Delete WardCouncil Meeting Highlights
Feb 12, 2024
Cleveland (Feb. 12, 2024) - City Council held its regular meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and live streamed. Council's next meeting will be Monday, Feb. 26th. There is no meeting on President’s Day, Feb. 19th. Here are today’s highlights:
City Club Apartment Addition: Council approved a Tax Increment Financing Agreement to assist with the financing of the City Club Apartments Project at 776 Euclid Ave., to develop a surface parking lot into a multi-stored mixed-use building with 304 apartments. Two-thirds of the apartments will be affordable for households earning less than $60,000 a year. It is a 30-year non-school TIF. The Developer agrees to make certain improvements to the parcel and make payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to CMSD equal to the taxes that would have been paid for the parcel but for the TIF. The balance of the PILOTS will be utilized to fund eligible project costs and project debt. The developer will be responsible for any shortfall of PILOT payments for project costs. The TIF will be immediately effective on the residential after the expiration of the 15-year, 100% tax abatement. Ord. No. 1270-2022
International Food Solutions: Council approved entering into an Enterprise Zone Agreement with International Food Solutions, which produces Asian, Latin American and Indian prepared foods, to provide a tax abatement for improvements and an addition to the existing empty Goodwill building located at 2295 East 55th St. The city will also enter into a Job Creation Income Tax Credit Incentive Program agreement for the improvements and expansion of the building for a new poultry-processing plant. The city is providing a 10 year/75%Enterprise Zone Tax Abatement and a five year Job Creation Income Tax Incentive. The company had earlier received a $9.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
At capacity, the facility would process 60 million lbs. of poultry annually. Ward 5 Councilman Richard Starr advocated and worked for this development for two years, holding community meetings on the new processing plant that is in his ward. The plant is expected to create more than 200 jobs. The company has entered into a Community Benefits Agreement with the city, including plans to create a pocket park on E. 55th Street, adding murals to the building to honor the historic Majestic Hotel that once stood there, as well as other benefits. Ord. No. 1368-2023
Insuring the Browns Stadium: Council approved the property insurance coverage of the Browns stadium. The cost is $642,000 annually (based on 2024 proposal), about the same as it has been. Ord. No. 1385-2023
Summer Employment for Youths: Council approved the city’s plan to hire one or more professional consultants to design and implement a Summer 2024 Youth and Young Adult Employment program, not to exceed a total term of eighteen months. The selection of the consultant or consultants for the services shall be made by the Board of Control and the compensation to be paid for the services shall also be fixed by the Board of Control. In years past, the city has supported Youth Opportunities Unlimited, as well as other initiatives to ensure Cleveland youth had opportunities for summer jobs, including Cleveland Safety Pipeline Program that gives youth familiarity with the safety forces. The city spent about $1.4 million last year on these initiatives. That doesn’t include a program the Department of Utilities has for young adults. Ord. No. 82-2024
Introductions:
Legislation was introduced that would forgive up to $10,000 in loan balances in Afford-A-Home loans for eligible participants, and when applicable, to release the mortgages and cancel the promissory notes. There are approximately 351 open loans under AAH, with the majority of those loans having a balance at or below $10,000. Forgiveness would be based on meeting eligibility criteria. Ord. No. 189-2024