The Dayton City Commission meeting will now come to order.

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

The invocation this evening will be given by Commissioner Beckham.

Dear Lord, thank you for this day.

Continue to lead and guide us as we do the work of this city.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

And the United States of America.

To the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God.

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

All right, Miss McClendon.

May we please have a roll call this evening?

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph.

Aye.

Shaw.

Aye.

Fairchild.

Beckham.

Aye.

May I have a motion to excuse the absence of Commissioner Fairchild, please.

So moved, Your Honor.

Second.

It has been properly moved and seconded to excuse the absence of Commissioner Fairchild.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

May I have a motion to approve the minutes of the April 8th, 2026 meeting, please.

So moved, John.

Second motion, it has been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes of the April 8th, 2026 meeting.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

Miss McClendon, are there any communications or petitions this evening?

There are none, Your Honor.

Thank you.

This evening I would like to call Mr.

Stefan Watts to the podium to discuss the Liban Cities project.

You're back again.

Good to see you.

Hello.

Good to see you as well.

Thank you for having me.

Mayor.

Commissioners.

Sorry, I'm Miss Ferrari.

Love you.

But yes, so we are having the Living City Project on behalf of Declair, which is April 25th this year.

The city this living city project is the largest cleanup within Dayton.

So we just want to invite everybody out to come to this one day event.

We are really trying to empower two really initiatives, one being students involved and involving the youth more, as I have with me here on today, actually, one of the youth from our community.

But it's always a good thing to have.

So yes, thank y'all for having me on today, and we just want to invite everybody out to the Citywide Cleanup.

That initiative has been running since about 2019.

And to date, we have picked up 566 tons of trash.

So we're really excited about that.

Thank y'all so much for having us.

Thank you.

Would you like to introduce yourself and I'm Danielle Scott?

Thank you.

To support.

Yes.

Thank you, Ms.

Scott.

Thank you, Mr.

Wallace.

Thank you for both for being here.

Next, I would like to call Mr.

Kevin Lighty to the podium to present the sister city update.

Sister Cities.

Thank you, Mayor, Commissioners, City Manager, and staff.

I appreciate the opportunity to come here to give you an update on the activities of the Dayton Sister City Committee.

So uh starting chronologically with our first sister city from 1964.

So in Augsburg, Germany, in about less than two months, about 20 Dayton students will be traveling to Augsburg for a 14-day exchange.

They'll be staying with host families and visiting Jakob Fuller Gymnasium School.

Additionally, we've the City of Augsburg offers its trainees the opportunity to complete an internship abroad, and it'll last up to about four weeks.

And so starting in actually, we got an update yesterday.

It's gonna be in August.

And lastly, we're the Sister City Committee is working with the Dayton Lederkranz Turner uh community organization to apply for a grant for about $25,000 through the Goethe Institute.

Uh they put out a call for German and U.S.

sister city relationships.

It's a limited call.

The grant is hoping to bring singers and dancers and culinary experts to Dayton in 2027 when the German fest picnic that happens over in St.

St.

Ann's Hill.

Um the theme for the German Fest picnic that year is all things Augsburg.

And so we're we're basically supporting that initiative or that that effort.

OISO Japan, which uh we've been a sister city since 1968.

We also applied for a grant uh through the US Japan Global Impact Grant, um, but unfortunately we were unsuccessful in getting that.

Our hope was to bring ceramic artists to Dayton because we had two ceramic artists from Dayton go to Oeso last summer.

We're still going to pursue that.

We just don't have uh it's not gonna be as robust as what it was.

But in addition to the ceramic artists, we're trying to bring uh or we're gonna be bringing three Japanese students to Dayton in July for a 14-day homestead as well.

Uh Monrovia Liberia from since 1972, our Monrovian uh co-chair uh traveled to Monrovia recently to continue discussing the resurging um relationship.

And we just recently found out that the mayor Monrovia will be here in the U.S.

in the coming weeks.

So we're there may be a chance to continue those conversations here in Dayton if we can figure out where he's gonna be in the US and if we can get him over here.

With uh Halone Israel since 1998.

Um the for the last 14 months we've had virtual meetings with our sister city in Halone, in which different organizations from both Dayton and Halone showcase their accomplishments.

Um they field questions and they plant the seeds for collaboration, alternating between city and city.

The most two most recent uh presentations involve Dayton's own MCCJ and then the Israeli Cartoon Museum, which is based in Hallone.

For it with Sarajevo Bosnia Herzegovina from 1999, uh the federal funding that supported the Dayton Beha youth leadership program has expired, but so we're currently exploring ways that we can continue the program and we're exploring the possibility of commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords in Sarajevo uh coming this fall.

Rushmore England, one of our newest ones from 2019.

Uh the communication continues.

They had some governmental changes with their um their mayor, uh, and so we're we're still trying to navigate that um relationship.

But uh with the Farnborough Air Show happening this summer, we're we're hopeful that we can go over there.

Um but there was talks about there's interest in a youth exchange involving soccer um uh or football, if you will.

And then South Eat Palestine, um, our most recent one from 2021.

We had a representative from South Feet come last fall, and since then things have kind of picked up and slacked off, particularly because in light of the devastation that's happening uh in the Middle East of late.

But discussions took place between Sinclair Community College and Al Hud's University, particularly around the idea of virtual classes to students in Salfeat through Sinclair's COIL program.

And we have a pilot pen pal program involving students at the Dayton Regional STEM School and uh students in Salfit, and that's uh starting to take place as well.

Uh lastly, I I've um presented to you in in your packet just a uh a brief snapshot of the economic impact of the the Dayton Sister City Committee.

The numbers that you see before you um go back to like post-pandemic, so for about 2021 until uh 2026, well, 2025 really.

Um but just uh a couple of the highlights.

So we've had a over 117 international visitors here.

We've had 100 plus visitor nights where they've stayed here in Dayton.

Uh about 40,000 in direct local spending.

Lodging is around uh 4600, food and beverage around 23,000, uh, and transportation and attractions about $9,000.

Local or lodging and meals are supported through some of the city funding uh that the sister city committee receives, but those dollars are spent locally and they generate additional visitor-driven economic activity uh as a result.

Over 1,300 hours of uh volunteer hours that the sister city committee has contributed over those last five years or so with a value of about $30,000 give or take.

Um I I do want to point out that even though there's an economic impact, uh there is uh kind of a long-term personal uh impact, and I want to point out uh Tomoya right here who's who's with us tonight.

He came to Dayton in 2019 as a as a student um exchange for 14 days, um, visited Sinclair, kind of fell in love.

Uh he ended up graduating from Sinclair just recently, and now he's living in the Dayton area.

Um and it's it's just he's also my counterpart over in Oiso.

So he's the ch well he will be voted next month, the chair of the international relationship international association over in OESO.

So it's it uh and then we also had some students from uh Sarajevo who are expressing interest in attending U D.

So in it in addition to just the economic impact, it's also uh kind of a like uh long-term impact.

So uh there's plenty more, but um I also provided you with like a calendar of events that are happening for the next two two years.

Some of those may happen, some of those might not happen.

We have additional things that get added every so often.

So uh if you have any questions, I'd happy to answer any for you.

Thank you very much.

Commissioner Beckham, do you have any comments or questions?

Uh just thank you for being here.

Appreciate the comprehensive update.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Shaw.

Likewise, saying I'm sure my colleague, Mr.

Joseph will have plenty for you.

All right, thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Joseph.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Kevin, you and your colleagues do very good work.

Uh we are known sort of an unlikely place for a medium-sized Midwestern city to be, but we're known as an international city, and you do a very good job continuing that reputation, uh making sure that uh people who come are welcomed, not only from our seven sister cities, but usually people get funneled to you when they come from wherever.

So we do appreciate that.

You represent the city well.

And please uh take our thank yous to the whole committee from from us here at the commission.

I will thank you.

Thank you.

I just want to echo my colleagues' comments.

Thank you very much for your leadership, your commitment.

Uh quick question for you.

Is this located on the city's of Dayton's website?

Not yet, because I just made it last week.

All right, very good.

And then we would like to uh if would you mind bringing him to the podium so he can introduce itself and we want to uh congratulate him on his accomplishment in graduating from Sinclair?

Yeah, so please.

You want to tell us your name and what was your major or your studies?

I'm Tomoya Suzuki.

I am from Oizo City from uh between Dayton Oizo.

I came here 2019 and I met Jos Pami and David they care about me very much, and they accept the Hospami again, and I came here and studying asynchronous for three years.

I have a my major was computer science.

People are I I think US is more than uh US technology is more than Japan.

So I I I'd like to run more latest technology and more uh improve more knowledge and and share my knowledge web.

Great.

Well, congratulations.

And we have some employment opportunities for you as well, especially with the work that's being done with the uh the the data uh or the digital transformation center, DTC.

So I hope that you will definitely explore those opportunities.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, especially with the computer science major.

Thank you, Mr.

Lighty.

Thank you.

Ms.

McClendon, are there any additions, deletions, or comments to the calendar?

Yes, Your Honor.

Emergency resolution number six nine two five-26.

We'll have two readings at one meeting instead of one as indicated on the agenda.

That is all, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Ms.

Dixtein, are there any additions, deletions or comments to the calendar this evening?

I have none, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

Dixtey.

Ms.

McClendon, are there any citizens that are registered to speak on calendar items this evening?

There are no citizens registered to speak on calendar items this evening.

Thank you.

Commissioners, are there any comments to the city manager's recommendations?

Commissioner Beckham.

I have none, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Commissioner Shaw.

Uh nine.

Commissioner Joseph.

Nope.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

May I have a motion to approve the city manager's recommendations?

I move to approve the city manager's recommendations.

Second the motion, Your Honor.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

Legislation.

Ms.

McClendon.

First reading emergency resolution number six nine two five-26.

Objecting to the issuance of liquor permit number one zero zero zero seven seven six six-one.

Leva group LLC doing business as Dayton Downtown BP, 433 South Main Street, Dayton, Ohio, 45402 and declaring an emergency.

Your Honor, resolution number 6925-26 being declared in an emergency.

I move for its immediate passage.

I second the motion.

It has been properly moved and seconded to declare emergency resolution resolution.

Excuse me, 6925-26 as an emergency.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

Second reading, emergency resolution number six nine two five-26.

Objecting to the issuance of liquor permit number one zero zero zero seven seven six six-one.

Leela Group LLC doing business as Dayton Downtown BP, 433 South Main Street, Dayton, Ohio, 45402.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph.

Aye.

Shaw.

Aye.

Beckham.

Aye.

Emergency resolution number six nine two five-26 has been adopted with four votes in favor.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph.

Aye.

Shaw.

Aye.

Beckham.

Aye.

Ordinance number three two one eight two-two six has passed with four votes in favor.

And that concludes legislation, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

McClendon.

Are there any citizens that are registered to speak this evening?

Your Honor, there are seven citizens registered to speak.

As you address the commission, we ask that you state your name and address for the record.

At that time, I will turn on the green light.

When the green light comes on, you will have three minutes to speak.

After you have spoken two and a half minutes, a yellow light will come on, and you will have 30 seconds remaining to speak.

When the red light comes on, you will be asked to cease your comments and to take your seat.

To the audience in attendance, please be mindful.

This is a business meeting, and we kindly request that during this portion of the meeting you refrain from any hand clapping, finger snapping, and conversation that would prevent the city commission from hearing the speakers' comments.

I call to the podium Kathleen Galton.

Good evening all.

Good evening.

Kathleen Galt, 5066 Safeway Drive, Dayton, Ohio, 45414.

Once again, I want to thank uh Dayton voters for stepping up to the plate to get um the ballot initiative across the line uh in November.

Uh in January, we know that uh attorney musto um address the issue and where it will go, how it will go forward.

I we I recommend that people look for that um what he had to say in January, and and I am sure the city will alert the public as to when that town hall will take place.

Uh I am no longer a member of the CCC.

Uh we had some differences, and but I am still out there rallying for the issue.

I spent seven years and thousands, literally thousands of hours, unpaid hours working on this issue.

So I'm here today in recogniz in recognition and support for Black Maternal Health Week.

I know I'm speaking to uh an audience of people who probably know many of the things I'm about to say, but I'm gonna say them anyway.

Most of us know that black women die three and a half times more often than other women in or after soon after giving birth.

Black infants in Ohio continue to die at more than twice the rate of their white counterparts, a devastating disparity that underscores systemic inequities in health care and outcomes.

I recommend that everybody pull up this study that care source and um good works did our groundwork, I'm sorry, last it came out in 2025.

It talks about uh this issue in detail.

It's really worth the reading.

So right now I'm gonna read some from that study.

Quote the pressing need to address maternal and infant health disparities calls for a bold acknowledgement of racism as a root cause and the systemic transformation necessary to confront it.

Racism pervasive impact on health outcomes is evident with communities like Dayton grappling with historical segregation, structural inequities, and uh redlining.

Stores of marginalized mothers reflect the tangible consequences of these systemic injustices, where many assert if I was a white mom that wouldn't be happening in the same report, quote understanding the lived reality.

Black women face unique barriers in access and quality care, ranging from provider bias to systemic underinvestment in their communities.

So I want to say this.

I'm gonna be pushing hard for what we pass the initiative because of the funding to open up a birthing center in Northwest State.

And I've been doing a lot of reading about birthing centers across the nation.

They operate on a one to two million dollar year budget.

I think we can since we pass that initiative and it could be done in stages.

I think we should work on a birthing center.

Thank you, Miss Scott.

I call to the podium Kevin Keller.

Almost didn't recognize you.

How are you doing, sir?

Good evening, Mayor, Commissioners, City Manager, staff, and audience.

Yeah, I dressed up a little bit because it was dressed up to my family.

And you guys got the extension of it.

So I'd like to open my comments with uh name and address for the record.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It's where they're paving the street.

3922 East Third Street, Dayton, Ohio, 45403.

And I come here as a very jolly soul, knowing that uh Mr.

Richie over there.

Thank you, sir.

He deserves a little round of applause for um standing by his word and getting some of these residential streets that are damaging a lot of cars by driving through these huge potholes.

And you don't know how dark these deep these potholes are sometimes until you hit them because there's when there's a rain, they fill up and uh it's a mess.

We got it did it once once I don't know a while ago, a couple years ago, because we didn't have any other means and I didn't know Mr.

Richie yet.

Uh we gathered up some of our stuff, our garbage and old metal and everything and piled it in that big hole, and then the guy up the street owned uh asphalt business, and he let us get some of his asphalt and pound it in that hole.

The uh the hole went away for a while, and it kind of took care of us.

Um, but I'm so happy and and gratified to the city that they found the money to do those things.

Rightav and uh Quinton and East and parts of East Third and Wolf Fourth.

Uh, real great job, I thank you for it.

The second item I have is art in the community.

I have a sculpture downstairs in the lobby.

Couldn't bring it up here because it's I guess it's considered a prop.

Don't know what that means, but I I was trying to promote uh art in the city.

We need more art.

We need some more creativity in this town, especially at the airport.

You walk through that corridor, oh man, I feel like you're walking through like jail or something.

Uh spice it up a little bit, have some fun.

Um, I don't think it would be too hard to get some cases, some you know, art cases and close them.

I I I may I have a couple pieces that I'd be more than willing to donate for display.

Third item is, and I yeah, I might be a stickler for this.

Um I was told earlier today, and I've been doing it for as long as I may come to these meetings, and that is having a water bottle.

A water bottle with a cap on it that if I were to tip it over, no problem.

Today I was told you can't have a water bottle.

Yeah, it's got a cap on it.

No, you're not allowed to have it.

And that's been a policy for a long time, and I'm thinking some of you may not like this, but um city manager has one, chief of staff has one, all the commissioners have a bottle.

If they don't have a bottle, they have a pitcher, and that pitcher can tip over just as easily as my water bottle, but my water bottle won't spill because it's capped.

And I'm responsible for that.

Um, I think that if the commission or the city is gonna make that prohibitation stick, then they should you know uh live like us and pay the price.

Equality.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I will tell you, Mr.

Keller, that is for a safety precautions due to some recent activity.

Um that is due to safety precautions.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Excuse me, Miss McLindon.

I call to the podium Victoria McNeil.

Good evening.

Good evening, Commissioner, Mayor, city manager, staff, audience, citizens, and deep participation.

My name is Victoria McNeil, 107 Neil Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, 45405.

I just have three asked, no complaints this evening.

Uh the first one uh is I want to know uh so I heard I read I watched the commission meeting last week that you helped with the electric aggregate.

So I've asked Meg Maloney several times the last couple years, can we get a gas aggregate, please?

Especially with gas and oil going up.

She said it's hard to work through.

The electric, I guess was apparently hard to work through, but it probably would help a lot of citizens, so we don't have to sign up for PIP and all that other stuff that we do.

I don't sign up for I just pay my bill, even if it's high, I still find a way.

Um the second thing is um I wanted to know when we come up to the podium to speak.

Can we have like three minutes, 30 seconds or four minutes instead of the time allotted?

I know it's been in place for a long time.

I was talking to Commissioner Joseph about it, Shaw.

I think I've talked with him about it too.

Because sometimes you need another minute, or can we request an extra minute to speak?

That would be a viable thing.

And the third thing is um, since we did the North Main Street Road diet, I sent the email to I'm not sure in the police department, civil uh civil engineering Joe White now.

I would like to know what the statistics are.

I have the crashes gone down, pedestrians not being hit, traffic is backed up.

I hear a lot of complaints at times, but I said, Well, this is what we have to deal with for now.

So if it's slowing traffic down, that's a good thing.

And less accidents, that's a good thing, and less pedestrians like, but I don't know because I haven't heard anything uh from the email, didn't get a response.

So thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

McNeil.

I called to the podium Jacob Hewitt.

Hello.

Good evening.

Uh Jacob Hewitt, 4125 East Third Street.

Uh I want to start off.

I mentioned that I have read the active transportation plan and the strategy for a sustainable Dayton.

I think they have a lot of promising ideas, and I hope many of them are implemented.

Uh some of them have some flaws as well.

I'm here to talk about one of them, and that's the bike lanes.

Uh I want to say that I bike down East Third Street every day.

Uh for safety reasons.

I have a lot of LEDs on my bike.

It makes me more visible, and I like to think that it helps brighten people's day.

Uh I'm developmentally disabled.

I have a driver's license, but I still choose to bike because it's safer and better for the environment.

Uh my point of concern is the curb separated lanes.

Uh, for example, on 2nd Street and in front of Sinclair, there are curb separated lanes.

And uh so depending on what direction you're coming from, to enter the lanes, you have to cross uh on coming traffic.

And it's not really clear the correct way to do this, uh, especially safely.

Uh, on top of that, uh both of those ha lanes have uh one direction, it will terminate onto the sidewalk.

And I thought cyclists were not supposed to ride on the sidewalks, and so that's a little confusing.

Uh I learned recently that East Third is getting a curb separated lane from Kiwi to Linden.

I don't think it should be a curb separated lane.

With a few potholes filled, that part of the road is already perfectly suited for a dedicated bike lane on each side.

It would just need paint.

Paint is cheaper than concrete.

Uh and the lanes go with the flow of traffic, which is more intuitive for everyone.

I believe the current plan was made with the best intentions, but I fear it will have the worst outcome.

I doubt it can be changed.

I'm probably too late.

It's hard to stay up to date uh with my disability.

Uh I just want the city to have the safer bike lanes, and I hope whatever happens, it's safe for everyone.

Uh thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mr.

Hewitt.

Thank you very much.

I call to the podium Sharon Screech.

Hello, my name is Shan.

Hello, Commissioners.

My name is Sharon Screech.

I live at E515 West Grand Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, four five four oh five.

Commissioners, I am standing here today because a man is dead.

Reginald Thomas lost his life over something as small as a missing bicycle light.

Think about that.

A missing light.

What should have been a routine stop?

Something that happens every day turned into something permanent, something final, something that can never be undone.

A man went out on his bicycle and never came home.

That is not normal.

That is not acceptable.

We are told that officers need reasonable, articulable suspicion to stop someone.

We are told there are procedures, safeguards, and protections.

But where were those protections for Mr.

Thomas?

And where are the answers now?

Because the silence is loud.

And then when a member of this community, Talus Gage stood right here where I'm standing now, when he spoke his truth, his pain, his frustration, what happened, all from mentioning if you didn't get it by midnight.

You will if you didn't get it by now, you will by midnight, which is nothing but saying once you think about it later, you will understand what he was saying.

Mr.

Gage was detained after this statement.

Detained for speaking in Mayor Turner Slaus and Mr.

Beckham know him personally.

Do you both believe he meant this commission harm?

So now I have to ask, not just for myself, but for everyone watching, for everyone in this community, what are we supposed to take from that?

That a man can die over a bicycle light, and when we speak out about it, we risk being detained too.

Is that the message?

Because if it is, then this space, this space, this commission, this room is not a place for the public.

It is a place of fear, and that is a problem, a serious one.

Right now, your integrity is being questioned, not because people want conflict, but because people want accountability.

They want to feel safe, they want to feel heard, they want to believe that their voices matter.

So I'm asking you clearly who made the decision to detain him.

I'm sure it was someone on this commission.

Why was it allowed to happen?

And what are you going to do to make sure it never happens again?

Because this community is watching, and trust, once broken, is not easily repaired.

And once again, if you don't get it by now, you will by midnight.

So for saying that, am I now going to be detained?

Also, thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Greach.

Call to the podium, Talas Natural.

Talis Netzeru, 515 West Grand Dane Avenue for 505.

So I just found out I didn't know that you commissioners are the ones who choose the city manager.

Am I right or wrong?

That is correct.

The city manager, the commission collectively appoints the city manager.

All right.

So with that being said, I'm trying to figure out how she's still sitting there, yeah.

It takes three votes, majority.

Five members, three votes, majority of the commissioner.

That's wow.

That's wow.

That's wild.

I I really don't have nothing to say.

I just can't see how she's still sitting here after all this time.

Like you've been over there.

I remember when Fairchild asked you, asked her about the where the funds was going for supposed to be going to the schools or for the rec centers.

And I remember you interrupted her or interrupted him questioning her about that.

I had like a brief intermission because he's getting upset about what she was saying or not saying.

And that was probably like two or three, four years ago.

I'm just trying to figure out how she's still sitting there, because she's not really doing a good job.

And I just looked at what a city manager is in charge of, and she's in charge of uh stuff with policing and fire uh departments and different things of that nature.

And so it makes sense.

It's like they're all they're all on teams, man.

And we can't have it's it just don't make no sense.

None of it reads, man.

So I just want to know what y'all are gonna do.

I already know what you two are going to do, because you two have been out there for a very long time.

So it all makes sense.

And I told you how I feel about you outside in the hallway.

So that makes sense on why stuff happened to me.

But I just you gotta go, man.

Uh it just don't make no sense, man.

Like hear what the people are crying for, what they calling for.

I mean, yeah, I know y'all probably got a cool relationship, whether y'all probably buying, laughing, joke, man, and then it's like, forget what we're talking about, what we want, what we after.

I mean, y'all know what I'm about.

I'm action.

I'm action.

And again, I'm not on just one front.

Like Malcolm said, I'm on all fronts.

So you'll see me in the community doing love days, and then you'll see me up here, and you'll see me get cuffed.

You'll see me go through a lot of stuff.

Because I'm that dude.

I'm action, and you gotta go.

That's all I got.

Thank you, Mr.

Tallis.

I call to the podium, Stanley Hurdle.

Good afternoon, uh Commissioners.

I'm Stanley Hurdle from 1230 Amherst Place in the University Road neighborhood of Dayton.

Dayton voters voted for a city public hospital to deal with the long-recognized problem of health care disparities, particularly infant mother mortality and chronic illnesses affecting many, but particularly black communities in West Dayton.

What is the Commissioner doing now to bring this about?

Problem has been greatly exacerbated by the closing and demolition of Good Samaritan Hospital, and then only slightly helped by urgent care and other things that have replaced it.

Meanwhile, providers are open continue to open large health centers in various, mostly white suburbs.

Much of the problem with health care is due to the division of people into classes of access and coverage.

With differences in reimbursements between private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, uninsured, and what people pay privately.

Well, no country's system is perfect compared to most other industrialized nations, U.S.

health care system is much more costly and much less effective in its outcomes.

Major reason for this is the search for profit drives the system, not the search for health.

Insurers profit by insuring the healthy, not insuring the sick, and denying claims and prior authorizations.

Providers, which includes both corporations that hire actual doctors and health care professionals, and the makers of drugs and equipment they use, profit by selling as much as possible.

In American health care markets do not work.

The result is many people not affording or getting care or going bankrupt as a result.

While the City Commission cannot solve all these national dysfunctions on its own, it can have an independent need assessment to determine what is required here, and then consult with independent health care advocacy groups and experts to think of innovative actions to take to approve improve Dayton's situation.

The law provides a list of services that the public hospital is to provide.

It can include other innovative things as well, both to promote health as well as treat its absence.

But the public needs to know that the City Commission is doing its job and what it is doing.

It's unjust that Dayton, particularly West Dayton, suffers from this.

Public hospital works in Cleveland.

Commission needs to use this opportunity to evaluate and provide a program for health care in the health care desert of West Dayton.

Thank you for your attention.

Thank you, Mr.

Hurdle.

That concludes speakers, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

McClendon.

Ms.

Dixtein, do you have any closing comments this evening?

I have none, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

Dixteen.

Ms.

McClendon, do you have any closing comments?

I have none, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Commissioners, do you have any closing comments?

Commissioner Beckham.

Yes, Your Honor.

Just two events I want to quickly highlight.

I want to thank our Poet Laureate, Sierra Leone, for joining us last week in honor of National Poetry Month.

She is actually hosting a poetry open mic night, Voices Against Violence.

That will be this Friday, April 17th at Art Has No Rules Gallery.

And this is targeted to young people in our community.

So I plan to be there.

Please come out if you are interested.

Also want to highlight the fourth annual Black Men's Mental Health Conference that will be a really powerful panel about access and awareness.

That will be this Saturday at Sinclair Community College at 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

So you can register if you like at WWBMHC.com.

Thanks.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Shaw.

Yes, this is a couple things.

This Saturday, April 18th, from 10 a.m.

to 1230 p.m., the Laura Recreation Center will host the kids' entrepreneur expo.

I'm very excited about that.

Dayton's youngest business owners will be selling their products and creations.

And this is a fun way to stop local and help our young entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.

For more information, you can call 937-333-8403 for more information.

I hope to see everyone there.

And also I just wanted to highlight uh wanted to thank the mayor for allowing me to speak at the at the Boys and Girls Club groundbreaking ceremony this past Monday.

Uh very exciting.

They have uh raised about $15 million of a $18 million ask for a new facility that these children's uh children so desperately deserve.

And uh was just glad to support uh them and their work.

Their great director, Crystal Allen and their uh very um engaged board uh have been doing a lot of great work in this community.

And I want to thank the residents uh for their support of this of this very worthy cause, and thank you all for your for your um your support too.

But it was a really nice event.

Uh many of my colleagues join me there, and uh it was just a great day.

Well, thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Joseph.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just one today.

Uh one I'm very happy to announce the return of the Dayton World Soccer Games.

Uh we held it from 2012 to 2019, and pandemic disrupted it like it did a lot of things, but it's coming back.

Uh the the goal is to bring together teams from all of our different cultures and ethnicities here in the city.

Uh anybody can come and play.

Uh youth teams, adult teams.

Uh I'm probably too old to play now, but for those seven years I played every year and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Uh so the games are going to take place on Saturday, September 12th at Kettering Field Sports Complex, a new location for us.

Team registration opens today, April 15th.

Uh so go to the City's website at WW.daytonohio.gov and uh click on the Dayton World Soccer Games link.

If you uh aren't uh online, you can call 937-333-3383 for more information.

I hope to see you all out there.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you to all of my colleagues.

I have very a couple of comments, keep it very brief.

First and foremost, Commissioner, thank you for your leadership, Commissioner Shaw and the Boys and Girls Club.

It was a well-attended event.

And kudos as well to to the staff for even making that recommendation for the uh award of ARPA dollars for the the new construction of the site, the Boys and Girls Club.

I'm still stuck on the 18 8 to 22 that are needed within our area.

So again, applaud the board, the staff, the leadership of Miss Al Miss Allen, and to your leadership as well.

So thank you.

Um also would like to commend and uplift the work of the entire organization with the neighborhood conference.

I believe this was the fourth annual conference, annual event.

Uh there were over 200 registrants, I believe, uh 12 to 15 workshops, uh well well attended event, and it was uh held at the the Dayton School, a beautiful site.

And so again, just want to uplift the the staff, Mike Squire and the entire community engagement uh division for their efforts.

Also, next gen leaders registration is open open open until May 22nd.

This team summer program, ages 13 through 17, to 17, excuse me, runs uh June 2nd through the July the 11th.

Focuses on leadership, job skills, and hands-on experience, including CPR certifications and behind the scenes recreation work.

You can register at GDRC Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

Urban Explorers registration is now open as well for teens uh ages 13 to 17.

Uh there are plenty of things for our kids to do, so we are really truly hoping that people uh visit the city of Dayton's website.

You can visit Daytonrec.com or you can also call 937-333-8400 for a number of different programs and services that are readily available.

And with no further business to come before the commission, this meeting is now on adjournment.