Budget, Finance & Governance Committee
Council Chambers, Room 300
Agenda — 22 items
- 1 CONVENTION DISTRICT UPDATE
- 2 3CDC
- 3 EXECUTIVE SESSION
- 4 Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 121.22(G)(3)
- 5 AGENDA
- 6 PENSION
- 1. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY), submitted by Mayor Aftab Pureval, from Emily Smart Woerner, City Solicitor, AUTHORIZING the City Manager and City Solicitor to seek amendment of the Collaborative Settlement Agreement and Consent Decree in the class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division captioned Sunyak, et al., v. City of Cincinnati, et al., Case Nos. 1:11-cv-445 and 1:12-cv-329. (COUNCILMEMBER NOLAN EXCUSED FROM THIS ITEM)
- 2. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY), submitted by Mayor Aftab Pureval, from Emily Smart Woerner, City Solicitor, AUTHORIZING the transfer and return to source of $50,000,000 from General Fund balance sheet reserve account no. 050x3421, “Income Tax Reserve for Refunds,” to the unappropriated surplus of General Fund 050; and AUTHORIZING the transfer and appropriation of $50,000,000 from the unappropriated surplus of General Fund 050 to City Manager’s Office fringe benefit operating budget account no. 050x101x7500 to provide resources for a one-time payment, upon receipt of appropriate court orders, to the Cincinnati Retirement System to reduce the City’s unfunded pension liability. (COUNCILMEMBER NOLAN EXCUSED FROM THIS ITEM)
- 9 CONVENTION CENTER
- 3. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, AMENDING Ordinance No. 48-2024 for the purpose of expanding the scope of the project to be financed with proceeds of the City’s not to exceed $23,000,000 Economic Development Revenue Bonds (Convention Center Renovation Urban Renewal Project) to include a convention center headquarters hotel project and related infrastructure improvements in the support of the Convention District.
- 4. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, AUTHORIZING the City Manager to execute a Development Agreement with Cincinnati CH (OH), LLC and the Board of County Commissioners of Hamilton County, Ohio, acting for and on behalf of Hamilton County, Ohio, pertaining to the construction of a full-service convention center hotel and related infrastructure improvements in the Central Business District; ESTABLISHING new capital improvement program project account no. 980x164x261624, “Convention Center District Hotel,” to provide resources in the form of a loan to pay for improvements to develop a full-service convention center hotel and related infrastructure improvements; AUTHORIZING the transfer and return to source of $10,000,000 from capital improvement program project account no. 980x164x241620, “Convention Center District Urban Renewal TIF,” to the unappropriated surplus of Urban Renewal - Tax Increment Bond Fund 852; AUTHORIZING the transfer and appropriation of $10,000,000 from the unappropriated surplus of Urban Renewal - Tax Increment Bond Fund 852 to the newly established capital improvement program project account no. 980x164x261624, “Convention Center District Hotel,” to provide resources in the form of a loan to pay a portion of the construction costs for improvements to develop a full-service convention center hotel and related infrastructure improvements; AUTHORIZING the transfer and appropriation of $40,000,000 from the unappropriated surplus of Urban Development Bond Fund 862 to the newly established capital improvement program project account no. 980x164x261624, “Convention Center District Hotel,” to provide resources in the form of a loan to pay for improvements to develop a full-service convention center hotel and related infrastructure improvements; and DECLARING that (i) the construction and development of the convention center hotel to be an urban renewal project located in an urban renewal area, each as defined in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 725, and (ii) expenditures from the newly established capital improvement program project account no. 980x164x261624, “Convention Center District Hotel,” to provide resources in the form of a loan to pay for improvements to develop a full-service convention center hotel and related infrastructure improvements serve a public purpose because the project will foster additional redevelopment and reinvestment in the Convention Center District in support of the City-owned Convention Center. (Subject to the Temporary Prohibition List <https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/law/ethics/city-business>). <https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/law/ethics/city-business%3e).>
- 5. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, DECLARING a hotel to be developed on property located at 240 W. Fourth Street and 251 W. Fifth Street in the Central Business District of Cincinnati to be designated a convention center headquarters hotel for purposes of Ohio Revised Code Section 5739.093; DECLARING such convention center headquarters hotel and any associated convention center headquarters hotel facilities to be a public purpose; DECLARING lodging transactions occurring at such convention center headquarters hotel to be exempt from City of Cincinnati’s lodging taxes levied pursuant to Cincinnati Municipal Code Chapter 312 for a period of thirty years; REQUIRING the convention center headquarters hotel’s qualifying vendor to make payments in lieu of qualifying lodging taxes; ESTABLISHING new Fund 406, “Convention Center Hotel Lodging Tax Equivalent Fund,” for the purpose of receiving payments in lieu of qualifying lodging taxes associated with the convention center headquarters hotel; and AUTHORIZING expenditures from the newly-created Fund 406, “Convention Center Hotel Lodging Tax Equivalent Fund,” to facilitate construction financing for the convention center headquarters hotel and any associated convention center headquarters hotel facilities. (Subject to the Temporary Prohibition List <https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/law/ethics/city-business>). <https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/law/ethics/city-business%3e).>
- 6. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, AUTHORIZING the City Manager to execute a Real Estate Agreement with Whex Garage LLC, (an affiliate of 3CDC) and Cincinnati CH (OH), LLC, pursuant to which the City will: (i) vacate as public right-of-way and convey an air parcel being a portion of West Fifth Street adjacent to the City-owned Cincinnati Convention Center, (ii) convey an existing air parcel adjacent to West Fifth Street, (iii) vacate as public right-of-way and convey all of Home Alley between West Fourth Street and West Fifth Street in the Central Business District, and (iv) grant, retain, and obtain certain easement rights to facilitate the construction of a new convention center headquarter hotel, Cincinnati Convention Center, the parking garage commonly known as Whex Garage, and an elevated and enclosed pedestrian walkway connecting the structures. (Subject to the Temporary Prohibition List <https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/law/ethics/city-business>). <https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/law/ethics/city-business%3e).>
- 7. ORDINANCE submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, REPEALING Ordinance No. 32-1997, which Council passed on January 29, 1997, in its entirety to ensure fairness and flexibility in booking policies and procedures for the Cincinnati Convention Center.
- 15 PAYMENTS
- 8. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, AUTHORIZING a payment of $94,788.83 from Cincinnati Health Department Health Network Fund non-personnel operating budget account no. 446x265x1110x7285 to Greater Cincinnati Dental Laboratories, Inc. as a moral obligation for laboratory services provided between January and November 2025.
- 17 TRANSFERS AND APPROPRIATIONS
- 9. ORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Sheryl M. M. Long, City Manager, on 2/19/2026, AUTHORIZING the transfer and appropriation of $1,542,900 within General Fund 050 and from the unappropriated surplus of General Fund 050 according to the attached Schedules of Transfer to realign and provide resources for the ongoing needs of City departments; AUTHORIZING the transfer of $300,000 within Income Tax-Infrastructure Fund 302 according to the attached Schedules of Transfer to provide resources for the ongoing needs of the Department of Transportation and Engineering and the Department of Public Services; and AUTHORIZING the transfer and appropriation of $335,300 from the unappropriated surplus of 9-1-1 Cell Phone Fees Fund 364 according to the attached Schedules of Transfer to provide resources for the ongoing needs of the Emergency Communications Center.
- 19 CLOSEOUT
- 10. MOTION (AMENDED), submitted by Vice Mayor Kearney, WE MOVE that City Council allocate to the Center for Closing the Health Gap $100,000 from the Special Events portion of the FY’25 Carryover Budget, or another source to be identified by the administration, to support the organization’s Health Expo on April 18, 2026 as well as its numerous other impactful initiatives across the City throughout the year to empower residents in improving their health, and support the important work of tackling health disparities. (BALANCE ON FILE IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE) (STATEMENT ATTACHED)
- 11. MOTION (AMENDED), submitted by Vice Mayor Kearney, WE MOVE that City Council allocate $350,000 from Housing and Economic Development Reserve Fund or another source identified by the administration to Habitat for Humanity to support Cincinnati’s urgent need for affordable housing, particularly affordable homeownership opportunities. (BALANCE ON FILE IN THE CLERK’S OFFICE) (STATEMENT ATTACHED).
- 22 ADJOURNMENT