Council Meeting Highlights

Jul 09, 2025

City Council convened for its summer, in-person meeting in Council Chambers, which was also live-streamed. The next summer meeting will be August 13th. Below are the highlights from today's meeting:

New Bike and Pedestrian Improvements: Council has authorized the acceptance and use of up to $7 million in grant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School and Pedestrian/Bicycle Special Solicitation programs. These funds will support the implementation of high-comfort, low-stress pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements aligned with Cleveland Moves, the City’s five-year multimodal transportation plan.
The grant funding will enable:
•    Design and construction of safety enhancements along E. 55th Street, including high-visibility crosswalks, roadway restriping, and the installation of protected bike lanes.
•    Design of over 23 miles of separated “quick-build” bikeways throughout Cleveland.
•    Construction of one mile of critical separated bikeway connections to enhance network continuity.
•    Procurement of quick-build materials, such as modular bus boarding platforms and approximately 10 miles of delineators for bicycle lane separation.
The $6 million award from the Pedestrian/Bicycle Special Solicitation program requires a 20% local match from the City, totaling $1.2 million. Ord. No. 711-2025

Cleveland's Brick Streets Being Reviewed: Council authorized the City to assess the cost of repairing designated brick roads, utilizing any and all available funding sources. The legislation also authorizes the City to enter into one or more public improvement contracts to carry out the necessary repairs.
Additionally, the measure empowers the Director to apply for and accept gifts or grants to support the project and to execute any related agreements needed to facilitate the improvements. The city has nearly 50 brick streets that could be repaired.  Ord. No. 724-2025

City to Provide General Funds for CDCs: Council approved allowing the city to use $1.2 million in General Funds to replace typical departmental allocations used to support the general operations of CDCs. The purpose of this legislation is to allow more flexibility within the budget by using General Funds instead of Community Development Block Grant funding. The federal funds from HUD were finally announced, and the city received nearly what it was awarded last year. (The funds have not yet been released.) Ord. No. 854-2025  

Nuisance Activities Expanded: Council approved amendments adding new sections of the Traffic Code to the list of offenses that may qualify as criminal activity nuisances, including: Parking Vehicles on Vacant Lots and Abandonment of Junk Motor Vehicles. Recurring complaints of loud music from vehicles in residential driveways and parking lots could also be included. Ord. No. 704-2025

Establishing a Cleveland Commission on Black Males: Legislation was passed to establish a Cleveland Commission on Black Males whose "mission is to study and research the state of Black men and boys in the city of Cleveland to understand gaps in services and areas of need to ensure improved quality of life for Black men and boys; and to build a network of organizations that serve the Black male population, and create and uplift mentorship opportunities and programs for young Black males transitioning out of high school into adulthood." The legislation was initially sponsored by Councilman Richard Starr. Ord. No. 720-2025.

Home Repair Funds Re-Allocated to Habitat for Humanity: Council approved an amendment to a prior piece of legislation to reallocate $3 million in funding—originally designated for the now-inactive program of the Cleveland Restoration Society—to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Habitat was previously awarded $1.5 million to support housing repair efforts, and with those funds nearly exhausted, this reallocation will allow the organization to continue providing critical home repairs to residents in need. Ord. No. 828-2025.  

Cleveland Job Cops Vital for Vocational Training Programs: Council adopted a resolution, originally sponsored by Councilman Mike Polensek, expressing strong support for the continued operation of the Cleveland Job Corps Center and urging sustained federal funding for the Job Corps Program. "Council believes that, with the growing demand for vocational and technical training programs, it makes no sense to close the Cleveland Job Corps Center and deny at-risk youth job training opportunities," the resolution states. "Council recognizes the importance of the Job Corps program in offering life-changing opportunities to underserved and economically disadvantaged youth across diverse communities; and recent federal actions have placed the continued operation of the Cleveland Job Corps Center in jeopardy, threatening the livelihoods of its students and staff, as well as the economic stability of the region". Ord. No. 790-2025

Introductions

Legislation was introduced to provide financial assistance to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, or its designee, to assist with costs related to outreach, assistance, and administration of the UBIZ Micro Loan Program and assistance, training and planning for small businesses through the Entrepreneurship Center of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. Ord. No. 799-2025.

Legislation was introduced to increase the per diem rate and to amend other provisions regarding the booking and charging of City prisoners in Cuyahoga County jail, increasing the amount from $99 per day to $143 per day beginning January 2026. The legislation also includes an annual increase of two and one-half percent (2.5%). Ord. No. 812-2025.