Purcell Avenue Speed Humps Approved!

EPHIA received word on November 25 from the City's Department of Transportation and Engineering that the 700 block of Purcell Avenue is recommended to receive its petitioned-for street humps as a traffic calming measure.

94% of returned postcards favored street humps. According to the letter from Bryan Williams, PE, Supervising Engineer, "the City Administration will send a report to City Council recommending speed humps on Purcell Avenue between West Eighth Street and Bassett Road. Upon approval of this report, the Traffic Engineering Division will begin more detailed layout of the speed humps and coordinate these locations with adjacent residents. It is expected these speed humps will be installed in the fall of 2009."

Affected residents with questions may call Mr. Williams at 352-4506.

Congratulations to those residents for taking ownership of their street and working proactively to improve their quality of life!

MSD Activities

First, MSD (County-owned, City-operated) is having a Public Hearing on its 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Program, 2010 Operating Budget; and Fixing Rates for Sewerage Service Charges for the Use of Sanitary and Combined Sewers and for Sewage Treatment in the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati on Wednesday December 2 beginning at 10AM in Room 603 of the County Administration Building, 138 East Court Street. More info here.

Second, MSD's Community Advisory Panel (CAP) meets Wednesday December 2 from 5-6:30PM at MSD Administration Office Building and Conference Center, Room 105 (1081 Woodrow Street off of Gest Street). Topics include:

• MSD Waste Streams to Rumpke’s Landfill
  MSD Ramps up Recycling
• Odor Control Projects Update

Notes from the September meeting follow:

Members Present:
Mohammad Alam, Cincinnati Health Department
John Barlage, Hamilton County Environmental Services
Pam Childress, MSD, resident
Jack Degano, Lower Price Hill Community Council
Staci Dennison, Cincinnati Museum Center
Jeanne Nightingale, resident
Carolyn Oshita, resident
Tony Parrott, Director, MSD
Jack Rennekamp, MSD
Rick Scheff, resident
Ken Smith, Price Hill Will
Bill Winters, MSD

Guests:
Gina Ruffin Moore, MSD
Robin Corathers, Mill Creek Restoration Project

Facilitator:
Kim Lahman, Environmental Technologies & Communications, Inc. (ETC)

The meeting started at 5:10 p.m. in the Conference Center of the MSD Administration Office Building, 1081 Woodrow Street. Introductions were made. Tony Parrott welcomed CAP members and reminded them of his announcement at the last meeting about MSD receiving EPA approval for the wet weather consent decree and waiting for public comment and final approval from the federal court. The public comment period ended the second week of August and the court is reviewing the comments. MSD is waiting for the federal court to formally adopt the wet weather plan. Work has begun to comply with the consent decree.

The District has been fortunate to be an enterprise fund and has not been impacted by the city-wide lay-offs and budget issues. MSD has submitted budgets for next year to the City and the County to continue funding capital improvements.

MSD will participate for the second year in the annual Lower Price Hill Community Day on Saturday, October 3rd. MSD will sponsor the toilet racers and toilet paper toss games as well as staff an information table.



Odor Control Projects Status Report (Bill Winters)

1. Septage Receiving Station
Construction of the facility was completed and it was dedicated May 14, 2009. The City has issued a temporary occupancy permit and the facility will be in operation by the end of September. The additional primary odor control process has been installed and started up.

2. Grit Removal and Handling Facility
The new system will be enclosed and the air will be drawn through an odor control process so that odor releases are reduced. The design of the facility is complete and bidding for the construction contract should happen in October. Construction is anticipated to begin in January 2010. The construction is estimated to take 36 months.

3. Aeration Diffuser Replacement
About 6,000 air diffusers in the aeration tanks have been replaced. The diffuser cleaning system piping is being installed now. The project should be completed by the fourth quarter of this year.

4. Secondary Treatment Process Upgrade
The scope includes an upgrade of secondary clarifiers and other improvements to allow the treatment plant to treat higher storm flows over a longer period of time. The design is nearly complete and bidding for construction should happen in the middle of October. Construction is anticipated to begin in December and continue for 39 months.

5. Hypochlorite System Upgrade
Hypochlorite is used to disinfect the water returning to the environment as well as to control odor. Large storage tanks and a piping system throughout the plant are being installed to help with distribution of hypochlorite and should be completed by the second quarter of 2010.

6. Fluidized Bed Incinerators
The plant’s six multiple hearth incinerators are being replaced with three fluidized bed incinerators. The fluidized bed, which is a very advanced process, is considered best of technologies and is projected to be useful to MSD for the next 25 to 30 years. Biosolids are scheduled to be fed to the first incinerator in November 2009, followed by emissions testing in December 2009.

Q: Will we see a difference in air quality?
A: The use of this incinerator design at the Little Miami Wastewater Treatment Plant has resulted in decreased emissions.

7. Anaerobic Digestion Decommissioning
All anaerobic digesters will be emptied, cleaned out and removed from service. Two of the digesters will be converted to holding tanks to help manage the sludge. The design phase should begin in the fourth quarter of 2009 and will continue for 12 to 18 months. Construction is expected to last for another 18 months and the project should be finalized in 2012. The flare will go away after the digesters are no longer in operation.

Q: Is MSD using the methane?
A: No, it is cost prohibitive and methane gas will no longer be created once the digesters are gone.

8. Odor Control Study
A study of existing odor control systems has begun with the collection and analysis of Mill Creek Treatment Plant’s data. Information is being gathered to assist in optimizing the current odor control systems and to assist in developing a plan for managing odors in the future. Preliminary and warm weather samplings are finished. A final report is scheduled to be complete by December 2009.

Mill Creek Restoration Green Schools Program (Robin Corathers)

Mill Creek Restoration Project (MCRP) is celebrating 15 years of providing programs including the Supplemental Environmental Projects, Greenways, Environmental Education, Green Infrastructure and Freedom Trees. These programs serve as a catalyst for developing sustainability in the Mill Creek watershed through community-based planning and empowerment, environmental education, and economically sound ecological restoration.
MCRP works with MSD on six supplemental environmental projects to improve the Mill Creek’s water quality and restore wildlife habitat.
The greenway system provides new and renewed park, recreation, and alternative transportation opportunities. Its creation provides green methods of managing stormwater, preventing pollution and reducing damage caused by flooding. The greenway system will stimulate economic activity, increase property values, and significantly improve the quality of life in inner-city and first ring suburban neighborhoods. The greenway system supports and enhances the City’s and County’s efforts to retain and attract new residents.
· MCRP collaborates with local businesses in the watershed and other partners to sponsor an environmental education program in 12 school districts in the Mill Creek watershed. The interdisciplinary program incorporates history, social studies, mathematics, geology, telecommunications, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, and language arts. MCRP’s innovative approach to environmental education emphasizes both analytical and creative thinking and uses an action research model (data collection, problem-solving and action-taking) to collect and use information.
· MCRP has worked with over 14,000 middle and senior high students, recruited and trained over 350 teachers and community volunteers and trained over 50 local watershed residents in our on-the-job training program.
· MCRP’s Green Infrastructure program works with students to restore their schools’ landscape functioning and use soils and vegetation to naturally absorb, filter, evaporate and reuse stormwater as a valuable fresh water resource. The program converts gray infrastructure to green. Students are taught the value of rain gardens, bioswales, vegetated buffers, wetlands and reforestation. Students work with a design team to gather information about existing conditions and analyze information, create a planting master plan and then implement the plan.
MCRP partnered with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the City of Cincinnati and Paul Hemmer’s Sand Run Nursery & Preserve to launch the Mill Creek Freedom Trees Program in November 2004, on the banks of Mill Creek in Northside. MCRP planted the second grove of trees in 2005 at two locations and in 2006 two local schools designed and created the third and fourth tree groves through their participation in MCRP's Environmental Education Program.

Q: Do you explore green careers in your educational programs?
A: Yes, the professionals we work with are role models for students. We may have a mini career fair at the student congress at the end of the school year and may showcase green technology.

Q: Is Oyler School participating?
A: The principal is enthusiastic and interested in getting students engaged and out of the classroom. There are plans for Oyler to have a green roof and green walls on their campus.

Q: Is there a plan to replace the existing black top at Oyler?
A: We are not sure at this point.

Q: What are the ages of students?
A: They are fourth, fifth and sixth graders. MCRP usually works with students in seventh through twelfth grade.

Margaret Garner Memorial (Jack Rennekamp and Gina Ruffin Moore)

MSD will continue researching to confirm the location where an African American slave named Margaret Garner killed her daughter to prevent her from being returned to slavery. According to author, Steven Weisenburger, the murder took place at the home of Joe Kite, Margaret’s cousin, now the site of the Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment plant. Location of the site has not been verified.

MSD will ask UC professor, Nikki Taylor and students to help with background research. Decisions about a marker or memorial will be determined after additional research has been complete.

Alcopops: Alcohol in Disguise (Carolyn Oshita)

CAP members were urged to contact their representatives for the State of Ohio to classify alcopops as mixed beverages which will decrease underage alcohol consumption and generate increase revenues for the state. Alcopops are sweet, alcoholic beverages that are often described as a cross between alcohol, fruit juices and soft drinks. Studies show that these drinks are popular with underage drinkers, especially girls, setting the stage for future drinking patterns.

P&G website profile on Price Hill

Came across this while composing the last post.

How great is it that P&G does this for our neighborhoods!

Parks & Recreation

One of the great things about living in East Price Hill is having so many Parks & Recreation facilities to enjoy in addition to the natural beauty of our wooded hillsides and ravines!

This list of locations is mapped here (zoom in and click the icons for name and address information): please take advantage of the opportunities each offers (and please note: most have great housing adjacent to or in easy walking distance- wouldn't it be great to live across from a park!)

Mount Echo Park
Embshoff Nature Preserve "near"
Olden View Park
Olden Tot Lot
Wilson Commons
Glenway Park
Glenway Woods
Mayfield Park

Maintained by the Price Hill Land Foundation:
Raymond G Dandridge Gardens
Whittier Gardens
Phillips Bird Sanctuary

Recreation Center
Dempsey Pool

East Price Hill Housing

As we prepare for the 2010 census, I am amazed by how strong our neighborhood's housing assets are.

Using 2000 census data and comparing the 48 Statistical Neighborhood Approximations (neighborhood boundaries approximated to census tracts), did you know that East Price Hill:

• Is Cincinnati's second most populous neighborhood?
• Has Cincinnati's second greatest number of housing units?
• Has Cincinnati's fourth greatest number of occupied housing units?
• Has Cincinnati's sixth greatest number of owner-occupied housing units?

Using data from the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, four percent of CMHA's occupied housing units are in East Price Hill, and these represent only two percent of our total housing.

While we have been impacted by the housing crisis, absorbing more than our share of foreclosures, the housing stock itself is still enviable in this great city! With our formally-designated Incline District (a term coined in 1989 in part by current EPHIA Board Director John Wall) and other burgeoning block-level initiatives, East Price Hill is poised to overcome current citywide challenges and embark upon a renaissance that will hopefully rival Mount Adams!

Neighborhood Resources

http://www.ephia.org/ has lots of great links to resources and organizations within our neighborhood. Below are some other resources our residents and business owners can use to help stake their claim and contribute positively to improving our already great neighborhood!

Address-based Code Enforcement history (city orders, building & health code violations, etc.)

Crime Reports (select an address and evaluate police response to crime by date of occurence, distance from the address, or type of crime)

EZ Trak to apply for and lookup building permts as well as Contractors registered in the City

Hamilton County Auditor (assessed values, tax payments and comparable sales)

City Data a website with lots of geographic and demographic information

Building Cincinnati is a great blog with many positive things to report about in Cincinnati, and a great clearinghouse for information about neighborhood development

Property Maintenance Code Check is an interactive tool (be sure to enable pop-ups) that let's you see what common concerns are addressed by Housing Inspectors

See what Wikipedia has to say about us

I'm sure this just scratches the surface. Please email your contributions to info@ephia.org or post a comment with a link!

2010 Cincinnati Budget

The City Manager has announced his proposed budget-balancing measures now being considered by the Mayor and City Council, reproduced below from his News Release and spreadsheet. Please ensure your opportunity to let the Mayor and Council know your thoughts is taken advantage of! Links to the Mayor's office, City Council and the City Manager follow at the bottom of this post so you may contact them.

ALSO: Please come our next EPHIA Membership Meeting on Monday December 21st. Meetings begin at 7:30PM in the fellowship hall of Elberon United Methodist Church, 704 Elberon Avenue in East Price Hill. Map

NEW RELEASE
November 23, 2009
Contact:
Meg Olberding, 352-5358 or 368-1083

CITY MANAGER PRESENTS “REDEFINED REALITY” IN 2010 BUDGET

The City of Cincinnati is facing an unprecedented $51.5 million shortfall in the General Fund budget which totals $353.5 million.

“The budget I am presenting today addresses that this government, like the people and businesses in our community, our region, our state and the country, are facing a Redefined Reality,” said City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr.

The Administration’s budget recommends using:
1. A10% cut in spending.
2. A transfer money from other accounts, where possible,
and tapping one-time reserve accounts.
3. Fees to offset service delivery.
4. Restructuring of some departments.
5. Layoffs and the cost saving days for unrepresented employees.
6. Attempts to restructure some debt.

1) A 10% CUT IN SPENDING.

The Administration looked at ways to cut spending and the service impacts this would cause before looking at other kinds of cuts like personnel. These include:

Establish Yard Waste and White Goods Collection as a single fee based program
Reduce hours at Recreation Centers
Reduce funding for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful
Reduce funding for Cincinnati Human Relations Commission by 50%
Reduce funding for Human Services agencies by $625,000
Reduce funding for the Neighborhood Right-of-Way program and corner can collection in the Central Business District (CBD)
Reduce Health Department inspections for unsanitary living conditions, junk, abandoned vehicles, rodents and insect infestation
Reduce funding for Greenspace Maintenance
Change recycling from weekly to twice a month
-more-

• Close 20 pools and reduce pool season by two weeks
Eliminate the Day Care Center Inspection program
Eliminate funding for non-City operated health clinics
Eliminate the Neighborhood Gardens Program
Eliminate the Private Lot Abatement Program
Eliminate the Litter Control Program
Eliminate funding for the Poison Control Center
Eliminate the Mayor’s Youth Job Fair
Eliminate funding for the Cincinnati Film Commission
Eliminate funding for the Center for Closing the Health Gap
Eliminate funding for the Hilton Davis Consultant
Eliminate funding for Park’s Nature Education program
Eliminate funding for Police Visibility Overtime
Do not fund the Environmental Justice Ordinance implementation
Cancel Police and Fire recruit classes
Temporary Fire Company Closures (staffing for one truck in fire houses where there are two)
Reduction/elimination of special programs in Police such as Vortex.

2) TRANSFERRING MONEY FROM OTHER ACCOUNTS, WHERE POSSIBLE, AND TAPPING ONE-TIME RESERVE ACCOUNTS

The Administration has recommended one-time sources, totaling $10.5 million.

$2 million from the Cincinnati Housing Development Loan Fund, used to expand long-term economic opportunities in the City to help the tax base; however, this $2 million is needed now.

$30,000 from the Special Events fund.

$3.7 million from the Police Comp Time Reserve Account. These funds are in excess of the amount needed to secure the Police Compensatory balances. These funds will go towards paying the costs associated with layoffs (unemployment compensation and lump sum payouts).

Refinancing seven prior year capital project accounts that contain Anthem Demutualization resources or General Fund resources. The Anthem Demutualization funds were a one time unrestricted payment to the City when Anthem demutualized in 2001; therefore these funds can be returned to the General Fund, unlike other Capital fund resources, which are restricted by the City Charter and State Law to be used for permanent improvements. This Totals $667,500.

-more-

$4.1 million from the Working Capital Reserve Fund. In conferring with the rating agencies, we can take this amount without jeopardizing our current bond rating. Our combined reserve level would be 7.5% of General Fund revenues.

3) FEES TO BRING SERVICES MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT THEY ACTUALLY COST.

Solid Waste
This fee would offset the expenses associated with the weekly garbage collection provided by Public Services.

The solid waste fee now being proposed is $10.00 per month per unit and $11.50 per business and it would be billed to property owners quarterly through Water Works.

Since it would not be ready to roll out January 1, 2010, it would generate $6.7 million for next calendar year. In 2011, when it would be in effect for a full year, it would generate $13.1 million.

Special Collection Services (White Goods and Yard Waste)
White Goods and Yard waste services have been eliminated in 2009, yet both are popular with the public.

The workers who actually provided the yard waste service have been displaced.

To fund these as a Special Collections Service would require a fee of $1.06 per month.

Since it would not be ready to roll out January 1, 2010 it would generate $676,000 for next calendar year. In 2011, when it would be in effect for a full year, it would generate $1.1 million.

If the City cannot charge for these services, we will not be able to restore them.

4) RESTRUCTURING SOME DEPARTMENTS.
The City will restructure Public Services to take out an entire layer of management;

Collocate Citizens Complaint Authority and Internal Audit;

and Consolidate Fire and Police E911 operations, which is projected to save $193,030 in the first year. This will come under a civilian leader.

5) Workforce Reduction

Cutting programs, combining functions, tapping reserves, restructuring debt, ten cost saving days from the non-represented employees, and introducing revenue generators still does not fully erase the $51.5 million shortfall.




-more-
Today, the City Manager’s budget recommendation includes eliminating 315 filled positions; 297 are in the General Fund and 18 are in Restricted Funds (those are funds that can only be used under the terms of the funding source).
AFSME declines by 39
CODE declines by 13
Fire declines by 47
Non-represented declines by 13
Police declines by 112
Part time declines by 91

Most of the recommended position reductions will be filled or occupied as compared to vacant positions.

The largest staff reductions will be in the Recreation, Health, Fire, and Police departments.

Additionally, Cost saving days for the City Manager, Directors and all levels of unrepresented employees will yield $800,000.

Labor Participation

The Administration did not build this budget on the assumption that unions would take any cost saving days or make other concessions. Each affected labor group was given the number of affected workers from their bargaining unit. They were not asked specifically to take cost saving days, but to consider a concession at whatever level they prefer to save as many jobs as possible. They were asked to respond, in writing, by December 7.

6) DEFER THE OCTOBER 2010 PAYMENT ($2.5 MILLION) TO OCTOBER OF 2012 FOR CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES FROM 2009
• Non personnel Reductions such as reevaluating fleet needs, reviewing contracts, reducing Call Center hours (591-6000) and freezing non-essential travel. Approximately $1.5 million.

• Savings from the 27 Full-Time employees laid off in 2009. $1.8 million.

• 16 funded vacant positions eliminated in the General Fund. $0.6 million for 2010.

• COPS hiring grant. $2.7 million

“It is time to redefine our reality, but that reality does not have to be a purely negative one for this government and this community. True, there are some painful cuts—especially the staffing cuts,” said Dohoney. “However, there are opportunities ahead of us if we have the courage to maximize them. It is time for us to lift our heads up and look this new reality in the face to find the best we can be,” he continued.

“I look forward to working with the Mayor and Members of Council to find common ground and finalize this budget.”
###

Spreadsheet:


2010 General Fund Gap Plan
2010 Estimated Revenues
$332,688,950
Continuation Budget Less Est. 2009 Cuts
$384,141,590
Gap
$ (51,452,640)
Specific 2010 Department Reductions
$ 22,831,120
Police Visibility Overtime Reduction
$ 1,800,000
School Board Payment Deferment
$ 2,500,000
Misc. Employee Benefits Savings
$ 3,097,460
Misc. Non-Dept Savings
$ 398,720
Total Reductions
$ 30,627,300
Estimated Expenditure Savings
$ 1,767,570
Solid Waste Fee
$ 6,700,000
Special Collections Fee
$ 676,000
Miscelleanous, Fees/Fines
$ 1,417,000
Revenue Impact from Program Reductions
$ (260,000)
Total Revenue Enhancements
$ 8,533,000
Neighborhood Housing Development Fund
$ 2,000,000
Anthem/General Fund in Capital Projects
$ 667,500
Special Events Fund
$ 30,000
Police Comp Time Reserve Transfer
$ 3,700,000
Working Capital Reserve Transfer
$ 4,127,270
Total Transfers
$ 10,524,770
Total Reductions, Revenues and Transfers
$ 51,452,640

Links:

2010 Budget Update

Mayor Mallory

City Council

City Manager Dohoney

Inaugural Post

Welcome! We have started this blog to keep our residents and Greater Cincinnati up-to-date in real time on all the great work our organization engages in, as well other groups in the neighborhood and city.

We are developing an overall IT strategy for EPHIA and hope you'll add us to your Favorites and check back daily as the residents, businesses and other stakeholders of East Price Hill get the word out about how great our neighborhood is!

Thank you & regards, j.

John Schlagetter, President
East Price Hill Improvement Association
PO Box 5420
Cincinnati, OH 45205-5420
info@ephia.org
513-652-3032