Board and Committee Meetings

1240 West 6th St Cleveland, OH 44113 (Directions)

GCRTA Office, Main Office Board Room (or watch on YouTube)

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), or RTA, is a political subdivision of the state. Its Board of Trustees is charged with managing and conducting RTA’s affairs. The board also establishes overall RTA administrative policies, which are implemented by the General Manager. It is the decision-making body of GCRTA.

Key duties of the board include approving business activities, setting long-term goals, and finalizing budgets. The board also reviews and votes on purchases and contracts worth more than $100,000.

The Mayor of Cleveland appoints four of the ten board members, whom City Council must approve. The Cuyahoga County Executive appoints three others, and a collection of mayors of other cities in Cuyahoga County appoint the remaining three.

The board often enters executive session. It is a part of the meeting, though there is nothing for you to document other than noting when they enter and exit it. The board typically returns to public session, handles a small bit of business, then officially adjourns. Executive sessions can leave you waiting around for a bit, but it does count as part of the meeting time covered.

NOTE: This assignment covers multiple formal meetings within the same couple-hour timeframe. They will convene and adjourn back to back, and so on. It will include a full board meeting, where the board will consider final action on resolutions. It will also include some preceding committee meetings. Different members of the board make up smaller committees. Those committees will discuss their business. Reference the agenda (when posted) for more information, including which committees will meet, who serves on them, and the names of some expected presenters.

Current board members:

• Board President: Paul A. Koomar, mayor, City of Bay Village
• Board Vice President: Lauren R. Welch, assistant director of communications, Say Yes Cleveland
• Rev. Charles P. Lucas, pastor emeritus, St. James AME Church
• Anthony D. Biasiotta, mayor, City of Seven Hills
• Stephen M. Love, program director, Cleveland Foundation
• Deidre McPherson, chief community officer, Assembly for the Arts
• Emily Garr Pacetti, vice president & community affairs officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• Jeffrey W. Sleasman, senior director, The Fund for Our Economic Future
• David E. Weiss, mayor, City of Shaker Heights
• Anastasia A. Elder, Esq. – associate, UB Greensfelder L.L.P

Watching remotely?

Find a livestream of the meeting on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gcrtalive7734/streams

Note: It can be difficult to see who is speaking when this livestream has the view of all the board members.

Attending in person?

We add two hours of pay ($36) to the assignment.

Find Documenters coverage of past GCRTA meetings here: https://cleveland.documenters.org/reporting/?agency=211

Check the source website for additional information