Budget and Finance Committee advances OKI transportation grants, energy proceeds allocation and safety funding

The Budget and Finance Committee of the Cincinnati City Council on an agenda in Committee Room B advanced several funding and agreement items, including two OKI transportation grants, acceptance of renewable-energy proceeds, a parking-safety appropriation and water-service contracts. Chair opened the session, received public comment and moved items onto the consent/passage list before the committee recessed into an executive session for labor negotiations.

Administration presented item 1, a grant ordinance to apply for and accept up to $8,800,000 from the Ohio–Kentucky–Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) through the Surface Transportation Block Grant program for the Gilbert Avenue Complete Streets project, which runs from Court Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Dr. Dutis told the committee the project’s focus is traffic calming, traffic signal improvements, bus-stop upgrades, shortened crosswalks and protected bike lanes; design is under way and construction is expected to begin in 2026. "Total project estimate right now is $17,000,000," Dr. Dutis said during the presentation.

Nolan Jeffries, the committee’s OKI representative, said the Gilbert Avenue project is the first of several OKI-funded initiatives and noted roughly $25 million of OKI funding across items was being pursued. "This is for Gilbert Ave, an exciting project, complete streets all the way from court all the way up to MLK," Jeffries said, praising stakeholder engagement. Councilmember Mieka Owens called the corridor work "a major thoroughfare" that advances equity and connectivity across neighborhoods.

Item 2, another OKI surface transportation block grant request of $8,800,000, would fund the Lick Run connector, a roughly 2.4-mile bicycle and pedestrian improvement linking White and Queen City Avenue to Rapid Run Road and Glenway Avenue and connecting to the Dunham Recreation Complex. The project estimate was described as about $14,000,000, with construction not expected until 2028.

The committee also considered an ordinance (item 4) to accept and appropriate $3,238,784.59 in proceeds from renewable-energy certificate (REX) sales tied to a solar array. The administration proposed allocations of just over $647,000 to the general fund, nearly $1.2 million to the Metropolitan Sewer District and nearly $1.4 million to Water Works; the general-fund portion would be transferred to a revolving energy loan fund to support future projects. Councilmember Owens described the revolving loan fund as "smart" city innovation for capital improvements.

Item 5 would appropriate an existing $400,000 balance in the parking system fund to capital projects improving safety at city-owned parking garages and lots in the Central Business District, with lighting cited as the first priority and cameras, elevators and deck repairs as potential uses. Councilmember Albee emphasized the public-safety and theft-prevention benefits of improved lighting and camera coverage.

The committee put item 3 (a donation ordinance for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s 2025 toy drive) and item 6 (a $110,000 Main Street Small Business Support public-purpose declaration for Over-the-Rhine) on for passage.

On water services, administration described an agreement for standby water service with the city of Fairfield (a proposed 25-year contract through 2050) and a one-year extension through Dec. 31, 2026, as the seventh amendment to the Butler County Water Area contract for surplus water supply.

Chair noted that item 9 had generated public questions and requested an administration report to clarify outstanding issues. He moved that item 10 be passed and item 9 be held pending that report. Vice Mayor Jan Michelle Lehi Kearney said she wanted the report to be comprehensive and to include questions raised during public comment, and the committee agreed to hold item 9 for further review.

Before adjourning for an executive session to discuss labor negotiations, the clerk conducted a roll call vote to enter executive session; the roll call as recorded on the transcript shows all listed members answering "yes." The committee returned from executive session, the clerk put item 11 on for passage, and the meeting adjourned.

The committee did not record final committee-adopted votes on the individual grant and appropriation ordinances in the portion of the transcript provided; items were placed "on for passage" or held for further action as noted.