Commission Meeting May 20, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTO2fqCJmQk&list=PLgMuFaWBmSmiidYQq_BuTrdpiPGXArQWQ

Bridget Houston not there until the end. She's The Don's Diane Keaton, so no loss.

**Presentations/Staff Report
Estrop presenting a proclamation to Conscious Connect Community Development Corporation - international and urban revitalization. Eradicating urban book deserts. The Root initiative - 65 literacy stations in barber shops and beauty shops. To acquire vacant lots and return to productive spaces. 10 years. May 6th is now the Conscious Connect Day. The two founders spoke.

**Rue Statement
The prayer/invocation and pledge. Please give us peace in our community, Lord. (This is always directed at the citizens - we're still dangerous.)

His usual warning to citizen speakers about disruptions.

**Citizen Speakers
Andy Rigsbee - representing Project Woman ending domestic violence. Has served thousands in our community. He is interim director spot.

Beth Donahue - what she presented and what they presented was completely different. Pedal the work session to the public, but your data is wrong. DV is high reoffending crime. Prosecutor doesn't collect dismissal data. It's untrackable, they claim. Victim wishing to recant/not testify is not the same as dismissal. You, Mayor, made my point. 513 DV arrests in 2024. 2000 DV, in reality. He's not reporting accuracy, so no justice can be had.

Jimmy Stewart - murder/homicide stats. Ohio and UCR reporting 2020-2024. 2021=7, Springfield reported 5. Another service said 9. WHIO reported 12. 2024 - Springfield has 6, research shows 8. Needs an explanation for discrepancies. He's asked for a year for Crime Reports. They report calls for service, but not crime reports. Give 2022 and 2023 murder counts, Mayor. (He can't.)

Mary Quinn - concerns about annexaton of Eastview Heights. we have no information about it. We wouldn't know about this or the meeting tonight. We're concerned about everything. There's woods and wildlife affected.

Diane Daniels - 1st of 3 to explain how we got here. Ordinance definition. Resolution definition (after a vote). usually are just labeling a day. But ONE - 2014 5844 - with 4 votes from the Commission at the time. Enacted after NGO - Latino Coalition and formation of Welcome Springfield Organization. Welcoming immigrants and immigrant-owned businesses. You can't compare immigrants in the 17-1800s to now. No free nothing then to everything free now. They built this city!

Tracy Craig - annexation into city limits 100 single-family homes. To be transparent - no adjacent properties will be annexed. Only applies to the parcel they're developing. It's not subsidized or apartment housing. Will match surrounding areas. There's a significant demand for housing here. (Who can afford this here?) They want to build trust with city and residents.

Tiffany Warnzo - What's going on with SCAT. We don't know anything. Will be be notified? Did the residents vote on this new system? The VA, the ADA. Will there be answers at the end of this meeting.

Chris Michaels - Eastview Heights - the city is discussing establishing services, but hasnt' been approved by the city. Nobody knows what's going on. Zoning R8. (In June they talked all the R#s - they still don't know.) R8 is high density which could be apartments. Single family is R1. Application is in for annexation with the R8. If the county approves that, what happens? How do we get it changed to R1. We're on wells and you want to bring in sewer. We knew nothing about all this - we just received info a week ago from 2 names who told us to be here tonight.

Chris Bernardi - same annexation issue. Our school is already full. The groundwater is a huge concern.

Eric Lee - Annexation issue too. This is breaking my heart, this is my backyard. I think he's saying it's county. Why are we worrying about this - we're not the city.

Connie Cotnett - annexation issue, too.

Wes Fabian - SAME DUDE every meeting just thanking them and gushing about them. Immigration has been the fuel and energy that has moved us forward. We need to be a home sit - a place of welcome and honesty and where people can speak their truth. thank you for making that possible.

**Rue's Immediate Comments

It's not within our rights to tell a developer what to do. They come to us to see annexation, we don't seek it from property owners. Everybody is confused and we understand that.

Rue wants The Don to have a few transit-specific meetings. Jason Via deputy director has had one meeting maybe two with nursing homes. He's willing to go anywhere. So it's up to the public to contact Jason Bye?

**Heck's Reports and Answers

Process in the state is governed by the state code with property owner. So the owner files with the county. The county has to notify Moorefield Township and City of Springfield. 20 days both have to give feedback. Can we provide services? Yes, we can. That's all that's on the agenda tonight - that yes, the city can provide services. That's filed with the county. The county hears it in June - I don't know their schedule. They decide, then it comes back to the city to approve - 60 days. Probably late August for us to vote on the annexation. The zoning classification - it was filed under our old zoning code - would've been RS8 - 8 units per acre. New zoning just went into effect May 6th - now falls in RLD - residential low density. Drainage issues are farther away. Subdivision plat review by City Engineer, etc. They want to annex for the services. Ha.

We're continuing to work out details with the new transit provider. It's funded in FTA dollars. He's just not talking about it - explaining it for a July 1st start. We'll continue to let the public know what's going on.

Ferncliff road improvements. Chris someone talking sewer fixes 3 times a week - grease and crap in the water.

**Commission Comments

Tackett
They had a work session two meetings ago - where they did a presentation.

Estrop
It''s most important that you work with the developer. Your concern is important, but you have to talk to the developer. We can't address your concerns. (THIS IS A COMPLETE LIE.)

Status of federal additions/subtractions so the community is aware of the monies being decided on in Washington and Columbus. Food Bank and OIC and a gun grant rescinded. Clark County Combined Health District - 2 million over 6 months gone from a grant. They've laid off 8 people and 12 seasonal and 5 contract interpreters. The Connect Clinic will not be opening.

Brown
Question about bus passes. Can't be purchased at the store. Where can you buy passes for the micro transit sytem? Heck doesn't know.

Acknowledge and shout out to Fudge Foundation and Deon Green Stop the Violence Walk. And shout out to the police for keeping that safe.

**My Thoughts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjI2N90CauY - 5844 and so it begins.

Rue said they'd have answers about SCAT right after the meeting, but they still had no answers in the June 20th meeting (a month later) and never addressed how it came to be. Definitely wasn't voted on. Money in micro transit.

Rue says we'll have answers to the Eastview Heights annexation....I have NEVER EVER EVER heard of a city not being in charge of its annexation. The Don is saying they have no part in it. And that's a lie. And Rue said we're all confused. A real head scratcher.

The Don talks about the new transit as if he's just now introducing it (which he is), but for a start date on July 1st. June 20th meeting, they still knew nothing. And they are NOT involving the public in this at all. FTA dollars fund this.

Estrop's cuts. THANK GOD. Shouldn't have spent all that American Rescue Act money on the Haitians.