Cleveland Heights

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 2-3-2020

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Month recognitions
  • Top of the Hill financial ordinances
  • Delamere Drive basement flooding relief project
  • Consent agenda
  • Transportation Advisory Commission

 

Council members present were Mayor Jason Stein, Vice Mayor Kahlil Seren, Mary Dunbar, Melody Joy Hart and Melissa Yasinow. The meeting lasted from 7:40-9:09 pm; public comment took approximately one hour.

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Volume 13, Issue 3, Posted 11:06 AM, 02.25.2020

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 1-21-2020

JANUARY 21, 2020

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Clerk of council’s report
  • Fire pumper truck
  • Financing revenue bonds
  • Overnight Parking
  • Public works projects
  • Council member comments
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mary Dunbar, Melody Joy Hart, Davida Russell, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein, Michael N. Ungar and Melissa Yasinow. The meeting lasted from 7:44-8:59 pm.

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Volume 13, Issue 3, Posted 10:49 AM, 02.17.2020

Top of the Hill Project advances

On Jan. 27, in a three-hour meeting that ended at 10 p.m., the Planning and Development Committee of Cleveland Heights City Council considered two funding-related ordinances that advance development of the mixed-use project known as Top of the Hill (TOH).

In February 2018, CH City Council entered into a development agreement with developer Flaherty & Collins Properties to build TOH. After two years of work and more than 40 meetings with residents, property owners, businesses and various city departments, approval of the two funding ordinances is the final step before groundbreaking, anticipated this spring.

Council discussed the two ordinances at length at its Council Committee of the Whole meeting on Jan. 13, and both had first readings at the Jan. 21 city council meeting.

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Volume 13, Issue 2, Posted 12:50 PM, 02.01.2020

Cleveland Heights sees national Census as a priority and opportunity

Recently sworn-in Cleveland Heights City Council Member Davida Russell identified the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census as an agenda priority. Heights Libraries, the League of Women Voters, and FutureHeights are also supporting the initiative to see every adult and child included in the city's population count.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, thousands of Cleveland Heights residents are predicted to go unaccounted for by the survey. For each person not counted, the city is estimated to lose between $1,800 and $2,700 annually in federal funding, which means that it could miss out on millions of dollars in government spending over the coming decade.

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Volume 13, Issue 2, Posted 11:39 AM, 02.01.2020

New CH council member to host Jan. 29 listening session

Newly elected Cleveland Heights Council Member Melody Joy Hart will host a Community Listening Session on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., at Imani Temple, 2463 North Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights.

During her campaign, Hart pledged to hold regular town hall meetings/listening sessions so that citizens would have a chance to be heard. 

While this program is Hart's initiative, she has invited her council colleagues to attend, emphasizing that it is a listening session, not a talking session. “My role—and theirs, if they attend—is not to take it as an opportunity to talk, but as an opportunity to listen,” Hart explained. “Of course, my hope is that this will spur the council to join together in the future to hold these.” 

Hart anticipates holding the listening sessions quarterly.

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Volume 13, Issue 2, Posted 11:44 AM, 01.19.2020

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 1-6-2020

JANUARY 6, 2020

 

  • Swearing in council members
  • Swearing in mayor and vice mayor
  • Council committees
  • Council member comments
  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Property easement
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mary Dunbar, Melody Joy Hart, Davida Russell, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein, Michael N. Ungar and Melissa Yasinow.

The meeting lasted from 7:40—9:07 p.m. The swearing in and other organizing procedures lasted 50 minutes; public comment, 33 minutes; and other business, approximately four minutes.

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Volume 13, Issue 2, Posted 3:40 PM, 01.31.2020

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 12-2-2019

DECEMBER 2, 2019

 

  • First amendment rights of public officials
  • Public comments 
  • Ash tree mitigation 
  • City manager’s report
  • Fire equipment
  • Recreation and parks 2020
  • Tax and budget ordinances
  • Intimate images protection
  • Top of the Hill legislation
  • Nuisance properties demolition
  • Housekeeping legislation
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ tributes

 

Prior to the meeting, two canine officers were sworn in by the police department. Dodo is handled by Investigator Brian Ondercin, and Rambo by Officer Justin Weir. 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. The meeting lasted from 7:35—9:44 pm. 

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Volume 13, Issue 1, Posted 2:33 PM, 01.31.2020

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 11-18-2019

NOVEMBER 18, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Recreation programs, regulations, and rates
  • Tax and budget ordinances
  • Severance Town Center redevelopment plan
  • Forest Hill Park inclusive playground
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ announcements

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. Craig Cobb was absent. The meeting lasted from 7:36-9:04 pm.

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Volume 13, Issue 1, Posted 2:25 PM, 01.31.2020

CH prepares for 2020 U.S. Census

With the first phase of the 2020 U.S. Census just six months away, Cleveland Heights is preparing for this initiative.

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will collect data on more than 330 million U.S. residents. The date will inform decisions on how to allocate $675 billion federal tax dollars annually for the next 10 years. Population counts also determine a state's number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and number of votes in the Electoral College.

On Feb. 10, 7 p.m., Heights Libraries will present “The 2020 Census: What You Need to Know” at the Heights Libraries Lee Road Branch.

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Volume 12, Issue 12, Posted 3:58 PM, 12.02.2019

Cleveland Heights voters opt for change

Voters approved Cleveland Heights Issue 26, the charter amendment that will allow residents to directly elect the city's mayor, with a vote of 6,922 (64.10 percent) to 3,877 (35.9 percent).

In Cleveland Heights City Council races, five candidates vied for three 4-year term seats, while two candidates vied for a single 2-year term, to fill the seat vacated by former council member Cheryl Stephens and serve out the remainder of her unexpired term.

In the 4-year term race, Melody Joy Hart garnered the most votes, with 6,358 (25.56 percent), followed by incumbents Kahlil Seren, with 5,644 votes (22.69 percent), and Mary Dunbar, with 4,670 (18.77 percent).

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Volume 12, Issue 12, Posted 10:53 AM, 11.06.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 11-4-2019

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

 

  • Public comments 
  • Master Plan update
  • Severance Town Center redevelopment 
  • Small Business Saturday
  • Animals and fowl
  • Cuyahoga County sewer maintenance services
  • Delamere Drive NEORSD grant 
  • Refuse and Recycling Task Force 
  • Housing and Transportation Committee
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren and Jason Stein. Michael N. Ungar participated by telephone, but did not vote. 

The meeting lasted from 7:31 to 8:39 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 12, Posted 12:18 PM, 11.18.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 10-21-2019

OCTOBER 21, 2019

 

  • Evans Energy presentation
  • Public comments
  • Vice city manager’s report
  • Severance redevelopment project
  • Change in code on dangerous animals
  • Mayor’s report

 

Present were Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Carol Roe, Kahlil Seren and Michael Ungar. Excused were Jason Stein and Melissa Yasinow. The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Mayor Roe announced a change in the order of the agenda and that all legislation for the evening was offered as first reading.

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Volume 12, Issue 12, Posted 11:34 AM, 11.18.2019

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education work session highlights 10-15-2019

OCTOBER 15, 2019 

 

  • Ohio School Report Card performance, Part II

 

Members present were President Jodi Sourini, Dan Heintz, Malia Lewis, and Beverly Wright. James Posch was absent. Also present were Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby, Treasurer Scott Gainer, and Allison Byrd, director of data and assessment. The meeting began at 7:05 p.m., after an executive session, and ended at 8:45 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 12, Posted 11:28 AM, 11.18.2019

Noble corridor plan presented to city councils

On Sept. 16 and 17, FutureHeights and Bill James, of the consulting firm Camiros LTD, presented a proposal to bolster the Noble Road corridor to the city councils of Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland, respectively. 

Plans include improving the roadway, adding specified bike lanes, beautifying the neighborhood, and revitalizing the business districts. (Watch James’ presentation to Cleveland Heights City Council on the city's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSsOLRqXpFU&feature=youtu.be.)

Noble Road is the most significant street in the northeast section of Cleveland Heights, giving its name to an area known as “Noble neighborhood.”

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Volume 12, Issue 11, Posted 10:39 AM, 11.01.2019

CH Warrant Amnesty Day is Nov. 14

The Cleveland Heights Municipal Court will host Warrant Amnesty Day on Thursday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On that day, individuals with misdemeanor traffic or criminal arrest warrants will be allowed to return to court without being arrested in exchange for an agreement to complete and comply with any court orders. 

Representatives from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, and Ohio Means Jobs will assist with driver’s license reinstatement, expungement navigation, workforce development, job training referrals, and applying for financial, food, medical and childcare assistance.

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Volume 12, Issue 11, Posted 9:45 AM, 11.01.2019

Noble Neighbors election forums cover candidates and elected-mayor issue

Noble Neighbors held well-attended, neighborhood-focused election forums on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 at Noble Road Presbyterian Church. The first of the two forums was for school board and Cleveland Heights City Council candidates; the second was on Issue 26, which, if it passes, will change the city’s form of government from a council-manager to a mayor-council arrangement.

At the candidates’ forum, school board incumbents Beverly Wright and Jim Posch, both running unopposed, talked about school district successes, including improved graduation rates and the three-quarters of Heights High graduates who go on to postsecondary education. A challenge they cited is the financial drain caused by diversion of funds to private schools through the state’s voucher programs.

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Volume 12, Issue 11, Posted 9:06 AM, 10.21.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 10-7-2019

OCTOBER 7, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Tax and budget resolutions
  • Purchase of fire equipment
  • NOACA grant
  • Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Month observances
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ announcements

 

All council members were present: Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. The meeting lasted from 7:40 to 9:13 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 11, Posted 11:19 AM, 11.18.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 9-16-2019

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

 

  • Noble Road Corridor
  • Public comments
  • City Manager’s report
  • Clerk of Council’s report
  • ABR appointment
  • Edwards Road
  • Economic development loans
  • NOPEC grant
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ announcements

 

All council members were present: Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein, and Michael N. Ungar.

Prior to this meeting, two police officers were sworn in and one promoted.

The meeting lasted from 7:49 to 9:57 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 11, Posted 10:29 AM, 10.15.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 9-3-2019

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Liquor control
  • NOPEC Grant
  • Edwards Road
  • Planning commission
  • Month and week proclamations
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ announcements

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb and Mary Dunbar. Members absent were Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. The meeting lasted from 7:46 to 8:46 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 10, Posted 11:12 AM, 09.23.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 7-29-2019

JULY 29, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Director of finance/clerk of council’s report
  • First Amended Charter of the City of Cleveland Heights
  • Initiative petition
  • Marketing and branding 
  • Sidewalk and crossing improvements
  • MOU with city manager
  • 2020 tax budget
  • Ohio Public Works Commission programs
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ announcements

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. 

Prior to the regular meeting, there was a tax budget hearing conducted by City Manager Briley. 

Mayor Roe announced at the outset that council intended to table indefinitely the First Amended Charter at this meeting. She established that citizens wishing to speak would be given a number by staff and that each would be limited to three minutes and notified when one minute remained and when time was up.

The meeting lasted from 7:38 to 9:50 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 9, Posted 9:19 AM, 08.27.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 7-15-2019

JULY 15, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Special presentations
  • City manager’s report
  • Amended charter 
  • Initiative petition
  • Liquor permit objections
  • Commission appointments
  • Job creation grant
  • Parking solution
  • Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council members’ announcements

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren and Jason Stein. Michael N. Ungar was excused but listened on the telephone. The meeting lasted from 7:40 to 9:30 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 9, Posted 9:14 AM, 08.27.2019

Cheryl Stephens vows not to run for mayor if ballot issue passes

Local politician Cheryl Stephens, a Cleveland Heights resident, has announced that she will not run for mayor if voters choose to change the city charter to a "strong mayor" form of government this November.
 
The announcement is significant because Stephens was an early supporter of changing Cleveland Heights' government from its current "city manager/council" form. And some opponents to the ballot measure have pointed to her supposed interest in becoming the city’s first strong mayor as the real political motivation behind the initiative. 
 
Stephens made her announcement in an opinion piece written for the Heights Observer.

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Volume 12, Issue 9, Posted 11:37 AM, 08.19.2019

Strong mayor or city manager will be sole CH charter issue this fall

The fight over competing ballot issues to decide whether to keep or change the structure of Cleveland Heights City government was growing increasingly contentious. But CH City Council took a step back from the brink on July 29, when it voted to place only one issue on the ballot in November.

The city’s voters will be asked, yes or no, do you want the city to switch to a form of government led by a popularly elected mayor. That means a second issue, containing a passel of other proposed changes to the city charter, will not come before voters this year.

City council’s action was a victory for Citizens for an Elected Mayor (CEM), the grassroots campaign that had gathered signatures from 4,000 registered voters to place a referendum on the ballot.

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Volume 12, Issue 8, Posted 12:17 PM, 07.30.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 7-1-2019

JULY 1, 2019

 

  • Recognition
  • Public Comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Liquor control
  • Storefront renovation
  • Top of the Hill parking plan
  • National Parks and Recreation Month
  • Fourth of July safety
  • Bond ordinances
  • 2020 Tax Budget
  • Public walks and walkways
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. The meeting lasted from 7:34 to 8:17 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 8, Posted 9:15 AM, 08.02.2019

CH court and BMV offer license reinstatement fee assistance

The Cleveland Heights Municipal Court, in collaboration with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), will offer a reinstatement fee amnesty clinic for those with suspended licenses on Thursday, July 25, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Cleveland Heights Municipal Courtroom, 40 Severance Circle. 

According to a press release from the court, "qualified participants may receive [either] amnesty or a reduction in BMV reinstatement fees." Those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) are eligible for the complete waiver, and only the first 100 participants will be served.

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Volume 12, Issue 8, Posted 9:48 AM, 07.22.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 6-17-2019

JUNE 17, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • City manager’s report
  • Director of finance/clerk of council’s report
  • City-owned property transfer
  • Top of the Hill parking
  • CDBG agreements
  • Public recreation financing
  • Wireless communications facility
  • Joint meeting
  • Council meeting suspension in August
  • Issuance of bonds
  • Mayor’s announcements
  • Council members’ announcements

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren and Jason Stein. Michael N. Ungar was excused, but listened on the telephone.

Prior to the regular meeting, there was a police officer promotion and swearing in ceremony for seven officers. Chief Mecklenberg stated that this brings the CHPD to 102 officers, just three short of fully staffed.

The meeting lasted from 7:40 to 8:29 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 8, Posted 9:03 AM, 08.02.2019

Cleveland Heights leads in complete and green streets

In May the National Complete Streets Coalition chose Cleveland Heights’ Complete and Green Streets policy as the best of 66 complete streets policies adopted in the United States in 2018. The policy is the result of three years of work by the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), a panel of residents who work closely with Planning Director Richard Wong and CH City Council Member Mary Dunbar.

TAC members made sure the goal of passing a complete streets policy was included in Cleveland Heights’ master plan, adopted March 20, 2017. CH City Council approved the policy on May 16, 2018.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 11:59 AM, 06.27.2019

CH to host tax abatement workshops on June 12

The city of Cleveland Heights will host two "Tax Abatement 101" informational sessions on June 12: 8–9:30 a.m. in Council Chambers at CH City Hall, and 6–7:30 p.m. at the CH Community Center.

The sessions will each cover the new Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) program that offers property tax abatements to residential and commercial projects throughout the city. The same material will be covered at both the morning and evening sessions, which are being offered to accommodate diverse schedules.

These free events are open to real estate brokers (residential and commercial), developers (residential and commercial), home builders, residents, and other stakeholders interested in learning more about this new program, which dramatically increases the impact and reach of the city's CRA.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 10:30 AM, 06.11.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 6-3-2019

JUNE 3, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Abortion resolution
  • Top of the Hill
  • Lower Shaker Lake
  • Street resurfacing
  • Other items reported by the city manager
  • City manager’s report
  • Liquor permit application
  • Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook development
  • Top of the Hill parking
  • Pride Month and Gun Violence Awareness Day

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. The meeting lasted from 7:35 to 9:30 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 10:16 AM, 06.21.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 5-20-2019

MAY 20, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Municipal court annual report
  • City manager’s report
  • Abortion rights
  • Property declared a nuisance
  • Mayor’s and council members’ announcements

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, and Jason Stein. Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow and Michael N. Ungar were absent. The meeting lasted from 7:31 to 8:44 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 10:26 AM, 06.21.2019

CH voters may face competing charter revisions in November

Citizens for an Elected Mayor (CEM), a grassroots campaign to change the structure of Cleveland Heights’ government, has been collecting signatures since mid-May to put a voter referendum on the ballot this November. The proposal would revise the city charter to allow residents to elect the mayor directly.

In the current system, in place since the original city charter in 1921, citizens elect seven part-time city council members, who in turn hire a full-time city manager to run the city. A so-called “weak mayor” is a member of council, chosen by council as a first among equals.

Meanwhile, the Charter Review Commission (CRC), appointed by CH City Council, has spent 18 months assembling a wide-ranging set of proposed charter revisions—but declined to include the change to a strong mayor.

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Volume 12, Issue 6, Posted 9:31 AM, 06.03.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 5-6-2019

MAY 6, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Abortion law resolution
  • City manager’s report
  • Meadowbrook Boulevard reconstruction
  • Selwyn Road
  • Liquor control
  • CAC appointment
  • Bike Month and Preservation Month
  • Small cell wireless facilities and structures
  • Water quality ordinances
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Craig Cobb, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren and Jason Stein. Michael N. Ungar participated by telephone, but did not vote. The meeting lasted from 7:38 to 9:21 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 6, Posted 10:31 AM, 05.22.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting highlights 4-15-2019

APRIL 15, 2019

 

  • New council member Craig Cobb
  • Public comments
  • Council priorities update
  • Cedar-Lee and Meadowbrook project
  • Small-cell wireless facilities
  • Leaf collection
  • Hydrant flushing
  • Top of the Hill project
  • Ohio Senate Bill 23
  • Mayor’s report

 

Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael Ungar attended the meeting. The meeting lasted 1 hour and 21 minutes.

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Volume 12, Issue 6, Posted 10:17 AM, 05.22.2019

Living WWI memorial marks its centennial

This Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, marks the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Liberty Row Trees—a significant, yet little known, living memorial.

Planted along Rockefeller Parkway in Cleveland, and winding nine miles southeast through Shaker Lakes in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights, this stretch of red oak trees was dedicated in 1919 to honor World War I soldiers from the Cleveland area who lost their lives during the war.

Greater Cleveland was one of the first communities nationally to envision a multi-mile chain of trees as a memorial to fallen soldiers. This memorial followed the suggestion of American Forests Association Board Chairman Charles Lathrop Pack, who, in November 1918, called for “a new form of monument—a memorial that lives.” American Legion posts, garden clubs, students, and families who lost loved ones promoted this concept of planting trees as a memorial.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 11:22 AM, 05.02.2019

Cleveland Heights crime continued to drop in 2018

Serious crime in Cleveland Heights hit its lowest level last year since 2011, when the Cleveland Heights Police Department (CHPD) began reporting reliable statistics.

The 94 violent crimes reported in 2018 represented a 28-percent drop from the year before. Property crimes were down 19 percent, with 714 reported.

The biggest decrease in violent crime was in robberies. Rape and assault were down slightly, while there was one more murder in 2018 than in 2017.

Among property crimes, there were significant declines in burglaries and thefts, while the number of auto thefts and arsons rose slightly.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 11:15 AM, 05.02.2019

New website considers 'great design' and current development projects

Several Cleveland Heights residents have created the Citizens for Great Design website, www.citizensforgreatdesign.com.

In creating it, their intention is to raise community awareness about the design and architectural attributes of significant and important Cleveland Heights developments.

There are several development projects in the planning stage throughout the city. These are privately funded, or may involve city supported financing and/or tax support, such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Each project requires city approval through the planning/zoning and Architectural Board of Review process.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 10:23 AM, 05.02.2019

CH council appoints Cobb as new member

On April 2, Cleveland Heights Mayor Carol Roe announced that Cleveland Heights City Council had selected Craig Cobb to serve as the seventh city council member. Cobb, a longtime resident of the city, fills the vacancy created in November 2018, when Cheryl Stephens resigned from CH City Council after being elected to Cuyahoga County Council.

“We are thrilled to welcome Craig to the Council,” stated Roe, “and believe he will be a great asset to us and to the city. Craig’s knowledge and experience with city government will be immediately capitalized on as we go forward with a number of important issues.”

Cobb, a branch legal office managing attorney for Farmers Insurance Exchange, served as chair of the city’s Planning Commission and a member of the recent Charter Review Commission.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 12:31 PM, 05.01.2019

Campaign for elected mayor moves ahead

Citizens for an Elected Mayor (CEM), the Cleveland Heights organization seeking to change the city’s form of government, is finalizing its proposed charter amendment and the initiative language intended for this year’s Nov. 5 ballot. CEM members would like to see their city government headed by a mayor elected directly by the voters.

“We have had hundreds of people express support [for an elected mayor] at our two public forums, as well as at half a dozen house meetings,” said CEM secretary Michael Bennett.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 10:44 AM, 04.30.2019

Carts or bags? CH task force takes on trash

Blue bags or blue bins? Public or private trash collection? These are just two of the major questions the newly formed Refuse and Recycling Task Force has to answer for Cleveland Heights over the next six months.

At the first task force meeting on April 18, Director of Public Works Colette Clinkscale said the city’s aging system is at a tipping point. “Equipment is at a point where we need to make an investment, and we don’t want to make the wrong investment,” she said. Clinkscale is one of three city staffers who will act as non-voting consultants to the volunteer committee.

The 10-member task force (eight attended the initial meeting) is a diverse group that includes John Blackwell, professor emeritus from Case Western Reserve University with expertise in plastics; Cathi Lehn, coordinator at Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability; Jordan Davis, a music administrator with a commitment to recycling; Hope Wright, who described herself as a regular citizen with a background in communications; and realtor Susan Clement, who expressed concerns about trash issues and their effect on the community's image. 

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 10:18 AM, 04.23.2019

Project is underway to improve safety at busy CH intersection

Cyclists, pedestrians and motorists traveling between Cleveland Heights and University Circle will no longer need to navigate the daunting sea of asphalt and confusing traffic movements at the intersection of Edgehill and Overlook roads.

Construction is now underway to transform the excessively wide intersection into one that is safer for all travelers.

"The official completion date of the project is July 1," said project manager Joe Kickel. Access to properties will be maintained, with minimum impact to pedestrian and vehicular traffic anticipated.  

According to Cleveland Heights Planning Director Richard Wong, by removing excess pavement the project will shorten crosswalks, add landscaping, create two bioretention areas (rain gardens that hold stormwater), and tighten turning radii to improve traffic safety.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 10:17 AM, 04.16.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 4-1-2019

APRIL 1, 2019

 

  • Police Department promotion ceremony
  • Public comments
  • Street repairs and improvements
  • 2020 Safe Routes to Schools
  • Other announcements from the city manager
  • Road salt purchase
  • Charter Review Commission Final Report receipt
  • April proclamations
  • Mayor’s report
  • Council vacancy filled

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren and Jason Stein. Michael N. Ungar participated by telephone but did not vote. The seventh seat is unoccupied. The meeting lasted from 7:34-8:32 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 9:19 AM, 05.02.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 3-18-2019

MARCH 18, 2019

 

  • Charter Review Commission final report
  • Public comments
  • Street surface treatment
  • Liquor permit applications
  • Police cruiser purchase
  • Compensation and benefits
  • Board appointments
  • St. Baldrick fundraiser
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren and Jason Stein. Michael N. Ungar participated by telephone, but did not vote. The seventh seat is unoccupied. The meeting lasted from 7:36 to 10:14 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 9:30 AM, 05.02.2019

CH City Council narrows candidates for open seat to four

On March 14, the city of Cleveland Heights sent out a news release stating: Cleveland Heights City Council has been reviewing candidates to fill the currently vacant seat on the Council. The seat vacated late last year has meant that Council is currently operating with six rather than the full seven members.

"With an engaged community such as Cleveland Heights, it is no surprise we had 35 applicants for this important position," said Mayor Carol Roe. "We reviewed each candidate's application and video interview and brought in four exceptional candidates."

The candidates selected are Cleveland Heights residents Craig Cobb, Tamika Martin, Melody Joy Hart and Davida Russell.

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Volume 12, Issue 4, Posted 10:22 AM, 04.02.2019

CH seeks community input on new logo in survey open March 18–27

The city of Cleveland Heights continues to refresh and redefine its brand identity, in an effort to capture the true spirit of the community and what it means to live, work and play here. As part of the city’s ongoing initiative, residents are being asked to give their input on the creative output.

The city has conducted extensive research to identify and craft a “brand story” for Cleveland Heights. The city heard from more than 1,000 individuals through one-on-one meetings, focus groups and a community survey to inform the brand story, which can be viewed on the Cleveland Heights brand website, www.clevelandheightsbrand.com.

Now, the city is seeking additional feedback from residents and business owners to help determine which logo and tagline best capture the narrative.

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Volume 12, Issue 4, Posted 10:03 AM, 03.18.2019

City of CH amends landmark ordinance, adds economic development tools

At its March 4 meeting, Cleveland Heights City Council passed legislation amending its landmarks ordinance, and enabling the city to become a Certified Local Government (CLG) in the state of Ohio. In doing so, it joins 73 Ohio communities that already have CLG status. It also passed legislation creating a Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) that will assist the city with transferring property and facilitating economic development.

Council Member Michael Ungar introduced the landmarks ordinance, with Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow seconding. The legislation passed on emergency, with all five members in attendance voting “yes,” enabling the new legislation to go into effect immediately.

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Volume 12, Issue 4, Posted 8:08 PM, 03.11.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 3-4-2019

MARCH 4, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Landmark Commission
  • City Community Improvement Corporation
  • Updated Solid Waste Management Plan
  • Salary schedules and benefits for city employees
  • Mayor’s report

 

Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael Ungar attended the meeting. Mary Dunbar was absent. Mayor Roe called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. and adjourned at 8:02 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 4, Posted 10:21 AM, 03.19.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 2-19-2019

FEBRUARY 19, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Police department annual presentation
  • Fire department annual presentation
  • City manager: operational highlights
  • Landmark ordinance
  • City council vacancy
  • Ballot initiative for city charter
  • Safe Routes to School funding
  • Community Improvement Corporation
  • Sanitary sewer overflow control
  • CRA Housing Council
  • CDBG funds

 

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 7:45 to 9:27 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 4, Posted 10:01 AM, 03.19.2019

Group seeks charter amendment to elect CH mayor

A group of Cleveland Heights residents is seeking to amend the Cleveland Heights charter to enable citizens to directly elect a full-time mayor. Currently, Cleveland Heights voters elect seven part-time Cleveland Heights City Council members. Council then elects one of its members to serve as mayor.

“Cleveland Heights is not served well by a part-time mayor who has no executive responsibilities,” said Tony Cuda, campaign manager of Citizens for an Elected Mayor, the organization seeking the change. “We need a full-time, visionary leader who can address the city’s challenges, such as declining population, housing values that are not recovering as quickly as in similar suburbs, and slow progress on economic development.”

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Volume 12, Issue 3, Posted 9:24 PM, 02.25.2019

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.

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

CH council seat applicant interviews are posted on city's website

The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Greater Cleveland, Heights Chapter, conducted nonpartisan video interviews of the 34 applicants for the vacant seat on Cleveland Heights City Council. Both the applications and LWV’s video interviews are available for public viewing at www.clevelandheights.com/1144/city-council-applicants.

Former CH Council Member Cheryl Stephens vacated the seat on Nov. 26, after being elected to represent District 10 on Cuyahoga County Council.

The six current Cleveland Heights council members will view the video interviews as they decide whom to appoint to Stephens’ council seat.

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Volume 12, Issue 3, Posted 11:00 AM, 02.12.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 1-22-2019

JANUARY 22, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Master plan and council priorities
  • Municipal broadband feasibility
  • Liquor permit
  • Codified ordinances update pages
  • Housing code update
  • Fair practices update
  • Council seat applications
  • Boards and commissions appointments and openings
  • CDBG funds
  • Top of the Hill
  • Charter Review Commission
  • Refuse and Recycling Task Force established
  • Health Code update
  • Martin Luther King Day celebration
  • 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 7:33 to 8:53 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 3, Posted 10:08 AM, 02.21.2019

Feb. 2 workshop will explore privilege and bias in our community

The recent Cleveland Heights branding survey confirmed what residents have long known to be true: "diversity stands out as the most valued characteristic" of this community.

What does diversity really mean, and how do we embrace this vital characteristic every day?

On Saturday, Feb. 2, join Heights Community Congress (HCC) and other community members for a four-hour (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) workshop, Recognizing Privilege and Bias in Your Community, that will wrestle with these questions, and more.

The workshop, facilitated by HCC’s partners at Compass Consulting, will define and differentiate between diversity and inclusion, and discuss privilege and its impact in the community.

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Volume 12, Issue 2, Posted 10:37 AM, 01.15.2019

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 1-7-2019

JANUARY 7, 2019

 

  • Public comments
  • Council committee chairs
  • HVAC maintenance
  • Police salaries
  • Council seat applications
  • Democracy Day
  • Speed limits
  • 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 7:35 to 8 p.m.

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Volume 12, Issue 2, Posted 11:19 AM, 01.30.2019

As Stephens takes county council seat, CH seeks her replacement

Cleveland Heights City Council is seeking a replacement for former Council Member Cheryl Stephens, who was elected to represent District 10 on Cuyahoga County Council on Nov. 6 and officially took her seat there Nov. 27. Stephens had served on CH City Council since 2010 and had been reelected for her third, four-year term in November 2017.

The city has posted an application online (www.clevelandheights.com/councilapplication) and has set a deadline of 5 p.m., Jan. 15.

The application asks candidates to answer several questions and attach a resume or CV. A PDF of the form can be printed from the website and e-mailed, mailed or hand-delivered to CH City Hall. Applicants are asked to describe the “special qualities, abilities, skills, insights or perspectives” that they would bring to a position on council, as well as their goals for improving the city.

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Volume 12, Issue 1, Posted 10:12 AM, 12.18.2018

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 12-3-2018

DECEMBER 3, 2018

 

  • Top of the Hill hearing
  • Top of the Hill project ordinances
  • CDBG application for 2019
  • HRRC federal assistance loan program
  • Parks and recreation 2019
  • Application for open council seat
  • Liability self-insurance
  • 2019 Budget
  • 2018 budget amendments
  • Service director retires
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. Kahlil Seren was absent. The hearing and meeting lasted from 7:29 to 9:58 p.m. Public hearing on the Top of the Hill project occupied the first hour and 50 minutes.

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Volume 12, Issue 1, Posted 11:22 AM, 12.18.2018

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 11-19-2018

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

 

  • Public comments
  • Street projects
  • Liquor control board applications
  • Cain Park Village security cameras
  • CDBG 2019 application
  • Recent tragic murders
  • Parks and recreation 2019
  • Small Business Saturday
  • County agreements
  • Civil service amendments
  • Transportation
  • 2019 and 2018 budgets
  • Cheryl Stephens’ resignation
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Jason Stein, Kahlil Seren and Cheryl L. Stephens. Michael N. Ungar was absent. The meeting lasted from 7:43 to 9:05 p.m. Public comments occupied the first 41 minutes.

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Volume 12, Issue 1, Posted 10:05 AM, 12.18.2018

Citizens Police Academy alum urges other residents to apply

Have you ever had “nystagmus?” Do you even know what it is? You will if you read on.

Earlier this year, I attended the Cleveland Heights Citizens Police Academy. In a nutshell, it gives the community an opportunity to look inside the complex world of law enforcement, to see the processes and procedures that guide police officers every day, and to remind us that police officers are part of our community, often our neighbors.

To be selected I had to pass a background check and commit to attending three-hour classes two nights a week for six weeks at the police academy—a historic former firehouse.

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Volume 11, Issue 12, Posted 4:43 PM, 11.29.2018

CH's brand survey reveals diversity 'most valued'

It was a busy summer moving forward with the city of Cleveland Heights’ branding effort. Over a two-month period, our branding consultants held a series of one-on-one interviews, focus groups, expanded outreach and a community survey. All in all, we heard from around 1,000 Cleveland Heights residents and business owners. We also gathered input through our Facebook page and at www.clevelandheightsbrand.com. In addition, a competitive analysis was completed on seven other Northeast Ohio cities.

What was discovered will be no surprise to many of you. Cleveland Heights is a remarkable community nestled in the inner-belt of Cleveland’s East Side. With a purposeful, intentional focus on the values of diversity, acceptance, and a fervent sense of “home,” the city has a powerful distinction relative to peer cities.

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Volume 11, Issue 12, Posted 2:15 PM, 11.12.2018

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 11-5-2018

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

 

  • Public comments
  • Sewer maintenance agreement
  • Civil service amendments
  • Cheryl Stephens’ resignation
  • Mayor’s report

 

Council members present were Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Jason Stein and Cheryl L. Stephens. Mayor Carol Roe, Michael N. Ungar and Kahlil Seren were absent. Concern was expressed for Mayor Roe’s recovery from a fall. The meeting lasted from 7:32 to 8:22 p.m.

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Volume 11, Issue 12, Posted 10:46 AM, 11.13.2018

Cleveland Heights City Council special meeting highlights 10-22-2018

OCTOBER 22, 2018

 

  • Top of the Hill project
  • Trash collection

 

Council members present were Mayor Carol Roe, Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow, Mary Dunbar, Kahlil Seren, Jason Stein and Michael N. Ungar. Cheryl L. Stephens was absent. The meeting lasted from 6:33 to 6:46 p.m.

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Volume 11, Issue 12, Posted 10:37 AM, 11.13.2018