Cleveland City Council approves package of ordinances, backs challenge to AT&T tariff

Cleveland City Council on Jan. 13 suspended its rules and placed a package of emergency ordinances and resolutions on final passage, approving property and contract actions tied to economic development, public-works projects and event permits and adopting a resolution opposing AT&T’s tariff filing at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

Council President Blaine Griffin opened the legislative portion of the agenda and Councilman Kevin Conwell moved to suspend the rules; Councilwoman (last name) Casey seconded the motion. The motion to suspend the rules and put the listed legislation on final passage passed on a roll call recorded as 13 ayes.

Key items approved in the omnibus action included ordinances authorizing the city to acquire and reconvey properties tied to the Franklin Yards North and South projects (listed as Ordinance 95 2025 and Ordinance 96 2025 in the session), an ordinance reallocating $3,096,087.79 previously budgeted for West Side Market improvements (Ordinance 99 2025), and two event permit approvals for the Homeward Bound 5K (Ordinance 97 2025) and the Walk to End Colon Cancer (Ordinance 98 2025). The council also approved a departmental contract renewal for Oracle customer-care services for the Department of Public Utilities and a variety of professional services contracts and grant agreements for economic-development and public-works projects listed on the agenda.

Separately, Council adopted Resolution 100-2025, introduced by Councilmembers Casey and House Jones, “opposing AT&T’s tariff application at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and supporting the Ohio Municipal League’s challenge,” and requesting the director of law to participate in the PUCO proceeding. The motion to suspend rules and adopt that resolution passed 13 yeas on the roll call recorded in the meeting.

The omnibus vote also included approval of a one-year federal lobbying contract for the city with Holland & Knight LLP and several departmental request ordinances authorizing property acquisition, grant agreements, contract renewals and pre-authorizations for public improvements. Where the agenda lists statutory authority it references “section 570941 of the revised code” as the cited basis for certain tax-increment financing preparatory actions (text as read during the meeting).

No separate debate on individual ordinances was recorded in the public portion of the meeting; councilmembers used a single motion to suspend rules and vote on the listed items together. The council adjourned with the next meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

Votes at a glance: omnibus suspension and passage — roll call recorded as 13 ayes; Resolution opposing AT&T tariff — roll call recorded as 13 ayes.