JohnClevesSymmes

I completely agree about the executive sessions. The current prohibition achieves the ironic effect of more secrecy because the deals are all cut behind the scenes. I'm trying to separate any personal feelings about the current mayor from proposed adjustments to the system. Does a city manager that answers directly to council create a more "democratic" or more "political" system? I think you get trade-offs. I don't know if you get more transparency or more indecision if the city manager feels it has 2 bosses. The reason I like the idea of an executive mayor is that it clarifies authority and, therefore, blame. I don't like the current system because of the grey area. I think the above system would still have too much grey. If we want a true council/manager government then we should go back to the old system. If we want a separately-elected mayor with some executive power, then the mayor should be the actual executive of the city. Edit: I do agree that staggering the council terms could be a good thing. I would also be open to creating wards for a portion of the seats.

I agree that the mayor's de facto authority over the city manager, combined with the control over council's agenda and committee chair appointments is "too much power" or at least not the right balance of power. The current system has given rise to a mayor that wields power through the idiosyncrasies of the system, rather than solely through an enumerated set of powers. I take the position (and I know this is debatable) that converting to a true strong mayor system could in effect reduce the mayor's power. This scenario imagines that the mayor replaces the city manager as the executive, but loses all of the legislative authority aside from the official veto. Council would elect a president of council that sets the agenda and appoints committee chairs.

^I was wondering the same thing. The primary is before the council filing deadline.

From their news release- "Korman said Park + Vine saw sales gains in 2016, with an increase of 10% compared to 2015. In all, the retailer is seeing its best sales in 2016." Seems like you'd be able to sell the store as a going concern rather than close it. Just because the sales volume increased does not mean it was a profitable business. Even if it was, rising rents could have deterred potential buyers. It was a wonderful staple of the neighborhood but my guess is that any interested buyer would have to take it on as a labor of love. Perhaps Korman did not have an appropriate successor and does not want his brand sullied by a "lesser" operator or perhaps he is looking to replicate the concept in a new neighborhood.

Weren't Pepper and Portune on at the same time in the late aughts?

No I think Jake had it correct. The preschool program is only a portion of the increase.

There are multiple and competing issues at play here. On the one hand, these blanket anti-AirBnB laws were absolutely spurred by the hotel-owners lobby annoyed by the competition. On the other hand, if AirBnB specifically has created a situation where de-facto hotel operators are avoiding regulation and taxes on a significant scale then it is reasonable for legislators to pursue regulation. Ideally, local governments will take a surgical approach to solve these problems. Examine or modify the regulatory scheme for hotel operators overall, and consider factors such as: owner-occupied vs. investor units, frequency of rentals, clusters of available units, etc.

IIRC Fork Heart Knife closed because it got TOO popular in that same space.

Only Cincinnati would get people trying to knock off Friendly's. I just saw another Frisch's shut down in a very busy Columbus suburb. Trying to make it without a liquor license is tough up here. Freddy's is a national chain. https://freddysusa.com/locations/

I bet that happens all the time.

Where will they put the gas pumps though?

^I second that. It is quite good.

^Bon's and Pacific Kitchen (both in Montgomery) are better for dim sum. Thank me later.

Lookin good. Can't wait to check it out. Opening just in time for the summer heat to die down.

Something tells me that a local incarnation of Febo will never live up to the expectations set by the 25 year old version of myself that crushed like 5 of those fried cheese things at some late night hour.

Why doesn't anyone run against him in a primary?

Next to Ando.

The new format takes away the charm and the magic. Some of my best memories are biking from one part of the basin to another on a crisp early fall night, dog-eared schedule with various acts circled hanging out of my back pocket. Losing friends and then finding them all again at the midnight show. That is not midpoint anymore. I always presumed that I would end up digging some of the random bands so any perceived upgrade to the lineup this year doesn't carry much weight with me. Maybe some of the bars will find a way to capitalize, hold supplemental shows and keep things going late night. The new format isn't bad, it just isn't the same. You can argue the positives of the new format, but I'll miss the old.

Did they use historic tax credits to do Parvis? If so I wonder if they had to make it rental apartments for some set period of time, and if that time period has now expired.

My head is spinning a bit after reading this Biz Courier article: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/03/29/some-council-members-defend-carden-park-board-in.html

Crowd sourced reviews are useful in certain contexts, like figuring out the best place to get tacos in some California beach town or what menu item is a must-order. The michelin system, which is on the other end of the spectrum (fully anonymous) has only recently evolved from its rigid evaluation criteria. The worst part about yelp is the tendency for a review to be either a rave or a slam. At least with a known critic, like Polly, there is some consistency in the ratings. The good news is that Cincinnati is a small enough town that if a place is worth your time, someone will probably let you know.

We don't have a free market though. Municipalities and states are competing for companies and if $1 in subsidy nets $5 in taxes over 10 years then it is worth it. These deals and the overall strategy deserve scrutiny and a greater emphasis on cost-benefit analysis, but the practice itself is reasonable. Most of these deals are tied to significant private investment and a commitment to add a minimum number of jobs. We don't yet know what the public subsidy is going to be, but here we get an $18 million project happening at the edge of a walkable neighborhood business district and an expansion of an operation that will ideally justify the subsidy. Incentives for new investment is very different than simply subsidizing the move of an existing operation.

^I completely agree and highly recommend going to Urban Artifact on a Wednesday evening to see the Blue Wisp Big Band to anyone who hasn't done so yet. The sour beers are pretty good too if you are into that sort of thing.

^I think the one in Hartwell still exists.