Cleveland Heights · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Cleveland Heights public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Sewer rate increase to offset consent decree costs
About $12.9 million goes to major sewer projects like CH 27 and CH 50 plus catch basin repairs — work largely required by the EPA consent decree and paid through the sewer fund. A water main on Nela View also gets replaced.
Council Code of Conduct and Legislative Process
Resolution 202-2026, a code of conduct for council members, was up for its second reading. It sets behavior standards for the city's elected leaders.
Confidential economic development project
Council discussed an unnamed economic development project behind closed doors, including possible investment of public funds. Any deal would shape what businesses and jobs come to Cleveland Heights.
Street repaving and traffic safety
After a record 38 streets repaved in 2026, the budget puts another $3+ million into repaving, crack sealing, striping, and pedestrian safety/traffic calming guided by speed data.
Cumberland Pool Facility Modernization and Rehabilitation
The budget's biggest line item — about $13.7 million — modernizes the Cumberland pool while preserving its historic features. Groundbreaking is planned for after the 2027 swim season, paid with bonds spread over decades. A virtual community design meeting is set for November 10.
Deer management survey
After two public hearings, council gave first reading to a USDA Wildlife Services agreement to cull 200 deer in 2027 at a cost not exceeding $66,907.55 — cheaper than many expected. Culls run January–March and October–December, with meat donated to a local food bank.
Senior home repair loan program equity
Council approved $400,000 more for the Home Repair Resource Center's exterior repair program — up to $8,000 per homeowner for households at 80–120% of area median income. Funds come from ARPA dollars already earmarked, and there's already a queue of homeowners waiting.
Vacant lot sales and zoning update
Council finalized the sale of three vacant residential lots to owner-occupant builders (the Caledonia lot was pulled and returns to a developer RFP). Council Member Cohen also reassured neighbors that Hampshire Park stays in the zoning update — no changes take effect January 1 and public input comes in late winter.
Citywide zoning update and Hampshire Park concerns
Council Member Cohen addressed resident worries that zoning changes could eliminate Hampshire Park: nothing happens January 1, the park is a conditional use in any district, and the city may create a park district around it. Public engagement starts with a first look around late February or early March.
2027 Council Budget Overview
Mayor Petras unveiled a roughly $142 million 2027 budget headlined by a new $13.7 million Cumberland Pool, $12.9 million in sewer work, and $3-plus million for repaving. The general fund stays balanced with a $19.4 million cushion. Hearings run this week; the final vote comes December 14.
Speed Cameras in School Zones
Administrator Reese reported ongoing work with Councilmember Posch and Chief Britton following the October 27 public hearing on cameras in school zones — next steps still to come.
Hampshire Road sewer project change order
Council added $671,000 to the Fabrizi contract for the Hampshire Road illicit connection controls project, citing design changes and two years of cost inflation. Work started on Mayfield Road and should wrap by spring.
Community event contributions: Heights Music Hop and Tiger 5k
Future Heights thanked Council for the $70,500 investment in the 2026 Heights Music Hop, which they leveraged five times over — 90 bands, 46 venues, three days, thousands of visitors. They floated expanding it to four one-day events next year.
Pedestrian safety and oversized vehicles
The committee was scheduled to receive a traffic safety presentation. It could set the stage for future safety measures on city streets.
Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan
Consultants are finalizing the parks master plan with publication expected in May. Council wants input before conclusions are locked in, possibly at a special committee meeting.
Declining city fund balances in Q3 2026
The unencumbered General Fund balance is about $17.5 million, roughly $2.5 million under the $20 million target, partly from an unanticipated workers' comp payment. Council is being warned to scrutinize every new spending request that draws from Fund 101.
Tree Advisory Board
Cleveland Heights is putting together a brand new tree advisory board to help take care of our city's parks and green spaces, and they're looking for applicants right now. If you care about keeping our neighborhoods leafy and green, this is your chance to get involved.
Legal claims and disputes involving the city
Council met privately with an attorney to discuss legal disputes involving the city — either already in court or expected to be. The specifics aren't public, but litigation can carry real costs for taxpayers depending on how things unfold.
Tree Canopy Survey
The city is hiring ArborPro to inventory every city tree and build an Urban Forestry Master Plan. Council members asked that canopy disparities between neighborhoods be prioritized for new planting, that public meetings be advertised beyond email, and whether sidewalk damage from tree roots can be captured in the survey.
Cumberland Pool modernization
Council reviewed the $913,000 DS Architecture contract to design the Cumberland Pool overhaul, chosen from twelve proposals. The project fits within the $110 million pool bond budget and targets a new pool by 2028.
Essex Road traffic calming request
A resident documented nearly 700 vehicles a day on Essex Road, three crashes since 2020, and a killed pet, asking for speed tables, curb extensions and signage under the city's ~$1 million traffic calming funding.
Bulk trash pickup policy
A resident said the refuse task force recommended against changes to bulk pickup, but the color-calendar system makes it hard to dispose of furniture; she proposed an on-demand portal with roughly 25 allowances a year.
Sidewalk Repair
A pilot using ARPA money will fix broken sidewalk panels on streets already being repaved, starting with Greyton and Altamont. Council wants a bigger, possibly assessment-based city program in the 2027 budget, focused first on economically distressed areas.
Community Improvement Corporation board restructuring and property disposition committee
The CIC board decided to keep the corporation alive but mostly on the sidelines, acting as an advisor while city staff handle vacant-property disposition directly. Council legislation and a funding reallocation decision are coming.
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
Council is finalizing rules to allow ADUs in residential districts: conditionally permitted (not by right), owner-occupied properties only, attached or detached only, with the Planning Commission's recommendation to waive the 5-foot setback for existing structures. A public hearing will be scheduled before a final vote.
Board and Commission Vacancies
There's one open seat on the Transportation and Mobility Committee and three on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board that council needs to fill.
Blanche Avenue Extension Project
Residents questioned whether the $2.5 million Blanche Avenue extension — $850,000 in federal funds — benefits Cleveland Heights taxpayers, and raised concerns about tax abatement for homes and land values of the Hebrew Academy lots. The mayor said no decisions have been made, the project is cost-neutral to the city, and eminent domain is not on the table.
Sale or lease of city-owned property
Council rushed through the sale of three vacant lots to Start Right CDC, which is building homes with a $500,000 state Welcome Home Ohio grant that requires completion by June 2028. The deal includes a 12-month construction deadline and five-year owner-occupancy requirement.
Comprehensive Plan for Affordable Housing and Down Payment Assistance Program
The consultants pitched 'social housing' — transferring market-rate apartment buildings to mission-driven owners (CDCs, co-ops, B Corps) that don't need profit margins, potentially cutting long-term rents 25-40%. Council members noted churches with surplus land could be partners.
Greater Cleveland RTA presentation
RTA is heading to the May 2027 ballot for a 0.25–0.50% sales tax increase — its first ask since 1975. The money would fund more frequent buses and trains, airport rail service, and BRT corridors including one through Cleveland Heights. Groceries, rent, medicine, and gas would be exempt, but the county's total sales tax could reach 8.5%.
Noble Road district revitalization (NABA)
Noble Road residents want a supermarket and coffee shop, and council members say density is the key to attracting one. The rewrite would zone the corridor for mixed-use with residential above retail and ease lot consolidation to spur investment.
Landmark Commission ordinance revision
The proposed overhaul would update how historic properties get designated and reviewed — including dropping owner consent in favor of written notice, adding demolition safeguards, an appeal process, and landmark commission comment on construction near landmarks. Council is split on removing owner consent, and a revised draft plus public meeting are planned before any legislation.
AI use in city government
Council wants to bring in an AI expert — possibly at the retreat — to train council and staff. Members discussed using Microsoft Copilot as a secure platform, policies for confidential vs. public records, and AI-searchable legislative history.
Park Synagogue development status
The developer paid $250,639 in building permit fees that a prior executive order had waived, so council had to appropriate money to refund them. It's a wash for the city financially, but members criticized that it wasn't anticipated in the budget.
Chapter 111 rules revision
Council is rewriting the rules that govern how it operates: who can call special meetings, whether Zoom attendance counts for quorum, how a council president could be replaced, and whether council can act only through ordinances and resolutions. The MOU controversy of past years loomed over the debate.
Opposition to Ohio House Bills 2642 and 281 and Senate Bill 172
Councilman Posch relayed a warning from State Rep. Juanita Brent about four Columbus bills that would require local agencies to share information with ICE, let ICE into hospitals, and force schools to report students' immigration status. He urged residents to email state legislators.
Council Committee Structure
Council is replacing three separate committees with a single committee-of-the-whole format on a trial basis through September. This changes when and how residents see committee work happen, and could make council more coordinated — or less specialized.
Severance Timeline
A resident with the Severance Action Group said the outside zoning expert's report is six months overdue, no master developer or financing plan has emerged, and key tenants keep leaving — with Ursuline's interest in a small campus at stake.
Short-Term Rentals Ordinance
More than 140 STRs operate in Cleveland Heights with no local rules. The draft ordinance creates registration, neighbor notification, nuisance penalties, and a 3% transient occupancy tax that Airbnb may collect directly. Look for public hearings and final action in early September.
Public Art Plan for Noble and South Taylor Roads
An RFP for a public arts plan for Noble and South Taylor Roads was issued with responses due March 9; Coventry and Cedar Lee are working on proposals from their earlier assessments.
City Council Application and Job Description
Council filled its vacant seat with Sarah Stone, a retired nonprofit/higher-ed executive, 5-1. Several members acknowledged the appointment reduces the council's racial diversity in a diverse city and pledged to build a pipeline of candidates from all backgrounds.
Wastewater Facilities Loan
Council was to consider authorizing a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund agreement with Ohio EPA for planning, design, or construction of wastewater facilities, with a dedicated repayment source.
Dedicated safe-streets budget line item
Council advanced a contract with Chagrin Valley Engineering for the federal SS4A demonstration project — crosswalk daylighting, better lighting, curb extensions, and signal retiming to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
Tree Commission
Council took first reading of an ordinance creating a Tree Commission. A tree advocate testified the city's canopy has fallen from about 44% in 2011 to roughly 27%, mostly from individual homeowner removals.
Flock safety cameras privacy concerns
Council passed new rules for the Flock cameras: 30-day data retention, no immigration-enforcement data sharing without a warrant, and restricted third-party access. Supporters cited solved hit-and-runs and fraud cases; critics said the city should cancel Flock entirely over hacking and data-sharing concerns.
Cumberland Pool Design
Designers showed a plan keeping the historic bathhouse and main pool (fixed to true 25-yard lap lanes and a safer diving well) while adding a new leisure pool with zero-depth entry, a lazy river, and a splash area. Construction would start after the 2027 season so the pool reopens in 2028 without losing a summer.
Horseshoe Lake Park and Army Corps review
A resident reported that 2,000 trees will be cut down as part of the Shaker Lakes sewer project and delivered a petition with 500+ signatures asking for a pause and real dialogue with council members.
Berkshire Road traffic calming
A resident who submitted a 37-household petition in 2022 asked that Berkshire Road be included among the four streets in the upcoming traffic calming study, citing 22 children under ten on the street.