Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 2-4-2019

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

 

  • Ready Certify designation presentation
  • Meadowbrook Boulevard reconstruction project
  • Top of the Hill project
  • February commemorations
  • Health code
  • Housing code
  • Fair housing
  • Architectural Board of Review appointment
  • Possible legislation research
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. The seventh seat is unoccupied.The meeting lasted from 7:32 to 7:54 p.m.

Ready Certify designation presentation

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management presented Fire Chief Dave Freeman with a plaque certifying that the city’s safety forces had achieved a local level of readiness for major incidents, including a written operations plan for large-scale emergencies. Ready Certify is a voluntary program for cities, villages, townships, and organizations that provides objective evaluation of the participating entity’s emergency management program. Cleveland Heights joins an “elite club” of 23 communities and large organizations that have completed Ready Certify. More information is here: https://ready.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/Ready-Certify.aspx

Meadowbrook Boulevard reconstruction project

Council granted permission for the city manager to seek bids for Meadowbrook Boulevard reconstruction.

Top of the Hill project

The Architectural Board of Review has a public meeting on Top of the Hill Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. in council chambers. Residents may email Planning Director Richard Wong ahead of the meeting with input. Mr. Wong and Councilman Ungar will be in attendance.

February commemorations

Council proclaimed February as both National African American History Month and American Heart Month.

Health code

On second reading, council repealed sections of the health code that will remedy confusion created by the dissolution of the city health department when Cuyahoga County assumed jurisdiction over health services.

Housing Code

On second reading, Council amended the section of the Housing Code entitled “Family” to read as follows: “‘Family’ means a group of individuals who function as a single, cohesive household. The procedure to determine whether a group of individuals constitutes a family shall follow Section 1103.04 of the Zoning Code.”

Fair housing

On second reading, council amended the city code to include age, along with other classes, to protect citizens’ access to housing, employment, education and public accommodations.

Architectural Board of Review appointment

Local architect Martin Johannessen was appointed to fill a board vacancy for a three-year term ending Dec. 31, 2021.

Possible legislation research

Councilwoman Yasinow announced that she has requested city staff to research possible legislation to grant city staff paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child, create a legal city holiday on election day, and create a student loan assistance program to attract young residents to purchase homes in Cleveland Heights.

Mayor’s report

Mayor Roe announced that applications for the new task force are being accepted until Friday, Feb. 8. She reported on the recent Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration at the community center. She spoke about participating in the Heights Community Congress workshop, “Recognizing Privilege and Bias in Your Community.”

The next regular meeting of council will be Tuesday, February 19, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.

LWV Observer: Blanche Valancy.

To receive email postings of full reports, send an email to heights@lwvgreatercleveland.org or join through Google groups using “lwv-chuh observer reports” as a search phrase.

These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports. 

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Volume 12, Issue 3, Posted 10:15 AM, 02.21.2019