committing another $5 million to Cincinnati’s streetcar project
, but the city must first close the budget gap that has recently put the project in danger. The U.S. Department of Transportation is also asking the city to restore certain aspects of the project, including a passenger information system and a screen or wall that would block power substations from public view. City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee is expected to vote on the project’s $17.4 million budget gap today. The
latest proposed fixes from the city manager
would pull funding from multiple capital projects, including improvements around the Horseshoe Casino, and issue more debt.
Cincinnati and Hamilton County
announced a compromise
Friday that will end the county’s funding hold on sewer projects. As a result, the city will be required to rework its “responsible bidder” ordinance and repeal the “local hire” and “local preference” laws that incited county commissioners into passing the funding hold in the first place. The city says its responsible bidder law creates local jobs and encourages job training, but the county argues that law’s rules favor unions and push up costs on Metropolitan Sewer District projects.
CityBeat covered the city-county conflict in further detail
here
.
No. 3 in the nation for “megadeals”
— massive government subsidies to corporations that are meant to encourage in-state job creation — but a new report found many of the deals rarely produce the kind of jobs initially touted by public officials. For Cincinnati, the risks of megadeals are nothing new: In 2011, the city’s $196.4 million megadeal with Convergys collapsed when the company failed to keep downtown employment at or above 1,450, and the company agreed to pay a $14 million reimbursement to the city.
officially leasing its parking meters, lots and garages to the Greater Cincinnati Port Authority
. The Port announced it had signed the lease Friday, putting an end to a
four-day controversy
over whether the agency was going to sign the lease at all. The city will get a $92 million lump sum and at least $3 million a year from the deal, according to city estimates. Current plans call for using the money to help balance city budgets and fund economic development projects, including the I-71/MLK Interchange.
The prison company that owns and operates a northeastern Ohio prison
lost four contracts around the nation in June
, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In May,
CityBeat released an
in-depth report
looking at the Corrections Corporation of America’s handling of the Lake Erie Correctional Institution, finding evidence of rising violence and unsanitary conditions.
About one in three Ohio children
live in a home where neither parent has a full-time, year-round job
, and a quarter now live in poverty. Although Ohio’s overall ranking improved in Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual report card on the well-being of children, the state worsened in three out of four economic indicators.
make a speech
tomorrow unveiling sweeping plans for climate change. The president is expected to impose a series of regulations, particularly on power plants, with executive powers, which means the plans won’t require congressional action.
still coming down
this week.
Plants apparently do math to get through the night
.
Some diseases, including some types of cancer, are now being
diagnosed by smell
.
Got questions for CityBeat about anything related to Cincinnati? Today is the last day to submit your questions
here
. We’ll try to get back to you in our first Answers Issue.
CityBeat is looking to talk to convicted drug offenders from Ohio for an upcoming cover story. If you’d like to participate or know anyone willing to participate, email
glopez@citybeat.com
.
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2013.
