Tag: public policy

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Arts & Entertainment News

20 Years/20 Artists exhibit celebrates success of city grant program

Mayor Mark Mallory, Councilmember Laure Quinlivan, and members of the board of the Art Academy of Cincinnati came together on Friday, August 6 to celebrate the opening of a 20 Years/20 Artists – an exhibit showcasing the work of local artists who have received grant money from the City over the last 20 years.

In 1989 the City of Cincinnati established a competitive grant program that awarded money to extraordinary artists in order to help them establish their body of work while also making the arts more accessible to residents. To date, the Individual Artist Grant Program has awarded $700,000, through 320 grants, to 20 artists who might have not otherwise had the chance to change the world around them by sharing their talents.

“20/20 showcases work of successful artists whose work wouldn’t have reached the public without a grant,” said Ron Bates, chairman of the Art Academy’s Board of Trustees. “No other local government in the tri-state area has done this, and it makes a huge difference to these local artists.”

Artists who have participated in the grant program over the years were able to submit work to display in this exhibit highlighting the success of Cincinnati’s Individual Artist Grant Program. The exhibit features 35 pieces of work currently in the gallery, including two media works.  At the preview of the new exhibit a few of the artists came and spoke about how the grant program helped launch their careers.

“This [grant money] gave me a reason to dream a bigger dream,” local artist Kate Kern said. “This exhibit is a celebration and recognition of artists we support.  It’s a homecoming for those who have made it outside of Cincinnati.”

The free exhibit is open Monday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm until Friday, September 3.  A special reception will be held during this month’s Final Friday event on August 27 from 5pm to 8pm.  The Art Academy of Cincinnati is located in Over-the-Rhine at 1212 Jackson Street.  The exhibition has plenty of on- and off-street automobile parking options nearby in addition to free bicycle parking and Metro bus service (plan your trip).

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Development News Politics

Plan Cincinnati to host learning forums on local planning initiatives

Plan Cincinnati will host two summer learning forums this month that will include information about local plans in place guiding the city’s new comprehensive plan, and what regional efforts are currently underway to help implement such initiatives.

The first of the two meetings will take place on Wednesday, August 4 in Corryville. This forum will include a panel made up of Larry Falkin from the Office of Environmental Quality, Terry Grundy from the United Way, Eric Rademacher from the University of Cincinnati, and Sam Stephens from the Department of Community Development.

The panel will engage in a moderated discussion of local plans and policies currently in place. Forum organizers say that the discussion will specifically focus on plans like GO Cincinnati, the State of the Community Report & Indicators, and Green Cincinnati that are seen as important factors helping to shape the comprehensive planning process currently underway.

The second forum will focus on regional efforts like Agenda 360, the award-winning Community COMPASS, 2030 Transportation Plan, and Strategic Regional Policy Plan developed by the OKI Regional Council of Governments. This forum will also include a moderated panel discussion made up by Todd Kinskey from the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, Robert Koehler and Emi Randall from OKI, and Mary Stagaman from Agenda 360. This forum on regional plans and policies is scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 26.

Cincinnati City Council is expected to vote on the completed comprehensive plan in 2011.  Cincinnati was the first major American city to adopt a comprehensive plan in 1925, but it has been 30 years since the last comprehensive plan was completed and updated in 1980.

Both forums are will be held from 7pm to 9pm in the auditorium of the CPS Education Center in Corryville (map). On-street automobile parking, free bicycle parking, and Metro bus service (plan your trip) is available for this location.

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Business News Politics

UC study identifies huge economic gains from new regional water district

The University of Cincinnati Economics Center for Education & Research recently conducted a study to determine whether expanding Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) would have beneficial impacts. They concluded that expanding the service would prevent a 14 percent rate increase, save taxpayers money, and generate additional money for the City of Cincinnati.

The study concluded that a regional water district would allow for more people to absorb operating costs, and thus prevent the anticipated rate increase and save taxpayers $24 million over the next ten years. Furthermore, the study asserted that the increased coverage will allow the City of Cincinnati to receive an additional $15 million from the transfer of assets – money that city officials say go towards helping fill a projected budget shortfall.

The economic analysis also cites that a new regional water district would generate an additional $33 million in economic activity annually, and lead to the creation of 300 new jobs. The new jobs alone are anticipated to inject an extra $10 million into the economy each year.

The financial benefits extend even further according to Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney. He noted that a municipality owned water district, like GCWW, is barred under Ohio law from receiving payment from other jurisdictions. A regionally owned water district, on the other hand, is allowed to receive payment from outer municipalities, including those in other states.

As a result, many are now looking at an expanded regional water district to not only help the city shore up its finances, but also provide a step towards greater regional cooperation amongst municipalities.

“When we looked at the issue of a public regional water district, we approached it by asking whether expansion makes good economic sense,” says George Vredeveld, director of the University of Cincinnati Economics Center for Education & Research. “The analysis revealed that expansion will keep rates lower, create jobs and have a positive and lasting effect on the local economy.”

The next step is for the City to submit its plan for court approval, and if approved, voters will have the opportunity to vote whether or not to adopt the plan. A public vote on the sale of GCWW to a regional authority is now required following the approval of Issue 8 last November.

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Business Development News Politics

CPA to host seminar on historic building receivership – 8/7

The Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) will be hosting a seminar on historic building receivership Saturday, August 7 in Camp Washington. The executive director of the Camp Washington Community Board will be in attendance to discuss that neighborhood’s approach to saving, renovating, and reselling buildings that might have otherwise been lost due to neglect.

Originally settled in 1846, Camp Washington is one of Cincinnati’s many historic neighborhoods. Over time the neighborhood has seen dramatic changes with the introduction of Interstate-75 in the mid-twentieth century. Since that time the community has dealt with a neighborhood street grid detached from its surrounding neighbors while also trying to adjust to changing demographics that led to disinvestment, and back to popularity today.

The issues faced by the historic Camp Washington neighborhood are similar to what many inner-city neighborhoods faced during the second half of the 20th century. Its urban revival is a narrative that is also ringing true with others, but the neighborhood’s historic preservation success is an element CPA believes can help other neighborhoods around the region.

CPA’s Saving Buildings With Receivership seminar will take place from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, August 7 at 2951 Sidney Avenue. The seminar will include a tour of a current receivership project underway in Camp Washington. Reservations are required due to limited space. Those interested can register for $5 by contacting CPA at (513) 721-4506 or info@cincinnatipreservation.org.  You can also RSVP for the event on Facebook.

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News Politics Transportation

Three hybrid buses to be added to Metro’s fleet

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) will debut three new hybrid buses on Thursday, August 5.  The new buses will join a Metro bus fleet that is seeing the number of environmentally friendly buses grow with the help of federal funding through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“As Metro’s fleet gets greener, Cincinnati’s air gets cleaner” said Marilyn Shazor, Metro’s CEO. “Mass transit itself is an important and easy way to go green, and our hybrid buses illustrate our system’s commitment to environmental responsibility.”

Metro officials have estimated that in the first year of operation, the existing six hybrid buses have reduced greenhouse gases by 190 tons, provided 330,000 “green” rides, traveled 210,000 miles, and saved the transit agency 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

The savings are particularly important as transit officials look to deal with fewer people riding transit due to the economy, and lower financial contributions from the City of Cincinnati’s earnings tax which contributes 3/10th of one percent of that tax. In addition to the economic benefits, officials see the growing hybrid fleet as a positive for the local environment.

“Smog is a problem in the Cincinnati area and Metro’s purchase of cleaner, lower emission buses is a positive step toward helping clean up our air,” said Cory Chadwick, Director of the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services. “In fact, everyone can help by increasing their use of public transportation, especially by choosing to ride a diesel-hybrid bus with significantly lower exhaust emissions, better fuel economy, and a quieter ride than a standard diesel bus.”

The new hybrid buses will be on display at Ault Park (map) from 10am to 11am, and on Fifth Street between Walnut and Main (map) from 12pm to 1pm. Metro now has nine hybrid buses in its fleet, with another four to be added in fall 2010.