Committee advances multiple grants and a West End redevelopment agreement; grocery-delivery Bloomberg application filed

At the committee meeting, staff read a series of ordinance and grant items and council agreed to advance most of them for passage or further processing.

Staff told the committee they would place item 14 — described as a combination of projects using leftover carryover funds — on for passage and would indefinitely postpone items 2, 3, 4 and 5 because they are incorporated into item 14; item 6 will be held while the administration prepares a revised (B) version.

Key items the committee put on for passage (committee action recorded in the transcript) included:

- A grant-application ordinance to apply for a $50,000 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge award to support a grocery-delivery pilot. Councilman Rauvi thanked the mayor's office and staff for preparing the application and described the competition as global: "Bloomberg, the Global Mayor's Challenge is inviting cities from anywhere in the world with populations of over a hundred thousand residents to reimagine the most essential service they deliver to residents," he said.

- A grant to accept and appropriate $1,063,080 from the Ohio Department of Development (through the Hamilton County Land Reutilization Corporation and the port) for asbestos remediation at the Shiloh Lofts West building at 137 W. Seventh St. The funds respond to additional asbestos found on the property, staff said.

- A grant of $205,131 from the Ohio Department of Development (passing through the port) to fund a voluntary action program-compliant environmental assessment and remedial action plan at properties on East McMillan Street in Walnut Hills (the "Post 2" properties). Staff noted there is a $68,000 local match identified by the Department of Community and Economic Development.

- A $108,000 grant from the fiscal year 2024 Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund for the Cincinnati Police Department to cover electronic surveillance costs related to narcotics investigations. Staff said the local match can be met with on-duty investigative time.

- A $300,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) to help construct the Camp Washington skate park; a 50 percent local match will be provided by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission using existing or future capital funds, staff said.

- A cash donation of $18,250 from University of Cincinnati Physicians to the Cincinnati Fire Department to supply training equipment for the department’s paramedic school.

- A community reinvestment area (CRA) agreement with 510 West Liberty LLC for a 12-year, 100 percent exemption on the value of improvements at 510 West Liberty St. in the West End. The project would remodel two existing buildings into 13 rental residential units at an estimated rehabilitation cost of about $766,000; staff said the units are expected to be market-rate but that some would be affordable and not to exceed 50% AMI.

Staff presented each ordinance and, with little additional debate, the committee placed the items on for passage; the transcript records the committee action but does not include recorded vote tallies. The chair said staff will file the presentation documents required for the business before the committee.

The committee adjourned after the items were read and scheduled for passage or further action.