Happy rainy Thursday, all. Let’s talk news.
The city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County have come to a court-mediated agreement on running the region’s Metropolitan Sewer District. County Commissioners and city officials announced a deal yesterday that would create a five-member oversight board with members appointed by both governments. The county would appoint three members of the board, the city two and the group would be able to hire and fire MSD’s director and assistant director. The agreement would make MSD workers — currently employed by the city — county employees. But those employees will stay part of Cincinnati’s pension system in order to keep that fund from becoming insolvent.
The 45-year deal will end uncertainty and contention between the city and county around the coming expiration of a joint operating agreement that’s been around since 1968. It also comes as water rates have soared here. But it has its critics. Hamilton County Commissioner Chris Monzel, a Republican, refused to sign onto the new plan, decrying the unelected board idea and saying the county should take sole control over MSD. Meanwhile, three Democrats on Cincinnati City Council — Yvette Simpson, Chris Seelbach and Wendell Young — also criticized the board but thought the city should have retained more control over MSD. They say the city is giving infrastructure it owns over to the county.
“City taxpayers own over 50 percent of the assets in the system according to our own law department and outside law firms who have reviewed the agreements,” the three wrote in a statement released yesterday. “Yet, this deal gives control of those assets to the county with no financial compensation back to city ratepayers. Our leverage for a better and stronger system was given away for little in return.”
The state legislature must approve the deal — a hurdle that might be high, considering that county employees pay into the state’s retirement fund OPERS.
• Transgender advocates, veterans and city officials gathered outside City Hall yesterday to protest tweets by President Donald Trump saying that trans individuals would no longer be permitted to serve in the military. Among the speakers blasting Trump’s announcement were Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, Cincinnati City Council members David Mann and Chris Seelbach and transgender Navy veteran Luna Kaur.
“Transgender people already serve in the military and they do so honorably and courageously,” Kaur told the crowd. “They are putting their lives for the freedoms of everyone in this country.”
• Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils says he will seek another vote on whether the FOP will participate in a refresh of the city’s 2003 Collaborative Agreement. Earlier this week, the police union voted to sit out the refresh, which would revitalize the Citizen’s Complaint Authority and take other steps to improve on community policing practices and police reform efforts. The vote came after controversy around the trial of former University of Cincinnati Police office Ray Tensing for shooting unarmed motorist Sam DuBose. During the trial, prosecutors criticized CPD Sgt. Shannon Heine for her handling of the investigation into the shooting, angering Hils and others with the department. Hils has also lashed out at the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it makes police officers’ jobs more difficult and doesn’t focus on neighborhood crime. Hils’ comments led to backlash from the Sentinels, a police union for black Cincinnati Police officers. Hils will need to petition the FOP’s executive board to get a re-vote on participation in the Collaborative refresh.
• Hamilton County would get three pot dispensaries under Ohio’s medicinal marijuana law, according to a draft map released by the state yesterday. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is one of three state entities responsible for running Ohio’s program. It divided the state into districts by county to decide where to place the state’s 60 dispensaries. Cuyahoga and Franklin Counties, where Cleveland and Columbus are, will get five dispensaries each. Other more rural areas like Butler County will get one each.
• Finally, if you haven’t heard, the Ohio State Fair opened yesterday to tragedy. One person was killed and seven others injured after a ride at the fair malfunctioned. The fair is open today, but all rides have been shut down for the time being by order of Gov. John Kasich. Read more about the accident here.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 2, 2017.