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Council directs parks staff to study Great Parks management, evaluate CRC green-space transfer
Summary
Cincinnati City Council voted to have the Parks Department work with Great Parks of Hamilton County to evaluate future management options for Mount Airy Forest and French Park and ordered a 90‑day review of transferring CRC green space to Parks.
Cincinnati City Council voted on a pair of motions directing the city’s parks agencies to study options for managing large park assets and the city’s recreation green space.
Council members Jeffries and Kramerding sponsored a motion asking the Cincinnati Parks Department to work with Great Parks of Hamilton County to evaluate a Futures Commission recommendation that Great Parks manage Mount Airy Forest and French Park. The motion requests assessment of any costs to Great Parks and any cost savings to Cincinnati Parks. Council adopted the motion following a roll call vote.
Separately, the council adopted a motion requiring the Cincinnati Parks Department and Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) to evaluate, within 90 days, the Futures Commission proposal to transfer management of about 954 acres currently under CRC to Cincinnati Parks. The evaluation must include implications for staffing, equipment, potential cost savings and CRC’s ability to focus on recreation centers and programming.
Council members said the measures are intended to increase cooperation between agencies and improve service delivery. “Parks what parks does extremely well is managing green space. What CRC does really well is programming,” Council member Jeffries said. Council member Kramerding said the changes would allow each agency to focus on its strengths and that the work should be “smart” and phased over time.
Council member Johnson said he wants assurances during the study that employees of CRC or Parks would not lose jobs as a result of any transfer. “We just want to be crystal clear that none of our amazing employees with CRC or Parks would lose their job,” Johnson said; he asked that staff fully vet workforce implications.
Why it matters: The Futures Commission report recommended restructuring some park management to improve service and (potentially) reduce costs. Council’s motions instruct staff to analyze tradeoffs before any managerial transfer occurs, including staffing and equipment impacts.
What happens next: The motions direct staff to work with Great Parks and to return findings — including cost estimates and operational implications — for council consideration. The motions were adopted in roll call votes; council did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting and no transfers were authorized.
Ending: The council framed the two motions as administrative studies to be completed before any structural change; final decisions would require further council consideration.
