Bond Hill residents discuss expectations of real estate developer

Notes

• The meeting started promptly at 7 p.m. 
• It began with a moment of silence 
• Reminder for Bond Hill Community Council (BHCC) voting 
• Council executive board members in attendance:
  • President: Jacqueline Edmerson
  • Vice President: Laketa Cole
  • Secretary: Denise Hill
  • Treasurer: LaTora Jackson 
  • Member at Large: Nzingha Dalila

Updates:

Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD)

• Representative from CFD:
  • Last month the fire department made 200 runs in Bond Hill. The majority were EMS.
  • Cincinnati City Council passed a new ordinance on open burning. Residents are allowed to have a commercial fire pit with an additional top. Residents should also have a water source available, a supervisor at all times, and a fire must be greater than 15 feet from a building. If someone does call CFD because of the smoke or because it is causing a disturbance, residents are required to extinguish it. 

Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC)

• Michelle Miller
  • Cincinnati Community Table will be offering meals every Friday at Hirsch Recreation Center, Millvale Recreation Center, Winton Hills Recreation Center and Hartwell Recreation Center on Dec. 5, 12 and 19.
  • People do not need to belong to a rec center to access free meals. There will be approximately 75 guests at each center. The programming begins at 6:30 p.m. each of the three Fridays
  • Find more information and register for the dinners here.

• The CRC will also be hosting a toy drive for the Holiday Extravaganza event on Dec. 20 
• Children ages 5 to 12 years old are eligible for gifts. 
• There will be a large bin at every recreation center to drop off toys. 
• The CRC is accepting donations until Dec. 12. 

• Registration for the Dec. 20 Holiday Extravaganza event can be completed online, free of charge. 

Great Parks Nature Center at the Summit 

• Connor Cunningham, representative for Great Parks of Hamilton County.
  • The Nature Center at the Summit, located at 1580 Summit Road in Roselawn, recently added a new Lego table with free snacks (granola bars and apple slices). 
  • New events:
    • Dec. 5 at 8 p.m.: Astronomy program to see the Super Moon astrological event.
    • Dec. 6 at 11:30 a.m.: Winter bird count: All members will be birdwatching to count and document how many birds are in the park.
    • Dec. 12 at 6 p.m: Cunningham will review all of the animals at the nature center.
    • Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.: Woodcrafts for the holidays to build your own hiking staff.

Guest Presentations: 

Well Church 

• Pastor Orlando Hale Sr. and Daycare Director Kamica Johnson
  • Well Church, located at 5550 Reading Road, has new space available for public use as well as more room for staff. The church is opening more opportunities to use these public spaces, prioritizing Bond Hill residents.  

• The ministry provides diapers, baby wipes and food for all children. The church also provides coats and Thanksgiving meals for families. 

• At the Destiny Childcare and Development Center, Well Church offers a cash incentive for families, especially for those who currently reside in Bond Hill. After being a member of the church for 18 months, you can receive $2,500, which is split in two ways: $1,000 in cash, and $1,500 toward a 529 savings account in your child’s name. 
• After those 18 months, the church will continue to contribute $100 per month to that account. Once the child turns 18 years old, they can have full access to the finances within that account. 

Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) 

• Treasurer Laketa Cole
  • Cole discussed the agreement between LDG Development and Bond Hill Community Council. The council asked them to agree to the following financial contributions:

The Bond Hill Investment Fund	$100,000: Would support businesses in the Bond Hill community, beautification, local programs and the health awareness initiative.
Home Ownership Improvement Program	$100,000: Would support Bond Hill residential and homeownership programs.
Woodward Career Development Scholarship Fund	$50,000: Would support the education and vocational initiatives for Woodward High School students.
Bond Hill Elementary School Fund	$35,000: Would support school supplies and educational support.
Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Program	$100,000: Would support job training programs, apprenticeships, and partnerships with trade unions.

• The council asked LDG to agree to the following property operation and management contributions: 

Maintenance	Devote a property management plan to address pest control. Residents are having issues with live activity in their households. The council has asked that LDG create a written property management plan that addresses pest control, lighting, trash management and security controls.
Trees and Landscaping	Responsible for preserving the existing large oak trees and removing them only if they present imminent danger or are certified as dead. Replace and remove trees with similar species as part of the improved development plan. LDG must use commercially reasonable efforts to remove invasive plant species.
Fencing and Waste Management	Ensure that dumpsters or waste receptacles are not visible or odorous to the neighborhood property.
Security	Maintain adequate security patrols and add at least one security camera facing Seymour Avenue. Security representatives must also attend Bond Hill Community Council meetings to provide monthly safety and awareness reports.
Labor and Enforcement Standards	Ensure that all full-time employees provide on-site service, receiving compensation and benefits that are consistent with or exceeding the city’s living wage. LDG must also make good faith efforts to hire locals and support more development programs in Bond Hill.
Community Engagement and Oversight	Membership participation: The community council has yet to decide what it will ask LDG to contribute annually to the council. LDG must maintain ongoing communication channels between the council and homeowners association while providing updated contact information for authorized representation. Representatives must participate in monthly coordinated meetings with both of the community bodies and actively participate on a standing committee of the Bond Hill Community Council.

Motion to begin the process for corrections, highlighting what the changes will be in the contract passed

Eve Center representative Ella Thomas 

• Eve Center is a free faith-based peer-counseling and service provider for women. If you are dealing with molestation, divorce or other life challenges, this center can provide counseling services in the Bond Hill area, at Allen Temple, located at 7080 Reading Road. 
• The Eve Center provides services all day every Thursday. 

Old Business:

November meeting minutes

• Council reviewed and approved minutes from the Nov. 6, meeting.

Treasurer’s reports for September, October and November.

• September:
  • Consolidate funding: $30,813.64
  • Savings: $66,069.15
  • Remaining cash balance: $29,931.59 
  • Note: Finances in transition include donations for youth 
• October:
  • $2,719 was used for Bond Hill Day preparation 
  • Remaining cash balance: $26,308.68
  • Investment account: $66,413.21

• November:
  • Membership: $95
  • Interest from long-term investment: $149.85
  • Remaining balance: $24,854.80 (between both unrestricted and restricted funds)

New Business 

2026 Budget Approval 

• The November executive board presented this approval to the community to provide guidelines, financial policies, and expectations on how they will be spending their unrestricted funds for 2026.
  • The budget will only be coming from unrestricted funds, so this will not include any grants or donations from specific donors that are committed to committees and programs.
  • One of the board’s goals is to increase membership, identify where they can improve benefits for being a member of the Bond Hill Community Council, and place a heavy focus on outreach with fundraising and donation partners. 
  • The board’s goal for next year is to raise the current member fees of $870 to $1,000 for 2026. Another goal is to raise donors and sponsors from $1,000 (October) to $1,500 for 2026. They aim to be more proactive in working with larger corporations, finding donors, and having a routine of financial expectations and relationships. 
  • The treasurer wanted to set the expectation that the council can commit to $2,000 of community partnership donations when requested. 

Bond Hill Community Council Election Results

• Laketa Cole (received 23 votes) elected vice president 
• Sylvia Hill elected member-at-large 
• Denise Hill (received 19 votes) elected secretary until a new position is filled.

Announcements and Updates 

• Two open positions for the Bond Hill Community Development Corp. advisory committee at the Corinthian Church.
• The committee needs a vice chair, treasurer and secretary, with each serving a two-year term. 

• Jingle Jams will take place 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Xavier Jesuit Academy, adjacent to the Bond Hill Recreation Center. 

• Other announcements made during the meeting are recorded in this meeting’s attached audio script. 

This meeting adjourned at 8:30 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.