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Recipient of the Ohio An News Media Association INDEPENDENT BEST NEWSPAPER JOURNAL of NEWS in its size class, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and OPINION 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. SINCE 1880 YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018 VOL. 139, NO. 27, 12 PAGES P RICE: $1.50 Village Council — Citizens speak up for Meister By Megan Bachman “I think this is just a disgusting display of abuse of power and we’re tired of it,” Thomas Nine villagers spoke in support of Cpl. said. David Meister, a local police officer facing Gail Pettigrew said that if there was a discipline charges, at Village Council’s July problem with Meister’s actions, he should be 2 meeting. counseled instead of disciplined, noting that Because the potential discipline of Cpl. docking his pay with a proposed three-day Meister was not on Council’s agenda, com- unpaid suspension was especially punitive. munity members spoke during the citizen’s She questioned whether Meister could have comment period and were allotted three significant past indiscretions if he was a final- minutes each. Council members then ist for Police Chief in 2017. responded. Pettigrew also contrasted Meister’s actions In an occasionally-tense back-and-forth, in the two incidents in question with the citizens also shouted from the audience, “heavy-handed approach” on display during booed a Council member’s comments and the New Year’s Eve incident in 2017. vigorously applauded one another’s remarks “We have an officer that is lenient who despite being asked not to clap. About 30 is being punished for it — outrageously citizens attended and the discussion lasted punished,” Pettigrew said. “And I think this close to an hour. Council needs to stand up and do something Several citizens expressed support for about it.” Meister’s policing style and commitment to Liz Porter also cited the “New Year’s Eve the community, which they said exemplifies debacle” as leading to a chorus of support community policing, and framed the recom- for community policing, which Meister, she mended discipline for Meister as overly said, evinced during the March incidents. harsh. “It seems Dave’s actions are in exact align- Council members noted their inability to ment with the de-escalating, humane wishes share details due to the ongoing nature of of the community, harkening back to the the disciplinary investigation, urged respect- time when James McKee was chief,” Porter ful discourse and emphasized their ongoing said. SUBMITTED PHOTO BY MATTHEW COLLINS work to transform local policing. Porter pointed out the need for the police Go Fourth! Local resident Jessica Thomas said at the department to have clear guidelines and train meeting that Meister “exemplifies what com- its officers in how to use discretion. Without Distant thunder didn’t stop villagers from lining Xenia Avenue on Wednesday, the 4th of July, for the village’s annual parade. munity policing looks like,” and she encour- such clarity, Porter said, “the door is wide Above, Yellow Springs native Eric Grieffenhagen on saxophone and villager Chris Moore on trumpet added Dixieland tunes aged the development of a “best-practice open for an individual within the force to be to the mix, which also included Village officials, unicyclists and tandem riders, Sea Dogs, the Yellow Springs Community Band, protocol” for the department based upon unfairly singled out for discipline when they fancy cars, politicians and emergency vehicles, among others. See more photos on page 8 and in festive color online at ysnews. Meister’s approach to policing. She con- have implemented informed discretion.” com/featurephotos. trasted Meister’s style with that of a former Carlos Landaburu said Meister should police officer who was fired in 2016 for using be commended for his leniency; Sharon excessive force, and criticized the severe dis- Moehler pressed for more transparency in cipline recommended for the kind of policing Plans for investing in the village she believes the community wants. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 By Megan Bachman sion and desire for more town-gown collab- development. While many could eventu- oration. That project is now gaining steam. ally break even, they all require an initial A local debit card with rewards for shop- “It’s no longer just a nascent idea — I investment, Shuman emphasized after the Village, Meister still at odds ping locally. A business incubator on the think we have a sound framework now,” meeting. Antioch campus. Crowdfunding for local Manley said in a later interview. One way to fund the possible projects By Diane Chiddister ment because he does not believe that businesses. Student debt refinancing for Currently, Antioch is exploring the re- is through crowdfunding, according to it’s in the village’s best interest that he be those who live here after graduation. purposing of an unused space on campus Shuman. For example, a local crowdfund- Last Friday’s pre-disciplinary hearing for demoted, nor that the Village be absolved These ideas and more were explored in for an “entrepreneurship lab,” which would ing portal could be set up to pool local Yellow Springs Police Corporal Dave Meis- of any wrongdoing. Also, he had requested a series of conversations last week spear- bring together business opportunities in investors’ money and support existing busi- ter was postponed in hopes that lawyers that a provision be included that protects headed by the Yellow Springs Federal “areas of practice” such as democracy, well- nesses’ efforts to raise money. The model is representing Meister and the Village could him from retaliation in the department, and Credit Union, or YSFCU. ness, storytelling and sustainability. unlike the online services such Kickstarter reach a compromise agreement regarding it was not included in the agreement. The credit union hosted a visit from “There would be a lab that would provide or GoFundMe, which are based upon discipline against Meister for two March Because he will not agree, the pre- Michael Shuman, a community economics entrepreneurial support and training and donations and usually involve hypothetical incidents, recommended by Yellow Springs disciplinary hearing is now scheduled to expert from Washington, D.C., who met ongoing resources,” Manley explained. businesses. Police Chief Brian Carlson. While Village take place on July 12, according to Solicitor with some 13 local groups over three days. Antioch’s business incubator is one of “This isn’t donation crowdfunding — you Solicitor Chris Conard made a compromise Conard this week. Village Clerk of Council During that time about 40 representatives the “pollinator projects” Shuman identified offer to Meister’s attorney, David Duwell, Judy Kintner will serve as the hearing from local government, nonprofits, founda- locally that could support local economic CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 this Monday, July 2, Meister on Tuesday officer. tions, K–12 schools, higher education and said he will not agree to it. In the first recent incident for which he’s business brainstormed ways to strengthen “I cannot in good conscience sign it,” he being discipllined, Meister stopped a car the local economy and funnel investment said in an interview. driven by a local young man who had a pre- money here. The compromise proposal states that vious OVI (operating a moving vehicle while Sandy Hollenberg, CEO of YSFCU, said Meister agrees that it’s in the village’s best intoxicated) and appeared intoxicated. Meis- at the conclusion of the meetings that the interest that he be demoted from corporal ter took away the young man’s keys and credit union learned more about the needs to patrol officer, that he have a one-day allowed him to walk the block to his house of local institutions and how it could help unpaid suspension, and that he enter into a without charging him with a second OVI, them “get from visions to implementation.” 6-month Memorandum of Understanding, partly because he knew the young man was “The credit union could be a piece to or MOU, that requires him to take several already dealing with a family crisis, Meister help these groups get to their goals and Ohio Police Academy classes on dealing said recently. In that incident, according to complete their projects,” Hollenberg said. with drunk drivers, among other goals. It Chief Carlson, Meister broke departmental In the end, nine promising projects states that if sufficient progress is not made policy by allowing an intoxicated person to emerged from the sessions, according to toward the goals, the department could walk home rather than transporting him. Shuman. They included local debit and then terminate Meister. And an additional In the second incident, Meister stopped a loyalty cards, an expanded land trust, a agreement states that Meister releases the woman who was driving with a suspended business incubator, the college “as incuba- Village from any liability or wrongdoing. license and whose car smelled of alcohol. tor,” a municipal fiber company, a nonprofit The compromise proposal differed However, the woman denied having been center, a new public school and a local from Carlson’s original proposal in that it drinking, although her passenger admit- scholarship fund. eliminated a proposed probationary period, ted to doing so. Meister had the car towed Shuman said he was encouraged by the shortened Meister’s unpaid suspension and drove the two home, but did not press conversations already happening here. from three days to one day, and shortened further to determine if she was, in fact, “It was impressive seeing that level of a proposed 12-month performance plan to intoxicated. six months. In both incidents, according to attorney thinking from a small community,” Shuman PHOTO BY MEGAN BACHMAN said. Since the proposed discipline became Duwell, Meister is being disciplined for For Antioch College President Tom Community economist Michael Shuman brainstormed with Yellow Springs Federal public two weeks ago, many villagers have being too lenient.

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