Council Meeting Highlights

Jan 13, 2025

City Council held its regular meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and live streamed. There is no Council meeting on Jan 20th - MLK Day. The next Council meeting is Jan. 27th. Here are today’s highlights.

Redeveloping Buckeye Road: Council approved providing a $300,000 grant to Burten Bell Carr Development, Inc. to partially finance renovation of storefronts and office space associated with the Moreland Theater Building on Buckeye Road. The legislation was sponsored by Councilwoman Deborah Gray and Council President Blaine A. Griffin. BBC is working on the redevelopment and reimaging of Buckeye Road. Council had  previously provided economic development assistance to partially finance hard and soft costs associated with the Buckeye Road Commercial Corridor Revitalization and Stabilization Initiative. BBC plans to create an “Arts, Culture and Technology” district and other commercial corridor redevelopment on Buckeye Road, with Moreland Theater to be the anchor property. Ord. No. 1252-2023

Merrick House to Expand Programs: Council approved providing a grant of up to $150,000 to The Merrick House to partially finance renovation of Merrick House’s security systems, kitchen, bathroom, and gymnasium wall, in order to increase the number of children able to attend their early childhood education and childcare. The legislation was sponsored by Councilman Kerry McCormack. Ord. No. 1276-2024

Prime Cleveland Real Estate: Council approved legislation authorizing the Mayor and the Commissioner of Purchases and Supplies to acquire property from Gustave R. Molnar located at 1216 West 65th Street for future redevelopment. The property will be consolidated with adjacent vacant City-owned property. Then the city will convey the consolidated property back to Gustave R. Molnar. The city is selling the consolidated property to Molnar for $70,000, and he plans to build  "four distinct, architecturally significant detached single family residences". The property is on the corner of W. 65th and Father Caruso Drive. This lake view property, with quick access to the path to Edgewater Park, has seen prices rise. Townhomes next door to the property on Father Caruso Drive have sold for $450,000 and more. Ord. No. 1322-2024

AT&T Trying to Shift Costs to Cities Across Ohio: Council approved a resolution opposing  AT&T’s tariff application that would require any governmental entity requesting the relocation and undergrounding of communications facilities existing in a public right-of-way to pay the cost incurred by AT&T for that relocation.  Current Ohio law gives municipalities the ability to require public utilities to relocate their lines at their own expense in order to accommodate the municipality’s governmental function.  AT&T’s tariff application, if unchallenged within 30 days, is automatically approved and the tariff change becomes effective on the 31st day after the date the application is filed. If AT&T’s tariff application goes unchallenged and becomes effective, municipalities would be required to pay for any relocation of AT&T facilities, even if the relocation is required for safety or public welfare. The resolution, sponsored by Council members Brian Kazy and Stephanie Howse-Jones, supports the Ohio Municipal League’s challenge of AT&T’s tariff application and requests the Director of Law to participate and intervene in the PUCO proceeding challenging said tariff application. Res. No. 100-2025