Council submits ordinance regulating operating hours of hookah bars

Notes

• The meeting began at 9:32 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2025, and was held at Cincinnati City Hall in room 300.
• The staff present were:
  • Scotty Johnson, chair
  • Jan-Michele Kearney, vice chair
  • Mark Jeffreys, committee member
  • Anna Albi, committee member.
• Johnson started the meeting by congratulating the Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD), which received Gold status for the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition Program.
• Johnson called Fire Chief Frank McKinley to the podium to present. McKinley thanked his team for their hard work in helping to achieve this award, and noted that this was the first time the CFD earned Gold status from the AHA in two categories: heart attack and stroke.
• McKinley explained the program has strict criteria that must be consistently met to receive Gold status, such as timeliness of care and diligence in stroke screening.
• After McKinley finished presenting, Johnson reiterated the city’s appreciation for the services CFD provides, and opened the floor for the rest of the members to comment. Kearney, Albi, and Jeffreys all expressed the same sentiments and thanked McKinley and his team.
• Johnson then moved on to public comment, most of which was centered around the second item on the agenda: an ordinance proposed by Jeffreys regarding the regulation of operating hours for hookah bars. The first speaker was local poet and author Annie Ruth, who supported the ordinance. She said she represented the Roselawn Community Council in this position, and explained how this had been an issue affecting the community for years.
• The next speaker then took the podium. Ben Pantoja, president of Clifton Town Meeting community council, also supported the ordinance. He described “street takeovers” happening on Saturdays and Sundays in Clifton between the hours of  2 a.m. to  4 a.m., during which various crimes such as fights, street racing, shootings, and kidnappings have occurred. He argued restricting operational hours would be the best way to definitively prove that the late-night parties occurring at the hookah bars during these times are the cause.
• Todd Dawson, from local business Dawson Heating & Air Conditioning, was the next public speaker. He represented the Roselawn Business Alliance as a member, stating the organization was in full support of the ordinance. He also stated three shootings had occurred in Roselawn as a direct result of late-night parties at hookah bars.
• The next public speaker was Ronald Mosley, Sr., president of the Roselawn Business Alliance and former president of the Roselawn Community Council. He specifically named establishments the community has complained about over the past couple years, and expressed his full support for the ordinance.
• Gerald Checco, former director at the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, was the next public speaker. He supported the ordinance, and corroborated the crime associated with the late-night hookah bar parties in many neighborhoods around Cincinnati.
• The next public speaker to take the podium was Jan Brown Checco, vice president of Clifton Town Meeting. She described working with the police, business associations, and various other organizations for the past two years in an effort to tackle this issue, and expressed her support for the ordinance.
• Ron Dula, founder of Transitions Care Concierge, LLC, was the next public speaker. He took the podium to address an altercation that occurred between him and another citizen on July 25 during the large brawl that transpired that night, asking for someone to get in contact with him to provide video footage of the altercation. Johnson directed him to another office to leave his information for a follow-up.
• Allison Watson, co-owner of VYBEZ Hookah Bar & Lounge in Roselawn, took the podium next. She defended her establishment, citing back-to-school drives, trunk or treats, and Christmas gift drives as ways they positively impact the community. She conceded that there are legitimate concerns regarding hookah bars and community safety, but also pointed out a lack of response from the Cincinnati Police Department despite repeated calls for increased police presence.
• Rodney Heard (spelling unknown) was the next public speaker. Representing VYBEZ Hookah Bar & Lounge, he also argued the establishment’s innocence, positing that other bars serving younger crowds were to blame for the proliferation of crime near hookah bars. 
• Johnson then concluded the section for public comment and skipped to Item 2 on the agenda. Jeffreys spoke on his proposed ordinance, reiterating the points made by the public. He stated the city has filed nine nuisance ordinance complaints against different hookah bars, and Cleveland had previously passed a similar ordinance. He stressed that these proposed restrictions were not punitive, but to strike a balance for quality of life and public safety.
• Kearney asked Jeffreys for clarification regarding the hours. He confirmed the ordinance would restrict hookah bar operational hours to 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• Johnson then spoke regarding the ordinance. He echoed Jeffreys’ sentiments, stating they were not trying to shut businesses down, but engender mutual respect between these establishments and the communities they serve.
• Next, Albi spoke on the ordinance, accentuating its effect on public safety and offering her full support.
• Kearney was the last to speak on the ordinance, affirming her support and further reiterating their intent to simply limit hours rather than shut businesses down completely.
• With no objections, the ordinance was approved for a full council vote.
• Johnson then moved the meeting on to Item 1 on the Agenda, regarding a motion directing the city to trim and maintain city landscaping and greenery to improve sightlines for public safety infrastructure. According to a “green” plan put forth by the city, 40% of the urban canopy must remain during this maintenance.
• Albi then spoke on the importance of the motion, citing not just sightlines but also issues with city cameras and garbage trucks’ access to certain areas.
• With no objections, Johnson then moved Item 1 on for passage. Following this, the meeting was adjourned at 10:07 a.m.

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