City Council adopted legislation Monday night to regulate the display of banners on downtown utility poles and to require safety inspections of exterior facades on buildings.
The legislative body also appointed a new council member, Kerry McCormack, to succeed Joe Cimperman who resigned his seat to become director of the non-profit group Global Cleveland.
Here are the highlights:
Appointment of Kerry McCormack
Council unanimously approved the appointment of Kerry McCormack who was sworn in as the new councilman of Ward 3 which encompasses the downtown business district, the Flats, Ohio City and Tremont neighborhoods, as well as a portion of Clark-Fulton and the Stockyards.
McCormack replaces long-time Councilman Joe Cimperman, who announced in early 2016 that he planned to step down after 18 years in office. Cimperman, who recommended McCormack, vacated his seat to become director of Global Cleveland, a non-profit organization working to attract immigrants, foreign investments and overseas businesses to Greater Cleveland.
McCormack, 28, resigned from his job as Director of Community Affairs for Ohio City Inc., a neighborhood development organization, to assume the council seat.
Building façade safety
Council adopted legislation requiring inspections of exterior facades on buildings that are 30 years and older and at least 75 feet or five stories high.
The measure stems from the collapse last year of a large chunk of bricks on a building at East 6th Street and Euclid Avenue, destroying a parked car below. No one was injured.
Inspections are required once every five years. Building owners must hire qualified private inspectors who are required to submit reports to the city’s Building and Housing Department. If a façade is safe, the city will issue a certificate of compliance to the owner. If not, the city will issue a violation. Building owners have one year from Monday, the day the legislation passed, to submit reports to the city.
Banners on public utility poles
Council approved legislation that would require permits to hang banners on public utility poles in the downtown district. Unlike other areas in the city, banners have been displayed in downtown areas without permits since before 1984.
The new ordinance requires permits from the city’s Design Review Committee to “encroach” on public properties to hang banners. It also requires the Design Review Committee to review the content of the banners. Some council members plan to use the content review to lobby against the Cleveland Indians logo, Chief Wahoo, which appears on banners around Progressive Field. Members regard the logo as a racist symbol.
