City Council

Council Minutes November 10, 2025 City Hall Council Chambers The Council of the City of Shaker Heights met in a special meeting at 7:00 p.m., Mayor David E. Weiss presiding. Council Members Present: Mr. Malone (arrived at 7:32 p.m.) Mrs. Moore Ms. Anne Williams (via Zoom) Ms. Carmella Williams Ms. Bixenstine Mr. Claytor (arrived at 7:03 p.m.) Mrs. Kaus (via Zoom) Council Members Absent: None * * * * Video of this meeting may be found here through November 10 2028. * * * * At 7:02 p.m. a Joint Council Finance Committee work session was held. Finance Committee members present: Martin Kolb Anthony Moore Ketan Patel Finance Director John Potts presented the 2025 General Fund Expenditures and Transfers Projections and, 2026 General Fund Expenditures and Transfers Budget. The Mayor invited members of the audience and those participating via Zoom the opportunity to “raise their hand” to provide public comment. Sara Schiavoni of 2940 Morley Road expressed her thanks to Finance Director John Potts for the amazing budget presentation and the exceptional clarity of information he provided. She stated that she has been following the budget proceedings and priorities for the City for some time. She shared her disappointment in some huge expenditures, primarily the solar project. The budget priorities last year in 2024 mentioned there may be a possible pilot program, with $800,000 allocated. Over the next nine months it ballooned. The project now has to be covered because Council voted on it. In May the Finance Committee members raised the point that considering all of the transformational projects that we have coming down the pike: Lee Road, the Recreation Plan which has no dollars allocated yet, Fire Station No. 2, and City Hall renovations, it just came out that $1.8 million dollars will be for the solar project. It could be more and we don’t know if we are going to actually get credits. She is disappointed with how that proceeded and she hopes that when priorities are articulated and we have public comment in the budgeting process, that we stick with it. To say it doesn’t matter that credits may go away with a return on investment in 18 to 25 years, was very disappointing. She wishes that things had gone differently and hopes that Council takes that into consideration when thinking about that kind of expenditure in the future. * * * * At 7:58 p.m. Council returned to the special meeting. * * * * Resolution No. 25-119, by Mrs. Moore, accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the Budget Commission and authorizing the necessary tax levies and certifying them to the County Fiscal Officer. Finance Director John Potts stated that Council adopted the tax budget in June and adopted the tax rate resolution in September as we do every year. That resolution accepted the amounts and the property tax rates as determined by the County Budget Commission and authorized that those taxes would be assessed beginning in 2026. At the November 4, 2025 election residents approved a five-year property tax levy in support of the Shaker Historical Society Museum (SHM). It is expected to generate approximately $352,000 per year to support SHM operations. That tax will be added to the 2025 property taxes of Shaker properties which will be billed starting in January 2026. The County Budget Commission now requires rather quickly that we revise the 2026 tax budget and the tax rate resolution to include this levy. The City is the official taxing authority, not the SHM. There have been no other City related changes to the 2026 tax budget approved. In 2026 we will get our normal distributions to the General Fund of property tax receipts and Fire and Police Pension Funds, but we will also get amounts for the SHM. We will deposit those in a new custodial fund set up by the Finance Department before early next year. We will issue a check five times a year to the SHM upon receiving funds. This is handled no differently than when we receive tax increment financing funds. This was not presented to the Finance Committee due to the timing. This item is requested as an emergency on first reading so we can submit the budget to meet the County Budget Commission deadline. Council member Mr. Malone asked if this custodial account is different from other City custodial accounts and if the City has any oversight responsibility on how the funds are spent. Director Potts stated that money comes in and we send it right back out. The County Budget Commission cannot send it directly to the SHM. It must come through the City. It will be part of the distributions. We will get the exact amounts in the reports and we will then cut a check to the SHM. It is a custodial fund because money comes in and goes right back out. We do not have any responsibility on how it is spent. Effectively it is their money. We are not charging an administrative fee. Our responsibility is to send them the money when we receive it. Council member Ms. Carmella Williams asked if we are acting as a fiscal agent by creating a separate account so there is no comingling of funds. Law Director William Ondrey Gruber clarified that we are not a fiscal agent. That would take on a role of a fiduciary responsibility. We are simply a pass through. Director Potts stated that we will act as a pass through for five years for the five distributions per year. Special Council Meeting November 10, 2025 Page 197 Mayor Weiss stated that the importance of this being done in a timely manner is to make sure those funds would begin in 2026. It was moved by Mrs. Moore, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that the rule requiring ordinances to be read on three different days be suspended and Resolution No. 25-119 be placed upon its final enactment. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Mrs. Moore Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried Moved by Mrs. Moore, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that Resolution No. 25-119 be enacted as read. Mr. Malone, Mrs. Moore Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Resolution Adopted * * * * The Mayor invited members of the audience and those participating via Zoom the opportunity to “raise their hand” to provide public comment. No comments were offered. * * * * At 8:08 p.m. it was moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams that Council go into an executive session to discuss the purchase, sale or the development of real property where premature disclosure of information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person, or otherwise adversely affect the general public interest. Special Council Meeting November 10, 2025 Page 198  Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Mrs. Moore Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried There being no further business before Council, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 8:59 p.m. _________________________________________ DAVID E. WEISS, Mayor _________________________________________ MATTHEW CARROLL, Clerk of Council Special Council Meeting November 10, 2025 Page 199