Years before Cincinnati officials froze funds to Genesis Redevelopment Inc. and the West End Community Council, city employees had complained that money was going to board members and relatives of the nonprofit groups.

        But Councilman Phil Heimlich said Tuesday that top administrators kept quiet about the payments and continued to recommend that the group receive funds.

        He also accused officials of trying to hide a recent police report that shows one of the reasons no criminal case can be made against Genesis members is that the city's record keeping was sloppy.

        “They have hidden a police report with damaging information about the administration,” Mr. Heimlich said before City Council's finance committee. “It's also apparent that no criminal case can made because city staff ap proved the payouts to Genesis board members and family members.”

        Despite those revelations, council members said Tuesday that they are tired of Mr. Heimlich dragging out the issue and want to move on.

        Mayor Charlie Luken said he was concerned about Mr. Heimlich's interview this week of two police officers on the Genesis investigation, saying it could influence the independence of the police department.

        City officials last February asked federal, state and local investigators to probe Genesis, the development arm of the West End Community Council, after the Enquirer reported that board members wrote checks to themselves and family members and repaired relatives' homes. At the same time, officials announced Genesis' funding had been frozen.

        Despite receiving nearly $800,000 in federal grants through the city's Department of Neighborhood Services since 1991, Genesis had remodeled its offices, made minor repairs to 11 homes and built one other home.

        That sparked a separate city audit of the West End Community Council, which found $82,000 from another account had been paid to officers and their families since 1992.

        After a nine-month investigation, the police division reported that the issues were matters of mismanagement and no criminal charges would be filed.

        Mr. Heimlich said Tuesday that the latest report, which officials refused to yield until he contacted the city solicitor, sheds more light on why criminal charges couldn't be filed.

        City Manager John Shirey denied any attempts to hide the report, saying he found out about it only last week and ordered staff not to release it until he returned from a weekend trip.

        The police report — originally dated Nov. 30, 2000 — was given to council members on Tuesday with a new heading and dated Feb. 2, 2001.

        The report by Police Sgt. Randy Adams says several complaints had been filed by employees about payments going to board members and relatives of the community council.

        Despite conflict-of-interest prohibitions, the report said employees were told by supervisors that it was OK to approve payments.

        “I consider this to be a failure of management,” Mr. Shirey said Tuesday, adding that a new manager is now running the department and that funds will remain cut off to the community council.

        Genesis and community council board members, who have denied any wrongdoing, said Tuesday that the council should restore its funding.

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