August 11, 2009 Member Meeting

Date of meeting: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Time/Location: 6:00 PM, Cincinnati Public Library (800 Vine St.)

Welcome and Introductions

Andy Chirch, DRC President, presided over the meeting this evening; minutes from the July 14, 2009 meeting were accepted.

Cincinnati Police Department Update:

  • Black Family Reunion will be held @ Sawyer Point the weekend of 8/15/09; 100,000 people are expected to attend.
  • Riverfest takes place on Sunday, Sept. 6th; 200,000 are expected; there will be numerous parking restrictions; Mt. Adams will close at 6:00 pm; residents can contact the police at 513-352-1226 for passes to access Mt. Adams; bridges will close one half- hour prior to fireworks.
  • panhandling - there have been reports of homeless persons being assaulted; two homeless individuals passed away from natural causes at 6th and Main and 6th and Linn Streets; Chico Lockhart continues to work closely with the police dep't on issues regarding panhandlers and the homeless.

Guests:
Caroline Kellam: Dep't of City Planning and Buildings - This is the first time in 30 years that a Comprehensive Plan for the entire city is being developed; the plan will define the City's biggest assets and challenges, help guide the budget process and prioritize projects and policies; there will be four Community Informational Meetings held and culminating with a summit at Xavier U. Feb. 2010.
For detailed information: www.plancincinnati.org or contact 513-352-4845

Patricia Klein: Housing Committee Chair, Mayor's Young Kitchen Cabinet - YOU 52 Project - Encouraged participation in the "YOU 52 Challenge" - a 60 second video competition between all 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods; Media Bridges will work with Community Councils and provide assistance; winning neighborhood will be featured on Channel 12's Newsmakers program; contact: Mary Maune @ 513-319-3880.

OLD/REGULAR BUSINESS: COMMITTEE UPDATES

Treasurer' Report: Chris Smith
DRC account has a balance of $8, 807.02

Communications Committee: Conrad Thiede
Cincinnati Reds Community Foundation generously provided tickets for the August 13, 2009 DRC Night at Great American Ball Park.

Membership Committee: Casey Gilmore and Alison Kamine
Membership renewals and new member sign-ups are ongoing.

Clean, Green and Safe Committee: David Siders and Paul Westendorf
Gardening in the City Program on 8/11/09 featured Lisa Yunker of City Roots; David is making arrangements for a speaker in Sept. or Oct.

Events Committee: Linda Phillips
August 27th - Black Finn 6:00-8:00 pm appetizers provided, drinks @ price
September 17th - Cincinnati Ballet New Works Sponsored by OTR & DRC - Individuals purchase tkts for performance; snacks and wine following performance
October - Palomino's; date to be announced
November - Rookwood Pottery Tour; holiday gift shopping will be an option; date tba

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The following announcements were noted:

  • Conrad Thiede - informed us of a death in the family of the Sunshine Deli owners; Summer Arts Program was THE most successful to date; encouraged downtowners to view the artwork on display in the library windows on 9th Street.
  • Chris Weideman - Complaints have been received about excessive noise from the Righteous Room; Chris met with the club owners and Cincinnati Police to discuss.

Special Presentation/Discussion/Vote on the Cincinnati Streetcar and recent ballot issues
John Schneider - downtown resident for 33 years, representing Cincinnatians for Progress; provided copy of ballot language; he's asking citizens for a "no" vote; the ballot is broad and pertains to all passenger rail, not just streetcars; Cincinnati Enquirer recommends voting against the COAST anti-rail amendment; Downtown Residents Council membership is opposed to the proposed charter amendment; the plan is to begin service in 2012; www.protransit.com has maps and detailed information; measures are being taken to educate persons outside of the city core on the issues
Mark Miller - treasurer of Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) - www.wedemandavote.com for detailed information on the issues and their platform; four organizations (including NAACP & Libertarians) teamed up to oppose the streetcar and passenger rail transportation; charter amendment is simply an opportunity to allow citizens to vote on passenger rail; distrust of city council members is the primary impetus behind the initiative; past public transportation failures include Cincinnati's attempt at building a subway system

At 7 pm, a motion was passed by George Verkamp to allow a 15 minute extension to continue discussing and permit a question and answer session pertaining to the Cincinnati Streetcar Initiative

A vote was taken and DRC members voted to oppose the proposed charter amendment supported by COAST
44 in favor, 3 abstentions

Motion to adjourn, 2nd by Chris Smith

Meeting was adjourned by Andy Chirch @ 7:20
Approximately 60 persons were in attendance

Respectfully submitted by Alison Kamine
July 31, 2009