City council establishes policies regarding nepotism, whistleblowers, social media
With 14 new ordinances ready for their first reading and two on their third and final, the Bellefontaine City Council had a heavy agenda at their regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Nevertheless, they managed to move through it quickly, finishing in about 30 minutes.
David Crissman started things off with one of his favorite tasks as mayor—swearing in new emergency services employees. Ella Beelman, from Russells Point, joins the force as a level 2 firefighter/EMT basic while Caden Woodward is a level 2 firefighter and a paramedic from Marysville.
In addition to Beelman and Woodward, fire department chief Brian Wilson said they swore in firefighter Lane Wisner on Nov. 6, giving them three new employees in a week. But he recently received the resignation of another firefighter who has taken a job in Columbus due to his family situation.
Though the news wasn’t a surprise to Wilson, he said it means they’ll have to “look back at our eligibility list and begin the process again.”
New policies
Wes Dodds, service safety director, presented resolutions to implement four new policies. The first would prevent the hiring of family members in positions where they are supervised by an immediate family member.
Next was a social media policy, which Dodds called a necessity “in today’s world.” It sets up guidelines for city employees. Another policy guarantees fair treatment for whistleblowers. Finally, according to Dodds, the city’s travel reimbursement policy has been around since the early 2000s and needs to be updated.
All four policies were adopted.
Other reports of note
Ben Vollrath, Logan County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, invited the council to Economic Development 411, an annual event in Columbus on Dec. 5. This regional gathering is specifically geared toward elected officials.
“It’s a way to celebrate what’s happened over the year and train people on what economic development is and what it does,” Vollrath later explained.
MacKenzie Fitzpatrick, parks department liaison, said the main takeaway from the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District meeting, which was earlier that night, is a Hoffman pool community design discussion on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. This will take place at the Bellefontaine High School distance learning center and everyone is welcome.
Ordinances that passed first reading
· Seven ordinances established and provided compensation for: the president of council, council members, clerk of council, mayor, law director and auditor for 2026; certain Bellefontaine municipal court employees; Bellefontaine municipal court judge for 2026; hourly employees—clerical, supervisory and service workers; municipal court prosecutor’s secretary/paralegal and victim witness coordinator.
· An ordinance authorizing the purchase of miscellaneous supplies, equipment and services for use in 2026.
· Temporary appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures during 2026.
· Four ordinances authorizing and creating new permanent, full-time positions in Bellefontaine—chief deputy clerk for the municipal court, inspector/locator for the wastewater department, assistant water superintendent for the water department, and assistant sewer superintendent for the wastewater department.
· An added ordinance authorizing the city permission to purchase real estate on South Main Street also passed after the 48-hour time frame for a new ordinance was waived.
Two ordinances were adopted on the third reading. One makes supplemental appropriations and amends the permanent appropriations ordinance for the purposes of engineering, revolving loan and insurance claims. The second one amends the manner of angle parking in the city of Bellefontaine.
Before adjourning, member Nick Davis invited the council to the Downtown Bellefontaine Partnership’s mixer at Wrock Bottom Bar at 121 W. Chillicothe Ave. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m.
In response, council president Zeb Wagner congratulated Davis on being named the Young Professional of the Year by the Logan County Chamber of Commerce.
The next Bellefontaine City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 7:30 p.m. An extra meeting will take place at 7 p.m. that night to discuss the annexation of four parcels of land owned by Gary Alexander on Township Road 179 into the city for family residences.
