Council Meeting Highlights (9/12/22)

Sep 12, 2022

Cleveland (Sept. 12, 2022) – City Council held its first regular Monday meeting tonight after summer recess, both in person in Council Chambers and through live streaming.  The next regular meeting will be Monday Sept. 19. Here are tonight’s highlights:

Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Needs Modification: Council passed a resolution urging the Ohio General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 341 which would modify the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit and would authorize a tax credit for capital improvement projects related to film and theater industries. The tax credit passed in 2009 has brought in over $1.2 billion in gross economic output and has helped create nearly 6,200 full-time equivalent jobs. However, because of the cap on tax incentives, Ohio has lost at least 27 project that have gone to other states. This resolution was sponsored by Council President Blaine A. Griffin. Res. No. 778-2022

Extension Repealed: Council repealed legislation passed in 2021 (Ord. No. 354-2021) extending authority to the administration to apply for and accept grants, gifts and other funding for programs related to sustainability until June 30, 2023. Council repealed the ordinance to allow members oversight on the broad category of “sustainability program-related projects,” and simply requires the administration to go through the standard process and obtain council authority to apply for and accept grants or other funding. Ord. No. 893-2022

Introductions:

Wage Theft and Payroll Fraud Prevention Changes: Legislation was introduced to supplement the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, by enacting new Sections 190.01 - 190.06 related to Wage Theft and Payroll Fraud Prevention that requires any person or entity that bids on a city construction or service contract, or applies for financial assistance to disclose any legal determination that they committed wage theft, or payroll fraud in the previous 2 years to the Fair Employment Wage Board (FEWB) and the contracting department. Any person who withholds the information required under the ordinance is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. This legislation will first go to the directors of Finance and Law before it comes back to council to the committee on Finance Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Ord. No. 892-2022

American Rescue Plan Act Funding: Council introduced 18 pieces of ARPA-related legislation tonight, with 16 program pieces and two project pieces. The ARPA legislation discussed by council with administration staff are now Ord. Nos 894 through 909-2022 that include:

• Expanding Crisis Intervention Team
• Public Art Projects
• Dash Cams
• Dollars for (COVID Vaccine) Doses
• Developer Acquisition Rehabilitation Loan Program
• Home Repair and Small Business Fund
• Housing Gap Program
• Opportunity CLE Fund
• Minority Business Credit Enhancement Fund
• Canopy Child Advocacy Center
• Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
• Early Childhood (staff) Recovery Initiative
• Early Childhood Education Expansion
• Right to Counsel (eviction defense)
• ShotSpotter

The two additional pieces, 883-2022 and 887-2022, include a project loan with ARPA funds and adding additional funding to the outside lawyers council previously approved who are reviewing all ARPA legislation prior to introduction to ensure it follows the guidelines and rules for correct use from the U.S. Department of Treasury.