Anderson Township trustees will vote Thursday to authorize bidding on a pedestrian safety signal at Beechmont Avenue and Voll Road, adding a new crossing tool to a corridor that carried roughly 30,000 vehicles a day according to the township's 2018 Beechmont Plan.

The same Aug. 20 meeting will include a vote on contracting with an executive search firm to find a replacement for Township Administrator Vicky Earhart, whose contract the board declined to renew in July after approximately 30 years with the township.

Beechmont beacon

The proposed pedestrian hybrid beacon, sometimes called a HAWK signal, is a pedestrian-activated traffic light that stops vehicle traffic so walkers can cross safely. The project appears on the township's public agenda under Earhart's section as Item 13a.

Anderson Township has already installed pedestrian-activated crosswalk flashing lights at nearly 20 intersections, according to the township's August 2025 Insights newsletter. The Voll Road beacon would be a step up in technology: unlike flashing lights, a hybrid beacon brings traffic to a full stop with a red signal.

The 2018 Beechmont Plan identified pedestrian safety as a key goal along the commercial corridor, and the township's 2023 Trails & Walkways Plan flagged Beechmont Avenue for cycling and pedestrian enhancements.

No cost estimate is listed. The agenda omits a funding source and construction timeline.

Under Trustee Comments (Item 5b), the board will consider contracting with an executive search firm to find Anderson's next township administrator. The agenda does not name the firm or disclose contract terms.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported July 31 that trustees were not renewing Earhart's contract. The decision drew criticism from former Trustee Josh Gerth, who wrote on Facebook on Aug. 1 that the board was forcing out someone who "would have likely retired in the next couple of years and helped with the succession of a new administrator, ensuring a smooth transition."

@josh.gerth: "You take the person who has been responsible for creating an amazing community over the last three decades... and you force them out."

Earhart remains listed as township administrator on the Aug. 20 agenda header and is still presenting agenda items. No official end date for her employment has been announced.

The board, chaired by Dee Stone with Vice Chair Katie Nappi and Trustee Tom Hodges, also scheduled an executive session under Ohio law sections covering employment of a public employee and negotiation of compensation terms.

Other business

Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus is scheduled to present at the meeting. Four fire and rescue personnel will take oaths of office: Battalion Chief Dan Dacey, Captain Matt Janke, Lt. Josh Camp and Lt. David Ames.

The board will also vote on accepting Valleycrest Drive and Glenvalley Drive as township roads, a fiscal year 2026 budget amendment and 11 lighting district assessment resolutions.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at Anderson Center, 7850 Five Mile Road. The next regular meeting is Sept. 17.