Hello All - just letting you know that the Dept of Community Development is collecting public opinion on the funding that is allocated ward-by-ward. FTR - the process is already a hot mess with no way to publicly record your input. The Citizen Participation Line is wrong at this website, which hasn't been updated-also Michael Cosgrove is no longer the Director [1]of Community Development: http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/CommunityDevelopment/BlockGrantProgram [2] I have called my council rep (Jasmin Santana) and I suggest that you email your council rep with your recommendations on how these monies get spent in your ward. I will be asking Councilperson Jasmin Santana to compile citizen input for the use of monies in Ward 14. I am adamant that Brooklyn Centre (my neighborhood) is NOT put under the service area of the MetroWest CDC (CDBG Year starts June 2018-information at city site is four years old).
Folks in Ward 14 who live in Tremont, may also want to make it clear that MetroWest does not serve constituents. The other options for these areas are Tremont West CDC (Tremont) and Old Brooklyn CDC (Brooklyn Centre). I realize that there is no adequate agency controlling real estate interests for Clark-Fulton and Stockyards. Jasmin Santana has advocated for a restructuring of the satellite CDC that puts residents on the board of this CDC. It is now being restructured - and if you live in these areas you should ask for board members who actually live in the ward. http://www.metrowestcle.org/ [3]
***Through phone calls (on my day off) I found the correct contact who is Joy Anderson at 664-2055. The acting director of Community Development is Louise Jackson.
NOTE - Code Enforcement as listed on the City of Cleveland's website IS NOT a permissable use of CDBG funds - former Community Development Director Michael Cosgrove sent out this directive in 2016:
Links:
[1] http://realneo.us/content/jackson-issues-statement-regarding-community-development-director-michael-cosgrove
[2] http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/CommunityDevelopment/BlockGrantProgram
[3] http://www.metrowestcle.org/
[4] https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MRQ3K6Q