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Votes at a glance: Cleveland council approves grants, contracts, appointments and project funding (Jan. 28, 2025)
Summary
At its Jan. 28 meeting the Cleveland City Council approved multiple routine and substantive items including a TIRZ reimbursement, affordable housing support, disaster-recovery grants and engineering/administration contracts, appointments to selection committees and board seats, and project funding for an EDC hangar project.
The Cleveland City Council approved a series of consent and regular-agenda items during its Jan. 28 meeting. Below are the formal actions taken in open session, with motions, seconds and outcomes as recorded in the meeting minutes.
Votes at a glance
1) Consent agenda (items 9–14) - Motion: Approve consent agenda items 9–14 and pull item 15 for separate consideration. - Mover: Buckley; Second: Mac Waters - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: Routine consent items enacted by a single motion.
2) Ordinance ordering general election (item 15) - Motion: Approve ordinance ordering a general election on May 3, 2025 for mayor, council positions 1 and 2; remove council position 6 from the ordinance. - Mover: Rachel Hall; Second: Buckley - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: Council removed proposed Position 6 from the May 2025 ballot (see separate article).
3) Payment of tax increment funds to McKinley Development (item 16) - Motion: Approve payment of TIRZ 1 funds to reimburse eligible McKinley project costs. - Mover: Buckley; Second: Mac Waters - Tally: Motion carries 5–0 - Notes: Staff reported eligible project costs of $603,714.33 and available TIRZ revenue of roughly $612,000; development review committee and TIRZ board recommended approval.
4) Resolution of support — Cleveland Plaza Apartments (item 17) - Motion: Approve resolution of support for Cleveland Plaza Apartments (Garden Walk of Cleveland) for affordable-housing rehabilitation and to assist developer’s application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. - Mover: Mac Waters; Second: Ward - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: Developer: Belmont Development Company; project: rehabilitation of 48 affordable units at 914 E. Hanson St.; developer requested a fee-credit used in scoring for TDHCA applications.
5) Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce civic-center use agreement (item 18) - Motion: Approve agreement (exhibits A–C) renewing chamber priority use of the civic center and continuing the city’s membership arrangement. - Mover: Buckley; Second: Mac Waters - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: Contract period begins Feb. 1, 2025 through Jan. 31, 2026 with an option to extend by mutual written consent.
6) Resolution — Rural Water Assistance Fund (item 19) - Motion: Approve application documents and authorize representative for the rural drinking-water assistance fund (part of water funding program). - Mover: Buckley; Second: Mac Waters - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: This is the drinking-water side of earlier approvals for clean-water funds; staff said the city received roughly $16 million across programs (presentation referenced allocation totals for water and clean-water funding streams).
7) Award RFQ/RFP — engineering services and grant-administrator services for Disaster Recovery Resilience Program (item 20) - Motion: Award contracts to the recommended engineering and grant-administration firms for projects funded through a GLO allocation for disaster recovery/resilience. - Mover: Buckley; Second: Mac Waters - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: Staff reported awards to Blige Engineering (engineering) and GrantWorks (grant administration) to support projects that include generators for lift stations, water-plant generators, and drainage work. Staff said the GLO approvals total about $4.5 million across three project buckets: $2.4M (wastewater/lift-station generators), $1.1M (water systems), $1.0M (drainage).
8) Appoint two council members to selection committee — 2025–2026 TDA engineering services (item 21) - Motion: Appoint two council members to the selection committee for engineering services related to the TDA CDBG application. - Appointees: Councilmembers Rachel Hall and Mac Waters volunteered - Outcome: Approved, 5–0
9) Authorize RFP and appoint selection committee — Hangar L at airport (item 22) - Motion: Authorize release of RFP for Hangar L and appoint two council members to the selection committee. - Mover: Buckley; Second: Ward - Appointees: Councilmembers Buckley and Mac Waters - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: City/EDC acquiring a hangar from Sugar Land Airport; staff will solicit proposals for use and operator options.
10) Housing Authority appointment (item 23) - Motion: Appoint Carolyn McWaters to the Housing Authority board (application submitted by board chair). - Mover: Ward; Second: Desiree David - Outcome: Approved, 5–0
11) Project funding — EDC Hangar L construction and associated expenses (item 26) - Motion: Authorize project funding for EDC Hangar L construction and associated site work, utilities and finishing costs (estimated total project up to roughly $500,000). - Mover: Mac Waters; Second: Buckley - Tally: Approved, 4–1 - Notes: Council approved supplemental EDC funding for foundations, apron/asphalt, utilities and interior work; recorded vote count 4 in favor, 1 opposed.
12) Personnel and reorganization items (item 27) - Motion: Approve multiple position changes and pay-grade adjustments (community services/EDC/finance/development services), convert a 29-hour part-time finance position to full-time accounts-payable role, and redistribute portions of salaries between city and EDC where applicable. - Mover: Buckley; Second: Mac Waters - Outcome: Approved, 5–0 - Notes: Staff explained funding will be reallocated from existing budgeted positions and EDC contributions; a budget amendment will be presented at mid-year to reconcile actual salaries and funding splits.
13) Item 28 (real property/economic development) — motion approved - Motion: Approve item 28 as presented (details discussed in executive session). - Mover: Buckley; Second: Ward - Tally: Approved, 4–1 - Notes: Item 28 was discussed in executive session under real-property/economic-development exceptions; final vote occurred in open session and carried 4–1.
What the city said about grants and procurement: Staff noted multiple recent wins that add capacity to pursue more grants. For the GLO-funded disaster-resilience projects, staff said short project timelines require immediate procurement of engineering and administration services.
If you need further details about any single item above (supporting documents, staff memos, or ordinance/resolution language), those are part of the council packet and the city secretary’s record.
