City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you.

It is 7 o'clock. It's time to get our meeting started. Amy.

Please call the roll. Mr. Yeah. Mr. Mr. Neely is Newman here. Mr. Parker here is blind. Present Mr. shoot. Present Mr. cost is single here. Mr. the business.

Would you like to stand for the invocation? And then please remain standing for the place. Miss angle.

Join me in prayer, please. God, we invite you tonight and ask you to be with all of us. Please guide us so we can represent you and your will for our city. Please give us wisdom and direction so we can make the best decisions for our city and its people. Please give us strength and uphold us as we represent your hands and feet as we serve. Let us believe, God, that you can help us with these things as we trust in you. Please give generously to all of us here tonight to allow us to do your work for us and our community and its citizens. Thank you, Lord, for your presence and your help in all that we do. Amen.

Amen.

Join me in the pleasure of missions, please.

I pledge 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.

Next up is caucus. Do we have anything that pertains to the agenda tonight? Mr. Mr. Thank you. Mr. President. I'd like to make a motion to excuse Mr. second motion by Mr. 2nd, my Mr Barker all in favor say aye aye. Minutes of the July 6, 2026 meeting. Do I have a motion motion? Question by Ms. Salabudis, second by Ms. Engel. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposing sign, that passes. Appointments, there are none tonight. Reports of standing committees, finance, street service, economic development, capital improvements without without objection will be received in file. Reports from city officials, Brenda Cooper, tax administrator, income tax revenue reports for the period ending on June 30th, 2026. Communications, Ethan Jenkins, letter opposition to another attempt at the income tax increase. Dave Froelich emails regarding work ethic, city charter, and youth sports teams. Next up, we have comments from citizens. I suppose everyone's here to talk about 2641. There's not going to be just give you guys a heads up. There's not going to be no vote on that tonight. The vote will be on our next meeting August the 3rd. I ask you to be like, consider to whoever speaking, whether you're for or against it. Actually, please be respectful to the person that's speaking. Ask you for your name address. And I'm only going to give you 3 minutes to speak. And what I'd like to do is. Anybody could speak about I like to hear from the door. If there's anybody that's outside of Newark, let's let the Newark residents speak 1st, and then those that are outside the door can speak. All right. So, he's going to go 1st, come on.

I live at 15670 Brushy Fork Road, Newark, Ohio, 43056. I've been at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church for 15 years. And I'm here tonight to let you know that I went on vacation last week. I received a phone call that there was going to be an amendment to rescind the funding that our church was told that we were going to receive with the CDBG fund. I was told that there were complaints, that there were a lot of zoning issues that we were out of compliance with, that there were a lot of calls, and because of those reasons, emergency calls, for those reasons, it was going to be recommended that we not fund the Trinity Drop-In Center. What I want to say tonight as the pastor of the church is a little bit about us. Our church has been there since 1902. That church has faithfully served this community in many and various ways. The members of that church have been recognized as leaders in the community through various awards in the hospital, through businesses in the community over the 120 some years it's been here. some are still very active in the community our church is a part of the elca the evangelical lutheran church in america we believe that we are saved by god's grace and that we are called to live in response to that grace by serving god's people we don't invite people to church we invite them to become the church through their actions by serving God with our hands and our feet. Our community is struggling. 52% of this community was paycheck to paycheck. The church faithfully asked, what can we do to be of service to fulfill our mission as a church congregation? They have sought out faithfully and prayerfully to provide the ministry that they feel called to do in this community. We've heard some rumors, we've heard some misconceptions i do want to address one that we've heard does the church have liability insurance absolutely we have liability insurance our church council is here tonight We have liability insurance to run a drop-in center and an emergency warming center. I've been in contact with our legal counsel, who also works for the Southern Ohio Synod, a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We have liability insurance. Do we receive United Way funding? No. We do not receive United Way funding, and nor will we until I retire from my other professional role. I will turn other comments over to our church council and others. Thank you.

Anybody else would like to come speak? Come on up, ma'am. Ma'am, come on up, sir.

My name is James Kissel, 574 West Main Street, Newark, Ohio. To everybody in this room, I am the only property owner that is directly connected, property-wise, to that church. The volunteers at that church, Donna, Greg, I have to say, they do a wonderful job. While they are there, you can't ask for any better people to overlook. When I lived in that house for 30 years, I was born and raised in that house. When we started out, there was one trash can in the back and a little parking lot. Over the years, the church has done such a good job of a community center, it has outgrown the area. The one trash can is down to seven. There are problems. Don and Greg are there during their hours, after hours.

In the mornings, like, well, they pick up needles out of that yard. The trash overflows. I own part of that parking lot. I have an easement down the side of that parking lot.

And as much as I like that center, I like what they're doing. They're doing a good job. I think they have just outgrown it. And if you're going to donate any money to that cause, I think it would be best to put it in to pay somebody to look to see another location. And, you know, nothing's perfect. And, you know,

Hello, I'm Jane Duvall, 226 Cambria Street, Newark, Ohio. What I'm going to say is a different viewpoint. What I'm going to say is what I experienced and what I saw. So I'll start with asking. What would you do facing a neighborhood where drugs were being distributed as you watched the transaction, the larceny, the theft from your car, from your front porch, trespassing, weapons, late night music, arguing and cursing in the middle of the street? What would you be willing to do? why am i why why is this happening to our neighborhood and i'm talking about the church we had a drug house we had a drug house that we were able to close with the assistance of uh one person in particular that stood by us faithfully uh and um i'm getting off track but what i want to know is if this church has members and has and has plenty of stuff in the pantry, volunteers. I've volunteered there. I've given my time there. I was going to Holy Trinity Church because the drug house is filling up with people coming out of Holy Trinity Church, the thefts. The bicycles, all of a sudden everybody last year had a bicycle. Now I notice that the lobby is almost clear of bicycles. That's because it's a turnaround. It's different people. So, I just would like to know with all the time that is put into taking care of our homeless. And I agree with that gentleman that was just here. It is too small. But we're suffering in our neighborhood with the things that I just mentioned. They're coming out of Holy Trinity Church. They get fed, or they sleep on one of the few cots. They come down to 249 Cambria Street, which was an illegal boarding house. That's where they came out of, and that's what they went down. They'd go down the alley, they'd drop their needles, they'd pick up a few things out of someone's yard. I've been robbed. Most of the people on the street, on my street, on Cambria Street, have been robbed. I know for a fact that there are people coming out of there that I go up to to work or to deliver jackets in the winter, and there they are. The owner of 249 Cambria Street, why is he being- You have about 30 seconds, go ahead. He has a home, he can cook, but he is taking up someone else's time and care by going to Holy Trinity. please please please give it another thought they the money is great I'm sure it is but it can be used in a different place to someone else because we've suffered in the neighborhood and we're kind of tired of it thank you thank you come on up sir

Cody Miller, 746 Maple Grove Avenue. I'm a homeowner who lives near the community drop-in shelter. I'm here to share my experience as a neighbor and why I have concerns about the current model for the shelter. I want to begin by saying I don't think anyone wants to see people go without food, shelter, or somewhere safe to go. My concern is not about whether people deserve help. My concern is whether the current model is helping people effectively while also protecting the surrounding neighborhood. I've spoken about my immediate neighbor's property on Cambria Street, which many remember as a previously active drop house. During that time, I repeatedly observed individuals who I previously saw at the drop-in I watched as a vehicle was abandoned and stripped for parts, along with a boat by a group of individuals, saw numerous unhoused individuals frequent the property, which led to my neighbor's arrest for operating an unregistered boarding house, and witnessed conditions that made neighbors fear for their safety. Those experiences understandably shaped how many of us view the challenges we're facing in our neighborhood. To be clear, I'm not suggesting anyone who visits the drop-in is involved in criminal activity. That would be unfair and inaccurate. But as a homeowner, seeing the overlap between actively at my neighbor's property and people I had seen at the drop-in raised legitimate concerns about whether individuals with serious addiction, mental health, or other needs were receiving the level of intervention that they needed. Many of the people using the center are facing the challenges that extend far beyond needing a meal or a place to cool off for a few hours. Simply providing a place to spend part of the day is not enough if people leave and continue struggling in the surrounding neighborhood. During the finance committee, several council members acknowledged the important work taking place inside the building, while also recognizing that nearby residents have experienced problems after individuals leave. I believe those two realities can both be true. During that same meeting, one speaker described helping establish the drop-in after moving to the area. I appreciate that commitment and the desire to improve lives, but I also believe decisions about facilities like this should give substantial weight to the voices of the people who live immediately surrounding them. Those of us in the neighborhood experience the day-to-day impacts, both positive and negative, in ways that others simply don't. I would like to ask a few questions. What measurable outcomes are being tracked? permanent housing? How many repeatedly return without connecting to these services? And if federal funding continues, what accountability measures will accompany that funding? As a taxpayer and homeowner, I'm not asking the city to abandon people who need help. I'm asking the city to ensure public funding produces meaningful outcomes, not only for those receiving the services, but for those families who have invested their lives in the neighborhood. Compassion and accountability should not be competing values. We owe it to both the people seeking help and the residents who live next door. From what I have observed as a nearby homeowner, I remain unconvinced that the current model is adequately connecting people with the level of treatment and services they clearly need. And I don't believe a facility serving this volume of individuals belongs in the middle can be managed more effectively. I hope City Council will continue supporting services that move people towards recovery, treatment, and stable housing while also requiring measures, measurable accountability, and meaningful engagement with the surrounding community. Thank you.

Thank you. Sir, come on up.

How y'all doing? First and foremost, to come here and talk to you guys. So I'm hearing a lot of stuff.

Can I have your name and address please?

Oh sorry, Christopher Hughes, 200 East Main Street. So I'm hearing about a lot of theft and stuff like that. You guys know, because you guys are on the council or whatever, we have a theft problem anyways. A lot of the bikes are getting stolen by juveniles. I used to be a juvenile in the same city, you know what I mean, and that's just what happens. so what i do know is we do an outreach every thursday and reach out to these same people that are going to this same place we're from a different church crossroads baptist church from a different church but we're doing the same thing my question is so if they can't go there and hang out where are they going to go so we have this big issue and everybody treats it like they're a bunch of cats that we're feeding so they just keep coming back my friends they're homeless What if that was your son, your daughter, your mom, your dad, any of that? You know what I mean? And I'm not saying that you guys are treating like that. I'm just saying, you know what I mean? These are people's family members. That's one of the only spots they have, if not the only spot they have to go when it's freezing cold outside. I get it that nobody wants to see crime rise in their little small neighborhood, but let me find out, Norco Island's got a lot of crime in it, you know what I mean? Like if you guys be honest with yourself, you guys know there's a pretty big crime issue, you know what I mean? Not as much as the homicides and stuff like that, but a lot of theft and everything else. I feel like it's completely unfair to label my friends as the ones that's getting that. You know what I mean? And these guys are saying they're saying do this or that. I get it. They probably have. But if you go anywhere in Norco, Ohio, except for a couple of locations, you'll see the same thing. You know what I mean? So what's the answer? My question is, what's the answer? God calls us to look out for the poor. That's what God calls us to do. We pray before we started. So y'all must be reading your Bible at least a little bit, right? God calls us to look out for the poor, right? So if we shut that down, where are they going to go next? Because they're not cats and they're not going to just leave and look for the next food. They're still going to be in the same neighborhoods. You know what I mean? That's just something to consider. You know what I mean? Like that's something to really consider. Like just because you quit feeding them doesn't mean they disappear.

They're still somebody's family. They're still people. You know what I mean? They're still citizens and all that stuff. So I would just like to humbly ask that we don't shut this down.

The only resources that I know of, and I've been doing this for, like, 3 plus years, street outreach work. This is 1 of the only places that I know of that these people get out of the weather.

Like, would you tell your kid they couldn't come in? Would you tell your uncle your dad your mom that?

No, sorry you're on drugs or mental health issues. So you can't come here. That's crazy work. You know what I mean? And I mean, that respectfully, I don't mean that type of disrespect. Like, yeah, about 30 seconds, take care of these people. I'd like to highly encourage you guys to do the right thing. Do what the Bible says. Go by what God's word is. We started out this with a prayerless end to the prayer. You know what I mean? Praise Jesus, oh Lord God.

Thank you. Jesus.

Hello, Tim Ryan, North Williams Street. I live about halfway up North Williams. So I've been blessed by the fact that I don't have to deal with like some of my neighbors down there beside the church have to. I see the endless parade every day of people walking down the street screaming at houses, yelling at houses, having conversations with houses. I walk out my front yard, I find trash, have to pick up pretty much every other day. I walk out there and find needles on my front porch step. My wife, I'm retired, my wife works. I get up, come downstairs, five o'clock in the morning, and I look out my back door and I've got a gentleman standing beside my garage, checking out my garage, my backyard. That happened early this spring. A week before that, I come down five in the morning, look at my neighbor Ike's house. His garage is right there. Five o'clock in the morning, mind you. And there's a, Person who kicked out the bottom panel of his garage door and climbing out, picks up his backpack and heads down to the river where they all seem to congregate. So this issue we're having with the church is not confined to like nine in the morning until three or four in the afternoon. These people are out there all night.

And it's been going on and going on, and I don't know where it ends. I don't know what the answer is.

I truly think the church really feels like they are making a difference in the world and helping these people. But reality is, no, they aren't. The reality is something totally different. I mean, neighbors here, I'm assuming they're gonna come up here and tell you a lot of worse things than I can tell you. That's basically what all I have to say. It's an ugly situation. It's not getting any better and you can sugarcoat it all you want on their end of it, but it's not good. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Come on.

Good evening. My name is Sue Wieland. I live at 25 North William Street. And I'm an 80-year member of Holy Trinity Lutheran, and we are doing what God has called us to do. I am on the church council. We, for many years, struggled to help anything, anybody. We've had some changes, but now we finally found our mission, and we are making a difference. Greg and Donna do a wonderful job of finding people help for their health issues, their mental issues. They're fed twice a day. They get breakfast and lunch every day from Monday through Friday. We started out at just one night a week to help people. Then it grew to three days a week. now we're open five days a week and we do at the best the best we can and i think they do a wonderful job we're feeding people who are starving they're not just homeless people we have elderly people that come there that can't afford to live in a house they have a car maybe for but then it leaves nothing for food and we feed them That's what we do. That's what we're there for is to help people live. They're not all homeless. They're not all. I understand there are people who are looking into garages and different things, but. That doesn't say that they're the people from the people I know from the from the center are so kind and so thankful and so respectful and has I have a neighbor who was snowed in this winter and she had to get to the doctor and the guys from the center Came right down, dug her out, got her to where she could go to the doctor. So they, they tried to repay us. They honestly tried to repay us. And I know it's upsetting to some of the people, but. We're not doing anything illegal. We're not, we do not have any zoning violations. I talked to the chief of police. He has no problem with our center. I wanted to make sure for myself that I knew that. And so I appreciate you listening. Thank you.

Well, I'm Patty Kutz. I live at 2068 Taylor Lane in Newark, 43055. I can top her age. I'm 87. I don't know if that holds anything. A number of years ago, I started a drop-in center. It's called The Main Place. did we have problems yes and we solved them and they are still functioning and are doing a very good job and in fact the city of newark gave us the building to start it and it was the old city garage bus garage anyway when there are problems they there are solutions and so i'm sorry you're hearing from neighbors who are not happy with the situation. But I personally am thrilled that services are being provided, that mental health and drug addiction is understood and referrals are made.

I don't even know everything that they're doing there. I have not volunteered. But you're looking at a room full of people, hopefully, that support the center. Because a drop-in center,

that's it okay thank you so how many more people would like to speak tonight so everybody come on up sir Trevor Simons of Newark currently address list to those that are having trouble with their

know we don't want to see our community like this but unfortunately this is where we are and also to be blunt I believe that it's to some extent neglect of our city leaders we're making half measures you know we're kicking people off the street making ordinances to ban camping but I don't hear any solutions other than the solutions that are coming from our community you know it seems like we're the ones doing the work you know picking up Picking up the hard work, you know, I don't know about development. I'm not big in real estate. I could care less honestly. And I understand that, you know, I'm sure a lot of you feel the other way. I think that this is the important part of the community. I think this comes first, not parking garages that we don't barely put five cars in on a regular day. So. Cutting shelter and preventing funding is more expensive in the long run. The National Alliance to End Homelessness, the state coalitions, they know that providing stable housing and services lowers municipal costs. These services prevent individuals from being forced onto the streets um yeah i'm sure that there's more to that but um let's see here on my face sorry i would like to remind the councilmen and women that these organizations perform vital cost effective work that the city cannot handle and in some cases i personally believe don't want to handle and relocating this money risks overwhelming the city. I guess, you know, if your guys' funds are what matters, then so be that. Let's see. Councilman Barker and Councilman Beth Blyne have justified withholding these federal dollars by citing zoning compliance, neighborhood concerns, and high volume local emergency safety calls.

We say 55 plus calls.

Excuse me? You have about 30 seconds. not failing. When a person experiences a health crisis or frostbite, the center provides a controlled central location where emergency responders can immediately find and save them. Cutting funding doesn't eliminate these health crises. They're still there. And without this, people die. You stated that public camping is a risk to public health and community safety.

Your time's up, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Come on up, ma'am.

Hi, thank you. My name is Brittany Saunier. I live at 148 Day Avenue, Newark, Ohio, 43055. I do not live on the street of the church, but I do live street over. And I also happen to live in a unique piece of parcel where it is at the back of the street there. alley at the corner of two alleys. So I share that because even though I'm not right there, I often am outside gardening, doing yard work, I often get to see people on their way to the drop-in center. And I have to say, I have seen nothing but respectfulness coming from people traveling to the drop-in center. I've always had great experiences, conversations, connection and humanity with people coming down those alleys. I have many things in my yard. I've lived there for several years. I have many things in my yard because of how it's set up. I have access to a shed, all kinds of things that can be taken. I have never once had anything tampered with or thankfully no break-ins or anything like that. I say thankfully because there's a whole other reason for those things to happen. Anyways, I wanted to share that. I walk my neighborhood by myself without any concern for safety, and I also fall asleep very low on the corner of the alleyways without any concern for my safety. I get to drive past that church in the drop-in center with quite some frequency because of just living life and getting to go that route to get to where I need to go, and I've never observed any disrespectful behavior. I wanted to share my experience. I thought it was really important to share that as a member of that neighborhood. I feel safe and I strongly encourage funding to continue and to be awarded, especially with information. I have that. It seems that there's already a process to award these funds and. That to revisit and revoke, I think is not fair for the public process. I also think people deserve access to resources and the amount awarded is really important. And especially if there are no resources available to replace them at this point, I would strongly request as a citizen nearby that those resources remain. So thank you for listening.

My name is Joanna Johnson. I live at 250 East Main. I've been going to the drop-in center since January when I was taken up there when I became homeless. They've done a lot for me. I'm back on my mental health meds. I'm working on getting housing and everything. I used to stay on the home and I have witnessed some crime, but a lot of it was from juveniles. um a lot of my friends go to the trinity we don't hang out around there a lot of us you know when we leave we go off you know to like the next place that is given help uh we don't you know hang out around uh there but the trinity does a lot for us they help us with you know clothing bikes if we need it so i get around i went up here today i had to go to the hospital i have a broken foot um Greg and Donna, they know they're there for us, you know, and like, taking away that place that we all know and we're accustomed to going. I feel like it's going to cause an issue. For, like, a lot of us, because we're not going to have that face. We're not going to know where to go. And I'm not saying that's going to cause, you know, like, any major issues in the neighborhood. Wait, I mean, you're have crime no matter if you take that place away or not. So, thank you.

So how many more on this issue? Okay. Come on up, sir.

Hello, my name is Kyle Smith. I am on 31st Avenue. I'm a volunteer with the Holy Trinity Church. I'm also an active volunteer with my home church, which is the Neal Avenue Methodist Church, which is just down the street. I spend a lot of time, I enjoy walking, so I spend a lot of time walking down South William Street, so I've witnessed a lot of activity going on around the church and all that, and I'd like to confirm that everyone is another I felt nothing but completely safe about the church. But I will also be helping deliver a prepared statement from the church. We wanted one speaker who will address the concerns raised for the drop-in center. The first issue was raised is quoted currently some zoning issues We've gone through and it has been confirmed that the city that the church has no zoning violations on record. The church has not been informed of any issues concerned or violations. If there were any, we would work with the city to make sure that we are in compliance. If there is any concerns, please let us know. So that we, since they arrive, otherwise. We will, we will have no way to be informed of how to improve and do better with our process. We are happy to continue to work with the City and the neighbourhood to address any concerns and talk collaboratively and openly to ensure that all are on the same page. And I'd also like to add, I'm so glad to hear that so many people are concerned about the state of things in the neighbourhood. There are a lot of open pews in all the churches. I would invite everybody in the neighbourhood to attend. It is amazing going to church in a local neighbourhood that you can walk to. That is all I have. Thank you.

Thank you. Come on up, ma'am.

It's 17 North Williams Street, right across the street from the church. I get to see it all in its glory. Well, we can agree it's a noble cause. Yes, we're all called to do God's work if we believe. I can't say that God really likes us to continue doing drugs. He doesn't really want us to enable. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want us selling. Yeah, it goes on because I get it firsthand. The church knows about it. I call them about it. Call property maintenance. I've called the police department. Call my council members. I feel like just falling on deaf ears. Nobody cares. And yeah, it's a noble cause as long as it's not your front yard.

I get it.

But at this particular point in time, no one really realizes what comes with it when it's there.

This is owned as a church.

It's not as owned as a drop-in center. No notice, no information, and nothing was given to the citizens of slowly but surely watching my property value drop. I had a man call me. He wants to know, do you want to buy your house? Sure, I'll sell you my house. Then he says, well, go through the paperwork. And I was like, well, why do you want to sell it? I thought it crashed straight from my home. Like, yeah, no one wants that. And I busted my tail to stay, my husband and I, to stay there. It's making it impossible, too. Can't afford to leave. Prices are out of control. Can't afford to stay. Tired of the nonsense. I've had people defecate my yard. I've had them urinate my yard. I've seen them do it on other properties. Yes, it's been called. Yes, it's been complained on. I've had their trash, their dinners thrown in my yard, at my car.

I offer to have them, you know, come help me. Hey, can you come help me for a day? I'll give you a couple bucks to help me.

I'm not being insulting, being legitimate, I just need you to really stand there and hold the bag so I can go free in. I get cussed out. Okay, maybe he's having a bad day. Try me again with some other people. Hey, you know, again, trying to help him out. I need some help. Can you help me out? I'll give you a couple bucks. Again, I was cussed out and given the appearance that the gentleman was going to attack me. He was to say, can't say I'm a fan of this. I see there's another drawing issues that whatever reason everybody wants to sweep under the carpet or ignore. You can't tell me that the church is within compliance for doing this. Not within the way the city ordinance is laid out. And I ask that you take this funding for this particular organization, set it aside at the moment, but the other ones that are within the rules and regulations, let them go through so they can get their money proceed. Let's hold this 1 for right now to see wherever it is and what it is within the scope. Are they allowed to have the money? Appreciate you take this under consideration. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. So we're going to take 1 more for right now and then we're going to go through the agenda and then we'll go back to citizen comments. So, um, come on up. So.

Do you have your name and address? Yes, sir. It's Andre Bittmeil. I'm at 606 West Main Street. I live directly across the street from the across from the church. I've been there for five months straight working every day and I can look through a window and see the church and all the affairs. Last week alone a police officer came to the church almost every single day in a row. Police officers removing dogs, fights. My first day getting there to purchase the house town to purchase that home um i was a cash buyer i'm gonna buy this house and do my thing my we park in the back first day and i go inside and i come back out and my wife's like we're not buying this house like what do you mean she's like this guy came to my car And then what do you, okay. And then next thing I know, my realtor were there and I look over and next thing you know, this guy's coming to me and my realtor propagating us this, that, what are you doing? Da, da, da, da. Long story short, went through that, pushed him away. I ended up buying the house. Me and my wife now, it's a, it's a gonna be a, I told you not to buy that house because of

The center. When I first got there, I went to the center and met with what's your name, sir?

Greg. Greg. Great guy. They're all great guys at the center. I talked to Greg. I said, Greg, what's going on here? What is this? Just can you please help me understand? Is this a church? I'm a Christian. I love church. He's like, look, our congregation is down. We're not, you know, having the congregation. All churches are, right? I mean, all churches are struggling. Of course, it's understandable. You know, we're trying to find new uses and whatnot. I'm gonna run out of time before I do. Imagine that this was next door to you where you live or you or you or you or you. I have separated. I don't know how many.

I had to get involved and separate because a man is beating a girl and she's yelling.

Last week when the cops came, a man was getting pulled out. He was yelling at Greg saying, you guys are rapists. You're raping. She was leaving. She squeaked off in a van. A gentleman was in her car thrown out.

She takes off.

You know, the police come, they get these guys, they do, and it's all the same guys coming back. Same thing every day. I don't see beautiful old people coming in there to get help. You know, it's usually, you know, we know what's going on over there. And I think absolutely, positively, you have to take care of these people. I'm not saying don't give them food, don't give them worth, don't give them those things.

You have to. But

neighborhood if you guys you should take the time out of your day and go park their City Council people and see what goes on and then see when that church and it's wrapped up and see what a beautiful Why it neighborhood and what that area is from that thing wraps up, but half the times people remain 30 seconds. What I'm saying is, if you guys are going to keep that there and do that for whatever, whatever your reasoning is. go ahead and do it but make sure you have mechanisms in place where people are going in there and repeating offenses don't invite them back because i've seen the same guys going in there back and forth another thing is you shouldn't allow rapists if there's a child rapist convicted and you're sending them in a neighborhood with children if you look two houses down from that church there's about 10 kids that are in trampolines up and down and you want to track in so just make sure you have mechanisms in place to say you're a child luster or you're this you're not coming in this neighborhood or take it somewhere else you know trinity church what they're doing but you guys really need to think about what you're doing you're on main street this is a main street adjacent to a freeway and you know you can't hide that on a main street. But you guys are doing the right thing.

No more outbursts, sir. I'm going to ask you guys to leave.

Thank you for you guys. And yes, Jesus is where it's at. Thank you guys. Have a blessed day. Please take your time to go there and sit and watch with your own eyes.

All right. So we're going to go to the agenda real quick. It's not going to take very long and then we'll go back to, um, Questions? All right. Ordinance on the second reading. There are none tonight. Ordinance on the first reading, 26-25.

Ordinance number 26-25 by Ms. Newman, Mr. Cost, Mr. Marmy, Ms. Ingold, Ms. Blind, Mr. Barker. An ordinance vacating a 12-foot-wide alley, as shown on the plat of Joseph Kaufman's second edition, as recorded in Plat Book 1, page 87 of the Licking County Plat Records, said alley is located between 190 and 196 South 5th Street, north of National Drive.

26 dash 25 would be held for our next meeting, which would be August. The 3rd next up is resolution on the 2nd reading. There are none this week. Next up is resolution on the 1st reading 26 dash 38 expedite.

Resolution over 26 dash 30 expedite by Mr. Mr. cost Mr. Parker. Mr. shoot. Miss single miss blind resolution, appropriating monies for current expenses of the municipal corporation.

For the reading of 26, that's 38 was your wish. Mr. President Mr. I make a motion to waive the 2 day reading rule on resolution 26, 38. 2nd, got a motion by Mr. Marvy second by Mr. Parker the way the 2 day reading roll. Amy, please call the roll.

Mr. Mr. Yes. Mr. Neely Ms. Newman. Yes. Mr. Parker. Yes. Ms. blind. Yes. Mr. shoot.

Yes.

Mr. cost. Yes. Yes. Yes.

The 2 day reading rule has been waived. What is your wish? Mr. president Mr. make a motion to adopt resolution 26, 38. 2nd motion by Mr. to adopt second by Mr. Parker. Do we have any discussion? Amy, please call the roll.

Mr. yes. Mr. yes. Mr. newly Ms. Newman. Yes. Mr. broker. Yes. Ms. blind. Yes. Mr. shoot. Yes. Mr. cost. Yes. Yes. Mr. the business.

26-38 passes 9-0. Next up is 26-40.

Resolution number 26-40 by Mr. Barker, Mr. Cost, Mr. Shute, Mr. Marmy, Ms. Ingle, Ms. Blind. A resolution authorizing and directing the Director of Public Service of the City of Newark, Ohio to enter into contract without competitive bidding subject to the appropriation of funds for the repair of manhole and sanitary sewer and rehabilitation of the Licking River around said manhole and declaring an emergency.

Further reading 26 dash 40 was your wish.

Mr. President Mr. Parker. Thank you. Mr. President. I can make a motion to adopt resolution 26 dash 40.

Second second motion by Mr. Barker second by Mr. Marmy. Do you have any discussion? Mr. President Mr. Parker.

Thank you. Mr. President. This is an emergency as we've all heard. This was a massive repair that had to be done in the north end and we need to get them paid.

Anybody else and we please call the roll. Mr. Mr. Marvin? Yes. Mr. Neely? Ms. Newman? Yes. Mr. Parker? Yes. Ms. blind? Yes. Mr. shoot?

Yes.

Mr. cost?

Yes.

Ms. and gold? Yes.

Mr. the business 26 dash 40 passes 9 0 next up is 26 dash 41.

Resolution number 26-41 by Mr. Koss, Mr. Shute, and Ms. Ingold. A resolution authorizing the mayor of the city of Newark to enter into a community development block grant funded subrecipient agreement with the here and after named organizations to carry out activities included within Newark's fiscal year 2026 community development block grant one year action plan.

26-41 will be held to our next meeting, which would be August the 3rd. And our last one tonight is 26-42.

Resolution number 26-42 by Mr. Koss, Mr. Barker, Mr. Marmy, Mr. Shute, Ms. Bly, Ms. Ingold. A resolution authorizing and directing the mayor of the city of Newark to execute the Pataskalo Corporate Park Joint Economic Development District contract. Amendment number two, by and between the city of Newark, Ohio, the city of Pataskalo, Ohio, and Harrison Township, Licking County, Ohio, and declaring an emergency.

Further reading of 26-42, what is your list? Motion. Mr. Mr. cost makes a motion. Do I have a 2nd, 2nd by Mr. Parker? Do we have any discussion? And we please call a roll.

Mr. lonely. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mr. Neely is Newman. Yes. Mr. Parker.

Yes.

This blind. Yes. Mr. shoot.

Yes.

Mr. cost. Yes. Yes.

26 dash 42 passes 9 0. so that is a resolution to the ordinance tonight. So now we're back to citizen comments and we have left and the blue come on.

Patricia period 122 was shield co, founder of outreach. I'm a volunteer with a drop in center, and I'm going to continue speaking on the concerns that was raised during the drop in. during the Finance Committee on July 6th. The second concern that was raised was over 70 police calls. We pulled all the records from fire EMS police in the timeframe of July of 2025 to July of 2026, and the records requested to ensure the most recent and accurate information. From that time period, 23 EMS calls were made for the purpose of keeping people safe and cared for. 10 calls were for the fire department. Five were EMS calls excluding vehicle accident with injury. One was a minor gas leak, which was quickly resolved, and the other four had no incidents found. These calls were in service of protecting the people and the facility. That leaves 56 calls to the Newark Police Department. 32% of those calls, or 18, didn't require a report, Which means nothing was found about 7 occurred during the warming center, which isn't in question because the warming center falls under the Lincoln county emergency task force. 42% or 24 of the 56 calls were made during the drop in center, which is the only police calls that could technically attributed attributed to the drop in and not just random passerby's from the community. 29% or seven of these 24 calls had no report associated. Of the 24 calls, 13 were definitely made from a church member, a volunteer, or from the center itself to ensure safety and compliance of the rules and regulations that are in place within the drop-in center. So that gives 11 phone calls left to examine. 4 of those 11 were officer initiated visits all resulting in no reports file. Only 5 of those calls reported resulted in rate reports 3, which were from 11 caller. And this shows that during the drop in center hours, or which. are reasonably, you know, responsible for. In a year, only five of those calls were legitimate concerns from neighbors or passerby. Five calls. So if you break it all down, there wasn't 70 plus calls. There may have been calls, but they weren't attributed to the drop-in center. Thus, the calls can, you know, like I said, The data is there. If you break it down and go through it like we did, you will see that not 70 calls was for the drop-in. And you also should look at all the other agencies that are getting funding and see how many calls they had.

Hello, my name is Ashley Hughes, 68 South Central Avenue. I am a street outreach worker here in Lincoln County, and I just would like to kind of follow up with some of the people that are concerned that there's not enough services that are being provided. First of all, I'd like to say, why would we cut funding to something that we feel isn't providing enough resources? Second of all, I can say that without a doubt, I've connected just myself. At least 50 people to housing services, treatment centers, doctors appointments, let alone my partner who has also been doing this for 2 years, probably 150 people. This is an access point in the community. This is a place where we can find the people. That we need to locate and get them connected to the services that they need, whether that be a treatment facility. a medical doctor, a counseling center, the housing coalition, any of these things. When they're dispersed throughout the community, it gets really tricky to be able to find them. Another thing I'd like to say is I think that a lot of things, no matter what happens in the neighborhood, it's got to be the homeless people. People in houses steal. People in houses do drugs. People in houses have mental health issues. These are not things that are only pretty to people without housing. But at the same time, this is our community. Regardless if you like these people or not, this is our community. And there's no way of fixing it by shutting down resources. We can't help people if we can't reach people. We can't help people if they can't charge their phone to receive the calls that they need. We can't help people if they're dying from the cold. We can't help people if we can't find them. This is a great point for us to be able to connect to those people that we need to connect with. Same thing too that Christopher was saying, these people are not stray cats. Again, this is our community. This is your community. People are not staying homeless on drugs because they can get a bowl of soup at lunch Monday through Friday. There's a lot of things that go on and there's generational trauma. These people, this is one of the few places, and another thing, everyone blames it on substance use. there is a lot of mental illness that's left untreated. And I'm here to tell you as a street outreach worker that one of the hardest things I learned in this job is that things don't work how people think that they work. Because a person has a mental illness does not mean that they have some facility to go to. As a matter of fact, I can help a person with substance use much easier and much faster than I can a person with mental health issues. This is one of the very few places that people can go and have a safe space during the day. It's vital to our community if we're going to help people, we've got to be able to locate them and connect them to the services that they need. That's all.

Thank you. Anybody else like to speak to this subject? Come on up, sir.

Jason's justice 214 East rubber road, Ohio 43202 code or a whole corporation, which is a. Central Ohio land developer, including Newark, also the treasurer of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. I'm going to continue speaking on the concerns raised against the drop-in center on July 6th. Continuing the concern of the phone calls to the church the past year, question, why are we questioned on the 56 phone calls to the Newark Police Department, but in the same time period, the McDonald's down the street off West phone calls of a similar nature, not including EMS and fire at the same time. This could suggest that crime and homeless activity is a feature of the neighborhood itself and cannot be wholly put on the shoulders of the dropout side. Looking at two other subgroup recipients receiving $11,000 from CDBG funds who work with unsheltered populations on a daily basis, we were curious what their calls look like. They had all the same kinds of calls and incidents. Number-wise, one had 61 in the same time period, despite their capacity being less than 60 or more people the drop-in center serves per day. The other sub-recipient had 50. For general context, Holy Trinity has had 136 calls in 10 years. We've had 84 in two years. The other locations had 120 and 82 in the past two years. McDonald's had 152 in the past two years. What is the cutoff or limit to how many phone calls becomes concerning? Why is Holy Trinity questioned for the number and types of phone calls? And is this standard across the other similar subgroup recipients? Fire EMS and police calls part of the territory that comes with working with vulnerable populations. He asked not to be held to a different standard than our peers. We're also doing great work. Thank you.

Thank you. Come on up, sir.

I wanted to come introduce myself. My name is Dr. Benjamin A. Pasley. The perspective that I'm about to give is one that is personal to me. It is not a reflection of any institution that I work for or any hospital affiliation that I have.

I would like to share my perspective as a physician practicing in Newark. There is a substantial overlap of the patients that we treat and the residents and homeless population, and there is a significant overlap with some of the attendees at the drop-in center. A number of people have been referred to us from the drop-in center, and they have helped with patient care. We have a number of people who are struggling not only with mental health, but also uncontrolled diabetes. Probably a significant number of people with hepatitis C, a significant number of people who are

Another thing that I did want to kind of bring up is that the patient population has also changed in the past several years. The demographics have changed. Traditionally, we thought of homeless people as being people who were mentally ill. down on their luck. And I think with a lot of the recent economic changes, we are seeing a difference in the people that are coming to our offices. I have taken care of an elderly woman who recently has been living out of her car because I know there are a lot of people out there who have given people a bad name, but there are also some very good people who are really struggling right now. And I definitely appreciate the help that the drop-in center has given us in helping take care of the residents here in Lincoln County.

So I just wanted to present that perspective.

My name is Ellen Clark and I live at 1225 Mound View Avenue in Newark, Ohio. And I'm here to talk more about the process. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church drop-in center leadership and staff followed procedures to be awarded the 11,000 CDBG dollars. We advocate for upholding the procedures of the City of Newark in relation to the funding process. The second public hearing was April 30th, where it was decided that the drop-in center would be a sub-recipient for 5.7 of the total allocations. The 30-day comment period open to any resident, neighbor, city official, or other community member ended on May 30th. The July 6th Finance Committee meeting was 37 days following the close of the comment period. And in that time, HUD approved the center as a sub recipient, finding no concern with this ministry. Should this council pass the amendment to remove the drop in center from the funding, this would not look favorably on the city and could signal to HUD that we aren't following the procedures set to ensure fair and timely decisions. The public hearings and comment periods are in place so that all of us can engage with these discussions and decisions before it makes it all the way to a committee, the finance committee, two plus months after the public hearing. Council members, we ask you to weigh the facts laid against and in support of the drop-in center. And we would have liked to have addressed these concerns in a different setting. in a more appropriate time with a mutual spirit of collaboration. We hope that moving forward to invite city administration, elected officials, and concerned citizens to share with the ministry directly so that we can all work together for the benefit of the whole city of Newark and all the citizens. Thank you.

Thank you. Go on, ma'am.

Hello.

Hello.

My name is Elizabeth Winnington. I live at 3272 Hebron Road in Hebron, Ohio. I am a Newark, been a Newark alum for all my life. A law-abiding citizen. Never did illegal drugs. Never got in trouble by the law. Was raised by great parents. I was 60, I'm now 62 years old. And it takes one bad decision and you can become homeless. And it's not necessarily drugs. It's not necessarily breaking the laws. It's a financial decision. And I have a husband of 37 years. I'm a state farm retiree. And we found ourselves homeless, living in our car. Nowhere to go. Had no idea what we were going to do. He has dementia. I have diabetes. And if it wasn't for people like Ashley Hughes, the drop-in center, Chris Hughes, Crossroads Baptist, I don't know where we would be today. I never knew anything about housing. I never knew resources because my family, I grew up in a home where everybody worked and nobody made those kind of decisions. You know, you had finances. I grew up in the south end of Newark. There, we never, ever were broken into Um, and I hear all of the volunteer at the warming center, and I don't understand these complaints. I. Became very good friends with those who came to the warming center and they were very kind to me. I got stuck in the snow myself last winter. And gentlemen would come out and help me. get my card, help me get out of the snow and the ice. And it wasn't people who worked at the warming center. It was people who came to the warming center for help. They were very kind, very respectful. I can't say enough how important this warming or the church is and the drop-in center is and what they represent, what I encourage you, come visit, come watch, come on Thursday nights at six o'clock at St. Vincent de Paul's thrift store. I'm sorry, I'm nervous. But it's amazing how kind and how helpful and how generous both sides of the fence are. One gentleman early on said, what if it was your child? what if it was your mother I was the mother my children were like you know what can we do they had households they had grandchildren they had their children living with them they had no room for us but they wanted to take care of my husband and me but we couldn't crowd them we wouldn't dare let them do that and it was it was I cannot explain how humiliating and how terrible it was to go through that. And I just implore you to please don't take their funding away. What they do down there is so precious and so wonderful.

Thank you.

Thank you.

How many more we got tonight? Just one, two, three, four? Okay.

Good evening. My name is Sharon Derthaler. I live at 340 Eastern Avenue, apartment 313 in North Ohio 43055. I am a volunteer at the drop-in center and you have heard from neighbors here today who speak favorably on the drop-in center. While they cannot speak on behalf of all, their voices have weighed in this discussion. In the meeting on July 6th, quote, council have heard quite a bit from the neighbors there. The drop-in center and the Holy Trinity itself are always happy to help people to ask questions, raise concerns, and invite anyone to come in and see what we're doing to serve the community. Specific concerns were raised in this avenue of question on July 6th. When mentioning neighbor concerns and phone calls on traffic hazards, according to the resident, they just started blocking the street. 7th, 2026. There were two traffic hazards reported in the past year. One was a dumpster containing trash from a warning center activations and the drop-in center that wasn't able to pick up because of the massive snowstorm. The dumpster was provided for free from Shackleford so that we could handle the extreme increase of trash from unreliable trash pickup during the snow emergencies. An increase of meals during that time. The other traffic violation was someone revving their engine a little after 10 p.m. in the evening, which we have no control If people feel unsafe or daunted by the existence of the drop-in center and the people that access the services we help provide, then please talk to us. Call us, come talk to our guests, even volunteer for an hour so that you can get to know the people that you're afraid of. If they don't know how to help, then come ask us how. We want to work together to foster a safe and caring community built on trust, and understanding, not fear and hearsay. Thank you.

Thank you. Come on up, ma'am.

Hello, my name is Emma Chodman. I am resident at 106 Coors Boulevard in Pataskala. I am here to speak on behalf of Holy Trinity as a member of 12 years, a council member for eight, and as a volunteer. I am 23 years old. I speak today on my own volition and do not represent any professional or personal affiliations I have beyond the church. I'm here to summarize the facts shared and make an appeal to you, members of Council, to please vote in favor of allowing the Joplin Center to receive this funding. I had the opportunity to attend a Rotary meeting for the first time last week and was struck by the four-way test, an ethical guide to use for personal and professional relationships. There's a handful of Council members here today who were in that meeting. It was a joy to have the opportunity to sit alongside you. Today I ask, do the concerns brought up about the center adhere to the four-way test? Which questions the things we say, think, and do? First, is it the truth? We've shared that zero zoning violations have occurred and no issues were communicated with the church regarding our zoning. This contradicts the first concern communicated on July 6th. Is it fair to all concerned? We've shown the number of phone calls should not have a bearing on whether an agency should be funded. Only 24 calls to an NPD occurred during operating hours. Only five of those calls were for real concerns from a neighbor or passerby. The rest had no reportable issues or made by an affiliated individual ensuring safety and adherence to rules and guidelines. We are doing our job pretty well if only five calls slipped by us in a year. It cannot be rationally said that all 56 calls were indirect of the drop-in center. Otherwise, the McDonald's down the street received 78 similar phone calls, meaning this is the nature of the neighborhood itself and not a product of the center's existence. Holding the 5, 24, even 56 phone calls against us, but none to other subrecipients who had 61 and 50 calls in the past year is not fair to all concerned. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? The concerns around funding the center were never shared with us. Instead of coming to us from a place of collaboration and honesty, we were warned very shortly before the meeting on the 6th that we were not worthy to be a subrecipient. It was a surprise. This did not build a sense of goodwill. We are welcoming to all who want to learn or share concerns about the Center. As you've heard from so many today, the Center builds goodwill and fosters lifelong friendships. When my car was stuck after a warming Center shift this year, my dear friend, a guest, who has accomplished so much through the Center, shoveled a path through the eight inches of snow and wiped off my car while I sat inside warm. He, among many others, builds goodwill and better friendships. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? The funds will go towards staff salaries and increasing our responsibility in the center so we can continue to address growing needs with intention and responsibility. This funding means we can ensure those five phone calls don't slip by us. It was said on July 6th that there's a respect and empathy for what we do inside our building. This ministry and the funding we could receive is beneficial for all concerned. I ask you to consider our words as you think of this decision to allow 5.7% of the funding to go to the drop-in center. I hope we can move towards a space of better communication, honesty, and open collaboration so that we can all be proud of what we do in this community, of lifting every single citizen, homeless or not. Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you all have a safe time. Thank you.

Come on up, Seth. And then Grant and Gail.

Come on, one of you guys, let's go. I don't really come here tonight to talk about this, but I do want to touch on it, because one of the speakers here tonight is a Marine combat veteran in Iraq, Christopher Hughes, a passionate guy. I hope to add some weight to his words for his community service. But I do want to touch on this before I actually speak on why I came here today. I was hoping to come to find a sponsor for some legislation to make some changes, but Jesus did not come into this world to condemn it. He came to save it. And if you look at the estimate around 175 people that they've helped get off the streets, you add that to the Should hire them because we don't want this place to look like San Francisco. And so I don't have much time, but you should hire consultants, put some money into this time. Now, if you spread them all out, the people that are stealing the bikes and stuff is constituents. So here's in that local. You look at that topographically areas never great area. There are ways to solve this issue. That's not why I came here to speak, but I would like to come to you from a non-episodic standpoint about the flock systems. I don't like bringing up my service to the Lord, but when I put on the Charlie Kirk Memorial last year, about 1,300 people showed up. But I've traveled to over 120 churches in Lincoln County. And I've got to tell you, if any of you want to maybe co-sponsor some legislation to work towards ending the contract with these flock here. There's a huge rift, especially among Christian conservatives and amongst liberals. So if you want to look at your futures in politics, I would suggest you take a good look because there's going to be a pretty good voice coming out. Like I said, not adversarial from my position. I don't want to be the face of anything, but I would like to say that considering the Fourth Amendment in the future and how things look. I know there's no expectation of privacy in public. There is against federal agencies and oversight. A lot of things that we are really worried about are strict constitutionalists. There's a lot of FOIA requests that are going to be coming. We've got research teams that are working on this right now. I want to give you guys an opportunity to have a look at this thing nationally. Over 80 municipalities have already done away with it. I want you guys to take a good hard look at this, pray on it, what you think about the next step. Right now it's license plate readers and getting a good look at, you know, characteristics of vehicles and travel patterns and profiles.

Yeah, about 30 seconds, sir.

But in the future, these things are going to come back to bite us. And so if I were you, I would take a good look at what Newark, Ohio is and all the brilliant Beautiful, smart people that come out of this, the city and the state of Ohio, the heartland of Ohio. We do not want to be masturbating or citizens and we don't want to know what they think about that because this is going to be an uproar. So that's all I have to say. How long do I have? How many seconds? Oh, I was going to pray for you guys, but I'll pray for you. Thank you.

Come on up, sir.

My name is Mason Blankenship. I'm a Patasco resident. I'm also a candidate for this district here in the Ohio House of Representatives. So the reason I'm here tonight is because this chamber has a direct impact on the people that I claim to serve. I am asking for this council to recheck any motion to remove or repurpose the $11,000 To my knowledge, the stated reasons for this are the zoning issue and the number of emergency calls coming from the center. These concerns may deserve investigation, but they do not justify withdrawing these funds without complete information and a fair process. If the center is violating zoning ordinances, the city should identify the specific violation in writing, explain it, to the organization in a reasonable manner and in writing. The zoning concerns should be addressed and an appropriate process should be established. It should not be used as an unproven accusation during a funding debate. Council has also heard that more than 70 emergency calls were associated with this location. But that number tells us very little by itself. Were these calls related to criminal activity? Were they medical emergencies? Did staff members place calls because someone needed help? How many resulted in arrest, citation, or a verified violation? The drop-in center serves people experiencing homelessness, addiction, medical emergencies, severe financial hardships, An organization serving the people in crisis may call for first responders because it is the employees are acting responsibly. Asking for emergency assistance should not automatically be treated as evidence that an organization is creating a public safety problem. The center was told to expect this funding and reportedly hired an employee based off of this information. Reversing that allocation would now affect the employee and the residents who depend on the center for meals, clothing, healthcare coordination, recovery support, and housing. If these services are reduced, the need will not disappear. More people will be forced onto the streets. And that will cost a lot more than $11,000, I can promise you that. When we talk about police, we talk about jail time, we talk about medical services, all of the above is gonna account for a lot more than $11,000. I'm not asking the council to ignore legitimate concerns. I am seeking, or I am asking the council to address them through appropriate process and basis decisions in verified evidence. Please honor the original allocation, reject any attempt to repurpose these funds, Work with the drop-in center to resolve any of these issues. And please, I implore you to be the stewards of this community that you were elected to be.

Grandville, Ohio. I've been in Lincoln County for 39 of the last 41 years. And during that time, in my time in my working career at State Farm as part of the senior leadership team, 90% of my time was spent on Newark issues, not Grandville. Spent very little time at Grandville. Since I retired 15 years ago, 95% of my time is spent on Newark issues. volunteer any number of organizations. And I've spent the last two winters at the Warming Center where I've been able to go eyeball to eyeball with individuals coming in that I have a chance to get to know as an individual, not someone that's homeless, got mental issues or whatever. And I found the vast majority of those individuals are decent human beings who just have had a bad turn in life. They are not all drug addicts. They are not all drunks. There are individuals in our community and part of our community. The vote of 11,000, I've heard conversations from. The 11,000 is shutting down the facility and I think this. Situation is voting on that 11,000 dollar allocations. Or perceived allocation to the drug community drop in center. That $11,000 in the Newark City budget is a raindrop. $11,000 to the drop-in center is a lifeline and will allow them to continue to do things you're doing now, but to do it better. I went back and looked at the Newark City government website, which is very, very nice, but one of the early comments is about The people, and we care about the people, this is what makes us a growing. Prosperous and a good community. It doesn't say we care about the tax pay members of the community. Doesn't say we care about the rich people people have nice houses. It says the people. Of which you all represent people. In Newark, Ohio. I've lived in several different locations as a corporate gypsy. And I will tell you that Newark, Ohio, Licking County is the most caring community that I've ever been in. And that's because of the city government, it's because of volunteers, it's business leaders, volunteers, you name it. Everybody works together. I'd like to see us continue to do that. And I would think that this $11,000 issue is one that you don't have to think very long and hard about. In terms of that, it's there. Drop in center needs it expects it and we'll continue to do good things. So, with that, thank you for what you do. Thank you for the time to present this presentation.

All right, we're going to take these 2 and then Mr. and that's going to be it for tonight.

I also am a volunteer at the drop-in center and I'd like to share my perspective because I have worked with Donna and Gray and gotten to know the people. I work at the warming center also, but we're talking drop-in center and day-to-day people coming in that are hungry that They want to help other people. I have seen where people, because they get resources identified for them, that they get homes, they get their identification, they get jobs, and they come back and they volunteer here at the drop-in center to give back. And it's an amazing thing because they are people. They are not all druggies. They are not all mentally ill. Certainly there are some, and there are resources that come in to help work with these people. to help them get some of the resources if they are at least a little bit open to it and also the fact that they have food they become i've seen where they become more and more open to it that they want so desperately to get out of this lifestyle and are so grateful to what these people do we've got so many volunteers here and there is okay there is some the homeless, and it's not just around Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity, I think, really puts a stake in the sand of let's do better. And as Newark, can't we do better for our people? We don't get better by taking away from people trying to actually do something. We get better by encouraging and giving more and understanding the situations. We've had a lot of statistics given tonight, which when you look at it, when you just say, well, there were all these phone calls, what were they for? You know, I know in the warming center, I called at one point because not allowed in the drop-in center. But they will work with them. As much as they can to get them to understand. What is available to them what we can do and I hope that $11,000, which is not that much that does make a difference. Please don't. Cut it off don't take away.

This was not my plans. The Spirit told me to step up.

Name and address, please.

My name, I'll give you my name, is Callie Grecker. I reside in 130 Delmar Avenue, Newark, Ohio 43055. As I sit and listen to everyone talk, we have to have community that come together because my thing for sure We never know who we need in this universe. People like to get in other groups and talk about one another. When I came to Newark, it was like a little bit, but it's gotten better. The reason why I know that Newark is a very giving town, because I got a lot of donations for the Newark City Schools. I did a lot of things for Newark City Schools, and I think I remember you. for the teacher appreciation and the Christmas lights. Because you have to work with the younger generation, and the younger generation have to work with the older generation. Because we're not going to be here forever. And I can't get away from talking about the younger generation. I cannot, because that's their heart of mine. And like I said, I was not going to talk, but the Spirit told me to come. And I would like to know, okay, You listen to the news, the weather, and the weatherman has predicted that we're gonna have a thunderstorm tomorrow. And anyone else can become homeless, okay? Any one of us. Are we here we can become homeless? People don't think ahead. Like I tell people like this, I talk to a lot of the younger generation, a lot of people in general. We think about the present, we're gonna think about the future.

And we become home, and where we going? Are we going to sit down with the homeless people?

Those are going to be the ones that will have enough experience to know how to give with the talk to them because they're human beings too. And I would like to know how many people, let me have the answer, have things that they cannot use and donate to the drop-off center. I love volunteer because that's one of my gifts, volunteer. And we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring for us. And a lot of the young men and young women that have volunteered, I want to thank you all for . And I remember when we was a part of society, people were afraid of us. Now it's the homeless people. Now it's the drug addicts. And we have to cut that out and let people know that we love them. Some people don't know how to love. You gotta love yourself first to get in touch with somebody else. If you know how it'll make somebody feel, you need to talk to these people and know where they're coming from. not talk at them and make fun of them. They probably make fun of us too. These people are very intelligent. They just got a little hard time. You can get sick. We have a bunch of them. And if you want to nurse 24 hours a day, you don't know how long it's gonna be there. Everybody's gone. What you gonna do then? We have to spread the wings and fly. Take care of everybody. And I always remember, health is your wealth. Like I said, I wasn't planning on crying today. I was sitting there crying the way I see people look down on one another and talk about one another. They'll talk about you, but they don't want to do anything for you. And every last one of any of you is addicted to drugs. It might not be the drugs that we have. You go to your doctor, you go to your medication, you get addicted. So, I thank everybody that's going home and all the volunteers. This is how I wish I smiled. It's not the end of the world.

Mr. Brennan, bring us home.

Hello, Brennan. 419 South 2nd Street. I thought I'd start it off with to let you know I never graduated school. I wish I did. But I did what my father told me to do. The only way to learn is see and listen. And I have. I'm all around this town every day. thorough and thorough. If you don't have a partner, that's that vacant poppy site. You know, it ain't going to hurt them to walk a little bit, correct? Okay. Now, the other thing I got to bring attention to, I don't know who the construction company is that was doing Second Street, but I think it's a waste of money what they did. Now look at it. You've got 12 steel plates all over 2nd Street and National Drive. Why? That's uncalled for. That's a waste of city money. If they didn't do the job right the first time, they shouldn't have done it. And that's a fact. The other thing is, too, last week or two weeks ago, Law Director Teresa Moore really ripped into me. He was either elected or appointed official, and that's the wrong way for an official to act. She could have done a better job of talking to me. As far as the chief deputy for Newark Police, I don't have a problem with him, never did.

I don't even know why she brought him up.

But I felt that she was unprofessional in her act the way she talked to me. I'm a citizen of Newark just like she is and everybody else is. And that's totally uncalled for. If she can't handle her position, then she shouldn't be in it. I don't talk to you guys like that. Yeah, I talk loud. But that's all I have to say. Thank you.

City officials tonight? Law director?

I wasn't here last week or three weeks ago, Mr. Brunner, so I can't speak to that. But I'll let Ms. Moore know that we need to have an ongoing conversation about that. A lot's been said this evening. I don't have anything else, Jermaine, to add. With that, I yield. Thank you. Mr. Mayor? I will pass this evening. Mr. Lindley?

Excuse me.

Uh, Mr morning famous president, I need to call a finance committee meeting for August the 3rd. I want to thank everybody for coming this evening and voicing your concerns. I think. No matter which side somebody was on, they both sides had has concerns and I feel confident that your voices will be heard and that it's just a lot of information to soak in. And I think that a logic will win and doing the right thing will win. So want to make sure that as a fellow, we do want to make sure it's fair to all concerned. And the 4 way test is something that I utilize consistently. And in this case, it'll be that case as well. So, and with that, I will pass. Thank you. Ms.

Yes, thank you. President Harris. First off, I want to thank everyone that was here tonight to the 23 people who came up and spoke. Thank you. I'm still fairly new to council. I'm only in my seventh month. And I just wanted to say what a humbling honor it is to bear the witness of community. and that is what happened here this evening. And so I appreciate that for everyone who had an inner dialogue going on of everything that they wanted to say and didn't get up. Um, I welcome you to put it in writing or to reach out to your council person and let them know, uh, because every opinion is necessary. And so you are all seen and you are heard. And so I just feel very grateful for hearing that tonight. And I just wanted to say that personally, it's exceptionally humbling and I'm grateful that you were here. To drastically switch gears, literally, Let's talk bike safety for a second. It's something that we've talked a lot about in council here. Just to follow up on some of the conversations that we have had around cycling, bicycle safety, e-bike safety outside of council chambers. There's some handouts now. Big thank you to the Licking County Health Department for helping secure those from the state of Ohio. There's some really great handouts about traffic rules, about sharing the road. In addition, legal information about the different class one, class two, class three electric bicycles. Those are available outside of the council office. I'll be working with the police department to get those out to them as well to be able to give them to individuals on the street if they have information about it because we all can continue to learn. And so I know that's something that we've all talked about a lot here and just wanted to follow up on something that's there. Um, and with that, I will pass.

Thank you. Mr Barker. Thank you Mr. President, I need to call a service committee meeting for August 3rd. I want to a couple things. 1st of all, if everyone could pray for a family stalling family here in New York area, Phil stalling senior. A lot of people knew him around town. He unfortunately passed away over the weekend. I remember Phil very vividly. He and I would when I. Worked at the little auction house here with travel to pick up cars and car collections and he always taught me something when we would go car that we were picking up and it's a, it's a big loss to the car community here in Lincoln County. And in New York, he was a, he was a huge. Huge support of that and teaching the next generation. So please keep his family in your prayers. Um, I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. This is not, you know, we don't, we don't know how to make informed decisions unless people reach out to us and come to council or call us. You know, I will tell you all that the meeting I was called to was on April 24th of this year, where our zoning administrator had concerns uh quote to quote him a stack of issues regarding the drop-in center and holy training lutheran church and in that meeting we all that were in attendance said everyone needs to be treated the same everyone has to be treated the same if if there's a problem it needs to be reviewed and looked at When we left that meeting, I was under the understanding that he was going to be reviewing those issues and looking at them. I know some that are here tonight who are with the center has been told by him that there are no issues. He has not told me that he has not responded to me in my requests. I'll make that very open and public to all of you. Um, I'm working with the directors director matter on this to try to find, you know, I was led to believe. And I will tell you, that's what I was led to believe when I left that meeting. I was told there was a stack of issues. And I come to find out that nothing has been done with any of these stack of issues. I've not been provided the stack of issues. So, I want to apologize. Because that's what I was led to believe. And I speak with what I'm led to believe. You know, as a fellow Rotarian, is it the truth? I believed it was the truth. I was told that's what it was. That's what was happening. I believe in helping people. You know, as Miss Cook's here in the front row, she and I got to speak prior to the meeting. She lives in the fifth ward, and I said to her, I believe in helping people. The church I go to here downtown helps people every week. They provide meals. But I also have to be conscious of the neighbors and how they're treated because they have rights, too, and they have a voice, too. And I think as you will all. Hopefully feel this decision weighs on us very heavily. A financial decision is not 1 that we take lightly no matter whether it's 11,000 dollars. Or it's a 1Million dollars. I also believe that there's going to be additional conversation. Uh, through different members of council with different members of the drop in center, because there are some discrepancies that we're finding in different things. I've been told that this grant is for office supplies. 11,000 dollars of posted notes has a lot of posted notes. And I can't understand how that benefits the people that attend the drop in center. So there are questions to still be answered and we're going to get down to the bottom of that. We always do. We'll find out. As some of you may believe, I've unfortunately been the recipient of some rather nasty phone calls and messages over the last two weeks. I'm not heartless. I wanna help people. But I also wanna follow the law. And I also wanna follow federal guidelines. Because I don't want any other organization to lose dollars. And so we have to do the right thing. We have to do the due diligence. I think 1 thing people need to understand too is that. We don't know these members on this council. And they can, they can correct me if I'm wrong.

I did not know.

Hey, I did not know. Who was supposed to be given money until 3 days before when we got the agenda. And that's something we're going to address internally. Dr director and I've already talked about that, but we didn't get the list. We didn't know after your public after the public hearings. We didn't know who was going to be getting the money. And at the end of the day, through the city charter, this body is the 1 that gives out the funds. Someone no 1 else in this administration can guarantee funds that have to come through council. So I appreciate everybody coming out tonight. You've heard me speak on what I was told, what I believed and what we're trying to get down to the bottom of. I believe this will come out in the right light once we are able to do our further due diligence on it. And I, again, appreciate everybody for coming out this evening. Thank you and I'll pass. Ms. Belay.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you to everyone who came out. I have a pile of notes here to certainly disseminate and go through as well as many, many phone calls and visits to homes. If someone calls me and said, Beth, you know, come to my house and we're going to talk about this. Fine. I will come to your house. And because Newark is full of wonderful people. And, and again, this is a wonderful caring city and, and this is evidence of it. So, With that in mind, when someone calls and says, you know, there have been a number of phone calls directed toward a certain address, I will substantiate those phone calls because I want to know the truth. You know, I don't want to have hearsay or anything like that because I have to try and figure out how to balance what I'm hearing. And so the phone calls that were pulled were for one address. As far as reports, unless you request a report, it's my experience that the police do not file a report right there. I have had to say, you know, I would like to make a report, and the police will come back maybe a couple hours later. Or later on, I can go down to the police station and file a report myself. But again, in my experience, when the police do come, They'll come and they'll check out my request and then it'll be an all clear and then they'll leave. So, so, and that is the basis of many of these calls without reports, because again, unless a request is made, there won't be 1 given. So, again, I want to thank everyone. Mr. burner left and I wish he had. This is your city council. I am so glad that everyone came and felt that they could say what they wanted to say. And Mr. Bruner is faithful. He will come here every week, you know, whether it's raining, whether it's snowing, he will be here. And that man, he has the right to say anything he wants to. This is the First Amendment happening here. It's just an honor, again, to have all of you here. Don't let anybody tell you you can't say anything. We need to be kind. We need to be respectful. But other than that, this is your city council. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'd just like to thank everybody for coming and sharing their perspectives with us.

It is a delicate balancing act to be sure to hear both the good that ministries that are being performed in the city.

and the concerns of citizens who uh they directly impact uh good and bad so i appreciate you lending voice to your perspective and sharing with us and with that mr president thank you mr cost tonight's one of the kind of nights why i always wanted to serve on your account there's a lot of democracy in this room you can go a lot of places where there aren't This sort of thing being done, being said. Drop-in Center, I am very familiar with. They do a great job. They applied for funds from HUD. And unless I'm mistaken, it's the first time. Okay. That's what I thought. And they got them. Okay. Now, those funds, I'm sure, will help them. I'm also sure that there are problems. But those two things, they're not related. They don't cross. Like Patty said, if there's a problem, you've got to find a way to solve it. And you aren't going to solve it by taking away funding that's been granted to these folks to help the community. So we do need to work towards finding solutions. That's absolutely right. But we've got to let these folks do their job and keep going the way they have been and probably be able to do more. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr cost of a single.

Thank you. Mr. President just simply thank you for being here tonight. I appreciate the fact that you care about your community and what's happening. and there are a lot of different opinions, but I thank you for being here. And then there are those of you that are sitting there that I have talked to in the last two weeks, and I thank you for your time that you gave me to educate me, teach me, that I might be able to learn about a lot of different things. So thank you very much to all of you. And another thank you. We had an unfortunate incident. at my church on Sunday, and the police had to come by. And I tell you, they were awesome. They were polite. They were kind. It was a great group of people who helped answer some questions for me, spoke with our pastor very politely. They did a great job. They did a great job. So thank you to the police force for their help with our church.

Thank you, Mr. president, I think everyone for coming out this evening and sharing your insights and perspectives on the work that they're doing there. Obviously, this is a passionate issue that both sides are passionate about and from all of you and the perspective insights that you provided this evening as well. So, thank you for that. And on a final note, completely unrelated to everything. If I could end this on a positive note, I'd like to wish my mom a happy birthday. Today is her birthday. I will not tell you her age.

Do you know?

I did the math earlier. But today is her birthday, so I want to wish her a happy birthday.

I want to thank everybody for coming tonight. I want to thank everybody for being respectful to one another. If you didn't get a chance to speak tonight, come back on August 3rd, you get another opportunity. And then I would ask that as soon as we adjourn, if everybody could exit, if you want to stick around and talk, could you please do it outside so we can get the chamber and everything locked up? On Thursday is Mr. Neely's birthday. He's not here, but I wish Mr. Neely a happy birthday. So you guys can reach out to him. Do I have a motion? Motion by Mr. Cost. Second by Mr. Elizabeth. All in favor say aye.