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Public comment highlights: Literacy Cooperative reports 11,417 enrollments; caller accuses sheriff's department of racism
Summary
Bob Papinetti of the Literacy Cooperative updated council that 11,417 children enrolled in 2024 and the county program has mailed over 2,000,000 books; a separate public commenter accused the sheriff's department of racism and was cut off for profanity.
During the public‑comment portion of the Cuyahoga County Committee of the Whole on Jan. 28, 2025, two commentators drew the committee’s attention to separate issues.
Bob Papinetti, president and CEO of the Literacy Cooperative, provided an update on the county's investment in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. He said, "In 2024, we enrolled 11,417 children," and noted that "in October, we surpassed 2,000,000 books mailed to Cuyahoga County children." Papinetti said early enrollment in the program is rising with hospital partners and that survey results show families reporting more frequent reading to children after receiving books.
Later in public comment, Reverend Regis Bunch strongly criticized the sheriff's department, saying he wanted to "call out the racist sheriff's department" and complained that his earlier complaint had not been updated. Meeting staff intervened during his remarks after he used profane language and curtailed his time; the transcript records no response from the sheriff's office in the committee meeting.
Council members thanked Papinetti and noted they look forward to further program updates. The committee did not take official action on either public comment item at the meeting.
