There was general agreement on City Council that more clarity was needed on the city's priorities when choosing whether to grant real estate developments financial incentives like tax abatements, but members debated the particulars of a proposed "scorecard."
LIVE.CINCINNATI CITY COUNCIL COULDSOON HAVE A NEW TOOL TO HELPIT CONSIDER, AND APPROVEDEVELOPMENT DEALS.IT'S CALLEDA "PROJECT SCORECARD."THE SCORE CARD ISINTENDED TO ENSURE NEWDEVELOPMENTS ARE MEETING THECITY'S PRIORITIES.AS PART OFOUR COVERAGE ON GROWTH ANDDEVELOPMENT WE CALL "MOVE UPCINCINNATI," REPORTER MARIELCARBONE BREAKS DOWN HOW ITWORKS AND WHY IT COULD HAVEPREVENTED SOME LAST MINUTEDEALINGS-- AND OUTRAGE-- OVERAN O-T-R PROJECT.FOR LIBERTY AND ELM STREETNEIGHBOR SOT POP: "Every timethey develop something, thetaxes go up."NEIGHBOR SOTPOP: "We're sick of it."IT WASA BATTLE UNTIL THE END.NEIGHBORS WANTED AFFORDABLEHOUSING.SO DID SOME CITYLEADERS.BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSINGWAS NEVER ESTABLISHED AS APRIORITY FOR THIS 80 MILLIONDOLLAR PROJECT.SO IT WASN'TINCLUDED.GREG LANDSMAN/CITYCOUNCIL"This would've made abig difference."SOME SAY THETENSE MEETINGS AND LAST-MINUTEFIGHTS COULD HAVE BEENPREVENTED.
IF EVERYONE WAS ONTHE SAME PAGE FROM THEBEGINNING.THAT'S WHERE APROJECT SCORE CARD WOULD HAVECOME INTO PLAY.GREGLANDSMAN/CITY COUNCIL"Thisbrings that clarity, up frontand early, to everyone in theprocess."COUNCIL MEMBER GREGLANDSMAN IS PROPOSING A "SCORECARD" BE FILLED OUT FOR ALLDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUPPORTEDBY CITY TAX BREAKS.THE TOOL ISA WAY TO PUT PRIORITIES INWRITING, ENSURE PROJECTS AREMEETING THOSE PRIORITIES, ANDPREVENT BACKROOM DEALSHAPPENING BETWEEN DEVELOPERSAND COUNCIL MEMBERS.GREGLANDSMAN/CITY COUNCIL"Thissays, look, we're going toweigh in all at once withpolicy... and not have to getin the middle of individualdeals, which often times ins'tappropriate."HERE'S WHAT THESCORE CARD COULD LOOK LIKE.IT'S ESSENTIALLY A CHECKLISTOF CITY PRIORITIES.FROMAFFORDABLE HOUSING, TOINCLUSION, COMMUNITY INPUT ANDMORE.WHEN VETTING A PROJECT,CITY ADMINISTRATION WILL FILLOUT THE CARD, CHECKING WHICHPRIORITIES IT MEETS.ANDEXPLAINING HOW.THE SCORECARDWOULD THEN GO TO COUNCIL,BEFORE IT VOTES ON A PROJECT.KRISTEN BAKER/EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR LISC"I think moretransparency for developersand for neighborhoods andcommunity members tounderstand exactly what thecity's priorities are ishelpful, yes."KRISTEN BAKER ISTHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFLOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORTCOROPORATION, SUPPORTINITIATIVES SUPPORTCOROPORATION, ALSO KNOWN ASLISCSHE SAYS THE SCORE CARD ISA GOOD THING.BUT IMPROVING THEDEVELOPMENT PROCESS, ALSONEEDS TO BE BALANCED WITH MORESUPPORT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS.MARIEL:LANDSMAN EXPECTS TOHAVE A FULL VOTE TO IMPLEMENTTHE SCORE CARD OVER THE NEXTFEW WEEKS.MARIEL CARBONE WCPONINE NEWS.