Live reporting by
Ayanna Rose Banks
Universal employment pilot possible in Cleveland
asrosedevelopes
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Hi, I'll be live-tweeting March 25th Cleveland City Council Meeting✨for #CLEdocumenters 📷@CLEdocumenters &
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09:04 PM Mar 25, 2024 CDT
This meeting was attended by Council members: Blaine Griffin (council president), Joe Jones, Kevin Bishop, Kerry McCormack, Deborah Gray, Richard Starr, Stephanie Howse-Jones, Michael Polensek, Kevin Conwell, Anthony Hairston, Danny Kelly, Rebecca Maurer, Kris Harsh...
First thing on the agenda is Public Comments. There were 10 members of the public spoke.
One member of the public from ward 11 came to state how pedestrians are not safe because of drivers. He blames this issue on bad engineering and infrastructure.
He listed dangerous intersections for pedestrians in wards 3, 6, 8, 12, 14, 15 and 11, and shared his personal experience.
He went on to mention that he had written solutions to this problem to the councilmen of his ward.
These solutions including short crosswalk wait times, no extended crosswalk wait times at rush hour, more "no right turn on red" signs, reduced speed limits and pedestrian green lights when a traffic lights are red.
He mentioned that he did not get a response but he did receive promotional material from his councilmen about how important public safety is to him, around election time
There were a couple of members of the public who spoke about the war in Palestine and urged the council to support a ceasefire.
One member implied that Mayor Bib has had ties to the Israeli community, Stating he has flown there before becoming mayor and has secured 9 million dollars in Israeli bonds while working w/ Key bank
Mayor Bib was also called out multiple times for having taken pictures with Alec Popicaver and has mentioned his several times.
One speaker cited messages she had received from Alec Popicaver and said they should not be considered freedom of speech but hate speech. These messages include statements like:
"You are like the black Nazis that claim to be the real jews. Same trash in a different shade. Your nationality is limited to being an antisemite terrorist heathen death cult. He said he never saw Palestine mentioned in the Quran. Is it next to Wakanda? Are real jews black"
Another member of the public came to voice his concerns about his philanthropic organization being labeled a criminal organization by council women Deborah Gray. He says because of these statements he has not been able to meet w/ mayor Bib
He mentioned how his organization has helped feed over 200000 people in Northeast, Ohio and helped search and rescue 5 children being sex trafficked in Cleveland, Ohio. He called upon council members Star and Jones to corroborate this information.
Next section is Special Resolutions starting with Condolences
Condolence Resolution for Mozell Gibson, Sandra M. Taylor, Wilbert Wiggins II, Mamie L. Mitchell, Adrianna Paulette Parra and Michelle Wong
Congratulations: Congratulations Resolution for Rev. Dr. Gerald D. West-Phipps, National United Church Ushers Association - Central Regional Ushers, Rev. Dan Smith, John Hairston and Rev. Maurice and First Lady Latease Robinson
Appreciation Resolution for Rev. Charles Payne Lucas, Jr. and for Dav Pilkey - Dog Man Little Library and Welcome Resolution for Enbridge, Inc
There were no Presentations so next was FIRST READING LEGISLATION
Kevin Conwell spoke about working w/ a suburban mayor who's city gives 97% of their tickets to black people on fixing the situation. He also was thankful for the McKenzie grant which will pay for students from John Marshall high school to go to Washington DC
Stephanie Howse-Jones spoke about ordinance 343. She touched on universal employment and working to establish a guaranteed job that provides a family sustaining wage by partnering with small businesses and their partners
Joe Jones thanked Dr Gordon for the funds in education. He also mentioned ordinance 340 and Lutheran metropolitan ministries helping to get the technology to build 3D homes
Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to
@cledocumenters
. Or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com
@cledocumenters
. Or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com