Important Council Meetings, week of April 4th - Ward 3 appointment, RTA service/rate proposal, RNC security plan

The council schedule for the week of April 4th is a busy one.  The following important topics will be discussed in our Caucus and Committee Hearings:

Here are the most notable items, check below and here for the full schedule.

• Recommendation, discussion, caucus vote on Ward 3 appointment
  11:00 am, Monday April 4th - Caucus of Council, Large Conference Room.

• Development, Planning and Sustainability & Finance Committees, 1:00 pm, Monday April 4th
• Ord. No. 380-16, By Council Member Cimperman. Authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to issue a permit or permits to Downtown Cleveland Alliance, its successors and assigns, to encroach into the public right-of-way of various locations within the Downtown Cleveland Alliance Service Area with banners to be attached to utility poles (by separate permission); and authorizing Downtown Cleveland Alliance to coordinate a banner program for the Downtown Cleveland Alliance Service Area.
  Remarks by Director of Office of Capital Projects: See Legislation.
  RELIEVED BY COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND PROPERTIES.

• Swearing-in (anticipated), New Ward 3 Council member, Kerry McCormack, 7:00 pm, Monday April 4th, Cleveland City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 

• Utilities Committee, 1:30 pm, Tuesday, April 5th
• The Utilities Committee will hold a special briefing on the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Storm Water Management Program.

• Transportation Committee, 10:00 am, Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
• There will be a special briefing by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority on a proposed rate hike in 2016 for its public transportation services.

• Safety Committee, 1:00 pm, Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
• There will be a special meeting of the Safety Committee to review and discuss the RNC Convention Security Plan. At this time Division of Police Chief Calvin Williams and Deputy Police Chief Edward Tomba will brief the Committee members on the following items:
• The RNC
• RNC Procurement.
• Neighborhood police deployment during the RNC Convention.
• There will also be representatives from the Division of Emergency Medical Service, and Division of Fire to present a briefing on the emergency safety plan for the RNC Convention on the following items:
• The RNC Convention
• Mutual Aid/Contracted Services
• There will also be representatives from the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee present as well to make comments and answer questions on the RNC Convention.

Council Meetings - Week of April 4th

Cleveland City Council considers regulations for limited/transient lodging (Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO...)

Cleveland City Council held its' first hearing today to review the Jackson's Administration's proposed legislation, Ordinance 30-16, to regulate limited/transient lodging.

Our hearing followed the most recent agreement struck between Cuyahoga County and Airbnb that will have Airbnb begin to pay the County's excise tax, bed tax of 5.5%.

The legislation as introduced would require a homeowner (vendor) or agent (Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO, FlipKey, etc.) to collect and remit to the City the City's transient occupancy tax, bed tax of 3%.

The legislation separates two classes of operators.  The first would be an owner occupied vendor that would be required to reside in the property 51% of the time in a calendar year.  The owner-occupied vendor would be limited to rentals of no more 91 total days in a year and no more than 30 continuous days of a single renter.  A second class of vendor that would decide to rent for more than these limits would be required to obtain the proper use for rental occupancy and file and pay the city the existing required rental registration fee of $35.00 per year per rental unit.

There was lively discussion and presentations given by representatives of the City's Departments of Law and Building and Housing and from an official and then Greater Cleveland Area Hosts of Airbnb.  Main issues expressed included concerns for safety standards, concern for over-regulation and clearing the understandings of use of a rental registration for no-owner-occupied units.

Cleveland City Council's Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee will be scheduling additional hearings on the legislation.  Some suggestions for amendments that were brought up included passing legislation with a sun-set provision or review requirement in one or two years; eliminating or increasing the 30/90 day periods to 60 days continuous rental use and the maximum number for owner-occupy vendors to up to 180 days.

Below is a copy of the Cleveland legislation as introduced.  Below that document is the Cuyahoga County statement regarding their agreement with Airbnb.

30-16-EOrd-Enact 337.251 193.121 Amd Var 193. Re Limited Lodging and Tr.. by Brian Cummins

Airbnb County Agreement on Taxes by Brian Cummins

Additional Resources:

• Airbnb, Cuyahoga County strike deal to collect 5.5 percent lodging tax
  By Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer, 3/18/2016
• Regulating short-term rentals a smart move
  by N. Thomas Weems, Policy Matters Ohio on March 28, 2016, 
• Airbnb Policy Blog
• Airbnb Community Compact
• Airbnb: A Case Study in Occupancy Regulation and Taxation
  Roberta A. Kaplan† & Michael L. Nadler, The University of Chicago, The University of Chicago Law Review.

Sheet Metal Workers #33 announces application dates for 5-year Apprenticeship Program

See the following documents regarding the Sheet Metal Workers #33 5-year Apprenticeship Program.

See also:

• Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #33
• Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council
• Forbes.com Highlights the Need for the “Other Four-Year Degree”
  

Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #33 Introduction letter and flyer for application dates.

Sheet Metal 33 Apprenticeship Ltr

Sheet metal worker job description, and additional details for apprenticeship program

Sheet Metal 33 Job Description