On Friday, August 19th, I watched a group of elected officials who were absolutely engaged in defending and protecting their communities.  It was spellbinding…

That extraordinary magic unfolded in a simple multi-purpose room at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center.  This long planned event to bring together elected officials was the brainchild of Cincinnati City Council’s  PG Sittenfeld.  Leaders from all of the communities impacted by Duke’s Central Corridor Pipeline met to learn, share, collaborate and discuss legal strategies for stopping the pipeline.

Representatives from NOPE! were included at the table.  Members of the NOPE! Community stand together behind a single, simple message:  “This pipeline does not belong in anyone’s backyard.”  Friday’s meeting demonstrated that a growing number of local elected officials are with us not just in not just in word, but also in deed and spirit.

All communities affected by the pipeline were represented by at least one elected official. Some came with attorneys.  Elida Kamine, Sittenfeld’s Chief of Staff collaborated with a cracker-jack team from Sittenfeld’s office to design this remarkable event.  They included a fascinating blend of experts.  There were attorneys from Calfee, who came in from Cleveland that morning, including former PUCO Commissioner Steven Lesser.   Local civil rights attorney Jennifer Branch and Paul DeMarco, a class action attorney who won an $80+ million dollar case against Duke for anti-competitive practices, were there to share their insights.  Experts involved in pipeline and power plant siting and construction were at the table, including  Howard Miller and Michael Forrester from the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environmental Stability.

Also seated at the table was a City Council Member from a small municipality.  She spoke about the challenges facing a very small city, with an even smaller budget.  But instead of indifference from the group, there were discussions about sharing resources and pricey attorneys encouraging ways for them to be part of intervention using limited budgets.

Todd Portune committed to sharing  resources from Hamilton County and reaching out to federal elected officials on behalf of the communities.   Bill Frost from Pleasant Ridge Community Council summed up the spirit in the room as the meeting was coming to a close, “When Duke files their formal application with the Ohio Power Siting Board, even if Pleasant Ridge is off of the route, we are still in this!”

Elected officials from large and small cities and villages wearing suits and ties and shorts and sandals were all gathered together.  There were no politicians in that room —  simply leaders trying to do their best for the communities they serve.  In this day of arrogance and ugly political rhetoric, it was truly an “AH HA” moment.  It brought about wistful feelings for a better way of working together.  In the end, everyone wins.

Here are the City of Cincinnati’s Formal Opposition to the Pipeline and Motion to Intervene.