Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed a motion Wednesday, Aug. 5, ordering the city and Metropolitan Sewer District to pursue green infrastructure projects and watershed-based flood mitigation for Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout, the neighborhoods hardest hit by July's flash flooding.
The motion is separate from the $2 million emergency relief fund Council approved the same day. Where the relief money addresses immediate damage, the green infrastructure motion looks ahead: it calls on MSD and city staff to evaluate solutions that reduce stormwater runoff, develop watershed-level flood planning and establish a Flood Resilience Task Force to identify risks and recommend fixes.
Council member Meeka Owens, who championed the motion through the Climate, City Services & Infrastructure committee at the Aug. 4, meeting, said the city can no longer rely on traditional pipe-and-concrete approaches alone. Owens called for a shift "from gray to green infrastructure" and said impervious surfaces are a central part of the flooding challenge.
The policy groundwork dates to July 28, when council member Mark Jeffreys filed a motion calling for 30- and 60-day after-action reviews and watershed studies for Mill Creek and Duck Creek, according to Fox 19. That motion outlined specific tools including underground detention tanks, permeable pavement at large lots like schools, bioswales and rain gardens.
What residents demanded
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney told Council that flood-affected residents repeatedly asked for three things: more dumpsters, a faster permitting process and financial assistance. The city responded by deploying additional dumpsters and creating a one-day permit approval process for contractors making repairs.
As of Wednesday, the city had received more than 2,000 complaints connected to the storms, according to council member Evan Nolan. MSD reported more than 1,800 claims, with hundreds qualifying for cleanup assistance through its sewer backup program.
Skepticism from the ground
Hyde Park resident Jacob Bailey, whose garage flooded three times in roughly seven weeks after his family moved to the neighborhood, told the committee on Tuesday, Aug. 4, that repeated flooding could trigger a "death spiral" for affected communities. Bailey lost a car and several thousand dollars in property.
"The longer we wait to fix it, it's only going to get more expensive, and the problem's only going to get bigger," Bailey said at the Aug. 4 committee hearing, expressing doubt that a new task force would deliver results after decades of similar studies.
Council member Seth Walsh acknowledged the challenge, noting the city's sewer system was built roughly 100 years ago and has been undergoing upgrades for the past 20 years as storms grow more severe.
How to file a claim
Residents affected by flooding, whether from sewer backups or overland water, can file a claim by calling 513-323-7995. Kearney urged residents not to wait, saying they do not need to determine the cause of their flooding before calling.
No timeline has been announced for the task force's first meeting or for delivery of the green infrastructure recommendations.
