Cranley's State of the City: Police reforms, housing court Sharon Coolidge , [email protected]:44 a.m. EDT October 5, 2016

(Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar) Refreshing the historic police reform deal under the watch of the federal monitor who helped craft it, a countywide housing court for serious property offenders and a small-business loan program aimed at helping minority businesses get off the ground were three ideas rolled out by Mayor Tuesday night at the 2016 State of the City speech.

Cranley took the stage at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley – the same place he kicked off his mayoral campaign – with nearly three years of work to tout and a looming re-election campaign in which he is being challenged by Councilwoman Yvette Simpson for the city’s top elective post.

His walkout song: “My shot” from the musical “Hamilton” greeting the crowd of more than 500 people – with a laugh: “Come on, it’s the best musical.”

By contrast, Cranley was serious about city issues.

“We are engaged in great and important work, building a city that works for all,” Cranley said. “There is nothing I would rather be doing and nobody but you I would rather be working with. Together, we can prove what we already know – that cities are special because they are premised on the very notion that we are stronger together.”

There were new ideas and a look back at his accomplishments, with a nod to every council member at some point. Among the accomplishments mentioned:

 Poverty decreased 5 percent over the past two years, according to the census. Cranley gave a nod to his anti- poverty Hand-Up program, but not full credit. The Child Poverty Collaborative, a task force working on the larger solution to the city’s poverty, is set to make recommendations in the next few weeks, Cranley said.  The city continues to attract new companies and new talent. Last year, the city added added over 1,200 jobs, he said. It’s not clear what he based that statistic on.  Crime is down. Police statistics show gun violence has decreased by nearly 10 percent, going from 337 last year to 304 for the same period this year; and the most serious crimes have decreased by almost 7 percent, from 12,694 last year compared with 11,835 for the same period this year.  When Cranley took office, 2 percent of city government contacts went to African-American businesses, about $4 million annually. Last year, the amount to black-owned businesses was twice that. This year, it’s $45 million – 24 percent of contracts, according to the city’s procurement office.

Many were listening to see what he would say – if anything – about last month’s launch of the streetcar, a project he opposed. He did it with much praise for the city officials who worked on the project, saying, “The urban center of our city is experiencing the kind of vibrancy that is envied across the nation. And now the Bell Connector will showcase this marvelous renaissance from The Banks through Over-the-Rhine. ... We are all thrilled the streetcar is off to a good start. ...”

There were shades of what his campaign will look like: a video of $40 million in neighborhood projects approved this year, a recounting of efforts to bolster the middle class and falling crime.

And what’s a State of the City report without cookies? Yes, cookies. In talking about propping up small businesses, Cranley told the story of Christina and Miles Davis, an Avondale couple that own and run Davis Cookie Collection out of their home. But the couple does not have access to money they need to grow their business, something Cranley said he’d work to change for many small businesses.

At the end of the speech, the couple passed out chocolate chip cookies.

What’s ahead:

A refresh of the Collaborative Agreement

Last year, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch praised Cincinnati police-community relations under the Collaborative Agreement as a national role model, but there is work to be done still, Cranley said.

“It has been 14 years and our police and communities are dealing with new issues that did not exist back then,” Cranley said.

So he’s calling for a review of the document that guides city policing. For instance, the review would look at the city’s body camera program for police officers to make sure it’s fair to all citizens.

The independent monitor from the Collaborative Agreement, Saul Green, who served in that role from 2003-08, has agreed to audit the city’s efforts, give the city a progress report and make recommendations for continuous improvement. The monitoring would come at a cost, but it wasn’t known Tuesday night.

Will this really happen? This isn’t a done deal, but seems likely. Council would have to agree to Green’s involvement, but community members have asked for this, so it would be difficult to say no to an outside review.

Housing Court to fight blight

Hamilton County could get a countywide criminal housing court, something neighborhood leaders have wanted for years, with blight at the top of their list of issues. There’s a housing docket now, but it’s for low-level offenders; any serious blight issues are bumped to felony court, but typically aren’t a priority in courtrooms filled with violent offenders. And the city has long needed buy-in from county officials. Well, Cranley says he now has it.

“This is critical because out-of - town absentee slumlords need to be held accountable for the damage they do to our neighborhoods,” Cranley said. “For years, city lawyers ... have been bringing cases in municipal court, but they need all the powers of a housing court if we are to make the difference we all want.”

Cleveland and Columbus have housing courts, but Hamilton County has lagged behind because of “the historic political mistrust between the city and the county,” Cranley said. Ahead, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters will join the city to petition the Supreme Court of to create the first Hamilton County Housing Court. This idea prompted long applause.

Will this really happen? The state must approve this; it pays Common Pleas Court judges. But other big cities have such courts. And it’s difficult to see the state saying no to the county and its largest city, which can demonstrate the need.

Small-business loan program

Mortar, an organization that trains and mentors local aspiring entrepreneurs, has been recognized as a national leader for its efforts to help micro-enterprises get started in Cincinnati, with a focus on low-income urban entrepreneurs. The problem? Access to capital dollars to help them grow.

Cranley announced that, beginning in 2017, the city would start a new microenterprise loan fund with at least $2 million for companies groomed by Mortar. The loan would be available to all Cincinnatians, but have special outreach to African-American and women-owned businesses.

“I am confident that this new loan fund will expand our economy and help make our value of equal opportunity more real,” Cranley said.

Will this really happen? It will be rolled out over four years, $500,000 each year. The first $500,000 is already in the fiscal year 2017 budget, but hadn’t been explained until now. This one is happening.

Mayor’s picks

Cincinnatians of the year. Futbol Club Cincinnati Owner and CEO Carl H. Lindner III and President and General Manager Jeff Berding. “FC Cincinnati is here to stay. And it did not happen by accident. Many cities have tried to get into professional soccer without success. But here we have the extraordinary leadership of Jeff Berding and Carl Lindner who have done it right.”

City of Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, left, awards FC Cincinnati Owner & CEO Carl H. Lindner III, center, and President & General Manager Jeff Berding, right, Cincinnati of the Year awards during the 2016 State of the City speech, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley. (Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar)

Humanitarian of the Year. Peg Fox, executive director of Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati. MARCC is creating IDs for immigrants, homeless, returning citizens or anyone who would not otherwise have access to a government-issued ID to help new arrivals access basic municipal services and increase the safety of communities. The IDs were so much in demand that families camped out overnight. By the end of the year, over 1,000 IDs will be issued.

City of Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley awards Peg Fox, executive director of Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati with the Humanitarian of the Year award during the 2016 State of the City speech, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley. (Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar)

Employee of the Year. Police Officer Donald Jordan. A 16-year veteran, Jordan started the city’s Right to Read program, which places officers in elementary school classrooms to tutor students, as well as the first Pitching for Peace community event in 2016.

City of Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, left, awards Cincinnati Police Officer Donald L. Jordan the Employee of the Year award during the 2016 State of the City speech, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley. (Photo: The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar) 86CONNECTTWEETLINKEDIN 12COMMENTEMAILMORE

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