Council President Shoemaker presided over the City of Chillicothe council meeting on Jan. 13, 2025, where members adopted a temporary moratorium on the location of adult-use cannabis operators and approved an easement for Ohio Power Company.

The ordinance imposing the moratorium — described in council as constrained by Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3780 — passed on its third reading by a 5-1 roll-call vote. At the same meeting the council also approved, on third reading, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute documents to grant an easement to Ohio Power Company.

The moratorium drew public comment both in support and with caution. Welcome Stokian, a Chillicothe resident, said the city should balance public safety and compassion and recommended that notices include resource information and that enforcement use a three-warning system before legal action. The Reverend Terry Williams, of East Main Street, urged council to avoid language that would single out people experiencing homelessness and noted procedural questions about emergency language on some items. Doug McCord, a resident, supported the temporary moratorium as allowing the council “some breathing room” to consider how many dispensaries a community of Chillicothe’s size needs.

Council action at a glance: the moratorium (third reading) was adopted with Bennett, Payne, McKeever, Preston and Creed voting yes and DeMent voting no. The easement to Ohio Power Company (third reading) passed unanimously. Several other ordinances were read but not enacted: a second reading for a $30,000 appropriation to build a disc golf park at Goldie A. Gunlock Memorial Park (in partnership with Project Bad Apple), first readings for a $50,000 appropriation from general funds to the Ross County Humane Society (declared an emergency) and a $40,000 Ohio opioid settlement appropriation for the Hope Partnership project, and a resolution proposing a 0.2% city income tax increase dedicated to paving and street construction to be placed on the May 6, 2025 ballot. Those items were moved to subsequent agendas for further consideration.

Council also approved administrative business: minutes from the Dec. 23, 2024 regular meeting were approved, several reappointments were confirmed (Stacy Porter and Drew Musser to the Downtown Redevelopment Board for two-year terms, Melanie Oler Boiler to the health district for a five-year term, and Robert Barnhart to Parks and Recreation for a five-year term), and Councilman DeMent was appointed as the council representative to the downtown redevelopment district group.

Finance questions surfaced during public comment. Resident Jason Link asked for the anticipated carryover balance for the general fund; councilors said they would supply that information after the meeting. A proposed renewal of a 0.2 percentage-point income tax (to be placed before voters) was discussed in public comment as a voter decision; council members noted the council would decide whether to place the amendment on the ballot.

Law Director Miss Veil Real handed out the department's annual report covering 2024 case counts and hearing activity and had no additional report at the meeting. Mayor Feeney was absent and asked council to thank snow-plow crews for their recent work.

The council adjourned after the roll-call vote on the final motion.