The Cleveland City Council on Aug. 20 addressed a range of important issues, including a new place branding initiative, infrastructure improvements, and a contentious discussion regarding Councilwoman Rachel Hall’s removal from the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board.
The council awarded a general services contract for place branding services to Destination By Design, LLC, in an effort to enhance Cleveland’s image and attract new businesses and residential development. Emilio Levario, Director of Community Development, explained that the selection process was rigorous, with a committee, including members of the Cleveland Economic Development Corporation (EDC), narrowing seven proposals to four finalists.
“We conducted interviews with those four finalists, and it was a very competitive process, so that made our final selection somewhat challenging, but ultimately we felt like Destination By Design, LLC, provided a good fit, providing the best outcome for the city and the best value as well,” Levario said.
The council voted 3-0 in favor of the contract.
Mayor Danny Lee expressed his support for the project, stating, “The image of Cleveland, in my opinion after serving in this community for many years, this will be something good to try and change our image. I am proud of our city. We have a lot of good things going on in our city.”
He noted that previous rebranding efforts had stalled, adding, “It’s time for a change and we need that.”
City to purchase radio tower for automated meter reader system
The council also agreed to purchase a radio tower for the automated meter reader system from Ameresco through the TIPS Purchasing Cooperative. Public Works Director and Assistant Fire Chief Roger Brookes explained that while the city initially considered using a tower owned by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), this option was deemed costly and uncertain. Instead, the city opted to purchase its own monopole tower.
“In the long run, we will be paying less than rental fees. Then we can add other frequencies on the pole for emergency services,” Brookes explained. The new tower might also offer leasing opportunities to other entities, providing an additional revenue stream for the city.
Airport board chairman provides update on Cleveland Municipal Airport
EDC Board Chairman and Airport Board Chairman John Williams provided an update on the Cleveland Municipal Airport, focusing on the future of a quonset hut on the property. The hut, which recently suffered storm damage, is currently the subject of a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the city to gauge community interest and potential uses for the structure.
“We are sending out an RFP to see what the community might want to do with the quonset hut. We have someone interested in it for a private company that owns three airplanes,” Williams said.
Williams said that it is the hope that a commercial company will either demolish the hut and construct a new building or repair the existing structure.
Cleveland Civic Center to host youth film festival
The council also approved the use of the Cleveland Civic Center for a youth film festival in March 2025, organized by local educator Dr. Tyra Hodge and her organization, Parenting Connections. In exchange for being listed as a sponsor of the event, the city agreed to provide the facility at no charge.
Hodge, who recently purchased a streaming channel called “For Teens By Teens,” expressed her excitement about highlighting films made by local teens.
“For this teen conference, there are a lot of talented kids out there. Let’s make content we can actually watch,” Hodge said, emphasizing the importance of clean, family-friendly content.
Civic Center Manager Ashleigh Broussard, who helped present the idea to the city, believes the festival could grow into an annual event in Cleveland, with food trucks and vendors complementing the film screenings.
Tension arises over EDC board membership
The meeting took a contentious turn when Councilman Roscoe Warrick called for Councilwoman Rachel Hall to resign from her position on the EDC Board. Hall, who anticipated the move, explained that her removal stemmed from a Facebook post she made on August 10, discussing potential changes to EDC funding, including the possibility of dissolving the EDC in favor of creating a Municipal Development District.
Hall’s post sought community feedback on options for addressing the city’s deficit budget, particularly regarding funding for fire services.
“Cleveland City Council decided to remove me from the EDC board tonight because I provided information to the community for feedback on options for funding fire service and other needs of a deficit budget by explaining what I learned in a TML conference, including the potential to dissolve the EDC, and asking for feedback,” Hall explained following the Aug. 20 Council meeting.
The council criticized Hall for taking the conversation online without first discussing the matter with them, highlighting what they saw as a lack of communication. Hall, who prefers to only communicate with her fellow council members and the EDC board by email, defended her approach, stating that she had shared the same information with city staff a week before making it public.
“We have 15 departments, and we appreciate every employee and the job they are doing. We talk to every department head. We know what we don’t have,” Mayor Danny Lee said, responding to Hall’s concerns about public safety funding. “I say all the time that we have to do the best we have with the resources we have. We can’t compete with Humble. We can’t compete with The Woodlands. We are going to do our very best to stay in the ballpark [regarding salaries]. I don’t want to see any policeman or firefighter hurt. I take this very seriously. This is my home. I want to keep everyone safe. I have grandchildren here. We are doing the best we can, but we have to do the best we can for everybody.”
Lee added that the city faces the challenge of competing with larger neighboring cities in terms of resources and salaries, describing it as “chasing an ever-moving goalpost.” He emphasized the importance of communication among council members, urging Hall to discuss her concerns with the council before bringing them to the public.
“We have to communicate with each other first. Every meeting, I give each council member a moment to say what’s going on. It would be good to express it to everybody. I don’t have any say on who is on any board or committee, but it all comes down to communication. Before you take something out to the public, you should discuss it with your colleagues first,” Lee advised.
Bluebonnet News is posting a separate article regarding the City’s efforts to pursue grants and low-interest loans to improve infrastructure, which was also discussed during the Aug. 20 meeting.