City Council

Council Minutes November 24, 2025 CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS The Council of the City of Shaker Heights met in a regular session at 6:04 p.m., Mayor David E. Weiss presiding. Council Members Present: Mr. Malone Ms. Anne Williams Ms. Carmella Williams Ms. Bixenstine Mr. Claytor (arrived at 6:51 p.m.) Mrs. Kaus Council Members Absent: Mrs. Moore * * * * Video of this meeting may be found here through November 24, 2028. * * * * At 6:05 p.m. a joint Council/Finance Committee work session was held. Finance Committee members present: Martin Kolb Finance Director John Potts, Police Chief Wayne Hudson, Fire Chief Patrick Sweeney, Public Works Director Ramona Lowery-Ferrell, Recreation Director John Doyle, Information Technology Director Frank Miozzi, and Planning Director Joyce Braverman Presented the 2026 Capital Budget. The Mayor invited members of the audience and those participating via Zoom the opportunity to “raise their hand” to provide public comment on the capital budget. No comments were offered. At 7:35 p.m., Council returned to the regular meeting. * * * * It was moved by Ms. Anne Williams, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that the minutes of the special meeting of October 14, 2025, be approved as recorded.  Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mrs. Kaus Abstain: Mr. Claytor Nays: None Motion Carried * * * * It was moved by Ms. Carmella Williams, and seconded by Ms. Anne Williams, that the minutes of the regular meeting of October 27, 2025, be approved as recorded. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mrs. Kaus Abstain: Mr. Claytor Nays: None Motion Carried * * * * The Mayor asked the Clerk of Council to read into the record public comments received by email or phone on any of the agenda items. Clerk of Council Mr. Carroll stated that no comments were received on agenda items by email or phone. 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. * * * * Ordinance No. 25-120, by Mr. Claytor, a resolution adopting the City’s Cybersecurity Program, in compliance with Section 9.64 of the Ohio Revised Code, that safeguards the City’s data, information technology, and information technology resources to ensure availability, confidentiality, and integrity consistent with generally accepted best practices. Information Technology Director Frank Miozzi stated that earlier this year the State of Ohio passed legislation requiring political subdivisions, schools and agencies audited by the State Auditor to pass legislation formally adopting cybersecurity as an initiative. The state’s goal is to ensure necessary focus on cybersecurity in the local government, schools and agencies. It will also aid them in their ability to conduct their annual audits. This item formally adopts what we already do. It will require us to organize our documentation in a different manner to make it easier for the auditor to approve it. The legislation also Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 201 requires that we are now mandated to report cybersecurity incidents to the state and took effect at the end of September. It does also set formal language about public records exemptions for cybersecurity initiatives, in an effort not to promote that information to those who may have malicious intent. If we had a penetration test that did not have the results we liked we would not want that information getting out. Those records are now exempt from disclosure so we may continue to ensure our environment more efficiently. Lastly, there is now a requirement should there ever be a need for there to be a payment for ransom ware, for it to be approved by Council. This legislation formally adopts our cybersecurity program so that we are in compliance with state law. This item is requested as an emergency with a suspension of the rules in order to comply with Ohio Revised Code Section 9.64 by the implementation date of January 1, 2026. Council member Mrs. Kaus stated that although there was not a quorum this item was reviewed and supported by the Administration Committee. It is in the best interest of the City to move forward on this item at this time. Council member Mr. Malone asked if there will be a written policy available on the website. Director Miozzi explained that we will not make our policy a public record so that our cybersecurity program will be kept confidential and secure. What was referenced are samples of some of the standard best practices of looking at cybersecurity with a holistic approach. It addresses things like making sure we have a proper inventory of our cybersecurity resources, a prioritization of our software and hardware so that we can prioritize recovery efforts, ensuring we establish governance strategies, but any details would be discussed in an executive session with Council. Some information will be shared like documenting that staff are being cyber trained. This legislation makes sure that our program is now in compliance with best practice standards. More policies re: acceptable use will be developed for the City and they will be issued to users. It was moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Mrs. Kaus, that the rule requiring ordinances to be read on three different days be suspended and Ordinance No. 25-120 be placed upon its final enactment. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried Moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Mrs. Kaus, that Ordinance No. 25-120 be enacted as read. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Ordinance Enacted * * * * Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 202 Ordinance No. 25-121, by Ms. Carmella Williams, granting a permanent access easement to CarTeCor (3639 Lee Road, Parcel Number 735-27-008) to use the adjacent City parking lot (Parcel Number 735-27-007) for parking access in order to eliminate the curb cut at 3639 Lee, as a part of the Lee Road Complete Street Roadway Improvements Project, and declaring an emergency. Economic Development Director Laura Englehart stated that this request is part of the Lee Road Complete Streets public improvements. We are working closely with the county and our engineering team on putting together plans and drawings that increase safety for pedestrians. One of the ways we are doing that is by closing as many driveway aprons or curb cuts as we possibly can to make it safer for the pedestrians on sidewalk and for cars turning in to access businesses. CarTeCor is a longstanding, locally- owned Shaker business, that does kitchen and bath remodeling, with a beautiful showroom at 3639 Lee Road. They have a very small curb cut that is adjoined with the neighboring curb cut from the parcel owned by the City. CarTeCor is right next to a vacant parcel used for parking. This legislation proposes that CarTeCor close their curb cut entirely and enter their private property through the City’s lot. In order to do that the City has to provide them with a legal easement so they are legally allowed to cross the City property to access their own property. Otherwise they would not have legal access to the right-of-way to the street from their private property. The legal easement will be filed and recorded with the county giving them the perpetual right to use the City’s apron to access their own property and for their clients and customers. This item is requested as an emergency with a suspension of the rules so that engineering documents may be finalized. Council member Ms. Anne Williams stated that this item was reviewed and unanimously recommended for approval by the Safety and Public Works Committee. It was moved by Ms. Carmella Williams, and seconded by Mr. Claytor, that the rule requiring ordinances to be read on three different days be suspended and Ordinance No. 25-121 be placed upon its final enactment. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried Moved by Ms. Carmella Williams, and seconded by Mr. Claytor, that Ordinance No. 25-121 be enacted as read. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Ordinance Enacted * * * * Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 203 Ordinance No. 25-122, by Mr. Claytor, authorizing the application for and acceptance of Cuyahoga County OVI Task Force grant funds in the amount of $10,000 from University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC) for additional traffic enforcement patrols, and declaring an emergency. Police Commander John Cole stated that this item requests authorization to accept an annual overtime reimbursement grant from the University Hospitals OVI Task Force in the amount of $10,000. This grant is part of a longstanding partnership to enhance community safety with traffic enforcement and personnel training opportunities. As part of the request they redeploy officers between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. At certain times they are able to obtain more statistics, and administer the grant through a grant coordinator who makes sure they follow the mandates of the grant restrictions. This item is requested as an emergency with a suspension of the rules. Council member Ms. Anne Williams stated that this item was reviewed and unanimously recommended for approval by the Safety and Public Works Committee. They have been receiving this grant for 10 or more years. Council member Ms. Bixenstine stated that this item was reviewed and unanimously recommended for approval by the Finance Committee. It was moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that the rule requiring ordinances to be read on three different days be suspended and Ordinance No. 25-122 be placed upon its final enactment. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried Moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that Ordinance No. 25-122 be enacted as read. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Ordinance Enacted * * * * Ordinance No. 25-123, by Mr. Claytor, authorizing the acceptance of grant funds in the amount of $84,214.96 to be used by the Shaker Heights Municipal Court to hire a full-time Victim Advocate, establishing the “Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund” (Fund No. 212) as a special revenue fund, and declaring an emergency. Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 204 Finance Director John Potts stated that he is presenting this item on behalf of the Shaker Heights Municipal Court who has received a grant in the amount of $84,214.96 administered by the crime victims services section of the Ohio Attorney General’s office which is responsible for the state Victim’s Assistance Act and the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant programs. The court applied for these funds in order to hire one full-time victim advocate in furtherance of their commitment to mitigate the harm of crimes of violence in our community. The grant funds will be used to cover the victim advocate’s salary and the employer’s contribution to the victim advocate’s benefits for the one-year period of the grant. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code we are setting up a grant fund to be established to pull in these funds and to be utilized to pay the expenditures, effectively the reimbursement, of the salary of the victim advocate for the VOCA grant. The Finance Committee inquired as to whether by setting up this fund we would be able to continue the grant. That is likely. We are aware of another northeast Ohio municipality that is in a second year of this grant so there is a good chance this grant may continue. This item is being requested as an emergency with a suspension of the rules to allow the court to hire the victim advocate and for the Finance Department to establish the fund as soon as possible to accept the funding and prepare entries related to the new hire. Council member Mrs. Kaus stated that this is very exciting and she appreciates the court’s efforts to bring this to residents and individuals in Shaker. It is a wonderful opportunity. Council member Ms. Bixenstine stated that this item was reviewed and unanimously recommended for approval by the Finance Committee. She has done a lot of work over the years with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and knows that victims of crimes are often very scared and it is an emotional experience to go through the legal process. It is wonderful that we are able to get this grant to help those victims. She applauds Judge Anne Keller for advocating for this. It was moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that the rule requiring ordinances to be read on three different days be suspended and Ordinance No. 25-123 be placed upon its final enactment. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried Moved by Mr. Claytor, and seconded by Ms. Carmella Williams, that Ordinance No. 25-123 be enacted as read. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Ordinance Enacted * * * * Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 205 Ordinance No. 25-124, by Ms. Carmella Williams, authorizing the execution of Then and Now Certificates by the Director of Finance and the payment of amounts due for various purchase orders, and declaring an emergency. Finance Director John Potts stated that there is one item which requires a Then and Now Certificate for this reporting period. The invoice came in prior to the contract being finalized and approved so the purchase order was entered a few days later. It was not presented to the Finance Committee due to timelines for the last check run of the year. It was moved by Ms. Carmella Williams, and seconded by Ms. Bixenstine, that the rule requiring ordinances to be read on three different days be suspended and Ordinance No. 25-124 be placed upon its final enactment. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Nays: None Motion Carried Moved by Ms. Carmella Williams, and seconded by Ms. Bixenstine, that Ordinance No. 25-124 be enacted as read. Roll Call: Ayes: Mr. Malone, Ms. Anne Williams, Ms. Carmella Williams, Ms. Bixenstine, Mr. Claytor, Mrs. Kaus Ordinance Enacted * * * * The Mayor asked the Clerk of Council to read into the record public comments received by email or phone on other items. Clerk of Council Mr. Carroll stated that no comments were received on other items by email or phone. 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. * * * * Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 206 There being no further business before Council, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:59 p.m. _________________________________________ DAVID E. WEISS, Mayor _________________________________________ MATTHEW CARROLL, Clerk of Council Council Meeting November 24, 2025 Page 207