[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6266694,"mediaKeyId","3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595","parentId",3086792,"title","Residents press commission on sister-city ties, DREDA contracts and transparency over international partnerships","audioSeconds",3754,"startMs",1008000,"endMs",4762000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595&start=1008&end=4762","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595/thumbnail_1008000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6266694/Ohio/Residents-press-commission-on-sister-city-ties-DREDA-contracts-and-transparency-over-international-partnerships","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266694-3a843fff527e9ea5fc3276e31108440b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178136&Signature=oHKbA0frhd~26r8E6Vhxm1GV6p~utmL74ZlZWWI~JWbVxqrlcJSTs4QNwmQHjxNpCnvHNPaEonoUKtI-zqQfHu5nSr8vdXViGdM-Q9FxtqFUAyLehRT6-~QMYzzRc3HAlHqc1OAVm2fCGL-L9wyyPhFKeYF~WJm6YaAua0bjAHUINaoc1zFyV-n6QJQTVS9IOl0C2m9xibG3lyO7pqGV4Xj30VW7HRlc~8P~ECH5JD-fYUoh8BCpsCnqTtHrIlXqUK-5JY2UpPBeqvCG1eLieoh0RLc7sGv~ASEA1ABUje3skjvTClIEt0U0cosi101D2fGw4zAvaGfvNMRAHvIn5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Dayton OH","date","2025-04-23T00:07:40.17Z","article","Several residents used public comment to question Dayton’s international partnerships and recent city or regional contracts involving Israeli firms.

Lynn Lamance asked the commission to re-evaluate sister-city relationships with Salfit, Palestine and a city in Israel, noting that the sister-cities website says the program exists “to promote peace.” A separate speaker raised concerns about contracts between local economic development entities and Israeli firms, public-records access and whether equipment or supplies were being shipped from the Dayton airport to Israel.

Public commenter Jennifer Alexander said she had been told county partners ended their involvement in a contract with an Israeli business and asked whether city officials were aware; she urged more public-record memos and transparency around contract negotiations. City administration (Ms. Dickstein) later said the Dayton Development Coalition and county and city agreements that employed a business development director concluded in 2024 and that the June 2024 payment completed obligations for that year; she said “there is no funding in 2025 at this point in time directed towards Bridal activities.” The administration also said discussions about a broader international strategy had not advanced far.

Speakers additionally asked for clearer public records and communication when intergovernmental contracts change. The commission directed staff to follow up and to ensure commissioners are included in relevant interagency discussions.

Why it matters: residents raised questions about international partnerships, the transparency of local economic development agreements and whether public funds or local infrastructure are connected to international military or weapons activities. The administration said specific local contracts had ended in 2024 and that no city funding for the referenced contract exists in 2025.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Dayton City Commission Meeting 4-16-25","oneSentenceSummary","Several residents used public comment to question Dayton’s international partnerships and recent city or regional contracts involving Israeli firms.","taxTitle","Dayton City Council, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio","taxId",68964,"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},6266699,"Residents urge action on vacant buildings, graffiti and speeding after multiple fires and vandalism reports",316,3272000,3588000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595&start=3272&end=3588","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595/thumbnail_3272000.jpg","/articles/6266699/Ohio/Residents-urge-action-on-vacant-buildings-graffiti-and-speeding-after-multiple-fires-and-vandalism-reports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266699-37d71ed387cac6a25ea4a160f68ab7ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178136&Signature=OEffFDZvi~1MFbBXNZgapSFG-yVZen1nguVdi3W0k13WIC9j2LeeYpE4JI1VfCpqLAgcXMgb2lEUWwmEL1fThdsT~C-j5~Y1zJC2VdihuHQqoRm33ymHP8hVyZUnAMnOnuET8ac2gg5dYNgNoL7qXrBMhIqgt27aAY0Sg-VCQP-4AdtMKKdErrZGRB9bsaV8vF-Agsyi3OXnIvl3kxp-qc5YUwDS0evRNFNiTI8~H9zUxexCZ95Vd1CobyoltwfcHOpnTA91kHOItsOKqG8Ic10mX4uW2YDroCYQcZuDzVzyS1O~WaiI5Hc7nFP~ZCsbvDxm8PnsPjvly6MG5tOoZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Riverdale and other neighborhood residents told the commission about a string of vacant-building fires, vandalism and ongoing graffiti that they say is degrading neighborhoods and creating safety hazards.

Victoria McNeil, president of the Riverdale Neighborhoods Association, listed vacant buildings and a recent fire at 52 Warder and asked for stronger emergency boarding and enforcement. Jennifer Evans and Lynn Lamance also reported multiple vacant-structure fires and said longstanding boarded properties remain unsecured. Lamance said she had provided emails and complained repeatedly about specific addresses and urged “actual emergency boarding, actual prosecution of anybody that is setting these fires.”

Residents also described a spike in graffiti across North Main Street and beyond and asked the city for a coordinated graffiti-response task force that could combine neighborhood volunteers, Streets Maintenance and police. Lamance and McNeil asked for clearer channels to request boarding and for faster follow-up to protect adjacent occupied homes.

Separately, a resident asked for speed enforcement on Woodman Drive, saying two cars had been totaled in his front yard and requesting a speed camera at Woodman and Woodbine. Another resident suggested a separated, bi-directional bike lane on North Main Street to improve safety and encourage business activity.

City staff and commissioners responded that police, Streets Maintenance and county graffiti-response partners are coordinating; staff said updates would be provided. The city manager’s office said boarding and property-securement processes could be clarified and that staff would follow up after the meeting.

Why it matters: speakers described immediate public-safety risks from fire, vandalism and traffic and asked the commission for specific enforcement and preventive steps.","Speakers from multiple neighborhoods complained about vacant structures, recent fires, graffiti spread and unsafe speeding on Woodman Drive; commissioners and staff said they will follow up with enforcement, interagency coordination and public information.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266704,"Residents and commissioners press for an urgent, coordinated plan to address youth safety at downtown RTA hub",1174,3897000,5071000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595&start=3897&end=5071","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595/thumbnail_3897000.jpg","/articles/6266704/Ohio/Residents-and-commissioners-press-for-an-urgent-coordinated-plan-to-address-youth-safety-at-downtown-RTA-hub","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266704-7262ce73c68d5936c88f42dc2d9e68e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178136&Signature=WjYkrddFdzYoY~q-os-oKR4b5TIaZaHSb3Tghr7Hd664ZaTeJP4xxKoZRGea-oYb2WguPV6ivJ7F30nhvUen2dJFA2RkIyjS0kaAclaJTiwqCZNz8763Fqnpn5ORM7fUAhy~s8zOY3HzwEkM9FXw8gFqPk4EjTIZJn98HL1HxAqrewC5l67RHuf8Iy7RgCSobaYXZgWRmponKsXCoeu6H~X8rc~PvsY0Iu1j9SOco6eUKmLg7i0jgYcoLwrR4uQ2jznZEfjX4RP2VXxLD2X8uqB1HqSGktQzv8LDs13hekB9kVGR8OuxVqWN11eoJouzk4HlfwJZ4deN5NSB3t-63g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple residents, youth-service providers and city commissioners pressed for urgent, coordinated action to address violence, unsupervised youth and transportation at the downtown RTA bus hub during public comment at the Dayton City Commission meeting.

Speakers including Crystal Allen, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dayton, Tara Campbell of Dayton United for Human Rights, Maggie Burke (individual) and Lisa Wagner, executive director of Levitt Pavilion Dayton, urged more prevention, transparent planning and budgeted resources for summer and after-school programs, transportation alternatives and youth engagement. Allen said the city needs “prevention strategies, not reactive recourse.”

Several speakers criticized public rhetoric that they said frames young people as threats rather than assets and urged the commission to include youth voices in planning. Campbell called on the commission to “explicitly allocate youth center initiatives, expand after school programs, creative arts and expression spaces, mentorships and leadership trainings, mental health support, and safe, reliable transit options in partnership with Dayton Public Schools and RTA.”

Commissioners responded that multiple stakeholders have been meeting, that programs including Cure Violence and the Peace Campaign exist, and that the city has funded neighborhood and youth initiatives with federal ARPA allocations. Commissioner comments emphasized the need for a short, intensive process modeled on the city’s earlier police reform task forces to produce actionable recommendations and funding plans before the next school year. One commissioner said the city has “a 3 or 4 month window” to act.

The commission cited existing efforts that staff and partners are pursuing: Learn to Earn / My Voice My City My Vision planning, Cure Violence, the Peace Campaign, recreation center programming and a recent ribbon-cutting for a teen center. Commissioners asked administration to coordinate a task force or similar convening to produce funding options and program models that could be implemented for the coming school year.

Why it matters: Several speakers warned that unresolved youth needs and concentrated unsupervised downtown presence are harming public safety, the downtown business climate and youth outcomes; they urged funding and a clear timetable for implementation.","Multiple residents, youth-service providers and commissioners called for a coordinated, time-bound plan to reduce unsupervised youth density at the downtown RTA bus hub, expand after-school options and convene stakeholders for solutions before the school year restarts.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266708,"Dayton launches SOAR to Savings pilot to pair EITC tax filing with four-week financial-education stipend",143,95000,238000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595&start=95&end=238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595/thumbnail_95000.jpg","/articles/6266708/Ohio/Dayton-launches-SOAR-to-Savings-pilot-to-pair-EITC-tax-filing-with-four-week-financial-education-stipend","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266708-da8c951898fbe375efb1cfafd6881a0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178136&Signature=lh0Xsb5YBDPiIVLia-q-YySOcBvt6ZHXwTfu~UUuiacQnS1gmP930Z6nJqLb5cdO6jisR84e90ox4-SQlkr5BsX00tnfaTOuUq~sNUBfV8XsW6i5Nv5filXgSXTRM1z1rOXUtfGL3S8ZcZQFdMUqOETdqwf1O0rKbXILVMYtAS~T51RAQG3mGsEwwGw~gf-pljMg1PAcp1NuSf58FRXyIZSoqYD8dIabyT8XnOJEtBKJtp1k7nNc9jpnegH8S9JwB85ncejFwkjC40dmjVUVYE3QqPTq-8vXmEy~hROHqM5Un2SEoY~SJtEdN-Q3krZ4J2dfpTOWSZjTNT9PeYLUyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lamont Hall, executive director of the Human Relations Council, told the Dayton City Commission that the city is launching a SOAR to Savings pilot tied to the Dayton Recovery Plan to help Earned Income Tax Credit-eligible residents build financial literacy and banking access.

The program will require participants to be City of Dayton residents, use the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) tax service and qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, Hall said. Participants who complete four Thursday classes – covering budgeting, banking basics and credit – will be eligible for a $1,500 payment, though Hall said “the $1,500 is not our focus. It's really the financial education.”

Hall identified two banking partners: Fifth Third Bank (represented at the meeting by staff identified as Maria and Kelly) and First Financial Bank (represented by Josh Rowe and Michael Klein; Carice Drake was named as an additional First Financial partner who could not attend). Classes will be held at the Dayton Metro Library, Hall said.

Commissioners asked about sustainability and start date. Hall said the pilot has been in development for “a little over 2 years,” that the program had been modeled in part on Philadelphia’s Rock Your Refund program, and that the program intends to begin classes “next week.” He said some potential banking partners were unable to participate because of rules about accepting city funds. Commissioners and bank representatives discussed possibilities for ongoing funding and local bank commitment; a Fifth Third Bank representative said the bank “will be committed to continue.”

Staff numbers from the city’s VITA program were included in the presentation: the city completed 5,271 tax returns for 2023, returning “just over $7,000,000 back into the community,” Hall said, and that 94 volunteers donated 8,069 hours to the effort. Hall said the pilot aims to reach low- and moderate-income families who qualify for EITC and that one condition of the stipend is opening an account with a participating financial institution so funds may be deposited.

City staff and commissioners discussed funding sources for continuation beyond the pilot. Hall and partners mentioned possible reallocation of existing program funds, banking community support, CRA-related funding and other philanthropic options; Hall said the pilot is initially ARPA-funded.

Why it matters: city leaders framed the pilot as a way to boost financial capability for households receiving federal tax credits and to leverage local VITA capacity and bank partnerships to increase bank account ownership and financial literacy.","City officials introduced a pilot SOAR to Savings program that links VITA tax-filing work with a four-class financial education series and a $1,500 stipend intended to support low- and moderate-income residents receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266690,"Commission excuses mayor, approves minutes and approves city manager recommendations; alley vacation set for first reading",1075,55000,1130000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595&start=55&end=1130","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3086792-4a312a67f0503aed4c9234faa6211595/thumbnail_55000.jpg","/articles/6266690/Ohio/Commission-excuses-mayor-approves-minutes-and-approves-city-manager-recommendations-alley-vacation-set-for-first-reading","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266690-b46c86436a5358a108a5166e6c293fc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178136&Signature=K0vcPymaUbCJT8F1QUBJ~y-a9SBpVAlvjsD4EAwuBYk4kHTxE7fIuafOxwR-Vj04g8O3iWXrPreUjRgf9RXC-W2LjbHYsv2X2famyHHARECtl7XPVWFUEtSUBOzJjUaT~l9M0Rm~63Vt1tXSGtcPd48CnMLTokmQ~9ybWdkpuuJkn1it4yhImhwnYxPjkP4MONj51HggcS5UzR04Pup7dlc9vsiZ0UYS6EG7iMBk9pmgOoAy4AruX0p2CYeF-PAuDe80vUNY-oNgEXa-pqBARASAlHiy-MW6nSN3leqKN4rhNdqtv4uumxV3PyJIPxTkMhK9NMzd1qYCumNsUipXvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dayton City Commission took four procedural actions during the meeting.

1) Motion to excuse Mayor Mims from the evening's meeting — motion moved and seconded; the commission voted in favor and the mayor was excused. No roll-call tally or individual votes were recorded in the public transcript.

2) Motion to approve the minutes of the April 9, 2025 meeting — motion moved and seconded; the commission voted in favor. No roll-call tally or individual votes were recorded in the public transcript.

3) Motion to approve the city manager's recommendations (calendar items) — motion moved and seconded; the commission voted in favor. No roll-call tally or individual votes were recorded in the public transcript. The city clerk announced no citizens registered to speak on calendar items prior to the vote.

4) Resolution, first reading, No. 6850 — City staff read: \"Resolution, first reading, number 6850 ... declaring the intention of the commission to vacate the alley East Of North Cherry St. From East Third St. To the alley North Of East Third St.\" The item was read for first reading; no final action or recorded vote on adoption occurred at the meeting.

Why it matters: The votes approved routine procedural business and authorized staff recommendations; the alley vacation item was introduced and placed on the record as a first reading.","The Dayton City Commission took several routine votes: excused Mayor Mims, approved minutes from the April 9 meeting and approved the city manager's recommendations. The commission also held a first reading of Resolution 6850 to vacate an alley east of North Cherry St.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents press commission on sister-city ties, DREDA contracts and transparency over international partnerships

Residents urge action on vacant buildings, graffiti and speeding after multiple fires and vandalism reports

Residents and commissioners press for an urgent, coordinated plan to address youth safety at downtown RTA hub

Dayton launches SOAR to Savings pilot to pair EITC tax filing with four-week financial-education stipend

Commission excuses mayor, approves minutes and approves city manager recommendations; alley vacation set for first reading