All right, good morning.

The Dayton City Commission meeting will now come to order.

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

This morning invocation will be given by Commissioner Joseph.

Dear Lord, thank you for your many blessings.

Please bless us and protect us as we serve our citizens.

Please bless us with the gift of patience and humility.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

I pleasure to the flag of the United States of America.

Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

All right, good morning, Miss McClendon.

May we please have a roll call.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph.

Aye.

Shaw.

Aye.

Fairchild.

Aye.

Beckham.

Aye.

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

So moved, John.

Second, Your Honor.

It has been properly moved and seconded to approve the minutes of the July 8th, 2026 meeting.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

Any abstentions.

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

There are none, Your Honor.

Thank you.

The Commission would like to take a moment to honor the life of Ms.

Pearl Howard with a reading of a resolution.

At this time, I would like to invite Mrs.

Howard's family to please join us at the podium.

Ms.

McClendon, please proceed.

The resolution for Miss Pearl Ann Howard reads, whereas Pearl Ann Howard, age 83 of Dayton, Ohio, was called to join our Lord and Savior on Friday, October 21st, 2022.

Howard was a devoted servant of Dayton, faithfully serving as a greeter at Omega Baptist Church, president of the Residents Park Neighborhood Association, and an active member of the Dayton President's Forum and Southwest Priority Board, using her knowledge, compassion, and leadership to strengthen her community.

And whereas Howard dedicated more than 54 years of service to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, retiring as a personnel management specialist in human resources before continuing her commitment to others through more than 20 years as a tax preparer with HR Brock Block.

She lived a life rooted in kindness, generosity, and unwavering faith, welcoming all with an open heart and often becoming a mother figure to those in need.

And whereas she believed in encouraging others to pursue their dreams without judgment, reflecting the words of Matthew chapter 7, verse 1 judge not that ye be not judged, and will be remembered for her favorite saying, bless their heart, and now therefore be it resolved by the Dayton City Commission that we do hereby honor the memory of Pearl and Howard, as well as the legacy of love that will forever be cherished by her children, Wayne Howard, Regina Smith, and Alicia Heath, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her extended family, countless friends, and all whose lives were touched by her compassion, generosity, and enduring spirit.

Though she was preceded in death by her parents, Guy and Pearl Beatty, her stepfather Alonzo Embry, her sisters Ella Geneva Beatty and Beula Ray Fullen, her son Earl A.

Howard, and her grandson Jason S.

Howard, her life remains a lasting example of service, faith, and unconditional love.

This resolution is for you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

If you all wouldn't mind, please, just one moment, please.

Um, if you could we take a moment if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself, and I'm sure my colleagues will have some comments for you all uh this morning.

Good morning.

I'm Regina Smith.

I retired from the city of Dayton in 2022.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Alicia Heath.

Thank you.

Good morning, Beatrice Williams.

I was our best friend.

Hello, my name's Wayne Howard.

I'm our eldest son.

Recently moved back to Dayton a week ago from Tampa, Florida.

All right.

Welcome.

And I'm Sharon B.

Mitchell, the present president of Residence Park Neighborhood Association.

And Pearl Howard was my mentor.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you all very much.

Our condolences and congratulations and thank you all for uh being here this morning.

I'll turn it over to my colleagues, Commissioner Beckham.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Um it is uh first of all, uh first of all, good morning.

Thank you all for being here.

This is um a beautiful thing to do.

I uh had the pleasure of actually meeting Miss Pearl when I was in AmeriCorps, uh, which I uh did during my um last two years at UD and um she was everything that that um proclamation says she is uh and Sharon Mitchell uh obviously I I met her during that time as well and saw just the um the grace, the leadership, the legacy that they were creating in that neighborhood, and obviously Miss Mitchell's carrying that forward.

Uh so I'm just glad you all are honoring her.

Uh I honor her as well.

Uh and uh may her memory be blessed.

Thank you for all she did for the city of Dayton.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Fairchild.

Yeah, no, it you being here and her coming to mind just brings a smile to my face.

I can feel her presence with us in this moment and uh you live that legacy.

Um you know I will never forget the chili cook-offs from Residence Park during the campaign seasons and um you know her good friend Anthel Jenkins would be might not have to call Ethel today and tell her that we honored Pearl so that she knows and um yeah, just so grateful for Pearl and uh we had our voices with the angelic chorus and the great cloud of witness saying well done, good and faithful servant.

Amen.

Thank you, Commissioner Shaw.

Yes, uh just I want to offer my condolences to to you and the rest of your family.

She had a great legacy of service to this community, and uh we really appreciate it, and it's uh it's appropriate that we honor her in this way this morning.

So thank you for being here.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Joseph.

Yeah, uh your mama friend was one of the many uh the people who we rely upon most, the neighborhood leaders who reach out, who do things without being paid, without being asked, just do the right thing.

And uh and part of a long line of great leaders coming from Residence Park too.

Uh so she was part of a great tradition.

We're we're in her debt, and we really appreciate the service that she did.

She gave the city.

So thank you.

Yes, thank you, Commissioner.

I too would just like to take a moment um to give my condolences to you all um and to echo my my colleagues' comments and their sentiments.

Uh Ms.

Pearl was in fact Ms.

Pearl, a true servant to the Dayton community.

I had a pleasure of knowing her again, being uh a product raised in Residence Park, so it was home along with the leadership of Mr.

Heflin and all of those who who really truly were in fact the foundation of what community service and really truly being uh citizen participation, being those those idols, if you will, of citizen participation.

So again, thank you, Ms.

Howard, for carrying on the legacy and uh son, Mr.

Wayne.

You have uh big shoes to feel now that you're back in the Dayton area.

We hope that we can get you involved.

Oh, and you and Residence are we coming to see you?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

But again, thank you all for being here.

And a uh one of the memories that I do have with Ms.

Pearl is in fact what Commissioner Fairchild mentioned is the chili cook-off.

Oh, yes, some great memories.

So again, congratulations to you all.

And this is just a a small token of us to acknowledge the the leadership of Ms.

Pearl.

So thank you.

Thank you.

God bless.

Thank you.

Next, we would like to call Mr.

Kevin Lighty, the chair of the Dayton City sister, sister, excuse me, city committee.

Say that five times, right?

To the podium to recognize three exchange students from Japan.

Yeah, story of my life, and then um so uh if we can go ahead and have the students and uh host families.

Um so my name is Kevin Lighty, Your Honor, uh City Commissioner, City Manager, and staff.

Um we have three students.

They they're they haven't been in Dayton yet for 48 hours, so they're probably still a little jet-lagged.

Um, but we have three students.

We have um June Yamanaka, we have um uh uh Tsumatsa or Tsubasa Akamatsu and um Mizuki Yoshida.

Um and the host families are are back here.

Um they are all high school students in our sister city of Oiso.

Uh they'll be here for about 12 days.

They leave on August 2nd.

We've got a full itinerary for them.

Tonight we're going to the Dragons game.

We're gonna be kayaking the the Great Miami with the River Stewards at UD, and then we've got um trip to Carolon Historical Park.

We're gonna go over to Eastwood Metro Park for a uh picnic.

Um but um I don't know.

Did you want to say something?

Did you have something?

Hi uh my name is Jen Yamanaka.

I'm 15 years old in uh high school student in first grade.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Twasaka Matsu, and uh I'm very glad to come here.

And yeah, I'm the second grade at the high school.

Yes.

Uh thank you for inviting me to Dayton.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Mitsuki Yoshida.

I am a first grad in high school.

This is my first time to go to America, so I'm the exciting.

I'm glad to meet you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So what they're they're wearing today, they asked specifically if they could wear these uh the outfits to uh the city commission meeting.

These are summer festival uh outfits.

So you if you go to Japan in the summer and you um they go to a festival.

It's kind of a it's kind of like a kimono, but it's lightweight, uh cooler.

Um it's more of a cotton uh thing, but um it takes a long time to put on, so we appreciate uh the time it took for them to get ready uh this morning.

Um and then uh I did have I had uh a paper that I put in your your packets today.

Um I wanted to let you know just regards to the to the sister city committee.

Um we're part of a uh larger organization called Sister Cities International, and they have awards every year.

Um and it's uh as you'll notice, like in the fourth paragraph, we're supposed to kind of keep this confidential, but I got permission to make this announcement at the city commission meeting because it we I knew we would be here.

Um but we've been awarded the the best overall um where is it the best overall program for the population of a hundred thousand to three hundred thousand uh in uh the United States.

So that's gonna be officially announced on Friday in Washington, DC.

They're celebrating uh Sister Cities International's 70th anniversary in DC, and they're gonna make the formal announcement and our Ohio rep who is from Cincinnati um Sister Cities will be accepting the award on our behalf because uh we couldn't be there in person simply because we've got three students from Japan here.

So uh I just wanted to make that bring that to your attention and let you know that the award will be coming in the next week or so.

So thank you and congratulations.

Thank you all.

We hope that you all enjoy your visit.

Um and then from my understanding too.

What was it about a week ago?

The Japan consulate.

Um he was here with us as well, visiting the dating areas.

Yeah, yeah.

Um with uh Alice in the Peace Museum, I believe.

Yes, exactly.

Exactly.

Yes, and I'm sure that they will have an opportunity to visit the Peace Museum.

Now, will they also be here for the ringing of the bell?

Unfortunately, they leave like two days before that happens, but we're doing it simultaneously with our sister city in Oiso.

So we're gonna be doing commemorating 80 years of peace between or 81 years of peace between US and Japan uh with at the Peace Museum, and we're gonna step into the mic, please.

Oh, I'm sorry, we'll be doing it simultaneously with our sister city in Japan.

They they'll be doing it in the morning.

We'll be doing it in the evening here uh to commemorate that.

It's on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Yes, and you invite all of the members to attend.

Hopefully, we will be able to make it, understanding that it is an evening commission.

Yeah, it's uh you know that the date conflicts a little bit, but hopefully we can make something work out.

Yes, thank you very much.

You're very welcome.

We hope that you all enjoy your stay.

And may we please uh the host families take a second if you wouldn't mind.

Yes, please, please.

My name is Nasan Maclargy.

I live in Yellow Springs, and I'm a potter with Miami Valley Pottery.

And I was lucky enough last year to go to Japan with the sister cities uh as one of two potters as an exchange.

Uh the other is uh from Dayton.

Excellent, thank you.

Yeah.

Good morning, Mayor.

Good morning.

Uh I'm Leela Klein.

Um work here with all of you.

Uh we are excited to be hosting uh Tsubasa, and this is my son Bo and my daughter Dorothy.

Yes, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hello.

Um my name is Laura Truitt.

Um we are excited to host Mizuki.

I'm sorry, speaking to the mic.

We're so thrilled to um host Mizouki for the next couple weeks.

My son goes to Stuvers.

Okay.

And I live in Yellow Springs and work for the City of Cattering at Rosewood Art Center.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you all very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Lighty.

Absolutely, yes, please.

Yeah.

Well we are.

Okay, one more.

Sorry.

Please.

We want to take another picture.

Oh.

Yes, please.

We'll stand on the back.

Thank you all very much.

Ms.

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

There are none, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

Dixtein.

Good morning.

Are there any additions, deletions, or comments to the calendar this morning?

Your Honor, I have no additions or deletions to this morning's calendar.

I do have several items to highlight.

The first item is a service agreement.

Item number two with environmental service systems.

This was uh on the calendar previously uh pulled off, and uh I am happy to say that there was a framework developed with uh uh city leadership and um DPSU asked me local 101 uh to address workforce priorities at Dayton International Airport.

Uh the the the priorities within that framework are to protect current staffing levels, continue uh temp agency as our permanent entry point um as we do hiring and evaluation for um hiring uh converting temps into full-time city employees and uh also establishes a joint retention task force between the City of Dayton leadership and local 101 and also includes a transparent sequenced path to growing the custodial staffing as employments are grown and sustained.

Um we are not anywhere near our levels from pre-COVID, so but as we do grow those and we do anticipate that this is a great opportunity to do so, that we will evaluate with labor man labor management as leadership as well.

We will evaluate how to add staff uh going forward as those employments grow and are um sustained.

So really excited about this work and thankful to Lucas Um and Airport Leadership.

Sorry, Smith Smith.

Sorry, there's another Lucas Sullivan in my life, Lucas.

Uh Lucas Smith and um the airport leadership.

Uh items three and five are um a continuation of we had an item a week or two ago.

Uh this is the new funding for weatherization from Center Point Energy, and we are adding um 125,000 to each of the successful bidders from the previous RFP that we had uh for uh uh with our Dayton Home Energy Efficiency program to provide additional critical home repair services.

Uh so we're excited to be bringing forward contracts with Habitat for Humanity as well as uh rebuilding together Dayton.

Item D 9 is a development agreement that supports a new manufacturing facility located at 1960 Troy Street within Old North Dayton neighborhood.

The total project cost uh is about 1.7 million dollars.

The estimated payroll is about 4.7, and it will create 50 new manufacturing jobs.

So we're excited about this uh participation of $60,000 into that um project.

And finally, um item number 10 is a development agreement being funded with West Dayton development funding uh with Wesley Community Center.

Uh this is a total project of $350,000 of a variety of facility upgrades.

As you all know, Wesley Community Center has been an anchor for five decades in West Dayton, focusing on workforce development, youth services, food access, senior programming.

They have 1,300 unique service hours annually that support over 200 families.

So we are excited to bring this hundred thousand dollar grant from West State Development Fund to support their mission and their activities.

And that is all I have, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

Dixtein.

Ms.

McClendon, are there any citizens who are registered to speak on calendar items this morning?

Your Honor, there are six citizens registered to speak on calendar items.

I would like to state there is a three-minute time limit.

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'll 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 Alec Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and Council members.

I'm Alec Johnson, living at 3206 Linden Avenue in Dayton.

Greetings, Honorable Mayor and Council members.

Regarding the NCA, I want to lay out how I think it might best work before sharing concerns and questions voters might have regarding its implementation.

Under the best circumstances, it may create a dedicated revenue stream for infrastructure and services without immediately raising general citywide taxes.

If the charges are truly limited to benefiting properties and/or visitors inside the district, the burden may fall less directly on ordinary Dayton residents than a general tax increase.

If legally restricted and audited, NCA revenues could fund public facing improvements.

If it frees general fund dollars for neighborhood res investment, it could have redistributed potential, but only if the promise is if that promise is made explicit, measurable, and enforceable.

The main equity and austerity risks include special charges may pre-commit future revenue to a social but to a development district rather than leaving those choices in the ordinary budget process.

Even if imposed on property owners or businesses, charges can be shifted to tenants, workers, consumers, or future occupants.

There is a clear downtown first geographic emphasis.

The NCA board can become a technocratic intermediary between elected officials and revenue decisions.

The district is described as subject to inspect expansion from time to time.

So early adoption may create a platform for wider use before the public understands the charge structure.

The tool may be framed to free general fund dollars, but without binding guarantees, it may normalize the idea that basic public investment requires special charges and development deals.

Here are nine questions Dayton residents should ask before adoption.

What exact community development charge will be imposed?

Rate, base, duration, exemptions, and who formally pays.

Will the NCA issue bonds or notes?

If so, what amount, maturity, debt service schedule, and revenue pledge?

What projects are eligible for NCA revenue and what projects are explicitly prohibited?

What enforceable public benefits are included?

Who appoints the Board of Trustees?

How long do they serve?

When are residents or affected workers able to elect representatives?

And can developer appointed members block decisions?

Will all meetings, budgets, audits, contracts, debt documents, and charge collections be posted publicly in one place?

What is the mechanism proving the general funds dollars or freed for neighborhood investment rather than simply being absorbed elsewhere?

What happens if the hotel or convention center projects underperform?

What is the sunset date and what conditions terminate the charge?

I computed MASI scores for Delco, Arcade, and short North NCAs on the 10-point massey scale, where 10 is extremely austere and pro-capitalist, and one is anti-austere in favors of the working class.

Delco scored at 6.8.

The NCA you're considering scored 6.6.

The Arcade scored 6.4 and short north 6.0, the best of the four, but all still leaning in the wrong direction.

While this is but a small sample, it is a relevant one and raises questions about whether NCAs amount to good policy for most citizens.

The current NCA is a work in progress, and there remains many opportunities for improvement.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

Please note we can speak afterwards that there will be we can speak afterwards, but there will be a public hearing that will take place on July 29th, Wednesday, July 29th at 6 p.m.

in the chambers.

So if you could send those questions over to us prior to so that we can make sure that they are addressed during that time.

I'll be able to do that.

All right, we can talk afterwards.

All right, thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

I appreciate it.

Excuse me, Ms.

McClendon.

I've called to the podium Lucas Smith.

Good morning, Lucas Smith.

Good morning.

First, I want to start by saying that.

Excuse me.

Name and address for the I apologize.

Lucas Smith, um 9515, Greenville Falls Road.

I want to start by saying first and foremost that I want to thank everybody in front of me today for the hard work and the dedication that all of you have shown me to labor in the last few weeks.

It did not go unnoticed.

The members did not notice it.

It was a big deal for us.

So thank you to everybody in front of me.

You guys were all wonderful.

When this item was postponed, you asked the city and the union to continue talking, and we did.

We met again yesterday, and while uh neither side got everything they wanted, the union did accept the city's proposal because we believe it's important to demonstrate our willingness to work together.

We did so because we believed in compromise and we believed in recognizing that progress sometimes comes one step at a time.

We believe the city put forth a very sincere plan to work with the union to grow jobs within the city organization and to address uh future concerns regarding situations like this.

I do want to talk to a little bit of a larger picture though, um, and get away from this particular question before you today is in my opinion larger than this agreement that we had reached today.

Um it's for us, it's about the city that we want to build.

Do we believe in city services should be performed by city employees whenever possible, by people who know this community, who pay taxes here, who raise families here, and who have chosen to have careers in public service?

Or do we believe these jobs should be gradually be replaced by private contractors whose primary responsibility is to their own bottom line?

Once the city job disappears, they rarely come back.

Every position outsourced today makes it easier to outsource another position tomorrow.

Eventually we stop asking whether outsourcing is necessary and begin accepting it as the norm.

You each took an oath to act in the best interest of the citizens of Dayton.

Sometimes that means looking beyond the recommendations before you and asking the hard questions.

Do we want to continue building a workforce made up of the dedicated public servants who live here, invest here, and build careers here?

Or do we want to continue moving work away from the people who have committed themselves to serving this community?

What legacy does this decision leave for the next generation of workers?

And again, I just want to thank everybody here.

I want to thank Shelley and her administration and the airport for everybody working together to get this resolved.

Um but I just want to make sure that when we move forward in the future, that these are some of the thoughts that we put forth.

So thank you very much for everything.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Thank you.

I call to the podium Zikia Sankara Jabbar.

Grand Rising, good morning.

Grand Rising, good morning, ma'am.

Mayor, commissioners, I'm Zakya Sankara Jabbar, 2426 Jerome.

I wanted to speak uh briefly about uh the city manager's recommendations also around the NCA.

I had opportunity to observe uh the previous meeting where there was a lot of discussion.

We stayed for hours, I believe, around that.

And you know, my question again, or some of the thoughts and questions that I that I'm really struggling with around this, and mayor yet believe you referenced uh neighborhood in Cincinnati over the Rhine that it participated in this.

And um, I'm wondering if any of you have actually researched uh where these NCAs have been done and the changes that have happened in those neighborhoods.

Um I know for Cincinnati, particularly the over Ryan neighborhood has been pretty much cleansed of its indigenous African American population.

So I'm wondering having that in mind, is there any reservations at all uh in adopting a model that uh is evidenced?

Uh whether it was intentional or not, it happened.

Um that's something that uh this community I believe um has already been through enough.

Um we've privileged billionaires and now trillionaires and developers enough.

Uh downtown Dayton has been privileged enough.

Um but the larger question is why are we still taking any recommendations from this city manager?

Um you all have information about flock cameras.

You all know that first responder department has been sued in the past while she was assistant city manager.

Since she's come in, the fire department, the Dayton Police Department has pretty much been cleansed of almost any color at all.

Uh the Dayton Police and Fire Facebook page proudly posted a picture of recently graduated firefighters, and there was not one person of color, not one.

So I'm wondering, are we following our local civil rights ordinances?

Are we following state civil rights laws and federal civil rights laws, or do you guys care at all about following any laws because it does not seem you all have the courage to put a check on the city manager that you all employ employ?

Now I know there's been an announcement of a retirement, but the question is what why is why is you all allowing her to wait until March?

If she already has her 30 years in, what are we doing?

It don't take that long.

The you've all have heard from this community over and over again, from the citizens, east and west alike.

White people, black people, all people.

Ain't nobody came down here in all the months that people have been saying fire silly dix thing to say don't fire her.

Where are they at?

There's not been one citizen, regular citizen that say they want to keep her.

I'll be back.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Ancara Jabbar.

I call to the podium, Rodney Stark.

Good morning, Rodney Stark.

45417.

Good morning, um commissioners.

Good morning, Mayor.

Good morning, Madam Clerk.

Good morning, City Manager.

First of all, I want to say thank you to the city manager for offering to meet with me later on today.

I appreciate that.

Reach out.

I'm still waiting for Mayor to your office to reach out to me because we decided that you guys are gonna give me some information on the NCA.

I haven't received that information from anyone yet, not any one of your offices, not even a sticky note to prove that this NCA is legitimate.

All right.

So I haven't seen anything, no evidence.

I ask you to show you work, show your work, right?

I cannot believe nothing that comes out of your mouth because I see exactly what you do.

Right.

Time and time again, this city and especially the West Side see exactly what you do.

Now, I read in the in the newspaper there's a 77 million dollar hotel that's getting ready to come up.

I said, whoa, that's nice.

It looks nice.

I love for our downtown to improve and look good.

I I really would love that.

But I got a lot of questions about seven set 77 million dollars for a hotel going in downtown.

What happened to that Crown Plaza Hotel that was there?

Used to be very nice.

Next thing you know, they sold it.

It looks like a dump.

And those slum lords that live that's occupying that, I guess they call it the vitality hotel.

You guys need to do something about that.

It looks like a dump, but you're gonna put a 77 million dollars right next to that.

I don't think there is strategic planning happening in our city.

I know for a fact it's not, because when you're spending 77 million dollars and you go out into my neighborhood, I'm talking about where it borders Jefferson Township, where it borders uh Trotwood, Crown Point, Residence Park, that area over there has been disinvested.

Yep.

I thought at least you would think about the veterans that's out there.

If you walk around, I know you had the Ohio leadership that went out to the VA uh just the other day.

Did any of you notice when you walk go around the VA how the streets are neglected, how the grass is growing out of the street, how trash is up and down uh Third Street.

Have anybody thought about that?

Those are basic services.

It's disgusting that I have to call time and time again about the trash that need to be picked up.

That should be an automatic thank you very much.

I'll be back.

Thank you, Mrs.

Starks.

Um, make sure that we have a conversation after the meeting.

Um, from my understanding, we were holding to have that uh meeting because of the July 29th meeting that is scheduled the public hearing hearing.

That's the have no qualms with that, and then as well as to Mr.

Kara Sekara Sekira Jumbar, excuse me.

What is today?

It's Monday, we're Wednesday, and it's early morning.

But nonetheless, yes, we will be happy to answer those questions that you have.

That's why it's important.

Um, one that the body itself, this legislative body have the opportunity to uh make the recommendations on and in terms of who will make up the uh the appointed board to oversee uh the NCA itself.

So I understand there are a number of questions.

Um, and in comparison to OTR over the Ryan, that is just a model.

It does not, again, to your point, Ms.

Jabbar, it does not mean that we're going to um in fact adopt the ways of which the OTR and how 3C D C were able to execute the various different projects.

We're in totally different dynamics, but we do know that the NCA is in fact uh a financing tool.

Um, to answer your question too, Mr.

Stark.

The million dollar announcement, 77 million dollar announcement for the hotel um is in fact um development projects that has been underway for quite some time.

This allows us to have the number of of rooming lodging that is needed for us to to be able to to host various different conventions to bring attraction to bring revenue to the city of Dayton.

I know my colleagues they have more information that they will be happy to provide.

So during the comments, again, we will be gladly able to to give some information as to why this particular project was uh important to the downtown area, and it also supports the work and why that financing tool was deemed as as noted through the NCA.

So excuse me, Miss McLindan.

I called to the podium Larry Williams.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Larry Williams.

All right.

I live at 515 Cedarhurst.

It's right in Westwood.

Wow.

I I come this morning because I'm I'm just grateful for the city putting Wesley Community Center on the docket for consideration.

Westwood, Wesley Center is in on the west side, and it's in the city of Westwood.

We're one of, I mean, the neighborhood of Westwood.

We're one of the second largest neighborhoods in Dayton.

And I'm I also sit on the Westwood Neighborhood Association.

Don't want to get on turn tied.

And we're meeting here to say that yes, Wesley is doing a great job on the West Side.

It's been there right at 60 years, and I just completed my first year as the board chair, and it was tough.

But I'm thankful for some tutelage that I received when I went through NLI in 2017 with Miss Villetta Jackson went in.

And I understood the things that a city's doing because I too stood on the outside and said the city should be doing this, city should do anything, should be doing that.

But it takes all of us to make this thing grow.

There is no white horse rider coming in to save any of us.

We have to all get in and become workers to make this thing successful.

I saw Miss Loc Ms.

Virletta manage 64 neighborhoods, and those leaders weren't paid.

And I too, I too stand to say that through that tools at Wesley.

We have a staff of five people, but we have 13 volunteers that are coming in to make this ship go.

We're we are going to be successful.

We've just landed some grants, but we know you don't just lean on grants.

We need donors.

We have here our this is our board secretary.

We have our board member who is also a business owner in Westwood.

We're meeting with Westwood Wright Project because there are so many components that can work together.

And we say as a team, it makes the operation greater.

I just thank you guys for this opportunity.

And thank you, Mr.

And thank you, commissioners.

All of you appreciate you what you're doing.

Thank you, Mr.

Williams.

Thank you very much.

65 neighborhoods.

Give her that extra one.

Oh, I'll be able to do it.

Was it 65 days?

Yeah.

I apologize for she did it and she did it well.

All right.

Thank you, sir.

I call to the podium Ebony Hastings.

Good morning.

Good morning, ma'am.

Ebony Hastings, one two three eight Wabash Avenue.

Do y'all realize that the item number number two over five years will be $800,000 to a company out of North Carolina?

No.

Excuse me.

Go ahead, finish.

So you winking at her, but once again, that's an insult to injury.

Because I was up last night going through the 276 or 36 pages of that docket, but then this is what we get when we come in here.

And then y'all winking, she violating the sunshine law on her cell phone.

Jesus.

So let's scratch what we got to say.

Dignity and respect have I drawn you near.

Come on.

Love and kindness.

It doesn't take much.

Y'all having this HRC session afterwards.

But we're always behind the A-ball.

We got to review anywhere from 200 to 500 pages in your agenda to become a forum.

We are not lawyers.

We are community residents.

If there's an NLI, make it plain.

Because the City of Dayton's website is so convoluted for me being an educated black woman in the city of Dayton.

Don't continue to sit on the dais and correct us, but won't take the time to have community meetings to fully inform us as to what's coming out on the agenda, the upcoming agendas.

We elected you because we believe in you, because we trust you.

Because we were hopeful that things would change.

A weakening woman cannot be trusted.

That's biblical.

We open in prayer.

That's biblical.

Treat people with dignity and respect.

Inform us.

That's your due diligence.

Thank you, Ms.

Hastings.

Please note that that good calendar item that is on the agenda that you noted, that is for one year.

And that is a proposal for one year.

So that is why I'm trying to provide you that level of clarification as to what is presented in front of us.

As noted, we can talk afterwards, yes.

But as noted, that is only for one year, and that is again a recommendation.

Um and then in terms of the information that is provided on the agenda.

That is the agenda that is received on the weekly basis.

The backup documentation is the same documentation that we have to review as well in preparation for the meetings.

That information is provided.

Um generally that information is provided and uploaded to the city site on Monday mornings.

Um true enough, we do all need more time to review because the same amount of uh documentation that the public has to review.

We also have to review as well as other documentations that we received.

So thank you, Ms.

Hastings.

We can have a meeting, we can have a meeting afterwards.

We can have a meeting.

We're asking that you be remindful and be respectful.

We're gonna all be respectful in this meeting this morning.

This is a business meeting, so I asked if you have any other questions or comments.

You and I can happily have a conversation after the meeting, and I'll be glad to sit down with you in terms of community engagement.

I one have been committed to full transparency and engagement.

I have held a number of town halls.

I will continue to do so.

I will be happy to meet with any and everyone.

We have constituency days coming out.

I will literally walk your block and come to come to your meetings, come to your neighborhoods, whatever it is that we need to do to make sure that the public has all of the information that is necessary.

Excuse me, Ms.

McClinton.

Please proceed.

That concludes the speakers on calendar items, Your Honor.

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

I move to approve the city manager's recommendations.

Commissioners comment.

Commissioner hadn't had opportunity for questions or something.

Yeah, excuse me.

Thank you.

Commissioners, are there any comments or uh questions to the city manager's recommendations this morning?

Thank you, Commissioner.

Uh thank you, Your Honor.

Um, very few, just more so comments.

Um I am um definitely happy to see uh this grant to the Wesley Center, Mr.

Williams and your board, thank you for being here.

Uh looking forward to you all continuing to um do the great work that you are doing in Wesley and have done uh for many decades.

I appreciate uh the partnership.

Uh certainly happy to also see these energy and efficiency home repair contracts um both with habitat and rebuilding together Dayton.

I know um obviously as we continue to do demolition um and rebuild our neighborhoods, these are pivotal partnerships both with Habitat and Rebuilding Together.

So uh certainly, of course, happy to see these as well.

Um in terms of um the airport um contract coming back.

Um Lucas, I appreciate your comments.

I think he has left today, but um I just want to say that um of course when we pulled this, the expectation was for the administration to uh sit back down with uh AFSME and Lucas um as the leader um and of course bring something back that is both um a compromise on both ends and something that this commission can approve uh given the concerns that were had and uh based on the communication that I have received from Lucas, uh I believe that has been done.

Um so just wanted to raise that and thank you for the opportunity.

Uh appreciate you raising the point of order, Commissioner.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Fairchild.

Yeah, no, I just um want to thank the city and Mr.

Smith and the union for their work to come to some agreement.

We asked we pulled this and we asked you to do that, and I appreciate uh that you were able to accomplish that.

Um I am sympathetic to Mr.

Um Smith's comments regarding in general outsourcing work, um, particularly to a firm outside of Dayton, which means um our assets are leaving our city and um going to I believe North Carolina, South Carolina.

Um so um to be clear, this is a one-year contract.

It has a provision to be renewed for four years, but we can terminate it after one.

Is that correct?

Um it is my hope, and I don't know if we can get quarterly reports or regarding um updates on how the um the work is going on how to um create a better workforce out there.

Um, you know, having talked with a variety of people um, you know, anyone who's a hiring manager knows right now that it's a difficult time to be able to find employees.

Um but um that's the challenge, and we all have that challenge.

And I think we can meet that challenge.

So I um my hope, my expectation is that a year from now we will be in a place where we have gotten the workforce issues um resolved and created a space where people want to work there, and um people are willing to recruit others to come work with them, and that we are able to provide the cleanliness that the airport needs as well as an environment for our employees, and that we will not need this contract in a year.

So that's uh my expectation.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Shaw.

Yeah, thank you for that, uh Commissioner.

I agree with everything you said there.

I'm uh monitored this very closely, and I'm I'm glad that uh the uh two organizations were able to come together and work out a plan.

I'm I'm really confident um that uh this is gonna move us in the right direction.

Can never uh overcommunicate uh on these issues with uh our bargaining unit.

And uh I just think it's working right.

So thank you, City Commissioner, and and uh appreciate the work.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Joseph.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh three things today.

The first is congratulations to Sister Cities.

We want to make sure we mention that that they've been granted a national award.

I want to thank my colleagues for their consistent support of Sister Cities and the mission of people-to-people relationship building and people-to-people diplomacy.

It's uh it's often the the best way to build a future for for our kids to reach directly out to people and I'm proud of us for supporting them to the point that we've gotten an award for it.

So thank you, Sister Cities, for your work.

Uh second, I'm going to be abstaining on resolution number 694626 because it involves my employer.

Um and third, uh, I want to express my appreciation to both the administration and ASME folks, Mr.

Smith, for coming to an agreement.

Um I will say that this commission is on record and has been for a long time on being supportive of not only keeping the jobs that we have, but also in sourcing our public works department successfully brought in jobs and we've done them that have formerly been contracted out.

So I'd ask the administration to continue that that push.

We really appreciate it.

Um and like I said, we're on record for supporting that.

So I don't expect we're gonna vary from that very far.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Um just a couple of brief comments in regards to the service agreement calendar item number two.

As noted, it is for one year.

So I want to make sure that that is in fact uh recorded.

And in addition to that, I too would like to thank uh the staff.

Thank you, Ms.

Lofton, for meeting and having conversation with Mr.

Smith, Mr.

Smith, um, as well as the entire um the local the union itself having those conversations and willing to work through and finding ways to build that partnership partnership, and it has been noted and from my understanding it is on record, and so we're gonna hold true and there is also a commitment to make sure that there are in fact quarterly reports that were reviewed so that we can follow along very closely as to the partnership and the relationship that goes along with the agreement itself.

I too will like to echo the uh concerns around uh the out of out of the area out of town um recipient that was awarded from the North Carolina area.

Um I think we need to be very mindful, and I know that our human relations council department work very closely as well as with the the various different departments to make sure that we are upholding our our our ordinances, our PEP ordinances.

Um so again, I would just ask us to be to work through that very closely.

I do have a question in terms of the staffing for the um the organization itself that will come in to perform the deep cleaning within the the airport itself, where is the recruitment taking place?

For those positions for those in the evening, uh I'm not certain uh and uh Dan locally locally.

Okay.

And is there anyone in particular that they will be working through?

Is it this is how does that piece work in terms of the recruitment for locally?

Dan, you want to come forward to the calling forward the deputy director, Dan Zink at the Dayton International Airport?

Thank you.

And you are a part of the conversations as well in terms of the negotiations and the partnership with the union itself.

Okay.

So they will be hiring locally and they will be doing their own recruitment.

Okay.

And is it true enough, in fact, in reviewing the documentation, the backup, the equipment, who is providing the equipment, the deep cleaning equipment?

They will provide their own equipment.

Okay.

Okay.

Um and they are is that within local or is it how is it if it they're out of North Carolina and they're providing their own equipment?

How does that piece work?

The level of service and the equipment that is provided.

So they they are required per the proposal and the response to provide their own equipment.

They will store it at the airport, and they'll maintain their own equipment.

The contract is for three days per week, uh, from 10 PM to 6 a.m.

for deep cleaning, for the floors, carpets, um, and window cleaning, basically.

And all while maintaining the staff that is during the days.

This will help the the current city staff to be able to maintain and to be able to perform special projects and other other items that they have not been able to get to.

And it is noted that there is a commitment commitment for one year and one year only.

It is one year with uh with options to renew.

In terms of the options, who um is it a way is it a means for us to eliminate the options and for us?

We can I understand that it is something that will have to be approved prior to by the commission, but in terms of make sure that there is a level of commitment, how can we uh work tours to make sure that it is in fact only for the terms of one year?

Well, in the in the contract itself, we do have a clause that uh allows us to terminate prior to a year if if necessary.

Okay.

I think it's a I think it's a 30-day I'm sorry, a 30-day termination clause.

30 day termination clause is within that contract.

And what is the time frame in terms of monitor the performance outside of the quarterly reports?

What will be the determination to monitor the the performance of the um the vendor?

It well it's the performance is being monitored continuously, but the reporting will will meet quarterly and give evaluations uh it's a monthly reporting from the contractor with the city.

I think that's the requirement within the contract.

And then in conversation with Mr.

Smith, this is uh all agreed upon terms and meeting.

Okay.

I I would tell you personally, I want to monitor this very closely.

So Ms.

Dixie and Ms.

Lofton, if we can monitor this very closely in terms of the level of performance, the service, the environment itself, and then overall um the the execution of the the contract itself.

Um and I know that we all want a clean airport, uh the union, our customers, the the staff, the whole entire organization.

We all want to make sure that that is in fact uh a service that we're able to provide.

Um but again I want to monitor this very closely, so I would just ask that once we in fact, if in fact the approval of the recommendations move forward this morning that we received a report within a timely matter to make sure, in fact, that that one they're executing to the full extent of the uh intended purpose of the contract, and that two there is no overstanding overstepping or undercutting the staff in the union that the union members that are currently performing that level of work and service there, um and that we are not we're finding ways and means to make sure that there is a partnership going forward and we're uh building on the our the staff itself.

Yeah, and and just to add to your comments there, it was a very collaborative meeting that we had with the union.

Um we're very much partners with the union.

Yeah, the intent is not to eliminate any union position, it's it's to provide a clean facility for our airlines for our customers, their passengers.

That's the biggest issue that we see on our customer experience survey is the cleanliness of the facility.

Um part of the collaboration was to develop a task force uh where we meet quarterly and we talk about the employee retention, and we'll we'll develop metrics to talk about employee retention and how we can attract employees to fill the positions, the city positions that we have out there.

So I think this is a good path.

It's a good path moving forward.

Uh hopefully it will help us to bring awareness to the retention issue as well as try to resolve the retention issue.

Okay, thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

May I have a motion to approve the city manager's recommendations, excluding uh legislation he can he can vote on it separately.

Yes, okay.

Okay.

I move that we adopt the city manager's recommendations.

Second line.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve the city manager's recommendations.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

Any abstentions legislation, Ms.

McClendon.

First reading emergency resolution number six nine four six-26, authorizing the city manager to accept funding from the Montgomery County Economic Development Government Equity Program as approved by the Board of County Commissioners in an amount not to exceed 250,000 dollars and zero cents by entering into a project agreement for the Sierra Nevada Corporation project and declaring an emergency.

Being declared an emergency, I move for the immediate passage of resolution number six nine four six-26.

Second motion, it has been properly moved and seconded to declare emergency resolution 6946-26 as an emergency.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed say no.

Any abstentions?

I abstain.

Second reading emergency resolution number six nine four six-26, authorizing the city manager to accept funding from the Montgomery County Economic Development Government Equity Program as approved by the Board of County Commissioners in an amount not to exceed 250,000 dollars and zero cents by entering into a project agreement for the Sierra Nevada Corporation Project.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph.

I abstain.

Shaw.

Aye.

Fairchild.

Aye.

Beckham.

I emergency resolution number six nine four six-26 has been adopted with four votes in favor and one abstention.

Second reading ordinance number three two one nine eight-26 authorizing the city manager to execute a purchase agreement and authorizing the conveyance of real property located at the Dayton International Airport.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph?

Aye.

Shaw?

Aye.

Fairchild.

Aye.

Beckham.

I ordinance number 32198-26 has passed with five votes in favor.

Second reading resolution number six nine four four-two-six, determining that a petition to establish the City of Dayton Citywide New Community Authority is sufficient and complies with the requirements of Ohio Revised Code Section 349.03 in form and substance, setting the time and place for a public hearing on the petition and authorizing notice by publication of such public hearing.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph?

Aye.

Shaw.

Aye.

Fairchild.

Aye.

Beckham.

Resolution number six nine four four-two six has been adopted with five votes in favor.

Second reading resolution number six nine four-five-26, determining the sufficiency of a consent to add certain parcels of real property to the City of Dayton Citywide New Community Authority District, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 349.03 B4, and setting a date for a public hearing on such one or more consents as required by Ohio VIS COD, Chapter 349.

Mayor Turner Sloss.

Aye.

Commissioners Joseph.

Aye.

Shaw.

Aye.

Fairchild.

Aye.

Beckham.

Ordinance number six nine four five-two six has been adopted with five votes in favor.

And that concludes legislation, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

McClendon.

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

Yes, Your Honor.

There are six citizens registered to speak.

I would like to state that there is a three-minute time limit.

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.

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.

Honorable mayor and commissioners, I come before you as a Dayton resident deeply concerned that the Trump administration is building a political surveillance apparatus aimed not simply at violence but at dissent itself.

National Security Presidential Memo 7, or NSPM7 was published last September 25th, and it received far too little attention.

It directs federal agencies and joint terrorism task forces to investigate and disrupt organizations, networks, funders, nonprofit groups, officers, employees, and financial relationships.

It names anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, immigration, race, gender, religion, family, and morality as ideological indicators.

That is a dangerously broad invitation to treat political beliefs and lawful associations as evidence of criminal suspicion.

The administration made its intentions even clearer at the recent ministerial on the resurgence of political terrorism.

Stephen Miller said NSPM7 would be used to quote disrupt, identify, defund, debank, arrest, and prosecute, end quote, alleged political terrorist.

He then dismissed civil liberties concerns, declaring that such appeals, quote, must fall on deaf ears.

Those words should alarm every American.

Constitutional rights do not belong only to people the government approves of.

The First Amendment exists precisely to protect unpopular speech, dissenting organizations, protest movements, journalists, labor organizers, religious communities, and political minorities from government retaliation.

We have seen this pattern before in the Palmer Raids.

McCarthyism and COINTELPRO.

Officials invoke security, define political opposition as dangerous, map networks of association, investigate funders, and chill lawful dissent long before any crime is proven.

Dayton cannot control federal policy, but Dayton can control Dayton's resources.

This commission can decide whether city personnel funds, databases, surveillance systems, facilities, contracts, grants, and task force relationships will be voluntarily placed at the service of ideological investigations.

That is not obstruction or nullification.

It is a democratic local control over municipal resources while preserving compliance with valid judicial process and genuine investigations supported by independent evidence.

I therefore ask the commission to consider two measures.

First, a resolution condemning the thrust of NSPM7 and the Ministerial, and second, a binding Dayton Civil Liberties and Viewpoint Neutral Municipal Resources Act.

The ordinance would require commission approval before discretionary cooperation, restrict political surveillance using city resources, and establish transparency auditing and complaint procedures.

Preliminary drafts of both measures are ready and can be provided to the mayor, commissioners, and law department for review, along with any interested organizations and citizens.

I think the commission should engage with representatives of DSA, PSL, GDPC, Gem City Action, Miami Valley Immigration Commission Coalition, and Citizens at Large.

Inviting improvement suggestions from them all.

I ask you to make this an urgent priority before Dayton residents discover too late that their own city helped build the machinery used against them.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

I call to the podium, Kenya Akbar.

Kenya Akbar 147 East Hill Cross Dayton, Ohio.

Good morning.

Grant rising.

Grand Rising.

So I'm here to speak to hopefully prick your hearts on the issue that has caused us to launch this campaign for firing the city manager.

It's not that her work is not good.

It's just not serving the black disenfranchised residents, the 80 plus percent population in the West Dayton area.

Even if you look at phase two of the city strategic plan to improve the city, it did not take into account what was west of the bridge.

Dayton is one of the most hyper-segregated cities in this country.

So it was very easy to red line that area.

We all looked at the 2015 opportunity maps and saw that those people in that area were the ones that were being disenfranchised.

Those were the ones who lacked the opportunity.

So our plea is that that's recognized, and the dishonor of those people is recognized.

Jonathan Dayton, when he founded this city in 1759, he was the youngest signer on the U.S.

Constitution.

Young people matter.

Brian Moody matters.

The way that the police treat these citizens matter.

Wesley Community Center housed my bachelor's degree, senior thesis project.

It was called the ecological team.

I took youth, 20 youth out into the neighborhoods of Westwood, and we picked up trash and we gardened at West the Wesley Center.

And at the Wesley Center, we took the harvest and we gave it to the elders.

This has been my work.

But the police didn't mind taking my arm up behind my back when I went to defend one of the youths.

Most recently, when I was working on a project, a cooperative project, and she shakes her head and she makes little sounds every time I say anything.

When I asked to render time for the youth that was killed in Troutwood, she makes these these types of motions.

It's not cool.

You winking at her, that's not cool because she knows what she's doing.

She's upholding white supremacy.

And it's not it's not right.

It's a problem.

The police broke my arm because I was had renderings.

I had just picked up those renderings for a study for unified power, a land trust.

And when I picked those up from community survey, not minutes later at the corner, the police broke my arm.

It was not just coincidental or accidental.

What they're doing to the black community is not right.

Police came into play because slave masters wanted to catch their slaves.

This is not cool.

You're in charge of the police.

You understand what's happening.

You're not oblivious to it.

I wish I could think that, but you're not.

You need to be fired.

You don't need to retire.

Thank you, Ms.

Akbar.

I call to the podium Asadak St.

Kara Jabbar.

Good morning.

My name is Asas and Karajabar.

2426 Jerome.

I was born at Miami Valley.

Thank you.

Hospital here in Dayton.

I'm a youth leader with racial justice now.

I heard that you guys are allowing Shelley Dixtean to retire in March of 2027.

That sounds right to you, Shelly Dixie.

Okay.

I don't think so.

But anyway, I'm here to I'm here to talk to you guys about reconsidering about uh firing Shelley Dixtean.

She has been torturing black women, children, especially black boys and men.

Her job is to make sure that the community is safe and police are doing their job correctly.

But that's not what has been going on for the past 10 years.

She's been in office, torturing the people of Dayton.

It's not acceptable and it's not okay.

And our voices matter, and we will not allow it to be hushed.

You're trying to shut us up, but we will keep fighting and we will keep being we will keep speaking.

We will not be silenced because you made an announcement that you guys will let Shelley Dixtean retire next year.

Because why would you make an announcement to let Shelley Dixie retire next year in March?

That doesn't make sense.

Trying to keep us quiet.

Shelley Dixtean, you can really pack your bags and leave.

Thank you all.

Thank you, Mr.

Barr.

I call to the podium.

Zakya Sankar Jabar.

Zakya Sankara Jabbar, 2426 Jerome.

Um I'm back to follow up again.

First, I want to say in the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful, all praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

And again, I want to have another moral conversation with this commission because at this point, the data points, you know, Kenya continues to relive her trauma in front of y'all.

The city continues to ignore, she hasn't received any type of so much as an apology, let alone compensation for the pain that she continues to uh endure.

And again, the question is what's holding y'all back from listening to y'all citizens?

Do y'all work for United States citizens, citizens of the city of Dayton?

Who do y'all work for?

Because y'all clearly are not listening to the people that voted y'all in.

So is it Larry Connor from the Connor Group?

Who is it Israel?

Is it the defense department?

Because the last time I checked, it's blasphemous to start a city meeting in the name of God and pray.

And then you turn around and you make immoral decisions.

You make decisions that harm people.

These are all God's children.

We're all God's children.

I'm here to tell you and warn you today that if you don't do what's right, you need to call for an executive session today, and I don't care who do it.

But she's got to go.

Why be transparent and hold her accountable?

Be transparent to the community and tell us why she's staying to march.

Why does she have to stay to March if she's already got 30 years?

And why don't y'all have the courage to do what the citizens have been telling y'all to do for months?

Answer the question.

Because at this point, you all are going to be exposed and held accountable by the most high God.

Believe that.

Because God uses ordinary people to come down here and warn y'all and tell y'all to do what's right.

Are y'all more scared of Israel and whoever else that's backing her, the power that's backing her than you are of God?

Because the last time I checked, God is still supreme.

Last time I checked, God is the most powerful.

So do you answer to God or Israel?

That's a question.

Do you answer to God, the citizens that y'all took an oath, I believe, of the U.S.

Constitution and probably on the Bible, but you making decisions that kill people.

Sierra Nevada, what y'all do?

Y'all make defense systems that kill Palestinian children.

Is that what y'all do?

And this city is continuing to have a dog and pony show with the Sister City Foundation.

Get that Israeli flag up out of here.

Thank you, Mr.

Barr.

I call to the podium, Reverend Kelly Kelly.

Hello.

I am Reverend Kelly Kelly with Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship located at 515 East Third Street, Dayton 45402.

This is my third time before you all continuing to try and support my uh black ken with racial justice now.

The first time I appeared was after the police murder of Reginald Thomas on a bicycle.

I just had the opportunity to go to the contemporary art gallery and see an incredible display by Dr.

Carolyn Maslone about freedom fighters.

And she created a quilt with all several of those who have been killed by police in the country.

George Floyd, Michael Brown.

Is Reginald Thomas going to be in a future quilt?

As they're fleeing.

And I like to be liked.

But Miss Dixtean, it's time to go.

Amen.

It's time to go now.

There may have been good decisions or good reasons for your decisions, but they have resulted in the disenfranchisement and the murder of our citizens.

Black people.

And they have assisted our current administration in torturing brown people.

The metro parks, the city using cameras to help ICE terrorize.

And then we say that we are with immigrants.

We are with them as we persecute them.

That doesn't make sense.

Thank you for listening.

I know that personnel decisions are complicated.

I do believe you can do better.

Thank you, Reverend Kelly Kelly.

A call to the podium, Rodney Stark.

Rodney Stark, 4526 Alfred Tribe, Dayton, Ohio, 454.

Thank you, Reverend Kelly.

Thank you, Mrs.

Johnson, for both of your comments.

I really appreciate that, and thank you for everyone who spoke.

We're not crazy.

Come on.

We are not crazy.

You're talking about a city of Dayton where I was born.

I came back eight years ago, lived in Atlanta, lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I've seen progressive cities.

Being a part of that, raised hell out there too.

I want to come back because this is my hometown.

I want to come back because if I didn't come back, I probably wasn't gonna have a hometown.

That's my take on it.

Our city, especially the West Side, has been disinvested for decades.

It's been redlined for decades, and it's still being redlined.

And it's not just the banks, it's our own city government that is doing it.

A lot of folks come in here, but I'm gonna hold some comments on the NCA.

I'm gonna talk with the city manager a little later, so I'm gonna switch script here a little bit.

But we are sick and tired of the tunnel vision on downtown.

You all have tunnel vision about downtown.

At what cost are you gonna continue to fix up downtown when we got fire piles still sitting in our neighborhood?

All right, though that's contamination.

Right?

Allergy related issues, cancer, people going to the on colleges, seeing on colleges, and and some are even succumbing to their cancer.

But you're talking about seven, seven million dollars and still got fire piles to city in the west side of Dayton.

What about the houses you tearing down and you don't pick them up over a year?

Take you a year or so to pick up those houses.

Yeah, that's lead going into the ground when you finally pick it up.

Guess what?

Children play in those little fields and stuff like that.

Mr.

Starks, make sure you speak in the mic so we can hear you.

Children play in those grounds.

But you sit up here, clutch your pearls, act like you proud dignitaries.

You got shackles on your feet.

And no, I don't necessarily blame everything on a city manager.

I blame you.

Come on.

That's that's the problem.

It's not the city manager.

City manager can't do anything and can't put nothing here unless you pass it.

You guys are consistently passing these things.

So it's a combination.

There you gave you a little pass that you just got here.

Thank you, Mrs.

Dark.

That concludes public speakers, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

McClendon.

Ms.

Dixtein, do you have any closing comments?

Your Honor, I would just have to I would just add that over the years.

I am really proud of the work that we have done in both fire and police and diversifying our ranks.

You have seen the numbers as the classes come.

And uh 2025 in the police department class of 2025, we had a 56 percent ethnic and gender diversity.

You know, we've been really working on increasing our gender and ethnic diversity.

Um we joined the national platform of 30 by 30 to have 30 percent of our officers by 2030 be female officers.

Uh so we're really proud of the work and in uh engagement outreach work going there.

The fire class of 2025 was the most diverse in our history.

It was 59 percent ethnic and gender diversity.

And um while the 2026 did not have someone of color, it did have one woman.

Um, the 2025 is more representative of the work we've been doing over the years, and so we're really proud of that, and we will continue to uh work with the community and um in that engagement effort to continue to diversify our uh employment base.

That's all I have, Your Honor.

Thank you, Ms.

Dixie and Ms.

McClendon.

Do you have any closing comments?

Yes, Your Honor.

There is a work session for the Human Relations Council update and the PRC immediately following this morning's commission meeting.

Thank you, Ms.

McClendon.

Commissioners, do you have any closing comments?

Commissioner Beckham.

I have no, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Commissioner Fairchild.

Yeah, I want to thank the Commission for excusing me the last two weeks and uh the community for understanding that I needed some vacation time with my family and having the space to do that.

I'm very grateful that our family was able to get away.

Um during that time I was able to read.

I read the Declaration of Independence, the small book reflecting on the greatest sentence of that uh independence, uh that line in the independence, as well as another book, To Love Country.

And collectively, they have uh really generated my thinking around what it means to do to work at this experiment in self-government.

Um some of the issues that have been raised today is really about what we the people consent to.

And if we want a better community, we want better government, we want a better society, it's really about we together figuring out what we're willing to consent to.

One of the more unsettling observations of the uh greatest sentence ever written was the um the foundation of enlightenment and reason that underpins the decoration.

And I think we're in short supply of a commitment to reason and those um enlightenment values, and it raises the question of whether um self-government can even hold in this environment without a commitment to those foundational pieces of um reason and um and in the foundations of the enlightenment.

Um I look forward to having a conversation with the community, so I'm trying to find a time to have for those of you who may have read that book with me to have a conversation about that.

Um I thank you while I was away.

I didn't get a chance to thank the city manager and staff for the July 3rd and 4 celebrations and um a lot of work went into it.

It was a very hot day.

Um kudos to Rudy Flyer, who was out in full costume uh in a day that was must have been a hundred, but uh want to thank you for for the whole team who kept people safe on that day.

Um there's a great opportunity this weekend, the weather looks to be a little better than that weekend.

Uh this weekend, the Dayton Celtic Festival will take place at Riverscape Metro Park.

This free emission, the festival features three days of live music, performances, food, and a Celtic marketplace and family-friendly activities.

So I encourage you to come downtown to experience that.

Um I think also um thinking about self-government.

We have uh an opportunity before us, and there will be a big uh spotlight on this commission as we make this transition from one city manager to the next city manager.

I think a robust conversation around what we, the people in Dayton consent to in terms of governance will be important to have.

I've always said is from the first day of running for commission, our number one job is the um selection and uh the management of the city manager, and so this is an opportunity we have for the next selection in the city manager.

It's important, the most important work that we do, and it's incumbent on us to do that well and to and to find the best candidate to to move us forward.

So I think we have a great opportunity.

Um so I think that's another part of the conversation that we need to have.

And uh, Mayor, I appreciate in your term how much you've done in town halls, and I look forward to working with you and expanding that, particularly around this topic.

Um and then finally, I wanted the community to know that there have been some questions about whether I do or do not have a conflict of interest around the question of public house or the public hospital.

And um that will be coming back before us.

Um I have had lawyers tell me I do, and I don't have a conflict of interest.

There's only one place that can really adjudicate that, and that's the Ohio Ethics Committee.

And so on June 24th, I had submitted a request for an advisory opinion from the Ohio uh Ethics Committee.

Um I anticipate that they have 40 days to make a decision.

Um oftentimes it happens sooner.

I expect any day that we'll have an opinion.

And once we do, then we can all be confident whether I have a conflict or not, and whether I'll be able to engage in the um conversation and decisions or not.

So just want to let the public know that.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Shaw.

Yes, I just want to want to uh thank my friends at the uh our friends at the uh AFL CIO and Dayton Buildings trades uh apprenticeship program.

They had a graduation last night, graduated 13 uh individuals from across a variety of traits.

Uh really really nice event.

I was glad to speak at that.

Uh and then uh the victory project will host a volunteer open house at 4519 Oak Ridge Oak Ridge Drive, offering community members an opportunity to learn how they can get involved through tutoring, mentoring, chaperoning, and other volunteer opportunities.

And that will be held on Monday, July 27th from 5 30 to 7 p.m.

And this is a great chance to connect with the organization and learn more about helping our local youth.

That's all I have.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Joseph.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just one.

Uh glad to announce it yesterday.

The city kicked off our community engagement for our new sustainability plan.

We had a public workshop at Northwest Northwest Rec Center.

If you haven't had a chance to participate yet, it's not too late.

You can learn more about the plan and share your ideas by completing the community survey that's online.

It's at DaytonOhio.gov, and there's a link for the sustainability plan.

Uh so you can you could also Google Sustainability Plan Dayton and that the survey will come up.

So please please complete that.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Uh, just a couple of comments.

Would like to thank all of the residents that came out this morning.

Thank you for your comments, your questions, your concerns.

You are in fact being heard.

I invite those who um have a number of questions.

If you would stay after the meeting, I'll be happy to come down and have the conversation with you more in detail to answer some of your questions specifically.

Ms.

Dixie, can you, if you will provide more information in terms of the um the development project and the investment for the the um the hotel um and then also to know the um the paths um and you have more information on this than I do in terms of the um the former site of the the Crown Plaza Hotel and the current investment that is being made for the development of the the wholesale in the 770 77 million dollars.

If you could sure I can provide a high level um so uh we don't disagree with Mr.

Stark with regards to the conditions of the Crown Plaza.

And um that is something that we have um never controlled uh and have always been reliant on, you know, trying to work and influence the private property owners uh of that property.

And we had great hope when there was a um change in uh property ownership.

They have renovated a little over a hundred rooms and uh are operational, um, but the requests that we have made with regards to replacement of windows, and it appears that that has not been honored, and it appears that that renovation may have stalled at the moment, but that is not that is a property that both the um MCCFA and the city team work closely with to try and influence support, you know, uh move them forward in in renovations.

They were supposed to have it completely renovated by this summer um when they started the work last fall, and that has obviously that timeline has obviously slipped.

So it remains a considerable concern because of its location and its condition.

Um secondly, the new headquarter hotel, which which came about primarily because of the need for hotel spaces, and at the time the Crown wasn't even open or operational.

The convention center must have a uh room supply of over 500 rooms open and available within a half a mile of the convention center to support larger um conventions and meetings that you know draw in people who come and spend money in our in our city.

Um so that uh 77 million dollar headquarter hotel is something that the MCCFA is uh has been working on putting the financing together to structure.

Um when we talked about the NC, they they are looking to the NCA to support some of that financing gap.

Um and they are working right now on about an eight to ten million dollar gap that they think they have um solved and a path moving forward, and they are looking at a closing um later this fall and hopefully groundbreaking in January.

But it will provide um about 200 hotel rooms, about 200 hotel rooms there right in front of the transportation center or the Oregon garage.

So they won't need garage parking, which is very nice, and it'll be right across the street from the convention center.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Um and then also just want to note to um Mr.

Johnson, um, Ms.

Jabbar, as well as um Miss Asina Jabbar, thank you very much for your comments.

Kelly Kelly, um, thank you, excuse me.

Um, and Mr.

Starks, um, thank you all for your your comments, and again I invite you if you have any additional questions, I'll be happy to ask answer the questions to you.

Um I I do believe in terms of what we're dealing with with the number of questions and concerns that have been raised over the entirety of the time that I've served on the commission, even prior to um during my time, the four years as a commission, and now six months serving as the mayor.

Um, we have failed to educate and to provide the level of awareness to the public.

Um that is my commitment towards the transparency, the amount of information that is given to the public.

Um noting that the questions are in fact still warranted, but at least there's more information that is given to the public to help guide and shift the questions that may or concerns that may come before this body.

So that is my commitment.

We definitely have to do a better job at that because we are not doing our due diligence in in that vein.

Um, and I don't offer any excuses to it.

A lot of it is in fact capacity, bandwidth, um, to Miss Hastings' point.

The 263 document backup document, your point is valid.

We have the same concern.

We're all juggling multiple various different obligations.

We receive the packet and then the process, and I know I had this conversation with you before in terms of the city managers' recommendations are in fact pre provided to and reviewed on Thursdays.

On Thursdays, those uh packages are in fact reviewed for the recommendations.

That Friday, we generally receive all of the um the all of the documents, the staffing, the city managers memos, the uh the FM documents, the service agreement, whatever have you, all of that information is then compiled, and again, that's a heavy lift, and a lot of the work that is being done, this is weekly by the staff to make sure that in turn it is given to the commission office, so the commission office then in turn can package, have everything together, making the copies, uploading all of the various different documents.

It could be 200, it could be 100, it could be five that 500 uh pages, as many many pages that I have seen has in fact reached to over six, seven, eight hundred pages.

That information is uploaded.

We receive those packets when that information that was all uploaded on the city on the city's website.

That's when we have the information as well.

So on Monday, mind you, we're making decisions on Monday.

Um we're making decisions for Wednesday, but we receive that information again on Monday as well when that information is uploaded.

We receive the package on uh that Friday, sometimes it's Friday afternoon for us to review over the weekend.

Um there's other various different competing obligations for us to make sure that we're making well-informed decisions.

Oftentimes those questions are formulated, and then we are sharing those questions with the staff.

The staff do their due diligence and making sure that they're answering the questions themselves.

So again, to your point, is it ideal?

No, not for any of us, not for us that are making um decisions, not for the staff.

Um, but we do know that this is the process of us doing business.

We asked that if you have any questions or concerns, and it's a number of various different things that you all may raise that um again can be brought to our attention.

So in fact, that we can work together to make sure that that information is in fact um answered to the best of our ability.

So again, if you have any recommendations, I invite you.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Um we do need to make sure that in preparation for the July 29th meeting, that the number of various different questions that have been raised this morning, that we find some time to address those questions and any other questions that may come before uh this body so that we are in fact prepared and that we can um again to um address any uh concerns and that we are in fact doing our due diligence to make sure that the tool is properly utilized and that there is an in fact uh a positive and win-win for the use of that tool itself.

So uh thank you all for staying.

Thank you all for being here in this meeting this morning.

I want to make a couple of other additional announcements.

We'll like to thank the ladies, the young ladies aspiring greatness.

They have held a number of cleanups.

Um they're very excited of doing of this work, and I believe it's this Saturday, they have their last cleanup in the Five Oaks area, and they will be focused on Santa Claire, I believe they're they're working on in the Sarah Santa Clara Business District, and they're starting at 9 a.m.

Um I would imagine that they will be working with uh felons with the future as well as preservation dates and initiative PDI.

So we invite everyone to come out.

Um they're doing some great work.

And then also would like to note that tomorrow, Thursday, the 23rd of July, we will be meeting at uh Liberation Park, uh Broadway Park.

We'll be meeting at Liberation Park for the the final uh mayor in a commission's walk, and that walk will take place at 6 p.m.

Um again at Liberation Park.

We invite everyone to come out, and again, as noted, um if there are any other neighborhoods or any uh residents who have an issue and an interest in holding any walks, we can definitely accommodate your schedule.

We can make sure that we make the necessary provisions to scare schedule something that is outside it noted.

Um understand that we may not have all of the staff members at that, any if any additional walks that may be scheduled due to bandwidth and the time that is allotted, but we invite everyone to come out uh again that's tomorrow at 6 p.m.

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

Thank you.