Meeting summary:

  • Traffic safety is improving in Cincinnati.
  • Youth sports accessibility is important to city officials.
  • A safer youth sports program for all involved is being explored.

Documenter’s follow-up question:

  • How will city officials improve safety guidelines for youth sports games?
  • Will the city eventually ban tackle football options for younger age groups?

Notes

All committee members were present:

  • Scotty Johnson, committee chair 
  • Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, committee vice chair
  • Anna Albi, committee member
  • Jeff Cramerding, committee member
  • Ryan James, committee member
  • Mark Jeffreys, committee member
  • Evan Nolan, committee member
  • Meeka Owens, committee

Traffic Citation Data

Council Member Mark Jeffreys submitted a request on behalf of the committee for the Cincinnati Police Department to provide overall traffic citation data by neighborhood for the past four years. Jeffreys said the number of pedestrian crashes has fallen year by year, and he credited traffic enforcement with playing a role in improvements.

Committee Chair Scotty Johnson added, “Traffic enforcement is paramount to public safety all the way around.”

Youth Football Fields

The second and last item on the agenda was a submission also from Jeffreys, along with Johnson. It focused on a request for the Cincinnati Recreation Center (CRC) to locate two to three ideal sites for local youth football leagues. Jeffreys said Cincinnati has designated fields for youth baseball and soccer but not football.

The committee discussed possibly considering sports other than tackle football for this motion.

Committee Member Evan Nolan, who expressed his full support of youth sports and this motion – referring to both as “critical” – advocated for flag football. Nolan said flag football requires less space, insurance, equipment and fewer referees, coaches. Nolan added that flag football makes sense and encouraged CRC to shift.

Committee members also mentioned a local rugby organization’s interest in creating field space. Johnson said there have been conversations with CRC about the rugby group’s financial ability to maintain field space and provide availability for youth football.

Committee Member Jeff Cramerding shared an amendment to the motion which added a request for consideration of the “practicality” of developing two to three new fields as well as finding sites to build on.  Cramerding suggested developing fields using synthetic materials, which, according to Cramerding, can be used year-round, are more accessible and have lower maintenance costs.

Safety in Youth Sports

Committee Member Anna Albi expressed that safety at youth sports locations should be “top of mind” for the council, as there have been concerns expressed about firearms and shootings at games, as well as about illegal gambling.

Added to the motion was a suggestion to consider the field located at the Cincinnati Police Academy in Lower Price Hill. Referencing safety concerns, “what better place to be than near a police facility?” Jeffreys said.

Nolan added a request for the committee to consider the differences in tackle versus flag football, specifically highlighting the potential for permanent brain damage when tackle football is played at earlier ages.

Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney gave an environmental safety-related suggestion regarding the installation of synthetic turf, reminding the committee of the importance of ensuring that no “forever chemicals” are in the materials used on the fields.

The meeting adjourned at 10:09 a.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 here.