Meeting summary:

  • A proposed strip retail center along the 5600 block of Harrison Avenue in Green Township is on hold because it’s too large for its intended location.
  • The Children’s Home of Cincinnati won approval to eliminate two streets in Green Township that border school property. 
  • Mike’s Carwash in Green Township will be easier to spot with the addition of a 13-foot-tall freestanding canopy at its location in the 6500 block of Harrison Avenue. 

Documenter’s follow-up question:

  • Does The Children’s Home of Cincinnati have a buyer or potential buyer for the portion of the property off Westwood Northern Boulevard that includes a pond and woods?
  • What small businesses are lined up to move into the 5601 Harrison Retail project in Green Township? Will the project delay cause potential occupants to move on and not locate in the retail center? 

Find the agenda and other materials for this meeting here.

The Citizens’ Forum carried into the meeting time, resulting in the meeting beginning promptly at 2:17 p.m. followed by a roll call, a moment of silence, then the Pledge of Allegiance. 

All Cincinnati City Council Members were present:

  • Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Cincinnati vice mayor
  • Victoria Parks, president pro tem 
  • Anna Albi
  • Jeff Cramerding
  • Mark Jeffreys
  • Evan Nolan
  • Meeka Owens
  • Scotty Johnson
  • Seth Walsh

The Cincinnati City Council meeting began with President Pro Tem Victoria Parks introducing Annie Ruth Napier. The council then passed a resolution recognizing her as a 2025 Black History Month honoree, honoring her dedication and service to the Black community and the City of Cincinnati. 

Each council member took a moment to share heartfelt words in appreciation of her contributions and impact.

When she accepted the award, Napier said,  “We don’t have to be millionaires to give back.”

Additionally, a resolution recognizing Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr. as a 2025 Black History Month honoree was passed, expressing the mayor and council’s deep appreciation for her bold activism and unwavering support of the Black community. 

Council Member Meeka Owens honored her further by reading a poem written by Giovanni, and other council members shared heartfelt words of appreciation, acknowledging her  contributions and the significance of her work in support of the Black community. Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney stated in her remarks that “Black love is black wealth.”

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval welcomed Xavier University undergrads who were present at the meeting. 

The Cincinnati City Council reviewed and approved several appointments and reappointments submitted by Pureval for various boards and committees:

New appointments:

Reappointments:

Item 9: A resolution submitted by Council Member Seth Walsh, prepared by City Solicitor Emily Smart Woerner, recognized Miles Robinson as a 2025 Black History Month honoree. It commended his leadership and his commitment to using his platform for positive impact both on and off the field, expressing the appreciation of the mayor and the City Council.

Walsh highlighted Robinson’s impactful role in Black Players for Change, an organization dedicated to combating racial injustice and advocating for equity in soccer and beyond.

The Cincinnati City Council reviewed and approved several appointments to the Environmental Advisory Board, as recommended by City Manager Sheryl M.M. Long:

New appointments:

  • Item 12: Douglas Walton (3-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2025)
  • Item 13: Monica Perdomo (3-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2025)      
  • Item 15: Dave Schmitt (3-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2025)
  • Item 16: Ericka Copeland (3-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2025)

Appointments to fill unexpired terms:

  • Item 14: Nayana Shah (term ending December 2026)

Item 17: Van Sullivan (term ending December 2025)

Items 12-17 were approved with one roll call.

Mayor Pureval stated that Items 18-31 are as indicated. 

Item 32: The motion submitted by Council Member Mark Jeffreys requesting that the administration provide a plan within 60 days for benchmarking development performance measures against regional peer cities, including Blue Ash, Florence and Norwood, was adopted. The full statement was made available on file in the Clerk’s Office.

Item 33: The Cincinnati City Council established new human services funding priorities for the upcoming biennial budget, beginning with FY 2026. The plan allocated up to 10% of appropriated funding for a large-scale Impact Award, awarded in the first year of each biennial budget. Additionally, 26% of funding was designated for workforce development, 26% for youth gun violence prevention, 26% for housing support for high-risk populations, 10% for emergency wrap-around services through Project LIFT, and 2% for overhead costs. The council also advised United Way of Greater Cincinnati and other evaluating organizations on how future applications should be handled and how Impact Award categories would be determined for subsequent budgets.

Item 33 was discussed at length. 

Vice Mayor Kearney wanted to implement a small change in the wording of the ordinance highlighting that instead of stating “…are to allocate up to 10%…” the word be changed to “recommend” as many other human services organizations are concerned and may need more for their operating funds. 

There was confusion over this motion presented. She clarified that this motion is not in regards to where the funds are going or each of the percentages going into the “buckets” but rather the concern is whether or not the City of Cincinnati can make the final decision regarding the funds of the Impact Award, as additional money may be needed for other human services organizations. Kearney highlighted that the ordinance states that it is up to 10% and not just 10%. 

Council Member Anna Albi said that while the Impact Award is going towards one project, there will be other human services organizations and partners collaborating within the space. 

The motion presented by Kearney failed. 

Item 33 passed. 

Item 34 was brought into suspension. 

Item 34: The Cincinnati City Council approved an ordinance advising United Way of Greater Cincinnati and other evaluators of FY 2026 human services funding to include an Impact Award focused on food insecurity as part of the city’s gun violence prevention efforts.

Albi discussed research from a professor from Tulane University who found a significant correlation between food insecurity and rates of violence. She said violence prevention professionals from the Hope and Shield Network report that “…80% of gun violence survivors are screening positive for food insecurity.” 

Albi also noted the potential for this metric to become worse with threatened cuts from the federal government. 

Council Member Scotty Johnson said gun violence comes from systemic issues. He noted that opportunities, resources and equity should be provided. He emphasized that to resolve the issue of food insecurity you must “provide opportunities” and make sure that people have a “ladder to climb out of their predicament.” 

Kearney and Walsh chimed in, acknowledging that their efforts are not enough with regard to food insecurity and gun violence and uncertainty with the current federal government. 

Item 34 was passed. 

Item 35: The Cincinnati City Council approved an emergency ordinance authorizing the transfer of $10,000 within the General Fund to realign Owens’ office budget, shifting funds from personnel to non-personnel operating expenses. It was passed with little to no comment. 

Item 36: Jeffreys introduced an ordinance to create a Vacant Building Registration system in Cincinnati. This initiative would aim to track and regulate vacant buildings, ensuring that owners take responsibility for maintenance and preventing neighborhood decline. The ordinance also updates the city’s building code by correcting a clerical error and adding vacant building violations to the list of civil offenses, allowing for enforcement and penalties when necessary.

Item 36 was discussed at length with many council members having differing opinions.

Jeffreys mentioned that there are current programs for vacant building management but that most are reactive. Jeffreys stated that responsible homeowners are paying the price for these unmanaged vacant buildings as they lower property value Jeffreys noted that this is an issue of fairness, stating that it is not fair to the residents, taxpayers, and public servants who conduct building inspections. 

Walsh’s stance on the issue was that there are not enough building inspectors to conduct inspections on these vacant properties. He noted that the issue with current programs for the maintenance of vacant buildings is the lack of enforcement, which Walsh said has been solved for. Walsh noted that this ordinance only “adds another layer” and does not fix the root cause of the issue itself. 

Kearney acknowledged that these vacant buildings are hazards and that she’d love to see the buildings be turned into affordable housing with her main concern being that Cincinnati residents should not lose ownership to their property through this program. 

Johnson noted that with an adequate number of inspectors, the need for this program goes away. 

Nolan discussed the Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML), highlighting that the program is primarily reactive and complaint-driven. The fees range from $900 to $3,500, and failure to comply can result in criminal penalties. Additionally, property owners risk losing their buildings if a public nuisance complaint is filed against them.

Jeffreys clarified that the Vacant Building Registration program would provide property owners with an opportunity to repair their buildings without facing penalties, making it a fairer alternative to the Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML)

Parks mentioned considering the circumstances of vacant properties where the City of Cincinnati may need to provide further assistance and resources.

A roll call was taken for the passage of Item 36. 

Item 36 was passed. 

Pureval concluded the business portion of the meeting and sought announcements from City Manager Long and the rest of the council members.

Owens announced that in light of Black History Month, Art & Engage was ongoing with the History of Kenyon Barr being featured with Anne Delano Steiner. She invited everyone to check it out. 

Albi praised the hard work of City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long.

Emily Smart Woerner, City Solicitor, honored Christine Zimmer for her 20 years of service as chief counsel. 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:51 p.m. 

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcincinnati.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

Find more Documenters’ notes on Cincinnati City Council here.