This is the afternoon session that ran between 1:30 PM and 3:30PM.
For the morning session, review this thread:
https://t.co/KatKak5aZR
The CBDG hearing in the afternoon will review
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
PROPERTY REUTILIZATION
• Cleveland Land Bank
• Community Gardens
COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL REVITALIZATION
• Storefront Renovation Program
• Bank Relations
Ward 3, Kerry McCormack looks like he had some fun.
CBDG picks up with Community Gardens and the program Ohio Stae University Extension Summer Sprouts, which repurposes vacant lots into community gardens with vegetables that are distributed to residents.
City requests $126,000 for the program.
Maggie Rivera, the agriculture and resource coordinator for Ohio State University in Cuyahoga County, and Brittany Hubbard, the new Summer Sprouts program coordinator is present.
Right image: Maggie is on the right. Brittany is on the left
Learn about Summer Sprouts here:
https://t.co/P1oesO1AVT
Maggie Rivera summarizes a Summer Sprout's report but there are little details she actually articulates - it's in the report which we don't have in front of us.
But we do have Summer Sprouts 2020 Report available here,
https://t.co/crbHzYDTSP
W1, Jones tells the Summer Sprout crew that "They do a wonderful job and that this is one of those that really works and functions."
W3, McCormack seconds Jones' comments and commends the OSU team for the portfolio of work they do.
Summer Sprout's crew seems happy.
Ward 13, Kris Harsh asks "How long does Summer Sprout anticipates running this program? I recall eight years ago I was told some of it was an experiment was to find what pollinators would work best in urban areas."
Rivera replies, "Summer Sprout is a very long running program, it has partnered with the City since 1977. The program you may be thinking about is a pollinator project ... by Mary Gardener who took some parcels and created pollinator gardens. That project wrapped up..."
W13, Harsh "The Summer Sprout program is intended to run indefinitely?"
Rivera, "Yeah, we would love it to."
Commissioner Green chimes in that Summer Sprout is the longest running program with great results but they've tested other programs.
W13, Harsh asks "Can we say definitively that at $800 a lot, is it cheaper to operate Summer Sprout than to maintain the lots for grass cutting and all that?"
Commissioner Green, "The onerous is not on the City to add all the benefits to Summer Sprout that are required."
W13, Harsh returns to his question and point, "What is the cost for grass cutting versus sponsoring a Summer Sprout?"
Harsh "It's a 1,000 per lot per year. It's cheaper to have a garden."
W10, Hairston mentions this point has been made in the past but there's been pushback.
W4, Deborah Gray enquires about the process to get involved as some of her residents are excited about the prospects.
Rivera answer it's a good time to get involved and explains the process, which includes a "Dig In Community Gardening" training class. By Fall an applicant will learn if they will be accepted.
W4, Gray "Is the class still $50.00?"
Rivera, "Yes, but we provide the course book so it is like $25.00."
W15, Jenny Spencer enquires about market gardens. Rivera informs her that Summer Sprout does not allow grown produce to be sold but they will direct market gardens to others who could help.
Commissioner Green notes that Market Gardens can become a taxable lot where as Landbank lots are not.
CBDG reviews funds requested for Storefront Renovations.
Requested $309,889
Commissioner Green introduces the Storefront Renovation program.
Commercial Revitalization Office Manager Terry Sander speaks on the program for 8 minutes.
W10, Hairston enquires about changes in the program from the Federal government.
Sander shares that in 2020 HUD required Phase One environmental reviews to be paid out of pocket by the applicants.
The team presented a different approach to HUD and HUD accepted it. Typically, as long no ground breaking is occurring, no phase one environmental is required.
W10, Hairston enquires about a couple different business, a car shop and a dry cleaning business, and Sanders answers his questions about
W1 Jones, "this Program needs to go through majors changes as it does not apply to the east Side and one of the reasons it is unattainable is all the regulatory processes you have to go through."
Sander acknowledges that their salaries are covered by CBDG funding and shares one of the problems with HUD's regulation is the high costs of contractors.
W1 Jones, "We can't use this program effectively on the East Side of City. The way we have the program parameters set up is discriminating."
Jones calls for a hybrid program to be created.
W10, Hairston states it is a rebate program.
Sanders states it is 50% program - for 50,000 dollars spent to update your business, you will receive 25,000 dollars back.
W3, McCormack is a fan of the program, "This is truly a phenomenal program. ... This is truly a spectacular program."
He calls to scale the program to meet the criticisms provided by Jones. "Let's invest a whole lot more resources and expand it more."
W10, Hairston seconds this.
W14, Spencer also commends the program.
CBDG reviews funding request for a new program - Bank Relation and Community Reinvestment, with an ask of $100,000.
It appears to work to increase lending and accessing to safe and affordable banking services to low and moderate-income residents.
Aisha on the bank relation situation, part 1
Policy tools at the Federal level include Community Investment Act and the Bank Mergers and Community Investment Agreements to address redlining
Aisha on the bank situation, part 2
Community Development has met with bank leaders to discuss the issues of lending.
Local level policy tool, Community Investment based on Ordinance Chapter 178.05
Aisha on the bank situation, part 3
"We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to how we engage the financial community in Cleveland, that's what we have begun in the past 2 years."
Aisha on the bank situation, part 4
She elaborates on meeting with banks and community partners and developed a community investment priorities sheet to send to the banks.
Aisha on the bank situation, part 5
On other equity driven initiatives such as bank-on coalition, provides access to safe and affordable banking accounts to low & moderate income residents & residents of color.
Aisha on the bank situation, part 6
"I will stop now as I realize I can continue to go on."
AD Wackers on the lack of investments by area financial institutions, part 1.
He notes the Federal funds allow 30 million but really need 300 million invested by the banking institutions.
AD Wackers continues, "There should be no reason why the City of Cleveland doesn't have 14 agreements with the 14 banks that have retail branches throughout this City."
W10, Hairston agrees. "That makes absolute no sense at all. No one is being held accountable. No one is being held to task. ... We have ordinances on the books that allow us to do many things that we are not taking advantage of."
W10, Hairston full comments
W1 Jones shares his personal experiences with lending discrimination while trying to acquire a loan for home renovation. If he lived in Little Italy, Downtown, 65% of the West Side, or one of the suburbs he could get a loan but not on the south east side of Cleveland.
W1 Jones continues, "It hurts me to my core. To live in a community and to be starved out. ... When we talk about the Storefront program...they're doing the same thing as the financial institutions. They're starving us out."
W1 Jones, "If we don't have the cash flow, if we don't have the resources, we can't change the conditions of our community. It is driving people outside of my community. They leaving because they don't have any options or opportunities and not getting any kind of services."
Aisha shares the ordinance number 178.05 Banking Services and briefly summarizes it.
Jones asks for the last time it was utilized by the City of Cleveland and shares his memories of a strong Mayor.
Jones continues criticizing the banks and the Federal guidelines that has allowed their massive wealth with no real investment in Cleveland.
Jones continues, "If we lose the City of Cleveland, it will impact the surrounding suburbs as well."
W7, Howse asks for Aisha's full name and her title.
Aisha Weeks, Bank Relations Manager.
Howse wants a list of the City of Cleveland's deposits and in which banks. She is informed the Department of Finance has that information.
Howse enquires about the dollar amount mentioned in Aisha's presentation. Aisha explains the number (48 billion) mentioned and provides more details concerning mergers.
Howse also asks if there are written agreements with local banks. There aren't.
Howse shares a report she read concerning banking institutions and their lending practices correlated to race demographics.
Howse elaborates on the problem with acquiring a loan and calls on City Council to change the rules.
Howse, "I specifically want to target the financial institutions that have all of the City of Cleveland money where the same people who can't get a loan, pay taxes, and the money ends up in the banks. ... These banks don't want to be true partners with the City."
Howse, "We're always going to be frustrated if we don't try."
W3, McCormack agrees to formalizing a subcommittee & a discussion with Finance Chair.
W2 Kevin Bishop shares that he's also been discriminated against financially, how frustrating it is, & seconds the comments by Howse.
"It is organized racism and it is time we take a stand."
W1 Jones calls upon Hairston to form a subcommittee to address these issues.
W13, Harsh "It's $100,000 for 1 unit, how does that work?"
AG Wacker, "1 unit is 1 program.
Harsh proposes breaking down deposits into smaller amounts to use smaller banks.
AG Wacker, "Community Development does not know how Finance Department banks."
Additional discussion occurs about the exact use of the funds.
Today's Wednesday, February 9, 2022,@CleCityCouncil
Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee's COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT HEARINGS Morning session adjourned at or around 3:42 PM.
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