Meeting summary:
- The council is considering the concerns of Black and brown business owners regarding the Emergency Amendment for the Chronic Nuisance Ordinance.
- The administration is working to address the needs of those affected by the recent floods and attempting to establish preventative measures for future storms.
- The administration is interested in rectifying legal “errors” from the past.
Documenter’s follow-up question:
- How will the council collaborate with business owners to address concerns mentioned in the chronic nuisance ordinance? Can an alternative to the ordinance that works for both the city and business owners be established?
- How will the council collaborate with community members to decide how the cannabis restricted fund will be used?
Notes
Meeting Agenda
Meeting Attendees
Mayor Aftab Pureval
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
President Pro Tem Scotty Johnson
Council Member 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
The meeting was held in Council Chambers at City Hall and began with Citizens’ Forum. This portion of the meeting, which is dedicated to public comment, lasted over two hours.
Winton Hills Youth Council
Members of the Winton Hills Youth Council, along with several residents of the Winton Hills and Spring Grove Village area, expressed concerns regarding overall quality of life in the area.
Ramone Hill, 17-year-old Winton Hills resident, spoke on the lack of academic opportunities in the area, requesting free or affordable options for career-specific activities.
Another Youth Council member expressed his dissatisfaction with the quality of the parks in the area and lack of options for safe and positive outdoor gathering spaces for teens.
Kelis Robinson Humphrey, another Winton Hills youth, spoke of poor living conditions in her own home. Humphrey said that maintenance requests to the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority are often ignored or made worse when contractors arrive to address an issue.
Liz Virgo, an adult supervisor of the Youth Council and a Spring Grove Village resident, spoke highly of the students’ advocacy, referring to them as “really incredible young people.” Virgo said many of the issues mentioned by the youth council overlap with affordable housing, and she commended the council for “investing and making sure $3.2 million will go to HUD programs.”
Resolution Honoring the Late Jonathan Young
Mayor Aftab Pureval paused public comment for a resolution to honor the late Jonathan “Jay” Young, a City of Cincinnati Public Works employee who died in a crash while working on the Norwood Lateral in July.
Young’s loved ones and council members spoke highly of his character and acknowledged him for his accomplishments within his role as a public service worker since 2002.
Many audience members present at the start of the meeting were Young’s family, friends and coworkers.
Young’s passing inspired the council to begin to explore options for a permanent memorial space to commemorate Cincinnati Public Works employees who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The motion to start this process submitted by the entire council can be found in Item 71 of the agenda and was later passed in the business portion of the meeting.
Emergency Amendment to Chronic Nuisance Ordinance (Agenda Item 121)
Dozens of local business owners came to the Citizens’ Forum to ask the council to delay the vote for the Emergency Amendment to the chronic nuisance ordinance and to reconsider the ordinance before moving forward.
Erin Parrott, property owner in the OTR area, said she was “speaking on behalf of a multitude of Black and brown business owners, specifically restaurants, bars and the nightclub industry,” who many feel are being unfairly targeted through this ordinance. Parrott highlighted Council Member Seth Walsh’s advocacy for this ordinance since last year and expressed her disappointment in Walsh’s “personal agenda” against Black-owned business Privee on Elm, significantly impacting “every business in Downtown Cincinnati” should the amendment pass.
Gregory Parker, director of member services at the African American Chamber of Commerce, called the amendment “vague” and expressed concerns about it leading to “judgemnt calls that are not in the best interests of the city or the bar and restaurant owners.”
Several business owners, including Darius Bobo, urged the council to not only table the vote for this amendment but also to partner with these entrepreneurs to address the issues outlined in the ordinance. Bobo mentioned working with Mark Manning of the city’s Quality of Life Division on the matter and said he hopes for these collaborative efforts to continue and increase.
During the business portion of the meeting, all council members voted “no” on rule suspension. Agreement to suspend ordinance rules would have allowed them to pass the ordinance as an emergency Wednesday. According to City Solicitor Emily Woerner, the ordinance will need to be read three additional times on three separate dates, with the next reading taking place during a council meeting in September.
Restricted Fund for Future Cannabis Funds (Agenda Item 69)
Council Member Mark Jeffreys and the co-sponsers of this motion are asking the administration to create a restricted account that will be used to support “communities most impacted when cannabis was illegal.” As recreational use of cannabis was recently legalized in Ohio, the city’s percentage of cannabis sales is typically placed in the general fund and “can be used for anything,” according to Jeffreys.
Jeffreys referenced the reported disproportionate arrests of African Americans for cannabis-related criminal charges. Jeffreys added that conversations regarding the specifics of where/how the restricted funds would be used are forthcoming, and the council is working with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation to explore opportunities.
Council Member Ryan James shared his support of the restricted fund request and said he would like to see decisionmaking for these funds go beyond the mayor and council, adding that community members should have a seat at the table.
“It is time that the city of Cincinnati see change in rectifying the wrongs done by unfair cannabis arrests,” James said.
Council Member Anna Albi, sharing similar sentiments to James, added that the council is “working hard to undo and combat the ills of the past.”
$1M to be Added to Extreme Weather Emergency Relief Fund (Agenda Item 82)
Mayor Aftab Pureval took time to “call out the incredible work of our administration,” specifically acknowledging City Manager Cheryl Long and Markeia Carter, director of the Department of Opportunity and Resident Services, for their leadership in building this relief fund on an “extremely short timeline.”
Pureval said he was “glad that our administration and council are acting now to get support to the community for those who need it.”
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney said the administration learned from the recent East Side floods that the community was in need of three things: more dumpsters, quick permitting process, and businesses and residents need money.
In response, the administration has increased the number of dumpsters, created a one-day process for contractors to apply and “walk out the door with their permits,” and will add $1 million to the current $1 million, according to Kearney.
“We know people are in need, the community is struggling, and we are dedicated to making sure everybody pulls through this,” Kearney said. She also provided the following contact information for those who have not yet filed a claim: 513-323-7995.
Council Member Evan Nolan commended staff for their efforts in responding to over 2,000 complaints and residents who have shared their stories with council members. Nolan encouraged those affected by the floods to continue to reach out.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcincinnati.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
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