At their April 20 meeting, members of Village Council began a discussion on developing a Village policy on public art. Council members Lori Askeland, Kathryn Van der Heiden, Karen Wintrow and John Booth were present. Absent was Council President Judith Hempfling.

Most people want their homes to be more energy efficient, Bob Brecha and Dan Rudolf believe, but they just don’t know how to make the needed changes. “People don’t know where to start,” Brecha said in a recent interview.

Should the Village of Yellow Springs move ahead quickly to hire an economic development staff person, or should Council members take the time to clarify, with the community, what sort of development they want before hiring someone?

At their April 6 meeting, members of Village Council unanimously approved the second, or final, reading of the 2009 Village budget. Council had approved the budget’s first reading on March 16.

The health of the local economy is tied not only to the village’s largest employers, but also to the many smaller ones that together contribute substantially to Village coffers. With the many entrepreneurs educated at Antioch College, Yellow Springs has a rich legacy of fostering start-ups, and that small-business diversity is a critical part of the stability of the local economy, according to Village Manager Mark Cundiff.

On Monday, March 30, Village Council met in a special meeting with ACP, a Columbus firm that is one of two finalists for the job of leading Yellow Springs in a visioning and planning process. About 25 villagers attended the meeting, along with members of the Visioning Task Force, to hear ACP’s presentation and to ask questions.

During the recent spring fundraiser for WYSO Public Radio, new General Manager Neenah Ellis was frequently on the air. In broadcasting jargon, she was making a pitch for cash, but her presence didn’t seem that of a salesperson. Rather, she seemed to be a warm human being speaking deeply and directly to another.

On Monday, March 16, Village Council unanimously approved the first reading of the 2009 Village budget. The budget includes a substantial allocation to the greenbelt fund, along with money to upgrade Village facilities for energy conservation and to fund a Village-wide visioning/planning process.

While the turbulent economic climate has affected all regions of the country, some municipalities are faring better than others. So far, Yellow Springs seems to be one of the relatively fortunate towns, as most of the largest employers in Yellow Springs report overall stability, even as they face the coming year with caution.

Last week Antioch University leaders hired a new president for Antioch University McGregor. Dr. Michael Fishbein, currently provost at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H., was selected as the school’s new president, succeeding Barbara Gellman-Danley, who left the position last summer.