Good afternoon, everybody. We're going to get started in 1 minute. We're glad to see you all here coming through the rain. Thank you for being here in your house. This is your house. So, thank you for being here. Okay, good afternoon. It's 1:30. And welcome to today's Citizens Forum. Um you probably don't need this reminder, but just just so you know, you know, this is not Q&A. Um council's job is to listen. It's your turn to have your 2 minutes. Um this is this is your turn to speak. And so we don't stretch that out by having Q&A and have discussions and back and forth. You get your full 2 minutes. And um just so you know, we do have staff members all around the room. So, if there is some follow-up that's needed, the staff members will raise their hand. Um feel free to go talk to them. They can take you back to the office or make appointments. And so there's um you know, we're not ignoring you. Don't think we are we're ignoring you. We are listening, but we're just not interacting because that's that's just how it works. Um so, uh let me uh let's get started. I'll call your name, and then you will have the privilege of the floor for 2 minutes. When you see the yellow light, that just means you have 1 minute left. You don't have to stop until you see the red light come back on. You also do not have to touch the microphones. In fact, you should not touch the microphones. Okay, so those are all the rules. That's that's all we have to remember. So, the first speaker, please come on up. And if I don't say your name correctly, please correct me. Say your name so that we we know how it's said. Your name is definitely important. Okay, our first speaker is Nick Pirok. What a disappointment that so many of us are not here today. Uh I'm speaking to you all today regarding the proposed plan to lease Piatt Park to 3CDC. Uh Council member Owens, I'm going to address you even though you're not here. This is uh you were quoted saying this is not about privatizing a park or keeping people out of a green space. Is a lease to 3CDC, a private company, not privatization? And when 3CDC writes an email to city officials insinuating that the city police department needs to be called to prevent specific groups of people from using the park, how is that not about keeping people out of a green space? Council member Jeffries, in your most recent video addressing Piatt, you said nothing is going to happen in the short term. You all may only be able to see ahead to the next election, but I, along with many of my fellow community members, can see much further past that. We know that privatization in the long run ruins communities and culture. And what is left in their place is shallow consumerism, lining the pockets of the rich contractors such as Molly North, Parks Board president and CEO of Marris, formerly known as Al Neyer, a real estate development company. Parks Board member John Neyer, CEO of a property management company. These people. Council, it seems like the community cares far more about the long-term outlook of our public spaces than you or 3CDC does. The community does not trust 3CDC to keep a pinky promise not to not displace people. How can we trust 3CDC when they seek support from the Downtown Residents Council, whose board member has a clear disdain for anybody not in his tax bracket? This individual, Kevin Donovan, states that Piatt is not for residents of Cincinnati, but for visitors instead. Now that we all understand each other properly, let me be very clear. City Council must take actionable steps to stop the lease of Piatt Park to 3CDC. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Nate Tubbs. How y'all doing today? I come here searching for resources. I'm the founder of the Ohio Boxing Hall of Fame. I'm a former heavyweight champ myself. And um the city got so much history, and I'm so used to doing things with my own money. I got the Hall of Fame coming up May the 15th and 16th. Uh unfortunately, with scheduling uh conflict, I had to move it from Princeton High School back Everything's going to be at the UAW Hall. May the 15th and 16th. I'm just looking for some resources cuz I got a bigger vision. I'm looking to get a museum sometime soon. And I've been talking to the park board concerning where the Ezzard Charles statue at, about putting We got 43 world champions in the state of Ohio alone. I want to try to put all our pictures and information around the statue and down the walkway where it'd be more of a destination type spot cuz I was champ 30 years ago. Ezzard Charles was champ about 75 years ago. And the new generation really don't know him. I spoke to his son, Ezzard Charles Jr., this morning and told him what I was intending to do. And uh I'm going to eventually make it happen. But I can use the city getting on board or giving me some support or giving me assistant direction. That's all I'm asking for some information to help get some type of funding for the things that I'm trying to do cuz it's for the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. All right. And that's it. Okay, thank you so much. Thanks. >> [applause] >> Okay, our next speaker is Shane White. Tell me what Dominique Clayton from Cleveland did. Dominique Clayton, a property manager from Cleveland Heights, was charged with multiple felonies. Dominique Clayton stole money orders. She's in jail. Dion Crockett still no in jail. Money orders his scheme Y'all need some help? Want me to get them? I'm top-flight security, too. You know, when I'm not Well, you know, when I'm not at work. Y'all need some help getting them? Greg Johnson People's lying. You know, I mean, like we're being lied to every day. You know, the residents scared. You know, like if it was your mom or dad it wouldn't be jumping off. Something be done about it. You know? No Dion. It's a joke. It's crazy. You know? Dion Crockett Dion Crockett It's a joke. Thank you, Mr. Wyatt. >> [applause] >> Our next speaker is Ms. Carol Cunningham. And I should say Ms. Cunningham, hold on one second. We'll go ahead and have a seat though. Um she'll be followed by Stanford Pool. Ms. Cunningham, you may go ahead. I'm very upset that um Mayor Aftab uh Sheryl Long and Mika Owens aren't here today, but I understand the thing with the Captain Fiji and all that should have been gone a long time ago. Greg Johnson, he need to go to jail. These property managers have the They know they have control over you. They control where you live. So, anyway, um Mayor Aftab put in an order for me to get an attorney, something happened, didn't get it. And uh I need it because now I've been evicted, I'm homeless, and I'm sleeping in a U-Haul truck. Okay? And I want my one $11,000 from Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health. I want all the money due me. Jamisha Cass, I uh was upset, but the one thing Mayor Aftab did say is not only will the property managers just be investigated when they evict a resident, it's going to be a full complete evaluation. She lied and said I attacked a resident with a weapon twice. I moved in in June. In December the 13th, she served me with that lie. She'd been threatening me since I've been there. You know what kind of Christmas I had? I saw my daughter yesterday. She hadn't seen me in months cuz she doesn't live close. Look at my eyes. She said, "Mom, you look horrible." She doesn't know any of this. I said, "I've been through a living hell." She brought me some money because I ran out of gas. I I had to hire a a friend. She and I moved my furniture out to the U-Haul all night long. And she did it cuz she wanted the money, and I paid her, but she got smart, and she wanted more and more. So, we packed it, and I took out all I could. I had to leave my bedroom furniture, my living room furniture. We couldn't take it apart. We couldn't carry it. Now, um I want I want housing. I'm not going to sleep on the streets. And um um Oh yeah. >> Okay, Ms. Cunningham, I'm sorry your time is up, but Ms. Cole Ms. Cole, are you able to talk to Ms. Cunningham, please? >> Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Cunningham. >> U-Haul truck. Okay. >> They said, "Keep it as long as you want to. We understand." Pay me when you're done. Okay. Thank you. Um Mr. Pool, you're next, and you'll be followed by Paul Bean. And Ms. Cunningham, Ms. Cole is right there waiting for you right there at the door. Okay, Mr. Pool. Well, we got a criminal running the country. We got to find out what we got here in Cincinnati. You guys supposed to be helping the people. Now, Trump lied to the people, "I'm going to help help you and help you all." Couple months ago, you guys were running around saying you're going to change, you're going to stop the corruption, help people and that. And then you're back in the same seat that you did before. Except the new guy here. He He haven't learned the the tricks that y'all did. We expect you black ones to do something. We would have expected you white ones to do something. I know Abby and and then y'all don't care nothing about black prob- problems. You're taking their house and stealing, putting them out on the street. You don't care about that. All you care about is corporate money. You give 8 million down there at a snap of a finger. They said, "Who dumb enough to give us 8 million dollars? We already got the money." They said, "City Council." Y'all. And y'all supposed to be lawyers. You're a lawyer there, a lawyer there. Uh maybe he might be a lawyer. He is. And you might have a law degree, and you don't do nothing with it. YOU TOOK A OATH AS A LAWYER. YOU TOOK A OATH AT CITY COUNCIL. YOU DIDN'T PUT YOUR butt cheek up when you got sworn in. And you go to your family and come in here and do nothing for the poor people. You're giving airports away. You're giving PARKS AWAY. THAT'S OUR STUFF. NOT YOURS. YOU YOU THINK IT'S YOURS. YOU GET A PAYCHECK EVERY 2 WEEKS AND BENEFITS. THAT'S YOURS. BUT GIVING AWAY OUR PARKS AND STUFF AND STEALING PROPERTY FROM BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE AND SOME WHITE PEOPLE. AND YOU SIT THERE LIKE YOU a god. That's why I don't sit down. I stand up cuz I don't want to sit down in front of y'all gods. And we're peasants. You're the gods and queens, and we're the peasants. We're tired of that. Ms. Carney, you should be doing better. Y'ALL LOOK JUDGE YOU. YOUR MAYOR OKAY, thank you, Mr. Pool. Our next speaker, Paul Bean, come on up, and following Mr. Bean will be um Eric Nicholas Carr. Mr. Bean, you have the privilege of the floor. Well, you already know I I I've been coming down here. I'm I've been construction working for almost 27 years. You know, I did a job for make Cincinnati look beautiful. It looked up. Don't excuse my language though, but look. You got a project. I gave it to him. No, I didn't give it to you. I'm going to take that back. I gave it to the house. You say we live there. Y'all don't live here, I see. Okay? This project, new life program I get it from the horse's mouth. Say you cancel. He said it cost too much. Your mayor came out, he busted out like he was so excited. He's going to tell me you ain't going to use it? It'll help save lives. Are y'all on a diet? You eat ramen noodles? What's going on? You have something to protect our citizens. You refuse to use it. Give it back to me. Don't tell me you ain't seen it, and you give me conversation about this. That's why I say it's time for you to go. Don't lie to my face when I've been a taxpayer. My kids in college. My kids graduate. I'm the dumbest thing I ever made of me talking to you. That don't make sense to it. That's why I say black lives matter. It needs to take off the street out there in front of City Hall. It needs to go up on your convention center. Light it up. Make it look beautiful in Cincinnati. You know? We've been run over far enough. And you put this on the ground and cars run over it. Potholes all over it. That's not living life. It's life This is living shamed of life when you have no understanding when you've been talked to somebody that's supposed to be important, and you've got no guidance from them. You give us nothing. But you want us to go out here and take our crimes that we bring to you and put them in the street and fight and kill. Don't make sense. All right, thank you, Mr. Bean. Eric Nicholas Carr, and you're followed by Al I think it's Dalton. Hello, my name is Eric Carr. And the topics that I plan to address in my speech are the attacks on our democracy, the attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our communities, and the attacks on my civil rights. When I spoke to the mayor at the start of 2020, I told him that I had filed a lawsuit against my employer, the United States Postal Service, for wrongful termination and retaliation in 2016. I told him that they were trying to keep me unemployed for the rest of my life. At this time, COVID-19 had just broke out. I told him that the white supremacists in our town had tried to ruin my reputation by using defamation and making it hard for me to find employment. I stressed that the issue was bigger than myself and that the state of our democracy was in trouble. The court system had run its course and the results were not in my favor, but the attacks on my reputation from the enemy continued. With the advancement of AI, politicians speaking out of the dangers and biases of AI only confirmed my suspicions. Because things have gotten much worse and the issue of finding employment has is had it has spread. With the delay in the creation of data centers. I told him that the news stations refused to take my story. Since then, I've reached out to our Congressman Greg Landsman this past February to seek help in getting my voice heard in Washington and getting assistance in reform and financial help. I've heard little to nothing from Greg. Today, I am seeking help and telling my story and I'm asking for the mayor's help and congressional influence to create reform in our society. Because this doesn't just affect the people of Cincinnati, the advancement of AI, the corruption and the attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion affect everyone in the country, specifically minorities and underserved communities like ours. At the moment, I am unemployed and am receiving unemployment. Thank you, Mr. Carr. Our next speaker is Shonte Stevenson. Followed by um Okay. I got to read that. Rayanne Saud. Okay. Good afternoon. I'm coming down here because um April 3rd on um Good Friday, my truck company was pulled over. I have three dump truck uh trucks and I had three drivers pulled over and um we were forced to tow and my trucks didn't even need to be towed. I had to come out of 3,300 that day cash and I have receipts and everything to back it up. 20 days later, April 23rd, my company was pulled over again by the Sheriff's Department. The first one was on Butler County, this one is Hamilton um which is up in Harrison. I'm coming here to ask you guys to get these polices off of my company. This is harassment. Even the tickets, the guy said that I didn't have um insurance. He's he lied on here and said I didn't have insurance. He lied and said I didn't um own my trucks and everything uh registrations and I do. And he asked my uh drivers if they're going to be on the Brent Brent's Bridge um he also was asking who owned the company. It's none of their business. We came to do a job and when we're told we're lazy and we sell drugs we are being told as we're criminals, but when we're trying to do it the right way, who's backing us up on this? I'm somebody's daughter, a aunt, a cousin, a sister. I'm fighting for the generation behind me and mines. I don't need all this extra stuff. I don't ask y'all for much, but get y'all polices off of me, please. Thank you. Okay, so and you're Shonte Stevenson, right? Would you would you speak with Alex Santen in the back and so he can hear more about this and we can see how you know, see see what next steps we can help you with. Okay. >> Okay, that's okay. Okay so you're Rayanne Saud. No, you skipped me. Al Dalton. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, that's that's what we Okay. Sorry about that. Okay, Al Dalton. Followed by Rayanne Saud. Okay, we've got you now. All right. Thank you. You have the privilege of the floor for 2 minutes. Okay. So, y'all are our employees. Do you know that? You sit above us on thrones like gods, but you are just people. Most of the city council members didn't bother to show up today. Aftab's on vacation on our dime. Mark has a fresh dye job on our dime. You know what happens when I don't show up to work? I get fired. Mark, we spoke in Piatt Park yesterday and you kept telling me to check your social media because you could not look me in the eyes and have a conversation. No answers, no accountability about Piatt Park, but what do you expect from a Zionist? Mark, we spoke. Y'all are scared and you should be. Our friends, our neighbors are disappearing. My friends who sleep on the streets are nowhere to be found, but you can't disappear all of us. Our immigrant neighbors are being kidnapped by masked thugs while you sit mimosas in OTR. You may sit comfortably in chairs now above us, but there are people that are angry and hungry and they have nothing left to lose. There is a couple who use Piatt Park. They call themselves the Narcan couple. They have Narcaned over 300 people in this city. They are homeless, so they are invisible. 3CDC does not care about the people of this city. They want the subway system underneath the park. They don't care about revitalizing anything. They will bleed this city dry and then they will move on, but the people of Cincinnati will not back down because we have nothing left to lose. I am willing to die for my people. Are you? Free Palestine. ICE. CPD. None of us are free until we are all free. >> [applause] >> Okay, Rayanne Saud and you'll be followed by uh Chris Sorton. Okay. Oh Ryan. Okay, sorry. No, no worries. [clears throat] Um Usually, I come in with something to say because there's just too much to talk about, so I'm just going to talk about what I'm doing right now. Um on Monday, I believe I can't keep track, I went to the OTR Community Council meeting that I was recommended to do so. Um that as someone who's been going to DSA meetings for the last 3 years, that was the most unorganized mess I've uh attended to in my lifetime. Um the facilitator was a nightmare and the first order of business was to dissolve every inactive community or every active uh committee and every committee chair was there. So, I just asked the question, are we using Robert's Rules of Order because I was like someone needs to motion this tabled um you know, out of order or have a majority vote. Like they're just doing whatever they want. Uh I would like to preface that uh while very tired and exasperated, I am happy and healthy and I have no intention of hurting myself. I say this because I would like to just talk about some numbers. I was recommended over the Community Council uh because there's a fund and I forget the the initials for it right now, but the community councils get $9,600 to take care of the neighborhoods and it seems like it's just being pocketed and it's probably happening in all the community councils. Um it is so strange that 3CDC continues to get TIF funding and you go to the community councils to get a letter of approval and I looked up TIF and even if the community councils don't give them the letter of approval, you all are still giving them that money. We don't have funding for homeless shelters, but we have the money to take over the park to take over Washington Park and 3CDC has the money now they're going for Grant Park as well. Uh I wish I had a Monopoly board to show you all how finances work. When you own a property, why are you giving it away? We gave away the train, giving away the parks, we're giving away the offices. The the city makes money on this, right? Like I'm I'm just confused. >> [applause] >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Okay, Chris Sorton is next followed by Tobin Blake. Good afternoon. My name is Chris. I'm a resident of Cincinnati and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. We, the working class of this city, are tired and fed up of being used, abused and pushed out of our homes while big corporations profit. 3CDC has been a thorn in the side of this city since its founding by the former mayor Charlie Luken. The fact that it controls so much of the city's land should be considered a crime, but instead it's just our local edition of the government / corporation revolving door. It's become clear 3CDC and our elected officials both prioritize private interests over the needs of working class people. Despite what we may say in opposition to the gentrification of our neighborhoods or to the excessive policing of our streets, those on city council are going to keep ignoring us and will continue their capitalist agenda. The problems facing this city are the result of continuing to support a two-party system controlled by billionaires, corporations, and special interests. We have to break out of this cycle. We have the chance to this November. A hardworking furniture-moving anti-war veteran named Greg Levi is running for US Senate. He has not and will never accept money from corporations. He will always advocate for our best interests. He will be here in Cincinnati in the West End on May 17th, not just to speak, but to hear from us, to answer questions people may have for him, and to learn more about the issues we care about. It is time for us to realize that we have the power to build our own working-class party and to shut down this system that exploits us. This Friday, May 1st, there is a national call for a general strike. No work, no school, no shopping. Advocate for your community and take action by joining in this strike and gather with us here outside City Hall at 2:00 p.m. Then at 8:00 p.m. there will be a block party outside the Comet in the Boxelder Community Room in Northside. Here we will celebrate the historical victories of our ongoing working-class struggles such as the 8-hour work day. Here is a lesson for those on City Council. This is how you nurture collaborative and resilient communities, not by handing control over to corporations and the police. You're welcome to join the people of this city and attend these events Thank you. Okay. Next is Tobin Blake. Hi, my name's Tobin. I'm a resident of OTR and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. At a City Council meeting last month, Council member Scotty Johnson expressed that policing in 2026 is extremely difficult because society is sick. When he attended the last OTR Community Council meeting, I called attention to this statement, and he claimed it's because our communities don't have a foundation built on loving and respecting our neighbors. To this I ask, why is City Council responding to the so-called sickness by increasing policing and surveillance and pushing people out of public spaces? Is it loving and respecting our neighbors to build hostile architecture they cannot use? To lease our city parks to a company that does not want them there unless they generate a profit? To continue handing over more control of our city to a corporation that has its foundations rooted in violence against black people? 3CDC was created as a direct response to the 2001 uprising following CPD murdering Timothy Thomas, a 17-year-old child. What followed is at least a 43% decline in the black population in OTR. Meanwhile, the white population grew by 90%. This isn't loving and respecting our neighbors. This is racist violence. And Citizens on Patrol, this program being proposed isn't the answer when it's controlled by a police department built on a foundation of serving capitalist interests and white supremacy. Police-trained watch captains is not community building. It's not creating connections. It's creating George Zimmermans and perpetuating a culture of surveillance and suspicion. The answer is clear. Working-class people must demand real representation, which we are clearly not getting from this council. We must band together to support candidates like Greg Levy who believe in building socialist foundations to oppose billionaire rule, not sell us out to sell out to it. To end the war on black America, not feed into it. Greg is a working-class community organizer and socialist running for US Senate. This is Ohio's chance to send a clear message that we won't abide by this system of violence and exploitation any longer. Thank you, Mr. Blake. >> [applause and cheering] >> Our next speaker is um Maxion um Borduron Bordurev. You're going to I know you're going to have to correct me on that. followed by Bob Herring. Dear Madam Vice Mayor, State your name. My name is Maxim Bondarev. I am from Kharkiv Ukraine. Uh dear members of the City Council, it is a great honor for us to be here today in Cincinnati, the sister of city Kharkiv. Today, Kharkiv is a city living very close to the frontline, a city that faces danger every day, yet it remains unbroken. I speak to you as a someone who lives this reality with my family. We hear sirens. We go to shelters, and every morning we continue to life and work. I lead a humanitarian and sports center called Aquarena in Kharkiv. And for me, one thing say everything. Despite shelling at night, every morning we open the doors of our Olympic sports center, and people come, adult and children, veterans and seniors. They swim. They train. They do any other activities, talk. And even if just for a short time, they connect with the scenes of with the scenes of normal, peaceful life. We are able to continue this work thanks to the support of a private charitable foundation led by Vitaliy Danilov. In moments like these, you realize that your work truly matter, that you help people stay strong, keep their faith, and move forward. This time, we came to the Cincinnati as a team of six, a hero of Ukraine and multiple Paralympic champion and honorary citizen of Kharkiv, two severely wounded war veterans, and active service member currently defending Ukraine, and business representatives. All of us are volunteers of this charitable foundation. It is an honor for us to be here and to take part in this city annual marathon as a symbol of unity, endurance, and moving forward. I would like to express my sincerely gratitude to the city of Cincinnati, to the sister city partnership between Cincinnati and Kharkiv, and to the people of the United States for your support during this extremely difficult time. >> up, but thank you so much. >> [applause] >> Okay, our next speaker is Bob Herring, and he is followed by Stefan Prior. Vice Mayor Kearney and members of Council, I come to before you today to share the good yet sobering news regarding the activities of the Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister City Partnership. In 1989, during the Soviet times, Cincinnati and Kharkiv formed a sister city partnership, implementing the vision of President Eisenhower and his belief in the value of citizen diplomacy. For the past 37 years, we have collaborated with our partners in Kharkiv on a multitude of projects, and through the process have formed friendships that have withstood the test of time. With the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, our focus has shifted to provide humanitarian aid, working with the Kharkiv Red Cross and a variety of agencies and institutions, not only in Kharkiv city, but also in the Kharkiv Oblast surrounding territory. A report has been submitted for your review. This week, a delegation arrived from Kharkiv that includes Ukrainian military veterans. They've come to learn about the services available here in Cincinnati to veterans and their families. They will have met with the VA, Fernside Center for Grieving Children, the DAV, UC Veteran Services, Easter Seals, May We Help, and many more. Their goal is to help provide the services the members of the Ukrainian military and their families, as well as civilians, need to recover from the war. We are deeply grateful to the mayors, all the mayors, and all the members of City Council who for the last 40 years have supported Cincinnati's connection to the global community through our nine sister city partnerships. >> [clears throat] >> I can't tell you how much it means to the people of Kharkiv that in their darkest hour, they have not been forgotten by the people of Cincinnati, that we [clears throat] stand firm in our support, support that will continue until the war is over, through the rebuilding of the city, and beyond. Thank you. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Next we have Stefan Prior, followed by Helena Allen. We got to hold them. Hold on. Hold on, y'all. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Council. OTR Doc is a part of Hitler's regime, a German think tank. You can Google this yourself and look it up. The group is on the United States terrorist list, watch list. And all companies and cities and businesses are prohibited from doing business with them. So, the Hamilton County courts, nor the city of a city city council, shall allow them to to doing property receivership. While some of the far-right group in Germany used a term Volver Coach, if I pronounced that right, German. Y'all working with Germans, taking people's property. I've been I've been searching and and understanding the whole thing was going on. And 3CDC, they deal with Stones Edge, an Indian company, development company, 3CDC do. >> [clears throat] >> Y'all give them money on the budget all the time. I see you over there looking at me, Ryan James. Learn it. They get money from the city from from from from Washington Park from on the banks. They doing racketeering, getting money from these developers, getting money from them also. And restaurants, they put some type of uh initiative on the end of what they making out their properties. I mean, not out their property, but out their profits they make. And y'all need to start doing more thorough investigation as being city council members and your city solicitors over there, the city administration. I mean, it's sad what's going on in our city, y'all. This city should be doing fine. WE COMING DOWN HERE ALL WEEK COMPLAINING about stuff that y'all should be doing. WE TELLING Y'ALL WHAT TO DO AND Y'ALL ain't doing it. And it's sad, THOUGH, FOR REAL. Y'ALL SUPPOSED TO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE. NOT JUST WORKING FOR THE DEVELOPERS. Y'ALL DON'T DO THEIR BACKGROUND. Y'ALL DON'T FIND OUT WHAT THEY DOING. IT'S SAD. And we got members coming down here uh residents coming down here talking about uh money orders being STOLE BY DEION CROCKETT. Y'ALL NEED to get him. Okay, thank you, Mr. Pryor. Uh we have next um Helena Allen followed by uh Bishop Sunny James. Good afternoon. My name Helena Jones. I mean, coming down here from 2017. I know after Al Piel Ball when I met him at at the court. But he didn't do no He didn't do no work. He didn't do nothing for me. Covered up. Covered up my My landlord stole my money out of escrow. Al Piel Ball didn't do nothing. They stole 4,800 out of escrow. Al Piel Ball covered up for Ivy Rowe. Ivy Rowe took my city back in 2022. And Al Piel Ball didn't do nothing. Him and city manager went and filed. They lying through their teeth. I went to the board meeting twice. And I said went and filed. She didn't come to the board meeting in 2000 and I mean, 2021. She lying. And Al Piel Ball, you lying, too. And I'm going to fight for the uh police chief cuz she didn't know that they stole They stole my body camera, put it. She going to get her job back. I'm going to fight for her. Amen. I'm going to fight for her cuz city manager, you are dirty. You not doing your work. You listening to Al Piel Ball. Everything you do, you listening to Al Piel Ball. Al Piel Ball don't know nothing. He went TO TWO COLLEGES. DIDN'T EVEN pass his school work. HE A DUMB. WE DON'T need no dumb mayor and no lazy city manager. She dumb, too. Cuz she can't even park the car and stuff. She dumb, too. All y'all dumb. Al Piel Ball need to go. Covering up fraud cases for the police and all that. Taking bribe money. Can't even pay a car note. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You a big grown man. I hope your wife leave you, Al Piel Ball. I'm a hero and I'm not going to give up. I'm going to fight for the police chief. She going to get all y'all. All y'all going to prison. I hope they give y'all 50 years of peace. And I already got my case down there. Thank you, Ms. Jones. Um So, next we have Bishop Sunny James followed by Amber Cassam. Good afternoon. Those that are here with us to speak, those that are here to listen, and those that are here to govern. God is watching us. God hears all, sees all, knows all. But the part that I really like to celebrate is that he has us in his hands. The problem is not with God. The problem a lot of times is with us. And I raise my hands because as we try to create victories for one another, protocols are in place that keep us divided. Listen, we're going to have troubles, we're going to have problems, we're going to have issues that we face all the time. But when are we as people of faith going to come together and discuss these issues? So, I'm calling out another come together event. And regardless of what anybody has thought or thinks, when we do our come togethers, I see Anna Alba's face, and I thank you. I see Vice Mayor there, and I thank you. I can talk to Mark Jeffries. Meeka, it goes without saying. Thank you for having a heart to come together. All I do, folks, is win. I'm not going to just yell just to yell. I want to see you all win. So, let's come together, and I'll be reaching out to each of you. And be in prayer. My 14-year-old daughter, who's only in the eighth grade, May 16th will be her very first day sitting in a college class with adult students. I LIKE TO WIN. I want to make history, but I want to win. Please. 513-487-8843. And I don't CARE REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, BLACK, WHITE, SHORT, TALL. Let's come together. And Corey Bowman says hello. >> [laughter] >> Congratulations to your daughter. That's fantastic. >> Thank you. Okay, our next speaker is uh Amber Cassam, and she's followed by Sam B. I said Ty Williams. Hello, Vice Mayor. Amber, excuse me one second. We're going to start your time over. Sam B, I'm sorry. Actually, Amber is followed by Ty Williams and then by Sam B. Sorry. Okay. >> Thank you. >> We're going to start your time now. Thank you. >> Appreciate you. Um this is about your global failures. Your failure to perform oversight. All of you. You're approving millions of dollars without clear performance standards, and you act surprised when residents are down here and have to pick up the pieces. You fund the third-party providers to deliver services. I see dumped food on my sidewalks and in my parks. It goes rotten because of the people that you guys fund have this scam logistics team that dump food from here to there, and then we have to clean it up. My 72-year-old aunt has to clean it up. If your food systems actually worked, you wouldn't have to rely on volunteers to pick up the pieces that you're failing to put in place. There was just an internal audit of 311. That was not even close to a performance review. You guys still, after two and four years, have not figured it out. How to get garbage cans off of the sidewalks so kids don't have to walk in the street on their way to school. ALL OF YOU HAVE STILL not figured that out. What failures you guys are to not know how to get garbage cans off the sidewalk so kids don't have to walk in the street. So, with my last 35 seconds, tonight I'll probably draft an email and let you know all of the outstanding items. An SP that was submitted in December still hasn't been approved by Elizabeth Bartley. I cannot submit 2026. Kids um at our schools get $500 a month. We have 5,500 children in my neighborhood, and you guys have funded $500 a month? you. I'm sorry I said you guys did nothing, but you're doing very little. So, again, can you guys please get our cameras to work and just have anything work please? All right, thank you, Ms. Cassam. Our next speaker is Ty Williams followed by Sam B. Okay, so Ty Williams is not here. All right, Sam B, come on up. And you will be followed by Jonathan Ortman. Um Yeah. Um I appreciate that you're uh getting the air filter replaced, but um you made me look again. So, um I brought up the fact that mold's growing on the sound panels. Uh which means it's more than air filtration. You have to dehumidify the room. Um And uh in fact, you should be subsidizing dehumidifiers for all the citizens and subsidizing homeowners for being able to do the sewer uh backup flow preventer. Um Those are the only ways to manage it without dealing with the whole system. Uh which is what I really want to talk about. Um you know, the consent decree happened when I was born. And I'm not a young person anymore. Uh Basically, I'm actually I'm a little surprised. We went from 14 billion to 8 billion, which is actually kind of impressive. I I have to say, like, I was a little bit surprised that um it had been working out that much. But, this last 8 billion, that What you basically did was the low-hanging fruit. This last 8 billion is extremely difficult. Um and I'm going to have to do this a bunch of times to get through all this stuff, but uh essentially since April 1st, uh you moved from this MS4 requirement to the MCM5 uh update, which uh basically means to Oh, it's really hard to explain. Uh but, basically, uh you can't just drive your street sweepers around and that keeps you in compliance to MS4. The EPA's no longer going to allow that now. So, um hm Basically, 3CDC is going to have to do a table 4B system underneath the park. And if they can't do that, it'll be even more expensive. And uh Yeah, we'll we'll we'll just pick that up next time. Thank you so much, and thank you for the um for the visual, too. That was That was helpful. Thank you. We appreciate you. I'm going to get better at it, but uh Okay, we can we can take a picture of it. Alex, if you don't mind taking a picture. Okay, if Mr. B wants us to. Okay, thank you so much. He's right there. He's in the back. Okay, I Our last speaker, unless there's someone on Zoom. Um our last speaker is Jonathan Norton. Since Saturday, we've been told again that the only real violence is when language is spent criticizing this administration. That acknowledging fascist actions and direct parallels to the Nazis is going too far. When ICE brutalizes our communities, kidnaps and murders innocent people, these murderous ICE agents are reinstated to wage more harm. When this administration plans to imprison children and families in one of the most polluted spots in the country, we're told the real crime is to call this what it is, a Gestapo force and concentration camps. It is our language as constituents that is under assault, and it is the language of those in power that is doing the assaulting. Our president says an entire civilization will die tonight. He blankets immigrants with the title of criminals, excuses war crimes in Iran by calling them animals. Israeli defense ministers threaten to burn all of Lebanon, say they're fighting animals in Gaza, that there are no innocents in Gaza. Israel ordered the people of Lebanon not to hide or shelter their Shia Muslim neighbors. Who does that sound like? This is all murderous, genocidal language. dehumanizing and only leads to persecution and violence. But, it is not just the words our officials use, it is also the words our officials choose not to use. When people are killed in Israel, it's called devastating, and our condemnation and support is due. But, when thousands more are killed in Palestine, we won't acknowledge it's genocide. When the killing continues there, in Iran, and in Lebanon, we'll call it a ceasefire, with silence of our from our officials whose wells of empathy have run dry. When people are assaulted by city employees on our doorstep, we won't acknowledge that they are targeted for being Palestinian, opening the door for more harm towards this community. An employee who, like that ICE agent, was reinstated. All of this only happens because of the misuse of our tax dollars, dollars sent to those that threaten to burn the cedar trees of Lebanon, those that uproot 500 historic olive trees in the West Bank. Misuse of our dollars from those that want to seize Piatt Park, uproot our trees, rip out charging stations, and violently push those without homes into further desperation. With our government's top-to-bottom inconsideration, we need people who are different, people who understand that our words are not violent. Our words are what you should listen to because we are fighting against true violence. Thank you. Okay, so that concludes the Citizens Forum. It is after 2:00, so we will immediately move to our um business portion of City Council, gavelling that in, and the clerk will please call the roll. Council member Cramerding? Here. Council member James? Here. Council member Jeffries? Here. Council member Johnson? Here. Vice Mayor Kearney? Here. Council member Nolan? Here. Council member Owens? Here. Council member Walsh? Here. Council member Albi? Here. Thank you. We will stand for a moment of silence, followed by the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The minutes from the previous meeting will be approved and filed without objection. Hearing none, they will be approved and filed. Uh The mayor will be back next week. And so, now we will move to our agenda. Items 1 through 22, as indicated. Item number 23, first reading. An emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager to accept a grant of up to $2,500 from the Cincinnati Parks Foundation to cover expenses incurred during the production of the annual Let's Grow Local event held on October 28th 2025. Okay. Um roll call vote on suspension. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Cramerding, this is your Budget, Finance, and Governance Committee. Would you like to come comment? Thank you, Vice Mayor. Yes, this is a grant from the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. Thank you to the Parks Foundation. This Let's Grow event was in the West End, where 128 trees were planted. Okay, any any comments? Okay, roll call vote on passage. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. And emergency. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Item number 24, first reading, please. An emergency ordinance establishing new capital improvement program project account HAM Cincy Eggleston to provide resources to re- rehabilitate Eggleston Avenue from Pete Rose Way to Court Street. Roll call on suspension. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Cramerding, any comments? I will defer to my colleague, Council member Jeffries. Council member Jeffries? Yeah, thank you, uh Madam Chair. Uh so, this is a grant from OKI. Uh it's actually a first. OKI does not has never done street repaving grants. Uh but, this is for street repaving. They put out the request to communities, and DOT has submitted for Eggleston. Uh this will be in conjunction with Fourth Street as well. So, over the next year, less than year, uh we'll be repaving Fourth Street and Eggleston. There were some questions around whether this would uh the complete streets policy would apply to this. We did confirm that it would. Uh there happens to be a shared path along the uh eastern side of Eggleston already, uh but the complete streets policy that the city has put forward will also apply. Okay, thank you. Any other comments? Okay, roll call on passage. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. And emergency. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Item number 25, first reading, please. An emergency ordinance modifying the provisions of chapter 321, procurement, disposal of supplies, services, and construction of the Cincinnati Municipal Code by amending section 321-118, applicability of prevailing wages rates to city development agreements. Roll call on suspension. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Cramerding, any comments? Uh yes, thank you. The uh city manager, as we know, recently established the Office of Strategic Growth. The Office of Strategic Growth is taking over many of the functions of what was DCD. This changes the municipal code the municipal code to reflect those changes. Thank you. And And it also includes Department of Opportunity and Resident Services, which we now call DOORS. Thank you for that. Any comments? Okay, roll call on passage. Council member Cramerding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. And emergency. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Item number 26, first reading, please. A legislative resolution declaring the need for emergency repairs that have been made to sidewalks, sidewalk areas, curbs, and or gutters at a variety of locations in the city and the need for levying assessments for the cost of such repairs on the abutting properties in accordance with the Cincinnati Municipal Code sections 721-149 to 721-169. Roll call on suspension. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Cramér Ding, any comments? Yes, the city does this periodically. There are sidewalk repairs and if owners choose not to do to do the repair, the city does it and assesses uh uh assesses a levy to pay for those repairs. This is the resolution uh declaring that. Okay, any other comments? Uh Council member Albi? Thank you. Yeah, yes. Thank you for summary, Council member Cramér Ding. To add, this is different uh than what city council did last year piloting a residential sidewalk repair program. Uh something that hopefully we will do again this year. Um with our pilot, we uh proactively chose kind of some neighborhoods and said, "Hey, if you uh report a sidewalk that needs repair by 3 301, we'll just go fix it." This is uh more of a >> [laughter] >> uh it's been reported through uh means and that and the people didn't fix it and so the city had to. So, trying to get ahead of it by using uh city funds to proactively repair rather than making it a a punishment, so to speak. So, we know sidewalks are an important part of our infrastructure and we saw it in our residence uh satisfaction survey. So, I think as much as we can do as a council to keep uh getting dollars out the door to help repair uh sidewalks proactively will be really great for the connectivity of our community. All right, thank you. Any other comments? Okay, roll call on passage. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Okay, items number 27 and 28 as indicated. Item number 29. Uh it's a motion uh that the city administration work to ensure that the climate equity indicator report is updated prior to passage of the 2028 Green Cincinnati Plan. And I will ask Council member Owens to comment. This is your committee. Thank you. Thank you. Um yes, I believe that one of the most consequential bodies of work and research and data is the climate equity indicators report. Uh it is a snapshot of the impact of climate um on our on our neighborhoods. And so when we're thinking about truly equity and investments, um this is a report that I think in conjunction with and parallel to the next uh update of the Green Cincinnati Plan, which will come up in 2028, I think this is an important step and also understanding how often we might want to update this uh going forward. Thank you. And co-sponsors with Council member Owens are Council members Jefferies, James, and Walsh. Would any or all of you like to comment? Council member James? I think this is a fantastic idea as we deepen our commitment to having a greener future here at the city city Cincinnati. I think it's imperative that we also focus on the intersection of racial equity work. Um so, I'm excited and I think what doesn't get measured doesn't get done. So, I think this is a fantastic idea. Thank you for your work, Council member Owens. Okay, any other comments? Okay, roll call on adoption of the motion. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Okay, item number 30. It's a motion by Council members Albi, Walsh, Jefferies, and Nolan that the administration provide a report within 120 days to Council regarding the impact of the 2023 residential tax abatement reform as Council indicated its intent to review the program every 3 years. This is the Housing and Growth Committee. Council member Jefferies, this is your committee. Would you like to comment? Uh I'll let my colleague Council member Albi introduce this item. Okay, Council member Albi. >> Thank you. So, as as you summarized, Vice Mayor, when changes were made in 2023 to how we do the residential tax abatements, uh part of the discussion was looking at that program and those changes every 3 years. Right, if to just remind everyone, we have the tiers uh that we split the the neighborhoods into. So, this report is really just asking for some information on what we've seen uh since these changes were implemented so we can accurately assess, you know, how this is how the change uh has gone, if we need to make further changes, and frankly, has it achieved the prior the policy objectives that we set out with. So, uh thank you everyone who signed on to this and and thank you ahead of time to administration. I know this is going to be a big report. We're giving them 120 days uh to to look in depth, but that also accounts for the fact that we have recess coming up uh while they get while they have time to work on this. All right, thank you. Uh would any other sponsors like to comment? Would any other Council members like to comment? Okay, roll call on adoption of the motion. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Item number 31. First reading, please. An emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a lease with the Findlay Ops LLC, an Ohio limited liability company. Okay, roll call on suspension. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Jefferies, this is your Housing and Growth Committee. Would you like to comment? Yeah, so the next three items are lease agreements. Uh this next one up for consideration is with the Findlay Market Corporation. So, as we know, Findlay Market is an amazing destination asset uh uh in this city. And the Findlay Market uh Corporation uh is a nonprofit. They manage it and this is a lease for a building, 1720 Race Street. Uh they wanted uh it's vacant. It's city-owned today, but it's completely vacant. There's vacant on the first floor and the other uh floors. It does need some maintenance, uh but we are leasing it to them uh to use to store some of the maintenance equipment, but also activate the first floor. So, they have a shopping app where people might come and pick up items. They would come into that store. So, it'll bring some activation uh and further vibrancy to the Findlay Market area. All right, that's great. Okay, any other comments? Okay, roll call on passage. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. And emergency. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Okay, item number 32. First reading, please. An ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a lease with Corryville Community Development Corporation, an Ohio not-for-profit corporation. Roll call on suspension. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Jefferies, further comments on this? Yeah, so uh this this is almost administrative in nature. Uh for years, the city has leased parking uh spaces uh to their 95 parking spaces in Corryville, right by the university and the Kroger there on Short Vine uh to the Short Vine Association. It was the business association. They dissolved uh and instead, the Corryville uh Community Development Corporation kind of took over a lot of the responsibilities as such. Instead of leasing it to Short Vine Association, the city is going to lease it to the Corryville Community Development Corpor. Okay, any other comments? Okay, roll call on passage. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Okay, item number 33. First reading, please. An ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a lease with the Oskamp Flats Limited Partnership, an Ohio limited partnership. Okay, roll call on suspension. Council member Cramér Ding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jefferies? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Albi? Yes. Council member Jefferies, any comments? Yeah, this is a great project, right, on 4th Street, 223 West 4th. Uh there's going to be 27 affordable senior housing units uh being built, and they have requested to lease the public right-of-way, the alley right next to it, for outdoor area for trash receptacles. So, this is a lease agreement for that. It's great. We need affordable senior housing, for sure. Um any comments? >> [snorts] >> Okay, roll call on passage. Council member Krameding? Yes. Council member James? Yes. Council member Jeffries? Yes. Council member Johnson? Yes. Vice Mayor Kearney? Yes. Council member Nolan? Yes. Council member Owens? Yes. Council member Walsh? Yes. Council member Alley? Yes. And that concludes the business portion of our agenda. City Manager Long, do you have any announcements? I also look like we're twins today. >> Yeah, we're twinsies. Saw that. Um we have no I have no report, Vice Mayor. Thank you. All right, thank you. Are there any announcements from committees? Okay, uh any other general announcements? Is anybody running in the Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday? Oh, Ryan James. Are you running, Council member James? >> Unfortunately, yes. I'm doing the half. So, I'm excited. I >> That's fantastic. >> My my training didn't go quite as planned because of all of y'all, but >> [laughter] >> uh I'm uh so I've been uh I'm a little bit behind the ball here with training, but um it's been fantastic. I'm so excited. It's the second year in a row running it. I'm sure you'll do us proud. We'll be there to cheer you on. That's fantastic. That's wonderful. Okay. >> Yes, Council member Owens. One announcement. Uh democracy is always uh something worth participating in. So, primary day is on Tuesday. Oh, that's right, May 5th. Oh my goodness. It got here really quickly. Make sure everybody, please go out and vote. I mean, we really need people to go out and vote. Um yeah, May 5th. Okay, um thank you so much for that. Okay, any further announcements? Um Council member Walsh Walsh, we're waiting for, you know, the historical moment. What what's going on over there? Uh we'll be back with a history minute next week after the regularly scheduled um postponement. Okay, all right. We're going to count on you. All right, well, with that, the meeting is adjourned.