Council Meeting Highlights

Mar 24, 2025

City Council held a regular meeting in person today in Council Chambers, which was also live-streamed. Council's next meeting is March 31st. Here are tonight’s highlights:

Cleveland Police Receive Wage Increases: Council approved a new collective bargaining agreement the city worked out with the Cleveland Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA) – Patrol Officers over salaries for various classifications.

The new agreement runs from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2028, and provides, among other things, an increase in the salaries and wages for members of the bargaining unit. Ord. No. 389-2025 The increases follow this schedule:

Increase and Approximate Date of Increase Takes Effect
3% April 1, 2025
3% April 1, 2026
3% April 1, 2027

More Art Coming to the City: Council approved legislation for the city to enter into three contracts with artists. The city solicited artists to design, produce, and install public art for three City projects: the renovation of the Clark Recreation Center, the renovation of the Sterling Recreation, and the new Fire Station #26. The artists selected for each City project were based on the artist’s qualifications and preliminary concepts, which will be refined through future community engagement. The three artists are: Svona Studio LLC – Clark Recreation Center (Ward 15)- $80,000; Lauren HB Studio – Sterling Recreation Center (Ward 7) - $87,813; and Kistler Studio LLC – New Fire Station #26 (Ward 6) - $148,000. Ord. No. 157-2025

Title Change for Planned African Town Plaza Project: Council approved legislation allowing the city to acquire and re-convey properties presently owned by JSAACC LLC, and/or its designee, located at 7515 Cedar Avenue to enter into the chain-of-title before the adoption of tax increment financing legislation for the African Town Plaza Project. The title needs to change before March 31st for financing reasons.

The $9 million project would redevelop the former Cedar Branch YMCA into commercial and residential space at the corner of East 75th Street and Cedar Road. An African art and cultural center is planned for the space including an African dance and expression theater, an African art conservation center, and 20 apartments. The YMCA has been vacant for 12 years. Ord. No. 388-2025

Council Urges NASA Headquarters to be Relocated to Cleveland NASA Glenn Facility: Council passed a resolution sponsored by Council President Blaine A. Griffin urging the United States federal government to relocate the headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to Cleveland. All of Council joined to sponsor this resolution.

Council President Griffin also sent a letter to the Vice President and Jared Isaacman the Administrator Nominee for NASA urging them to consider relocating NASA headquarters to Cleveland.

The resolution states, "The lease to its current headquarters in Washington, D.C. expires in 2028, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is evaluating potential alternative locations. This Council believes that Cleveland, Ohio, home of NASA Glenn Research Center, offers a uniquely advantageous location due to its rich aerospace heritage, lower operational costs, and central role in the nation’s technology and defense sectors.

"Moving NASA headquarters to Cleveland, Ohio would: provide significantly lower cost of living and operational costs than Washington, D.C. resulting in substantial taxpayer savings; strategically align efforts to decentralize federal agencies; reinvigorate Ohio as the birthplace of aviation and the heart of America’s aerospace industry; and optimize workforce and facility use by consolidating operations near an existing NASA field center.

"This Council enthusiastically agrees with Ohio’s Congressional delegation that relocating NASA’s headquarters to Cleveland, Ohio will help ensure NASA’s continued success and secure the future of aeronautics research in Ohio." Res. No. 382-2025

CMSD Urged to Put Cameras on School Busses to Catch Dangerous Drivers: Council passed a resolution, sponsored by Councilman Kevin Conwell, to strongly encourage the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to install school bus stop-arm safety cameras to capture drivers who fail to stop when the bus stop-arm is out and pass school buses that are loading and unloading children. The program would fine drivers who do not respect the bus’s stop arm signals. Res. No. 333-2025

March to be Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Council passed a resolution, sponsored by Councilman Kevin Conwell and Council President Blaine A. Griffin, Supporting National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and declaring the month of March as 
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month annually in the City of Cleveland to help raise awareness and encourage people to begin colon cancer screening at age 45 as recommended by the American Cancer Society. Res. No. 324-2025

Introductions  

Legislation was introduced authorizing the city to enter into a 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. Ord. No. 378-2025