tickle tickle tickle. Yeah. Well, Please take your seats. We will now begin our citizens forum. and good afternoon. As I call your name, you will have the privilege of the floor for two minutes. Our first speaker is Burner Long. Welcome. >> Good afternoon, public servants. I am Dr. Warner Lang and I come giving you a message of peace from an American prophet whose birthday we are about to celebrate. Somehow this madness must stop. We must stop now. I speak as a citizen of the world for the world as it stands against the path we have taken. This great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must also be ours. Those are the words of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King delivered on April the 4th, 1967 in New York City, exactly one year before he was assassinated. He was, of course, speaking about Vietnam. But those words ring true today regarding Venezuela. For on January the 3rd, a day that will forever live in infamy, the United States military launched an illegal attack upon a sovereign nation, killing at least 80 individuals, kidnapping its president and his wife. And this stands in gross violation of the UN charter, of international law, and of human rights. I ask this body to take a stand against this atrocity and speak out against it. For all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people like you to do nothing. Do something. And remember the words of King. Somehow this madness must stop. We must stop now. We have taken the initiative in this war and the initiative to stop it must be ours. Please join that call of this American prophet and speak up against this atrocity that is leading us deeper and deeper into war and destruction. Thank you. >> Thank you sir. There are quite a few speakers today and so I will uh call you up three at a time. When you hear your name, please come to the dis. When you finish speaking, please exit the dis. Uh for those of you who are new to public comment, uh everyone gets two minutes. You'll see the green light begin when you start speaking. Uh and when you see the red light, your time is over. Our next three speakers that I'll ask to come to the dis is Dominique Penn, Barbara Smith, and Carolyn uh New Bud potentially. Sorry, Carolyn. Dominique, you're first. You may begin. >> This year is coming. >> Okay. Um I'm coming to the council because my son, who is six, was suspended from school. Um and nobody contacted me. Nobody called me to say that he was being suspended. Nobody called me to tell me that there was a big blow up to the point where he was suspended. um the school once I contacted them, I asked for a meeting um so that we can try to get him to be more successful in school and not to get in trouble. Um no one contacted me back. >> Let Let me just just >> miss I'm I'm so sorry. It's it's one speaker at a time and Dominique has has signed up. So Dominique, this is your time. >> Go ahead. >> If if you'd like to speak, if you could sign up, that'd be great. telling you. >> So, so he's a good kid and no, no one reached out to make sure that we didn't have this situation escalate. It escalated to the point of him being suspend suspended, which created anxiety and can have him labeled as a bad kid. Um, so I'm trying to bring this to your attention because I believe that communication is of the utmost importance. No one reached out to his mother to say, "We're escalating this situation to the point where he cannot return to school." >> So, you know, he just turned six >> and he just turned six. He's in the first grade. So, this is his first major, you know, um, occurrence of getting in trouble. But, um, he was afraid to go back to school. And I feel like it was important to have a meeting with the staff so that we can ensure his success. But that did not occur and no one still has not reached out to me so that we can make this beneficial for his success and also the teachers as well. >> Thank you very much. Uh we have a a staff member in the back. Her name is Chaka. She can take your information. I will um let you know however that we appreciate you telling us. Um but the the the primary uh organization responsible for communicating with you about that uh is the school. Uh and so Chaka can connect you to the right person to make sure that your concern is is acted upon. Thank you. Uh our next speaker to please come to the DIAS is William Brooks. Barbara, you may begin. >> Yes. My name is Barbara Smith. I live in City West and I'm here about the move. Uh they selling the property. We did not make this debt. So we don't even understand why we have to go through this. And uh and how are they sure whoever they sell it to to the seller or sellers that they will allow us to come back? That's not a promise. And if so, the rent probably be so high most of us can't afford it. As soon as this TQL stadium was built, here they come talking about selling units, especially the units right across from the uh stadium. We did not make this mess, you know, and they're not giving us the truth. The residents, all we ask is for the truth instead of little bits and pieces of what's really going on. We don't even really know what's going on, if it's being sold, when it's going to be sold. We just know what they telling us. I've been living there 13 years with my granddaughter, which we love it there. This is our that's our community. That's our home, you know. And all of a sudden that come this is stressful. I'm 69. They're talking about all of a sudden selling property and this and cause of debt stuff that we didn't even create. So, you know, I'm here because of that. >> Thank you very much. We could have uh Diananna Taylor please come to the dis. Thank you, Barbara. You're >> welcome. >> Carolyn, you're next. New Bill. Carolyn Newville. That's my name. >> I apologize. >> Okay. May I speak, >> please? >> Okay. Uh, I just want to thank everybody uh that's attending this meeting. I really definitely appreciate for you being here and taking the time out to come. I mean, that's very important. But I just want to say we all know what's going on up in Washington, DC. We all are aware. But I was just saying that the problem is the architecture of the buildings. Uh the structure is important for people that's professional to decide whether they tear it down, whether they build it up or do whatever else that they want to do. But with me, I I it's been a change in my life. And the change in my life is to help others and humanity. >> Thank you very much. >> We could have Tara Williams. Tara Williams, please come to the Das. William welcome. >> I'm here on the behalf of the uh Queen Ire Reed, the 11-year-old that was murdered down at Lurel Park uh Thursday. We was just trying to figure out um about the camera situation and what's the next step for this, you know, because everybody is in kind of like in the uproar, you know, as a family, we can only cry and do so long before we start demanding Anders answers from the people who's supposed to protect us. Um, so on the behalf of my family and the in the in the community, we just want to see or hear what's next or you know, can we be pointed in the right direction or giving accurate information cuz now we got two young kids that's been murdered by the park uh Queen Irene and Dominique, you know. So it's and to us it's looking like nothing's being done or nobody care to give us any answers. It's like we getting fed little bitty pieces and just just enough to be like, "Okay, they trying to do something, but really it's not nothing being done in our eyes. We don't know what y'all got going on." But we just feel like nothing's being done. So, we just trying to see what's like the next step. You know what's going on with that. >> Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. >> Chanel Davis, please come to the DAS. Diana, you're welcome. It's pronounced Jana. >> Jana, I I'm very sorry. >> You're fine. I'm here for Queen Enri and Sheree Williams. I'm her older sister and like my cousin was just speaking about, we're just trying to get more information because this is not fair at all. We don't know [clears throat] what is fully going on or how we're going to get answers and we're just trying to stay sane for everything that's going on because it's too much going on within that park in general. It shouldn't have to go to the point to where kids is getting killed and we get answers or we get protection for the kids being in that park because that's not the first time kids have been shot at all the time at that park. I've been at that park with my daughter before and she was a baby and I had to get on the ground because they were shooting. That's how scary that park is. But we still have to be at that park because it's a public place and it's closed. So we should have more protection over there in general, not to wait till somebody that is that haven't done anything to anybody to be gone. It's too much. >> Thank you for coming and I know I speak for all of us when I say how very sorry we are. Uh thank you for meeting with me uh a few days ago. Um, and if you uh if you share your information with our our staff in the in the back there, we'd love to follow up with you and and answer the questions that you have. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Marilyn Bennett, uh, please come to the dis. Tara, you're next. >> I'm Tara Williams. I'm um Queen Air Reed grandmother and I'm on the be here also for the behalf of City West. I almost died two weeks two months ago and they was moving mold that should have been taken care of 2024 of October when they first got the property and they did not do the work. Now I'm gassing for air to even talk and it shouldn't get to that point. We have babies in there where they have mold problems in their houses. They talking about selling the place, taking um the locks off, and if we don't work with their I thought I turned that off. I'm so sorry. >> Okay. >> Um >> um and it's just difficult when you try to be presentable and they coming at you like you're not you don't matter. When I kept telling them year a year before this situation happened to me, they still didn't come and do a air purifier test. They're not doing anything. It's always dark over in that park. I'm having both of the situations taken care of at one time. And it shouldn't have to be like that. We walk to our mailbox when it get dark at this time of the year. And you got to look around and see if anybody out there. You can't see through that part. It shouldn't be like that. we should be safe in our neighborhood. And half of the time it's not our community people, it's the people from somewhere else that's doing the shooting. And then we looked at like, oh y'all monsters. We're not monsters. When my grandbaby died over in that park, she knew cuz she lived with me for 6 years that she when lights come on just like we did in front of that house, nowhere else. All 16 of my grandchildren and I have their backs. They know who I am. And I have 32 years clean. I lost a year of my life to madness and I got it together. So I am standing for my community and the children. So I'm letting y'all know that. >> That's just what I want to know. They got my information. I don't have to leave no more. >> Thank you. Pastor Leslie Jones, please come to the das. Chanel, welcome. >> Hello. Um my name is Chanel Davis and I am the godmother of Queen Ari. Um, I am coming here to really understand and get answers on where are the cameras. Um, this park has not been safe for a long period of time and it just seems like the city is just naming the area after these children. That's not enough. Derek Turnbo, that's not enough. Dominique Davis, that's not enough. Like Queen Ar she don't only deserve just to have something named after her. We need to have protection of these children and of the community. The other day at the peaceful walk, my three-year-old daughter was with me and we were in the park and she didn't understand why she couldn't play at the park that we were in gathered around. That's really sad. So, we want to know where are the cameras and also the night that she got killed. Um, the park was dark at that time. The day we did the visual and also the balloon release at 5:00 p.m. the park was dark. But I see that that has changed now because when we did the peaceful protest, the park was lit up. So, and we seen a a a camera uh trailer or whatever inside the park. So, we see the child doing something, but it seemed like it's too late and we need to do more now instead of waiting on someone else to pass away, another child to get hit. The money's there, it seems like. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >> Thank you. Shante McIntyre, please come to the DAS. Welcome, Maryland. Sorry, is Marilyn Bennett here? Okay. Uh, Pastor Leslie Jones, welcome. >> Good afternoon. Um, I think that most of you I've probably had a one-on-one conversation with. Um, you've seen my work in the community for more than 30 years. I have pastored a church locally here for 23 years. Um, I served as the director of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission, which is now long no longer in existence. Um, and I want you to know that I am grateful for those of you that showed up to be support to the family, for the ones that have reached out. I'm here in the capacity of being um an individual that has provided pastoral care and concern to um Sheree Williams who is the mother of Queen Ary Reid. Um I've known or knew Queenie as I called her um since she was probably an armed baby. I've been visible and silent at times and this is one of the times that has called me to have to come and speak and to share. And what I'm here to ask you for today, mayor and council, is an opportunity to enter into co-governance to ask you to adopt the Queen area Reed Safe Parks and Playgrounds initiative. We have gone through and aligned it with um act for cincy but the reality is you haven't funded it the way it needs to be and we need an intention and we need to make our parks and our playgrounds safe space for everyone. As a young lady said renaming parks, renaming streets, that's not enough. That's a nicity and we appreciate that because that does moralize her name. But that's not enough. But we believe that this initiative will do that work. >> Thank you, pastor. Thank you, pastor. >> Thank you. If I could have Terry Terasania or Terry Denim please come up as well as Stefan Prior. Welcome Shante. >> Hi. Um, yes, I am here today, uh, given the opportunity just to stop by to talk to you and to, um, a clear connection of what I'm going through, what I've been through here in the city of Cincinnati, not only Cincinnati, Ohio in general. I have two daughters that went to school uh, here and went to college, but I also have um, something far stretched that I can't put together because of it. this the the thing has me um and some kind of perfect stress uh and the stress syndrome and and the opportunity for me to be here today is that I have a question about the city and why is the city up against my life and how I am homeless for 30 days with a facility that is mentally abusing uh people myself in general. Um, oh boy, everyone involved. Um, dance floor. I life is not a dance floor. Um, I've been to the emergency rooms several times. Anxiety. Um, I don't really like um things like this to uh really keep coming at me where I know that, you know, at me is, you know, a thing that you all know about and it stresses me out because nobody in a whole fixture of it wants to come to the light. And I when I listen to the ones that was up here in measure uh yes you everyone has uh problems but my problem is that I have been denied my own life and uh just being told that I'm mental um being uh talked about being threatened my business is open my private life uh through devices through government and I'm just here today because it was time. Thank you very much. If we could have uh cute Evans please come to the dis. Welcome Terry. >> Hello mayor and council. Thank you for hearing our words today. I'm coming to speak on the behalf of City West residents where I've been a resident for five and a half years coming out of seven years of homelessness in the city of Cincinnati. A few questions were that they wanted me to ask. They asked about City West is a mixed income housing unit. What are all the housing options in existence at the City West building? And do any of the residents pay more than 30% of their income in rent and utilities? That's one question. The next question is explain RAD and PROC P R A. Sorry. The next question is what residents of city west can be a part of the residential council which can vote all residents in the senior building and all residents want to know that the next question is what is your plan for communication of updates to all relatives frequently format and etc. My last question is, and this was from all the residents from City West, Laurel Homes, why can't y'all clear the debt, the million-doll debt yel, and not displace people? These are their questions. They want to know. >> I know. And so, my last statement is about the incident that happened to the 11 year old uh in the park. This is the second 11year-old, Miss Queenier. I knew Dominique's mom. This happened to Dominique a few years ago and nothing happened. We want We want answers. We want We want safety. I'm requesting I was talking to uh Pastor Leslie. I'm requesting a ceasefire. Can we call a city ceasefire, especially around the neighborhoods and the parks with the children playing? Thank you for hearing my my plea. >> Thank you very much. Judith Jones. Judith Jones, please come to the dis. Welcome, Stefan Prior. >> I look through this agenda on item 23. You got over $5 million given out to a golf facility, but you gave 5 million for safety on the streets with cameras and different things. Jeff Cradine, you you applied for that, but we don't see no safety nowhere at all. It was just covering people's bank accounts and giving money to the to your buddies. This is not cool. You got a 300 something million dollar stadium down there. You telling me ain't no damn cameras around that damn stadium? That's a lie. Y'all need to do better. What y'all doing? Y'all back here again. And we keep having the same problem. But we can we can talk about a brawl, but when 11y old two 11 year olds get killed, y'all ain't talking about that. Making that national. Y'all keep playing people over and over again. Black people do matter. We keep getting played over and over again. And I don't know why. And y'all should be doing y'all damn job. [applause and cheering] And the city west. And it's a shame that they owe y'all money, but y'all playing letting them play the residents and that's dirty. The residents should be able to sign a CBA, a community benefits agreement to move back. And that's what they need, a community benefits agreement to move back. If they develop, they should come back, not play these games they keep playing for many years. They keep playing these same gears games many years in Evston. In Evston, the CBA uh no, not the CBA, I'm sorry. Uh uh CHA owned the building and and and uh Touchstone Properties does the management. Their property manager stole their money. They rent money, getting blank money orders, putting his damn name on it and having other people sign their money order. They did not they didn't stay in that community and on apartments and it's a shame that they getting eviction notice. Y'all hear about that next week with some people coming down here. Y'all wrong. >> Thank you. >> Paul Bean, please come to the dis. Welcome Kent, I believe. Kent Evans. >> That's fine. You can call me KO if you want. Well, I'm I get the newspaper delivered. I think everyone should. I think it's a good source of information and it's chock full of stuff. A lot of us I think you guys realize is a little bit embarrassing now. You really must have taken a good vacation. No phone calls made or anything to get things right. So, I'll let that that be for you to fix. But uh in in in your quote, Mayor um and I appreciate you being available, you say you want a tax increase for public safety, affordable housing, and disrupting poverty, which is a unique way of saying it. I've never heard it voiced that way. I applaud you for that open thinking. But I do want to say that um I don't want to say too much about this tragedy, which is probably number one. Uh but the Chanel Davis said it perfectly. She said she doesn't deserve to have something named after her. I hope the newspaper picks up on that. Um the other thing is affordable housing, which of course I've talked about before. So, I'm asking uh do you have any earmarks for the city residents percentage of jobs on housing construction with the developers? Anyone anyone want to answer that? Don't you think the city residents should have the hope of having employment with all this housing being built? I think they should. And finally on uh disrupting poverty, um I would like I know you said that this is in the future when you're going to vote on it or put it before council, but could you ask or could you do some uh educating of the public in Thank you. Thank Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. our next speaker or excuse me if we could have Stanford Pool please come to the dis. Welcome Judith Jones. >> Thank you for having me. Hello everyone, my constituents and all my friends on city council. I come to you on behalf of City West. Three years ago I was displaced during CO or whenever CO happened. I was placed down in City West. I only been there for three years. I am the community coordinator um Neighborhood United. I have been appointed. My thing is it's a shame. My daughter that I raised from 10 months to the age that she is now was gunned down with a semi-automatic. She's still alive, but she's paralyzed from the waist down. And it happened on David Street. I so happened to be on my porch, but I had gotten up to go to the restroom. And all I heard was and it hit five cars, including my daughter. They collapsed on my steps. I never seen this ever in my life. The paramedics thought she was young and thought that she had edible because they said, "Did you have any drugs or alcohol?" She said, "Oh, I had a gummy, but she's old enough to eat gummies." But they left her on my living room floor with three bullet holes through my apartment. I am appalled. and now they want to come and sell the property of City West. That's very appalling. This is going to be called the new homeless. And I come here to all my constituents to let you know, fight for City West. >> Thank you, Candace Tubs. Candace Tubs, please come to the DAS. Welcome Paul Bean. I um I want my program. They holling about they need protection. This this this this You said you weren going to have it. You said you weren't going to use it. I tell you again, you need it. What I have to do, take it, put it in somebody else hands. I could draw it up again. There's no problem. But you don't want to. You're not going to use it. their way. See, you need somebody behind the camera. That's what this program is. That's why you don't want to put it up front. You say it cost too much money. As a camera, I put a camera on every corner with a body behind it. That's what you don't want. You make more money off a crime than than anything in this world. And this the project the project down here. I I keep on coming down here asking for it. First thing you want to do, you want to put me in jail for something that belongs to me. How How that goes? How do How do that happens? You asked for help and I I don't see a better project than that. But you told me up front you weren't going to use it. He said it cost too much. Where she go? another person say, "Oh, you got to talk to them about it." Just say you want to just make money off of crime, everybody get killed and say, "Fuck it." That's what it boils down to. Right. Right. But then I come down here about this situation, me with this accident. You ain't gave me the time or day to even sit down and talk to you about this. And that's been three years. How many times do you have to come down here? >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Brian Gary, please come to the dis. Welcome Stanford Pool. >> I'm going to start off with look at this country with cruelty, savagery, and racism this country is all about. And then we look at Cincinnati. You people who pull to be the leaders and you got excuses, loopholes and all that. And you getting a paycheck every two weeks and benefits. A couple weeks ago, I came in here and told you about the West End and what's going on, how you kind of replace them. That way you can get the FC and the white agenda going. And the people back here telling you the mayor called me a liar. I guess he got the thrill out of calling a black man a liar. So it made you look little when you call me a liar. Now if we going to talk about liar, we had a white man come into this chamber and said the n-word and say that white people got the right to call black people the n-word and it should be accepted. And all you did is says you can't say that. And they kept saying the n word, n word. N word. n word. You say he can't say that. Then you turn around, he's on the citizens complaint board and other amen. How many people he didn't affect black people that went in front of that committee and then you turn around when he said the n-word that white people should be able to say it and should be accepted. You turn around and give him a second time. >> But you call me a liar the first time. So I think you got a thrill out of calling a black man cuz we get blamed for everything >> until you black ones and you white ones start doing something for the people not for your people that's giving you the money and filling your pocket up and getting your career up. So we're tired of that. The West End, you got the target on it. Everything I said were true >> and then it hurt you so bad. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. P. Uh Jonathan Jonathan Norton, please come to the dis. Candace Tubs, welcome. >> Thank you. Uh I want to first say um uh Councilman Karnney, uh thank you for all that you do for all of our communities from the bottom of my heart. Let me just give you a little bit history. James Cheney was my mom's babysitter. Um, when we came to Ohio, I was 15. Witherro High School, the only school I ever been to outside of University of Cincinnati. We came here in the back of a station wagon and could not raise our head until we got to Tennessee. This is the same stuff going on in Cincinnati because we don't have leadership. That is the truth. Uh, mayor, you give people two minutes and that's it. You send them, you sent me to somebody back there before and nothing ever changes. Let me just just quote because we don't have car up church said in his book convicted in the womb. It took him 30 years to realize that unlike being born male, being a wasn't encoded into his DNA. Not only was he nigorized by his mother, his his community, but also his government. This is what I'm saying to you. Things have to change. You know, you give a few negroes some money and say, "Hey, just make all the stuff go away." But it don't work like that in real life. These brothers are not killing each other because they don't have a play. They killing each other because they trying to eat. If you put one bone in the middle, they going to fight to the death to survive and for their families to survive. We can change this. We've done it before. We've done it in this city before. I know that I alone got over 300 guns out the street. People were bringing them to us. Bringing them to us from all the high schools. So it don't start with with with it don't start with me. It don't start It started long before me. It started long before. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Bishop Sunny James, please come to the das. Welcome Brian Gary. Forgive the debt. Don't sell City West. Forgive the debt. Don't sell City West. Forgive the debt. Don't sell City West. Forgive the debt. Don't sell City West. My deepest deepest sympathies to Queen Ary. for the gut-wrenching, soul-wrenching pain that they're going through. You say there's a $4 million debt, but what is the Cincinnati Development Fund that is owed the $4 million debt? Is it not basically an extension of the city of Cincinnati? Who funds it? And they hold the affordable housing trust fund in their possession. You apologize for tearing down the West End, but you are sitting here gleefully supporting the destruction of 105 units of affordable housing. Forgive the debt. >> Don't sell City West. >> But it wasn't enough for you to steal the lands and homes of the families displaced by the FC billionaire stadium owned by the Port Authority as a tax shelter for the rich. Now you come for the sanctuary of the sacred publiclyowned affordable housing and you want to turn it into luxury for your rich friends. >> With your mouth you say that the priority is affordable housing, but by your actions you say otherwise. We demand that the property not be sold, that it remain publicly owned as it is and has been for the last 100 years. We demand that this property remain as it was designated to be, helping our fellow Cincinnatians who desperately need this affordable housing and not be sold as >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Lena Zerub. Welcome, Lena Zerub. Welcome, Jonathan Norman. If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. The problem this country has faced for generations is politicians that prioritize profits over people. Profits of the wealthiest of society, oil companies, weapons manufacturers, pharmaceutical, and tech companies. We have said over and over again, the violence we wage abroad will only get worse and will always come back to us. A nation that can arm and fund a genocide for more than two years has no problem bombing innocent people in Venezuela. Has no problem watching its own citizens wither away and killed in our streets. A nation that can continue funding the apartheid state that abducts and holds thousands of innocent people hostage without charge. Has no problem violating Venezuelan sovereignty, snatching oil tankers, and kidnapping their president. Has no problem with its own abduction force, ICE, kidnapping and brutalizing citizens and innocent people over a matter of paperwork. Paperwork now being ripped away from Venezuelans, turning 600,000 people into targets. A nation that can use our taxes to assist in generations of ethnic cleansing in Palestine and illegal land seizures. Has no problem violating international law and seizing land and resources from Venezuela. Using our taxes to subsidize these oil giants. Has no problem carving up our national parks and subsidizing tech giants to throw data centers in our backyards. A nation defending Israel, blocking shelter, aid, and health organizations. Has no problem sanctioning Venezuela to starve their people. Blockading Cuba to do the same. no problem when it with its own citizens denied the health care, housing, and food they deserve. All of this gets worse until we have people willing to work against it. But what we see here is more of the same. When neighborhoods speak out against new construction, this council won't listen. When Norfolk Southern is responsible for a catastrophic derailment and pollution, this city will reward them with the sale of our railroad. When companies like Skyo can assist in the genocide in Gaza, killing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, this city will reward them with a $4.8 million contract. will treat these murderers as trustworthy partners in surveilling our fellow citizens. Companies like this don't deserve deals. They deserve divestment. And this city deserves people who when they see all this bloodshed, it brings something out of them. Out of them because there's something still left in them. >> Thank you. Sher Williams. Sher Williams, please come to the dasis. Welcome Bishop James. Let us take a moment even on my time to give honor to the the family that is grieving for Queenie. Thank you folks sitting in the seats and folks sitting in the chairs. Have we forgotten that God is watching? Have we forgotten that we are ultimately accountable to a higher authority? We recognize that we have issues that really need to be addressed. But the reality is we've got to get to the point when we face the elephant in the room. It's going to require all of us from across every aisle to come together. What results have we benefited by being divided? Democrats on this side, Republicans on this side, white people here and black people there. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time that we come together. I want to applaud Channel 19 who came to our event this past Saturday where we were able to actually announce free full rides college scholarships to our young people who've otherwise been struggling. being able to incentivize these young people. If you really want solutions, call me 5134878843 or email bishop s for sunny james12@gmail.com. Let's bring some real solutions to the table and happy new year. >> Thank you. Rachel, please come to the dis. Welcome Lena. Today I'm here to speak about who feels protected in Cincinnati and who is left exposed by your silence. I am Palestinian. I'm Arab and I'm Muslim and I am a resident of this city. Yet for over two years of life li live streamed genocide our communities have watched you choose silence over courage. Care Cincinnati posted a public flyer on social media for an event that many of us attended on December 14th. The event was meant to be about inclusion, safety, and belonging. However, what followed in the comments on social media was not disagreement. It was hate posted openly by Cincinnati residents. I want you to hear some of them not because you they deserve amplification, but because your silence has allowed them to feel emboldened. And by the way, I chose the the ones that had like the best language. Get ICE there. Do I live in America? You've got to be kidding me. Herd them up and move them all out. Great place for a gas leak. The banquet should be moved to participants may have one-way tickets. Terrorist organization. Lock them up. These aren't just comments. They are threats. And they they are acts of dehumanization. And they landed on our a community already grieving, already fearful, already carrying the weight of being seen as disposable. When elected officials refuse to name harm, you normalize it. When you fail to speak, you send a message about whose fear matters and who doesn't. Silence is permission. That silence sent a message that our safety is optional and our pain is negotiable. Will you ever have the courage to speak up? Also, don't tell city west. >> Thank you, [applause] Sheree. I want to genuinely apologize for mispronouncing your name. Um, welcome to the um to the chamber and again I know I speak for everyone when I say how profoundly sorry we are for your devastating loss. Please begin when you're w when you're ready. It shouldn't have took for my child to lose her life for y'all to place a camera in the middle of this park. It should have been done for all the children to play safely. Yes, it's winter time. Yes, it gets dark early. They were outside simply being children. the last children left on this planet right now that actually want to be children and be at a park. I just want to know where the cameras are. They need to be placed there for all these children to be able to have fun without having to worry about being shot and killed or just unsafe, period. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Patricia Charlton and Deborah Walter >> Walker. I apologize. Rachel welcome. >> Yeah, this is my first time coming. I'm so glad that I've come to this city council meeting to hear what everybody has to say. There's a lot of sadness, dissatisfaction with our city government and changes can be made. I have two small requests. I called your office this today, this morning, four times beginning at 9, 10, 11, no answer, and the voicemail was full. Can you manage to take care of your answering machine and your office? That's pretty pretty simple request. I mean, I can get a hold of dominoes easier than I can leave a message for my mayor. And I'd also like to request for you to turn on your um comment section on your Facebook and other social media pages, not for just complaints, but for people to ask questions. you show up at all these events that are promoting, you know, good things for the community. How do we ask questions? Have somebody manage that? Because when a mayor turns off the comments on their social media and they post things that they're doing as a mayor, it is not a good sign. You don't want to hear from us. That's the message that comes from that. So, those are my requests to you. >> Thank you. Isaac Davis, please come to the DAS. >> Welcome, Patricia. >> Patricia Charlton here. >> Hi, everybody. I'm a homegrown West inner. My daddy was a Tusky airman. My mother, my aunts, and all of us were buticians. I went to Porro school. I learned how to be the best I could be. And I'd like to tell you, we are tire of people taking our land, our uh buildings. I had three strokes, so maybe I'm not speaking well, but I want you to know we don't need to keep moving for someone else to come into our property where the Union Terminal is. It was people who lived all around there. my grandma and my granddaddy. He was a chef for the railroad. I have been a citizen from downtown most of my life. Most of the kids, the adults all know me. I had a salon on Lynn Street. They had to take it from me to make City West, but they didn't let me come back because I was a butician. They say that you cannot have chemicals uh where people live above and I told them H2O is a chemical. So what are you saying if I can do the right? >> Thank you. [clears throat] Thank you. Kamante figs ke apostrophe m o n t e figs. Welcome Deborah. >> Hi. Um I was here on the behalf of Queen Arie and um City West. I am a City West resident. I do live in City West as of today. And um first of all with Queen Arie, I appreciate what you all did over these couple of days with the camera and the lighting. Okay. However, um that's not the only urban park in Cincinnati. And I just truly believe that every child in Cincinnati should be able to play on the playground safe. I believe that every school at the traffic light of that school should have surveillance and it should be recorded. Um September 19th 2025, my son was released from a Cincinnati public school. I'm not going to name the name of the school, but I was not even on a ground shed to pick him up. He's a car rider. He should have never been released from school, but he was. and as a result he was hit by a car going 50 miles an hour through the school zone. So, um my main reason for being here today is recording footage on all playgrounds in all school areas with traffic lights and close distance and all playgrounds in the schools. It protects our children's. It keeps us from hurting the community. Um because just cuz it's not your child doesn't mean you're not hurting. Um when children are hurt or in harm's way, it hurts my heart. Just because it's not my child doesn't mean it doesn't hurt me. So, um I think I just speak on behalf of everyone about how important those uh recordings are to catch these predators. Thank you. Thank you, >> Mildred M. Uh, Patterson or Peterson, welcome. Uh, Isaac Davis. >> First and foremost, I just want to send my condolences and prayers to the family of Queen. I'm so sorry. Me and my family fought for those cameras. We fought every day and nothing done. The mayor sits around, he does nothing. He sits around, compliments on how many pair of Jordans he's have, how how nice your Jordans look. But when are you going to do something for the community? You have all this money and the cameras are not up. It takes for another child to get killed for you to roll a camera in there. This is unacceptable. And I have not said nothing. I have sat back and I've been quiet. But today, I come to you as an angry dad. I'm fed up. I'm tired. I just had surgery, but I couldn't miss today. I also was a gunshot um victim of the same person who killed Dominic. You guys didn't investigate that. You didn't do nothing. I'm tired. I'm tired. When is this going to stop? You have money to get cameras. Is you pocketing money? I mean, I'm quite sure if this happened in your neighborhood. We all know what will happen. >> It's cameras everywhere. It's cameras around the stadium, but of course they're not playing at where the black people stay. >> I'm not racist for it from all, but something has to change. >> Um, so some of you guys up there like Jan, she she always come through. She always call me on Dominic Day. Um, and any other event we have going on, you don't even show up to nothing. Do you care? I see you at games taking pictures of people, but do you really care? >> I don't think you do. Cuz if you did, it would be more happening. And it would have took another child to get murdered in the private park where kids play. That's all. Thank you, >> Mr. Davis. We are profoundly sorry for your loss. um and profoundly sorry for all of the loss uh and the emotion that is palpable in the chamber today. Our next speaker uh to the dis is Alexis Kid Zafan. I think it's Z A Pen. Welcome Kamante. >> Hello. How you doing today? Um I'm a member of Black Arts Speaks. I've been using arts to fight in the community for equality, justice, and peace since the installation of the Black Lives Matter mural right outside of city hall. And I'm here because my little cousin Queen was killed. And I just want to see the community do more. I just want to see the community be given more opportunities for our youth. Not just cameras put up in the community so more black people can end up in prison, but we need more things for us our youth to do. You know, give them more activities, more incentives, more ways to cope rather than just having guns in the community. You know, we just need there's nothing for our kids to do, especially in CPS. Um, I want to fight for better education, just to be able to uh give our kids more confidence to be able to be great members of society rather than to be out on the streets killing each other and shooting one another. You know, there's nothing, you know, I was my life was saved through arts and I would like to see more things for our kids. That's all I came to say. So, can we invest more into our schools? Thank you. Mahogany Brown, welcome to the DAS and welcome Mildred. >> Hello. Greetings to you guys. Um, as you said, my name is Mildred Patterson. Um, I am an advocate in the West End. I am a shoot stockholder, entrepreneur, and I'm a neighbor. Um, before I had any of those positions, I was a neighbor. I still am a neighbor in the West End. I went to Hayes Porter and TAV, graduated from Northern Kentucky University, and I am still in the West End. I love the West End. Um, when you're a child, you don't really realize and recognize that you are a poor child in the West End. So, um, I've always loved the West End and I live there currently. Now, I don't live in City West, but um, I fight for the residents in City West. Um, I'm always fighting for in my community. If I see police pull over some black guys, I'm probably gonna pull over and wonder why they're pulling them over. Um, June the 13th, 2023, Mayor Aab along with council. You guys made a public apology to the West End to the King about the Kenyon Bar exhibit. I believe you called it. Um, then it was a a thriving neighborhood of black communities historically. You acknowledge it as institutional racism. You said something about remedies and historical justice. What are you going to do about that and what have you done since 2023? I don't know if it was to be public to be on the air for the news, but what have you done and what remedies are you going to do now since it seemed like it's happening again? The destruction of the West End with including City West. That's all I have to say. I'm happy you're at this meeting. I'm not at too many city meetings, but I don't never see you at too many when I'm here. But I'll be at a few more this year, 2026. Happy New Year. Thank you. Welcome Alexis. >> Good afternoon, [sighs] Mayor Council. Um, happy new year to you all. Good to see you all again. I hate coming before you. Well, I do. Not that I don't like each and every one of you, but it's usually during hard times that I sit at this desk. And so, I'm coming first concerning City West. M just set it up perfectly in terms of the apology that you all made and I really do believe that you are sincere. I do believe our city is committed to affordable housing, but this is a chance to take a stance. There are solutions that the city needs to be spearheading in terms of City West. If CHA is not the future owner of City West, then this property needs to go into a hands of someone that is willing to keep affordability to commit to affordability on there. You all can put that clause in there with a sale from CHA. We do not want to see more highrises. There are opportunities for developments. The new house that are being built, those are $600, $700,000 around City West Circle. Those are coming. But we want to preserve those 104 units. We cannot afford to lose another affordable unit. Where are these people going to go? Our residents don't have another opportunity. And then last time we were before you all with a big fight with another development that was coming, we were told that people were too emotional. Loss of bodies, loss of houses will make you emotional. Ownership is not the only way of showing commitment and love for a community. There are generations of families that are from the West End that want to remain there. Over 80% of our residents want to remain there. You all should be committed to making decent housing, quality housing opportunities. There needs to be a reinvestment, a further reinvestment in the West End. It is our most critical out of the 52 neighborhoods right now and we need you all, each and every one of you to stand and commit in the areas that you have expertise. Brother Walsh, you are a CDC extraordinaire. We need your assistance to make sure affordability and market rate can work in harmony. We need your step to the table. >> Thank you, [clears throat and cough] Mahogany. Welcome. >> Hello. I am here on the behalf of my niece, Queen Heir I Arie. We are deeply saddened that y'all failed us. Y'all failed us in so many different ways. Y'all had the funding. Y'all had the authorizations for the cameras to keep our babies safe in these parks. And y'all failed us. I can tell from the look of everybody on this podium that your kids are playing at the park without fear of being shot or losing their lives. And our kids will want to go to the park and play without having the fear of losing their lives. We say we want to keep our kids out the streets and we want to keep them from causing havoc. Well, how can we keep them out the streets when our parks aren't safe? Y'all failed us. And I really feel like y'all need to do a better job at making sure that this community, all the communities are safe, not just downtown Price. All the communities should be safe for children to play and grow and create memories with their friends. My niece was robbed of that. And I feel like some of your faces up here, it don't show it shows a lack of concern. I see you talking to him while we voicing our concerns, flipping your hair. Unacceptable. And that's why as a community, we need to vote cuz these are the people that we put in office because we didn't come to vote. You know what I'm saying? And these are the people that's supposed to speak for us. And these are the people that's supposed to make things happen for us as the people, but they're not. >> They're not. And that's why we need to vote. And that's why it's important. >> Thank you. Moving to our Zoom speakers. First up is Mike Uhhorn. >> You hear me? >> Yes. >> Can you hear me now? >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Yes. Thanks. Once again, I'm here to expose the unlawful actions of Greater Cincinnati Waterworks when they charge people monthly base rate for providing absolutely nothing when Greater Cincinnati Waterworks has the water turned off at the meter. Per Ohio Revised Code 2913, Greater Cincinnati Waterworks unlawfully deceives people by failing to disclose that they will be charging for providing nothing when they have the water service turned off. Perhap Revised Code 2913 is fraudulent for greater Cincinnati Waterworks to receive money without providing anything in consideration for the money they are receiving and without the consent of the property owner. Perforce Park Municipal Code, there is no requirement for anyone to comply with the rules and regulations of Greater Cincinnati Waterworks when they are not desiring use of the public water supply. However, that does not stop Greater Cincinnati Waterworks from charging people when Greater Cincinnati Waterworks has water turned off at the meter and people are not desiring use of the public water supply. Per section 18, title 15 of the United States Code, it is unlawful for a business to be a monopoly. And of course, Greater Cincinnati Waterworks has no competition to provide public water service and therefore is an illegal monopoly. Per USC section 1896, GCWW is a rakateeer influenced and corrupt organization, otherwise known as an organized criminal organization, that is committing fraud by unlawfully receiving money without providing anything in return when they have the water turned off at the meter. USC section 18 chapter 63 states that whoever desire deres a scheme to defraud or obtain money through false pretenses or representations and uses the mail to execute the scheme is guilty of mail fraud. And of course, GCWW uses the mail to send a fraudulent invoices. Even though GCWW is in violation of numerous laws, both Ohio and federally, they claim that there's actual value in being ready to provide water to people and to have access to the water simply by making a phone call to them. Therefore, they are not committing any crimes. But if you believe that argument, there is still the issue that they do not disclose that they're going that they will be charging people when they're providing nothing or request consent from anyone before charging them. If you believe the argument that there's actual value in a company being ready to supply something and you have access to >> the next online speaker is Vanessa Sparks. Welcome. >> Uh, greetings. I first want to offer my condolences to Queen Ari's uh family and friends. May God be with you um as you get through this point of grieving. My name is Vanessa Sparks. I am the director of the uh people's platform for equality and justice. We have been boots on the ground since 2003 and Stanford Pool is one of our members. The last two sessions before city council went on vacation again. Mr. Purval called Mr. pull a liar and spreader of conspiracy theories as it pertains to the corruption happening on a day-to-day basis, especially as it deals with the actions of buildings um and inspections department and its use and abuse of the Hamilton County Court. Mr. P not only served as a public servant for almost 30 years to the Cincinnati Fire Department, but he has been at council more than many council members for the past 5 years advocating and speaking up. Does the photograph you're looking at look like a lie to you? It took place at 421 West McMickin Avenue on April 22nd, 2015 when my newborn 2-day old granddaughter was supposed to come home from the hospital. The building department falsely claimed my home was vacant and trumped up false building orders and unlawfully forced me and my family into homelessness and the development corporation Mohawk area development from the Overrine community. If you look up the cases of Barbara Reynolds, a black property owner who had property on Gilbert Avenue. If you look up the case of Sue Long, another black property owner who had property in the West End, Mr. Rodney Thompson, another black property owner who had six properties taken from them in Aendale and Walnut Hills. And last, but certainly not least, Miss Sandra Allen, another block property owner who is currently and unlawfully being forced into housing court, having her property taken through the SE receiverhip program. Thank you very much. Is due back. >> That concludes this portion of our citizens forum. Uh it's now 2:00 p.m. or excuse me, 2:30, 6 p.m. and we'll begin the business portion of our agenda. >> Clerk, will you please call the role? Council member Walsh here. Council member Albi >> here. >> Council member Kramering >> here. Council member James >> here. >> Council member Jeff >> here. >> Council member Johnson >> here. >> Vice Mayor Kernney >> here. >> Council member Nolan >> here. Council member Owens >> here. >> Please stand for a moment of silence. Now the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty, justice for all. The minutes from the previous meeting will be approved and filed without objection. Hearing none, they'll be approved and filed. Moving to our agenda, items 1 through 33 are as indicated. Item 34 will be held one week pursuant to the rules of council. Uh we have a need for an executive session after today's meeting. I move that council adjourn into executive session to consider the employment uh of a public employee pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 121.22 G. Roll call on adoption of the motion, please. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Council member Kramering, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> It passes. Thank you. That concludes the business portion of our agenda. City Manager Long, do you have any announcements? >> Thank you, Mayor. I actually do. Um, good afternoon. I know there have been questions surrounding camera installation in the West End. I spoke with interim chief Henny Adam Henny earlier this week and reaffirmed my expectations and direction on net steps to ensure we are moving forward. I was provided with an update on their progress today. CPD has installed six new cameras in the West End since September with the funds allocated by city council. These were installed and operational at the time of the tragic shooting last week that resulted in the death of an 11year-old. An additional six cameras will be installed in the next 30 days. I have been clear with CPD that this is the top priority and interim Chief Henny has shared his commitment to installing cameras and using every tool to keep our neighborhoods safe. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Council members, any announcements? >> Seeing none, this meeting is adjourned. Okay. >> And then he has to get us out. Yeah. One second. Point of clarification. Um the business portion of the city council meeting will now adjourn specifically into executive session. Uh we will return back to this chamber after executive session uh to gavvel out of the meeting. Thank you. Heat. Heat. Hey, >> [music] >> Hey, hey hey. Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Hey. >> [music] [music] >> Hey. [music] Heat. Heat. Hey. 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