cleveland city council

City officials have approval from the Cleveland City Council Safety Committee to apply for a U.S. Department of Justice grant that would provide funding for Operation Legend, formerly known as Operation Relentless Pursuit.

The nearly $8 million grant would reimburse the city for the salaries and benefits of 30 Cleveland police officers, to be hired as part of task forces meant to break up large-scale crime in the city. The first wave of officers have already been selected, said Justin Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Updated: 11:28 a.m., Thursday, June 18, 2020

Cleveland is temporarily freezing the spread of dollar stores in city neighborhoods.

City council on Wednesday afternoon approved a moratorium on new zoning permits or occupancy licenses for small-box retail. The pause will last until Nov. 1, while the city drafts new regulations for such businesses.

There will be smaller penalties for marijuana possession in Cleveland under legislation approved by city council Monday night.

The measure lowers penalties for possession of up to 200 grams, or seven ounces, removing fines and prison time. It aims to reduce incarceration rates and harsher enforcement against minorities.

Cleveland City Council on Monday unanimously approved legislation that will provide access to free legal help for low-income families facing eviction.

The United Way of Greater Cleveland will lead the program, contracting with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland to provide services, according to the city.

“United Way is going to serve as the lead partner,” said Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley. “We can work through their infrastructure. They can do the training of attorneys, they can do the back office, they can do the billing.”

Cleveland City Council is considering whether to require employers to offer leave for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

At Wednesday’s Safety Committee meeting, councilmembers heard from advocates on the need for employee protections.

Almost everyone who comes to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center faces a daunting list of obstacles after an incident, Cassie Gaffney, the center's director of government affairs, told council members.

A home in Cleveland’s Mt. Pleasant neighborhood — where four badly decomposed bodies were discovered on Saturday — has been a nuisance property for several years, said Cleveland City Council member Kevin Bishop.

The boarded up property on E. 144^th Street is in Ward 2, which Bishop represents. Police are still investigating how the four people died and officials are still trying to identify the bodies, Bishop said.

Cleveland City Council is considering an ordinance that would remove fines and prohibit jail time for possession of marijuana offenses.

The proposed ordinance wouldn’t decriminalize marijuana in Cleveland. And state laws against possession still exist.

Under the proposal, marijuana possession would still be a criminal charge in Cleveland. Up to 100 grams would be a minor misdemeanor, between 100 and 200 grams a 4th degree misdemeanor. All fines and court costs would be suspended.

A list of 33 recommendations for dealing with Cleveland’s ongoing lead crisis, presented to the city council Monday by experts and activists, did not include a way to pay for inspections and fixes to lead contaminated housing.

Councilman Blaine Griffin, chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, hinted the funding could come from a new tax or foundation support or another source.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gave Cleveland City Council an initial look Wednesday at the museum’s $35 million plans to build an expansion along the North Coast Harbor, connecting the building with the Great Lakes Science Center.

The 50,000-square-foot expansion would sweep between the Rock Hall and science center in a low arc, offering new spaces for exhibits, classrooms and performances.

Following the weekend death of an inmate at the Cuyahoga County jail, county council president Dan Brady pledged to continue to shape plans to improve conditions there.

"We have been working for over a year to try to provide better health services to the jail system, and we'll continue to do that," Brady said. "We have a strong consensus on the council for that."