Data centers singled out by council for more regulation

Notes

Find the agenda and other materials for this meeting here.

Recess was called at 1:49 p.m. prior to the business portion of the meeting which began approximately at 2  p.m. 

Roll call was taken followed by a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance. 

 All Cincinnati City Council members and the mayor were present: 

• Aftab Pureval, mayor
• Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, vice mayor
• Scotty Johnson, president pro tem 
• Anna Albi, council member
• Jeff Cramerding, council member
• Ryan James, council member
• Mark Jeffreys, council member
• Evan Nolan, council member
• Meeka Owens, council member
• Seth Walsh, council member.

The minutes from the previous meeting were approved and filed without objection.

Item 1: Councilmember Walsh presented a resolution, which recognized Mark Riley, director of the Department of Public Services (DPS), and his team for their dedication and work in keeping Cincinnati’s roads safe during the January 2026 snowstorm. It expressed the appreciation of the mayor and City Council.

Council Member Seth Walsh invited Riley and his team to come forward and formally recognized them for their snow removal efforts during the snowstorm. He noted that the city experienced its highest single-day snowfall since 2010.

Riley expressed his gratitude to the crews working in the field, acknowledging the employees who spent long hours away from their families to ensure the city’s roads remained safe.

Council members praised Riley and his team for their snow removal efforts during the January 2026 snowstorm. Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney highlighted crews clearing hundreds of tons of snow downtown, the use of updated technology, and extensive preparations before the storm. 

Council Member Mark Jeffreys recognized City Manager Sheryl Long’s leadership in selecting Riley and Assistant City Manager Bailey, noting the rare public praise for behind-the-scenes work. 

Council members commended crews’ work during long shifts and improving last year’s response. Council Member Cramerding shared a story about a crew member helping a resident’s mother free her car from snow.

The resolution was passed by the council. 

Item 2: Council Member Meeka Owens presented Resolution No. 202600720, recognizing Ryan Mooney-Bullock for her service as executive director of Green Umbrella, Greater Cincinnati’s regional climate collaborative. The resolution expressed the appreciation of the mayor and City Council for Mooney-Bullock’s personal and professional efforts to advance climate-focused initiatives in the region. 

Owens praised Ryan for her eight-plus years of leadership as executive director of Green Umbrella.She noted her accomplishments in quadrupling staff, launching eight new programs, regionalizing climate action plans, and fostering a network of over 55 staff and intern alumni. Owens emphasized her role in advancing sustainability, resilience, and equity across the 10-county region and wished her well as she transitioned to lead the Gorman Heritage Farm in Evendale. 

Ryan thanked the city for its partnership over the years. She recalled her time working with Cincinnati Public Schools on green schoolyards and workforce development, as well as her role in shepherding the Green Cincinnati Plan and helping implement sustainable and equitable initiatives. She highlighted the importance of collaboration with the city and community in achieving climate and equity goals.

Jeffreys emphasized Ryan’s instrumental role in implementing the Green Cincinnati Plan’s 88 recommendations and regional climate initiatives. 

Mayor Pureval thanked Ryan for inspiring a new generation of climate leaders, calling her leadership and legacy “well respected and well documented.”

The resolution was passed. 

A recess was called at 2:27 pm to take a picture with Director Riley and his team. 

After the recess, Mayor Pureval stated Items 3-9 were as indicated.

Item 10 was referred to Youth and Human Services Committee

Items 11 and 12 were as indicated. 

Item 13: An appointment was submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, city manager, on 2/4/2026, recommending the appointment of Sarah M. Kent to the Environmental Advisory Board for a one-year term.

Item 13 was passed. 

Items 14-56 were as indicated. 

Item 57: A motion was submitted by Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney requesting that City Council support the $87 million Burnet Square project, which includes approximately 300 mixed-income residential units and retail space, by committing to work with the administration to identify resources needed to address an unexpected gap in the project’s capital stack. 

Kearney introduced the item with additional details. She said the Burnet Square project in Avondale will bring nearly 300 mixed-income residential units, additional retail and restaurant space, and an incubator, revitalize a previously dormant area The project has hired Steiner and Associates in partnership with local minority firm Civitas, and requested that the administration work with the developer to close a small capital so the project can move forward. 

The motion was adopted.

Item 58: An emergency ordinance was submitted by Owens, with support from Emily Smart Woerner, City Solicitor. It proposed the adoption of a Council Code of Conduct under Section 101-45 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code. This code was meant to govern the behavior of Councilmembers and their staff. 

Owens said this would be the third adoption of the Code of Conduct, emphasizing public trust and staff are now included under the same policies as city employees. 

The ordinance was passed with emergency. 

Item 59: An ordinance was submitted by City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long on Feb. 4, 2026. It authorizes the City Manager to apply for, accept, and appropriate a grant of up to $15,000 from the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers to support Cincinnati Primary Care’s Tobacco Cessation Project, which focuses on preventing tobacco use, improving screening protocols, and increasing patient engagement in cessation treatments. It also authorizes the Director of Finance to deposit the grant funds into the Public Health Research Fund.

The ordinance was passed. 

Item 60: An ordinance was submitted by City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long on February 4, 2026. It authorizes the City Manager to apply for, accept, and appropriate a grant of up to $112,790 from the FY 2025 Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund through the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Office of Criminal Justice Services. The grant will provide resources for personnel costs related to investigations conducted under Title III of the Federal Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The ordinance also authorizes the Director of Finance to deposit the grant funds into the Law Enforcement Grant Fund, project account no. 26ODLE.

The ordinance was passed. 

Item 61:  A legislative resolution was submitted by City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long on February 4, 2026. It declares the necessity of assessing for the control of blight and disease in shade trees within the public right-of-way, and for planning, care, maintenance, trimming, and removal of shade trees along the streets of the City of Cincinnati Urban Forestry Maintenance District for the year 2027.

Item 61 was brought into suspension. 

Cramerding explained the resolution as an annual multi-step process, adding that the small frontage assessment charged to property owners funds the maintenance of right-of-way trees. He thanked Cincinnati Parks, and praised the Urban Forestry Maintenance District program as successful, efficient and long-standing.

Jeffreys added context on the program’s historical significance. He said  Cincinnati has one of the highest tree canopy coverages, second to Atlanta and further emphasized the health, energy cost, and neighborhood temperature benefits of the program. 

The resolution was passed. 

Item 62: An emergency ordinance submitted by City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long on February 4, 2026. It amends multiple prior ordinances to extend the term of the City’s tax increment financing (TIF) districts for an additional fifteen years, in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 5709.40 (L).

Cramerding said TIFs are a key economic development tool, noting the ordinance reflects negotiations with Cincinnati Public Schools to ensure fair benefits while supporting development. He emphasized that while TIFs have been successful in some neighborhoods, they remain part of larger ongoing discussion about equitable growth. 

Council Member Anna Albi called it a “win-win” for the city and CPS, thanking staff and CPS for their partnership. Mayor Pureval highlighted the multi-year negotiation resulting in both TIF extensions and a $6 million pilot payment to the school board, and framed it as an important step in equitable economic development. 

The ordinance was passed with emergency. 

Item 63: An emergency ordinance was submitted by City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long on February 10, 2026. It establishes Interim Development Control Overlay District No. 89, “Data Centers,” as an overlay district for a period of three months, pursuant to Chapter 1431 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code.

Councilmember Jefferies thanked the administration for proactively addressing a zoning gap, explaining that data centers currently lack a definition in city zoning. The overlay pauses automatic approvals while a study is conducted to understand community impacts and ensure fair, predictable regulation for residents, developers, and investors.

Councilmember Owens echoed these points, emphasizing the proactive, pragmatic approach in the context of AI growth, energy consumption, and public engagement. 

Vice Mayor Kearney highlighted community health and environmental concerns, noting diesel generators and pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and PFAS, and  stressed health equity in sitting decisions.

Councilmember James focused on the economic impact, particularly rising energy bills, and the need to ensure potential cost savings for residents. Mayor Pureval praised the legislation as a forward-looking step addressing both energy affordability and public health, connecting it to the city’s renewable energy initiatives. 

The ordinance was passed with emergency. 

Item 64: A motion submitted by council members Albi and Jeffreys. It directs the Administration to prepare a report within 30 days assessing the need for additional lighting and camera infrastructure in city parks, playgrounds, and recreational areas, prioritizing locations with prior shootings and the five neighborhoods with the highest levels of gun violence. A separate follow-up report is to be prepared within 30 days of the initial report, outlining the costs of installing, operating, and maintaining the recommended improvements, along with potential funding sources. 

Albi explained that the motion was prompted by recent shootings in public recreation areas, highlighting Laurel Playground, Grant Park, and other locations, and noted that previous safety funding focused only on roadways and sidewalks. The assessment will first examine existing lighting and camera infrastructure in high-risk areas and neighborhoods with the top five gun violence incidents in 2025 (Winton Hills, Over-the-Rhine, West End, Walnut Hills and Avondale), then provide a cost estimate for improvements. 

Jeffreys said the report would inform budget planning and phased implementation to make parks and recreation spaces safer for children and families, citing ongoing community advocacy. 

The motion was adopted. 

A motion was made to adjourn into executive session to discuss pending or imminent court action with the City Solicitor’s Office pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 121.22G3. 

The motion was adopted which moved the council into executive session. 

Pureval announced the conclusion of the agenda and sought announcements from council members after returning from executive session. 

President Pro Tem Scotty Johnson delivered remarks condemning a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, criticizing what he described a lack of accountability and denouncement at various political levels, and calling for the country to confront racism more directly. 

Albi provided a community announcement promoting the mayor’s Career Expo at TQL Stadium from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., encouraging young people seeking employment to attend. 

The meeting was adjourned approximately at 3:38 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 here.