East Cleveland Mayoral Town Hall Report

Mayor Brandon L. King invited the community, council members and guest speakers to an in-person town hall meeting addressing several issues concerning the City of East Cleveland. The meeting, held on March 13, welcomed announcements from the mayor and a question and answer session provided to residents of the city.

Eager participants filled the city council chambers as topics such as community and economic development initiatives were discussed. The mayor began the meeting addressing the need to move the city forward by bringing in resources to best improve the city and our service. Guest speakers included Brian Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Metroparks; Doug McCollough, Chief Information Officer of Destination Management Company (DMC Group); and Dennis Roberts, Director of Real Estate Development at the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (also known as the Land Bank). Each speaker provided a presentation on their mission to aid East Cleveland.

Zimmerman, the first guest speaker, provided updates regarding concepts to assess management opportunities of the East Cleveland portion of the historic Forest Hill Park, one of the east side’s largest greenspaces. Forest Hill Park, which opened to the public in 1942 after a 235-acre donation from John Rockefeller Jr. to East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights, is now one of many focal points to revitalize

East Cleveland. Zimmerman said a three-part agreement has been structured with East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and the American Institute of Architects. He also said the Metroparks legal team is working on a form that is acceptable to present to Mayor King and the City of East Cleveland’s administrative staff. Zimmerman said East Cleveland will continue to own its portion of the park but the Metroparks will take over a limited role to ensure the proper management and preservation of our cherished community asset. Zimmerman plans to provide Metroparks police to patrol the area to provide safety for residents. The Metroparks CEO also mentions that workshops will be provided that are designed to assess the comfort levels of residents in group settings and for those who simply want to take a walk through the park. “We look forward to workshops and walkshops,” Zimmerman said. “The residents come first…we also look forward to the opportunities in East Cleveland.”

After Zimmerman’s presentation, Mayor King spoke briefly about a dedication presented to councilman Nathaniel Martin during a Black Wall Street event held at the East Cleveland Public Library. Councilman Martin received the first City of East Cleveland Black Wall Street Black History Recipient award. “Nate made me understand the significance of doing Black History facts,” King said. Reading from a proclamation, Mayor King said “Let it be resolved that February 11 is hereby declared as Black Wall Street Black History Day in the City of East Cleveland. The mayor thanked Councilman Martin for his service and welcomed a future Juneteenth celebration at city hall.

Next on the mayoral town hall agenda was discussion about fiberoptic internet, commonly called fiber internet or simply “fiber.” Fiber is a high-speed broadband network where data connection is carried by a cable filled with thin glass or plastic fibers. Data travels as beams of light pulsed in a pattern.

DMC Group’s Doug McCollough, who earned an expert reputation in Smart Mobility, Broadband Expansion, and Blockchain in government as CIO of the City of Dublin, OH spoke about bridging the digital divide. “The city is exploring options for making broadband internet service more available, accessible and affordable for East Cleveland residents,” McCollough said. “Many residents have access to the internet, but speeds may be lower than in other communities….quality of service may be less. Community members [possibly are not] informed about how to get, use and benefit from high-speed internet service.”

McCollough presented ideas to East Cleveland residents in hopes that the value of broadband access could be promoted. He thoroughly explained the speed of bandwidth and the analysis of internet usage. McCollough also notes that fiber technology is substantially useful for issues concerning access to health care, transportation, customer service, education and attending government meetings. “Internet service is not spread equally or evenly to every Ohio community. We all know that,” he said. “Some communities have enjoyed this resource for decades while others have not. There’s a growing agreement among Ohio communities, in particular, that cities must play a role in their broadband destiny.” He said that cities can influence a provider’s choice to provide service in an area by changing the economics in that service area. Furthermore, companies choose where they provide service based on the service competition in the city. (If there is no competition, we get limitations on our service).

Dennis Roberts of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank provided a presentation regarding the revitalization of East Cleveland and the revised landscape of the city. The City of East Cleveland and the Land Bank are facilitating a strategic redevelopment plan to breathe new life into the city’s core. The development area is approximately 33 acres and stretches from Lakeview Rd. to Farmington Rd., but it is designed to advance the residential and commercial development of East Cleveland, overall. Roberts said the project is intended to create a neighborhood that is unique and inclusive. He also said the new developments will attract businesses that create jobs and amenities for the people who live in the city. “The project will showcase the potential for this community. This area is the ideal area for development,” Roberts added. He mentioned the need to increase the economic value of the city and enhance services provided in the city. The strategic redevelopment plan is designed to be completed in phases, and Roberts said the project is currently in phase one. Phase one includes renovating the Mickey’s Building (located on Euclid), issuing a request for proposal (RFP), organizing infrastructure plans, building new homes and attracting developers. He said multiple focus groups were conducted to study the needs and goals for potential residents and developers. Roberts also thanked Kamala Lewis, Land Bank’s Senior Housing Development Project Manager, on her participation with the project mission. Lewis also attended the town hall meeting. Meetings and events regarding the status of the project will be held on later dates.

Mayor King also addressed the several indictments of East Cleveland Police Department officers. During a later meeting, King announced a partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP). The partnership is intended to help the police department with staffing and safety issues. King said OSHP will only be responsible for traffic stops in high-traffic areas. The partnership will be reevaluated after a 45-day period. Another safety initiative underway is the ShotSpotter program. The gunshot detection technology operates through sensors placed around the city that can give real-time alerts to police and help pinpoint locations where shots are fired. During the town hall meeting, community members remained engaged and took the opportunity to address their concerns to the mayor and each of his guest speakers. If you have questions or concerns, you can check out eastcleveland.org for the next mayoral town hall.