| Paid for by Harris for Council | 1601 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 | Bradley William Thomas, Treasurer |
Greg, the Good Government Guy!
Combat Blight
There are over 1700 vacant, blighted buildings in Cincinnati. These dilapidated structures
hinder public safety, drive down the property values of surrounding home owners, and are
magnets for criminal activity.
New Dollars for Demolition
In one of his first actions on Council, Councilmember Harris spearheaded a comprehensive
plan to increase funding for the elimination of blighted buildings. Council passed a major
component of his plan to allow neighborhood groups to access up to $5 million in federal
funds for eradicating blight in their communities. The proposal also includes a Side-Lot
Transfer Program allowing responsible homeowners to purchase adjacent lots for $1 and
cost-saving measures to fund additional demolition of blighted properties.
Prosecuting Negligent Landowners
Councilmember Harris supports strengthening enforcement of Cincinnati’s Chronic Nuisance
Ordinance, and is working on employing additional tools to prosecute deadbeat property
owners. This includes a pilot project that would assign police district based prosecutors to
work with neighborhood residents to use criminal and civil litigation and other new weapons
for going after the holders of these vacant, neglected, and/or crime-ridden properties.
Councilmember Harris also worked with Councilmember Roxanne Qualls and others to apply
property liens to water bills to make it more difficult for negligent property owners to ignore
fines.
Fight Crime
Councilmember Harris has aggressively pursued new and smart strategies to alleviate jail
overcrowding, safeguard police morale, and support programs that divert youth from the
criminal life.
Safety and Smart Policing
I am a strong supporter of the Cincinnati Police Department’s partnership with University of
Cincinnati’s Criminal Justice program and CIRV. The CPD has earned national recognition
for this partnership that relies on intelligence work, crime mapping, and data analysis to
systemically destabilize criminal networks. This partnership was responsible for taking out
the “Taliband” street gang that was based in Northside. I will do everything in my capacity as
Councilmember to support this innovative collaborative model for 21st century policing.
For further information, please read the following Enquirer feature story.
Jail Overcrowding
Councilmember Harris worked with County Commissioner David Pepper and fellow
Councilmember Leslie Ghiz to create a plan to use federal stimulus funds to help protect
Cincinnatians from criminals who cannot be held in our overcrowded jails. The proposal
would provide funding to the County Sheriff for the lease of 75 additional electronic
monitoring units (EMUs) with GPS capabilities to track City offenders. The County would
match the City EMU leases and also provide Sheriff Deputies to monitor those wearing EMU’
s.
To read the full motion, click here.
Police Morale
Councilmember Harris is adamant that our police officers be treated fairly. Harris proposed
creating a third party entity that will provide officers with a process for requesting
investigations of the Police Department without going through CPD leadership. This would
give our police officers a meaningful remedy for reporting alleged wrongdoing within the
department without fear of retribution.
To read the front page Cincinnati Enquirer article about Councilmember Harris’ motion, click
here.
Streamline Government
Cincinnati and Hamilton County are mired in a 19th century form of government. With 49
different political jurisdictions (Cincinnati is just
one of these 49), we are a highly bureaucratic region that is ill-equipped to compete in a
21st century economy. Given the fact that Hamilton County in and of itself is only a medium-
sized city, there is no excuse for so much waste and duplication in government services at
the city and county levels. Cincinnati cannot tax itself into prosperity, and the only way we
can generate resources to make this city thrive is through cost savings achieved by
government efficiencies.
Cincinnati's economy is relatively diverse, and has sustained the loss of 25,000
manufacturing jobs since 2000. But it seems the economic resilience has occurred not
because of city government, but in spite of it.
If elected to Council, I vow to work with reformers in the city and county to help implement
much needed systems change.
Reduce Poverty
America has thousands of cities, but Cincinnati has more poverty than most of them.
Councilmember Harris has championed an Opportunity Agenda that develops the city’s
workforce, employs innovative new tools to help the recently homeless to find homes again,
Developing Cincinnati’s Workforce
Councilmember Harris serves on the Governor’s Workforce Policy Board and is recognized
nationally for his workforce development expertise. As Councilman, Harris has aggressively
pursued job training opportunities for unskilled and unemployed workers that simultaneously
attacks community problems like blight. This includes a motion he co-sponsored with
Councilmember Cecil Thomas to use hazard abatement funds to train low skilled workers to
deconstruct blighted properties. Deconstruction is a more environmentally friendly form of
demolition that requires buildings to be carefully dismantled so that the maximum amount of
waste materials can be salvaged, recycled, and diverted from landfills.
Prevent Homelessness
Councilmember Harris supports the innovative Homeless to Homes initiative that includes a
special focus on moving the homeless to permanent housing. To read the full plan, click
here.
Councilmember Harris also co-sponsored a motion to protect families in danger of losing
their homes due to the job loss as a result of the economic downturn. The plan would use
federal stimulus funding to help prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless
and to help re-house those who are suffering from homelessness. To read the ordinance,
click here.
Protect the Environment
From championing new bike trails to initiatives to clean Cincinnati’s polluted air,
Councilmember Harris is a champion of the environment.
The Federal Stimulus & Our Environment
Councilmember Harris supported the allocation of federal stimulus funds for several green
projects here in Cincinnati. This includes funding to:
- Employ the Cincinnati Energy Alliance to retrofit buildings for energy efficiency—a
program that will pay for itself many times over. - The Mill Creek Restoration Project’s Mill Creek Greenways to expand
pedestrian/recreation trails throughout the city’s core neighborhoods. - A 54 mile Ohio River Trail for cyclists and pedestrians which will run along the river
from the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the new Cincinnati Riverfront Park.
For a list of the allocation of formula Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds,
click here.
Environmental Justice
Councilmember Harris supports Vice-Mayor Crowley’s proposed Environmental Justice (EJ)
Ordinance. This ordinance will ensure that no group of people bears “disproportionately
high and adverse human health and environmental effects.” The measure would protect low-
income neighborhoods from pollutants that could exacerbate already high levels of heart
disease, cancer, asthma, lead poisoning, and low-birth weight, by requiring and EJ Review of
all proposed projects within a mile of communities with high low-income populations. The EJ
Ordinance would be the first such city ordinance in the nation – bolstering Cincinnati’s
growing environmentally-friendly reputation.
To read the proposed ordinance, click here.
Lead Hazards
In October of 2008, the Health Department was alerted that several buildings in Price Hill with
outstanding lead hazard control orders were still occupied – most by families with very young
children. Councilmember Harris co-sponsored a motion that requires a series of steps to
protect families living in rental housing from lead hazards. The motion specifies Health
Department alert families directly about lead hazards, provide relocation assistance, and
make sure that the property remains vacant until all lead hazards are abated. The motion
also provides for the prosecution of negligent and willfully noncompliant landlords of
properties with known lead hazards.
To read the full motion, click here.
Spring Grove Avenue Bike Lane
Councilmember Harris introduced a motion to consider including a dedicated bike lane in the
Spring Grove Avenue street improvement project. This bike lane would be easily accessible
to the neighborhoods of Spring Grove, Northside, Clifton, Camp Washington, West End,
Price Hill, and Downtown. Greg would like to see this Spring Grove Bike Lane developed
and connected to the Mill Creek Bike Trail. Construction on the 3.4-mile Mill Creek Bike Trail
linking North Avondale, Clifton, Spring Grove, Northside, South Cumminsville, and Millvale will
begin later this spring.
To read Councilmember Harris motion, click here.
Councilmember Harris' Priorities
