[00:00:02] GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, [I. Call to Order] AND WELCOME TO THE FAIRBORN CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2026. WE'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. JULIE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MR. KIRKPATRICK? HERE. MR. ALLEN? MS. CHESS. HERE. MR. DODD? HERE. MR. MCCUBBINS? HERE. MS. REASTER? HERE. MS. STANTON? HERE. OKAY, COUNCILMAN ALLEN IS, UH, TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS. IS THERE A MOTION TO EXCUSE HIM? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY, COUNCILMAN ALLEN IS EXCUSED FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING. UH, WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE. I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE SILENCE ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES THIS EVENING, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. OKAY, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS, OR DELETIONS TO THOSE MINUTES? OKAY, HEARING [IV. Minutes – Consider approval of the minutes of the September 8, 2026, Regular Council Meeting.] NONE, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING ARE APPROVED AS WRITTEN. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS OF PRE-SCHEDULED BUSINESS. I'M GOING TO ASK THE COUNCIL TO JOIN ME DOWN ON THE FLOOR. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION HONORING DOLLY PARTON. SO IF WE COULD HAVE [V. Prescheduled] THOSE FOLKS COME FORWARD. A LITTLE PREFACE TO THIS, UM, DOLLY PARTON IS BEING RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. UM, GOVERNOR DEWINE IS DOING A, A MAJOR EVENT FOR HER A LITTLE LATER THIS MONTH, AND WE FELT IT WAS VERY FITTING IN HONOR OF THE IMPACT THAT SHE HAS HAD EVEN IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR LIBRARY. SO WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES, AND I'LL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES IN A FEW MINUTES, UM, TO ACCEPT THE PROCLAMATION, UH, FOR DOLLY PARTON'S EFFORTS THAT IMPACTED EVEN DOWN TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. SO, WHEREAS DOLLY PARTON ROSE FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN EAST TENNESSEE TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED AND INFLUENTIAL ENTERTAINERS IN THE WORLD, AND WHEREAS THROUGH HER MUSIC AND PHILANTHROPY, DOLLY PARTON SPREAD VALUES INCLUDING KINDNESS, GENEROSITY, AND COMMUNITY AROUND THE GLOBE. AND WHEREAS DOLLY PARTON ESTABLISHED THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY IN 1995 IN HER HOME COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE TO HONOR HER FATHER, WHO COULD NOT READ, BY FOSTERING A LOVE OF READING AMONG HER COUNTY'S PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND WHEREAS CURRENTLY DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY MAILS MORE THAN 3 MILLION BOOKS EVERY MONTH TO CHILDREN AGED 0 TO 5 AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING MORE THAN 432,000 BOOKS TO CHILDREN IN OHIO. AND WHEREAS DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF OHIO WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 SO THAT EVERY CHILD IN OHIO FROM BIRTH TO 5 YEARS OLD IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ONE FREE, HIGH QUALITY, AGE APPROPRIATE BOOK IN THE MAIL EACH MONTH, AND MORE THAN 1 MILLION OHIO CHILDREN HAVE PARTICIPATED IN DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF OHIO. AND WHEREAS TODAY, MORE THAN 65% OF OHIO CHILDREN AGES 0 TO 5 RECEIVE A FREE BOOK IN THE MAIL EACH MONTH THROUGH DOLLY'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF OHIO. WHEREAS THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, OHIO IS HONORED TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE, THE LEGACY, AND THE GENEROSITY OF DOLLY PARTON AND HER UNPARALLELED PHILANTHROPIC WORK FOR LITERACY AND CHILDREN. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DANIEL R. KIRKPATRICK, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, ON BEHALF OF THE FAIRBORN CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF FAIRBORN, DO HEREBY DECLARE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2026 AS DOLLY PARTON DAY IN THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. SO I WANT TO HAVE OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND, UM, CHRISTY FROM THE LIBRARY. HERE IS A [00:05:02] PROCLAMATION FOR YOU TO SHARE WITH THE LIBRARY FOLKS. SOMEONE'S GOT TO BE TAKING PIC- THERE THEY ARE IN THE BACK. AND THEN. SURE. HI, I'M JESSICA WEINGARTNER. I AM YOUR FAIRBORN HEAD LIBRARIAN. UM, I AM HERE WITH CHRISTY MILLER. SHE IS OUR HEAD OF YOUTH SERVICES AT FAIRBORN, AND WE ARE SO HAPPY AND, UM, HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION. UM, I THINK THAT DOLLY PARTON WAS SUCH A, A LEGENDARY ICON, AND AS YOUR LIBRARIAN, I WILL ENTHUSIASTICALLY CELEBRATE HER AND HER LIFE AND HER WORK AND HER ENCOURAGEMENT OF READING AND LITERACY IN CHILDREN ANY DAY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI. THIS TIME I'LL INTRODUCE OUR CITY MANAGER, MIKE GEBHART. I'LL COME AROUND THIS SIDE FOR A CHANGE. UH, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS A BIG EVENING, UH, WITH, WITH CELEBRATING PENNY DAVIS, UM, WHO HAS BEEN WITH US FOR 33 AND A HALF YEARS, WHO WILL BE RETIRING ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. I AM THRILLED THAT MIKE HAMMOND IS HERE THIS EVENING. UH, MIKE WAS THE FIRST CITY MANAGER THAT WORKED WITH PENNY, AND I KNOW IT MEANS A LOT TO HER, AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE. UM, I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL THAT HER BOOKENDS, YOU AND I ARE HERE TOGETHER, SO. YEAH, TWO MIKES. YEAH, TWO MIKES. WE CAN'T BE BAD. UM, SO AT THIS POINT, YOUR HONOR, I KNOW THERE IS A, UM, RESOLUTION 40-26, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE INTRODUCED AS PART OF, UH, THE START OF THIS. OKAY. SO WE'RE DOING THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TONIGHT, SO BEAR WITH US. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO READ RESOLUTION 40-26 IN ITS ENTIRETY? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THANK YOU. RESOLUTION NUMBER 40-26, A RESOLUTION COMMENDING PENNY DAVIS FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITIZENS OF FAIRBORN, OHIO. WHEREAS THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 REPRESENTS THE CULMINATION OF 33.5 YEARS OF DEDICATED AND OUTSTANDING SERVICE BY PENNY DAVIS TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, OHIO, AND ITS CITIZENRY. AND WHEREAS PENNY DAVIS BEGAN HER CAREER WITH THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, OHIO, IN 1993 AS A PART-TIME OA3 CITY COUNCIL SECRETARY, MOVING ON IN 1995 TO A FULL-TIME POSITION IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDS DIVISION. AT THE END OF THAT YEAR, SHE MOVED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS AN OA3, ASSISTING THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AND WHEREAS PENNY DAVIS WAS PROMOTED TO HER CURRENT POSITION AS THE SECRETARY TO THE CITY MANAGER IN 2000, WHERE SHE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH 6 CITY MANAGERS, 10 MAYORS, COUNTLESS CITIZENS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND HUNDREDS OF CITY EMPLOYEES, AND WHEREAS PENNY DAVIS HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY WITH KINDNESS, A LOVING HEART, AND COULD ALWAYS BE SEEN WITH A BEAUTIFUL SMILE. AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, OHIO, SECTION 1, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITIZENRY, DOES HEREBY COMMEND AND EXTOL PENNY DAVIS FOR HER DISTINGUISHED COMMUNITY SERVICE THROUGH LOYAL, FAITHFUL, AND UNSELFISH EFFORTS, RESULTING IN LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITIZEN- CITIZENRY OF FAIRBORN. SECTION 02, THAT A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION BE SIGNED, SEALED, AND PRESENTED TO PENNY DAVIS. SECTION 3, THAT THIS RESOLUTION SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY UPON PASSAGE. ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, OHIO, THIS THE 21ST DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026. SIGNED, DANIEL R. KIRKPATRICK, MAYOR. OKAY, NORMALLY FOR RESOLUTIONS AT THIS POINT, WE OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL FOR QUESTIONS. I DON'T THINK IT'S SO MUCH [00:10:01] QUESTIONS THIS EVENING AS COMMENTS BY COUNCIL. SO WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN CHESS. WELL, I, THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID, UM, ABOUT YOU, MISS PENNY. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. UM, I'VE BEEN IN FAIRBORN SINCE 2019, AND, UM, EVER SINCE I'VE KNOWN YOU, YOU HAVE, UM, GREETED ME WITH NOTHING BUT SMILES, ENCOURAGEMENT, LAUGHTER, HUGS, EVERYTHING. I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I FORGOT SOMETHING, YOU ALWAYS CALL AND REMIND ME AS IF YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME 10,000 TIMES. AND, UM, BUT YOU DO IT, YOU ALWAYS DO IT WITH A SMILE. AND I JUST COULD NOT... IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SEARCH THE GLOBE AND FIND SOMEONE GREATER THAN WHO YOU ARE. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, AND YOU ARE RARE. YOU'RE VERY RARE. YOU DON'T FIND MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOU, AND I'M I'M FORTUNATE TO HAVE KNOWN YOU AND WILL CONTINUE TO KNOW YOU, AND I TELL YOU WHAT, I JUST LOVE YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN MY LIFE. OKAY, THANK YOU, CELIA. UM, SO I HAD JUST M- MET MISS PENNY'S MOM, AND I TOLD HER THAT PENNY IS SO SWEET. IT'S KIND OF GROSS HOW SWEET PENNY IS. IT, IT MAKES MY TEETH HURT AND MY DENTIST RICH. SO, UM, I SAY THAT JOKINGLY, BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, YOU WILL NE- YOU CAN SEARCH THE WORLD OVER, AND I'M NOT SURE YOU WILL FIND SOMEBODY SWEETER, KINDER, UM, PATIENCE OF A SAINT FOR ALL OF US. IT'S LIKE HERDING CATS, AND THAT'S PUTTING IT NICELY. UM, YOUR FRIENDSHIP, IT'S IT'S ALL SECOND TO NONE. I CAN I CAN SIT HERE AND DESCRIBE YOU FOR HOURS, AND THE WORDS JUST WOULD FAIL. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, TO THE CITY. THANK YOU, MARY. I'LL MISS YOU. OH. GO AHEAD. YOU STARTED. I KNOW, I'M, I KNOW I DID SO GOOD, AND THEN I GOT ALL SENSITIVE. IT WAS, IT'S GROSS TOO. GO AHEAD. OH, HERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, I, I WON'T BE CRYING NO MATTER HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, PENNY. UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT I NEVER EVEN KNEW YOU AND ALL THE WORK YOU WERE DOING FOR THE CITY. UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING PROBABLY ONE OF THE KINDEST PEOPLE I COULD HAVE EXPECTED ON THE END OF THE PHONE WHEN I STARTED GETTING INTERESTED IN THE CITY AND WANTING TO VOLUNTEER FOR BOARDS. UM, I, I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY I CAN SEE HOW PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO VOLUNTEER, HOW THEY WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THAT WHEN THEY, WHEN YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO'S PICKED UP THAT PHONE FOR SO LONG. UM, ANYTIME ANYBODY NEEDED ANYTHING FROM THE CITY, I'D SAY, OH, JUST CALL THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND ASK FOR PENNY. SHE'S LIKE THE NICEST PERSON, AND SHE'LL HELP YOU OUT. UM, IT'S SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT. IT'S SO SAD THAT YOU'RE LEAVING. WE'RE ALL GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH, BUT I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU TO GET TO RETIRE. UM, I'M SURE THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMEONE WONDERFUL THAT'LL PICK UP THAT PHONE FROM NOW ON, BUT MAN, DO THEY HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL. UM, THANKS YOU JUST FOR, FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON. IT HAS, IT HAS BEEN LIKE A HUGE HONOR TO KNOW SO. I MEAN, YOU, YOU ARE RARE. YOU ARE AMAZING. AND I DON'T SAY THAT WORD VERY OFTEN, SO. I APPRECIATE THOSE KIND COMMENTS. THANK YOU, AND YOU'LL BE IN GOOD HANDS, I PROMISE. WELL, IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW WHAT THE LADIES HAVE SAID, BUT EVER SINCE I STARTED WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE CITY ON DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND STUFF, AND YOU'VE ALWAYS HELPED ME, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WITH THE, ALWAYS WITH THE BIGGEST SMILE. ANYTHING I NEEDED OR WISHED FOR, WHATEVER, YOU WERE THERE, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE. AND UM, AND MY WIFE ALSO APPRECIATES YOUR FRIENDSHIP, AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND YOU HAVE A CUTE DOG. YEAH, PENNY, I CAN'T SAY UH ANY- ANYTHING MORE OUTSTANDING THAN WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SAID. BUT I FIRST MET PENNY ABOUT 2013 WHEN I RETIRED AND MOVED BACK TO THE AREA AND TRYING TO GET A VOLUNTEERISM AND GETTING BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS. UH, AND PENNY HELPED GUIDE ME AND DIRECT ME IN ALL THOSE, ALL THOSE AREAS FOR ALL THOSE YEARS. WHAT I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE REALIZE IS, UH, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT GOES ON IN THE CITY OF FAIRBORN GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES, AND IT'S THE FOLKS THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND PENNY IS ONE OF THE LINCHPINS THAT HOLDS THE KEY TO THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT [00:15:01] ALL THOSE FOLKS BEHIND THE SCENES ARE DOING, GOT ALL THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, PENNY, AND BEST OF WISHES IN YOUR RETIREMENT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. PENNY, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY TONIGHT, AND WE HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE BEFORE MIDNIGHT, SO, I'LL, I'LL KEEP THIS SHORT. YOU HAVE REALLY BEEN SOMEONE THAT PEOPLE LOOK UP TO, THAT PEOPLE CAN TURN TO. UM, I'M IN MY 11TH YEAR SERVING ON COUNCIL, AND YOU AND AND JULIE AND AND OTHERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PEOPLE WE COULD TURN TO, BUT YOU'RE KNOWN AS THE MOM TO EVERYBODY HERE. YEAH. AND I THINK MOST OF THE STAFF KNOW THAT. UM, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT WHEN COUNCIL HAD TO GET NEW SHIRTS, YOU COORDINATED IT, MADE SURE WE HAD THE RIGHT SIZES AND THE RIGHT COLORS, AND YOU MADE SURE IT WAS THE LITTLE ATTENTION TO DETAIL THAT YOU REALLY HELPED TO MAKE OUR JOBS A LOT EASIER AND A LOT BETTER. SO, ON BEHALF OF ALL THE CITIZENS, ALL OF US SITTING UP HERE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIME, THE EFFORT, AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO WORKING WITH US, NOT FOR US, BUT WITH US, AND THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. NOW, BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS, MIKE, I THINK YOU HAD SOME MORE COMMENTS. SO I- I'VE- I'VE GIVEN SOME THOUGHT TO WHAT I MIGHT SAY, UM, AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE MAY THINK, THERE IS A SOFT SIDE TO ME, AND UM. IF YOU LOOK REAL HARD, IT'S THERE. IS THAT TRUE, MATT? OKAY. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I- I DIDN'T REALIZE ALL THE THINGS, UH, THAT YOU DO FOR ME. UM, I GOT A, A VERY LARGE MULTI-PAGE LIST OF, OF ALL THE THINGS THAT, THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE. BUT I THINK THE THING THAT HITS HOME FOR ME THE MOST IS, WE TALK ABOUT PENNY BEING THE CITY MOM, AND SO, UH, MY MOTHER HAS NOT, UH, BEEN WITH US FOR OVER A DECADE. BUT THE ONE THING WHEN I PINPOINT WHAT PENNY DOES FOR ME, IS THAT NO MATTER HOW BAD SOCIAL MEDIA IS TO ME, OR THE NASTY THINGS THAT ARE SAID, PENNY IS ALWAYS THE ROCK. UM, JUST LIKE MY MOTHER WOULD BE, TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE NOT A BAD PERSON, YOU'RE DOING WELL. AND I CAN'T, I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THAT, BECAUSE THERE ARE DAYS WHERE IT'S TOUGH. AND SO, UM, PENNY TRULY IS A CITY MOM. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME. SHE HAS BIG SHOES TO FILL. BUT WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, THAT THIS WEEKEND AND REALIZED EXACTLY THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU DO FOR ME, UM, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T THINK THAT'S WHAT WOULD COME TO MIND. UM, I'VE TOLD HER THIS ISN'T SUPER, UH, SUPER EASY FOR ME. IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. I HAVE GREAT PEOPLE AROUND ME, JULIE AND BEV AND OTHERS. IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME, BUT I'M GOING TO MISS THE CITY MOM. THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO MISS. SO, UM, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, MAYOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, UM. JULIE. IS THERE A MOTION NOW AMONG COUNCIL TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 40-26? SO MOVED. SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. JULIE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MS. REASTER? YES. MISS CHESS? YES. MR. DODD? YES. MR. MCCUBBINS? YES. MISS STANTON? YES. MR. KIRKPATRICK? YES. RESOLUTION 40-26 IS DULY ADOPTED. OKAY, COUNCIL, YOU WANT US BACK DOWN ON THE FLOOR? WE HAVE SOME MORE YES. PRESENTATIONS. I HAVE A PREPARED SPEECH SO I DON'T GET OFF TRACK. UH, AS WE WAIT FOR COUNCIL TO COME BACK DOWN AND AND MAYOR KIRKPATRICK TO COME FORWARD, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CITY OF FAIRBORN IS NOT ALONE IN WANTING TO RECOGNIZE PENNY AND HER 33 YEAR, 33 AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS JOINING US, UH, THIS EVENING, ALONG, UH, WITH SEVERAL COMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS TO HONOR PENNY. UM, AT THIS TIME, UH, THERE IS NO ONE HERE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, AND HE SENDS HIS BEST WISHES. AND SO I'VE ASKED MAYOR KIRKPATRICK TO PRESENT YOU WITH GOVERNOR DEWINE'S, UH, UH, PROCLAMATION. THIS IS FROM GOVERNOR DEWINE'S OFFICE. ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF OHIO, WE EXTEND OUR SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RETIREMENT FOLLOWING MORE THAN 33 YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE [00:20:02] TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, YOU HAVE BEEN A STEADY SOURCE OF PROFESSIONALISM, INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, AND SERVING AND COMPASSION, SUPPORTING 6 CITY MANAGERS. THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR BEING HERE. UM, ASSISTING ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SERVING RESIDENTS WITH UNWAVERING DEDICATION. UM, I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE IT'S VERY LENGTHY, BUT I WANT TO KNOW- NOTE THAT THIS IS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR DEWINE AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JIM TRESSEL, UH, HONORING PENNY THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. STAY HERE. OKAY. NEXT, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR RODNEY MCCUBBINS TO COME FORWARD TO PRESENT, UH, WHAT SENATOR MORENO'S OFFICE, UH, FORWARDED TO US. SO... THIS WOULD BE... OKAY, YES, UH, SENATOR MORENO COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING, SO, UH, I'LL BE SPEAKING ON HIS BEHALF. SO HE IS PRESENTING A, UH, CONGRATULATORY PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF YOUR RETIREMENT AFTER MORE THAN 33 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. YOUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND LEADERSHIP HAVE MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE SERVED THROUGHOUT YOUR DISTINGUISHED CAREER. YOUR SERVICE TO 6 CITY MANAGERS, NUMEROUS MAYORS, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS REFLECTS EXTRAORDINARY LEGACY OF STABILITY, INTEGRITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. THROUGH DECADES OF CHANGE, YOUR DEDICATION HAS HELPED ENSURE THE CONTINUING SUCCESS OF THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. I WISH YOU HAPPINESS, GOOD HEALTH, AND MANY YEARS OF ENJOYMENT AS YOU BEGIN THIS EXCITING NEW CHAPTER OF YOUR RETIREMENT. AND IT'S SIGNED BERNIE MORENO, UNITED STATES SENATOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT, UH, EUGENE, UH, JEAN SAUNDERS IS HERE FROM CONGRESSMAN TURNER'S OFFICE. HERE COMES JEAN. WE'RE THRILLED THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US THIS EVENING, AND YOU'VE GOT A LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN TURNER. WELL, GOOD EVENING. PENNY, CONGRATULATIONS. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF CONGRESSMAN TURNER, UH, WHO SENDS HIS GREETINGS. HE WAS UNABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT, UM, I DO HAVE A LETTER FROM HIM. I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION AND AND THE OTHER PROCLAMATIONS HAVE HAVE, UH, UH, SAID SOME OF WHAT'S ALREADY IN THIS LETTER, BUT THERE IS A PART OF IT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO READ. UM, OVER THE YEARS, YOU ACQUIRED A LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM AND EXPERTISE IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THAT FEW PEOPLE CAN MATCH. YOUR SELFLESS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN AND ITS CITIZENS SET THE GOLD STANDARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE THAT SERVES AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS NOT ONLY TO ADMIRE, BUT TO FOLLOW. WHILE YOUR DAILY PRESENCE IN THE OFFICE WILL BE MISSED, THE IMPACT OF YOUR WORK, UH, AND EXAMPLE WILL REMAIN. PLEASE ACCEPT MY SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES FOR A LONG, HAPPY, AND HEALTHY RETIREMENT. CONGRESSMAN TURNER. THANKS, JEAN. REPRESENTATIVE LAMPTON, HOW ARE YOU, SIR? WONDERFUL. I'M NOT GOING TO READ MINE EITHER. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO READ PART OF IT. I WANT TO, I JUST MET PENNY BEAVER, OR FAIRBORN'S MOM. I LOVE IT. THAT'S GREAT. UH, WE CLEARLY KNOW NOW WHO DOES ALL THE WORK. SORRY, MAN. UM, CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS FABULOUS, FABULOUS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU FOR COMING. I APPRECIATE THAT. THIS IS SIGNED BY MYSELF, YOUR REPRESENTATIVE PHIL PLUMMER, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. YOU BET. ALL RIGHT, TYLER, FROM, UH, SENATOR JOHN HUSTED'S OFFICE, [00:25:01] COME ON UP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THESE MEETINGS I GET TO GO TO, AND THERE'S VERY SELDOM EVER TEARS THAT ALSO GET ME TO TEAR UP, AND I HAVEN'T MET YOU BEFORE, SO. OKAY. BUT THAT SAYS A LOT YES. TO HAVE, TO HAVE CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU. UM, KNOWING HOW MUCH, FIRST OF ALL, THEY LOVE YOU, YES. AND THEY'RE GONNA MISS YOU, BUT I'M ONLY GONNA READ ONE PART OF THIS. PLEASE ACCEPT MY SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS AND DEEPEST GRATITUDE FOR YOUR MORE THAN THREE DECADES OF DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE TO YOUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN AND ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS. I EXTEND MY VERY BEST WISHES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN THIS NEXT CHAPTER. MAY YOU ENJOY A REWARDING AND FULFILLING RETIREMENT. SENATOR JON HUSTED. THANK YOU. WHERE IS SENATOR KOEHLER? CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. WELL, REPRESENTATIVE LAMPTON ALREADY SAID IT, YOU'RE THE CITY'S MOTHER, THE- IS THAT WHAT I'M GETTING? I- I THINK THE THING I'M THINKING OF IS THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE CONTROLS EVERYTHING. SO, UM, I KNOW IN THE S- IN THE S- 10TH SENATE DISTRICT, WE HAVE A LOT OF CITIES, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD COMMUNITIES, AND I KNOW BEHIND EVERY GOOD COMMUNITY IS A GOOD MAYOR, BEHIND EVERY MAYOR IS A CITY COUNCIL, BEHIND EVERY CITY COUNCIL IS A CITY MANAGER, AND THEN WE KNOW THERE'S YOU. SO I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT YOU DO THE WORK THAT MAKES THESE FOLKS ALL LOOK GOOD, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. WHEN YOU HAVE OUTLASTED SO MANY CITY MANAGERS, IT REALLY SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR DEDICATION TO THIS COMMUNITY. SO I INDEED HAVE A PRESIDENT'S LETTER SIGNED BY MYSELF AND SENATE PRESIDENT ROB MCCOLLEY SAYING THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COMMISSIONER KOOGLER. I USED TO WALK DOWN THESE STAIRS, BUT I CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME OR OUR COMMISSIONER TO BE PART OF THIS, BUT I HAD A SUGGESTION. MAYBE AS YOUR RETIREMENT HERE, YOU COULD WRITE A BOOK ON HOW TO RAISE CITY MANAGERS. OH YEAH. MAYBE TWO. OKAY, THAT'S, THERE YOU GO. WELL, YOU, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW. RIGHT. UH, THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, ENGLAND HAS FOR THE BEATLES, THEY HAVE PENNY LANE, LANE. OH YEAH. I WANT TO PLANT A SEED HERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, PENNY DAVIS LANE IN FAIRBORN. I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, CHIP. LISTEN, UH, WE GO WAY BACK. I MEAN, YES, WE DO. WHEN MIKE HAMMOND FIRST AND, AND I, I TOLD PENNY COMING IN TONIGHT, I SAID, I ENJOYED, I ALWAYS ENJOYED TALKING OR CALLING, UH, MIKE OR ANY OF THE CITY MANAGERS, AND YOU WOULD ANSWER THE PHONE, AND WE'D TALK A LITTLE BIT. BUT SHE ALWAYS, I TOLD HER, I SAID, YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON I KNOW THAT YOUR VOICE MAKES ME SMILE. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT VOICE THAT WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE, YOU MAKE THEM SMILE, AND YOU YOU HAVE DONE OBVIOUSLY A GREAT JOB. I'M GOING TO READ JUST ONE PARAGRAPH HERE. LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT THE GREENE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS COMMENDS AND HONORS PENNY DAVIS FOR HER SERVICE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, COMPASSION, AND UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN AND THE CITIZENS OF GREENE COUNTY, EXTENDS PROFOUND GRATITUDE FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS, AND WISHES HER THE BEST, UH, AS SHE WRITES HER BOOK IN HER RE- RETIREMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND ONE FINAL ITEM, UH, MAYOR KIRKPATRICK WILL READ A PROCLAMATION FOR PENNY. THIS IS A PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF FAIRBORN TO PENNY. WHEREAS PENNY DAVIS BEGAN HER CAREER AT THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, OHIO IN 1993 AS A PART-TIME OA3 CITY COUNCIL SECRETARY. WOW. I KNOW. YEAH. I'M OLD. NO. IN 1995, SHE MOVED TO A FULL-TIME POSITION IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDS DIVISION AS AN OA2, AND WHEREAS AT THE END OF THAT YEAR, SHE MOVED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS AN OA3, ASSISTING THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, [00:30:01] BEFORE BEING PROMOTED IN 2000 TO HER CURRENT POSITION AS THE SECRETARY OF THE CITY MANAGER. AND WHEREAS SHE PRIDES HERSELF ON BEING THE RIGHT HAND TO 6 CITY MANAGERS AND 10 MAYORS THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, AND WHEREAS SHE HAS SERVED THE PUBLIC FOR 33 AND A HALF YEARS WITH VAST KNOWLEDGE AND A COMPASSION, AND WHEREAS SHE HAS ENJOYED ORGANIZING FAIRBORN EMPLOYEES ANNUAL THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES, AS WELL AS HELPING WITH THE ADOPT A FAMILY PROGRAM. AND WHEREAS HER ALIAS, WE'RE WE'RE LETTING THINGS OUT OF THE BAG HERE NOW, HER ALIAS IS MRS. CLAUS, AS SHE HAS BEEN SEEN IN COSTUME IN FAIRBORN'S HOMETOWN HOLIDAY EVENT. AND WHEREAS OVER THE YEARS SHE WAS GIVEN THE TITLE OF CITY MOM, AS SHE TENDS TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE AND CONSIDERS HER EMPLOYEES FAMILY AND FEELS VERY BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF AN AMAZING FAIRBORN TEAM AND HOLDS HER FAIRBORN FAMILY NEAR AND DEAR TO HER HEART. AND WHEREAS IN HER FREE TIME, PENNY ENJOYS SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY, DIAMOND ART PAINTING, WALKING, AND PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITIES WITH CORVETTE TROY WITH HER HUSBAND, AND WHEREAS PENNY IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF GRACE HUBER HEIGHTS CHURCH, WHERE SHE HELPS LEAD MUSIC FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATES IN HEART OF THE HOLIDAYS, THEIR ANNUAL OUTREACH CHRISTMAS DESSERT THEATER, AND WHEREAS PENNY AND HER HUSBAND CHRIS CELEBRATED THEIR 37TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN SEPTEMBER. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, DANIEL R. KIRKPATRICK, DO HEREBY DECLARE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH AS PENNY DAVIS DAY IN THE CITY OF FAIRBORN, AS WE THANK MISS DAVIS FOR HER OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE FAIRBORN COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, PENNY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY TURN? YOUR TURN. OKAY. WHEW. WOW. THAT'S A BUNCH OF LOVE IN THIS ROOM. I WANT TO THANK, UH, I THANKFUL TO HAVE MY HUSBAND AND MY MOM AND MY SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WITH US, WITH ME TONIGHT, AND THEN ALL THE EMPLOYEES WHO CAME AND PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS AND FORMER CITY MANAGERS. I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. OKAY, SO THINK, UH, KIND OF WROTE THIS OUT SO I WOULDN'T FORGET ANYTHING. LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE, SENATOR BERNIE MORENO, SENATOR JOHN HUSTED, CONGRESSMAN MIKE TURNER, REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN LAMPTON, SENATOR KYLE KOEHLER, THE GREENE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND MY CITY MANAGER, MIKE, FOR THIS SPECIAL RECOGNITION. IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF FAIRBORN FOR 33 AND A HALF YEARS. I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THE FRIENDSHIPS, FRIENDSHIPS I'VE MADE, SKILLS I'VE ACHIEVED, AND LEARNING HOW CITY GOVERNMENT OPERATES. THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR CITY AND WANT TO MAKE IT THE VERY BEST IT CAN BE, AND I FEEL VERY PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART IN ACHIEVING OUR COMBINED GOALS. I'VE WORKED FOR 6 CITY MANAGERS, AND THEY ALL HAD THEIR SPECIAL WAY OF RUNNING THE CITY, AND I, I TRULY DID ENJOY LEARNING HOW TO SUPPORT EACH OF THEM IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY. I HELPED GUIDE THEM ALONG A LITTLE BIT AND THEN TWEAKED, YOU KNOW, SO IT WAS A COMBINED EFFORT. UM, I ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING UNDER 10 MAYORS, AND I DECIDED IT'S LIKE, I'M GOING TO COUNT THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY. THERE WERE 41 DIFFERENT ONES, YEAH, DURING MY TIME WITH THE CITY, AND MANY OF THEM HAD MULTIPLE TERMS, AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY TOOK A BREAK AND CAME BACK, SO I KIND OF FIGURED IT OUT. UM, AND THAT WAS AWESOME. IT SHOWS THAT THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE CITY, THAT THEY WANTED TO COME AND TAKE A BEATING SOMETIMES, AND, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT THEY LOVE THEIR CITY. I, UM, SO I HAD 41 COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I WOULD FILL IN FOR JULIE AT TIMES OVER THE YEARS, AND WHEN I DID, I ALWAYS REMINDED COUNCIL THAT I WAS NOT JULIE AND TO TAKE IT EASY ON ME, AND, UM, THEY DID. THEY WERE ALWAYS GRACIOUS AND HELPFUL. UH, ONE [00:35:01] OF MY MOST, AS WAS MENTIONED, UM, FAVORITE ACTIVITIES HAS BEEN BEING MRS. CLAUS IN THE ANNUAL HOMETOWN HOLIDAY EVENT. IT TRULY FILLED MY HEART WITH JOY TO SEE THE CHILDREN'S EXCITEMENT. THEY LOVED IT, AND I ALWAYS TRIED TO GET THEM EXCITED ABOUT SEEING SANTA, AND SOMETIMES, A LOT OF TIMES, THEY LIKE TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE WITH MRS. CLAUS TOO. UM, I'VE MADE SO MANY WONDERFUL FRIENDS HERE THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME, AND I WILL ALWAYS CONSIDER MYSELF THE CITY MOM BECAUSE MY CITY EM- FELLOW CITY EMPLOYEES WILL NEVER STOP BEING FAMILY TO ME. AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING UP WITH ALL THINGS FAIRBORN AND SEEING HOW THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, BECAUSE I'M STILL GOING TO BE AROUND. I'M NOT LEAVING TOWN OR ANYTHING, SO THEY'LL THEY'LL PROBABLY THINK, DID YOU EVEN LEAVE? WE'RE SEEING YOU ALL THE TIME. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE FOR HONORING ME IN THIS WAY. I'M TRULY TOUCHED. OKAY. OKAY. TO GO TO RECESS. THAT'S OKAY. OKAY, AT THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO ASK COUNCIL, UH, FOR A MOTION TO RECESS FOR A 20-MINUTE BREAK FOR EVERYONE TO COME OUT TO THE LOBBY OUT THERE. THERE'S CAKE AND PUNCH, UM, TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE PENNY, BE A CHANCE FOR EVERYONE TO PERSONALLY TALK TO HER. SO IS THERE A MOTION FOR TO TAKE A 20-MINUTE BREAK? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND FOR A BREAK. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY, WE ARE ADJOURNED FOR A 20-MINUTE BREAK. OKAY, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM COUNCIL TO RECONVENE THE MEETING. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. UH, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MEETING HAS RECONVENED. THANK YOU VERY [VI. New Business] MUCH. AND AT THIS POINT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS, WHICH IS NEW BUSINESS. WE HAVE ORDINANCE 23-26 FOR A FIRST READING. IS THERE A MOTION TO READ ORDINANCE 23-26 FOR THE FIRST TIME BY TITLE ONLY? SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? ORDINANCE 23-26, AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO TRANSFER SURPLUS REAL PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE FORMER LEGION SITE AND ADJACENT PARCELS FROM THE CITY OF FAIRBORN TO THE FAIRBORN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION, REVITALIZATION IN FAIRBORN. THANK YOU, MIKE. WE WILL SET THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ORDINANCE 23-26 FOR OCTOBER 5TH, 2026. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO RESOLUTION 4126. BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER WITH THAT RESOLUTION, UM, TANA STANTON, COUNCILWOMAN, AND MYSELF ARE INVOLVED WITH THE FAIRBORN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD, SO WE ARE GOING TO RECUSE OURSELVES FROM THIS DISCUSSION, AND WE WILL STEP OUT, AND DEPUTY MAYOR MCCUBBINS WILL TAKE OVER AT THIS POINT. ALL RIGHT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO READ RESOLUTION 41-26 [00:40:01] BY TITLE ONLY? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. RESOLUTION 41-26, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN UPDATED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF FAIRBORN AND THE FAIRBORN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD, FEAB, REPLACING THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING APPROVED THROUGH RESOLUTION 26-23. MIKE GEBHART, CITY MANAGER, PRESENTING, AND FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH 4 COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT. GOOD EVENING, DEPUTY MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I, I WILL MAKE THIS SHORT, UM, SINCE YOU'VE HEARD FROM ME ENOUGH THIS EVENING. SO, UH, RESOLUTION 4126 IS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF FAIRBORN AND, UH, THE FAIRBORN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD, OR FEAB. THIS RESOLUTION APPROVES A NEW MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE 2 ORGANIZATIONS. IT REPLACES THE MOU THAT WAS APPROVED BY RESOLUTION 2623 BACK IN 2023, AND IT BUILDS ON THE EXISTING CITY FEAB PARTNERSHIP WHILE PROVIDING CLEARER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. KEYS TO THIS UPDATE, IT RECOGNIZES THE FEAB AS AN INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION SERVING IN AN ADVISORY AND EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY, CLARIFIES CITY STAFF PARTICIPATION, BUDGETING, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS, INTERNSHIP SUPPORT, ANNUAL REPORTING, AND FUNDING, IF THERE IS ANY. SUBSTANTIAL RECON- UH, SUSTAINABILITY RECOMMENDATIONS INVOLVING EXPENDITURES CONTINUE, UH, IN- INCLUDING INVOLVING EXPENDITURES CONTINUE THROUGH THE CITY'S ESTABLISHED BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. IF THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL, UH, SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT, IT WOULD GO INTO THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN, JUST LIKE OTHER, OTHER PROJECTS WOULD, WOULD WORK THROUGH THAT CYCLE. IT WOULDN'T BUMP ANYTHING, UH, UNLESS THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY. ROLES, AUTHORITY, AND COMMUNICATION. THE FEAB RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SIT- OR SUBMITTED TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR CONSIDERATION. THE FEAB DOES NOT HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE OR OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY OVER CITY DEPARTMENTS OR EMPLOYEES AND CANNOT OBLIGATE THE CITY. THE CITY MAY MAINTAIN A SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES PAGE, WHICH WE DO. UH, IT'S BEEN UP FOR, UH, ABOUT 2 MONTHS, AND A LINK TO THE FEAB RESOURCES. UH, THEY REM- REMAINS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND COMMUNICATIONS. WE DO NOT DO ANY OF THOSE IN PARTNERSHIP. WHAT WE HAVE ON OUR SUSTAINABILITY PAGE IS A LINK TO VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE FEAB, BW GREENWAY, UM, AND SOME OTHER, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY CENTERED PROGRAMS, UH, SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN CLICK ON THAT AND IT'LL TAKE THEM DIRECTLY TO THE, TO THEIR WEBSITE OR FACEBOOK PAGE. AND SO STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 4126 AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN UPDATED MOU WITH THE FEAB, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. THANK YOU, MIKE. UH, WE'LL START COUNCIL QUESTIONS WITH COUNCILMAN DODD. UH, NO, NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MIKE. I KNOW ALL THE WORK THAT, UH, IT'S GONE INTO THIS. THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU, MIKE. WE'VE ALREADY, UM, BEEN OVER A LOT OF THIS ALREADY AND COME TO THE CONCLUSION WHAT WE SHOULD DO. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU PRESENTING THIS TO THE PUBLIC IN A WAY WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, SO FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE STANDARDIZED THE MOU PROCESS ACROSS ALL ORGANIZATIONS, JUST TO BE FAIR AND CONSISTENT WITH MINIMAL CHANGES BASED ON THE NEEDS. SO, UM, THIS WAS A LONG TIME COMING, ESTABLISHING NOT ONLY THE MOU, BUT, UM, PROCESS OF REVIEWING ANNUALLY OR BIANNUALLY. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I HAVE NO QUESTIONS EITHER, MIKE. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IT, PLENTY OF IT WITH WORK SESSIONS. MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. UH, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 41-26? SO MOVED. SECOND. JULIE, CALL THE ROLL. MS. REASTER? YES. MR. DODD? YES. MISS CHESS? YES. MR. MCCUBBINS? YES. RESOLUTION 41-26. IS THERE A MOTION NOW TO READ RESOLUTION 42-26 BY TITLE ONLY? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? RESOLUTION 42-26, AUTHORIZING THE APPROVAL OF THE PRELIMINARY PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO ESTABLISH A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY KNOWN AS THE VILLAS AT COPPER LEAF, LOCATED AT 1524 COMMERCE CENTER BOULEVARD. KATHLEEN RIGGS, CITY PLANNER, PRESENTING. YES, GOOD EVENING. UM, THIS IS A PRELIMINARY PUD PLAN, UH, FOR A MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ON COMMERCE CENTER BOULEVARD. THE APPLICANT IS JACOB SHIELDS WITH GRAY FOX. THE OWNER IS OBER COMPANIES. THIS IS AN AERIAL AND A ZONING MAP, UM, JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE SITE, [00:45:01] SO IT'S HIGHLIGHTED. UM, THIS IS SOUTH OF GARLAND AVENUE, EAST OF COMMERCE CENTER BOULEVARD, UH, NORTH OF DAYTON YELLOW SPRINGS ROAD, AND R- WEST OF TREBEIN. UM, ZONING IS A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT, UH, SURROUNDED BY ADDITIONAL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL USES. UM, AND ALSO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS AERIAL MAP, UH, DID INCLUDE, UH, DATA FROM OUR, UH, NATIONAL WETLANDS DATABASE. UM, THERE ARE NO WETLANDS ON THIS SITE, SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT FOR CLARIFICATION. SO HERE WE HAVE A, UH, A VIEW OF THE OVERALL SITE LAYOUT, JUST FOR KIND OF REFERENCE. SO THIS IS COMMERCE CENTER, KIND OF AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. UH, WE HAVE ARDEN BEND, WHICH IS IN THE ARDEN PLACE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE BOTTOM, UH, FOR KIND OF JUST A FRAME OF REFERENCE. UM, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING 114 MULTIFAMILY UNITS ON, THIS IS APPROXIMATELY 15 ACRES. THERE ARE TWO ACCESS DRIVES, UH, LEADING OUT TO COMMERCE CENTER THAT WILL THEN, UH, LEAD TO PRIVATE DRIVES THROUGH, UH, THIS DEVELOPMENT. UM, MAJORITY OF THESE UNITS ARE ACTUALLY SINGLE STORY RANCHES. UM, THE RED BOXES KIND OF INDICATE 4 TO 7 UNITS KIND OF PER BOX, BUT REALLY ON THE PERIMETER OF THIS SITE ARE ALL THESE SINGLE STORY RANCHES, AND THEN ON THE INTERIOR, UM, THEY'RE PROPOSING A MIX OF TWO STORY TOWNHOMES ALONG WITH RANCHES, UM, AS WELL AS OUTLINED IN BLUE, KIND OF OUTLINES THE AREA, UH, INTERNAL TO THE SITE WITH THEIR AMENITIES. THERE ARE TWO CLUBHOUSES, SOME WALKING PATHS, UM, BUT, UH, THOSE JUST KIND OF LI- UH, LIST THE AMENITIES. AND THEN WE HAVE TWO DETENTION PONDS LOCATED KIND OF ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH, BOTH ENDS OF THE SITE, AND THERE'LL BE WALKING PATHS THAT LEAD AROUND THOSE AS WELL. UM, THE UNIT SIZES MEET OUR MINIMUM, UH, THE UNIT SIZES FOR EACH OF THESE UNITS DO MEET OUR MINIMUM SIZE REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS. AND THEN THE PARKING ALSO EXCEEDS OUR MINIMUM STANDARDS, JUST DUE THAT EVERY UNIT ACTUALLY EITHER HAS AN ATTACHED ONE OR TWO CAR GARAGE WITH A DRIVEWAY. SO THEREFORE, ALL THOSE PARKING, UH, REQUIREMENTS ARE DEFINITELY EXCEEDED IN THIS CASE. UM, GO THROUGH THE SITE. THIS IS THE FIRE TRUCK KIND OF ACCESS ROUTE, JUST SHOWING THAT, UM, OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN DRIVE SAFELY THROUGH THE SITE, UM, AND AROUND THE SITE, AND THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, THIS TAKES A, UM, THIS IS A SITE PLAN OF THEIR LANDSCAPING PLAN. UM, SO THIS LANDSCAPING PLAN INCLUDES OVER 450 PLANTINGS OF A VARIETY OF DECIDUOUS AND EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS, AS WELL AS PERENNIALS AND GRASSES. UM, I THINK WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT, THERE HAS BEEN AN EFFORT MADE, UM, WHERE ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING HAS BEEN ADDED. UM, DOESN'T SHOW UP VERY WELL, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY, THERE ARE ABOUT 70 EVERGREEN TREES, I THINK, ALONG THIS NORTHERN SIDE, UM, AS WELL AS THERE WILL BE MOUNDING IN THIS AREA AND ON THIS KIND OF EASTERN AND NORTHERN SIDE, UM, AND THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME FENCING ADDED. UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME ELEMENTS THAT THE APPLICANT IS GOING TO WORK WITH THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA, UM, ON, UH, FINALIZING THOSE DETAILS WITH THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT'LL BE APPROVED BY PLANNING BOARD AT A LATER DATE, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD. UM, THIS IS KIND OF A PERSPECTIVE. UM, SO THIS SHOWS WHAT THE SETBACKS ARE FOR SOME OF THESE RANCHES, KIND OF ALONG THAT EASTERN SIDE WHERE I SAID THAT WAS ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING. SO THOSE ARE THE, THIS IS THE SETBACK OF WHAT THESE RANCHES ARE TO THE PROPERTY LINE. SO JUST TO PROVIDE A, A PERSPECTIVE THAT, UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF WHERE THE PROPERTY LINE IS. UM, THESE RANCH STYLE, UH, COTTAGES ARE ABOUT 4 TO 6 FEET BELOW. UM, SO JUST KIND OF REALLY JUST WANTED TO SHOW THE SCALE, UH, OF, OF HOW THESE PROPERTIES, UM, ARE LOCATED NEXT TO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND, AND WHAT THAT IMPACT IS. SO, AND THIS SCALE ALSO THEN SHOWS [00:50:01] KIND OF THE MATURITY OF THAT LANDSCAPING CURRENTLY WHEN IT'S PLANTED, AND THEN AS IT GROWS IN THE FUTURE, 5 TO 10 YEARS OUT, UM, SO WHAT THE, THE BUFFERING WILL LOOK LIKE. THESE SLIDES ACTUALLY SHOW, UH, AN EXISTING SITE, UM, THAT THE APPLICANT HAS IN ANOTHER LOCATION, BUT KIND OF WHAT THESE PLANTINGS WILL LOOK LIKE. THERE WILL BE SOME DECORATIVE FENCING ALONG COMMERCE CENTER BOULEVARD, UM, AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF A VIEW OF WHAT, LIKE I SAID, WHAT THOSE PLANTINGS WILL LOOK LIKE. UM, ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS JUST AN ADDITION- ANOTHER SITE, BUT JUST TO SHOW WHAT THEIR DEVELOPMENTS LOOK LIKE. AND THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THEIR FACADE MATERIALS LOOK LIKE. SO THEY'LL MEET OUR MULTIFAMILY DESIGN, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR BRICK AND STONE AND AND WHAT THOSE PERCENTAGES ARE, UM, AS WHERE AS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, FOUR-SIDED ARCHITECTURE, FRONT, SIDE, AND REAR OF THAT BUILDING, UM, BUT THEY WILL MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. SO, JUST TO GO OVER, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK WITH THIS PROJECT AND WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT. UM, THE APPLICANT HAD A WORK SESSION ABOUT THEIR SITE WITH THE PLANNING BOARD IN JUNE. UM, PLANNING BOARD THEN MET IN AUGUST, AND THEN AGAIN AT A MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, UH, I RECEIVED SEVERAL EMAILS AS WELL AS PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THOSE COUPLE OF PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS, UM, FROM NEIGHBORS WHO WERE MOSTLY OPPOSED TO THE DEVELOPMENT. UM, THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT IT WOULD CAUSE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, UM, SOME CONCERNS THAT JUST REALLY EXPECTED AND WANTED TO SEE THAT LAND REMAINED UNDEVELOPED. UM, RECOMMEND THAT THERE'S AN EXI- ANY EXISTING TREE LINE, UH, REMAIN ON THAT UNDEVELOPED LAND, AS WELL AS A 50-FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN THOSE, UH, RESIDENTIAL UNITS, UH, AND THE REAR PROPERTY LINE. UM, THAT THERE WILL BE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS ON THAT SITE. UM, THE DEVELOPMENT IS TOO DENSE, AND IT WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT PROPERTY VALUES. THE STAFF ANALYSIS OF THIS OVERALL SITE DESIGN LOOKED AT THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE ONLY ZONING DISTRICT THAT PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY AND ITS STANDARDS TO ENCOURAGE A BETTER OVERALL PRODUCT. THE PROPOSAL EXCEEDS OR IMPROVES UPON MANY OF THE APPLICABLE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM STANDARDS, INCLUDING DENSITY, BUILDING HEIGHT, AND OPEN SPACE. SO THE DENSITY FOR THIS SITE, THE PROPOSAL IS LESS DENSE THAN WHAT IS PERMITTED. IT PROVIDES 7 UNITS PER ACRE IN THE PUD STANDARDS, UH, UP TO 17 AND A HALF UNITS PER ACRE PERMITTED, AND EVEN IN OUR LAND USE PLAN, IT CALLS OUT UP TO 20 UNITS ARE PERMITTED, UH, PER ACRE FOR MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS. UH, THE MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT FOR THIS IN A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT IS 35 FEET NORMALLY. UM, THE HEIGHT OF THE ONE-STORY COTTAGES WILL BE ABOUT 18 FEET, THE TWO-STORY TOWNHOMES, UM, CLOSER TO 22 FEET IN HEIGHT. AND THEN THE PUD PROPOSES THIS PROPOSAL, UH, PLANS TO PRESERVE A LITTLE OVER 35% IN, UH, OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN OPEN SPACE, WHICH INCLUDES YOUR LANDSCAPING AS WELL AS THE WALKING PATHS, THE CLUBHOUSE, ALL THE AMENITIES WITH THE SITE. UM, THE MINIMUM OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT IS 20%. SO JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF PLACES WHERE I THINK THIS DEVELOPMENT EXCEEDS SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT ARE LISTED IN OUR PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT. UM, AND ALSO WANTED TO DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR LAND USE PLANNING PROCESS. SO LAND USE PLANS ARE UPDATED, AS YOU KNOW, EVERY 10 TO 20 YEARS, SOME WITH MAJOR CITYWIDE UPDATES, SOME WITH, UH, UH, SMALLER UPDATES. UM, SO THE LAND USE ALONG COMMERCE CENTER HAS ALSO HAS EVOLVED. SO THE LAST MAJOR CITYWIDE UPDATE WAS COMPLETED IN 2016. WE DID HAVE SOME MINOR SPECIFIC SITE UPDATES THAT WERE COMPLETE- COMPLETED IN 2024. UM, BUT SINCE 2016, COMMERCE CENTER HAS EVOLVED QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY. UM, SO WITH THE ADDITION OF PARKLAND, THERE'S BEEN THE LOCATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE EXPANSION OF ARDEN PLACE ALONG COMMERCE CENTER. SO REALLY THAT NORTHERN END HAS REALLY, I THINK THAT CORRIDOR HAS CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY, UM, OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. AND SO WHAT THE LAND USE PLAN CALLS FOR ALONG THAT END OF THE CORRIDOR IS OFFICE AND PROFESSIONAL USES. I THINK THAT'S ONCE WE HAD THAT ENVISIONED FOR THAT AREA AT ONE TIME, BUT LIKE I SAID, I THINK THAT THAT HAS CHANGED AND IS NO LONGER REALLY THE MOST COMPATIBLE USE ALONG THAT END OF COMMERCE. COMMERCE CENTER BOULEVARD. UM, WHILE THE PROPOSED MULTIFAMILY USE DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY FOLLOW THE EXISTING LAND USE PLAN DESIGNATION, [00:55:01] WE DO BELIEVE IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA BECAUSE IT DOES REMAIN A RESIDENTIAL USE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT'S LOWER DENSITY AND PREDOMINANTLY SINGLE STORY DESIGN MAKE IT EVEN MORE COMPATIBLE WITH ADJACENT USES. OVERALL, THE PROPOSAL SEEMS RESPONSIVE TO THE EVOLUTION OF THE CORRIDOR WHILE USING THE FLEXIBILITY PROVIDED BY THE PUD ZONING DISTRICT TO CREATE A DEVELOPMENT THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS DENSE AND LOWER IN SCALE THAN WHAT THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS WOULD PERMIT. AS FOR THE PUD STANDARDS, SO WITH ALL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, UH, WE DO REVIEW A LIST OF CRITERIA THAT THEY ARE, UH, THAT WE COMPARE TO THIS DEVELOPMENT. UM, IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN, LIKE I, I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THE AREA CALLED FOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICE, SO IT DID NOT, UH, DOES NOT MEET OUR LAND USE PLAN. UM, BUT WHILE IT DOES SEEM MORE COMPATIBLE, A MORE COMPATIBLE USE WITH THE EXISTING USES THAT ARE LOCATED IN THAT AREA. UM, WE DO BELIEVE IT DOES MEET THE OVERALL INTENT OF THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT. UM, PLANNING BOARD DID PROVIDE A WAIVER TO THE MINIMUM SETBACK STANDARDS, AND THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT IS AT HALF THE DENSITY THAT IS PERMITTED. WE THINK THAT THE OVERALL LAYOUT AND DESIGN PROVIDES ADEQUATE ACCESS, CIRCULATION, AND PARKING. AND BASED ON THAT GENERAL CRITERIA OF REVIEW, THE PROPOSAL COMPLIES WITH THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE PUD ZONING DISTRICT. THE USE IS COMPATIBLE, LIKE I SAID, WITH THAT AREA. THE SITE PLAN INCLUDES APPROPRIATE, APPROPRIATE BUFFERING, ACCESS, UTILITY CONNECTIONS, AND BUILDING DESIGN. PLANNING BOARD DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL AT THEIR SEPTEMBER 15TH MEETING AND RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 4226, WITH A COUPLE OF CONDITIONS THAT THAT LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING PLAN WILL BE FINALIZED WITH THE FINAL PUD PLAN, AND ALSO ADDING SOME PARAMETERS ON CONSTRUCTION WORK HOURS THAT WE'VE ADDED WITH OTHER SINGLE-FAMILY AND MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, KATHLEEN. BEFORE WE COME TO COUNCIL FOR QUESTION, THIS RESOLUTION DOES REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK TO RESOLUTION 42-26, PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. OKAY. OKAY. I- IS IT OKAY FOR ME TO SPEAK AS A DEVELOPER? PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. UH, JAKE SHIELDS, 6161 OAK TREE BOULEVARD, INDEPENDENCE, OHIO. UH, MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MY NAME IS JAKE SHIELDS OF, UH, DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS FOR GREY FOX, UM, AND WE ARE THE ONES REQUESTING THE APPROVAL FOR THE PRELIMINARY PLAN, UH, FOR THE VILLAS AT COPPERLEAF. UH, IN THE BEGINNING OF, OF THIS ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, THIS ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT, GREY FOX CAME TO FAIRBORN, UH, AS A FLEXIBLE PARTNER. UH, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE BUILD, UH, NOT JUST THIS RENTAL TYPE, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALSO WILL DO SINGLE S- UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WE WILL DO COMMERCIAL. SO WE HAVE A KIND OF A MIXED BAG OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO. IT REALLY LOOKS AT, WE LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY, THE LOCATION TO SEE WHAT, WHAT SHOULD GO IN A PLACE OF DEVELOPMENT. UM, AND SO WE WORKED ALONGSIDE CITY STAFF FROM THE START, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDED. UH, THIS ALSO, UH, TURNED INTO A, UM, A WORK SESSION BEFORE, UH, THE PLANNING BOARD AS WELL, JUST TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND AND MAKE SURE BEFORE WE EVEN SUBMIT ANYTHING FORMALLY, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS IN LINE, UH, WITH THIS, WHAT THE CITY'S LOOKING FOR. WHEN STAFF INDICATED THAT AGING IN PLACE HOUSING WAS A CITY PRIORITY, WE RESTRUCTURED OUR ENTIRE PROGRAM AROUND THAT. SO WE REMOVED THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, A THREE-STORY WALK-UP APARTMENT, TOWN- LARGE TOWNHOMES, AND WENT IN FAVOR OF PREDOMINANTLY SINGLE-STORY RANCH HOMES. UM, SO 100 AND 101 OF OUR 114 UNITS ARE SINGLE-STORY RANCH, WITH THE 13 TWO-STORY TOWNHOMES BEING PLACED ENTIRELY ON THE INTERIOR OF THE SITE. UM, THAT D- THAT DESIGN CHOICE WAS VERY INTENTIONAL AS IT REFLECTS THE CITY'S PRIORITIES, UH, BUT IT CAME, IT DOES COME AT A COST, WHICH IS SINGLE FAMILY S- SINGLE STORY HOMES HAVE A LARGER FOOTPRINT THAN TOWNHOMES AND REQUIRE MORE LAND. SO WE BELIEVE OUR COMMUNITY WILL SERVE, UH, A LONG TIME RE- FAIRBORN RESIDENTS. WE ARE LOOKING, UH, WE MARKET A LOT TOWARDS PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO DOWNSIZE, LEAVING THE HOUSE THAT THEY LI- UH, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS THE MAINTENANCE, THE BIG YARD, AND MOVING INTO A PLACE THAT STILL FEELS LIKE A HOUSE, STILL FEELS LIKE HOME, BUT ALL THE MAINTENANCE IS TAKEN CARE OF. YOU HAVE A CLUBHOUSE, YOU HAVE, UH, FRIENDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY NEARBY, YOU'RE STAYING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU LOVE. THEY ARE, UM, THEY'RE ALL RENTERS BY CHOICE. UH, SO CONTEXT [01:00:01] MATTERS FOR THIS. UH, THIS PARCEL, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, IS IN A PUD, UM, DESIGNATION, AND, UM, WHICH ALLOWS FOR A MULTITUDE OF MULT- UH, COMMERCIAL AND S- UM, AND UH, RESIDENTIAL USES, UH, HIGHER DENSITY, A 35-FOOT HEIGHT LIMIT, WHICH ALLOWS UP TO 3 STORIES. SO WE ARE PROPOSING, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THAT, 114 UNITS, UM, WHERE WE HAVE 35% OPEN SPACE, UH, MORE THAN THE 20% THAT THE CODE REQUIRES, AND WE'RE MAKING THESE CHOICES VOLUNTARILY. UM, THE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, REALLY TRULY WANT TO BUILD BECAUSE WE, WE SEE THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR IT. UM, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, BASED OFF OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS, UH, THE ADJACENT HOMEOWNERS, UM, WITH, WITH SOME GENUINE SYMPATHY ON THIS BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT, THAT REPRESENTATIONS WERE MADE TO THEM, UH, WHEN THEY PURCHASED THEIR HOUSE, UH, THAT THIS LAND WOULD NOT BE DEVELOPED AND THAT THE TREE LINE WOULD REMAIN. AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT THEY MADE THOSE DECISIONS BASED OFF OF WHAT THEY WERE TOLD, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT FEELS LIKE A BETRAYAL. ALTHOUGH GRAY FOX DID NOT MAKE THOSE REPRESENTATIONS, WE HAVE INHERITED THAT EXPECTATION. UH, WE TAKE THOSE CONCERNS SERIOUSLY, AND WE BELIEVE WE'RE WORKING TO ADDRESS THEM IN OUR PROPOSED PLAN. UM, WE'VE ALSO LISTENED TO NEIGHBORS DURING PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND IN FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS. UH, WE ARE OPEN TO WORKING WITH RESIDENTS, AND AND SINCE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE PRO- PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS. OUR PROPOSED BUFFER PROGRAM IS NOT A VERBAL PROMISE, BUT IS ADDED INTO OUR LANDSCAPE PLAN BEFORE YOU AND GOES FAR BEYOND WHAT THE CODE REQUIRES. THE TOPOGRAPHY WORKS IN THE NEIGHBOR'S FAVOR. OUR, OUR EASTERNMOST BUILDINGS SIT 4 TO 6 FEET BELOW THE GRADE OF ADJACENT YARDS. AND ON TOP OF THAT, OUR LANDSCAPE PLANS PROVIDE 198 NEW TREES ACROSS THE SITE, 166 OF THEM ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL USES, WITH 68 DEDICATED EVERGREEN SCREENING TREES FORMING A CONTINUOUS ROW ON THE NORTHERN BORDER. WE ARE ADDING, UH, MOUNDING IN AREAS AS WELL AS NATIVE SHRUBS AND GROUND COVERS, NONE OF WHICH ARE REQUIRED TO THE EXTENT WE ARE PROVIDING THEM, BUT IT HELPS TO CREATE A LAYERED LANDSCAPE BUFFER. IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT, UM, VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER APARTMENT AND MULTIFAMILY COMMUNITY, UH, NEARBY IN THESE AREAS PROVIDE LITTLE TO NO, UH, BUFFER AND TREE BOUND, UH, TREES, TREE BUFFERS IN THESE SHARED BOUNDARIES. WE WANT TO BE DIFFERENT. ONE FINAL POINT, POINT ON THE 50-FOOT BUFFER. IF A STRICT 50-FOOT BUFFER IS REQUIRED ALONG THE FULL EASTERN AND NORTHERN BOUNDARY, THAT BUILDABLE AREA OF THE SITE COMPRESSES TO THE POINT WHERE THOSE SINGLE-STORY RANCH HOMES ARE NO LONGER FINANCIALLY VIABLE. UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO VERTICAL. THAT MEANS 2, 3 TOWN HOME, STORY TOWNHOMES, UM, AND THAT DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS SITE IS LOOKING FOR, RIGHT? THE OUT- THE OUTCOME IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T WANT. WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS EITHER. UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE GRADING REQUIRED TO DEVELOP THE EASTERN PORTION OF THIS SITE WOULD REQUIRE REMOVAL OF ANY REMAINING VEGETATION IN THAT ZONE, REGARDLESS OF THE BUFF- BUFFER DEPTH, MEANING THE TREES WE ARE PROPOSING TO PLANT ARE NEW PLANTINGS ON A CURRENTLY BARE LINE, NOT REPLACEMENTS OF TR- FOR TREES THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE SURVIVED. OUR VARIANCE REQUEST IS MODEST, WE BELIEVE, UH, REDUCTION FROM 50 FEET TO A MINIMUM OF 25 FEET IN THE MOST CONSTRAINED AREAS, WHICH WOULD STILL MEET THE BUILDING SETBACK. MOST OF THE BOUNDARIES, UH, THE MOST OF THE BOUNDARIES NEEDING ONLY 15 TO 18 FEET OF RELIEF, ESSENTIALLY STILL REMAINING A 35 FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER. THIS TARGET REDUCTION ALLOWS US TO RETAIN THE PREDOMINANTLY SINGLE STORY DESIGN WHILE ALSO PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL SCREENING. OUR APPROACH ALSO INCLUDES REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES AND UNDERBRUSH AND INTRODUCE HIGH QUALITY TREES AND PLANTINGS THAT WOULD ESTABLISH, ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE SCREENING OVER TIME. WE ARE OPEN TO DISCUSSING WHETHER A FENCE WOULD BE PROVIDE A USEFUL ADDITIONAL LAYER OF SCREENING IN SELECT LOCATIONS. WE WOULD, WE WOULD COORDINATE ITS LOCATION DESIGN WITH THE RESIDENTS AND CITY STAFF AS PART OF A FINAL PLAN REVIEW. WE HAVE WORKED WITH STAFF AND BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THIS SITE. WE RE- REDESIGNED OUR HOUSING PRODUCT, REDUCED OUR DENSITY, EXCEEDED THE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT, AND COMMITTED TO A SUBSTANTIAL BUFFER PROGRAM THAT IS MORE, THAT IS MORE GENEROUS THAN WHAT IS COMPARABLE IN THE MARKET. WE'RE ASKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A COMMUNITY THAT FAIRBORN WILL BE PROUD OF. WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THIS COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE VILLAS AT COPPERLEAF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. HI, UM, LISA BROWNING. I LIVE AT 1454 CATFORD COURT. I DO LIVE IN THE ARDEN, UM, PLACE COMMUNITY. UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING WHERE I JUST WANTED TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, AND I DON'T [01:05:01] KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT FORUM FOR THIS, BUT I DO WANT TO RAISE THEM BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED. ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MENTIONED IS THE PROPOSAL REPORTEDLY PROVIDES 35% OPEN SPACE, WHICH IS ABOVE THE 20% MINIMUM. HOWEVER, WHY CAN'T SOME OF THAT BE USED FOR THIS BUFFER THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR? AS A HOMEOWNER, I'VE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY, MY, MY, ME AND MY FAMILY, UM, COMING TO FAIRBORN, AND ANY THREAT AGAINST THAT OR POTENTIAL THREAT IS A CONCERN FOR ME. AND SO I HAVE TO THINK OF THIS LOGICALLY, RIGHT? IF I WERE LOOKING FOR A HOME, I WOULD LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND IS THERE A WAY I CAN MAKE A DEAL, RIGHT? IF I KNOW A WAIVER HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES THAT SOMEONE COMING IN AND BUYING A HOME COULD THINK, OH, OKAY, YES, I CAN GET A DEAL ON THAT, AND I CAN PAY LESS. I'M NOT GOING TO PAY AS MUCH BECAUSE THIS, THIS COMMUNITY IS CLOSER TO ME. I'M LITERALLY LOOKING INTO THEIR HOUSE. I'VE SEEN SOME DEVELOPMENTS WHERE YOU CAN PUT YOUR ARM OUT AND A HOME IS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE ON TOP OF YOU. THAT IS A CONCERN THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN REALLY FLESHED OUT, AND MY CONCERN IS HOW CAN THIS COUNCIL TRULY APPROVE SOMETHING WITHOUT FULLY SEEING THE PLAN AS IT IS? YOU'RE SEEING PRELIMINARY THINGS, AND WHAT AT WHAT COMES ON THE OTHER SIDE BEFORE IT'S BEEN APPROVED IS A CONCERN TO ME. I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS NEED TO HAPPEN BEFORE YOU VOTE ON ANYTHING. UM, I, I RESPECT THE WORK THAT KATHLEEN HAS DONE AND THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS COME, YOU KNOW, PRESENTING, BUT IT TRULY HASN'T ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD. I CAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CANNOT, UM, NECESSARILY HONOR THE PROMISES THAT FISHER PROBABLY HAS GIVEN TO SOME OF THE OTHERS. I, I CAN'T SAY THAT WE'VE, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A JUST A PRACTICAL, FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, HOW CAN YOU APPROVE SOMETHING WITHOUT TRULY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT IS THAT'S BEEN AGREED TO? THAT'S MY CONCERN HERE. AND THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT MYSELF AND MY FELLOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FELLOW COMMUNITY, UM, AND AND NEIGHBORS HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVEN'T, THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN FULLY ADDRESSED EITHER IS, UM, THERE WAS A A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, AND I I KNOW KATHLEEN BROUGHT FORWARD, UM, THE LANDSCAPING. UM, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT A VERBAL PROMISE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS. THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S BEEN FORMALLY PROCESSED, AND RIGHT NOW ALL WE'RE GOING OFF, OFF OF IS VERBAL. THAT IS NOT A GOOD BUSINESS DEAL. ANYTIME I, WE GO THROUGH CONTRACT LAW, YOU TALK ABOUT HAVE IT IN WRITING. ANYTIME YOU HIRE A CONTRACTOR, YOU HAVE IT IN WRITING, IF ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CLEAR ON THE WORK THAT IS TO BE DONE. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE NOT CLEAR, AND THAT IS A CONCERN FOR ME, AND I, I, I HOPE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN FOR YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AM I ALLOWED TO BRING SOMETHING TO YOU? YOU GIVE IT TO JULIE, AND SHE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET IT. THESE ARE COPIES FOR THEM. I'LL BE REFERENCING THEM. CAN THEY HAVE THEM NOW? THEY NEED TO SEE THEM WHILE I... THEY USUALLY HAVE ME PASS THEM OUT AFTER. I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO SEE THEM AS I SPEAK. IT'S JUST A SINGLE PAGE DOCUMENT. IT'S JUST A COUPLE PICTURES. IT'S MY HOUSE. SO, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR KIRKPATRICK AND MEMBERS OF OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS PAULA DELUCA, AND I LIVE AT 1555 ARDEN BEND. UH, MY HOME IS ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE LAND TO BE DEVELOPED, UH, IN DISCUSSION TONIGHT. SO MY BACKYARD FACES THAT, UH, FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. I'M HERE, I GUESS, TO FORMALLY OBJECT TO, UH, THE CITY GRANTING A WAIVER TO REDUCE THE MANDATED 50-FOOT BUFFER THAT UNDER SECTION 1123.06 OF OUR CITY ORDINANCE, UM, REQUIRES, AND THEY'D LIKE TO REDUCE THAT DOWN TO 30 FEET, 20 FEET, UH, AT, I GUESS, WORST. UM, THIS BUFFER WAS LEGALLY CODIFIED TO PROTECT PERMANENT HOMEOWNERS FROM DIRECT NUISANCES OF ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENTS. SO THERE WAS A REAL GOOD INTENTION OF PUTTING THAT INTO CODE, AND WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S CODE, [01:10:02] CODE NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED, UM, IN LIGHT OF, UH, GROWTH, UH, AND PROGRESS THAT WE ALSO KNOW AND ACCEPT THAT IS INEVITABLE. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OBJECT TO THE REMOVAL OF THE NATURAL TREE LINE THAT RUNS ADJACENT TO MY PROPERTY, UH, AS WELL AS THE INCORPORATION OF WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED AS A SOLUTION, WHICH IS A 6-FOOT VINYL FENCE, UM, THAT WOULD SIT ACTUALLY 3 FEET FROM MY PROPERTY LINE AND 3 FEET FROM MY MORE EXPENSIVE, UM, ALUMINUM BLACK FENCING THAT IS REQUIRED BY MY HOA. THE WHITE VINYL FENCE DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARDS OF OUR HOA, SO IT WOULD BE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EVEN MEET OUR, OUR BUILDING STANDARDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE THE BUFFER AS A TRADE TO THE DEVELOPER, A TRADE TO THE DEVELOPER FOR THE SQUEEZED IN EXTRA AMENITIES THEY ARE USING TO JUSTIFY THE BUFFER WAIVER, MEANT ALSO TO APPEAL TO TEMPORARY RESIDENTS IN AN APARTMENT COMMUNITY. THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS A SELF-CREATED FINANCIAL PREFERENCE, AND THAT IS IN EXCHANGE FOR OUR CODIFIED PROPERTY AND HOME VALUE PROTECTIONS THAT CODE OFFERS US. EXTRA PRIVATE AMENITIES ARE NOT A STRUCTURAL HARDSHIP THAT JUSTIFIES A ZONING WAIVER. THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS AWARE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LAND AND THE ZONING REQUIREMENTS WHEN CHOOSING TO PURCHASE IT. THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE LIMITATIONS TO LIVE WITHIN CODE. TO APPEASE THE ARDEN PLACE RESIDENTS, THE CITY STAFF AND DEVELOPER WANT TO INSTALL THIS VINYL PRIVACY FENCE. IT'S VERY UNACCEPTABLE TO US. AGAIN, IT DOESN'T COMPLY WITH ARDEN PLACE ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS. THE FENCE WILL SIT 3 FEET FROM MY PROPERTY LINE. I HAVE A POOL VERY CLOSE TO MY PROPERTY LINE THAT IS NOT ON THIS PICTURE. IT WAS JUST INSTALLED IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS. SO YOU SEE IN EXHIBIT A WHAT MY BACKYARD LOOKS LIKE BEFORE THE POOL WAS INSTALLED, AND THEN I ADDED WHAT A VINYL WHITE FENCE WOULD LOOK LIKE. WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THE PROPOSED GREENERY THAT WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING TREE LINE SITS ON THE SIDE OF THE APARTMENT SIDE. THERE IS NO GREENERY PLAN FOR MY SIDE, AND A 3-FOOT ALLOWANCE DOES NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE ROOM FOR ANY TYPE OF NICELY LANDSCAPED GREENERY, WHICH WE WOULD EXPECT BECAUSE WE NEED AESTHETICALLY A PLEASING REPLACEMENTS. SO THAT IS A SERIOUS CONCERN TO US. ALSO, EVEN IF A FENCE HAD BEEN PUT UP, WHAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT IS ROOFTOPS. WE'LL EVEN BE LOOKING AT HALF OF THE BUILDING. SO WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S A BIT MORE SUBSTANTIAL, THAT RISES ABOVE AND DOESN'T TAKE 10 YEARS TO GROW FOR FINAL SCREENING. I'M GOING TO ADD A LITTLE HUMOR. I'M 67 YEARS OLD, MY D- MOTHER DIED WHEN SHE WAS 77. I WILL BE DEAD BEFORE I B- GET TO SEE THE BEAUTY OF THE MATURE TREES. WE BOUGHT A PROPERTY TO ENJOY OUR LIFE IN RETIREMENT. OUR FULL INVESTMENTS FROM A LIFETIME OF WORKING IS IN OUR HOME, AND OUR ENTIRE HOME, OUR ENTIRE HOME IS SEEN THROUGH THIS TREE LINE. WITHOUT THAT TREE LINE, I FEEL LIKE I'LL BE LIVING IN A FISHBOWL. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SEE THAT. UM, I ALSO WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOUR VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE BUFFER AND THIS TREE LINE EXTRACTION, EXTRACTION, SHOULD IT OCCUR, UM, IT FORCES AN IMMEDIATE EXTERNAL OBSOLESCENCE ON US BECAUSE IT DESTROYS OUR BACKYARD PROPERTY AND PRIVACY. IT ELEVATES NOISE NUISANCES, WHICH ISN'T BEING TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT WILL INFLICT AN UNCOMPENSATED DIMINUTION OF PROPERTY VALUE OF UPWARDS OF 15%, WHICH FOR ME WILL EQUATE TO 60,000 TO 75,000 DOLLARS IN RESALE. THAT'S REAL MONEY. IF YOU HAVE 75 THOU- THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THROW AWAY, WRITE ME A CHECK NOW, AND THINGS CAN BE SETTLED. IF COUNCIL DOES VOTE TO APPROVE THIS WAIVER TONIGHT, YOU ARE ALSO SETTING A PRECEDENT THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPER PROFITS OUTWEIGH THE CODIFIED CITY PROTECTIONS AND THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF [01:15:01] FAIRBORN RESIDENTS. SO WE URGE YOU TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL AND THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS, AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT PUT YOU IN OFFICE, THAT YOU REPRESENT. AND KNOW THAT, IN CLOSING, YOU COULD BE SITTING IN MY HOME AND MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY IF IT ACTUALLY IMPACTS YOU. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I GAVE YOU THE PICTURE. I WOULD INVITE YOU TO COME TO OUR HOME TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT. NO ONE HAS COME TO VISIT YET. SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME MAKE COMMENTS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DENNY TAYLOR. I LIVE AT ARDEN WAY ON HEATHGATE 1165. UM, I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT BOTH THOSE LADIES SAID. I SUPPORT BOTH OF THOSE STANCE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF LATE GREEN SPACE TO GET THE ROOM YOU NEED RATHER THAN TAKE ITEM. I AGREE WITH NOT GIVING THEM A VARIANCE DOWN TO 35 FEET. BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ADD ABOUT THE TRAFFIC THAT'S BEING ADDED TO, BECAUSE THERE IS THE HIGH SCHOOL THERE NOW WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC. WE'RE BRINGING IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS GOING TO BRING MORE TRAFFIC WITH PARENTS DELIVERING THEIR KIDS AND MORE SCHOOL BUSES, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BRING 114 FAMILIES RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEM, AND WE HAVE NO ACCESS IN ARDEN PLACE TO GET OUT BUT COMMERCE CENTER. WE ARE LANDLOCKED. WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO AVOID ALL THAT TRAFFIC IN THE MORNING AND IN THE AFTERNOON. SO, AND AGAIN, WE WERE PROMISED AN EXIT TO TREBEIN WHEN WE SIGNED ON WITH FISHER, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM. THEY CHANGED IT. WE'RE DEALING WITH IT, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US TOO. AND A TRAFFIC STUDY ON JUST THOSE 114 UNITS MAY NOT WARRANT ANYTHING, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON ON THAT STREET, I THINK IT IS GOING TO MATTER A LOT TO PEOPLE WHEN WE TRY TO GET OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS DANIELLE SHANLEY. I LIVE AT 1567 ARDEN BEND. UM, WE'VE BROUGHT UP THE ORDINANCE AND THE 50-FOOT BUFFER QUITE A FEW TIMES, UM, AND SORT OF SKIRTED AROUND THE IDEA, UM, THAT FISHER BROUGHT TO US WHEN PURCHASING THESE HOMES. UH, FISHER LOOKED AT SECTION 1123.06 OF THE FAIRBORN ORDINANCES, AND THAT REQUIRES A 50-FOOT BUFFER IN BETWEEN PROPERTIES LIKE THIS. AND SO WHEN SELLING OUR LOTS TO US, THEY TOLD US OF THIS AND AND AND UM, THAT'S WHY MANY OF US WERE PURCHASING THESE HOMES IS BECAUSE WE KNEW EVEN IF SOMETHING WAS BUILT THERE, WE WOULD HAVE THAT BUFFER. UM, SO I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS FISHER THAT LIED TO US OR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY WERE TELLING US THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR ORDINANCES, AND THAT'S WHY WE MADE THESE DECISIONS. UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE WAIVER PROCESS IS FROM OUR END SO FAR. IT'S LOOKED LIKE ALL THEY HAVE TO SAY IS WE WANT A WAIVER, AND IT HAPPENED. UM, SO WE WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO THINK MORE ABOUT THE 50-FOOT BUFFER. UH, WHEN WE DO BRING IT UP, YOU KNOW, HE DID MENTION, THE DEVELOPER, THAT, UH, WELL, IF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A 50-FOOT BUFFER, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO BUILD A 3-STORY APARTMENT. AND, UH, I DON'T THINK OF THEM AS ENEMIES OR OPPOSITION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THAT DOES FEEL A LITTLE LIKE A THREAT TO US HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO LIVE OUR LIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK TO RESOLUTION 42-26. OKAY, SEEING NO ONE ELSE COME FORWARD, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR QUESTIONS. AND KATHLEEN, IF YOU WOULD, THERE YOU GO, THANK YOU. YES. AND WE'LL START COUNCIL QUESTIONS WITH COUNCILMAN DODD. I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, KATHLEEN. THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION AND, UH, THE READ AHEAD ON ALL THE DOCUMENTS. SO, THANK YOU. KATHLEEN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UH, THOSE WATCHING AT HOME AND THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS FOR BETWEEN US APPROVING A PRELIMINARY PLAN AND THEN A FINAL PLAN? YES. UM, SO WITH THIS SITE, UM, SO THIS IS, UM, THE PRELIMINARY PUD PLAN. ANY PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT HAS A [01:20:02] PRELIMINARY PLAN AND A FINAL PLAN. SO THE PRELIMINARY PLAN IS REALLY ABOUT THE OVERALL USE, AS WELL AS ROADS AND BUILDINGS, KIND OF WHERE THINGS ARE LOCATED. THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN, UH, AND SO THE PRELIMINARY PLAN IS WHAT GOES BEFORE PLANNING BOARD, AND IT GOES BEFORE COUNCIL FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. UM, ONCE THE PRELIMINARY PLAN IS APPROVED, WHICH SAYS THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE'RE TAKING THIS DEVELOPMENT, THEN, UH, A DEVELOPMENT THEN GOES BACK TO PLANNING BOARD FOR PRELIMINARY, I'M SORRY, A FINAL PUD PLAN APPROVAL, WHICH REALLY SHOWS THE DETAILS TO SAY, THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE EACH TREE IS GOING TO BE PLANTED. THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE, UM, EACH FIRE HYDRANT IS GOING TO BE LOCATED. WHAT ARE THE, IT DETAILS OUT THE WIDTHS OF WHAT THOSE STREETS ARE AND THE WIDTHS OF WHAT DRIVEWAYS ARE, AND, UM, IT J- IT JUST PROVIDES ALL OF THE DETAIL THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THAT PRELIMINARY PLAN. SO, DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION? OKAY. YEAH. I- I- I THINK MY POINT TO THAT WAS JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT JUST BECAUSE WE APPROVE A PRELIMINARY PLAN, IT'S JUST THAT, IT'S JUST PRELIMINARY. IT STILL HAS TO, IT'S GOING THROUGH THIS NEGOTIATION PROCESS, AND IT'S STILL GONNA COME BACK TO PLANNING BOARD, WHO ARE GONNA VOTE ON THE FINAL PLAN, AND THAT'S WHEN THEY START TURNING DIRT, UH, SO TO SPEAK. UH, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S A LOT THAT I CAN PERSONALLY SAY TO EASE SOME OF THE RESIDENTS' CONCERNS THAT ARE GOING ON DOWN THERE, EXCEPT TO SAY I HAVE SPENT, UH, A TERM OR TWO ON THE PLANNING BOARD. WE RECEIVED A LOT OF VERY GOOD TRAINING. IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED, CUMBERSOME PROCESS THAT'S NOT RUBBER STAMPED, AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE FACT THAT THEY TABLED THIS, AND THEY'VE HAD MANY A MEETINGS, UH, CONCERNING THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT. SO PLEASE DON'T WALK AWAY FROM HERE TODAY DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR VOTE IS AND THINKING THAT WE'RE RUBBER STAMPING EVERYTHING, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF READ-AHEADS, A LOT OF TRAINING, A LOT OF THOUGHT WENT INTO THIS PROCESS BEFORE WE MAKE OUR VOTE TONIGHT. UH, AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE THAT CAME FORWARD AND LISTED YOUR CONCERNS. I TOO HAVE LIVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, BEING PRIOR MILITARY AND MOVING AROUND A LOT. I'VE LIVED IN STATES THAT HAD ZERO LOT LINES, SO I WAS STANDING ON MY PORCH, TOUCHING MY HOUSE AND MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. UH, I'VE LIVED IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS IN DC THAT WORKED REALLY, REALLY GOOD IN DC. UH, AND MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT WE'RE PAYING HERE, BY THE WAY. UM, SO I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE TO ADD THAN WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY, UM, STATED, WHICH IS, IS, IS HOW THINGS WORK AND WHAT WE DO HERE AND HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS ON, ON WHAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US. SO I STAND BEHIND WHAT THEY SAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE NOTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION. UM, THE, THE JUST THERE'S A DISCUSSION OF LIKE A WAIVER. WHAT, SO THE 50 FEET, CAN YOU JUST LIKE GO OVER THAT PART AGAIN TO ME? LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS THE 50 FEET AND THEN WHAT IS... SO IN OUR PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT, THERE'S A LIST OF STANDARDS, AND ONE OF THOSE STANDARDS IS A LANDSCAPE BUMP. UM, IT CALLS OUT A 50-FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER WHEN THERE'S A S- MORE INTENSE USE, FOR INSTANCE, FOR MULTIFAMILY VERSUS SINGLE FAMILY. UM, AND THEN IT ALSO SPECIFICALLY POINTS OUT THAT THERE IS A WAIVER THAT PLANNING BOARD CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE, UM, TO THAT 50-FOOT BUFFER IF THERE ARE, IF THIS PROVIDES GREATER FLEXIBILITY, MORE AMENITIES, IT GIVES SOME SPECIAL CONDITIONS ON THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR, UH, SPECIFICALLY A WAIVER, UM, THAT CAN BE GRANTED BY PLANNING BOARD. SO THAT'S WHERE THIS 50-FOOT LANDSCAPE BUFFER, NOW THIS LANDSCAPING, IT DOES NOT DESCRIBE WHAT THAT NEEDS TO BE. THAT COULD BE ALL GRASS, THAT COULD NOT HAVE A SINGLE TREE. SO IT DOESN'T GO INTO SPECIFICS AND LIST THAT OUT SPECIFICALLY, IT JUST TALKS ABOUT THIS 50-FOOT BUFFER. UM, AND SO I THINK AS STAFF, WE KNEW THAT THE BUFFER WAS LESS THAN 50 FEET, UM, BUT DID THINK THAT THIS OVERALL DEVELOPMENT, UM, PROVIDED, I THINK, JUST A GREATER COMMUNITY THAN OTHER OPTIONS THAT MAY HAVE THAT 50-FOOT BUFFER. SO, IF THAT PROVIDE AN ANSWER. YEAH, THANK YOU. AND, UM, IS THE 50-FOOT BUFFER MEANT TO BE AROUND THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, LIKE FROM THE F- IF IT YOU'RE, SAY YOU'RE IT'S FROM THE THE STREET FROM WHERE, FROM, SAY FROM COMMERCE CENTER. IS IT ALSO FROM, FROM THERE? IT'S WOULDN'T BE FROM COMMERCE CENTER, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE FROM THOSE ADJACENT USES. IT TALKS ABOUT ADJACENT USES. SO NOT LIKE THE STREET FACING. RIGHT. [01:25:01] I SEE. UM. CAN YOU, FOR, FOR PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THIS IN YOUR MIND, I BET YOU DO OR COULD EASILY. UM, HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO, LIKE, THE CHANNING WAY APARTMENTS THAT ARE OVER BEHIND KROGER? UM, I JUST, I MEAN, LIKE, I HAVE A SENSE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, OF RIGHT. LIKE THEY'VE BEEN THERE SO LONG, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN SPACE. IS THAT I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. I'D HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP. PLANNER, LIKE, OH YEAH. THAT WAS, UH, YEAH, DEFINITELY. IF, IF I WAS A PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT CAME IN, THEN I, I MIGHT KNOW THAT ANSWER RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I DO NOT. OKAY, ALL RIGHT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY, I, I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON TONIGHT IS A PRELIMINARY PLAN. CORRECT. IT'S NOT THE FINAL. CORRECT. SO PLEASE DON'T ANYBODY WALK OUT OF HERE, DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY THIS VOTE GOES, THINKING THIS IS IT. IT'S NOT. THIS, THIS IS WE'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS, AND I APPRECIATE THE DEVELOPER BEING HERE. UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED THE, THE VARIATIONS YOU'VE ALREADY DECIDED ON, UM, THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT THERE MAY BE MORE. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M LEANING TOWARDS, IS WHAT, WHAT COULD SOME OF THE OTHER VARIATIONS BE TO MEET THE CURRENT ARDEN RESIDENTS' DESIRES AND CONCERNS. UM, AS THE MAYOR, I, I'M TRY TO MEET WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. I MEET WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS, AND I FREQUENTLY ASK THEM, WHAT ARE YOUR DESIRES FOR THE CITY OF FAIRBORN? AND CONSISTENTLY, WHAT I HEAR FROM YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, COLLEGE STUDENTS ALSO, IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOUSING IN THEIR COMMUNITY BEING AFFORDABLE, AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THIS HOUSING, TO SOME DEGREE, ADDRESSES SOME OF THAT. THIS IS NOT HIGH-END, UM, MILLION DOLLAR VILLAS THAT WE'RE BUILDING THERE. SO THIS DOES ADDRESS THAT. I'VE ASKED A NUMBER OF THE STUDENTS, AND I ASKED ONE JUST LAST WEEK DURING UNITY DAY, I WAS TALKING TO SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, KNOWING THAT THIS WAS COMING UP FOR DISCUSSION, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ACROSS THE STREET, UM, IN THAT 15 ACRES. AND WHAT, WHAT SURPRISED ME, THEY WANT RESTAURANTS. THEY, SEVERAL OF THEM SAID, WE'D LIKE A PLACE TO GO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL WHERE WE COULD ALL HANG OUT. AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE USED TO DO THAT TO GO STUDY. WE'D ALL PULL OUR QUARTERS, DIMES, AND NICKELS BY A BIG PLATE OF FRENCH FRIES, AND WE'D ALL PASS AROUND THE FRENCH FRIES, AND WE WOULD STUDY. AND I'M SEEING SOME SHAKING HEADS. I'M ASSUMING OTHERS HAVE DONE THAT ALSO. WELL, SEVERAL OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAID THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE ACROSS THE STREET IN THAT 15 ACRES, IS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS. NOW, THE CONCERN THERE IS THAT'S GOING TO DRIVE A LOT MORE TRAFFIC IF RESTAURANTS WERE TO GO IN THERE. SO, TO ME, THIS IS A, A VIABLE OPTION IF WE CAN ADDRESS THE CONCERNS. IF WE CAN DO THINGS ABOUT THAT WHITE VINYL FENCE, IF WE CAN DO THINGS ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE SIGHTLINE ISSUES AND, AND, AND THE, THE GREENERY THAT THEY'RE OFFERING TO PUT IN THERE. UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PRELIMINARY VOTE. THIS IS NOT THE FINAL VOTE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROGRESS TO SEE WHERE IT COULD GO AND WHAT, IF BOTH SIDES CAN GIVE AND TAKE A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS NEEDS TO BE, IS NEGOTIATED. SO I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATIONS FROM THE DEVELOPER. I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM THE RESIDENTS, AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR THOSE COMMENTS. AND SHOULD THIS PASS TONIGHT, THAT THERE BE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE THINGS. BECAUSE IF THE HOUSING DOESN'T GO IN THERE, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU MAY END UP WITH. IT MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE, AND IT COULD BE SEVERAL RESTAURANTS WITH LARGE TRAFFIC, UM, SO THAT COULD BE A TRAFFIC CONCERN ALSO. I TOO, I LIVE NEAR THERE, UM, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ALL THE TRAFFIC WITH THE SU- THE TWO SCHOOLS. THE HIGH SCHOOL TRAFFIC DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE NEARLY AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD A MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE IN ANOTHER YEAR, SO THAT COULD BE MORE. WE ADD SOME MORE HOUSING, THAT COULD BE MORE. WE'LL SEE. I WANT TO HEAR, AGAIN, DEPENDING ON HOW THE VOTE GOES TONIGHT, WHERE COULD WE GO WITH THIS TO TRY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF BOTH? UM, WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO SEE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN FAIRBORN. THAT'S 15 ACRES. IT- IT'S NOT GOING TO SIT EMPTY. IT'S GOING TO BECOME SOMETHING. UM, 15 ACRES IN THAT KIND OF A LOCATION ISN'T GOING TO SIT EMPTY. SOME DEVELOPER WILL COME IN, AND IF IT'S NOT HOUSING, WHO KNOWS WHAT IT COULD BE. SO, JUST MY THOUGHTS. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK IN IN IN PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME UP AND SPOKE FROM BOTH SIDES. UM, LET'S SEE [01:30:02] WHERE THIS GOES. ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS? NO. OKAY. OKAY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, KATHLEEN. OKAY, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 42-26? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. JULIE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MS. REASTER? YES. MR. DODD? YES. MISS CHESS? YES. MR. MCCUBBINS? YES. MISS STANTON? NO. MR. KIRKPATRICK? YES. RESOLUTION 42-26 IS DULY ADOPTED. THANK YOU FOR, AGAIN, EVERYBODY WHO CAME FORWARD, AND LET'S SEE WHERE THIS GOES. OKAY, NOW WE WILL OPEN CITIZENS' COMMENTS. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME FORWARD, PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. [VII. Citizens Comments] PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO 5 MINUTES. HELLO, MAYOR, COUNCIL. BRADLEY HENRICH, 32 LAWNDALE, ONCE AGAIN. UM, THE COMMENTS I HAVE JUST MORE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE. I SEE THAT WE GOT MORE HOUSING COMING IN. UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE HOUSING ON THE 2047 BEAVER VALLEY DUPLEX FOR THAT WHOLE PUD DEVELOPMENT. UH, SO HEARING THIS WITH THE GRAY WOLF AND THE HOUSING THAT'S BEING BUILT, WE GOT APARTMENTS TRYING TO BE BUILT BEHIND MY HOUSE. IT SEEMS LIKE WE DO NEED MORE HOUSING. WE DO NEED MORE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE. AFFORDABLE, I GET. I'M NOT GONNA LISTEN TO THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS RESPECTFULLY ON WHAT THEY WANT, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR 20 YEARS. I KNOW WHAT I WANT. UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEED QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, AND FAIRBORN IS A NICE TOWN. I'M TIRED OF SEEING VERTICAL STRUCTURES GO UP. IF WE HAD AN ACTUAL COUNCIL OR A BOARD THAT ACTUALLY DICTATED WHAT COULD BE PLACED ON THE LAND, NOT JUST EVERYTHING BEING WAIVERED OFF AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE PUT THERE. WE NEED TO HAVE A SET GUIDELINES ON WHAT, WHAT IS STRI- OR WHAT IS A STRICT GUIDELINES, WHAT CAN BE BUILT THERE, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET WAIVERS, THE 50-FOOT BUFFER, 20-FOOT BUFFER. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD 20 FEET FOR THE BEAVER VALLEY DEVELOPMENT, AND NOW I'M HERE IN A 50 FOOT BUFFER, SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THAT ALL WORKS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE FOR WHAT LITTLE LAND WE DO HAVE HERE IN FAIRBORN, WE NEED LIKE A SET OF STRICT RULES. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD HERE, WE HAVE LAND TO BUILD. IT'S FAIRLY CHEAP, BUT THESE ARE OUR RULES. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE EVERYBODY WAIVERS AND TRY TO BUILD WHATEVER YOU WANT. WE WANT QUALITY HOMES. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, BRAD. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL, PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. UH, GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR, UH, MR. GEBHART. UH, MY NAME IS KIM MCCARTHY. I LIVE AT 2525 STEWART ROAD IN SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP, UM, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM A CANDIDATE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 70, THAT INCLUDES THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. UM, SO, UH, YEAH, CONSIDERING, UM, UH, IT'S THE FASTEST GROWING CITY HERE IN GREENE COUNTY, AND OUR HEADQUARTERS FOR OUR PARTY IS HERE. UM, I AM DEFINITELY DEDICATED TO HELPING FAIRBORN, UH, BE AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH ME TO, UH, TALK ABOUT HOW THE STATE GOVERNMENT CAN HELP FAIRBORN BE AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? KEVIN NEPP, 1290 HORIZON DRIVE. UM, I TOLD THE CHIEF WILLIAMS AND UH, CHIEF ROMAN TODAY HOW WONDERFUL THE 9/11 MEMORIAL CEREMONY WAS. LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, WE DIDN'T HAVE A GUEST SPEAKER, BUT WE HAD A GREAT, UM, FAIRBORN ORCHESTRA TO GIVE YOU TIME TO COMMEMORATE YOURSELF AND AND THINK ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS. I MEAN, MANY GUEST SPEAKERS S- SAY SO, WE ALL SAY THE SAME THING SOMETIMES. THAT GIVES YOU TIME TO, WITH WITH THE WONDERFUL MUSIC, TO SIT BACK AND REALLY REMEMBER. SO I THINK THAT WAS GREAT AND WONDERFUL, AND I APPRECIATED THAT. UM, NUMBER 2 IS, UM, WA- GET ON THE PENNY BANDWAGON HERE, UM, HAVING BEEN ON BOARDS AND CITY COUNCIL AND KNOW HOW GREAT SHE WORKS, AND AS A MAN [01:35:01] IN A RED SUIT, I KNOW ABOUT NICE, AND SHE'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. THANK YOU, MR. CLAUS. THAT WAS GOOD, KEVIN, THAT WAS GOOD. OKAY, ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL? JIMMY BAKER, 427 GRANT STREET. WISH I COULD HAVE SAID THIS WHEN PENNY WAS HERE, BUT ANYWAY, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS BECAUSE I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING PENNY AND DEALING WITH HER, WITH CITY HALL OVER THE YEARS. PENNY, I KNOW SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT YOU'VE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST POLITE, KIND, PROFESSIONAL, AND GENUINELY PLEASANT PEOPLE I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED AT CITY HALL. MIKE, I JUST KIDDING. UM, AND THERE'S THERE'S SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS, UH, THAT I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I WOULD CALL CITY HALL, AND WHEN PENNY WOULD ANSWER THE PHONE, I HEARD HER VOICE, AND I COULD IMMEDIATELY PICTURE HER FACE AND THAT SMILE. I HONESTLY JUST, AND HONESTLY, JUST HEARING HER VOICE WOULD PUT A SMILE ON MY FACE. I NEVER KNEW WHAT KIND OF DAY SHE WAS HAVING BECAUSE SHE NEVER MADE IT, MADE YOU FEEL LIKE SHE WAS HAVING A BAD DAY. SHE WAS ALWAYS HAPPY, ALWAYS JOYFUL, ALWAYS POLITE, ALWAYS PROFESSIONAL. THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE MATTERS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH A SIMPLE SMILE, PROFESSIONAL OR PLEASANT VOICE, OR TREATING SOMEONE WITH KINDNESS CAN MEAN TO THEM. PENNY, YOU HAVE REPRESENTED THE CITY OF FAIRBORN EXTREMELY WELL. YOU HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO MADE COMING TO CITY HALL OR CALLING CITY HALL A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. THANK YOU FOR THE WAY YOU HAVE TREATED PEOPLE, AND THANK YOU FOR THE POSITIVE ATTITUDE THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO CITY HALL. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE NEXT, I HOPE YOU ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF YOUR RETIREMENT. YOU'VE EARNED IT. ENJOY YOUR FAMILY, ENJOY YOUR TIME, ENJOY THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE. CONGRATULATIONS, PENNY, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE CITY OF FAIRBORN. YOU'LL BE CERTAINLY MISSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JIMMY. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL, PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. OKAY, SEEING NO ONE ELSE COME FORWARD, WE WILL CLOSE CITIZENS' COMMENTS AND MOVE ON TO CITY MANAGER COMMENTS. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL, AND EVERYONE, UH, [VIII. City Manager Comments] IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT. UH, JUST A FEW THINGS. UH, I AGREE WITH MR. KNAPP. THE 9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY WAS OUTSTANDING. WOULD LIKE TO THANK WRIGHT STATE FOR HOSTING, UH, AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, CHIEF WILLIAMS AND CHIEF ROMAN FOR HEADING UP, UM, OUR EFFORTS ON THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR. IT WAS OUTSTANDING THIS YEAR. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH, UH, GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, AND HAVING THE FAIRBORN CIVIC BAND THERE, UH, ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY WAS, WAS SPECIAL. UM, KUDOS TO ALL OF THEM. UH, MANY OF THEM HAD TO TAKE WORK OFF TO BE WITH US. UM, AND I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEM COME BACK NEXT YEAR. UM, AS MR. KNAPP SAID, UM, SPEECHES ARE NICE. UH, THAT WAS OUTSTANDING. SO, UH, DONNA, IF YOU WOULD PASS ALONG TO GARY AND TO THE BAND. UH, WE HAVE A GEM IN THE FAIRBORN CIVIC BAND. THEY ARE OUTSTANDING AMBASSADORS FOR THIS CITY. THEY ARE EXCELLENT WHAT THEY DO, AND THEY BRING SMILES TO EVERYONE'S FACES TOO. UM, SO KUDOS TO THEM. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM BACK. UM, THEY ARE, IN MY MIND, THEY'RE ALWAYS, UH, SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, AND NOBODY THINKS OF IT THAT WAY. SO, UM, AGAIN, TO OUR PARKS AND REC, UH, TEAM, OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM, OUR CHIEFS, OUR PUBLIC S- UH, SAFETY OFFICIALS, UM, THANKS FOR, FOR, FOR EVERYTHING FOR THAT 9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. HERE WARREN AND AIR FORCE MARATHON. UH, WE GOT THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEKEND, UM, MINUS THE CAR SHOW. UH, AGAIN, OUTSTANDING EVENT ON FRIDAY NIGHT. WE'RE WAITING FOR THE PLACER AI NUMBERS, BUT I DO BELIEVE THEY WILL BE SIMILAR OR OR LARGER THAN LAST YEAR. UM, WELL, UM, WELL DONE PERFORMANCE BY THE BAND. UH, EXCELLENT JOB DONE BY OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, PARKS AND REC, WHO WHO RUN ALL OF THAT, AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM. AND AND CAN'T LEAVE OUT CODE ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE [01:40:01] BEFORE ANY EVENT DOWNTOWN, CODE ENFORCEMENT'S DOWN THERE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, IT'S CLEANED UP AND READY TO GO. SO THANKS TO A MULTITUDE OF DEPARTMENTS FOR THAT. THE CAR SHOW, UH, WAS RAINED OUT, SO THE CAR SHOW IS RESCHEDULED FOR THIS WEEKEND, UH, SUNDAY THE 27TH. HEELS FOR HEROES IS STILL AT 1 O'CLOCK. UM, CAN'T SAY ENOUGH, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT ALL OF THAT, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO THAT OCCURRING. AND OTHER THAN THAT, EXCEPT FOR ONE LAST COMMENT ABOUT PENNY, UM, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT. UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RECEPTION BETWEEN 11 AND 1 ON THE 30TH, WHICH IS HER LAST OFFICIAL DAY HERE IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SWING BY AND SAY HELLO TO HER AND HAVE MORE CAKE, NOT THE SAME CAKE, MORE CAKE, UM, WE WILL HAVE MORE CAKE ON, ON THE 30TH, BUT ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO, TO SWING BY AND SAY HI, UM, PLEASE DO SO AGAIN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH FROM 11 TO 1 IN THE FIRE TRAINING ROOM OF THE BUILDING WHERE WE HOLD, UM, OUR, OUR WORK SESSIONS. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING, YOUR HONOR. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON [IX. Council Comments] TO COUNCIL COMMENTS, STARTING WITH COUNCILWOMAN CHESS. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE ON TONIGHT. UH, IT, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE FACES THAT WE CAN LOOK AT OUT THERE AND, AND SAY HELLO TO. UM, I'M SO GLAD TO KNOW THAT EVERYTHING WENT WELL THIS, UH, THIS, UH, WEEKEND, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, MINUS THE CAR SHOW. UM, FAIRBORN IS UNIQUE. FAIRBORN HAS A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HERE, AND, UH, WHAT REALLY IMPRESSES ME IS WHEN I SEE YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE THE YOUNG MAN THAT'S SITTING BACK HERE IN THE BACK. HE SHOWS UP BECAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO LEARN. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET INVOLVED. I'M JUST TRYING TO REALLY DO SOME THINGS. AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, UM, FOR SHARING THAT WITH ME, OR THAT'S WHAT I GOT OUT OF IT. OKAY, AND THANKS FOR SHARING THAT WITH ME ON TONIGHT, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS AND IN THIS SPACE, BECAUSE YOU ARE NEEDED. AND SO I HOPE YOU SPREAD THE WORD AROUND TO YOUR FRIENDS THAT, THAT WE NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO, UH, ACTUALLY GET INVOLVED, WHETHER IT'S, UH, WHERE WE'RE SITTING UP HERE OR WHETHER IT'S JUST COMMUNITY SERVICE. WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE, SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR, UH... AND THERE WAS ANOTHER YOUNG MAN HERE EARLIER THAT, UH, ACTUALLY SAID THE SAME THING, AND I MET HIM LAST YEAR AT THE JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL WITH HIS CHILDREN, AND HE WAS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME AS WELL, AND HE SAID THE SAME EXACT THING, THAT HE WANTED TO GET INVOLVED, AND HE WANTED TO DO MORE IN FAIRBORN. SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. COMMUNITY SERVICE IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVERYONE IS SITTING UP HERE THAT I KNOW OF, WE ALL PARTICIPATE IN SOME SORT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND ABROAD AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I REALLY DO THINK THAT PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE, UH, WHAT WE DO. WE D- WE JUST DON'T JUST SIT HERE. WE DO OTHER THINGS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND MAKE FAIRBORN A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UM, I COULD SAY ALL THINGS PENNY TODAY, UH, THIS EVENING, UM, AND TO THE 30TH OF THIS MONTH, WHICH IS MY BIRTHDAY. AND SO I'M GRATEFUL TO BE HERE, AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT HER LAST DAY IS ON MY BIRTHDAY BECAUSE SHE'S SPECIAL TO ME. AND, UH, I'M GRATEFUL TO BE HERE ANYWAY AFTER, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH HEALTH-WISE, AND THAT, UH, GOD HAS BLESSED ME TO BE HERE YET AGAIN, ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER YEAR. UM, EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN FAIRBORN, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. AND WHETHER THAT'S GOING DOWNTOWN AND VISITING THE STORES DOWN THERE AND PATRONIZING THOSE STORES, OR EITHER JUST PICKING UP TRASH, OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN FAIRBORN THAT DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND SO I'M NOT GONNA NAME THEM OFF BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM, BUT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE. AND SO WE JUST CERTAINLY HOPE THAT YOU ALL, UM, TAKE UP THE BANNER AND JUST MOVE FORWARD AND DO, DO GREAT THINGS IN THIS TOWN TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE AND MORE, UM, INVITING FOR EVERYONE TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, I HAD A REALLY LONG LIST. I WAS, I WAS PULLING A CLINT ALLEN TONIGHT, BUT IT'S 8:04, SO I'M GONNA PARE IT DOWN FOR YOU. UM, SO SITTING HERE THINKING, UM, ABOUT A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE THINGS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON, A LOT OF THE CHANGE, AND CHANGE IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, WHETHER IT'S IN OUR BACKYARD OR IT'S ACROSS THE STREET OR IT'S DOWN THE ROAD. UM, ON THAT SAME TOKEN, YOU SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SOCIALS ABOUT, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A TARGET, WE DON'T HAVE THIS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT. IT TAKES A LOT OF COMMUNITY FOR A BIG FACILITY TO WANT TO COME HERE. AND SO, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE. AND YES, IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE. I LIVE [01:45:01] ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FORMER BAKER SITE. AT SOME POINT, SOMETHING IS GOING TO BE DEVELOPED THERE, AND I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO LIKE IT. UM, BUT THE REALITY IS WE ARE GROWING. WE ARE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AS A COMMUNITY, AND AS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL, AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY, SPEAKING, I THINK, FOR EVERYBODY SITTING ON COUNCIL, WE TAKE THESE DECISIONS VERY SERIOUSLY. THEY'RE NOT RUBBER STAMPED. UH, WE THINK ABOUT THEM, WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT, AND YES, UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GIVE VARIANCES IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE AND BRING FORTH SOMETHING GOOD. SO, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF BIG GOVERNMENT. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF HEAVY HANDS AND OVERREACHING. I DO THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME RULES AND REGULATION, BUT WHEN YOU GET TOO BIG AND TOO DEMANDING ON YOUR RULES, YOU STIFLE GROWTH, AND WE'RE NOT THERE. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE NEWS TODAY, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE THINGS TO GO ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GOING TO GREATLY IMPACT US IN AMAZING WAYS. AND SO WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO SHIFT AND PIVOT AT ANY MOMENT. SO THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY ON THAT. UM, 9/11, UM, I- I CAN'T REITERATE EVERYBODY THAT I TALKED TO AT THE CONCLUSION, UM, THE BEST YET. HANDS DOWN, THE MOST INCREDIBLE, UM, AMAZING, WONDERFUL CEREMONY, AND HATS OFF TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. UM, LET'S SEE, UM, THE, THE AIR FORCE MARATHON, SO THEY BROUGHT THE HALF MARATHON THROUGH DOWNTOWN, IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE. UM, IF YOU WERE AWARE AND YOU WERE DOWNTOWN, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE VIBE IT WAS TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THE DANCE TEAMS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS DOWN THERE, UM, THE FAMILY, EVERYBODY JUST CHEERING EVERYBODY ON. THE SIGNS WERE HILARIOUS. UM, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. I THINK I READ 18 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES REPRESENTING 50 DIFFERENT STATES. IT'S JUST AN AMAZING, AMAZING THING TO JUST STAND THERE AND TAKE IT ALL IN. SO HATS OFF TO EVERYBODY CITYWIDE THAT PARTICIPATED, TO WRIGHT PAT AND THEIR TEAM, EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED. IT WAS JUST AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL DAY. UM, AND THEN BOUNCING AROUND, SORRY. UM, CLASS OF 1996, WE JUST HAD OUR 30TH CLASS REUNION. I DON'T KNOW HOW, BECAUSE I'M ONLY 29, BUT, UM, SO WE TOOK A, WE TOOK A TOUR OF THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL. FOR SOME OF YOU, THAT'S THE PARK HILLS HIGH SCHOOL. FOR US, IT WAS JUST THE HIGH SCHOOL, FAIRBORN HIGH SCHOOL. UM, AND THEN WE WENT OVER AND WE TOOK A TOUR OF THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE HAD PEOPLE COME FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND THE CHICAGOLAND AREA, AND FROM ALL OVER, AND TO JUST STAND BACK AND WATCH THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY GREW UP IN AND THAT THEY GRADUATED FROM TO WHAT THEY SEE NOW, AND THE PROGRESS AND THE GROWTH IS SO PROUD, MAKES ME SO PROUD, UH, TO SEE THAT. AND EVEN TO BE A PART OF IT, WHETHER IT'S AS A RESIDENT OR AS A FORMER CITY COUNCIL OR AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR A FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. WE SEE SO MANY COMPLAINTS, BUT LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE 30 YEARS AGO AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE IN 5 YEARS, IN 10 YEARS. LIKE, IT IS SUCH A GREAT TIME TO BE IN FAIRBORN. SO, UM, THE LAST BIT ON THE CLASS OF 1996, UM, AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, THREW TOGETHER A, UM, A LEGACY CHALLENGE TO MY, UH, MY PEERS, AND WE RAISED 1,996 DOLLARS FOR THE CLASS OF 1996. WE WILL BE DONATING, DONATING THAT TO SHOES FOR THE SHOELESS, WHO HAS BEEN SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT THEM WITH A BIG CHECK. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE, UM, ISSUED THE CHALLENGE TO ALL OF THE UPCOMING, UM, CLASS REUNIONS TO, TO DO THE SAME AND DO A LEGACY PROJECT OF YOUR OWN. SO, UH, CLASS OF 90- 1996 IS LEADING THE WAY, AND I WANT TO SEE YOU OUTDO US. SO, UM, ONE LAST THING, UM, WE HAD A, UH, WE HAD A TRAGIC SITUATION IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THIS PAST WEEKEND, UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY HATS OFF TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, POLICE, FIRE, UH, WE ALSO HAD SUPPORT FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME CRITICISM ONLINE ABOUT NOT DOING PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, YOUR FOCUS WAS TAKING CARE OF THOSE INJURED, THOSE INVOLVED, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE, [01:50:02] THE PERSON WAS APPREHENDED. SO I DO NOT CRITICIZE YOU. MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU FOR YOUR WORK. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA SPARE YOU THE REST OF MY SPIEL. THERE WAS MORE? THERE WAS MORE, BUT I SCRATCHED IT OUT. 1, 2, 03, SHE SAID SHE 4, 5, I SCRATCHED OUT 5 THINGS. YOU'RE WELCOME. GOD, OH MY GOD. SHE SAID. YOU COULD HAVE KEPT GOING. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. UM, I GUESS I, I HAVE A QUESTION. DID THE FEB THING PASS? THE REST OF THE- NO. NOPE. OH, COME ON. I'M JUST KIDDING. ALL RIGHT. I NEEDED TO KNOW THAT, BECAUSE I WANT TO THANK MIKE FOR, UM, TH- THERE WAS A SLOW, A SLOW, TWISTED START TO GETTING THE SUSTAINABILITY STUFF GOING, UM, BUT THEN MIKE GOT INVOLVED AND, UM, JOINED THE, GAVE SOME LEADERSHIP ATTENDING THE FAIRBORN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS, AND I FEEL LIKE NOW IT'S ON A GOOD PATH. WE'VE STARTED TO SEE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE TEAM MADE GET PUT INTO PLACE, UM, AND SOME TRAININGS DONE THAT WERE RECOMMENDED. SO, MIKE, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP WITH THAT, UM, ON THAT TOPIC THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR ME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, SO THANKS. UM, SYLVIA, WHO KNEW WE HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY? HMM. OH. YEAH. HOW ABOUT THAT? UM, WHAT ELSE? UM, I'VE ALREADY SAID MANY NICE THINGS ABOUT PENNY. UM, I PROBABLY WILL EVER FOR THE REST OF MY... THERE WAS THIS REALLY... NO, SHE WAS, SHE'S AMAZING. UM, TRYING TO THINK. I GUESS I JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE RECORD, SOMETIMES I SAY THIS, IF I EVER VOTE NO ON SOMETHING, IT'S, UH, IT'S NEVER, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DON'T RESPECT THE STAFF. I THINK WE HAVE A VERY PROFESSIONAL STAFF, AND THEY DO THEIR BEST ON THIS ONE. I JUST HAD A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING. SO ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE HERE AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND SINCE IT PASSED, I DO, I MEAN, I DO HAVE FAITH THAT THEY ARE GOING TO WORK REALLY HARD ON THAT, UM, TO WORK WITH THAT COMMUNITY WHERE THE APARTMENT'S COMING UP AGAINST THE RESIDENTIAL TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AS NICE A BARRIER AS THERE CAN BE. UM, AND THANKS FOR EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ME DONE. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE. IT'S ALL, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT'S NICE TO SEE PEOPLE OUT IN THE PUBLIC, AND WE DO, AS WAS TALKED EARLIER, SOME OF THE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE ARE NOT PLEASANT, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE THEM, AND THEY ARE, WE REALLY DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. THE STAFF SENDS US A LOT OF DOCUMENTS ON EVERY ITEM THAT WE VOTE ON, SO WE, WE ARE VERY AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. UM, I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE COMMENTS. UM, I TOO LIVED IN AN AREA WHERE IT WAS ALL WOODED. THERE'S NOW HOUSES THERE, SO I DIDN'T REALLY ENJOY THAT, BUT IT WAS INEVITABLE. SO THINGS HAPPEN. UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING AT THE FAIRBORN HIGH SCHOOL LAST FRIDAY FOR THEIR, YOU CALL THAT CAREER DAY OR WHATEVER. UNITY DAY. IMMUNITY DAY. IT WAS AMAZING SEEING THOSE KIDS EXCITED, AND I WAS AMAZED AT, I MEAN, I SAW COLLEGES FROM ALL OVER THE AREA. I SAW BUSINESSES FROM ALL OVER THE AREA. IT WAS AMAZING FOR THOSE KIDS TO BE ABLE TO WALK AROUND AND TALK TO DIFFERENT GROUPS. LET'S SEE IN CHIEF WILLIAMS THERE. I WATCHING THE KIDS SMILE WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING ON THAT FIRE EQUIPMENT AND THAT HAT, ESPECIALLY THE GIRLS WITH THE PINK HAT. THAT WAS AMAZING. I J- I JUST LAUGHED EVERY TIME I SAW THAT. IT WAS... BUT IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE, UH, THE KIDS LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENT CAPABILITIES THAT THEY HAVE. UM, THE 9/11, YOU'RE RIGHT, MARY, THAT WAS AN AMAZING, UH, CEREMONY, AND AND KUDOS TO THE TWO CHIEFS FOR HELPING PUT THAT ON. THAT WAS AN AMAZING... UM, THAT'S ABOUT, WELL, I COULD SAY MORE THINGS ABOUT PENNY, BUT I THINK WE'VE SAID A LOT ABOUT PENNY, BUT WHEN I FIRST STARTED, UM, DOING VOLUNTEER WORK ON DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND STUFF, PENNY ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT I [01:55:03] HAD MY STUFF TOGETHER, AND SHE REALLY HELPED ME A LOT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN, PENNY. ALL RIGHT, I JUST A FEW THINGS TONIGHT, AND I'LL BE QUICK BECAUSE I'M FREEZING AND I'M HUNGRY, SO I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE. IT'S COLD UP HERE. MIKE'S FREEZING US OUT OVER HERE. UM. MIKE. YOU HAVE TO BLAME SOMEONE. I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO, UH, GIVE OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT LOST HIS LIFE ON SUNDAY, AND PRAYERS FOR THE GENTLEMAN THAT SURVIVED, UH, AND HOPE THAT HE DOES SURVIVE THIS ORDEAL. MANY, MANY THANKS TO BOTH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS WHAT THEY TRAIN FOR. UH, WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM AN INCIDENT, LIKE GUNSHOTS, THEY'RE RUNNING IN. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THAT. AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT ANY EMPHASIS ON THE, THE, THE SHOOTER OR ANY OF THAT STUFF. THEY DON'T DESERVE THAT RECOGNITION HERE. JUST THE THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE VICTIMS. UH, TURNING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS A VERY COMPLICATED BEAST. I'M PRETTY SURE IT COULD BE ITS OWN DEGREE PROGRAM IN COLLEGE, IF NOT A MASTER'S OR A DOCTORATE DEGREE, AND THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT RIGHT ALL THE TIME. THERE ARE GOING TO BE MISTAKES, UH, AND IT'S A PROCESS. IT'S JUST VERY COMPLICATED. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS EVEN MORE, WE SIT ON THE HEELS OF A, OF AN AIR FORCE BASE THAT HAS DONE NOTHING BUT CONTINUE TO GROW SINCE THEY PUT IT HERE, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT GROWTH'S GONNA STOP. BOTH SENATOR TURNER AND SENATOR MORENO ADVOCATE SO HARD FOR THIS BASE THAT IT'S HELPED LAUNCH THEIR SUCCESS AND GROWTH, AND YET THEY WERE IN TOWN AGAIN TODAY ADVOCATING FOR CONTINUED GROWTH. WITH THAT GROWTH, THESE PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TO LIVE. COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO LIVED IN DC AND SEEN THAT THE AVERAGE COMMUTE 45 TO AN HOUR AND A HALF, UH, WE'RE POISED TO BE SITTING ON THE EDGE OF, OF THAT GROWTH AND TRYING TO PULL THOSE PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY. WHEN WE PULL THESE PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY IN A 35, 40,000 FOOT VIEW, THESE HIGH PAYING JOBS, THEY'RE GOING TO BUY THESE MORE EXPENSIVE HOMES. THE MORE HOMES WE GET, THE MORE COMMERCE IS GOING TO WANT TO COME TO OUR CITY. SO IT HELPS US TO GO OUT THERE IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAMS TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE THE FIFTH FASTEST GROWING CITY IN THE STATE OF OHIO, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO GROW. THE BASE IS CONTINUING TO GROW. THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO COME TO OUR CITY. SO IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A BAD THING, BUT OBVIOUSLY 25 OR SO HOMES ARE GOING TO BE, IN THEIR PERCEPTION, NEGATIVELY IMPACTED. I THINK DAN PUT IT RIGHT AND SAID, WELL, YOU CAN BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY HAVING A SORT OF HIGH-END APARTMENT, WHICH IS NOT REALLY APARTMENT COMPLEX AT THE EDGE OF YOUR, UH, BACKYARD, OR YOU CAN HAVE A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. YOU KNOW, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU WANT IT TO BE? SOMETHING'S GOING IN THERE. THERE, THERE'S NO DENYING THAT. UH, AND NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT THERE'S A, NOT CODE, BUT LAWS THAT KIND OF, KIND OF REGULATE SOMEWHAT IN THERE, AND WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE SAY YES TO AND WHAT WE SAY NO TO, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE A LEGAL IMPLICATION THAT IF WE VOTE WRONG, PUT US IN, IN THE COURT SYSTEM, AND THAT'S GOING TO COST TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY. JUST GO ASK CENTERVILLE, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH IT RIGHT NOW WITH THE DECISION THAT THEY MADE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY AVOID THAT AND LEAVE A POSITIVE OUTCOME WITH IT. UH, IT WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TOMORROW'S, UH, I BELIEVE THE FIRST DAY OF FALL OR THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE IT IS. IT DOESN'T MATTER. PLEASE, IF YOU'RE ONE OF THESE THAT ARE SO INCLINED TO BE IMMUNIZED, PLEASE GO GET YOUR IMMUNIZATIONS BECAUSE THE FLU, PNEUMOCOCCAL, AND ALL THAT'S RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AS A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL, I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU COMING INTO MY WORKPLACE, UH, SO PLEASE DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO PROTECT YOURSELF. AND WITH THAT, I'LL YIELD THE FLOOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MY TURN. I GOT A LIST HERE. SORRY. UM, NUMBER ONE, AND AND MIKE ALREADY BROUGHT THIS UP, THE THIS LAST WEEKEND, A LOT OF EVENTS. ONE OF THE EVENTS, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, IS BEING POSTPONED. THE CAR SHOW IS THIS COMING SUNDAY, JUST A REMINDER OF THAT. MIKE ALSO MENTIONED THE HEELS FOR HEROES PROGRAM. IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT IS A VETERAN, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT RAISES FUNDS FOR PROVIDING ASSISTANCE [02:00:02] TO VETERANS WHO ARE IN NEED OF GETTING A CAR FIXED, GETTING, UH, SOME FOOD, AND THEY'VE GOT THAT FIRST JOB AFTER THEIR MILITARY SERVICE, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME WAYS TO HELP THEM. SO IF, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE CAR SHOW, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, IF YOU CAN HELP OUT WITH HEELS FOR HEROES, UH, THEY'LL BE OUT THERE AT 1 O'CLOCK. UH, THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR DONATIONS AND ASSISTANCE. THAT'S A VERY WORTHWHILE PROGRAM. BUT THE CAR SHOW, UM, IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CAR SHOWS IN THE AREA. WE KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER COMPETING CAR SHOW, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN FUN. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THE CAR SHOW'S EVER HAD TO MOVE TO ANOTHER DATE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE WEATHER THREAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THERE FOR SUNDAY. SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO PLEASE, UH, GO FOR THAT. THE MARATHON'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WHERE THE BUSES WERE DROPPING OFF VISITORS WHO CAME TO WATCH PEOPLE RUN. UH, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHOSE, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS ON BASE TO WATCH THE RUNNERS, SO THEY GET BUSSED BY OUR FAIRBORN SCHOOL BUSES, AND KUDOS TO THEM FOR PROVIDING THOSE BUSES AND THE DRIVERS. UM, THE LINES FOR THE BUS TO GET BACK ON WENT FROM THE RENT-A-CENTER PARKING LOT ALL THE WAY DOWN PAST CHERRY'S BARBERSHOP, UH, PEOPLE WAITING TO GET BACK ON THE BUSES. AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME PEOPLE COMING OFF THE BUSES ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER CHAMBER MEMBERS, AND THEN STANDING AND TALKING TO THEM WHILE THEY WERE WAITING TO GET ON A BUS TO GO BACK, UH, TO THE START FINISH LINE AT THE AIR FORCE MUSEUM. AND LIKE, LIKE MARY SAID, WE HAD VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE. I TALKED TO A GENTLEMAN FROM SCOTLAND, ANOTHER ONE FROM GREAT BRITAIN, A COUPLE FROM CANADA, AND ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. AND WHAT AMAZED ME IS, IN THE VERY BRIEF TIME THEY WERE IN FAIRBORN, THE POSITIVE COMMENTS THEY HAD ABOUT FAIRBORN, HOW FRIENDLY EVERYBODY WAS, AND HOW IT WAS GREAT THAT THEY COULD WATCH THEIR FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND RUN, OTHERWISE THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT, AND HOW MUCH THEY APPRECIATED THE, THE WELCOMING HAND THAT THEY GOT FROM THE CITIZENS OF FAIRBORN. SO IF YOU WERE PART OF THAT, KUDOS TO YOU, AND IF NOT, NEXT YEAR YOU CAN BE OUT THERE. UM, BUT IT WAS A WONDERFUL REPRESENTATION OF THE FRIENDLINESS OF THIS COMMUNITY. NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAD A NEGATIVE COMMENT TO ME ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF US. THEY WERE ALL VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT THERE. UH, JUST WANT A REMINDER, UM, UPCOMING EVENTS, OCTOBER 16, 17, 18 IS THE ANNUAL HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL DOWNTOWN. UH, IT'S THE BIGGEST HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL, I UNDERSTAND, IN THE STATE OF OHIO. UM, YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A GROUP CALLED SMALL NATION AND ANOTHER DOWNTOWN FAIRBORN GROUP THAT IS LOOKING AT DOING SOME REVITALIZATION PLANNING FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND BROAD STREET AND THOSE THINGS. SO JUST BE AWARE YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING SOME GROUPS WORKING WITH THE CITY ON WAYS WE CAN ENHANCE, UH, THE DOWNTOWN, THE THE FAIRBORN EXPERIENCE. WE WE TALKED ABOUT 9/11. UM, 9/11, THIS WAS THE 25TH YEAR AFTER 9/11, AND WE ALL KEEP HEARING THE COMMENT, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN 9/11 OCCURRED? AND I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THAT. UM, 9/11 WAS A HORRIFIC EVENT IN OUR S- IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. WE CAN NEVER, EVER FORGET THAT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE 9/11 CEREMONIES CONTINUE AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, IT- IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE HAVE TO REMEMBER. AND KUDOS TO THE BAND, THE FAIRBORN CIVIC BAND. UH, THEY REALLY MADE IT EXTRA SPECIAL THIS YEAR. UM, WANT TO THANK THE AMERICAN LEGION PARTICIPANTS FOR THEIR, THE 21 GUN SALUTE THAT THEY ALWAYS DO. UH, THEY ALWAYS DID A GREAT JOB. I WANT TO THANK KEVIN FOR YOUR GREAT, UM, INVOCATION THAT YOU GAVE AT THE 9/11 CEREMONY. A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THAT. UM, OUR CITY MANAGER MADE SOME VERY GOOD COMMENTS, UM, BUT KUDOS TO EVERYBODY WHO MADE OUR 9/11 CEREMONY THE SPECIAL CEREMONY THAT IT WAS. UM, A FEW OTHER THINGS, UM, I WAS, UH, THE RECIPIENT OF A PHONE CALL FRIDAY EVENING FROM A LADY DOWN IN CINCINNATI WHO IS THE SISTER CITY REPRESENTATIVE FOR THIS PART OF THE UNITED STATES, AND, UM, THERE IS A CITY IN JAPAN WHO HAS APPROACHED US ABOUT BECOMING A SISTER CITY. SO I'M JUST KIND OF LETTING THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG. UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM. UM, WE, WE DID THIS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, LOOKING TO DEVELOP A SISTER CITY. WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY, FROM THE UNIVERSITY, FROM THE SCHOOLS, FROM THE CHAMBER, UH, FROM WRIGHT PATT. WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT PUTTING TOGETHER A COMMITTEE AGAIN TO LOOK INTO THIS POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A SISTER CITY. AND LIKE I SAID, WE, [02:05:01] WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY A CITY IN JAPAN THAT'S A SUBURB OF TOKYO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS A POSSIBILITY. UM, LET'S SEE, OTHER COMMENTS. UM, KIM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING. UM, AS A REMINDER THAT WE HAVE AN ELECTION, A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION COMING UP IN A FEW MONTHS, AND MY ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU IS TO GET TO KNOW WHO'S RUNNING FOR OFFICE. UH, DON'T JUST VOTE SOMEBODY BECAUSE THEY'RE A NAME. GET TO KNOW WHAT THEY STAND FOR, WHAT THEIR RECORDS ARE. UM, TALK TO THE DIFFERENT PARTIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR BELIEFS ARE AND WHERE DO YOU STAND. WE NEED TO BE SMART ABOUT WHO WE ELECT, UH, TO BE OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS. UH, WE JUST DON'T WANT TO BE RANDOMLY VOTING FOR PEOPLE. SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR CITIZENS GET TO KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. ASK THEM QUESTIONS, TRY TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM IF YOU CAN, UM, BUT VOTE FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, NOT WHAT SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO BELIEVE IN, BUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS AS, LIKE RODNEY AND SEVERAL OTHERS UP HERE, A RETIRED MILITARY PERSON. I'VE LIVED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. I'VE LIVED IN OTHER COUNTRIES. UM, WE HAVE A FREEDOM IN THIS COUNTRY THAT NOT EVERYBODY ACROSS THIS PLANET HAVE THAT FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHO REPRESENTS US. SO LET'S TAKE THAT FREEDOM SERIOUSLY AND VOTE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO DO THE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE ARE THE RIGHT THINGS TO DO. SO, ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT. UM, I'LL FINISH WITH JUST SAYING TONIGHT WAS A, WAS REALLY ABOUT PENNY. UM, WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE HER FURTHER ON THE 30TH. IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE COME TO THAT. UH, PENNY HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING CITY EMPLOYEE. SHE'S ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT, LIKE JULIE, UH, ARE THE, THE ONES WHO TALK TO THE CITIZENS WHO COME TO THE COUNTER UP HERE OR TALK ON THE PHONE. AND WHEN YOU CALL THE CITY OFFICE, YOU'LL EITHER GET PENNY OR JULIE. AND UM, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE THE FIRST VOICE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE WHEN THEY CALL THE CITY, AND PENNY HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB AT THAT, SO WE'LL DO SOME FURTHER RECOGNITION OF HER ON THE 30TH. OKAY, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY. IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. JULIE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. YES. MR. DODD. YES. MISS CHESS. YES. MR. MCCUBBINS. YES. MISS STANTON. YES. MR. KIRKPATRICK. YES. CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS EVENING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING IN ATTENDANCE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.