Vice Mayor Alicia Reece’s Annual REPORT TO THE PEOPLE 2005
2004-2005 REPORT TO THE PEOPLE (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Donated nearly $20,000 of my office’s unspent budget to help supplement the city’s human services funding, earmarking the money for youth programs
  • Co-sponsored Anti-Brownouts motion that resulted in an ordinance that ended Fire Department Brownouts by allocating up to $500,000 of $1.5 million of unused funding (Passed by council 6-3)
  • Proposed alternative Fiscally Compassionate Budget with Councilmember Laketa Cole which would have “Cut Bureaucracy, Restore Basic Human Services, & Strengthen Public Safety” The Plan Included:
  • Restoring full funding for Snow Removal to $1.2 million to include residential streets (council only allocated $900,000)
  • Restoring $3.2 million in 2005 an d$2.4 million in 2006 to fund Human Services by eliminating vacant positions (council voted for $2 million contingent on traffic cameras and tickets)
  • Restoring the Police Cadet Program
  • Adding a Fire Recruit Class in 2005
  • $1 million for the Freedom Center from $4 million for the downtown garage
  • Provide $1.7 million for Evanston development by using The Golf and Aviation Fund for P&G Luken Hanger Airport
  • Held Community Meeting to give out copies of the planned budget to citizens and get feed back at the Avondale Pride Center
  • Introduced city/county proposal that ended 10-year Juvenile Jail Fight (Passed by Council 8-1)
  • Introduced motion that the city explore joining the lawsuit on behalf of our citizens, against the high airline prices of Delta Airlines at the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport hub (delta announced new low airfare program on August 19, 2004)
ECONOMY, TOURISM, & SMALL BUSINESS
Vice Mayor Reece continued the “Cincinnati We’re On the Move” Campaign nationally to help boost the local economy

  • Held Pre-Opening Gala & Tour for the Opening of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
    • Highlighting and showcasing the Freedom Center to national meeting planners, local and national leaders
    • Three conventions have agreed to hold their conventions in Cincinnati
  • Took a Cincinnati Delegation to the Black Meeting Planners Convention to help in the fight to lure Conventions to the Cincinnati area
  • Hosted Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw, President of the National Baptist Convention during a site visit will be bringing the convention to Cincinnati in 2008.
  • Worked to bring the 2004-2005 National Black Caucus-Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) National Conference to Cincinnati (lost to Cleveland, Ohio)
  • Presented at the 2003 National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners in Dallas, Texas (November 2003)
  • Presented at the National League of Cities in Nashville, Tennessee (December 2003)
  • Voted for $160 million Convention Center Expansion
    • Introduced an Economic Inclusion Resolution passed by Council committing to economic partnership between major and minority businesses on Convention Center contracts, a pro-vender policy of breaking up larger contracts into smaller contracts allowing more businesses to participate, and bonding assistance program
    • Co-hosted several Convention Center update meetings regarding the bidding process for small and minority owned business
  • Voted for over $4.4 million for funding the Arts Consortium, Taft Museum, Museum Center, Music Hall, and others
  • Held public hearing to discuss the Port Authority and minority inclusion at the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce
  • Co-sponsored a property tax roll back to give homeowners a tax break
  • Voted for ordinance approving and authorizing execution of an Enterprise Zone Agreement with Lab Alliance, Inc., in connection with the establishment of the facility at TechSolve Business Park, and requiring the retention of existing jobs


NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVES
  • Took the Health Tourism Small Business Development and Employment and Training Committee into the neighborhoods:
    • Held joint meeting with Neighborhoods at the Bond Hill Community Center to discuss neighborhood and employment concerns
    • Held special committee at the Avondale Boys & Girls Club to discuss Dental Services
    • Held ex-offenders town hall meeting at the Lincoln Recreation Center in the West End
    • Held joint public hearing with Neighborhoods at the Dunham Recreation Center in Price Hill to discuss predatory leasing
    • Held special meeting at the African American Chamber of Commerce in Walnut Hills to discuss the Port Authority
    • Held special meeting at the Avon Fields Golf Course to celebrate the 90th year anniversary of Avon Fields Public Golf Course and the continuation of the Predatory Leasing Public Hearing
    • Held Emergency Town Hall Meeting at the Avon Woods Nature Center to discuss the new proposal for the Old Mill Creek Site
  • Introduced motion that the city administration and City Solicitor develop an “anti-Predatory Leasing” policy which resulted in anti-predatory legislation (Passed by council 9-0)
    • Held special public hearing on Predatory Leasing at the Dunham Recreation Center
    • Worked with City of Cincinnati Law Department, State Representative Steve Driehaus, Legal Aid, Neighborhood Coalition, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Apartment Association, and the Cincinnati Real Estate Investors Association to come to a compromise on the language of the ordinance
    • The plan puts a cap on the option fee up front, owners may not charge no more than 11/2 times one month’s rent in the 1st and 2nd years of the agreement, and no more than four times the rent over the length of the contract, Penalties of $90 - $500 for each violation to the property owner and the possibility of the lease-option contract to be voided and option money returned to tenant in some cases, Required language on the top of the front page of the contract in all upper-case letters and in 14-point font or larger: “This is not a contract to buy.”
  • Introduced a motion passed by council to earmark $850,000 to buy the proposed juvenile jail site in Bond Hill for single family housing
  • Co-sponsored a resolution calling on the County Commissioners of Hamilton County to vote to withdraw the County’s appeal on the matter involving the old Mill Creek Psychiatric facility
  • Introduced motion to fund Neighborhood Plans that was approved by Council- resulted in over $30 million for the neighborhoods
  • Co-Sponsored Motion to establish a $250 million public/ private new housing fund
  • Voted for $26 million for Neighborhood Development Fund from the Anthem Fund
HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
  • Assisted in final negotiations of the historic University Hospital settlement between the City and Health Alliance. This historic agreement includes:
    • The University Hospital guaranteeing care to the uninsured and under insured
    • The Health Alliance committing $2 million to a new Cincinnati Health Disparity Center
    • A partnership with the African American Chamber of Commerce to open opportunities for African American and minority businesses for goods and services
  • Sponsored resolution asking Governor Taft not to cut Medicaid and Healthy Families Program, and other health services that would effect over 100,000 citizens
  • Supported and voted for $70 million in healthcare services from the Cincinnati Health Department for 2005-2006 resulting in keeping City Health Clinics open
  • Introduced motion that the Cincinnati Police Department require CPR Update Certification for all of the Cincinnati Police Officers as a part of ongoing training which is now a requirement
  • Put together the Smoking Advisory Committee to study the effects of second hand smoke on the general public and if the city should enact a citywide smoking ban (Report due to come out in January in the Health committee)
  • Hosted a special Health Committee at the new Free Dental Clinic in Avondale to help spread the word about the new clinic which is a public/private partnership between the City of Cincinnati Health Department, Proctor & Gamble, the Girls and Boys Club, and the Cincinnati Dental Society
  • Introduced “Stop the Violence, Increase Safety” motion in which the city would partner with the Youth Injury Prevention Team at Children’s Hospital by doing the following:
    • Providing fitting stations for infant car seats in each of the City of Cincinnati Fire houses
    • CitiCable broadcast “Stop The Funerals” Play
    • Cincinnati Recreation Commission show the “Stop The Funerals Play” in their teen centers
    • Cincinnati human Relations Commission Unity Ambassadors meet with the Teen Power group of Children’s Hospital to work together
    • Cincinnati Recreation Commission explore taking teens to visit the trauma center at Children’s Hospital
  • Co-Sponsored motion to establish a minimum of $1 million fund to support senior services resulting in funding to keep Senior Centers open (Mt. Auburn, Over-the-Rhine, & North Fairmount)
  • Held special Health Committee meeting on the study of Poly-Heme an oxygen-carrying blood substitute that is being tested on trauma victims in the ambulance prior to reaching the hospital because most trauma victims cause of death is loss of blood which is not supplied in the ambulance
  • Supported a grant for $437,748 to provide HIV Prevention and Educational services to the residents of the City of Cincinnati
  • PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INITIATIVES
  • Voted for $1.1 million dollars to be allocated in the City’s capital budget for ADA compliance
  • Voted for $20,000 to be appropriated to the Inclusion Network to insure that the money for the ADA compliance is spent with those directly affected and that the Inclusion Network make recommendations as to how to make all city-owned buildings more accessible for people with disabilities
  • Co-sponsored motion that the City look into hiring a sign interpreter for full Council sessions and meetings to accommodate the needs of hearing impaired citizens (Now the city will install a TV Monitor inside Council Chambers to provide close captioning for hearing impaired citizens during committee meetings and full council sessions)
  • Introduced Employment Initiative for people with disabilities
  • This initiative is designed to aggressively promote the hiring of persons with disabilities through the encouragement of federal tax incentives.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INITIATIVES
  • Voted for $1.1 million dollars to be allocated in the City’s capital budget for ADA compliance
  • Voted for $20,000 to be appropriated to the Inclusion Network to insure that the money for the ADA compliance is spent with those directly affected and that the Inclusion Network make recommendations as to how to make all city-owned buildings more accessible for people with disabilities
  • Co-sponsored motion that the City look into hiring a sign interpreter for full Council sessions and meetings to accommodate the needs of hearing impaired citizens (Now the city will install a TV Monitor inside Council Chambers to provide close captioning for hearing impaired citizens during committee meetings and full council sessions)
  • Introduced Employment Initiative for people with disabilities
    • This initiative is designed to aggressively promote the hiring of persons with disabilities through the encouragement of federal tax incentives.
EMPLOYMENT & YOUTH
  • Co-Sponsored the Second Chance Workforce Summit
    • Held the “Call to Partnership Breakfast” at the Theodore Berry Center (West End) which brought the City of Cincinnati, Community Action Agency, Ministers, Rabbis, Community Council Presidents, Cincinnati Business Committee, Judges, State Officials, and Federal Officials together to discuss the barriers that hinder ex-offenders from becoming productive citizens
    • Held the Ex-Offenders Town Hall Meeting at the Lincoln Center (West End) where there were over 1,000 attendees and we had to turn people away because the fire department said we were over the capacity for the entire building
    • Brought together many of the agencies who offer services for ex-offenders or deal with them on a daily basis such as: Ex-Offenders Task Force, UL-Soar, CPS, Board of Elections, Child Support Enforcement Agency, SWOCRN, Cincinnati State Technical Community College, Legal Aid, Mercy Francisan at St. John, Salvation Army, Greater Cincinnati Apprenticeship, Pro Adults, Job Plus, Cincinnati Works, WRC, Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development, Educational Opportunity Center, HOME, Social Security Administration, NAACP, Cincinnati Union Bethel Technology Resource Center, YWCA, Single Pleasure of Home, Northside Community School, and SARF
    • Sponsored a resolution of support for House Bill 349 & House Bill 429 to over-turn the law that states if you have a felony conviction, the professionals licensing boards do not have to grant you a certificate, license, permit, or renew your license
    • Started a petition drive in support of House Bills 349 & 429 to be presented to the officials in the State House
  • Sponsored resolution expressing the opposition of Council to the proposed federal and state changes to the Head Start program being debated by the United States Congress and State of Ohio, and expressing Council’s ongoing support for full federal and state funding of the Head Start program in order to make sure every eligible child is able to participate
  • Voted and supported $1.6 million for Citizens Committee on Youth (CCY)
  • Voted for over $40 million for the Cincinnati Recreation Center youth activities
  • Introduced Motion to establish a “Youth Information One Stop” for summer recreation, employment, and community activities for Cincinnati youth and parents
  • Voted for over $ 500,000 for Youth Employment Initiative
  • Revised Military Leave Ordinances extending the time Firefighters, Police Officers, & other City workers to serve our country without loosing their jobs
  • Vice Mayor Reece’s Cincinnatians for Cincinnati Jobs School Partnership:
    • Vice Mayor Alicia Reece New Vision Youth Volunteer Program (exposing area youth to city government)
    • Vice Mayor Alicia Reece’s College Internship Program (retaining & recruiting young professionals)
        • Sean Parker a former intern for Vice Mayor Alicia Reece is currently interning in the office of United States Senator Hillary Rodman Clinton
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