Tuesday, June 3 2014

City Budget Meets Challengers Looking for Fiscal Responsibility

Despite Mayor John Cranley trying to fast-track the passage of his city budget, some City Council members are crying foul that it’s the first budget since 2001 to not be structurally sound. The dissenting Council members’ main complaints center around Cranley using one-time revenue sources to balance the budgets that may not be available in the future. In addition to the revenue controversy, the budget cuts $1.6 million to “enterprise technology solutions” that could lead toward software security breaches and compromise health records, income tax returns, traffic lights and other public services.
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Cincinnati WaterWorks Requests Another Rate Increase

According to Business Courier, Cincinnati WaterWorks is ready to raise rates, yet again. This time, they're looking for 7.5% or roughly $17 per household, per year. According to officials, this increase is a result of average usage being down slightly and would allow the organization to maintain a balanced budget and triple-A bond rating. Council reaction was mixed, with some members questioning the annual move to raise rates, year after year. According to Councilman Winburn, rates for the organization have steadily increased 38% for the last 8 years.
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New EPA Guidelines Put Pressure on Ohio to Clean Up its Act

President Barack Obama unveiled new EPA guidelines Monday and put Ohio’s coal-fired power plants under the gun to clean up their acts. The proposal would mandate a 28 percent reduction in carbon emissions per megawatt hour of electricity by 2030, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Despite being a nationwide proposal, Ohio is particularly hard-hit by these regulations because nearly 70 percent of the state’s energy comes from coal-fired plants.
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Cincinnati Council Considers Domestic Partner Registry

Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach introduced a measure to establish a domestic partnership registry that would help pave the way for same-sex couples to possibly qualify for equal employee benefits. The measure unanimously passed council’s Human Services Committee and is slated to be voted on by full council Wednesday. Couples looking to qualify for the program would need to show strong financial interdependency.
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Campbell County is a Great Place to Flip a House

Reporting on data compiled from RealityTrac, WVXU notes that Campbell County, KY is 4th in the nation for flipping single-family residences. Just behind other ranked counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland, Campbell County met a number of criteria such as: at least 100 single-family residences flipped in the last year; an average return of 30% or more; unemployment rates below the national average, etc.
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Thursday, June 5 2014

Council Passes 2015 Budget

With the exception of a couple ordinances that couldn't muster majority approval, Mayor John Cranley's 2015 fiscal budget was adopted by Council yesterday. For his part, the mayor seems pleased and is looking forward to more freedom in future fiscal years. One outstanding issue that did not meet with the council's approval is the water rate increase requested by Cincinnati WaterWorks earlier this week.
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Cincinnati Republican Sponsors Draconian Anti-Abortion Bill

A bill sponsored by suburban Cincinnati Republican John Becker would make it illegal for insurance providers to cover abortions even in cases of rape, incest and when a pregnancy threatens a mother’s life. The bill, which had its first hearing yesterday, would also ban insurance coverage for public employees for birth control by means of intrauterine devices, also known as IUDs. Becker said he believed IUDs are considered an abortion, despite admitting he based that opinion on absolutely no medical evidence.
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Cincinnati’s Last Decade of Development, Visualized

Urban Cincy recently posted a fascinating look at the Cincinnati's urban neighborhoods over time, compiled via Google Street images. The visual walk down revitalization-lane of the last decade has been making the rounds on social media this week. The post highlights a number of city blocks that are almost unrecognizable today– be sure to check it out.
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$80 Million Apartment and Retail Complex Coming to Newport

A large apartment complex, retail space and hotel valued at $80 million is in the works to be developed next to Newport on the Levee. The facility would contain about 230 apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail space. The developers plan to start work in September and hope to open 18 to 24 months later.
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Brent Spence Expected to Host Electronic Tolls Thanks to New Ohio Legislation

While tolls for the Brent Spence bridge replacement are an impending reality, at least one state is striving to make them as painless as possible. According to Business Courier, new legislation allowing for all-electronic tolling in the state of Ohio is headed to the Governor's desk for final approval. The implications? Hopefully any traffic imposed as a result of new toll-booths adjacent to the bridge will be eased. Oh– you'll also be photographed as you drive through the unmanned booths, so any violators beforewarned: you will be summarily subjected to public and monetary scrutiny.
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Tuesday, June 10 2014

Vice Mayor Wants an Investigation into LumenoCity Tickets

Tickets for the upcoming LumenoCity event sold out within 12 minutes Monday and Vice Mayor David Mann wants to investigate if the tickets were distributed fairly. The city decided to offer free tickets after attendees at last year’s event experienced overcrowding. Mann’s calls for an investigation were prompted by some tickets being sold for $49 - $199 on eBay.
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Cranley Goes Uptown

On Thursday, Mayor John Cranley discussed his vision for a revitalized uptown area and highlighted the changes he'd like to see made to the area surrounding UC Campus. Chief among them, he envisions a safer campus environment, building upon the relationship between metro and UC police officers. Likewise, Cranley would like to see a more walking and biking paths in Burnett Woods, and even a pedestrian walkway above MLK drive.
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Final Notes Played at The Blue Wisp

Cincinnati jazz institution The Blue Wisp closed its doors Saturday, according to WCPO. In 2012 the club moved from its location on Eighth Street to the corner of Seventh and Race Streets and began offering dinner, lunch and Sunday brunch. Employees blamed the club’s changing business model for its closure. It’s unclear whether or not the club will reopen at another location.
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Congressional Democrats Work to Refinance Student Loans

With average student loan debt at an all-time high and interest rates on borrowing money at an historic low, some members of Congress are starting to focus on the inability for college students to refinance their mortgage rates. Democrats, including Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, are proposing a deal to resolve that issue, which will undoubtedly run afoul of the 1%. The proposed deal aims to make up an imposed budget shortfall by raising tax rates on individuals making over $1 million dollars.
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Middletown Officials Tried to Wrongfully Evict Poor Citizens

The city of Middletown has been acting for years to push out its poor citizens, according to documents obtained by The Cincinnati Enquirer. Middletown officials have enacted a series of measures including threatening tenants with losing housing assistance if they have delinquent water bills from years past, putting “problematic” landlords through special audits and background checks all in favor of reducing the amount of low-income housing available in Middletown. The Middletown Public Housing Agency is currently under a civil rights review by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Thursday, June 12 2014

Kasich Signs Brent Spence Bill, Shames KY

When Kentucky lawmakers recently failed to secure proper funding for the Brent Spence Bridge replacement project and even attempted to ban the use of toll-booths statewide, Ohio Governor John Kasich took note. And after signing legislation yesterday that paves the way for Ohio's investment in the same project, he signaled to his southern counterparts that its time to get real. He called Kentucky's lack of movement on the issue "unacceptable" and termed the project a major initiative for the entire region. Get it together, Kentucky!
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Sales Tax Considered to Help Fund Music Hall and Union Terminal Renovations

Hamilton County Commissioners will soon consider raising the county’s 6.75 percent sales tax to fund much-needed improvement construction projects at Union Terminal and Music Hall. The sales tax hike proposal was put forth by the Cultural Facilities Task Force, a group of high-powered community and business leaders including former chairman and CEO of Proctor & Gamble, Bob McDonald. A cost estimate done by The Cincinnati Enquirer reported close to $150 million was needed to repair the ailing Union Terminal while a $100 million was required for Music Hall.
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East Price Hill NEP Progress Report Due Today

On Thursday, Mayor John Cranley is expected to release a progress report on the revitalization of East Price Hill, a three-month collaborative effort aiming to reduce crime and improve the quality of life for it's residents. The Neighborhood Enhancement Program is a attempt to 'turbo-charge' redevelopment over 90 days, following an accidental death of an eight year old boy in March.
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City Council Passes Funding for Bike Share Program

City Council passed legislation Wednesday to move forward to help fund for-profit Cincy Bike Lanes with their mission to spread the benefits of biking across the Queen City. The motion passed by council gives the startup $1.1 million to jump start their operation, but the group estimates needing another $1 million to get fully off the ground. Once funded the bike sharing program hopes to have 300 bikes available for rent from 35 stations across downtown, Over-the-Rhine and uptown.
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LumenoCity 2.0 At the Museum Center? Could Be a Thing

After a 12 minute sellout this week, some of the planners involved with the wildly successful LumenoCity event have started discussing another installment, this one projected against the historic Cincinnati Museum Center. Organizers have cited funding to be at least one problem– though if the rapid fervor for tickets is any indication, something tells me it won't be for lack of interest. Perhaps a minimal face value for the tickets is in order?
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Tuesday, June 17 2014

Dale Mallory Faces Ethics Investigation

State Representative Dale Mallory failed to report an Indian Hill’s lobbyists gifts of Bengals tickets and expensive dinners, according to an ethic investigation. Mallory, along with several other lawmakers, attended a December, 2009 Bengal’s playoff game that was paid for by John Rabenold of Axcess Financial. The next month the lawmakers also dined at Via Vite and Lindey’s in Columbus on Rabenold’s dime. Rabenold was fined $2,000 for providing gifts to lawmakers.
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Chabot’s Section 8 Cuts Get Shot Down

Steve Chabot’s efforts to slash Section 8 funding by 10 percent failed last week by a vote of 279-to-127. Chabot’s wish to cut $3 billion from low-income housing comes at a time when Cincinnati’s need for low-income vouchers is on the rise. Chabot has said he is against Section 8 housing because it leads to increased crime and lower property values in neighborhoods with a lot of low-income tenants.
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Former Bengal Loses Defamation Suit

Former Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones lost her defamation lawsuit against a gossip website where a user posted she had sex with half of the team’s players. Jones had been awarded $338,000 by a lower court, which was overturned by 6th a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel. The court case, website, TheDirty.com, and its owner, Nik Richie, have been watched by online companies such as Google, eBay and Amazon because of its implications under the Communications Decency Act.
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CVG Will Track Mobile Devices to Alleviate Congestion

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Cincinnati's regional airport will be the first in the nation to analyze the mobile devices of travelers to help alleviate congestion within it's terminals and security screening areas. The idea is intended to create a calmer atmosphere by leveraging technology similar to Apple's iBeacons, which gather and aggregate data about where passengers are concentrated in the facility and where the shortest lines are located.
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Council May Vote on Extension of Lytle Park Historic District

This August, a regulation that has governed the boundaries of the Lytle Park Historic District since 1964 is set to expire. Members of City Council are working hard to prevent that from happening and may vote on whether to grant an extension as early as this week. The extension will likely cover a smaller geographic area than the original boundary did; in the years since the initial designation, the district has shrunk due to a lack of regulations in the neighborhood.
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Thursday, June 19 2014

Renovating Cincinnati Landmarks May Raise Taxes

Nobody disagrees that two of the city's most notable landmarks are in need of major repair, but there remains much disagreement on how to finance that effort. Next month, Hamilton County Commissioners will confront the material issues that face the iconic Music Hall and Union Terminal buildings by holding a public forum on whether to raise funds by modestly increasing sales taxes.
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OTR Community Council Asks Mayor to Forgo 3CDC

The Over-the-Rhine Community Council sent a letter to Mayor John Cranley to hold off on ceding 35 properties north of Liberty to 3CDC. Council President Ryan Messer said if 3CDC were awarded the buildings they would not be able to develop them fast enough and urged the mayor to instead award the buildings to smaller independent outfits.
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Money Allocated for Housing Homeless May Be Reappropriated

City officials are considering shifting $1.8MM previously allocated for permanent, low-income housing in Avondale to rehabilitation efforts in Pendleton. Thanks to a looming deadline which risks the loss of those federal funds, proponents argue this is the best solution available– some council members aren't so sure.
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GE Picks the Banks for New Offices

Things are about to get a lot more crowded at The Banks. General Electric announced it will locate its new Global Operations Center at The Banks, according to The Cincinnati Business Courier. GE was also considering Oakley Station and Mason as locations for their operations center. GE will receive roughly $51.6 million tax credit spread out over 15 years from the the Ohio Tax Credit Authority.
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Federal Grants Go To Construction On Two Municipal Bike Trails

Thanks to a federal transportation grant, bike trails on the West Side and around Lunken airport will be receiving some overdue attention. Half of the available $1MM will go to each project over the next couple of years, in addition to $250,000 in matching funds contributed by the city.
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Tuesday, June 24 2014

Streetcar Deficits Could Be Higher than Originally Expected

A study looking at how much it would cost annually to operate the forthcoming Cincinnati streetcar found the amount would be higher than it was projected in December. The study found that the new annual operating cost would be $2.6 million in 2017 and rise to $3.85 million by 2025. The original costs were expected to be between $1.88 million and $2.44 million. Another report done by internal auditing firm KPMG estimated annual operating costs to be $4 million in 2017 and up to $5.56 million in 2025.
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Cranley: Stiles to Remain City Manager for Two More Months?

Mayor John Cranley wants to extend the timeline for Interim City Manager Scott Stiles' contract through the end of August, according to a report by Business Courier. The mayor cites the budget and other development deals as the primary cause for delay in his recommendation for a permanent replacement. The extension will require a vote by City Council, which already has a pretty hectic schedule ahead of it.
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Ed FitzGerald Wants to Expand College Savings Plan

Democratic candidate Ed FitzGerald will be courting younger voters when he takes on John Kasich for governor of Ohio this fall. FitzGerald announced his desires to expand a college savings program he launched as a Cuyahoga County executive. The plan would place $100 of public money into a kindergartener’s account. The money could only be used on college expenses. The goal of the program is to help people to start saving for college earlier and to plant the seed in children’s minds that college is a destination that everyone can attend.
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Should the Zoo Receive Some of the Union Terminal / Music Hall Tax Levy?

One of Cincinnati's regional, premier attractions wants (more) of your tax dollars, at the potential expense of blowing the deal entirely. At issue is whether or not to put a sales or property tax increase on the ballot this November to help finance rehabilitation of Music Hall and Union Terminal. While that debate is just getting underway, Zoo Director Thane Maynard has indicated to Hamilton County Commissioners that his organization wants some of that sweet revenue action too. Some commissioners have already thrown cold water on the idea.
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McConnell’s Confusing Brent Spence Bridge Plan

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell proposed ending the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act that regulates prevailing wages on federally funded projects as a way to help pay for the Brent Spence Bridge Project. It’s highly unlikely McConnell’s idea would pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, but he claims it would have saved $13 billion over 10 years. Alison Lundergan Grimes, McConnell’s challenger for his Senate seat this fall, proposed paying for the bridge by eliminating some tax breaks for corporations.
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