Cincinnati council members ask administration to review maintenance of city-owned Potters Field

Council Member Mika Owens asked the City administration to assess maintenance and protection of a city-owned burial ground on the Northwest Side that she described as a Potters Field.

Owens, the chairwoman of the Climate Environment and Infrastructure Committee, said the site is “26 acres north, on the Northwest Side of Gurley Road,” and that University of Cincinnati historians told her the plot “is actually overgrown” and that “it’s been thought that 20,000 people have been laid to rest at this site.” She said the site includes veterans: “6 of which were veterans of the American Civil War, 1 Spanish war veteran and it’s unclear the number of World War I soldiers that might have been buried there.”

The motion, introduced by Owens with Council Member Mark Jeffries and Council Member Nolan listed as co-sponsors, asks the administration to explain how the city maintains cemeteries on city property and what steps can be taken to protect and honor the site.

Committee discussion focused on visible overgrowth and invasive species. Jeffries said many of these cemeteries are “just overgrown, not taken care of, and frankly, it’s disrespectful for people who are living there.” Committee members emphasized a need for the administration to identify maintenance responsibilities and a plan to protect historic burials.

Without recorded objection in committee, Owens moved the item on for passage to the next stage of consideration.

The committee did not record a formal vote tally in the transcript. The motion’s next steps and any follow-up timeline were not specified in committee remarks.