OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Dayton, Ohio/City Commission
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Dayton City Commission Meeting - January 14, 2026

City Commission — Wednesday, January 14, 2026
BodyDayton, Ohio
SessionCity Commission
DateWednesday, January 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:16:52

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:06

Good morning.

0:13

The Dayton City Commission meeting would now come to order.

0:16

Project of allegiance.

0:17

An invocation will be given by Commissioner Beckham.

0:23

Dear Lord, thank you for this day.

0:25

Thank you for uh this organization and this community continue to lead, guide us, and direct us in the priorities of this community.

0:33

In your name we pray.

0:34

I'm in the United States.

0:41

And to the Republic for which you stand.

0:44

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:00

Ms.

1:00

McClendon, may we please have a roll call this morning?

1:04

Mayor Turner Sloss.

1:05

Aye.

1:06

Commissioners Joseph.

1:07

Aye.

1:08

Shaw.

1:08

Aye.

1:09

Fairchild.

1:10

Aye.

1:10

Beckham.

1:13

Thank you.

1:13

May I please have a motion to approve the minutes for the January 7, 2026 meeting?

1:19

So move, yeah.

1:21

Second motion here.

1:23

It has been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes for the January 7, 2026 meeting.

1:29

All in favor say aye.

1:30

Aye.

1:31

All opposed say no.

1:33

Ms.

1:33

McClendon, are there any communications or petitions this morning?

1:37

There are none, Your Honor.

1:39

All right.

1:40

Thank you, Ms.

1:40

McClendon.

1:41

We have one presentation this morning regarding the implementation of the municipal hospital ordinance.

1:47

Ms.

1:47

Dixteing.

1:49

Yes, uh, Your Honor.

1:50

This is the uh presentation that we discussed uh a month or so ago about the next steps for implementation of a public hospital, and I'd like to call forward law director Barb Dosek to provide that presentation.

2:11

Okay.

2:13

Good morning, Mayor, Commissioner, City Manager, and Clerk, Barb Dosek, Director of Law, myself and Deputy Director John Mustow are here this morning to provide a presentation about implementing the municipal hospital ordinance.

2:26

Um the intent of this presentation this morning is informational to discuss potential next steps for our hospital.

2:33

I want to take this opportunity to say that that the provisions of the Ohio Revised Code that we've been asked to utilize have not been done so before.

2:42

That means there's no precedent, no roadmap, no case law, or no really clear direction.

2:49

Our presentation today utilizes both state law while considering the ordinance that's been passed for us to provide guidance for next steps.

2:58

You will see ultimately that there are two paths forward.

3:01

At the end of our presentation, we've made a recommendation.

3:04

This recommendation is not about which path to select, but about a process to make said selection.

3:10

Again, the intent today is to be informational and provide an initial opportunity for questions.

3:23

Good morning, Mayor.

3:24

Good morning, sir.

3:25

Commissioners, manager.

3:29

Um John Must on behalf of the City of Dayton Law Department.

3:32

I'm here to talk about the next steps in implementing the uh hospital levy that was passed in November.

3:40

So first of all, I just wanted to start off with a little bit of background.

3:44

As we all know, on November 4th of the general election, the levy passed by an overwhelming margin, 58% to 41 percent.

3:52

So as a result, beginning in 2027, there will be a collection of one mil levy collected on the property tax in the city of Dayton.

4:02

Um the auditor, the treasurer calculated that the maximum amount that would be collected that year would be a little over $2 million.

4:12

However, they never collect 100% of the property tax.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Hospital Implementation████████████████████████24%
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Renewable Energy███████████████15%
Procedural██████████████14%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Housing Abandonment████4%
Homelessness███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Dayton City Commission Meeting - January 14, 2026

The Dayton City Commission met on January 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM (approximate start) to consider several major items, including a presentation on implementing the recently passed municipal hospital ordinance, approval of a renewable energy purchase agreement, and second reading of a resolution on downtown safety. The meeting included public comments on downtown development and other neighborhood concerns. All votes were unanimous unless noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The minutes from the January 7, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

First Round – Calendar Items

  • Lynn Lamance (1061 Bertram Ave) expressed concerns about the "Mike Turner downtown trickle-down proposal," questioning its strategy for downtown safety, the origin of homeless individuals, and the lack of inclusion of neighborhood perspectives. She argued the proposal did not address systemic issues in neighborhoods and criticized the short timeline.
  • Ebony Hastings (1238 Wabash Ave) questioned the city moving forward with recommendations from a downtown safety task force in 20 days while other neighborhoods deteriorate. She cited perceived biases and the lack of factual evidence, and objected to overburdening municipal courts or Dayton Public Schools with downtown-focused solutions.
  • Berkeley Moore (1025 West Fairview Ave) echoed that safety and homelessness should be addressed citywide, not just downtown. He criticized the city for treating downtown separate from the rest of Dayton and called for inclusive economic growth.

Second Round – Before Legislation (after the hospital and solar presentations)

  • Ebony Hastings recommended placing a moratorium on charter schools, requested Commissioner Fairchild to more transparently establish her conflict of interest regarding the hospital, and demanded clear answers on how hospital levy funds could be used to avoid funneling money to existing health systems. She also complained about trash.
  • Berkeley Moore detailed trash and property neglect on his block (Fairview Ave near Neo Hospital), citing eight unkept properties and lack of trash pickup. He urged the city to hold property owners accountable and to ensure downtown corporate stakeholders contribute to citywide improvements.
  • Lynn Lamance called for improved notice of agenda items (noting short notice on the hospital presentation), requested a city worker like the former John Carter to handle vacant properties, demanded updates on housing inspection tracking, and raised issues with Metro Parks coverage, group homes, and brush removal.

Discussion Items

Implementation of the Municipal Hospital Ordinance

  • Presentation by Law Director Barb Dosek and Deputy Director John Mustow: The November 2024 levy passed 58% to 41%, collecting an estimated $1.9 million per year (92% of $2M maximum) totaling ~$19 million over 10 years. The ordinance envisions a large general hospital with Level 2 trauma center, birthing center, etc., but construction alone would exceed levy revenue. Reimbursement from Medicare/Medicaid is only 82% of cost, making a free hospital financially unsustainable.
  • Two administrative options were presented: (1) Contract with a charitable nonprofit, requiring voter approval via a ballot issue; (2) Establish an 11-member mayor-run Board of Management (with specific members as per state law and ordinance). The recommendation was to hold a public hearing in late spring to gauge citizen preferences on both the administrative model and service priorities.
  • Commissioner Discussion: Commissioner Beckham asked about timeline (late spring). Commissioner Shaw questioned deviation from ballot language; Mr. Mustow noted the ordinance allows phased implementation and does not require all services if not feasible. Commissioner Joseph asked about timeline for a potential ballot issue – earliest would be fall 2026. Commissioner Turner (Mayor) raised questions about accountability under the nonprofit option, possible partnerships, and whether funds could be used to contract with existing providers (to be researched). Commissioner Fairchild declared a conflict of interest and withheld questions.

Renewable Energy Purchase Agreement (Gem City Solar Project)

  • Presentation by Sustainability Division Manager Meg Maloney: The city restarted its electric aggregation program in 2021. A new 25-year agreement with AEP Energy Partners will procure energy and renewable energy credits from the 600-acre Gem City Solar Project (near Little Richmond Rd and State Route 49), zoned in 2023. This will lock in 30% of resident energy use at a fixed price, acting as a long-term hedge against market volatility. Expected savings of up to $42 million over 25 years if energy prices rise 2% annually. This is the largest community choice solar array within a U.S. city limits.
  • Benefits include local renewable energy, workforce development, and protection of wetlands. The city retains rights to sell renewable energy credits. Staff will monitor contract compliance with three-year notifications.
  • Commissioner Comments: Commissioners praised the project for sustainability, resident savings, and workforce investment. Commissioner Shaw highlighted workforce development. Commissioner Joseph emphasized the balance of sustainability and affordability. Mayor Turner commended the team. Questions about panel ownership (developer owns and maintains) and contract protections were addressed.

City Manager's Recommendations

  • The city manager recommended approval of the service agreement with AEP Energy Partners (Item #2 on the calendar). After public comments, the Commission voted to approve all city manager's recommendations.

Second Reading – Resolution 6914-25

  • Resolution addressing commitment to protecting and strengthening downtown Dayton (based on recommendations from a task force). The resolution was adopted unanimously after individual roll call votes (Mayor Turner Sloss aye, Commissioners Joseph aye, Shaw aye, Fairchild aye, Beckham aye).

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes of Jan 7, 2026: Approved.
  • City Manager's Recommendations: Approved, including the renewable energy agreement with AEP Energy Partners.
  • Resolution 6914-25: Adopted unanimously.
  • Municipal Hospital Next Steps: A public hearing will be scheduled for late spring 2026 to gather citizen input on administrative model (nonprofit vs. mayor-run board) and service priorities. Staff to research options for using levy funds to contract with partners.
  • Executive Session: Motion to convene in executive session to discuss personnel issues (employee appointment, employment, dismissal, or demotion) passed unanimously.
  • Upcoming: Public hearing on the 2026 budget and appropriations on January 21, 2026, at 6 PM. City offices closed January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Various MLK events announced.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. The Dayton City Commission meeting would now come to order. Project of allegiance. An invocation will be given by Commissioner Beckham. Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for uh this organization and this community continue to lead, guide us, and direct us in the priorities of this community. In your name we pray. I'm in the United States. And to the Republic for which you stand. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Ms. McClendon, may we please have a roll call this morning? Mayor Turner Sloss. Aye. Commissioners Joseph. Aye. Shaw. Aye. Fairchild. Aye. Beckham. Thank you. May I please have a motion to approve the minutes for the January 7, 2026 meeting? So move, yeah. Second motion here. It has been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes for the January 7, 2026 meeting. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say no. Ms. McClendon, are there any communications or petitions this morning? There are none, Your Honor. All right. Thank you, Ms. McClendon. We have one presentation this morning regarding the implementation of the municipal hospital ordinance. Ms. Dixteing. Yes, uh, Your Honor. This is the uh presentation that we discussed uh a month or so ago about the next steps for implementation of a public hospital, and I'd like to call forward law director Barb Dosek to provide that presentation. Okay. Good morning, Mayor, Commissioner, City Manager, and Clerk, Barb Dosek, Director of Law, myself and Deputy Director John Mustow are here this morning to provide a presentation about implementing the municipal hospital ordinance. Um the intent of this presentation this morning is informational to discuss potential next steps for our hospital. I want to take this opportunity to say that that the provisions of the Ohio Revised Code that we've been asked to utilize have not been done so before. That means there's no precedent, no roadmap, no case law, or no really clear direction. Our presentation today utilizes both state law while considering the ordinance that's been passed for us to provide guidance for next steps. You will see ultimately that there are two paths forward. At the end of our presentation, we've made a recommendation. This recommendation is not about which path to select, but about a process to make said selection. Again, the intent today is to be informational and provide an initial opportunity for questions.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com