Council Meeting Highlights

Jan 27, 2025

City Council held its regular meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and live streamed. The next Council meeting is Feb. 3. Here are today’s highlights.

Empowering and Educating Tenants about their Rights: Council approved legislation to provide a $1 million grant of federal revenue recovery funds to the United Way of Greater Cleveland to act as the City’s fiscal agent to administer and provide a tenant resources and outreach programs to increase tenant housing stability. Councilman Kris Harsh sponsored the legislation. Various programs and services will be established or expanded to help tenants, including a centralized contact number that will connect tenant(s) with a trained and specialized team to triage their call and identify resource(s) best suiting their needs. Other services include providing housing rights education, and emergency housing services to provide direct tenant emergency assistance through cash assistance, short term housing and hotel vouchers. There will also be legal and mediation assistance to provide mediation services pre-and post-eviction filing, along with educating tenants on legal right and options, pre eviction. Ord. No. 1197-2024

Native Plants: Council approved leasing three land-locked parcels located north of Interstate 90 near Waterloo Road/Marginal Road to Meadow City Native Plant Nursery, a native plant seller in the city’s North Collinwood neighborhood. The $900 lease is for three years and they plan to develop a native seed garden on the property. Ord. No. 1199-2025

Introductions   

Working for Pay Equity: Council introduced legislation that prohibits Cleveland businesses with 15 or more employees from inquiring, screening or relying on salary history of an applicant in deciding whether to employ the applicant. The legislation would also require the company to provide the salary range of the position. Any person may allege that a violation of Section 669.02 has occurred by filing a written complaint with the Fair Employment Wage Board within 180 days of the alleged violation. At least 22 states and dozens of other cities, including Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo, have successfully implemented similar legislation, leading to more equitable compensation practices across the United States. Prohibiting employers from asking about a job applicant's salary history can help ensure that compensation is based on the qualifications, experience, and responsibilities of the position rather than the applicant’s identity or background. Ord. No. 104-2025

Park Expansion: Legislation was introduced to allow the city to purchase property from St. Theodosius located between Starkweather and Professor Avenues in Tremont to expand “Lucky Park" and amending a contract with Tremont West Development Corporation relating to maintaining and improving the park. Ord. No. 119-2025

Changing How CDCs Get Funding: Legislation was introduced that would change the way neighborhood development corporations work is funded by creating a Neighborhood Development Subfund that may be used without federal grant restrictions faced when using Community Development Block Grants. Many municipal projects eligible to receive Community Development Block Grants are funded using General Fund dollars. Ord. No. 113-2025