[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6264228,"mediaKeyId","3098359-81ff4fc4fe5162b169474b64f8559a8d","parentId",3098359,"title","Commissioners review Paycor Stadium MOU; vote deferred as debate continues over timing, funding and lease terms","audioSeconds",4374,"startMs",1489000,"endMs",5863000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3098359-81ff4fc4fe5162b169474b64f8559a8d&start=1489&end=5863","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3098359-81ff4fc4fe5162b169474b64f8559a8d/thumbnail_1489000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6264228/Hamilton-County/Ohio/Commissioners-review-Paycor-Stadium-MOU-vote-deferred-as-debate-continues-over-timing-funding-and-lease-terms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264228-e8ea267b62f943fee34207031cffc598/orig.mp4?Expires=1770541836&Signature=Ga9-JE6fWjaxg8cBpt1WpTfZnItLFNewflp3RTpdOnEAb7TMFXDPEfwdTA7JZUF9LYZBt0RIQIcUcPq4uKQFKXU--obBGP3ZCmnFFVpuYA4ugTQFJ2IqAUi11W8PaJj~mC~oaQtVrrHOmJYRFnWq4Ka-Ty~bzNbJZo3k666a8YoyddOwzxVygVOJJJl0DgeNJr4fKysEozwg~kQgGnSEuLkb2qFx55W4h3H6NUluprHl-bDQTVNeN~T2mGLIMveuoSyBE3epGOTfxcRaWP4ZKpVdD3dKZg-bLP37-e07SsMmvZipxGUJPGPyugq6NKLqAIhePPooneW~n4rFeobkvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hamilton County OH","date","2025-04-23T19:10:52.617Z","article","County administration presented a memorandum of understanding on April 20 that would let Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals advance design, procurement and limited equipment purchases for a phased Paycor Stadium renovation planned to begin in 2026. Commissioners debated dollar amounts, risk to taxpayers and whether county commitments should precede a finalized long-term lease with the team.

Jeff (county staff) said the renovation program has been refined from an initial $1.3 billion estimate to approximately $830 million staged across four phases, subject to funding. For phase 1, he said team-funded work would total roughly $120 million (team equity plus NFL loan funds) and county-funded projects would total about $64.5 million, focused on vertical-transportation repairs (escalators/elevators), electrical and power upgrades, suite seats, glazing and the stadium’s control room for audiovisual systems. The county has also sought $350 million in state assistance and the team secured NFL G5 loan financing, Jeff said.

“Given the associated lead times…the team and the county will continue initial planning and procurement activities associated with these projects in 2025 with the goal of implementing them in 2026,” Jeff said, describing the MOU’s intent to enable preconstruction work while the parties continue negotiating a comprehensive lease by June 30, 2025—the date the team must exercise a two-year lease extension, per staff.

Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas said the draft MOU contains many substantive commitments and asked whether the team had reviewed and approved the language; staff replied that the team had reviewed and was prepared to execute the MOU if the board approved it. Commissioner Dumas requested the prosecutor’s office add an “approved as to content” signoff in addition to the statutory “approved as to form.” Co-counsel Roger Friedman confirmed the office can include content approval if the board wants it.

Commissioner Alicia Reece (speaking at length) expressed strong reservations about advancing county dollars before a new lease is finalized. Reece recounted past controversies over stadium deals, questioned whether the team had fully partnered with other Ohio jurisdictions on parallel state requests and asked for a firm deadline for a finalized lease. “If this thing ain’t helping me get no lease I ain’t going with it,” Reece said.

Other board members and staff emphasized timing constraints tied to available NFL loan dollars and the state budget process, and said the MOU includes a “safety valve” allowing either party to reduce or terminate commitments if a comprehensive agreement is not reached.

After extended discussion the board agreed to continue the conversation and scheduled the MOU for possible action at the next meeting, with no MOU vote taken on April 20. The meeting ended after a routine motion to adjourn passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The MOU would allow procurement and limited purchases now to avoid delays in 2026 construction, but commissioners raised concerns about committing county funds before a new lease is signed and voiced a desire for clearer legal signoffs and calendarized updates as negotiations proceed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hamilton County Commissioners Staff Meeting 4/22/25","oneSentenceSummary","County staff presented a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Cincinnati Bengals to begin preconstruction work for a phased Paycor Stadium renovation. The board discussed funding, deadlines and lease concerns and agreed to revisit the MOU at a vote next week; no MOU vote occurred on April 20.","taxTitle","Hamilton County, Ohio","taxId",2657,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6264234,"Hamilton County proclaims Earth Day as environmental team highlights air, waste gains",1448,28000,1476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3098359-81ff4fc4fe5162b169474b64f8559a8d&start=28&end=1476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3098359-81ff4fc4fe5162b169474b64f8559a8d/thumbnail_28000.jpg","/articles/6264234/Hamilton-County/Ohio/Hamilton-County-proclaims-Earth-Day-as-environmental-team-highlights-air-waste-gains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264234-be5ef0dc975845a167bb244d1bf1e92e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770541836&Signature=Qb3oMDRhVEMPNvdsU7~b3dmvxsPup5c5DXf89Ip-EfgChSlmZKTS5FllvI6Oy0FbaY8M37Vq00P0GuFZOJjy5wNZrj4uzFyuF7mau40dzJUifUj51gcMQOrBclMnuE~j48dLULmFlsgOs~-JKsE~W701bWOBJJvZCCJkOPOXiwxWJBsnNO2vZkhdqMevcDhhg6TCyhiyOldY5Ti5VDBWTCO~nsxcuu9moesSxVOxFac2lEHI~Ht1At3qq3AIt4~csBsPMoEZzRyAdBrl-0kxYu4quZHv9strqJaTGDjnR9MeGSYTMY7jwf0Q3znI2zhhsU3yvtRf-gL8ZkVO3tzLqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hamilton County commissioners on April 20 proclaimed April 22, 2025, as Earth Day and heard a presentation from Brad Johnson, director of Hamilton County Environmental Services, outlining local air-quality monitoring and waste-reduction efforts.

Johnson told commissioners the county operates 18 air-monitoring sites across five counties and detailed multi-decade declines in several priority pollutants. “I will be brief, but it is a very important day,” Johnson said. He noted that ozone and fine particulate matter remain the more challenging pollutants locally because of the region’s valley geography, even as levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide have fallen.

The presentation focused on three themes: air monitoring and trends, waste diversion and community outreach. Johnson said the county tracks federal EPA primary pollutants, described a decline versus national trends for many contaminants and flagged ongoing difficulty meeting increasingly strict ozone standards in summer months. He said the county also uses lower-cost “sensor” monitors to get near–real-time alerts that can prompt targeted investigations.

Johnson described Hamilton County Resource (formerly the solid waste district) and county partnerships that support backyard composting, year-round rain-barrel sales, and yard-trimmings drop-offs (including expanded weekday service at an East Side site). He said the county’s 5|13 Green Workplace Certification program certified 19 additional facilities last year and called out food-rescue partnerships that diverted roughly 9,000 tons of food in 2024.

Commissioners praised the work and asked for additional detail about geographic and equity patterns in pollution. “One of the areas…we’ve looked at is areas of lower income get hit harder,” Johnson said when asked about environmental justice and locations such as Middletown where industrial sources are concentrated. He referenced a pending large industrial modernization project that he said could reduce future emissions.

Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas asked whether the county has a list of neighborhoods with higher pollutant readings; Johnson said historic studies show some localized elevations but that measured levels generally remain below health standards, while underscoring ongoing improvement efforts and school-based monitoring partnerships.

Johnson also noted the county’s emergency planning for debris and waste after storms and floods, saying teams have debris-removal plans and staging arrangements developed with Rumpke and the county’s emergency management agency. Commissioners credited interdepartmental collaboration, citing partners including planning and development, public health, parks and the conservation district.

The board installed an Earth Day proclamation that traced local environmental organizing back to early 20th-century smoke-abatement efforts and cited recent recognitions—including Energy Star acknowledgments for five county facilities in 2024—and county grant programs that seed waste-innovation projects. Commissioners and staff paused for a photo following the proclamation.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the combination of long-running monitoring, grant-funded pilot programs and coordination with health and conservation partners positions the county to address persistent ozone and particulate challenges and to expand waste diversion efforts.","Hamilton County commissioners adopted an Earth Day proclamation and heard a presentation from the county’s environmental services director on air-quality monitoring, waste-reduction programs and local partnerships that officials said have driven long-term improvements.","actionData","errors"]

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Commissioners review Paycor Stadium MOU; vote deferred as debate continues over timing, funding and lease terms

Hamilton County proclaims Earth Day as environmental team highlights air, waste gains