NELSONVILLE, Ohio – Nelsonville’s statutory city council met Sept. 22 for its regular biweekly meeting at The Lodge at Hocking College, where it swore in its newest member, Leanna Potts.
Speaking ahead of a council vote, Potts described herself as a lifelong resident of Nelsonville “except for about 8 years.” She cited 25 years spent working in local news and about five years in broadcast media as experiences familiarizing her with how city governments work.
The council voted unanimously to confirm Potts, allowing her to assume a seventh seat on the statutory city council. The seat had remained open since the 2024 general election.
Council heard second readings of six ordinances that aim to repeal ordinances adopted by the charter council. It also heard second reading of an ordinance that would prevent the use of public funds to purchase and develop a parcel located at 10 W. Washington for a proposed “pocket park,” a project that the charter council has embraced. All seven ordinances were subsequently adopted under suspension of the rules.
In addition, the council introduced Ordinance 40-26, which would repeal a measure that the charter council adopted last week to hire Jonathan Robe to represent the city in a case filed in the 4th District Court of Appeals.
“The city’s financial condition is poor and there are no funds available in the city’s general fund to pay additional legal fees,” the ordinance states.
Board of Elections recall petition
Daniel Sherman, president of the statutory council, announced that he had submitted a petition to the Athens County Board of Elections to recall the opposing charter council. The petition has 170 signatures and is now under consideration, Sherman said.
If the board of elections certifies the petition, Sherman said, the seven members of Nelsonville’s charter council would have the option to voluntarily resign within 10 days. Otherwise, the council would have to call for a special election, in which Nelsonville voters would decide whether to recall the charter council.
“It’s hard to get people to get out to the high school for that,” Sherman said, referring to the board of elections’ decision in August to relocate polling places of multiple precincts to Nelsonville-York Elementary School.
The statutory council’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at The Lodge at Hocking College, 15770 SR 691. It meets the first and third Mondays of the month.
