>> Councilmember Harris: all
right, we'll begin. Welcome to
budget and finance, I'm your
committee chair reggie harris.
Joined today by my colleagues
councilmember jeffreys,
councilmember owens,
councilmember johnson,
councilmember walsh, your vice
clair councilmember cramerding
is joining via zoom. The vice
mayor is supposed to be joining
via zoom as well. And I think
councilmember anna albi and
parks are running late. But we
have a long agenda ahead of us
so we are going to dive right
in. From the administration we
have DR. Dudas, director alder,
christine zimmer from the law
department, welcome budget and
finance, got a new face. Okay.
Well new to me, not new for you.
I'm sure you have had, yeah.
You're like I've seen some
things. And then we have the
city manager, sheryl long and
acm weber joining us here they
will be there for our
presentations. And then our
clerk is MR. Robert neely. We
do have public comment, we have
one person on zoom and one
person in person. We'll take
our -- is our zoom speaker
ready?
So our zoom speaker is not
logged in. So we'll do our in
person speaker and we have I
might mispronounce the name,
jennifer ice
jennifer.
>> thank you. It is ice meyer.
I'm the executive of camp joy.
We provide experiential
education for 10,000 youth and
adults every year. Thank you
for the opportunity to speak to
you today and for considering
jam-p joy leveraged support add
indication in the proposed
budget. Your investment of
$75,000 will enable 1600
cincinnati public school
students to participate in
student leadership programming.
Experience based programs for
cincinnati youth designed
specifically for the kids in the
neighborhoods you serve. We are
focusing on seventh and eighth
graders based on expert
recommendations. Aiming to
address future potential issues
such as adverse behaviors,
absenteeism and economic
inequity. By fostering and that
skills early on we're equipping
these stewed tents become
leaders in their schools and
communities. Resulting in
better personal outcomes. Camp
joy gives opportunities to be
successful in new ways.
Delivering programming to
cincinnati school students in
their schools allows us to meet
them where they are.
Eliminating concerns about as
cease ability and travel. And
we camp joy addresses this
critical need by providing
essential skills to some of the
community's most vulnerable
youth who wouldn't otherwise
have this chance but for your
support. Thank you for
supporting this opportunity to
make a lasting impact on your
student's lives.
>> Councilmember Harris: thank
you. Let's jump into the agenda
and end with the presentation.
So we'll move fast. So DR.
Dudas, you want to take us away?
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 1 is a grant ordinance
for the health department. This
is $120,000 from ohio department
of health creating healthy
communities program. $120,000
would reimburse existing staff
for their work on the healthy
communities program in the
health department.
>> Councilmember Harris: without
objection womb move item
number 1 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 2 is also a grant
ordinance for the health
department, this is a grant of
$225,000 from bureau of health
preparedness. Funds would be
utilized to respond to public
health threats such as bio
terror social security,
infectious disease and other
health related emergencies at
the county and regional.
>> Councilmember Harris: doctor
mussman is on a roll now. He's
like that's all me, all grants.
Without objection we'll move
item number 2 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 3 is a grant ordinance
from the office of environment
and sustainability, this is
$47,000 this is from the united
states environmental protection
agency. The star program
science to achieves results.
The awardee is green umbrella,
they have selected the city as
the sub awardee to receive the
funds. The funds would be, this
is part of the drivers and
environmental impacts of energy
transition in underserved
communities and specifically
this funding would allow oes to
work with green umbrella to work
with a report on evaluating the
environmental behavioral and
financial benefits of
electrification and energy
efficiency for underserved
communities.
>> Councilmember Harris: this
aligns with at least the top of
my head a few strategies in the
green cincinnati plan,.
>> Councilmember Owens:
absolutely, it gets to one,
equity, but also understanding
what are the needs as we build,
we electrify the city for more
electric vehicles.
>> Councilmember Harris: this is
great to see. Green umbrella is
a great organization. Thank
you.
>> DR. Dudas: item number 4 this
is a then and now payment for
the department of transportation
and engineering, it would
authorizes the payment of
$113,000 from existing funds
that are within dote's capital
improvement program project
account for traffic signals
infrastructure. The payment
would go to capital electric for
outstanding charges related to
labor, materials and equipment
services provided to the city
for traffic signal
infrastructure improvements.
>> Councilmember Harris: all
right, without objection we'll
move item number 4 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 5 is a moral obligation
ordinance for office of
environment and sustainability.
This is a payment of $27,000
going to atc group services llc
doing business as at last
technical consultants llc. Oes
utilized at last technical
consultants for consulting work
on their contract related to
residential recycling and there
are existing funds in the oes
budget to make this payment.
>> Councilmember Harris: great,
this is item number 5?
Yes?
all right without objection
we'll move item number 5 for
passage.
>> DR. Dudas:
>> DR. Dudas: I have lost a page
of my agenda. Pardon me. Item
number 6 is a --
>> Councilmember Harris: did you
know that you have never had a
MISS Step before, have I never
seen that happen that you have
lost an agenda page. So we're
just going to forget that is a
blip, as clit much in the
matrics. Okay.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 6 is a special assessment
ordinance. This is for street
lighting. This would be for
lighting group 1, this is the
second step in the 3 step
process. This would determine
to proceed with the street
lighting assessment for that
lighting group 1. Step 1 was
approved by council in MARCH.
>> Councilmember Harris:
councilmember johnson?
>> Councilmember Johnson: thank
you. If you could help me out,
where is group 1 located?
Or does the chair remember?
>> Councilmember Harris: so, no,
DR. Dudas, you take it I was
going to answer a different
question, but yes.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, the
lighting group 1 includes
streets in avondale, bond hill,
clifton, college hill, cuf, east
walnut hills, hyde park, kennedy
heights, mount lookout, north
avondale, oakley, pleasant
ridge, south fairmont. West
price hill and westwood.
>> Councilmember Johnson: thank
you very much.
>> Councilmember Harris: that's
a great question. Just to be
clear for folks who might be
tuning in. There are a number
of street lighting fixtures
around our city that are not
owned by the city. But it is
their responsibility to
maintain. So I think a good
example is cincinnati
metropolitan housing authority
they have street fixtures that
are obviously illuminate public
spaces but they are the
responsibility to maintain.
This is the assessment of those
fixtures that are not maintained
by the city and then we do them
in sort of zones because we have
a big city. All right. Without
objection we'll move item number 6 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 7 this is the third step
of that special assessment
process for straight lighting
group 1. This is the third and
final step which would be to
authorizes the levying of the
assessments.
>> Councilmember Harris: all
right w out objection we'll move
item number 7 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 8 the next self items are
entitlement grants from the
federal department of housing
and urban development, this is
our community development block
grant money. Item 8 is the
community development block
grant funding, there is three
parts of the funding here first
is accepting and appropriating
$11 million that is our
entitlement for cdbg. The
ordinance also appropriation
program income in the amount of
$355,000. And then finally it
authorizes a realignment of 436,
$419 of existing funds. The
ordinance also then.
Files our annual action plan for
2024 which is a requirement of
receiving the funds.
>> Councilmember Harris: at the
outset, I just want to give a
real big shout out to morgan
sutter, our grants guru.
Managing federal grants and hud
grants as many folks in the
department know, it is a huge
lift, particularly with the
number of programs that we fund
through the city. And also want
to brag on the fact that we
continue to number good stand
with all of our grants across
multiple years. And so I think
that this year is a example of
both us continuing to fund
programs, reallocating dollars
to programs that have been
performing well, reassessing
programs that have been
underperforming. So it is this
consistent, constant sort of
year to year balancing of
priorities. And so, you know,
we each have the opportunity to
be briefed about these a lotment
and I just again continue to be
impressed with our department
and particularly MISS Sutter as
work.
>> Councilmember Jeffreys: echo
that. It just doesn't happen,
it happens because good people
make it happen. So I do want to
call out within this, you know,
several years ago the funds for
cdcs that we gave to
neighborhoods was about
$300,000, went up to $900,000
and now it is 1.9. So that is a
significant investment in
neighborhood and cdcs which we
know are strong return on
investments and so we want to
call that out because that's
been a choice that we made in
the last few years and I think
we'll see the -- we have seen
the rewards but even more in the
future just enabling those cdcs.
>> Councilmember Harris: yeah.
>> Councilmember Walsh: I want
to he can/that point, coming
from the community development
world the investment that we're
making is fantastic.
Morgan sutter has been a
phenomenal lead other this
effort here because you can see
as I flip through there's it
gets complicated where money due
too time limits that is to
timeliness of that same year in
that category. Fantastic work
for all the efforts that's gone
into it our granting government
affairs department has stepped
up to the next level. We see
all the grants we're getting
now. This is one of the many
that we get of the thank you for
everything that are you doing,
morgan.
>> Councilmember Harris: that's
right. All right. Without
objection we'll move item number 8 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 9 this is also one of the
hud community development block
grant related ordinances. This
specifically is for our
entitlement amount for housing
opportunities for persons with
aids, hospital with a hopwa. So
so this would appropriate
entitlement funds as well as
file our annual action plan for
the hopwa grant program.
>> Councilmember Harris: all
right. Without objection we'll
move item number 9 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 10 this is also part of
our hud entitlement ordinances.
This specific ordinance is for
the home investment partnership
program. So this ordinance
would accept and appropriate
2-point $4 millions of
entitlement funds. It also
appropriates program income in
the amount of $06,000.577 and it
files the and that action plan
for the.
Home program.
>> Councilmember Harris: great.
Without objection we'll move
item number 10 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 11 this is the fourth and
final hud ordinance. This is
for the emergency solutions
grant program. This ordinance
would accept and appropriate
$989,000 of those esg
entitlement funds and files the
annual action plan for the use
of those funds.
>> Councilmember Harris: without
objection we'll move item number 11 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, item
number 12 is a ordinance, this
is related to project tifs. And
due to an allowance in state law
for the revised code, the city
is allowed to take action to
enable excess service payments
from project tifs to be used for
urban redevelopment. This is a
opportunity that the city has to
opt in from affirmatively to get
this benefit before JUNE 30 of
this year. The ordinance also
then amends a variety of
ordinances that would impacted
by the potential of excess
service payments being made
available.
>> Councilmember Harris: this is
so great, and I'm glad that we
are doing this this year. You
know, just in the past six
months we have authorized two
project tifs that will likely be
very successful. And so when we
start to think about creating
opportunities and pools of money
for investment I think this is
just a really great tool. So, i
guess the question I would ask
is that if we -- whatever we
need to do to operational eyes.
Do we have to opt in annually?
So once we opt in we're in, all
right, well we're in we're in.
All right. Councilmember
jeffreys.
>> Councilmember Jeffreys: so
acm web he asked most of my
questions on this. So these are
project tifs versus geographic
tifs I think that's important to
mention. To the administration,
can you give us a sense of how
much money there might be here
and then what this could enable,
like just in ball park like what
types of projects could this
enable?
>> to the chair, to the
councilmember it is several
million dollars that's something
we can follow-up with you on.
>> Councilmember Harris: all
right. Without objection we'll
move item number 12 for passage.
>> DR. Dudas: item number 13 is
a motion submit bid
councilmember anna albi, vice
mayor kearney, members jeffreys,
walsh johnson and owens, to
provide a report within 90 days
for the feasibility of setting
up a fund to support residential
sidewalk repair.
>> Councilmember Albi: thank
you. So, I appreciate the
administration taking this on
the report. I think we can
appreciate when we're walking
around neighborhoods and sit a
sidewalk that's in dis repair,
right now it is obviously the
burden of the resident there and
sometimes those repairs can be
expensive the ask is to ask the
administration what is that cost
burden on our residents and how
can we as a city help that?
i believe sidewalks are an
important part of our existing
infrastructure that make it
schedule and walkable and all
those things. That's the and
that cost burden on our
residents and how we as as I
city can think innovatively how
we can support that looking at
the profits from the railroad
sale to go into existing
infrastructure.
>> Councilmember Harris: without
objection we'll move item number 13 for passage. All
right and that is our agenda.
We will hop in our
presentations. So our first
presentation will be from our
esteemed city manager on the
city manager's recommended
fiscal year 2025 budget update.
City manager long?
>> City Manager Long: I'm going
to stay over here this time
around. Okay. Let's begin.
Ready director dudas?
DR. D?
Okay. So over the past two
years my administration made a
big commitment to using data,
defining kpi and taking a close
loot at what works and doesn't.
By doing a honest assessment our
processes we can make decisions
about the smartest most
efficient way to spend money.
This has been hard work that is
a cultural shift for the city.
I news anchor all of you for
your support as we continue to
be good fiscal steward of public
dollars. I'm happy that the
combination of inn discreted
projected revenues and managed
spending we're discussing
presenting a structurally
balanced budget for all ongoing
operating expenses. For the
first time since the pandemic
the city does not need to rely
on american rescue plan
resources to cover operating
expenses. And the small amount
of remaining rescue plan dollars
will be used to support
impactful one time investments,
especially in the area of
economic development.
Considered will get into many
more specifics in the
presentation in a moment. But,
I do want to share some quick
highlights that align around the
five strategic goals that align
with the mayor us vision for the
city. The goals are growing
economic opportunities, driving
neighborhoods, public safety and
health, excellent and equitable
service delivery and fiscal
sustainability. Under growing
economic development we're using
some of the arp funding to
invest more than 8 million in
dced initiatives. Including the
new quick straight acquisition
and project support fund, the
neighborhood business district
improvement program, resources
for strategic property
acquisitions, property
improvement more. I think it is
important that our city staff
and dced law and other relevant
departments know that we have
the full support of
administration as they lead the
charge for economic development
in the region. For driving
neighborhoods we're building on
a lot of quality of life
investments that have come on
line since last year. Including
the new building is best
academy. This is an innovative
concepts that trains building
inspectors in-house. Much like
we on board fire fighters
unbelievers. And public safety
and health we're investing in
cfd staffing and projects fire
department will achieve full
sworn budgeted strength. On the
cpd side we're investing in 2
two 350 person recruit classes
to
class2350 person and that non police
interventions to alternate
response to crisis program which
saves hundreds of hours by
dispatching mental health and
public health specials I was to
calls where an unyou've
uniformed necessary -- where a
uniformed officer is not the
best response, excuse me. And
this budget ark will have
expanded and that staff team.
Alternative response teams ace
scam of a that see where
investments are making sense and
how we into toad and that save
dollars. This is a complete
great example of the that data
hand how we're depending on
that. For excellent and
accessible service see 31 cincy
smart resources allocation.
Thirty-one allows us to hear
about problems and that and
sloughs from residents
immediately and fits that
quickly and this budget
recommends the funding of a new
customer service team to
continue improving 311.
Finally, the fiscal
sustainability I recommend a
.75% increase in the city
employer pension contribution
from 17% to 17-point 75%. For
city staff pass the, present and
future we need to take care of
home and making healthy
investments in the pension fund
now we reduce long term
financial risker.
On the capital side, we are
preparing for increase
investment from the sale of the
cincinnati southern railway that
is completed in early 2024. The
cincy on track and transparency
in spending and special report
in the budget document a
tracking dashboard coming later
this year and increased staffing
in the department of public
service to ensure efficient
deployment. We have heard from
residents and we have learned
from residents and we are
prepared to deploy a residents
have asked for and that is
complete transparency. I'm
proud of what we were doing when
we talk about cincy on track.
Overall, I believe this budget
will help us achieve strategic
objectives and prepare for
operating deficits. Without
throughout leslie slashing or
increasing log than now DR.
Dudas can tell you much more.
>> DR. Dudas: all right. Thank
you, very much, city manager.
We'll start with the just basic
overview of the fiscal year 2025
budget update start with the
operating budget and then moving
to the capital budget. We have
the five strategic priorities
that things are centered around.
And my pitch usually is that
when you look at the budget
document the icons that are
assigned to each of the
strategic priorities you will
see in the department summary
section each department summary
page is related to one of these
five priorities based on the
best fit of that program and
service that is are being
delivered by that department to
one of these five priorities.
Beginning with the fiscal year
2025 operating budget I think it
is important to look a little
bit long term at where the city
is headed. Certainly since the
pandemic the general fund budget
has not been balanced even
though that's our goal each and
every year. We have used
american rescue plan dollars and
one time revenue sources which
means the past several fiscal
years we have had a balanced
budget but not structurally
balanced development. And
operating budget for 2025 is
balanced. But it is
structurally balanced
development while we're using
one time revenues we have
earmarked those one time
revenues sources for one time
expenditure items which is I
think an important distinction.
So we are structurally
unbalanced for. There are and
225 continue to $3 million of
arp resources that is what is
being used to support those one
time expenses that will not
reoakier in fiscal year 2026.
Looking beyond the upcoming
fiscal year, fiscal year 2026
through 2029, we do have
projected budget deficits in
those out years. Our look into
the future does show that
expenditures continue to grow at
a faster pace than revenues,
this is good news foretime 2025
but there is projected deficits
and imbalance between
expenditures growth and revenue
growth. As the city manager has
indicated, the administration
will continue to look for
opportunities to enhance
revenues, increase efficiency,
improve service delivery, and
certainly to support policy
conversations related to the
city's finances and particularly
the recent recommendations from
the cincinnati futures
commission. From a operating
budget specify, what I wanted to
call your attention to here is
the third column of numbers
which is our recommended fiscal
year 2025 update. We have in
total $1.3 billion operating
budget that includes the general
fund as well as all of our
restricted funds. Going back
and making sure that we spend
some time at general fund
budget, this is a little bit of
a history over the past several
months in terms of where things
have gone from the tentative tax
budget to now. For the past
several years when the city
prepares its continuation budget
for the upcoming fiscal year tet
of the tentative tax budget
which is usually DECEMBER,
JANUARY of the -- in terms of
time. We have had a projected
budget deficit ranging anywhere
from 18-$30 million. Tet of the
ttb this year that was no
different. We had projected a
26-point $4 million deaf sit, we
had $25.2 million of arp
remaining, so we had projected a
deficit of just over a million
dollars. There have been some
significant material changes
that have occurred since the ttb
was approved and these next
several slides will walk us
through what those material
changes amounted to. On the
revenue side, we saw some
significant increases in ref
knew total of $32.9 million,
$9.6 million of that is from
increased practices ref property
tax revenue, that is due to
county property value
assessments so those increased
property values have driven.
Revenue growth. The city income
tax revenue hassles grown by
$8.7 million as in terms of our
projection for fiscal year 2025,
essentially that's due to
current trent trends on markiea
carter revenue and a better than
projected economy regionally and
nationally. We also had another
$14.6 million of increased
miscellaneous revenue. This is
from a variety of different
sources including the admission
tax, short term rental exercise
tax, increased building and
permit fees as well as some
investment income. Primarily
these are due to adjustments
based on current year trends but
also a rigorous administration's
review of revenue enhancement
opportunities through our siet
process. When we get to the use
of american rescue plan dollars
as I indicated there is
$25.2 million remaining. The
fiscal year 2025 recommended
budget uses $7.6 million in the
operating budget for those one
time non reoccurring expenses
and then $17.6 million will be
transferred out to the capital
budget to be used for capital
items. Continuing the process
of balancings our general fund
budget for fiscal year 2025, we
also had some expenditure
reductions that occurred since
the tentative tax budget, the
the first is the timing of fire
recruit classes. We due to
delaying delaying of a current
class here in fiscal year 2024,
there will now be one class in
fiscal year 2025 and two classes
in fiscal year 2026. We also
had included in the continuation
budget a 5% increase in calendar
year 2025 employer health care
premium increase based on
current projections. We do not
have that premium increase need
so that resulted in a savings in
the general fund of
approximately $1.7 million. We
had some other miscellaneous non
personnel reductions, some
increase reimbursements and
increased position vacancy
savings that we were able to
take advantage of. Comment
increases. In terms of
increasing a variety of
different items, we had
$4.7 million which are
considered one time department
exceptions. This includes
funding to do the final phase of
the public safety facilities
master plan funding to do a
refresh of plan cincinnati
funding for the urban league
minority business program.
These are all examples of one
time department exceptions that
are included in the 2025 general
fund budget. $4.1 million was
set aside in the reserve for
contingencies. So unallocated
funds, 4.9 million was utilized
for ongoing department
exceptions, this includes
continuation funding for the
city mediation program in the
law department, the neighborhood
catalytic capital improvement
program for community and
economic development. And
strategic code enforcement and
buildings & inspections, those
are all continuing.
$4.3 million went toward
staffing increases net of
reimbursements from a variety of
sources. There is approximately
$1 million of information
technology expenditure growth
that's included, and $400,000 of
reversal of credit to expense,
that's this is a issue that we
tackled in the fiscal year 2024
budget and this is the
recalibration after having the
past 8 important 9 months to
review those estimates.
Additionally as I mentioned
$17.6 million will be
transferred out to the capital
budget for one time expenses the
breakdown of those dollars
includes $8.85 million for
various community and
development issues. $5 million
for the green cincinnati plan
which a significant portion much
that will go as to the revolving
loan fund to be able to take
advantage of the direct pay
benefits offer by the federal
government. And additional
$2 million for fleet
replacements, $1 million toward
upgrades at lunken airport and
$750,000 for income technology
upgrades which includes service
enhancements for the 3
311 service
line.
>> Councilmember Harris: one
moment.
>> Councilmember Johnson: thank
you, DR. Dudas, the $2 million
for the fleet replacement, is
does that include fire?
>> DR. Dudas: yes, the way the
allocation would work is that
would be added with the regular
annual allocation which is
divided up between all of the
general fund departments, police
and fire as being a significant
percentage of that, we'll see a
percentage of this $2 million.
>> Councilmember Johnson: thank
you, appreciate it.
>> DR. Dudas: looking at general
fund revenue for fiscal year
2025, the general fund revenue
comes in at an estimated
$57,870,000,000. As you can see
based on pie chart we continue
to heavily rely.
on the $570 million.
This/earnings tax is saning will
source of general fund revenue.
We then have obviously the arp
act dollars, we have our
property tax, state shared
revenue, casino tax, and
investment as well as other
revenues. In terms of the
expenditures, that same
$570 million is budgeted in
expenditures, much like previous
fiscal years the majority of
those expenditures this shows
the expenditures by department
does go to public safety both
police and fire are our two
largest general fund supported
departments. City manager's
office checks in as the third
most, keep in mind that the city
manager office does include a
portion of public safety in the
e
cc is included in that report.
And as well as all of our human
services and leveraged support
funding which is a significant
amount. You can see the
allocations to the other
departments, this does include
our transfers out, not only to
the capital budget as previously
discussed, but this also shows
the transfer out to the health
department which by state law
general fund resources have to
be transferred to the cincinnati
health difficulty fund. Looking
at various breakdowns of those
general fund expenditures, this
shows the breakdown between
public safety and non public
safety. As can you see, over
2/3 of our general fund budget
goes to public safety, police,
fire, and emergency
communications center, that
leaves just under a third for
our non public safety
expenditures. Personnel versus
non personnel, personnel and
employee benefits is our largest
category of spending. Nearly
81% go to personnel and benefits
with in the general fund. That
leaves just under 20% for non
personnel which is our
contractual services, supplies,
materials, and those types of
expenses. From a staffing
perspective, as I indicated
personnel and benefits expenses
are nearly 81% of the general
fund budget. Within the general
fund with have 82.7% of
employees that are recommend
represented by a bargaining
unit. So this shows the
breakdown. So police, the
fraternal order of police, and
nearly 29% followed by the enter
international association of
fire fighters at 23.4% and
nearly 20% represented by
afscme, either full-time asset
forfeitures my afscme, or we
have bargaining with cincinnati
organized and dedicated
employees and just 10% of those
are not general fund. Small
amount are not building trades
organization and that leaves
just over 13% as non represented
and 4.4% as part-time. The
important part here is to
understand that a lot of our
wages that are included in the
budget particularly moving
forward are based on the labor
contract that we have that we
have negotiated with. It is
important to point out that we
are currently in negotiations
with both the iaff and the fop,
and there are reminding
bargaining units within the next
14-16 months will be negotiate
with everybody else. So that is
important as we look at
expenditure growth into future
fiscal years. Some highlights
here with in the operating
budget. We wanted to spend a
little bit of time talking about
spastically from
public safety particular public
safety and that in terms of the
police department. There is a
current recruit class that is
expected to graduate in all this
year. That includes funding for
a 50 member police recruit class
to start in OCTOBER 2024. And
then a class to start a year
from now in MAY of 2025. For
the fire department, the plan is
for a 50 member class that will
graduate in SEPTEMBER 2024. And
50 member class that will start
immediately thereafter in
OCTOBER. Also, included in this
budget police adds 7 fte, these
are civilian ftes the imagine of
these are part of the
civilianization plan to try to
maximize sworn staff and deploy
those sworn officers to street
strength as opposed to roles
that could be filled by a
civilian. Looking ahead at fire
staffing, when we look at our
modeling for our sworn both in
fire and police, we look at the
timing of recruit classes, the
size of the recruit classes, as
well as our projection of
attrition for how many sworn
personnel will retire or
otherwise leave city service.
Our estimates are at the start
of the fiscal year in JULY fire
will have 829 sworn fte. This
is in comparison to a strength
of 859. Well deployment of the
recruit class that is scheduled
to graduate in SEPTEMBER, we do
expect fire to increase their
sworn compliment slightly over
their budget thed sworn
strength. They will continue
that growth with the recruit
class that will graduate next
MARCH and we do expect by the
end of the year for the
department to still be slightly
above their budgeted sworn
strength. Looking at the
longitudinally, the fire
department a long the office of
budget and evaluation and the
office of data analytics we have
carefully reviewed class size,
timing, along with attrition
projections to not just look at
what these estimates are, but
also with a look at what officer
time needs are for the
department. Budgeted over time
for fire in fiscal year 2025 is
$10.3 million. And we will
continue to monday for both
staffing and over time needs as
we move through fiscal year
2025. On the police side of
things, police's just for a
benchmark police's budgeted
sworn strength is 1059 ftes and
they are significantly lower
than that currently. Our
projection is thattity start of
the fiscal year they will be 917
sworn police officers in the
department. 250
two 50 person
recruit classes with a MAY and
AUGUST graduation will still
leave the department short of
their 1059 budgeted sworn
strength. Our estimate
currently is 978 a a year from
now, next JUNE. Much of this is
due to projected continuing high
attrition along with recruitment
challenges. Those recruitment
challenges are a national trend
but the administration continues
to work with the department to
improve recruitment efforts with
the hope of attracting
additional officers not just in
fiscal year 2025 and beyond, but
also to retain existing officers
as much as possible. Budgeted
over time for police in fiscal
year 2025 is just over
$9.5 million and that does
include $200,000 that's being
allocated specifically for
special event over time that
will be deployed at the
discretion of the city manager.
Over expenditure budget
highlights include leveraged
support to provide a brief
refresher on our leveraged
support process last year we
defined leveraged support as
financial support from the city
to an external private
organization either as general
operating support to fund their
work or funding a specific
program to address a pressing
public need with in the city.
The application process that was
instituted last year continued
again for fiscal year 2025. The
minimum eligibility criteria
included that applicants be an
existing organization with 3
years of audited financial
statements. They requested
amount should be between $50,000
and $500,000 dollars with only
extraordinary services to
consider amounts in excess of
$500,000. And then certainly
the services must directly
benefit city residents under one
of the identified categories.
The application process just a
little bit of background. The
application portal opened on
FEBRUARY 12 this year, close odd
MARCH 24. The city receives
significantly more applications
this year than they had in the
prior year, receiving 168
applications from 155 unique
applicants. Applications were
reviewed and disorder scored by
staff utilizing the following
criteria, looking at alignment
with city priorities the clarity
of funding proposal. The
demonstrated expertise including
prior year performance where
applicable. Clear identified
capital
kip kpi as and how the
organization is funded. The
final recommendation was to
allocate $4 millions of
leveraged support to 31
organizations. That looked at
not only application scoring but
himself a review of those
organizations and their receipt
of receiving city funding from
from a variety of sources from
current and prior years. These
next several charts provide the
breakdown of the leveraged
support recipients by
categories. I won't go into
each and every category, but
this first chart shows the
allocation within the arts
category as well as economic
development and neighborhood
support. Next three categories
are on this slide this includes
the environment, equity
inclusion, as well as
homelessness and eviction
prevention. And the last two
remaining categories are the
allocations for human services
and violence prevention as well
as work force programming and
important reduction, grand total
$4 millions across all 7
categories. Additional
highlights related to leveraged
support is the funding for human
services as well as city
operations program support. The
leveraged support definition
does not include city funding
ever third parties to perform
programs considered to be
elements of city operations. Of
those organizations that fit
into this operations program
attic support there is
$13.6 million allocated. That
also includes the amount for the
human services fund. The human
services fund is just over
$8.5 million for fiscal year
2025 it is in line with the
updated human services
strategies and priorities plan
and it does meet the requirement
of allocating 1.5% of general
fund operating budget revenue
for human services. This slide
shows the list of organizations
and activities that are
designated for city operations
programmatic support as well as
human services which gets us to
that $13.6 million. Highlights
with in the budget in terms of
fiscal sustainability, it's
number one item here is
continued investment in the
pension for the cincinnati
retirement
requirement retirement system.
So the fibbing 25 and that
employer pension cedric g and
patricia neils boulter
contribution rate of 17-point
75%. That's a.57%
acknowledge point increase over
the fiscal year 2024 amount.
Fiscal year 2024 had been at 17%
for fiscal year 2025 it will be
17-point 75% and that will apply
across all funds.
In terms of fiscal
sustainability, the budget
includes continuation of
resources for our federal grant
funding consultant. So that
will continue as we continue to
pursue those grant opportunities
when they become available. And
as previously mentioned, one
time resources for the final
phase of public safety
facilities master plan the goal
is to ensure efficient and
thoughtful capital planning and
resource deployment in future
fiscal years based on the
findings of that master plan
report. Highlights for
staffing, with in the city
manager's office there are 11
money 27
2711.27 ftes growth that
is position was place based
initiatives. N a marketing type
position in the office of
communications, a community
responders team in the emergency
communications center a data
analyst specifically earmarked
for a review of our fleet
services, that will be housed in
opda as well as a variety of
other administrative positions.
The parks department adds 12
ftes, this includes some
positions that were added during
fiscal year 2024 as well as new
positions in 2025 which include
a second shift of staffing to
support praying as smale river
praises at smale riverfront.
Buildings & inspections adds 9
fte that includes a assistant
supervisor of inspects to be
involved and support the
building inspector train academy
as well as bike lane is add b&I
and that there will be dedicated
inspector staff for large scale
development projects
specifically starting with the
convention center project,
redevelopment project, so there
will be a dedicated group of
inspectors to handing those
large scale projects. Some
highlights on the restricted
funds as I means the convention
center which w the renovation
for the closure of duke energy
convention center the fiscal
year 2025 recommended budget
update reflects that as revenues
and expenditures are impacted
while that work is going on.
The income tax infrastructure
fund we did need to take some
reductions of various items
within that fund. The income
tax infrastructure fund is a
fund that bears watching as we
need to make sure we have a
stable fund balance.
Expenditures continue to out
pace revenues in that fund so
that is something that we are
continuing to monitor. And in
the waterworks waterworks and
that ex suspension the lead
service line replacement plan
which is in response to changes
at the time federal level for
lead program requirements. All
right. Shifting gears to the
capital budget. Our recommended
all funds capital budget update
is depicted here on this
particular chart. As can you
see the majority of our all
funds capital budget is
allocated to the utilities
between msd and waterworks that
takes up the majority of that.
The general capital budget us
just arched 25%. In all the all
funds call tall budget update is
$621.3 million. Drilling down a
little by the into that general
capital piece, this shows the
general capital resources of
105-pointed million dollars and
this shows the breakdown. We do
have property tax supported
[Indiscernible] In the general
capital budget. We have 16.6%
which is labeled as general fund
these are the american rescue
plan resources that are being
transferred into the capital
budget. And then lastly just
under 28% is southern railway
revenue. These are the
$29.2 million that the rail
board provided to the city
primarily from a transactions
fees from the sale of the
southern railway. How those
general capital revenues are
allocated this shows the
breakdown of that $105.9 million
by department. Transportation
and engineering is our single
largest recipient of general
capital resources, given the
maintenance of roads, bridges,
traffic signal infrastructure,
those types of items are
included in transportation and
engineering. Public services
our next biggest which includes
not only our fleet, but also our
city facility management so
that's maintenance and repair of
our city facilities. With the
significant investment of
general fund resources into
community and economic
development, we see department
of community and economic
development at just under 14%.
Enterprise technology solutions,
at just under 10%, and then a
variety of other departments and
their capital general capital
allocations. In terms of lie
lights from the general capital
budget, general capital budget
does include 13 and a half
million dollars for street
rehab. Based on a
500,000-dollar per lane mile
estimate this should ruled in 24
lane miles of
rehabs reaks and 19 lane miles
of preventive maintenance. The
total fleet replacement
allocation is $13.1 million.
This includes a basal indication
of $11.1 million plus additional
$2 million of general fund
resources transferred to
capital. The neighborhood
business district improvemental
indication has historically been
at $2 million. Additional
$3 million general fund
resources is recommended for
allocation to nbdip bringing
that to $5 million. $5 million
is being allocated to the green
cincinnati sustainability
initiatives. This will help to
advance the green cincinnati
plan goals but also to be
utilized in the revolving energy
loan fund to leverage those
direct pay benefits and funding
can be used for vehicles,
equipment and infrastructure
related to any alternative
sources of energy generation of
storage and use. $3 million is
included for the victory parkway
complete street project. This
provides local match to leverage
grant funding, specifically this
would be the park avenue bridge
rehabilitation and converting a
portion of victory parkway to a
complete street. The funds
capital budget difficult voted
to affordable housing trust
funding increases to $400,000.
And that revenue growth
generated by the short term
rental exercise tax. So that
additional $400,000 brings that
allocation to $1.9 million for
fiscal year 2025. Continued
investment in traffic calming
and enhance the pedestrian
safety, $1.2 million for that
program. Within economic
development, $1 million is being
allocatessed for quick straight
acquisition and project support
fund. This is part of those
general fund resources being
transferred out to the capital
budget. $1 million for lunken
airport improvements. These
than that on provide funding for
airport improvements
opportunities or ate port
[Indiscernible]
>> DR. Dudas: lastly with in the
capital budget just a brief
overview of cincy on track. And
we're next presentation will
provide a much deeper dive into
these expenditures. But the
recommended capital budget does
include $29.2 million of
southern railway revenue in
fiscal year 2025. This is our
transition year. Fiscal year
2026 would be the first year
that we would receive revenue
from the invested sale proceeds
from that infrastructure trust.
Even sew for 2025 this is a
$2.8 million I can crease over
what we had estimated.
Would be received under our
previous lease arrangement.
These funds can only be used on
existing city infrastructure.
The breakdown by department in
terms of that csr revenue,
transportation and engineering
at $17.9 million, $3.7 million
to recreation, $2.7 million to
public services, $2.7 million to
parks, $2.1 million to health
gets us to the total. As I
indicated, each department will
be presenting separately on
their planned use the cincy on
trac funding. Looking at both
at the major project level but
also highlighting some of the
sub projects that will be
included. I think it is
important to note that given the
city's deferred maintenance
needs and the significant bag
log that we have had and
continue to have
departments are presenting their
planned use of these resources,
but those are subject to change
as we have critical failures or
other important things come up
that might need to
reprioritized. So, so keep that
in mind as we move forward
through this process. And with
that, I'll take questions.
>> Councilmember Harris: I need
to stand up and stretch a
moment. I'm sorry. I really
did though. Let's do this, can
we bring up zoom any want to
check in with vice chair
cramerding and the vice mayor to
see if they had any questions.
>> Vice Mayor Kearney:
MR. CHAIRMAN, thank you so much.
This is, these reports are great
and we're going through them.
It is a lot of of information,
well put together, very
understandable and so at this
point I don't have any
questions, just taking it all in
and appreciate this
presentation.
>> Councilmember Cramerding: DR.
Dudas, could you -- thank you,
MR. CHAIRMAN, appreciate it.
DR. Dudas could you just walk
through the perimeters of the
public safety facilities master
plan, what that plan will
encompass, and then just, you
know, we've got that important
plan in the works. In the
interim we have investments in
infrastructure, investments in
fleet, how are we -- how do we
know where to spend money when
the plan is in progress?
>> to the chair, to the vice
chair, the facilities plan
shooed look at all aspects of
our public safety facilities,
not just the locations but the
calls for service, response
time, the staffing, the age and
relative maintenance needs of
those facilities, so it should
be relatively all encompassing
in terms of that. Keep
cincinnati beautiful. I think
once we have the results of that
master plan I think the goal
then would be to reevaluate our
existing public safety
facilities and make
determinations as to where to,
where would be best to invest
our infrastructure dollars.
>> Councilmember Cramerding: --
we write I think is a good
thing, where are we encouraging
the enterprise funds water and
msd to do the same as far as
increasing their pension
contribution?
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, to
the vice chair, the budget
includes that 17.75 employer
contribution rate for all funds.
So, all of the restricted funds
will be contributing that amount
beginning in fiscal year 2025.
>> Councilmember Cramerding:
that's great, that includes msd?
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, yes.
>> Councilmember Cramerding:
thank you.
>> Councilmember Harris: okay.
All right. Got through the
first half, let's move to the
second half. You have a
question, councilmember
jeffreys?
>> Councilmember Jeffreys: just
so first of all I thinks we
should point out this is
structurally balanced so that's
no small thing. I think that's
a big thing. For 2026-2029 can
you talk through so we have
visibility the deficits in the
out years like what those are?
>> yes, to the chair, do
to the
councilmember. Those deficits
will continue to inn crease. I
think it is important to note
last year at this time we looked
at the out year deficits as
being pretty significant
property I quickly. What the
revenue increases here in fiscal
year 2025 probably means that
our significant deficits are
delayed a little bit. I believe
our fiscal year 2026 deficit I
don't have the apologies to not
have the numbers right in front
of me, but we're looking at the
neighborhood of under
$10 million and then steadily
growing after that. I think the
big component to realize is that
our projections for all of our
city employees if there is not a
bargaining agreement in place we
have used a 2% wage increase
factor for those out years. So,
keep in mind that those deficits
could grow if there are labor
agreements in excess of that 2%.
>> Councilmember Jeffreys: that
makes sense. And the
connecticut contingency rewhat
does that bring us up to for the
toal roughly.
>> DR. Dudas: so this, so just
to make sure we're clear on what
we're talking about, the reserve
for contingencies in this case
that $4.1 million, this is a
general fund non departmental a
count, so it is not included
with our other strategic
reserves like the working
capital reserve or the weather
reserve or those formal reserves
that we top off each year as
part of the close out process.
So there was an additional
$4.1 million added to that I
believe the total in that a
count as recommended is about
4-point $4 millions. Just under
$4.1 million of that is what the
mayor has proposed as his source
for the budget adjustment that
he proposed upon releasing the
budget last week.
>> Councilmember Jeffreys: got
it. Have I other questions that
I will takeoff line. Safe and
clean I notice it had jump oud
at $500,000 and zero this year.
How are we think being safe and
clean fund?
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, to
the councilmember member, safe
and clean was not included in
the city manager recommended
budget, however I believe the
mayor's adjustment includes
$500,000 for that program.
>> Councilmember Walsh: three
things I want to compliment you
and your team on put this budget
together. I read it over the
weekend. It is incredibly
in-depth and detail and I talked
to the few others who have red
many over the years and this is
most transparent budget we have
had yesterday yet I appreciate
all the work that's gone into
this. Because I mean really you
can get a great sense of what's
going on with the city and that
plans are moving forward reading
every little note that you have
along the way. I want to get a
special call out I appreciate
funding for the special projects
team satellite office and H.R.
Comp study. Those will be
impact foul for the work we're
trying to do as a council and
city going forward. The only
question I have at this point I
have a plethora of questions I
will ask off line I will save
council some time today.
Building offer councilmember
jeffreys' questions there, can
you just re -- so I understand
you correctly the contingency
that was set aside is remaryland
what resilience so two part
question, how much is left of
that and two I think if I was
reading correctly we lowered how
much arp money we put in to
close some gaps, is there any
arp money left?
Throws my two part questions.
>> DR. Dudas: to the chair, to
the councilmember the first
question within that reserve for
contingency I think the after
the mayor's utilization I want
to say there is $380,000, I
would have to confirm that exact
amount but there would be a
small amount there. So not all
of it is being utilized by the
mayor. Second question, and as
far as the american rescue plan
dollars, this $25.2 million that
we're utilizing here in this
budget is the final amount that
we had set aside for fiscal
stability. The only -- with the
coming expiration of the
dollars, dollars have to be
encumbered by the end of this
calendar year. The only
additional arp that might result
would be any external dollars
that were provided that could be
returned as of now there is
nothing that has been returned
but that does not mean over the
next several months that that
might not happen as we go
through our quarterly reports to
the department of treasury we
review spending and work with
any entities. I will say the
vast, overwhelming majority of
funds that have well allocated
have been spent down but there
could be some that are returned.
>> Councilmember Harris: we
didn't need to use any arp
dollars to fill gaps. We were
able, to we were able to meet
all of our obligation was our
revenue. So, yes. Other
questions?
All right, cincy on track, see
who is up first.
>> City Manager Long: we will
change the tune in this radio
station from andrew dues as to
bright and cheer I city manager
for the cincy on track program.
>> City Manager Long: let's go
before this presentation begins
I want to say a few words about
the impact that csr funding will
have on the capital budget as as
well as the transparency my
administration is bringing to
the process say cincy on track.
The railroad sale is a
significant moment for our city
infrastructure, and this money
will be an important resource
for decades to come. With that
significant boost of dollars
comma me I responsibility to
spend the money efficiently,
equitably and transparently.
What we're doing right now
within presentation is a perfect
example. Each department is
explaining their top priorities,
we're showing thousand how the
funds will be spread across the
city and different
infrastructure needs and an
opportunity for council members
to have a conversation. But
that's only the beginning.
Citicable viewers I sigh you,
but we have 300,000
cincinnatians to share this
information with. So I really
want to thank the budget office
and my own city manager office
for their hard work in designing
cincy on track to be a robust
equitable effort built on
transparency. As you can see
for fiscal year 25. We are
looking at $29.2 million, which
about $2.8 million more than
what we would have received in
lease payments. This is a
bridge year, while we wait for
the found generate returns. For
2026 it is higher in and that
year will disbursement will
begin. Going forward from there
we'll take into consideration
the disbursements when we
develop the fiscal year 26-31
capital improvement program and
it's fiscal year 26, 27 capital
budget. As a quick reminder as
a mandate by law, all funding
from the csr can only be used on
existing city resources. We
broken the spending into five
categories which are streets and
bridges, recreation, public
services, parks, and health. As
you can see, a majority of the
funds for fiscal year 25, about
$17.9 million is going toward
streets and bridges which is
what the community told us over
and over again is their biggest
infrastructure priority. This
slide is incredibly important
more than 830% of the funding is
in the neighborhoods with a
median income of less than
$50,000. Huge investments are
coming to majority black
neighborhoods like the west end,
walnut hills, and south
fairmont. And westwood our city
largest neighborhood in terms of
square miles is appropriately
set to receive the largest
investment in this round of
funding. On the same topic, you
will see here that the
investments are spread all over
the city. While some projects
are bigger or more expensive
than others, we're not putting
all of our eggs in one basket.
We know a city as diverse as
ours has different needs
depending what need you are are
in so we're very ink tensional
about addressing that. So now
I'll gwen to hand things over to
each of the departments who we
ask to identify their
priorities. Each department
will share their methodology for
how they determined the projects
and then they will get into the
specifics on what investments
are recommended. But I also
want to make a very important
point before we proceed, the
exact dollar amounts projects
and areas we're talking today
are not set in stone. As you
know, urgent items come up
throughout the year and we will
appropriately address those when
needed. It MAY mean we have to
adjust priorities but we will
also a be transparent about
those decisions. That said, the
overall strategy is set. We
have target amounts we inn toned
spend in the five categories and
we have identified neighborhoods
and specific projects with the
highest level of needs. Even if
we pivot or some of these line
items change going forward, the
overall affect of cincy on track
is the same, we're making
historic investments in city
infrastructure, and we're doing
it in a way where everyone
benefits.
>> Councilmember Harris: all
right. Director brazina, you
are up.
>> John Brazina: thank you very
much for having me today. I'm
brazina, I'm director of the
department of transportation and
engineering. I wanted to start
out by thanking council for
their financial support for the
department of transportation and
engineering but also for your
policy support as well. Some of
the changes that we have made on
our streets and bridges over the
last year have been impactful as
some people have liked them,
some people have not liked them.
But with your support we think
that the changes that we have
made have been very positive and
impactful. So the methodology
that dote has used for these
projects for cincy on track
include safety, asset
preservation, accessible and
connectivity, and pavement
condition index. It is a rating
that our street rehabilitation
program uses to assess the
condition of the streets, give
it a number, good, fair, poor,
failure, and we use that number
to when we were in the
neighborhoods on what streets
get prioritized in those
neighborhoods for street rehab.
Safety, methodology is pretty
obvious we want to improve
safety for all of the users in
the streets, asset preservation
is again with our street
rehabilitation program we want
to preserve those assets that we
have. Along with our bridges,
and then accessibility and
connectivity. We want to why
that so everyone in the city of
cincinnati has the ability to
use all of our road network and
assets. So as director dudas
mentioned, we are receiving
approximately $17.9 million in
railway proceeds this year. The
majority of that is going into
our street rebbe program, little
over $13 million there. Various
neighborhoods include college
hill, north avondale, carthage
east westwood, mt. Adams, north
avondale, north fairmont, south
fairmont, queensgate walnut
hills, went and westwood. Also
we're doing work in victory
parkway complete street project
which I'll detail a little bit
more as one of my highlighted
projects. It is a really
exciting project, complete
streets, lots of improvements
there, lots of disciplines
involved there. And lastly for
our projects are the traffic
signals infrastructure, a little
over $1.4 million. I do want to
point out that for our traffic
signal rebuild projects that
those traffic signals will be
pro boys and girls compliant,
pro pro with problem e public
right of way public
accessibility guidelines, those
have been adapted by the federal
government. And the doj and
department of transportation
figuring out hose though apply
to of the dote is also reviewing
the guidelines and pushing
forward some of those
improvements. We plan on
incorporating the recent changes
into our designs for these
traffic signals before odot
tells us how they recommend
doing it. The pro with changes
will help all of the residents
especially those with
disabilities.
For examples signals will have
better push about the on
locations for those who use
wheelchairs and walkers-p and
also better audible cues for
those with visual impairments.
Before I begin highlighting the
couple projects that do I have
here, I want to mention that
what our project goals are and
who actually benefits from these
projects. The department of
transportation and engineering
is committed building a
transportation network that
enables people of all ages and
all physical and economic
abilities to safely and
comfortably move around the city
using all modes of travel. So,
for the victory parkway complete
street project this project uses
all four of our methodology both
safety, asset preservation,
accessibility, connectivity, and
pci rating. So this project is
in the walnut hills and each
walnut hills neighborhoods. We
will be rehabbing 1 mile long
kor door from martin drive and
eden park to victory parkway and
william howard taft. This
possibler of the roadway starts
just south of krohn conservatory
which is eden park drive, eden
park drive turns into victory
parkway after you get past park
avenue bridge up to william
howard taft. We will be using a
new technology for called smog
eating pavement which is a
attive that gets added on top of
the pavement that helps and some
some of the smog that
gets/limited from tail pipes.
In addition to the rehab we will
be doing structural repairs on
the bridge over kemper lane.
This includes railings and
sidewalks on that bridge. Can
you see some of the pictures
here that I have of the pavement
condition and then the picture
on the right shows the picture
of the sidewalk and railing for
the bridge. Some of the other
highlights includes adding
missing sidewalks, adding curb
bump outs at intersection and
raised crosswalk up across eden
park drive. This is one of the
complete street projects that
encompasses many disciplines in
the department, rehab, bridge
rehabilitation, sidewalks, and
they be also pedestrian safety
with addition will curb bump
outs and raised crosswalks. I
don't have a map here, the map
was too large to include here
but the at the just south of the
park avenue bridge there is a
intersection of loran eden park
drive, we're improving that
intersection, removing one of
the slip lanes that will help
access and at the new
intersection that's where we're
praising the raised crosswalk
which will allow people to go
from the neighborhood in walnut
hills over to that look out for
eden park. This is just one of
the many projects that we have,
but there is a really good
project that shows all that
complete streets policy that
we're doing in the department.
And the last project that I have
here is a street rehabilitation
project in south fairmont, on
beekman street. The methodology
that we're using here is for
asset preservation and pci. The
pci rating for beekman street is
34 out of a hundred which gives
it a poor condition. And we
look forward to improve that's
roadway in the south fairmont
neighborhood.
>> Councilmember Harris: thank
you, direct. I think we'll hold
our questions for the end.
We'll get through these. Does
that work?
Okay. Let's do that.
Thank you. All right, director
wilkerson. You are up.
>> good afternoon, chair, chair,
committee members, jerry
wilkerson, department director
for and that director joe
dependency director. I want to
go over some of the projects
that are recommended in the
railroad revenues for dps.
Our methodology that we use is
took several factors.
Addressing past obligations,
looking at modernizing
facilities, such as roof
remediate and hv vac safety
which currently looking to have
a ark flash hazard studies that
define of the life safety issues
and projects that we need to
address. We also looking at
resiliency and sustainability.
We have a number of buildings
and equipment that is out of
lifecycle so we're trying 20 get
those back in lifecycle this
additional revenue streams that
we have. And also preservation
of and operations facilities.
When you look at public services
in our facility maintenance area
we're responsible for
maintaining over 8 # facilities
across the city which includes a
lot of firehouses, police
stations, city hall, centennial,
and various other buildings
around the city. With you look
at the three projects that's
totaling up to $2.7 million,
these projects are in various
areas, one in is in south
fairmont, one in paddock hills
and one in east price hill.
When you first project is we're
looking at cfm city facility
management head quarters on
beekman street. The garage roof
remediate project. This
building was built in 1943. It
houses our city facilities
management staff, cincinnati
recreation commission
maintenance workers as well as
surveysers for the department of
transportation and engineering.
This roof is 81 years old, it is
in the original building.
Twenty years ago the roof was
refurbished with a ten year
warranty. You can see it is out
of lifecycle. So this is a
project that we're going to be
addressing with the resources
that we have. Second project
we're looking at is going to be
the police district 4 parking
deck restoration. This building
was built in 1975. The roof is
basically occupies over top of
office spaces underneath. There
is concrete issues and water
leaking water leakage in the
roof in the parking deck. So we
are required having a structural
engineer looking at it and
design and partially fund
construction. We really don't
have accurate count of how much
this probably is going to cost
until we get into it a little
bit more, but we are looking to
have additional funds for the
entire project to be funded in
fiscal year 2026. And third
project that we're going to be
utilizing additional funds for
is warsaw building roof
remediate. This is a building
built in 1907. It was the old
police district 3 until 2015.
Right now it is being utilized
as police special services
section, a existing roof was
installed in 1994. There is
constant maintenance issues over
the years and hopefully this
project is going to be
addressing the roof that really
needs to be dressed in a
expeditious way. Are there any
questions?
>> Councilmember Harris: all
right, you said right to the
point. That's helpful. We're
going to save our questions for
the end just to get through the
presentations. But thank you
very much. Appreciate it. All
right, I think we have DR.
Mussman. Yep, health
department.
>> thank you very much. To the
chair and voice chair thank you
for having us here to talk about
this. And to the committee to
everyone on the committee. So
to prioritize our requests this
year we especially emphasized
safety includes staff and
visitorses toker. Our project
requests include things like
improvements to structural
support, fire pumps, generators
those sorts of things. We
wanted to prioritize
accessibility and some areas
where we had a americans with
disabilities at compliance
concerns and overall access to
health care with our facilities.
We have several projects where
our goal was preservation of our
operations. And these are just
projects that we need to keep
our buildings in proper working
order, including things like
roof replacement, hvac. Parking
lot maintenance, those sorts of
things.
And these requests are
inclusive of community feedback
that we got that we have gotten
through various methods
including patient satisfaction
surveys. So, I'll start with
some structural integrity
projects. At our burnet and
king building we have
replacement of a fire pump and a
boiler and one of the elevate
organizations which will
highlight. We have our air
handler at our price hill health
center, at our northside health
center some parking lot
maintenance and generator. The
bobbie sterne center some
structural mitigation in the
basement as well as hvac. Also
at bob eastern we have a cooling
tower and fire pump and basic
parking lot phaeupbt nans. For
facilities renovation for
continued operation we have a
roof replacement and burnet and
king campus and a renovation of
northside health center adult
provider space. And finally
parking lot expansion at our
price hill health center. So,
I'll spotlight this one first.
This is the price hill health
center parking lot expansion.
So, looking at this various ways
one way is from code
requirements and our medical
services and clinics require 1
parking space per 150
150 square
feet and our existing parking
does not meet those
requirements. We're by code
required to have 114 total
parking spaces and we have 29, 7
staff and 22
22 public. Most of
the staff and public park on
streets and in areas
surrounding, can you find
parking. We're ride to have
5ada accessibility face spaces,
we have 3 and our limited
parking has been a bit of a sore
spot with our patients and it is
a major feedback item for us.
>> Councilmember Harris: I would
like to go on record that this
is a parking expansion that I
fully support. So I just want
to be very clear about that
please continue.
>> thank you. Northside health
center this is a provider space
renovation that we wanted to
spotlight and the project would
take so just generally our
clinics are running up against
capacity issues in a lot of
spots and we're not built to run
efficiently as modern health
care facilities and that creates
access problems and barriers to
care with our patients. So this
would convert under utilized
space in our northside health
center for adult medical
providers. And we know from
experience with our ambrose
center when we do this it
encourages a collaborative work
environment, promoting the open
exchanges of ideas but even in
measurable outcomes like our
efficiency and our ability to
accommodate patients. This will
free up existing offices so so
using this old medical reports
space would free up existing
offerses which could be
converted into additional exam
rooms and further support our
efforts to provide access of
care. And really benefits both
the staff and community in those
ways. I'll spotlight remediate
of one of our elevators at our b
and k campus. So elevator one
incurred damage in JULY of we're
2023 that cause it had, we have
two elevators and this elevator
fell and it caused some
permanent irreparable damage and
has been out of service.
Elevator inspectors have and due
to obsolete and that no longer
manufactured skipping to the
forth bullet and our other unit
in at building has been
frequently out of sr. Visitors
and that very long lead times
for sourcing remediate remediate
parts, and current building code
requires a elevator to be
connected to a building fire
protection system and since we
don't have a spring willer
system like that at the b and k
there would be some additional
building reretrofits to getting
this operating. And this is
important for removal of
components and supplies which we
frequently do our on the third
floor is our equipment room and
just generally required for our
building. And that's the end of
my presentation.
>> Councilmember Harris: we'll
roll through and save them until
the ent. You're up.
>> good afternoon to the chair
and committee. I am tiffany
stewart assistant director of
recreation. I have two of my
colleagues with me our cfo
jeanette and dan jones are
division manager of planning and
engineering. So as we look at
our methodology for the
priorities we felted as though
all 8 of these was something
that we actually look at when
we're doing our priorities. So
over the years we have created a
ongoing priority list of
infrastructure that included
parking lots, hvac, et cetera.
These updated and estimated at
least every year and used for
ongoing six year faith
assessment. Budget plans and
ada requirements. Some things
that I want to point out to you
is that our playgrounds are
about a 10-20 year expectancy,
roofs are about 15-30, sport
courts and feeds are 7 year
expectancy, our recreation
center is 20 year expectancy
with 6 of 24 right now are in
this need of renovations. Our
aquatic facilities are 24 year
expectancy so with those 24 that
we opened up there is 24, 15 are
in need of renovations now.
Last renovation was done in
2016. The priority store each
entity is based on inspection
that is are made through our
planning and development staff,
vendors, ada, life safety, code
issues, wouldn't requests,
available funds, our
partnerships, neighborhood and
of course where we did our last
renovations. We also look at
the vandalism and stayed right
needs to keep up with day care
and summer programs. To the
chair and council, of the
$3.7 million that we will be
getting, we are going to be
utilizing $1.3 million of that
for our outdoor and athletic
facilities renovation and this
is a list of our projects that
we have included on our slide.
And the remaining projects will
be utilized for recreation
facilities renovations and that
always about 2.376 mill million
dollars. These projects are
ones that are project labor
ready for us to begin. In
utilizing the railway revenue
funds so we're getting.
>> out of that list she provided
to you we wanted to highlight
bond hill recreation center this
project will provide resources
for renovation for that area and
neighborhood. The renovations
would include adding new
entrances on to the building
office up to 15 year warranty
condition, full renovations on
the interior and exterior of the
facility upgrades to safety
systems, fire protection and
security systems, this
renovation would bring the
facility up to current build
willing codes and ada
requirements. It also
reconfigures the layout to meet
current and future programming
needs. So on those pictures if
you look at the first two at the
top, actually the first four are
what bond hill currently looks
like. And at the bottom it is
what it could potentially look
like which is similar to the
price hill rec centers. Also
just keep in mind for the bond
hill recreation that will be a
multiyear funded project and so
that project MAY not start until
fiscal year 2026, 27. At next
with you with wanted to
highlight is the turkey ridge
recraigs area as can you see in
the pictures this will give them
ada access, parking I. Prompts,
a d size base sport court
renovations, new ada drinking
found continue and new signage
that will be out there. So on
this your bottom two is
currently what turkey ridge
looks like and then as you look
at the bottom court and blue
court is what it will look like
and above that is what the new
baseball field. We wanted to
give a layout of what the area
will look like once it is
complete. That is all.
>> Councilmember Harris: thank
you so much. We will close it
out with parks.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I think what
you said we will close it out
with parks! Sorry, try to bring
some energy for a long meeting.
Thank you all my I'm driving,
right?
There we go. So our friend
robert passing out our three
year forecast of dap tall
projects I will get into that in
just a second but I wanted to as
often with these projects the
screen makes the print looks
tiny, I will tell you where you
can get on the website as well.
first which will run through our
presentation first of all happy
to be here today and that
appreciate the work of on the
city manager office and office
of budget and evaluation to get
this together and take care of a
look and that so first up kind
of how do we assess and that
capital needs are. Of course
the number one thing is public
safety that's number one thing
we're looking at to keep parks
safety and emerging that
requires remediation to keep it
number one. Two past open
gayses cincinnati parks has a
lot of projects that have been
in the works for several years
that wire trying to get sorted
out and get direction back to
some we're taking care of some
of those projects and getting
those off the rolls. We look at
accessible and connectivity,
making sure we have parks that
people can get in and out of and
have access to. Operations
facilities are important to us
to keep those deferred
maintenance structures work and
keep ems and that and priorities
obviously community budget
questions come in we have people
that as many of your offices
know contact you all the time to
tell you what should happen in
parks, tell us what should
happen in parks and we try to
takes into into account and come
up with partnerships that can
make community priorities work.
And that loose week about the
grant project in bramble park
that we're excited. A quick
update that we will be able to
do that and that community and
everything and gets back on
track on that one. So crossing
priorities and past obligation
that we didn't know about with
the community priority that we
were excited to know about and
we'll be able to make that
happen. Lastly, resiliency and
sustainability, with everything
we do we're looking to make
things more efficient for the
and future and set and ready to
go for future challenges. A lot
has to do with I read a long
e-mail to present here at that
score water and and/recovery
services that's caused in a and
as that better and repair city
of. Alignment with city and
regional goals and last only
last on here because it is
emergency ago that and equity.
And that plan of work we
institutessed this two years ago
the plan of work which is about
a I canly wrapping our arms
around those existing projects
that had been in the work for a
long time and put some order
into what's the possible or the
ordinance of that and what
should we expect every year for
anybody watching on citicable
initials that watch this on you
tube later or however awatch it
media members that this is
available on our website it can
download it as pdf. We have
printed outcomes for sny city
that stops by parks can pick up
one from our office to see what
we're up to. A run down the 30
biggest projects and where they
are another. Some are happen
this year, top six or 7 have
already happened and are
complete. And as you can see we
won't be able to dig into for a
couple years yet. There is
where it is at in the process.
So the next page we have the
chart that shows what those
projects are and approximate
timing of it is a than park
board in and NOVEMBER t23 we're
in at and park and version of
this and 24 and plan that an
every six months or so with park
board approving it every
DECEMBER and it approved in
DECEMBER that's it's same time
we a profit capital priorities
of the nexts year as part of the
ongoing city budget process.
So, when we talk about equity
and how we're thinking about
equity at parks we have 3
different points we want to talk
about today. One it's
accessibility. Every year we
are a top ten rated park on the
trust for public lands city park
score than at the top hundred
parks in the a top ten. This
year we're 8, we were four a
couple years ago, 6, 7, we
flacket way up and down based on
various this year year we're the
so tenth best. We spend more
money on company tall per
resident then we had other the
year before but was that's
category that drug us down a
bit. We a top ten city in terms
of this. So as part their our
team is developed this and this
is terrible maybe map to look at
on if you go to the pdf you can
click on this learning or go to
the trust for public land can
you click on it. This shows you
ever park and green space in the
city and every area in the city
so all the green spots on here
are green spaces in the city.
That includes park space, rec
spaces, includes school yards
that are green and open to the
public, includes like a cemetery
like spring grove that you can
walk through, all kinds of
degree space that is give this
access. What you can see in
purple is areas where we have
need for parks in order to
increase our accessibility. Are
this a ten minute walk of a
green space cause see in the
westwood area we have some, I
don't think it shows up there in
the westwood area we have dark
purple and light purple that
we're looking for opportunities
to increase green space access
and how we're getted targetd
with this, how we think about
inaccessible accessibility to
green spaces, that's one later
that we're looking at.
We're doing a 20 year analysis
on what is are has our spend
been whether it has been spoken,
where and what is spent for,
right?
As park ben economies, parking
lots, for pads, playground
limit. All that to see what is
that historical spend and where
has it happened throughout the
park system which will give a
layer to see s have we been
accessible, not been equitable
and that will be a factors and
we apparent liz how to go
forward. And next up we're
involved with something called
tpl, trust for public land, the
trust for public land is a great
partner and we're participating
in something called park equity
accelerate or so this has to do
with our work to create more
questionable accessibility to
that 10 minute work plan and
that best practices from cities
aurorean the country toquet pot
policies going forward. And
just as an example how that can
be tricky in the park system if
you just look at the deferred
maintenance deferred maintenance
is stuff that exists. The stuff
that exists is based upon 150
year pad earn of spending in