Clifton Town Meeting Board of Trustees will meet next on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023 at 7 p.m. via Google Meets

The public is welcome to attend. Public input on CTM agenda items will be heard after Trustee discussion is complete. Community members wishing to address the Board on an agenda item should sign up to speak before the start of the meeting by completing this Google form or with an email request directed to the president at contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org. Individual input on agenda items will last no more than two minutes.

Community members may speak on non-agenda issues during the public questions and concerns period at the end of the meeting.  Individuals with statements are asked to sign in before the start of the meeting.  Such statements should last not more than three minutes and are invited during the public questions and concerns period.  Email your request to speak (specify the topic), or to request an agenda item at the next meeting to contact contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org.

Agenda – Join via Google Meets at https://meet.google.com/tao-fyqq-sxn

Start TimeTopicTopic Lead
7 p.m.WelcomePres. Checco
7:01Roll call & Approval of MinutesSec. Gee
7:02Elections of New Board MembersCandidates
7:10Police ReportOfficer Dent
7:25Fire Report
7:30Clifton Recreation Center ReportCoordinator Fitzpatrick
7:35Clifton Library Report
Update on Clifton Welcome & Connect initiative
Manager Strauss-De Groote
7:50Clifton Area Neighborhood School (CANS) ReportCincinnati Public Schools Board Member Eve Bolton
8:10Neighborhood Support Program Discussion & Community VoteNSP Coordinator
8:15CTM Committee Roll CallCTM Trustees
8:30Liaison Roll CallCTM Trustees
8:45Community Questions/ConcernsPres. Checco
8:55AdjournmentPres. Checco

Share your ideas for Neighborhood Support Program funding by Jan. 10

NSP 2023 Clifton Banner

Clifton Town Meeting is seeking ideas for which to apply annual Neighborhood Support Program funding. To submit an idea for 2023 Neighborhood Support Program (NSP) funding, please complete Clifton Town Meeting’s NSP2023 Idea Submission form by Jan. 10, 2023. All Clifton residents, regardless of CTM membership status, will be able to vote in-person on proposed ideas during Clifton Town Meeting’s Feb. 6, 2023 meeting.

Last year’s NSP program funded three community projects: Installation of security cameras on Clifton Plaza, sponsorship of the Clifton Cultural Arts Center’s Carpool Cinema events, and a portion of the summer publication of the Clifton Chronicle.

Through this year’s NSP program, each community council can apply for up to $9,872 to be spent by January 14, 2024. Ideas discussed by Clifton Town Meeting trustees so far include the purchase and installation of hybrid meeting technology at the Clifton Recreation Center to support greater access to CTM monthly meetings and other community events.

What other ideas do you think would benefit the Clifton community? Share your ideas with CTM via this Google form.

Eligible projects includes those in the following categories:

  • Neighborhood Leadership Development Activities
  • Communication Projects
  • Neighborhood Improvement Activities
  • Educational Activities
  • Neighborhood Services
  • Problem-Solving Projects
  • Other/Quality of Life Projects
  • Council Business/Administrative/Operations

Learn more about project eligibility at https://www.investinneighborhoods.org/nsp-guidelines/.

CTM Trustee Elections are Nov. 7

Vote in-person or request an electronic ballot

Mark your calendar for this year’s Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) elections on Nov. 7, 2022, with options to vote in-person or, by request, with an electronic ballot. Seven candidates are vying for seven open seats. Candidates with the most votes will fill five 3-year terms while candidates receiving fewer votes will fill one 2-year term and one 1-year term.

Only current members can vote. You can make your membership active online by clicking here. You must be an active member on Friday Nov 4 to vote electronically. You can also make your membership active at the in person elections.

If you wish to vote electronically, request a ballot no later than 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022 by emailing contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org. The vote is anonymous, so those who request an electronic ballot will not be able to vote in person.

If you plan to vote in person, you can do so between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 at the Clifton Recreation Center, 320 McAlpin Ave.

Read on to learn more about this year’s candidates.

Mansee Chauhan

As I am becoming an urban planner, I wanted to be involved with the community where I live, engaging to know their concerns while working with them. I hope that with my skills, training and background as an urban planner, I will be an asset to the board. I wish to give back to community that has welcomed me. My coop experience and the classes that I have taken in past year and current year will help me to broaden my knowledge within real dynamic settings.

Gerald Checco

After 30 years spent as a public servant leading 4 agencies, I was elected to the CTM board in 2020. I was Treasurer for two years, then President in 2022. Among my accomplishments: I created a Memo of Understanding between the three Clifton civic groups (Clifton Business Association, Clifton Community Fund and CTM) that enables them to work more efficiently together maximizing effectiveness. I co-created CliftonCares during the pandemic to help our restaurants survive, and received a “Leadership in Crisis” award (2020). I organized 7 community volunteer cleaning events, earning a Keep Cincinnati Beautiful award (2021) and was recognized as “Friend of Clifton” (2021). I’ve helped to make the Chronicle financially selfsupporting and updated that mailing list. I obtained many grants on behalf of both CTM and CBA, managing the completion and reporting of these grants. I’ve volunteered for our cleanups, two Golf Outings, the Memorial Day Picnic and as a writer and distributor for the Chronicle. If elected, I intend to serve by fostering collaboration among our civic groups, developing win-win outcomes in every case, and by helping a new generation into a future of leadership.

Barry Gee

I have been serving on the CTM board for a few months in 2022 as a replacement for a Trustee who could not fulfill their term. I had the pleasure to lead the resurrection of the CTM Memorial Day Parade/Picnic and currently serve on the Events committee. We often hear discussion of the importance of community engagement, and I am pleased that through the work of CTM, here in Clifton community engagement is in the action phase. There are committees for many of the issues we are facing and we as a community are having a say and some control over what happens in our neighborhood. As a community we must always remain vigilant and be a proactive voice. I have seen directly that Clifton Town Meeting is an organized and effective organization, determining needs and building consensus for our community. I humbly ask for your vote as a Trustee and look forward to continuing to serve this great organization.

Tim Noonan

I’ve been serving on CTM by appointment since July 2022. I would like to continue the work I’ve begun on CTM’s accounting software, assuring that the treasurer’s duties are more easily transferable in the future. Our family moved to Clifton in 2017 after Karen and I retired from our jobs in Butler and Warren counties. We love this neighborhood and our neighbors and can’t imagine a better neighborhood for us. Besides the amazing people we have met in Clifton, we love Clifton’s “useful walkability.” It is so calming that so many necessary services are a short walk away. Supporting the safety and health of our business district should continue to be a CTM priority. Crime in Clifton is a major concern for many residents. We should continue our work with District 5 Police but should also look for actions CTM can lead to aid in crime reduction. The future will bring changes to how people move in our neighborhood. I have noticed a great increase in the use of electric bikes and I’ve seen incredibly fast electric scooters. CTM should continue its work to make Clifton’s transportation safe while staying aware of coming changes. I hope you will consider voting for me as a CTM board member.

Justin Ogilby

I first moved to Clifton to attend the University of Cincinnati and liked it so much that my wife and I bought our first house here in 2013. Elizabeth and I now live on Clifton Avenue with our 4 kids Jonah, Wesley, Ian and Isabell. Jonah and Wesley attend school at Fairview and Ian is in preschool at Immanuel. We are parishioners at Annunciation Church. Recently I’ve been involved with the CTM Transportation and Safety Committee, working on addressing safety issues along Clifton Avenue. Professionally, I’m an executive, board member and co-founder at STACK Construction Technologies, a software company in Blue Ash. On the CTM board I’ll work to continue to improve safety and quality of life for kids, families and all residents of Clifton.

Rachel Wells

As a car-free apartment dweller, I rely heavily on Clifton’s accessibility to greenspace and multimodal transportation. To me, the ability to walk through a dense canopy of trees and to entertainment, dining, retail and educational establishments is the rare mix that makes Clifton unique. I want all Clifton residents and visitors to feel welcome, included and valued. My career has included stints as a newspaper reporter, in communications and stakeholder engagement, and as a grant writer. I am currently a project manager for an education nonprofit. Throughout, I’ve worked to make systems more responsive to the communities they serve by building understanding and promoting civic participation. I’m eager to continue this effort as CTM trustee, and I believe my experience as a resident in multi-family housing and as a public transit user adds a valuable perspective to the board. I was appointed to fill a trustee vacancy in 2022 and now serve as co-chair of the communications committee and on the membership committee. I continue to volunteer as a writer and proofreader with the Clifton Chronicle. Going forward, I would like to encourage more and more diverse residents to participate in CTM and to expand content on CTM’s website.

John Whedon

I have been happy to be a Clifton resident now for 18 years and, like many of you, love our neighborhood’s beautiful parks, incredible architecture, mature trees and walkability. My family has enjoyed much that is here – from elementary education at Fairview, summers at Clifton Meadows, Clifton soccer on Spring Grove, great neighbors and block parties, and much more. No neighborhood is perfect, of course, and there areas of needed focus critical to Clifton’s viability. If elected to the board I would like to do what is possible to make the business district a more inviting place to be for shoppers, walkers, both residents and visitors to Clifton alike. This includes attracting the best possible retailers as well. Store theft, vagrancy, panhandling, litter, smoke shops are some areas of concern I have. I would also support the already growing effort to slow down traffic on Clifton Avenue. Clifton is great and can be so much better. Together we can make it happen.

10th Annual CTM Golf Outing

Join us for the 10th annual CTM Golf Outing, dinner on the Clubhouse deck and prizes!

Golf Outing Poster
  • Date: Saturday August 27, 2022
  • Location: Avon Fields Golf Course, 4081 Reading Road
  • Time: Shotgun start at 2:00 pm – 18 hole scramble
  • Dinner: 6:00 pm; welcome families and friends
  • Fee: $100 per player. Make your own foursome or we can pair you up.
  • Dinner for Extra Guests: $10 (Kids 12 and under eat for free)
  • To Register: Complete the 2022 Golf Outing Registration. Please include names of others registering as a group. This form is required even if you purchased online tickets.
  • Purchase Online: The store is closed for this event. We use PayPal for payment. You must complete the paper registration even if you purchased online previously – this is how we will know who is in your foursome.

Event includes ‘Beat the Lady Bearcat’, ‘Hole in One’ and ‘Kids Putting’ contests, four-person scramble tournament, over $3, 000 in raffle prizes and concluded with Dinner on the Deck (kids 12 and under eat for free, you don’t need to play golf to dine!).

Through the support of businesses like yours, Clifton Golf Outing has given over $75,000 to deserving non-profits in your neighborhood including:
Good Samaritan Cancer Center – Burnet Woods – Clifton Cultural Arts Center
Clifton Community Fund – Clifton Fairview German School – Little Sisters of the Poor
CANS (Clifton Area Neighborhood School) – Clifton Town Meeting

Because of their faithful participation in our past events, the University of Cincinnati Lady Bearcat Golfers will be our 2022 beneficiaries.

photo of Avon Fields
Avon Fields Golf Course: Oldest Course West of the Alleghenies

Recognizing “Friends of Clifton”

Each year Clifton Golf Outing is proud to honor a “Friend of Clifton,” people who have given back much to our great neighborhood. This year we’ll honor Patrick Borders and Helen Adams. Past recipients include Cindy Herrick, Dick Druffel, Tom Lohre, David Taylor, Tom Reese, David Mann, and Jan & Gerald Checco.

The Clifton Golf Outing supports your neighborhood. We ask that you support Clifton Golf Outing.

Memorial Day Parade and Picnic

Date: Monday, May 30

Our Event Schedule

10:30 am – Congregate at McAlpin and Middleton to participate in the Parade! Decorated bikes, pets and humans are essential for maximum fun along the way!

11:00 am – The Parade accompanied by the UC Alumni Band walks north on Middleton from McAlpin, turns left on Lafayette, heading to Mt. Storm Park where we’ll convene to picnic!

12:00 Noon – Community Picnic at Mt. Storm Park, burgers and dogs available with drinks and Dojo Gelato. Pet Parade Costume Awards, Chalk Art by Kathleen Streitenberger, Gardening Advice from Queen City Pollinators, Live Music by the Comet Bluegrass All Stars! Accessible Parking available at Mt. Storm lots. Others can park at Sacred Heart playfield lot. To Note: In case of rain, we’ll gather at noon for our community picnic in the Clifton Rec Center gymnasium! Please leave pets at home.

Volunteers make it happen!  Please sign up here.

Produced by Clifton Town Meeting in partnership with Clifton Community Fund, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation and Mt. Storm Advisory Council. Join Us!