Sept. 30: Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenter Tim Zelina
Not the ‘spirit’ of public comment at Cleveland City Council
Could Cleveland City Council change its public comment sign-up process? One council member said a change might be needed to guard against a public comment monopoly.
Near the end of council’s Sept. 30 meeting, Ward 17 Council Member Charles Slife spoke about public comment. He said he learned from council staff that two people dropped off registration forms at City Hall for all 10 speakers, the maximum number of commenters allowed at a meeting.
Slife expressed concern that public comment – a forum he said is valuable and is a way for residents to petition their government on many topics – is becoming a platform for coordinated, single-issue campaigns.
All 10 speakers spoke in favor of a re-zoning proposal in Cudell, a neighborhood in Wards 11 and 15. If passed, the legislation could pave the way for a gas station at Madison Avenue and West Boulevard. The proposal has dominated public comment for four consecutive meetings, with residents speaking for and against it.
“I think the spirit of [public comment] was never an organized lobbying effort, and certainly not to monopolize the conversation on one specific topic in a city with any number of topics,” Slife said. He said this tactic crowds out opposing views and people with other grievances.
Council to look at ‘glitch’ in the process
Currently, Cleveland City Council accepts registrations on a first-come first-serve basis. People can sign up to speak at a Monday night City Council meeting by submitting an online form. They can also download the form and submit it in person, email it or mail it.
But the registration period opens at noon on Wednesdays, and spots have been filling up rapidly. All 10 slots filled up in four minutes for council’s Sept. 9 meeting, which marked the return of public comment after council’s 14-week summer break.
Slife said he did not have an exact solution yet. He added that he thinks two people delivering 10 forms is not the intent of council’s process.
Council President Blaine Griffin called it a “glitch” and said council will review the sign-up process.
Support for the Collinwood Rail Yard
Council joined U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in supporting the Collinwood Rail Yard and its crew.
Railroad company CSX has announced plans to reduce operations at the yard and relocate some Cleveland workers to Willard, Ohio, or Buffalo. Council passed a resolution formally opposing the plans. It also supports Brown’s Sept. 13 letter calling for CSX President and CEO Joseph Hinrichs to meet with workers.
Read the notes from Documenter Tim Zelina:
Watch the full meeting on the Cleveland City Council YouTube page.
