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Residents urge council to respond to housing, safety and city responsiveness during citizens forum
Summary
At a lengthy citizens forum, speakers raised concerns about mayoral ethics and contracting, international human-rights advocacy and Gaza, neighborhood drug activity in Northside, alleged police targeting, tenant retaliation over mold, and requests for faster payment to nonprofit partners.
Cincinnati City Council opened its meeting with an extended citizens forum in which residents pressed a range of concerns including local housing instability, public-safety problems, complaints about city responsiveness and international human-rights advocacy.
Todd Zinsser, a West Price Hill resident, told the council he had submitted two letters and sought a response. He raised an ethics concern about what he described as the mayor’s membership on the board of directors of Centrifuge, a group that receives city funds, and asked council members to make good-faith efforts to respond to citizen correspondence. “Since Centrifuge receives funds from the city, I think that this mayor's membership on that board raises some ethics issues,” Zinsser said.
Several speakers tied international concerns to local needs. Bettina Ernst said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza highlights local priorities such as the more than 300 Cincinnati Public School students who do not have a regular place to sleep, and urged divestment from institutions she said profit from war and reinvestment in local services for children. Jalen Bolden recounted volunteering overseas and urged attention to domestic needs.
Other commenters focused on neighborhoods: John and Taylor Jamieson described concentrated drug dealing near a UDF in Northside, said on-site managers and corporate headquarters have not addressed the problem, and reported safety risks for residents and children. Florence Rothenberg, a Northside physician, supported their account and described trash, needles and safety problems affecting programs for children.
Lakeisha Howell told council she believed she was being intentionally targeted by Cincinnati police after filing misconduct complaints and asked for direct assistance because she said standard complaint channels have not produced a response. Mike Eulhorn, participating by Zoom, raised long-running billing complaints related to Greater Cincinnati Water Works and urged mayoral follow-up.
Several speakers also criticized perceived inequities in contracting and city follow-through; Orlando Majette and others said small minority-owned contractors continue to be passed over for major city contracts.
The chair closed the forum at about 2:13 p.m. and the council then moved to its business session.
