City of Cleveland

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds

2021 Interim Performance Report
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 1

City of Cleveland

2021 Recovery Plan

Table of Contents

General Overview......................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................2

Uses of Funds .........................................................................................................................3

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ...............................................................................................6

Community Engagement .........................................................................................................9

Labor Practices .....................................................................................................................13

Use of Evidence ....................................................................................................................13

Project Inventory.................................................................................................................... 14
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Executive Summary 

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly shaped communities around the nation. Like many 

others, the City of Cleveland (the City) has seen substantial impacts on the health of residents, 

the quality of life in neighborhoods, and the overall functioning of the local economy. To help 

turn the tide on the pandemic, address the negative economic consequences that have 

resulted, and begin on the path toward a productive, substantial and equitable economic 

recovery, the City was allocated $511,721,590 in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery

Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) of which $255,860,795

have been deposited into the City’s accounts. This total funding amount is the eighth largest 

award in the nation and presents a unique opportunity for the City to:

 Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to help bring the pandemic under control;

 Replace lost public sector revenue to support vital public services;

 Support economic stabilization for residents and businesses; and

 Address systemic, institutionalized disparities, inequity and racism.

To this end, the City is developing a comprehensive plan for the how to best utilize its $511 

million SLFRF allocation. This plan builds on the strategic framework outlined in May 2020 

RestartCLE Plan. As the City began its initial reopening and recovery process, the RestartCLE 

Plan established a framework based on three high-level, overriding principles to support 

decision-making about program and policy changes, as well as current and future recovery

spending. These principles are to:

 Minimize the suffering and burden of the people and businesses in our community that

have been impacted by the coronavirus;

 Better position all people and businesses in our community to be ready for and take 

advantage of the recovery; and

 Make sure all people and businesses are better off as a result of the recovery efforts we 

undertake so that we can become a more equitable community.

These principles guided the spending of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 

(CARES) Act funding, as well as other stimulus funding awarded to the City, and they will 

continue to serve as a framework to build on as the City makes decisions about how best to 

utilize its SLFRF allocation. The third of these priorities will be of particular focus as the City 

builds out its detailed plan for its SLFRF allocation. This equity focused principle is closely 

aligned with intent and practical application outlined in Presidential Executive Order 13985

“Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal 

Government” which serves as the one of the bedrocks of the ARPA and SLFRF program.

As a part of the transparency and accountability requirements from the U.S. Department of the

Treasury, all states, territories, cities and counties with a population that exceeds 250,000 

residents that are recipients SLFRF are required to produce a Recovery Plan Performance 

Report (the “Recovery Plan”). This Recovery Plan provides information on any projects or 

programs funded by the City using SLFRF, how the community has been engaged in the 

process, how the City is ensuring program outcomes are achieved in an effective and equitable 

manner, and to track and report programmatic success and outcomes.
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 3

This report is the first in a regular series of reports that are required under SLFRF rules. This 

report covers all of the City’s activity through July 31, 2021. All SLFRF money needs to be 

allocated by December 31, 2024 and needs to be fully spent by December 31, 2026.

Uses of Funds

The $511 million of SLFRF allocated to the City represents a once in a generation opportunity to 

not only address the immediate fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, but will also allow the City to 

address some of its most pressing challenges. These funds will help the broader Cleveland 

community overcome the health and economic impacts COVID-19 has wrought on residents 

and businesses, and help address some of the inequities that have been felt disproportionately 

by marginalized populations.

At the heart of this effort, is a focus on meeting the immediate needs of residents in the city of 

Cleveland. Given the considerable amount of resources available through this effort, the City 

intends to build on existing efforts such as investing in public safety, creating opportunities for 

strategic infrastructure investments, investing in broadband access for residents and 

businesses, addressing the negative impact of COVID-19 on workers and businesses, 

supporting public health efforts, and food insecurity. The SLFRF allocation will help the City 

catalyze these investments and expand the number of programs and services available to 

support the creation of a more equitable community. As a one-time allocation, it is critical to use 

the funds in:

 Coordination with other supportive funding streams; and 

 In a manner that leverages additional funding from various local agencies, including 

public, private, philanthropic, and other partners.

This last point is particularly important. Unless there is a strong coordination and collaboration of 

public investment with private resources, it will be at best difficult, if not impossible, to achieve 

the City’s goal of ensuring all people and businesses are better off as a result of the postCOVID-19 economic recovery. More specifically, in Cleveland, there are two important reasons 

why the City is placing such a high degree of focus on leveraging additional resources through 

its SLFRF allocation. First, even with the substantial injection of funding from SLFRF resources, 

the City alone cannot meet the on-going need for funding in low to moderate income 

neighborhoods.

Perhaps more importantly, leveraging additional sources of funding with the SLFRF allocation 

can create sustainable shifts in private-sector investment and behavior. Historically, publicprivate partnerships in Cleveland have been specific to the implementation of a project or 

investment in a small geographical area or market sector. The SLFRF allocation will be used to 

seed partnerships that drive private-sector partners to invest in markets and products that they 

do not currently serve, in a way that will survive beyond the initial five-year SLFRF funding 

period. In this way, the City can drive persistent, ongoing investment in communities that have 

suffered disproportionately, both historically and during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help 

strengthen neighborhoods and provide quality housing, jobs, and business opportunities to our 

residents.

This commitment to a collaborative approach is not new in Cleveland. To this end, the City has 

identified potential strategic partners to work with in order to advance critical initiatives as they 

are more fully developed. This includes engaging a broad cross-section of the community 
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 4

through a public process (described in detail below) as well as working with the corporate, 

finance, non-profit and philanthropic sectors. This approach is similar to the one the City took as 

it invested earlier COVID-19 pandemic related funds. This includes the City’s use of CARES Act 

funding which provided:

 Working capital for small, medium and large businesses impacted by COVID-19;

 Rental assistance for individuals without the means to make payments due to COVID19 impacts;

 Basic needs assistance to support critical expenses such as help with utility bills and 

food insecurity; and

 Special needs assistance targeted to particularly vulnerable population such as the 

homeless and those with HIV/AIDS.

With the above described, the City is still developing its full uses of funds plan. As of July 31, 

2021, the City administration has secured legislative approval to apply for and accept ARPA 

funds. Ordinance 303-2021 was passed by Cleveland City Council on May 10, 2021 ordained:

That the Director of Finance is authorized to apply for and accept any 

eligible funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury authorized 

under the American Rescue Plan Act, including, but not limited to, 

reimbursing the City for any revenue losses in any given year from 2020-

2024, and for any additional expenses incurred related to the COVID-19 

pandemic.

While the City has not secured authority to expend these funds for specific projects or programs 

yet and has not executed any contracts for programs funded using the SLFRF allocation, work 

is already underway on how to use the SLFRF allocation to meet the programs objectives. Work 

to date has focused on identifying preliminary programmatic opportunities, coordination with 

potential partners, review of community and stakeholder input, and alignment with eligibility 

criteria and required performance/compliance reporting.

As the City develops this detailed uses of funds plan, it is focusing efforts on the following 

allowable SLFRF Expenditure Categories (EC):

 Supporting Public Health Response (EC 1) – which includes mitigation efforts, medical 

expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff;

 Addressing Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2) – which helps the City respond to 

economic harms to workers, families, small businesses, impacted industries and the 

public sector;

 Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3) – which includes services 

to address health disparities and the social determinants of health, build stronger 

neighborhoods and communities, address educational disparities, and promote healthy 

childhood environments; 

 Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure (EC 5) – which helps make necessary 

investments to improve access to clean drinking water, wastewater/stormwater 

infrastructure, and provide unserved or underserved locations with broadband access; 

and

 Revenue Replacement (EC 6) – which uses SLFRF funds to provide direct government 

services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the COVID-19 

pandemic.
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 5

As a first step, the City is working to complete its preliminary assessment of what is needed

from a Revenue Replacement standpoint for revenue that was lost during 2020. Like 

governmental entities across the nation, the City saw a decline in revenues as a result of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the nature of the pandemic, these declines covered a range of 

different types of tax revenues, as well as other types of revenue that are available to support 

government services. The SLFRF allocation is available to offset these losses.

This is a critical first step, because doing so allows the City to determine how much funding is 

available for utilization in other expenditure categories. To make this determination, the City is 

utilizing a template and methodology prepared by the Government Finance Officers Association

(GFOA). This GFOA template is assisting the City with the revenue reduction calculation 

required by the ARPA/SLFRF. Using this template, the City has preliminarily identified a total of

approximately $110 million of revenue reductions that can be recovered through the SLFRF 

allocation. This represents approximately 22% of the total $511 million. The remaining $401

million is available to be used to support the other expenditure categories described above.

Having this number in hand allows the City to move to more detailed consideration of potential 

programs under the SLFRF expenditure categories. The City’s administration is working through 

this process now and is focusing, initially, on potential programmatic and project support that 

support the neighborhood priorities identified through the community engagement process 

(described below in detail). This includes several key areas, including improved public safety, 

neighborhood investment and stabilization, addressing food insecurity, and expanding 

broadband access. 

As detailed in the Community Engagement section, improving public safety was the most 

common priority for respondents to the City’s multi-channel survey tool. As such two specific 

category of public-safety related expenditures are currently under consideration. First, the City is 

reviewing the possible Phase 3 expansion of its Safe Smart CLE Video Surveillance Program. 

The Safe Smart CLE program, launched in 2018, combines cost-saving and energy efficient 

LED streetlights with smart camera technology. Phase 1 and 2 have had a positive impact on 

safety by concentrating camera installations near recreation centers, main intersections, and 

crime hotspots, and leveraging partner networks to expand camera coverage. 

Additionally, the City is evaluating a potential investment to improve public safety operations 

and response times by upgrading the Police Records (LERMS) and Computer Aided Dispatch 

(CAD) systems. Currently, the Divisions of Police, Fire and EMS are on one CAD System and a 

different LERMS system. This has resulted in Division of Police Officers having to toggle 

between multiple screens when responding to calls for services. Additionally, Officers have to 

enter the same information multiple times in both applications. A combined system has the 

capability of eliminating multiple systems, streamlining and improving data collection, expanding 

mobile access in the field, and, ultimately improve response times.

One lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was how important our medical frontline employees 

are to effectively dealing with public health emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 

City’s emergency medical service providers provided treatment to over 141,000 patients and 

transported over 89,749 patients to area hospitals including more than 21,000 patients with

possible or confirmed COVID-19 infections. This increased utilization, combined with more 

intensive sanitization procedures, produced significant wear on equipment that need now needs 

to be replaced. The City is currently reviewing possible expenditures to support this important 

public health need.
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 6

In terms of neighborhood investment and stabilization, which also showed up as a high priority 

in community responses, the City is aligning SLFRF programs with its broader, evolving 10-Year 

Housing and Investment Planning process. Linking these efforts provides a pathway to 

maximize positive outcomes for all Cleveland residents and businesses. These programs will 

follow a “Protect, Preserve, Produce, Position” approach designed to center equity in SLFRF

process (described in more detail below). These pillars will be supported by a mix of programs 

that look at: 

 Protecting people from housing instability and displacement;

 Preserving existing housing stock as safe, livable and affordable while supporting 

existing neighborhood, small businesses;

 Producing a range of housing types in all neighborhoods and growing the number of 

small businesses and contractors in our community; and

 Positioning the City and its partners to achieve their collective goals.

Additionally, the City has two specific projects under consideration currently. First, Cleveland 

City Council recently announced its interest in committing $5 million of funding to help address 

food insecurity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank (Food Bank) 

provided emergency assistance to nearly one-half of Cleveland residents. In order to improve 

their operations, expand their capacity and continue to provide vital service to people across 

Cleveland, the Food Bank is constructing a new facility that will, among other things, expand 

their production kitchen, cold storage, dry storage and distribution spaces. In the interest of 

supporting this important effort, the City administration is reviewing this request in its SLFRF 

process.

The second project under consideration aims to address the digital divide in Cleveland by 

investing in broadband internet infrastructure. While the problem existed prior to the COVID-19, 

the pandemic exacerbated its effect, limiting resident’s ability to participate in remote schooling, 

tele-health, or work from home options. As such, the City is reviewing legislation that would 

allow the City to invest approximately $20 million to employ one or more professional 

consultants, computer software developers, or vendors to provide and/or develop a broadband 

network on a citywide basis.

Other specific projects are under consideration, but it would be premature to discuss them 

specifically. These potential projects will be put through a detailed analysis as the City 

completes its uses of funds plan to ensure they are not only eligible for SLFRF support, but also 

meet the broader intentions of the ARPA. Additional information on this uses of funds plan will 

be provided in the October 31, 2021 required report.

Promoting Equitable Outcomes 

The City has long been committed to promoting equitable outcomes through its policy and 

program development process. Cleveland, like many communities across the nation, suffers 

from the negative effects of institutionalized inequities, disparities and racism. These effects 

manifest across all aspects of the local community, including among other things:

 Who can access healthcare;

 Who can access basic services and employment;

 Who gets to accumulate wealth;
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 7

 Who has access to safe and affordable housing;

 Who gets a good education; and 

 Who can access the technology necessary to succeed in the modern economy.

Without taking intentional, targeted action – using all of the tools available – to combat this 

inequity, things will only get worse. The $511 million SLFRF allocation provides the City a

unique opportunity to combat the existing inequities that were highlighted and exacerbated by 

the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The burdens of the COVID-19 pandemic fell most heavily on disadvantaged populations who 

already lacked access to quality goods and services. Low-income workers bore a 

disproportionate burden of the economic impacts: either required, as essential workers, to 

continue working at risk to their own health, or forced into unemployment, as service and 

hospitality sector workers whose workplaces were closed and only slowly reopened. Where 

many middle and upper-income workers used previous economic stimulus funding to strengthen 

their savings or invest in quality of life improvements, lower-income workers and the 

unemployed used these payments to fill gaps and get by. 

Small business owners faced similar challenges, especially in the service, tourism, and 

hospitality sectors, seeing their customer base dry up and, then, as they re-opened, struggling 

with increased costs of operations due to safety requirements and supply challenges. 

Historically, minority populations especially have suffered the impacts of recessions sooner and 

deeper, while benefitting from recovery later and shallower.

As the City develops its more detailed uses of funds plan, equity is at the forefront of the 

decision making process. This includes looking at how to best consider and measure equity at 

the various stages of the program from development to implementation to post-implementation 

evaluation, including: 

 What are the program goals;

 How can the City ensure targeted populations are aware of programs and resources;

 Are there differences in levels of access to benefits and services across groups and 

geographies;

 Are there program requirements that restrict the ability for certain populations to 

complete applications and/or meet eligibility criteria;

 Are intended outcomes focused on directly addressing equity dimensions; and

 Are the intended outcomes being realized through the implementation of the specific 

program or in conjunction with other supportive programs?

The City’s development of the detailed uses of funds plan is working to address these questions 

in order to better prioritize economic and racial equity. This includes identifying specific targets 

for what meaningful equity action looks like, and what are the best strategies available to 

achieve those targets. To help facilitate this strategy development, the City is following existing 

program evaluation methodologies it has used in other contexts that address critical 

considerations, including:

 Upfront community engagement that includes communities of color and low income 

populations;

 Identifying existing community and neighborhood priorities and aligning programs to 

them as appropriate;
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 8

 Developing qualitative and quantitative data collection and evaluation tools that can be, 

when possible, disaggregated to illuminate disparity;

 Identifying who will benefit from the City’s actions and, when appropriate, who will be 

burdened and, as appropriate, address any disparities;

 Ensuring that economic benefits, including workforce development opportunities, are 

available to communities of color and low income population; and

 Using program communications that are easily understood and accessible to anyone 

who could benefit from participation in the program.

This approach is evident in the City’s on-going consideration of programs designed to address 

neighborhood investment and stabilization (described above). The “Protect, Preserve, Produce, 

Position” approach looks to create an equitable housing market where all Clevelanders –

regardless of race, ethnicity, family status, or disability – have access to a full range of housing 

choices and neighborhoods. This started with extensive community engagement which included 

a representative survey of over 1,600 respondents – of which more than 800 were people of 

color and almost 600 had incomes below $25,000. The lessons learned through this process 

are being incorporated into specific priorities and approaches that support community needs 

and priorities. Through this process, and other internal evaluations, the City has identified 

multiple ways to target neighborhood investment to positively impact disadvantaged 

communities, including:

 Targeted elimination of blighting structures and brownfields that create hazards for 

neighborhoods and deter investment in communities; 

 Implementing a cohesive approach to development that targets residential and 

commercial development to provide quality services and amenities in neighborhoods 

that benefit existing and new residents; and

 Investment in job creation in and near neighborhood centers and transit routes to 

generate good jobs in accessible locations for residents of disadvantaged 

neighborhoods.

The City’s business development efforts will follow a similar focus by:

 Driving private-sector financing to support minority-owned small businesses and start-up 

small businesses in our neighborhoods by looking at alternative forms of credit 

qualification and create a pathway for businesses to access traditional capital;

 Providing wrap-around services and business support so that disadvantaged businesses 

can navigate barriers and access capital and contracting markets on an equal footing; 

and

 Eliminating barriers to contracting markets through provision of targeted financial tools 

that allow businesses to expand to meet market needs.

In addition to this, the City is working to align SLFRF supported programs with existing datadriven, geographic targeting that incorporates equity as a central tenet. The map below contains 

details on core development areas and strategic corridors, but is also includes targeted 

neighborhoods based on two additional efforts which address neighborhood investment and

stabilization. The Mayors Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI) targets “fringe 

neighborhoods” or those that have seen disinvestment in the wake of tremendous growth in 

nearby neighborhoods. Additionally, the Middle Neighborhoods strategy looks to build on the 

NTI to develop and create middle income neighborhoods. The neighborhoods covered by this 
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 9

strategy are at risk of decline due to potential weaknesses in the market, and this strategy seeks 

to facilitate strategic investments to stabilize and build on existing assets in the neighborhood.

This is one example of how this is being put into practice, but the approach is being used to 

support the development of programs across all of the major expenditure categories described 

above. However, a particular emphasis will be placed on programs that fall into the Addressing 

Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2) and Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities 

(EC 3) categories.

Community Engagement 

As the City works to fully develop a more detailed use of funds plan for its SLFRF allocation, it is 

taking a community and resident focused approach. This effort started with an intentional 

community engagement strategy to solicit input directly from residents across the City. This is a 

critical part of the City’s commitment to documenting and understanding neighborhood level 

priorities, and aligning programs and services with them as much as possible under the broad 

SLFRF goals and requirements. In mid-July 2021, the City launched a multi-channel community 

engagement campaign designed to:

 Educate residents about the purpose of SLFRF funds; 

 Outline the various allowable expenditure categories rules under SLFRF and required 

timing of expenses; and 

 Give residents a way to share their ideas on how the City can best utilize this unique 

opportunity to better recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while creating a more 

equitable community.

To facilitate resident input, the City launched an online citizen input tool through its municipal 

website (www.clevelandohio.gov/arpa). This tool included an introductory section to educate 
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 10

residents on key requirements of the SLFRF funds so that residents would have a minimal 

framework from which to articulate their policy area of concern or programmatic idea. Below is 

the educational language used in this tool:

“How would you spend $511 million in ARPA to make Cleveland healthier 

and stronger?

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched our ReStart CLE efforts based on 

three overriding principles:

1. To minimize the suffering and burden of people and businesses in our 

community who have been impacted by COVID;

2. To better position all people and businesses in our community to take 

advantage of the recovery; and

3. To make sure all people are better off as a result of the recovery efforts we 

undertake so that we can become a more equitable community.

The recently passed American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides a unique 

opportunity to build on these priorities and invest in our people, neighborhoods, 

and businesses. As a part of this nationwide effort, Cleveland will receive $511 

million to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay 

the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.

This $511 million must be spent by December 31, 2024 and can be used, broadly, 

for certain types of programs or services, including:

 Supporting Public Health Response – This includes things like funding 

COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and 

certain public health and safety staff.

 Replacing Public Sector Revenue Loss – Due to COVID-19, the City of 

Cleveland lost tax revenue which supports vital City services. These funds can 

be used to offset those losses and support direct services to people.

 Address Negative Economic Impacts – During the COVID-19 pandemic, 

many people and businesses were hurt economically. These funds can help 

workers, families, small businesses, non-profits, and industries impacted by 

COVID-19.

 Water, Sewer, or Broadband Infrastructure – This includes things like 

investing to improve access to clean drinking water, wastewater and 

stormwater infrastructure, and to provide unserved or underserved locations 

with new or expanded broadband access.”

After providing this education framework, the City provided residents with six simple questions 

to help facilitate the solicitation of their feedback. Using these questions, the City was able to 

not only solicit ideas for utilizing SLFRF funds from residents, but also was able to examine the 

geographic distribution of response to help ensure representativeness of the broader 

community. 

Additionally, because of the significant digital divide in Cleveland, the City did not rely solely on 

the online tool. To reach a broader audience, including those who do not have digital access, 

the City replicated the online tool as a printable version. This form was made available to 
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 11

residents at nineteen of the City’s recreation centers, as well as two at City Hall and one at the 

City’s Utilities Building. Additionally, the printed form was mailed to all properties in the city of 

Cleveland. This resulted in more than 120,000 forms being distributed.

The City closed down the online tool in mid-August 2021. Through all three collection methods, 

the City received 2,275 ideas. The overwhelming majority of submissions (57%) were received 

via mail. The remaining submissions were relatively evenly split between those dropped off at a 

City facility (22%) and those submitted online (21%). While not able to limit responses only to 

City residents, 90% were from self-identified City residents. Additionally, using the City’s City 

Council wards as a geographic measure, responses were reasonably distributed across the city. 

The City has seventeen City Council wards and 1,647 residents provided a valid ward number. 

These residents were fairly evenly spread across wards, ranging from a low of 42 to a high of 

175. The map below shows the total for each of the City’s seventeen wards.

The online tool, the mailed questionnaire, and the recreation center submission form attempted 

to guide responses towards SLFRF eligible expenses. This will allow the City to begin aligning 

specific projects and programs with resident preferences as is appropriate under the SLFRF 

allowable expenditure categories. Using the SLFRF expenditure categories described above as 

an initial starting point, residents were asked to place their idea in the most appropriate group. 

This provides the City with an initial understanding, at a very high level, of community priorities.

The most commonly cited expenditure category was Water, Sewer and Broadband 

Infrastructure (32% of responses) followed by Address Negative Economic Impacts, Support 

Public Health Response and Replace Public Sector Revenue Loss (27%, 19% and 12% 

respectively). The remaining respondents (10%) did not know which expenditure category best 

captured their idea.
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 12

To develop a fuller understanding of community preferences, every detailed idea submitted 

through the online tool and the printed questionnaire were further analyzed using a keyword 

categorization strategy. This approached looked for commonalities among all of the ideas 

submitted and allowed the City to create a more detailed understanding. Based on this process, 

the most common detailed category of ideas focused on issues around public safety (19.5%)

followed by miscellaneous expenses (10.7%) and then direct services to communities and 

residents (10.4%). The miscellaneous expenses include multiple idea types that do not fit neatly 

into an allowable expenditure category or were difficult to quantify based on the description 

provided. The chart below contains a full summary of the detailed categorization. As described 

above in the uses of funds section, these are already being used to help guide the City’s 

development of specific programs and projects.
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 13

Labor Practices 

The City is well-positioned to use the projects and programs funded by the SLFRF allocation to 

build on its strong labor standards to promote the effective and efficient delivery of high-quality 

projects and programs while also supporting employment opportunities for workers. The City 

has multiple existing contracting requirements to support business inclusion and resident 

employment within the community. These requirements are applicable to, and will be used to 

support the desired outcomes relative to strong labor standards and an equitable economic 

recovery of the SLFRF allocation.

These existing contract goal programs are under the authority of the City’s Office of Equal 

Opportunity (OEO). OEO is responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of the Cleveland 

Business Code, an ordinance that impacts Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female 

Business Enterprises (FBEs), Cleveland Area Small Businesses (CSBs), Local Producers 

(LPEs), Local Sustainable Businesses (SUBEs), as well as the Fannie M. Lewis Cleveland 

Resident Employment Law. This is outlined in Cleveland Codified Ordinance Chapters 187, 

187A, and 188.

The foundation of OEO’s work is divided into four main functions: contractor/vendor certification;

pre-contract evaluation; contract compliance measurement; and contract closeout. OEO uses 

various standards to measure performance for different types of contracts to ensure compliance

with the City’s contracting goals. 

As the City enters into contracts for specific SLFRF programs, these contracting goals will be in 

place and OEO will perform its regular role in the evaluation, compliance and close-out process. 

Additionally, the $511 million represents an opportunity to build capacity among local 

contractors – particularly those from populations that are often under-represented in the 

contracting process. As such, OEO will continue its work to recruit and certify new CSB, MBE, 

FBE, and SUBE firms.

Additionally, the City has employed community benefits agreements for multiple, larger 

development projects to help support the broader equity and workforce goals. These 

agreements have been useful tools to help drive projects to ensure that local businesses and 

residents derive benefits from real estate and corporate developments. Historically, the City has 

worked with prospective developers to support projects and guide them to meet community 

needs including but not limited to: employment of MBE/FBE/CSB contractors, local hiring and 

construction employment, engagement with Cleveland Metropolitan School District to provide 

job training and career pathways, and housing affordability.

Use of Evidence 

Program evaluation is critical to maximizing the effectiveness of any program, but is particularly 

important for the SLFRF allocation due to the unique nature of the opportunity. Solid evaluation 

methodologies promote learning and improvement, facilitating accountability and allowing the 

City to assess the overall impact of specific programs on the desired recovery and equity 

outcomes. The City currently makes use of evidenced-based intervention and program 

evaluation across multiple policy and program areas. Some examples of how the City has 

utilized evidence to support its broad objectives include:
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 14

 Multiple Community and Economic Development programs;

 New initiatives run by its Office of Prevention, Intervention, and Opportunity for Youth 

and Young Adults;

 A new systematic approach to street resurfacing which has improved overall pavement 

condition ratings;

 The recently completed re-evaluation of the City’s waste management operations; and

 The Office of Sustainability’s benchmarking and LEED certification efforts. 

A similar approach is critical to the City’s ability to successfully use its SLFRF allocation to 

effectively achieve the broad goals defined above. Investing the City’s SLFRF allocation using 

evidenced based policies is the most effective way to ensure dollars are used efficiently and 

effectively. It will allow the City to maximize the value of the investments its making by

determining what works, for whom, and how. This level of understanding will make it easier for 

the City to engrain improvements to outlast the one-time nature of the SLFRF allocation.

As the detailed uses of the SLFRF allocation are more fully developed, the City will target 

evidenced-based interventions, and will use rigorous program evaluations to demonstrate 

programmatic effectiveness. Learning agendas, as appropriate based on implemented 

programs, will be utilized to develop a strategic plan, to highlight key questions, and to focus 

attention on building the evidence needed to address critical neighborhood challenges and 

opportunities.

The process of developing these evaluation mechanisms have already begun as the City 

develops its more detailed uses of funds plan. As potential programs are being considered, the 

City is working to identify the specific program data that would need to be collected, how it 

would need to be analyzed, and what can be learned from it to inform future decision making. In 

order to fulfill the requirements of the SLFRF program, the City is looking to ensure the specific

supported programs have either a:

 Strong Evidence Base which can support causal conclusions for the specific program 

proposed with the highest level of confidence; or 

 Moderate Evidence Base which is when there is a reasonably developed evidence base 

that can support causal conclusions.

Once the detailed uses of funds have been developed, the City will develop a performance 

report that contains these relevant evidence-based measures. This will include key performance 

indicators for each project, or groups of projects with substantially similar goals or the same 

outcome measures. Additionally, this performance report will include mandatory performance 

indicators for the major policy areas targeted by the City’s SLFRF allocation. This data will be, 

when possible, disaggregated to highlight potential equity impacts.

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

As the City is still evaluating and developing specific programs and services as described in the 

uses of funds section above, there are no cumulative expenditures to date listed in the table 

below. As final decisions are made, legislative approval is secured, and contracts are executed, 

the City will update this information. 
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 15

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination $0 $0

1.2 COVID-19 Testing $0 $0

1.3 COVID-19 Contact Tracing $0 $0

1.4 Prevention in Congregate Settings (Nursing 

Homes, Prisons/Jails, Dense Work Sites, 

Schools, etc.)

$0 $0

1.5 Personal Protective Equipment $0 $0

1.6 Medical Expenses (including Alternative Care 

Facilities)

$0 $0

1.7 Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes 

to Public Facilities that respond to the COVID19 public health emergency

$0 $0

1.8 Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses 

(including Communications, Enforcement, 

Isolation/Quarantine)

$0 $0

1.9 Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and 

Other Public Sector Staff Responding to 

COVID-19

$0 $0

1.10 Mental Health Services $0 $0

1.11 Substance Use Services $0 $0

1.12 Other Public Health Services $0 $0

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs $0 $0

2.2 Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and 

Utility Aid 

$0 $0

2.3 Household Assistance: Cash Transfers $0 $0

2.4 Household Assistance: Internet Access 

Programs

$0 $0

2.5 Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention $0 $0

2.6 Unemployment Benefits or Cash Assistance to 

Unemployed Workers

$0 $0

2.7 Job Training Assistance (e.g., Sectoral jobtraining, Subsidized Employment, Employment 

Supports or Incentives)

$0 $0

2.8 Contributions to UI Trust Funds* $0 $0

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) $0 $0

2.10 Aid to nonprofit organizations $0 $0

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality $0 $0

2.12 Aid to Other Impacted Industries $0 $0

2.13 Other Economic Support $0 $0

2.14 Rehiring Public Sector Staff $0 $0
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 16

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

3.1 Education Assistance: Early Learning $0 $0

3.2 Education Assistance: Aid to High-Poverty 

Districts

$0 $0

3.3 Education Assistance: Academic Services $0 $0

3.4 Education Assistance: Social, Emotional, and 

Mental Health Services 

$0 $0

3.5 Education Assistance: Other $0 $0

3.6 Healthy Childhood Environments: Child Care $0 $0

3.7 Healthy Childhood Environments: Home Visiting $0 $0

3.8 Healthy Childhood Environments: Services to 

Foster Youth or Families Involved in Child 

Welfare System 

$0 $0

3.9. Healthy Childhood Environments: Other $0 $0

3.10 Housing Support: Affordable Housing $0 $0

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

persons 

$0 $0

3.12 Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance $0 $0

3.13 Social Determinants of Health: Other $0 $0

3.14 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Health Workers or Benefits Navigators 

$0 $0

3.15 Social Determinants of Health: Lead 

Remediation

$0 $0

3.16 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Violence Interventions 

$0 $0

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay

4.1 Public Sector Employees $0 $0

4.2 Private Sector: Grants to other employers $0 $0

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

5.1 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater treatment $0 $0

5.2 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater collection 

and conveyance

$0 $0

5.3 Clean Water: Decentralized wastewater $0 $0

5.4 Clean Water: Combined sewer overflows $0 $0

5.5 Clean Water: Other sewer infrastructure $0 $0

5.6 Clean Water: Stormwater $0 $0

5.7 Clean Water: Energy conservation $0 $0

5.8 Clean Water: Water conservation $0 $0

5.9 Clean Water: Nonpoint source $0 $0

5.10 Drinking water: Treatment $0 $0

5.11 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution $0 $0
City of Cleveland 2021 Recovery Plan Interim Performance Report – July 31, 2021 17

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

5.12 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution: 

lead remediation

$0 $0

5.13 Drinking water: Source $0 $0

5.14 Drinking water: Storage $0 $0

5.15 Drinking water: Other water infrastructure $0 $0

5.16 Broadband: “Last Mile” projects $0 $0

5.17 Broadband: Other projects $0 $0

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement

6.1 Provision of Government Services $0 $0

7 Administrative and Other

7.1 Administrative Expenses $0 $0

7.2 Evaluation and data analysis $0 $0

7.3 Transfers to Other Units of Government $0 $0

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units 

(States and Territories only)

$0 $0

Project Inventory 

As the City is still evaluating and developing specific programs and services as described in the 

uses of funds section above, there are no projects currently included in the project inventory. As 

final decisions are made, legislative approval is secured, and contracts are executed, the City 

will update this information. 

Performance Report

As the City is still evaluating and developing specific programs and services as described in the 

uses of funds section above, there are no specific key performance indicated to report. As final 

decisions are made, legislative approval is secured, and contracts are executed, the City will 

update this information.