County committee backs $13,000 ARPA award for Delta Sigma Theta's Freedom Garden of Literacy

Cuyahoga County's Environment & Education Committee voted to advance Resolution 20250231, which would award up to $13,000 from district ARPA community grant funds to the Greater Cleveland Delta Foundation Life Development Center to support the Centennial "Freedom Garden of Literacy" project.

Valdia Burns Frasier, a Centennial committee member with the Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, described plans for memorial benches at Stephanie Tubbs Jones Elementary School and Shirley Chisholm Park, a lobby art installation, native plantings and a scholarship administered by the Life Development Center. She said the project's total budget is $17,000 and the group requested $13,000 from the county ARPA allocation to cover the remainder of costs.

Sponsor Councilwoman Turner said she is a member of the Greater Cleveland Alumni Chapter and that, "out of an abundance of caution and in full alignment with our ethical standards, I sought a formal opinion from the Cuyahoga County Inspector General before sponsoring this legislation," adding the inspector general reviewed the proposal and approved it to move forward.

Committee members thanked the presenters and noted the ARPA resolution will require three readings under council rules; the committee voted to forward the item with a recommendation for passage to the full council for further readings.

If approved by the full council, the presenters said they will report back on project progress and the sponsors indicated a projected final passage date was January 13.