By Ken Alltucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley wants the two city-appointed members of the housing authority board to reject plans to demolish the English Woods housing complex or resign from their positions.

"City Council has made its position clear on this issue, and I think our representatives should vote accordingly," Cranley said. "They need to follow their conscience, but if that means they support the project, they should no longer be our representatives."

Cranley admits that the city might have no legal footing to boot Deborah Jimmerson or Doris Hill from the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority board if they approve the demolition during a scheduled Feb. 25 vote. He'll ask city lawyers to research the issue next week.

Neither Jimmerson, a longtime advocate of fair housing laws, nor Hill could be reached Friday.

The housing authority says the 700-unit public housing complex is obsolete and estimates that it would cost as much as $130,000 a unit to repair structural and plumbing problems. It wants to bulldoze the complex and relocate tenants to other housing authority properties or give them Section 8 vouchers to rent from private landlords.

However, the demolition plan has angered English Woods residents who don't want to lose their homes and leaders of surrounding neighborhoods who say too many subsidized units are already in their communities, resulting in an increase in crime and other social ills.

Price Hill Civic Club President Pete Witte said pressuring Jimmerson and Hill is a sound strategy to ensure they're "looking out for the city's best interests."

Cranley said removing an appointed board member is not without precedent.

Last month, Hamilton County Commissioners repealed the appointment of John Luken to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. In Luken's case, he was never sworn in to the SORTA board.

Jimmerson and Hill have served on the housing authority board for several years. Jimmerson's been a board member since May 1999 and Hill since February 2000.

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com