Hillsboro contracts with Bivens for law director position; city auditor lashes out about 'shameful' council vote

Hillsboro Mayor Justin Harsha introduced the city’s new law director at Hillsboro City Council’s Thursday, Oct. 16 meeting, while tempers flared as Auditor Dawson Barreras repeatedly called two council members “shameful” following a failed attempt at suspending the three-reading rule for an ordinance regarding the safety and service director’s residency.

Hannah Bivens, an attorney from Greenfield, has entered a contract with the city to serve as law director following the resignation of former director Randalyn Worley effective Sept. 5.

Bivens previously served as law director (village solicitor) for the village of Greenfield for several years. She owns and operates her own practice, Bivens Law LLC, in Greenfield.

Although there is a residency requirement for the law director position, Harsha said that the Republican Central Committee “has no person to fill the position” from among the Republican attorneys who reside within the city limits, so the city has selected Bivens as their “contracted law director.

“Moving forward, we need a law director, and I'm confident that she is going to fulfill that role quite well,” Harsha said. “She's excited about it, we’re excited about it, and we wanted to introduce her to everybody.”

Council members welcomed Bivens during and after the meeting.

For an unrelated residency issue, Bivens addressed the matter of recently appointed safety and service director Shawn Adkins’ residency in the first new item of legislation introduced in her tenure. 

As previously reported, council members voted Sept. 11 to approve Harsha’s appointment of Adkins, the longtime public works superintendent for the city, as safety and service director.

As previously reported, safety and service director Brianne Abbott, who served alongside Harsha for all of his first term and part of his current second term (which expires at the end of 2027), resigned July 7, effective Sept. 12. In conjunction with Abbott’s announcement, Harsha named Adkins as her replacement, effective Sept. 15. 

By voice vote at the September meeting, council tentatively approved the appointment, but they determined that council would have to pass legislation within the next six months to waive the residency requirement for the position, if they so choose. As noted in the ordinance introduced Thursday, “the current Director of Public Service is not a resident of the City of Hillsboro, Ohio and does not intend to become a resident of the City of Hillsboro, Ohio,” the ordinance says, as Adkins also told council that he “will not be moving” at their September meeting.

“I believe there's something in the employee handbook that says that the safety and service director is not required to be a resident,” Bivens told council. “However, the statute is clear that safety service director needs to be a resident or become a resident within six months after his appointment, unless council waives that residency requirement by ordinance.”

Council president Tom Eichinger asked council if they wanted to make a motion to suspend the three-reading rule or to hear the second reading of the ordinance in November. Council member Greg Maurer made a motion to suspend the three-reading rule, which failed to reach the required six votes as council members Jason Brown and Kathryn Hapner both voted no.

Later, as council reached the end of the agenda and Eichinger adjourned the meeting, Barreras interjected to “say one more thing.

“I believe it's absolutely shameful to not waive the residency requirements for our longest-serving employee in the city of Hillsboro to be our safety and service director,” Barreras said. “Absolutely shameful.”

Brown pointed out that council has not voted against waiving the residency requirement. “We just didn't waive the three-reading rule,” Brown said.

‘“Well, it's shameful,” Barreras said. “Is he not required now? Is it required three months from now? What’s the difference?”

“Dawson, you don’t have the right to tell us how to vote,” Hapner said.

“I’m just saying it’s shameful,” Barreras said. “Absolutely shameful. This guy has dedicated his entire life to the city, and you treat him like that. Shameful.”

“I agree, so it’s on the record,” council member Adam Wilkin, who had seconded the motion to suspend the three-reading rule, said.

The meeting concluded as simultaneously, Eichinger again called for the meeting to be adjourned; Brown attempted to respond to Barreras; and Barreras interrupted Brown by loudly announcing, “And now we’re adjourned. See you later” and storming out.

Check back to highlandcountypress.com for more from Thursday’s meeting.     

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