Council Meeting Highlights

Mar 02, 2026

City Council met in person this evening in Council Chambers, and the meeting was also live-streamed. A quick reminder that the Council website and email addresses now end in .gov, so please update your contacts. The next Council meeting will be on March 9th. Here are a few highlights from today’s meeting:

Eliminating Food Deserts: Council passed a resolution supporting and urging the Ohio General Assembly to enact House Bill 543 to establish the Food Desert Elimination Grant Program, while affirming the City of Cleveland’s commitment to expanding access to healthy, affordable food. Sponsors: include Council members Richard Starr, Tanmay Shah, Kevin Bishop, Mike Polensek, Kevin Conwell and Jasmin Santana as well as Council President Blaine A. Griffin.

"House Bill 543 would provide annual grants of up to $15,000 per participating retailer, supported by an initial $200,000 program fund, to reduce the financial risk associated with stocking perishable fresh foods that may otherwise spoil...The proposal complements, rather than duplicates, federal nutrition programs such as SNAP by expanding the availability of healthy options that residents may purchase using existing benefits;"
Res. No. 240-2026

Athlete Compensation: Council passed a resolution opposing Ohio House Bill 661 and any legislation that prohibits middle and high school student-athletes from earning lawful compensation from their name, image, or likeness and affirming support for student-athletes to pursue NIL opportunities while maintaining their educational and athletic participation. The resolution is sponsored by Council members Richard Starr, Kevin Bishop, Nikki Hudson and Joseph Jones.

"NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) compensation represents a lawful economic opportunity allowing students to benefit from their personal brand, hard work, and talent without forfeiting their education or amateur eligibility., Ohio should remain competitive with other states that recognize NIL rights for middle and high school student-athletes, ensuring that talented young athletes are not forced to relocate or leave Ohio to pursue fair opportunities." Res. No. 239-2026

Providing Needed Equipment to Disabled: Council passed a resolution, sponsored by Councilman Joe Jones, endorsing and urging the Ohio General Assembly to enact House Bill 461 that requires all county and municipal correctional facilities and state correctional institutions to provide deaf, hard of hearing, or severely speech impaired inmates access to teletypewriters at no cost.

"Denying prisoners the opportunity to communicate can constitute a human rights violation under international human rights standards. Providing effective communication upholds an inmate’s right to free speech and Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection." Res. No. 235-2026 

Introduced
Legislation was introduced to authorize depositing revenues from on-street parking meters into the General Fund, as well as establishing a Parking Benefits Fund and using a percentage of the revenue for particular purposes from Parking Benefits Fund. This legislation will go to Directors of Public Works, City Planning Commission, Finance, and Law before coming to Council Committees: Municipal Services & Properties, Development Planning & Sustainability, and Finance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion before a full vote of Council. Ord. No. 245-2026