[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6071874,"mediaKeyId","3034567-86c18e1f95bf773459a029b69342b785","parentId",3034567,"title","Portsmouth City Council approves alley vacations, emergency road repairs and other ordinances; several budget items advanced","audioSeconds",567,"startMs",304000,"endMs",871000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3034567-86c18e1f95bf773459a029b69342b785&start=304&end=871","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3034567-86c18e1f95bf773459a029b69342b785/thumbnail_304000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6071874/Ohio/Portsmouth-City-Council-approves-alley-vacations-emergency-road-repairs-and-other-ordinances-several-budget-items-advanced","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071874-03812249fb647344c705f9050b29289d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966332&Signature=gNelJTSPltNzFB5bygPg1ktNApVgctxnIjYfuzcq5uXKJEJT3SNlMte0vLY-3pOx0G~V7tps-6cf~t9Mn3UwfuD5~2exCAe~XXTOexsIbAV90ZPTS-u3mIKLRU08g5ZLU7RdJvep8d1Je~f4cO6z-JWU2W-xWzv~zoBqpZsnhJhVC8k6i05R9gZsVN14okeMBPMMBxRaxK6gSEcpo9N-qBvtOSPnSFjv1BsOiNwoGQAPrqm5WNqU2a6QBsT1028EeQPTKWq3BURUJYgDYmDHhH9LA5Daljvj6lJ1AcAJ0GDub4K5OoWwJ45PEqVNR8VfNfblt3w27U-lLbRcLDK8-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Portsmouth OH ","date","2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","article","Portsmouth City Council on April 14 approved a package of ordinances and advanced several budget items, including emergency funding for a road repair, two alley vacations and distribution of hotel‑motel tax proceeds to cultural organizations.

Key actions at a glance:

- Police trust fund transfer: Council approved an ordinance authorizing a fund transfer of $10,530 from general fund No. 101 into the Police Department law‑enforcement trust fund No. 225. Vice President Levette Mosley moved the ordinance; roll call recorded unanimous aye votes.

- Alley vacations: Council passed two ordinances to vacate alleys. One ordinance authorized vacation of two alleys parallel and perpendicular to Wilson Road and Shoemaker Road as requested by Timothy Harr and Kathy Barringer; another ordinance vacated Vine Alley (between Fifth and Sixth streets behind the Martins Building and the Edward Jones office) at the request of the 1922 partnership. In each case the ordinance preserved all city easements and passed after roll‑call votes recorded as ayes.

- Hotel‑motel tax distribution (emergency): Council introduced and passed an emergency ordinance to distribute $31,093.84 (33 1/3 percent of hotel‑motel tax assigned to cultural affairs) to organizations recommended by the Cultural Affairs panel. The ordinance was advanced with emergency language citing Section 10 of the City Charter and Council Rule 5; at least one councilmember asked why the three‑reading waiver was requested, and the council voted to approve the emergency request and pass the ordinance.

- Capital improvement budgets: Council moved the 2025 capital improvement program budget and related enterprise (water/wastewater) CIP items as first readings. The council also took a first reading to accept $4,570.17 into the Fire Department training line item No. 101.2230.5222.

- Emergency street repair: Council approved appropriation of $58,000 from Street Fund No. 231 for road slippage repairs on Russell Road and waived the three‑reading rule under emergency language. Councilmembers described active water runoff and potential property damage to lower‑lying yards as the reason the appropriation was urgent.

- Insurance recovery and vehicle funding: Council introduced an ordinance accepting $23,785.66 from the Public Entity Pool of Ohio (Sedgwick) into the general fund and appropriating $3,525 to police department vehicle maintenance (for teardown, storage and towing invoices) and $20,260.66 to Capital Improvement police department vehicles line item No. 301.2210.5532 toward a replacement vehicle.

Votes, motions and procedure notes: Many motions were made by Vice President Levette Mosley and carried by roll call. Several items were advanced only as first or second readings (not final adoption). Where the meeting record shows a roll call, the transcript lists individual aye votes by name; where the transcript records first readings or procedural moves without a final vote, the article notes the action as a first or second reading.

Ending: The council concluded legislative business after completing the listed ordinances and advancing budget items. The public‑comment period that followed was dominated by requests to schedule a resolution designating Portsmouth as a safe haven for LGBTQ people and to protect gender‑affirming care; council members asked the manager and solicitor to review the draft and place it on the conference agenda for discussion.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portsmouth OH, City Council Meeting April 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Portsmouth City Council on April 14 approved a package of ordinances and advanced several budget items, including emergency funding for a road repair, two alley vacations and distribution of hotel‑motel tax proceeds to cultural organizations.","taxTitle","Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio","taxId",71344,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6071879,"Portsmouth residents press council to declare city a 'safe haven' for LGBTQ people and protect gender‑affirming care",3815,1079000,4894000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3034567-86c18e1f95bf773459a029b69342b785&start=1079&end=4894","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3034567-86c18e1f95bf773459a029b69342b785/thumbnail_1079000.jpg","/articles/6071879/Ohio/Portsmouth-residents-press-council-to-declare-city-a-safe-haven-for-LGBTQ-people-and-protect-genderaffirming-care","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071879-10967822ab642822d4d5797809613edd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770966332&Signature=f8QiV29vGSPaD-PPdT04A9eXokd5arGzzJdvrA-az75W1W2V2zdyEV-e5Y6m71YgCrHiRNtgfNz9ebRZaQb7ZMw~wzEfmqRD-h43sS3vP6l8zLAV0jsRNR6~tbUHshKKpK-MRmI6VNpc1yiRog-uMtuN1P88MGo39MkB~jPhnl8yRbIpgzS7h8ba93DsqktgzdL~Bfza1oLkdwQsJikOD5QfV8xqchT00BhNVIMTgmrfsJmKGSuLK5hfOAUj0J8zjIxiDi78skk68g5l1i1Yqre45N-7EZc9zrOPpADu8hO0oFaKHG8ZDeTq-LKe4v20fJfdF8lnCfOmEeSWoqq8pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Portsmouth residents urged the Portsmouth City Council on April 14 to begin a process declaring the city a safe haven for LGBTQ people and to adopt a parallel resolution protecting access to gender‑affirming health care.

Speakers across more than an hour of public comment asked council to open a formal process to consider a non‑funding declaration that would signal local support for LGBTQ residents and medical providers. \"Such a process would not involve allocating any funds from the city,\" Laurie Swain told council at the start of the public‑comment period. \"Please initiate a process in which Portsmouth claims the title of sanctuary city for LGBTQ people.\"

The request drew speakers from Shawnee State University student groups, local business owners and residents who described personal experiences with discrimination, threats and mental‑health harms. Several speakers cited data and studies tying gender‑affirming care and legal recognition to improved mental‑health outcomes; others described local incidents they said demonstrate the need for an official statement of protection. \"Declaring Portsmouth a safe haven has no downside, but so much is to be gained by that declaration,\" Swain said.

Why it matters: Speakers framed a local resolution as both symbolic and practical. They said a resolution could help residents feel safer, could attract professionals and families who value inclusive communities, and could reduce the stigma that contributors tied to elevated suicide risk among LGBTQ youth. Multiple speakers requested that council consider a draft resolution already circulated by student and community groups; they emphasized that the measure, as presented, would not create new city spending.

Council response and next steps: Council members acknowledged receiving the request. City Manager Sutherland (remarks read by the mayor) said the council solicitor had received a copy of the proposal and that it would be reviewed; the manager indicated the item could be scheduled for the city manager's conference agenda for discussion before formal introduction. First‑ward Councilman Sean Dunn also asked the manager to place a discussion item so suggested modifications could be considered at the discussion level before the proposal moves to the conference agenda.

What speakers said (examples):
- Laurie Swain, 1717 Poplar Street: \"Please initiate a process in which Portsmouth claims the title of sanctuary city for LGBTQ people.\" She added the process would not require city funding.
- Amanda Jacks, 1741 Carrie's Run: Described family experiences and asked council to make Portsmouth a sanctuary so her child \"can feel safe and accepted in her hometown.\"
- Abby Spears, 613 Chillicothe Street: Cited statistics she said show higher rates of substance use and homelessness among LGBTQ youth and said sanctuary status could be a low‑cost step to improve health outcomes and economic development.
- Andrew Blevins, 122220 Third Street: Urged council to protect professional medical standards and said recent state and federal actions mean local affirmation matters now.

What the record shows (process and limits): The public comments were requests for the council to place a resolution on an upcoming agenda and to consider an official non‑funding designation. Council members and staff noted the administrative process: legal review by the city solicitor and scheduling through the city manager's conference agenda. No formal council vote on a sanctuary or safe‑haven resolution occurred at the April 14 meeting.

Community and policy context: Speakers referenced recent state legislation and federal guidance they said threaten access to care for transgender people and others; at least one commenter referenced House Bill 8 and another referenced actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Multiple speakers and student groups said the draft resolution they had supplied to council was modeled on similar declarations adopted by other Ohio cities and colleges.

Ending: Council did not vote on a resolution on April 14. The city manager and solicitor said the circulated draft had been received and would be reviewed; councilmembers asked that the item be scheduled for discussion at a future conference meeting so council can consider edits before formal introduction.","Dozens of Portsmouth residents urged the Portsmouth City Council on April 14 to begin a process declaring the city a safe haven for LGBTQ people and to adopt a parallel resolution protecting access to gender‑affirming health care.","actionData","errors"]

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Portsmouth City Council approves alley vacations, emergency road repairs and other ordinances; several budget items advanced

Portsmouth residents press council to declare city a 'safe haven' for LGBTQ people and protect gender‑affirming care