2025 In Review | Government

• By YS News Staff
• Published: January 15, 2026

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Village Council & Administration

January

• Village Council authorized wage increases for Village Manager Johnnie Burns and Village Clerk Judy Kintner by 3.5%.

• Aaron Arellano was hired as the Village’s planning and economic development coordinator.

• Council agreed to contribute $1,000 to The 365 Project for the group’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities in Yellow Springs.

• Council voted to repeal the Gateway Overlay District — three regions on the fringes of municipal boundaries with limitations on what could be built there.

• Council supported the designation of the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail.

February

• Council repealed a 2018 economic development incentive policy that Village Solicitor Amy Blankenship believed unnecessarily complicated the process of new businesses, developments or nonprofits setting up shop in Yellow Springs.

• The Village of Yellow Springs announced that it received $176,246 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to continue the yearslong work of replacing aging water lines throughout the village.

• The Village launched CivicPlus, a nonemergency notification service for the municipality.

• Village crews responded to a rash of water main breaks throughout town.

March

• In his 2024 end-of-year report, Water Superintendent Brad Ault told Council that the Village plant last year treated 115 million gallons, but billed for 79 million, a 31% loss. At the time, the department was unable to account for that water — specifically, where it came from.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize  Manager Burns to enter into a contract with Springboro-based law firm Smith, Meier & Webb, LPA to provide prosecution services for the Village.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize Burns to apply for a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to build a sidewalk along Fairfield Road.

April

• Elyse Giardullo, who would later be named assistant Village manager, led a goal-setting special Village Council meeting. The most salient goals outlined in the meeting included shoring up communication between Village staff and elected officials, renewing efforts to build a municipal broadband network. Reviewing the Village’s sidewalk policy, updating the Active Transportation plan and retaining existing and bringing in new businesses.

• Council approved a measure to eliminate hybrid meeting participation — specifically for citizens wishing to provide community comment via Zoom. 

• Burns apprised Council of his reception of a general need plan for the Village’s water reclamation plant and Bryan lift station — one that noted that the Village is currently at 60%–70% of its design capacity, and that the Ohio EPA will manage a capacity study to be completed when the Village reaches 80% of its design capacity threshold.

May

• Manager Burns sought Council’s approval of a supplemental appropriation of $217,876 to repair critically malfunctioning mechanical issues in the Bryan Center.

• Council approved a resolution that repealed a  2017 resolution that had codified a refusal to “annex or extend utilities to any properties outside of the current municipal limits.”

• Council passed a resolution that urged the restoration of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund in the Ohio budget, and expressed support for Home, Inc.’s Cascades apartment project.

• Council approved a $600 grant to the Porchfest committee in support of the event’s revival.

Photo by Reilly Dixon

June

• Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber implicated several former Village officials in a finding for recovery of nearly $20,000, which had accrued as a consequence of the Village’s failure to pay federal tax withholdings on time for 2023. Former Finance Director Matt Dillon, former Village Manager Josue Salmeron and another former Finance Director Amy Kemper were also listed in the state audit.

• Council agreed to extend its offer of $113,00 to Tecumseh Land Trust to support its efforts to conserve a 185-acre farm west of town.

• Council approved a resolution that “encourages marching louder, celebrating bolder and standing stronger on June 28” — Yellow Springs’ villagewide Pride celebration.

Council held a special work session that considered population and geographical growth in Yellow Springs.

• The Village contracted M&L Tree Services and Lawncare for $95,000 to clear trees around utility lines.

• The Village launched its own app — YSConnect, a non-emergency alert and notification system.

July

• The Village set forth a new lease agreement between it and the Chamber of Commerce for continued occupancy of the train station building. The new agreement established the terms of repayment for incurred missed rents — $16,050 due over the following 10 months — and a new monthly rent for the Chamber — $350 per month.

• Village Manager Johnnie Burns and public works crew members Lane Dykman, Alex Kraus and Ben Sparks participated in the Light Up Navajo initiative — bringing electricity to reservation homes that previously went without power.

Council amended a contract with Manager Burns to allow for a $300 vehicle allowance per pay period.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize Burns to renew health insurance for Village employees — specifically, a plan with Anthem BC/BS beginning Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2026.

• From July 21–31, the Village conducted a lottery for a rental unit in the Village-owned Lawson Place apartments. By moving forward with a selected tenant, the Village filled the apartment complex to full occupancy for the first time since the Village purchased the property.

August

• Council authorized Burns to contract with Standard Insurance Company for Village employees’ life insurance benefits.

• On Aug. 9, the Village public works crew and police department joined forces with Miami Township Fire and Rescue for the annual Touch-A-Truck event, giving children of all ages a chance to explore municipal equipment and vehicles.

• Council authorized Burns to apply for a $250,000 grant from the Greene County Board of Commissioners — funding assistance for the construction of public restroom facilities in the downtown business corridor.

• On Aug. 20, Village Council and staff met for a work session to discuss and learn more about tax increment financing and community reinvestment areas as economic development tools that the Village could wield to encourage future housing and business development.

September

• Village Project Lead Elyse Giardullo continued her role, but was promoted by title to assistant Village manager.

• At the group’s Sept. 9 meeting, Planning Commission members approved several “housekeeping” measures — as described by Planning and Zoning Director Meg Leatherman — to clarify and specify otherwise confusing language in the Village zoning code. What died on the table, however, was an amendment to the code to undo language that prohibits transient guest lodgings from being 500 feet away from one another, as measured by property line to property line. Commissioner Zaremsky sought to measure that distance along the roadways.

• In the wake of controversial right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, Village Council members mused: For whom should the municipal flag be lowered?

• Council voted to authorize Manager Burns to prepare and submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission’s state capital improvement program and/or the local transportation improvement program to improve the infrastructure along Fairfield Pike.

• Council voted to authorize the removal of defunct and uncollectible utility account balances from 2021 from the Village’s systems.

• On Sept. 24, public works staff participated in American Municipal Power’s  bucket rescue and pole rope rescue training.

Present for Village Council’s special work session, wherein the group set goals for the near future, were Village Clerk Judy Kintner, Village Manager Johnnie Burns, Council President Kevin Stokes, Vice President Gavin DeVore Leonard, Brian Housh, Carmen Brown, Planning and Economic Development Director Meg Leatherman, Police Chief Paige Burge, and via Zoom Council member Trish Gustafson. The meeting was led by Project Lead Elyse Giardullo, shown at center. (Video still)

October

• Council crafted a new American flag-lowering policy, whereby Council president and vice president are authorized to confer with the Village manager to make decisions regarding any order to fly the municipal flag at half-staff.

Council members held several budget-related work sessions throughout the month. Those sessions began with a projected 2026 municipal deficit of $512,000.

• Council approved a resolution honoring the legacy of Wheeling Gaunt and approved the annual distribution of flour and sugar to the village’s widows and widowers.

• Council approved Planning Commission’s recommended “housekeeping” code amendments.

• Digital Media Manager Ben Guenther earned his Part 107 certification, allowing him to operate a drone for official Village purposes.

• Assistant Village Manager Elyse Giardullo concluded the Village’s community survey on the closure of Short Street (see “Top Stories” for more). The survey garnered 969 individual responses — 47% respondents said “yes” to making the pedestrian-only space permanent, 42% said “no” and 11% were unsure.

November

• Council approved a villagewide moratorium on the issuance of all use, zoning, building permits and certificates of occupancy for all new smoke shop businesses for a period of 180 days — a timeframe that began Nov. 3.

• Council authorized the release of $113,000 in grant funds from the Village’s greenspace fund to Tecumseh Land Trust.

Council approved a piece of legislation that authorized a tax increment financing agreement for local developer Iron Table Holdings’ redevelopment and renovation of Union Schoolhouse, where 91.3 WYSO plans to headquarter its operations permanently in the coming months. In lieu of paying real property taxes to the county, Iron Table Holdings will make commensurate service payments into a newly established Village fund — “a public improvement tax infringement equivalent fund” — that will generate revenue for public infrastructure improvements around the former schoolhouse.

• Council approved an ordinance that established a community reinvestment area that overlays the entirety of municipal limits, allowing the Village to issue tax abatements to developers on a case-by-case basis.

• Planning and Economic Development Director Meg Leatherman submitted her resignation; the Village has engaged a private contractor to act in Leatherman’s stead while the Village seeks her permanent replacement.

December

• Council approved the 2026 budget with a projected deficit of $558,100, with municipal expenses expected to outpace revenues. Village Finance Director Michelle Robinson told Council that the Village continues to maintain “strong” cash reserves, with the Village expected to end the coming year with more than $4 million in the general fund.

• Council approved a resolution that increases the wage scale for Village employees by 3%. Additionally, that resolution authorized Manager Burns to approve merit-based wage increases for eligible Village employees based on annual performance evaluations in amounts not to exceed 5% annually.

• Council approved a resolution to increase Burns’ salary by 6% and the Village clerk’s salary by 3%.

• Council approved a resolution that authorizes Burns to enter into a contract with Hocking Athens Perry Community Actions and Barons Bus for GoBus Services — paving the way for a future bus stop in downtown Yellow Springs that will connect to other bus lines throughout Ohio.

• Council approved a resolution condemning the practice of conversion therapy in Yellow Springs.

• Council approved a resolution authorizing Manager Burns to submit a grant application to the Ohio Department of Transportation to update the Village’s Active Transportation Plan.

• Council approved $500 in grant funds to support The 365 Project’s Kwanzaa activities.

• Council gave Clerk Judy Kintner a one-time bonus of $1,783.

• Council expressed appreciation for outgoing Council members Trish Gustafson, Brian Housh and Kevin Stokes for their years of service at the Council dais.

Present for the the Miami Township Trustees meeting, Monday, June 2, were, from left: Chris Mucher, Marilan Moir and Don Hollister. (Video still)

Miami Township

Trustees debate TLT pledge

In late April, Miami Township Trustees debated whether and how to honor a previously approved $113,000 commitment of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to Tecumseh Land Trust for potential conservation easements on farmland along Dayton–Yellow Springs Road, known colloquially as the Welch Farm.

Trustee Marilan Moir argued that the plan risked financial instability and potential misuse of ARPA funds, citing guidance that the funds were designated for fire and EMS services. Trustee Chair Chris Mucher countered that the Township had already committed the funds in 2024 and proposed a resolution to reallocate administrative and fire fund resources to fulfill the pledge to TLT.

The trustees elected to seek legal review from the Greene County Prosecutor and outside counsel before taking further action. TLT Executive Director Michele Burns said the uncertainty stalled pending agreements with potential buyers, forcing the nonprofit to either wait for Township action or raise additional funds independently on what was projected to be a tight timeline for the nonprofit.

At a subsequent May meeting, the Trustees voted 2–1 to approve a revised resolution committing $127,419 from the Township’s general fund to TLT, with Moir voting against the measure. The approved measure removed earlier provisions that would have shifted trustee and fiscal officer salaries to other funds, which were a point of concern for Moir, who warned of fiscal precarity and audit risk. Public comment was sharply divided, but Mucher argued the Township could absorb the cost and should honor its long-standing conservation goals.

Two weeks later, the Miami Township Trustees voted 2–1 to rescind and replace their earlier funding resolution, reducing the township’s commitment to the Tecumseh Land Trust from $127,419 to $50,000; Mucher voted against the measure. Moir argued that the revised resolution preserved fiscal stability and reserve funds while honoring the Trustees’ commitment to TLT. Mucher dissented, saying he believed the rollback undermined trust in the Township to honor its commitments moving forward. A letter from TLT’s Burns, shared during the meeting, noted that the original pledge of $113,000 “would have been ideal,” but expressed gratitude for the financial support the Township could “comfortably provide,” and committed to continuing to raise money to close the gap for the Welch Farm’s conservation. Trustee Don Hollister said the letter from Burns persuaded him to vote in favor of rescinding and replacing the originally approved resolution and pledge.

Fire Chief Dennis Powell dies

Yellow Springs Police confirmed April 16 that Dennis Powell, 55, chief of Miami Township Fire-Rescue, had died following a brief illness; that confirmation was announced after police and fire crews responded to a welfare check at Powell’s home the previous day.

In a written statement, MTFR described Powell as a dedicated public servant whose leadership, compassion and integrity left a lasting mark on the department and community.

Powell’s service in Yellow Springs spanned decades. He arrived as an Antioch College student in 1989 and volunteered with both the campus fire department and MTFR, later serving as campus fire chief. He trained as a paramedic, joined the Greene Memorial Hospital emergency squad and taught fire and EMS courses locally and regionally. Promoted to full-time assistant chief at MTFR in 2004, Powell was named interim chief in 2023 following the retirement of Chief Colin Altman, and was appointed fire chief in May 2024.

Fire Chief Cannell comes on board

Miami Township Trustees appointed James R. Cannell Jr. as the new chief of Miami Township Fire-Rescue, with Cannell beginning a planned one-year tenure June 30. Cannell succeeded the late Chief Dennis Powell and Interim Chief Nathaniel Ayers.

A veteran of more than three decades with the Columbus Division of Fire, Cannell previously served as deputy and assistant fire chief and has extensive experience in fire, rescue and EMS operations, as well as firefighter training and leadership development.

Trustees said Cannell was selected for his ability to mentor personnel, improve administrative processes and help guide the department’s transition from a volunteer-based model toward a fully career staff. Cannell said a key goal of his tenure was developing leadership from within the department and assisting trustees in identifying the next long-term fire chief.

Trustees update agenda policies

In July, the Trustees approved changes to improve transparency in how meeting agendas are prepared and shared.

Following the changes, the Trustees agreed that agendas and supporting documents will be posted on the Township website and emailed to subscribers the Friday before each regular meeting; printed copies remain available to those who attend meetings.

The change followed concerns from Trustee Moir about last-minute agenda additions, highlighted by an unannounced executive session and subsequent vote on an employee bonus. Trustees unanimously backed the new process, allowing late additions to the agenda by majority vote, and approved paying Cyndi Pauwels up to $550 monthly to assist Fiscal Officer Jeanna GunderKline with agendas, minutes and administrative support.

Zoning changes ahead

This year, Miami Township undertook its most extensive rewrite of local land-use rules in decades, aiming to clarify and modernize its Zoning Resolution for unincorporated areas.

Led by Zoning Administrator Bryan Lucas and the Zoning Commission, the effort is backed by a  state grant administered by the Greene County Regional Planning and Coordinating Commission, and aims to align the Township’s Zoning Resolution with state law and county standards.

Since April, Lucas and the Zoning Commission have drafted multiple Zoning Resolution amendments, which address fences, accessory buildings and safety standards. Seventeen additional amendments are planned through early 2026, including changes related to signage, short-term rentals, home occupations and accessory dwelling units. The commission is also preparing to review the zoning map to better match current land uses, with public meetings and hearings scheduled as the process continues.

The first Candidates Night was on Wednesday, Oct. 15, showcasing mayoral and Council candidates for the Nov. 4 election. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)

Elections

• In the May 6 statewide primary, Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported the passage of Issue 2 — the only item on ballots cast from Yellow Springs precincts. Issue 2’s passage renewed an existing capital improvement program that allows the state to issue bonds or other obligations to finance projects at the local level.

• In the Nov. 5 general election, all issues passed. Levies for Greene County Public Health, Greene County Public Libraries, the Village of Yellow Springs and Miami Township Fire-Rescue passed.

In local leadership races, Yellow Springers voted in a new slate of Council members: Angie Hsu, Senay Semere and Stephanie Pearce, with the three candidates receiving 1,396, 1,224 and 632 votes, respectively. Votes for the remaining three candidates were 577 for Dean Pallotta, 560 for Scott Osterholm and 450 for incumbent Brian Housh.

As the two highest-voted candidates, Hsu and Semere will serve four-year terms; Pearce will serve a two-year term.

School board candidates Paul Herzog, Kristi Nowack Myers and Kim Reichelderfer ran uncontested for three open seats, receiving 1,346, 1,321 and 1,295 votes, respectively.

Incumbent Marilan Moir retained her seat on the Miami Township Board of Trustees, netting 1,469 votes; Lori Askeland will join her on the board, having received 1,574 votes. Candidate Jed Hanna received 682 votes.

Steve McQueen will be the next mayor of Yellow Springs, succeeding Pam Conine, securing the seat with 1,318 votes. Candidate Mark Heise received 321 votes.

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