November 18, 2024

Greetings, Council, how's it going, everybody. Good to be back here in front of you. I am here to talk about the redistricting process in advance of next year's city council elections.

We've been talking a lot about redistricting and gerrymandering over this past year and as we know, the question of redistricting in fair maps, it's not just an issue of what the maps look like, it's an issue of faith in government and it becomes an issue of voter suppression.

I won't go into it in detail but as we saw with this year's issue one, people have more faith in government when they believe that their vote makes a difference, and when they see districts that are drawn for incumbent protection that erod their faith in government.

Cleveland residents oftentimes operate under the perception that these seats are seen as belonging to individual people. I think this is part of the reason, not the whole reason but part of the reason, that we've seen continually declining turnout within the city for years. As I said in my public comment back in April it is very easy to tell when maps are drawn for incumbent protection, and so if we are to reverse this trend of declining turnout in the city of Cleveland, we have to demonstrate to voters that their vote matters. The easiest way to do that is on the local level. The easiest way to do that is to ensure that we have elections that people believe that their vote can influence. While I appreciate the three meetings that were held this fall regarding the map drawing process, they were put on with relatively little notice and relatively tight deadlines for public input. Had I personally not made maps way far in advance of those meetings, I likely would not have myself had time to make maps and submit them before the November 3rd deadline that was provided, because like many other civically engaged folks in this town, I was working on things related to the 2024 election. I've also seen already more than one community member who decided to try their hand at map creation after the election and after that November 3rd deadline. Again most of the community members who are plugged into this process and understand its importance were also occupied with election matters until November 5th. Therefore I have three requests of the map drawing process as we continue on. First I would request that map submissions be reopened through the end of this month so that residents who are busy with election matters have a meaningful opportunity to submit their maps. Second, I would request that these map submissions be made available to the public along with any proposed map that is introduced with an opportunity for feedback. Third, I would request that feedback can happen at public meetings with at least one week of notice and with at least one week of map release before then so that the proposed map can be discussed and some presentation may be made by the consultants about what they consider during the map drawing process and why they believe their map fulfills all of the considerations. Thank you very much.

Thank you, good evening. First talking about the Browns. We don't owe them anything. I mean people that spend $100,000 to defeat issue one, so much so many millions to donate it, to the presidential election. We Cleveland should not pay him a cent, nevertheless build him a stadium or give him billions dollar. That's how much I'm going to talk about the Browns. There's more important subject I like to. A year from now this Council will lose one of the best ever represent a community in this chamber. Council woman Jenny Spencer represented the community faithfully. Added to that she had honesty, decency, integrity, dignity, responsibility and above all, loyalty.

We, I mean, I mentioned that now. I could have wait till the end of the year but I just, should she change her mind, the seat is hers regardless of what happen in the distributor.

This Johnny your name is too big and July 11 2023 you and us in the community. We though we knew you before we started a path of friendship with you and that will stay with us as long as we breathe. You're awesome, you're gorgeous, and I just hope you change your mind. Thank you.

I address the Cleveland City Council through the council president. Good evening, councilmen. Today I'll talk about the rule of law. There is a partial quote from a YouTube video worth repeating, it is from the video medieval foundations of limited government, Dr. Andrew Willard Jones. This starts at about 3 minutes and 19 seconds and goes to about 5 minutes and 18 seconds. Quote, 'or maybe we have had we have some things to say with regards to the rule of law, and so we talk about Magna Carta. Now these things are true so far as they go and no doubt useful but it still feels like we are searching for something and then are very pleased with ourselves that we have found this little tidbit here or there. Oh there is something that we can use, there is a problem here though, with especially this whole rule of law thing, with that line of thought the rule of law is understood by most modern liberals, and the rule of law of the Middle Ages are almost exact opposites to the mods. The rule of law is based on a universal abstract code that encases the whole of society like a box so that every man and everyone of his social interactions has immediate recourse to its disinterested arbitration. The medials had absolutely nothing that even vaguely approached this in practice or in theory. The universal thing for them was not a code, it was justice itself, and this justice was instantiated in the very lives of people in what we call custom. They were not ruled then by, as the saying goes, 'laws and not men'. This isn't true. They were ruled by truth, by morals, by right and wrong, and this rule was always always mediated through prudence and honesty, the virtues of men. So I think the rule of law talk sometimes has a bit of bait and switch going on, playing on the word 'law' as if positive constitutional law and the customary law are two manifestations of the same sort of thing, they are not unquote, so it should be apparent that there is a major misunderstanding on the nature of law nowadays.

I submit that it has been by malicious design otherwise this smart fir that I used to use wouldn't have been permanently damaged by.

I allege criminal mischief caused by malware that without a doubt was present on it on the morning after I watched this video and created almost the whole above quote from the transcript to understand the rule of law it is necessary to understand exactly what law is the defin is quote an ordinance of reason designed for the common good and promulgated by one who has charge of the community any as such any ordinance for evil is not law such an ordinance could best be thought of as

Council president, council members, my name is Amber Gibbs and I'm the CEO of the County Board of Developmental Disabilities. I'm here tonight to reintroduce you to Cuyahoga DD and talk about the work that we do.

Our mission is to support and Empower people with developmental disabilities to live learn work and play we support more than 15,000 people each year in Cuyahoga County, and last year we served over 3,800 people who reside in the city of Cleveland that have a developmental disability.

Two thirds of our $180 million budget comes from a 3.9 mil continuous levy that voters last generously passed in 2005. From birth through adulthood we support people DD to live their best lives. We provide things like early intervention services from birth to age three to help children meet milestones, we provide therapy services consultation to schools in every district and suburb to help children with disabilities excel, transition services for young adults graduating from high school, housing and employment services, and assistive technology supports.

We are a very different agency than we were just 5 years ago. In 2019 prior to the pandemic we were forced to privatize our adult day employment and transportation services as a results of a federal mandate. Since then we've made ourselves really step away from what we used to do and make sure that people in the community still know who we are and what we can do for people with disabilities. In 2023 we launched the CSU Rise program, which is an innovative program at Cleveland State University that gives students with disabilities the opportunity to take classes and learn independent living skills and work on campus just like their typical peers. We're doing innovative work in housing, like our Tri-tech apartments in Lakewood that are four typical community rental apartments in a building outfitted with technology and remote supports. People with disabilities can live there for 3 to 4 weeks and learn independent skills and go home with the ability to install technology in their home and be more independent. Later this year we're going to open our two first tiny homes in a community nearby on the grounds of another home with people with disabilities, so the individuals living there will have independence, yet the safety of staff nearby 24/7 if they need them. We partner with other youth-serving agencies like Department of Children and Family Services, the ADAMHS Board, and the Family Children First Council. We supported both the opening of the T-Suites and we're working with them on the children's wellness campus to support Cuyahoga County children. We invest in communities in many ways, giving over $1 million in grants to every community in Cuyahoga County over the last two years, helping install up to 13 universal changing tables throughout our County, including one right here at the Cleveland Public Library, giving grants for programming and accessibility.

I'm here to make sure that you know who we are, that if your constituents need us we are just a phone call away, and to say to you we are here to help, especially as you consider how to make City Hall and the city of Cleveland a more accessible place for all people of all abilities. Thank you.

Good evening, everyone. Happy holidays to you all. You know, yes, my name is Minister Kevin Baldwin. I represent the faith-based community, however, my presence here tonight is the role of a crisis manager.

You know during the pandemic, I didn't know what the fallout would be when it was over, so I had a vision for the city of Cleveland called Operation Safe Landing.

Operation Safe Landing is based on social restoration through community engineering. Tonight I just wanted to present five social urgencies that caught my attention. Point one, how unresolved trauma affect our families and our communities. Point two, understanding intergenerational trauma and how it relates to systemic trauma. Point three, serving communities traumatized by war, and when I say war, I'm thinking about, you know, the four characteristics of war, the human dimension, the political dimension, the ever dreaded dimension of uncertainty, and the everyday dimension of contest of wills. And something we were working on, we had efforts in place prior to the pandemic, and we were working on discerning community vulnerabilities and discover the source of it and, point number five, acknowledge how bravely speaking up and sharing truths about injustice create space for others to do the same. You know if we all work together and give it our best we can give the city of Cleveland a safe landing, and when I think about the future of the children, it's about building legendary cultures. This is not for us, this is for them, and their future deserves a safe landing. Three words, polarity, cohesion, and gravity. If everybody gets polarized we can achieve the right cohesion we need, because polarity times cohesion equals the gravity of an organization or intent. So let's all come together, go to the drawing board and give our city a safe landing. And I yield built the floor be blessed on every side. Thank you.

Distinguished councilors, Mayor Bibb, good evening. It was my hope to come before you today with the wind of issue one at our back. Sadly that is not our reality today, and while the statewide political fallout continues, we have before us the opportunity as a city to continue building the transparency, trust, and good governance which we had hoped to inshrine. I'm grateful to stand before you having attended one of the redistricting feedback sessions, a first for Cleveland, a standing room only exercise in participatory democracy that this moment mandates that we build upon. However, I must highlight several shortcomings.

First, the rushed timeline. Redistricting should have started much earlier. By September 2022, this body likely had the Census data necessary to begin the public feedback period. Waiting until the brink of a divisive election to gather public input was a mistake. Second, the inadequate 7-day notice compounded the issue. While the council president indicated in September that meetings would happen, this does not excuse the short notice. It creates barriers for single parents, working individuals, the elderly, and others without personal vehicles, flexible schedules or freedom from caregiving responsibilities. Third, the complex feedback process poses yet another obstacle. The online map tool was initially presented as the only way to participate, requiring residents to draw all wards, not just their neighborhoods, at the Thursday session and only after pressure from multiple residents. The consultants clarified that partial maps or emailed comment were acceptable, but this clarification came late. East side residents attending earlier sessions, predominantly black Clevelanders, were not given the same understanding. I will leave the potential impact of that disparity to speak for itself.

Thankfully there is much time to chart an improved course. I urge this body to provide the same level or better of public engagement. Once a map is selected to ensure at least two weeks notice for public meetings and to allow residents to share insights about their neighborhoods without undue burden. As we sit among one another here today, there are black leaders facing trumped up murky charges, the Haslams and others coming before you with hands outstretched for public dollars while cutting six figure checks to oppose issue one ,and a school community, and Cudell Park with a ward boundary cleaving right down the center. These challenges and others necessitate a transparent democratic trust. In gendering conclusion to this redistricting process, it is my hope that this body makes such a reality. Council President, Mayor Bibb, thank you for your time.

In 2015, the DOJ sued Cleveland for harmful police practices. The settlement we reached was a gift that spared us from bankruptcy, allowed existing leadership to remain in place, a rare concession, and created a path for lawful policing benefiting both our community and officers. The decree recognized that Cleveland problems benefit from Cleveland solutions, establishing equal representation from the three police labor associations on the CPC, the FOP representing supervisors, the Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association representing non-supervisors, and the Black Shield ,which advocates for all Cleveland officers, emphasizing equality for minorities. Despite this, only the FOP has CPC representation. The Black Shield and its highly qualified definitive nominee Richard Jackson have been excluded from the mayor's nominations. This leaves both minority and all non-supervisory officers without a voice in our city's highest level of police oversight. For a city that claims pride in its officers, this is hard to reconcile. As the daughter of an organized labor lawyer this is hard to reconcile. Recently I had the privilege to interact with a good-hearted officer who has been given the impression that the CPC exists in opposition to law enforcement. It's this type of political gamesmanship that artificially sets the community and officers up against each other and it's just wrong. The goal is for civilians and Cleveland Police to unite as allies, not to divide us into sides. Today the corrective action policy Richard and I co-authored was passed to the CPC's policy committee. It's a perfect example of what can come from Cleveland Police and civilians working together. When politicians disparage the consent decree, they overlook immense privilege. The DOJ and federal judge have spared us from penalties time and again, showing leniency for our ongoing non-compliance. We're at partial compliance with paragraph 16, which states the Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Black Shield will each recommend one qualified member to be appointed to serve the commission.

Mistakes happen in running a whole city, and if this wasn't brought to the mayor's attention, he wouldn't have necessarily known. But proceeding down this path puts you at serious risk. The court is watching and and contempt, fines, or worse, could target decision makers who knowingly violate the decree. Each of you must decide if this direction aligns with your values. After dedicating years to this commission and a career to criminal justice, I applied but was not granted an interview. Meanwhile some nominees lacked the basic understanding needed to support the commission's mission. Even if they wanted to, aside from the two sitting Commissioners who are qualified for reappointment, two nominations explicitly violate the charter. I may be biased, but none of this shows a desire to give this commission even a chance to succeed. Council has an opportunity, an obligation to make its own independent nominations separate from the mayor's selections. We have seen you stand up and do what's right, to not just blindly support what comes across your desk. At the least, I urge you to support the Black Shield's nominee, Richard Jackson. You have until the end of the year to complete the task on your own, or the Court's orders take it out of your hands. In closing, it's easy to get caught in our own echo chambers, myself included. If you'd like to discuss this challenge any point or brainstorm solutions, please reach out.

Hey y'all, good evening members of Cleveland City Council and thank you for the opportunity to speak. Today I stand before you as a mother, a community advocate and someone deeply invested in the future of our families. I am here to present John's Law, a transformative proposal designed to address the systematic challenges within our juvenile and family court system, and bring healthy stability and safety to our communities.

John's Law is built on actionable components aimed at fostering healthier families and reducing the violence and dysfunction we see in our neighborhoods. Here are some of the core provisions. Guardian at Liams will be required to have social work training to ensure they prioritize the wellbeing of an entire family. Two, mandatory co-parenting education and conflict resolution training will equip parents with tools to work together even in contentious situations. Three, every family will be assigned a family support coach who acts as a neutral facilitator to foster cooperation and cohesion between households. Four, all court personnel including judges will undergo annual trauma-informed care and cultural equity training to better understand the challenges that families face, especially in underserved communities, and five, specialized court units will serve families with special needs providing tailored support for children with autism and other disabilities.

The data speaks to why these changes are urgently needed. Studies have shown that unresolved parental conflict is one of the leading contributors to juvenile delinquency, mental health challenges, and even violent crime. For instance, children exposed to high conflict environments are 10 times more likely to develop behavior issues and engage in criminal activity as teens. In Cleveland where youth violence remains a critical issue, this is a cycle we cannot afford to let continue. John's Law also focuses on community healing. Mediation programs and trauma-informed practices have been shown to reduce repeat court visits by up to 50% and improve long-term family outcomes by addressing root causes such as unhealed trauma and broken family dynamics. We can create safer and healthier neighborhoods. I speak from a personal experience. I am currently in a custody battle where I have witnessed firsthand how the current system can be weaponized, escalating conflict rather than resolving it. This is not just my story, it's the story of countless families in Cleveland who feel voiceless and unsupported. With John's Law, we are not only advocating for families to heal but also for the reduction of systematic inefficiencies that drain public resources. Less courtroom conflict means fewer tax dollars spent on prolonged custody battles, and healthier families mean safer streets for all of us. I urge you to support the implementation of John's Law in Cleveland. Together we can lead the nation in addressing the root causes of family dysfunction and build a system that prioritizes healing over punishment. Thank you very much, and all power to the people. Free Chairman Fahiem.