The City of Bellbrook Planning Board elected Mister Bennett as chair and Mister Boehmer as vice chair during its Jan. 16, 2025, meeting and reviewed proposed updates to a board and commission orientation handbook that would formalize procedures such as public-participation rules, officer duties and voting procedures.

Board members voted by written ballot after nominations; the clerk announced that all ballots were unanimous for the sole nominee, Mister Bennett, for chair. Later, the clerk announced all ballots were unanimous for the single nominee, Mister Boehmer, for vice chair.

The handbook update discussion, led by Missus Grant, city staff, described two kinds of proposed changes: routine administrative updates (for example, the organization chart) and a set of written rules for boards and commissions. Grant said the rules would capture practices already in place and would cover topics such as member qualifications, vacancies, hearing procedures, public participation and minutes-taking. She described the plan to gather feedback from boards, compile a single set of rules and present that draft to City Council for review and approval.

A planning board member raised concern about the planning board's two-term limit, saying it could make it difficult to retain experienced members on a five-member board and that changing the limit would require a charter amendment because the planning board is charter-created. Another member and public commenters agreed that low meeting frequency can make a strict term limit burdensome.

In public comment, a resident at 4 Greenwood (32 Southwest Street) praised longtime board member Ed Stingle and said neighbors are closely watching reuse plans for the old elementary school, urging that any future use not reduce nearby residents' quality of life. That comment was offered during the meeting's open discussion rather than as a formal agenda item.

No formal ordinance, zoning case or budget action was taken at the meeting. Staff said the handbook revisions are an ongoing process and that suggested language would be compiled and returned to City Council for formal consideration.

The meeting lasted roughly 19 minutes and covered minutes approval, officer elections and the orientation handbook discussion before adjourning.