Dayton City Commission Meeting – August 12, 2026

The Dayton City Commission met on August 12, 2026, with Mayor Turner Slaus presiding and Commissioners Fairchild, Shaw, and Beckham present (Commissioner Joseph absent). The meeting included a legal settlement with AES (Dayton Power and Light) that reduced rate increases, a public hearing on refining zoning civil penalties, board appointments, and extensive public comment on issues including the city manager’s performance, the proposed New Community Authority (NCA), police practices, and housing conditions.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of August 5, 2026 – Approved unanimously.
• City Manager’s Recommendations – Approved 4-0. Key highlight: Item 4 – legal intervention with AES Dayton Power and Light. The settlement reduced AES’s rate increase from over 3% to an average annual 1%, continued the Disadvantaged Community Initiative with $2 million per year for six years for weatherization and bill payment assistance, supported solar development at Dayton International Airport, maintained waivers for water and aviation rates, and established customer protections requiring new large data centers to bear their own infrastructure costs. The settlement was unopposed by all interveners.
• First Reading Ordinances (3220-26, 3201-26, 32202-26) – Introduced for alley vacation and property appropriations for construction projects.
• Second Reading Resolutions (6947-26, 6948-26) – Approved grant applications for public capital improvements ($3,390,870) and EPA grant for Wolf Creek Trunks Sanitary Liners Installation ($1,255,295). Both adopted 4-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

On Calendar Items:

• Zakya Sankara Jabbar – Expressed distrust in the city manager, criticized the lack of community benefits from downtown development, and questioned the timeline for the NCA. Called for a new city manager.
• Rodney Stark – Opposed collecting unpaid fines from struggling citizens, criticized the proposed NCA as an additional tax, and accused the commission of ignoring community needs.

On Public Hearing (Zoning Amendment): No citizens registered to speak.

General Public Comments (8 speakers):

• Zakya Sankara Jabbar (again) – Questioned Commissioner Beckham’s change in stance after election, accused the commission of catering to the wealthy, and called for a new social contract.
• Mary Sue Gaminer – Thanked city employees for responsiveness (traffic calming, park repairs) but criticized lack of updates on Flock camera investigation and tenant rights. Disagreed with statements at the joint meeting about police and downtown vision.
• Jeffrey Peterson – Supported Flock cameras, citing their effectiveness and transparency in Springfield; urged the city to reactivate them.
• Kenya Akbar – Connected police brutality to historical slavery and the 13th Amendment, accused the commission of complicity in systemic racism.
• Alexander Stone – Detailed neglect by Peak Ten property management (Park Lane Building), including unaddressed maintenance requests and locked fire doors.
• Sharon Screech – Confirmed Alexander Stone’s complaints about Peak Ten, recounted a fire escape door being locked. Called for firing the city manager, citing insubordination and pay raises.
• Alec Johnson – Using the Massey Austerity Scoring Index, rated the proposed NCA 6.9/10 (moving in wrong direction). Called for binding public benefit standards, resident power, anti-displacement protections, and a two-reading process before creating the NCA.
• Rodney Stark (again) – Called the NCA a “Ponzi scheme,” cited $1 billion in tax incentives, and criticized the joint meeting as a “mob” assembled by Congressman Mike Turner. Stated that crime rhetoric leads to police violence.

Discussion Items

• AES Settlement (Item 4) – Meg Maloney, Sustainability Manager, detailed the negotiated rate reduction, $2M/year for home repair (serving 900+ low-income households on waitlist), data center cost protections, solar project at airport, and rate waivers for public infrastructure. Commissioners praised the team and noted Dayton was the only city to intervene.
• Zoning Code Text Amendment (Public Hearing) – Tony Kroger, Planning Division Manager, presented a refinement to enable collection of civil penalties for zoning violations (primarily for commercial violators). The amendment adds specific language for assessing unpaid penalties as taxes, giving stronger enforcement teeth. Commission asked clarifying questions and expressed support.
• NCA Timeline – City Manager Dixtein stated the NCA legislation (declaration and board appointments) would be finalized by end of week and brought to commission. Commissioner Fairchild expressed hope for two readings even if emergency ordinance.
• Rental Registration – Mayor discussed revisiting rental registration to address issues with multifamily properties like Peak Ten, noting legislation already drafted in law department.

Key Outcomes

• City Manager’s Recommendations Approved (4-0).
• Resolutions 6947-26 and 6948-26 Adopted (4-0).
• Public Hearing on Zoning Amendment Closed – Commission moved forward; first reading of emergency ordinance to amend zoning code.
• Board Appointments:
  • Reappointed Nicole Miller and Marlon Aldrich to the Human Relations Council (HRC) Board (terms ending August 31, 2029).
  • Appointed Cameron Anderson and Sabrina Chump to HRC Board (same term).
• No Action on NCA – It was not on the agenda; timeline discussed.
• Commissioner Fairchild’s Statement – Addressed prior conflict with Commissioner Shaw over alleged lies and commission dysfunction.
• Announcements: City of Dayton named one of the Best Workplaces in Ohio for 2025 (only government employer over 200 recognized). Daybreak received $270,000 Lowe’s grant. Dayton African American Cultural Festival and Porchfest upcoming.

Next Steps

• NCA final legislation to be presented to commission by end of week; likely to be an emergency ordinance with two readings.
• Selection of firm for audit/investigation into Flock cameras and other matters to proceed.
• Rental registration legislation to be revisited.

Meeting adjourned at approximately 12:00 PM (transcript ends).