Lockland, Mt. Healthy and North Bend in line for economic development money

The meeting was held, as it is normally and regularly, in the county commission hearing room, sixth floor, county building on Court Street. The meeting was called to order at approximately 1:30 p.m., with silent prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. The minutes of the previous session were approved. Several people in the audience were seniors from Woodward High School, attending as part of their capstone project to learn about government. The commissioners adjourned at 2:01 p.m.

Roll Call

• Commission President Denise Driehaus
• Commissioner Alicia Reece (excused)
• Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas
• County Administrator Jeff Aluotto
• County Prosecutor’s Representative Patrick Dressing

Public Comments

None

Comments/Motions (from commissioners and county administrator)

Summerow Dumas reminded the students she was the first African-American woman voted to the board in its 234-year history. She also is the first woman in the state to become a member of a county board of commissioners. She lauded Driehaus for her work as president of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition.

Driehaus said the coalition wanted state officials to know what Hamilton County is doing to fight drug addiction. She mentioned the recent retrofit of 90 beds at county jail for drug addiction and mental health services. She also encouraged people to attend the America’s River Roots Festival at The Banks this weekend. She reminded the audience that people should not forget that “Cincinnati was the gateway to freedom for so many people who came up from the South.”

Aluotto called attention to this week’s groundbreaking for the $215 million Givaudan liquid fluids production facility in Reading that is bringing more than 300 jobs and $23 million in payroll to the region over 15 years. He applauded the board for its involvement in coaxing the company to relocate to the area and its patience in playing the long game investing in site readiness. On a different note about jobs, he said some of the county’s new hires are coming from farther and farther away, including one straight out of Brigham Young University, and that means more people are learning about what Hamilton County government is doing in the way of job creation and innovation.

Regular Agenda (1 item)

Tire Loader for Snow: Delhi Township Trustees, the Oak Hills School District and the county commissioners will be sharing a rubber tire loader to load salt from the township’s salt dome into township trucks to help keep streets and roadways clear of snow. The county and township share a lease agreement for full use of the salt dome. The township and school district agreement provides for snow removal services to Oak Hills. All three entities will share in all costs the township incurs in renting the loader. The county’s share is an estimated $4,508, according to the joint resolution from the county engineer’s office.

Summerow Dumas and Driehaus unanimously approved the agreement.

Consent Agenda (15 items total. The following focuses on expenditures of at least $350,000)

Freestore Food Program: The commissioners approved an amendment to a county agreement with the Freestore Foodbank, Inc. to increase funding to the Hamilton County American Rescue Plan Act grant by $363,139. The added funding means the program now has $2,841,488 available to reimburse for food expenses. The Freestore is the region’s largest emergency food and services provider, distributing 37.7 million meals a year to low-income individuals and families.

Youth Consulting Services: The board approved directing $1,587,408 from the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati’s budget for Legal Aid to manage and exercise oversight of consulting and advocacy services for the Kids in School Rule (KISR!) program for Children’s Services, a part of Hamilton County Jobs & Family Services.

Improvement Projects: The board approved agreements with Lockland, Mt. Healthy and North Bend to release $970,595 through its Economic Impact Program, created from Community Development Block Grants and Community Revitalization Grants, for “strategic large-scale projects that will make a significant impact” on communities.

• The Village of Lockland will receive $140,595 to improve the entrance to the public parking lot at Wayne and Wyoming avenues as a visible example of investment in the business district.
• Lockland also will receive $290,000 to buy and revitalize property at 119 Mill St. to serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of the Mill Street Business District.
• The  City of Mt. Healthy will receive $250,000 to improve facades on commercial buildings in the 7500 block of Hamilton Avenue to attract and retain businesses.
• The Village of North Bend will receive $290,000 to improve access to the William Henry Harrison Riverfront Park by widening and resurfacing Harbor Drive, creating an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) pedestrian and bicycle lane and repaving and adding ADA improvements to the parking lot. Mayor Doug Sammons, in brief comments to the board, said, “I decided to make the river an asset to the village” when he became mayor in 2012.

Summerow Dumas and Driehaus unanimously approved the consent agenda.

By Leave Items (4 items, 3 of which carried high public interest)

Summerow Dumas and Driehaus unanimously approved all four.

Special counsel for judge’s defense: The board agreed to seek outside counsel to represent Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers, who is being sued by The Cincinnati Enquirer because of a protective order she entered in a criminal case, Ohio v. Rodney L. Hinton (B2502219). The county prosecutor’s office wants to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest in the case, which involves a complaint for writ of prohibition filed against the judge in the Ohio First District Court of Appeals. The board is seeking to hire Robbins, Kelly, Patterson & Tucker as special counsel to assist the prosecuting attorney in representing Luebbers.

AMERICA 250-OH County Committee: James Marable of Norwood has been appointed by the board to the AMERICA 250-OH Hamilton County Committee. The state General Assembly and Gov. Mike DeWine created AMERICA 250-OH to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250^th anniversary of the United States and Ohio’s role in that. The county established a local AMERICA 250-OH Hamilton County Committee in March 2024 with Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh and Elizabeth Pierce, Hamilton County Museum Center, as co-chairs.

Extra Funding for America’s River Roots: The board approved amending an agreement with America’s River Roots Experience to increase a grant to the organization by $150,000 to help offset additional costs for the event (Oct. 8-12, 2025). The board approved an initial grant of $350,000 to event organizers in June. Summerow Dumas and Driehaus said they were reluctant to approve the extra funding because event organizers were new to the process of applying for funding and underestimated financial need.

Driehaus said that while she was concerned, America’s River Roots will bring economic activity to the region, especially by way of the hotel-motel tax and the sales tax. “We need to make sure this [event] goes off without a hitch,” she said.

The meeting adjourned at 2:01 p.m. ​​

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