Council Meeting Highlights (2/7)

Feb 07, 2022

Cleveland (February 7, 2022) – City Council held its regular Monday meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and through live streaming. The next council meeting is February 14.

Here are highlights:

*Mayor’s Estimate Introduced: This year’s appropriations package, which was introduced tonight, totals nearly $1.85 billion, which includes a General Fund budget of more than $704 million.

Council hearings on the proposed annual budget will begin February 22nd, the day after Presidents’ Day, as has been the custom.

During the hearings, which could take up to two weeks or longer, council members will hear from every city department and division. Council has the power to make changes to the spending plan.

By law, council must approve the budget – including any changes – in March so that it is finalized as required under state law by April 1st. Passage of the budget requires three readings, but cannot be changed after the second reading. The budget must “sit” or “layover” for seven days after publication in the City Record. As has been the tradition, council will hold a budget retreat before the hearings begin, scheduled for Feb. 11. Ord. No. 148-2022

*Community Development Block Grant Hearings Begin: Council’s Development Planning and Sustainability Committee chaired by Councilman Anthony Hairston will hold hearings February 8th through February 10th on these annual federal funds the city receives. Meeting starts at 9 am. Watch on Council’s YouTube www.youtube.com/user/clevelandcitycouncil or on TV20 http://www.tv20cleveland.com/watch-now/.  

*Distributing Additional Federal Emergency Rental Assistance: Council adopted legislation to accept funding from the U.S. Treasury Department for the continuing of the Emergency Rental Assistance program to eligible Cleveland residents. The city of Cleveland was awarded these additional funds through a reallocation by the U.S. Department of Treasury, which identifies excess funds not used by other states, local governments and other grantees and redistributes them.  The city’s share of the additional Emergency Rental Assistance funds is estimated to be $2.8 million.

The aim is to deliver rental assistance to eligible households suffering unemployment or other financial hardships due to the Corona virus pandemic. The ERA program was established under the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) which is allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to cities for COVID relief. The legislation authorizes the city to enter in to contracts with various community development corporations to continue the program.  Ord. No. 16-2022

*Tackling Abandoned Property and Demolition and Greenspace: Council President Blaine A. Griffin is sponsoring legislation introduced tonight (2/7) to enter into an agreement with Western Reserve Land Conservancy d/b/a Thriving Communities Institute to provide professional services regarding the Vacant and Abandoned Property Action Council, reforestation, demolition funding, rehabilitation, greenspace, as well as code enforcement, for a one year period beginning January 1, 2022. The contract will not exceed $150,000. Ord. No. 155-2022