Former Cincinnati City Council member Reggie Harris is the likely next member of the Cincinnati Planning Commission. Mayor Aftab Pureval appointed Harris to the position, but it's subject to Council approval. A vote is expected this week.
Pureval said choosing Harris was a "no-brainer."
"It was really important to me, particularly with planning, to find folks with lived experience, with subject matter expertise, folks who ideologically were aligned with a pro-housing, pro-density approach," Pureval told WVXU.
Harris was elected to Cincinnati City Council in 2021 and 2023. He served as chair of the Equitable Growth and Housing Committee, and later the Budget and Finance Committee. He championed the Connected Communities zoning reform.
Harris resigned in late 2024 to take a job at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Biden administration. After Trump won the election, Harris joined Congressman Greg Landsman's office as chief of staff.
He says prior experience as an affordable housing developer adds to his expertise.
"It's almost a decade of work — of housing development, economic development work — that has allowed me to understand the process from multiple focal points," Harris told WVXU. "I think that is a skill set and a unique perspective to bring to Planning Commission ... I think that my experience will help bring a level of understanding and insight into evaluating projects."
Harris says he will work to balance growing the city with resident feedback.
"Sometimes [the community's] goals overlap with city goals, and sometimes they're in conflict," he said. "You need folks to be able to weigh when they're in conflict and [decide] what is the greater need that needs to be served. And then be able to articulate a clear and coherent argument as to why a decision is being made to support or not support a project."
Harris will continue to serve as Rep. Landsman's chief of staff, but says his appointment to Planning Commission is unrelated to that work. He says he has maintained an apartment in D.C. as well as a home in Cincinnati, but will soon begin living here full time.
About Planning Commission
The Cincinnati Planning Commission is charged with making "plans and maps" that define how land within the city can be used, and regulate things like the height, density and parking requirements for buildings.
Some items go before Planning Commission for final approval. Most zoning-related proposals go through Planning Commission before reaching City Council for a final vote. In these cases, a Planning Commission vote is essentially a recommendation to City Council:
- if a majority of Commission votes in favor, the item will need a simple majority (five votes) of City Council to pass.
- if a majority of Commission votes against, the item will need a two-thirds majority (six votes) on City Council to pass.
The commission includes seven members who serve without pay:
- The city manager or her designee
- A member of City Council
- Five electors of the city of Cincinnati, appointed by the mayor
The five electors serve five-year terms.
Harris will replace Anne Sesler, who joined Planning Commission in 2017 to finish the unexpired term of a previous member. She was appointed to a five-year term in 2019, ending in April 2024. She continued serving two more years.
The city charter says each member shall serve "for the term of appointment and until a successor is appointed and qualified."
Other current members of the Planning Commission are:
- Jacob Samad, chair (term ending Oct. 2029)
- Daniella Beltran, vice chair (term ending March 2028)
- John Eby (term ending Sept. 2027)
- Darrick Dansby (term ending Jan. 2030)
- Anna Albi (City Council member)
Planning Commission generally meets on the first and third Friday of each month, usually in Council chambers at City Hall, but sometimes virtually via Zoom.
Meetings begin at 9 a.m., are open to the public, and are live-streamed on CitiCable.
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