Public commenters spoke in favor of putting federal American Rescue Plan Act money into a violence prevention fund, for a resolution supporting access to abortion pills in Ohio, and about the need for more affordable and accessible housing for Cleveland’s seniors.
The Public Comment CLE website has all of the week’s comments and transcripts, edited by Cleveland Documenter Gennifer Harding-Gosnell.
Register to make a public comment or learn more about the process in our guide to public comment at Cleveland City Council.
Violence prevention
Charles See was one of three public commenters who spoke in support of legislation to put $15 million of Cleveland’s American Rescue Plan Act money into a long-term fund to pay for violence prevention efforts. Dale Anglin, from the Cleveland Foundation, which would manage the fund, also spoke in favor of the legislation. See said that there is growth in the number of service providers working to address community violence and that ongoing funding is needed to support the network.
Just this very weekend, there were 17 shootings and two homicides in our city. The epidemic of violence must be confronted and eliminated.”
Charles See
Senior housing
Patrick Murray, Ward 15, is a member of Cleveland West Side Village, a mutual support organization of West Side seniors. He said Cleveland has many seniors living on low incomes. They cannot afford townhomes that cost more than $300,000 and that have several stories, making them not physically accessible for many seniors. The city needs to focus on making more affordable and accessible housing available, he said.
If you are a senior with a disability, good luck finding any housing at all that meets your needs for accessibility. We are in danger of creating neighborhoods that will be devoid of senior citizens.”
Patrick Murray, Ward 15
Abortion access
Ellen Kubit, Ward 3 , spoke in support of a City Council resolution that opposed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s signing of a letter that warned CVS and Walgreens against dispensing or mailing medication used for abortions. Walgreens has said it won’t dispense the medication, mifepristone, in Ohio. Kubit said now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play a role in making sure that politicians aren’t making decisions for people about their bodies, reproductive health care or family planning. Another commenter, Mary Ellen Arendas Szamborski, also of Ward 3, also spoke in favor of that resolution and in favor of another resolution supporting a reproductive rights ballot initiative.
You do not have to be a woman. You do not have to have a uterus to understand why the government should not dictate decisions between you and your doctor, and you and your significant other. Please take this seriously. Get involved.”
Ellen Kubit, Ward 3