CH council considers city hall access and contract oversight

Cleveland Heights City Council at its April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting.

At its April 7 meeting, Cleveland Heights City Council considered developing legislation to limit keycard access to Cleveland Heights City Hall by non-employees. This was in response to the alleged unauthorized use of a keycard by Mayor Khalil Seren’s wife, Natalie McDaniel. Council members also discussed legislation that would give them additional oversight of city contracts following revelations that the mayor signed a contract with Burges & Burges Strategists for resident surveying that city council was not aware of. 

Former city administrator Daniel Horrigan resigned on March 17 after less than three months on the job, alleging in an Akron Beacon Journal article that a member of the mayor’s family had created a “hostile work environment” at City Hall. E-mails that Horrigan sent to the mayor prior to his resignation confirmed the family member was McDaniel. Photos circulating on social media show McDaniel, who is not a city employee, holding a keycard allowing her to access areas of City Hall reserved for employees. 

Six council members at the April 7 Council Committee of the Whole meeting—Tony Cuda, council president; Davida Russell, council vice president; Craig Cogg; Gail Larson; Jim Petras; and Jim Posch—agreed to refer several items to the law department for the drafting of legislation. (Council Member Anthony Mattox Jr. arrived later in the meeting.) Those items were:

• Limiting keycard access to employees and approved independent contractors;
• Lowering spending limits on contracts requiring council approval from $50,000 to $25,000 (the contract with Burges & Burges is for $48,000);
• Ensuring that city contracts are shared with council members within 48 hours of execution;
• Ensuring all contract changes are made in writing and reported to council within 24 hours;
• Creating a charter provision requiring council confirmation of firings for positions that have been confirmed by council; and 
• Hiring an independent investigator to investigate allegations of a hostile work environment.
  
  

Council also discussed getting clarity from Mayor Seren’s office about the scope of the current investigation the city has already initiated, and the possibility of council initiating its own independent investigation.

The Heights Observer has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment. This article will be updated if the Heights Observer receives any response.

Video of the April 7 Cleveland Heights City Council meeting can be viewed on the city's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@cityofclevelandheights.