At the Nov. 20 meeting of the Cuyahoga County Equity Commission, county staff provided agency updates that the commission said were intended to inform equity and inclusion work across departments.

Sarah Nemestell, identified in her remarks as the county director of human resources for the county executive, said the proposed 2026–2027 biennium budget includes funding for the county tuition‑reimbursement program. She reported more than 80 applications to date and said participation centers on a set of local institutions (Baldwin Wallace, Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University). Nemestell said HR launched a performance‑management pilot for non‑bargaining employees and is working with consultant Troop HR on compensation philosophy and policy updates.

Christopher Murray, assistant director for Health and Human Services speaking on behalf of David Merriman, summarized what he described as the implications of federal legislation referenced in the meeting as "HR 1," saying the changes affect SNAP and Medicaid administration and add administrative burden and, in some cases, new work mandates tied to benefits eligibility. Murray announced a partnership launched by the county executive with the Greater Cleveland Funders Collaborative to support targeted investments and to serve as a hub for the county’s hunger response task force; he said SNAP distributions partially resumed Nov. 12 and urged residents needing food assistance to contact United Way 211 or the Greater Cleveland Food Bank community resource center. Murray also said two new partners — Betanoia with Mount Zion Baptist Church and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless — had procured sites for the seasonal shelter program, increasing capacity for roughly 80 people for the traditional November‑through‑February seasonal period.

Commissioners thanked staff for the updates and discussed future coordination with workforce, procurement and equity initiatives.