Yellow Springs City Council Meeting June 2013

Yellow Springs City Council Meeting June 2013

By: Julia Navaro

I attended my first ever Yellow Springs City Council meeting yesterday with Pat and Faith. In the front of the room sat the City Council, including the four folks who vote to pass or fail proposed amendments to the code. The rest of the room was filled with anyone who wanted to attend the meeting, which happened to be about 30 villagers. They were a fiery community sample who would share their opinions and influence the decisions of the council and also help shape the way I understand democratic decision-making that affects a large population of people.  

Once the meeting started, the roll was called, announcements were shared, and the floor was open for questions and comments. I was immediately struck by how influential the attendees are to these meetings, and how beneficial it would be to have as many people from as many backgrounds and perspectives as possible. Everyone who attends is welcome to walk up to the microphone and share their opinion about the issues being discussed before a change to the code is voted on. This is particularly important in a town with interests like low-energy living and self-sufficiency, which challenge the common ways of approaching things like design and home construction. And because of this interest in Yellow Springs, insightful opinions were shared—opinions that very much challenged and inspired the way I look at city and residential policies.  

The issue that stuck out the most to me was addressed by a young couple who came forward and shared their desire to live in a unique and diverse village such as Yellow Springs and their plans to build a low-energy Passive Home. But they have had struggles with the current policy to live in the 250-square-foot temporary home they are in until the Passive Home is built.  

Technically, the way they were living was not permitted due to a code about accessory building and structures only allowed on the side of or behind the building. This code was put in place to prevent homeowners from building garages in the front of their homes and to minimize confusion about postal addresses for firemen, police officers, and mailmen.  

Several villagers stood up to defend the young couple’s cause, including Pat and Faith. One villager stated that they “commend these young people for what they’re doing…many young people can’t afford large housing and the ability to build small housing would bring young adults into the village.” Another villager, in relation to ‘sustainable’ building practices, commented that “the code dictates that the homes are facing the street and set up against the street, which is restrictive and short-sighted. Those who are interested in sustainability might want the front of their home to face where the sun rises, or put it in the back of the lot so they aren’t so close to the street sounds.” Many other villagers agreed with these comments and applauded in favor of seeing this young couple being able to live as sustainably as possible. The amendment passed on a conditional basis. It would have been nice to see it pass on a permitted basis, but it was clear that there is still too much governmental red tape to cut through before that’s possible.  

I was encouraged by my experience because I saw how abundantly the villagers and council members care about the policies and the peoples’ well-being. There will be more opportunities to attend city council meetings and hash out the right way to approach these complex situations. I look forward to attending more council meetings in the future and hopefully bringing in other students and faculty from Antioch to attend as well. It’s clear that Antioch’s voice is both needed and influential at these meetings, especially as we seek to strengthen our connection with the town. I see it as an ideal platform for Antioch to understand the main issues being addressed in the village, and also a way for Antioch to share its goals and stance in relation to these issues.