Council Meeting Highlights (5/1/2023)

May 01, 2023

(Cleveland – May 1, 2023) - City Council held its regular Monday meeting tonight, both in person in Council Chambers and through live streaming.  The next regular meeting is May 8th. Here are tonight’s highlights:

Cleveland Muni Football League: Council approved providing $160,000 to the Northeast Ohio Muni Football League dba Cleveland Muni Football League to conduct a city-wide youth football program. Members also committed to investigate additional funding for the league. Last year, Councilman Richard Starr added to the city budget additional funding for the muni league. The total cost for the program is more than $270,000, and the Cleveland Browns contributes $20,000. Ord. No. 407-2023.

New Hotel on E. 6^th: Council approved a 30-year tax increment financing plan for Fidelity Hotel, to be located at 1900 East 6th Street. The vacant Fidelity (Baker) Building will be renovated for the new, independent, 100-room boutique hotel. The area is fairly desolate. The developer’s plan, besides renovating the building, is to re-activate and energize the area. The developer, NuovoRE, is a real estate company focused on the rehabilitation and redevelopment of historic buildings. The property will be managed by New Waterloo, a lifestyle operator. It will have amenities such as a club room and sports bar. The entire project is expected to cost about $64.2 million. Despite the TIF, the school district will be held harmless and their portion of property taxes to be received under a PILOT - payments in lieu of taxes. The developer will be required to enter into a community benefits agreement. Ord. No. 188-2023.

State Department of Education: Council passed a resolution opposing House Bill 12, that renames the State Department of Education to the Department of Education and Workforce and revises and transfers most of its powers and duties to the newly-created, governor-appointed Director of Education and Workforce. Councilmen Kevin Conwell and Richard Starr traveled to Columbus twice to speak at committees opposing this change. Res. No. 478-2023

Introduced:

Council tonight introduced American Rescue Plan Act and revenue recovery funding legislation for a community project. Council has been intent to use the ARPA money and revenue recovery funds for tangible projects that improve or help Cleveland residents and neighborhoods.

Veterans Housing in the Southeast Side: Councilman Kevin Bishop has worked over the past several years on a project with Union Miles Development Corporation to establish housing for veterans in the community.

Council introduced legislation to provide a $750,000 grant to Union Miles CDC for the “Walter Collins Veteran Housing & Service Facility.” Councilman Kevin Bishop, the sponsor, has advocated and worked for the project for more than five  years that will establish 11 housing units for struggling veterans. The grant is from revenue recovery funds the city received.

Union Miles will partner with other organizations to bring the project to fruition. The location is on vacant land on Harvard Avenue, east of E. 93^rd Street.  The facility will provide affordable housing options for male and female veterans. Rid-All Green Partnership, an urban agriculture organization, will engage the veterans through interactive programming onsite, teaching best practices for successful urban agriculture – promoting healthy living and providing actionable stability for veterans. Ord. No. 556-2023.