Safety Committee (Part 2), October 28, 2026

Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee met October 28, 2026, to review Animal Care and Control and Public Safety Administration. The main procurement discussion concerned the nuisance-wildlife pilot: Freeman was the sole bidder on the RFP and provided service under a 2026 contract funded at $212,000. For 2027, the administration described a request of about $384,000 to continue the service without repairs, or about $418,000 with single-point repairs, using a phased, nine-zone approach. Animal Control staff said repeated trapping has not resolved the underlying problem and advocated education and deterrence; council members pressed for practical, quantified alternatives and materials for residents before budget hearings. The administration said it was still seeking funding to continue the pilot alongside a cohabitation approach. No contract award or budget vote was recorded at this meeting.

Other operational and spending-related updates included a completed concrete dog-walking path at the kennel supported by funding arranged through Capital MoCap, delivery of a 2024 Ford Transit animal-control van, and replacement of the city’s outdated CodeRED mass-notification system with a new system; costs and vendors were not specified for these items. The committee also heard that proposed animal-related legislation—covering permits, outdoor housing, breeding, and neglect standards—was in legal review and could come before council in January. Public Safety Administration reported more than 300 flights since June for its drone-first-responder pilot and described a transition from the ambassador program to Fire and EMS Explorers as a recruitment pipeline. No procurement votes were taken.