City Commission

On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., the Dayton City Commission met in regular session in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Mims called the meeting to order. INVOCATION Commissioner Shaw gave the invocation. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Mims led the public in the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Roll call was taken, and Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, Fairchild, and Turner- Sloss were present. The Acting Clerk of Commission, Ms. Verletta Jackson, and the City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, were also present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Shaw made a motion to approve the minutes from the August 14, 2024, City Commission meetings. Commissioner Fairchild seconded the motion. The previous meeting minutes were unanimously approved. COMMUNICATIONS AND PETITIONS There were no communications or petitions. SPECIAL AWARDS/PRESENTATIONS Dayton Metro Library Levy Mayor Mims invited Mr. Jeff Trzeciak, Director of Dayton Metro Library, to the podium to present an update on the Dayton Metro Library Levy. Mr. Trzeciak said the library has 370,000 active cardholders 71,000 are children. He said their buildings had 1.8M and 1.6M visitors on their website. He said last year they had a total circulation of 7M items with 43 percent being eBooks or E Audio books. Mr. Trzeciak said the library now offers technology by circulating laptops and wireless access points that can be taken home. He said if patrons don’t have internet service, they will loan them Roku devices as well. Mr. Trzeciak said there has been a $1.6M decline in state funding which represents what it costs to run two branches. He said they had to continue to figure out ways to provide services and support. He said there has been an increase in funds for materials, technology, facilities, and personnel. Mr. Trzeciak said in November there will be an operating levy on the ballot which is the first since 2009. He said it's been 15 years since they have asked citizens for an increase in funding and being respectful of economic times, this will be a $1M ask which amounts to $3.00 a month on a home that costs $100K. Mr. Trzeciak said without the levy they will have to cut their budget by $7M which represents 20 percent of their budget or 35 percent of staff. Commissioner Turner-Sloss thanked Mr. Trzeciak for his presentation. She asked about the continuation of Sunday services. Mr. Trzeciak said during cuts they implemented the elimination of Sunday hours which were staffed with overtime dollars. He said they are committed to reinstating Sunday hours if the levy passes. Commissioner Fairchild asked about the magnitude of the levy. Mr. Trzeciak said it would be a $1M ask which amounts to $3.00 a month on a home that costs $100K. Commissioner Fairchild said he loves the library for the community and wants to be very supportive. He asked if there was a firm to run the levy campaign. Mr. Trzeciak said they will be working with Burgess and Burgess who runs many campaigns in Montgomery County and their campaign manager is Ms. Jen Murphy. He said there is a park initiative on the ballot and also who they will be working with. Commissioner Fairchild asked about the levy and paring it with candidate campaigns. He asked how they were ensuring that didn’t happen in this election cycle. Mr. Trzeciak said the PAC has a levy website which is votefordml.org which lists all endorsements. Commissioner Shaw said they need the levy that will provide critical services to all communities. He said costs go up on everything and they have been dealing with that for a while. He said he is glad he is doing this work which is important to everyone. Commissioner Joseph said the services they provide along with his staff have been excellent. He said the services they provide to people who might not necessarily trust the government and outside of what libraries generally offer have been excellent also. Commissioner Joseph said he hopes that constituents hear the urgency of the levy. Mayor Mims said he is on board for the levy and if they asked for a resolution they would provide it. 2024 Dayton Survey The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein invited Ms. Jennifer Custer, Management Analyst II, Management and Budget, to the podium to present on the Dayton Survey. Ms. Custer said they are using ETC Institute Survey which they have used for the past three years. She said the survey would include the same questions and would be around the same number as well. She said they will start being delivered to mailboxes next week and anticipates 14K residents will receive them. Ms. Custer said all responses are anonymous and encouraged residents to respond to the survey for them to receive relevant feedback on services and actions. She said residents who respond will be entered into a contest to receive a $500 Visa gift card. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked about the anonymity of the survey. Mr. Custer said identifying information is completely anonymous for the City of Dayton. ETC has the information that they are not privy to. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked about the survey allowing constituents that were not sent the survey to participate. Ms. Custer said ETC will send targeted ads to area Facebook and other social media platforms with a link that citizens may click to participate. Ms. Jeanette Ghand, Division Manager, Management and Budget, said other citizens may participate but only the Dayton resident responses will be counted. ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE CALENDAR There were no additions or deletions to the calendar. DISCUSSION OF CALENDAR ITEMS Calendar Item No. 3. A to Z Property Maintenance LLC – Award of Contract The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, said the contract which is brought by the Dayton Recovery Program is a continuation of the curb and sidewalk repair program. She said it is a significant element of neighborhood investment for the Carillon neighborhood. Calendar Item No. 7. Sister City Foundation – Contribution/Donation The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, said there was an oversight of the Sister City Foundation. She said the Sister City of Palestine was not identified in the body of the item. REPORTS 1. Purchase Orders, Agreements and Contracts: (All contracts are valid until delivery is complete or through December 31st of the current year). AVIATION A1. Aviation Insurance Managers, Inc. (aviation liability insurance) $175,646.00 A2. Comptech Computer Technologies, Inc. (temporary staffing services as needed through 12/31/24) $80,000.00 PUBLIC WORKS B1. Crown Personnel Service, Inc. (temporary staffing services as needed through 12/31/24) $170,000.00 -Department of Aviation and Public Works. TOTAL: $425,646.00 Service Agreements 2. Accela, Inc. – Service Agreement – First Amendment for Subscription Services – Department of Planning Neighborhoods and Development/Building Services. $60,270.00 (Thru 06/04/26) B. Construction Contract 3. A to Z Property Maintenance LLC. – Award of Contract – Dayton Recovery Plan- for the Carillon Neighborhood Curb and Sidewalk Repair (25% MBE Participation Goal/25% MBE Participation Achieved – Department of Public Works/Civil Engineering. $473,270.00 (Thru 12/31/25) 4. Buckeye Construction & Restoration, Ltd. – Award of Contract – for the Broadway Pump Station Building Envelope Improvements (5% SBE and 5% WBE Participation Goal/0% MBE and 0% SBE Participation Achieved) - Department of Water/Water Reclamation. $1,573,000.00 (Thru 04/30/26) C. Revenue to the City: 5. Paul R. Woodie, Vice-Chair, Neon Board of Trustees – Other – for a Special Use Permit to Construct a Fence and Install Canopy - Department of Public Works/Civil Engineering. $200.00 (Paid to the City) E. Other – Contributions, Etc.: 6. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – Contribution/Donation – for a 2024 Contribution- Clerk of Commission. $3,500.00 7. Sister City Foundation – Contribution/Donation – for a 2024 Contribution -Clerk of Commission. $15,000.00 CITIZENS’ COMMENTS ON CALENDAR ITEMS Citizen’s comments on calendar items were received from the following: 1. Ms. Keiana Burch, 623 Home Ave. – spoke about the demolition of 648 Gramont Ave. and the debris left from the demolition. Ms. Dickstein said the demolition was an emergency demolition and was deemed unsafe and needed to be removed. She said there are various steps and reasons why piles have not been moved; however, they will get an update on the property as soon as possible. APPROVAL OF CITY MANAGER’S REPORTS Commissioner Shaw made the motion to approve the City Manager’s Reports. Commissioner Fairchild seconded the motion. The City Manager’s Reports were approved with a 5-0 vote. Voting in the affirmative were Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, Fairchild, and Turner-Sloss. LEGISLATION EMERGENCY RESOLUTION -FIRST READING Emergency Resolution No. 6813-24- Approving the Submission of Grant Applications to the District 4 (Montgomery County, Ohio) Public Works Commission Integrating Committee; Authorizing the Acceptance of Grant Awards from the State of Ohio Public Works Commission for the State Issue 1 Program for Public Capital Infrastructure Improvements in an Amount Not to Exceed Two Million Eight Hundred Seventy-Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars and Zero Cents ($2,872,500.00) on Behalf of the City of Dayton, and Declaring an Emergency. Commissioner Turner-Sloss moved that this being an emergency measure for the immediate consideration of the Resolution. Commissioner Joseph seconded the motion. The motion was passed with a 5-0 vote. Voting in the affirmative were Mayor Mims, Commissioners Jospeh, Shaw, Fairchild, and Turner-Sloss. ORDINANCE – FIRST READING Ordinance No. 32105-24- Authorizing the City Manager to Accept a Grant Award from the Ohio Department of Transportation for an Amount of Three Hundred Eighty-Five Thousand Two Hundred Dollars and Zero Cents ($385,200.00) in Federal Funds. RESOLUTIONS – SECOND READING Resolution No. 6815-24- Declaring the Intention to Appropriate Real Property Interests in Parcels 4T, 9T1 & T2, 18 SH&T, and 19 SH1, T1 & T2 in Connection with the South Main Street Reconstruction Project. The question being shall Resolution No. 6815-24 be adopted. A roll call vote was taken resulting in a 5-0 vote. Voting in the affirmative were Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, Fairchild, and Turner-Sloss. The Resolution was adopted. Resolution No. 6816-24- Declaring the Intention to Appropriate Real Property Interests in Parcels 4T, 9T1 & T2, 18 SH&T, and 19 SH1, T1 & T2 in Connection with the South Main Street Reconstruction Project. The question being shall Resolution No. 6816-24 be adopted. A roll call vote was taken resulting in a 5-0 vote. Voting in the affirmative were Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, Fairchild, and Turner-Sloss. The Resolution was adopted. Resolution No. 6817-24- Declaring the Intention to Appropriate Real Property Interests in Parcels 4T, 9T1 & T2, 18 SH&T, and 19 SH1, T1 & T2 in Connection with the South Main Street Reconstruction Project. The question being shall Resolution No. 6817-24 be adopted. A roll call vote was taken resulting in a 5-0 vote. Voting in the affirmative were Mayor Mims, Commissioners Joseph, Shaw, Fairchild, and Turner-Sloss. The Resolution was adopted. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS Citizen’s comments were received from the following: 1. Mr. Youssef Elzein, 4906 Amberwood Dr. – spoke about the education of children in Palestine.  2. Utsey Shelton, 31 S. Main Street – spoke about the Dayton Urban League and their grant donations and qualifications. She said the phone number for the Urban League is 937-535-5724. 3. Ms. Fatimah Gula, 336 Miller Ave. – spoke about the Isreal and Hamas war. 4. Ms. Earlene Pierce, 1526 Lexington Ave. – spoke about housing issues in her neighborhoods. COMMENTS BY THE CITY MANAGER The City Manager, Ms. Shelley Dickstein, had no closing comments. COMMENTS BY THE ACTING CLERK OF THE COMMISSION The Acting Clerk of Commission, Ms. Verletta Jackson, had no closing remarks. COMMENTS BY THE CITY COMMISSION Commissioner Turner-Sloss Commissioner Turner-Sloss thanked staff, citizens, and community leaders for their comments at the meeting. Commissioner Turner-Sloss highlighted events in the city of Dayton: Porch Tour, the African American Festival, and the Levitt Funk Festival. Commissioner Turner-Sloss highlighted the Lunch and Learn event by the Dayton Urban League on September 5, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Commissioner Turner-Sloss asked for a moment of silence to commemorate the passing of Mr. Floyd Johnson city of Dayton activist. Commissioner Fairchild Commissioner Fairchild thanked citizens and community leaders for their comments at the meeting. Commissioner Fairchild thanked Ms. Dickstein and the staff for their work with all the events within the City of Dayton. Commissioner Fairchild highlighted the neighborhood summit taking place on September 28th with the theme of “Block by Block”. He invited citizens to the event. Commissioner Shaw Commissioner Shaw said he was glad for the presentation of the Library Levy and that Jen Murphy and Associates are people doing levy work and he is glad that they are a part of the work. Commissioner Joseph Commissioner Joseph thanked the staff for their work with Sister Cities. Mayor Mims Mayor Mims said, ‘Love and peace for all and hatred for none’. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m. ___________________________________ Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. Mayor Attest: _____________________________ Clerk of Commission