Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, Heat. Happy heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. Good afternoon. Welcome to today's citizens forum. As I call your name, you'll have two minutes to address council. Our first speaker is Bishop Sunny James. Welcome, sir. Good afternoon to our residents in Cincinnati, to all of our leaders in the state of Ohio. Listen, I come to you today because I have stood by developers because I believe we need development. I believe, Mr. Mayor, that it is important that those who can invest in our cities have an opportunity to do so. I'm a big advocate of that. At the same time, I have advocated for a particular development in my community of Norwood, believing that every intention was right. Now, I have to retract before all the people and all of you that it is so important that we do not sit back as a municipality and allow developers to come in whether they're trying to go into Hyde Park or other areas. All I'm asking of each of you is to make sure that you look into all of the facts. Nobody can dispel all of the facts that's going on. And the only thing that I've asked of this development is to come to the table. Many of you know that's what we've been doing. Just come to the table. I was just in court the other day with on a more petty issue regarding this development and those that work there. And all I ask your honor, before you bring judgment upon these people, all I'm asking for is a my bad. I'm sorry. We made some mistakes. I did something wrong. And I've presented this same presentation to this development. So hear me and hear me now. The power lies with the people, not big money, not big corporations. We're not against these corporations, but I need each and every one of you before you approve anything else for any development, please look at the facts. Call me 5134878843 or bishop sjames12@gmail.com. God bless you. >> Thank you, Bishop. And and of course, you're always welcome. I I just want to be clear though that this development is in Norwood and not in the city. Well, it's it's in Norwood now, but they're trying to go to Hyde Park, as you already know. I was here on the day that they >> Oh, I now I understand what you're saying. Yes, sir. >> Thank you, M. >> Thank you for getting clarification, mayor. >> Shows that you're listening. I appreciate you guys. >> Taniqua, um Oliver Matthysse, welcome. Hello, my name is Tena Oliver Matias and I'm here today to address the entire council uh the mayor and the city manager who I do not see. My appearance today is to satisfy part one of three of the requirements for a claim against the city of Cincinnati for the failure to intervene and the conspiracy to intimidate and deprive me of equal protection of the laws because of my political protest and exercise of free speech against Cincinnati Police Department. In lie of the fact that I have received violent threats, including threats to me and my husband's life, as well as criminal charges against my disabled child, I cannot allow more than seven days for this city to intervene. This is an emergency call to action and after 7 days, if this city fails to act, I will foul and that's a promise. With that being said, I demand immediate action for the following. On August 25th, 2025, I received a written death threat at my home and District 4 rerouted my 911 call to the mental health crisis unit. On December 10th, 2025, District 1 held my disabled child hostage for several hours without probable cause, without reading his him Miranda rights or any notification to me in violation of FAPE IDA and ADA. On January 4th, 2026, me and my husband received violent threats in District 4 changed the address of the crime to avoid assignment. Then today, February 25th, 2026, District 3 told me that I had that in in accordance with a mediation policy that it made it mandatory for me and my husband to mediate with individuals that threatened to beat us up and kill us and that we didn't have a choice and no criminal charges could proceed despite probable cause being met. Now, these are just the most recent incidents and all fall within the statute of limitations within the last year. I want it to be known that I have not returned to my own home in 6 months due to the refusal to render public services and am also in therapy because I don't feel safe anywhere in my own city. >> Thank you, Tracy Everett. Welcome. Happy Black History Month. I see y'all been doing a great job of absolutely doing what y'all do best. finger around the rosie. But I want to let you know that 1026 problem, them pipes busted, all that nonsense going on up there. I've been told y'all about this. I don't have to live like this. I'm losing oxygen every night. I sleep. I don't even have all the medical equipment I need. The house need to be condemned. Y'all come up there and send city workers to about the grass and all this nonsense. Get me up out of Price Hill immediately. I don't have to call your office, call Sher office, call the vice mayor office. It's CHA property. It's only 30% of my income. I don't have to beg y'all to do anything. It's time to move city Cincinnati own. It's time to move on. Y'all can't cover up everything. You said it was okay. Cincinnati ain't had nothing to hide, but guess what? Y'all have a bunch of stuff to hide. And it's time to cash me out cuz I'm tired of coming down here. I don't care about who greedy, who doing this, who doing that. people dying every day. I'm losing too many family members. You understand me? So, I'm definitely with Stop the Violence, that nonsense. September the 20th, I don't play with Cincinnati police. I don't play with no judges, none of them. The sheriff department, none of them. I've been knowing all of them since I was a kid. I'm from these streets. I walk these streets. I ain't scared of nobody, but nobody threatening me or none of that. I don't care about what's on camera. You understand me? Cameron catch what they want and what they don't want to catch. But let me tell you something. I don't make threats. I follow through. I don't have time to play with nobody. I have a right to freedom of speech and protect myself and my children. We have to work as a team. It's a collaborative agreement. I suggest y'all use it. Thank y'all. Have a blessed day. >> Thank you. Paul Beam, welcome. So, so we still liking the street justice going on. You see, give you a fine example. I gave you a project, you stole it. It's just like up in the FA. You you monitoring people up there, but there's nobody behind the camera. That's what this program is that you stole from me. You say you ain't got it, but I still put you in motion. See, coming across the floor talking about, "Oh, we're not going to use your project." He tell me it cost too much. What it takes to see that you don't get no justice here in this city from from from you period. You steal, you lie, and ain't nothing being done about it. How is you still in your seat? He just took and gave me told me, "Go over here, talk to this man. Go talk to him for what? He ain't called. I'm a taxpayer and I'm retired." But I try to keep on working. I had this accident. you still ignoring me and I've been coming down here for three years. But she get on the news said, "Oh, we going to protect and serve." Damn, I I can't tell. You know, the problem is what I see. You want us to take and solve our own problems. That's the only thing that's going on. So that black lives matter sign out there in the street that that got come off the streets cuz we being ran over like that. You know, it only get done in the summertime anyway. We want that to go up on the convention center. When you take Duke down, put Black Lives Matter up there. It It look good. >> Thank you, Stanford Pool. Welcome. >> We're in February supposed to be Black History Month. We just lost a icon that fought for rights. And then we got to look at the history and see did we do anything different? Anything change? But this city council here haven't did anything for black people on a regular basis here in Cincinnati. Everything that it did is put them in jail and take their property. You got this receiver ship to take property. You got the housing court that the mayor helped with and vacant building um uh program with this gentleman over here to to take property. You supposed to be helping people with property. They redlined all the black neighborhoods for 50, 60 years that every six months they got taxes from the federal from the property taxes and put it in High Park, Mount Adams and downtown. Didn't put nothing in the West End of Madisonville. And here you go. Now you want to go in and take the property that those people fought for and paid for and you want them to give that property up free because you come up with something to talk about a nuisance. The same thing that the slave people did when the whites came in to Black Wall Street, Tulsson, Rosewood, and claimed that a black man touched a white woman to kill them and take their property and run them out of that town and then 6 months later divy you up. Cincinnati is doing the same thing. Every one of you, you're doing the same thing that Trump doing, firing people. We got Abby, she fired a black lady. Wash, black lady. We got the city manager, black lady. The fire chief, no. He ain't did nothing. Fire him. Police captain fired her. Where is anybody else? It's only black people that you targeted. The mayor says segregation. >> Mike Ulhorn on Zoom. Welcome. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Yes. Go ahead, sir. >> Yes. Thank you. So, my word of today is disclosure. And for anybody who's bought real estate property, you're well aware that everything has to be disclosed when you buy the property. All of the banks, you know, the mortgage has to disclose. Everything. HOA has to be disclosed. Everything that the seller knows about the property has to be disclosed. But the one thing that doesn't get disclosed is that Greater Cincinnati Waterworks is going to charge you a monthly base rate when they have the water turned off at the meter and they're providing nothing. Now, if someone were to steal money from you and not let you know that they're going to take money from you and give you nothing in return, what would you call that? Theft? Fraud? Greater Cincinnati Waterworks or the City of Cincinnati city council members? Does anybody here think that that would be fraudulent? If someone was taking money from you every month and not they don't disclose it to you, you don't agree to it and they're providing absolutely nothing because what are they providing when the water is shut off at the meter? Nothing. And I've been coming here month after month via Zoom. I have called the council members offices. I have called the mayor's office, the city manager's office. Not one person, even ethics and good government I have called. Do you think it's ethical to be taking money from people when you're providing nothing in return? I think it's theft. Ohio Revised Code 2913 states that it is theft, but nothing changes and nobody contacts me. >> Thank you, sir. Our next speaker is Stefan Prior. Welcome. Good afternoon. The people behind me and in the front. This uh energy bill, this Duke aggregation program, y'all need to talk to y'all suppliers. Y'all stealing black people's money. And Duke are doing it by itself. and the other suppliers, Dynagy and IGS, International Gas Service. I noticed a lot of people complaining about their Duke bill being high because y'all let these different energy suppliers jump on our bill. Y'all need to stop this. Dy expired in 2026. So now you got a new one coming along. Harbor Energy from uh Akan, Ohio. I DON'T SEE NO WHITE people complaining about their Duke bill. ONLY BLACK PEOPLE. JUST need to stop. Y'all need to talk to them about this cuz it's a damn shame. That's why you smiling, Ryan. It's a damn shame, man. Y'all need to do something about this. It's wrong. THIS 2.5 MILLION MARK JEFFREY, I'm looking at you. This Cincinnati minority cannabis group, I'm advocating for them to make sure you put some of that money towards them because they've been advocating in the community about marijuana use and cannabis use, same thing. and teaching the youth what's in marijuana. Everybody got a dispensary, drug uh uh drug corners on on on every uh corner. It's sad. You got white men's in business suits selling WEED NOW. WHEN BLACK FOLKS did it, THEY WENT TO JAIL. AIN'T NOTHING RETURN. You coughing on that smoking that weed, huh? I get it. >> Ain't nothing in return up to the BLACK COMMUNITY. AND IT'S SAD. YOU COUGHING, TOO. That's that weed. So, y'all need to be helping people. And it's sad. Real talk. Hold on, man. Hold on. It is sad. Y'all need to help people with this $2.5 million that y'all got from cannabis use. >> So, please help that $2.5 make a difference in the black community, not for hope, for something you came up with. No. >> Thanks, Mr. Prior, as always. Uh, Mrs. Carol Cunningham, welcome. Good afternoon, Mayor Affir, each and every member of city council and especially you, Vice Mayor Jan Michelle Lemon Kernney. I received a message from my advocate saying um you know that you had called and um I continue to request a GoFund attorney yet all I get is lip service. I began my legal uh battle for justice at 77. I'm nine now 79. I could be dead at 82 and all this would go away. Um I um my property manager Jamisha Cass at uh Clifton Place Apartment has filed two false felony lease violations against me attacking a resident with a weapon. A damn lie. If that had happened, I would have been arrested immediately, incarcerated, and evicted. That's a se serious charge against me. And now I have an eviction notice. I am not going to sleep on a metro bus stop bench. I've done too much good at my other bank. I discovered two Ponzi schemes. You think they gave me anything? Nothing. And I'm beginning to wonder if I was Asian or Caucasian. Would I have an attorney by now? There's a mad man that lives above me. He tapped on my ceiling. He's been doing it for two years with a cane. He's supposed to be autistic. He tapped me more than a hundred times, sent me to the hospital. I have a $4,000 medical bill, which I want to be reimbursed. My medication cost $1,000 to keep me from having a brain bleed and dying. He has not stopped. He is crazy, but he uh still solicits a prostitute to get his freak going. Now, I need an attorney, and I am I am livid. I I am just >> Thank you. Thank you very much, Jonathan Norton. Welcome. >> Thank you. I figured I would do things a little differently today. Um because I understand it's not always easy to be on the receiving end of some of what I have uh said in this council. But what I hope we can all understand is that everyone that comes here that comes before us is someone that is in need. They are people that are uh in this time of need desperate with their options that they have left. They have run through all of them and now they come here because they still believe that there is some hope for change through this process. They see promise, potential and precedent set by this council's prior actions and and actions set by council's prior and they see that collaborative uh efforts can make change. We don't see all of you as the entirety of our problems. We don't see all of you as the entirety of our solutions, but we do believe that there is some promise here. The anger and passion that we bring here does not start or end with any of you. It is anger and passion of people working through those options and becoming to that desperate position. It is anger and passion seeing a a uh governmental system that we have that impoverishes, exploits, maims and murders so many people not just in our communities but at home and abroad throughout the planet. We we see entire city blocks bombed back in Tulsa and the move bombing and we see the same thing replicated on innocent people in Gaza. We have been made to watch for two years innocent people killed over and over and over again and been able to hold those images inches from our face watching it. And then those same people that showed us it through the the camera lens that they carried as journalists, twothirds of the journalists murdered them in the last two years happened in this tiny stretch of land in Gaza. And we're made to watch that. And those same people that showed us those images were then watching them turn into corpses, too, when they're killed by all of the violence we pay for. So, we're not asking any of you to solve the issue. We're asking you to feel the same passion, the same anger. We're asking you to change, to make action. We all imagine ourselves to be leaders of the future. We can lead now. We can make change now. >> Thank you, Mr. Norman. Cheryl Stalworth Le. Good afternoon. First of all, I on behalf of my sorority sisters that are here today, we are the members of Delta Sigma Theta Sority Incorporated, Cincinnati Alumni Chapter, and we had the privilege of meeting with uh uh the mayor this morning, uh Vice Mayor Kernney, as well as many of the other council members here today. We do what's called Delta Day at City Hall and we are so blessed that we're able to come and sit before you and talk about those things that are important to us. We are an organization uh that is over 67 years old here in the city of Cincinnati. We are a multi-generational um uh sorority and we live, work and play in this city. We are very concerned about those uh priority areas, many of those things that we talked about today and we want to just make sure that we continue to form collaboration and work on initiatives that are important for those in the city and uh those that we want to thrive. Again, we focus on five programmatic thrusts. economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement. And we are so thrilled that you welcome us. This is our third year being down and working with you. We have uh members of our chapter who sit on committees, who have been appointed to committees. Uh we have those that work for the city. um our own Kathy Bernardino Bailey um who is uh we we know that she is so valued here in the uh in the chamber. So we just want to make sure that you know that we are here to continue to collaborate with you. We have your back and anything that you need us to do in order to make the city a greater place, we are standing here in the gap for you. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Amy M. Bo, welcome. Apologize Amy if I'm pronouncing your last name wrong. >> Amy, have you spoken before? >> Um, so I I No, not for not formally and I'm a little nervous. >> No problem. Oh, don't be nervous. Um, please sit. I was just going to tell you what's about to happen. So, when you start speaking, you'll see the green light, which means you have two minutes. >> When you see the yellow light, don't stop talking. That just means you're halfway through. And then when you see the red light and the beep, that's when your time's up. Welcome. >> Thanks. Um I, as I mentioned, I'm nervous. I live in the city. I work in the city. My father was a Cincinnati police officer before he retired and I became his caregiver. I have an adult autistic son, so I'm I'm an advocate and wear many hats. But today, my hat is for my grandson. I've written to you all um about the Vinebrook issues concerning mold. So, I just kind of want to get a few non-rhetorical questions answered. The first one is who is the monitor for the Vinebrook settlement? Uh who can I contact? I called the person in the settlement agreement twice and have not had messages return. And I did send you all a formal complaint back in uh December and I'm aware that the settlement statement says that no one's allowed to disparrage anyone and I get it but um this is pertaining to the new settlement with the second avenue and I just kind of want an update or in writing from someone to just let me know I'm not an attorney. I'm a waitress. I just want to help my grandson who I believe has been critically impacted by mold exposure at the 4055 PO Street address. And I want to help anyone that may live in that house again. Um, Children's Hospital, who I wait on people all the time, indicated they knew when I said Vinebrook, he had asthma. So, I I just kind of want to end with that. Um, I appreciate what you all do. I also want to stand um against ICE and um be uh be a community support to immigrants. That's all. >> Thank you, Amy. Uh my colleague Noah is back by the the door. Um if you'd mind looking over there. >> Okay. >> Oh, he's right there. Sorry, that's Noah. Uh if you could share your information with him and we'd love to answer any questions you have. >> Thank you. Uh moving to back to Zoom. Um Derek Blazingame. Welcome sir. I'm not just sir after pure a pure evil. Uh this is Derek Glass and I want to chime in here real quick. You all call me evil. Let's talk about evil. Let's talk about in 2017 when the city of Cincinnati colluded with the church and the government and murdered my mother and had me traveling up and down the highway saying, "Oh, your mother is going to live. Just pray." Let's talk about the evil that you all did when all of my LIFE I WONDER WHY COULDN'T MY MOTHER EVER find a job or why couldn't my mother ever get education because you all made her a slave and a tool for the city of Cincinnati's technology. LET'S TALK ABOUT FATS. I USED TO BE 501 POUNDS BECAUSE THE CITY OF CINCINNATI WANTED TO MAKE ME A FAT, MORBIDLY OBESE, YOUTHLESS HUMAN BEING SO I COULD BE A TOOL FOR YOUR PLEASURE AND YOUR DISGUSTING WHITE SUPREMACY WHITE supremacist system. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE JOBS, BUT YOU DON'T WANT me to have a job. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LIES THAT YOU ALL TOLD ME ALL OF MY LIFE. AND THEN WHEN I WHEN I DID THE SAME DO THE SAME THING THAT I'VE DONE ALL MY LIFE, YOU TURN AROUND AND TELL ME THAT IT'S GAY. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ALL PUT ME IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA and try to force me to be a gay man. And when I resisted, YOU TOOK EVERYTHING THAT I GOT. AND YOU STILL TRYING TO TAKE EVERYTHING I got, BUT I'M STILL STANDING. I'M STILL STRONG. I'M THE BIGGEST, THE BADDEST, THE BOLDEST. AND CINCINNATI. DEREK BLAST the game. the people share. >> Um, our next speaker is U. Minister Afron. Uh, I'm sorry, Minister. I'm having trouble reading your last name. I believe it starts with an A. >> Oh, go ahead. Come on up. >> Good. Welcome, sir. So when I explain this, there's a difference between white and Caucasian. White is the corporate analogy where Caucasian is people who understand people. First of all, some people just need to stop doing cocaine with Smitherderman and instead help this city like they should. Anna Albi, next time your racial animist gets the best of you while you refuse to question those who clearly misrepresent facts, I want to make sure I have a lot of people down here at your office until you run out of your office because you are a racist. You do you at the city planning commission, you're a racist. Multiple people. You gaslight the whole otr community and that's a dag on shame. You cosplay a lot, come in the neighborhood and try to talk to people and you don't do nothing as a white woman. You ain't Caucasian, you're a white woman. Next, Scotty Johnson, I'm going to need you to quit focusing on historical grievances, brother, and help this community out like you said you supposed to. You haven't been doing that. I don't know where Pink uh Pink Jacket at. Wherever she's at, she needs to come out here because she shouldn't be running for commission. Nobody even should put her in office. The point of the matter that I'm making is I sat down with 10 lawyers in the last two days and uh we're sitting down in front of the 10 lawyers in the last two days. Some of y'all have breached certain things including you Anna Abby. So this is my notice to this board because there's a board over you. I understand government very clearly that y'all will be getting a notice very soon and it's not the notice that you're going to need but it's going to notice. It's going to be the notice that get you down to Finley Market to help those people because none of you are helping these small businesses. Y'all talking about small businesses and this and that. I already see what's on here but you don't help them. Please go help those small businesses down there like you promised you. >> Thank you. I I would ask speakers to refrain from ad homonym attacks in the future. Um Miss Albby, any any response? If if none that's fine, too. >> Um no, no response other than uh my only remarks during planning commission was to point out that we are building a $47 million community center in otr. >> Thank you, Miss Albby. That concludes this portion of citizens forum. Uh, it's now after 2 PM, so we will begin today's business portion of Cincinnati City Council. And the clerk will please call the role. >> Council member Kramering >> here. >> Council member James >> here. >> Council member Jeff >> here. Council member Johnson. >> Vice Mayor Kernney >> here. >> Council member Nolan here. >> Council member Owens Council member Walsh >> here. >> Council member Albby >> here. Please stand for a moment of silence. >> And now 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'll be approved and filed. Moving to our agenda, item one, uh we will now recognize Council Member James. Recognizing Mr. Derek Brazil as a 2026 Black History Month honore and expressing, excuse me, expressing the appreciation of the mayor and the council of the city of Cincinnati for Mr. Brazil's profound impact in Cincinnati's entrepreneurial ecosystem through his leadership with Pat Roa, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, and the nonprofit Mortar. Mr. James. >> All right. Happy Black History Month. I am honored to share today's resolution to celebrate the incredible work for our Black History Month honore, Derek Brazil. Uh for more than a decade, Derek has been a driving force in Cincinnati's entrepreneurial ecosystem through his leadership with Pata Roa, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and nonprofit Mortar. We all love Mortar. Uh under his leadership, Mortar has supported more than 500 entrepreneurs locally and expanded programming to seven cities nationwide. In 2024, Derek opened Pat Roa on Court Street, which was recognized as one of Cincinnati's best new restaurants. He has received fellowships from common future and echoing green and was selected to be one of 20 global leaders for the prestigious Obama foundations fellowship. Derek has also been honored there's a lot of awards here man and hopefully this will add to the list. Uh Derek has also been honored by Forb's 30 under30 list for the Cincinnati's business and the Cincinnati Business Couriers 40 under 40 list. Derek is dedicated champion for black prosperity and economic mobility. Through his work as an entrepreneur, mentor, community advocate, he leads with the core values around community, love, self-improvement, and uplifting others. Now therefore, be it resolved by the city of Cincinnati, state of Ohio, that the mayor and this council hereby recognize Derek Brazil as a 2026 Black History Month honore for his innovation, activism, leadership, and dedication. >> Derek, would you like to say anything? Of course. >> Okay. Well, >> unless you're in a hurry, there's more. There's more to do. >> Yeah, there's more. More. Yeah, they want to show some love. >> If you're in a hurry, I'm I'm happy to >> to be in a hurry, too. Uh other council members, uh Vice Mayor, >> I'd love to. >> Derek is in such a hurry to get back to the restaurant. So, hold up. Hold up a minute. So, um we are so proud of you. First of all, thank you for for you and and Alan Wood starting Morton. Mortar is really phenomenal. Um, I remember when uh you had the food truck and we would have like Cinco de Mayo around the food truck and you know, so delicious and we were really excited when you became brick and mortar down on Court Street. Wonderful place. Um, highly recommend to everybody. Really delicious food, great service, fun place to eat. So, just really proud of you. Um, you know, you're a model of how to grow a business, how to, you know, stick with it because it's tough. It's really tough. And so we are just so thankful that you're successful and we are here to support you. So thank you for everything. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. Uh Mr. Johnson, >> just very quickly, congratulations. Keep up the great work and thank you, Mr. James, for bringing Derek before us. Congratulations, >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yeah. Thank you, uh, Councilman James, for for doing this. Derek, congratulations. I remember when I was starting my company down Union Hall and I would see you hustling and uh it takes a lot to hustle and you do just that and uh thank you for everything you do in the entrepreneurial community um not only the restaurant for the wider ecosystem is too. So thank you >> Miss Al. >> Congratulations and thank you council member James for doing this. You know starting a business is tough. Uh Vice Mayor already said it. I mean, my dad owned a business for years and like I think that we were like on point of like maybe losing the house at different points, right? It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. It's another child in the family. And the fact that you've not only done it, but to help others is really just truly that that is generational change there and you should be so proud. We're so excited and grateful for your dedication and leadership in this community. Thank you so so much, >> Miss Owens. Then Mr. Walsh. >> Thank you, Derek. One of my favorite people in Cincinnati. So appreciate you, your example of perseverance, the work that you have put into the ecosystem of small businesses, blackowned businesses, and if anyone has not been to Pa Roa, the tacos are amazing. >> Mr. Wal Street, >> uh Derek, I love how uncomfortable you are right now. This is this is certainly a highlight for me. Um I feel like you and I have grown up together in uh our Cincinnati careers here, so I'm kind of shocked you haven't gotten a resolution before. And if you have, just don't mention it to us cuz we're going to make today a special day. Um, and I think because you try to rush out of here, we're all going really slow or like trying to go really quickly for you, but I'm going to stop and just tell a funny story about you real quick because uh Dererick and I caught up. What was this like a year ago? We we met up at a bar or we were supposed to meet up at a bar and like 20 30 minutes in I'm like, "Derek, are you coming?" Like I text him like, "Are you coming?" And he's like, "Dude, I'm at the bar counter." And like we are literally here to jam Michelle and he's just like gouging on these nachos. like he was too distracted by the nachos to actually like come over and say hi to me. Um, but anyway, Derek, uh, I don't really know the point of that story other than it just made me laugh thinking about it again. Um, and really what I wanted to get at is what I love about our conversations. You know, there's all these accolades we can talk about for you and the inspiration and the impact you've had on Cincinnati, but here's what I love about every time I talk to you. You are like a 5-year-old. You just keep asking why. Like everything you say is like why, why, why? And it's so fascinating because I think it makes people better because you have to actually be able to answer the question and it's how we grow as a community, as leaders, as a government, as a society, as business owners, um by asking the question why. I think too sometimes we're too scared to ask the why until we understand what it actually means. And so, keep doing it. Keep asking those questions. And uh I appreciate everything you do, Derek. >> Thank you. Further comments? Seeing none, congrats. Roll call on passage of the resolution. >> Council member Kreing. >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> It passes. >> Items yes. Items two through nine are as indicated. Item 10 is, excuse me. Item 10 is a motion from Council Member Albi, Vice Mayor Kernney, Council Member Nolan, James, and President Johnson that the administration provide a report within 60 days regarding the need and possibility of establishing an emergency fund available to small businesses and nonprofits who encounter unexpected capital expenses, for example, a fire flooding or a or a boiler break. The report should include recommendations for potential criteria to qualify for such funding and potential funding restrictions. Uh this is in uh economic and cultural opportunity. Um Miss Albby, uh excuse me, uh vice mayor, I apologize, vice mayor, may I have Miss Albby introduce this item? >> Yes. Thank you, >> Miss Albby. >> Thank you. And thank you to to everyone who signed on to this. This is really just a question to the administration. I've I've had a couple instances where a small business will reach out and say something happened uh most recently in kind of the the freezing cold a boiler broke and you know what can we do quickly to to get this up and running. So I posed the the question to Brandon Rudd and he said ah there's nothing yet but if you ask for a report we can look into it. So this is truly just a question to try to understand this the landscape a little bit better. I know there's kind of other resources out in the community that exist too. So perhaps it ends up being that we need to do a better job helping folks navigate through other resources. Uh, but really just looking forward to to the administration's response on this. >> Thank you. Further comments? >> No. Roll call on adoption of the motion, please. >> Council member Kering, >> yes. >> Council member James. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> For items 11 and 12, Mr. Nolan, please leave. >> Mr. Nolan will be excused. >> I said that please. >> As I discussed last week's council meeting, in last week's council meeting, uh our next two items provide the city with the funding and authorization to pursue a new path forward for stabilizing our pension. This plan to get our pension to full funding is the product of this council's past commitments to invest in CRS of our administration's discussion and negotiation with all parties involved over the last year and ultimately an understanding that this is something we have to do now if we want to ensure that we are on stable financial footing in the decade decades to come and that our employees are taken care of and receive the benefits that they are owed and that we committed to them. Thank you again to our administration uh led by city manager Shirolong for all the work on this. To council, thank you so much for your deliberation and your support uh making new investments over the past four years and structurally changing the way that we um take on our carryover budget in order to ensure that that pension payment is prioritized. And I look forward to the next steps in the process of bringing this home. With that, we'll begin with item number 11. First reading, please. >> Uh, Mr. Chair, if I may point of order, >> please. >> Mr. James, would you like your vote to be counted as yes for item number 10? >> Yes, please. >> Oh, and then, uh, Mr. Johnson is is here. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Any other points of order? >> No, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you. Item 11, first reading, please. an emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager and city solicitor to seek amendment of the collaborative collaborative settlement agreement and consent decree in the class action lawsuit in the US Dixshire Court for the southern southern district of Ohio. >> Roll call on suspension. >> Council member Kramering, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. Derek is still here. I thought you're in a rush. Okay, now he's leaving. All right. Um, Mr. Kramerang, please introduce this item. >> Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. I think you uh did an excellent job outlining this. I will just uh as you did, thank the administration and the solicitor's office, the employees, the retirees reps uh for getting us this far. You know, we have collectively said that our retirees and our employees are our most important asset. And to me, this is uh us just not saying that, but but but literally um putting our money behind that, letting the current employees and our retirees know how important they are uh by solidifying the pension fund. >> Thank you. Uh further comments? >> Seeing none, roll call on passage, please. >> Council member Kramering, >> yes. Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Aldi, >> yes. >> Roll call to emergency. >> Council member Kramerding, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Item 12, first reading, please. An emergency ordinance authorizing the transfer and return to source of $50 million to the general fund balance sheet reserve account income tax reserve for refunds to the unappropriated surplus of general fund. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kramering, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Alvi, >> yes. >> Mr. Mr. Crity >> Mayor item 12. This is the ordinance transferring the $15 million uh to the settlement and as I said in in committee uh this is a you know just testament I think somewhat to the administration's leadership but also to this council and the mayor's fortitude when we first got here uh four years ago the administration said you know we've got this very large amount of money but we've got an important use that we want to reserve it for. Uh and and we did. this money was not touched for four years and for elected officials, you know, that have faced very real challenges and see very real needs, for us not to to touch that money uh says something that that we held off for four years and now we're seeing the reward for that effort and that steadfastness. >> Mr. Chair, >> thank you, Mr. Kramering. Yes, Miss Owens. >> Thank you. Yeah, I want to echo the sentiments of the hard work that has happened over the last probably more than 10 years. Uh, city managers, the city solicitor, bringing the parties together, but also for the foresight of being able to put this $50 million aside. Uh, this is truly leading us to get to a path of fiscal sustainability when we think about the pension being our our biggest liability and ultimately being able to increase our bond rating is a pretty uh, you know, important point in this as well. Thank you for the work, >> Miss Albby. >> Thank you. Yeah, I I want to add on to the thank yous. I think it's been this is a truly tremendous uh negotiation and I know it took a lot of work both on the administration side as well as thanking our unions. Uh you know, coming to the table in good faith and having those conversations is really important because at the end of the day, we all want Cincinnati to be one of the best if not the best city in in the nation in the world. And that comes down to our people and the promises we make. our people when it when they come and they work for us. Uh to make sure that they know that when we say you're going to get your pension, we mean it. And so really just a big thank you all around to to the hard work it took to dig out of the hole we all came into office with. And I know this is uh the first step uh moving forward. So just really excited about this. It's a big deal. >> Thank you. Further comments. Uh I'm going to jump over to the city manager Sherong. Uh, city manager, I want to um on behalf of council, thank you and your entire team for uh working so hard behind the scenes to make this um plan a reality. Uh it's going to be uh it's such an important decision and and such a a critical issue to address now so that it doesn't get worse for future mayors, councils, and city managers. So, I really do want to highlight your leadership. uh please um uh take the mic and um and any thanks to your team. >> Absolutely. Thank you, mayor. I first want to say thank you, mayor and council, for giving us the resources to be able to have that to close this sign to resolve this significant issue. The number one thing that we have is our employees and for them to have a retirement that is they can depend on it is significant. But also I want to thank my team who consistently makes me look good on a daily basis. Solicer Warner, um, ACM, uh, Weber, the host of lawyers in addition to administration team that also had to show up to the courts to let them know that we are taking this seriously. We we need you to trust us and for them to actually say, "Yeah, we do believe you and we're going to get this resolved." The unions were significant because they also understand the importance of this for their employees as well. So this was a it took a group effort. We could not do this alone. But again, thank you team Cincy. Thank you solicitor. Thank you ACM Weber for having those hard conversations. Thank you Retirement for hiring the right people to to make sure that they're involved and we're doing the right things. This is significant and I think this is a huge win that we should all applaud. Thank you. >> Thank you. I agree. It's a big deal. Any final comments? >> Roll call on passage of item 12, please. >> Council member Kramering. Yes. >> Council member James. >> Yes. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Roll call an emergency. >> Council member Kramering. >> Yes. >> Council member James. >> Yes. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albi? >> Yes. Can someone grab Mr. Nolan, please? >> Item 13, first reading, please. An emergency ordinance amending ordinance number 48-2024 for the purpose of expanding the scope of the project to be financed with proceeds of the city's not to exceed $23 million economic development revenue bonds. >> Roll call and suspension. >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Abby, >> yes. Another very big issue in front of council here back to back um about the the future vibrancy of our downtown um from one big deal to the next. Uh this is a important council meeting for governance. Mr. Kmer. >> Yes, mayor. This is this is uh huge news. Uh thank you internally the administration but certainly to ACM Weber who was part of that. Thank you to 3CDC, our constant partner, and Paula Bogs Muing, who was instrumental in this. 13 through 17 are all ordinances related to the convention center hotel. Uh, you know, this is really much broader than the hotel. Uh, when uh I first arrived, we were just starting to talk about this project and I talked to Steve Leaper and there's a big plaque on the existing convention center that says renovated in 2006. And I always felt like that plaque sort of mocked me because that renovation in 2006 didn't get us very far. Uh, and what we've seen from this project and what Steve Liieber promised and what we've carried through is uh this is not a renovation. I I think that's what it says on on the on the banners around the construction site. This is not a renovation. This is a reimagination. This is reimagining an entire section of downtown. the convention center, the convention center hotel are just going to build upon this. And just having the ice rink activated this winter. I saw so many of you down at the ice rink. It was such a a gathering place, but having that bright and lit and vibrant made a tremendous difference in the west side of downtown and once this project's complete, uh people aren't going to recognize that section, this vibrancy is going to, you know, connect other areas of town downtown, including the Fountain Square area. So, it's just critically important. Uh another critical component. So, thank you all for bringing it home. >> Thank you, Mr. Walsh. >> Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair and Mr. Certy. And, I'm I'm glad we could brave the weather uh out there. I wasn't brave enough to go out to the ice skating rink this year. It was so cold out. Um, my comments are for the next five items all all in on the convention center hotel. I think it's really really important um that we keep in mind that one development is really hard and it is only getting more expensive by the day to do it. And as we embarked on the convention center itself and we see the impact that that has, um, hotels have just been hard and various macroeconomic impacts have had that made it harder for hotels to want to get launched and be able to get launched. And yet we keep fighting as a city and we keep coming up with more creative ways and be able to get more financing behind it and figuring out how to make the juice work to make this happen. Um, I've worked in development my entire career and oftentimes people take delays as a bad sign and it just means it's taking a moment to get things right so that they're perfect. The impact is that in a year and a half when this is constructed and it's open, uh, we are going to see the convention center that we just opened being able to bring in so much larger conventions and we're already seeing a positive impact from it. I mean, you see the downtown when we had the fencing tournament here this last weekend. Um, you you just you see the impact the new convention center already having. Now imagine the next scale and imagine, you know, as you saw news headlines about going for the NFL draft. This is a critical piece to be able to compete for those events that put us on the national stage. We we talk about it so often and it's, you know, it takes a second because it's hard, but the fact that we can get there is really impressive and it is going to lead to some really cool things that one day they won't look back and say it, but this is the moment that makes those possible. >> Thank you, Mr. Walsh. Well said. Miss Owens. >> Yeah, thank you. I echoing the same sentiments. I mean, the convention center district would only work unless we had a hotel to anchor it. And so, the work that it's taken to get to this point, the financial stack, putting that together, it's been pretty incredible to watch this come to fruition. And yes, coming in from 75, driving into uh to to work, you know, seeing that Cincinnati sign and oh my gosh, Black History Month and even being as detailed with that um theme being up there, it really makes me proud and excited to be a Cincinnati and truly we are doing the remarkable things that are going to yes put us on the national stage. So, thank you to the administration, thank you ACM Weber, thank you 3CDC, Paula Bucks, Muing and everyone else there. Uh we should all be very proud. Further comments? Thank you. Seeing none, I'll I'll I'll just add my congratulations and gratefulness to the county, to 3CDC, to uh CVB, uh of course to our own administration, and to you, city council. Um there was a time when uh it was unthinkable for the city and the county to collaborate in such an effective and mutually beneficial way. And because of the culture change that you have led as council, um it created the conditions for this kind of transformational investment to be possible. There is a need. Um as Mr. Johnson will tell you, the cues are excited, 30,000 strong. Uh and we're getting reports that they are filling up hotels all the way into Liberty Township. Um with the attractive asset of the re-imagined convention center, um this hotel will not just meet that market demand but also will drive it with uh meeting space and convention space of its own, further increasing the vibrancy of the convention center, the Elm Street Plaza as Mr. Kramering was mentioning and also don't forget the foundry and the Saxs building um that again this council was critical in making sure uh came to a reality. Um, but I but I do agree that, you know, there's there's there's a bigger impact of this beyond just the hotel nights. And, you know, it's it's reflected in the fact that this council will be responsible for adding to Cincinnati's beautiful skyline with this tower. Um, which is a reflection of not just your ability to govern, but also a reflection of the growth and the vibrancy and the momentum that this city has. a personification of all of that in physical form. So, congratulations and roll call on passage. >> Council member Griming, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Aldi, >> yes. >> Roll call in emergency. >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Item 14, first reading, please. >> An emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a development agreement with Cincinnati CH LLC and the board of county commissioners of Hamilton County, Ohio. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kring, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. Vice Mayor, Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> Council Member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Mr. Kramer, Mayor, this ordinance executes the development the development agreement for the hotel. >> Further comments. Roll call on passage. >> Council member Kramerine. >> Yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. Yes. Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Roll call in emergency. >> Council member King, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Item 15, first reading, please. An emergency ordinance declaring a hotel to be developed on property located at 240 West Fourth Street and 251 West Fifth Street in the central business district of Cincinnati to be designed to be designated a convention center headquarters hotel for purposes of Ohio Revised Code section 5739.093. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Mr. Kramering, Mayor, this ordin ordinance exempts the hotel from paying certain uh lodging taxes and property property taxes, but requires the developer to make payments in lie of those taxes. >> Further comments. Roll call and passage. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Item 16, first reading. An emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a real estate agreement with Wex Garage LLC and Cincinnati CH LLC. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Mr. Mr. Kramering, Mayor, this is a series of easements and conveyances between the city and 3CDC that will allow for the construction of the hotel, the renovation of the wax garage, and the building of a pedestrian walkway or skywalk connecting the structures. Do you have further comments? >> Roll call on passage. >> Council member Kramerine, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Karing, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Item 17, first reading, please. I believe our final item on this issue, >> ordinance repealing ordinance number 32-1997, which council passed on January 29th, 1997, in its entirety to ensure fairness and flexibility in booking policies and procedures for the Cincinnati Convention Center. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> For Mr. Kramer. >> Yes. Council passed this ordinance in 1997 when I was a council aid. The ordinance was the result of litigation. The litigation and the subsequent ordinance are now moot. >> Thank you. Further comments. Uh before we move to the vote, um I want to make one announcement and give um the city manager another opportunity to to speak on a a heavily le administration um priority. Uh but first um she's hiding but want to welcome um the former city manager, first city manager uh Asian city manager in our city's history, Paula, please stand. Welcome back to the chamber. Paula bogs muting everybody. Uh and from the former city manager to the current city manager, Sherong. Uh, another issue that this administration has worked very very hard on uh with 3CDC uh with the county, with the council uh and so many other critical partners. Uh congratulations to you for shephering this through and wanted to give you an opportunity um uh to talk about the issue and also potentially thank your team. >> Absolutely. Um this is another example of the importance of collaboration, not just the city, working with the county, working with 3CDC. Uh it was some people getting negotiation fatigue is what the word was used. But it was a hard fight that ended up in an amazing um asset that we will have for years to come that will be important for us as people visit our city and we are very excited by I want to thank law specifically Samantha um in law who was really rolling up her sleeves and I want to give her a specific shout out um under the leadership of Selister Warner. want to thank ACM Weber who was fighting hard but um at the end of the day I think we we got a a a a solution that is is a great position for all of us. I want to thank 3CDC. Without them we have been able to do some significant um things to downtown that will be for generations to come and I'm very happy. So yes, this was this was a hard work and we got it across the finish line. to thank you council for continuously giving us the support and resources that we need to be able to continue to improve on downtown. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Long. And with that, roll call and passage for item 17. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. Item 18, first reading, please. >> An emergency ordinance authorizing a payment of $94,788.83 cents from the Cincinnati Health Department Health Network Fund Non-personnel Operating Budget Account. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kane, >> 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. Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kramer. It's >> a moral obligation out of health for laboratory services. >> Further comments. >> Roll call and passage, please. >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Alvi, >> yes. >> Roll call on emergency. 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Item 19, first reading, please. an emergency ordinance authorizing the transfer and appropriation of $1,542,000,900 within general fund and from the unappropriated surplus of the general fund according to the attached schedules of transfer to realign and provide resources for the ongoing needs of city departments. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Mr. Kramer, >> Mayor, this is an internal realignment that we do occasionally to match uh resources with needs as the fiscal year progresses. >> Further comments. Roll call and passage, please. >> Council member Kardine, >> 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. Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Cring, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. Item 20 is a motion that has been amended by the vice mayor that city council allocate to the center for closing the health gap $100,000 from the special events portion of the fiscal year 25 carryover budget or another source to be identified by the administration to support the organization's health expo on April 18th, 2026 as well as its numerous other impactful initiatives across the city throughout the year to empower residents in improving their health and support the important work of tackling health disparities. Mr. Kramering, may I have Miss Kernney, the vice mayor, introduce this item? >> Yes, mayor. I will defer to my colleague on items 20 and 21. >> Thank you. >> Thank madam vice mayor, please. >> Thank you. So, the center for closing the health gap, as you know, um has experienced uh cuts from the federal government, the county government, city government, and yet they have pushed forward. Um they've been doing continuing their do right campaign to help people change their lifestyles to to healthy lifestyles. Uh they've been doing do right kids in our public schools. Uh they've partnered with the peer health network uh for uh mental health programs for 9th through uh 12th graders. Lots of good work throughout the city. uh they've been uh they did a pilot program last year for um diabetes and they were able to reduce through this program the A1C level of the participants. So now they're going to expand that program. They've also brought together physicians, advocates, health care workers, uh lots of other um community people uh to do ongoing programming about cardiovascular health especially for women because the incidence of cardiovascular disease has increased in women. So, a lot going on. And then um one of their annual events that everyone looks forward to is the health expo. It brings 10,000 to 14,000 people every year. There are free hundreds of free health screenings. There workshops, informational talks. I have actually uh seen some life-saving events going on. For example, an ambulance had to come after one woman um had her blood pressure taken. Uh she was at a very high level and had to be rushed to the hospital because of that. Uh it's just really a lifesaving expo. And so, uh, we have to we, even though they're they've had all these cuts, we really must support them in having this expo again this year. So many people in our city depend on it. Uh, and the the underlying issue here is that zip code determines lifespan. And so by the center for closing the health gap attacking health disparities, they are also attacking that issue where where you live determines how long you live, which should not be the case. So what we're asking for is $100,000 for their health expo. And I should mention that the date has been moved from April April 18th to April 25th. It will be at Washington Park. uh give if council can approve for the fund approve the funds uh which would be wonderful. Uh and the reason that it was amended to add and another s or or another source besides the special events fund is because um I understand from the administration that there might be another pot of money that would that would help with this. And so we're giving the administration flexibility. Uh if there is another source besides the special events fund from the carryover, that's fine. I mean, the real issue is to make sure that this health expo is funded um so that we can can have this life-saving event. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. If I if I could just um ask uh Miss Warner, our city solicitor a logistical question, I suppose. Should we before we take up the substance of this motion, should we amend it to reflect the accurate date of April 25th or does that not matter? >> Uh Mr. chair, the date amending the motion is not necessary for the administration to have the proper information it needs um to procure the uh appropriation. >> Thank you. Um further comments um on the vice mayor's motion? Seeing none, roll call on adoption of the motion, please. >> Council member Kering, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Thank you. Item >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Item 21 is also an amended motion from the vice mayor that city council allocate 350,000 from housing and economic development reserve fund or another source identified by the administration to Habitat for Humanity to support Cincinnati's urgent need for affordable housing, particularly affordable home ownership opportunities. Uh Vice Mayor, >> thank you. Uh so this really meets uh one of our top priorities and that's housing. Habitat for Humanity acquired uh nine vacant lots in the West End and the plan is to build nine single family homes. Uh home ownership in our country is about 65%. In our city, it's only about 39% and in the West End where these lots are located, it's about 14%. And as you know, home ownership helps families to build wealth. It creates stable communities and also helps families to be healthier. So we um this council has been a strong supporter of housing and home ownership and Habitat for Humanity promotes both of those goals of ours. And so the reason in this case um to add another source is to give the administration flexibility. Again, I know that council member Jeff has mentioned there might be some other sources uh for this funding and so um we're open to hearing that from the administration but would like to go forward to make sure that this funding uh does happen for Habitat. >> Thank you. Further comments? Seeing none, roll call on adoption of the motion, please. >> Council member Kerdine, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. Item 22 is a motion from council member James that the city administration in coordination with city departments that directly engage with the public evaluates it evaluate its operations and engagement activities to identify whether its interactions with residents involves collecting citizenship or naturalization status date. We ask that this report be delivered to the city council within 90 days. We are now in youth and human services committee. Miss Albby, may I have Mr. James introduce this item. >> I'm going to say a few words before I pass it to Council Member James. Um we've got three motions before us all all around similar topics. Uh so I first want to acknowledge that that this council, you Mr. Mayor, and the administration have really been working for for months now to to understand the rapidly changing legal landscape uh around federal immigration enforcement and what that looks like for municipalities like ours. And it it's been a lot of work. Um, and I'm so grateful to everyone who who has met with community members uh and been part of those discussions. Uh, what's before us today is is some very clear action items, but there is still more work underway um that folks are involved in. And so this is not the end of what uh our collective body is working on. We but we are trying to be proactive with these motions. You know, here in Cincinnati, we we recognize that the safety of our residents, all of our residents, is a top priority, and it is the most important thing we do as local leaders. So, while we uh collectively value the relationships we have with other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, uh and especially when we're trying to get dangerous, violent criminals off our streets, uh we've seen some really um upsetting, startling things happening in other cities around the nation, uh especially Minneapolis. Um so, these motions here are some some of the steps uh we're doing to try to address the concerns we're hearing from community members. So, I'll turn it now to Council Member James. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Go ahead, Mr. James. >> Thank you so much, Council Member Albby, and thank you so much to the um other team of champions we've had here. Um thank you so much to the administration for your will and doing so much of the work on the back end um researching the subject. Like, uh Council Member Albi said, the legal landscape has been tumultuous and ever evolving. So, um I know that this uh uh gave a lot of us gray hair. Um, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has kind of poured some blood, sweat, and tears into this effort. Um, it takes a village and it's u it's been exciting to be a part of this work as one of my first projects as a city council member. U, this motion has two key components. Um, as the mayor opened up, the first component is giving the administration 90 days to look in the mirror, if you will. Um, and that's to do a deep dive or an audit to evaluate our workflows for city- owned and operated programs to ask where we may inquire about citizenship. Uh right now um it is I don't need to drive context as to why that information um presents a risk in terms of public safety to our residents. Um if if there's any areas in which um we do ask inquire about citizenship, the second component of this motion demands that the administration devest from the strategy. So if we are asking about citizenship and presenting a risk to our residents, um that we devest from these strategies. Uh thank you for the collaboration of my colleagues. Thank you for the collaboration of the administration on this. Thank you. >> Thank you. Further comments on item 22. >> Mr. Go ahead, >> Mr. Johnson. Go ahead. >> Mr. Chair, if if once again if I could ask my colleagues to speak into the mic is trying to I mean trying to hear is is is kind of tough, but thank you, Mr. Chair. Appreciate that. >> Of course. Yeah, please do speak into the mic. I don't want to derail us, but any sense of when these mics are going to get fixed? >> Thank you, M. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate that. >> No. Okay. Well, we'll we'll take that offline. Um but Vice Mayor, >> thank you. I just want to thank all of my colleagues and you um Mr. Mayor, you've you've led a lot of great discussions and brought people together. Um I think it's important to send the message to the people of Cincinnati that all of our residents are vitally important to us and that includes our immigrant communities. I mean, we have to show that we are in support of all of our residents and we're not going to allow Minneapolis to happen here. And so I really just appreciate everybody's strength and courage and stepping up. Thank you so much, >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes, Mr. Johnson. >> Thank you very much. Um, you know, you would have to be out of your mind to agree with what we've seen, what happened in Minneapolis and in different parts of the the country when it comes to what is happening with um the enforcement of the the immigration quote unquote enforcement that's happening around the country, the brutality in which uh specific federal agents are carrying out their alleged duties. Having said that though, we have to be very strategic when it comes to the federal partners that we do have. We've got at least three decades of relationships with federal agencies, the FBI, the IRS, the ATF, and the DEA. the all all of these federal agencies are assisting in making Cincinnati safer. There's no question about that. The the relationships that we've built over three decades is invaluable. I do understand the issue and the motion and the items 22, 23, and 24. I I get it. I get it wholeheartedly. Anybody that knows me knows that I don't want to see anybody mistreated. But there's a lot more to this than just saying we don't want federal agents on city property doing A, B, C, and D. Let's just be honest about a couple of quick things. There is nothing we can do. There's no motion we can make that's going to keep federal agents out of Cincinnati. Yes, we would love to see these federal agents wear body cameras, uncover their masks, uncover their faces, and all those other things and treat people with dignity and respect. But there is a great concern from our Cincinnati Police Department and the uh executive cabinet when it comes to putting stipulations on our federal partners. There are major investigations taking place right now that we haveus with the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, and the IRS. We've gotus with all of those agencies. We have to be very careful that whatever we pass here today does not jeopardize thoseus and the major investigations that are going on in this city that keep our citizens safe every day. We would not be able to do what we do without our federal partners. And there is great concern as to what these motions would do to those relationships. I'm all for everybody being treated with dignity and respect. But it's the much bigger picture that I want or wish that we do a deeper dive into the relationships that have been established over three decades with federal partners. It's more than just telling certain federal agents, you can't do A, B, and C in Cincinnati. We don't, nobody wants any of our citizens mistreated. All of us are immigrants. How is anybody going to call themselves whatever on stolen land any old way? >> But the bottom line is we got to be careful. And I wish I don't think the dive has been done to understand the ramifications with something of this nature. We got to be very careful. There's concern from the executive cabinet and the Cincinnati Police Department. There are major investigations going on. So that's my two cents. We got to be careful when we come to talking about what federal which agencies can do A, B, and C because they're all aligned together. Thank you, Mr. chair. >> Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Further comments, >> Mr. Mayor. >> Miss Albby. >> Yeah. Uh, thank you for that. I I do want to highlight uh all of this work was done handinhand with our legal team who have done deep dive uh not just here locally but reaching out to other uh municipalities uh across the state across the the country to understand uh again this is a rapidly changing legal landscape and I do want to highlight uh multiple federal courts have ruled that local municipalities local law enforcement cannot be compelled to assist with federal immigration enforcement and these uh motions before us specifically I I think you spoke a little bit to the content of 20 23 and 24 specifically say that there will not be you you know city technology property data will not be used to support or assist with civil immigration enforcement um without there being a uh judicial warrant court order or were mandated by law. So that type of really specific language is is completely intended to address your concern. Um, again, we cannot be compelled to execute federal immigration enforcement and these motions before us are really highlighting uh what that means in actuality. >> Mr. Chair, yes, Mr. Johnson, I I like I said, I I greatly respect the makers of these motion, but it's bigger than that. There are investigations that are going on. And I I hear I see the specific language, but there are there's work going on right now with the assistance of other federal agencies that make Cincinnati safe. And I don't want those I don't want any motion coming from here to jeopardize the safety of the city. We talk about safety being paramount number one from this day all the time. I do get the emotion. I get the heart. I get all of that. But we have to be very careful when we come to passing motions that talk about what federal agents can and cannot do in this city. I get it. Other bodies have passed it, but I don't believe those other bodies have the relationships that have been set over three decades with our federal partners. I just caution us when we do things like this. Thank you very much and I salute the makers of the motion, but we got to be careful when we do things like this. >> Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Further comments? >> Seeing none, >> Mr. Mr. Chair. >> Yes, Miss Owens, please. >> I I just want to say I am certainly hearing what council member Johnson is saying. We don't want to do anything that is counterproductive to actually keeping um our city safe. I also want to recognize that um by by way of motion I I would imagine that the administration would be very thoughtful uh and very clear in in what would come back uh and that there is a difference between a motion asking for information and an actual law. And so just again highlighting yes this is a moving landscape of of legal ramifications and and realities. And so, um, everyone being very thorough, uh, about the information that we are sharing, uh, being very thorough and and factual about what we do and what we don't do anyway. So, um, just keeping all of those things in mind, but certainly hearing you, Mr. Johnson. >> Thank you, Miss Owens. Any further comments? Seeing none, roll call on adoption of item 22. >> Council member King, >> 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. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. Council member Albi, >> yes. >> Item 23 is a motion from Council Members Albi, James, and the Vice Mayor. that the administration take the necessary steps to prohibit sharing any real-time data, information, or footage obtained through city-owned surveillance technology, including but not limited to cameras, drones, and license plate readers with any third party for the purpose of assisting or supporting civil immigration enforcement unless mandated by law, a court order, or judicial warrant. Miss Alvie. >> Uh, thank you, Mayor. That was a really good summary of exactly what this says. Uh I I will add a couple thank yous that I missed the last time around uh because again this has been a lot of work. So thank you Solicitor Warner, Erikica Faborg, Morgan Sutter, Kate Bell, Molly Lair, mayor, you and your team have been really helpful on this item and the next one. Uh and thank you to my colleagues. Uh you know for some folks in the community who have been asking what is the city doing? Um can the city do more? Uh part of the reason that it has taken some time is because we have done a real deep dive into these um issues to really understand that legal landscape uh while still you know being really uh as responsive as we can and proactive as we can to preserving the the safety of our residents. >> Further comments? >> Mr. Vice Mayor, please. >> Yes. So, I wanted to thank Council Member Johnson um because initially this motion was a lot broader and council member Johnson pointed out uh how it had to be narrowed uh and so uh ju just for the reasons he mentioned previously and so thank you. Thank you for that input. That was very helpful. >> Further comments? >> Roll call on adoption of the motion item 23. >> Council member Kering, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> no. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albi, >> yes. Item 24, our final item, a motion from council members Albi, Walsh, Walsh, and Nolan that the administration take the necessary steps to prohibit any city-owned or city controlled property, including but not limited to city-owned buildings, parks, parking lots, and any interior or exterior portion thereof from being used as an unpermitted staging area, processing location, or operations base, or any similar purpose and furtherance of federal immigration enforcement operations unless federal officials have obtained a valid court order or judicial warrant. Prohibited uses of city-owned or city-controlled property include but are not limited to assembling, mobilizing, or deploying personnel, vehicles, or materials for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement. Miss Albby, thank you. That's a great sum summary of part one. Part two also specifies that the administration should provide guidance to frontline staff at municipal buildings that city property is intended for those specified municipal uses and staff should contact department leadership and legal counsel if any non- city personnel try to access the property for purposes other than what's intended uh unless mandated by law a court order or judicial warrant. Uh so again just making it very clear that city technology uh resources property are intended for city purposes. uh and we cannot be compelled to uh forced to do uh civil federal immigration enforcement and we want to keep those spaces like our rec centers, our health centers used for those purposes. Uh so thank you again uh for for law and everyone who's worked really closely on making sure we get this language uh to be as precise as possible and really equipping our frontline workers on how to handle these situations if they arise. >> Thank you. Further comments, >> Mr. Chair, just thank you. Just very quickly once again, let me say there are investigations that go on that I uh ladies and gentlemen that you're not going to be privy to information because of the because of the danger andor the risks that may come as a result of these. Um I just really think we need to slow down when we talk about not allowing uh federal partners that make Cincinnati safe. We get to tell them what we what they can and cannot do when it comes to the safety of this city. Um, we need them. We rely on them. We tap into their expertise way beyond way beyond anybody can think or imagine. It happens every day. And when we start telling them and restricting them when when it comes to city property and all of the things we're we may be doing going down a rabbit hole that we don't want to go down. So, you know, I I get it. I get the emotion. I get the understanding, but ladies and gentlemen, it's much bigger than what we know. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Any further comments? >> Vice Mayor, >> I had a question. I just um Council Member Johnson is really an expert in this area. I just wonder were there any changes to the wording that would make this better, maybe specifying which federal agencies we're talking about? >> I thank you, Vice Mayor. But I don't I think that when it comes to federal investigations, we don't want to pick and choose who we who we lean toward for assistance. Although I do appreciate you asking that question. Um, I I I just think that a deeper dive in bringing the federal partners, not the attorneys, that men and women that actually do the work out there, bringing them to the table to see what this does with help in people understanding what happens every day in Cincinnati with the assist of our federal partners. Thank you. >> Thank you. Further comments? Seeing none, roll call and adoption of the motion. >> Council member Kramering, >> yes. >> Council member James, >> yes. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> no. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh? >> Yes. >> Council member Albi? >> Yes. >> That concludes the business portion of our agenda. Um uh there's a celebration at the Winter House on Fountain Square from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. today celebrating black businesses in Cincinnati. Sher Long, city manager, do you have any announcements? I do. Thank you, mayor. Today, the city learn uh launched a hate and bias reporting form on CPD's website. there. Anyone who has experienced or witnessed something they think may be motivated by bias or prejudice can anonymously report that activity. We understand not everyone feels comfortable calling police. We certainly hope you do that in the event of any emergency or active event. However, this reporting system creates an additional way for people to safely share information with our officers to ensure we are following up on any concerns or potential criminal activity. Thank you again to city staff who helped get us to this point and thank you to CPD for ensuring we are creating a safe community for everyone. Thank you. >> Thank you. Further announcements, Miss Alvie. >> Uh thank you. I'm very excited about that reporting and please share it with everyone. Um I had a crazy situation today and I want to uh thank a couple good Samaritans. I was out um nearby and there were uh two folks who um uh were were uh in a bad situation laying uh face down and two uh good Samaritans came by and administered Narcan and was able to hopefully I think save those two individuals lives. So thank you to Miss Allison and Mr. Al um for what they did and hopefully we can recognize them um going forward. But it was truly truly remarkable and a good reminder um the power of Narcan and and that we all should be trained on how to administer that. >> Thanks Miss Alby. Further announcements >> seeing none meetings adjourned. Thank you.