Whitehall City Council Committee Meeting – Jan. 13, 2026

Whitehall City Council held its committee-of-the-whole meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. No minutes were provided. The agenda contained multiple draft ordinances: two FOP dispatcher contract approvals, an ordinance restricting interference with council communications, and an ADU zoning amendment. After committee discussions, standing committees met and public safety personnel gave extended testimony. The meeting adjourned at 9:56 p.m.

Litigation Update

• Council member Morrison asked City Attorney Brad Nicodemus for a status of lawsuits facing the city in 2025. Nicodemus listed: an FOP lawsuit filed late 2025, still in early stages; two officer use-of-force lawsuits in discovery/dispositive motion phases; Fairway Cliffs fully briefed and awaiting a decision; and a Supreme Court election case that has concluded. He said the FOP lawsuit concerns email.
• Nicodemus said three of the active major cases are handled through the city's insurance pool, with the insurer choosing counsel and holding settlement authority; Fairway Cliffs is handled by outside counsel paid by the city.
• Morrison asked Mayor Michael T. Bivens to provide council with information on arbitrations from last year involving police, fire, and city employee unions. The mayor said he would look into it.

FOP Dispatcher Contracts

• Draft Ordinance 002-2026 would authorize the mayor to sign a contract with the FOP Ohio Labor Council for full-time police dispatchers for Jan. 1, 2026–Dec. 31, 2028.
• Draft Ordinance 003-2026 authorizes the same contract for part-time police dispatchers.
• Mayor Bivens said the union ratified both agreements on Dec. 24, 2025, and the city has 30 days to approve them. He asked council to approve both at the next full council meeting on Jan. 20, 2026, to remain in compliance.
• Council members Morrison and Elmore were listed as introducer/second for both ordinances. No objections were raised.

Council Communications Ordinance (Ord. 133-2025)

• This third-reading ordinance amends Title Three of the legislative code to prohibit interference with council communications and declares an emergency. City Attorney Nicodemus said a new section makes clear that the city email system cannot be used for illegal purposes and preserves reasonable security measures for malware, spam, phishing, and unsolicited harmful emails.
• Council member Brown questioned the ordinance's 'whereas' language saying council had been prohibited from sending and receiving emails from outside entities; he said council members were not blocked from communicating generally, only within the city-administered email system.
• Council member Elmore read Charter Section 2 and argued council should focus on legislative and appropriation powers, not impede the mayor's administrative powers. She referenced the FOP contract's Section 3.7 email clause and said the administration administers the contract after council approves it.
• Council member Dixon, the requester, and Council member Morrison defended the ordinance as protecting council's First Amendment right to use city email to communicate with outside entities. Dixon said his emails to the FOP had been blocked and pinged back.
• Mayor Bivens raised detailed legal questions about the effect on Charter Sections 2, 8, and 22, potential exposure to pending FOP litigation, personal and defamatory email use, and conflicts with existing city policy. Nicodemus said the ordinance would not affect criminal statutes, and council may administer its own body, but he acknowledged council uses email administered by the mayor, creating friction. He also said whether emails were blocked is a disputed fact in pending litigation.
• The discussion became contentious at times; Brown said his question had not been answered and expressed frustration, while President Potter urged members to move on. Dixon accused the mayor of trying to baffle the legislation and said he trusted the city attorney. Council members also raised concerns about unintended consequences and the need for due diligence. The ordinance remains scheduled for third-reading adoption on Jan. 20, 2026.

ADU Zoning Standards (Draft #3, Ord. 004-2026)

• Ordinance 004-2026 amends Section 1116.03 and creates Section 1116.04 to standardize accessory dwelling units (ADUs). It is on third reading, with referral to the Planning Commission on Feb. 5, 2026, and a public hearing at council on Feb. 17, 2026.
• Economic Development Director Jackie Russell presented proposed standards: permanent foundation and utility connections; ADUs placed no closer to the right-of-way than the main building; applicable side and rear setbacks; minimum 350 square feet; maximum 1,000 square feet or 65% of the primary dwelling unit, whichever is less; no more than two ADUs per lot; height limited by the primary dwelling or district; exterior finishes compatible with the primary structure; and flexible entrance placement.
• Russell said Whitehall's average house size is 1,174 square feet. The previous 50% cap limited ADUs to 587.5 square feet; the proposed 65% cap would allow 763.75 square feet for an average home, adding a bedroom while the 1,000-square-foot maximum protects neighborhoods.
• Under the old rule, 39 property owners could not build an ADU because of house size; under the new rule, only 3 cannot. About 314 properties would be capped at 1,000 square feet, and only one property (identified as Fox Fire condos/town hall) cannot accommodate an ADU due to lot coverage.
• Council members asked about kitchen and bathroom requirements, emergency access for police and fire, parking/driveway width, and two-unit flexibility. Russell said she would check with the chief building official and would consult police and fire chiefs.

Public Safety Committee – Police Department Testimony

• Chief Mike Crispin and multiple police personnel told council they are 'fed up' with false corruption accusations and social media attacks tied to the FOP union leadership dispute. They said union president Brian Steele has a personal conflict with the chief and has targeted officers, including posting an undercover officer's photo and endangering his life.
• Sergeant Smith said the high-profile investigation into alleged serial child sexual abuse is real, not fabricated for political purposes. He described multiple witnesses and victims coming forward, a search warrant, and recovery of more than 15,000 items, including photographs, journals, digital devices, cell phones, and medical records, with journal entries going back 20–40 years. He said false narratives discourage victims from coming forward.
• Detective Slosser, identified as the lead investigator, said the charges may have been procedurally dropped because of indictment timing, but the case is ongoing. He challenged social media critics and asked council to come to the police department to review evidence.
• Other officers described being labeled racist on a union-operated Facebook page, having family members harassed, retaliation after grievances, and a bumper-sticker incident involving the public safety director. Deputy Chief Chad Wilder asked council to decide who they trust and to support the department.
• Chief Crispin cited a 92% citizen trust rating for the police department and employee job-satisfaction scores above national averages. He asked the mayor and council to consider an investigation into FOP leadership's conduct, possibly involving outside agencies such as the FBI or Department of Justice.
• Council members thanked the officers. Council member Elmore said the community supports the police department and asked that FOP emails be shared if obtained. Some council members encouraged the two new members to participate in the department's ride-along program.

Standing Committee Reports

• Administration and Financial Management, Community and Elder Advocacy, Economic Development, Infrastructure/Maintenance/Services, and Parks and Recreation each reported no pending legislation. Public Safety noted the two dispatcher contracts as its pending items before the police testimony.
• Council member Brown noted Broad Street and Yearning Road still need final pavement when asphalt plants reopen in spring; he said crews would make sure barrels are out of roadways and entrances.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken at the committee meeting.
• Draft Ordinances 002-2026 and 003-2026 are scheduled for suspension and adoption at the Jan. 20, 2026 full council meeting to meet the 30-day union ratification deadline.
• Ordinance 133-2025 is scheduled for third-reading adoption on Jan. 20, 2026, after unresolved discussion about charter authority and unintended consequences.
• Ordinance 004-2026 (ADUs) will be referred to the Planning Commission on Feb. 5, 2026, with a public hearing at council on Feb. 17, 2026.
• Police officials requested an investigation into FOP union leadership conduct; no council action was taken on that request.