uh this is what happens when we have an extra council meeting in between council meetings.

Um I had raised the concern at the committee of the whole meeting that we are changing the structure of this and creating a citizens advisory board without a council presence, which in the structure that the administration explained and made sense.

We do have the council president on the CIC, but that's now defunct, and we are appointing these members.

So we do have a role, but my concern was primarily that the administration, if it wasn't the collaborative administration we have right now, but rather a more adversarial relationship, that they might use this advisory committee in lieu of informing council about the disposition of municipal property.

So after um our discussion of committee of the whole, I um and director Zamp's suggestions at the committee of the whole, how we might approach this.

Um, I worked with the administration and our outside council to craft an amendment to this piece of legislation, which you'll see in section six in what the law department, the law of director just um gave us the amended version and um what that and I'll read it out um for the record and for the public, but the section six is the section that says that this committee, the committee it is the advisory only.

And the amended language is furthermore, it is not the intention of the city that every disposition of real property be subject to review and advice of the committee, and the city may proceed with the disposition of any particular piece of real property in accordance with its charter, codified ordinances, and applicable statutory provisions without review and advice from the committee.

However, in the event the committee is consulted prior to the disposition of any particular piece of real property, the mayor or his designee shall advise council of such intended action prior to convening the committee for review and advice pursuant to this resolution.

So in my mind, this preserves the administration's obligation to keep counsel informed when they are going to be utilizing this committee.

And so there's not a workaround uh to have this committee play the role that council is meant to play when it comes to um advising on real property and municipal disposition of municipal real property.

So if this is um, I guess I'll ask the law director for guidance on whether I can move to adopt the amended version of this, or if I need to move for the amendment itself.

So I think you would it the the most straightforward approach, I think, is to um for reasons I'm gonna mention in a moment um to move to amend.

Um the document in front of you is uh denoted already as amended 622 26, but um I believe that there was a change also discussed in terms of the number of appointments, which is perhaps what you were getting at, Mr.

President.

Not the number, the the the maker of the appointments to being made by the mayor subject to confirmation by council or or not.

That was a it was a division.

Right.

We were going to divide them.

So two by the mayor and then three by council, with the understanding that all of the folks who would be initially appointed are those currently on the CIC.

Which is the prior piece that we read earlier, right?

128.

So um the piece that's currently before you does not have a change in section two, which is composition and appointment of members.

So uh you could uh make it uh you could have a motion to amend it, or we could prepare this in clean form and you could act on it on Friday.

Um, since you're gonna be back at this in any event.

Friday.

I think then we'll have a clean piece of legislation.

Yeah, yeah.

I right.

So now we have to kind of competing.

Yeah, I see that.

Thank you.

All right, let's let's do that.

Uh, just one clarifying question on that.

Yeah, sure.

So is this does this only come into effect um if the committee is advising the administration on the disposition of a city-owned property?

It's listed or it's written as any particular piece of real property.

And my understanding is like this the CIC one of the roles was to advise on, you know, disposing of city-owned property, but also could be um could be consulted for sort of broader development um projects or um situations.

Um so this would just be if the city is potentially going to sell or dispose of uh a city-owned property before consulting with this committee council would need to be notified.

I I think that the I think that the answer is it's principal will be on advising with respect to the disposition of city-owned real property.

But in section five, um, at the top of the third page, it says that in fulfilling its purposes, the committee may it goes through a couple of uh uh activities, and one of those is identify and recommend priorities and opportunities for redevelopment, assemblage, interim use, housing, commercial or public uses, and other laws and other lawful dispositions strategies, but assemblage would suggest that there's a role that could include some of the general economic development or land use uh role.

Right.

So are we requiring that council be notified anytime this body meets or all of their meetings would be public, so you would be notified, the public would be notified.

And so council could be notified in each of those instances as well.

Okay.

I'm just I'm wondering if this poses um the burden on the administration to sort of you know figure out exactly when uh this requirement will, you know, be met or be needed and then send counsel an email before the the committee is meeting if the committee is meeting regularly without that requirement coming into effect.

So I think that some of that is the purpose of the um section six amendment, which says that it's not the you know, for purposes of clarification, it's not the intention that every disposition of real property be subject to review and advice from the committee and the city may proceed with disposing of a particular piece in accordance with charter, codified ordinances and other applicable law without review and advice from the committee.

But if the committee is consulted, then the mayor or designee shall advise council of such intended action.

Yeah, please.

I think that this was a good faith effort to try to keep the experience of the members of the CIC in City Hall.

And so, you know, it could be the case that you know we just don't take their advice, but I thought that this would be a good way that we could keep that here.

Um again, as I shared during our last council meeting, we can't dispose of property without city council voting on it.

And so my belief is that this is unnecessary and that this creates a burden.

But if this is something that would help council to feel comfortable, you know, we talk with folks regularly for advice on different things.

If this is something that council thinks would be helpful, I'm happy to include it.

But again, I don't think that it's necessary.

Mr.

President, just in response to Councilman DeWitt Voice, I mean, this is only at minimum meeting semi-annually.

And the language is, I mean, again, this is not meant to be an ongoing advisory for every single transaction.

The goal of the amendment, as I had asked, you know, the group that we were discussing it over email was to ensure that with a not with a more adversarial administration, that this group could not be used as a workaround to advise on property without council being aware of it.

So it's not meant to be administrative burden as much as it is to be a check on that they that, and if I'm not saying that the people that were we are intending to appoint would want to serve in that role either, but the mayor and council can appoint now this or will be able to appoint this five-person advisory board.

And they can um they can consult them without this amendment, without our knowledge.

And that's all I mean, I really don't see it as burdensome as opposed uh I mean, this is the natural course of informing us about municipal property.

You know, and the way we function currently, I don't see as a burdensome because to the mayor's point, they let us know about when there's going to be a disposition of municipal property.

This is more a check on an administration that is not communicating with council in the way that it should be.

Okay.

All right.

With that, um I'm gonna ask if there's any old business or any new business.

And if not, I'm gonna adjourn this meeting at 6.05, and we're gonna go into the executive conference room for a committee of the whole.