March 03, 2025

Council President, I have an packet full of information for each of the ward leaders, information on how many community gardens and how many people it affects in their wards. Hello council members, thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. The last week you got to hear from many of my neighbors, but I'm not just here tonight to speak on my behalf and my garden's behalf, I'm here to speak for all of the city gardeners. My name is Ashley Schreder. I am the garden lead for West 47 street community garden via OSU extension. I am certified as a garden late. I was one of two weddings that happened in my garden during the pandemic. My husband last week who's here with me today has basically giving you the overview of OSU Extension.

Summer Sprouts gardens have been around since 1976. So that's over 50 years that we've had this opportunity to community garden. It's benefited many community members and it's benefited my street. I'm asking Council and city to think innovatively about these lots that are currently potentially out for development like solar panels for net meing back to CPP, ring gardens for streets like mine that flood when we have catastrophic floods areas for leaf drop off. We do have one in my neighborhood but there are other wards that don't have that opportunity to get leaf pickup in the spring and the fall, and green credits for local governments um might change with Trump administration, but it's worth looking into for a local economy. These are items I can think of that are Innovative outside the box that Council and the land bank as well as our mayor who's here tonight can look after. Additionally, in the papers I have with me tonight, the land bank and OSU have not come to their contract and I find that crazy that this has happened. They've had two years with no contract for the extension. That affects 3,000 residents who get fresh fruit and interact with their neighbors, and it's not a lot, it's $130,000 where you have developers asking for billions from you. So please help OSU Extension sign a contract, get the land bank figured out and instead of putting our our community gardens up for sale on the land bank, put community gardens in those Land Bank items on the city council page. Thank you.

Good evening everybody. I want to talk about the LLCs of the city of Cleveland. Out of state investors at 17 Wards, in every last one of you guys' wards. You have decrepid properties, a lot of these properties are not owned by residents of the city of Cleveland, and I'm going to speak up on it because it's our tax dollars that's going towards keeping the maintenance up on these properties. So I'm asking City Council President along with Mr. Polensek if he could pay attention, to do some type of legislation on that it's greatly needed in the community. It's the biggest reason why our communities looks dapid, because we are not enforcing housing codes by out of state investors, and I'm asking nicely for you guys to put that in legislation, because I've been hearing City Council Mr. Polensek always say they do what ordinances and legislation just like you did the ordinance and the legislation about the dirt bikes, right. For 30 days you made that a big deal, make this a big deal and get this done for us, the community, because we're begging to have our communities look like somebody live in them, and it's up to city council to do something about it because you guys write ordinances and legislation.

And one more thing would like to leave you guys with, when I go over to the county to their meetings they give us full attention, they don't have their phones in their hands, they don't read anything, they look directly towards the people at the podium. It is very unprofessional for city council to sit here. Some of the individuals play on their phones, read papers, because Channel 20 TV whether y'all realize it or not, you guys are being watched. You guys are being scrutinized and don't even know it, so it's best to start using professional settings. I don't understand how we come down here we talk to you guys, we ask for certain things, and it's ignored. I don't understand that you guys function, like you work for yourselves. In all actuality, you work for the community, taxpayers. When are you guys going to step up to the plate and do the right things in the city of Cleveland for the residents. And you guys live in the same community, that's what doesn't make sense, that you don't invest where you live at. Thank you.

What have you done to my babies? I am a woman, a mother, a female, not a doormat, by the rivers of Babylon by the lake called Erie, I have hung my harp, my hat, I have wept, I have sat. My hope has been in Jesus Christ. You say I have bad faith yet still I wait, I wait for justice to roll down from me like that mighty stream that I read and heard about in someone else's dream. Your racism is so strong even with in my own race you will not even look me in my face. Where are my babies. How did they get there? We had a good name, we were safe in my care. You lied, you robbed me, you stole them from me, then disappeared in thin air. You say what you do is civil and procedure, you spend trillions of dollars in advertising with lies telling me to call if I really need you. White people are not the only ones with knowledge, you pipeline those who are not to prison prone, not college. Jesus Christ represents both lamb and you, what have you done to my babies right here in America, the red, the white, the brown, the yellow and the blue. You rob me of my rights to be the mom, to protect and provide through Lake Erie and other water and wallets, you have made them hide. You went into a school with my civil protection I had in order, I had in place. You held me hostage and told them I had given them away. You came where I was supposed to be safe with my 2-year-old that unexpected day. You say we have no right to life because we are not all white. You use it against me because I am not jet black. You say just get over it, just fall back. Those the same color as me tell me to just let things be since racist white America hangs people from a tree. I'm a political candidate for America in election and race. It is a time for this nation to see a new face. I shall always love my babies although so many lies about me have been told, my babies and my freedom shall never be bought or sold. I walk by faith not by sight, even on this most difficult memorable night, my babies who I gave birth to from my womb shall not be compromised by your racist sexist tombs. The fruit of my womb is blessed even though my babies my sucklings were robbed and stolen from my breast and my nest. But I overcame that too. Here in America the red the white the black the brown the yellow and the blue, and I still want to know what you all did to my babies. Thank you.

Thank you Council all for your opportunity to speak. The late great W.E.B. DuBois said as soon as my people become concerned with mere moneymaking they will lose all sense of manhood. Yes my name is Leon Meredith and I represent my community.

Manhood is missing in our culture, the balance of life, the infrastructure of character, personality, principles and morals. See, my job, my title, my duty for humanity is an existence coach. I am a philosopher and I study life. My community is moving at a rapid pace but we have no foundation. The capable and creative black men need the assistance of the city and the council. We are living a death style, that's not a lifestyle. Right now funding and grant opportunities must be redirected away from these hollow programs and feelgood initiatives. I represent the needs of the new kingdom we're building because my community leaders know not but together going forward we can build the bridge to the new kingdom and break the status quo we continue to stand behind. Thank you.

Thank you city council members and Mayor Bibb by not completely supporting the city's Charter section 115-5 which was established with the Community Police Commission. You have put the Cleveland residents in danger.

Issue 24 is something you ran on and you was elected because of the citizens, and it's essential to the future of the city. My son was murdered because of the failures of those in leadership before us. Today it's because of people like me demanding in justice across the country and organizations like the Tamir Rice Foundation and Black Lives Matter exists. The behavior that has been demonstrated by the leadership in this council is not acceptable. It has been filled with a lot of lies and deceit. I can't even sleep at night. I am wondering about the safety of our community and our missing children. The continued corruption in this city is so real. I really feel sorry for most of you. I feel sorry for us as a whole not having a conscious or a righteous mind, the blood will lie on your hands. I am disgusted with the lack of support from some of the city council members, especially the Safety Committee, who has undermined this charter from the start, and the people in the city who look like me, what a damn shame. I'm confused how it's not an urgent matter. You all make how I'm confused, how it's not an urgent matter to you all to make sure the implementation of the charter is done correctly. I'm glad it's election time, it's time to to see new faces, hear new ideas, most of you all have failed the community with lack of economic efforts and no infrastructure in the wards. I pray to God the council would change with new faces and new leadership for the community. The law director, Mark Griffin, you and Szabo know each other and you sit here and undermine his expertise, and in the language of the charter section 115-5 you act like you don't understand it, and it's really pitiful. All right thank you.

Thank you, good evening council members, mayor's administration and fellow Clevelanders. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak. I had planned to address the Community Police Commission again tonight but I'd like to pivot to something just as critical, the importance of community and collaboration in shaping Cleveland's future.

Last week I read with great interest about Council President Blaine Griffin's meeting with Mr. ton Lee, head of the Chinese Consulate in New York City, facilitated by the Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce. This meeting marked the beginning of discussions on potential partnerships between Cleveland and China, a nation that has undergone the most remarkable economic and social transformation in modern history. It's actually true, China has lifted over 800 million of its people out of poverty and virtually eradicated illiteracy in just decades. This is a staggering but also repeatable feat, one that speaks not only to strategic investment in industry, in infrastructure, but also a deep and abiding respect for people in history, a societal philosophy rooted in communal effort and mutual uplift. What contemporary China calls socialism with Chinese characteristics long before the time of Chairman Ma. For millennia, Chinese society has placed scholars and workers, those who contribute through knowledge and labor, at the heart of a thriving society while merchants and business people have traditionally played a supporting role in advancing the common good. This reflects a long-held principle the economic growth must serve the people, not just the interest of a select few. Even today China's economy remains stately designed to serve the people, not commercial interests.

Last week and this week we heard Ohio City residents speak out to save their long-standing garden from being replaced by a million dollar development. A similar fight is happening in Asiatown where residents are pushing back against plans to develop the former Dave's Supermarket because it does not contribute to the cultural and existential needs of the community. These needs and petitions, though miles apart, share a common theme, who gets to decide the future of a neighborhood, the people who live there or those with financial power? Community above commerce, people over above profits. This is how China has thrived and it is how Cleveland can too. There's a fiscal crisis looming on the horizon for nearly all American cities, but it's not too late for Cleveland to reverse course and truly harness the power of the people and its community. I hope you all do this. Thank you.

I address the Cleveland City Council through the Council President. It's better, yeah. I address the Cleveland City Council through the Council President. Good evening, councilmen. Today I'll talk about how to fix injustices in the city of Cleveland. So far as I can tell and will allege the City of Cleveland government does not care about its citizens. Most obvious proof of that fact is the fact that population has decreased to the point that a number of City Council seats has decreased over time. Obviously if the city of Cleveland was a just and hospitable city it would be increasing in population. I allege the fault is largely on the part of the executive branch. The police can and must enforce the law. My personal experiences with them have been that the police do not enforce the law. Once I managed to get a police report from the City of Cleveland police, and the police officer told me to my face that the police did not investigate misdemeanors. The particular crime I got a report for was an offense associated with organized crime. I allege that those responsible for it would dearly love to murder me, but it is doubtful that any investigation will result in punishment. I could help fix issues related to poverty in this city but I allege that based on facts that the City of Cleveland government is not interested in a partnership should not be necessary, but voter pressure can work. What I probably need is to talk to a trustworthy attorney. In return, I'm in possession of valuable information which I'm willing to share. For example I know of two methods of nonsurgical and non-drug treatment of back pain. Also there is a therapy which has been proven to decrease the risk of developing cancer by 90%. Additionally this is a simple method which can pretty much guarantee that a person will not experience a natural heart attack. Finally I know how to detoxify lead. My cell phone number is 216 577 4535. Thank you.

Mr Baldwin. Grace and peace to you all, may you walk under open heavens and may everything you touch turn into God. One when I spoke in November I gave you a vision for a movement called Operation Safe Landing, which is based on social restoration through community engineering. Tonight I give you the blueprint on how Operation Safe Landing will be accomplished. It's a strategy that has worked before, it will work again.

First we need information and data on crisis problems and issues affecting the city of Cleveland negatively, and impacting it with trauma. Then we need to discover target populations and target areas being affected by certain conditions and problems. Then we need to organize work teams to address these issues and problems. Then we need to have the work teams make contact with key people and key figures who will be vital, I guess you would say, vital tools and influences to helping move things along. And then the most vital part is coming up with target dates to begin rolling things out. This strategy has worked before, it will work again. And I'm using an approach called a decision tree. A decision tree is a compass on how any and all decisions are or will be made, and we need to move as expeditiously as possible because the longer we wait, things are not getting any better. We need to come together and roll out Operation Safe Landing because the city of Cleveland deserves to know, despite how things look or the problems we face, if we work together it will be a safe landing. and I yield the floor.