Cleves council adopts “Clean Court” to hear local nuisance and code cases

Cleves Village Council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 18-2025, establishing a local civil venue the council is calling the “Clean Court” to hear code, livability, enforcement and nuisance cases and declaring the ordinance an emergency so it takes effect immediately.

The Clean Court is intended to provide a local forum for noncriminal ordinance violations — examples cited at the meeting included tall grass, junk vehicles and nuisance properties — and to add a formal, local adjudication step before municipal judgments are appealed to Hamilton County Common Pleas. Village Administrator Justin described the panel as “a quasi jury” of five citizens who will be appointed to hear cases, with a neutral magistrate presiding to ensure procedural rules are followed.

Council members said the court is meant to expand due process for residents charged with civil ordinance violations while keeping zoning appeals with the Board of Zoning Appeals and criminal ordinance matters in mayor’s court. Justin explained that the Clean Court panel will be able to consider mitigating circumstances, waive or reduce fines, assess court costs or set compliance timelines; he also cited Ohio law for appeals pathways.

Several council members raised questions about how members will be selected, term length and whether the panel could produce inconsistent rulings. Council members were repeatedly told the Clean Court panel will be appointed for fixed terms, will be citizen volunteers and that vacancies would be filled by application and interview before council.

The council moved first to suspend the rules so the ordinance could be enacted as an emergency; the motion to suspend was made by Mister Bable and seconded by Miss Angeline and passed on roll call 6-0. Mister Bable moved to adopt Ordinance 18-2025, the motion was seconded by Miss Angeline and the ordinance passed on roll call 6-0 and takes effect immediately as an emergency ordinance.

Discussion: Council emphasized the Clean Court is intended for compliance and remediation, not revenue generation. Justin noted the statutory appeal path to Hamilton County Common Pleas and said the village is seeking to provide more due process and a local venue so residents have an opportunity to be heard locally. Several council members requested additional details about administrative support, staffing and how fines or abatements will be collected and tracked; staff said some costs (magistrate, clerk) will remain in the general fund while fines and abatement recoveries may be routed to a restricted abatement fund described separately on the agenda.

The council also discussed outreach to the public about the new process and how volunteer panel members will be recruited and trained. No additional substantive amendments to the ordinance were made at the meeting. The ordinance was adopted 6-0 and declared an emergency, becoming effective immediately.