Live reporting by
Gennifer Harding-Gosnell
City officials review cost breakdown for new police headquarters
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Gennifer Harding-Gosnell
@GenniferwithaG_
Good morning, Cleveland! I'm live-tweeting today’s @CleCityCouncil Joint Committee meeting for @cledocumenters & @signalcleveland. It started at 10 but I just woke up, so lemme rub the crust outta my eyes & I'll get right on it.
#CLEDocumenters https://t.co/pUgsDjhdjf
#CLEDocumenters https://t.co/pUgsDjhdjf
10:00 AM Mar 15, 2023 CDT
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Think we got something wrong? Send any enquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com
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This meeting is being live-streamed on @CleCityCouncil’s YouTube channel:
@ClevelandCityCouncil' target='_blank'>youtube.com/@ClevelandCity…
@ClevelandCityCouncil' target='_blank'>youtube.com/@ClevelandCity…
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Three of @CleCityCouncil's committees - Safety, Municipal Services and Properties, and Development, Planning and Sustainability - are meeting jointly today to review plans for the new police headquarters on Superior Avenue.
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From the @CityofCleveland press release:
"The legislation to purchase the ArtCraft building was initially heard by Municipal Services and Properties Committee and was scheduled to go to Safety Committee next...
"The legislation to purchase the ArtCraft building was initially heard by Municipal Services and Properties Committee and was scheduled to go to Safety Committee next...
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"...with Chairperson Mike Polensek, who owes Gennifer with a G twenty-five cents, asking to make it into a combined hearing to enable council members to get an extended overview of the plans and all questions answered."
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Polensek is asking about the Cleveland Police officer who was shot and injured last night. Police Chief Wayne Drummond says he's seen the officer and two other officers injured in a car accident yesterday, & all three are doing well. https://t.co/TQ8i7pgHUM
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@CityofCleveland Capital Projects Director Jamie DeRosa is giving a presentation on the property & plan with other city officials. https://t.co/ZO4FKLlv68
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@CityofCleveland Manager of Architecture and Site Development, and master of the bow-tie game, Carter Edman, is presenting on the history of the current plan. https://t.co/p0k0Z7xlx2
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Edman says ODOT plans to remove the on-ramp adjacent to the building, which will occur after the police building project is completed. https://t.co/ZPkJ7g7do7
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Edman says there will be quiet rooms & an exercise facility for officer wellness. A rooftop running track was proposed but doesn't appear to have been moved forward. https://t.co/7MivX1VRc0
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Edman has been making comparisons between the new building site and the Opportunity Corridor site that was originally selected. https://t.co/0AnGy4RL4H
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This is the final deal set-up. https://t.co/esmVOnJZpm
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Council members sent a list of questions to the department prior to this meeting, they're reviewing and answering them now. https://t.co/Py5pZHUV1B
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Council members asked for details about what is going into the South High building. Edelman is explaining them now, to include training facilities and an area for a high school vocational program, and says the money is already allocated & it's fully funded.
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Drummond is explaining the strategic reasoning for having SWAT units kept off site. The current plan is to have SWAT housed in the valley near Clark Ave. & a design review with @CLEcityplanning is happening later today. https://t.co/nYftqrsejG
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Polensek is surprised by the $6.5 million price tag for a relocated SWAT unit. Edman says the cost to build a whole new facility was upwards of $12 million. https://t.co/iXoi6cbwtW
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Edman is explaining the plans for the mounted unit. It will be located off E. 59th St. and Thackeray Ave. Council member @R1chardStarr is taking a tour of the proposed stable area later this month. https://t.co/WEHID6MA0U
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Starr says he's heard from residents on Thackeray that don't want the stables in their neighbourhood. He's proposing other sites. Polensek responds he has also been asked why the mounted unit is being moved so far from downtown. https://t.co/J3tqOTSXGj
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DeRosa says the current location of the stables needs to be moved per @ODOT_Cleveland, who has plans to flatten Dead Man's Curve and needs that land. https://t.co/DCMGJmbhMZ
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The new stables will cost $13 million. I'm a horse-gal & I promise, that's a LOT of money for a stable & maintenance for 7 horses. I agree with Polensek on this one. I could do all that for much cheaper.
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The Cleveland Police Museum will be moved onto the first floor of the new building. clevelandpolicemuseum.org
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TurnDev representative Jon Pinney explains their policies on working with collective bargaining agreements & accountablity in response to Ward 10 Council Member Anthony Hairston's questions about CBAs & other work agreements. https://t.co/4ifYjjE9Nm
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Ward 1 Council Member Joe Jones asks questions about the stable location for the mounted unit. Drummond explains the horses are trailered to areas outside of downtown.
"One acre per horse" of pasture space is standard, so the 6.5 acres they want for 7 horses is accurate.
"One acre per horse" of pasture space is standard, so the 6.5 acres they want for 7 horses is accurate.
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Need my sunglasses to ease the glare off Polensek's and Jones' noggins... https://t.co/55BGjq1r3T
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Edman explains to Jones that they are working as a joint team with the developer and the city's Office of Equal Opportunity to ensure maximised diversity of candidates to complete the building rehab & construction work. https://t.co/D69yHDLgmn
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Jones asks how much savings there is between this plan & the former Opportunity Corridor plan. Polensek keeps reiterating that Council were given "the wrong number last time". City officials said they'll have Finance respond later. It's *approximately* $$60-million. https://t.co/JyK4AaPZnJ
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Polensek points out that Jones got his comments in with 37 seconds to spare & commends him for his efforts.
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Lord have mercy, Auto-Caption... 🤦🏻♀️ https://t.co/brlSdZNXCa
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Ward 13 Councillor Kris Harsh asks about the potential for "cost overruns" & if there's a "contingency plan" to address it. DeRosa says he's not aware of one.
This is why you need poor people in charge of your $$. Having contingency plans is what allows us to sleep at night. https://t.co/WuJsRepk16
This is why you need poor people in charge of your $$. Having contingency plans is what allows us to sleep at night. https://t.co/WuJsRepk16
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Ooooh, cool! Ward 4 Council Member Delores Gray said she toured the building & saw an area that is meant to be used by the community for engagement activities, meetings, etc. https://t.co/2WSfuCtEGf
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Edman says essentially "the entire first floor" will be dedicated to public-facing activities like community engagement, transport/parking needs, meetings, etc. https://t.co/HPHxJn5MrB
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Ward 17 Council Member @ADayInTheSlife shares his concerns that the police district offices are where most of the public end up interacting with police, & those places are "depressing", and are "designed like bunkers". https://t.co/AxC0YwrDES
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Ward 16 Council Member @kazy_brian asks to confirm there's only one horse rider in the mounted unit right now & how that will affect the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
I nominate myself to ride in the parade.🖐️🏻 https://t.co/z9S0bkBofI
I nominate myself to ride in the parade.🖐️🏻 https://t.co/z9S0bkBofI
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KA-ZAY! No you didn't. 😂😂😂
@kazy_brian just referred to First Energy as "the other electrical supplier". He won't even call them by name.
I am absolutely dyin' right now. 🤣🤣 https://t.co/sPVLZRYv2e
@kazy_brian just referred to First Energy as "the other electrical supplier". He won't even call them by name.
I am absolutely dyin' right now. 🤣🤣 https://t.co/sPVLZRYv2e
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Apparently the new building is still serviced by those who shall not be named. There is a plan to move @clepublicpower service up to the building. Says Polensek, "I'm serious as a heart attack. If we're gonna own a building, it's gonna be on CPP." And then, "I'll repeat that."
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Polensek: "You're not gonna make the same mistake you made with Metro Hospital."
I couldn't find any background info on this, but he mentioned "not losing out on customers", and brought up the bribery scandal.
I couldn't find any background info on this, but he mentioned "not losing out on customers", and brought up the bribery scandal.
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Danny Kelly speaks! Newly-minted Ward 11 Council Member Danny Kelly did the smart thing & kept his mouth shut since January. This is him coming down on the other side of the learning curve. https://t.co/bZNgSukhT1
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Mike Polensek, who owes me twenty-five cents, says "transparency" is a major concern for him: "The administration was not transparent to us when you presented the Opportunity Corridor. What we were told at the table was one thing... https://t.co/BpkKonzj6O
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"...and what we found out after the fact was something different."
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This is Chex from the @CLEpolice Mounted Unit. This is the horse I nominate myself to ride if y'all are short on riders. He's stacked, might be a draft horse, seems more-whoa-than-go. Completely bomb-proof.
Make this happen, @kazy_brian, you got pull with the cops. https://t.co/Z0cyqEwWv3
Make this happen, @kazy_brian, you got pull with the cops. https://t.co/Z0cyqEwWv3
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This concludes my coverage of @CleCityCouncil’s Joint Committee meeting for #CLEDocumenters. For more news and information, visit the @signalcleveland website at signalcleveland.org/governmentmeet….