Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights

APRIL 15, 2024 - regular meeting

  • Public comment
  • Mayor’s report
  • Poet laureate
  • Council actions
  • Council member comments
  • Council President’s Report
  • Committee of the Whole (CoW)

Present were Mayor Kahlil Seren, Tony Cuda (council president), Davida Russell (vice president), Craig Cobb, Gail Larson, Anthony Mattox, Jr., and Jim Petras. Also present were Clerk of Council Addie Balester, Law Director William Hanna, and City Administrator Danny Williams. The meeting ran for 52 minutes.

Public comment

Lou Radivoyevitch spoke about his experience applying for the open seat on council. He said the application itself was quite intuitive but urged a clearer path for finding a job description and the qualifications for council member.

A Woodbridge Road resident expressed environmental concerns about a neighboring apartment building on Noble Road. Mr. Cuda urged him to contact the administration through the Mayor’s Action Center at mac@clevelandheights.gov

Mayor’s report

Mayor Seren reported an application for establishing a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) in the Cedar-Lee district. He congratulated a police detective and a member of the Parks and Recreation staff on their retirements. He presented the Cleveland Heights High School Indoor Track Team and their coaches with a proclamation on their taking first place in the Ohio State Finals.

Poet laureate

Poet Laureate Siaara Freeman spoke about National Poetry Month and celebrated literacy, literature, and poetry by reading a poem by Audre Lord and one of her own.

Council actions

On first reading, council passed two resolutions: 1) to recognize the Cleveland Heights Lutheran East boys’ basketball team for winning their second-straight Division III state championship and 2) to proclaim April 28 of this and future years as Workers Memorial Day.

Presented on first reading only (no vote) was a resolution to support U.S. House Bill 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, and the companion U.S. Senate Bill 597, sponsored by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), which seeks the elimination of the Government Pension Offset (“GPO”) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (“WEP”). 

On second reading, council passed a resolution supporting U.S. Senate Bill 3681 the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act.

On second reading, council authorized an agreement with Strategic Structure Investments LLC for a loan of $100,000 under the City’s Storefront Loan Fund Program to help renovate the storefronts at 2201 North Taylor Road. The repayment period is five years.

Using a consent agenda, council proclaimed May as Mary Dunbar Bike Month, National Preservation Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, National Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and Jewish American Heritage Month; recognized April 23 as National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day; and proclaimed May 5—11 as Professional Municipal Clerks Week and May 6—10 as Air Quality Awareness Week.

Council member comments

Mr. Cobb announced that most city boards and commissions are filled, but the Landmark Commission has one vacancy.

Ms. Larson said the Municipal Services and Environmental Sustainability Committee heard from the Heights Bicycle Coalition on April 15. She announced Earth Month events from the Cleveland Heights Green Team.

Mr. Mattox praised the opening of the Noble Branch of the Heights Libraries on June 2 and spoke about what the library meant to him.

Mr. Petras said the Housing and Building Committee met about short-term housing regulations on April 2 and will continue this on May 3. They will have a regular meeting on May 13 at 5 p.m.

Ms. Russell announced a Planning and Development Committee meeting on May 8 at 10 a.m. She spoke about the resolution supporting the Senate Bill 597, explaining why the windfall elimination provision (WEP) should be struck down; this is supported by the AFL-CIO. She announced a June 29 landlord/tenant event at the Noble Library led by Judge J.J. Costello and featuring Legal Aid. 

Council president’s report

Mr. Cuda announced that the 52-unit Nobility Courts development proposal goes to the Architectural Board of Review April 27 and will be voted on at the May 6 council meeting. He said 17 people applied for the council vacancy and 11 of them sat for League of Women Voters interviews. Council members will discuss the candidates at an executive session convening after this evening’s regular meeting.

Committee of the Whole (CoW)

The CoW included two executive sessions, a review of the legislation, and a presentation by TWG Development of the Noble Road project, now named Nobility Court. Developer Alex Frazier and architect Paul Volpe spoke. More information about TWG can be found at https://www.twgdev.com/

LWV Observer: Blanche Valancy.

Meeting packets, legislation, and other information can be found on the city website at: https://www.clevelandheights.com/1142/2021-Agendas-and-Minutes.

Videos of council meetings can be viewed on the “City of Cleveland Heights, OH” YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ClevelandHeightsOH.

Read More on Cleveland Heights
Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 11:33 AM, 05.29.2024