Residents press commission on Safe Haven resolution; staff says legal review ongoing

Several residents used the public-comment period to press the commission to advance a proposed Safe Haven resolution addressing protections for LGBTQ+ residents. Moss Dickey, a Dayton resident, told commissioners he and other activists had been told the item "needs to go through the legal process" but said he had not seen follow-through.

"We have been told that someone will get back to us, that it needs to go through the legal process before it can be put before this body, yet there have been no follow through," Dickey said.

Alexander Stone, also speaking in favor, said ongoing threats to access to care and restrictive state-level measures made the resolution a priority for him.

City staff later said a legal review is underway. "We had the first round of review and analysis by the law department," the city said, and a law-office gap analysis requested by Commissioner Joseph remains in progress. Staff also reported a recent meeting with an organizer (Raya Meghnan) to discuss the status of the review and said they intended to compare models to make the measure fit Dayton's existing legal code.

Commissioner Fairchild asked whether staff had connected with community organizers (including an ABLE representative identified in prior outreach) and staff said the matter remains with the law department and that staff would coordinate communications to organizers once the review is complete.

No formal vote or formal action on the resolution took place at the meeting; staff said additional legal analysis and outreach were pending.