At its meeting on May 2, Cincinnati City Council took several steps to re-energize the implementation of its Green Cincinnati Plan.
The first step was the appointment of new members to a steering committee, charged with making recommendations to Council on how to grow that plan. The steering committee's members include:
- Laure Quinlivan, Cincinnati City Council;
- Sam McKinley, Sierra Club;
- Icy Williams, National Sustainability Coalition;
- Shawn Hesse; U.S. Green Building Council;
- Brad Mank, Environmental Advisory Council;
- Carl Evert, neighborhood advocate;
- Scott Hassell, Greater Cincinnati Green Business Council;
- Charles Tassell, Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association;
- Tonia Edwards, American Institute of Architects;
- Brewster Rhoads, Green Umbrella;
- Mary Miller, BOMA Greater Cincinnati;
- Sallie Hilvers, Cincinnati Metro;
- John Stowell, Duke Energy;
- Tyra Oldham, LAND sds;
- Mark Fisher, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden;
- Ann Daugherty, Xavier University;
- Jock Pitts, People Working Cooperatively;
- Susan Brownknight, BlueGreen Alliance;
- Beth McGrew, University of Cincinnati;
- Bradley King, Mayor Mallory's YPKC;
- Holly Christman, Hamilton County;
- Janelle Lee, Uptown Consortium;
- Barb Wriston-Ruddy, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful;
- Andy Holzhauser, Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance;
- Eric Gruenstein, at-large;
- Melissa English, Ohio Citizen Action;
- Mary Stagaman, Agenda 360;
- Vicki Ciotti, Civic Garden Center.
- Authorizing an application and acceptance of a $15,000 grant from the Seasongood Good Government Foundation for the "What's Your Green Umbrella" marketing and outreach campaign, with a goal of reducing Cincinnati's carbon emissions by 300,000 tons before this October. The grant would fund a neighborhood challenge in which Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods will compete to see how much energy savings and carbon footprint reduction they can achieve through the "Umbrella" website. Winners in each of the City's five police districts, based upon both public participation and carbon reduction, will have a green project funded.
- Authorizing an application and acceptance of a $15,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation for further enhancing marketing and outreach of the plan.
- Authorizing an application for a $35,000 Local Sustainability Matching Grant from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities for strengthening the capacity of Green Umbrella and to market energy improvements of Cincinnati residences and businesses through the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance. Green Umbrella would be the recipient and manager of the grant, if awarded. The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation has pledged $25,000 in matching funds, and the Charles H. Dater and PNC foundations have pledged $5,000 each.
- Authorizing an application and acceptance of a $20,000 grant from the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training to fund the design, development, and building of educational signage for green resource centers at two or three community gardens, to be installed in low-income, minority neighborhoods. A partnership between the University of Cincinnati, Marvin's Organic Gardens, and the Civic Garden Center, the project's goal is to impact obesity, diabetes, and other issues of minority health.
New Community Development Advisory Board
In an unrelated matter, Council at the same meeting established a new Community Development Advisory Board.
The new members are:
- Kevin Finn, Strategies to End Homelessness (formerly the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care for the Homeless), 3-year term;
- Tom Lunney, American Small Business Centers, 3-year term;
- Matt Strauss, Price Hill Will, 3-year term;
- Bobby Maly, Model Group, 3-year term;
- Safi Safi, Corryville Community Development Corporation, 3-year term;
- Kathy Atkinson, Walnut Hills Area Council, 2-year term;
- Tim Jeckering, Northside Community Council, 2-year term;
- Doug Sizemore, AFL-CIO, 2-year term;
- Simon Sotelo, PNC Bank, 2-year term;
- John Eby, Westwood Works, 1-year term;
- Michelle Dillingham, Ohio Valley and Southern States Laborers-Employers Cooperative and Education Trust, 1-year term;
- Kathy Schwab, Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, 1-year term;
- City employees Ed Cunningham and Russ Hairston of the Department of Community Development, Bill Fischer of the Economic Development Division, and Alex Peppers of the Department of City Planning and Buildings.
Previous reading on BC:
Green Cincinnati RFP winding down (1/24/11)
Motion supports making urban gardening program permanent (11/18/09)
Notwithstanding ordinances push community gardens forward (4/28/09)
Cincinnati Farm program could be in place by spring (1/12/09)
Crowley: Make vacant City parcels available for farms, gardens (10/30/08)
