2015 Yellow Springs Voters Guide

PA G E 6

★ ★ ★ ELECTION 2015 ★ ★ ★

OCTOBER 22, 2015

YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS

BALLOT ISSUES

START ABOUT THE 2 015 V O T E R ’ S GUIDE The Voter’s Guide 2015 contains information about the local candidates and issues that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot for Yellow Springs and Miami Township residents. Candidates were invited to participate by submitting biographical information and responding to questions related to their contests.

Asterisks (*) denote incumbent candidates.

POLLING L O C AT I O N S , T I M E S On election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.

Voters in all Yellow Springs precincts, 440, 441, 442 and 443, as well as voters in Miami Township precinct 456, will vote at Antioch University Midwest, located at 900 Dayton Street at the corner of East Enon Road. Voters in Miami Towship’s precinct 455 will vote at the Cedarville Baptist Church, located at 109 N. Main St. in Cedarville.

In the village, precinct 440 consists of most of the north side of town, and precinct 441 includes the western part of Yellow Springs. Precinct 442 consists of much of the central areas of the village and downtown. Precinct 443 includes the south end of Yellow Springs.

In Miami Township, precinct 455 includes the eastern portion of the township, or residences east of Grinnell and Bryan Park roads. Precinct 456 includes the western half of the township.

Please see the accompanying precinct map on page 8.

ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS New this year, voters will sign in at the polls using an electronic poll book. The iPad device accepts electronic signatures and can provide helpful information, such as the correct polling location for a voter who has recently moved. According to Greene County Board of Elections Director Llyn McCoy, the Ohio Secretary of State covered 85 percent of the cost of the iPads, and Greene County provided the remaining 15 percent.

ABSENTEE A N D E A R LY V O T I N G In-person early voting for the Nov. 3 general election continues at the Greene County Board of Elections at 551 Ledbetter Road in Xenia, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., through Oct. 30; Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 1, 1–5 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., and provisional voting only on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

The board of elections will also accept written requests that an absentee ballot be mailed to a voter’s home until Saturday, Oct. 31, at noon. Voters are not required to state a reason for the request, but they must provide either their Ohio driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number in order to receive a ballot. Absentee ballot forms are available at the Yellow Springs Senior Center and online at www.co.greene. oh.us/DocumentCenter/View/246. Ballots mailed from anywhere within the U.S. must be post-marked no later than Monday, Nov. 2, to the Greene County Board of Elections, 551 Ledbetter Rd., Xenia OH 45385.

For more information, contact the Greene County Board of Elections at 5626170 or visit www.co.greene.oh.us/BOE.

S TAT E ISSUE 1

Ohio Bipartisan Redistricting Commission Amendment This constitutional amendment would change the state legislative redistricting system in Ohio by creating an Ohio Redistricting Commission, a bipartisan commission responsible for drawing state legislative districts.

The amendment would also establish new requirements for drawing district boundaries designed to make sure state legislative districts are not drawn along strictly partisan lines. These requirements include making districts more compact and more re�ective of statewide political preferences, as well as prohibiting partisan gerrymandering and the splitting of political subdivisions (such as cities and counties).

The current state legislative redistricting process guarantees that one out of �ve members of the redistricting commission is from the minority party. The proposed system would increase minority party members to two out of seven. The commission would consist of the governor, state auditor, secretary of state, a person appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, a person appointed by the minority leader of the House, a person appointed by the president of the Ohio Senate and a person appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.

A bipartisan vote of four members, two from each major political party, would be required to approve a 10-year redistricting plan. A plan that failed to pass would have the opportunity to be passed by a simple majority vote of any four members, but would last only four years.

Redistricting is done every 10 years in conjunction with the U.S. Census. The amendment would go into effect in 2021, which is when the next redistricting occurs.

ISSUE 2

Ohio Initiated Monopolies Amendment This amendment to the state constitution would prohibit citizen-initiated amendments that grant monopolies or confer commercial bene�t to certain businesses or parties at the exclusion of others.

If passed, the amendment would require the Ohio Ballot Board to decide whether a proposed amendment would create a monopoly or special privilege. If the board identi�ed an amendment with the potential to create a monopoly, voters would then decide two issues: 1) if the petitioner should be authorized to initiate it and 2) the

ISSUE 3

Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative This constitutional amendment would legalize personal marijuana use for anyone 21 years of age or older and medicinal marijuana use for anyone with a certi�ed debilitating condition. The amendement would also limit all marijuana cultivation in Ohio to 10 predetermined grow sites and investors around the state and limit the retail of this marijuana to approximately 1,100 licensed outlets. Individual citizens with certi�cation would also be allowed to grow up to four plants, obtained from the speci�ed grow sites, and possess up to eight ounces, less than 100 grams, of marijuana at a time.

The industr y would be overseen by a seven-person marijuana control commission, appointed by the governor. The growth and sale of marijuana outside of the speci�ed parameters would be considered a felony.

State lawmakers voiced concerns that Issue 3 would create singular commercial bene�t for the designated cultivation centers. In response, the Ohio General Assembly added Issue 2 to the ballot, which would prohibit the use of a ballot initiative to amend the Ohio constitution to create a monopoly, oligopoly or cartel.

The Ohio Constitution states that when a ballot contains two competing amendments and both amendments are passed, the one that receives the most passing votes becomes law. However, because Issue 2 was initiated by the Ohio Legislature, if it passes, it becomes law immediately. Issue 3, as a citizen-initiated amendment, would take effect 30 days after passing. According to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, because Issue 2 would take effect �rst, Issue 3 would automatically be invalidated.

GREENE COUNTY I S S U E 17

Bridge maintenance renewal levy Issue 17 is a �ve-year 0.25-mill renewal levy for the construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, repair or removal of Greene

County bridges. It is not a tax increase. The levy amount is $25 per year per $100,000 of assessed property value.

I S S U E 18

Greene County Park District levy Issue 18 is a new �ve-year 0.9-mill levy for operations and capital improvements for the Greene County Park District. It is not a tax increase. The levy would cost homeowners $31.50 a year per $100,000 of assessed property value. It would generate $3.3 million a year for the 2,600 acres of parkland and over 100 miles of paved, river and hiking trails in the county.

According to the Greene County Park District website, Greene County parks rely on state funding for 75 percent of their budget, but that funding has been cut by more than half in recent years. This would be the �rst levy to support Greene County Parks District, and would support day-to-day maintenance and operations of parks and trails; repairs and improvements; systemwide trails maintenance and improvements; acquiring and preserving green space and waterways; and parks staff.

I S S U E 19

Greene County Combined Health District renewal levy This is a �ve-year 0.8-mill renewal levy for the Greene County Combined Health District. It is not a tax increase and would continue to cost homeowners an annual $24.50 per $100,000 of property valuation.

This levy generates $2.95 million, or 25 percent of the health department’s budget.

Health department services include Child and Family Health Services, dental services to the uninsured, health education services, communicable disease services, and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutritional support program.

VILLAGE ISSUE 22

Village Charter amendments These amendments to the Yellow Springs Charter are designed to clarify the Village Charter and bring it into conformance with current state law and the practices of Village government.

Voters will be presented with several proposed Charter amendments, which have been placed on the ballot as a single issue.

The proposed changes fall into three categories: typographical/language clari�cation changes; conformance changes, based on

changes in state law and the Ohio Revised Code; and substantive changes that alter the application of the charter. Listed below are the proposed substantive changes: • S E C T I O N 1 4 — Induction of the Council into Of�ce: 1. Adds the Village solicitor as a person who may administer the oath of of�ce because the Mayor may be unavailable or newly elected. 2. Clari�es when the oath is administered. 3. Indicates that newly elected Council members’ terms begin on Jan. 1 (after certi�cation of the election).

• S E C T I O N 1 8 — Appointment of Village Manager: 1. Speci�es that no elected of�cial can be the Village manager until two years after leaving of�ce to avoid the appearance of impropriety and undue in�uence. 2. Does not change the existing method of appointing the Village manager by a majority of Council.

• S E C T I O N 2 2 — Procedure for Passage of Ordinances: 1. Changes the procedure for making ordinances known to the public by specifying that summaries of ordinances, rather than the full text up to a certain limit, must be published for public reading, and broadens the venue for publication to include “public media forums.” 2. Speci�es that these summaries must inform the public about where to access the full text of ordinances.

• S E C T I O N 3 0 — Appointment of the Village Manager: 1. Removes the mandatory residency requirement (stating that the Village manager must live within a mile of the village but not outside of Miami Township) and stipulates instead that the Village manager must establish residency within Greene County or an adjacent county within a reasonable time while in of�ce.

In 2009, the Ohio Supreme Court (Lima v.

Ohio) upheld a revision to the Ohio Revised Code that eliminated the residency rule.

2. Does not change the Village manager’s quali�cations.

• S E C T I O N 3 9 — Adoption of Budget: Removes the previously mandated 10-day period between the reading and enactment of budget ordinances. All aspects of regular ordinance procedure now apply to budget ordinances.

• S E C T I O N 6 3 — Planning Commission Membership: 1. Clari�es the membership term by changing “biannually” to “every two years.” 2. Eliminates the requirement that one member of the Planning Commission be a resident of Miami Township outside the village, and instead speci�es that one member may live outside the village, but the other four members must live within village limits.

For more information regarding any proposed amendments to the Village Charter, contact the Clerk of Council at 937-767-9126 or clerk@vil.yellowsprings.oh.us.

Y E L L O W S P R I N G S B O A R D O F E D U C AT I O N There are two seats available for election on the Yellow Springs Board of Education.

Each candidate would serve a four-year term. The News asked each candidate to submit a short biography and respond to the following three questions: 1. How should the district balance public and private funding to support its academic mission?

2. How many local and open enrollment students should the district strive for, and how should the schools determine the optimal ratio?

3. What is your opinion on the effectiveness of project-based learning in the district so far?

SEAN CREIGHTON*

VOTER ID REQUIRED Ohio law requires all voters to announce their full name and current address and provide proof of identity. Acceptable ID includes an unexpired driver’s license or state-issued identi�cation card with current or former address, as long as the voter’s current residential address is printed in the of�cial list of registered voters for that precinct; a military ID; a copy of a current utility bill; a bank statement; a government check or other government document showing the voter’s name and current address. (Voter registration noti�cation is not an acceptable form of identi�cation.)

Voters who do not provide one of these documents may still cast a provisional ballot by providing the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number or an Ohio driver’s license or state identi�cation number. Those who cannot provide proof of identi�cation may still cast a provisional ballot, but must return to the board of elections no later than seven days following election day to provide a qualifying form of identi�cation.

initiative itself.

Issue 2 was crafted by lawmakers speci�cally in response to Issue 3, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, which would limit all of the marijuana produced in Ohio to 10 previously identi�ed private grower/sellers. If approved, Issue 2 could either invalidate Issue 3 or be decided by the judicial branch.

Sean Joseph Creighton is the president of SOCHE, a regional council of colleges and universities dedicated to educating, employing and engaging citizens. SOCHE coordinates programs for over 20 diverse institutions with an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion, serving over 155,000 students. SOCHE has received the Dayton Business Journal’s Non-Profit Business of the Year Award and Innovation Index Award. Also, Sean is �nishing his second term on the Yellow Springs Board of Education, where he has been president, cochaired the superintendent and treasurer searches, and co-chaired the 2020 Strategic Plan. He also ser ves on advisor y committees and boards for local and national organizations, including Dayton Literary Peace Prize, International Leadership Association, Midwestern Higher Education Compact, TEDxDayton and ThinkTV. Sean has published and presented on higher education, collaboration, civic engagement and talent retention. He also conducted

research for the Kettering Foundation on the economic and civic missions of higher education. He is a voice for collaboration and blogs at creightoncollaborative.com. Sean holds degrees from Marist College, New York University, and a Ph.D. from Antioch University. He lives in Yellow Springs with his wife, Leslee, and his �ve fun children, Liam, Maya, Quinn, Audrey and Juliette.

Question responses: 1. Without a doubt, the school district must always be a strong advocate for increasing public funding at the federal, state and local levels. Public funding accounts for 98 percent of revenues for our school district. However, public funding is not enough at its current level for our school district to achieve its vision of becoming a school of creativity and innovation. This is why the 2020 plan prioritized funding the future by expanding and diversifying revenues, and shifting to a portfolio that increases private funding.

Since launching the 2020 plan, the schools have steadily focused on increasing funding from individuals and foundations.

Such private funding has enabled us to advance the academic mission, implement project-based learning, fund professional development for teachers and administrators, and create new support mechanisms.

Going forward, I think the schools need to increase private funding several percentage points to sustain the 2020 academic mission. I have been a proponent of bringing in expertise in fundraising to build a culture of giving, and also to work closely with the recently launched Yellow Springs Alumni Association. This is an exciting time for our district to take a leadership role among Ohio public schools in funding the future through revenue diversi�cation.

2. As part of the 2020 plan, the school district is charged with gaining a clearer understanding of how many total students it can serve; in other words, what is the enrollment capacity within our current teaching and learning facilities? For me, answering this question will help establish the optimal ratio. I do think the optimal ratio is reaching capacity from the combined effect of local and open enrollment students. We are not there yet.

One thing we are certain of is that open enrollment students contribute substantially to the total student population. And, for two decades, these students have also brought with them an equally substantial amount of public funding, making up the difference from the decline of local students. To monitor enrollment, the board has an open enrollment committee, which reviews policy and procedures. The current enrollment policy permits 33 percent of the total student population to come from open enrollment. There has been discussion of

this committee taking a closer look at enrollment trends. For instance, why do nearly 175 students open enroll in Yellow Springs and, at the same time, why do approximately 100 of our local students open enroll in other school districts? Going forward, we will need better research on enrollment trends and capacity to enable the school district to choose strategies for achieving optimal ratio (reaching capacity).

3. Since the shift to a project-based learning (PBL) model of education in Yellow Springs, I think PBL has become more effective with each passing year. This is the result of the school district and its leadership continuing to invest time, energy, and resources to improve the transition, along with the increasing teacher passion and experience. The district has provided professional development, visited model schools, created PBL coaching positions, and changed the school schedule to suppor t teacher collaboration, as well as deepen student learning and engagement.

While I know we are still early in the implementation phase, I’d predict the effects on students would be long lasting. I also think that future teachers and students will be thankful we shifted toward creating an innovative learning environment. In the meantime, the school district has already garnered signi�cant attention from education leaders and state policymakers for taking a lead in PBL education. Considering there are over 600 school districts in the state of Ohio, this spotlight on Yellow Springs is remarkable (“Though not surprising,” said the proud school board member).

S Y LV I A E L L I S O N *

ery County as a project facilitator for the Infant Mortality Coalition. Before joining the Wright State faculty, Ms. Ellison was a social science analyst with the National Institutes of Health, and a health statistician with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ellison and her family moved to Yellow Springs from the Washington, D.C., area eight years ago Her two sons and niece attend Yellow Springs High School.

Question responses: 1. The community-developed strategic plan for Yellow Springs’ schools calls for new possibilities for future funding. For a variety of reasons, public funding has become less and less adequate over time.

Furthermore, there is no easy way to increase public school funds without an increasingly undue burden on the local community. Pursuing appropriate private funds is a logical step. The YS school district has bene�tted from several small grant-funding organizations, and is planning to increase capacity to pursue larger grants in the future.

2. Though YS schools certainly want to retain a clear sense of community, there has been success with welcoming out-ofdistrict students through open enrollment as class space and budget considerations allow.

3. The community-developed strategic plan for Yellow Springs’ schools called for signi�cant curricular change. The careful inquiry into new curricular possibilities led to PBL. Though PBL was instituted a couple of years ago, with much training and coaching, we are still in a transitional phase. Over time, as teachers and students become more accustomed to and con�dent with PBL, I expect that we’ll clearly see an organizational transformation. In the meantime, we’ve already seen impressive work from teachers and students shared at our schools’ exhibition nights.

INFO:

POLLING LOCATION MAP ON FACING PAGE; PRECINCT MAP ON PAGE 8.

Sylvia Ann Ellison, M.P.H., M.A., teaches in the graduate public health program at Wright State University. She also works at Public Health — Dayton and Montgom-

★★★

★ ★ ★ ELECTION 2015 ★ ★ ★

YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS

OCTOBER 22, 2015

PA G E 7

VILLAGE OF YELLOW SPRINGS OFFICES

CHRISSY CRUZ

I have lived in Yellow Springs for nearly 40 years raising two children here and now my grandson. I run a small home business.

Prior to starting my home business, I have held positions as an IT specialist, business coordinator, of�ce manager, sales representative and nursing assistant. My schooling has included accounting, of�ce technology, MS certification and some commercial art.

Question responses: 1. The assistant Village manager, John Yung, who recently left his position, presented an Economic Development Report to Village Council that I felt was excellent and a great outline for what the Village needs for growth in our local economy.

Strong suppor t for local businesses, technology upgrades, restoration of the Revolving Loan Fund, and encouraging the creative and unique aspects of our community are important. If the businesses that are already established here are healthy and supported then other businesses will want to locate here too.

2. Local government should play a role in keeping the Village affordable. Overseeing the budget, keeping the cost of services affordable, and maintaining the infrastructure and administration staf�ng at reasonable cost is an important part of maintaining affordability on the part of Council.

3. Our community should de�nitely be policed in a way that re�ects local values, and I believe that our police of�cers do this in most instances. Is there room for improvement? Certainly, and I see that process happening, as villagers have attended forums and Council meetings to voice their concerns, and the Police Department has been very receptive to making changes where needed.

Village Council plays an important role in this process, as they are the overseers of the Police Department and the Village manager. They must all work together as a team to address issues and formulate policies that serve to protect and serve the citizens and maintain a safe and peaceful place to live.

As a young person, I was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and Catholic teachings on justice. I’ve been a political person since. I’m a hospice nurse and have been a nurse for 42 years. I am a mother and grandmother.

When I was on Village Council for eight years from 2005 to 2013, and president of Council for six of those years, I worked with citizens and Council colleagues and led in these key areas: • Fought for Antioch College and against its closure because it’s the cornerstone institution for Yellow Springs both economically and culturally. For this work I received the 2013 Alumni Board J.D. Dawson Award; • Advocated for affordable senior and family housing and for the “Swimming For All” program, which helps low-income families purchase swimming pool passes; • Advocated for environmental sustain-

MARIANNE MACQUEEN*

I moved to Yellow Springs in 1971 because I was attracted to the work and ideas of Arthur Morgan and Community Service (now Community Solutions). I’ve called Yellow Springs home ever since and have always worked in the village.

That work has included 15 years in the home remodeling business, five years managing the Village Guesthouse and 25 years helping to develop, coordinate and direct nonpro�t groups and organizations.

I have had extensive experience as a volunteer on various boards, including the Community Children’s Center, Greene County Fair Housing, the Village Mediation Program, Community Resources, the Ohio Con�ict Management Network, B-W Greenway Community Land Trust, Yellow Springs Home, Inc., and Friends Care Community.

For the past two years I’ve served on Yellow Springs Village Council. During this time I have assisted in the selection of our new Village manager; encouraged Council to move on the process of developing a new water treatment plant; initiated a Council process to provide direction for the Yellow Springs Police Department; re-established and chaired the Environmental Commission; and served as Council liaison to the Energy Board and the Human Relations Commission.

Question responses: 1. The most important thing Village Council can do is to create and maintain conditions that allow businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive. This includes having effective basic services (utilities, good roads, sidewalks, etc.); zoning regulations (and staff support for navigating them) that allow for businesses development; and supporting amenities that make Yellow Springs a desirable place for businesses to locate and employers and employees to live. These include public parks, good schools, Antioch College and Antioch University Midwest, local arts and culture, recreation, and health and wellness facilities.

It also means being proactive by seeking innovations such as: • Community broadband; • The re-establishment of the Sustainable Economic Development Commission with staff support; • Revitalizing and broadening the scope of the revolving loan fund; • Continuing to monitor the revised zoning code to ensure there are few barriers for entrepreneurial development; • Working effectively with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and Community Resources.

Climate change will increasingly be a factor in how we manage economies from the local to the global level. Yellow Springs is fortunate to have people who recognize this, including business leaders. Village government by initiating efforts — for example, its recent decision to develop a Climate Action Plan — provides an example of how to retain and attract businesses who are in alignment with this vision.

2. Affordability is one of several factors that should always be considered in Council’s decision-making processes. The most critical affordability factor in Yellow Springs is the cost of housing — both homeownership and rental. Market forces have played a role in this, as has the small size of the village in relationship to the services offered. I support steps that the Village government can make to add to our housing stock, especially rental housing. The primary opportunity we have in this regard is the development of housing on Village-owned land, i.e. the Glass Farm. In order to be successful, Council will need to engage the community in a design process as was suggested by John Yung, our recent assistant Village manager.

Other ways in which Village government can, has, and should continue to support affordability include: • Allowing increased density and �exibility for housing options and economic development; • Making decisions that encourage local individual initiative in housing and economic development (such as home businesses, artist initiatives and alternative housing proposals); • Suppor t local investing and local economic efforts such as a local Time Bank and a Mutual Aid Network that help people to exchange goods and services and build local capacity to support local businesses.

3. I believe local policing should re�ect local values as much as is legally possible.

This is why I requested the Human Relations Commission host the two forums over the past year on community policing, and more recently requested that Council

develop a set of policing guidelines based on community values. I believe our Village manager and Police Chief Hale are working to have our police become part of the community and function in a way that re�ects local values. Because most of the department is relatively new, this is a process that takes time. The chief is providing direction through increased training — for example, in crisis intervention and diversity — and �nding ways for of�cers to meet informally with and get to know local residents.

Council needs to balance its support of our police — those who have chosen to serve our community by being part of the department — with the need to ensure that citizen concerns are taken seriously.

Council needs to be accessible to citizens who have concerns about how policing is done in the village. Therefore, I support continued ef for ts to provide ef fective dialogue between citizens and police. For example, I support exploring the possibility of a citizen-police mediation program such as Dayton has recently established.

G E R RY S I M M S *

2. Once the Jacoby area becomes part of the land trust, any potential residential growth for the Yellow Springs area will come to a halt. If one thinks real estate prices are high now, I believe that prices for singlefamily homeownership will skyrocket.

Young families will not be able to the live in town, and all rates for services must go up. The question should include what didn’t local government do to keep the village affordable. I feel that the local government’s role has long since been lost.

3. The police should do their job according to the oath they take to protect the village as a whole. What values are we talking about?

(That of the vocal minority or the silent majority?) My worst fear is that I would have to tell an of�cer’s loved one (husband, father, mother, wife, son or daughter), that they were killed in the line of duty as they were trying to interpret local values. Based on those values, they simply misinterpreted a situation or let their guard down. No one is perfect, but the of�cers here are dedicated to serving the citizens of Yellow Springs with the utmost respect. We say they need to live here and get to know us. I say we should also get to know them. Ride with them, give them a cup of coffee, take them to lunch; better yet, invite them and their family to dinner.

We need to treat them like we would treat a new college student to our community — we need to make them welcomed, too.

I am con�dent that my years of service on the Village Council have earned my re-election and I look forward to four more years of service!

M AY O R Incumbent David Foubert is the uncontested candidate for Village mayor, which is a two-year term. The mayor is recognized as “the of�cial head of the Village for ceremonial purposes” and presides over Mayor’s Court.

I have been a village resident for over 45 years. I am retired after 30 years from WrightPatterson Air Force Base, and I am a Wilberforce University graduate. I am a former school board member and I have served on the Council for the past four years. I worked hand in hand with the community to truly understand the issues of the village. I helped �x water main breaks, cut grass, unclogged sewer lines, installed utility lines, cleaned up after major rain storms and helped with snow removal. Riding along with police of�cers, on just about every shift, gave me a chance to know them on a personal level. I visited the water plant to understand from contractors what repairs were necessary, and I observed them making the improvements. I served as the Council representative on the search committees to hire the interim Village manager, the Village manager and the �nance director. In addition, I served on the Charter Review Committee. As part of the new water plant initiative, I also traveled to nine different water plants to observe different methods of water softening. Lastly, I helped with early morning setups and evening shut downs of numerous Street Fairs.

Question responses: 1. Since villagers soundly rejected the Council’s use of public funds to provide the infrastructure for the land owned by Community Resources, I feel that our hands are tied. Therefore, we have to encourage the private sector to invest in our up-andcoming small businesses, in hopes that they will continue to make Yellow Springs their home. We must complete the downtown beauti�cation project that will help to continue the local tourist trade.

Nov. 3, 6:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

VOTE

JUDITH HEMPFLING

ability, funding green space and farmland preser vation and shifted the Village’s energy por tfolio to nearly 80 percent renewable energy sources; • Advocated for a Human Relations Commission budget to fund community building and fight prejudice, injustice and inequality; • Raised concerns regarding the police budget and YS membership in the drug task force.

Question responses: 1. Antioch College is the cornerstone institution of our community, culturally and economically. The Village needs to be a partner in ensuring Antioch college’s success.

Village government needs to be sure its many rules and regulations encourage the economic growth we want. Any unnecessar y hindrances need to be removed.

The strength of our active downtown lies in its dual role of providing for local and visitor needs. All Village government activities regarding the downtown should suppor t this impor tant mix of purposes.

Suppor ting local businesses, entrepreneurs, artists and nonprofits should be our first and greatest focus. The regrouped Economic Sustainability Commission will provide a public venue for ideas and concerns regarding the ways the Village can provide suppor t and remove hindrances.

Finding ways to take reasonable risks in support of economic activity should fit well with Yellow Spring’s creative spirit.

Given our small size, this should be less about outright financial support or tax write-offs, and more about removing hindrances to open up new possibilities.

John Yung, former Village staff responsible for economic development, recommended several measures which Village Council should review and consider.

The “Utility Policy” adopted by Village Council earlier this year that makes landlords responsible for the utility debts of their tenants will discourage rental housing and business space development and should be repealed.

2. High housing costs in the village are the primar y reason the village is an expensive place to live. This is partially caused by higher school and municipal taxes. Villagers have suppor ted these taxes because of the importance of our schools and municipal ser vices.

It is essential that we spend these public monies wisely and refrain from unnecessar y spending. Village government needs to keep its spending within the current levy level.

Encouraging housing and business development within current village borders helps spread these costs over more people and prevents sprawl development.

Federal, state and local governments have played a significant role in housing policy for a ver y long time. The tax deduction homeowners receive for mortgage interest payments is one example of housing policy that provides an advantage for homeowners of modest to expensive homes.

Housing policy suppor ting poor and low-income people comes in the form of developing affordable housing.

Village government should suppor t inclusion of affordable housing in any Antioch College housing development and begin planning for housing development on the Glass Farm, with a significant percentage being affordable with an emphasis on affordable rental housing.

The “Utility Policy” adopted by Village Council earlier this year puts landlords on the hook for the utility debts of their tenants. When this policy was discussed, staf f and Council members recommended that landlords protect themselves by increasing security deposits and doing credit checks on potential tenants, practices that utility providers like the Village are prohibited from doing by laws that were designed to guarantee that low-income people have access to utilities.

In other words, and perhaps unintentionally, the policy skirts laws that protect low-income people’s access to utilities.

The Village shifted significant risk to landlords and recommended landlords use practices the Village is prohibited from using. Such practices will make it more difficult for low-income people to access housing. This policy should be repealed.

3. National and local events have put the issues of policing, police policies, police use of deadly force, mass incarceration, the war on drugs and the hugely disproportionate criminalization of poor people of color and especially young men, on the national agenda.

It is clear even in our little village that some people feel safer when they see a police officer and some feel less safe.

While those in the rest of the countr y across the political spectrum are finding ways to reduce incarceration and are moving towards decriminalization of minor drug violations, Greene County is proudly adding 120 beds to the County jails.

Given these realities, it is time to do the following: end our membership in the drug task force; have a public review of police policies and make necessar y policy changes; protest the County plan to increase the jail size and incarcerations in our county and tr y to reverse the plan; find ways to use our Mayor’s Court whenever possible rather than the Greene County court system.

D AV I D H .

FOUBERT*

I retired as the principal of Foubert Consulting, LLC, in 2012 and was formerly vice-president of development for Otterbein Homes for 10 years. I worked as a fundraiser for Antioch College for eight years. I earned a bachelor of arts degree from Beloit College, a master of divinity degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminar y and a doctor of ministry degree at McCormick, and have served as pastor for the Presbyterian Church for over 40 years, including at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Dayton.

I have also served six years as president of the board of Klepinger Community School, a charter school in Dayton.

I have been the mayor of Yellow Springs for 24 years, while ful�lling Ohio Municipal League courses in general law and DUI. I have served as president of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce, a caseworker for the Magistrates Court, volunteer probation of�cer and jail chaplain.

As mayor, I have worked with Save the Farm, the Village Mediation Program, AACW, Yellow Springs Schools, United Way, and the National Issues For um (young people and values). I have also consulted or volunteered with Yellow Springs Endowment for Education, Senior Citizens, Friends Care Center, Antioch School, Central Chapel AME Church, Glen Helen, First Presbyterian Church and the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.

ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY MIDWEST

★

Morgan Field

XE NIA AV EN UE

There are three seats up for election on Yellow Springs Village Council. The two highest vote-getters will serve four-year terms, and the third highest will serve a two-year term. The News asked the candidates to submit a short biography and respond to the following three questions: 1. What can Village Council do to support the local economy?

2. Do you believe it’s the role of local government to seek to keep the village affordable? If so, what should that role be?

3. Do you believe the local police should do their jobs in a way that re�ects local values? If so, do you believe they are doing so? If not, in what ways can Village leaders guide departmental change?

PA G E 8

★ ★ ★ ELECTION 2015 ★ ★ ★

OCTOBER 22, 2015

YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS

MIAMI TOWNSHIP OFFICES The Miami Township Board of Trustees has two seats available, one is the full fouryear term, and the other is a two-year unexpired term. The News asked the candidates for trustee to submit a short biography and answer the following three questions: 1. Does the Miami Township Fire-Rescue department have adequate personnel, and if not, how should the department get support?

2. Should the Township be committed to greenspace preservation, and if so, how?

3. Should the Township proceed with a new �re/of�ce facility, and what would you do to make that process most effective?

FOR THE TWO-YEAR UNEXPIRED TERM:

3. The trustees have been patient in trying to secure a more ideal location for our �re/rescue department. Due to the deteriorating condition of the present facility especially in the areas of ventilation and roo�ng, it is time to move forward with this project. With record low interest rates and in�ation, it is time to take advantage of this situation. If we wait �ve years down the road, the building would probably cost considerably more.

FOR THE FULL FOUR-YEAR TERM:

DON HOLLISTER

DALE AMSTUTZ

LAMAR SPRACKLEN*

My primary occupation is in the agricultural �eld. My wife of 45 years and I have built a farming operation that has enabled our children and their families to continue with this lifestyle. I have always used good farming practices and have served 18 years on the Greene Soil and Water Conservation Board. I also was kept informed of new farming technologies by being a sales representative for Pioneer Seeds for 37 years. I have been a life-long member of the Presbyterian Church and have served as an elder. My 15 years as a Miami Township trustee have enabled me to serve my community in yet another way.

Question responses: 1. Our volunteer roster varies from 30 to 60 men and women at any given time.

When we approach the lower end, we advertise more aggressively to fill our needs. Most townships have a paid department; however, we are fortunate to have volunteers, and we can attribute that to our �re chief.

2. In the past we used estate money to purchase preservation easements, but we no longer receive that revenue because there is no Ohio estate tax, and local government funding has been cut. The commitment to preservation by the township is desirable, but at this time the funding is not available.

CHRIS MUCHER*

bers of the Fire/Rescue department. They determined that the present facility was not capable to provide the following to its staff and volunteers: • A decontamination room for use following particularly dangerous incidents where they may have been exposed to fuel, chemicals or blood-born pathogens.

• Adequate interior ventilation when emergency vehicles are running to prevent inhaling diesel fumes and having the fumes cause accelerated deterioration of expensive protective clothing.

• Provide adequate space for Fire/Rescue equipment and vehicles. Currently, ambulances must share ingress/egress positions with �re brush truck and of�ce equipment storage.

• Provide personal space and restroom facilities for the necessary part-time, on-call paramedics who must spend the night at the �re house. Currently, there is only space for one person, with no private restroom.

• Provide adequate parking for staff and volunteers. Currently there are only eight to 10 spaces, which barely covers the need of the full- and part-time personnel, leaving no dedicated spaces for volunteers during emergency Fire/Rescue calls.

Administrative of�ce space is at a premium. One example, the Township Zoning Commission meets at the Bryan Center because there is never enough available meeting space at the �rehouse.

Once site selection has been completed, MSA architects will be able to complete the site and building design, which will allow for �rm �nancial analysis.

Having been involved with this project since its inception, my knowledge of the needs of the department and the �nancial capabilities of the Township will allow for the quickest completion with the fewest cost overruns to the taxpayer.

there, which cultivated my deep appreciation of our farmlands and greenspace in the Miami Valley. Incidentally, my great-grandfather was instrumental in the inception and development of 4-H. My grandparents were organic farmers from the 1970s until they passed away.

Question responses: 1. The MTFR relies heavily on volunteers, and having the right personnel that are full-time employees to foster the volunteer department is essential.

2. The Township should help landowners in maintaining farmland and green space.

The Township can operate as a connection to resources to assist landowners in sustaining their property. Greenspace in the township is precious and must be protected from development that has no regard for the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

Absolutely the Township needs to be committed to the preservation of green space, as well as preserving farmland.

3. The Township does indeed need to proceed with the building of a new facility for the MTFR and I believe the process would be most effective to design it as an entire safety facility, housing the police department with the �re�ghters and emergency medical personnel. This could be bene�cial for both combining funding and resources.

Although this would be a huge undertaking, it could be a tremendous bene�t for the health and safety of our community, for which I am deeply passionate.

FISCAL OFFICER MARGARET SILLIMAN*

Z O VA N E AT O N MEISTER

The Miami Township Fiscal Offcer Margaret Silliman is running unopposed for the four-year term. She has been the Township �scal of�cer since 2000.

I have been a licensed mental health professional since 1999. My career includes being a registered art therapist, teaching graduate level courses and working in the court system.

Twice I have been the owner and operator of small businesses: prior to attending graduate school, Zo Van Eaton Jewelry Design, and then Sound Psychotherapy Services as a licensed professional.

In 2009, I returned to Yellow Springs with my family. My husband is a peace of�cer in the village, as well as a volunteer �re�ghter with Miami Township Fire-Rescue.

My maternal great-grandparents purchased a 100-acre farm just outside of the township in 1917, and it remained in the family until 2007. My grandfather grew up on that farm, and then retired there after serving our country for 30 years in the army. Growing up, I spent my summers ALL PRECINCTS (except 455)

vote in the Multipurpose Room at Antioch University Midwest (AUM). Parking is accessible via entrance on Enon Road

PRECINCTS

I grew up on a farm in Bath Township showing registered Ayrshire dairy cattle in 4-H. I graduated from Fairborn Baker High School in 1974, received an Associate Degree in farm management from Southern State College in 1976 and a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture with a minor in economics from Wilmington College in 1981. I moved to my Hyde Road farm in 1981. I have been on the Miami Township Zoning Board for approximately 15 years. I have been employed as a letter carrier with the Postal Service for 27 years.

Question responses: 1. Whether Miami Township Fire-Rescue has adequate personnel is a question I would have to discuss with the �re chief and his staff. Based on their evaluation, I would ask them for suggestions on remedies, if needed.

2. I differentiate green space and farmland preservation. Green space, to me, is a park. I am for farmland preservation.

The weak link in this process is monetary funding. There are many applications for farming easements through Tecumseh Land Trust each year. As farmland values increase, the cost for purchasing these development rights also rises. The current way for funding is from federal and state monies. Tecumseh Land Trust is doing a wonderful job of applying for these grants.

3. The trustees should proceed with a plan for an improved �re-rescue/township facility. This is a multi-step process. First, acquire the potential property. Design of the facilities and its uses. Determine the funding process. The potential sale of the current �re/township of�ce comes after the project is complete.

Currently: development director for Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions; board member, Greene County Community Foundation; statewide steering committee for Healthy Waters Ohio/ Ohio Farm Bureau; steering committee for Coalition of Ohio Land Trusts; father; grandfather.

Past: Boy Scout Explorer post advisor (Glen Helen sponsored); executive director for Ohio League of Conservation Voters; interim Director of Glen Helen Ecology Institute; chair of Greene County Board of Elections; chair of Greene County Democratic Party; board member of Glen Helen Association; board member of Tecumseh Land Trust; president of YS Chamber of Commerce; YS Village Council member; president of Greene County League of Women Voters; YS Planning Commission member; carpenter and remodeling contractor; carpentr y instructor at Greene County Career Center.

Question responses: 1. As a primarily volunteer operation, Miami Township Fire-Rescue will always have a personnel challenge. I praise our long time Fire-Rescue chief for his creativity in volunteer outreach. Miami Township Fire-Rescue is a training center. Free training for volunteers has drawn people from out of town, who later go on to be professional �re and rescue workers in neighboring cities. Modest rent stipends have enabled volunteers to move into town so as to more easily be on call. Our Fire-Rescue Explorer Post (co-ed Boy Scouts) draws in high school students, some of whom stay in the area and continue as adult volunteers.

As a trustee, I will be attentive to and supportive of our volunteers and Fire-Rescue leadership in making this volunteer public service fun and rewarding.

2. The Township should be committed to maintaining the current agricultural use of 70 percent of our land area. As a trustee I would oppose any changes to the Township zoning code that encouraged housing developments on current farmland. With our governor and Legislature eliminating the Ohio estate tax, the Township no longer has that revenue to devote to farmland preservation. I will continue to support the work of the Tecumseh Land Trust and more broadly, the work of our farmers. The most powerful force in open space preservation is the continued prosperity of our agricultural economy.

3. I believe that we do need a new Township Fire-Rescue and of�ce facility, and that the trustees should act. Why hasn’t the Township bought the former WSU Family Medicine land that seems ideally suited for a new �re house and Township of�ce? We have the cash. Perhaps there are behindthe-scenes factors that I do not know about.

Without other knowledge, it seems that the trustees are too cautious, waiting for details of a shared land development plan to be worked out at the risk of net public cost going up. At least two years have passed on this land opportunity. In the meantime, we need to do a better job of telling Township citizens about the value of our Township services. I support construction of a new Township facility, but will taxpayers vote to pay for it when few people know what their Township government does?

I was born in upstate New York. When I was 9, my family moved to Hudson, Ohio, where I lived until I attended Ohio University, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. In 1980 I moved to Yellow Springs with my wife Cindy, who grew up in Yellow Springs. Here we raised three children: Christen, Stephen and Mike, all graduates of Mills Lawn and Yellow Springs High School.

I am a former small business owner in Yellow Springs for 26 years. When my children were young, I coached the Reds, Marlins and Mariners in Yellow Springs Youth Baseball. For eight years I also served as cub master and assistant scoutmaster for local Boy Scout Troop #78.

I was appointed Township trustee in 1996.

My responsibilities as trustee include: administrative and �scal oversight of the Township Fire-Rescue Department, the Township Road Department and planning and zoning for the unincorporated areas of Miami Township.

Currently I serve as president of the Board of Trustees of Miami Township, an active member of the Ohio Township Association, the executive committee of the Greene County Regional Planning Commission, the Tecumseh Land Trust, the Ohio Cemetery Association and the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills. I also serve as the Township representative to the nonpro�t Grinnell Mill Foundation.

Question responses: 1. Not only does our Fire-Rescue department have adequate personnel, I believe we have the best personnel of any department in Greene County. We respond to roughly 1,000 calls for service every year by using department members made up of the following: Currently our Fire-Rescue department has �ve full-time, nine part-time and approximately 35 trained volunteers on call.

These include fire-trained, EMS-trained and paramedic-trained members, and most members are cross trained Fire and EMS. Many departments have transitioned away from volunteer departments to totally fulltime and part-time personnel. These include neighboring departments of Bath, Xenia and Beavercreek townships. My experience has been that it is dif�cult, if not impossible, to have a top notch volunteer department without having highly quali�ed, highly dedicated and highly motivated senior staff.

Our senior staff are �rst-class employees.

They are fairly compensated and provided excellent bene�ts, including health, dental and life insurance.

I have been active in the role of volunteer recruitment and retention since becoming a Township trustee. I proposed, organized and oversaw a 90th anniversary barbecue party for the department and the public. I proposed and designed a monthly lottery drawing for a “Volunteer of the Month” who received a certi�cate to the Winds restaurant. I voted to approve an increase in the per-run cash reimbursement amount for the volunteers. I voted to approve a housing stipend for selected volunteers to assist them in living within the Township, which allowed them to respond more quickly to emergencies. I remain committed to a volunteer Fire/Rescue department and will continue to propose and support ideas in the future to recruit and retain quality volunteers.

2. From day one, I have been committed to farmland preservation within Miami Township. Quoting from the Township’s Land Use Plan, adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2012: “farming also results in the continuation of the township’s rural feel. The visual appearance of open space that results from the land being farmed can provide some essence of community well-being ... Farmland Goals: 1. Protect current farmland, which is a limited natural resource, with special attention placed on preserving prime soils.”

Over 70 percent of land in Miami Township is in agriculture, and farming is the largest economic industry in the township.

The following is work I have done on behalf of farmland preservation since becoming a trustee: • I was a charter member of the Whitehall Farm Preservation Task Force. I helped identify sources of funding and develop an overall strategy to successfully keep the farm intact. Miami Township, along with the Village of Yellow Springs, the Greene County Commissioners and thousands of individual donors, and the eventual landowners, funded the project.

• I proposed, wrote and voted to adopt a Township policy to acquire conservation easements on productive farmland within Miami Township funded by estate tax monies.

This policy eventually led to the acquisition of more than 2,000 acres of conservation easements in Miami Township.

• I proposed, and voted to adopt a Long Range Comprehensive Land Use Plan which serves as a base for supporting economic and agricultural efforts in Miami Township.

• I am a charter member of the Greene County Farmland Preservation Committee.

The committee worked to produce a Greene County Farmland Preservation Policy that sets guidelines for the use by County agencies when considering the conversion of productive farmland to a higher land use.

• I am a member of the executive committee of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission where I advocate for MVRPC to be a strong supporter for the continued industry of agriculture in the Miami Valley.

I feel very strongly that in the future, Miami Township should continue its partnership with the Tecumseh Land Trust in obtaining state and federal grant monies for the purchase of conservation easements on farmland within Miami Township.

3. On March 7, 2011, I voted, along with the other trustees, to contract with MSA Architects to provide preliminary site and building design. This vote was a result of the recommendation of the Township �re chief in consultation with his staff and all mem-

VOTERS IN MIAMI TOWNSHIP’S PRECINCT 45 5

vote at the Cedarville Baptist Church, located at 109 N. Main Street in Cedarville.

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MAP COURTESY OF GREENE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

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