[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6218889,"mediaKeyId","3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88","parentId",3624443,"title","Council debate over North Coast Connector ramps up as member objects to planned Main Avenue Bridge truncation","audioSeconds",516,"startMs",7564000,"endMs",8080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88&start=7564&end=8080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88/thumbnail_7564000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6218889/Cleveland/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-debate-over-North-Coast-Connector-ramps-up-as-member-objects-to-planned-Main-Avenue-Bridge-truncation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218889-9bd3e2143b7d6e8fecf911e767f55923/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154698&Signature=C1c99UMw3WyQA55~PAmOpsbQMhTVSQVxzO3WLvge-EgzNUp-3PAwVRHgOKiyznn0tGHH9iRWfQjQJbl6VZrVd8V1iu9hta~0oXSkju~jnV~VrVVgoC5OUFIjzE7Qw~nBeGUu5pWrofLL16Ttv8sJfEiTVax5lVsYy5YtpxWZFZTCwW2dEPl091PCiAPp3E20GV1FwKwxZLyHsLx-15D8TcHG5DWWJ4xcWacoZB0OBoqJpYs4KzmCynODD2418Oe65ofrEbyOhlx4ZpFkDvbS3Bc85SxQ~MV6PXHwziZYSS~m6PvX~KqwCsyTIO-EzAJaYEFl~wnbsFzks6NWiIBaWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Cleveland, OH ","date","2025-06-02T21:18:43Z","article","Councilmember Charles Slife used an extended floor statement to oppose a specific element of the North Coast Connector project: the planned demolition of the Main Avenue Bridge segment between West Third and East Ninth and the related rerouting of shoreway traffic into downtown streets.

“I’m adamantly opposed to this aspect of the larger plan,” Councilmember Slife said. He described a survey he circulated on social media and cited initial and later response counts and percentages that he said showed most respondents were unaware of the proposed bridge closure and opposed it. “Are you supportive of this proposal? No. 88.7% of a 77 responses,” Slife said, and later noted the sample grew to about 325 responses with consistently high levels of opposition in the ZIP codes he targeted.

Slife argued that closing the bridge would funnel thousands of shoreway cars into downtown, increase congestion on Lakeside Avenue, and create safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists. He urged additional public conversation focused on the Main Avenue Bridge before work proceeded.

Councilmember Carey McCormack and others defended the package and emphasized the scale of state and federal funding attached to the overall North Coast Connector effort. McCormack said delaying a vote risked losing funding and described a potential $20 million state allocation at stake. “I don't have the luxury to play with money in Cleveland like that,” McCormack said, arguing the administration has retooled outreach and that the project supports lakefront access and multimodal connections.

The council agenda included an item described as Ordinance 5 49 20 25 authorizing amended services related to the North Coast Connector and the transcript records roll-call vote counts for related items: recorded tallies show 12 yeas and 3 nays on the ordinance identified in the agenda as 5 49 20 25. During the roll-call segment several council members asked to be recorded as either no votes or recusals on specific ordinance numbers; the transcript records Councilman Polencik, Councilman Slife, and Councilman Casey asking to be recorded as no on 5 49 20 25.

Ending: The meeting record shows sustained debate about the Main Avenue Bridge element of the North Coast Connector and that council approved related legislation with recorded dissent on the North Coast Connector ordinance; the public comment and council statements indicate the issue remains contested in parts of the city.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cleveland City Council Meeting, June 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilmember Charles Slife publicly opposed an element of the North Coast Connector that would remove a segment of the Main Avenue Bridge, saying residents and commuters were not informed and warning that the change would funnel traffic into downtown. Supporters said delaying the package risked millions in state funding.","taxTitle","Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio","taxId",2662,"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},6218894,"EMS workers say city is not reinvesting ambulance billing revenue; urge funding, staffing changes",257,1156000,1413000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88&start=1156&end=1413","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88/thumbnail_1156000.jpg","/articles/6218894/Cleveland/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/EMS-workers-say-city-is-not-reinvesting-ambulance-billing-revenue-urge-funding-staffing-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218894-bd8cf5c12061d0776335710168ce0516/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154698&Signature=Et4D0m4dotz4YGN0VGZmPPNtsZXW08Sn9rAN2KjS-jWKDBz-Ce7vNE8wtJ7Pjvp56ouRIeCVb1r9YlO1n~SX0K~BRNkViwV3BB1OH2-Rf9ohTywHZAduKw~3KKLglSSZqK82VMz2XiJu-seAUv~w9jZZUxh-qkAMmZQf-2XF2qop4BhSAjWH7yCahOlH1Qv0vWgcsvzuT64sXCV-wfiJBVUNHlsjI11FujiPTNNW47Tv0cImuZEuKr2s~92AERvqX8S6p6e9~JjgS3mPmXyPeKtYKrHJ5vv-Otg~Ox27W-tfe~fy-EYqf8xzX-HVpp0Pk7I1tB4tYagps8sUp9UpvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two representatives of the Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees used public comment to urge Council to direct more ambulance-billing revenue back into Cleveland EMS and to restore prior minimum staffing levels for ambulances.

“Only 4% of those funds are going back into EMS,” Timothy Summerfeld said, referring to recent billing collections. “When people pay an EMS bill, they expect that that money is gonna go back into improving emergency medical service.”

Chrissy Miller, also speaking for the union, described operations and staffing changes she traced to past budget decisions and the 0.5 percent income-tax increase known to residents as Issue 32. Miller said the city previously cited funds from Issue 32 to expand daytime ambulances and that later staffing minimums dropped; she asked council where Issue 32 funds were allocated after staffing numbers were reduced. “Potential idea with those funds, change the minimal staffing back to 25 during the day and 21 to help reduce our response times,” Miller said.

Both speakers described equipment and facility needs: Summerfeld said EMS bases had facility damage — he referenced a sewer pipe failure that forced staff to use improvised furniture — and that ambulances are sometimes parked outside during winter because facilities are inadequate. Miller said the billing vendor change to QMC had brought in funds; she said roughly $19 million had been collected under the new vendor and that testimony at the meeting described only a small percentage returning to EMS while an outside billing company receives a stated fee percentage.

Neither comment resulted in formal council action recorded in the public-comment portion of the transcript. Speakers requested that council examine the city’s use of ambulance-billing revenue, consider returning a greater share to the EMS division, and restore higher minimum staffing levels to reduce ambulance closures and response times.

Ending: Council received sustained public comment calling for a reallocation of EMS billing revenue and for restoration of prior minimum staffing to improve response times; the transcript does not record a subsequent council vote or directive on these requests during the public-comment period.","Two Cleveland EMS representatives told council that ambulance-billing revenue raised millions but that only a small share is returning to EMS, and they urged the city to restore higher minimum ambulance staffing to reduce closures and response times.",{"_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},6218899,"Residents and oversight advocates press council to fill Civilian Police Review Board seat amid independence concerns",2368,832000,3200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88&start=832&end=3200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624443-85d9a7d787f034fd28019cf6ca6ace88/thumbnail_832000.jpg","/articles/6218899/Cleveland/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Residents-and-oversight-advocates-press-council-to-fill-Civilian-Police-Review-Board-seat-amid-independence-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218899-efb952f5266965fa0255216c3eaf084a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154698&Signature=OceVj9YauuFNK8ViFVaat9XRNniuxOQHRgqxXT4hU2T6LThjjmX9c~T9P0w5qx~MornozyjRFz2-HmgNf8NrqMBvA0t3TnblgLq1XmejW8fphVyspEOJaN4dsMfayYCN172uz52gMvXWngpLc0ORgkX9ieENUk8TbVoZc2vyz98-Gl6u26GoM~JclqQbD7x2q7vcWNnNF4EL3sqIwxAORJbGJYvok5X8ChbQdG8yCh5xk-Y4xJEDNnzYxnesHH1JIoaLFfQ40xZsvUEKXGVTOyvmDZbtbHKg7Be7IeGgkxzl-1wJrk~b5pf0~8Mr-z9lydDahKROMtG9RKFksjOqgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the public and community oversight groups used the council’s public-comment period to press Cleveland City Council to fill a long-open seat on the Civilian Police Review Board and to raise concerns about the commission’s independence.

The call to act centered on a still-vacant seat and allegations that the law department and other city officials have exerted undue influence over the independent oversight body. “You have 1 more seat for the black shield,” public commenter Brenda Bickerstaff said, calling attention to what she described as a vacancy she said had persisted for “over a hundred days.”

Former community police commissioner Terry Wong said the charter’s rules bar officers with prior discipline from serving on the oversight commission and accused recent appointments of eroding the panel’s independence. “The law department now effectively controls the independent commission,” Wong said. “The Fox doesn't just guard the hen house. It writes the rules and determines police discipline.”

Representatives of Citizens for a Safer Cleveland and Black Lives Matter Cleveland framed the issue as a matter of voter intent and community oversight. A speaker for Citizens for a Safer Cleveland noted that Issue 24 (referred to in testimony as “Charter 1.15”) was approved by voters and that the charter “ensures officers are held accountable” through independent investigation and oversight.

Speakers asked council members to seat a representative acceptable to the Black Shield and to preserve the commission’s independence by avoiding appointments that would, in their view, reconstitute oversight under the police or law department. No formal council action to fill the seat was recorded in the public-comment portion of the transcript.

Council documents on the agenda included a resolution listed as “Resolution 7 33 20 25 by council member Griffin, appointing 1 member of the Civilian Police Review Board.” The transcript records that resolution in the list of items presented to council, but the public-comment discussion about the vacancy and the independence of the commission occurred during the public-comment and presentations portions of the meeting rather than as part of the resolution debate.

Community speakers and former commission members also described specific allegations of retaliation against critics and asserted that recently appointed leadership on the commission had prior employment ties to the law department. Those assertions were made by public commenters during the meeting; the council did not make findings on those claims during the recorded remarks.

The public speakers who addressed the commission vacancy and independence asked council to either seat a candidate they described as qualified or to ensure that future appointments conform strictly to the charter’s eligibility and independence requirements. The transcript records repeated calls for the council to act on the vacancy and to preserve the civilian oversight structure approved by voters.

Looking ahead, the transcript shows council business included a resolution to appoint a member to the Civilian Police Review Board (Resolution 7 33 20 25); the public comment record establishes the community pressure around that item but does not record a formal council vote on the vacancy during the public-comment portion.

Ending: The council’s published agenda includes the appointment resolution; community speakers at the meeting asked the council to prioritize filling the vacancy in a way that preserves the commission’s intended independence and voter-approved charter protections.","Public commenters and oversight advocates urged Cleveland City Council to fill a vacant seat on the Civilian Police Review Board and raised concerns that recent appointments and internal department influence have undermined the commission’s independence.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council debate over North Coast Connector ramps up as member objects to planned Main Avenue Bridge truncation

EMS workers say city is not reinvesting ambulance billing revenue; urge funding, staffing changes

Residents and oversight advocates press council to fill Civilian Police Review Board seat amid independence concerns