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Beavercreek
Township Trustees
January 28, 2008
(Rebecca Jarvi)
Trustee discussed township reimbursement for use of
the Coy House by the Beavercreek Historical Society
and the Wetlands Association. The township spent
$13,500 in the past year for improvements to the
property and anticipates additional cost to cover
making the building handicap accessible. It was
decided that a monthly rent will be charged to both
organizations.
Trustees
approved the purchase of a new ambulance. Other
township bills were approved. The township Fiscal
Officer advised the trustees of changes in policy for
changes in rate changes, requiring approval by all
three Trustees. A work session of the trustees will be
held to examine the consequences of the policy change.
Trustees
discussed a settlement between the township and a
developer regarding allowable density of housing units
in a contested area. The township agreed to four units
over the seven requested by the developer.
Sept. 24, 2007
(Rebecca Jarvi)
The Beavercreek Wetlands Association and the
Beavercreek Historical Society will be invited to
jointly attend and special session to discuss the uses
and needed improvement for the Coy House. A new
policy on meeting procedures was approved. Residents
desiring to speak will be limited to three minutes.
Ten minutes will be allowed for groups or individuals
already on the agenda. Others wishing to speak can be
scheduled for more time as needed. Miami Valley
Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) made a
presentation.
June
18, 2007 (Rebecca Jarvi)
-
A
resident’s request for the creation of a
three-way stop at an intersection on Factory Road
was denied.
-
A
price of $1.98 million has been agreed on for the
sale of Gosinger Park to the Beavercreek School
Board. The sale contract will stipulate that the
land cannot be resold for anything other than
recreational or educational uses for the next 25
years.
-
The
Township will levy a 3% excise tax on hotel guest
accommodation transactions.
-
Greene
County Education Specialist Gussie Jones asked the
Trustees for a letter of approval and
recommendation to be attached to a grant request
for funding assistance from the Kellogg
Corporation for building a fully accessible
playground on 7.2 acres within Victory Park.
-
Purchase
of an advance support fire engine with Emergency
Medical Service (EMS) capability will be funded
through a new capital equipment fund. A levy
renewal of two mills for five years (to be on the
tax lists for 2008, to begin collection in 2009)
will be on the November ballot.
-
A
new member of the Beavercreek Zoning Commission
was approved for an appointment that lasts until
2012. Since the Zoning Commission is made up of
local citizens who may not have prior experience
with zoning issues, Zoning Inspector Victoria Long
recommended that the Township pay the $50 cost of
an Ohio State distance- learning course that would
be good training for zoning commission
members.
-
A
request from the City of Beavercreek to share the
expense of additional roof repair on the
Senior Center was held for further
clarification.
Jan., 2007 (Dec.
18, Rebecca Jarvi)
There was a full room to recognize the newly hired
fire fighters and promotions. Beavercreek
Library requested that the township assume expanded
responsibility for snow removal at the library.
The fire department requested new communication
equipment which would allow them to do in-house
upgrades Jeff Siebenthaler wants to convert some land
to general agriculture use, partly because the ash
trees have been wiped out by the ash borers. The
request was approved.
Sept.,
2006 (Sept.25
- Rebecca Jarvi)
A new position has been created and filled: Zoning
Inspector. Following a request from the prevention
center, the Trustees declared October as Family
Violence Prevention month. Environmental
questions and details about both water flow into the
wetlands and light pollution relating to ODNR property
were continuing with the developers of the old
Siebenthaler tree farm and surrounding land (290 acres
which will have 475 houses). Future meetings
will be held in the basement of the fire station as
the current meeting room will become the Township
Zoning Office. Groups in attendance were a Cub
Scout troop, representatives from the land development
companies and local residents with concerns about the
development as well as a spokesperson from the
Wetlands Association. There was no media.
Summer,
2006 (Rebecca Jarvi)
A new position of “Zoning Inspector” was approved.
A special meeting on personnel management and policies
was scheduled. No media coverage was identified. Two
land development firms wanting postal addresses
changed from Xenia to Beavercreek had opposition from
a number of citizens there. (August meeting)
A parcel of land is being set aside out of the Spring
Ridge and Spring Meadows developments for a
park. ODNR has accepted responsibility for this
park and the Wetlands Association is advising the
developers regarding site development. A
representative from the Wetlands requested that
neither Bradford nor Calvary pear trees be planted
because they are invasive plants. The fire
department has purchased 15 sets of gear which are
lighter and protects against biological and chemical
agents. They have also received a $300,000 grant for
headset communication equipment. (September meeting)
[Top]
Beavercreek
Trustees
Mar., 2007 (3/26
- Rebecca Jarvi)
1. Bellbrook
School Superintendent presented data about anticipated
population growth and its impact on student numbers.
Several different tracts of land are being reviewed
for future growth and new school buildings. It is
anticipated that a proposal will be on the November
ballot related to future plans and anticipated costs.
2. A presentation was made by the Dayton Raiders Swim
Club who are hoping to build a multi-purpose community
facility that would include a wellness center and an
auditorium. The facility would be open to the public
without membership fees, but would operate on fees for
use. The Club is hoping that the Township will donate
land for the proposal. No action was made by the
Trustees, as the land in question was currently
undergoing an appraisal.
Nov., 2006 (11/6—
Rebecca Jarvi)
The City of Beavercreek is seeking a new site for the
annual Popcorn Festival. One suggestion was using
Rotary Park; the options on that will be studied.
There was discussion of development of a new ball
field and, which would be fully handicapped
accessible. Rotary and Victory Parks. In a later
follow-up to that topic, the observer found that the
land has been set aside and funding sources are being
pursued.
Board
of Elections—Greene County
Jan., 2008
(1/8 - Bea Delph)
The Board discussed the “Board of Elections Member
Survey” sent out by the Secretary of State. The
Chairman said it was a good survey. The State Liaison
said that it was a good way to get the opinions of
Board members. He added that there was a lot of
concern expressed about the Everest
Project.
The
Director reported that they would be sending out 10,
000 paper ballots (10% of total of 2004 vote) for the
general election. For the primary election they would
have to send out ballots for Independents, Democrats
and Republicans. The concern was that poll workers
would confuse paper ballots with provisional ballots.
They would have to train poll workers. They also
would have to buy new ballot boxes. Another concern
expressed by the Director was that if the state goes
to all paper ballots, whether printers in the state
would be able to handle the printing of the paper
ballots because by law, they cannot print them out of
state.
There
was further discussion on the Everest Project.
Discussed was the chain of security, recruiting of
poll workers, poll worker training, and vote centers.
Since voting at vote centers would go for 15 days,
security would be a problem. The State Liaison
mentioned that there was a video on the State website
on poll worker training.
The
question also came up whether an independent voter
could serve as a poll worker. Board policy is to have
equal number of Democrats and Republicans. According
to the State, two independents can work at a precinct.
They have to agree to work for one or the other
party.
The
Board went on to discuss the budget and certify the
petitions of those running for office. On February 26,
2008 there will be a swearing in of new Board members
at the Board of Elections in Montgomery County at
10:00 to 11:15 a.m. Secretary of State Jennifer
Brunner will be there.
Aug. 28, 2007 (Bea
Delph)
Project Everest was discussed. It is a program where
the Secretary of State borrows voting machines to test
them. They can borrow up to six. The Board voted to
certify all Local Option and Nominating petitions. All
petitions were looked over very carefully. The
Director gave the Board information on the Central
Count Optical Scan system. This is a system where a
scanner’s data goes directly into the database
instead of a memory card. All 4 scanners of the Board
of Elections could be hooked up to it. It allows for
faster reading of the results. Right now the Board has
optical scanners for paper ballots and touch screens
for others. Because of HB 119, anything that has
to be brought in extra for an election, the Board of
Elections will be able to charge back to the
subdivisions (a subdivision is defined as any board of
county commissioners, board of township trustees,
legislative authority of a municipal corporation,
board of education, or any other board, commission,
district, or authority that is empowered to levy taxes
or permitted to receive a tax levy’s proceeds). The
Board voted to support the Director in what he has to
do to have a secure and correct presidential election.
The Sugarcreek precinct was split into two precincts
because of crowding. The new precinct is number 156.
The Board discussed who was eligible to run as an
independent candidate. Anyone who is a member or an
officer in a political party is not eligible to run as
an independent..
May, 2006 (5/22,
Bea Delph)
The results of the May Primary election were
certified, requiring that all four Board members are
present at the time of the official count. A board
member asked if the allocation of voting machines was
noted anywhere in the official report. It was noted
that the allocation of one machine for every 175
registered voters in a precinct was noted in the
previous month's minutes. A discussion was held about
what should be done about absentee ballots that are
damaged by the Post Office. One ballot in the
Primary Election was so damaged it was unreadable and
attempts to contact the voter were unsuccessful.
The Board will contact the Secretary of State for
guidance.
Nov., 2006 (11/27—Beatrice
Delph)
A Xenia Gazette reporter came to the meeting, but left
because there wasn’t any room (the room is very
small). The Board decided to postpone the overview of
the elections until the next meeting, but mentioned
that one church was not a good location because people
had to stand and wait outside. Of a little over 11,000
absentee ballots, only 14 had to be reviewed. Of 2096
provisional ballots, 21 were questionable for I.D.
purposes and only one not counted because the person
did not want to vote on the voting machine.
[Top]
Oct.
2006 (Oct 25—Beatrice
Delph)
One voting machine will be provided for at least every
175 voters in Greene County. The logic and accuracy
testing of the equipment was performed by the Board.
Each machine is to be tested for 10 days, using
regular, absentee, provisional and curbside ballots to
make sure the tabulators are working correctly.
Both Democrats and Republicans will be involved in the
testing. An attorney from Advocates for Basic
Legal Equality (ABLE) brought up the question of the
long lines that have occurred at Central State
University in several recent elections. The Director
(Tracy Smith) said that this year instead of
designating machines according to precinct, they will
set up machines that can be used by persons from any
precinct. The Director reported that he and the
Deputy Director and some of the members of the Board
were taking classes at the Certification Center for
Boards of Elections. Twelve classes are offered and a
certificate is given after completion. The meeting was
attended by a Xenia Gazette reporter and photographer.
Recommendations
for League Action or Follow-Up:
Beatrice
Delph (observer for Greene County BOE) noted that a
technician from the Diebold Company set up the voting
machines to be tested and helped with the testing.
Since the owner of Diebold contributed to the Bush
campaign, she thinks someone else other than a Diebold
technician should be doing the testing. Viola Matyas
(observer for Centerville Council) suggests that the
meeting to prepare the proposal for annexing the
Greene County land was not properly advertised (not
informing Sugar Creek Township trustees nor Dayton
Daily News prior to the meeting).
Board
of Elections—Montgomery County [Top]
February 19, 2008
(Sharon Harmer)
So far 10,000 absentee ballots have been requested.
This is double the 2004 election. It is likely that an
additional 3-4
thousand will be requested. At this point
approximately 60% of those are Democratic
ballots. “Remaking
ballots” was discussed. It applies to ballots that
are torn, marked inadequately or from 17 year olds
(who can vote for candidates but not issues).
A
public records policy has been adopted. It stipulates a “reasonable
amount of time” to comply with public information
requests. It specifies that preparing for elections are the
priority for staff time.
Ellis
Jacobs presented a report from the Montgomery County Voter
Protection Coalition on an analysis of voting machines from
the November 2007 election. There were quite a few
malfunctions, but the vast majority of those were solved by
troubleshooters or precinct workers within the first
half-hour of opening the polling place. The Board of
Elections and staff were upset with the report because they
felt it portrayed the BOE operations as inadequate and
promoted a negative public perception of voting operations.
The presenter (Ellis Jacobs) responded that these were
problems that occurred, as recorded by troubleshooters,
pollworkers and calls into the BOE. They could be used by
the BOE as information to help them in training or
maintenance of equipment. There will be a regional
swearing in ceremony of Board of Election officials on
Monday, February 25 at 10 a.m. on the 10th floor of the
County Building.
Jan. 10, 2008
(Sharon Harmer)
Candidates for the March Primary were certified.
Candidates are recommended to turn in 3 times the
number of signatures needed.
After that amount, the Board of Elections stops
counting. Legally, more signatures than that are not
acceptable. An executive session regarding
personnel and a potential criminal action on an
election issue was held. The Director brought up
the directive from Secretary of State Brunner. She
wants board members to tell her their responses; board
members were not to discuss the issue with fellow
board members or staff. The results will be given at
the state BOE association meeting next
week.
In
Montgomery county, optical scan ballots will be
available over the amount of 10% suggested by Brunner.
It will take considerable time to count these ballots;
in 2006, it took 8 hours to do the 42,000 optical scan
ballots. The directives are unfunded requirements
requiring expenditures for ballots, staff and
equipment. Union County is challenging the
directive. Pollworker training will be on the
Secretary of State’s website in a couple of
weeks.
Ellis
Jacobs gave a summary from the Election Protection
Coalition (The Dayton League is a member of this
group) on Brunner’s proposal. Her study showed that
voting machines flunked all tests for security by
people in the business of computer security. There are
3 main concerns with Brunner’s proposal:
-
the
possible elimination of precincts
-
using
only a centralized count on election night (concern is on
transporting them and recording the under/over votes)
-
trying
to accomplish all this by March.
Dec.
4, 2008
(Sharon
Harmer)
The recounts from the November General Election were
certified. There were 3 recounts for Huber Heights;
there was a one vote change in one of the recounts
conducted, 2 votes on another and 10 votes in the 3rd.
There was no change in the Northridge
recount. Petitions for local options were
certified for Sinclair and multiple locations for
Speedway and Kroger. An evaluation of the elections
training by Sinclair resulted in a “very good”
commendation. There will be candidate seminars in
January, required for all judicial candidates. It was
noted that the optical scanner may or may not read the
marks if only a small line or mark is in the oval.
Nov. 20, 2007
(Sharon
Harmer)
The Board
certified all results of the November 6, 2007 General
Election. Three races will require a recount (less
than ½ % difference in votes) they are: Huber Heights
School Board levy, Northridge School Board race, and
Miami Township Fiscal Officer. More than 1,400
provisional ballots were cast in the General Election
of which more than 300 were invalid. Individuals
wishing to verify that their ballot was counted can
call in to the BOE up to 30 days following the
election. There was no significant increase in the
number of people voting by absentee
ballot.
Kids
Voting supplied approximately 300 students and there
were approximately 150 County employees who worked at
the polls for this election. Both groups are to be
commended for their efforts. There were 2 official
complaints regarding campaign practices; one was
referred to the sheriff’s office for investigation
and another had a written response from the BOE to the
concern. The Board discussed a directive from the Ohio
Secretary of State regarding use of optical scanning
for ballots ripped or torn.
Oct. 23,
2007 (Sharon Harmer)
Boards of Elections offices are being advised by the
Secretary of State to make no comments about State
Issue 1 until all lawsuits are settled. Discussion
about Type 2 annexation problems that could cause a
parcel of land to be required to pay taxes to two
jurisdictions. There will be a future ballot issue to
address and correct the problem. Discussion about the
ballot language used for Local Option issues that
appear on the ballot. The Secretary of State has
questioned some of the specific language used in the
Local Option ballot issues.
Aug. 28 &
Sept. 11,
2007
(Sharon Harmer)
Sept. 11 - Candidates and ballot
issues for the coming election were given final
approval. There are 5 write-in candidates for Union
mayor. The Ohio Secretary of State has approved the
official language for Issue One. Since the petition
certification is not complete, the issue will appear
on the ballot; if there were not enough signatures,
there will be a sign posted that votes for that issue
will not be tabulated. The office is working on the
Strategic Plan for the November 2008 election. There
has been staff training which included reviews of
policies, machines, board and an assessment test as
well as education on legislation affecting elections.
An idea was posed relating to identifying pollworkers
by either a label, button or t-shirt. The costs will
be investigated. The office is making a presentation
to the Mayors and Managers on “Day for Democracy”
(getting workers for the polls).
Aug. 28 - The Board looked at certification of
candidates for the November General Election. Those
who did not have enough signatures (as checked by the
staff), were not certified. Those petitions which were
questionable were discussed by the board. Some
qualified under the “sandwich rule” (a date left
out but included elsewhere) and others who had used an
earlier form and left out a section in them were
judged to be acceptable. It was noted that if anyone
wanted their name removed from the ballot that must be
filed by Sept 7 ; write-in candidates must file by
September 5th The major topic of discussion was on Day
For Democracy and wearing of t-shirts at the polls.
The law limits anything relating to electioneering
from being within 100 feet from the polls. After much
discussion, it was decided that during the pollworker
training the board would discourage wearing t-shirts.
However, a complete ban was not implemented; anyone
who has a complaint filed against them can be
dismissed.
A grant to Kids Voting was approved to aid in training
and obtaining youths for the polls. It was announced
that 13,000 have been purged from the rolls for
inactivity over the past 4 years. A request from the
Ohio Secretary of State to loan 6 voting machines for
testing was approved.
The chairman of the Board of Elections was retiring
following this meeting. She has successfully
emphasized a nonpartisan approach to voting issues.
The new chair will be Greg Gantt, who is the current
chair of the county Republican party.
June
26 & July 31, 2007 (Sandie Mants)
Director Steve Harsman commented that the staff has
prepared and conducted 12 elections (general and
special) within the past 16 month time frame. The
summer months are being used for staff training and
gearing up for the November 6th, 2007 election. The
last special election was a mayoral election in
Moraine on July 10th, following another recall. There
is speculation that still another recall petition is
currently being circulated in the Moraine area against
another council member. The board is following
the progress of possible statewide petitions for
issues to be placed on the November 6th ballot. As
petitions are circulated in the Dayton area, the board
staff is responsible for verifying the signatures and
reporting to the Secretary of State. There are three
possible statewide issues that may make it to the fall
ballot on the topics of school financing, adult
oriented businesses and a community defense
act.
There
was been recent publicity about a controversy related
to the board’s attempt to utilize a new marketing
tool for the recruitment of new poll workers. A Day
for Democracy program has been promoted to area
businesses and organizations as a poll worker
recruitment effort. Part of the plan included
conversations about poll workers being allowed to wear
a shirt bearing a company’s logo as a way to
acknowledge the organization’s participation in the
program. A non profit pro-life organization has made
it known that they intend to recruit poll workers and
encourage them to wear shirts with a pro-life logo
while they are working as poll workers. This has
caused much community discussion and the Board of
Elections board members are now reviewing the entire
Day for Democracy program. Discussions have centered
on the “integrity of the polling location” and the
potential confusion for voters that this particular
part of the program could create. A final decision was
tabled until all Board members (one board member was
absent for the July meeting) could be present for a
vote.
May, 2007
(5/21, Sharon Harmer)
Candidates for the replacement of City of Moraine
Mayor were certified with the election to be held on
July 10. Several local options and candidates for the
fall election were also certified. This process will
be continuing throughout the summer until final
candidate deadlines in late August. It was
announced that new pollworkers are being recruited
through a new program “Day for Democracy” that
includes recruitment within corporations and also
targets high school students. It was also announced
that the Ohio Secretary of State as part of a pilot
program will be sending voter registration cards to be
included with high school student diplomas.
Signature requirements for petitions for non major
party candidates for U.S. President have been changed
to 20,000. This reflects a correction and lowers the
amount of signatures required.
Apr., 2007 (4/17
- Sandra Mants)
The majority of the meeting was spent reviewing
the proposed strategic plan prepared by staff. Each
area of the plan addressed current community and board
concerns on election operations. Those areas
are:
1. Board of Election Staff training. Discussion of
cross-training and specialized training.
2. Election Preparation, including the issue of
electronic voting machine calibration issues and
solutions.
3. Pollworker recruitment and training This included a
discussion of working closely with Kids Voting to
identify and recruit 17 & 18 year old students to
become pollworkers.
4. Troubleshooter (individuals who work to resolve
special problems on Election Day) recruitment and
training
5. Voter Education. It was noted that this is an
on-going issue that requires face-to-face
opportunities.
Jan., 2007 (1/2 and
1/16. Sharon Harmer)
The proposed state ballot issue signature verification
cost more than $5000 to do. A policy was adopted
that when there is a fraction of a person required for
the total number of signatures, it will be rounded up
to the next whole number. In the past, the
determination has been mathematical (if under .45,
rounded down). Recommendations from the state
were to round up, so that is what is being done.
There have been questions from citizens and state
legislators on issues relating to “Type 2”
annexations. These are initiated by a single owner and
the later homeowners are taxed by both the township
and city district for fire, police and garbage. This
also means they can vote on both township and city
issues (and candidates) for those items. There are
only a few areas in this situation.
Dec.,
2006 (12/19 -
Sharon Harmer)
After the Board set tentative 2007 meeting dates, the
Director reported that they had just received
petitions with 26,000 signatures to verify within 3 ½
days. The petitions are for legislation on proscribing
“sexually oriented business” activities and will
probably be on the 2008 fall ballot. Because
completing the verification would require calling in
extra employees and possible overtime for a staff that
has already put in long hours this fall and winter,
the board directed him to seek a delay in any possible
way. A recount of the Kettering 3H precinct (2
vote difference) turned out the same as originally
counted. Results of the 12/12 Moraine recall
election will be verified at the January 2nd meeting.
The wording (required by their charter) was confusing
to some. The Deputy Director will be meeting
with a new county commissioner to explain “Day for
Democracy” a poll worker recruiting program. The
League was provided a DVD about the program as well as
a copy of the petition (mentioned above) requiring
signature verifications. There was no media present.
[Top]
Nov.,
2006 (11/28—Sharon
Harmer)
Channel 2 and the Dayton Daily News were at
this meeting. When certifying the official results of
the election, it was noted that 3 local issues in
Kettering were within 2 votes so a recount is
mandated. The increase in the number of special
elections is a concern. It costs $800-850 per precinct
(to the jurisdiction) plus BOE time (paid by the
county). If it is a recall and the individual is
successful in defending him/herself, that cost is also
born by some jurisdictions (depends on their
charters). {Moraine had one recently, holding more on
Dec 12, Jan 6 and in February} Of the 6400
provisional votes, 5196 were valid. Those not valid
were usually because they hadn’t registered before
the 30 days prior to the election or were at the wrong
precinct. Under Ohio law, you must vote at your “home
precinct”. This law may come up for changes in the
next General Assembly. Ellis Jacobs presented
the results of the Election Protection Coalition’s
work on election day. Of the 75 complaints (in sample
precincts), voting machines were the most common basis
of complaints; they registered a vote incorrectly,
were out of service, or had other problems. This will
be considered in the BOE’s assessment of problems to
be avoided in future elections.
Centerville
City Council [Top]
January 28,
2008 - Viola Matyas
A 2007 study was completed about the feasibility of
merging the City of Centerville and Washington
Township with the goal of saving money and increasing
efficiency of present duplicate services and the
possibility of lowering taxes. The study confirmed
that all these things were possible. Council is now
planning to have the merger proposal placed on the
fall 2008 ballot. A number of Town Hall meetings will
be held to educate the public.
Several
citizens voiced concern about the increased traffic and the need
for an additional traffic signal near the Dille property that was
annexed by the City of Centerville. The city Planning Commission
will monitor the situation. Plans for the development of the Dille
property were briefly discussed commenting on the plan for a bike
path, saving of a number of the trees along the Wilmington Avenue
side of the property and development that will include paved
streets, parking lots and buildings on the property.
The
city’s Green Initiative Commission first action has been the
purchase of a hybrid vehicle for the city.
Dec. 17,-2007 (Viola
Matyas)
Centerville has not joined in the Montgomery County
911 Dispatch Center due to the fact that the city has
invested a considerable amount of money in the city’s
own dispatch center. It was noted that Washington
Township has expressed interest in joining the
Montgomery County Dispatch Center. The City of
Centerville will be making suggestions to the
Washington Township Trustees to consider instead
joining the City of Centerville’s Dispatch Center at
the same cost to the township. T
he
Mayor and Council have formally set up meetings with Sugarcreek
Township Trustees to resolve differences concerning the Dille
property that has been annexed by the City of
Centerville.
It
was noted that there have been a number of citizen complaints about
the new trash collection system used by the city.
Oct. 20, 2007 (Viola
Matyas)
A presentation on the Human Service Levy was made
requesting council endorsement. It is against council
policy to endorse any issue; however a large number of
council members spoke as individuals in support of the
levy. A number of community ordinances will have
public hearings in November one of which will define
what item cannot be in a residential front yard. The
city planning commission recommended that the council
prohibit new signs that include an LED moving message.
The council voted to discuss this recommendation with
the business community before taking a final vote.
Aug. 20, 2007 (Viola
Matyas)
Meeting included the following items:
-
Announcement
of a public hearing on Sept. 17 to enact a hotel/motel
tax on Greene County properties
-
Approved
the appeal of a builder of 40 condo units to not be
required to build a long extension road around the
development. Instead a bridge and short extension road
will be built.
-
Extended
a 6 month moratorium on display signs with changeable
copy, LED and electronic components.
Jun.
12, 2007 (Viola Matyas)
Agenda items
included:
-
Councilman
Doug Cline will, for the third time, lead a group of
volunteers to Slidel, Louisiana, where they will gut
houses that were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.
Volunteers being actively recruited.
-
Centerville
Police Force received its national accreditation and
given “Flagship Agency” status.
-
A
public hearing was held on a change in the ordinance
to inspect rental property every two years. Owners
must notify tenants prior to inspection and refusals
of entry must be penalized by owners.
-
Joint
financial-feasibility study between Centerville and
Washington Township, done by the University of Toledo,
will be finished by the fourth quarter.
May, 2007 (5/21 - Viola Matyas)
It was announced that the Mayor and city council
members have met with the Ohio House speaker (Jon
Husted) to oppose HB117. This bill would create a
statewide franchise for cable and video service and
would have the effect of drastically reducing the
local franchises of Miami Valley Communications
Council to continue providing public access to
governmental and educational meetings. The
annexation process is continuing on the property at
the corner of Wilmington, Whipp and Feedwire Roads in
the southeast corner of the city. The City of
Centerville and the Washington Township Trustees are
exploring a joint financial study to find cost savings
opportunities in operations for the two entities.
Apr., 2007 (4/16 - Viola Matyas )
1. Council welcomed Centerville High School students
who are participating in the Youth in Government Day
on April 24. Students will spend the day with various
city officials.
2. Former City Manager of Kettering Steve Husemann,
who is now working at the Miami Valley Communications
Council (MVCC), gave a report on pending legislation,
Ohio Senate Bill 117. He is asking for local
governments to oppose the legislation. A lengthy
discussion followed. The bill would eliminate MVCC
franchising the local cable process that is used by
Centerville and 8 other Miami Valley
municipalities. It is reported that AT&T
wishes to replace the current "system" with
a statewide cable system. The council voted to oppose
the bill.
Jan., 2006 (1,22 - Viola Matyas)
There were a
number of public hearings at this meeting, including a
thorough presentation of the 2007 budget. The
City will be
having exploratory meetings with Washington
Township regarding any possibilities of merging
specific services to save money. While there was
no mention of Sugarcreek’s lawsuit against
Centerville regarding the annexation of Dille
property to Centerville, this will be an issue
to watch.
Dec., 2006 (12/18
- Viola Matyas)
Lengthy reports on the county-wide 911 option were
given by the assistant mayor, city manager, police
chief and fire chief. All departments have met a
number of times on the issue. It was concluded that
joining the countywide 911 system would not be
advantageous because of monetary considerations (cost
and equipment already purchased), reduced personalized
service, and existing coalition of 8 cities.
Oct.,
2006 (Oct 16—Viola
Matyas)
The Centerville City Council approved the annexation
of a 228+ acre parcel of farmland in Greene County for
the purpose of
housing development. The annexation was said to have
been requested by landowners and future developers and
was approved by Greene County. Sugarcreek Township
trustees, who had not been informed of the special
meeting held on October 9 to discuss this proposal,
opposed the annexation. A public hearing on changing
the zoning on these acres to permit development was
scheduled for the Centerville City Council meeting,
November 20, 8:00 P.M. The meeting was televised.
Summer,
2006 (Lee
Mills)
Construction at Kettering Middle School was behind
schedule. A proposed renewal of the tax levy for
permanent improvements was approved. There was no
media coverage and about 15 citizens present (August
meeting).
A large number of human resource recommendations as
part of the start of the school year. Brief
discussion of problems with the State School Board,
but no specifics were noted. (September meeting)
Dayton
Board of Education [Top]
Dec. 4, 2007 (Sherry
Green)
A large part of the meeting involved updates on the various
construction projects noting which projects were nearing
completion and anticipated building occupancies. There was
discussion of an Apprenticeship Program sponsored by Dayton
Urban League. Superintendent Dr. Percy Mack reported on Family
Fun Night (excellent community participation) and a report on
the Gay and Lesbian Institute. Observer expressed concern on
the reasons for two board members being absent as well as the
low number of community members in audience.
The
observer commented on the efficiency and leadership shown in
the conduct of meeting and pleasure at seeing the Pledge of
Allegiance used to open the meeting. The observer recommended
that follow -up be pursued with the Ohio Facilities Commission
and with the Superintendent's office to learn the racial
composition of Family Fund Night attendance. Observer
also expressed interest in doing a follow up with a student
board member.
Dayton
City Council [Top]
Nov., 2006 (11/15—Viv
Himmell)
The media was well represented at this meeting: cable,
Channels 2/7/22 and the Dayton Daily News. In
addition to the appointment of Rashad Young as City
Manager, there was a proposal to rejuvenate downtown
Dayton. The latter will require cooperation with other
downtown stakeholders. It was also noted that
Commissioner Lovelace has been meeting with various
people/businesses to improve the predatory lending
laws.
Five
Rivers Metro Parks [Top]
Summer, 2006 (Paul Lamberger)
The district received $3 million to protect 1000 acres
through the Clean Air Act. Staff reports,
capital outlay expenditures and an executive session
occupied most of the rest of the meeting. There was no
media present and only one citizen.
Kettering
Board of Education [Top]
Dec. 4, 2007 (Lee
Mills)
Observer noted that approximately there were
approximately 75 people in the audience to observe a
math demonstration and to hear school choirs who were
performing. Board members unanimously approved
policies and bylaws presented by NEOLA of Ohio. Board
unanimously approved participation in Southeastern
Ohio Education Purchasing Council’s Natural Gas
Program for a 6 year period which will save $550,000.
Aug. 7, 2007 (0nnolee Mills)
A resolution to put a 4.9 mill school tax levy on the
ballot in November was passed unanimously. The Board
reduced costs by $2 million this summer in order to
keep the levy at 4.9 mills. A Kettering resident
addressed the board with concerns regarding the need
for another levy so soon after the tax for building
improvements two years ago.
Oct., 2006 (Oct 17—Onnolee Mills)
The October 17th meeting of the Kettering School Board
was recorded by Kettering Public Access. An executive
session was called to discuss personnel matters. In
the open session, attendees were given an explanation
of the Ohio State Board Report Card and a review
of Kettering’s testing, teachers’ training and
International Baccalaureate Standards. The Board
approved a lease agreement for Riso duplicators to be
used throughout the district. The revised five-year
forecast for fiscal years 2007-2011 was
approved.
Summer,
2006 (Lee
Mills)
Construction at Kettering Middle School was behind
schedule. A proposed renewal of the tax levy for
permanent improvements was approved. There was no
media coverage and about 15 citizens present (August
meeting). A large number of human resource
recommendations as part of the start of the school
year. Brief discussion of problems with the
State School Board, but no specifics were noted.
(September meeting)
Kettering
City Council
[Top]
February 12, 2008 (Mickey
Gogle)
The Mayor presented his State of the city address. An Eagle Eye Watch
Program has been started to encourage neighbors to keep an eye on what is
happening in the city's parks. A Property Maintenance Task Force was
created in 2007 to raise the awareness of property maintenance of
Kettering residents. More than 4,200 violations are reported annually
(only 4% are repeat problem cases) and the city has hired two more housing
inspectors.
Jan. 22, 2008 (Mickey Gogle)
Council voted to support the Sinclair Community College Levy on the March
4 Primary ballot. Authorization was given to the City Manager to apply for
state
funds for a bike path.
Jan.
8, 2008 (Mickey Gogle)
Bruce Duke was elected to serve as Vice Mayor. The City of Kettering has
been awarded a large number of communitydevelopment monetary awards
including an additional award to build another skate park. A complete list
of all projects awarded will be
available when formal minutes are prepared and filed for public
consumption.
Dec.
18, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
Council approved purchase of Road Rescue Medic Unit for the fire
department. Council approved a $74 million budget for 2008. Complete
details of the budget will be available for public consumption by February
1. Master Plan for Fire Department has been completed.
Dec.
11, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
Discussion on voter participation in the November election noted that 550
more voters participated over the previous election. Council adopted an
alternative method for calculating and levying special assessments that
would be based on size of lot and value of property. Council voted to
advertise for bids and contract for renovation of former Justice Building
(which was the former location of the Kettering Court in the Kettering
Shroyer Road location) Following renovation, a number of city departments
currently housed in the basement of the city building will be moved. City
accepted a grant from the MVRTA to build 6 bus shelters. Kettering's
contribution to the project will be $11,000 which is 20% of the total cost
to build the shelters. Council upheld the decision of the Kettering Board
of Zoning Appeals to use a private home as a private care home.
Oct. 25, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
The council voted to endorse the Kettering City School levy. The
council authorized the city manager to enter into agreements for
expansion of the fiber communication system and to also work with
the Homeownership Center of Greater Dayton to assist first time home
buyers in Kettering.
Sept. 25 & Oct. 9,
2007 (Mickey Gogle)
Presentation on Human Services levy (Issue 20)and request for
council endorsement. If the levy fails, Kettering residents would
lose a considerable amount of levy supported services that are
provided directly to residents who qualify for Human Service
assistance. Council subsequently voted to support the levy at the
October meeting. Date set for hazardous waste drop off for Kettering
residents.
Aug. 28 & Sept.
11, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
Sept. 11 -
Council approved a change in development guidelines
for Villas at Kettering Pointe allowing residents to
put up fencing. Accepted a donation from Kettering
Medical Center to cover cost of bike paths on KMC
property. Working with Waste Management to have
customer service department be open longer hours.
Neighbors from Lincoln Park area protested the opening
of a group home for developmentally disabled men. City
Manager will review zoning code for any violations.
August 28 - Two presentations were made to the
Council. The first providing information about the
River Commons Project which is a housing project that
will utilize the DMHA Helena High-rise building to
provide supportive housing for single individuals. The
second presentation was by DMHA speaking about the
agency process for Section 8 housing in the suburban
areas. This presentation followed by one day the
presentation at the Oakwood City Council in response
to community concerns about DMHA Section 8 housing in
Oakwood and Kettering.
Aug. 14, 2007 (Mickey
Gogle)
Meeting agenda items included:
-
Report
from Kettering's Law Department that reviewed the
petition from the Citizens Against Regional Dispatch to
place the question on the November ballot. The report
concluded that the submitted petition was not
"proper subject matter" for an initiative
petition and it will not be forwarded to the Board of
Elections for placement on the ballot.
-
City
Manager reported that following a review of the proposed
Regional Dispatch System plan that it did not appear to
be in the best interest of the City of Kettering to
participate. The primary objections were that the
program was under the control of the Montgomery County
Sheriff rather than a shared governance and there was no
guarantee of improved service to the community. The
Council voted to withdraw from the Regional Dispatch
program.
July
24, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
At the meeting the Kettering City Council voted to:
-
levy
a 6 mill tax for all purposes of the city. This is not a
new levy but one that has been renewed annually since
1958.
-
submit
3 applications to the State Capital Improvement Fund for
2 bridge replacements and for resurfacing Dorothy Lane
near the South Dixie intersection.
-
commend
the Finance Director and staff for receiving an award
from the State Auditor for being in the top 5% of
agencies in the state for excellence in financial
accountability.
July
10, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
Meeting was attended by approximately 30 members of Citizens
Against Regional Dispatch. Two representatives of this group
spoke against Kettering joining the Regional Dispatch
Center. The group has turned in petitions with more than
4,000 signatures, hoping to get the question on the November
ballot in Kettering. Other business included:
The
County Auditor asked the City Council to help get the word
out about the expanded Homestead Tax Reduction Program that
was enacted July 1st. With the removal of the income
restriction to apply for a Homestead Tax Reduction, an
estimated 4,500 Kettering residents who are over age 65 or
permanently disabled are now eligible to apply for the tax
reduction. Deadline for applying is October 1, 2007.
June
26, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
At the meeting, the
Kettering City Council authorized the city manager to:
-
accept
money from the Parks Foundation to provide financial
assistance for special needs children of low -income
Kettering families to attend Camp Discovery.
-
acquire
by the right of eminent domain a property on South Dixie
that is in the process of bank foreclosure and is needed
to finish the Dorothy Lane / South Dixie Project.
The
Council also heard:
-
complaint
from a resident about trucks and equipment being used by
a neighbor to run a business out of his home.
-
an
appeal from a couple whose five pet chickens had been
disallowed by the zoning board.
June
12, 2007 (Mickey Gogle)
Agenda items
included:
-
Replacing
the bridge on Patterson Road at Acorn Drive
-
Hiring
an agent to obtain sponsorships for the Fraze Pavillion
and the Parks and Recreation and Cultural Arts
department.
-
Doubling
the space for the Kettering Connection area at Town and
Country Shopping Center.
May, 2007
(5/8 & 5/22, Mickey Gogle)
The May 22nd Council meeting included a vote to
rezone the Birchwood Swim Club property for a senior
housing complex. Council passed a resolution
opposing the statewide cable TV franchising bill. (SB
117) Passage of the legislation would mean the loss of
$115,000 in franchise fees per year and would
eliminate the network which includes all government
phones and computers.
The
May 8th Council meeting included a Resolution of
Appreciation to Chief Master Sergeant David Marcum of the
Ohio Air National Guard. Announcements were made about city
spraying for Gypsy Moths in some neighborhood and that the
search for a permanent Fire Chief was continuing. There was
also discussion of a matrix study that is recommending a
combining of the police and fire departments. A large
portion of the meeting was spent in discussion about the
regional dispatch proposal and the activities of the C.A.R.D.
group. Approximately 20 members of C.A.R.D. were present to
voice their continued displeasure with the council and its
position on the regional 911 dispatch system. The group is
in the process of circulating petitions to have an
initiative placed on the fall ballot in Kettering on the
issue.
Apr.,
2007 (4/24, Mickey Gogle)
The meetings are taped by cable TV, the April 24th Council
meeting focused on two items: The Kettering City School levy
and the proposed regional dispatch system. Following a
presentation by the Kettering Public Schools on their 4.9
operating levy for the May ballot, the City council voted to
support the levy. There was accusatory testimony by a
Citizens Against Regional Dispatch (C.A.R.D.) member in
opposition to a regional dispatch system. The
Kettering Volunteer Advisory Council presented three Youth
Volunteer Service Awards to students form Fairmont and Alter
High Schools who had completed an impressive amount of
volunteer work for the schools and community.
Mar., 2007
(3/27, 4/10, Mickey Gogle)
Both meetings were recorded by Miami Valley
Communications.
1. Council approved a policy that limits the use of
signs in the Forrer Pointe development area (located
in the area of Smithville and Forrer Blvd.) and
allowing the Planning Commission to amend the policy,
as needed with appeal provision to the council.
2. Former City Manager of Kettering Steve Husemann,
who is now working at the Miami Valley Communications
Council (MVCC), gave a report on pending legislation,
Ohio Senate Bill 117. He is asking for local
governments to oppose the legislation.
3. It was reported that Citizens Against Regional
Dispatch are going door-to-door collecting signatures
to place the issue of regional dispatch on the
November ballot.
...
Jan., 2007 (1/23, Mickey Gogle)
Joseph Wanamaker
was appointed to replace Raymond Wasky as Vice Mayor.
The City has negotiated with the county for an
extension of the deadline for making a decision on the
consolidated dispatch system; 12 issues were listed as
being involved in any decision about the dispatch
system
(1/9, Mickey Gogle)
Council gave approval for installing a 800 megahert
radio system in police department and cruisers.
Much concern was expressed about the unprofessional
job being done by subcontractor for DP & L in
trimming trees along the right-of-way for DP & L
lines. Open forum being held at the high school
cafeteria 1/17 on whether Kettering should join the
regional dispatch system.
On December 19, the major topic of discussion
was the regional dispatch system. The City Manager
reported that Kettering needs to move to an 800
megaherts system so that its radios are on the same
frequency as other departments (at a cost of
$730,000). This needs to be done regardless of
any decision on joining the county system. There
were many comments from the public. Seventeen (17)
community leaders spoke in favor of joining the county
system and as many Kettering residents spoke in
opposition.
Dec.,
2006 (12/12 Mickey Gogle)
2 television stations (besides cable) were at the
meeting. There were many people present; about 1/3
were concerned about a zoning change on County Line
Road and the rest were opposing the countywide 911
proposal. The FOP has aggressively opposed the
proposal; having gone door-to-door with petitions
opposing it. The opposition to the 911 proposal became
quite heated when alternative positions or ideas were
broached. It was a very
long meeting.
Nov.,
2006 (11/14 and 11/28—Mickey Gogle)
A proposal for the rezoning of the Groby property was
presented on the 14th and completed on the 28th. 2/3
of the property will be commercial and 1/3 will be
residential. Some area residents spoke in opposition
to the plan. By a vote of 4 to 3, it was
authorized for Dayton History to provide operational
and curatorial service for the Kettering-Moraine
Museum at an annual cost of $24,250. Karl Keith,
County Auditor, explained the new law that requires
owners of residential rental property to register
their property with the auditor. The state law
prohibits the city from requiring landlords to
register with the city. A county-wide dispatch
study for police and fire has been completed, but many
questions remain. A number of firemen and policemen
spoke in opposition to the idea. There is a Feb.1
deadline for local communities to decide if they want
the county to handle 911 emergency dispatching.
[Top]
Oct.,
2006 (10/10
and 24—Mickey Gogle)
People attending the October 10 meeting of the
Kettering City Council were urged to vote for the “Smoke
Free Ohio” amendment, for the City Charter
amendments 22, 23 and 24, and for the schools’ “Permanent
Renewal Levy.”
At
their October 24 meeting, the Kettering City Council
approved an increase of 22 cents in the monthly trash
rate charged by Waste Management and authorized the
city manager to contract with a financial institution
to assist the city in implementing and administering
the Home Enhancement Loans Program (HELP) for housing
rehabilitation. Students from Wright State, Sinclair,
Alter High School and Fairmont High School attended
the meeting.
Sept.,
2006 (9/12 and 26 - Mickey Gogle)
The City Council approved a 6 mill tax for the ballot;
the tax has been in effect since 1948 and has to be
voted on each year. The city is going to phase out
Kettering’s recycling center because waste
management offers curbside recycling pickup and the
County has a recycling center west of town which takes
more items. The present site will continue to
take yard waste. The September 12th meeting was taped
by cable and had groups from Smoke Free Kettering and
the Acorn Avenue neighborhood area. The latter were
protesting having sidewalks put in which they
don’t want. At the Sept 26th meeting, the head
of the RTA gave an annual report which mentioned that
they are reducing administration, have a balanced
budget for 2007, and are proposing a new system with
major changes in routes. They are also
reinstituting a Senior Transportation Program for
Kettering residents who are 60 and over, starting
October 1. Buses will have wheelchair lifts.
Individuals who wish to use it must register one week
ahead at the recreation center. The Smoke Free
Kettering group was in attendance and the meeting was
taped by cable.
Summer,
2006 (Mickey
Gogle)
There were a number of citizens from the Acorn Avenue
area protesting installation of sidewalks they do not
want and do not want to pay for. The group
threatened a recall of all council members if the
sidewalk project moves ahead. There was discussion of
phasing out the city recycling center except for
collection of yard waste, which will continue.
[Top]
Springboro
City Council Meeting
Oct., 2006 (Oct19—Jane
Taylor)
The Springboro City Council approved a Five-year
Capital Improvements Plan and scheduled a budget
meeting for November 14 at 6 P.M.
Summer,
2006 (Jane
Taylor)
This summer, Springboro was primarily concerned with
zoning issues. An ordinance proposing a charter
amendment was defeated by the council. The council was
consistently responsive to citizen input. Channel 2
covered the August meeting, but there was no media
coverage of the July meeting.
Trotwood
City Council [Top]
Summer, 2006 (Valorie
Lee)
No items of significance to League were identified.
There was no media present, but there were a number of
citizens with specific interests.
Yellow
Springs Village Council [Top]
Jan. 7, 2008
(Sally Mier)
The majority of the meeting was spent on goal setting
for the village in the following areas:
-
Economics
-
Land
use planning
-
Energy
conservation
-
Human
relations
and
community members in the audience expressed concern
about topics that included:
-
Sustainable
community
-
Growth
-
Affordability
for village citizens
Dec.
17, 2007 (Sally Mier)
An accessibly report was given to the council with
focus on two locations in the village, specifically
the Yellow Springs Credit Union and the Chamber of
Commerce, which is located in the old train station.
Village solicitor reviewed the Ohio Sunshine Law with
board (which included 2 new members). The observer
commented on the excellent presentation. There was
citizen concern expressed about the safety of the KKK
demonstration. Village Chief of Police responded that
the KKK followed all requirements for conducting a
demonstration including the required petition that
indicated the anticipated number of demonstrators and
details on signs and placards that would be used. The
Chief of Police stated that there was no legitimate
reason to deny the KKK their request or to interrupt
the demonstration.
Nov. 5, 2007 (Sally Mier)
The Council approved a contract to purchase
electricity from the Prairie States Power Plant
(located in southern Illinois). This contract will
replace the current contract the city holds that is
due to expire in 5 years. The
Prairie State Power Plant is currently under
construction and when completed will meet current
requirements for clean coal burning in the production
of electricity. The Council also approved a contract
for purchasing hydroelectric service beginning in the
year 2012.
Sept. 17, 2007 (Sally Mier)
Primary topic of discussion was the village’s
options for replacing power contracts that will be
expiring over the next 5-6 years.
Controversy exists between resident who only want “green”
energy vs. those who are concerned about securing
energy at fixed rates. The proposed contract with
AmpOhio will be for “clean coal: energy but has a
clause providing for no penalty for withdrawal at a
future date. The observer recommends that the League
should be observant of Montgomery and other Greene
County communities examining similar energy contracts.
Sept. 4, 2007
(Sally Mier)
Council discussed handicapped accessibility and
sidewalks in the village. There was also a discussion
on the power needs of the village with projections for
future needs and sources for the power. Antioch
College trustees held a meeting that was open to the
public and media. The Council and the Antioch alumni
group will continue to monitor the Board of Trustees
for future opportunities to provide input and share
village concerns.
August 6, 20, 2007 (Sally Mier)
Discussion items included:
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