Lawrenceburg council approves $5,000 for Young Life, extends free dumpster month

The Lawrenceburg City Council voted April 20 to donate $5,000 to Young Life to help children attend summer camps this summer and approved extending a free dumpster program through May.

Council members heard from the mayor’s office that Young Life director Nathaniel Chitty had asked for help after the program reported a current shortfall of about $8,000 to send interested children to camp. The presiding Chair said the organization subsidizes roughly 70–80% of camp fees in past years and that staff are pursuing additional fundraising; the council discussed whether to wait for fundraising results but decided to act now.

A motion was made to donate up to $5,000 to Young Life; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The council noted the donation is intended to avoid leaving any child behind this year, and that the group is pursuing grants and sponsorships to replenish funds.

In public comments, a resident asked whether the free dumpster month would be extended; council voted to extend the program through May. A member of the public also reported three streetlights out on Elm Street between Center and Tate; utilities staff said they would address the outages.

The council opened the meeting with announcements about a city country celebration scheduled for the coming Saturday that will include food, rides, a Cincinnati Brass Band, recognition of two businesses for 50‑year anniversaries and honors for World War II veterans.

The meeting concluded after routine approvals of claims and payroll.

Why it matters: The $5,000 donation is a one‑time municipal support to a local youth organization to ensure access to summer programming for low‑income participants, and the dumpster extension is a short‑term public service adjustment affecting residents.