City Council - Regular Meeting

I call to order and welcome you to the city of Middletown, Ohio council meeting for Tuesday, September 1st, 2026. Please join me for a moment of meditation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. You will hear three taps of the gavel when it is time to stand. Please join me in a moment of meditation now. Clerk of Council, Mrs. Amy Skank, please call the attendance roll.

Mrs. Carter. Present. Mr. West. Here. Mr. Mulligan.

Here.

Mayor Slamka.

Here.

Mr. Lally. Present.

Before we continue, I'd like to make a motion to amend this evening's agenda to remove legislation item number nine, resolution R-2026-21, to be added to a future regular council meeting agenda. Is there a motion? Or I'm sorry, I made a motion. Is there a second?

Second.

It has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Okay, seeing none, we will continue. City Manager Combs, do you have anything to add? Do you want to add anything to that?

I do need to vote.

Oh, I know. Yes. So hearing no more conversation, Mrs. Skank, please call the roll.

Okay.

Mr. West? Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lally? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes.

Yes.

Yeses have it and the motion passes. Item number nine, resolution R202621 shall be removed from this evening's agenda to be added to a future agenda. Our first order of business today is citizen comments. A professional presentation free of foul language is expected. Speakers are encouraged to prepare remarks in advance to stay within the set time limits. CITIZEN COMMENTS IS NOT THE TIME FOR DEBATE, QUESTIONS AND ANSWER OR ANY BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL OR STAFF. THIS IS A TIME FOR YOU, OUR RESIDENTS, TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL ON RECORD, UNINTERRUPTED AND HAVE THE FLOOR. PLEASE NOTE THAT AFTER THE MEETING, YOUR COMMENT CARDS WILL BE GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER AND SHE WILL ASSIGN A MEMBER OF STAFF TO REPLY TO YOU AS APPROPRIATE. WE HAVE RECEIVED TWO COMMENT CARDS THIS EVENING. I WILL PROMPT EACH SPEAKER FOR THEIR NEXT STEPS WHEN THEY REACH THE PODIUM. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL KIMBERLY SILAS TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE. And you may sit or stand according to your preference. Please adjust the microphone and speak directly into the microphone at all times. Before we begin, please state your full name and Middletown residents for the record. You will then have three and a half minutes of uninterrupted speech. Please commence.

Hello. Yes, I am a Middletown resident. My name is Kimberly Silas. I've lived here for 66 years. Next week.

May we have your address, please?

Yes. 1-847 Spring Grove Lane, Middletown, Ohio. I'm sorry.

Thank you. Please commence.

I'm sorry. Dear members of Middletown City Council, my name is Kimberly Silas and I am the founder of the William and Silas Breast Cancer Awareness Ministry. While my ministry is not a non-profit organization and is essentially a one-woman ministry, its purpose is deeply rooted and community service awareness in bringing people together. I am not writing to bring a complaint nor to request monetary assistance. Instead, I am reaching out to extend an invitation and respectively solicit your involvement in an important community initiative. The William Silas Breast Cancer Awareness Ministry is very personal to me. Although I was only five years old when my mother, William Silas, passed away in 1966, I have spent my life carrying her name and learning about the woman she was. I have been told how much she loved the community of Middletown and the people who live here. This walk is one of the ways I continue to honor my mother's legacy in the very community in which she lived and lived. Through the ministry, I want her name to continue to represent love, compassion, awareness, unity, service to others. On October 27th, 2022, the first William & Silas Peace, Prayers, and Positivity Breast Cancer Walk was held here in Middletown, Ohio. We began at Old South Park on Main Street and walked together to United Missionary Baptist Church where we gathered in prayer, fellowship, and unity. I am pleased to announce that on October 24 of 2026, the walk will take place again. This year, we will once again begin at Old South Park and conclude at the CBI Robert Sunny Hill Community Center. With that in mind, I am respectfully asking the members of Middletown City Council to come walk with me. Your presence would mean so much, not only as a show of support, but for breast cancer survivors, breast cancer survivors and their families breast cancer awareness but also as a visible demonstration of our collective commitment to peace unity togetherness throughout the city of Middletown my motto is we support all ribbons to me this statement represents more than breast cancer it represents acknowledgement and supporting the many causes, struggles, and families and individuals within our community who need to know about awareness. I believe when community, I'm sorry, I didn't print this out. I believe that when community leaders come together, walk together, this would send a powerful message that Middletown stands together. I would be honored to have you join me on October 26th as we walk for peace prayers and positivity in the city of Middletown thank you thank you what time we can find that out what time the walk will start at 10 o'clock a.m at Old South Park and 24th or the 26th the 24th yeah and we can 2026 did I say the 26th

The second time you said 26.

I'm sorry, October 20. Much as I love to talk and I'm nervous. October 24th, 2026 at 10 PM and it starts at 10.

Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Silas. I'm sorry. If you would have a seat. Thank you so much. We'll make sure to reach out to you to get all the details. Thank you so much. No problem. Sometimes we get nervous up here. All right. Next, I would like to call Constance Miller to the podium, please. And you may stand or sit according to your preference. Please adjust the microphone and speak directly into the microphone at all times. Before we begin, please state your full name and Middletown residence for the record. You will then have three and a half minutes of uninterrupted speech. Please commence.

My name is Constance Miller. I reside at 4002 Riverview Avenue in Middletown. Do you need a zip code?

No, thank you.

I'm here today to speak about the flock cameras that we're seeing going up, not just flock, but other items of 24-7 surveillance. But I'd like to start by thanking the Middletown Police. Before I go in on it, back in May, June, my autistic son eloped, and if it weren't for the police coming in quick, I don't know what the outcome would have been. So I just want to take the time to thank the police while I'm up here. That being said, I get that a lot. What would Flock do to help you if your son eloped again? Being that they're license plates readers, I would think nothing unless he has a license plate attached to him or unless the Flock cameras are collecting data further than the license plates. Some AI features at Flock, they create profiles on driver behavior, car behavior, features, where you're traveling, where you're going. And without access to the contract, We as residents who pay for these do not know how long the data is being stored, who has access to the data, who is it just the police or is it any city employee, or is it certain police officers? As you've seen in the news, there are several instances where officers have stalked exes or love interests, and now they're either fired, in jail, five years probation, things like that. As a freedom-loving person, I enjoy my Fourth Amendment, and I realize that the Supreme Court hasn't decided on how the Fourth Amendment applies to flock cameras. For me, it's not too different than USV Jones, where you can't just tag on a GPS tracker to a car without a warrant. Granted, there's no tracker on my car. I'm still being tracked throughout the city. I have yet to see an exit and an entry point without a flock camera. The thought that you can't go in and out of here without the government's eyes on you should not be comfortable to anybody. And I also hear a lot, well, if you don't do anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about. In this current times, I am an activist. I run No Elegy Needed in Middletown. And there I'm being called by the federal government a domestic terrorist. So I can't sit here and be said, oh, well, don't do anything wrong when certain people are defining, redefining what's right and what's wrong. Who gets a voice? Who gets to travel freely? Who gets to say, I don't like what's going on. And I don't think Middletown police would follow me around. They've been very supportive for our rallies and I've always been grateful for that. However, I don't know who else has access to these. We have found out that the federal government has found backdoor channels. FLOC safety contract, the general contract, states that FLOC safety has access and can keep all of the data that they store, whether or not Middletown police wants them to. It's part of the contract. But without reviewing Middletown's contract, we don't know if you all opted for that or not. Another option that is missing is the trans portal, like the transparency portal, where residents can do audit logs and make sure that they're not being abused. And with that, I just hope that all the public records requests are followed so that residents can review.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

This concludes our public participation. The next agenda item is council comments. We will begin to my left with Council Member Lawley, followed by Vice Mayor Carter, and then to my right with Council Member West, followed by Council Member Mulligan. I will speak last. Mr. Lawley.

Thank you, Mayor. Start off with wishing everybody a happy and safe Labor Day weekend coming up next weekend. Hope everybody enjoys the extra day or two off they might get for the Labor Day holiday. Thank all the workers in America for everything they they do. Secondly, I want to congratulate Cleveland Cliffs on being able to move forward with the The project out at the Middletown Works, I think it's going to be a very big thing for Cleveland Cliffs as a company. It's going to be a very big thing for the workers there. It's going to be a very big thing for the city of Middletown in terms of it pretty much guarantees that the Middletown Works is here for decades to come, which is largest employer in the city of Middletown and a our biggest tax base which is a great thing and then with the with the billion dollar investment in the Middletown works and the construction that we're going to be going on out there will do a lot to enhance enhance our income tax revenue for a few years which which is a great thing so Thank you to that. Thank you to the Department of Energy. Thank you for Vice President J.D. Vance for coming to Middletown, his hometown. And he gave a good talk at Middletown Works last Friday. And this is a very positive thing for Middletown. I want to congratulate Jackie Phillips on her retirement. Jackie and I worked together for nearly 30 years and I can call Jackie a friend and we worked on a lot of things together and I will tell everybody that this city is in a much better place for her service over the last 30 plus years. So Jackie, enjoy retirement and I wish you good luck. Yeah, and I just, as far, I've been reading a lot on the flock camera situation over the last several weeks, and while I'm not ready to bail like a lot of communities are starting to do on the flock camera, I do think, well, we need to look at it on a city level, a county level, a state level, and a federal level as far as protecting our civil liberties. However, I will say that our police department keeps the information for what I believe Chief Nelson told us in an email for 30 days. You know, if my child or somebody's grandchild was abducted and I knew we had a tool like the flock cameras to jump on it within the first couple hours and it It gets our loved one back quickly, or it does what it's supposed to do in apprehending criminals. That's great, and I think we need to continue. But I do understand some of the concerns with it and how it invades. It might invade our civil liberties, the collection of data and stuff like that. We have to find a way to figure out how we can do that, you know. But then again, you know, on the other hand, folks, we live, you know, the big thing about it is we don't want to live in a surveillance society. I'm going to tell you something. If you get on a computer, you have Facebook, you have social media, you do anything else, we're living in a surveillance world, you know. I just, that's the other thing I wrestle with. I don't know of anybody who doesn't get 20 emails a day from financial organizations wanting you to apply for this loan, apply for that loan, or I see you were at Kroger's. How many of you is going to Target, Kroger's, Meyers? And two minutes after you leave there, they know you're there. the world of cell phones today but you know I agree with the I agree with some of the things that Miss Miller said and we just we have to find the happy medium because as you said it is a good tool when it's used properly so with that that's all I have thank you Mr. Lawley Vice Mayor Carter

Good evening. Miss Miller, I also agree with the conversation you had about the flock cameras because we as human beings abuse everything we get our hands on when it comes to other people. I don't know what's going to happen in Middletown, how much investigation we're going to put into it. But I agree. There's something that some things that we do need and there are some things that we do not need. So thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Vice Mayor. Mr. West.

Yes, good evening. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, I mean, the flock cameras, I think in probably the last 60 or 90 days, have really kind of exploded on the scene. I've watched quite a few things on flock cameras, and I think it's one of those issues where when used properly, um, they're a great asset, great tool. Uh, however, you know, flock has a whole organization outside of local jurisdictions. And so I think it's worth a conversation for sure to, to figure out, um, you know, what flock is doing, um, from a corporate standpoint, you know, with that said, I mean, there was concern many years ago, um, 10 plus years ago when there were certain apps being developed for phones, one of which I think most of us have used before, Waze, for example. When Waze first came out, everybody was like, oh, this is great, you know, and then there was some hesitation involved. I mean, we thought it was great, you know, maybe we won't get as many tickets, right? But at the same token, they do store driving data. It could be speed, it could be routine, those types of things. Google does the same thing. So I think there's always that concern. I think the big difference between those apps and flock cameras is those apps, it's a choice to use those. Flock is present there. I do know there are a lot of cases, even locally here, where flock cameras have been used instrumental in solving crimes and even understanding, for example, when stolen cars move in and out of the city. So it's a double-edged sword. I'm not sure I'm 100% up on it yet to really offer what my opinion would be either way, but I know it has been a valuable tool in many examples, even for uh chief nelson's team so um you know and here in middletown we've we've always kind of dealt with you know being on 75 being on a major corridor a lot of people coming in and out of town and you know being between two major cities or two large cities i should say you know kind of puts us in the middle for for some some crime With that said, I would like to say congratulations to Cleveland Cliffs. That was something that's been in the works for what seems like a very, very long time, and I'm glad to see it finally come to fruition. That was a concern I know many of us in the city had, is if Cleveland Cliffs didn't have some type of upgrades coming, there is a shelf life on the blast furnace. So I'm proud that Middletown will be on the map for generations, really. I mean, this will solidify Cleveland Cliffs' presence in this community for many, many years and in a cleaner sense. So I think it's a win-win for the city as well as Cleveland Cliffs. And with that said, the only other thing I have is I hope everybody enjoys Labor Day and the weather's nice and everybody stays safe. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. West. Mr. Mulligan.

Thank you, Mary. I'll add my comments for the Cleveland Cliffs celebration. It was great to join with so many elected officials on the federal, state, and local level, and the CEO of Cleveland Cliffs coming in to celebrate the terrific announcement. The $1 billion investment, as has been said, represents more than just dollars and cents. It's a commitment to decades of service for Middletown Works. The construction jobs alone could create 1,500 temporary jobs and, of course, help preserve the over 2,000 permanent jobs at the plant. So a great day for Middletown to get that positive exposure, and we hope that Cleveland Cliffs will continue to be the economic engine driver that it is. Congratulations to the organizers of Hops in the Hangar. This was another successful event at Middletown Regional Airport. Jamie Murphy and Mika Glazer-Jones and their committee did an excellent job and there were so many PATRONS, AND THERE WAS ALSO A FAMILY-FRIENDLY AREA FOR THE EVENT TO ENJOY THE AIRPLANE SHOW, AND IT REALLY WAS PHENOMENAL. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM, AND I KNOW THAT THE PROCEEDS OF THAT EVENT ALSO BENEFIT SOME NONPROFITS IN MIDDLETOWN. SO THANK YOU FOR THEIR EFFORTS. There's been some comment in the past couple weeks about Middletown separating with a particular employee and I am not in a role that comment on any personnel decisions and that's certainly not my place and our policy is not to do so. But I just want to point out that YOU KNOW WE WE CELEBRATE THE LONGEVITY OF SO MANY CITY EMPLOYEES AS I LOOKED AT THIS MONTH'S EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER THERE WERE A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE REACHED THE 25-YEAR MARK PAT BALLAS AND THE CLERK OF COURT'S OFFICE AND ANDY WARRICK IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SO AND OF COURSE JACKIE PHILLIPS CELEBRATING 28 YEARS WITH THE CITY SO WE HAVE IT ON ALL ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM, AND AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S 400 TO 500 EMPLOYEES, THERE WILL BE SOME TURNOVER. SO I WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE TO READ TOO MUCH INTO ONE PARTICULAR EVENT OR ONE PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE THAT'S SEPARATED, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE IN THE CITY. HAPPY THAT MARTIN RUSSELL IS JOINING US AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND HE BRINGS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP. I think that adds to our bench strength and really adds a professionalism and experience that we'll benefit from. So welcome, Mr. Russell. And finally, offering condolences to the family of Dr. Ray Kefauver. He passed away last week and really left behind a great legacy in the practice of medicine and also his generous support of so many charitable organizations in Middletown. But my condolences to Jeanne Ann Kefauver, his widow and his family. Just an all-around great guy and who will certainly be missed in the Middletown community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mulligan. I will also echo my congratulations to Cleveland Cliffs. So much has been said already, and I'm just very excited, especially about the cogeneration plant. I'm very grateful to them to be building that, saving up to 50% of their energy to put it back into their own plant. I applaud them for that. Also with the flock cameras, I know that's something that the city's been looking at, so I'm sure we'll be hearing more from that in the coming weeks and months. So now I'd like to go into a little bit of what we are expecting coming up in the next couple of weeks here in Middletown. So enjoy General Trivia Night every Thursday this month from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. at New Ales Brewery located at 1330 Manchester Avenue. For more information, please visit the calendar at downtownmiddletown.org. Celebrate First Friday at 5 p.m. this week on September 4th and join the Hellens for the third annual Roper Romp throughout downtown. Come dressed up as Mrs. Roper from Three's Company or just as you are and walk the bar crawl through our door district, the first in all of Ohio, with specials at participating local businesses for anyone dressed as Helen. New this year is the Family Friendly Kid Zone. For more information on this fun and eccentric event, please visit the calendar at downtownmiddletown.org. Also this Friday, September 4th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the MAC, our Middletown Art Center, is the opening of the exhibit, Steel in a Different Light, a special collaboration of works by renowned steel artist Mike Elsass and our local employees of Cleveland Cliffs. Steel in a Different Light celebrates the union of fine art and Middletown steel heritage. Through this exhibition that runs through October 15th, visitors can explore the history and impact of steel in Middletown, learn about Cleveland Cliff's 125-year legacy, and see how steel continues to influence the present and future of our city. For more information, including more on the upcoming block party, please visit MiddletownArtCenter.com. Also this Friday, after the MAC, head over to the Sorg Opera House located at 63 South Main Street. at 8 p.m. for an acoustic set from Cincinnati Reds Team Hall of Famer and musician, Bronson Arroyo. For more information and tickets, please visit sorgoperahouse.org. Next Friday, September 11th, the Sorg Opera House and the Middletown Lyric Theater present 110 Stories, a 25th anniversary memorial being performed at the Sorg. This is a free event, though you must reserve your tickets. Told through the real testimonies of first responders, survivors, volunteers, and everyday New Yorkers, 110 Stories captures the emotional experience of 9-11 through the voices of those who lived it. You will see familiar faces from Middletown in the ensemble cast, including our very own Vice Mayor Jennifer Carter. For more information and to reserve your tickets, please visit sorgoperahouse.org. The next day, Saturday, September 12th, is the 25th anniversary of September 11th Memorial 5K, hosted by the City of Middletown. Starting with the ceremony at 8.46 a.m. at Firehouse 83, located at 1830 Yankee Road, the race begins at 9.28 a.m. For information on parking and race sign-ups, please visit cityofmiddletown.org, hover over residents, and click on City Events. Also next Saturday after the 5K, join in from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Middletown's third annual 5 Star Comic Con at Miami University's Middletown campus, located at 4200 North University Boulevard. 5 Star Comic Con is a celebration of comics, pop culture, anime, gaming, cosplay, and more right here in Middletown, Ohio. If you or anyone in your life is a fan of any of these, you will want to be there. For more information, including how to buy tickets, please visit 5starcomiccon.com and click on the Middletown, Ohio location. Sunday, September 13th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., join Mo-Am, Middletown's open-air market, for their second Sunday called Harvest and Heritage, located across from Gravel Road Brewing Company at 916 First Avenue. Discover heirloom vegetables, heritage crafts, historical organizations, a seed swap, and old-fashioned games. For more information, please visit the calendar at downtownmiddletown.org. Please save the date for one of my all-time favorite events in Middletown, the 10th annual Dog Day Downtown. Friday, September 18th from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. is a day just for the dogs and those who love them. For more information, please visit the calendar at downtownmiddletown.org. As a reminder, the city of Middletown accepts applications for our boards and commissions throughout the year. So if there's something that you have an interest in and you wish to give back to your city in this way, please do submit your application. To learn more, please visit the city's website at cityofmiddletown.org. Lastly, and as always, there are many ways to get involved with your community and give back. You can join a board or local group, run for office, apply for a job with the city, volunteer at the hospital, pick up trash in your neighborhood or park, plant a garden in your yard or balcony, smile at a neighbor, find joy and satisfaction for a job well done in whatever work you do, or just have a positive and giving attitude. Find something you can do regularly to give back. We are all connected. We are all in this together. The care of our city is an adventure, which we all get to share. That is all from me tonight. This concludes our council comments. The next agenda item is City Manager Report. City Manager Ms. Ashley Combs, you have the floor.

Thank you. Good evening. I don't have any specific reports, but I would like to congratulate Jackie Phillips-Carter on 28 years with the city. She's going to be greatly missed, and we wish her the best. And the second item is welcoming our new Assistant City Manager, Martin Russell. And that's all for me.

Thank you. Mr. Russell, did you want to say anything? No pressure. Thank you.

i because of the 20 years of experience i now feel old thanks to mr mulligan there but that's okay no i just appreciate the opportunity and and thank you it's uh um obviously only been two days and i'm i'm learning a lot as as we go here but uh um just an exceptional team that i've been able to sit there and meet thus far and really look forward to working with uh council and others to accomplish a lot in the near future thank you thank you thank you all right thank you so much

Next is the consent agenda. While the consent agenda is generally for consensus items, do any council members wish to remove anything from the consent agenda this evening and move it to the motion agenda? All right. Seeing none, we will proceed. Mrs. Skank, please present the consent agenda.

Your consideration this evening, we have the approval of the city council minutes of August 18th, 2026, and to receive and file the following board and commission minutes. The Board of Zoning Appeals from July 2nd, August 6th, October 1st, November 5th, and December 3rd, 2025, and January 7th, February 4th, April 1st, and July 1st, 2026, the Planning Commission minutes of April 23rd, May 13th, June the 10th, and July 8th, 2026, and the Civil Service Commission minutes of May 7th, June 9th, July 16th, and August 12th, 2026, and to receive and file an oath of office for Brianna Steele.

Thank you, Mrs. Skank. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda?

Motion to approve.

Thank you. Is there a second?

Second.

It has been properly moved and seconded to accept the consent agenda. We will proceed to vote. Mrs. Skank, please call the roll.

Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lawley? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes. Mr. West?

Yes.

Yeses have it, and the motion passes. The consent agenda is approved. The next agenda item is the motion agenda. We have two items this evening. Mrs. Skank, please present item A of the motion agenda.

To request approval to purchase one 2027 Ford F-550 Alltech bucket truck model AT37G from Alltech Industries Incorporated of Indianapolis, Indiana in the amount of $182,000. $482 for the for the electronics division.

Thank you so much miss comes to staff report please. Marin City Council this truck will support Travis traffic signal streetlight and related maintenance throughout the city it will replace a 22 year-old bucket truck that has exceed the city's replacement threshold is becoming a costly to maintain funds are available in the garage fund and the existing truck will be sold on gov deals.

Thank you, Ms. Combs. Do I have a motion to approve item A to request approval to purchase one 2027 Ford F-550 Altec bucket truck from Altec Industries Incorporated of Indianapolis, Indiana in the amount of $182,482 for the electronics division?

Motion.

Thank you. Is there a second?

Second.

Having been properly moved and seconded, is there any discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. Genk, please call the roll.

Mayor Slamka. Yes. Mr. Lawley. Yes. Mrs. Carter. Yes. Yes. Mr. West? Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes.

Yeses have it, and the motion passes. Mrs. Skank, please present item B of the motion agenda.

To authorize a city manager to grant a permanent easement to Duke Energy on city-owned parcel C1620020000008, located on South Main Street.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, the staff report, please. Mayor and City Council, this item requests authorization to grant Duke Energy a permanent easement on the city property to provide electrical service to the police firing range. The range currently has no power, limiting lighting, security, and future training capabilities. The easement will allow Duke to extend power to the site. The cost of the extension is $13,151.25.

Thank you, Ms. Combs. Do I have a motion to approve item B to authorize the city manager to grant a permanent easement to Duke Energy on city-owned parcel number C1620020000008 located on South Main Street?

Motion.

Is there a second? Second. Having been properly moved and seconded, is there any discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. Skank, please call the roll. Mr. Lawley.

Yes. Mrs. Carter. Yes. Mr. West. Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes. The yeses have it and the motion passes. This concludes the motion agenda. The next item on the agenda is executive session. Do I hear a motion to move to executive session under the authority of ORC 121.22G8. TO CONSIDER CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION RELATED TO THE MARKETING PLAN, SPECIFIC BUSINESS STRATEGY, PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES, TRADE SECRETS OR PERSONAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF AN APPLICANT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE OR TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS RESPECTING REQUESTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, PROVIDED THAT BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS APPLY. The information is directly related to a request for economic development assistance that is to be provided or administered under any provision of Chapter 715, 725, 1724, or 1728, or Section 701.07, 3735.67 to 3735.70, 5709.40 to 5709.43, 5709.61 to 5709.69, 5709.73 to 5709.75 or 5709.77 to 5709.81 of the revised code or that involves public infrastructure improvements or the extension of utilities utility services that are directly related to an economic development project and two a unanimous quorum of the public body determines by a roll call vote that the executive session is necessary to protect the interests of the applicant or the public investment or expenditure of public funds to be made in connection with the economic development project is there a motion

Motion.

Is there a second? Second. Has been properly moved and seconded. We will proceed to vote. Mrs. Skank, please call the roll. Mrs. Carter?

Yes. Mr. West? Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes. Mr. Lally?

Yes.

Yeses have it, and the motion passes. Council will now move to executive session. Do we have a motion to return to open session?

Motion.

Is there a second? Second. Thank you. It has been properly moved and seconded to return to open session. We will proceed to vote. Mrs. Genk, please call the roll. Mr. West?

Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lally? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes.

This is having the motion passes. Council now returns to open session. The next item on the agenda is legislation. We have nine items of legislation this evening. Law Director, Mr. Alex Ewing, the legislation, please.

Item number one, ordinance number 02026-47, an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for capital improvements at the Middletown Community Foundation Park Project. Second reading.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, do you have anything to add? I do not. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

It has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. Cank, please call the roll. Mr. Mulligan?

Yes.

Mayor Slamka?

Yes. Mr. Lawley?

Yes.

Mrs. Carter?

Yes. Mr. West?

Yes.

Yeses have it, and the legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number two, ordinance number O2026-48, an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for capital improvements at Miami Park. Second reading.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, do you have anything to add? I do not. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second? Second. It has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. King, please call the roll.

Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lawley? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes. Mr. West?

Yes.

Mr. Mulligan?

Yes.

Yeses have it, and the legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number three, ordinance number O2026-49, an ordinance authorizing the execution of a subordination and recognition of final development agreement with Valley Central Bank in connection with the final development agreement with Ohio Regional Constructors LLC, the former Roosevelt School site, and declaring an emergency.

Thank you, Ms. Combs. The staff report, please. Mayor and city council, this item authorizes the city manager to execute a subordination and recognition agreement for the Roosevelt Ridge project. The developer is obtaining construction financing and the lender has requested that the city subordinate its reversionary rights for the property. The proposed agreement is negotiated compromise that addresses the lender's concerns while protecting the city's ability to reclaim the property under the existing development agreement subject to the greed upon cure process. We are requesting a first reading emergency passage so the agreement can be executed promptly, allowing the developer to finalize financing, proceed with the installation of public infrastructure during the current construction season, and meet the project's established deadlines. Thank you.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

Having been properly moved and seconded, is there any discussion? I did have a question about this. With the current agreement here, it says that if there's any foreclosure, the land would go basically to the bank and not come back to Middletown. Is that correct? That's correct. Okay. How is it looking so far with Brandon Homes and the ability to complete this project?

Jacob, would you like to? So Jacob, our acting community and economic development director, is going to come up and answer that question. Thank you.

Absolutely, Mayor, members of council, and the general public. Currently, Brandon Holmes has a tentative scheduling date set for the implementation of the infrastructure, right? The Roosevelt Ridge, the drive, cul-de-sac, if you will, It would go to implement to put all the homes in. They've already sold two or constructed two homes and still have those lots facing central there for sale. Basically, the subordination of the right of revert there with the property will allow the bank to be able to finance it, to then be able to allow Phillip, Brandon, and Brandon Homes to move forward with the completion of the infrastructure there. And then once the infrastructure's in, he's able to sell the additional 16 lots and to be able to move forward towards completion of those.

So is that a matter of the construction on the specific house won't begin until it's sold, that lot is sold, instead of like he's going to go down there and build the final 16 homes and then sell them?

Yeah, because it's a custom home community. Okay. So they're built to customer's orders, if you will. Okay. Ultimately, yeah, to that point, once, I mean, he hasn't been able to sell the other 16 lots because there's no road accessing that, and I believe there's been a lot of back and forth for him to be able to get to this point And this has been that final linchpin. The developer's interest is to be able to come in here this fall, start the construction, get the construction of the road done, and then continue moving forward with selling the houses.

And so far, is it looking good for that? Is it looking good for him? Does he have interest there?

We don't know? I would assume so. mean i think otherwise he probably would have already sold the two houses out front i thought one was sold i thought there's a isn't there a sign out there selling the the first one that was built yes but sold yeah yeah they've already the developer's been able to build those two houses because there's already interest in that right and one has been sold and then the other has a sign up front for sale i think they're selling it the people that initially bought it So neither of those, I think one may have started as a model home, and he quickly went on to sell it, I think, within weeks. But, again, this would pretty much allow the additional 16 lots for people to start buying down and to building up the homes.

Okay.

Thank you. Any other questions or comments at this time? Hearing none, thank you so much.

Absolutely.

Mrs. Gink, please call the roll. Mr. Lawley?

Yes.

Mrs. Carter? Yes. Mr. West?

Yes.

Mr. Mulligan?

Yes.

Mayor Slamka?

Yes. Yeses have it, and the motion passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number four, ordinance number 02026-50, an ordinance amending ordinance number 02015-081, passed by the city of Middletown on December 15, 2015, to remove certain parcels from the town Maltiff and declaring an emergency.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, the staff report, please. Mayor and City Council, this item makes two changes to our existing TIF structure in the East End. We are removing 15 underdeveloped and undeveloped parcels from the Town Mall Hospital TIF and creating a new East Interchange TIF for those parcels. The purpose is to capture the future increases in property value from the development and reinvest those revenues into the public infrastructure supporting the Renaissance Point project. This TIF revenue has also been part of the arena's financing plan. The new TIF would run for 30 years and comply with the city's school compensation agreement. There is no direct cost to the city. We're requesting first reading emergency passage so the developer can finalize the incentive documents and financing to keep the infrastructure work on schedule.

Thank you. Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

Having been properly moved and seconded, is there any discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. Genk, please call the roll. Mrs. Carter?

Yes. Mr. West? Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lawley? Yes.

Yeses have it, and the legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number five, ordinance number O2026-51, an ordinance to create a TIF area pursuant to section 5709.40B of the Ohio Revised Code. Declare improvements to certain parcels of real property located in the TIF area to be a public purpose, exempt from real property taxation 100% of those improvements, require the owners of those parcels to make service payments in lieu of taxes, establish a municipal public improvement tax increment equivalent fund for the deposit of the remainder of those service payments, specify the public infrastructure improvements to be made within the TIF area that directly benefits those parcels, and declaring an emergency.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, the staff report, please. Mayor and City Council, this item is the second part of the TIF legislation just discussed. This ordinance creates the East Interchange TIF for the 15 parcels removed from the Town Mall Hospital TIF. The new TIF will capture the future increases in property value and use those revenues to support the public infrastructure in the East End and the Renaissance Point project. We are requesting first reading emergency passage so the developer can align the financing and infrastructure work with the project schedule. Thank you.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

It has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. Skank, please call the roll. Mr. West?

Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lawley? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes.

Yeses have it. The legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number six, ordinance number 2026-52, an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into an amended and restated final development agreement with Woodard Development LLC and the Warren County Port Authority and declaring an emergency.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, the staff report, please. Mayor and City Council, this item amends and reinstates the final development agreement between the city, water development, and Warren County Port Authority for the public improvements associated with the arena facility and arena hotel. This agreement memorializes recent negotiations, including the waiver of permit fees and the city's construction of the south parking lot. The Port Authority or its assignee will be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the private section of Atrium Boulevard and the south parking lot. We are requesting first reading emergency passage to allow the project to pursue bond financing in a timely manner and continue with the project moving forward.

Thank you, Ms. Combs. Is there a motion to approve?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

Having been properly moved and seconded, is there any discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. Cank, please call the roll. Mr. Mulligan?

Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lally? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes. Mr. West?

Yes.

Yeses have it, and the legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number seven, ordinance number O2026-53, an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into a credit support pledge agreement with the Warren County Port Authority and declaring an emergency.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, the staff report, please. Mayor and city council, this item authorizes the city manager to administer the credit support pledge agreement in support of the arena bond financing. The city of Warren County are providing up to $12.5 million in credit support for the arena financing. Under the updated agreement, the city would provide a pledge and limited guarantee to support up to $5.4 million in annual debt service if needed. After the projects, other pledge revenues and credit support are utilized. This does not require immediate expenditure of city funds. However, if the pledge is needed, payments would be made from the city's income tax revenues. We are requesting first reading emergency passage to allow the bond financing to move forward and keep the arena project on schedule. Thank you.

Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second? Second. It has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion?

Just to thank staff and all the parties involved in getting this across the finish line. I know we're not seeing shovels in the ground yet, but there's been years, literally years of work into this. And although it's a first reading emergency, that's just to satisfy what we need to really get the project going and get those shovels in the ground, because this is really going to be a spectacular amenity in Middletown and for the region. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Mulligan. Any other comments? I just want to go ahead and echo that as well. This is very exciting. Looking forward to the continuation. Thank you so much. And in that case, then, Mrs. Cank, please call the roll.

Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lally? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes. Mr. West? Yes. Mr. Mulligan?

Yes.

Yeses have it, and legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the next item, please.

Item number 8, ordinance number O2026-54, an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into a cooperative agreement WITH THE WARREN COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY AT ALL IN DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

THANK YOU. MS. COMBS, THE STAFF REPORT, PLEASE.

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THIS ITEM AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGERS TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE PROJECT PARTNERS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS AND FINANCE THE RENAISSANCE POINT ARENA PROJECT the agreement outlines the party's contributions to the project for the city it pledges revenues from the three east end tiffs the arena tiff east interchange tiff and the north union tiff to support the arena financing the tiff revenues provide another source of funding and are intended to limit the need to utilize the city's credit support discussed in the previous item the agreement also establishes the structure and operation for the facilities within the project we are requesting first reading emergency passage to allow for the bond financing to move forward and keep the arena project on schedule.

Thank you, Ms. Combs. Is there a motion to approve the ordinance?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

It has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. King, please call the roll.

Mr. Lally. Yes. Mrs. Carter.

Yes.

Mr. West.

Yes. Mr. Mulligan. Yes. Mayor Slamka.

Yes. Yeses have it, and the legislation passes. Mr. Ewing, the last item, please.

Yes, item number nine, originally item number 10, resolution number R2026-22, a resolution to make adjustments to appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the city of Middletown, counties of Butler and Warren, state of Ohio, for the period ending December 31st, 2026. Core Computerization Fund, first reading.

Thank you. Ms. Combs, the staff report, please. Mayor and city council, this item requests 20,000 supplemental appropriation for the court computerization fund. The additional appropriation is needed because expenditures for the municipal court technology have exceeded the amount originally budgeted for 2026. These funds will be used for computer equipment, software, and related technology needs for the municipal court. There is sufficient cash available in the fund, so this adjustment is to appropriate authority and does not require an additional funding.

Thank you, Ms. Combs. As this is the first reading, there is no action to be taken at this time. However, is there any discussion from council? Seeing none, this concludes the legislation for the evening. The next item on the agenda is unfinished business. Do any council members have anything that they would like to present under unfinished business? Hearing none, that concludes unfinished business. The next item on the agenda is new business. Do any council members have any new business they would like to present this evening? All right, hearing none, that also concludes new business. The next item on the agenda is executive session. Just a moment as I get the wording. Do I hear a motion to move to executive session under the authority of ORC 121.22G1 to consider the appointment of a public official?

Motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

Having been properly moved and seconded, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. King, please call the roll.

Mrs. Carter. Are we moving into executive session? Yes. Mr. West?

Yes.

Mr. Mulligan? Yes. Mayor Slamka?

Yes.

Mr. Lawley? Yes.

This is happening. Council will now move to executive session.

Yes.

Do we have a motion to return to open session?

Motion.

Do we have a second? Second. Having been properly moved and seconded, we will proceed to vote. Mrs. King, please call the roll. Mr. West?

Yes. Mr. Mulligan? Yes.

Mayor Slamka? Yes.

Mr. Lally? Yes. Mrs. Carter? Yes.

Yeses have it, and the motion passes. This concludes our regular city council meeting for Middletown, Ohio, Tuesday, September 1st, 2026. At 7.48 p.m., this meeting is adjourned until Tuesday, September 15th, 2026 at 5.30 p.m. in these chambers.