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Washington Court House council approves five-year Dunlap Farm lease and advances several community-authority petitions
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Summary
At its March 11 meeting the Washington Court House City Council adopted two resolutions to authorize five-year farmland leases to Duane and Jared Matthews and moved multiple ordinances to further New Community Authority and economic development petitions; the council also voted to solicit bids for street paving.
The Washington Court House City Council on March 11 adopted resolutions authorizing five-year lease agreements for city-owned farmland and advanced several ordinances to add parcels to local development and New Community Authority districts.
The council voted to authorize City Manager Joseph J. Dennen to award 5-year contracts to Duane Matthews and Jared Matthews for city farmland. Resolution R11-2026 covers Dunlap Farm (described in the reading as roughly 156.376 acres near Civic Drive) with a lease beginning May 1, 2026; a separately read resolution (R12-2026) authorizes a similar five-year arrangement for farmland on State Route 753 near Robinson Road. In each case the reading clerk presented the resolution text and the council adopted the measures by roll-call vote with affirmative responses from members present.
Why it matters: the leases permit the city to place municipal farmland back into agricultural production under multi-year agreements and delegate execution authority to the city manager. The receipts and stewardship of city-owned agricultural property affect local land management and can provide recurring revenue, while also implicating how the city manages long-term public assets.
Council also considered and moved multiple ordinances related to local development districts. The council placed Ordinance No. 3-2026 on third reading and advanced it; that ordinance was described as a second amendment to the agreement creating the Jefferson Township–Washington Court House Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) and would authorize the inclusion of certain parcels. Separately, the council moved Ordinance Nos. 4-2026 and 5-2026 to second reading and placed Ordinance No. 6-2026 on first reading; those measures concern the sufficiency of petitions and the addition of property to the Washington Court House New Community Authority District and set required public-hearing dates under state law.
The reading clerk read the ordinance and resolution texts aloud on the record and the council took roll-call votes as recorded.
The council also approved a motion to solicit bids for street paving. The motion was moved, seconded and approved by roll call.
What’s next: Ordinance Nos. 4-2026 and 5-2026 were advanced to second reading (public hearings and statutory notice requirements will follow as required under Ohio law); Ordinance No. 6-2026 was placed on first reading. The farmland contracts require execution by the city manager and any administrative follow-up described in the adopted resolutions.
Quotes and attributions in this story come from the council meeting record and on‑the‑record readings of ordinances and resolutions.
