2021_YSNElectionGuide

to less desirable outcomes that current zoning cannot protect us from. DINO PALLOTTA I grew up in Inde- pendence, Ohio, j us t ou t s i de o f C l e v e l a n d . I attended West Vir- ginia University and while playing foot- ball graduated with a degree in political science and minor in business. I moved to Columbus to attend law school for a year and met Sheila Dunphy. We were married in 1991, and I began my career in sales. In 1998, we had an opportunity to open a business in Yellow Springs, and Dino’s Cappuccinos was born. We have been in business for over 23 years and moved to Yellow Springs in 2012. I have been a member of the following: Community Resources, which assisted in returning the CBE land back to the Vil- lage in hopes of attracting business (i.e. Cresco) to the land; the Economic Sustain- ability Commission, which conducted open houses to educate residents about Cresco, its business vision and tax revenue it would generate for the village; a member of the Utility Dispute Resolution Board; the Vil- lage Manager Search Committee for our current manager; Village Planning Com- mission and Village BZA, which applied rules, regulations, ordinances, zoning codes and conditions to projects within the village; and the Steering Committee for the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. I am a cur- rent member of the Downtown Business Association, which includes 71 businesses. What does the above aforementioned mean to you, the voter? Leadership and team builder. To begin, my involvement in the community brings a unique set of quali- fications. Running a day-to-day business for 23 years has helped me build and foster long lasting relationships throughout the Miami Valley. This advantage has given me the ability to communicate effectively and work well with others. My participa- tion in all these committees has given me a broad understanding of how government works. More impor tantly, it has given me the opportunity to understand how to work within the confines of government and ef fectively navigate the system to achieve our goals through compromise and communication. The end result is the betterment of our community. Lastly, being your trustee isn’t a popularity contest. Sometimes the tough decision won’t be the popular decision, but it may be the right decision. I will always stand by my leader- ship abilities and convictions to do the right thing for the whole. These are some of the strengths I bring to the table in working for you. I encourage you to ask past com- mittee members or members of the Village government how I have worked with them. 1. Agritourism could be thought of as a combination of tourism and agriculture. It provides another form of commercial enterprise on a working farm. The purposes and activities of agritourism provide a cul- tural, recreational, historical, entertaining and educational activity for visitors. These “agriculturally related” activities create an alternative source of income for the farm. The quintessential example of agritour- ism in Miami Township is Agraria. I believe it meets the requirements, as stated, but yet the Township Board of Zoning Appeals denied approving certain commercial enter- prises. Peggy Kirk Hall, associate professor and Director of OSU Extension Agricultural and Resource Law Program, goes into detail about an Ohio Supreme Court ruling in July 2020 — Litchfield Township v. Blue- berry Barn. In short, the ruling stated that Blueberry Barn, which primarily grows and produces wine on its farm, was allowed to hold weddings and other social events in the barn due to the “agriculturally related” activities (purchasing their wine). The Court also distinguished between primary versus secondary uses of the barn. They cited the use of The Ohio State University football stadium to further their point. It has six games all year, but is used for dozens of other activities throughout the year. Its primary use is still a football stadium. The same logic holds true for Blueberry Barn. Secondary uses for the barn are permitted as long as “agriculturally related.” This ruling exemplifies ever ything Agraria stands for, and I am in firm belief of the property rights of the farm and the abil- ity for the farm to have alternative sources of income. If other sources of income are not “agriculturally related,” then a condi- tional use permit may be requested. The table is set for places like Agraria and Wirrig Pavilion to thrive in agritourism once our BZA and zoning ordinances are updated equitably and applied consistently. 2. Changes in leadership and department makeup are an ongoing function that I have dealt with in my entire sales management career as well as owner of Dino’s Cappuc- cinos. The MTFR is no different in this concept. First, I would confer with Chief Altman and ask him for an overview of his entire staff. At that point, it is always imperative to identify and hire from within the department, rather than go outside to find new leadership. If new leadership can’t be identified from within, then you would commence an outside search for a new chief and additional staff. Staff participa- tion and buy-in is always the key to success when going through this process. With respect to funding “more paid staff” and moving away from volunteer positions, MTFR currently has two revenue streams. It is an option in each revenue stream to raise rates to create more revenue, but that is not a desirable option at this point. MTFR is currently funded through an ongoing property tax levy, paid by town- ship residents, which expires in two years. The second source of funding is through The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) transport billing system. This was enacted on Oct. 1, 2007. throughout the entire Township. As ambulance transports have increased over the years, along with costs, a payment system has been set up for insured people who use EMS. Funds received through the EMS transport billing system are used to support the operations of the fire department along with staffing, equip- ment purchases and training. MTFR is the only Township operation that uses funds from this transportation billing system. 3. The mission statement of Miami Town- ship states “The people of Miami Town- ship respect the past while planning for the future. With its history and economy rooted in agriculture, Miami Township has consistently been in the forefront in the effort to preserve farmland.” However, with the advent and growth of agritourism and commercial enterprises on agriculturally zoned land, planning for the future is not taking place. It is imperative that the Township and BZA update its zoning laws and apply these laws equitably to all agricultural property in a consistent manner. Currently, this is not happening with respect to Agraria and other commercial enterprises. I believe my experiences as a business owner and member of the Village BZA and Planning Commission puts me in a uniquely qualified position to serve as your Trustee. It gives me an advantage of already under- standing the process while bringing knowl- edge and clarity to the Township, thereby, unifying a strong and consistent message between both municipalities. DENISE SWINGER Born and raised in Trotwood, Ohio, I have lived in Yellow Sp r i ngs f o r 28 years, residing in the unincorporated a r e a o f Mi ami Township for the past 10 years on a small farm with my family. We have provided two acres for a conservation project with the Bee and But- terfly Habitat Fund, as well as additional acreage for Central State University’s national research project on honeybees. With a degree in mass communications and over 15 years of experience work- ing in local government, I have served the Yellow Springs community in various roles. This includes serving a four-year- term as an elected Yellow Springs Council member and as both a Council and Village staf f representative to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC). Since 2015, I have served as the Planning & Zoning Administrator for the Village of Yellow Springs and have championed efforts to update its comprehensive land use plan, grow the local economy with new business development and secure grant funding for major Village projects. Apart from several years working as a freelance reporter for the Dayton Daily News, I have spent most of my work life in the public sector, including Hospice of Dayton, the City of Dayton and the Dayton Branch of the Arthritis Foundation. In 1987, I cofounded STARFISH, an international development organization, where I man- aged staff and volunteers for over a decade providing health care and educational services in Sierra Leone, West Africa. After a civil war destroyed our organization’s facilities, a group of Yellow Springs citizens asked STARFISH to continue the work of the former Emergency Welfare Commit- tee, providing financial assistance to Miami Township residents facing emergency needs. Two years ago, the organization changed its name to Yellow Springs Emer- gency Assistance to solidify its local identity. If elected, I will leverage my experience and skills to maintain the township’s agri- cultural focus, with carefully balanced and planned growth for future generations. 1. There are many dif ferent activities under the umbrella of agritourism, includ- ing both seasonal and year-round uses. The residents of Miami Township need to define what types of agritourism they are willing to accept as different uses bring dif ferent impacts. Zoning can address these uses, but first a broader discussion 8 H H H 2 021 VOT E R’ S GU I DE H H H Y E L L OW S P R I NG S N EWS to explore the various types of agritourism should happen. If we want to maintain our agricultural identity, we need to consider ways to support our farming community by allowing them to diversify their operations so they can continue to exist. 2. We have an amazing fire and EMS team; and under the leadership of Chief Altman, we have had very little to worry about. However, change is inevitable. With Altman’s anticipated retirement, we must do a thorough review on how we intend to maintain the excellent services we have known for many years. Long-range plan- ning is important to any operation, and a valuable resource is the township’s employ- ees. Holding a strategic planning session to gain an understanding of the impact on these changes in leadership, and their pri- orities over the next five to 10 years, will be invaluable in keeping the township moving forward. From a funding viewpoint, we must evaluate the workload and pay equity within the departments, and align the finan- cial resources to meet the expectations of our workforce and residents. It is important to keep pace with rising costs for such ser- vices as ambulance runs, zoning and cem- etery fees. A fee analysis can determine if the fees charged cover the cost of services. There may be additional services staf f traditionally provides at no cost that Miami Township can add to their fee schedule. The township can also tap into its citizenry for volunteers with financial management backgrounds who can examine the town- ship’s revenues and expenses. This finan- cial team of volunteers can offer sugges- tions to increase revenues and streamline operational expenses within the legal limits of township financing. Lastly, there may be untapped funding sources at the state or federal level for Miami Township to secure, in addition to grant opportunities for spe- cific operations or equipment. 3. Agriculture to me means farming, and I do support that focus. Miami Town- ship’s comprehensive land use plan identi- fies locations where planned growth can happen. Specifically, Miami Township has identified areas where limited single-family dwellings can be built on properties not considered prime farmland. A recent exam- ple was the property at the south end of the Village of Yellow Springs, but located in the township. The Village of Yellow Springs requested annexation to help control how the development would look, but Miami Township’s zoning was already in place to allow residential homes on 10,000 square foot lots in this area. The result would most likely have been a development of larger footprint homes. Instead, Miami Township and the developer agreed to annexation and the developer has worked with the Village to offer a mix of different types and sizes of homes on various sized lots. Miami Township has maintained its agri- cultural focus, but we need to consider allow- ing uses that will keep farmers in the busi- ness of farming while still preserving the physical characteristics of agriculture. The agritourism discussion should be a priority. The relationship between the township and village concerning matters of zoning should be through the visioning process. The first vision plan between Miami Township and the villages of Clifton and Yellow Springs happened in 2010. As part of the Village of Yellow Springs comprehensive land use plan updated in 2020, a future land use plan map was developed. Miami Township should consider having their own.