Dayton City Council Meeting Summary: December 10, 2025

The City of Dayton Commission convened on December 10, 2025, to recognize exceptional public servants, approve final budget adjustments, and address community safety concerns. The meeting opened with a moment of silence and prayer honoring recent community leaders Mary Seigi and Karen Wick, followed by the presentation of the 2025 Joseph T. Klein Awards to nine city employees. The Commission also reviewed the final revised appropriation ordinance for 2025 and approved two additional resolutions regarding cybersecurity and neighborhood planning before addressing urgent public safety and housing issues.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes from the December 3, 2025, meeting were approved unanimously.
• There were no communications, petitions, or correspondence to review.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lynn Lamance (1061 Bertram Avenue): Expressed strong dissatisfaction with the efficacy of the Phoenix Police partnership, stating that officers are not patrolling on foot as promised and ignoring incidents in the Fairview neighborhood. She argued that Premier Health should bypass the city to fund her neighborhood directly. She also listed specific vacant properties in the Darius Five Oaks and Fairview neighborhoods with open doors and windows and positioned herself in full support of immediate boarding of these structures by the fire department.
• Ebony Hastings (1238 Wabash Avenue): Stated opposition to the increase in police and fire presence, arguing that the current police response is insufficient and is "inciting" PTSD rather than solving violence. She criticized the city for not reinvesting in holistic community resources and questioned the value of the new recruitment and vehicle investments. She noted the absence of "Shot Spotters" and demanded a holistic approach to the violence in Dayton.
• Lynn Lamance (Second appearance): Expressed concern regarding department heads leaving before citizen comment and reiterated the need for boarding vacant properties in the Fairview/Darius neighborhoods.
• Kathleen Galt (5066 Safeway Drive): Offered congratulations to commissioners and the mayor for their service and expressed gratitude for the mayor's graciousness despite past disagreements on the hospital issue. She highlighted the successful seven-year campaign for the hospital ballot initiative, thanking the community volunteers and voters who supported the effort.
• Ebony Hastings (Second appearance): Reiterated her position that violence in 2025 requires a holistic approach rather than increased policing. She cited the passing of 12 named victims in 2025, criticized the lack of professional engagement from city workers who left sessions early, and expressed concern that leadership is ignoring community concerns.

Discussion Items

• 2025 Joseph T. Klein Awards: Ms. Kate Spencer and Meredith A. Klein (granddaughter of the honoree) presented awards to nine city employees (Shannon Bush, Paul Fleischman, Carolyn Glover, Steve Junker, Wendy Mitchell, Vanessa Moon, Aaron Thomas, Brian Urban) for their collective 94 years of service. Commissioners Laws, Fairchild, Shaw, Joseph, and Mims all expressed praise for the recipients and thanks to the Klein family and the Dayton Foundation for maintaining the legacy.
• Development Agreements: City Manager Virchow detailed Item 14 (Citywide Development Corporation) to support neighborhood planning and Item 15 (Dayton Miami Valley Entrepreneur Center) to provide incubation services. Commissioner Laws questioned the specific roles of the Urban League, HRC, and the Ibroq strategy within these agreements, requesting reports on the return on investment and the management of various partners.
• Final Revised Appropriation (Emergency Ordinance 32-172-25): Budget Director Abby Patel Jones presented a net increase of $2.3 million (0.2%). Key allocations included $1.4 million for Police personnel (driven by wage adjustments and overtime) and $1.2 million for Fire personnel (overtime for minimum staffing). Ms. Patel Jones explained that $520,000 was transferred from the General Fund to Capital Funds for Police, Fire, and Planning vehicles. Commissioner Fairchild confirmed that the Community Paramedicine program is now primarily funded by the City ($200,000), with Premier Health contributing $25,000.
• Safety and Boarding: Commissioner Laws requested a report on best practices for securing vacant structures (boardings) to reduce repetitive costs. Staff indicated they would provide an update memo on efficient boarding methods.
• Community Events: The City Manager and Commissioners promoted holiday events at the Dayton Arcade, Stivers School for the Arts, and the Masonic Temple (The Nutcracker). Commissioner Turner Sloss announced a partnership with the Governor regarding technology (drones, helicopters) for safety and confirmed a 16-18% reduction in violent crime from 2024 to 2025.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Motion: Unanimously approved the City Manager's recommendations regarding the budget and development agreements.
• Emergency Ordinance: Emergency Ordinance 32-172-25 (amending city appropriations for 2025) passed with an emergency declaration to take effect immediately after the second reading.
• Resolutions Passed:
  • Resolution 6907-25: Adopted the Cybersecurity Program.
  • Resolution 6908-25: Concurring with the adoption of the Madden Hills Neighborhood Plan.
• Board Appointments: Reappointed 14 members (including Myler Cardona Jones, Kate Conway, RJ Francisco, etc.) to the Welcome Dayton Committee for a term ending December 31, 2028.
• Directives: Staff directed to provide a report on best practices for boarding vacant properties and to address specific complaints regarding the Phoenix Project raised by community members.