Whitehall City Council Meeting - October 20, 2026

A brief agenda meeting was called to order at 6:31 p.m., and the regular Whitehall City Council meeting convened at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in the Council Chamber at City Hall. All seven council members were present. The council approved prior minutes, heard public comment, postponed the minority business contracting ordinance, adopted all fiscal measures except one, and defeated a conflict-of-interest and ethics disclosure ordinance. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:59 p.m.

Call to Order, Roll Call, and Minutes

• President Patricia Balser called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. after a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call showed all members present: Lori Elmore, Larry Morrison, Amy Harcar, Mike Adkins, Brian McCann, Gerald Dixon, and Devin Brown.
• All members verified they had received copies of the legislation on the agenda.
• Minutes of the October 6, 2026 agenda/regular meeting and the October 13, 2026 committee meeting were approved unanimously.

Standing Committee Reports

• All seven standing committees reported that they met the prior week; no committee legislation was pending on the regular agenda. Each committee planned to meet again on October 27, 2026.
• Councilor Harcar noted that the first QPR suicide prevention training was held the day before the meeting and thanked members and residents who attended.

Officials' Reports

• Mayor Michael T. Bivens, Economic Development Director Jackie Russell, Public Safety Director Van Gregg, and Neighborhoods Director Chet Ridenour were absent.
• Auditor Shaquille Alexander had no formal report but encouraged council members to ask questions. City Attorney Bradley Nicodemus, Treasurer Janell Luke, and Public Service Director Casey Rowlands had brief reports or none.
• Rowlands encouraged residents to continue using the 'see something, say something' reporting tool and praised the completed wall at Aetna and Robinwood.
• Filed reports included the Auditor's September income tax, General Fund, and spending summary and the Auditor's September Financial Report. No communications, petitions, or claims were filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mark Butler, a Whitehall resident, submitted a written statement read by President Balser and later by Councilor Harcar. He expressed concern about child sexual abuse grooming, said adults should recognize warning signs, and reported that he has trained more than 10,000 adults and authored abuse-prevention policies for the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. He said a Whitehall Division of Police investigative report concerning Council Member Dixon contained patterns matching grooming warning signs, and he urged council members to review the report, publicly address its concerns, and uphold the integrity of local government. He said the question is not only criminal guilt but whether the conduct described is consistent with the integrity expected of an officeholder, and he called it 'a question of public responsibility.'
• Greg Farnsworth, a Whitehall resident and president of the Rams Booster Club, announced a toy drive at Friday's conference championship football game against Columbus Academy, sponsored by Heartland Bank. Unwrapped toys of any age range will be donated to the Aetna breakfast-with-Santa program; the goal is about 200 toys. Donations can also be made by QR code, and he asked council members and residents to spread the word.
• Anna Peters, a Whitehall resident, praised the Founders Day event, the historical timeline, and the strong turnout of city leadership.
• Michael Spicer, a Whitehall resident, expressed concern that some council members voted no on Ordinance 089-2026, saying the vote appeared to reject accountability and transparency. He noted that some members frequently speak about transparency and ethics.

Discussion Items

Third Reading - Ordinance 089-2026: Conflict of Interest, Financial Disclosure, and Ethics Training Process (Failed)

• The ordinance would create Chapter 195 of the Whitehall Codified Ordinances to establish an annual conflict-of-interest financial disclosure and ethics training acknowledgment process for office holders.
• A motion to amend, made by Councilor Brown and seconded by Councilor Harcar, passed unanimously, 7-0.
• A motion to adopt the ordinance as amended, made by Brown and seconded by Harcar, failed 3-4. Voting yes: Elmore, Harcar, and Brown. Voting no: Morrison, Adkins, McCann, and Dixon.
• After the vote, Brown thanked Auditor Alexander for his work. Auditor Alexander said he hoped to direct future questions about the ordinance to council because 'talk is cheap' and no one had called him with suggestions. Morrison said he did not appreciate being chastised for his vote. Harcar asked about negative implications, and Alexander declined to answer again. President Balser called the criticism of a vote 'ridiculous' and 'unprofessional' and moved the meeting on.

Third Reading - Ordinance 092-2026: Minority Business Contracting Ordinance (Postponed)

• The ordinance would create Chapter 170 of the codified ordinances to establish minimum city contract awards to minority businesses.
• Councilor Elmore moved, with a second from Councilor McCann, to postpone it until November 4, 2026. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0.

First Reading and Suspension of Rules: Fiscal Measures (all passed 7-0)

For each item, council suspended the rules and adopted the legislation on the same evening by unanimous roll call.

• Ordinance 101-2026: Authorized transfer from Whitehall Municipal Public Improvement Tax Increment Equivalent Fund 279 to Debt Service Fund 401 for debt service due December 1, 2026 on obligations payable from tax increment revenues. Introduced by Elmore, second by Morrison.
• Ordinance 102-2026: Authorized supplemental appropriation in Water Utility Fund 841 and transfer to Debt Service Fund 401 for Ohio Water Development Authority loan debt service due January 1, 2027 on the 2023 water main replacement. Introduced by Elmore, second by McCann.
• Ordinance 103-2026: Authorized supplemental appropriation in Sewer Utility Fund 840 and transfer to Debt Service Fund 401 for OWDA loan debt service due January 1, 2027 on sanitary sewer rehabilitation. Introduced by Elmore, second by Adkins.
• Ordinance 104-2026: Authorized transfer from General Fund 101 to Debt Service Fund 401 for general and special obligation debt service due December 1, 2026. Introduced by Elmore, second by Harcar.
• Ordinance 105-2026: Authorized transfer from Police Department Tax Levy Fund 280 to Debt Service Fund 401 for debt service due December 1, 2026 on capital facilities bonds for the police division expansion. Introduced by Elmore, second by Morrison.
• Ordinance 106-2026: Ratified appropriation transfers totaling $44,100 within General Fund 101 and Street Maintenance and Repair Fund 201 executed during fiscal year 2026 under Ordinance 069-2016; declared an emergency. Introduced by Elmore, second by McCann.
• Ordinance 107-2026: Amended Chapter 135 to revise General Fund transfer percentages, establish a new transfer structure for Fleet Reserve and Maintenance Fund 313, and repeal Technology Fund 314 and Lifecycle Replacement Fund 315 as information technology operations return to General Fund 101. Introduced by Elmore, second by Brown. Councilor Elmore explained the change affects end-of-month transfers, with Fund 313 covering fleet maintenance for parks, service, and police, and Funds 314 and 315 related to technology.
• Ordinance 108-2026: Authorized a $3,000 transfer from the part-time prosecutor account 101.500.51200 to the attorney office intern account 101.500.51850; declared an emergency. Introduced by Elmore, second by Morrison.
• Resolution 044-2026: Approved 'then and now' certificates. Introduced by Elmore, second by Dixon.

Community Date Board and Council Comments

• Council members praised Founders Day, thanked organizers and attendees, and encouraged participation in Barktober on Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the dog park and in Friday's football game and toy drive.
• Several councilors addressed the failed ethics ordinance and the public comments about Council Member Dixon. Elmore said 'let your yes be yes and your no be no' and that votes do not require public explanation. Harcar said votes are each member's choice but members should own consequences. McCann said he voted no because state requirements already hold the city accountable, and he had suggested changes that were not incorporated. He also said none of the 11 warning behaviors described had been proven or resulted in a guilty finding. Dixon said he learned in Whitehall schools that people are innocent until proven guilty and that accusers bear the burden of proof. Brown said he and two other councilors had run on transparency and had made themselves available to work on the ordinance; he warned of possible financial or bond-rating implications and yielded his remaining time. President Balser ruled Brown out of order as the exchange grew heated.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance 089-2026 failed as amended by a vote of 3 yes to 4 no.
• Ordinance 092-2026 was postponed to November 4, 2026 by unanimous vote.
• All first-reading fiscal ordinances and Resolution 044-2026 passed unanimously after suspension of the rules.
• Prior meeting minutes were approved unanimously.
• There was no second-reading legislation on the agenda.