The Dayton City Commission heard city staff say the city’s cold-weather response plan was active at Tier 1 on Jan. 15, with recreation centers open as daytime warming centers and overnight shelters reporting available capacity.

City manager comments to the commission said the women's and children's shelter has a capacity of 358 and had fewer than 199 people in it last week; the Gettysburg men's shelter has a capacity of 422 and had 250 people. City staff said Tier 1 guidance encourages people needing assistance to seek shelter with friends or relatives and makes daytime warming at rec centers available; higher tiers would trigger nighttime warming options when shelter capacity is exceeded or in the case of significant service disruptions such as power outages.

Why it matters: Forecasts of sustained frigid temperatures make shelter access and outreach to unhoused residents an immediate public-safety concern. Several residents at the meeting urged expanded, 24/7 access to sheltering and more proactive outreach to people living outside.

Public comments and staff response
- Alexandra Williams, a resident who identified herself at the meeting, said she expected shelters to be available 24 hours during extreme cold and urged the commission to ensure access for the unhoused.
- Valerie Duncan and other residents described snow- and curb-related parking issues that can complicate shelter and emergency access and asked the city to review street-plow efforts on residential blocks.

Commission and staff detail
City staff told the commission their outreach team and regional partners monitor sheltering and that outreach workers are the primary non-coercive mechanism for encouraging people to move to safer spaces. The city manager noted that the shelters were operating below full winter capacity and that the city will monitor conditions; staff said the city opens nighttime warming when shelter capacity is exceeded or when there are severe disruptions (for example, extended power outages) or extreme temperatures (below about 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

Commissioners said they will continue to coordinate with outreach providers, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Dayton police on outreach and referrals, and they asked staff to follow up with public commenters about options for temporary warming locations and rec center availability.

Ending: City staff urged residents to use available warming centers and shelter options and said they would report updates to the commission as conditions change.