The meeting began around 7 p.m. with enough council members to establish a quorum. Council Members Joe Jones, Kevin Bishop, Deborah Gray, Kerry McCormack, Blaine Griffin, Stephanie Howse-Jones, Michael Polensek, Kevin Conwell, Anthony Hairston, Danny Kelly, Kris Harsh, Jasmin Santana, Jenny Spencer, Charles Slife and Brian Kazy were present. Council Members Rebecca Maurer and Richard Starr were absent (both were excused). Roll call was followed by a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance.

The agenda for this meeting and list of meeting items can be found here.

Public comment (10 people spoke)

The two predominant topics among the 10 individuals who spoke during the public comment section of the meeting were: 1) Filling a vacant seat on the Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC), and 2) funding concerns with Cleveland Emergency Medical Services (EMS), specifically claiming that overdue fees that were recovered are not being reinvested in EMS services.

1. Stephen Katanovic (Ward 7) spoke about uncut tree branches obstructing city sidewalks, referring to them as a “lethal weapon.”
   
2. Brenda Bickerstaff (Ward 9) spoke about the vacant seat on the CPC. She talked about how retired Cleveland Police Sgt. Richard Jackson had earlier this year been recommended to the commission by the Black Shield Police Association (a group that represents Black Cleveland police officers), but was not nominated by Bibb to fill a vacancy. Bickerstaff spoke about the unfilled seat and voiced her support for Jackson or someone representing the Black Shield being seated on the commission.
   
3. Ben Heide (Cudell) spoke about the importance of June as Pride Month for the local LGBTQ+ community. Heide also spoke in opposition to the new “People’s Flag of Cleveland” that was selected back in March. Heide told the story of the selection of the original Cleveland flag and referred to the “knockoff Chicago design” of the new flag. [Editor’s note: The city’s official flag is staying the same.]
   
4. Timothy Sommerfelt (Ward 11) said there are funding difficulties with Cleveland EMS. He said that only 4% of recovered funds from overdue EMS fees were reinvested into the service. Sommerfelt said there are unmet needs and underfunded programs within EMS and advocated funding the service at a level commensurate with community needs.
   
5. Chrissy Miller (Ward 16) said staffing issues are causing an increase in waiting times for ambulance service in certain Cleveland neighborhoods. Miller recommended a staffing increase to help reduce wait times.
   
6. Faouzi Baddour (Ward 11) spoke in favor of converting the old CVS building at 10022 Madison Ave. into a new fire station. In April, council’s Development, Planning, and Sustainability committee approved a rezoning of the property, which would allow a proposed gas station to be built on the site.  Many residents opposed this rezoning, and the matter has yet to be resolved. Baddour advocated for the mayor to use eminent domain to establish the fire station.
   
7. LaShorn Caldwell (Ward 4) spoke about conditions in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, specifically along Kinsman Road. She spoke of streets and sewers that are not properly cleaned and referred to the intersection of Kinsman and MLK Jr. Boulevard as a “death trap.” She urged the city to prioritize the care and upkeep of the area.
   
8. Lenore Kalom (Parma) spoke about the recent closing and demolition of St. Vincent’s Charity Hospital in Cleveland.
   
9. Teri Wang (Tremont), a former Cleveland Community Police Commission member, said that the commission was now under the control of the city, and said she has faced harassment and received offensive comments for speaking publicly about the commission.
   
10. Mark Thomas (West Park) spoke against gun violence he has witnessed in his  community.

Communications

The clerk read into the record information about an update to the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management Plan.

Liquor applications

The clerk read into the record notice of a liquor license transfer application for a Tremont business.

Condolences

The clerk read into the record condolence resolutions for 12 individuals (Buster James Smith, Rev. Hardin Murphy Martin Sr., Victoria Vance, Nathan Nix, Gary Griffin, Pastor Kelvin Blake Sr., Beth Anne Herron, LaTrice Hugley-Woodley, Donna Marie Nichols, Opal Hardaway, John “Jake” Boyle and John Carney).

Presentations

Council Member Jones introduced a council recognition of the work of the Angelo Miller Foundation (which was founded by Alicia Kirkman to combat gun violence after the shooting death of her son in 2007). Jones also introduced council recognitions for the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland and the Cleveland chapter of Black Lives Matter.

Jones was joined by council members Polensek, Bishop, Hairston and Conwell in introducing a council recognition of Louis Moore for his work in the community.

First Reading legislation

Council introduced 22 emergency ordinances for administrative and committee review. Ordinances introduced included authorizing lead testing by Ohio State University extension for soil used in the Summer Sprouts gardening program (716-2025) and for emergency repairs to Huntington Bank Field, home of the Cleveland Browns (725-2025).

Council also passed 14 emergency ordinances on their first reading, including 746-2025 for facilitating the city’s Age Friendly Home Investment Program. 

Ordinances referred

726-2025 would make amendments to the city code relating to lighting in public parking lots and garages. 

Emergency resolutions

Nine emergency resolutions were adopted on first reading. These resolutions include declaring June 2025 Pride Month in recognition of Cleveland’s LGBTQ+ community, declaring June 30 Carl B. Stokes Day, a resolution supporting the City of Cleveland’s 2025 Climate Action Plan Update, and a resolution opposing the state’s potential investment in a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns in Brook Park (the resolution instead recommends state investment in the current lakefront stadium).

Second Reading legislation

The council passed 35 emergency ordinances covering various matters, many of which authorized directors of various departments to apply for and accept grants (for example, Public Health), or to enter into different agreements (for example, Public Safety, Innovation and Technology)

Polensek and Kazy voted “no” on ordinance 1241-2024, which authorizes the Director of Port Control to enter into an extended lease agreement with the I-X center.

Polensek, Slife and Kazy voted “no” on ordinance 549-2025, which authorizes services related to the North Coast Connector Project. [Editor’s note: Learn more about the proposal from Documenter Jotoya Gray’s coverage of a committee meeting earlier this day.]

Spencer recused herself on ordinance 496-2025, connected to the construction of four new nature trails within the Cleveland Metroparks.

Resolutions to be adopted

Two emergency resolutions were adopted on second reading. One resolution adopted a 2026 tax budget for the city, while the second resolution approved the creation of the Gordon Square Arts District as a Special Improvement District within the city.

Tabled legislation

Thirteen pieces of legislation from previous years were tabled.

Miscellaneous

• Slife explained that his “no” vote on Ordinance  549-2025 about the North Coast Connector (see above under “Second Reading Legislation”) was not in opposition to connecting downtown to the Lake Erie lakefront but was instead in opposition to planned traffic changes to the Main Avenue Bridge. Slife said he didn’t believe the city got community approval for the traffic changes. Slife said he conducted an impromptu Facebook poll that afternoon and found that large majorities were unaware of these changes and were opposed once informed. 
  
• Spencer spoke in support of resolution 734-2025 (declaring June 2025 Pride Month in recognition of LGBTQ+ individuals) and resolution 735-2025 (about the City of Cleveland’s Climate Action Plan Update.)
  
• McCormack spoke about his support for the ordinance about the North Coast Connector, saying that he was “not playing with” the $20 million in state funding connected with the project. He also spoke in favor of colleague Santana for her work in getting the CentroVilla 25 project completed, praising her “dogged work ethic” on this matter.
  
• Kazy spoke of his “deep concern” that the Greater Cleveland Partnership (which he referred to as the “Greedy Corporate Partnership”) came out in support of the Cleveland Browns’ plan to build a new stadium in Brook Park. Kazy said he supported the city cutting ties with the partnership as a result of their support of this project.

 Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned a little before 9:30 p.m. The next council meeting is scheduled for July 9.

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