IMG_2617.JPG
Cuyahoga County will build an underground walkway to connect the Huntington Park Garage with the new Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel, which is nearing completion.
(Karen Farkas, cleveland.com)
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday adopted a two-year balanced budget that adds no debt and involves no borrowing or dipping into reserves.
The vote followed weeks of budget hearings and amicable resolutions of issues, leading to an announcement in November that council and Executive Armond Budish had reached an agreement.
The annual budget, $373.5 million in 2016 and $367.8 million in 2017, includes several initiatives spearheaded by Budish, including expansion of pre-kindergarten, workforce-development and infant mortality programs.
But council made a few adjustments, including reducing funding for a job creation fund and restoring funds for alcohol, drug abuse and mental health services.
Budish and council members said the process never became adversarial.
"There was a spirit of cooperation and fact-finding instead of 'gotcha,'" council member Dale Miller said.
Budish said council members challenged the budget he submitted and made wise proposals and helpful changes.
"In the end we all came together around a budget that is balanced, sustainable, forward-looking and transformative," he said.
In other action council:
* Introduced a resolution to authorize the construction of an underground walkway from the Huntington Park Garage to the new Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel. Council's committee-of-the-whole will hear a presentation of the project at a Jan. 4 meeting.
In October the Cleveland Planning Commission approved early "schematic" plans for a 450-foot pedestrian tunnel. The connector would be part of the $276 million hotel project, which is being financed by Cuyahoga County.
The tunnel would burrow beneath Lakeside Avenue and emerge on the north side of the road next to the descending driveway ramp entering the Huntington Garage.
The county would spend up to $10 million for Turner Ozanne VAA Joint Venture, which had the contract for the hotel, to design and build the walkway. Money will come from the $34-million contingency fund that will remain when the hotel project is completed, officials said.
* Repealed an ordinance that extended health care benefits to domestic partners of county employees. The action was due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision authorizing same-sex marriage.
"The county's adoption of a policy providing health benefits to same-sex domestic partners is no longer necessary to create fairness amongst county employees," the resolution said.
* Approved a resolution to spend $3.7 million over 10 years to sublease space and equipment to relocate the Cuyahoga Emergency Communications Dispatch Center to the Chagrin Valley Dispatch Center in Bedford. Council member Michael Gallagher said the move is one of the biggest steps the county has taken toward regionalization.
Council did not submit a request for proposals from the dispatch centers in the county but a committee considered all sites and made the recommendation.
* Approved a $4.3 million loan from the Casino Revenue Fund for the $91 million Van Aken District redevelopment project.
* Heard on first reading an ordinance submitted by council member Jack Schron to amend the county code to establish a competitive review process for the award of Casino Revenue Fund loans. It was referred to the economic development committee.
The county receives about $7.3 million a year in casino taxes, but according to its rules, council could not spend funds on economic development projects outside downtown until this July.
In November council approved a $4 million loan for Euclid's waterfront improvement plan.
Schron has said he could not vote for the loan because he felt some criteria should be established to consider how to award the money since the tax funds are limited.
His proposal would also allow loans for community development. A five-member Casino Revenue Development Committee would evaluate and score applications and make recommendations to council.
* Awarded two loans totaling $4.5 million to JumpStart, Inc.
JumpStart responded to a request for proposals in a competitive process aimed at launching county initiatives expected to attract venture capital and accelerate fast-growing businesses in Cuyahoga County. The economic development loans are from the new Innovation Match for Pre-Seed Capital ($2.5 million) and Early Stage Loan Fund ($2 million).