A bill that may be up for a vote soon in the Ohio House would put the decision of whether or not to have a school resource officer up to the voters in each school district.
House Bill 501 seeks to change Ohio law that the sponsors of the bill say doesn’t define “school safety and security,” though it does include mental health services, safety training and safety personnel.
School resource officers, which are typically certified law enforcement officers use through an agreement with the officer’s police or sheriff’s department, would be included in the “safety personnel” part of Ohio law, under the new bill.
If passed, the bill would leave that school safety and security definition up for voters by authorizing school boards to levy property tax “for the specific purpose of providing for SRO services, as opposed to safety and security in general,” according to an analysis of the bill by the Legislative Service Commission.
Municipalities and townships will also be able to levy property taxes “for the specific purpose of funding SRO services for school districts located within their territory” under the bill, according to the LSC.
The bill had its third hearing in House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, with no testimony and not changes to the SRO part of the bill. Committee chair state Rep. Derrick Merrin said the bill may be voted on at the next committee meeting.
Columbus, Ohio – The State Board of Education of Ohio on May 10 selected Stephen Dackin as the 39thsuperintendent of public instruction for Ohio and leader of the Ohio Department of Education.
With more than 40 years of service in education, Dackin has experience in both postsecondary and preK-12 education settings having served as a school district superintendent, school principal, and classroom teacher. He recently served as superintendent of School and Community Partnerships at Columbus State Community College and, prior to that, superintendent of Reynoldsburg City Schools. Dackin and his wife Susan live in Columbus and have two daughters, Jessica and Erika.
The State Board of Education selected Dackin by a vote of 14 to 4, with one abstention. The start date is yet to be determined.
Loveland, Ohio – Here are the complete meeting videos from May 4 when the rezoning of the Grailville property was denied to Drees Homes. The Northern Kentucky home builder had requested a map and text change to Loveland’s zoning code to build 209 Drees homes on the 111-acre Graville site.
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All of the many speeches by local residents are here to watch as well as the one person, a Grail member who supported the rezoning. The rebuttal by the Drees’ representative is also here and the discussion by the Planning Commission which ultimately led them to turn down the re-zoning.
You can also watch the post-meeting interview with the leaders of the movement to stop the rezoning, Lauren Enda and Sharon Scovanner.
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Loveland, Ohio – Loveland City Schools has announced that Dr. Stace Orso will be the new Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Orso will join the district leadership team this summer, pending Board approval.
“I am excited to be working in the community that I call home, and being able to contribute to a destination school district like Loveland,” Dr. Orso said.
Dr. Orso has served as the Assistant Superintendent for Deer Park City Schools since 2019, moving into that role after leading Deer Park Jr/Sr High for 5 years. Dr. Orso earned her Doctorate of Education, and Masters in Education from the University of Cincinnati, and Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State. She is also a Loveland parent with a student heading to the high school next year.
“After a thorough search and interview process, I am confident that we have the right person to continue to deliver academic excellence for our students, families, and community, while still pushing us forward to grow as a district,” Superintendent Mike Broadwater said.
When approved by the Board, Dr. Orso will begin transitioning into the role, with her first official day on August 1. She will take over as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning as Andrea Conner moves to a new role as principal of Batavia High School.
Loveland, Ohio – Lauren Enda called it a “landmark” decision and Sharon Scovanner said she was “overwhelmed” by the support they received.
Last Wednesday, before a standing-room-only crowd, the request to rezone the Grailville property was denied by a 3-1 vote of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Drees Homes had requested the land become a Special Planning District which would have allowed 209 homes on the site.
After many months of leading the effort, residents Lauren Enda and Sharon Scovanner were breathing sighs of relief. The Commission rejected the proposed development of the Grailville site by the Drees Company which included 74 patio homes and 135 traditional-style homes totaling 209 lots. The land is situated between O’Bannonville Road and State Route 48 in Clermont County. The site is approximately 111 acres.
Enda and Scovanner also led a protest rally outside City Hall before the multi-hour meeting.
After the meeting was over, Loveland Magazine asked the two leaders of the movement a few questions about the vote and rezoning in general.
• What arguments were made by the public that swayed the decision?
• Resident Dave Stanton presented an economic analysis tonight of the cost to taxpayers of the Drees’ proposal. Please comment.
• What about the fact that our current zoning code essentially lets developers write the code and map changes they want?
• Should residents vote at the ballot box for Planning and Zoning Commission Members?
• Should all zoning text and map changes be put on the ballot for voters to decide?
The Drees Company representative at the meeting declined to be interviewed.
These photos were taken during the protest rally and during the meeting.
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Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Youth Volleyball Organization will be sponsoring a food drive to benefit the Life Food Pantry this Saturday, May 7th, at the Loveland Elementary School gym. They will have games there from 9 AM until 3 PM and will have a table set up to collect donations.
“Please consider dropping off any nonperishable food items that you may have. We do this to not only help LIFE but to help teach our players about volunteering and helping others.”
The community is invited to come to this convenient location to add to the collection of the players.
The following items are ones that LIFE has a more urgent need for.
Beef stew, canned carrots, ketchup, canned chili, coffee, cooking oil, Manwich, mashed potatoes, pasta, peanut butter, canned pineapple, salad dressing, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, Stove Top Stuffing, paper towels, Kleenex, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
A statue of a child at Grailville – photo provided by Kevin and Laurie Kiley
Introduction by Kevin Kiley
What’s going on in Loveland this week?
Kevin Kiley
The City of Loveland is currently reviewing an application for a large housing development on the east side of Loveland. This 111 acre parcel of land, a historic property currently owned by Grailville, was recently annexed into Loveland and is under contract to Drees Homes “with an option to buy” for $7.3 million. Drees has requested that Loveland re-zone the site to a special planning district (SPD) and approve an exception to build more than twice the number of homes permitted by current zoning. This same property was offered to Loveland Schools but failed to pass levies in the months preceding the pandemic.
Why does this matter?
Several concerns have been addressed to the Loveland Planning and Zoning Comission on how this new development will impact Loveland, including its effect on traffic, parking, schools, and other taxpayer expenses. This proposed new housing development borders 100 acres of nature preserve now owned by the Clermont County Parks District. A growing number of forward-thinking residents see this additional 111 acres as an incredible opportunity for Loveland to build something amazing for all who live in Loveland, not just a select few.
How can I get involved?
The next Loveland Planning and Zoning meeting is Wednesday, May 4th at 7 PM at Loveland City Hall. Please attend to learn more and show support—help us pack the room. There will be a sign-in sheet in the room for anyone who wishes to speak.
To residents and elected decision makers of Loveland
by Laurie Kiley
Laurie Kiley
As I sit to put my feelings about the development of the Grailville property into writing, Joanie Mitchell’s lyrics are stuck in my head…
Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
While I am a tree hugger in my soul I am also realistic that as humankind continues to evolve nature will always be at risk. We must be diligent to make personal choices—and choices as a community—that result in the greatest legacy for those who come after us. We cannot be shortsighted.
That being said, my biggest concern here today is actually about accountability. Loveland residents elect our Council to have privileged access to information on our behalf. We expect that they are making decisions holistically and with the future in mind well beyond their tenure.
As accountable Council members, we implore you to not make easy compromises today that lead to deeper issues for our community tomorrow. The full impact of every rezoning decision, every parking garage, and every field that is eliminated must be considered.
In our personal lives, it is irresponsible to spend beyond our means or to act now and think later.
Likewise, it would be irresponsible for our Council to make decisions that put Loveland’s future at risk.
The Grail is entitled to sell the property they cannot afford to hold. Drees is entitled to request an exception to maximize its profits and create a space to benefit 209 new households. Loveland Council, however, is not obligated to create new laws to make it possible.
I want to go back to my previous point about encouraging holistic decision-making. Here is a summary of inter-related concerns from my point of view:
The Drees proposal outlines lot dimensions that equate to .16 acres that are 70% covered by house at worst, and .27 acre lots that are 60% covered by house at best. In contrast, Loveland’s current zoning stipulates 1 acre per lot for new development. If Drees accepts current zoning then it’s a done deal and within our regulations.
The traffic studies—limited as they were—confirm that this development would increase traffic through downtown by over 2,000 trips daily. Loveland residents know that the true impact of congestion is felt most a peak times like the school commute, rush hour, and all weekend long when good weather brings visitors to our bike trail for hours of entertainment outside our borders. Council should avoid decisions that worsen our traffic problems before a viable solution has been identified.
Tearing up East Loveland Avenue to install bigger sewage pipes would be necessary and the treatment plant may or may not already be maxed out. Loveland’s taxpayers require clarity and full disclosure about who would absorb the cost to resolve these concerns before any new SPD zoning exceptions are approved.
More houses will result in more tax income and the majority would go to our schools but it would also add more kids and related expenses. This will overburden our situation. If the reputation of our schools degrades then everything else in the ecosystem will start failing also.
If Council is contractually obligated to respond to this SPD then the answer must be “no” until we can thoughtfully consider the big picture.
Yes, “something must be built here”. Let’s build something that benefits the entire community. Let’s build something that will make Loveland even more cherished by its citizens and inspires hope for its future.
Please don’t cite failed levies of the past. There’s no need for blame in any direction. Those levies only indicate that the expectations of the planners and the voters were not in line. Time has certainly moved on, so must we. We need to learn from those experiences and move forward together.
Loveland needs to stand up for itself. We need to be bold and brave and involved in order to maintain our character and identity as a community. By NOT approving this SPD our elected Council would give Loveland a huge opportunity to help The Grail and Loveland find an optimal solution to the benefit of all.
![[Complete Video] Rezoning of Grailville denied](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/speakout-frog-grailville-b.jpg)
