My City Council

Email Icon
No Saved Ward
Delete Ward IconDelete Ward

No Saved Ward

Visited Pages

The following links are virtual breadcrumbs marking the 6 most recent pages you have visited on ClevelandCityCouncil.org.

*All data will be cleared once you clear your browser cookies

Making a Public Comment

Council welcomes public comment before regular council meetings. Fill out the online form below for your chance to make a public comment at the next regular Monday Council meeting.  Please read the revised rules and procedures

Registrations can also be submitted:

* In person at Cleveland City Hall, Room 220, 601 Lakeside Ave. NE. Paper forms are available to register.

* If you don't want to fill out the online form below, you can download this form and fill it out, and email it to publiccomment@clevelandcitycouncil.gov or drop it off at Council offices. (Parking at City Hall on the upper lot is free on Mondays after 5 pm when Council is meeting.) If you need assistance, language, or disability, go here to make a request (at least 3 days in advance.) 

Make a Comment in Person

Registrations to speak up to 3 minutes at a regular council meeting can be submitted between noon Wednesday and 2 pm on the Monday before a regular 7 pm council meeting. (Early, incomplete and false registrations are not accepted.) Only the first 10 are accepted.  


Make a Comment Online

If you don't want to speak at a Council meeting, please submit your written comments below. 


Public Comments

Filter By
WCSB Cleveland
We in the Cleveland and greater Cleveland area are picking up the pieces after a big hit to our community, the takeover of WCSB Cleveland. The greater good of the community and students was not prioritized here. It was completely self serving for the president who was awarded an Ideastream board seat in the transaction, and for a wealthy donor who made the Ideastream purchase happen. Bring back Community, bring back WCSB!
Anthony C
The resolution calling on Ideastream and Cleveland State University to restore the 49-year-old student-run college radio station WCSB 89.3 FM
The student-run, listener-supported, free-form community radio station WCSB 89.3 FM, which has a distinguished 49-year history in Cleveland, was an irreplaceable cultural resource that allowed for the dissemination over the public airwaves of diverse musical genres, cultures, and viewpoints, which was widely considered to be one of the best radio stations of its type in Ohio (or even the U.S. as a whole). Indeed, it was an important part of what makes Cleveland Cleveland. Here is a list of the 90+ weekly programs that were lost in Ideastream's sudden, unannounced takeover of this station on October 3, 2025:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250904141048/https://www.wcsb.org/programs/

Please consider showing your support for this essential community asset by voting "Yes" on the resolution calling on Ideastream and Cleveland State University to reverse their ill-considered, unethical takeover of WCSB (replacing its signature multi-genre format with an all-jazz format) and restore it to its former state, as a multi-genre student-run station, which will be voted on at the Cleveland City Council meeting on Monday, October 20, 2025.
David Badagnani
The hostile takeover of WCSB
I'd like to thank the Council for considering this measure and to those who created the resolution. I was an associate producer at WCSB from November 2004 to the day of the takeover. I spent 6 years at Cleveland State earning a BA and close to 21 years (almost half my life) as part of the station, hosting Hot Trash, Music for Gracious Living, and Drinking Electricity before joining the Friday Night Rock Rotation. All that to say that my allegiance lies with what is now XCSB. I spent almost 15 years working for higher ed administration, and this is by far the most disgusting thing I've seen happen (and I've seen some things). Please vote to give the station back to our family of music-loving oddballs. Thank you.
Beth Cieslik
WCSB Resolution
I have been listening to WCSB for over half my life (24 or so years) and have been made quite upset by Ideastream’s cold-hearted theft of a 50 year old institution in Northeast Ohio.

The fact that it was paid for by a couple of fracking millionaires? Bitter icing on an already terrible cake.

With Ohio and Cleveland hemorrhaging population, I don’t think it’s in anyone’s best interest to further nudge people out by removing culture- and community-building radio such as WCSB was AND WILL BE AGAIN, if city council does the right and just thing and saves WCSB!!!
Alex W. Kellar
WCSB
I just heard about the emergency meeting regarding the resolution to return WCSB back to the students and community programmers and am filled with hope. Cleveland lost a vibrant, inclusive and important community when CSU decided to hand the reigns over to Ideastream for nationally syndicated jazz only programming. WCSB supported its community through playing local artists, talking about upcoming shows at local venues and providing a platform for the various ethnic programs. We, the city of Cleveland, and all those that listen worldwide, need WCSB back in the hands of the community.
Bill Hrabnicky
The hostile takeover of wcsb by ideastream
WCSB has been a community asset for nearly 50 years. We need these voices. Representation matters. The station needs to be returned to the students!
Erin Ryan
WCSB takeover by Ideastream
I’ve been informed that council members have been called to an emergency meeting on Monday regarding the recent WCSB Ideastream takeover.

As an alumnus of Cleveland State University and a long-time WCSB listener, I wanted to share how deeply this station has impacted my life and the broader Cleveland community. WCSB introduced me to Cleveland’s vibrant local music scene, something that has become one of the most meaningful parts of my life. The station kept me informed about local events and concerts, and through its free events and ticket giveaways, made it possible for me to stay connected to the community even during times of financial hardship.

Cleveland deserves an outlet that allows its residents to explore music and the creative communities that surround it. Music is healing and powerful, and WCSB’s accessible, community-driven programming has long served as a cornerstone of Cleveland’s cultural and economic vitality.

The recent takeover, and CSU’s decision to dismantle such a culturally significant and diverse institution, is devastating. WCSB has always been one of the things that makes Cleveland truly great.
Leann Pena Garcia
WCSB
Ideastream. You should be ashamed of yourself. Bring back WCSB. And then take your jazz somewhere else, far, far away from us!
Jane Drahos
In Support of the WCSB Resolution
My name is Rachel Goforth, and I’m a resident of North Collinwood (Ward 8). My family are longtime supporters of WCSB 89.3.

I want to thank Councilman Polensek, Councilman Harsh, and the other members of City Council for bringing forward this emergency resolution in support of the students and community members fighting to save WCSB. Your leadership matters deeply in this moment.

For nearly 50 years, WCSB has been more than just a student radio station. It has been a vital part of Cleveland’s cultural fabric — amplifying diverse voices, uplifting local artists, and connecting communities that are too often left out of mainstream media. It has been a training ground for students, a platform for free expression, and a rare space for creativity and community that truly belongs to the people of this city.

What happened at Cleveland State University and Ideastream Public Media is not just a poor administrative decision, but a betrayal of public trust. With no transparency, no accountability, and no respect for the students or the community, Laura Bloomberg and Kevin Martin unilaterally dismantled a beloved public asset for the benefit of themselves and a small group of wealthy donors.

This is not how public institutions should behave. Public universities and public media exist to serve the people, not to silence them. These institutions are critical to our community and should be cherished, but that does not mean that their leadership is infallible.

I want to commend City Council for recognizing that this is not just about a radio station. It’s about who gets to have a voice in Cleveland’s future. It’s about whether our public institutions remain accountable to the communities they serve, or to private interests and closed-door deals.

Passing this resolution is an important first step. I urge you to vote yes, and to continue standing with the students, volunteers, and listeners who built WCSB and made it the weird, wonderful, and irreplaceable space it is.

Returning WCSB to the students and community is the right thing to do and an affirmation that Cleveland stands for transparency, creativity, and the power of community voice.

Thank you.
Rachel Goforth
WCSB
WCSB must be given back to the students. I have been a part of the listener community for over 15 years. This station and shaped the artistic and creative culture in Cleveland for nearly 50 years. It is truly a gem of this city and is irreplaceable. Please vote to give the station back to the students.
Nicholas Snyder