[Music] Hey, [Music] hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] Good afternoon. Welcome to today's citizens forum. You'll have two minutes to address council as I call your name. Our first speaker is Bishop Sunny James. Welcome. >> Good afternoon. First of all, let me say welcome back. It's good to be with you all. Want to just share with you in lie of everything that's been going on. Uh tomorrow I'm you'll all be getting an email from me regarding our come together rally. It's not a rally to protest. It's about us coming together, no longer focusing just on red or blue. It is about us showing the nation that we can come together. And I wanted to let mayor know that you will soon be seeing videos posting about me uh meeting with um Pastor Corey Bowman. And as I told him, I'm not standing in agreement of your campaign or any campaign. I stand for the people. But one of the things we've got to commit to do, folks, is come together so that we can just hear each other, not point the fingers, not yell at each other, not always have an issue with each other, but just as many of you have come to my events and you've seen it's about bringing people together so that when they do come before you all with housing issues or development issues, We want to make sure and I've got to make sure that we're all just together. Even if we don't always agree, right? And so my prayer is that when you get this email that you all will come with me in Norwood and we sit down together and just come together. No backbiting, no fussing, no blame calling, coming together and just hearing each other's out. And Jeff, I want to say to you with your new initiative gaining 2 to four million to help with the youth, I'll be coming to see you for at least one of those. But if we can't work together, how will our children? God bless you all. >> Thank you. Uh Carol W, sorry, Carol Waldorf. >> Waldorf. >> Waldorf. Yep. >> Apologize. Welcome, Carol. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, what if I told you that a $1 million investment for the next five years totaling five million could save the city much more than 50 thou $50 million over the same time period. Each homicide cost city of Cincinnati over $1 million. The annual number of homicide victims exceeds 60 per per year. The advanced peace Cincinnati program can can reduce cyclical and retaliatory vi gun violence by 20% within two years and even further more on subsequent years. The math isn't hard. A 20% reduction would be greater than 10 homicides not happening per year. And at a million each, that would exceed 10 million each year. current proposals to spend almost almost a million dollars to help people to their cars does not heal our community. The Cincinnati Futures Commission was explicit that we have already been spending reactively spending proportionally more money on law enforcement than we can afford to sustain. It's time for a new proactive strategy. Advanced peace is that strategy with evidence-based practices, data accountability, and a holistic public health healing approach to the center. >> I get more time already. >> Nothing will be more effective than paying credible messengers, those whose hearts is already in the city and whose trust is in the streets to heal those most impacted by the gun violence, both perpetrators and victims. Prevention is an important part of gun violence, harm reduction, but only community violence intervention gets to the heart of it. Healing hurt, healing the hurt people who are out there hurting people. We can't afford not to do advanced peace. As folks who love our community, we can't afford to keep trying to lock up folks who hurt who've been hurt by disinvestment, racism, and the instabilities that go with all of those. To be clear, we're not paying shooters not to shoot. We're paying counselors, those credible messengers, mentors, and trusted community servants to >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thanks very much, Jennifer McN. Welcome. >> Good afternoon. >> Uh if we could pause her time. I'm so sorry. Uh folks, if you want to stand, you're free to stand. If you'd like to sit, that's fine, too. Um, I I don't recognize you, so I just wanted to make sure that if you're a first- time speaker, you realize you don't have to stand. >> I am a first I've never been here before, so I'm very nervous. >> So, feel free to speak. Don't be nervous. It's all good. Um, or excuse me, feel free to sit. Feel free to stand. You'll have two minutes. When you see the yellow um light, that just means you're halfway. So, don't stop talking. Keep going. Okay. >> When you see the red light uh and the beep um you're finished. Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Let's start her time again, please. I come to you today as a resident of Cincinnati for the past 10 years. Not only a resident of Cincinnati, but downtown Cincinnati directly across the street for the past three years. I come to you today with questions and concerns when it comes to housing repairs and Cincinnati inspection violations regarding mold, ceilings falling through pest pest, consistent elevator issues leading to ADA violations, residents going without air conditioner or heat and or heat. I eventually had to reach out and get legal counsel involved even though I was in fear of retaliation from the landlord. I felt like I had no other option because things were getting things were not getting resolved with this being a building directly across from city hall. It's truly heartbreaking that the deplorating conditions of this building and it's not being seen seen by anyone as many inspections that has been done by 311 Cincy that's public information. the fact that so many of us are living in unsafe living conditions and nothing is nothing is being done about it. The majority of us pe the majority of the people living in this building are here with HUD funding. Therefore, there should be plenty of funding for this building to be maintained in much better condition than what it is. I say on a regular basis, I'm truly blessed going from homeless for two years to having a place to call my own. However, no one should have to walk into a building to have water leaking on their head or in our home cooking a meal with gnats flying in our food due to constant standing water and moisture in our consist and cont continuously promised better changes and living renovations with multiple different managements taking over since I've lived here. But nothing is changing. Please help me understand how it is okay. I come to you today to try and be a voice not only for myself but for my community. Thank you for your time. >> Oh, thank you. Um, Jennifer, if you could uh share your information. Oh, Jennifer, I'm sorry. If you could share your information with uh Chaka right there. Um, we'll do everything we can to help. Thanks so much for being here. Stanford Pool, welcome. >> I know you don't recognize me, but I'm going to stand up anyhow. Um, if you look at all the criminal stuff that been going with the government and cruelty and savagery with the government, we got to look at Cincinnati. And we've been doing the same thing. And we were looking for the leaders to do something. when you guys, a lot of you guys came in, you say you're going to stop the corruption with Cranley and PG, Pastor Bernard, uh, getting extra money off of housing and that. And if you said to yourself, you've been on vacation, um, I hope you sat by your bed for your two month uh, vacation and said, "What have I did for that money every two weeks and for the people of Cincinnati?" And if you came up with nothing, you're probably right. We got to have a change. We were dependent on you people to do the right thing. >> Now, you doing the right thing for the rich guys and the port authority and anybody that got money, but the poor people in the neighborhood, you don't care nothing about. This lady just said the health department, bill department, ain't doing nothing. I called the health department about mosquitoes. They don't want to do nothing. And then when you get your law department and your building department that people hate the building department just as much as they hate officers sometime when they do bad things and they say we're going to take your property. Now in Hamilton County and y'all came up with redlinining. You redline all them poor neighborhood. Didn't give no money. Wouldn't let them get no money no money from the bank. And then you go in like Superman riding them up to try to take their property. And and you if you're proud of yourself and you got education and you sit in your mirror every day and shave or brush your teeth, you should say, "I haven't did nothing. I took the paycheck every two weeks. I took the benefits and did nothing." And people here tired of that. >> Thank you, Cedric Shields. Welcome. >> Don't thank me. Do your job. >> I am Cedric Shields. Go ahead, sir. >> And um I'm a retired uh city employee uh 36 years. And um last year I got a call from a friend of mine and said, "Your grandmother's house, all the windows are open." So I ran down there, closed the windows up, and realized somebody kicked the door in down on in North Fairmont. And I was putting ap kicked in. And I met a guy came up was an older guy. He says, "Uh, we're bidding to tear this house down, and you can get a city $18,000 to stop them from tearing it down, but I've had people give them $18,000 and then just lose their $18,000 because they don't do the things that's necessary to keep the house from being torn down. So, I went down to the building's apartment and I gave him $18,000. The house wasn't in my name at the time. It was my nephew's name. So, I rushed him. He's in jail. That's why the building had been vacant for 5 years. And I had him sign the house over to me. And I went down and got a vacant building maintenance license. It's good till uh September next year. But then since then, they've come to me and they said, "You got to pay the fees on the house before you moved in. You those are your fees now." And then when I paid the 18,000, I got the all the work done. It was supposed to be up to get the money back. But then when I went back and talked to the supervisor of building maintenance, he says, "You don't get your money back until you bring this co house up to make it livable." Well, that's not what my paperwork said and I got my money back, but there's like a roadblock. I think there's a they they're not helping us. It's a hindrance down there and I'm coming to you with all sincerity. I think we need some changes. They should have told me I was in writing when I knew but you know when I went down there he he didn't make he's there every day. He didn't say he said you can't get your money back. That could have been I could have walked away, you know, was horrible. So, just something that gives us more insight to what we have to do and more helping for little people. >> Thank you, Cedric. Cedric, if you could uh share your information with Noah um over there. >> Thank you, sir. Lena Zerub, welcome. I want to be clear. I'm not here to appeal to this council's conscience because I don't believe you have one. I do not expect you to pass an arms embargo or to call out the ongoing genocide funded by our tax dollars and your silence. I'm here to address our community, to speak to every person in this room who still has a heart, who still has humanity, and who still refuses to be complicit in genocide. This isn't about one man or one political party. The root disease is Zionism. Zionism is a settler colonial ideology. For over 75 years, it has displaced, occupied, and killed Palestinians. It is the belief that our land, our homes, our lives can be taken to make way for another people's state. We're told if we just talk, if we just listen to both sides, somehow liberation can be negotiated. But our freedom is not up for debate. Our voices, Palestinian voices are enough. Recently, 83% of the world's genocide scholars confirmed what we Palestinians have been screaming all along. What is happening in Gaza is genocide. Zionists are being protested and rejected across Europe. Cultural institutions are cutting ties with them. People are saying clearly Zionism is not welcome. I'm speaking to the people in this room who still have a conscience. Stop legitimizing Zionism. Isolate it. Shame it. Boycott it. Boycott Israeli products. Divest from companies complicit in apartheid. Cut ties with institutions that sustain ethnic cleansing. Withdraw your money. Withdraw your labor. Withdraw your consent. Because every dollar, every purchase, every silence is a choice. A choice to stand with the oppressed or with the oppressor. Free Palestine. Thank you. Betina Ernst to welcome. Week after week, along with my fellow Cadians, I have come to this chamber and expressed my despair, horror, and shame. This week is no different. Israel continues to systemic systematically target civilians, journalists, doctors, children, and those desperate for aid. The Gaza Civil Defense says that fuel supplies are down to 20%, meaning that medical crews cannot respond to emergency calls as Palestinians continue to suffer from both bombardment and a manufactured famine due to Israel's blockade. In the West Bank, the Israeli government has announced plans to annex 80% of Palestinian land despite an international court of justice advisory declaring Israeli settlements illegal under international law. As global citizens, we continue down an aborant path of inhumity. But my fellow Cadians bring me hope that the tide of public opinion turns towards justice and liberation. From the hundreds of community members of all ages from across this city who showed up to our international children's day event highlighting the suffering and resilience of Palestinian youth to the full house at a north side concert fundraiser for Gaza last Friday to the woman who read a poem by Palestinian poet Mahmud Darwish at an open mic night in Over the Rine to other Cincinnatians who have approached us after these council meetings to ask us how to get involved in supporting Palestine. Alto together we have over a thousand voters and taxpayers who share our conviction that this genocide and occupation must end and more who have not had the freedom to speak up yet. As election day approaches, we will remind our base that the people who fill your seats at council do not represent their values. We will remind them of your complacency and cowardice. On Saturday, it will be day 700 of the genocide in Gaza. For every day you do nothing, your city watches and remembers. Daniel Buridge. Welcome. >> Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Uh, members of council. Um, my name is Danny Burridge. I'm the executive director of MARK, the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati. uh Mark uh was born or came about in the late 60s at the request of the mayor at that time for there to be an interfaith voice for justice in our city in our metropolitan area. I've only been with Mark for about a year. Uh, but already I have spoken with many of you in different moments and I appreciate those opportunities to have spoken with you. And for those of you who have spoken with members of Mark and those of you that have been out in the communities also standing with people in our communities who are advocating for justice and especially for racial justice in our communities and in our city. Uh, again, that was the reason that Mark emerged 50 years ago and the reason that we're still here. Part of racial justice is social justice and part of social justice is making sure we have a safe city, a safe metropolitan area. I know that every one of you here are actively working all the time for us to have a safer city. Recently, we are seeing in the news and in the uh the documents coming from the council that there is a proposal to invest up to $4 million more in public safety. I would encourage you all to work with those of us in the civil society of your city who are subject matter experts such as Mark, such as myself, such as Carol, such as Bishop Sunonny James, such as many, many other people in the interfaith community who have a vested interest in the safety of our communities. And we think that the safety of our communities is based on communities having more control. And what does that mean? When communities have control, when we take care of ourselves, when we're able to deescalate violence, when we're able to work with one another, when we have access to afterchool program, when we have access to employment, to economic opportunities, things are safer. People do not resort to violence. They do not resort to illicit activities. And so, in my last moment, I would say please consider investing in advanced peace. And I'd love to speak more with you about that. >> Thank you, Stefan. Uh Stefan Prior, welcome. I'mma stand today. I'mma stand. Hold on. Hold on. You too fast over there. Slow down girl. Hi, Park. Y'all did y'all thing. They co-real this development. Y'all got the power. My name is Stefan Prior. I'm running for city council. I won't never do what they did. Not at all. They need to get rid of these lobbyists that sits on the the uh the zoning commission. That's who came up with these plans to do this connected community plan to do the zoning changing. They don't want to tell y'all that. But y'all did a hell of a great job doing this, getting y'all signatures. That's great. That's great on y'all behalf. Great job. Kudo to y'all. But vote for Stefon Prior, a name to know and a name you can trust. Mark Jeffrey, what happened to the task force task force? The task what what was it? The uh task force for taxes. Uh you came up with a $50 million plan. You put that on hold. Never talked about it no more. You lied. We don't need you no more. Uh Jeff Camine, you gave up $2 million, $2 million to the police. You shouldn't have did that. You need to get fired. That's wrong for that. Giving up $2 million was too much money. Uh, Mayor Abtab, I like you, but I don't like your ways. Sometime you sometime in Mayor, you should have called in about this brawl. You should have did that, but you didn't do that. I give you a D minus. You need to work yourself up to a A. I don't know when. Ma, the aggregation program. I bet the Duke energy bill. You need to get rid of that because we paying three different suppliers on our Duke bill. That's a scam. The lobbyists put that in place. We need to get rid of that. Throw that away. Miss Victoria Parks, kudos on you. You know, you ride off into the sun sunset. Great job for city council. All right, but uh great job, High Park. I love y'all. Nothing y'all can do about it. Mike Ulehorn, welcome. Mike Ulehorn. Oh, I'm sorry. Mike is on Zoom. I apologize, Mike. >> There we are. >> We could uh Mike, >> can you hear me? >> Mike, we can hear you. Uh, you can begin whenever you're ready. >> Uh, admit it again. I guess I'm here. Yes. So, I've been here before. I purchased a house in the city of Forest Park. In the first first two months, I did not need any water from Greater Cincinnati Waterworks. When I contacted them to turn on the water, then I found out that they had been charging me for the first two months when I did not need the water, did not want the water, and they were billing me for providing absolutely nothing because they had the water turned off at the meter. Now, I didn't have any other utilities turned on during that time either. However, none of them charged me when they were providing absolutely nothing. I've contacted the city of Cincinnati council members, the waterworks, even contacted the department of ethics and good government regarding this matter. I've attended several of the meetings by Zoom in this quoted sections of the Ohio State law, Forest Park law. And according to Ohio State Revised Code 2913, what Greater Cincinnati Waterworks doing is fraud when they are charging people and providing nothing in consideration for the money they are receiving. However, I do not hear anything back from anybody about what is being done about this issue of the city of Cincinnati stealing money from people when their water is turned off and they're providing nothing. Now, their explanation that I get from Greater Cincinnati Waterworks is that they are ready to provide water and you have access to it. Therefore, they can charge for that. Well, if you think about that, isn't every business out there ready to provide something and people have access to it just by calling? My business is one of those, as a matter of fact. I didn't know I could charge people for that. But I started charging people at Greater Cincinnati Waterworks and as city council, as you probably know, just like Greater Cincinnati Waterworks does because the precedent has been set. The companies can charge like Greater Cincinnati Waterworks. So, I'd really like to know what is going to be done about this or can everybody start receiving thousands and thousands of invoices from every company that is following Greater Cincinnati Waterworks precedent? >> Thanks very much. Our next speaker is Anne Williams. Welcome. Good afternoon. I want to sincerely thank Vice Mayor Kernney and Councilman Johnson for listening to my neighbors in Hyde Park and across the city since day one of our journey to save Hide Park Square. I am also grateful to council members Walsh and Johnson for helping facilitate negotiations between the developer safe hide park square and the hide park neighborhood council. While we didn't reach a final agreement, we did find meaningful alignment and we remain hopeful that the developer will honor those moving forward. I also want to thank council members Jeff and Walsh for your efforts in the final days to help move us toward resolution. And thank you to the mayor for lending me his ear and offering me helpful advice. To the other council members, thank you for taking my calls, agreeing to meet, and hearing out Hide Park's thoughts and ideas. I hope you will continue to answer my calls. I hope this process has raised awareness of our message that development works best when it's collaborative and reflects the voices of neighbors. Since first seeing the developers plans last October, we have consistently advocated for a more collaborative approach and will continue to do so. Thank you for your consideration to repeal your vote from April 23rd. Most of all, thank you for hearing us now and in the future. Vicky Weber, welcome. [Applause] Hello, I'm Vicki Weber, a Hide Park resident. I'd like to thank city council for Tuesday's unanimous committee vote to repeal the zone change for Hide Park Square. Today's expected yes vote will affirm what our community has asked for from the start. The right to have a say in the future of our neighborhood business district. But this fight is not over. The developer plans to refile with a six-story 75- ft building 50% higher than current zoning allows. Our position is clear. We support development. We want more housing and a thriving business district. We are willing to accept five stories at 62 feet, 25% higher than current zoning and consistent with the Alles building that anchors the square. The developer has signaled they can meet that request twice. in a July 31st letter to Council Member Jeff and again in the August 25th meeting facilitated by council members Johnson and Walsh. The urban design overlay district standards are explicit. New buildings must be consistent in style, bulk, massing, and scale with the surrounding area. The latest proposal fails that test. We ask council and the administration to enforce the UDOD and hold the developer to the five-story plan they themselves proposed before withdrawing it. And finally, I hope the Hide Park Square journey helps ensure citizen voices are respected across the city so future development is truly a win for neighborhoods, the city, and developers alike. Thank you, Molly Henning. Welcome. Good afternoon. Most of us travel to places that offer some kind of beauty or authentic experience. Whether it's beaches and mountains or the unique charm of walkable historic neighborhoods, Cincinnati is fortunate to have many of these neighborhoods. places people love to visit and live in. The 18,000 people who signed the Hide Park petition did so because they care deeply about this city, its neighborhoods, its architecture, and the way it feels to live here. We all agree that our city needs to grow, but how we grow and where is just as important. Growth must be intentional, smart, and balanced if it is going to be done right without ruining what makes our city so special. For context, the average height of the buildings in Hide Park Square is just under three stories. Current zoning there allows new buildings to be up to four stories because that's what fits. Yet, in good faith, our neighborhood compromised on that zoning limit. We supported a fifth story, a 25% increase because we want growth. We also want it to reflect the scale, infrastructure, and character of the area. In the end, the neighborhood came up higher in height than the developer came down. This project could have moved forward with an agreement and given the city over a hundred new housing units, but in the end it came down to the developer insisting they needed an additional actually less than 20 luxury pen houses with rents likely in the 4 to 6,000 range. Obviously, none of this is providing the affordable housing the city so desperately needs. So I ask you as you consider what's on your agenda today, which is more important, the 18,000 city residents who want a meaningful say in how their developments are developed or a developer seeking 20 additional luxury apartments? >> Moren Hood, welcome. >> Is this the hot seat? Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Moren Hood and I'm one of the five uh petitioners from High Park. Uh first of all, deepest appreciation for Vice Mayor Kierney and Council Member Johnson. Here he is. Um for all the amazing, limitless support they've provided our community. And also thank you to Council Member Walsh and Jeff for these past few weeks trying to step in and provide agility to see if we could find a solution. Ours is a story that will be written and today we kind of start that final chapter. So far it's been a story really of overreach of a developer and city leadership and underestimating the power of ordinary citizens. As we restart today behind your likely repeal, we will hold our city leadership accountable for the ultimate outcome of this development. Whichever process the developer pursues via whichever department or committee, we'll be here for all of it. The city has a stated need for up to 40,000 housing units. Surely the extra handful of units at issue here is a drop in the bucket in the context of the principles we've fought for, particularly over these past four months with literally thousands of volunteer man and woman hours. Please shepherd this next phase to help us find a true winwinwin to bring back to our supporters and our community. We would love to row with you and not against you and collaborate on a true strategy to build housing and thriving neighborhoods throughout the city. Thank you for your consideration and leadership of the city. Thank you, >> Andrea. Um, Shenny, I'm sorry, Andrea. >> Shane, >> you want to go ahead, Vice Mayor? >> Andrea Shank. Shank. >> Hello. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for respecting and listening to the petition of 14 neighborhoods and three civic organizations. Nearly 20 organizations and over 18,000 people petitioned this body to include citizens in what happens to their neighborhoods. I believe deeply in citizen involvement and according to the city's plan, it does too. I'm quoting from page 82 of plan Cincinnati. The city expects its community organizations such as community councils, business associations, community development corporations, and others to actively participate in the development and revitalization of the communities they represent. We meaning the city need to build capacity in these organizations so that they can participate part can so they can part a significant role in dictating their community's futures. So I imag there are a lot of pages to that plan. I'm sure that you don't read the plan every day, but I hope that you take that plan into account for not only what happens with this development going forward, but for all of the development that happens across our city. Thank you so much, >> John Zinsen. afternoon. The last few days have been interesting to say the least. I keep hearing, "Congratulations. You must be very happy that this is over and you've won." I hear it from neighbors, from friends, from city council staffers, city council members, radio talk show hosts. It's hard to answer unequivocally. While I am very glad that council has reflected and chosen to do this unprecedented firsttime thing of rescending its own vote, this is not the win. Making anything happen for the very first time is an achievement. And my most positive feelings at this moment are for the group who has done that. The group of citizens from all over Cincinnati who came together and did what was needed to get us here. This group's passion, cooperation, effort, camaraderie is and always will be exceptional. I thank each and every one of you here, both in the room and standing with us in spirit. But this repeal isn't the win, it's a step. The real victory will only come when a good, right-sized, attractive building that is harmonious with the setting of Hyde Park Square is built and used. A fivestory wooden building could get that done. That could be the victory. But if a 75 foot concrete steel structure that looks at all like any of the previous released pictures is built, there's no win for anyone. Not the city, not the citizens, not even the developer. The only determinant of success will be what is finally built. And to gain that victory, all of us, city, citizens, developer still have a role to play. We must communicate, collaborate, and co-create. Then we may celebrate. >> TJ Gwen Summers, welcome. Great afternoon to you. My name is DJ Gwen Summers. I am the baddest DJ in all the land, bar none, and also a writing candidate for the Cincinnati City Council. I'm here today to read a bit of a letter that would like to be presented to the city council. It says, "Hello, friends. I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. The members of Mount Mariah Missionary Baptist Church of Cincinnati, Ohio, is requesting your presence and participation in our Black Tai event celebrating the church's 100th year of continuous Christian service and ministry to the Lincoln Heights community, the greater Cincinnati area, and other places both near and far. This event or gayla will be held at the Woodlon National Guard Auditorium on Woodlon Boulevard, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215. Please save the date and time for this event which will take place Saturday, October the 25th. That's Saturday, October 25th, 2025 from 6 until 8:00 p.m. We are graciously asking for your you or your church and or organization if you would consider sponsoring a table at this gayla event. The price for one table is only $400. Individuals may purchase tickets online for $50 per person. If you need more details, please see me. My phone number is 770-331-2929. I thank you so much for your time and attention and have a wonderful rest of your day. >> Beth Shelon Barker, welcome. >> Go ahead, Vice Mayor. You know the last names. I'm sorry. >> Barker. Greetings, mayor and council. I'm Beth Sulliver, president of Women's City Club of Greater Cincinnati. Founded in 1915, WCC was instrumental in the city charter and establishment of the city planning commission in 1925. For more than a century, WCC has been concerned with good government in Cincinnati. Women's City Club applauds your repeal of the planned development designation for the PLK Hyde Park Square development. We hope that a win-win solution will emerge from negotiations that respects the underlying zoning code, neighborhood plan, urban design overlay, and the connected communities ordinance. We support a solution that promotes the city's housing goals without damaging the character, safety, and function of Hide Park Square. We continue to advocate against the routine approval of PDS as a workaround the zoning code, including a new PD for Hyde Park Square. It should not take 18,000 signatures on a petition for neighborhoods to be heard. This is a concern not just to Hyde Park, but other community councils who feel they are not heard by city hall. According to the city's website, community councils ensure that neighborhood development responds to the needs and goals of its citizens. But do they? It's clear that the role of community councils in planning and development needs to be clarified and strengthened and communication with city hall improved. To help this along, WCC will present a public forum on the evening of October 21st at the First Unitarian Church co-sponsored by Invest in Neighborhoods. You are all invited to participate in this constructive conversation. Thank you, >> Nancy Sullivan. Good afternoon, Nancy Sullivan, East Price Hill, Director of Transformation CDC. I have with me copies of the executive order from the mayor of Chicago denouncing any attempts to deploy the United States armed forces andor the national guard andor militarized civil immigration enforcement in Chicago and to establish the protecting Chicago initiative. I would challenge our mayor to establish a similar protecting Cincinnati initiative. We know that unfortunately our city has gotten some bad press recently around violence and the fact that it is the home of the vice president. I can see some potential for bad things happening here. I get calls every single day typically from a woman whose husband has now been deported and she has three children and is frantic. We need to step up and protect our immigrant neighbors and we need to do it officially in three languages, English, Spanish and French so that the African immigrants are also recognized. [Applause] Uh that concludes this portion of citizens forum. Uh, it is now 2:12 and we will immediately begin the business portion of Cincinnati City Council and the clerk will please call the role. >> Council member Jeff >> here. >> Council member Johnson >> here. >> Vice Mayor Kernney >> here. >> Council member Nolan >> here. >> Council member Owens >> here. >> Council member Parks >> here. >> Council member Walsh >> here. Council member Albby >> here. Council member Crane >> 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. Moving to our agenda items one through excuse me before move to moving to our agenda. The minutes from the previous meeting will be approved and filed without objection. Hearing none, they'll be approved and filed. Now moving to our agenda. Uh items 1 through 39 are as indicated. Our first item is item 40. First reading please. >> Ordinance dedicating, accepting and confirming the dedication of public use of an approximately 0.699 6991 acre track of real property as a portion of North Ben Road, Co-rain Avenue, and Shepard Road public rights away in the Mount Air neighborhood. >> Thank you. Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> Vice May, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, yes. >> Council member Kramer, >> yes. >> Mr. Kramer. Mayor, the city's just accepting a very small plot of land in in Mount Ary for public right away. >> Other comments. Seeing none, roll call on uh passage, please. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, yes. >> Council member Kardine, >> yes. >> Item 41, first reading, please. Emergency ordinance authorizing scheduling of two public hearings to consider approving the plan of operation and governance for the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council and enabling the city to act jointly with other municipalities townships counties and other political subdivisions to maximize the potential benefits of electricity procurement through group purchasing efforts in a re in a retail electric aggregation program. >> Roll call on suspension. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Karnney, >> yes. Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Crane. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kramer. >> This ordinance just allows two public hearings in conjunction with the electrical aggregation program. >> Further comments? >> Yes. >> Miss Owens. >> Thank you. Yes. um because of the success of our residential aggregation program, this is an opportunity for our commercial partners to also move into that and hopefully see reduction in rates over time. Uh this is because of critical work of of the office of environment and sustainability around building performance standards and uh energy benchmarking. And so as they've been engaging with commercial stakeholders over the last three months, uh this again is a is a step forward for all of us. >> Further comments? Roll call on passage. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. Vice Mayor Karnney. Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. >> Council member Cranberine. >> Yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. Vice May. >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. >> Council member Crane. >> Yes. >> Item 42. First reading, please. Emergency ordinance authorizing the transfer of and return the source of $500,000 from various capital or permanent improvement program project accounts to close out or decrease certain existing capital or permanent improvement program project accounts. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. Vice Mayor Karnney. Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. >> Council member Kramer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kramer. Mayor, could I defer to my uh colleague, the vice mayor, who did some great work on this issue. >> Vice Mayor, please. >> Thank you. Um, so first of all, thank you to uh Council Member Johnson, uh the Aendale Development Corporation, Russ Harrison, uh Kristen Baker and Taran Kibbru at Lisk, and of course uh Charlotte Harris and Christy Coons at the Urban League for all coming together uh to help some of the businesses uh that were struggling a bit that still are struggling a bit in the Aendale Town Center. And the idea is how can we help them to grow and thrive and also attract other businesses to the town center. So Lisk um developed a program along with the Urban League and the Aenddale Development Corporation. It has three different components, business expansion and growth, a new business readiness accelerator and wraparound technical assistance. And so um it's it's going to be something positive for the existing businesses and surrounding businesses also to attract new businesses. Uh and as I said uh in budget, this is something we need to replicate in other neighborhoods as well. I know Price Hill um those businesses could really use some help. So we're looking at how we can also bring this program to Price Hill and some and some other areas so that our Cincinnati businesses can thrive all across the city. >> Further comments, >> Mr. Mr. Johnson. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, as I said in budget, I salute the vice mayor and her amazing uh tenacity to make sure that the businesses in Aendale stay intact and keep their heads above water. It was a absolute pleasure working with the Aenddale Redevelopment Corporation and all those that the uh vice mayor named. This is a step in the right direction. And as the vice mayor alluded to, she stole all of my words. We want to make sure we replicate this throughout the city of Cincinnati. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. >> Thank you. Further comments. Roll call on passage, please. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Alvi, >> yes. >> Council member Crane, >> yes. Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff, yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. Yes. Vice Mayor Kernney. >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Premi. >> Yes. >> Item 43, first reading, please. >> Emergency ordinance establishing new capital improvement program project account Ham Cincinnati Crossings Grant P121898 to provide resources for safety improvements at seven locations. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Kernney? >> Yes. Yes. Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. Council member Karine. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kramer. >> I'll defer to my colleague Council Member Jeff on item number 43 and number 44. >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yeah. Thank you. Uh so both of these are grants for Ohio Department of Transportation pedestrian safety related. The first is 1.5 million around uh UC which has experienced I think nine crashes uh with uh mostly students in the past couple of years. So hugely helpful there. And then the second one is in Roseelon, Reading Road and Summit which is another uh really dangerous intersection. It's a million dollars from Ohio Department of Transportation to address that issue as well. So thank you to ODOT and the administration for applying for these as well. Further comments, Miss Albby. Uh, >> thank you. I just wanted to commend ODOT and everyone. This council continues to put pedestrian safer safety first and making our streets safer. So, I'm just grateful um to have be part of that and the work we're doing to really make it a more walkable city, more walkable and accessible city. So, thank you to everyone. Thank you. Further comments? >> Roll call and passage. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. Yes. >> Vice Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? Yes. >> Council member Owens? Yes. Yes. Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Karding. >> Yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Karnney. >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Karine. >> Yes. Item 44, first reading, please. Emergency ordinance establishing new capital improvement program project account reading and summit safety grant P19753 to make improvements and enhance pedestrian safety at the intersection of Reading Road and Summit Road and Rose Line. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kerney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Alvi? Yes. >> Council member Kane? >> Yes. Mr. Jeff? I think I covered this previously, so it's just the the Otum million dollars for res. >> Thank you. Further comments. Roll call on passage. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, yes. >> Vice May, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Council member Kramer, >> yes. Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Perman. >> Yes. >> Item 45, first reading, please. >> Emergency ordinance authorizing city manager to apply for, accept, and appropriate a grant from the US Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency fiscal year 2025 port security grant program. >> Roll call and suspension, please. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Kmerding. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kmerding. >> Mayor, this is a grant from FEMA to our police and fire department for cameras and other equipment to remove bombs from marine vessels. >> Further comments. Roll call on passage. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Council member Crane, >> yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. C. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Parks? >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh? >> Yes. >> Council member Albby? >> Yes. >> Council member Perine? >> Yes. >> Item 46, first reading, please. Emergency ordinance authorizing the payment of $396,325.78 from the Cincinnati Police Department general fund non-personnel operating budget account as a moral obligation to Hamilton County for outstanding charges related to the processing of warrants in fiscal year 2025. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Parks? >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh? >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Kramer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Karine. Mayor, the county handles uh warrant processing for the city. This is just to reimburse the county for that service. >> Further comments. >> Roll call on passage. >> Council member Jeff? >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Parks? >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh? >> Yes. >> Council member Albby? >> Yes. >> Council member Karing? >> Yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, Council Member Karine, >> yes. >> Item 47, first reading, >> emergency ordinance authorizing a payment of 17 $17,350 from county law enforcement applied regionally fund non-personal operating budget account to Ohio State Highway Patrol for access to the law enforcement automated data system. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Council member Kane, >> yes. >> Mr. Kramering, >> the city accesses a a database provided by the Ohio State Highway Patrol known as leads. The $17,000 pays for that access. >> Further comments? >> Roll call and passage. >> Council member Jeff? >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Parks? >> Yes. Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Kane. >> Yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Alvi. >> Yes. >> Council member Kane. >> Yes. >> Item 48. First reading, please. Emergency Ordinance repealing ordinance number 97-2025 passed by council on April 23rd, 2025, which amended the official zoning map of the city of Cincinnati to reszone the real property located at 2719 Erie Avenue in High Park. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Karnney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Council member Crane, >> yes. >> Mr. Crading, may may I introduce this item, >> please? Mayor, >> item 48 is before us at the request of the Hide Park community and the PLK development team to pull the original application for a planned development ordinance in Hide Park Square. The original ordinance passed in this council following the recommendation of the planning commission. I believe all of us here are aware that this project, this zoning change, and the ongoing negotiations between neighborhood groups and property owners have been an ongoing source of tension. Seems to me the debate is about what it's supposed to look like when new housing is built in our neighborhoods and what that process is. I can't speak for the property owners. I can't speak for our council members and I I can't speak for those who exercise the right to organize against this zoning change, but I would get guess that the overwhelming sentiment is one of frustration on all sides. That folks have worked so hard to get back to where we were before. And where we were before is still in a housing crisis, still not building enough housing. Beyond this project, we have attempted to make progress on a clear problem that I think everyone can agree on. The market in Cincinnati is not producing enough new housing, particularly as our population continues to grow, but we have been steadily losing overall supply of housing across the city. And that is a recipe for residents to get further priced out of their neighborhoods. It's already happening right now. and it will only continue to happen. It is a recipe for overall costs rising for every renter and every homeowner reflected in their mortgage, their property taxes, and their rents. There is a reason we are at the top of national lists for percentage of rent increases every year. So regardless of how this plot of land ends up, what I hope is that the parties are able to work from a common understanding, that something is going to be built, that there is a version of new development that benefits local businesses and residents, and more broadly that we do have to decide whether or not we will allow growth and access in all of our communities, in all of them. All of our communities need new housing. Not just some, not just the poor, not just the wealthy, all of them. We have a narrow role here today. The development team and the developer has requested that we resend the planned development on their property. And our next decision as a city is relatively simple. If the developer doesn't want to move forward with the PD, if the community doesn't want want to move forward with the PD, then obviously council's only role is to resend. But what concerns me, I hope what concerns everyone is how we get to a point where the previous months never happen again. where we can come together as a community, address the issues that are real in our pipeline of development from the community council, from the neighborhood business districts, from local businesses and local residents to the developer to ultimately building housing. No housing development is going to be perfect and appease every resident, but what happens in one neighborhood does have an impact. citywide. And what concerns me is the chilling effect on the overall city for development. It's already very difficult to build housing period. How do we work together to make it easier to build the housing that is critical critical for not future residents, but for residents right now in Cincinnati who can't afford to pay their rent or their property taxes in every neighborhood in our community. I don't know how more clearly to say that without taking sides about how we got here, the end result is not more housing. And that is a profound problem. 40,000 units, they can't all come from one neighborhood. In order to do this equitably, every neighborhood has to be willing. And every decision that city council makes has to be willing to put housing across the city. We have work to do to reform the process to make sure that our community members voices are heard and that they feel like they are heard. But we cannot continue with the status quo where every housing development faces challenges. Those challenges create delays that those delays make it even more expensive and unattainable to build housing. So I am I am a willing partner to make changes to the process to make community members feel heard and actually be heard. But a result that that creates no more housing, a result that doesn't do anything to fortify the current housing stock that we have, has to be unacceptable to every single person in the city because that status quo is only perpetuating greater housing affordability crisis and is only perpetuating the displacement of vulnerable Cadians out of the city. Mr. Kramering. >> Uh, I have nothing further, Mayor. Thank you. >> Further comments? >> Vice Mayor and then Mr. Nolan. >> Thank you. So, I I see this not as a movement against but as a movement for it's a movement for developers and communities to work together. It's a movement for community voices to be heard. Those people, homeowners and renters, who have invested in their communities and who love their communities and who want to work with developers to put forth the vision that those communities have. I see this as a movement for moving forward with growth, for moving forward with housing, but moving forward together. I don't see this as the end. I see this as getting ready for the next chapter. And that next chapter is to continue negotiations, to continue this dialogue because you're very, very close. So that the community and developers come to a reasonable compromise that promotes the growth that this community has been advocating for. but maintaining the dignity and the vision that they have for their community. And so I applaud you. It's been a long hot summer, but you have hung in there. You have worked hard, and you have served your community and your city well. And so developers and communities are not enemies. They're working together for the same purpose, and that's a growth for this city. So, thank you for that, >> Mr. Nolan. Please, please, everyone. Thank you, Mr. Nolan. Thank you, Mayor. Um, our goal as a city is to and the work that we do here on council is to create more housing and to incentivize the develop development of more housing to address the housing crisis that we face. Uh, as the neighbors have said, they are in favor of development. They are in favor of more housing. Save Hide Park, as I understand it, is not maintain the status quo. To be the destination that Molly Henning described, parts of Hide Park Square must be developed. Today, we are back at square one. We are stuck in the status quo. An incredible amount of time, money, and energy has been spent by the neighborhood, by the developers, by the city administration, and this council. Yet, we are no closer to achieving the stated goals of the neighborhood and of this council. Everyone has work to do. I encourage the neighborhood council to please finish the neighborhood plan. I think that gives everybody an opportunity to understand a better path forward. Every neighborhood should take up that opportunity to do that and as a city we need to take a hard look at the processes we have in place for development. I know not everyone shares the same hopes that I have but we have created the community investment subcommittee under the equitable growth and housing committee to try and address some of these issues. I don't see anything else happening on this. So, this is the direction I personally am going. A subcommittee where we bring all of the stakeholders together, the neighbors, the community councils, the community development corporations, the city, partners like the port and the Cincinnati Development Fund for conversations early on about what's desired, what's possible, what's practical, and finding a viable path forward. So, I hope this same energy continues. Um, I appreciate the support of the vice mayor and the mayor and my fellow council members with the creation of the subcommittee and I look forward to continuing that that work together. Thank you for the comments, Mr. Johnson. Then Miss Owens. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I'm just a little baffled. I I really am a little baff baffled. Um when we talk about collaboration, the spirit of collaboration and when we talk about honestly going forward in dialogue that collaboration and honesty has to come from both sides. And as I stated Monday, I do Tuesday, I do believe everything is not what it appears to be. Not even close. This is a call for us on this deos to sometime just slow down. We've got two ears and one mouth to listen to the people who have chosen to invest in this city. made it a choice to buy homes in this city, made a choice to make Cincinnati their home. So, this is a call for us to slow down sometime with the two ears in one mouth. I'm a little baffled at when we talk about and I think and I said this and I'll say this again. I think we hide behind saying we need housing. We hide behind that because when you talk about housing, you got to be talking about housing people can afford. Everybody can afford $67,000 a month in rent. And we need to stop acting like everybody can. We need to stop acting like this development in High Park would have assisted the housing crisis in Cincinnati. We got to just be honest about what's going on. So that's why I'm baffled. I'm I am I'm baffled cuz when we talk about housing, we hide behind that as a council and we say we do and and the truth is we do need more housing, but at $67,000 a month, who is that really assisting? And yes, we do have people that can afford that in this city, but who is that assisting? So, this is a claring call for us to slow down some time and listen to the people who chose Cincinnati as their home. Thank you. >> Further comments? Thank you, audience. Miss Owens, >> thank you. Um, as I stated on Tuesday, I am grateful for both the community and the developer for being willing to come back to the table, and I hope that we can all agree on uh important things for this community like improving the quality of life for our residents, creating communities that we all deserve, the kind where abundant housing is available, where neighborhoods are safe, where they're more inclusive, and where neighborhood business districts thrive. And even so, compromise was made. 100% agreement was not. And I think that's okay. I don't believe that is realistic in any scenario. We as a council didn't agree on even how we thought about this from the beginning. And that's okay, too. So, I'll venture to say right now that steps forward have been made even with more engagement from the community. So, let's continue towards progress. >> Further comments, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Jeff, >> thank you. I made my comments on on Tuesday, I guess it was. Um, but I I did want to respond also. I think everyone would agree in the sense of frustration from all sides. uh because I think the process was hugely frustrating. We need to reform how we think about uh community engagement. So, it's predictable. Everyone knows exactly what is expected from the community and from the developer. There's no, you know, no uh uh nothing uh unexpected. to add to the mayor's point. Um, if you look at and if you walk out of here in our office, we have how many new units of housing we've built this year and it's 1138, but that doesn't count the units that we have um eliminated from the market. So, the last year and a half, we've eliminated over 487 units and we've built close to 2,000. If you look at how much population we're adding, we're adding a good 2,000 people a year, maybe even 3,000 a year. Net, we're only adding about roughly 2,000 units. So, we're bringing in more people, thousand to 2,000 more people living in the city who can't find housing. The result is super clear. We see it. Housing costs are going through the roof. The business courier this month this week or last said at this rate next year we will be more expensive than Austin. Cincinnati will be more expensive than Austin. So yes and I do disagree with my my colleague. You look at cities like Minneapolis when you build more supply it does bring prices down. We know this you know hence you pump more you know oil or whatever it brings the gas price of gas down. You know there is supply and demand. We do know this. So, we do need more housing and when that housing does bring the overall cost down. We know this from multiple other cities and it's just unsustainable that we're adding, you know, 2 to 3,000 people per year or whatever it is and we're only adding net uh about 2,000 units. So, uh we have to get ahead of this and I think we collectively have to do it together. Um because uh otherwise for people who are sitting in the room here, your kids want to live here. I'd love to have my kids here. They're all out of the house. I'd love for have them come back, but it's just uh just uh you know completely unaffordable uh for them. And as I mentioned in my comments before, my neighbor across the street uh recruits her children's hospital and she's like it's just it's not as cheap anymore. And so we have to get ahead of this and we have to get ahead of it um together. >> Thank you. Further comments, Mr. Nolan? >> I just I just want to weigh in on the affordability of some of these units. We've had some conversations about that. You know, there there have been objections to building more expensive units in neighborhoods where real estate is expensive. Um there have been objections to building more affordable housing in neighborhoods where housing is naturally affordable. The reality is that we have a need and a demand for housing across the pricing spectrum. If we only build affordable units, those units that are naturally affordable become less affordable because those with resources will buy them up. Sometimes those are individuals, sometimes those are institutional investors who who see the opportunity to raise rent prices. So I believe it is a goal of this city to increase housing across the pricing spectrum and that that should not be a part of the consideration about whether housing is appropriate or not when the city is not being asked to to subsidize it. >> Further comments chair. >> Um oh is that Mr. Johnson? Sorry. >> Thank you. Um, you know, I don't I hope nobody thought I said that we should not build housing. We need housing in Cincinnati. But I still believe that we hide behind saying we need housing and then we've taken this particular issue and made it the focal point for housing in Cincinnati. That's not fair and it's disingenuous. This is a particular issue that if we would have slowed down and as I reiterate used the two ears and one mouth we could have had this solved as others have talked about months ago and we would not have spent all summer on this. So this is a clearing call once again for us sometime on this day to slow down and listen to the people that have trusted us to move this city forward. Thank you. >> Thank you. Further comments? Seeing none, roll call on passage of um the item item 48. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. Vice Mayor Carney. >> Yes. Yes. Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Kardine. >> Yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens? >> Yes. >> Council member Parks? >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh? >> Yes. >> Council member Albby? >> Yes. >> Council member Crane? >> Yes. >> Item 49 is as indicated. Item 50, first reading, please. Emergency Ordinance B version modifying the provisions of chapter 307 classified compensation schedules of the SIS code by ordaining new section 279 of division one to establish a classification title and salary range schedule for the new employment classification of dietetic technician. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Karnney. Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. Council member Karine. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kramering. I think this is council member Johnson. >> I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson. I apologize. We are now in public safety and governance. Please introduce item 50. >> No problem. Thank you, Mayor. Um, we'll be I'll be very quick with these. 50, 51, and 52 are B versions. B versions because we wanted to make sure administration wanted to make sure with the new contract covering the diet dietic technician in 50 the uh construction inspector one and utilities construction inspector 2 and 51 and the classification of the waterworks maintenance worker in 52 all were paid under the new contract that was just negotiated so That carries that covers 50 51 and 52. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you. Any comments on 50, 51 or 52? >> Seeing none, roll call and passage of item 50, please. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, yes. >> Council member Kane, >> yes. Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff, >> yes. >> Council member Johnson, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney, >> yes. Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. >> Council member Crane. >> Yes. >> Item 51, first reading. >> Emergency ordinance B version oraining new se uh I'm sorry, modifying the provisions of chapter 307 classified compensation schedules of the Cincinnati new sections 478 and 479 to establish the classification titles and salary range schedules for the new employment classification of utilities construction inspector and utilities construct inspector. 2. Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Karnney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan? >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Crane. >> Yes. >> Roll call on passage. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Counc. Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. >> Council member Kardine. >> Yes. >> Proc. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. Vice Mayor Kernney. >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan, >> yes. >> Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Council member Perine, >> yes. Item 52, first reading, please. >> Emergency ordinance B version modifying provisions of chapter 307 classified compensation schedule of the sustained municipal code by ordaining new section 766 of division one to establish the classification title and salary range schedule for the new employment classification of waterworks maintenance worker 2. >> Roll call and suspension. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney. >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. Yes. >> Council member Kane. >> Yes. Roll call on passage. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kernney? >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. >> Council member Owens. >> Yes. >> Council member Parks. >> Yes. >> Council member Walsh. >> Yes. >> Council member Albby. >> Yes. >> Council member Crane. >> Yes. >> Roll call on emergency. >> Council member Jeff. >> Yes. >> Council member Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Mayor Kney. >> Yes. >> Council member Nolan. >> Yes. Council member Owens, >> yes. >> Council member Parks, >> yes. >> Council member Walsh, >> yes. >> Council member Albby, >> yes. >> Council member Kerain, >> yes. >> That concludes the business portion of our agenda. City Manager Long, do you have any announcements? >> I have no announcements. Thank you, Mayor. >> Council, any announcements? >> I have one. >> Vice Mayor, >> just want to point out that um build Cincy uh this is the conference which is totally free and open to everyone. Um, former council member Reggie Harris started this conference with uh, realtor Dariq Dansby and uh, actually Reggie Harris is going to be the keynote speaker this year. So that's very exciting. You know, right now he's um, chief of staff for Congressman Greg Lansman. U, but he will he will be here and and the conference is September 18th to the 19th at the Graduate Hotel. Lots of great workshops. This is something that's done in partnership with the city of Cincinnati and lots of our wonderful financial uh institutions and others. Fifth Third Bank, uh the Port Authority, uh Hamilton County, Union Savings Bank, Guardian Savings Bank, First Financial Bank, US Bank, and I'm probably forgetting some, but there are a lot of partners here. There's going to be a lot of really good information. Uh, and it's really to promote um women and people of color getting into that development space. And so, uh, it's for everyone. Very exciting. Lots of information, education and networking, um, lots of extra things happening this year, a bus tour of development sites, a women develop uh, women developers dinner. So, just go to builds censey at cincy.org. Sign up. It's totally free of charge. And then soon I'll tell you about the next own Cincy. Um also in partnership with the city of Cincinnati and founded by Derek Dansby and that is on November 22nd. But right now look for build censey and come on out and meet lots of people and hear all about the development field. >> Mr. Jeff. >> Yeah. Uh bittersweet, but need to announce that my chief of staff, Declan Tom, uh is moving on. This is his last or tomorrow is his last day technically. So Declan has been with me for since day one on council. He was on my campaign before. Uh I always tell my staff, you don't retire from this position. We won't. We're out of here eight years max. Uh they won't retire. um you know but he has been tremendous continuity and uh a real voice of uh common sense and um on the third floor and I think I hear from the administration often how critical it is to have good staff uh and so I think he's been um you know super I know a lot are moving on um so it is really bittersweet but um Zoe is taking his place and so a familiar face I believe in promoting from within and she's been doing fantastic so but please wish Declan all the best in his uh future. >> Where is Jacqueline? I don't see him. >> There he is. >> Thank you, Mr. Jeff. Uh I see Miss Albby and then Mr. Nolan. >> Well, similar news. My policy director, Joshua Pine, is also moving on. Um but he's staying with the city. So, he's going to be leading up our innovation team. So Cincinnati was one of 20 I wrote down 25 cities uh selected by Bloomberg to have this position. Uh and Joshua is going to be direct be the director for the team really looking at how we bring together sustainability and uh the work we've been doing around equity in the city. Uh so really excited that Joshua uh he joined me on day one of city council and he's continuing the work on behalf of our residents here. He's brought amazing uh knowledge, policy expertise, and research uh uh talents to the team and he's going to be using that for the city of Cincinnati. So really excited for it and we'll all be able to see him. He's on the first floor after this. You Joshua, >> congratulations Joshua. Mr. Nolan, who's leaving you? That would be Gus Ricksecer. Um, I'm referring to this era as week 2 AG after Gus. Um, he left two weeks ago so he didn't have to be here for this. Um, I I can't say enough about uh how kind, helpful, and supportive uh Gus has been to me, not just as a member of this council, but uh as a person, as a human being. Um, he built incredible relationships across the city administration uh and across the city at large. Um he when he was here was one of if not the smartest people on the third floor and so I I think you know we all understood it was time it was time for his talents to grow and bloom. Um and so he has taken a job with homebase. He'll be working with the CDC's. He'll be in the neighborhoods and I fully expect to see him back at city hall soon. So very excited for him and also happy to announce that um we have Elijah Heyman joining to our office to replace Gus. Uh Elijah comes to us from Council Member Park's office. Council member Parks, thank you for lending the second of your staffers to to uh growth in another in another office. So thank you. >> Congratulations, Mayor. >> President Parks, please. With that, since um people keep kidnapping my staff, um I'd like to welcome Trinity Brown to my office. She sits in the back there. [Applause] >> Thank you, uh Miss Ellens. >> Thank you. Well, I'm grateful to both of my staff who are still here, David and Amari, doing a great job. Um, and so my announcement will be about social services day, that fun event that we all love where we are bringing resources out to the community. So September the 13th at community action agency from 11 to 3. We've got uh, you know, we'll be focusing on blood pressure screenings with we reassist and how to access my chart. So healthcare accessibility to that is so important. We'll focus on CPR for adults and for babies with the American Heart Association. We will also make sure that we are fire safety equipped and so our Cincinnati Fire Department will be there, a host of others. We're also going to focus on uh employment for young people. Uh and so the C uh Hamilton County Library will be there as well as our uh HR department right here at the city of Cincinnati. Again, fun event. Uh 30 vendors uh someone that I like to point out um that is an unusual attendee but uh very relevant. So the uh firm that is uh making sure our Brent Spence bridge project is is underway is actually going to be there as they're doing community engagement. So if you like to learn about what's happening, you uh certainly want to attend. Um again, looking forward to a fun Saturday. Uh Congressman Lansman will be participating. Uh great parks, uh waterworks, uh children's hospital. So we hope to see you on Saturday the 13th from 11 to 3. >> Mr. Walsh, bring us home. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I might be the only person up here who's glad that Gus is gone because I now get to tell the Sunday exploits of our co-ed soccer team and how I'm going to be scoring every goal going forward. So, I'm very excited about that. Um, but on top of that, I want to just take a second and all the uh departures to recognize another door has opened, which is Reagan Oliver in the back there. Um, you guys have obviously seen her on the third floor. She just joined my team, but she was sitting there beforehand um having worked with the chamber before she came over to join city hall. very excited to have her here. Um, we all miss Sydney, but Reagan has been amazing the last two months. >> Thank you. Welcome aboard, Mr. Kramering. >> Yeah, sorry not to end on a somber mo note, but I do have to to to say that former mayor Aron Bours passed away. Um, Arin was known as Cincinnati's boy mayor for his youthful appearance, his energy, his effrovescence, running around town in his uh in his bow tie. He had a great personality. He was also a pugnacious debater if you crossed him and of course he left uh politics to go into the development sphere sphere and uh we were talking about housing today but it was Arn's idea to take a huge bulky empty department store shells and he said I'm going to turn this into loft and people are going to come live in it downtown and people thought he was crazy uh and it was really the foundation for for urban living and further when Arn got into that building uh they were were demoing at it and they demoed the ceiling and found this gorgeous glass skylight and uh saving it was going to cost millions of dollars threw off their budget but AR unhesitatingly said yes we have to save it so he was uh a great Cincinnatian >> thank you here here further announcements seeing none meetings adjourned thank