NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Nelsonville City Council’s Monday meeting opened with a prayer from council member Johnathan Flowers who, among other things, prayed for a “short meeting.”
The meeting was anything but short — it lasted nearly four hours, during which the council appointed a new auditor, treasurer and council member.
The positions are open due to two resignations and one departure planned for next month. At the end of July, former city treasurer Michael Milane and former council Vice President Nancy Sonick both resigned, with Sonick planning to run for Nelsonville mayor in the November general election. City Auditor Taylor Sappington will leave his position to become Athens County Treasurer starting Sept. 1.
At its meeting Monday night, council swore in McCray Powell to replace Milane as city treasurer and appointed Dakota Saul to serve as the next city auditor. Saul will serve as an assistant to Sappington and be trained by him until Sappington leaves the position.
Dakota Saul is the significant other of council member Nic Joseph-Saul, who left the council chambers before discussion of the appointment and returned after voting had occurred.
Both new appointees were recommended by City Manager Fred Holmes.
The council also voted 3-2 to appoint and swear in Wesley Henderson. The council previously appointed member Cory Taylor as its vice president, filling Sonick’s vacancy.
The city received two letters of interest for the seat, from Henderson and former council member Doug Childs. Childs previously served on the council before resigning in February 2023.
Henderson said during the meeting that he works as a project manager for a fire sprinkler company in Columbus and wanted to fill the seat to “help with the transition [of government and] with the community.”
Executive session
Following a 10-minute executive session to discuss “legal and personnel matters,” the council added an item to its agenda: Ordinance 54-25, a repeal of Issue 23 — a ballot initiative abolishing the city charter and returning the city to a statutory form of government, starting January 2026.
That initiative was approved by the majority of voters in 2024.
The council passed the ordinance 5-1. Although Henderson stated he wanted to help with the upcoming transition of government, he cast one of the five votes in favor of repealing Issue 23. He could not be reached in time for publication.
Since Issue 23 passed in November 2024, the city has been preparing for the transition of government by creating new voting wards, creating a citizen-led advisory commission and informing the public of the transition process through public forums.
Reports and updates
Sappington reported that for the month of July the city’s expenses outpaced its revenues in July by almost $65,000. Sappington could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
Holmes reported that he has been going through the city code’s chapters and ordinances, specifically Nelsonville City Code Chapter 155: Rental Property. To inform the public about rental properties in Nelsonville, Holmes will hold an educational session at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, in the council chambers.
Holmes also noted the success of the positions at the Youth at Work Summer Job program and thanked the council for approving the program.
In his update, Nelsonville Fire Department Chief Harry Barber announced that the department had been awarded two grants. One grant covered the cost of medical supplies and stat packs and the other grant covered the cost of attack hose straps, water cans and drywall hooks.
Barber also reported that department employees have completed multiple training sessions and classes and that an out-of-service department vehicle is now back in service.
Barber said there were no further leads on a rotary saw that was stolen from the back of a fire truck on June 17.
Code Officer Jason Kelly said during his update that 23 permits and 56 code violations were issued since July 14 and that only two of the code violations ended in fines.
The council also heard from Casey Cox regarding the proposals discussed for the Mechem building during the Finance Committee’s last meeting.
Before the council heard the readings of ordinances on the agenda, Taylor made a motion to make available as public record the findings of Nelsonville special counsel’s investigation into former City Manager Tom Cangemi’s alleged misconduct.
The council unanimously voted to release the findings of the investigation that have been private up until this point.
The Independent has requested a copy of the investigation.
Taylor then also made a motion to have the findings of the investigation reviewed by legal counsel “to see if there are any actionable items by the city to seek restitution.”
Both Flowers and Joseph-Saul questioned whether the city would have to pay more money to the special council currently on retainer.
“If that’s the case though — that it would cost the city additional monies — that would be an ordinance we would have to pass,” Taylor said.
The council voted 5-1 in favor of having the investigation reviewed, with Flowers voting no.
In other business, the council heard first reading of several ordinances that would:
- Set a new utility fee schedule.
- Establish a city-paid maternity and paternity leave policy.
- Amend the 2025 appropriations ordinance.
- Establish a storm sewer fee for all water and sewer customers.
- Authorize Le-Ax Water District to take over the Kimberly Road water line.
Council also passed ordinances that:
- Set the positions of authorized staff in the city offices.
- Authorized payment to Wise Economy Workshop for working with the city to prepare a human resources manual and policy and update the city’s comprehensive plan.
- Authorized a retainer payment to City Attorney Jonathan Robe to represent the city in a lawsuit filed by former council member Greg Smith.
The council also adopted resolutions that:
- Sets sanctions for council members who disclose information about executive sessions outside of the closed meetings. Penalties include being stripped of committee appointments, excluded from future executive sessions and held legally liable.
- Authorizes Holmes to enter into a proposed nationwide opioid settlement.
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, Aug. 25, 2025, at 7 p.m. Meetings are live streamed on YouTube. Find more at cityofnelsonville.com.
