Council Meeting Highlights

May 06, 2024

City Council held its regular meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and live streamed. Council's next meeting will be Monday, May 13th. Here are today’s highlights:

A Cleveland Legend, a New Landmark: Council approved designating the Jesse Owens House as a Cleveland Landmark. The house, 2178 East 100th St., was where he lived while competing in the 1936 Olympics where he won four gold medals in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the four-by-100-meter relay race and the broad jump. Council President Blaine A. Griffin sponsored the legislation and the home is in his ward, Ward 6. Ord. No. 261-2024

Energy Efficiency at the Rec Centers: Council approved accepting a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program. This is a non-competitive formula allocated, no-match federal grant. There will be designing and constructing various types of energy efficiency improvements on up to six neighborhood resource and recreation centers. Ord. No 332-2024

City Directed to Enforce the “Art Modell” Law: Council approved directing the city of Cleveland’s Director of Law to fully enforce the provisions of Ohio Revised Code Section 9.67, that imposes restrictions on the owner of a professional sports team that uses a tax-supported facility, and that receives financial assistance from the state or the city. Councilman Brian Kazy sponsored the legislation. The key provision in the Ohio law is that it “gives the political subdivision in which the facility is located not less than six months advance notice of the owner’s intention to cease playing most of its home games at the facility and, during the six months after such notice, gives the political subdivision or any individual or group of individuals who reside in the area the opportunity to purchase the team.” Ord. No. 391-2024

Council passed several pieces of legislation focused on summer activities for youth. 

Summer Sports, Nutrition, Health and Life Skills: Council approved providing $150,000 to Case Western Reserve University to provide a youth summer sports, nutrition, health, and life skills development program under the National Youth Sports Program supported by Case Western Reserve University. Combines nutrition and health services with sports activities, life skills development and education.

The program serves approximately 300 children, ages 8-16 from Greater Cleveland plus an additional 130 with our summer partner. Students get a daily lunch, and every child enrolled receives a medical examination. The youth go on field trips including: Cleveland Art Museum, Allen Medical Museum, Natural History Museum, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and Case Western Reserve facilities and their Squire Valleevue Farm. Ord. No. 308-2024

Muni Football League Funding: Council approved entering into a $160,000 contract with the Northeast Ohio Muni Football League aka Cleveland Municipal Football Association dba Cleveland Muni Football League to conduct a city-wide youth football program. Northeast Ohio Muni Football League has been in existence for over 90 years. More than 93,000 youth from the ages of 6-14 have participated in the program. Ord. No. 309-2024

Educational, Recreational and Cultural Summer Programs: Council approved entering into an agreement with the Neighborhood Leadership Institute to implement educational, recreational, and cultural programs in various school buildings and other facilities during evening hours, provide leadership training, and supervise the summer tennis program. Cost is $289,500. Ord. No. 328-2024

Comprehensive Extracurricular Activities Program at CMSD: Council approved entering into contracts with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to conduct recreational, cultural and extracurricular programs for the benefit of school children during the 2023-24 school year. In 1996, an accord (ord. no. 659) was established between the Cleveland Metropolitan Schools and the City of Cleveland that generated a historic collaborative agreement to implement a Comprehensive Extracurricular Activities Program (CEAP) using the revenues generated by a parking tax. The cost is $950,000. Ord. No. 442-2024