Will cover city’s financial status, operations

There will be a town hall meeting to discuss the state of Ironton tonight.

It will start at 6 p.m. at the Bowman Auditorium at the Ohio University Southern campus. It will have someone from all the city departments and members of City Council.

“I want people to understand the resources we have to work with, the mandates we have to deal with the federal EPA,” Keith said. The meeting will also cover the city’s current financial status and daily operations. “I want let to people truly understand what we are dealing with.”

Keith said there would be employees from all city departments to answer resident’s questions.

“All my supervisors will be on hand,” she said, adding she has invited civic and other groups that work with the city. “We have invited our economic development entity, the Lawrence County Economic Development Corp., the Lawrence County Community Action Organization, because they do our grants. And the civic clubs that are attached to us, the Friends of Ironton, Ironton aLive, Ironton in Bloom.”

“I want people to be able to talk to them,” Keith said.

The city departments will have tables set up with information.

“So it might just be an ordinance or something like the annual water quality report from the EPA,” Keith said.

The town hall meeting will open with Dr. Nichole Pennington, dean of OUS, will giving a presentation on Ohio University and issues facing the higher education system.

After that, Keith will address the cities current financial status, review daily operations and highlight court ordered mandates handed down by the U.S. EPA.

At their last meeting on May 11, the Ironton City Council also made the town hall meeting a special council meeting, because if there are more than three council members together, and if they discuss matters pertaining to the city, by state law they have to call a meeting into session.

Vice Mayor Craig Harvey polled the council and at least four members showed their intention of being there.

“What we are wanting to do is simply to really lay out the current affairs of the city so people are informed and get a true understanding of what resources we have to operate with,” Keith said.

Questions will be taken from the audience.

The town hall meeting is expected to last about an hour and a half.