Council approves series of emergency ordinances, grants and funding transfers in unanimous votes

Cincinnati City Council on Jan. 15, 2025, unanimously passed a package of emergency ordinances, grant acceptances, payments and budget transfers covering environmental cleanup, pedestrian safety, workforce and program funding, and several one-time payments. The council also voted to hold a planning-fee item for 30 days pending a staff report.

The actions were taken as emergency measures or first readings and mostly passed on roll-call votes recorded as unanimous. Most items were introduced by city staff or council members and described briefly during the meeting before the votes.

Why it matters: The ordinances and grants provide immediate funding authority or program acceptance for projects ranging from community climate work to remediation of an industrial site along Mill Creek. Several items use state or philanthropic grant dollars; others authorize payments for outstanding vendor invoices and establish capital or project accounts.

Key actions and outcomes

- Motion (Item 43): Council member Denise Walsh moved that the administration provide a report within 30 days on the rationale and impacts of proposed planning-related fee adjustments before the fee changes are considered by council. The motion to request the report was adopted unanimously.

- AmeriCorps VISTA grant (Item 45): Emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager to apply for and accept in-kind services valued at up to $46,800 from the Ohio Community Development Corporation Association/AmeriCorps VISTA to provide one full-time contractor position supporting the 2023 Green Cincinnati plan. The ordinance passed on roll call and council also approved declaring an emergency to enact it immediately.

- West Fork incinerator demolition (Item 46): Emergency ordinance establishing a new permanent improvement project account to provide resources to the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority to remediate the West Fork incinerator site along Mill Creek. Council discussed the project’s environmental importance and recorded unanimous passage; an emergency declaration was also approved.

- Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund grant (Item 47): Emergency ordinance authorizing application for and acceptance of up to $100,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund. The item passed on roll call with emergency status.

- ODOT pedestrian-safety grant (Item 48): Emergency ordinance establishing a capital improvement project account to implement pedestrian-safety improvements at six locations using an Ohio Department of Transportation fiscal-year grant (PID 119754); council members described crosswalks, bump-outs and raised crossings near schools and recreation centers. The grant and emergency passage were approved unanimously.

- Payment to PowerDMS (Item 49): Emergency ordinance authorizing payment of $32,046 to PowerDMS Inc. for outstanding software subscription charges related to the Cincinnati Recreation Commission; passed on roll call with emergency status.

- Payment to Xavier University (Item 50): Emergency ordinance authorizing payment of $10,816.14 from the Department of Economic Inclusion Special Events Fund for charges related to the 2024 Business Enterprise Expo; approved unanimously with emergency declaration.

- Western Hills Viaduct inspection (Item 51): Emergency ordinance authorizing payment of $42,918.38 to Michael Baker International for inspection services on the Western Hills Viaduct; passed on roll call with emergency status.

- Yost Avenue and Safer Street realignment (Items 52–53): Council voted to adopt an emergency legislative resolution declaring intent to appropriate public-use property interests necessary to restructure portions of Yost Avenue and Safer Street and a companion emergency ordinance to appropriate those interests. Council members said the project addresses flooding in North Fairmount; both items passed with emergency declarations.

- Small interoffice transfer (Item 54): Emergency order authorizing a $2,800 transfer within the general fund from Council President Pro Tem Parks’s personnel operating budget to her non-personnel operating budget; council approved the transfer and emergency declaration.

- Green Cincinnati capital account (Item 55): Emergency ordinance creating a new capital improvement project account, “Green Cincinnati sustainability initiatives,” to fund capital work aligning with the 2023 Green Cincinnati plan. Council also noted a $250,000 workforce-development allocation that the administration clarified is operating (not capital) funding to be leveraged by Green Umbrella; the ordinance and emergency declaration passed.

- Item 56 (held): Council member Walsh moved to hold an item that had been carried over from the Jan. 8, 2025 calendar for 30 days pending the report requested in Item 43. The motion to hold for 30 days was approved unanimously.

What was not decided: The council did not reject any measure on the agenda; one substantive item was held for a later vote pending staff analysis.

Votes and roll-call: For each item recorded in the meeting, the clerk called the roll. The roll-call votes recorded the following council members as voting “Yes” on the passed items: Council member Owens; Council member Parks; Council member Walsh; Council member Albee; Council member Krammerding (appears as variations in the transcript); Council member Jeffries; Vice Mayor Kearney; Council member Nolan. Where specific ordinance or resolution numbers were not stated in the meeting transcript, those identifiers are recorded as "not specified."

Next steps: Several items appropriate funds or authorize applications; implementation and expenditure will follow administrative processes and, where applicable, vendor agreements or grant acceptance documents. The planning-fee report requested in Item 43 is due within 30 days per council direction and will be required before certain fee changes are returned to the council agenda.