Heat. Heat.
Council Raymond, would you lead us in
the pledge? I pledge algiance to the
flag of the United States of America and
to the republic for which it stands, one
nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
>> This evening, council is grateful to
have Reverend Landon Adams, director of
new membership at New Salem Baptist
Church to pray with us. Welcome back,
brother.
Good evening. Let us pray.
My Lord, the earth is yours and the
fullness thereof. So this evening we
come grateful for and to answer the call
of service of governance and
administration of city government. Cause
this meeting agenda to ease well in the
doing for the city of Columbus and
disrupt anything that would bring harm
to her people.
To those who sit in service before us,
may they know your love and affection
that they may govern from a place of
compassion and conviction. May the work
of this council feed those who are
hungry, clothe those who are naked, and
develop policies that cause those who
live, work, and come to this city to be
free from bondage, debt, and oppression.
Now my God, as many across our community
begin the observance of Holy Week headed
toward Easter,
let us remember that resurrection does
not ne negate the atrocities of this
week to come. Rather, it brings us power
to govern and create a reality where
justice is administered rightly. It's in
your name we pray. Amen.
>> Thank you. Clerk, please call the role.
>> Bank Rosa de Padilla de a dors Remy Ross
President Harden. Any person who takes
any action to obstruct or interfere with
the conduct of tonight's meeting may be
charged with disturbing a lawful meeting
pursuant to Columbus City Code 2317.12.
Any person who enters those areas of
city council chambers reserved for city
officials or invited guests may be
charged with criminal trespass pursuant
to Columbus City Code 23 11.21.
>> Thank you madam clerk. Can I get a
motion with the reading of the journal?
>> Clerk please call the role. Banks Timber
Rosa de Padilla de Akawa Dors Green Remy
Ross President Harden
>> thank you madam clerk are there any
additions or corrections to the journal
hearing none the journal is approved
this week's communications received by
the city clerk's office list on the
agenda and will be published in the city
bulletin are there any other
communications be read into the record
>> not at this time
>> we'll go around the dis for updates and
resolutions by my colleague starting
with council member Benson
>> thank you uh council president uh just
one resolution and one announcement uh
this evening uh um and I have uh
resolution 057x-2036
and I would like to invite up uh Miss
Melissa Bila and our team uh and members
of our participatory budgeting steering
committee to the podium as I introduce
uh that resolution again 0057x-2026
it is to recognize the work of the
participatory budget steering committee
uh as uh you All around dis are aware
late last year uh an 18 member
residentled steering committee was
established to create a framework for
Columbus' pilot participatory budgeting
process. This resolution that I am
sponsoring tonight commends this group
and our participatory budgeting
coordinator, Miss Melissa Bila, on a
successful process which culminated with
the series of recommendations that I
will share at the uh April 29th public
hearing. To refresh everyone's memory,
participatory budgeting is a democratic
process where community members directly
decide how to spend part of a public
budget, typically through brainstorming,
proposal development, and voting. Uh the
participatory budget steering committee
supported by Melissa played a vital
leadership role in designing our
proposed PB process conceiving uh
convincing to establish the goals uh
rules procedures and outreach strategy
that will shape a fair, inclusive and
communitydriven cycle through this uh th
though this is a phase one of a
five-phase process. I believe that this
group of residents deserve to be
acknowledged and celebrated for their
leadership service and commitment to
this novel process. Additionally,
Melissa Bea, who has been a vital part
of this this process since the start,
has concluded her temporary position
here at city council and will be
starting graduate school this fall. So,
we also want to double celebrate her.
Um, and so, uh, a, as I'm going to have,
uh, Miss, uh, Melissa come come over up
to the front and we'll start there and
then have everyone introduce themselves.
And just I think as as a reminder
because this seems like so long ago, you
know, what what spurred this was the
2025 capital budget where uh this body
uh was able and we were able to secure
$9 million for each $1 million for each
of the districts to go with forward with
this participatory budgeting process.
Something that is historic uh for our
city. something that is I think one of
the most progressive things we've done
from a budgeting standpoint as a city
but also as these folks will probably
tell you to have a sidebar with them one
of the messiest pro processes that we
have done but we really wanted to be
authentic when you think about the
spirit of participatory budgeting it is
really truly resident driven uh and
these folks here know uh I didn't want
to abandon them but I came to their
first kickoff meeting I said this will
be the last time you actually see me
because I wanted them to understand they
are safe in that room to have
conversations to have dialogue to truly
shape a process that will help shape uh
our community. Uh and so with that,
before I pass for the resolution, I'm
going to turn it over to our fearless
leader in this work, uh Miss Melissa
Bea, who's going to go off to do great
things. Want to introduce yourself, give
some remarks, and then we'll have all of
the committee uh members as introduce
themselves as well.
>> Thank you, Council Member Bangston. Um
good afternoon, good evening, council
members. It's great to see you all and
being here. Um, I want to start off by
saying thank you to Council Member
Bangston for choosing me and to Matt and
JP for choosing me as an Americanore
member to lead this process. This was at
my first big girl job. So, it was
exciting and scary, but I'm grateful for
the opportunity. I'm also grateful to
the steering committee. Um, they were a
great group, community members leading
this process. They were there with me
being patient and supportive leading
these process and they worked well
together. Um they had passion and they
were driven to create a PB process that
is meant for the community members that
will bring in equality and education not
only about participatory budgeting but
also about the city council and the
budget. So I'm just grateful for the
opportunity. Um yeah, that's all I have
to say. I'll pass it on to the steering
committee members. they'll just
introduce themselves and just tell us
what uh district that they represent.
Start with Leah.
>> Thank you.
>> Good evening everyone, council members.
Uh my name is Leo Rodriguez. I currently
live in district 3. I'm super excited to
be a part of this committee. Thank you.
>> Good afternoon everyone. My name is
Smith Francois. I represent district 1
um Lynon specifically. Yes.
Good afternoon, council members. My name
is Tendico Mopa Thomas and I'm in
District 8. I'm so honored to be here
and appreciate everything that you did
for us, Melissa.
>> Hello everybody. I am Ronald Murray and
I'm in District 9.
>> Good evening everyone. Kristen Hazny,
District 2 and it's been a pleasure.
Thank you.
>> Good evening everyone. I am Nicole E.
Harris and I represent District 7. Thank
you.
>> Hello. I'm Sandra Harris and I represent
District 8.
>> Good evening everyone. I'm Jabica
Subkota and I'm so happy to be a part of
this as especially the youth and I
represent district 1.
>> And wait, come back. come back you real
quick cuz I had a really great
conversation with you. Tell us uh one
how old you are and what school you go
to. I am 16 years old and I go to
Columbus Alternative High School. And
this was definitely the biggest thing
I've done in my high school career. And
I'm so grateful for this because I got
to grow a lot from my peers who I'm very
thankful for because they haven't just
helped me obtain more knowledge, but
they've also helped me be more secure
and more confident in myself and in my
youth committee as well and make sure I
represent the youth as well. Thank you.
All right, go ahead and follow that one
up. All right, good evening everybody.
My name is Lawrence or Law Jackson. I
represent District 6 and uh pleasure to
be here. We thank you for the
opportunity.
>> Good evening everybody. My name is Shay
Hinklemore representing District 9. Um
very thankful to be here, very thankful
that we have Melissa guiding us through
this.
Good evening, council members. My name
is Lisha Aunzada. It's not a name, it's
a paragraph. Um, and I'm representing
district 3. Thank you for having me
here.
>> Good evening everyone. My name is
Cynthia Enkman, originally from Ghana in
West Africa and it's been a privilege to
work with this astute leaders and I'm
privileged to be a part of this uh
PB steering committee. Thank you.
>> Well, thank you again to you all uh for
all the work that you put in. I know we
have some folks that couldn't be here
with us today. Um but what I can just
say is what you have provided for us is
invaluable. um they have produced
recommendations and a guide book that
will guide us through the rest of the
participatory budgeting process. Uh and
I'm just thankful for them. I told them
that they are the guinea pig uh in all
of this and have allowed us uh to work
together in this experiment. So, thank
you. Thank you. Thank you uh so much for
the work that you do. Uh this is a great
reflection uh of the beauty of our city
uh from all across uh corners of our
city, from all across corners of our
globe, uh from all age ranges. This is
what Columbus is. And when we talk about
how do we invest in our neighborhoods
and invest in our future, it has to
include everyone's voice and a process.
And Miss Comfort just got here, so I'm
going let Miss Comfort come on up. Come
on up, Miss Comfort. Come on.
>> You serious?
>> No, I'm serious. You you you popped in.
You can't say. Everybody else said where
they from.
>> Name and district.
>> I'm sorry.
>> Your name and and your and what district
you live in.
>> Five.
>> So, right here. Right here. Oh, you said
come up. I thought there were steps.
Yes, sir.
>> So, your name and what district you you
live in, Miss Comfort?
>> My name is Comfort Cole Kenna. I'm in
District 5 and pleased to be here in
participating in this wonderful program.
I hope we put some real good things down
so the next group will say they did
well.
>> Thank you, Miss Comfort. You didn't ask
for all that. I know.
>> Thanks.
>> And you know, Miss Comfort is trying to
get me to uh switch over and say that
Liberian Jellof rice is the best jelloff
rice, but we all know that it's from
Ghana. So, before I move for uh passage,
>> bring it for all of you to try and make
that decision yourself.
>> I love that.
>> We're going to have the jell We're going
to have the jellof rice roars. Okay.
>> Uh before I move for adoption, I'm going
to open it up to my colleagues for any
uh comments. Council member Russo de
Padilla.
>> Yes. So um first first I want to start
off by thanking Melissa. I also am an
Americanore alum and I just want to
highlight this is the amazing work that
Americanore alums of all ages do. Um you
know Americanore members do all types of
different service and this was a very
different service uh period for you but
thank you for all of your contributions.
I think it was my first big girl job too
which led to this real big girl job. So
you're on the right track. Um, I also
just want to say thank you to all of
you. Um, I don't I don't want to say a
special thank you to my district 8
people, but special thank you to my
district 8 people. Um, but I do want to
say uh, you know, I think I'm Thank you
for your leadership, Council Member
Bangston. I think the more that we can
have we can bring and open up government
to the people, right? So, it's not just
you're coming to vote, but that you
actually your voices are being heard.
not just at times when it's a zoning
issue or something that's happening in
your neighborhood that you may not like
or you may like, but you can also talk
about how we spend our dollars because
all of you are investors in this city.
And so by being an investor, sometimes
it feels like you're a silent investor,
right? Like things are just happening.
But for you to be able to say even if
it's just a portion of the budget, this
is what we think it should go to, right?
This is how we think we should spend it.
This is where we should make these
investments collectively and to sit down
people from all parts of the city to be
proximate to each other in a way that
people are not doing today. To say that
we love our city, we love our
neighborhoods and this is how we want to
invest it is something extremely
special. So, I'm so excited about this
process and how it will continue to
unfold. Thank you for your service.
Thank you for being part of this. Also,
I just want to also mention that none of
these folks, I mean, some of you, this
might be your first time, but I know
we'll see you back here. Um, but I know
that many of you are already involved in
your communities, whether it's your
specific community, whether you're
serving um the community through your
organization. So, thank you for your
continued leadership. And for those of
you who this is the first time you
raised your hand, let it not be your
last. So, thank you.
>> All right. And with that, again, looking
forward to the work that you all are
going to inspire uh in our community and
thank you again for everything you've
done to this point. Uh with that, I'll
move for adoption. Oh,
>> council member Ross.
Oh,
>> okay. There you go. I move for adoption.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Banks timber podia de a dors green reie
Ross. President Harden.
>> Adopted.
Thank you. Thank you. And again, uh we
will have more announcements, but the
the first uh uh public uh hearing that
we'll have on this is April 29th uh to
discuss more of the details of the work
that the committee did. Uh then one
final announcement u council member as
we have get to say goodbye to Melissa
Bila uh we are also saying uh goodbye to
another dedicated public servant my
partner uh in good who has been our
fearless leader of the office of
diversity and inclusion uh Jason Jenkins
let's we give him a round of applause
uh very bittersweet moment for me uh as
someone who I consider uh a friend uh a
peer a mentor really in this uh work uh
and someone who has driven I think the
vision that I have been able to try to
capture around our small business he's
been someone that's I think taken a true
spirit of collaboration working across
departments working in community uh and
now someone who's taken that skill set
uh to my alma mater the best university
in all of the global planet the Ohio
State university and it's so great we
had to put the D in front of it just so
you knew. Um, but really I just want to
say to you Jason, thank you for your
service. Thank you for uh doing uh the
behind the scenes and the hard work as
well as the heart work. Uh, and I know
that you those skills will be uh vitally
um used at the Ohio State University and
will continue to serve this community
but just in a different capacity. Uh,
but wanted to not let this moment go by
without saying thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. When I think about how we
have moved, how this city uh has in
invest its money uh under your
leadership moving uh to a place where we
spend I think it's what four times more
than when you started in minority uh
spend in our community. And that's not
simply a handout. really in hand up
because your team works directly with
those folks to get them to be prepared
and ready to do business uh with the
city and so many other innovative things
that you have put in the pipeline that
we will finish. Uh but I just wanted to
say to you uh thank you my brother for
your partnership, thank you for your
leadership and wishing you well in your
next endeavor. Uh before I open it up to
uh Director Jenkins, he doesn't know
that I was going to do this, so I'm
actually putting him on the spot and
embarrassing him. Uh, any uh any other
comments from my colleagues? Madame vice
chair?
>> Yes. So, um, director Jenkins, I just
want to thank you. Even before as a new
council member, you were in the mayor's
office and I think you made the
transition and building kind of bridges
between the administration and council
certainly easy for me. I think being on
this uh committee, the work that we've
done done together around, you know,
also engaging um our Latino population,
also engaging our new Americans,
engaging immigrants and refugees in the
process and ensuring, you know, their
their some of the highest
entrepreneurial rates are in those
communities and ensuring that they knew
their city stood with them. um you are
such a uh caring, loving leader and I
think that has shown in everything that
you have done since you've been at the
city. Um both with your personal
relationships but certainly your love
for community and how you have invested
in people. Um and that's I I I can say
this with um lots of confidence that
you're everyone's favorite. So thank you
for being everyone's favorite. You will
be sorely sorely missed. Um, but you
have left a lasting impression on this
city that I know that you love so much
and on all the people that you have
worked with. I was talking to your staff
the other day and they were talking
about how devastated they were as the
rest of us are. But this is what we
always say with good people that we we
have good people here that then we put
out into the world to continue to do
good work. And so I'm excited about our
partnership together with the Ohio State
University and the work that we'll
continue to do together. So thank you.
Congratulations,
>> Cather. Sorry, President Proendor.
>> Thank you, Chair. Um, I'm going to be
brief. Um, but so much of local
government is solving problems, small,
medium, and large, depending on what the
day is. And you know, I've said this to
you many times, you're like, Mr. Fix it
when it comes to all those things. And
residents have no idea how much you have
shaped this city by solving small,
medium, and large problems. sometimes
dozens of them in the same week. And it
has been an absolute pleasure to work
with you and have an opportunity to
become friends. And uh local government
and government generally needs more
Jason Jenkins in them. Um and I am uh
deeply grateful that you chose to spend
a lot of years solving problems with me
and other members of this council and
are just deeply grateful for that. So
good luck, but we know you're not going
far.
Are you saying something? Council
>> Ross.
>> Okay. First of all, you need to make an
announcement because now I'm all choked
up and I didn't plan to be choked up.
Um, I too want to say thank you to
Jason. I think Council Member Dorren hit
the nail on the head. He is one of the
great fixers of this city. Has always
been on the other side of a call. Has
always been boots on the ground in
crisis. There's not a crisis that I
haven't been involved in that you also
have not been involved in. And so, thank
you. Also, thank you for keeping
yourself safe. There are some of the
most violent neighborhoods that I've
dealt with. I would call Jason, he'd be
like, "Oh, yeah. I'm over here on the
stoop. Why?
>> Why are you over there? Please leave
there now." Um, but thank you just for
being a man of the people. Thank you for
bringing people perspective to your
work. Thank you for always being a real
one. Thank you for being who you are,
showing up as you are in your full
authenticity. We will deeply, deeply
miss you here at the city, but I can't
wait to see all the great things that
you will do.
>> This city owes you a debt of gratitude
for what you've been able to accomplish.
Um, I remember you and Elon coming to
visit me before I ever got on the
council as president of the Northland
Community Council and just the work that
you do. Um, I I think the biggest thing
that I recognize about you is it's real
talk. And the community knows to go to
you because you give them real talk. We
know to go to you because you give us
real talk. So, we appreciate um all that
you've done and the contributions that
you've made. Um the Ohio State
University is getting a um great asset.
Uh, and we will sorely miss you, but
thankfully you're right around the
corner. So, I'll see you so I'll see you
around.
>> Um, one thing I'll add, uh, in addition
to a yes to everything is, um, you know,
I talk about how policy moves at the
speed of trust. Um, and I know people
will find this hard to believe, but you
can't always trust everybody in this
business. Um, but I could always trust
you. I could always trust that you were
um coming to the table with um with a
real sincerity to address issues, to
solve problems, to be truthful and
transparent about challenges that we
were overcoming.
um to be honest, you know, when you
disagree um and why um and that's
important, too. And um man, I'm going to
miss you so much in this role and um
here across the city. But um I'm just so
grateful to have had the opportunity to
work with you for so many many years.
>> I guess the final thanks comes from the
Columbus Kid Caucus uh at city council.
Um, Tiarara was was hitting on it best
in terms of of my feelings for you,
Jason. Um, a lot of people uh get titles
uh and get positions and forget where
they came from. Uh, you got titles and
positions and you made sure you no one
for uh uh had to doubt where you came
from. The way that you have represented
your people and your community um our
people and our community um is
unparalleled. Uh and so uh just thank
you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
There is a gap now here at the city uh
because you are uh moving on. Do well,
brother.
And with that, Director Jenkins, if
there's any remarks you want to give in
that final last uh baritone, very white
voice that you do inside the microphone.
It's uh
thank you. It's an honor and a pleasure
to serve. Um, I appreciate the time that
y'all have given me to support my
community and uh I'm not going to stop.
So, thank you very much. Thank you.
>> All right. I think that's the shortest
I've seen. Well, anyway,
congratulations, Director Jenkins, and
uh looking forward to continue to to
partner with you. And with that, Council
President, that's all I have.
>> Thank you, sir. Thank you, Council
Member Ross Padilla.
Council member Ross, I have handed down
the uh the uh illustrious title of being
the Michael Jordan crying meme of
council to you. Uh you carry it well. Um
you mean the goat or
>> Oh, okay.
>> Um I So last week, sorry going back last
week on Thursday, uh March 26 was
women's equal payday. It is the day that
symbolizes how far into the calendar
year that women need to work to earn as
much as their white nonhispanic male
counterparts. And on that same day, I
hosted a woman's work, which is my
annual event, the fourth annual a
woman's work event where we celebrated
entrepreneurship. Female entrepreneurs
are some of the fastest growing
entrepreneurs in the sector. And we had
three of them who gave small TED talks.
We also had a host of uh of a uh
resources for women entrepreneurs that
were there. We also hosted uh female
entrepreneur businesses. We had about
200 people that joined us for what I
like to call the best girls night out.
So, I want to thank everyone who came
out. I wanted to acknowledge Equal
Payday. And throughout this year, as we
wind down Women's History Month, we will
continue to acknowledge Equal Payday
both for for black women, for moms, for
Latinas, and for Native American women
that essentially go in that order. Um,
so I want to thank everyone for coming
out. I want to thank my colleagues for
also supporting me. Um, and I want to
con in the last few days of Women's
History Month, I just want to encourage
folks to go out and support womenowned
businesses, continue to support women's
causes, and continue to support your
favorite female leaders. Um, because
especially at a time now, like now where
it feels like uh we have overcome many
things to get to this point, it feels
like some of those things are starting
to move in the wrong direction. equal
payday for women is actually further
into the year marking the second year in
a row that the pay gap is getting larger
instead of smaller. So um that is just
an acknowledgment of facts and also more
fuel to continue to fight for women and
because when women succeed everyone
succeeds. So thank you and happy women's
history month.
>> Thank you council member de power.
>> Thank you council president. Um, first I
will be hosting a public hearing on the
proposed amendment to the Big Derby
Accord on April 7th at 5:30 p.m. here in
council chambers. Council will hear a
presentation from the department of
development on the accord amendment
process so far, a recap of community
engagement efforts, and an overview of
the enhanced environmental protections,
robust water quality testing and
development restrictions. development
restrictions in the proposed amendment
and how it compares to the original 2006
accord. Those interested can read the
draft amendment ahead of the hearing on
the Big Derby Accord website by scanning
the QR code on the screen now. And all
who wish to submit written testimony or
would like to sign up to provide public
testimony at the hearing can email my
aid Jacob dilly jadillycolus.gov
gov by noon on the 7th.
Additionally, this evening we will be
passing a resolution on consent honoring
the life and sacrifice of Master
Sergeant Tyler Simmons. We will not be
presenting it to the family this
evening. We have arranged for that to be
presented at the funeral. For residents
of Columbus who would like to pay their
respects, we will be honoring the Master
Sergeant at City Council's Memorial Day
service that is on Memorial Day at 100
p.m. at the Lynen War Memorial, which is
located in the park adjacent to the
Lynen Community Center. There will be
announcements about that event when that
gets closer. And that's all for me this
evening.
Thank you so much for your leadership uh
on this resolution for Tyler Simmons.
Presum,
>> Council Member Green.
>> Thank you so much, Council President.
One quick announcement before I um
introduce our one resolution tonight um
is about the incredible um work of
recreation and parks um and a
collaboration with Columbus Public
Health. I'll be hosting a camp public
health this summer. So, for those that
are interested in learning um all about
the ever evolving world of public health
and all of the incredible work that we
do that spans many diverse areas, please
check that out at their website. Um
finally, uh we do have one resolution on
the agenda tonight. Um and while I read
this resolution, I would love to invite
our distinguished guest, uh Sandy
Stevenson and her family. And I know
Bill, um, Governor Strickland, um, Wendy
Williams up to the podium.
And while you make your way, I would,
um, it is my honor to present resolution
0072X-2026
recognizing Sandra or Sandy Stevenson
for a lifetime of distinguished service
in honor of Women's History Month and
National Social Work Month. So, um,
March is, uh, both Women's History Month
and National Social Work Month. So, it
is by far my favorite month of the year.
Um, and every month we, uh, or every
year we have worked to sort of highlight
and feature um, people or organizations
that are kind of touching both of those
areas. Um, and it is real real privilege
for me tonight to be able to uh
recognize somebody who has been such an
inspiration to me and such a change
maker across our community. Someone
whose leadership and mentorship has
shaped not just the way that we support
people across our community, but also
has helped to guide the careers and the
lives of so many people who I know are
working to uplift it. Um, a few words
about Sandy. Um she has been doing this
work across our community for more than
four decades. Um and she's been a
driving force in advancing behavioral
health care uh access across Ohio and
working to strengthen our
community-based services and expand
access for care for people across the
state of Ohio. Um most notably, she's
always just been guided by this belief
that every single person in our
community deserves dignity, compassion,
and an opportunity to heal. Um her
leadership has also extended to the
highest levels of state government when
she was appointed by Governor Ted
Strickland, who's here with us tonight,
uh to serve as director of the Ohio
Department of Mental Health and as a
member of his cabinet. And um you know I
think that your work across ODMH and
beyond um has led to just such broad
sweeping systems change across our
community um that has really transformed
the landscape of the way that we're able
to support individuals that are living
with substance use uh challenges with
mental health um hardships. you've been
an early pioneer in advancing
coordinated care approaches across our
state and you know so much so that now
these things are just all widely
accepted as the best practices of the
way that we support people. Um at the
local level uh you should know uh that
Sandy's advocacy has been at the
forefront of so many movements that have
transformed our systems of care here in
central Ohio. Things that uh many of us
now take for granted. you helped found
Choices uh for victims of domestic
violence um an organization that we most
certainly rely on every single day. Um
helped grow the Columbus Coalition for
the Homeless. And it was um in many ways
your advocacy and commitment that led to
the founding of Vista Village um a
program that we have invested um and
partnered with you um to help uh move
forward. Um, and I said this earlier
today during our reception, you know,
your impact, it reaches so far beyond
just the policies and the programs uh
that you have helped to establish. Um, I
think that your leadership
um has demonstrated to people like me um
and so many others that social workers,
that people in human services that we
have a place at the decision-making
tables, too. uh that we aren't just
helpers, we're policy makers, we're
system changers. Um
and I think that's so so important. Um
and so I can I can definitely say I
think without your example I would not
be sitting up here today. And so um at
this point in time, you know, I would
love to turn it over um actually if
Governor Strickland, could we have you
say a few words about about Sandy and
her time serving in your cabinet?
Yes.
>> Sorry, friends.
>> Mr. President and council members, I'm
pleased to be here to honor one of my
favorite people on the face of God's
earth. I've known Sandy since 1981.
I've known her as a tenacious advocate
for the least among us, for the most
vulnerable among us,
uh for the homeless, for the mentally
ill.
And um so when I became governor, it was
a no-brainer that I I would ask her to
be my director of the department of
mental mental health. I'm just pleased
to be here with her tonight to share
with her, her family, and her many
colleagues in saying to you that there
are people living today that I think
would not have been living were it not
for Sandy Stevenson.
And um I'm just proud to be her friend.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. It's quite an endorsement.
Um, so Sandy, at this point in time
before we um open it up to the floor,
I'd love to turn it over to you to say a
few words. And again, we're just so
grateful to be able to honor you and
recognize you for all of um the
incredible work you've done across our
community for so long.
>> Council President Harden,
Council Member Green, and other council
members,
I made my comments earlier at a
gathering. So rather than repeating
those comments, I want to thank all of
you for the work you do.
Work isn't work when we're in service to
people. It's a privilege to be able to
commit to efforts that help our
community and help people. And that's
what all of you do. That's what you
think about before you go to bed. It's
probably what may wakes you up in the
middle of the night sometime when you
realize some other things you want to
do. And I just want to quickly comment
on a couple of things you've recently
done that said Columbus, Ohio stands for
something because of you and your work.
You stand up for what's right. You
provided funding, new funding for the
core program recently that allows the
organization I'm with, Southeast and
Mary Haven, to do something really
different with the folks on the streets
of Columbus,
who are causing excessive use of police
time and EMT time because nobody has
been able to connect with them and make
a difference. So our challenge that we
uh gratefully accepted is to connect and
make a difference over the course of
time and to work differently. I also
want to comment on your
focus
on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As
you know, across the country, there's
there has to be a walking away from that
because of different orders coming down
from the federal government, not because
people want to, but because they want to
keep their money so they can keep on
providing services. And you've stood
firm on that. That was evident tonight.
Again, those are positive words and
those are things we should all cling to
and do. And you're doing that. And I
also want to thank you for taking care
of our sanctuary city by making it very
clear that we have expectations in
Columbus, Ohio about how people will be
treated. So, thank you for what you do.
I I think that everything you just said
represents the like true deep servant
leadership of how you have lived your
entire life of service when given a
recognition and the opportunity to say a
few words about all of the incredible
work that you've been able to
accomplish.
um you point to us and also um that is
an encouragement as well to continue
down this path and to keep going forward
and I just um you inspire me every day
um and I'm just so grateful to you. So
at this point in time I'd love to open
up to my colleagues to say any words.
>> I just want to say um thank you. I think
you know whenever I see um women who
were able to uh break down barriers were
willing were able to lead in their
particular professions especially as we
talk about women's history month when I
look at the women who were able um to
achieve the things that they were able
to do. we wouldn't be the women's caucus
wouldn't be here without women like you
and without women who at different
points in your career you reached back
to help another woman that you were you
set a gold standard that you helped to
bring people along and I think that is
the true hallmark of a woman leader
right that's what I think differentiates
us and so um I want to thank you for the
intentionality of your work I want to
thank you also for your words I think um
you know it's challenging at a time like
this to sometimes feel like you're, you
know, you're doing the right thing, but
sometimes the voices telling you you're
not are sometimes louder than the people
who are always standing with you. And so
to hear that reminder is always good. So
I want to thank you for that. Um, and
just, you know, you've you continue to
leave a life of leadership and and of
giving and of servant leadership. And I
think the point that you made around
this is not work. It is a privilege. It
is a privilege to be a voice for people.
It is a privilege to to um it is a
privilege to uh think about them and to
think about the decisions and how to
make their lives better every day. And
so thank you for setting that standard
and um thank you for continuing to do
that work.
>> Okay. Well, um, seeing no other, uh,
comments or questioning questions, with
that, I move for adoption.
>> Second.
>> Click, please call the role.
>> Bankston Barrosa Deodia de Akar Doris
Green Remy Ross, President Hard.
>> Adopted.
>> Um, that's all for me tonight. Thank
you. Thank you.
Thank you, council member. Council
member Remy, that's it for me.
>> Council member Ross.
>> Thank you, Council President. Just one
announcement and one resolution this
evening. Uh the announcement is we or my
office will be having our second
listening session in the community on
April 7th. We will be at the Fran Ryan
Center from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. This
listening session will be focused on our
seniors talking about barriers into
housing, talking about barriers into
meeting their basic needs. And so I'm
really excited to bring together a group
of seniors. So really we can just hear
and listen from the community. So if you
are a senior, a service provider, or
someone who just wants to be a part of
this work, we welcome you to our
listening session. Again, it's April 7th
from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Fran Ryan
Center.
And then we've got
resolution number 0071x-2026
to recognize and honor Paul Sour on his
retirement from the city of Columbus
Department of Building and Zoning
Services after 25 years of service and
leadership. And so if I could have Paul
Sour come up,
our resident cowboy.
And if the army of code officers and
building and zoning inspectors could
stand up with him,
he is here with an army of supporters.
He is also here with his 95year-old
mother who is with us. We are honored to
have her today with his wife Laura.
All
right,
let me read my speech. Paul, don't cry.
Okay.
Paul Sauer has dedicated 29 years of
service to the betterment of our
community, having begun his career as a
code enforcement officer on March 31st,
1997.
He spent 21 years in the Franklin area
serving the community through
inspections and enforcement of housing,
zoning, environmental health, and
nuisance abatement city code sections.
On December 30th, 2018, he transitioned
to the role of code enforcement
specialist for the environmental blight
abatement section where he has continued
to make significant contributions. Paul
Sauer has played a pivotal role in the
abatement of environmental blight by
overseeing the boarding up of thousands
of vacant structures, drug houses,
averaging 650 per year, ensuring the
safety and security of our
neighborhoods. Paul coordinated hundreds
of court-ordered cleanups, resulting in
the restoration of community pride and
improving public health. And under his
guidance, his team successfully cleaned
and mold over 3,212
properties and removed and disposed of
over 4,000 tires from both p public and
private properties and right-of-way
areas, significantly contributing to a
cleaner and safer environment. Paul's
unwavering commitment to environmental
stewardship and community safety has set
a standard for excellence and inspired
countless individuals to act in
preserving our environment. Members of
council want to recognize, commend, and
celebrate Paul Sauer for his exemplary
service and dedication. I want to
express my deepest gratitude for the
positive impact Paul has made in our
community and wish him a fulfilling
retirement filled with joy and
relaxation alongside his wife Laura and
also welcome his 95year-old
mother to council. Um, you have an
exceptional son. I started my career.
Paul Sour gave me a ride from the east
side of Columbus to a place called
Beachwood Market and it was my first
ever nuisance property that we took care
of and I thought I might it might be my
last. That's how fast Paul was driving
me to that board up. Uh, but Paul has
always always answered the call, always
been a support to me and my work here at
the city of Columbus. And I am so proud
and honored to be able to recognize you
today. Before we give you a moment to
speak and before I give my colleagues a
moment to speak, Director Messer from
the Department of Building and Zoning
Services would like to say a few words.
>> Yes. Uh, thanks, Council Member Ross,
President Harden, other members of
council. on a a night where we're um
apparently celebrating a lot of public
service. Uh I think it's so fitting uh
to acknowledge a whole lifetime uh that
Paul has given. Uh you had a great
amount of statistics there, but it's
almost impossible to really measure the
impact um that a a lifetime public
servant has. And I think it's um
incredibly fitting that we're uh talking
about someone who really has been on the
front lines uh as a code enforcement
officer. Uh uh taking care of blight and
other things around the city, driving
the Bobcat himself, doing everything
that he can do hands-on. Uh always been
a hands-on leader. I know even on days
off, calling in to check on his crew,
making sure they're doing what they're
supposed to do. Really one of those true
public servants who just can't stop. uh
who just wants to serve and is always uh
has a servant heart uh and a leader that
I uh look up to for all that he has
accomplished during his entire lifetime.
So, I really want to say thank you,
Paul, to you and your family that's
here. Thank you for all you've done for
the city. Like I said, um it's hard for
us to capture in a list of
accomplishments or statistics what
you've really accomplished and the
impact you've had week after week after
week after month after year after year.
So, thank you.
>> Thank you, director Paul. You got some
words for us?
>> Uh, thank you all for making a big deal
of this.
I actually and I really want to get
thank my of course my mother, my
wonderful wife Laura, and all my
co-workers in code enforcement.
It was a
it was a it was a great experience. uh
the last nine years with my co-workers
in EVA, Dan Copley,
Perry, and Cliff Stalworth back here.
We were a team. People would say I was
the supervisor. I would tell them I just
take the attendance. We're all part of
the program here. But I appreciate
everything from everyone. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Paul.
I am honored to have co-sponsored this
resolution with my colleague, Council
Member Melissa Green. So, I'll give you
a few moments to make comment and then
we'll open it up to the rest of the de
um Oh, can you hear me? Uh for those of
you sitting up here who might not know
the legend who is Paul Sauer, that is by
design. He has been the bestkept secret
in Columbus. the person that when there
is a problem, you know, we talked about
uh Director Jenkins, you know, when you
have a problem you need to solve, like a
policy problem, he's he's your go-to guy
to fix it. But when there is a physical
problem some somewhere across our city
for which there is no solution, you
better call Paul. Uh he is going to he's
going to take care of it for you. uh you
know the and and for years for years I
like you know the how the cable
companies they cut down I mean I heard
stories of you know back in the 90s or
you know however long it was Paul Sour
and David Hoie up on a ladder cutting
all the cable lines that they just cut
and let dangle in our alleys. I mean
like literally any problem that you
could think of. Um Paul is a person that
is there to solve it and has always been
there to solve it. And I don't know
who's going to solve our problems now
but y'all better figure that out pretty
quick. um or else we're going to be in
really tough shape. Um you know, Paul's
also a guy that when your moped's broken
down and you can't get it to move, you
call him too and he'll show up for that
as well. Just a person
um that emulates like the best of what
Columbus is, a person that is fun and
kind and always uh there to care for the
people around him. and I feel so
grateful to have known you for so many
years, to have uh gotten to go on so
many fun adventures, drink lots of
sippies, um and uh I'm sure the team
here is going to miss that um so much.
So, I'm Thank you and congratulations on
making it out of here.
>> Thank you, council member. Any other
comment for my colleagues? Seeing none,
I move for passage. Clerk, please call
the row.
>> Thank you.
>> Bank bank simosa.
>> Wait.
>> Bank simarosa de padia de a dorren
green. Remy Ross. President Harden
>> adopted.
>> Do you like her?
>> Yes. Love the hats.
>> Thanks.
>> Thank you.
>> That is it for me.
>> Thank you, council member. Uh, I don't
have any resolutions, but I do just have
one hearing that I'm hosting a juvenile
safety hearing alongside public safety
chair and vice chair Remy and Ross this
Thursday, April 2nd at 2 p.m. here in
council chambers. We we plan to discuss
how to keep our young people safe uh in
and out of school. We'll discuss tools
and recommendations to make sure we
address issues that might arise with
crime and truency. So, we want to invite
folks out uh to that public hearing uh
and to participate. Um are there any
comments from our elected officials?
>> Thank you, madam auditor. Uh are there
any
sec?
>> Are there any uh requests by members of
council for the removal of an ordinance
or resolution on consent portion of the
agenda? Seeing none, may we now have a
motion to wave the readings of titles of
30 legislation by the city clerk.
>> Is there a second? Clerk, please call
the role.
>> Bankston Barrosa Deodia de Aarorn Green
Remy Ross, President Harden.
>> Thank you. Will the clerk now read to
the record ordinance number of 38
legislation on tonight's agenda for
first reading?
>> In finance and governance committee, we
have ordinance two uh 823 and 871-2026.
Economic development and small and
minority business ordinances 845, 890,
892, and 894-2026.
Public Service and Transportation
Committee Ordinance 825 and 8:30-2026.
Neighborhoods, Recreation, and Parks
Committee Ordinance 672 and 675-2026.
Public Utilities and Sustainability
Committee ordinances 516, 521, 535, 592,
613, 648,
703, 781, 840, 844, and 866-20
uh 26.
Thank you, madame clerk. We don't have
the speakers on the uh first reading. Uh
the following appearing uh ordinance
appear on our agenda as consent. Would
the clerk now read those into the
record?
>> Resolutions of expression. We have um
ordinate I'm sorry resolution 73X-2026
finance and governance committee
ordinance 2575-2025
ordinance 506 508 517 530 620 7006 755
757
778 843 869 883 and 903-2026
Economic Development and Small and
Minority Business Committee Ordinance
637, 768, 776, 804, 810, 811, 812, and
879-2026.
Public service and transportation
committee ordinance 639, 654, 692, 722,
747, 760, 761, 770, 9, and 918-2026.
Neighborhoods, Recreation, and Parks
Committee. Ordinance 671, 676, 678, 680,
and 681-2026.
Workforce, Education, and Labor
Committee. Ordinances 710, 783, and
886-2026.
Health, Human Services, and Equity
Committee ordinances 548, and 549-2026.
Public Safety, and Criminal Justice
Committee, ordinance 887, I'm sorry,
877-2026.
House Housing Homelessness and Building
Committee ordinances 837 910-2026
Public Utilities and Sustainability
Committee ordinances 179 379 460 473 563
606 667 719 720 765
816 and 870-2026
of appointments we have A67 A68 A69 A7
70, A71, A72, A73, A74, A75, and
A76-2026.
>> Thank you, Madam Cler. Are there any
questions or comments on the consent
portion of the agenda? Hearing none, uh,
may I have a motion to approve these uh
items designated as consent?
Cler, please call the role.
>> Banks, Tim, Barosa, de Padilla, De A,
Dorance, Green, Remy, Ross, President
Harden.
>> Consent agenda is passed. Uh we'll now
proceed with the second reading of
30-day postponed and emergency legis.
>> Yes, there is one abstension. We'll call
it by voice.
>> May I have a motion to uh uh consider
>> reconsider?
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Bankston, Bar Roa de Padilla de AOA
Dorren Green Remy Ross, President
Harden,
>> we are reconsidering. Now can I have a
motion to for approval of these items
and consent by voice?
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Banks,
>> yes.
>> Barosa de Padilla,
>> yes.
>> Deakau,
>> yes.
>> Dorren,
>> yes.
>> Green,
>> yes. With the exception of uh ordinance
065 0654-2026
from which I abstain.
>> Remy,
>> yes.
>> Ross,
>> yes. President Hard.
>> Yes. Consent agenda carries with a noted
exception. We'll now proceed with the
second reading of 30-day postponed
emergency legislation. The first
committee to come for council is the
finance and governance committee chair
by council banks. Council member floor
is yours.
>> Uh thank you council president Harden.
First up tonight in the finance and
governance committee for second read we
have ordinance 0652-2026
to authorize the city attorney to modify
and extend the existing contract with
dayforce US Inc. for the renewal of the
day force software subscription software
hardware and services to authorize
expenditure of 2.2 $2,400,000
from the department of technology
operating fund to authorize the
expenditure of $80,000 from the employee
benefit fund. This ordinance modifies
and extends our existing three-year
contract with Dayforce US, Inc. for the
continued use of the Dayforce platform.
The current contract for these services
was authorized in 2023 for a three-year
period and is set to expire this
September. This modification will
establish a three-year extended
agreement with pricing and services
subject to annual authorization and
appropriation from council. The pricing
agreement would establish caps on any
annual price increases of 0% for
subscription fees in year 1 of the new
term and no more than 2% in each of
years 2 and three. It includes
licensing, hosting, maintenance, support
fees, and professional services for the
dayforce system and time clocks
manufactured by Dayforce US Inc. for the
enterprisewide benefits uh
administration, payroll, personnel
management, and the employee
self-service system. The contract
includes the renewal of software
subscription services, as well as
ongoing support, hardware, and related
services necessary for system
functionality. Continuity of this system
is essential to ensure accurate payroll
processing, benefits, uh, pay, sorry,
excuse me, payroll processing, benefits
management, and compliance with
reporting requirements. Are there any
questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Second,
>> please follow.
>> Thanks. Denver, Rosa, de Padilla, de a
Dorren Green, Remy Ross, President
Harden.
>> Thank you, Council President. That is
the first and last thing that I have in
my committees this evening. Next
committee,
>> uh, next committee come for council.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Next committee
come for council the public service uh
and transportation committee chair by
council member Rosa de council the floor
is yours.
>> Yes thank you council president. Um so
this evening in public service and
transportation we have three pieces of
legislation and I am very very excited.
um all pieces of legislation this
evening directly connect with our vision
zero plan directly connect with um
really combating some of those
infrastructure issues that we have had
along the high injury network and so for
each of them I'm going to give share
some highlights as we talk about what
the legislation means and then director
I'm probably going to kick it over to
you a couple times so uh first piece of
legislation uh is 0448206
to amend the 2026 capital improvement
budget to authorize a transfer of funds
with chi with within the streets and
highways bond fund to appropriate funds
from the street and highway improvement
fund to authorize the director of public
service to enter into a contract
modification with Orchard Hilts and the
Climate Incorporated doing business as
OM advisers in connection with the
roadway Livingston Avenue alum creek
trail to James Road project and to
author authorize the expenditure of up
to 1,43,000
333 from the streets and highways bond
fund and the street and highway
improvement fund to pay for the project.
This project is on the vision zero
Columbus high injury network due to the
number of serious or fatal crashes
involving involving vulnerable roadway
users like people walking, cycling or
scooting. This project will bring
important upgrades like shared use path,
better signal um traffic signals,
improve street lighting design to
enhance safety for all roadway users
along Livingston Avenue from Alum Creek
Trail to James Road by improving
visibility and physically separating
pedestrians and cyclists from vehicle
traffic. This project is also in
partnership with the city of Beexal. So
I have to say as a lifelong East, these
are the streets that I drive quite
literally every day. James Road is the
barrier of my or or borders not barrier
borders my community and I know that
we've made significant improvements on
James Road and Livingston Avenue but
director can you talk a little bit more
about what these roadway improvements
will bring.
>> Good evening uh President Harden chair
Barosa Padilla and other members of
council. The this is a pretty exciting
project. This is um a project that we've
this is the long-term phase of a project
that we've had underway for several
years now. We did some short-term
improvements because people were
literally running into houses on
Livingston Avenue and something had to
be done immediately. So, we did some
road roadway modifications. This
improves the roadway modifications, puts
some medians out there to beef up our re
or lane reallocation project, and as you
said, it does add a shared use path to
the um south side and a wider sidewalk
to the north side.
>> So, that's very exciting, especially for
folks who have lived along James Road.
As James Road used to be one way in each
direction, we've widened it to four two
lanes in each direction. We did a road
diet on Livingston Avenue, added some
barriers at the intersection of Broad
and James. I told you I know this area
because this is my neighborhood. So, I'm
very very excited. I also want to just
again thank the folks in Beexley because
they have been um this is the border of
Beexley and Columbus depending upon
where you're talking about and so
they've been a great partner in this
project as well. So, I just want to
thank um the department first and
foremost as a resident and secondly as
the chair of um this committee. So, do
my colleagues have any additional
questions or comments? Seeing none, I
move for passage. Second call.
>> Bangarosa de Padilla de Aower, Dorren
Green, Remy Ross, President Harden.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
06282026
to authorize the director of public
service to enter into professional
services contract with Bergus Kniple
Incorporated for the roadway
improvements multimodal engagement and
planning 2026 project and to authorize
the expenditure of up to $300,000 from
the mobility operating fund to pay for
this project. The goal of this project
is provide the Department of Public
Service with funds to carry out
engineering, surveying, and technical
work for the multimodal engagement and
planning 2026 project. This effort
focuses on evaluating select streets and
corridors across the city and developing
designs that better meet current
mobility needs. The work may include
traffic and parking analysis, bikeway
planning, transit considerations, and
improvements to pedestri pedestrian
infrastructure. It can also involve
placemaking, public art, and even
testing ideas through quick build or
pilot projects before full
implementation. Ultimately, the goal is
to improve how people move through our
city and create safer, more connected,
and more vibrant streets for everyone.
So, this is around a lot of our planning
that we do for infrastructure
improvements, a lot of our analysis. Um,
is there anything that you want to add
to that, director?
>> Good evening again, President Harden,
Chair Peris Pia, members of council. Uh
this new version of the contract is
intended to put an even greater emphasis
on the earlier stages of planning and
engagement with the public and our
residents as opposed to engineering and
design services. But I will say that
this will include preliminary design
services and traffic analysis as well.
But there's a lot of emphasis being put
on the early planning and engagement.
>> That's great. And this again is a lot of
when we talk about roadway projects,
that analysis and that data really helps
us make those decisions. So as we're
looking at different corridors and
different improvements, this is really
the information that we take to help in
that decision-making process. So do my
colleagues have additional questions or
comments? Seeing none, I move for
passage. Second, please call the role.
>> Banks Denver Rosa de Padilla de a Dorren
Green Remy Ross President Harden.
>> Thank you. Next and last, we have
ordinance 0712 20226 to authorize the
director of public service to enter into
a contract modification with Ribway
Engineering Group Incorporated in
connection with the bikeway Mcnotton
Road main street to Broad Street project
to authorize the expenditure of to
900,000 dollars from the streets and
highways bond fund to pay for the
project and to declare an emergency.
This project is located in a vision zero
community of interest. This ordinance
authorizes the director of public
service to modify the contract to add
additional funds for detailed design
services and continue ride-of-way
design. The project will improve
connectivity, safety, and mobility for
people walking and biking along McNotton
Road. This project provides additional
design resources to install a shared use
path along Mcnoten connecting to a
separate city project extending to East
Broad Street. A sidewalk will be added
on the opposite side to connect
residents to bus stops along with some
improved crosswalks. The project may
include roadway widening to turn for
turn lanes, new street lighting, and new
curbs. So, this is about this is only a
portion of a 11.5 million project. And
for my colleagues, I just want to remind
us so in 2024, there was a Mcnotton
zoning that we looked at. It was about
300 apartments that we had around a
hundred residents who came in who were
re doing outreach to council. And one of
the things that we talk about, we talk
about this often in zoning is that we
were going to do roadway improvements.
And so we understood that this is first
of all, at one time this was a rural
road. It has pieces of the road that are
difficult, right? There were some
ditches. There were some other things
that were happening that made it
difficult for us to address those. So I
wanted to point this out because many
times in zoning, we talk about with
zoning comes different opportunities.
Either it's already something that's in
the pipeline or additional resources
will come. So because of the project
that's coming into Mcnotton, we're
already building sidewalks. And then
because of a larger project that we
already had both at the intersection of
Broad McNotten, at the intersection of
Maiden McNoten, we are also looking at
improvements down McNotton, including
that shared use path and the turn lane.
So director, is there anything that you
want to add to what f what else folks
can expect?
>> Good evening again. Um, one thing I will
add is that uh this that one of the most
compelling reasons for us to do this
vision zero safety project is to is
because there was a child killed. Her
name was Elizabeth Lizzie Robertson
Rutland. She was 11 years old and she
was killed on this roadway as she was
getting ready to get onto a school bus
um one early morning several years ago.
And so that's a compelling reason for us
to do these type of projects. It's it's
very unfortunate, but it is um it is one
thing we wanted to mention that we you
know we do this in honor of her.
>> No. And thank you. Shady Lane Elementary
School is right off of McNotton. And
this was one of the things that many
residents were concerned with because
like many of our roads, I mean, I think
about Barnett. Barnett is a very similar
road on the east side that has those
ditches that um is difficult and tricky
for us to understand or for us to think
about that infrastructure improvement.
And as we're thinking about how the city
grows and changes and how we're thinking
about infrastructure to make things
safer for everyone, this is just an
example of that. And so I want to I want
to just discuss the timeline and check
my work and make sure that I've got this
right. But so 11 million $1.5 million
will be spent on the project. We're
looking at land acquisition in this year
and leading into 27 with some work being
done but then ground work being done in
28 and then leading up until 31 that we
think the entirety of all pieces of this
project will be done. Is that correct
director?
>> That is correct. This is a part of a
much larger project. There's a phase two
that is going to be done with the link
US transit supportive infrastructure
that will run from East Main Street
south to Livingston. So there will be
eventually a project or a shared use
path continuously down McNotton from
Broad to Livingston.
>> Thank you. And um I just again wanted to
highlight this because as we're having
conversations, it's easy to get lost in
one conversation. The timeline, I know,
is one that I wish that we could all
make move faster, but it's hard when
you're moving infrastructure, especially
ensuring that people can still move on a
very busy corridor like McNotton and on
Broad and on James or I mean Broad and
Maine. Um, and so, um, I'm I just wanted
to ensure that folks can we can connect
the dots when we have the conversations
that sometimes we have when people are
really worried about what that
infrastructure looks like that this was
coming that we made a promise to the
community that I wanted folks to see
that this is a part of it. This is again
just the planning piece, but that more
is yet to come and we talked about what
that timeline is. So I just again want
to thank the department because as we
work on um continue to work on vision
zero it is not easy. We do not always
that those infra infrastructure changes
takes a lot of time takes a lot of
resources and you wanted to add
something.
>> Yeah I mean you're right this project is
tough. I mean Mcnotton Road is one of
the most challenging roads for us to put
this type of facility on. That's why
it's expensive. That's why it's
timeconuming. It's going to take us some
time to get it out there. But I mean the
work is needed. these arterials that
have so much traffic yet pedestrians and
vulnerable users on there. It's needed.
So, I appreciate the support and as you
said, construction in 28 on this piece.
>> And I think the last thing I'll say is
that I just want to also hope that
residents see that, you know, while it
takes time and it'll take us some time
to figure it out, it it's almost no road
is impossible, right? we can look at
these infrastructure changes because I
know folks thought because of the
ditches, because of those retainers that
a sidewalk was not possible here and
we're proving that it is. And even
though again the timeline is not what
folks hope it would be, I know that this
road is going to be safer and especially
for those kids and those neighbors and
those families who travel along this
corridor, it's going to look and feel
very, very different for them. So, I
wanted to open up to my colleagues if
they have any questions or comments.
Yes, Council Member Green.
>> Um, now I know why your why your
comments in our zoning committee meeting
a couple weeks ago were so very specific
related to these retainers. Um, chair, I
just want to thank you. I feel like I,
you know, am always as it relates to the
west side talking about like the
infrastructure improvements that are
needed and I'm so excited. You know,
director also I really want to thank you
and your team. I get really really
excited. This is the stuff that is so
important to our residents. It's so
important for our kids and our families.
Um, and it's the stuff that people see
and they feel. It directly touches their
lives every single day. And I absolutely
am so excited every time I get it. You
know, we get a project like this that
where it's like really proactive
planning um and and working to do these
important, you know, sidewalks not
always like the most exciting thing. You
know what I mean? Like but everyone
wants.
>> Yeah. It's so important. and it's so so
so important and so I'm just I love to
hear it. I love to see it and I'm
excited to support this work and thank
you. Thank you for your leadership.
>> Thank you.
>> And same to you, director.
>> Any other comments? So again, I just
want to thank the department because uh
as we continue, you know, and I say this
probably in every zoning hearing. Uh
Chair Dorren, you we talk about this
often. I think our infrastructure growth
does not match our people growth. people
move a lot easier than roadways and
construction and everything that we're
trying to do. And so as we are kind of
catching up, we've put in all these all
of these different strategies that
people can start to see feel and see in
the immediate as the like longer term
strategies come. And so I do want to
credit the department with the work that
we're doing and we have these
opportunities. I appreciate you all
giving me the time to just demonstrate
how we are showing up for community, how
we are working on these like longer term
problems as we are working on the
short-term solutions as well. So um with
that I move for passage.
>> Please call the role.
>> Thanks Darosa Deodia de AOA Dorren Green
Remy Ross President Harden
>> pass.
>> Thank you council president. It's all
for me. Stay safe everyone.
>> Thank you madam chair. Next committee to
come before council is the workforce
education labor committee chaired by
council member Dorren. Council member
floor yours.
>> Thank you council president. Uh we have
ordinance number 0346-2026
to authorize the interim director of the
department of human resources to enter
into a service contract with Harris
Ashley Jean uh DBA fresh food
perspective LLC for the dietitian
service contract to author expendure of
$70,000 for the employee benefits fund
to pay for this contract and to
authorize the expendure of funds for
reasonable food and non-alcohol beverage
expenses to wave combed bidding
provisions Columbus city codes and
declared emergency. Uh, this ordinance
supports a contract for Fresh Food
Prospectives LLC to provide employee
health and wellness programming,
including virtual and inerson individual
consultations, live virtual talks,
seminars, and classes across numerous
city clumps departments for
evidence-based nutrition education. The
Department of Human Resources contract
with the dietitian service provider uh
for over 12 years and has requested a
waiver committed victing provisions
given the provider's familiarity with
the city. Do I have a colleague accepted
for questions or comments? Seeing none,
a move for passage. Clerk, please call
the role.
>> Bangs, Timber, Rosa, Deia, de Aar, Dors,
Green, Remy, Ross, President Harden,
>> passed.
>> Thank you, Counc. All I have my
committees at this time, but I want to
hand it back to you because we still
have the neighborhoods recreation and
parks committee as well.
>> Yeah, I skipped that.
>> Yes, you did.
>> The next committee to come before
council is the neighborhoods recreation
parks committee chair by council day.
Council floor is yours.
>> I felt so rejected.
>> Thank you, council president. Um,
tonight in our committee we have
ordinance 0682-2026
to authorize the director of the
recreation parks department to modify
existing contracts with Rogers Kraak Art
Architects Incorporated and Cesley
Building Services LLC for the Batty um
the Beatty Community Center renovations
project to authorize the appropriation
of 2,581,112
within the recreation and per parks
permanent improvement fund to authorize
the transfer of $2,800,000
within the recreation parks permanent
improvement fund and voted bond fund to
authorize the amendment of the 2025
capital improvements budget to authorize
the expenditure of 3,900,000 from the
recreation parks permanent improvement
fund and voted bond fund and to declare
an emergency. In August of 2024, an
accidental fire broke out in the
gymnasium of the Bey Recreation Center,
leading to fire and smoke damage
throughout the building and forcing the
department to temporarily close down
this recreation center. While this
unfortunate incident has caused a lack
of recreational access to those in the
Near East community, the department has
seized this moment as an opportunity to
make muchneeded renovations to other
areas of the center and also to evolve
the center by converting it into a
teenoriented community center. Funds for
this project come from both voted bond
dollars and insurance payouts. The
initial design contract included funds
for pre-construction and long leadtime
equipment costs. This ordinance
authorizes a planned modification to
continue the construction phase of the
project as well as a planned
modification to the design contract.
This project is now anticipated to be
completed by October 31st, 2026. Are
there any questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none, then I move for
passage.
>> Second.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Thanks. Timber Rosa de Padilla de AOA
Dorance Green Remy Ross President
Harden.
>> Thank you. Next, we have ordinance
0683-2026
to authorize and direct the director of
recreation parks department to accept a
grant from the Ohio Department of
Education and Workforce in the amount of
$2,500,000
for the 2026 summer food service program
to authorize the appropriation of
$2,500,000
to the recreation parks grant fund to
enter into an agreement with Columbus
City Schools in the amount of 2,300,000
for the preparation and delivery of
meals for the summer food service
program to authorize the expenditure of
$2,300,000
from the recreation parks grant fund and
to declare an emergency. The summer food
service program is an annual program
administered by the US Department of
Agriculture through the Ohio Department
of Education and Workforce. The program
provides nutritionally balanced
breakfast, lunches, and snacks to
qualified children in need during the
summer months at no cost to the child or
family. The program expects to serve
over 80,000 breakfast meals, 100,000
lunch meals, and 15,000 snacks.
Thousands of children will be served
through this program at 100 to 130 sites
throughout the greater Columbus area.
This program is vital to in ensuring
that those children who depend on school
meals during the academic year do not
become food insecure during the summer
months. Are there any questions or
comments from my colleagues?
>> Seeing none, I move for passage. Second,
please call the role.
>> Banks, Timber Rosa, de Podia, de AOA,
Dorne Green, Remy Ross, President
Harden,
>> passed.
>> Thank you. Next, we have ordinance
0748-2026
to authorize the director of the of the
recreation and parks department to enter
into advanced pay grant agreements with
104 local registered 501c3 nonprofit
organizations and support a summer youth
programming to authorize an expenditure
in the recreation parks opting fund and
to declare an emergency. Last week, I
had the privilege of joining the mayor
in announcing the recipients of the
city's 2026 summer youth program grants.
The summertime and anytime out of the
school year year round is a pivotal time
for our children's development. It is
vital that we invest in programming
that meet youth where they are. Today,
council is voting on nearly $7.5 million
in grant awards to altogether 105
nonprofits who are boots on the ground
in the community showing up for kids in
the summertime by offering enriching and
safe opportunities for growth. So
congratulations to all the organizations
being awarded funding this year. Your
investment in our youth is paving the
way for a bright future in our city. Are
there any questions or comments from my
colleagues?
Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Second clerk,
>> please call the role.
>> Banks, Barbosa, Deodia, de AOA, Dorren
Green, Remy Ross, President Harden,
>> passed.
>> Thank you. And finally, we have
ordinance 0947-2026
to authorize the director of the
recreation parks department to enter
into an advanced pay grant agreement
with Kingdom Image Arts, a 501c3
nonprofit organization in support of
summer youth programming to authorize to
an expenditure in the recreation parks
operating fund and to declare an
emergency. This ordinance authorizes
another one of our summer youth program
grants. Are there any questions or
comments for my colleagues?
Seeing none, I move for passage and
request a voice vote.
>> Please call the ro by voice.
>> Bankston.
>> Barrosa deodia.
>> Yes.
>> Deakauer.
>> Yes.
>> Dorren,
>> yes.
>> Green,
>> yes.
>> Remy,
>> yes.
>> Ross,
>> same. President Harden,
>> yes. Ordinance is passed.
>> Thank you. That's all in my committee
this evening.
>> Thank you, madam chair. Next committee
to come for council is the health and
human service and equity committee. That
committee is chair by council green. The
floor is yours.
>> Thank you so much, Council President.
Tonight in our Health, Human Services,
and Equity Committee, we have uh three
ordinances on second reading. Um because
they are all related, I'm just going to
uh do a description for all of them at
the beginning here. So, um, our first
ordinance is ordinance 0897-2026
to authorize the director of the
Department of Development to execute
grant agreements with numerous
notfor-profit social service agencies in
an amount of up to 9,775,000
for the Elevate um program to authorize
the expenditure of funds prior to the
establishment of the purchase order
beginning January 1st, 2026 through
December 31st of 2026.
to authorize food and/or non-alcoholic
beverage um beverage expenditures as
part of the standard operating cost for
some of these nonprofit organizations.
to authorize the advancement of funds on
a predetermined schedule during the term
of the agreement. to authorize the
transfer uh between object classes in an
amount uh up to $3,71,000
and the expenditure in an amount of up
to 3,475,000
within the hotel motel tax fund to
authorize the expenditure in an amount
up to $6,300,000
within the cannabis host community
special revenue fund and to declare an
emergency. Um, the Elevate uh program
will provide $10 million in
organizational level funding to support
uh local taxexempt businesses with an
annual operating budget of above
$250,000.
These taxexempt organizations uh will be
eligible to receive who are eligible to
receive funding um pro are those in
which provide services andor support
directly uh within Columbus and Franklin
County. uh two households below the
alish alisk threshold or asset limited
income constrained and employed um
households uh in one or more of the
following areas: financial security,
housing stability, homelessness, wealth
building, and behavioral health and
trauma. Um this is not a surprise to
anybody across our community right now.
there are more and more people that are
struggling to get by, struggling to keep
a roof over their head, struggling to
keep food in the fridge, struggling to
keep their utility bills paid. Um and we
you know right sized our investments uh
temporarily uh you know when we received
federal dollars during the COVID
pandemic that and that right sizing our
of our investments uh really showed us
at that moment in time what was possible
when our needs of our community uh were
met with the adequate amount of
resources to address them.
Unfortunately, as we all know, those
resources are long gone now. And we've
talked about this pretty openly here at
the city. Um much like nearly every
other uh municipality across the United
States right now, the loss of those
federal dollars and economic hardships
and policy decisions that are outside of
our control um are pushing our own
city's budget to its breaking point
right now. Uh but unlike other
municipalities across the United States
uh that are rolling back their
investments in their critical human
infrastructure, we are not. We are
maintaining our $10 million investment
over a three-year investment periods to
support the people across our community
that are supporting the people across
our community. Um and that's more
important than it ever has been before.
uh as we see historic disinvestment from
every level of funding that supports our
local uh our social safety nets from the
fed all the way down to local
philanthropy. Uh we're really excited
this funding cycle is going to uh not
just provide uh funding for this year
but also uh these are three-year funding
cycles. So for the next 3 years uh you
know revenue that organizations can rely
on uh during this period of instability.
Um I also think it's really important to
n to note that you know I I couldn't be
more grateful for the work that we did
during the budget process to ensure that
we had a fully funded elevate program um
for this budget cycle. But um we also
have to acknowledge that the Frack
report released recently um just
identified a more than $200 million gap
annually that is needed to shore up our
social safety nets. Um and so this
doesn't um get us there by far. Um but
it is an important step in maintaining
our commitment to our most important
asset which is our people. um along with
a commitment to continue to look how to
bridge those gaps. One thing that's
really exciting and director uh Stevens,
I would love if you could talk about
this. You know, your team really um did
some incredible work to implement a new
process for how to bring real equity um
uh into the way that we're evaluating
these applications this year. Um and so
I would love to see if you could talk
about that briefly.
>> Thank you, President Harden, Chair
Green, members of council. This year,
um, applications for the Elevate grants
were all peer-reviewed and ranked. So,
as part of the application process, each
applicant nominated designated
reviewers, and those reviewers were
assigned to evaluate sets of
applications, excluding anywhere they
had a conflict. Um, each reviewer was
asked to identify and rank their top
five applications within each set they
reviewed. And each application was re
reviewed approximately 20 times by
different reviewers. So every
application was evaluated multiple
times. Those rankings made up 100% of
the input used to determine the funding
decisions and the city while the city
designed and managed the review process
and ensured it was carried out as
intended uh it did not adjust or
override any of the reviews that were
completed or the recommendations.
>> Thank you. I think that's really
important because I think that um I
think that there rightfully across the
sector has been a feeling of mistrust
over years. you know that the way that
we have um not we as a city specifically
but across many different layers and
many many different levels of funding
that it hasn't always been equitable the
same way that our city's bidding
processes for example you know where
it's very clearly codified in the you
know lowest and most qualified bidder
right like that's a that's a very fair
and transparent process and so I think
here one thing that is just really
exciting is both um both being able to
award
uh these funds with better efficacy. Um
because we have experts that are
reviewing the applications um to to
really use that expertise to decide, you
know, what projects we should award as
well as in restoring that trust. Um
that, you know, no one in a elected
position or in a government role is
putting their thumb on the scale. that
we're doing our um due diligence as we
always have been, but we're always
trying to continue to figure out how to
improve public trust um when we're
making these investments. And so I want
to thank you for the work that you and
your team have done around that. Uh we
do have one um person here to speak
tonight on this ordinance. I'd like to
invite um Sher Hathaway, CEO from Epic
Youth, and Kendall Bell uh to the podium
at this time.
Mr. Hathway, thank you so much for being
here tonight. Uh, the floor is yours.
>> President Harden,
Council Member Green, thank you. Fellow
council members, thank you all. I've
been fortunate to meet many of you and
know you. Um, my name is Sher Hathaway.
I'm the chief operating officer of Epic
Youth and I have with me today one of
our students.
>> Hi everyone. My name is Kendall Bell and
I'm 11th grader at Bishop Partley High
School and I am the chair of the Epic
Student Board.
>> Period.
>> At Epic Youth, our vision is to create a
dynamic and inclusive and transformative
ecosystem where young people are
equipped with the skills, confidence,
and support to thrive in school, career,
and in life. We serve youth across
Columbus. many navigating economic
hardships, exposure to violence, and
limited access to opportunities.
Our work is not about interruption, but
a redirection. Meeting young people
early and guiding them towards purpose.
Council members,
funding the health and human service
industry and other organizations such as
ours through opportunities such as
Elevate
is not just funding, it's capacity for
impact. It allows organizations like
ours to strengthen so many things that
feels like have been taken away uh where
we work to make sure that we have
adequate staffing to be able to expand
programming to people in need and to
serve families. And these work the
working families are doing everything
right and still falling behind as you
all may know in some areas.
And so how we address these challenges
here, you know, we at Epic Youth,
you know, we're providing
um leadership opportunities. We're
building disciplines. We're building
character. We're making sure that
they're ready for the workforce,
providing those ways. Number two, we do
preventative programming for just
involve youth. We redirect paths, right,
to make sure that they are ready for the
next phase of life. We also providing
financial literacy and sometimes
resources
um through programs such as our ballers
conference and our other literacy
education um opportunities that we
provide. But long story here, we are not
just supporting youth. We are developing
future workers. We are developing our
leaders and we are developing the
contributors to our society. But the
reality is just as council member Green
has stated just as well as our
organization and other health and human
service organizations um the need is
greater than the current investment. Our
organizations
um and such as organizations in this
room are doing everything on front line.
We are the boots on ground. Many of our
corporate community you know they depend
on us to touch and feel the community.
Many of you in the public sector are
also um use us to do the same and
distribute resource to the community and
one day I dream of being in the one to
not only do what we do for the community
but you know expand our help in doing
that. It's hard being the one who you
know sometimes is jumping in front doing
programming and being the one with the
biggest smile and making sure that
students like like Kendall are
successful in all areas. But I go home
at night and I'm doing bookkeeping and
I'm processing payroll and you know
making sure that the accounting and
everything is right just to make sure
that the organization is is is thriving.
So when you think of increasing funding
for human service sector is not an
expense. It is a long-term investment in
safety and stability and economic growth
for Columbus. When we fund prevention,
mentorship, development, we reduce
future costs and intervention. Kendall,
would you like to say anything?
>> Absolutely. I think what he says about
it being a long-term investment is
what's so important. I do not think I
would be the person I am today, the
person speaking in front of you, if I
did not have the foundations from Epic
Youth that has provided me. Between
leadership and networking and
professional development, I have truly
become a better person and a better
worker and a better future for this
country, for this city especially. And I
think that is so important for Columbus
area students. You know, we see the
education is important, the math, the
social studies, the history, but the
professional development, learning how
to carry yourself when you walk into a
room, and learning about financial
literacy is just as important, if not
more. So, I think that this program is
really important for the Columbus area
students to become better people
overall. So, thank you.
So, thank you again for your leadership
and continued support of the Health and
Human Service organizations in general
and uh for Epic Youth. Uh we are
grateful and we look forward to
continuing this work together. Thank you
all.
>> Thank you so much. Um Mr. Hathway and
Miss Bell for being here tonight. To
your point, um
the healthcare and human services sector
is central Ohio's largest job sector.
It's central Ohio's fastest growing job
sector as well. Um, investments in our
human services sector are investments in
economic development. And let's also be
very clear that last year, last calendar
year, two out of every three of these
taxexempt businesses ended the calendar
year in the red. And it's not because
two out of every three of them are bad
at math. This is a systems problem. And
in a city where the majority of our
city's general fund budget is funded
through income taxes and if our fastest
growing job sector, our largest job
sector in central Ohio is near the verge
of collapse and we're not investing to
figure out how to stabilize it. That has
massive budgetary implications for our
own city's uh budget as well as for all
of the people like Kendall in our
community. uh that benefit from these
programs. These are investments that
make dollars and cents. Um and we're
proud to be able to stand beside you
right now to continue maintaining uh the
promises that we've made to our
community. Um as well as our committed
to figuring out how we go further so
that you can um maximize the possible
impact for all the incredible work that
you do.
>> Sure.
>> Um if I could, first of all, I love Epic
Youth. I um as a youth worker, I think
the work that you do with young people
is amazing. We partner with Epic Youth
um during uh Octo the month of October
during day of the girl. We bring four to
500 girls together from across CCS, well
from different schools in CCS to do a um
a one-day camp to really expose them to
careers in STEM. And you and Aaron have
done an amazing job of creating a fun
learning atmosphere. I mean, we brought
girls from Spellman College, um, other
students, so that I mean, girls who
didn't even know what Spellman College
was now saw a career path for them. Um,
and youth work, I know, is it's like,
um, youth work is like growing an oak
tree, right? Like it's going you were
going to plant the seeds today and
you're going to water it and it's going
to grow well past after you can take
care of it. And Kendall is an example of
that. Also, you got it in your DNA,
Kendall. I've known Kendall since she
was a baby. She went to daycare with my
daughter and now they go to high school
together. And um thank you for being
here. It's amazing that you're here and
thank you for speaking on behalf of your
peers because I think Council Member
Green um one thing I also want to share
with folks and this is something that we
talked about at Women's History Month.
You know, all of our entrepreneurs said,
"I got all these awards. People
highlighted all the great work I did,
but nobody ever invested in me." Right?
And I think the same way that the city
makes an investment, I also want to say
that each one of us here today can make
an investment in the thing that we care
about. We can make investments in
students like Kendall. We can make
investments in Epic Youth. We can make
investments in all of the amazing
nonprofits that we have in the city,
right? Even forgo your coffee for a week
or, you know, find that thing that you
want to do, that little extra money that
you make because if all of us gave $10,
all those $10 add up. And so I want to I
want to just talk about also the the the
opportunity that each one of us have. We
talk about being an investor in the
city. You don't get to choose that, but
you certainly get to choose where you
where else you want to be an investor.
And so when I see all of these amazing
programs that come in and we will do our
part, but I also want to remind folks
that each one of us can do our part. And
so this is another amazing program that
folks can invest in that we can grow
amazing oak trees and plant those seeds
and continue to water them and give our
young people this opportunity to
discover themselves, try on different
opportunities and find a pathway for
themselves. So I want to thank you for
your work, but also give folks a
reminder that we can all be investors in
the things that we care about as well.
>> Absolutely.
>> Thank you so much, council member. Um,
do I see any other comments or questions
from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move
for passage.
>> Second. Please call the
>> banks. Temporaros deodia de a dors green
remy Ross. President Harden
>> pass.
>> Thank you so much. Um, and then very
quickly we have ordinance um uh an
additional ordinance related to uh this
funding ordinance 0898-2026
to authorize the director of development
to execute a grant agreement with Alvis
Inc. a notfor-profit
social service agency in an amount of up
to $75,000 for uh the Elevate All
program to authorize the expenditure of
uh funds prior to the establishment of
the purchase order beginning January 1st
of 2026 through December 31st of 2026.
to authorize the advancement of funds on
a predetermined schedule during the
terms of the agreement to authorize the
expenditure in an amount of up to
$75,000 within the hotel motel tax fund
and to declare an emergency. Um, are
there any other questions or comments
for my colleagues? Seeing none, I move
for passage by voice.
>> Cler, please call the role by voice.
>> Bankston, yes.
>> Provos de Padilla,
>> yes.
>> Deakau,
>> yes.
>> Dorren,
>> yes.
>> Green,
>> yes.
>> Remy,
>> yes. Ross,
>> yes.
>> President Harden,
>> pass.
Um, and finally, we have ordinance
0899-2026
uh to authorize the director of
development to execute a grant agreement
with the Columbus Early Learning Center,
a notfor-profit social service agency in
an amount of up to $75,000 for the
Elevate All program to authorize the
expenditure of funds prior to the
establishment of the purchase order
beginning January 1st of 2026 through
December 31st of 2026. to authorize the
advancement of funds on a predetermined
schedule during the term of the
agreement to authorize the expenditure
and up to $75,000 within the hotel motel
tax fund and to declare an emergency.
Are there any questions or comments for
my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage by voice.
>> Clerk, please call the role by voice.
>> Bankston,
>> yes.
>> Prosa de Padilla,
>> yes.
>> Deakau,
>> yes.
>> Dorren,
>> yes.
>> Gra,
>> yes.
>> Remy,
>> yes.
>> Ross,
>> yes. President Hard
>> abstain. Ordinance passed.
>> Uh thank you so much. That is all for me
tonight.
>> Is there a motion to recess for zoning?
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Bankston Barrosa de Padilla de Akawa
Doris Green Remy Ross. President Hart
>> in recess.
Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
Come to order. Cler, please call the
role. Bankston Barosa de Padilla de
Aower, Doran Green, Remy Ross, President
Harden. Can
>> I get a motion to the reading of the
journal? Second.
>> Please call the RO.
>> Bankston Barrosa de Padilla de AOA Doran
Green Remy Ross President Harden.
>> Are there any additions or corrections
to the journal? Hearing none, the
journal is approved. We'll now go to the
zoning committee. Council member Doran
shares that committee. All members ser
is yours.
>> Thank you, President Harden. Uh before
as always we begin tonight's agenda
allow me to briefly expend our rules
speaking on uh reszonings and variances.
We only have a staff presentation or
ordinances that have a disapproval from
recommending body or if you have a
public speaker to sign to speak against
an ordinance. We permit three speakers
on each side. Three proponents three
opponents. We ask the speakers limit
their remarks to three minutes uh pro
rules of this body. All speakers of the
council of variance including city staff
area commissioners applicants and
members of the public will be sworn in
before they give testimony.
Representative the area commission are
always able to speak on an ordinance and
do not need to fellow a speaker slip,
but we do ask you alert city staff in
your intent to speak at this committee
hearing. We do not have any public
speakers signed up to speak on tonight's
agenda. On the advice of city attorney's
office will now swear in city staff.
Please stand and raise your right hand
be sworn in. Do you swear affirm the
testimony about to give shall shall be
the truth? Nothing but the truth that
you should answer to pay per. If so,
please say I do.
>> I do.
>> Thank you. Please have the record
reflect that Brandon Carpenter from the
Department of Building Services has been
sworn in. First we have ordinance
0838-2026
to resone 5311-5313
Rena Road being.35 plus acres located in
the south side of Rena Road 275 plus
feet west of Atlas Street from ARLD
apartment residential district to L1
limited institutional district site
consist of one undeveloped parcel
portion of a parcel and the request
resoning for allow expansion of an
existing natural gas regulation station
locating the remainder of the parcel uh
to the west the concurrent council
variance will be considered later on in
our agenda on this proposal as All those
as approved from city staff development
commission and the far west side area
commission to my colleagues have
question comments. Seeing none I move
for passage
awards green rey Ross president Harden
>> passed.
>> Thank you. Moving on the variances. Uh
we have ordinance 0815-2026
grant varian provision section 3332.035
R3 residue district 3312.49 49 C require
parking Columbia city codes for property
located 1107 East Mountain Street to
allow a daycare center produced to
require parking in the R3 residential
district. Sec is developed with a former
religious facility and the request of
council variance will allow the existing
building be repurposed as a daycare
center. A council variance is required
because the current zoning district only
allows daycare centers when they are
accessory to a school or religious
facility use. Uh proposals approved from
city staff and the near east area
commission. I first move to accept the
entire staff report into Evans as an
exhibit. Please call the role.
>> Bangs temper roso de podia de aau
dorrence green reie ros
uh president Hardened.
>> Okay. Next move to adopt the fin staff
find council.
>> Please call the role.
>> Banks roa de padilla de a dorren green
reie ros president Harden.
>> Thank you. Finally move for passage.
Second please call the ro.
>> Bangs bar roa de padia de aaward dorans
green reie ros president Harden.
>> Pass.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
0818-226
granted bearance provisions section
3332.02
rural district and 3321.05 B2 vision
clans and 3332.06 06 Ral area district
requirements of Columbus codes for
property located at 5751 sovereign
street to allow two unit dwelling
produce development standards of the
Rural District site consists of two
parcels one develop a single unit
dwelling the other undeveloped request
council variance will allow a two-unit
dwelling on a undeveloped parcel council
variance is required because the current
zoning district does not allow two unit
dwellings a variance to uh reduce vision
clearance and lot area also included in
the request proposal approves with city
staff and the northwest civic
association our first move to accept the
entire staff report into evidence as an
exhibit. Please call the
>> banks timber roia de a dorren green remy
ross president Harden.
>> Thank you. I next move to adopt the five
staffs defiance council. Please call the
ro.
>> Banks timber roa de padilla de aau
dorren green remy ros president Harden
move for passage please call the ro.
>> Banks timber roa de padilla de a dorren
green reie ros president Harden.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
0839-226 to grant advance provision
section 3349 uh 004 AC area uh height
area yard regulations Columbus city
coast for property located at 5311-5313
runner road to reduce uh required
development standards in the L I limited
institutional district and institutional
district and revoke ordinance number
2712-92
passed July 11th 1993 and ordinance
number 0063-2024
passed Jan January 8th of 2024. Um, this
is a concurrent variance to reszone we
heard earlier in tonight's agenda.
Requested variance will allow reduced
development standards for expansion of
an existing natural gas regulation
station. Proposal is approved from city
staff and the far west area commission.
Our first move to accept the entire step
report into evidence as an exhibit.
>> Please call the role.
>> Banks timber roa deodia de a dor screen
reie ros president Harden.
>> Thank you. Next move to adopt the
finding of staff finds councel.
>> Second call. Banks Timber Rosa de Podia
de Aawa Dorren Green Remy Ross President
Harden.
>> Thank you. Finally move for passage.
>> Banks Timber Rosa de Podia de AOA Doris
Green Remy Ross President Harden.
>> Thank you. Uh finally we have ordinance
0841-226
variance of provisions of section
3353.03 3 permit to use the Columbus
City Coast for property located at 2515
Lockorn Road um to allow two to allow
accessory storage in the C2 commercial
district. Site consists of one parcel
developed with a charitable
organization. The request of council
variance will allow u three 8 ft by 40
ft shipping containers to be used for
accessory storage at the rear of the
site. Council variance is required
because storage is not allowed um in use
in the in the that current zoning
district. Proposal is approved by city
staff in the far south uh Columbus area
commission. I first move to accept the
entire staff report into evidence as an
exhibit.
>> Follow Banks Timber Roso de Padilla de
Aawa Dorren Green Remy Ross President
Harden.
>> Thank you. And next I move to adopt the
five staffs to the fines of council.
>> Banks Timber Roso de Padilla de Aawa
Dorren Green Remy Ross President Harden.
>> Thank you. And next move to amend to
emergency.
>> Banks Timber Rosa de Padilla de Aawower
Dorren Green Reie Ross President Harden.
>> Thank you. And finally move for passage
as amended.
Banks Dember Rosa de Padilla de a dorren
screen Remy Ross President Harden
>> thanks all we have tonight's zoning
agenda.
>> Thank you Mr.
Bankston
a Doris Green Remy Ross. President
Harden
de a dors green reie ros president
Harden
>> uh we are in meeting number 15 the next
committee to come before council is the
public safety committee council member
uh reie chairs that committee council
member floors
>> thank you very much council president
tonight in public safety and criminal
justice I have eight ordinances on
second read so first is 251 2026
to authorize the director of public
safety on behalf half of the division of
support services to enter into a new
contract for maintenance with s
Cincinnati Bell, Inc. Doing business as
agile network builders LLC for network
connectivity between the city's
communication towers and the dispatching
centers to wave the competitive bidding
provisions of the Columbus City Code and
to authorize an expenditure of $141,360
from the general fund. This ordinance
authorized a maintenance contract with
Cincinnati Bell or also known as agile
network builders to maintain network
connectivity between the city's
communication towers and dispatch
centers. This leased circuit system
links radio sites and dispatch centers
to the state of Ohio's primary radio
system. A bid waiver is requested as
Cincinnati Bell um in agile network
builders is the established provider for
the network connections required to
interface with the state of Ohio marks
system. you utilizing agile who also
provides service directly to marks
ensures the city operates on a shared
compatible network. Are there any
questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage. Second,
>> please call the role.
>> Thank Rosa de Podia de AOA dorms green
reie Ross President Harden
>> pass. Next, I have 366206
to authorize the appropriation of
$2,525,931.90
from the unappropriated balance of the
law enforcement contraband Caesar fund
to the division of police to fund travel
and training needs and purchase
equipment, supplies, and services and to
declare an emergency. This ordinance
appropriates funds from the
unappropriated balance of the federal
state law enforcement contraband sea
fund for the division of police. F funds
are derived from seized and forfeited
property and are restricted to law
enforcement purposes as specified in
ordinance 185085.
Emergency action is requested to ensure
funds are immediately available for
travel, training, license renewals, and
maintenance andu computer services
necessary to support the continued
operation of the division of police. Are
there any questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Second.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Thanks. Simaroso deia de a dors green
reie Ross President Harden.
>> Pass.
>> Nexus 751 2026 to authorize the director
of public safety to enter into contract
with Lexus Nexus Risk Solutions FL Inc.
for access to the current investigative
database to weigh the competitive
bidding provisions of the Columbus City
Code to authorize the expenditure of
$171,500
from the law enforcement contraband
seizure fund and to declare an
emergency. This author this ordinance
authorized a contract between Lexus
Nexus Risk Solutions FL for continued
access to the accurate investigative
database which provides personnel with
efficient access to criminal records
across Ohio and nationwide. A bid waiver
is requested as Acuran is the only
database of its scope and also
integrates with the city's premier 1
system. Emergency action is also
requested to ensure un uninterrupted
access to this criminal investigative
investigative
tool for the division of police. Are
there any questions or comments? Seeing
none, I move for passage. Second,
>> please call the role.
>> Banks, excuse me. Bankston, Barrosa,
Deodia, de AOA, Dorren Green, Remy Ross,
President Harton.
>> Next, I have 766 2026 to authorize the
director of the Department of Public
Safety on behalf of the division of fire
to enter into preventative maintenance
agreements with the Striker Sales
Corporation LLC to wave the competitive
bidding provisions of the Columbus City
Code, to authorize the contract as
multi-year and renewable, to authorize
the expenditure of $31,688
from the general fund for year 1, and to
declare an emergency. The ordinance
authorizes a multi-year renewable
preventative maintenance and repair
contract with Striker Sales Corporation
LLC for Lucas compression devices and
stair chairs used in emergency medical
services. A bid waiver is requested as
Striker is the sole distributor of the
proprietary equip equipment. The
division of fire will be purchasing
wholesale sale directly from Striker for
cost savings whereas a bid would result
in the division purchasing the same
equipment through a distributor.
Emergency action is requested to keep
equipment in proper working order and
ensure EMS operations continue at peak
levels without interruption. Are there
any questions or comments for my
colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Second.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Banks timber roa de podia de a dors
green reie ros president. pass.
>> Next is 769 2026 to authorize the
director of finance and management and
director of public safety on behalf of
the division of fire to enter into
contracts for the purchase of consumable
supplies and preventative maintenance
respectively with Striker Sales
Corporation for Striker Power Load CS
and Beriatric CS for use in daily
emergency services and emergency medical
services to wave the competitive bidding
provisions of the Columbus City Code
Chapter 329 to authorize the expenditure
of $28,473.60
60s from the general fund and to declare
an emergency. This ordinance authorized
contracts with Striker Sales Corporation
to cons for consumable supplies and
preventative maintenance of the of
Striker load CS and beriatric CS used in
EMS operations as bid waiver is
requested as Striker is a sole
distributor of the proprietary
equipment. Emergency action is requested
to keep supplies stocked at adequate
levels, avoid potential supply chain
issues, and ensure EMS equipment is
maintained in operating at peak levels.
Are there any questions or comments from
my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Second.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Banks timberosa de podia de a dorrence
greenie Ross President Harden
>> passed. Next is a 42206 to authorize the
director of public safety on behalf of
the division of fire to enter into a
contract with issue and issue a purchase
order to Phoenix Safety Outfitters LLC
for the alteration and repair of the
division of fires turnout gear gear to
wave the competitive bidding provisions
of the Columbus city code to authorize
expenditure of 100,000 for the general
fund and to declare an emergency. This
ordinance authorized a contract with
fire acquisition company doing business
as Phoenix Safety Outfitters for the
alteration repair of division of fire
turnout g gear. Fire acquisition company
also provides services to ensure
compliance with NFPA standards for
cleaning and repairs. A bid waiver is
necessary as timely repair and
customization of the division's turnout
gear is vital to the safety of division
personnel. Emergency action is requested
to ensure uninterrupted service and
protection for division of fire
personnel. Are there any questions or
comments from my colleagues? Seeing
none, I move for passage.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Bangs temper rosa deodia de a power dorc
screen remy ross. President Harden
>> passed. Next is 8752026
to authorize and direct direct the
director of public department of public
safety to pay the city's proportionate
share of operational and administrative
support activities of the Franklin
County Emergency Management Homeland
Security Program including the mass
notification system and outdoor warning
siren system fees to authorize the
expenditure of 1,20,23744
from the general fund and to declare an
emergency. This ordinance authorized the
city of Columbus share of funding for
the Franklin County Emergency Management
and Homeland Security Program. The
program manages the county's outdoor
warning sirens and mass notification
system as well as supports disaster
planning, public education, and
emergency exercise. Um, emergency action
is requested to pay an outstanding
invoice and avoid any disruption to
these services. Are there any questions
or comments from my colleagues? Seeing
none, I move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the role. Banks
timber also de podia de a dors green
reie ros president Harden pass.
>> Next is 908 20226 to authorize and
direct the director of the department of
public safety to modify and extend the
contract with change healthcare
technology enabled services LLC for EMS
billing collections and reporting
services from April 1st 2026 to May 31st
2026 to authorize the expenditure of
200,000 from the general fund and to
declare an emergency. The ordinance
modifies and extends the current EMS
billing collection and reporting
contract with change healthcare
technology enabled services LLC through
May 31st 2026. The modification limits
the scope of services to collection of
outstanding receivables only ensuring
proper closeout of accounts during the
transition to a new vendor. A bid waver
is requested as change healthcare
technology services. Uh is the current
provider in continuity of services
necessary to complete collection of
outstanding EMS receivables? Emergency
action is requested to ensure
uninterrupted collection services
through the transition period to a new
vendor. Are there any questions or
comments from my colleagues? Seeing that
I move for passage,
>> please call the role.
>> Banks timberosa de padilla de a dors
green reie ros president Harden
>> pass.
>> Thank you very much. That's all I have
this evening. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Final committee come for council is the
housing uh the housing and homelessness
committee. Committee is chaired by uh
council member Ross. Council member for
Shores.
>> Thank you, Council President. We just
have one ordinance on second read this
evening. It is ordinance number
0777-2026
to authorize the director of development
to enter into a grant agreement with
National Church Residencies for the new
construction of Clover Glenn 2 in an
amount up to $2,300,000
with a total commitment to the project
of $4,300,000 to authorize the
expenditure of up to $2,300,000
from the affordable housing bond fund
and to declare an emergency. The new
construction of Clover Glen 2 is a 95
unit community for seniors aged 55 plus
located at 100 Galloway Road in
Columbus, Ohio. Clover Glen 2 serves a
unique and growing aging low-income
population in Ohio. It is a senior
housing community that will offer 95
one-bedroom units with all units
affordable to residents at or below 60%
AMI. This project will have an on-site
service coordinator and residents will
have access to services that promote
health, wellness, and quality of life to
prolong independent living for
individuals with varying levels of
health. Of particular note, the property
is within walking distance from the
Prairie Township Community Center, which
offers a pool, fitness center, walking
path, and seasonal farmers market. In
addition to hosting programming
specifically for seniors, including
adult education opportunities, residents
will also have walking access to dental
care, eye care, grocery shopping, park
with walking trail, place of worship,
pharmacy dining, salon, bank, and bus
service. The Clover Glenn 2 property is
planning to close or National Church
Residencies is planning to close on the
Clover Glenn 2 uh construction and on
the financing deal for Clover 2 in April
of 2026 and begin construction soon
after construction is expected to last
18 months finishing in the fall of 2027.
Only question I have for Director
Stevens is uh why we are passing as an
emergency. Uh, President Harden, Chair
Ross, members of council. We are
requesting emergency action to expedite
the closing of the precon of the
construction loan for the developer.
>> Thank you. No questions or comments from
my colleagues. I move for passage.
>> We have a speaker.
>> We have a speaker.
>> Oh, one speaker. Oh, Mr. Wilkins is
coming to speak and I believe he is
speaking in support of this ordinance.
Thank you for coming to council.
1612 Arlington Avenue. Been been in my
house for 19 years. First of all, let me
just say again, um, this thing here is a
great idea, but I think it needs to be
more money. $4.5 million.76.
Um I I know a lot of time we're leaving
out the the disability people, people in
wheelchairs and stuff like that and also
the u uh hearing impaired. And so to see
this thing to come with elderly
population and also not affordable for
hearing impaired or the disability and
blind folks. So, I just want to know
when did this got started? If it's
located on the bus line or everything is
is just in walking distance for people
that's walking with walkers or uh some
type of cane accessibility and things
like that for wheelchair accessibility.
And so if we are looking at this is
these
apartments or whatever this is going to
be is all on one level or uh based on
their uh future needs. So again I just
like to have more clarification. What is
the timeline of this? What was phase one
look like? I don't know what was phase
one look like. I know we are passing
this, but this is a great idea, but I
would like to see more of this in
certain parts of the uh Columbus, Ohio
area. If this is in I think it's in
Perry Township or something like what
you said, I'm not for sure. So, I just
like to have more clarification on this.
Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you, Mr. Wilkins. If you'd like to
stay up, um Director Stevens will
address some of your questions now.
>> Uh thank you, Chair Ross. Uh I don't
have all the details. They will be
breaking ground early summer and we'll
follow up team will follow up with you
if some of the other qu answer some of
your other questions.
>> Thank you.
>> No further questions.
>> Is there a motion to is there was there
already a second?
>> We need a second for her. Second clerosa
deia de a dors green reie ros president
Harden
>> passed
see no further business come for council
is there a motion to adjurnn second cl
>> please call the role
>> bank roa de podia de a dorren green reie
ros present harden
>> meeting is adjourned miss wkins you can
come back
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