[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6223923,"mediaKeyId","3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50","parentId",3558474,"title","Council seeks law-department review of whistleblower protections and considers loss-of-confidence resolution","audioSeconds",394,"startMs",1386000,"endMs",1780000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50&start=1386&end=1780","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50/thumbnail_1386000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223923/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-seeks-law-department-review-of-whistleblower-protections-and-considers-loss-of-confidence-resolution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223923-0d352721963ee857ee90f8bc1ab5c981/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161736&Signature=oUYqoqjSX07T-ncZEqROcjvYKQyZLH-wUkFMhpBCBT3lPODsEDL02AOHWXfYW6hzdVEwGZSWUAUFwdBxdAs8l3HS-fRigatChhzI4Cm0RJkTiHpCAP424HADsij~FyPUrP0RTgQLIPCcRGAvytf77cTKH2rqZkdlQDyAI4SlOQ9t-zlANt9g8S2a1v-~zrRcXEdh15AH-DvbYtXc7tx9ILz3ctkehVpbJX3SRennrMByCuIJzeXLXw2IbnNi6~0Q0IouqLS6OAaOsXsoElYebIV~oRkPT-UuUKfBSptJABV2TTm7bAaT98Ias7VOTkJSSpIhrjp0qlZZmuVVy33yNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cleveland Heights, OH","date","2025-05-28T01:00:29Z","article","Cleveland Heights council members asked the law department to prepare a summary of existing whistleblower protections and examples of stronger protections used elsewhere, and discussed drafting a loss-of-confidence resolution regarding the mayor’s ability to administer the city.

Council member Hudson said he was “deeply concerned” by reporting in cleveland.com and requested that the law department review existing protections and provide recommendations; he also proposed considering a loss-of-confidence resolution. “I would recommend that we consider passing a loss of confidence resolution,” Hudson said.

Other council members said a resolution would let council express its views while leaving removal to voters; one member said the bar for formal removal is high and resignation is a personal choice. Several members asked the law department to brief council on current federal, state and local protections and to provide examples of policies used by other municipalities. The law department agreed to provide a brief of existing protections and examples for council consideration but said it could not itself create policy; it can supply templates and comparative language.

Council members also discussed using executive session to review specific legal matters raised in recent media coverage, including whether the law department contacted the county prosecutor about potential felony charges related to an officer named in reporting. Assistant Law Director Heltzel said the law department did not seek to file charges and explained that consulting a county prosecutor for an informal opinion is a common practice that can have multiple purposes. The council asked the law director to advise whether an executive session was appropriate to review the matter and any related grievances or pending litigation.

Ending: Council members asked the law department to prepare a written brief of current whistleblower protections and sample improvements, to advise on whether an executive session is appropriate to discuss potential litigation or grievances, and to circulate draft resolution language for review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cleveland Heights Special Council Committee of the Whole May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cleveland Heights council members asked the law department to summarize current whistleblower protections and to recommend possible enhancements, and discussed a possible loss-of-confidence resolution concerning the mayor.","taxTitle","Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio","taxId",54271,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6223918,"Council debates restricting mayoral authority to reallocate funds within appropriated accounts",452,2387000,2839000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50&start=2387&end=2839","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50/thumbnail_2387000.jpg","/articles/6223918/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-debates-restricting-mayoral-authority-to-reallocate-funds-within-appropriated-accounts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223918-2a41ab4144aecf4edc4422828bd173f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161736&Signature=AatGBM-ZgHFYLboUcNvW6BmT0jfSBFTrMbaVstvh-SGjb0fQ2~4vCO6fexxBpZwHLAq5QalkbqkD7XR~kkSlwK2vfnJQsBKgI856sJLnA-mHyZVp9fTHvYAAfzPrkqFMWK3jVbUZocKh5k-68ati4c8i1cAPDqJbaCcTWGJWTnxEoREt6-F~E96Hvd1W4nMJujrJBROI8-OKhgV3Rrb~uLIweebd7M1xqdOYHLKFlK9X8L0CMBQ5E9Vz9mfkIzq6701ItzI329Bldr5vJ~dXBm~wW5phhbrvb~YzdAVMdnpQkW-KzY5aoRJMo48IrbFHsx4G3Ksw6Mhaow8PjbnASg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cleveland Heights council members debated whether to limit the mayor’s current ability to reallocate money within an appropriated fund without separate council approval and asked for the finance committee and department input before proposing changes.

Assistant Law Director Heltzel explained that the authority for intra-fund transfers is included in the annual appropriation measure: once money has been appropriated to a fund, the mayor may reassign those appropriated funds within that fund, subject to statutory and contractual limits. “Any funds appropriated to a fund can be reapportioned throughout that fund without council approval,” Heltzel said.

Council members questioned whether that practice should be restricted to increase transparency and trust following prior concerns about contract and budget information. One council member proposed amending the appropriation language to restrict intra-fund transfers; others suggested the finance committee and finance director weigh in before pursuing legislative change. The mayor cautioned that limitations could affect operational efficiency and urged consultation with departments that use appropriated funds.

Ending: Council agreed to place the topic on the finance committee agenda for review, to request input from the finance director and other departments, and to return recommendations to the full council before drafting any amendment to the appropriation measure.","Cleveland Heights council members debated whether to restrict the mayor’s authority to move money within an appropriated fund without separate council approval and asked the finance committee to review current practice.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6223913,"Council asks law department and staff to improve public-records process and retention practices",124,2190000,2314000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50&start=2190&end=2314","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50/thumbnail_2190000.jpg","/articles/6223913/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-asks-law-department-and-staff-to-improve-public-records-process-and-retention-practices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223913-8db30b41ba2b07faf0f4902f82654374/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161736&Signature=ctWtUmoC18yQm5zxbH29rsS0kqgbsbUJcBj3ZId7XsoQQIKMC2D7vWIhERnJ-8VtRTVczbgHWJbkiKJ4sHdH3TCPJN86wOwaxciY-objep-XXHYnfRTJ4WOxOL4fJ1BYfFGQEqt3HcbpXzMxG2bebym2EdU19rtj22hKSMjJ0B0AzCJD~aax0zERLNEXfMamCfvltKsrvC3ugDzSMkzwM799rlybYWyzquqGT7eU-qdvRMU~i0MfHDnC~xllfCNX7q9ZkTt2niE-t-jMiIds6H39OAoRwO8fX5zYuzkSoOBzm1ft5SHE2rtrbJSOUcXCjX~gOtn1zRAQ4DxoJWwi5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cleveland Heights council members discussed problems with how public-records requests are processed and formatted and asked the law department to research best practices for logging requests, record retention, video storage and responsive formatting.

A council member described a public-records response that yielded 7,000 pages because each email was exported to a separate page and said that format made the records difficult to use. Another council member said some municipalities assign a public-information officer or a designated records manager to oversee requests and recommended looking at an ordinance or practice to formalize the process.

The law department confirmed that public-records requests are routed through its office and processed by email, and the council asked for examples of best practices used by other cities, including how to log and manage requests, how long video should be retained and how to provide responsive documents in practical formats.

Ending: Council directed the law department and city staff to research public-records processing, retention schedules and formatting best practices and to return recommendations, including whether an ordinance or a designated staff role would improve responsiveness.","Council members asked the law department to review how the city processes public-records requests, how records and video are retained and formatted, and whether an ordinance or dedicated staff role could improve responsiveness and formatting of records delivered to requesters.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6223927,"Committee to review key-card security rules after video showing mayor in law department",0,2026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50&start=2026&end=2026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3558474-6d55fe3d3a2b3732186fb25a0dac2f50/thumbnail_2026000.jpg","/articles/6223927/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Committee-to-review-key-card-security-rules-after-video-showing-mayor-in-law-department","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223927-606b47403e52d47fa19db282ac906264/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161736&Signature=J7bT7rBkN1J9kOkGTPearuhNZvqlk3w7RFIQc4eEXgyZ4VwKDMTo8tGrEeFyZYoboRcnXyQhnbYQmVwrTvubwoyT2sqzialR7encFPl3oZnNinECuK0Iz8FI0UBz~DAXl0y0WMPhsuCRq77jvssPCOLLfCNHQdfrAX1kuKqKp6AUtkEgFvShKs2qIEZXpnW2V8kOFboEVrBK8BQWpWrrfTmjn3Rgg6iYyFiiyrCPCh8P7LCZLaTS~hE28v1EjDe~hmoxn1QnVCFFv8nfT~4Zv9p8onQ9ITLQb7G9zRpQcGwBvaZuFm2dZkb0fr4~NEqS~swFo06MRLuiKpMKTjUspQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cleveland Heights council members agreed Wednesday to review the city’s key-card and property-management rules after a news video showed the mayor entering the law department, prompting questions about who may access secured areas of City Hall.

Councilman Cobb raised the issue after the video; he said the city’s current practice limits council’s physical access and that “we don't have key cards to go into any, parts of the building.”

The council discussed two separate sets of rules: the key-card/security ordinance, which distinguishes between restricted areas, secured areas and general-access areas and includes escort rules for restricted spaces, and a separate ordinance (or amendment) governing management and assignment of city property and usage rights. Assistant Law Director Heltzel told the council that some secure areas — including police and court systems — use separate key-fob systems and that “the key fob system for police, for the courts, for the law department are all separate systems and separate from the city's general key card access.”

Mayor (unnamed) said the city’s broader key-card/security system was implemented after he took office and defended the distinction between general-access badges and the separate systems for sensitive spaces. “The access that she had was a wholly separate system from any of the sensitive areas that you were concerned about,” the mayor said, responding to concerns raised about the mayor’s spouse using a key card.

Council members debated whether to address property-management authority — specifically, an ordinance the mayor currently relies on that gives control over city property — or to limit access through the security ordinance. The assistant law director advised treating property-management questions separately from security rules because they involve different subject matter and processes such as leasing or licensing city space.

On action, Councilman Cobb was authorized by his colleagues to review the existing ordinance(s) and report back; several members said they would support that review and suggested putting the key-card/security legislation on the next Monday agenda. Vice President (Council) and others asked that the security language be expanded to explicitly reference key fobs and physical keys in addition to badges.

Discussion (not a formal policy change) included seeking a definitive list or database of who holds access to particular doors; staff said a roster of restricted-area access had been included in drafting. No ordinance amendments were adopted at the meeting. The council indicated it would consider separate committee discussion or a future ordinance to address property-assignment authority if members decide to proceed.

Ending: Council members agreed to return this item for further review and to place the key-card/security ordinance on an upcoming agenda for more formal consideration.","Cleveland Heights council members discussed whether to amend a key-card/security ordinance and a separate ordinance governing city property after a news video showed the mayor entering the law department; council agreed to have a member review existing ordinances and to include language covering key fobs and physical keys.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council seeks law-department review of whistleblower protections and considers loss-of-confidence resolution

Council debates restricting mayoral authority to reallocate funds within appropriated accounts

Council asks law department and staff to improve public-records process and retention practices

Committee to review key-card security rules after video showing mayor in law department