CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio is a state with split personalities and deep regional differences. Here's proof: Toledo-area residents can't get their act together over how to handle dog crap. Maybe that's why the NW Ohio city is America's 15th most miserable community, according to Forbes Magazine. Toledo produced this memorable line: "Who the hell wants a bunch of dead grass where dogs poop on in their park?". Meanwhile, P&G's pet care division says it is giving a $50,000 grant to Cincinnati's downtown council for a dog park that will cover nearly a half-acre. SW Ohio's urban hounds will get to romp off their leashes. And poop within sight of downtown's skyline. Lisa Renee's Toledo-based blog Glass City Jungle has been red hot in cyber space (I was going to say flush with readers) about that city's dog poop flap. Here's a quote from a local parks official:
“Once this dog park is in use, the area will become brown. The beautiful grass will deteriorate,” Diane Shankland, President of the Ottawa-Jermain Parks Advisory Board said. “It was kind of shoved down our throat as a board, we weren’t advised at all and all of a sudden we find in the paper the fence is going up March.”
In Cincinnati, the dog park is going onto a slice of urban space that is mostly owned by the Ohio Department of Transportation. Some of the P&G grant money will be used for fencing and screens. The Cincinnati Enquirer's Carrie Whitaker did some excellent reporting about the downtown dog park today.
Showing posts with label Downtown Cincinnati. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Downtown Cincinnati. Show all posts
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Convergys Jobs In Cincinnati: City Says Average Wage Is $100,000 Per Employee
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr., reports in a memo to the mayor and council that Convergys Corp.'s (NYSE:CVG) downtown headquarters' payroll averaged "more than $100,000 per employee" in 2007. The company handles outsourced billing, customer care and human resources for corporate clients. Convergys had about 1,450 workers when it made a deal with the city in 2003 to remain downtown -- now it has about 1,471 (33 are part-time) -- amid reports it would add some 1,225 new jobs over a 12-year period. The memo indicates the company is falling short of the jobs creation goals. The memo is marked as number "1847" and can be tracked down on Cincinnati's e-gov online portal. The Daily Bellwether, however, will quote its entirety:
"The Economic Development Division has received the 2007 Annual report from Convergys relative to the Agreement for the Creation and Retention of Jobs, executed July 25, 2003. The report indicates that:
1) Convergys, as of December 31, 2007, employed 1,438 full-time and 33 part-time employees, for a total of 1,471 employees.
2) In 2007, the average annual wage of the 1,438 full-time employees was more than $100,000 per employee. The aggregate payroll for the 1,471 total employees was over $146,000,000; generating Earning Tax Revenues for the City in excess of $3,000,000.
3) Convergys exceeded their commitment of $100,000,000 of capital investment, as required by our agreement, by investing more than $166,000,000 in capital expenditures to date.
4) Small Business Enterprises (SBE) have been utilized for more than 30% of the expenditures related to renovation of the Atrium I building.
As indicated in the reports, Convergys had no net new employees for the Tax Year 2007; and therefore is not eligible for -- nor claiming -- any Job Creating Tax Credit for 2007. Therefore, Convergys is currently in compliance with the job creation terms of the Agreement, and payroll and capital investment significantly exceeded previous projections."
The Enquirer's Greg Korte was on the City Hall beat in July 2003 when the deal was struck to keep Convergys from moving to Northern Kentucky. While the jobs creation portion doesn't seem to have worked out, other parts of the bargain -- the earnings taxes and investments -- appear to have benefited Cincinnati.
"The Economic Development Division has received the 2007 Annual report from Convergys relative to the Agreement for the Creation and Retention of Jobs, executed July 25, 2003. The report indicates that:
1) Convergys, as of December 31, 2007, employed 1,438 full-time and 33 part-time employees, for a total of 1,471 employees.
2) In 2007, the average annual wage of the 1,438 full-time employees was more than $100,000 per employee. The aggregate payroll for the 1,471 total employees was over $146,000,000; generating Earning Tax Revenues for the City in excess of $3,000,000.
3) Convergys exceeded their commitment of $100,000,000 of capital investment, as required by our agreement, by investing more than $166,000,000 in capital expenditures to date.
4) Small Business Enterprises (SBE) have been utilized for more than 30% of the expenditures related to renovation of the Atrium I building.
As indicated in the reports, Convergys had no net new employees for the Tax Year 2007; and therefore is not eligible for -- nor claiming -- any Job Creating Tax Credit for 2007. Therefore, Convergys is currently in compliance with the job creation terms of the Agreement, and payroll and capital investment significantly exceeded previous projections."
The Enquirer's Greg Korte was on the City Hall beat in July 2003 when the deal was struck to keep Convergys from moving to Northern Kentucky. While the jobs creation portion doesn't seem to have worked out, other parts of the bargain -- the earnings taxes and investments -- appear to have benefited Cincinnati.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Cincinnati's New Street Paving Plan: Downtown, High-Income 'hoods Get Bumped
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- At least $10 million a year flows into the city's program to construct, repair and maintain its streets. The new plan for 2008 and 2009 appears to focus more on Cincinnati's urban and low-income neighborhoods than its upscale ZIP Codes. In fact, not a single street in Clifton, Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Pleasant Ridge or Mt. Washington seems to be on the list. Over-the-Rhine is missing, too.
As for the Central Business District/Riverfront, only 5th Street from Main to Walnut is scheduled for a facelift. The city tries to care for about 100 lane miles of streets each year, including reparing and replacing curbs where needed. A pamphlet prepared by City Hall about the street rehabilitation program is available online here. It lists all of the scheduled projects.
Westwood, the city's most populous neighborhood, isn't on the list. But Avondale has 16 projects, Camp Washington has 14, and Madisonville is in line for 22. The rehab includes grinding off the old pavement and adding new. City officials say they work through neighborhoods on a three-year rotation. Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton R. Dohoney Jr. explain:
"The street rehabilitation program is one very important way that the City of Cincinnati is working to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. It is through this program that we continue to invest in our communities and make life safer by improving the quality of our street system . . . Every neighborhood will have the condition of its streets examined at least once every three years based on extensive evaluations by an outside consultant under the direction of city engineers. Streets are then selected for inclusion in the program based on the results of this appraisal."
As for the Central Business District/Riverfront, only 5th Street from Main to Walnut is scheduled for a facelift. The city tries to care for about 100 lane miles of streets each year, including reparing and replacing curbs where needed. A pamphlet prepared by City Hall about the street rehabilitation program is available online here. It lists all of the scheduled projects.
Westwood, the city's most populous neighborhood, isn't on the list. But Avondale has 16 projects, Camp Washington has 14, and Madisonville is in line for 22. The rehab includes grinding off the old pavement and adding new. City officials say they work through neighborhoods on a three-year rotation. Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton R. Dohoney Jr. explain:
"The street rehabilitation program is one very important way that the City of Cincinnati is working to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. It is through this program that we continue to invest in our communities and make life safer by improving the quality of our street system . . . Every neighborhood will have the condition of its streets examined at least once every three years based on extensive evaluations by an outside consultant under the direction of city engineers. Streets are then selected for inclusion in the program based on the results of this appraisal."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)