The Qualls Plan To Grow Cincinnati

The
Qualls Plan to Grow Cincinnati

September 18, 2013

The Qualls Plan to Grow Cincinnati

Index: 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3

2. First 100 Days ..................................................................................................................... 4

3. Mayoral Platform a. Strong Economy: Opportunity for All Cincinnatians ................................... 5 b. Investing in Our Neighborhoods .......................................................................... 8 c. Creating a Bright Future for Our Youth .......................................................... 11 d. An Inclusive City Competing in a Global Economy .................................... 14 e. Good Government .................................................................................................... 15 f. Energy and the Environment .............................................................................. 16

Paid for by Citizens for Qualls, Joan Perkins, Treasurer, 2 Garfield Place 300C, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Printed In-House Labor Donated
The Qualls Plan to Grow Cincinnati

I have a bold vision of a growing Cincinnati: a city with a vital center surrounded by vibrant neighborhoods. This growth will occur in the most natural way of all: Our children choose to stay here and people want to move here, raise families and retire here because in Cincinnati they find everything they need and want for creating bright futures for themselves and their families. We need and want a strong economy, great neighborhoods, excellent education and job opportunities for our young people, an inclusive city for all, and good, trustworthy government. We have work to do but it's not hard to envision this bright and growing cityit's already happeningbecause of the investments we've been making in our neighborhoods, in our infrastructure, in our amazing talent pool. As mayor, I pledge to focus on the following areas in order to continue growing a vibrant Cincinnati: Strong economy - Create jobs - Invest in innovation - Invest in a green economy Neighborhoods - Develop a comprehensive neighborhood transportation plan - Improve safety - End homelessness Bright future for our youth - Improve quality public education - Create more opportunities for job training An inclusive Cincinnati - Advocate for human rights - Stand up for LGBTQ equality - Encourage a welcoming community to immigrants - Stop human trafficking Good government - Ensure fiscal sustainability - Improve transparency I encourage you to read my plan, which, as mayor, I will implement to move our city forward. I look forward to your feedback. Please contact me at (513)393-9334, info@roxannequalls.com or stop by my campaign office at 2718 Woodburn Ave. in Walnut Hills.
First 100 Days

Here are actions I will take in my first 100 days as mayor, to jumpstart my plan to grow Cincinnati: 1. Meet with the city manager and review goals, expectations, and communication. 2. Reinstitute the Shared Services Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of shared services opportunities for Cincinnati with other political jurisdictions in Hamilton County 3. In partnership with business, labor and neighborhood leadership, establish a commission to conduct a comprehensive departmental review of cost-savings opportunities, technology improvements, and service delivery improvements. 4. Improve departmental coordination, service delivery, and response to neighborhood problems by creating Cincinnati Neighborhood Action Strategy Teams among the city departments. Each team will meet weekly and be responsible for a region of neighborhoods. Teams will ensure City Hall is more responsive, assist developers and act quickly to address neighborhood concerns. 5. Propose a job tax credit for any-sized business that would create jobs that pay a living wage and provide benefits. 6. Revitalize and renew business districts by making unused city-owned property available at a nominal fee to start-ups and locally-owned small businesses. 7. Create a Technology Industry Inclusion Council to increase minority employment and ownership in technology firms, and create a pipeline into high-tech jobs. 8. Implement the Cincinnati Dollar Homes Initiative to make vacant properties available to new owner-occupants and redevelop Cincinnati neighborhoods hit hardest by vacancy and abandonment. 9. Establish Small-Business Assistance Teams at City Hall to cut the red tape and get businesses up and running faster. 10. Host Mayors Night In events monthly to directly hear residents concerns.
Strong Economy: Opportunity for All Cincinnatians

Small businesses are the heart of our city, employing over 50% of the private sector workforce and generating 60-80% of net new jobs annually. My economic plan focuses on small businesses, which can vary from a one-person enterprise or start-up to those employing more than 1,500. To support and grow our small businesses and create jobs, I will: 1. Put Cincinnati to Work Encourage new job creation by giving a tax credit to any business that provides jobs that pay a living wage and benefits, regardless of the size of the business. This will help build neighborhood-based small businesses. Focus public investment in transformative neighborhood development that creates jobs and increases property value. Level the playing field by making a standard minimum package of city support and assistance available to any business that creates jobs. Use the $3.2 billion dollar investment by the Metropolitan Sewer District to comply with the federal consent decree as an opportunity to create a path to permanent employment for Cincinnati residents. For all major city transportation and public works projects, make it possible for small businesses to compete by issuing bid packages in manageable increments. Support pre-apprenticeship training programs, such as Blue Print for Success, to prepare young people for apprenticeship programs in the building trades Partner with CPS to reinvigorate vocational education geared to high-demand trades in construction and advanced manufacturing. Establish the Growing Home Cincinnati program to provide formerly incarcerated individuals the opportunity for training and work through urban agriculture. Work with community-based organizations such as the African American and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, The Urban League, the Hamilton County Community Action Agency, Cincinnati Works, and the Urban Appalachian Council for outreach, recruitment, screening, and job skills training, similar to the casino efforts. 2. Make support available to businesses of all sizes: Cut the red tape at City Hall. Get businesses up and running faster by establishing Small-business Assistance Teams. These teams will be composed of representatives from departments that issue licenses and approvals, and will be charged with making it easier to do business with the city. Grow small businesses into larger businesses. It can take a number of years for a start-up to generate a profit. Support future success and retain promising businesses by allowing start-ups to carry forward their operating losses.
Revitalize and renew business districts by making unused city owned property available at a nominal fee to start-ups and locally-owned small businesses. 3. Inclusion of everyone in the progress of the city Ensure the economic disparity study is conducted. Use the results of the study to guide the citys contracting, professional services, and supplier program. On development projects funded by the city and managed by the Port Authority, require that the developer have minority investors participating in the project, similar to what was done at the Vernon Manor, with the Cincinnati Reds, and what is occurring at the old Jordan Crossing. Encourage private developers receiving significant public subsidy (30%) to make best efforts to open up their investment pool to minority investors. Work with the African American Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to identify start-up and minority businesses, and match entrepreneurs with resources in areas undergoing redevelopment. 4. Invest in innovation and the green economy Develop a medical and university Uptown Research Park using Focus 52 Funds. The University of Cincinnati, Childrens Hospital and our other research institutions have a competitive edge in the number of patents they obtain. We will turn patents into profits and jobs by partnering with university and hospital researchers to turn research into commercial products. Grow 21st century green jobs and businesses using modern financing tools. Establish a property-assessed clean energy (PACE) program which would finance large-scale energy conservation for commercial buildings. Prepare aging industrial sites for new green manufacturing by partnering with the Port Authority to acquire, clean up and renew. Create a Technology Industry Inclusion Council with the goals of: Increasing minority employment in and ownership of technology firms, and Creating a pipeline from Cincinnati Public Schools and Cincinnati State into high-tech jobs. 5. Develop a neighborhood transportation plan to connect people, jobs and Nnighborhoods Adopt new Complete Streets standards that reinforce liveability, walkability and safety in our neighborhoods. Work with CPS to accelerate implementation of Safe Routes to School, a district-wide school travel plan, that makes it easier for children to walk and bicycle to school safely. Work with ODOT and OKI to secure additional funding and fast-track the high-priority improvements that have already received funding. Identify high-crash streets and intersections in neighborhoods and develop a safety strategy.
Increase the pace of re-paving neighborhood streets by: Designating a minimum of 100 lane miles of paving from Capital Mega Projects for priority funding Using state funding to pave additional lane miles per year Support bike infrastructure efforts such as Wasson Way, the Bike Plan and Bike Share. Use transportation investment to generate neighborhood development. Put in place master plans to ensure that major investments, such as the MLK-I-71 Interchange, will revitalize the neighborhoods along the Reading Road corridor and support expansion of jobs in the neighborhood. 6. Connecting people to jobs using regional transit Expand SORTA service to include faster, more direct Metro Plus service in high usage corridors like Warsaw-Glenway, Clifton-Hamilton Avenue, Reading Road, , and expand cross-town connections. Work with Hamilton County Commissioners, SORTA and OKI to develop a 10-year plan to expand and improve service to population and employment centers in Hamilton County and the region. Increase bus and rapid transit usage by taking into account these types of transportation in the citys major street improvements. Connect the regions two largest employment centers and open up the five neighborhoods of the uptown area (Mt. Auburn, Avondale, Clifton, Corryville, CUF) to major commercial and residential investment. Aggressively pursue funding designated for rail and streetcars for Phase 2.
Investing in Our Neighborhoods

Our neighborhoods were built as walkable, liveable, mixed-use communities that suburbs want to emulate. I have worked with Cincinnati neighborhoods to develop the tools, strategies and resources to continue making them great places to live, work, raise our families and retire. I will continue and expand on these efforts. I will: 1. Keep our neighborhoods safe Continue to use the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) as a tool to combat gang- related violence in the community and adopt effective approaches against juvenile violence. Invest in technology improvements within the Cincinnati Police Department that expand data-driven policing and improve responsiveness to crime. Fund a new police recruit class in 2014 either through a COPS grant or in the FY 2015 budget Convene a community summit on violence that includes elected and appointed officials, local, state and federal law enforcement, Citizens on Patrol, the faith community, neighborhood leaders and residents, and media to coordinate a unified community response to crime, violence and destructive behavior. Fight back against heroin use, which has exploded in our community causing crime and addiction. I will work with our Police Department to identify additional efforts we can take with other cities in the region to address this crisis. 2. Preserve character and spur development Form-based codes, which I introduced, are a powerful new tool for preserving character and creating value in our neighborhoods. Recently residents in four neighborhoods College Hill, Madisonville, Walnut Hills and Westwood volunteered to be the first to revitalize their business districts through a character-based approach to zoning. The Complete Streets program complements form-based codes because they create safe and walkable neighborhoods that support business districts and activity centers. We'll adopt new standards that ensure attractive pedestrian routes, safe bike lanes, and public transit use. Drive economic development in neighborhoods by implementing the recommendations of Plan Cincinnati and GO Cincinnati, the citys economic development policy. Partner with the Neighborhood Development Corporations, Port Authority, the land bank, and Uptown Consortium to develop major mixed-use projects like Jordan Crossing; redevelop neighborhood main streets; and develop new housing that responds to market demand. Use casino revenues to expand the Focus 52 Fund, the neighborhood economic development investment fund established to increase development in neighborhoods. Implement the Cincinnati Dollar Homes Initiative to make vacant properties available to new owner-occupants and redevelop Cincinnati neighborhoods hit hardest by vacancy and abandonment. In partnership with the Hamilton County Land Bank, private lenders and community development corporations, establish a loan guarantee pool in key focus neighborhoods to support community-driven redevelopment strategies.
3. Increase private investment in neighborhoods Increase private and philanthropic investment in neighborhoods by expanding the citys partnership with the financial and philanthropic communities including: The Community Building Institute The Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati Greater Cincinnati LISC Cincinnati Development Fund The Uptown Consortium The Port Authority Place Matters 4. Create a responsive and effective City Hall Re-organize the delivery of services to our neighborhood development partners by creating Cincinnati Neighborhood Action Strategy Teams among the departments responsible, including Trade and Development, Planning and Buildings, Transportation and Engineering, Public Services, safety and recreation. Each team will meet weekly and be responsible for a region of neighborhoods. Teams will ensure City Hall is more responsive, assist developers and act more quickly to address neighborhood concerns. 5. Improve access to healthy food Use Cincinnati Development Fund and Focus 52 funds to end food deserts; provide tools to neighborhoods to help capitalize small urban groceries. 6. Improve the safety and well-being of seniors Work with the new police chief to enforce zero-tolerance policies for crimes against seniors. The Council on Aging has identified bed bugs as a major issue for seniors. Work with Cincinnati Health Department to declare bedbugs vermin, and establish a program to eradicate. Start pilot program of targeted enforcement of the 10 worst buildings in the City. Ensure our seniors have access to transportation for employment and health needs using Everybody Rides. Prepare for the oncoming tsunami of senior citizens in our population by organizing a Summit on Aging to identify and begin to address the populations unique needs and concerns. 7. End homelessness I led the creation of the Homeless to Homes initiative in 2008 to end homelessness. The Homeless to Homes initiative's goals are to move single homeless men and women from the streets into permanent housing and to ensure that new housing facilities for the homeless are good neighbors to the surrounding community. Significant progress has been made, although there is more to be done. In collaboration with Strategies to End Homelessness, 3CDC and five shelter operators are replacing outdated shelters with new services and facilities to help break the cycle of homelessness; transitional and
permanent supportive housing options have been expanded; prevention efforts developed; and the scale and range of public and private support is translating to meaningful reductions in homelessness in our community. Collaborate with Strategies to End Homelessness to develop a similar, forward-thinking action plan to address the needs of our vulnerable families still grappling with the devastating effects of foreclosure and joblessness that have forced them toward homelessness.
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Creating a Bright Future for our Youth

The Challenge Crime is costly and destabilizing, for cities, for families, for victims, and for those who find themselves swept up in the circle of the criminal justice system. Without access to a quality education and job training, our youth can end up involved in criminal activities. Sadly the data show that juvenile arrests are significant: Year 2011 2012 2013 * through August 15 Arrests 5,823 5,327 3,379
But more troubling is national data that show more than half the individuals released from juvenile justice custody are re-incarcerated as adults (Nellis and Hooks Wayman, 2009). Financial Cost State and local governments that are in dire fiscal straits are spending upwards of $300,000 per child, per year, to lock up low-level youth offenders. According to the National Justice Network, a large and growing body of evidence shows that incarcerating youth does not protect the public and can actually cause youth to commit more crimes after they are released. The Qualls Plan: Creating a brighter future for our children Without action, the financial and personal cost to the City of Cincinnati, our residents and children will continue. As mayor, I will work to address this problem with a multi-faceted effort supported by the community, families and faith community that includes improving our public education system, offering a new youth diversion program and supporting job training, apprentice and post- secondary educational opportunities. 1. Quality public education While the City of Cincinnati does not have a formal role in educating our children, the city can do more to support quality public education to ensure the future for all of our children. Every Cincinnati child should have access to quality public education from pre-school through high school. Starting with pre-school, I support the Cincinnati Pre-school Promise, a community-based effort to provide high quality pre-school to all our children.
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I will partner with Cincinnati Public Schools to invest in health, park, recreation and cultural activities that support a childs development. That includes: Continue to invest in community learning centers, open to everyone, and support the new community learning center legislation proposed by Rep. Denise Driehaus in the Ohio State Legislature. Support efforts to introduce career opportunities in construction and advanced manufacturing in the K-12 curriculum. Reinvigorate vocational education geared to high-demand trades in construction and advanced manufacturing. Expand school-based health centers to make sure kids are not held back by untreated illness or undiagnosed medical problems. Help working families by supporting Cincinnati Recreation Commission after-school programs. Protect and expand the citys lead and healthy homes programs to decrease the impact of lead poisoning, asthma and other threats to our childrens health. Champion coordination among the city and CPS, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. 2. Keep youth out of the criminal justice system: ParkWorks pilot Recognizing the importance of strategically using resources to prevent juveniles from entering the system, the Ohio General Assembly approved reforms to the states juvenile justice laws in 2011 aimed at reducing youth incarceration. The City of Cincinnati currently provides employment opportunities for youth. The mayors Green Leaf program provides summer jobs for youth that include a job-shadowing component to learn about advancement within an organization. The program supports youth understanding and development in communication, critical thinking, interpersonal, financial and time management skills, and professionalism and work ethic. Work assignments include trail maintenance and enhancement and projects including building walls and bridges. The Parks Department has successfully worked with the adult offender community in the past, successfully hiring two participants in a federally funded grant program. The structure is in place for at-risk youth to find more successful paths than the ones they were on. Additionally, by offering paid apprenticeships, the city can provide an incentive that will allow at- risk juveniles to become invested in something while keeping them off the streets and away from the behavior that perpetuates recidivism. Now is the time to pilot a ParkWorks project. ParkWorks is aimed at providing first-time, non- violent youth offenders a paid apprenticeship with a Cincinnati Parks horticulturalist to give participants the training and mentorship that will reinforce self-esteem, self-respect, and skills that theyll need to make good decisions that build a brighter future. Through the collaboration of Parks, the Cincinnati Police Department, and the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, the goal of this program is to connect once-troubled youth with permanent employment opportunities ending any negative connection to the criminal justice system; and come up with a model that can be expanded over time to serve additional youth.
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3. Increase apprenticeships, post-secondary education and job training As our youth graduate from high school, the city can support more robust job training and workforce development efforts, including: Partner with labor unions, organizations and institutions like Cincinnati State Technical and Community College to develop and expand apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs to give our youth a pathway to a career. Fully utilizing existing pre-apprenticeship training programs, like Blueprint for Success, to prepare young people for apprenticeship programs in the building trades.
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An Inclusive City Competing in a Global Economy

Cincinnati competes in a global economy for talented workers and for investment. Just as we are investing in the physical infrastructure to create a city with neighborhoods in which our children want to stay and work and live, so also are we creating a place that can attract people from around the globe who will contribute their talent and skill to building a greater Cincinnati. 1. Fight for LGBTQ equality A diverse, welcoming city attracts residents, jobs and talent from across the country and the globe. In addition, embracing our children and fellow residents is the right thing to do. I will support marriage equality and making sure that no city funds are used to support programs or events that are not consistent with Article XII, the citys anti-discrimination policy. 2. Promote openness and inclusion for all immigrants Citys that are magnets for immigrants build thriving local economies. To grow the citys population and build a globally competitive local economy, I will: Work with the business community to change national policies that limit businesses ability to recruit skilled foreign workers. Support aspiring citizens through reforms that give immigrants a roadmap to citizenship. Use the Dollar Homes initiative to encourage immigrant investment in neighborhoods that have seen widespread disinvestment. 3. End human trafficking in our city Human trafficking is a terrible crime that exploits innocent and vulnerable people. As mayor, I will: Establish a commission that would include elected and appointed officials, members of local, state, and federal law enforcement, public and private social agencies, religious groups, and schools. Members will meet regularly to coordinate responses, identify victims and provide services to them, and work to eliminate trafficking through prosecution. Seek funding for a public awareness program to raise the profile about the problem of human trafficking in the Greater Cincinnati Area. People are exploited every day and we need to do something about it. This public awareness campaign could depict real stories that represent thousands of similar stories of innocent lives at risk or in danger in Cincinnati. Prioritize providing services to juveniles who are victims of human trafficking instead of arresting them. Our law enforcement should focus its efforts on the human traffickers who are exploiting the youth.
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Good Government
Cincinnati deserves a government where people can trust their elected and appointed officials to do the right thingeven when it's hardin an open, fair, and honest way. As mayor, I will create a more open government and a sustainable budget. 1. Fiscal sustainability for Cincinnatis budget Cincinnatis budget has not been structurally-balanced since 2002, and recent severe state budget cuts have caused large budget deficits that threaten core city services. I will put the city on the path to fiscal sustainability. The City has not conducted a comprehensive review of cost savings opportunities since the Phillips Commission of the 1980s; nor has it had a comprehensive review of infrastructure needs since the Smale Commission. It is time to do both in partnership with the business, labor and neighborhood leadership. Local governments have undertaken a series of shared services over many decades. Declining revenue, however, necessitates a vigorous review of opportunities to share services among the various jurisdictions in Hamilton County. Fully implement GO Cincinnati and Plan Cincinnati, economic development strategies that will result in increased businesses, jobs, and residents in the City of Cincinnati and will result in increased revenues in the long run. Both must be fully implemented. I led the reform effort that reformed pension benefits for current and future employees. The next step is to address the unfunded liability by changing the compounding cost of living adjustment. 2. Open government As mayor, I will continue supporting innovative ways to engage all Cincinnatians and promote a transparent city government, including: New technologies and platforms that increase public input and involvement. Mayors Night In, to help citizens get problems solved. Priority-based budgeting, to increase transparency and involvement in the budget process. Enacting lobbying reform that will include actions that: Expand and strengthen the citys current disclosure and reporting requirements for public officials, city employees, lobbyists, and those who have city contracts, including: public contractor registration; more detailed lobbyist disclosure; and public official disclosure of conflicts of interest; Clarify prohibited activities for lobbyists and contractors, as well as for public officials and employees, and increase the post-employment prohibition on lobbying to two years; Create an easy-to-use page on the citys website to make the information transparent to the public. The ordinances will also include provisions on education and training, investigation and compliance, whistleblower protections, and enforcement and penalties.
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Energy and the Environment

The worlds climate is changing, and these changes will have an enormous impact on our planets people, ecosystems, cities, and energy use. The effects of climate change are vast and are already being felt and observed today. The impacts of climate change will be felt by everyone, and are going to greatly alter our way of life. Cincinnati must continue and expand efforts to reduce its carbon footprint to mitigate current climate trends and reduce the impact of climate change. Cincinnatis climate action plan, known as Green Cincinnati, was adopted in 2008 and has just been updated. Green Cincinnati and Plan Cincinnati lay out the citys strategies to create a sustainable future for the city. Cincinnati is building a reputation as a leader in sustainability. After being eliminated and restored, and despite threats to eliminate it again, the Office of Environment and Sustainability (formerly Office of Environmental Quality) is here to stay. As mayor, I will support and focus OES efforts and continue to lead the citys sustainability initiatives. Expand energy savings and support renewable energy Cincinnati is the first major U.S. city to negotiate savings and purchase 100% green energy supply through its contract for the citys electricity buying group. I initiated the campaign to allow the city to negotiate savings for city residents and small businesses; buying group members are now saving an average of $300 per year on their gas and electric bills. Cincinnati has adopted a goal of reducing energy consumption in the built environment by 15% by 2020, and having solar energy installed on 20& of rooftops (residential and commercial buildings) by 2028. To meet these goals the city should: Use aggregation contract negotiations to incorporate expanded energy efficiency programs for residential and small business customers and incentivize purchase of renewable energy supply. In partnership with Green Umbrella and Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, implement a solar rooftops program that enables bundling of commercial and residential properties to facilitate power purchase/lease agreements for solar installations; With partners including the Port Authority, Green Umbrella and the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, use new tools like Property Assisted Clean Energy (PACE) financing to support energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in commercial buildings. Implement energy benchmarking for commercial buildings to create market-based incentives for energy efficiency investments. Launch the Mayors Solar Challenge to accelerate solar investments in the private and non- profit sectors. Support sustainable land use Incentivize development using the LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) standard.
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Toward Zero Waste Work with the Office of Trade and Development and OES to find a good-neighbor compost processing facility for city residents and businesses, and assess the feasibility of a curbside composting program for residents. Transportation Implement regional public transit including the streetcar and bus rapid transit. Incorporate green infrastructure into the rebuild of I-75. Continue and expand alternatives to car ownership, including Zipcar and bike share. Accelerate implementation of the Cincinnati bicycle transportation plan. Support and expand regional recreational trails. Climate adaptation Further develop and implement Green Cincinnati strategies and resources for dealing with the effects of climate change, including dealing with prolonged heat, improving infrastructure to withstand stormier weather, and mitigating the urban heat island effect.
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The Qualls Plan To Grow Cincinnati

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The Qualls Plan To Grow Cincinnati

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The

Qualls Plan to Grow Cincinnati

September 18, 2013

The Qualls Plan to Grow Cincinnati

Index: 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3

2. First 100 Days ..................................................................................................................... 4

The Qualls Plan to Grow Cincinnati

First 100 Days

Strong Economy: Opportunity for All Cincinnatians

Investing in Our Neighborhoods

Creating a Bright Future for our Youth

An Inclusive City Competing in a Global Economy

Energy and the Environment

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