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Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission Seeks Increased Budget and Updated Tree Ordinances for 2027

Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission Seeks Increased Budget and Updated Tree Ordinances for 2027

The Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission is advocating for a significant increase in its budget for 2027 and a comprehensive update to the city's tree ordinances, which largely date back to 1924. The Budget Committee has recommended an increased city funding of $7.8 million for the Division of Urban Forestry, comprising $7.2 million for operating expenses and $600,000 for capital projects related to planting. This recommendation aims to support the commission, increase divisional staffing, and achieve the tree canopy goals outlined in Mayor Justin Bibb’s Climate Action Plan. Additionally, the Policy Committee, chaired by Tom Schreiber, has proposed formal recommendations for revising the existing tree ordinances to include modern definitions, simplify language, and enhance tree preservation and development review requirements. These recommendations have been unanimously approved by the commission and will now be presented to the City of Cleveland for review.
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Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission Proposes $7.8 Million Budget and Updates to Century-Old Tree Law

Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission Proposes $7.8 Million Budget and Updates to Century-Old Tree Law

Cleveland’s Urban Forestry Commission has unanimously recommended a $7.8 million budget for the city’s Division of Urban Forestry for 2027, allocating $7.2 million for operating costs and $600,000 for new tree plantings. This recommendation aims to reduce reliance on external contractors and increase maintenance work by city employees. Concurrently, the commission also voted to send City Hall a comprehensive package of updates to the city’s tree ordinance, which has remained largely unchanged since 1924. The proposed changes include a new purpose-and-intent section, modernized definitions, simplified language, and a prioritization of tree preservation. These efforts are driven by significant staffing gaps within the division, with more than half of field arborist positions unfilled, and a substantial backlog of maintenance work across the city.
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Cleveland City Council Considers Moving Fire and EMS Offices to Closed Miles School

Cleveland City Council Considers Moving Fire and EMS Offices to Closed Miles School

Cleveland is evaluating a proposal to relocate its fire and EMS administration into the vacant Miles School on the city's Southeast Side. The plan, which had its initial hearing before the Cleveland City Council's safety committee on November 11, was held for further discussion rather than being advanced. Under the proposal, the city would invest an estimated $4.5 million in upgrades to the Miles School building. This move would shift EMS administration from its downtown Lakeside Avenue offices and some staff from the crowded Fire Department headquarters on Superior Avenue. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) would retain a presence by leasing two classrooms for public safety career training. The Miles School is one of 18 buildings closed by CMSD at the end of the last school year, making this proposal one of the first tests of how the city will repurpose these empty facilities.
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Cleveland Real Estate Investors Explore Opportunities in Gentrification's Shadow

Cleveland Real Estate Investors Explore Opportunities in Gentrification's Shadow

Cleveland Real Estate Investors Explore Opportunities in Gentrification's Shadow
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Cleveland Breaks Ground on 6,200-Seat Live Nation Amphitheater on Cuyahoga Riverfront

Cleveland Breaks Ground on 6,200-Seat Live Nation Amphitheater on Cuyahoga Riverfront

Cleveland Breaks Ground on 6,200-Seat Live Nation Amphitheater on Cuyahoga Riverfront
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Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb Seeks to Replace Flock Safety Cameras with Axon License Plate Readers

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb Seeks to Replace Flock Safety Cameras with Axon License Plate Readers

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's office has requested City Council approval for a new contract with Axon Enterprises to install license plate readers throughout the city. This move would terminate Cleveland's existing relationship with Flock Safety, a company whose cameras have been a source of contention. The proposed contract with Axon is for one year, with the option for four one-year renewals, subject to the discretion of Cleveland's safety director. City Council President Blaine Griffin and Safety Committee Chair Mike Polensek introduced the legislation last week at Mayor Bibb's request. The Cleveland Division of Police already utilizes Axon for officer-worn body cameras and partners with the company's FUSUS technology for voluntary access to private surveillance footage. A city spokesperson stated that Axon's license plate readers would provide law enforcement with necessary tools and accountability measures to protect civil liberties while enhancing public safety.
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Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission Proposes Increased 2027 Budget and Updates to 1924 Tree Ordinance

Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission Proposes Increased 2027 Budget and Updates to 1924 Tree Ordinance

The Cleveland Urban Forestry Commission has unanimously approved recommendations for a significant increase in its 2027 budget and comprehensive updates to the city's tree ordinances, which largely date back to 1924. The Budget Committee proposed an increased allocation of $7.8 million for the Division of Urban Forestry, comprising $7.2 million for operating expenses and $600,000 for capital projects related to tree planting. This proposed budget aims to reduce reliance on outside contractors, increase city employee engagement in maintenance, fund proactive tree services, and shift the division's focus from reactive to modern management, including invasive species management and community engagement. Concurrently, the Policy Committee recommended revising the existing tree ordinance to include modern definitions, simplify language, update tree preservation and development review requirements, and improve the Tree Preservation Fund. The commission also approved a motion to increase investment in urban deer ...
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Lincoln Institute Launches Community Revitalization Cohort to Address Gentrification and Displacement in U.S. Cities

Lincoln Institute Launches Community Revitalization Cohort to Address Gentrification and Displacement in U.S. Cities

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has initiated its first Community Revitalization Cohort (CRC), a peer learning community designed to foster community well-being strategies in historically disinvested neighborhoods across the U.S. This initiative, part of the Lincoln Institute’s Remaking Local Economies (RLE) program, brings together representatives from four community-based nonprofit intermediaries. These organizations include Invest Detroit, which is leading a decade-long investment in 10 Detroit neighborhoods; the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), working with the City of Atlanta on its Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI) to revitalize seven neighborhoods; Neighborhood Allies, focusing on Pittsburgh’s East Liberty, Larimer, and Homewood neighborhoods to address gentrification and displacement; and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP), aiming to strengthen and reevaluate community roles beyond the city’s existing development ecosystem. The cohort's inaugural meeting in Cambridge, Massach...
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Cleveland Browns Confirm Deshaun Watson as Starting Quarterback After Concussion Protocol Clearance

Cleveland Browns Confirm Deshaun Watson as Starting Quarterback After Concussion Protocol Clearance

Cleveland Browns Confirm Deshaun Watson as Starting Quarterback After Concussion Protocol Clearance
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Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Face Neighborhood Dispute Over Cleveland Home Renovations

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Face Neighborhood Dispute Over Cleveland Home Renovations

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Face Neighborhood Dispute Over Cleveland Home Renovations
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Watson to start for Browns against Texans after sitting out with concussion, watching Sanders

Watson to start for Browns against Texans after sitting out with concussion, watching Sanders

Deshaun Watson will start at quarterback for Cleveland on Sunday against Houston after missing last week’s game because of a concussion and watching from the sideline as Shedeur Sanders nearly rallied the Browns to a win
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Browns roster has several players listed on the midseason All-Rookie Team

Browns roster has several players listed on the midseason All-Rookie Team

2026 NFL draft, rookie class is viewed as being productive for the Cleveland Browns starting with KC and Boston