April 1: Cleveland City Council
Covered by Documenters Janelle James (notes) and Christina Easter (live-tweets)
Pushback on the Lee Harvard master plan
During public comment, James Richards of Ward 1 said that the city and developers drove forward the Lee Harvard Community Master Plan without including resident input.
He said the Cleveland Ohio Southeast Residents Organization has met with city officials about the plan since 2018. Residents would like to see amenities such as an intergenerational park and a new library, according to Richards.
Richards said that residents are not against the plan. They do want to see their voices included in it, though. “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about, and [the] Lee Harvard master plan is missing this piece.”
Public commenters talk violence in Cleveland
Other public commenters brought forward concerns about the violence their communities face.
Antoine Tolbert, who also goes by Chairman Fahiem, said New Era Cleveland is working with youth to stop gun violence in the city. He suggested council create a ceasefire resolution for Cleveland and work with New Era to enforce it. Tolbert encouraged city officials to speak with incarcerated kids and develop a comprehensive plan to reduce violence citywide.
Zaha Zayed of Olmsted Township said city officials have done little to address allegations of hate crimes against Palestinians. She said that Israel’s war on Gaza has created a local crisis and that Palestinian small businesses are being harassed and targeted.
Council members asked about hate crimes in the April 3 Safety Committee meeting. Chief of Police Dorothy Todd said the city has not seen an uptick in hate crimes across the city.
Engagement for Healthy Homes Initiative
City Council members heard legislation on the Department of Community Development’s Healthy Homes Initiative. The initiative helps residents address health and safety hazards within their homes.
The legislation would allow community development corporations to continue hiring the program’s community engagement specialists. It will also give officials within Community Development the ability to execute any contracts necessary for the Healthy Homes program.
The legislation sets aside about $1 million for the contracts. Cleveland’s Board of Control would approve the contracts and the payment tied to each one. The board meets each Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Mayor’s Red Room in City Hall.
April Fools
During the “miscellaneous” portion of the meeting, Council Member Kris Harsh suggested building a new stadium beneath the lake. He said it could even be climate-controlled for year-round use.
Watch the full public comments or read transcripts on the Public Comment CLE website created by Ohio City resident Angelo Trivisonno.
Read the notes from Documenter Janelle James:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Christina Easter:
