Council members met in closed executive session at Wright State University before the vote to discuss resiliency issues at the sprawling base, where more than 30,000 military and civilian employees work.
Consultant Matrix Design Group, of Maryland, worked on two studies for the council last year, plans designed to ensure that, first, local development and government operations don’t interfere with the base’s missions and, second, a military installation resiliency plan examining natural and manmade factors that might impede the base and its working population.
The projects considered in executive session were sensitive and related to the overall functioning of the base, said David Burrows, a member of the council and an executive with the Dayton Development Coalition.
“It could be natural-disaster-type issues. It’s to protect (the base), so things don’t get shut down, or things don’t stop if there’s a natural disaster or something catastrophic or dependency, potentially, on a utility company,” he said. “Essentially, keeping the base running efficiently.”
The Wright-Patterson council by law is considered a municipal government in Ohio. It can pass laws and spend money much like other municipal governance bodies.
Initially, a council meeting scheduled for Dec. 11 was cancelled, leaving the next meeting set for Jan. 8, 2026. But then, five days later, Thursday’s executive session was scheduled.
But the meeting was not considered an emergency, Landrum said.
“David (Burrows) reminded us that he had an issue, that will be discussed in executive session, that we need to discuss and vote on, which is apparently time-sensitive,” he said.
The purpose of the Dec. 18 special meeting was to enter into executive session pursuant to Ohio law “for the purpose of discussing matters required to be kept confidential under federal law,” the council said in a meeting notice sent to the Dayton Daily News.
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