Delete WardMaking a Public Comment
Council welcomes public comment before regular council meetings. Fill out the online form below for your chance to make a public comment at the next regular Monday Council meeting. Please read the revised rules and procedures.
Registrations can also be submitted:
* In person at Cleveland City Hall, Room 220, 601 Lakeside Ave. NE. Paper forms are available to register.
* If you don't want to fill out the online form below, you can download this form and fill it out, and email it to publiccomment@clevelandcitycouncil.gov or drop it off at Council offices. (Parking at City Hall on the upper lot is free on Mondays after 5 pm when Council is meeting.) If you need assistance, language, or disability, go here to make a request (at least 3 days in advance.)
Make a Comment in Person
Registrations to speak up to 3 minutes at a regular council meeting can be submitted between noon Wednesday and 2 pm on the Monday before a regular 7 pm council meeting. (Early, incomplete and false registrations are not accepted.) Only the first 10 are accepted.
Make a Comment Online
If you don't want to speak at a Council meeting, please submit your written comments below.
Public Comments
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As an alumnus of Cleveland State University and a long-time WCSB listener, I wanted to share how deeply this station has impacted my life and the broader Cleveland community. WCSB introduced me to Cleveland’s vibrant local music scene, something that has become one of the most meaningful parts of my life. The station kept me informed about local events and concerts, and through its free events and ticket giveaways, made it possible for me to stay connected to the community even during times of financial hardship.
Cleveland deserves an outlet that allows its residents to explore music and the creative communities that surround it. Music is healing and powerful, and WCSB’s accessible, community-driven programming has long served as a cornerstone of Cleveland’s cultural and economic vitality.
The recent takeover, and CSU’s decision to dismantle such a culturally significant and diverse institution, is devastating. WCSB has always been one of the things that makes Cleveland truly great.
I want to thank Councilman Polensek, Councilman Harsh, and the other members of City Council for bringing forward this emergency resolution in support of the students and community members fighting to save WCSB. Your leadership matters deeply in this moment.
For nearly 50 years, WCSB has been more than just a student radio station. It has been a vital part of Cleveland’s cultural fabric — amplifying diverse voices, uplifting local artists, and connecting communities that are too often left out of mainstream media. It has been a training ground for students, a platform for free expression, and a rare space for creativity and community that truly belongs to the people of this city.
What happened at Cleveland State University and Ideastream Public Media is not just a poor administrative decision, but a betrayal of public trust. With no transparency, no accountability, and no respect for the students or the community, Laura Bloomberg and Kevin Martin unilaterally dismantled a beloved public asset for the benefit of themselves and a small group of wealthy donors.
This is not how public institutions should behave. Public universities and public media exist to serve the people, not to silence them. These institutions are critical to our community and should be cherished, but that does not mean that their leadership is infallible.
I want to commend City Council for recognizing that this is not just about a radio station. It’s about who gets to have a voice in Cleveland’s future. It’s about whether our public institutions remain accountable to the communities they serve, or to private interests and closed-door deals.
Passing this resolution is an important first step. I urge you to vote yes, and to continue standing with the students, volunteers, and listeners who built WCSB and made it the weird, wonderful, and irreplaceable space it is.
Returning WCSB to the students and community is the right thing to do and an affirmation that Cleveland stands for transparency, creativity, and the power of community voice.
Thank you.
We need the ability to care for our citizens in the event of an emergency impacting the provision of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. As citizens face cuts to Medicaid, health center shutdowns, and other symptoms of a federal administration that devalues the health of citizens, it's imperative that we invest in a regional HIV/AIDS Emergency Preparedness Plan. As a health provider in the area, I know this plan will benefit countless individuals, their families, and communities.
My name is Dr. Austin Hopkins and I write to you in support of a Regional HIV/AIDS emergency preparedness plan. As a pharmacist specializing in HIV treatment and prevention, I know how imperative it is to have planning in place to take care of a vulnerable population. From testing for HIV, having the ability to rapidly initiate treatment, and continuing to educate the public about the awareness of HIV’s presence. All of these risk-reducive measures are going to help save the healthcare system money as well as promote community benefits by reducing the likelihood of new infections and preventing long term negative complications associated with those unable to receive care.
Even preventing one case saves hundreds of thousands of dollars to existing programs and so part of this planning has to consider the present efforts to impact everyone who is eligible for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis), medication that when taken can prevent someone from acquiring HIV if exposed to it.
By keeping those living with HIV, virally suppressed, they can’t transmit the virus to someone who isn’t living with HIV, this not only will save lives, but extend them and in the process cut down on the burden on our community. Being virally suppressed means more stability in those living with HIV, less visits to the ER, lesser chance of hospitalization, and less long term complications.
In summary, having a Regional HIV/AID emergency preparedness plan will be a measure that will not only impact those living with HIV, but those who’re not living with HIV.The amount putting into this plan will financially benefit the community by reducing the overall healthcare costs (to the tune of millions) and burden to the healthcare system by preventing new cases of HIV as well as virally suppressing those living with HIV. I implore the members of the Council to be in favor of this plan as stigma will not fix this problem, compassion, understanding, and empathy will. I’ve seen this myself in the patients I take care of on a daily basis. In this moment of need, consider being looked up upon rather than take this as an opportunity to look down on others.
Thank you for you consideration,
Dr. Austin Hopkins, PharmD, RPh, AAHIVP