OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Dayton City Commission Meeting: January 28, 2026

City Commission — Wednesday, January 28, 2026
BodyDayton, Ohio
SessionCity Commission
DateWednesday, January 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 52:26

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

The Dayton City Commission meeting will now come to order.

0:07

Would you rise, please, for the invocation, remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:12

Commissioner Shaw is giving the invocation today.

0:14

Commissioner.

0:15

Dear God.

0:16

Thank you for the blessings upon the city.

0:19

Enable us to deliver the sympathy and empathy necessary to touch the lives of the citizens and grow this community.

0:26

I'm in.

0:29

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:33

And through the revolution for which it stands for nation under liberty and justice for all.

0:47

Ms.

0:47

McClendon, can we have the roll call, please?

0:49

Mayor Turner Sloss.

0:51

Commissioners Joseph.

0:53

Aye.

0:53

Shaw.

0:54

Aye.

0:54

Fairchild.

0:55

Aye.

0:56

Beckham.

0:57

Aye.

0:59

Thank you.

0:59

May have a motion to excuse the absence of Mayor Turner Slaus, please.

1:03

So moved.

1:04

Second.

1:04

It's been properly moved and seconded to excuse the absence of Mayor Turner's Laws.

1:08

All in favor say aye.

1:09

Aye.

1:10

All opposed say no.

1:11

May I have a motion to approve the minutes of the January 21st, 2026 meeting?

1:16

So moved.

1:16

Second the motion.

1:18

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes of the January 21st, 2026 meeting.

1:22

All in favor say aye.

1:24

Aye.

1:24

Aye.

1:24

All opposed say no.

1:26

Mr.

1:26

Clendon, any communications or petitions?

1:29

There are none, Your Honor.

1:31

Thank you.

1:32

We do have a presentation this morning.

1:35

Here comes our favorite, Mr.

1:37

Steve Gondel for the demolition update.

1:44

All right.

1:44

Good morning, Commissioners.

1:46

Deputy City Manager, Ms.

1:47

McClendon, Clerk, Steve Gondel with the Department of Planning, Neighbors, and Development with your December 2025 month end uh Dayton Recovery Plan Demolition update, as well as there'll be some few additional slides for the entirety of all of 2025 with a forecast of 2026, our final year of the program.

2:10

All right.

2:30

So when we looked at um kind of where we are in terms of Dayton Recovery Plan year end, as you know, we began the program with uh a goal of about uh a little, you know, 1,168 properties.

2:42

Uh you can see how we have ramped up year over year.

2:45

So we are in kind of that home stretch.

2:47

We have a balance of about 334 properties.

2:50

I'm gonna talk about that at the end of how I think we're gonna achieve that number or get close to that number.

2:55

But um, you know, I I'm really happy that we are on the right track in terms of meeting that goal and meeting the promise we made to the city of Dayton and its residents.

3:07

Our piles at the end of November were 27.

3:10

We were able to remove seven of those in December.

3:12

We unfortunately had two of those added in the month, so we are at um uh 22 piles uh ending the year 2025 in the month.

3:23

Unfortunately, though you'll see those um where those two emergency demolitions occurred in our city.

3:32

And then again, our monthly uh 2025 activity continuing um still in some of the the Dayton Recovery Plan focus areas with a few additional other areas there, but mostly really heavily in that western, uh northwestern or north central corridor.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Housing Abandonment███████████████████████████27%
Public Safety███████████████████19%
Procedural█████████████13%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%
Water And Wastewater Management████████8%
Community Engagement████████8%
Budget Equity Analysis██████6%
Transportation Safety████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Dayton City Commission Meeting: January 28, 2026

The Dayton City Commission met on January 28, 2026, for a regular meeting that included a demolition program update, approval of the city manager's consent calendar, public comments on traffic safety and budget transparency, and commendations for the city's response to Winter Storm Fern. All commissioners were present except Mayor Turner Sloss, whose absence was excused.

Consent Calendar

  • The commission unanimously approved the city manager's recommendations, which included:
    • A five-year technology services agreement with RingCentral Inc. (not to exceed $1.33 million) to replace the aging VoIP phone system.
    • A $3.997 million contract award to CJ Hughes Construction for installation of a 36-inch water main along Rudbanski Lane, funded by Ohio EPA DIFA loan and bipartisan infrastructure law, anticipated to be fully reimbursed.
    • A correction to the agenda: the CJ Hughes service agreement amount was corrected from $33,997,134.13 to $3,997,134.13.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Paul Kerrigan (1525 Pershing Boulevard) urged the commission to address persistent speeding on Pershing Boulevard, citing previously presented traffic data. He requested that the neighborhood be included in any decision-making and emphasized the need for action beyond speed bumps, such as interventions to prevent blight, and suggested one-on-one outreach to homeowners in need of assistance.
  • Mary Sue Gaminer (1418 Arbor Avenue) criticized the budget public hearing presentation as too brief and lacking detail, and requested that links to budget work session recordings be included in public announcements. She also asked about the optimal staffing level for the Mediation Response Unit and thanked the commission for funding Beacon Place Village, a tiny homes project for the unhoused.
  • Ed Jeske (1462 Pershing) supported Paul Kerrigan's concerns about speeding on Pershing Boulevard, noting that the 12-day traffic data sample extrapolates to a significant problem. He advocated for speed bumps or better signage.

Discussion Items

  • Demolition Program Update (December 2025 & Year-End 2025, Forecast for 2026) – Steve Gondel, Deputy City Manager for Planning, Neighborhoods, and Development, presented the December 2025 month-end demolition update. Key points:
    • Piles: From 27 piles at end of November, 7 were removed and 2 added in December, ending at 22 piles.
    • 2025 Activity: 1,168 properties targeted; 334 remain. 476 structural nuisance cases in 2024 vs. 113 in 2025 (82 structures, 31 garages).
    • 2026 Forecast: 120 ARPA-funded demos, 70–75 state-funded (ODOD), and 60–80 CDBG-funded demos, with a total of ~275 expected. Gaps may be filled with general fund dollars.
    • Commissioners discussed the need to monitor the structural nuisance list to see if new additions are outpacing demolitions, and emphasized intervention strategies to prevent properties from deteriorating. Commissioner Fairchild suggested linking water payment plan data to housing conditions, and Deputy City Manager Lofton confirmed that such data layers are being developed.
    • Commissioner Fairchild also raised the importance of reworking the speed bump petition process to account for low homeownership rates (48%) and absent landlords.

Key Outcomes

  • Vote: Approved the city manager's recommendations unanimously (all ayes, no nays).
  • Directives: The commission directed staff to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the structural nuisance list, including commercial and downtown properties, and to continue refining intervention strategies using data from water payment plans and housing surveys.
  • Announcements:
    • Recognition of city staff for managing Winter Storm Fern (12.5 inches of snow in one day, 15 inches total) with no injuries or accidents, thanks to training and 16-hour shifts.
    • Super Refund Saturday for free tax preparation on February 7, 2026, at the Job Center.
    • Free dinners for children at four Dayton Metro Library branches on January 28, 29, and February 2.
    • Winter Restaurant Week sponsored by the Miami Valley Restaurant Association, with donations to the education foundation.
    • First Welcome Home Ohio house sold in Madden Hills, with applications still open via Montgomery County Land Bank.

Meeting Transcript

The Dayton City Commission meeting will now come to order. Would you rise, please, for the invocation, remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance? Commissioner Shaw is giving the invocation today. Commissioner. Dear God. Thank you for the blessings upon the city. Enable us to deliver the sympathy and empathy necessary to touch the lives of the citizens and grow this community. I'm in. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And through the revolution for which it stands for nation under liberty and justice for all. Ms. McClendon, can we have the roll call, please? Mayor Turner Sloss. Commissioners Joseph. Aye. Shaw. Aye. Fairchild. Aye. Beckham. Aye. Thank you. May have a motion to excuse the absence of Mayor Turner Slaus, please. So moved. Second. It's been properly moved and seconded to excuse the absence of Mayor Turner's Laws. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say no. May I have a motion to approve the minutes of the January 21st, 2026 meeting? So moved. Second the motion. It's been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes of the January 21st, 2026 meeting. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed say no. Mr. Clendon, any communications or petitions? There are none, Your Honor. Thank you. We do have a presentation this morning. Here comes our favorite, Mr. Steve Gondel for the demolition update. All right. Good morning, Commissioners. Deputy City Manager, Ms. McClendon, Clerk, Steve Gondel with the Department of Planning, Neighbors, and Development with your December 2025 month end uh Dayton Recovery Plan Demolition update, as well as there'll be some few additional slides for the entirety of all of 2025 with a forecast of 2026, our final year of the program. All right. So when we looked at um kind of where we are in terms of Dayton Recovery Plan year end, as you know, we began the program with uh a goal of about uh a little, you know, 1,168 properties.

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