NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Nelsonville City Council has confirmed six nominees for an advisory commission that will oversee the city’s transition to a non-charter government.
The nominees were confirmed at the council’s meeting on Monday, Jan. 27.
Council received nine letters of interest for the six available positions on the advisory commission, which will oversee the implementation of Issue 23, a ballot issue Nelsonville voters passed by a wide margin in 2024. The issue abolished the city’s charter, returning it to a form of government determined by state statute.
Those confirmed include:
- Jo Ann L’Heureux.
- Terry Koons.
- Lora Blankenship.
- Ann Addington.
- Reid Courtney.
- Neil Sommers.
Council member Jonathan Flowers nominated Greg Smith, a former councilman who sued the city to force Issue 23 onto the Nov. 5 ballot. The nomination did not receive a second of support from other council members. Flowers also expressed support for the nomination of Sue Powell, a former city auditor who also sued Nelsonville over her appointment to the council in 2024.
Flowers asked why the council could not accept all nine individuals onto the commission.
“I think leaving them off [the advisory commission] does a disservice, regardless of my relationship with anybody,” Flowers said. “I still think it’s good for the city government now and the city government that’s changing, too.”
Law Director Jonathan Robe explained that the current city charter requires council to make appointments to any commission created under the charter. Council voted at a meeting in December to form the advisory commission with six members .
Meetings of the advisory commission are open to the public as required by the Ohio Open Meetings Act.
Hours before Monday night’s meeting, the city announced a special city council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, with an agenda that included discussion of an ordinance to place a proposed amendment of the city charter on the May 6 primary ballot. If passed, the measure would repeal Issue 23 while also implementing a mayor, council members and wards under the terms of the city charter.
Interim City Manager Devon Tolliver introduced the language of the amendment at Monday’s meeting.
In other business Monday night, council:
- Passed an emergency ordinance to allow the Nelsonville Police Department to retrieve National Crime Information Center entries from the Hocking College Police Department
- Passed Ordinance 2-25 “change order six” to approve phase two of the Nelsonville Water Systems project.
Nelsonville City Council meets every other Monday of each month, at Nelsonville City Council Chambers, 211 Lake Hope Drive. Its next regular meeting will be Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at 7 p.m. Meetings are livestreamed on YouTube. Find more at cityofnelsonville.com.
Disclosure: Robe completed and filed incorporation papers for Southeast Ohio Independent News, the nonprofit that publishes the Athens County Independent. He also has provided the Independent with legal advice.
Correction: Incorrect spellings of commission member’s names have been corrected from initial publication.
