NELSONVILLE, Ohio – At its regular meeting on Sept. 14, a committee of the charter-based Nelsonville City Council discussed next steps in dealing with problems at the Nelsonville Aquatic Center.
Speaking on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Committee, Council President Cameron Peck said the city has received a quote for geotechnical boring that it will carry out as part of a geotechnical survey of the Nelsonville Aquatic Center. Wertz Geotechnical Engineering, a firm based in Doylestown, Ohio, estimated the cost for the procedure at $5,900.
City Auditor Brian Elkins said Monday the survey will help the city decide between repairing the pool and replacing it. A March report from Betts Structural Engineering LLC of Asheville, Ohio, “found numerous areas with voids” underneath the pool. The survey will determine if those voids rule out the possibility of repair.
Earlier this summer, the charter council voted to move forward with the survey after Betts Structural Engineering’s report and a second opinion study by Zanesville-based Derwacter & Associates, which made similar findings.
In a July 9 report, the Public Entities Pool of Ohio said it would not insure the pool unless it was entirely rebuilt.
That ultimatum put the city in a complicated situation, Elkins said, because “some people” have expressed reservations about the expense of building a new pool.
“Once we get that part of the report, we can say okay, we’ll put that part of the debate to rest,” Elkins said Monday.
The Parks and Recreation Committee moved to forward the proposal to the Finance Committee for further consideration of costs. Later in the meeting, the Finance Committee determined that the city has sufficient operating funds to finance the survey and moved to forward the measure to full council.
ODOT proposal advances to full council
The Streets Committee on Monday reviewed a proposed resolution regarding an Ohio Department of Transportation project to repair portions of state routes 78, 278, and 691. Council member Nic Joseph-Saul said the text of the resolution clarifies that funds for the project have already been appropriated.
The committee moved to forward the proposed resolution to the full council. Joseph-Saul said grant funding would likely be available to fund a significant portion of the project, but that council needs to adopt the proposal before it can seek grants.
In the full council session later that evening, the council adopted the resolution.
Utilities Committee reviews revised AI policy proposals
The Utilities Committee tabled two proposals — one from Joseph-Saul and the other from Elkins — for a city artificial intelligence policy after hearing discussion on both.
Elkins’ proposal included a list of three data-handling requirements for AI products used by the city. Joseph-Saul said OpenAI, ChatGPT, and Anthropic’s Claude would fit Elkins’ parameters.
Joseph-Saul’s proposal, meanwhile, definitively approves only the use of Microsoft Copilot.
Council members will review policy proposals with city attorneys, council member McCray Powell said. Council member Nancy Sonick also recommended that Joseph-Saul, Elkins, and City Manager Danette Miller continue to work together.
Regular meeting
The council went into an executive session before returning to hear reports from Danette Miller, as well as first and second readings of several ordinances.
Miller told the council that Nelsonville is eligible to receive a dividend through the Bureau of Workers Compensation. In late August, Gov. Mike DeWine requested that the bureau issue a $1 billion dividend to Ohio employers. A total of $25,532.10 will be returned to the city by Oct. 26.
City Clerk Erica Padgett announced her resignation, effective Sept. 15, 2026, in a letter read before the council. Council member Gregg Clements later thanked her for her service.
Grant writer Michelle Dunn updated the council on 12 fundraising opportunities, including a $50,000 unrestricted grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission that could be deposited into the city’s general fund after Dunn completes a training with the organization. She said the city also has applied for a $400,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant, which the city would match with an additional $200,000. Both would be used to repave parts of Chestnut Street.
Law Director John Haseley, who was appointed to the vacant position of City Prosecutor last week, updated the council on efforts to resolve cases scheduled to appear before the municipal court.
Haseley said he and colleagues Jonathan Robe and John Lynch were working with council to create a tracking system on cases. For now, he said, his priority is to make sure none of the cases scheduled for Sept. 25 are dismissed — “especially those involving victims.”
Ordinances
The council suspended the rules to pass four ordinances on first reading:
- Ordinance 68-26 approves a contract with the IT vendor iTech, which currently manages printers and copiers for the city, including in its water and sewer plants. The adoption of the ordinance is a step towards compliance with a list of recommendations set forth by the Public Entities Pool of Ohio.
- Ordinance 78-26 authorizes City Manager Danette Miller to hire attorney Jonathan Robe as outside special counsel. Robe will represent the council in a case filed in the 4th District Court of Appeals.
- Ordinance 79-26 establishes a $150 refundable water deposit on all sewer, water, and trash collection accounts.
- Ordinance 80-26 authorizes law director John Haseley to designate the Columbus law firm Jeffrey M. Lewis Co. as assistant city law directors.
Ordinances adopted on second reading:
- Ordinance 70-26 creates a cybersecurity program for the city in compliance with Ohio House Bill 96.
- Ordinance 73-26 advances $5,000 from the general fund to the economic development fund for Parade of the Hills.
Ordinances heard on first reading:
- Ordinance 54-26 amends the city’s public records laws to allow fees to cover labor costs associated with processing, redacting, and copying records. The ordinance sets price caps at $75 per hour of video footage and $750 for a single request.
