Heat.
Heat.
Heat. Heat.
Council
member Green, would you lead us in the
pledge? I pledge allegiance 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 the Reverend Dr. Kevin our who's
the lead pastor of Glennwood United
Methodist Church here to pray with us.
Pastor, welcome back to council.
>> Shall we pray?
Sovereign God, author of creation,
source of life and love, we thank you
for your providential care. You have
blessed this city with an abundance of
resources.
Grant grace, strength, and creativity to
all who work for the city. And for those
who have been elected to represent the
rich and diverse and sometimes
conflicting voices and interests of the
people, grant discernment, wisdom,
vision, and courage to make decisions
that support the welfare of the people
of Columbus. We ask this in the name of
all that is holy. Amen.
>> Amen. Thank you so much, Pastor Cler.
Please call the role.
Barrosa de Padilla de a dors green reie
Ross white 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 2311.21
>> Thank you madam clerk. Can I get a
motion with the reading of the journal?
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barrosa de Padilla de Akawa, Dor Green,
Remy Ross, Vice President Hart.
>> Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh, there is one
correction to the March 9th journal
referenced by the city clerk in
communication C0011-2026.
The new type was inadvertently listed as
D1 and should be D3 for RHFMB
Ohio LLC Restoration Hardware. If there
are no other additions or corrections to
the journal, the journal is approved.
This week's communications received by
the city clerk's office are listed on
the agenda and will be published in the
city bulletin. Are there any other
communications to be read into the
record?
>> Not at this time.
>> Before we go uh around the dis, I wanted
to take a moment as a council um but
more so as a city to honor the life of
Tech Sergeant Tyler Simmons. Um he's an
airman with the 121st Air Refueling Wing
at Rick and Backer Air National Guard
Base who died last Thursday helping
refuel a plane which crashed into uh in
Iraq. Tyler was 28 years old and he
graduated from Eastmore Academy High
School in 2015 where he also played
football. He was someone beloved in our
community and especially by his family.
He is remembered for his leadership, his
service, and as someone who loved his
job. I've talked to Tyler's mom several
times over the last week and um
just told her that we are praying for
her, but she was extremely proud of her
son's service. Extremely proud of her
son's service and wants us to remember
his service uh in this time. Can we have
a moment of silence for Sergeant Tyler
Simmons?
Thank you. We'll now go around the DAS.
Council member Rosa Deia.
>> Thank you, Council Member. Council
member Deakau.
>> Thank you, Council President. I am
excited about presenting your resolution
this evening. This time I would like to
invite the Centennial High School girls
basketball team and their coaches to the
podium as I introduce this resolution.
Resolution 0069X-2026
to recognize and celebrate the
Centennial High School girls basketball
team for winning back-to-back City
League Championships.
The Centennial High School girls
basketball program has established a
standard of excellence, demonstrating
that success is a result of relentless
hard work, discipline, and a unified
vision. The Stars have once again
ascended to the top of the Columbus City
League, capturing back-to-back league
titles and proving their dominance on
the court through a season defined by
grit and sportsmanship.
This sustained success is a testament to
the leadership and tactical expertise of
head coach Ernest Bell and varsity
assistants Bobby Witcher, Maddie Miles,
Kevin Houston, and Steve Anderson. These
coaches whose commitment to developing
both the skill and character of their
players have built a championship
culture at Centennial High School. This
legacy began with the historic 2024 2025
team whose inaugural championship season
set the foundation for this era of
dominance. And the 2025 2026
championship roster demonstrated
exceptional chemistry, talent, and heart
throughout their title defense. This
historic achievement reflects the
tireless dedication of the student
athletes and the unnerving support of
the Centennial High School faculty,
students, and Columbus community.
These young women serve as exceptional
role models for aspiring athletes
throughout our city, proving that with
teamwork and determination, greatness is
within reach. The city of Columbus takes
great pride in recognizing the
achievements of our youth who represent
our community with such poise and
competitive spirit. With that, I'd like
to present this resolution to Coach
Bell. And I'm also going to offer up the
floor to say words and introduce these
amazing star athletes. The floor is
yours.
>> Thank you. I first want to say thank you
all for having us here today. And I'll
just talk a little about a little bit
about our season. We definitely we lost
some of our starters last year and this
season we knew it was going to be like a
rebuild and a rebound and stuff like
that. So, we kind of all just came
together and we kind of had the same
goal and like our people who were here
with us last year, we just kind of
reminded the new people of like our goal
to like go back to cities and to like do
the thing and we just kind of reminded
them of what we do here at Centennial,
like our standard and how we like kind
of run things so they could hop in and
we could get a road going and we could
win some games. So, we did that and
everybody was just ready to go. our
practices. We had some really good
practices, especially leading up to big
games. And we had just we had we were
all just ready to go and just ready to
win as a team. And we just wanted it. We
just wanted it more than some of our
opponents. And yeah, we just had to
execute and when it was time to execute,
we just we did it.
>> Y'all delivered.
>> Yes.
about introducing the names of these
amazing players and your coaches here.
>> Okay, so we'll start right here. We have
coach Witch, then we have Nia, we have
Tia, we have head coach, coach Bell,
then we have Nia, then we have Jayla, we
have Izzy and Tiana, then we have Coach
A. This is Centennial Lady Stars
basketball team and coaches.
Coach Bell, you want to bring us on home
with some words about your amazing team?
>> Um,
as she stated, this was a rebuilding
year for us. Uh, only three people
really returned four from our roster.
>> Wow.
>> Uh, last season. Um, her sister was one
of our, uh, leading scorers and we had
one of the top 10 rebounders in the
country on our team. So, we had to
replace a lot of people, but they showed
a lot of resilience, um, excellence, not
only um, on the floor, but in the
classroom. My my team has a a cumulative
GPA over 3.2.
>> Wow.
>> So, at Centennial, we aren't just
building basketball players, we're
building better people for the
community. U, basketball is just a
vehicle to get you where you want to go
because everybody's not gonna play in
the WNBA. Everybody's not going to play
in college, but whatever you have, you
can use it to get you where you want to
go. Um, we were blessed. We were
fortunate. God was good to us last year.
He was good to us this year. He will be
better to us next year because we plan
on making a final four run.
>> All right.
>> The last thing I'll say is I have an
amazing amazing amazing coaching staff.
Um, Coach Witcher has been with me all
but one year and we've been at
Centennial six years. We spent half our
time in the championship. I'm proud to
say we're two Well, we're what are we
two in one? Two in one in in the city
championship. Um, Coach Miles is not
here. She actually played for me at
Columbus State uh and came over with me
to coach high school basketball. Um,
then we have coach Anderson that joined
this year. But I'll be honest, a head
coach is only the sum of his staff. And
one of the main pieces and the reason
why we are successful is not here with
us tonight because he is on the coaching
staff at Ohio State University. Also, he
was one of, if not the architect of what
we do is he made it easy for me to come
in and coach. I will never take credit
for everything. and that is uh Kevin
Houston Jr. Um he's as you know like I
said they're playing Notre Dame right
now so he he's there couldn't be here
with us. And lastly our senior Khloe
Perkins she is a testament uh to
resilience
survival and she's proven that you can
make it regardless of what happened. She
had to overcome some monumental things
to get through these four years and even
be where she is right now. So, I just
want to take the time to honor her also
as she's not here with us. Thank you.
>> Thank you so much.
And and I will say you are the uh jewel
of the amazing District 2.
Do any of my colleagues have any
questions or comments?
>> Um I first want to say welcome and
congratulations ladies. I am I have two
female athletes at home. And so uh for
our girls, we always made them play a
sport growing up because it's so
important just first of all, it's the
best way for girls to learn to support
other girls. And I hope everything that
you learn out on the court, you take out
into life because that's the way that we
achieve together is by that same
teamwork you learn on when you're on the
basketball court. That's how you should
think about life and you should think
about how you support other women. And
so I want to congratulate you um and
welcome you. This is the people's house.
I hope you come back. Is this your first
time at city hall? Well, I hope you come
back because this is a place not only
that we celebrate but we advocate for
our young people, for all our people,
for our community. I want to thank our
coaching staff because I think teachers,
coaches, mentors are some of the most
important people in young people's
lives. um you are there every day to um
to uplift our young people, to give life
to our young people, to give
opportunities to our young people, to
see things in them and grow things in
them that they couldn't see in
themselves. And so that's incredibly
important. And the last shout out I want
to give is I see some parents back there
with their um cameras up and as a as a
mom, I know you drove to lots of games,
picked up lots of practices, bought some
snacks, did some things. So, I just want
to give y'all a shout out too for um
continuing to support your young people.
And to the young athlete who introduced
the team, you didn't introduce yourself.
What's your name?
>> I'm so sorry. I'm Kennedy Houston.
>> Hi, Kennedy. You represented the team
very well. So, congratulations everyone.
>> Real quick.
>> Yeah.
>> Um this is the best player in the state
of Ohio.
>> Hands down.
>> Kennedy, I need your autograph before
you leave. It could be worth something
someday. Um, but thank y'all and
congratulations.
>> Thank you.
>> Any other comments? All right. Well,
um, with that I move for adoption.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barela de Padilla de Akawa, Doris Green,
Remy Ross, Weiss, President Harden.
>> Adopted.
>> Thank you. Congratulations.
>> And that's all for me.
>> Thank you, Council Member Press Pro Tim.
>> That's for me.
>> Council member Green.
>> Thank you so much, Council President.
Tonight, we do have one resolution on
for presentation this evening. And as I
introduce this resolution, I'd love to
invite um our friend and community
leader Yolanda Owens from um Local
Matters to the podium to speak. Um, we
are introducing resolution 0067X-2026
to honor local matters during national
national nutrition month. Um, I can't
tell you how much I always appreciate
the opportunity to be able to recognize
organizations that are not just doing
good work, um, but who show up every
single day in, uh, the lives of our
neighbors to tackle problems headon and,
um, be able to support one another. And
that's that's really exactly what Local
Matters does. You know, as we celebrate
National Nutrition Month this month,
it's a reminder that nutrition is about
so much more than just what's on our
plates, right? Um it's about access,
it's about education, it's about
opportunity. Um and it's about whether
or not families can find fresh food in
their neighborhoods, which I know has
been your longtime mission to be able to
bridge. whether or not a kid can learn
how to cook a healthy meal. Um whether
or not our communities have the tools
that they need to be able to make um
healthy choices that are going to
promote well-being. You know, here in
Ohio, we have a lot of work to do. Um I
know that about one in eight of our uh
people in our state are experiencing
hunger. Um for kids, it's about one in
five. Um in my neighborhood, it's about
one in three. Um, and you know, we have
a lot of work that we need to do because
this is an issue that uh doesn't just
affect you in your home. It touches
classrooms and it touches our households
and it impacts the well-being of our um
entire community. And that's really why
work like the work that local matters
does and our other partners working to
tackle um food system challenges across
our community is so important. Um, you
know, I'll let you speak on behalf of
your own organization. the impact that
you've had um over the last, you know,
almost two decades now has just been
absolutely astronomical. And so, you
know, this month during National
Nutrition Month um especially, but
really every month of the year, we're
really really proud to be able to
recognize those incredible
accomplishments and highlight the
importance of nutrition. Um, but you
know, especially be able to um give the
thanks where it is due, where I know you
don't hear it as often as you should,
um, to the people and the organizations
that are doing um, incredible work like
this across our community every day. Um,
before I turn it over to you, Yolanda,
um, I also am not doing this alone
either. None of us can do anything
alone. And I'm very happy and grateful
to be co-sponsoring this resolution
tonight with my uh friend and colleague,
Council Member White. And so, Council
Member W, I wanted to give you an
opportunity to say a few words as well.
>> Uh, thank you, Council Member Green.
Appreciate your leadership on this and
recognizing this amazing organization.
I'm not going to take up too much time.
I just want to say thank you for all the
work that Local Matters is doing, not
just during nutrition awareness month,
but 365 days a year. you are supporting
our residents and ensuring that people
are addressing food insecurity and for
that we truly appreciate it. So uh with
that I guess I'll kick it over to you to
u share some remarks.
>> Awesome. Well, thank you. Um first I
want to acknowledge council members both
green and white for this honorable
recognition. Um thank you to the
council. Uh and thank you council
president Harden for putting the call to
help put this together. Uh, with March
being National Nutrition Month, I am
honored to be able to stand before you
in recognition of the work that Local
Matters has done for the last 18 years.
And with myself being executive director
there for just under a year,
founded on bringing nutrition and early
childhood intervention around our food
system, Local Matters came into fruition
in about 2008. Over this time, we have
built an organization that has touched
more than 200,000 lives across central
Ohio. whether through our food education
work, cooking classes, gardening
classes, um through our food access
work, um from Rose Kitchen or our Veggie
Van, hence the t-shirt,
and through our advocacy work, work that
could not be done without our amazing
co-founder, who could not be here with
us this evening, Norin Waro, whose
life's work continues to create
sustainable and equitable communities.
National Nutrition Month is more than
just putting food in front of people's
faces. It's more about providing
nourishment and building community.
This work, unfortunately, has become
increasingly more difficult to sustain.
With crowded funding pools and more
requests for outcomes than dollars that
are given, I find myself still
struggling and continuing to hold fast
in the belief of the famous Virginia
Wolf quote.
One cannot think well, one cannot love
well, and one cannot sleep well unless
one has dined well.
Food is the foundation of us as human
beings in the building of communities.
At this moment, I call on you all and
this entire community to continue the
work to build a more equitable, just,
and deliciously nourish nourishing food
system. Thank you,
Yolanda. I want to thank you so much for
sharing um for sharing those remarks. I
think that we have reached a moment now
where um it really is a real crisis of
conscience and a crisis of uh budget,
you know, when it comes to making
decisions. And if we um cannot
collectively as agree as a community
that ensuring that our people, our most
important asset that we have here in our
community, uh ensuring that they have
food shouldn't be the first priority
every single time. It's just so basic.
>> Uh Maslo's hierarchy of needs, then you
know, then I don't know. We're truly
lost. And so we're we're um you know,
it's an honor and a privilege to be able
to continue uh supporting this
incredible work. and I'm so grateful for
your advocacy. You know, I remember a
couple weeks ago I was at the I was
visiting the warming center and I was
talking to a young woman um who was
there who was talking about her work at
our current crisis uh center that just
opened um where she is employed and she
was talking about she she's a cook,
she's a chef. Um and she was talking
just really beaming with pride sharing
about how you know you've got a lot of
people that are coming into that center
just in crisis. A lot of people that
have all different types you know coming
from all different types of
socioeconomic backgrounds and you know
may or may not have access to healthy
you know high quality food in their
homes and she was sharing the story
about how she had um she had cooked one
night ceviche for all of them. Um
because you know even people that are in
crisis or people that are living in
poverty like deserve to have access to
these cultural experiences and the way
that it opens up people's minds to be
able to connect with one another and to
feel this sense of dignity and
self-worth. Um you know food is so basic
but it's just so important. It's so so
so important. and we have um we have
work to do, but I feel very confident
that with your advocacy and and so many
others across this community that we
will we will continue to make more
progress um across our community. Do any
of my um colleagues have any other
comments or questions?
Well, on this National Nutrition Month,
we certainly honor you and are grateful
for your work. Um, as well as, you know,
really are committed um to moving
forward throughout the rest of this year
um you know, locked arms with you to be
able to ensure that our neighbors have
what they need to be able to um to
thrive. So, with that, I move for
adoption.
>> Clerk, please call the role. Barrosa
Deia de Akar Dors Green Remy Ross Swe
president Harden
>> adopted.
>> Thank you, Council Member. Council
member Remy.
>> Thank you, Council President. I just
want to take a moment to recognize a
member of our family that passed on May
15th. Mickey or sorry, March 15th.
Mickey Tate was somebody that many of us
knew around city hall as a security
guard, but so many people around this
community knew him as somebody that
helped youth in many, many ways um by
teaching them how to weightlift. Um he
was one he actually held a world record
which we acknowledged in 2024 in this
this chambers but um he lost his battle
with cancer. Um he had 10 kids. He
served the US Air Force two tours over
in Japan and and um Korea. Um those 10
kids, one of those kids, my wife taught.
So um you know Mickey was all around the
city and and so many people knew him. So
I just wanted to acknowledge that. And
um we we will definitely miss his
presence, his character. I don't think
he ever met a a stranger. So um maybe
take a moment of silence.
>> Thank you very much, Council President.
>> Thank you for helping us remember Mickey
Tape.
Council member Ross.
>> Thank you, Council President. Just one
announcement. Uh we will be having our
second community listening hours on
April 7th to kick off fair housing
month. We are going to have this list
community listening hours focused on
senior housing specifically. So, if you
are a senior in our community, if you
are a housing provider, if you are a
service provider, or if you are a
community member uh that wants to be a
part of this work as we look to uh build
a housing agenda that helps our seniors
who happen to be the fastest growing uh
demographic of the unhoused in our
community, please, please, please come
meet us on April 7th uh from 12:00 to
2:00 p.m. at the Fran Ryan Center. Uh we
will uh put out more information on our
social media outlets and I will be sure
to continue to announce it so that you
can remember the date. Thank you,
>> Council Member White.
>> Thank you, Council President. One quick
announcement um then a resolution. Uh,
first I'm excited to share that we'll be
hosting the first edition of this year's
Wednesdays with WC this Wednesday, March
25th, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. It'll take
place at Barrow and Bloom located at
2365 West Dublin Granville Road. I'll be
meeting with constituents, community
stakeholders, and other members of the
public to discuss issues that are
impacting our community. Uh, the event
is open to the public and we uh welcome
walk-ins. If you're interested in
learning more, I encourage you to visit
my web page on the Columbus City Council
website and I hope to see you all there.
Uh, next, I'd like to invite Mariah
Williams with Solar United Neighbors up
to the podium to accept our next
resolution. As she comes forward, I'd
like to introduce resolution 66X to
encourage the state legislature of Ohio
to pass legislation to allow for the
creation of a community energy pilot
program. The rising cost of electricity
has been a topic of many conversations
at the local and state level. And the
truth is that we are currently faced
with an energy affordability crisis that
is significantly impacting our
community. In June of 2025, Ohioans saw
a 26% increase in their electricity
bills. The rising cost of living and
electricity coupled with inflation is
completely unsustainable. Paving the way
for the creation of clean energy
projects is an immediate solution which
will address electricity costs and
sustainability concerns. Renewable
energy sources are the most
cost-effective source of electricity and
are more efficient and faster to build
and deploy on the distribution side uh
than other sources of energy. In
November 2025, the Ohio House of
Representatives PA passed House Bill 303
which would allow for the creation of
community energy pilot program. This
bill would increase instate generation
capacity by an additional 1500 uh
megawws through the integration of
distributed energy resources into the
grid. This program would not only
benefit electric uh consumers but would
also result in significant economic
gains. A study from the Ohio University
determined that a community solar pilot
program would generate an estimated 5.6
billion in gross output and 409 a.5
million in local tax revenue. Currently,
House Bill 303 has been referred to the
Senate Energy Committee and is awaiting
action. Given the bill's important
benefits for Ohioans and Columbus
residents, I urge the Ohio Senate
President and the Senate Energy
Committee chair to quickly move House
Bill 303 through the legislative
process. And I want to thank my fellow
council members for joining me in
strongly encouraging the state
legislature to pass this necessary
legislation. Before I call for adoption,
uh Mariah, the floor is yours to share
some remarks. Well, thank you and good
evening, council members. Um, my name is
Mariah Williams and I'm the Ohio program
director for Solar United Neighbors.
We're a nonprofit that works with the
city in a number of ways. Um, you're
probably most familiar with when we host
those solar co-ops to help your
residents get the education they need to
decide if solar is right for their homes
or not. Um, but one of the other things
that we do get to work on is these
wonderful pieces of policy with our
state legislature. So, I wanted to take
a minute to say this matters.
Resolutions like this one are not just
symbolic. They are a declaration that
Columbus is paying attention, that this
council sees that residents are
struggling with increasing energy
burden. Um, and that you guys are
willing to put your name behind that
solution. That means something. And I'm
genuinely grateful to get to witness
that all the time as a Columbus
resident. This is not the first time
that Columbus has led on this issue. Two
years ago, council passed net energy
metering for the city um for your
utility customers. And at that time, it
also included community energy for those
same municipal electric customers.
Columbus has a habit of showing Ohio
what is possible just like that. But I
want to take a moment to explain why
this resolution and House Bill 303 are
necessary. There's sometimes confusion
even at the state house about it.
Columbus Division of Power is a
municipal electric company. And then
part of your customers, part of your
constituents here are served by AE.
They're an investor-owned utility. As it
stands here in Ohio, those
investor-owned utility customers do not
get the same access to policies like
community energy that your municipal
customers do. and we want to fix that
for you guys and for the people that you
represent.
They're currently locked out of those
same, you know, money-saving
opportunities. So, House Bill 303, as
Council Member Weiss mentioned, has
passed the House and we're now in front
of the Senate. We're expecting to start
having hearings here in the middle of
April.
um this will send a message to them that
Columbus as well as other communities
across the state are ready for this move
and are there to support it whenever
it's enacted. So, I want to thank you
again for your leadership. This
resolution is exactly the kind of
encouragement that we hope will get the
Senate moving on this and get it passed
so that we can start saving everybody
money.
>> All right. Thank you for being here. And
just uh for our own education, other
councils have already passed this. Do
you know how many at this point?
>> You guys are fourth. So you're in the
top five, but Lakewood, Cleveland
Heights, and Wyoming, Ohio. So we've got
representation across the state. Um, you
know, from Cincinnati clear up to
Cleveland and different sizes of
community. And we're also in Fairview
Park City Council tonight. Um, so
they're not planning to pass it yet.
They wanted to ask more questions, but
we've got representatives there to
answer it for them.
>> Well, that's disappointing. were four
but at least we are in the top five. So
I appreciate you.
>> That's what matters right here.
>> Let me uh stop there. See if any
questions or comments from my
colleagues. Seeing none, I move for
adoption.
>> Rosa de Padilla de Akaw Dors Green Reie
Ross President Hart.
>> Thank you, council member. Well, I want
to invite up Bruce Hallebertton and
everyone um here with a tribe called
Jazz.
Uh April uh which it is almost April. I
know it doesn't feel like it out there.
It is almost April, I promise you, is
Jazz Appreciation Day. And so this
resolution is to honor and recognize the
month of April as Jazz Appreciation
Month and April 30th, 2026 as
International Jazz Day 6. Uh today we
have folks from a j a tribe called Jazz
which is a local nonprofit here in our
city that strives to preserve the legacy
and the advancement and the future of
jazz through visual storytelling, live
and virtual performance, education, and
community engagement. This includes
youth camps, workshops, and outreach to
historically underserved youth across
our community. Uh we are excited to
recognize uh jazz appreciation month
here at city council because it's not
just about music. It's about how music
changes lives and can be used and moves
in every aspect of our lives. And so I'm
just so excited to have you here
Stephanie and every and the young people
uh and to hear more about what you do
but also to celebrate uh April as jazz
appreciation month.
>> Wonderful. Thank you so much. Uh and
good evening, Council President Hart and
council members and everyone gathered
here today. Um I do have some prepared
remarks and uh first I just want to
thank you for this recognition and for
standing with the arts community because
what you support here today truly shapes
the heartbeat of our city. Uh for those
of you who don't know me, my name is
Stephanie Matthews and I'm the executive
director of a tribe for jazz and we're
honored to accept this resolution
recognizing April's Jazz Appreciation
Month and April 30th as International
Jazz Day here in Columbus.
So, as you said, Council President, jazz
is more than music. It's also a language
of resilience, creativity, and
connection. It tells the story of where
we've been, and it gives shape to where
we're going. And right here in Columbus,
that story is alive, evolving, and being
written in real time. This month is not
just about performances. It's about
people. It's about the students from
Fort Hayes Career Center
and the Ohio State University. and those
folks from our community who are
stepping into this art form with both
passion and purpose. We are especially
proud of the Fort Hayes students with us
today who have submitted applications to
the Aspire Berkeley summer program.
>> Wow. Now, Berkeley Music School of Music
is one of the best music schools in the
country and some of these students are
going to be going there this summer and
so we are so very proud of them and
that's a reminder that that's not just
an opportunity. That is a statement
about their talent, their discipline and
their future. And so, the next
generation of jazz isn't coming.
It's already here. It's already here.
We're so proud of you.
And this month is also about partnership
from Fort Hayes Career Center to the
Columbus Museum of Art to the Boys and
Girls Club and see Brilliance.
Uh from the Beexley Public Library to
the Frank W. Hail Cultural Center at
Ohio State and the Ketta Scott King
Center at Antioch College. This work
happens because people and institutions
across this city choose to show up,
collaborate, and invest in something
bigger than themselves. And so
throughout April that collaboration
comes to life. And so we begin on April
2nd at the Clemson Museum of Art with
the concert film John Robagon, a solo
tenor odyssey. April 9th, the Andrew Ty
quartet returns to CMOA, followed by a
trio performance at the Boys and Girls
Club on April 13th, bringing jazz
directly into spaces where it can
inspire the next generation. On April
19th, we host a special fundraiser
performance featuring our Fort Hayes
students who have submitted to Aspire
Berkeley. On April 23rd, Alexis
Cunningham from the Ohio State
University performs at the Beexley
Public Library. On April 26th, we gather
at the Kretta Scott King Center at
Annioch College for a banquet featuring
Cuban-American pianist Fabian Almazon.
And on April 29th at the Frank W. Hail
Cultural Center, we host a moderated
discussion with Melena Casado, creating
space not just per for performance, but
for dialogue. And then finally, on April
30th, we close the month with an
International Jazz Day performance by
Melena Casado Quartet at the Columbus
Museum of Art. And so this in our mind
is what a city sounds like when it's
working together. Jazz teaches us how to
listen, how to respond, and how to make
space for one another. Skills that feel
especially relevant right now. So,
tonight, we don't just accept this
resolution. We uh celebrate a community,
a community of artists, of educators,
students, and partners who are not only
keeping this music alive, but pushing it
forward right here in Columbus. And so I
want to say thank you again, Council
President Harden, and uh to everyone
here at city council, and thank you for
your investment in the arts and as we
invest um excuse me, and uh your
investment in the arts and we invest in
the soul and the uh future of our city.
Thank you. Thank you.
>> Well, thank you so much, Miss Stephanie.
Um April is going to be full of uh
opportunities. I hope folks are taking
notes of all the ways that we can How
can we get that list or how can folks
find the list of things that are
happening with uh
>> Yes, sir. Thank you. Um visit um a tribe
forjazz.org. Okay, so it's
www.attribeforjazz.org
or on Instagram a tribe forjazz_.
>> All right. And we can't have these
future stars in here without letting
them introduce themselves. So if you
would quickly come up to the podium and
just introduce yourself. Council
President, if you don't mind, can you
also tell us what instrument you're
playing?
>> My name is Louisis Drafton the third and
I play piano, drums, and organ.
>> My name is Philipwamed Dua Chong Jr. and
I play saxophone. I sing and I play a
little bit of keyboard.
>> My name is Damen Little and I play the
electric bass.
My name is Wyatt Kissinger and I play
drum set.
>> My name is Tamia Shedwick and I'm a
vocalist.
>> And a beginner keyboardist.
>> All right.
>> My name is Christian Jones and I'm a
vocalist.
>> All right.
>> Mr. McCartish, go ahead and just tell
them who you are.
>> Okay. I'm the director of career music
at Ford Hayes in my 27th year. Oh, thank
you.
>> And I plan on I got a a a
son at Dominion Middle School. He's got
four years to go, so I'm going to try to
match him and do four more years with
the district.
>> It's hard to say goodbye. This is an
extraordinary group of young people
right here.
>> Yes.
>> And it's an incredible honor
>> to be their teacher and just to know
them. Um these are some really
exceptional people here.
>> Um not just musicians. Uh it's it's it's
really something and
a lot of love in my heart for these
kids, young people for
uh uh we've got a concert at the school
May 15th. It's going to feature all
original music. We've been doing a lot
of different people's music throughout
the year, but I'm challenging everybody
to do creative work for our last show,
May 15th, and we're going to do it
outside on the lawn
>> at our school. So
>> that's amazing. And can the students
from Ohio State just quickly, please,
>> Andrew?
>> My name is Andrew Tyson and I play the
drums. Okay.
>> My name is Kendall Benjamin. I play
bass.
>> And my name is Alexis Cunningham and I
play upright and electric bass.
>> All right. And our partners here.
>> Yes.
>> Partners.
>> Lewis Smith, founding supporter of a
tribe for jazz. Jazz is life.
>> Yes.
Dr. Harris,
>> Dr. Nathan Leroy Harris. See,
brilliance. Thank you again, Steph. Uh,
>> thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Well, thank you so much. Uh, we're so
excited for you. Uh, we're crossing our
fingers for Berkeley over the summer,
but we are excited to come see you on
May 15th for
>> in April 19, April 19. Columbus Museum
of Art at
>> What time is that?
>> Uh, two o'clock.
>> Two o'clock.
>> Yes.
Well, with that, uh, I move for passage
on, uh, resolution,
uh, 00059X.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Barosa, de Padilla, de A, Dors, Green,
Remy, Ross, Wish, President Harden.
>> Thank you.
And lastly, um I'm going to invite u Mr.
Charles Coleman to come forward. Um two
weeks ago we had Coach Bell here and I
said that uh it's not too often that we
have superheroes in this building. Um
God one uped us and said, "Well, yes it
is if you're in the city of Columbus."
And so, uh, we have another superhero
that we are acknowledging this evening.
Um, Mr. Coleman is an employee with the
Department of Water and Power, and he's
being recognized this evening for his
quick action and heroism in helping a
young girl who was looking to harm
herself by jumping off a bridge recently
in the in our city. He helped bring her
to safety uh, and waited until first
responders arrived. Charles has been
with the city department of water and
power for over seven years and was a
Columbus City Schools graduate from
Mifflin High School. We are so grateful
for you and I and I will also say there
was another city employee there with
you. Um Miss Katherine Cole who actually
works for city council. Um, and um,
really, you know, you I think you
represent who our employees are and and
what the work that they do every day.
You went above and beyond on that
fateful day. Um, but I also when we talk
all the time about we have 9,000 city
employees that don't get enough love and
appreciation for who they are. Mr.
Coleman, this is who our employees are.
They are superheroes in big and small
ways. And so we didn't think it robbery
to bring you down here tonight to show
our community just how great we are uh
because of you. So thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much for your
heroism um and for representing us so
well and literally saving the lives of
one of our young people. Would you help
me celebrate Mr. Charles Coleman?
would you like to say a few words, Mr.
Coleman?
>> I want to start off by saying thank you,
Mr. President Harden, and to the members
of city council and everyone here today.
Um, usually I just go off the top of the
head, but this is on camera, so I had to
write a few words down, a little
nervous. You can see my arm armpits are
a little sweaty.
But I I'm truly honored and grateful to
be standing here. What happened that day
wasn't something I planned for or
expected. I simply acted in the moment
in the best way I knew how. I believe
most people would have done the same
thing if they were in my position.
Saving that young woman's life is
something I'll carry with me forever.
But this recognition reminds me that
we're all connected and that even the
small decisions and critical moments can
make a lasting difference.
I want to say thank you to the first
responders and everyone else
>> who helped ensure she received the help
she needed. This really wasn't just
about me. It was a team effort and I'm
grateful for all of them. If there's
anything I hope people take from this is
that stepping up for one another
matters. You never know when you might
be in a position to help someone and it
can change everyone. And I want to say
thank you again for this honor and it
truly means a lot to me.
>> Man, you make us proud. I want to give
the an opportunity for director Samuels
to say something as well. When I heard
about this, I called director AA and we
were both like, "Yes, we have to
recognize uh this person and maybe even
or any of the council members, but
director,
>> good afternoon, President Harden and
Coun council members. Thank you for the
opportunity to speak on behalf of
Charles Coleman. Um, what Charles did in
that moment goes far beyond his doctor's
prescription. Sorry. He saw someone in
need. He stepped in without hesitation
and he literally saved a life. His his
this kind of instinct to act to care to
lead in a moment of crisis is something
you cannot teach. It speaks to his
character.
But while this act was extraordinary, it
is also reflective of who Charles is
every day. For more than seven years, he
has served the residents of Columbus
with dedication, professionalism, and a
strong sense of responsibility. Whether
he's on the job or in the community, he
represents the best of public service.
At Columbus Water and Power, we often
talk about delivering essential
services, safe water, reliable power,
storm water protection, but what truly
defines us in our is our people. Charles
reminds us that our role in the
community goes beyond infrastructure.
It's about looking out for one another.
Charles, on behalf of the entire
department and the city of Columbus, we
are incredibly proud of you. Your action
make a difference in a way that few ever
will. Thank you for what you did that
day and continue to being a good
employee and doing the good work that
you do.
>> Thank you. I appreciate it.
>> You're welcome.
Before
I pass the resolution, any council
member, council member Ros, would you
>> um I just, you know, it's interesting
because I think even we had the
co-chair, I wanted to say this. I think,
um, we want to believe that everybody
would stop. We want to believe that
people might put themselves at risk. We
want to believe that all of us have that
inside of us, but the reality is that
everyone doesn't. uh in a world where
people are distracted by many things,
where you drive by people or you may see
something and you keep on going because
maybe it doesn't register or for for a
hundred other reasons um that day. I do
believe in faith. I believe in God and I
believe that people put people in each
other's paths for a reason. And so I
just want to thank you for um for
reaching out to somebody, especially
when someone is at one of their lowest
points. For a stranger to really see
them, especially when they might not
feel seen or they feel so hurt, uh means
a lot. And so I think um it it is about
bravery. It is about being courageous,
but it's also about just at the end of
the day being very human and seeing
someone else. It's really about love.
It's really about loving our neighbors
and how we show up for people. And so,
um, I said this at our employee
appreciation event. I think working at
the city of Columbus means you are in
the people business, right? And some
people go well beyond that even when
they're not at work. And so, I just want
to say um, I know many people will show
you gratitude. I know many people will
thank you for the thing that you did.
But I I I think there is something
special when someone puts themselves out
there like that. I think there is
something special about who you are and
the kind of person that you are. And so
and that goes a great a great distance
for people. And I think even without
knowing you, that means that that shows
up in in big and small ways every day of
your life. And so we're incredibly
fortunate to call you part of this
community both here at the city of
Columbus but in um Columbus also as a
fellow Columbus City Schools grad. I'm
just saying we have had
>> represent tonight.
>> I need tonight we have had some good
representation about who our young
people and young at heart people are. So
thank you.
>> Thank you for those words. Appreciate
it.
>> First uh council president appreciate
you bringing this forward. and Charles,
uh, the story is truly inspiring and,
um, as my colleague mentioned, I don't
know if everyone would step out of the
way to kind of do the right thing, but
you did and it just speaks volumes of
who you are as an individual. Um, I will
say, shameless plug, I do have the
ability to work with the best department
in the city of Columbus, and that is
Columbus Water and Power. So kudos to
the entire team because everyone kind of
shows up with that same attitude of we
are in the people business. We are in
the effort of making this a better place
for the residents of Columbus. So thank
you. Thank you for the work that you do
on a regular basis and thank you for uh
showing up as a hero.
>> I appreciate it. Appreciate those words.
Council member Green.
>> Um uh Charles, where did Oh, hello. Um,
I'm so sorry. Um, so grateful for you
and I just want to be incredibly brief,
but you know, our city is a better place
because you are in it, because people
like you are in it, uh, that are willing
to stop and, um, support one another.
Um, and I'm grateful to be able to
recognize you tonight for um, that act
of, you know, that selfless act of
courage that you did. But um also I
think you know this is a call to all of
us um to be better and to to look around
and you know always be constantly um
looking for who is the next person that
that we can all help and support. And so
I'm just I'm grateful you are there
today. I'm grateful um that you're a
part of our team and uh and thank you.
>> Appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you. And with that, again, we want
to thank um our our own team member too,
Katherine Call for being there as well.
It was a team effort that saved a a
young lady, a child. To your point,
council member, this also is a reminder
that folks are in crisis sometime. Um
and I'm glad that uh it was our first
responders. I'm glad it was you and
Katherine there, but I'm also glad that
now we have a crisis care center that
someone can go to to be supported when
they're in crisis. And so that's a
larger message to the community is that
you shouldn't feel bad about being in
crisis that there will be folks here to
help. So with that I move to pass
resolution 0070X-226.
Click please call the role.
>> Verosa deodia de a dors green remy ros
president Harden.
Are there any announcements from city uh
elected officials offices or leadership
offices? Seeing uh none. Uh are there
any
let's see are there any requests by
members of council for removal of
ordinance or uh resolution from the
consent portion of the agenda? Hearing
none may we now have a motion to wave
the reading of title of 30 legislation
on clerk please call the role.
>> Provosa de padia de aar dors green reie
ros president Harden.
>> Thank you. Will the clerk now read to
the records or ordinance numbers of
30-day legislation on tonight's agenda
for first reading. In Finance and
Governance Committee, we have ordinance
506, 508, 517, 530, 5, I'm sorry, 652,
706, 755, and 778-2026.
Economic Development and Small and
Minority Business Ordinances 637, and
768-2026.
Public Service and Transportation
Committee Ordinance 448, 628, 639, 654,
692, 722, and 747-2026.
Neighborhoods Recreation, and Parks
Committee, Ordinance 671, 676, and
681-2026.
Workforce Education, Labor Committee,
ordinance 710, and 783-2026.
Health, Human Services, and Equity
Committee, Ordinances 548 and 549-2026.
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Committee, Ordinance 251-2026.
Housing, Homeless Assist, and Building
Committee Ordinance 837-2026.
Public Utilities and Sustainability
Committee ordinance 175, 379, 460, 473,
606, 720, and 765-2026.
zoning committee, we have resoning
838-2026,
variances 815, 818, 839, and 841-2026.
>> Thank you, Madam uh clerk. We don't have
any speakers on the uh first reading
portion of the agenda. The following
ordinances appear on our agenda as
consent. The clerk now read those into
the record. Resolutions of expression
58X 61X 62X 63X 64X 65X 68X and 60X-2026
Finance and Governance Committee
Ordinance 2263-2025
Ordinance 6 I'm sorry 564 565 607 693
699 718 772 774 797 and 884-2 2026
Economic Development and Small and
Minority Business Committee ordinances
586 663 709 771 780 784 and 789-2026
Public Service and Transportation
Committee Ordinance 561 604 661 733 and
773-2026
Neighborhoods Recreation and Parks
Committee Ordinance 697 and 734-2026
Workforce Education and Labor Committee.
Ordinance 330, 335, 337, 338, 491, 696,
and 880-2026.
Health, Human Services, and Equity
Committee Ordinance 615, 677, 713, and
732-2026.
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Committee Ordinance 443, 454, 493, 497,
557, 584, 600, 614, 627, 642, 643, 714,
717, 736, and 791-2026.
Housing, Homelessness, and Building
Committee Ordinance 524, 545, 547, 599,
711, 767, 801, and 819-2026.
Public Utilities and Sustainability
Committee ordinances 381, 437, 504, 514,
585, 593, 594, 595, 597, 602, 635, 658,
and 702, and 775-2026.
Rules and Policy Committee Appointments
A39, A40, A41, A42, A43, A44, A46, A47,
A48, A49, A50, A51, A52, A53, A54, A55,
A56, A57, A58, A59, A61, A62, A63, A64,
A65, and A66-2026.
Thank you madame clerk. Um there is no
speaker on the consent portion agenda.
Uh and may I have a motion for approval
of these items as needed consent?
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Aart Dors Green
Remy Ross Weiss President Harden
>> passed. We'll now uh proceed with the
second reading of 30-day postponed and
emergency legislation. The first
committee to come before council is the
finance and governance committee.
committee is chaired tonight by press
Tim Dorance who is the vice chair of the
committee. Press pro Tim, the floor is
yours.
>> Thank you, Council President. Uh
tonight, first we have ordinance number
0353-2026
to authorize a director of finance and
management on behalf of the facilities
management division to enter a contract
with CBRE Government Services LLC for
facility management services of the
Fricken County Municipal Court Building
to author expansion of up to 1,771,480
within the general fund and declared
emergency. Uh under this ordinance, CBRE
will be responsible for regularly
assessing the conditions of the
building, its systems, developing and
implementing building operations,
performing preventative maintenance, uh
establishing capital plans necessary to
maintain, preserve, and keep the
premises in good repair and condition.
Uh at the city's request, CBRE is also
acting as the liaison to assist in the
oversight, design, and roll out of the
building renovations and improvements at
the facility. Uh contract is bid out
with four annual contract renewal
options. The initial term of the
contract will be for the period April 1,
2026 through March 30th of 2027. Do my
colleagues have questions, comments?
Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Barosa de Padilla, de a dors green, Remy
Ross, vice president Harden.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
0750-2026
to authorize the city artery into a
service contract with JP Morgan Chase
provide lockbox and banking services for
the income tax revenue filing for the
division of income tax to authorize
expansion of $520,000 from the general
fund to wave competitive bidding
provisions of the Columbus city code and
declare an emergency. Uh this ordinance
contracts with JP Morgan Chase for
specialized locksbox services including
a digitization of paper uh tax forms,
correspondence and deposit checks mailed
to the city in the city's uh tax revenue
account. Uh maintaining the service is
critical for the continuence of income
tax operations and processing of mailed
tax submitts to avoid interruption of
flow of revenue and depositing of paper
checks. Uh the auditor's office
estimates approximately 160,000 items
will be processed in 2026 through these
services. Any question comments from
colleagues? Seeing none, I move passage.
>> Please follow the rosa de padilla de a
doris green remy Ross vice president
Harden
>> passed.
>> Thank you. Next, we have ordinance
0796-2026
to authorize the finance and management
director entering universal term
contract for the option to purchase
plumbing and maintenance services with
the waterworks LLC to wake committing
bidding provisions of chapter 329
Columbus city codes and declared
emergency. This ordinance establishes a
short-term universal term contract with
the waterworks LLC to maintain service
repair plumbing fixtures and systems in
city facilities. The term of the
proposed option contract will be
approximately 6 months expiring
September 30th of 2026. The prior
plumbing services UTC expired on
February 28th of 2026 and the services
under the under that UTC were also
provided by the Waterworks LLC. A
short-term contract is needed to
establish uh established with the
Waterworks LLC to ensure plumbing
services can continue to perform
throughout city facilities. This
contract allows for services to be
continued by the previous vendor while a
formal bidding process is being
conducted to establish a new longerterm
universal term contract. Do my
colleagues questions comments? Seeing
none, I move for passage.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Provosa de Padilla de Akawa, Doris
Green, Remy Ross, Vice President Harden.
>> Passed. Thank you. Uh, council president
may move on to the workforce education
labor committee.
>> Please.
>> Thank you. First, we have ordinance
0331-2026
to authorize the interim director of
human resources to modify the public
safety, health, and physical fitness
testing contracts of Ohio House
Corporation to add funds to authorize
the expansion of up to $1,600,000 from
the general fund for this contract and
declare an emergency. This ordinance is
a plan contract modification to add
funds to pay for police and fire fitness
testing for for uh two of a 5-year
contract term. The help and fitness
program are part of the current
collective bargaining agreement between
the city of Columbus and the Fraternal
Order of Police Capital City Lodge 9 and
the International Association of
Firefighters Local 67. Do my colleagues
have any question comments? Seeing none,
I move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the ROA de Padilla de
Aar Dors Green Remy Ross Vice President
Harden.
>> Pass.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
0332-2026
to authorize the interim director of
human resource annual service contract
of bio health corporation with the
occupational safety and health and
medical services clinic to authorize
expensure of $430,000 and employee
benefit fund to pay for this contract to
wave competing bidding provisions of the
columb codes and declare an emergency.
This ordinance contracts the how health
for the occupational safety and health
medical services clinic. Currently, this
clinic provides surveillance exams and
appropriate follow-up to at risk city
employees. Identifies occupational
related disease or disability. Uh
assists in rehabilitation activities,
determines fitness and suitability for
work assignments and promotes and
maintains OSHA compliance for the city.
Clinic also promotes uh employee health,
wellness, quality of life by providing
controlling disease injuries and
assisting with injury care and
rehabilitation and providing educational
and training programs on wellness for
city employees. Any questions or
comments from my colleagues? Seeing none
I move for passage
>> clerk please call the role
>> proposa de podia de aawer dorren green
remy ross vice president Harden
>> pass thank you next we have ordinance
0343-2026
to authorize interim director of
department human resources of contract
reporter right Morris and Arthur LLP to
provide consulting services connected to
collective bargaining negotiations
related activities to authorize
expansion of $400,000 from the employee
benefits fund to wave committed bidding
provisions of the Columbus code and
declared emergency uh this year the city
will be entering to collect Collective
bargaining negotiations uh season again.
Uh Porter Wright and Morris Arthur LLP
has been solicited to provide assistance
because of the firm's experience
representing the city in previous
negotiations and um with all bargaining
units. Uh I know the interim director
wanted to uh speak a little bit about
this specific contract. So I want to
pass uh that over to her.
>> Sorry. Uh good evening uh President
Harden and um council president and pro
Tim Dorans. Uh so this contract is
specifically for the four collective
bargaining agreements that we have
expiring this year. Um that includes CWA
um ASME local 2191F
which is fire and FOP which is police.
Um, CWA expires on April 23rd and ASME
2191 expires on March 31st. We are
currently in negotiations with these
unions and then this fall we will start
fire which expires on October 31st and
police which expires on December 8th. So
this um legislation is so that we can
continue this work with Jennifer Edwards
um who is with uh Porter Wright. Thank
Any questions for my colleagues?
Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Call the proposed de a Doris Green Remy
Ross vice president Harden.
>> Thank you. Uh, next we have ordinance
0345-2026
to authorize the interim director of
department of human resource to enter a
professional services contract
yellowbird food shed LLC for the produce
distribution service contract to
authorize expansion of up to $100,000
from employee benefit fund to pay for
this contract to authorize expansion of
funds for reasonable food and
non-alcoholic beverage expenses to wave
the committee provisions Columbus City
codes in a code emergency. Uh this
ordinance sponsors a contract with
Gilbert's food shed to offer sustainably
raised harvest harvested and transfer of
produce to city employees during the
department of human heat resources
events. Um city hosted uh events farmers
markets and more. Do I make colleagues
have questions comments? Seeing none
move for passage
a dors green rey Ross vice president
Harden
>> passed. Thank you council president.
That's all I have my committees at this
time.
>> Thank you Mr. Chair. The next committee
to come before council is the uh
economic development committee and small
business committee chair by uh tonight
by council bro vice chair of the
committee. Council member the floor is
yours.
>> Thank you. We have one ordinance this
evening in economic developments
development and small minority business.
It's 0662206
to authorize the director of development
to enter into a grant agreement with
Lower Lights Christian Health Center
Incorporated to build out a new location
for expanded service provisions and
organizational operations to authorize
the expenditure of $1 million from the u
uh development taxable bond fund to
authorize expenses incurred prior to
purchase order execution beginning
August 1st, 2025 to authorize the
advancement of funds on a predetermined
determined schedule provided in the
terms of agreement and to declare an
emergency. This ordinance authorizes a
$1 million capital grant agreement with
Lower Lights Christian Health Center
Incorporated to support the expansion of
the Northland Health Center located at
3000 Corporate Exchange Drive. This
funding was approved in the city's 2025
capital budget and will go towards the
buildout and furnishing of 10,000 square
feet, including 10 exam rooms, one
waiting room, behavioral health offices,
a women's health suite, a patient
education center, and a 304B
uh pharmacy at the same location. Lower
Light serves 17,000 patients annually
across seven health centers regardless
of income or insurance status. So, this
expansion is a strong addition to the
fabric of Columbus's community health
infrastructure. Do my colleagues have
any questions or comments?
Um, you know, right now we've talked
about the the funding challenges related
to um everything related to our human
services world. And one thing that I am
really excited and energized about about
this project. You know we've our um our
operating budget has been strained um
which I know you know we had a lot of
conversations about funding for
federally qualified healthcare centers
which Lower Lights is one. Um and again
they are required by law by HERSA
accreditation standards to serve anybody
who walks through through their doors
regardless of an ability to pay which
means you know every service they
provide. It's just a you know revenue
loss after revenue loss. Um, but you
know, here I I'm really encouraged to
see us making investments that are not
just going to expand access, right? Um,
but this is a sustainable investment,
you know, a one-time investment that
we're able to make um that can expand
access to services in perpetuity um
through financing this building. So, I
think sometimes when we're talking about
um funding needs of the sector, it's
sometimes not even always about, you
know, how much more we're investing, but
are we investing smarter? um and
thinking about how we can stretch um
those investments to have the broadest
possible impact. So, I'm grateful um to
you know, Council Member Bangston for
working with me on um securing this
funding and um and uh also to the
administration to partners who have
supported it. And also just very
grateful to Lower Lights um for the work
they do and all of our um community um
health centers all across um our region
that you know are stepping up to stand
in the gap for a growing number of our
neighbors. So thank you. No. And I I
think um as we talk about um the growing
costs of everything, but certainly
health care and how detrimental that can
be to a family and um people's lack of
access to health care, quality health
care. I think this is just another
example of, to your point, making the
right investment to ensure the most
people get the benefit from this
investment. Assistant director, I don't
know if there's anything that you wanted
to add um to this investment.
I don't have anything else to add
tonight. Thank you, council members.
Just happy to have a good partner out in
the Northland area and bring these
resources out to that part of the
community.
>> Absolutely. Especially when there's no
barriers to to access. So, um are there
any additional questions or comments?
Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Second.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla De Akawa, Doris Green,
Remy Ross, Vice President Harden,
>> passed.
>> Council President, can I move on to
public service and transportation? Thank
you. Uh, tonight we have four ordinances
on second read for public service and
transportation. First is ordinance
04882026
to authorize the finance and management
director to associate all general budget
reservations resulting from this
ordinance and to establish purchase
orders and contracts with multiple
vendors for the purchase of various
pavement materials and aggregates for
the department of public service to
authorize the expenditure of up to
$450,000
from the con street construction
maintenance and repair fund to authorize
the expenditure of $650,000 from
municipal motor vehicle tax fund to wave
the committing bidding provisions of the
Columbus City Code Chapter 329 with
respect to the usage of certain
cooperative purchasing contracts for the
purchase uh or for the purpose of
purchasing various pavement materials
and aggregates or MAT commodities and to
declare an emergency. So, this
authorizes the Department of Public
Service to purchase um certain materials
that they would need to maintain and
repair roadways and rehabilitate alleys
throughout Columbus. So, very soon um at
one of our other council meetings, we'll
have a little bit of an update on both
our alley work and then also um coming
up, we made some changes to uh parking,
which we are going to talk about in just
a second. So, we'll um give an update on
that. But, do my colleagues have any
additional questions or comments about
this piece of legislation?
>> Great. With that, I move for passage.
>> Second.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Akawa, Doris Green,
Remy Ross, Vice President Harden. pass.
>> Thank you. Uh the next three ordinances
are all funded through our mobility
enterprise operating fund. I bring this
up because many times when we talk about
the different funds, I know we say, oh,
like word salad and uh things don't
always make sense, but this fund in
particular is a userfunded fund. So
every time that you park in one of our
garages or you park on the street and
use the app, all of those dollars go
back to the go right back into that
system. So it goes back into the
repairs, it goes back into the
maintenance, it goes back into the
systems that provide um the work that we
need to do uh for the parking garages or
the app itself. So, first is ordinance
06692026
to authorize the director of public
service to modify an existing contract
with Laz Parking Midwest LLC doing
business as LA Parking Limited LLC for
the per provision of off- streetet
parking maintenance services to
authorize the expenditure of up to
$2,600,000
from the Mobility Enterprise Operating
Fund and to declare an emergency. This
authorizes the director of public
service to modify city contracts with
Laz Parking Midwest to continue
providing off- streetet management
services at city-owned parking
facilities. So again, these are big
numbers around $5,000 with the three
ordinances. So I want folks to
understand where that money comes from.
So do my colleagues have any additional
questions or comments? Seeing none, I
move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Aar Dorren Green
Remy Ross Vice President Harden
>> pass.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
06742026
to authorize the director of the
department of public service to modify
an existing service contract with data
ticket incorporated for the provision of
off- streetet parking management
services to authorize the expenditure of
up to $2 million from the mobility
enterprise operating fund and to declare
an emergency. This ordinance allows the
director to update the city's contract
with data ticket to continue operating
and maintaining systems supporting
parking enforcement data ticket to
oversee the implementation operation of
citation processing and permit
management systems intended to
streamline and improve on street parking
enforcement. Do my colleagues have any
questions or comments? Seeing none, I
move for passage. Second.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Rosa de Padilla de Aka Dors Green Remy
Ross Vice President Harden.
>> Pass.
>> Thank you. And lastly, I have ordinance
07082026
to authorize the director of public
service to modify a professional
services contract with Park Mobile LLC
relative to the mobile payment
application system to authorize the
expenditure of up to 1,600,000
from the mobility enterprise operating
fund to pay for an additional year of
this contract and to declare an
emergency park mobile LLC. Most of you
all know it. You have the app. If you
don't, download it. Um the this is a app
that we use to make mobile parking
payments around the city. Do my
colleagues have any questions or
comments?
>> Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Rosa de Padilla de Akawa, Doris Green,
Remy Ross, Vice President Harden.
>> Passed.
>> That's all for me this evening, council
president. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> The uh next committee to come before
council is the neighborhoods recreation
and parks committee. Uh that committee
is chaired by council member deck.
Council member, floor is yours. Thank
you, President Prom. Tonight in our
committee, we have ordinance 0393-2026
to authorize the director of the
recreation and parks department to
modify an existing contract with Eel
Robinson Engineering of Ohio Corporation
for the Big Walnut Trail Refugee Road to
East Main Street project to authorize a
transfer of $794,56925
within the recreation and parks voted
bond fund to authorize the amendment of
the 2025 capital improvements budget and
to authorize the expenditure of
$1,257,53855
from the recreation parks voted bond
fund. This is a planned modification for
stage two phase two of the central
section of the Big Walnut Trail. The
central reach of the Big Walnut Trail is
developing into one of the most scenic
and accessible greenways in central
Ohio. It will put thousands of residents
of the Mid East, Southeast, and Far East
communities within a few minutes access
to the regional trail network. This
project has been awarded 7,483,914
from Mid Ohio Regional Planning
Commission attributable funds towards
construction in the 2028 fiscal year.
The extension begins in Navcar Park
along Big Walnut Creek at Refugee Road.
From there, the trail will head north
along Big Walnut Creek and the No Bixby
Road Corridor, passing beneath
Interstate 270, North Fork Southern
Railroad, and Interstate 70 to a
proposed stream crossing into Big Walnut
Park. The trail then uses the existing
onem trail ending north of Livingston
Avenue. The final segment will head
north through Big Walnut Parkland to the
northern terminus on the south side of
East Main Street at the Fairway
Boulevard signal crossing. The project
will also provide connection to the
Walnut Heights, Pine Hills, and Shady
Lane neighborhoods. Stage one encompass
preliminary engineering, environmental
studies, and community outreach. The
scope of work for this second stage
includes detailed design of the trail
associated structures and trail heads. A
third planned modification in the third
quarter of 2026 will be for construction
administration services. Construction of
the 3.5 mile central big walnut segment
is projected to begin in the first
quarter of 2028. Are there any questions
or comments from my colleagues?
Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa deia de Akawa, Dorren Green, Remy
Ross, Vice President Harden.
>> Passed.
>> Thank you, council president. That's all
my committee this evening.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The next
committee to come before council is the
Health and Human Services Committee. and
equity committee chair by council green.
Council, the floor is yours.
>> Thank you so much, council president.
Tonight in our health, human services
and equity committee, we have two
ordinances on second reading. First one
is um ordinance 0411-2026
to authorize the executive dire director
of the office of celebrate one to accept
a grant extension from the Ohio
Department of Medicaid for the enhanced
maternal health program in the amount of
$3,390,000
to authorize the appropriation of
$3,390,000
from the unappropriated balance of the
general government grant fund and to
authorize contracts and expenditures
with multiple community partner
subgrantees for the enhance enhanced
maternal health program in Columbus and
central Ohio up to $2,395,999.76
to allow for invoicing uh for those
services already incurred from the
ongoing work of this grant starting
January 1st of 2026 and to expend up to
994,000
or yeah $994,00024
of this grant for Celebrate 1 community
health workers and materials with
Celebrate 1 pregnant and parenting ing
families and to declare an emergency. Uh
the Ohio Department of Medicaid has
awarded a 2026 to 2027 grant to the
office of Celebrate 1 at the city of
Columbus to coordinate those enhanced
maternal health um activities within the
enhanced maternal health program here in
Franklin County. Um Celebrate One has
been designated as the primary grantee
um uh organization and administrator for
this grant across our county. Um and uh
the the this grant period um that was
originally awarded has now been
extended. Um there are 15 partners that
were selected that are a part of this um
that are working to expand access to
prenatal parenting education, maternal
mental health support, fatherhood
engagement, legal aid, linkage to
prenatal care, uh doula workforce
expansion, and so on and so forth. This
work is so so important. um and the work
that we do here um across Columbus to
address our infant mortality um
challenges um is you know the by nature
of that work is really hyper local and
one thing that I know that director Tong
has been working on for a really long
time and I would love to invite you to
speak about this is just the importance
of if we're going to really tackle these
issues head-on um adopting a collective
impact um strategy in the way that we're
funding this work so that we can
continue to um implement hyper local uh
programs that are having a positive
impact while we're also able to still be
competitive um to gain access to those
larger grant opportunities that wouldn't
exist um or be accessible to a smaller
organization. So, Director Tong, I think
um this work is so important. Your
approach is so smart and so strategic
and I would love if you can just talk a
little bit more about that that advocacy
around that model and um and and how
it's having a measurable impact with
programs like this.
Thank you, Council President Harden,
Chair Green. Um, you said it best really
well yourself. Celebrate One is a
collective impact organization and
really that means that we are made up of
community orgs that pull this work
together, that are doing great work. Our
responsibility is simply to ensure that
they have the resources to continue that
work and to take away some of the burden
of individual coordination.
um we are ultimately responsible for the
outcome. So a lot of times it's also
about convening those orgs to talk about
what is the best way forward
collectively and then putting our
resources behind what gets us there. Uh
so this funding which we are very
grateful for comes from the Ohio
Department of Medicaid. Um this is
continuation funding. So, we were funded
for this in the past and it really helps
multiple different types of work that we
know help infant and maternal health
outcomes here in central Ohio. Um, so we
are continuing this work. Um, in
addition to continuing funding, we are
also ensuring that we have a strong
grant making framework so that we can
ensure that we come back here and talk
about all the ways that the these
dollars have delivered an ROI this time
next year.
Thanks.
>> Well, uh, thank you so much for that.
And I, um, you know, we're happy to
support this work. There's a lot of
stuff happening in Ohio, uh, government,
but not all of it is bad stuff. And so,
I think this is a great example of, um,
ways that, you know, um, truly, I think
Governor Dwine has been a true advocate
for, um, kids and families. And so, I'm
grateful to do the work of, um, of
extending this grant so we can continue
to have a positive impact. Um, do any of
my colleagues have any questions? Seeing
none, I move for passage.
>> Second
call
a Doris Green Remy Ros President Hard.
>> Thank you. Thank you. And then our um
second or ordinance tonight is ordinance
0728-2026
to authorize and direct the board of
health to accept a grant from the US
Department of Health and Human Services
for the Healthy Start Grant Program in
the amount of uh $1,100,000
to authorize the appropriation of
$1,100,000 from the unappropriated
balance of the health department grants
fund and to declare an emergency. Um,
the Healthy Start um, grant program
enables CPH to be able to conduct an
evidenceininformed uh, home visiting
program here across Franklin County,
focusing primarily on African-American
women residing within Franklin County.
Um, Healthy Start is funded to help
serve um, 450 home visiting clients
comprised of the following targets. A
minimum of 250 pregnant women, a minimum
of 175 participants comprised of infants
and children up to the age of 18 months.
um preconception women, interconception
women uh of reproductive age and a
minimum of 25 fathers and or partners
affiliated with um healthy start. Um an
additional 250 community members are
also served through prenatal and
postnatal and parenting group education.
Um and so again, you know, this
education is so important in um other
countries. This type of support provided
to families or you know or young moms is
commonplace. Um and so it's exciting to
see this work continuing to happen at
Columbus Public Health. Um they are uh
submitting this uh ordinance as
emergency so as not to delay um services
to clients and their families and allow
for the financial transactions to be
posted to the city's accounting system
as soon as possible given the grant
start date um was April 1st of uh is
April 1st of 2026. Um are there any
comments or questions for my colleagues?
No. Did you want to say anything? Um,
commissioner. No. Okay. Uh, seeing none,
I move passage
a doris green. Remy Ross, vice president
Harden
>> passed.
>> Thank you so much. That's all for me
tonight.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. With that, uh,
is there a motion to recess for uh,
zoning?
>> So moved.
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Padia de Aoris Green, Remy Ross, Vice
President Harden. Uh,
>> we are uh, in recess. We are going to
actually go a little bit out of order.
I'm going to call
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Come to order. Clerk, please call the
role. Bar Roa de Padilla de Akawa, Doris
Green, Remy Ross, Vice President Harden.
>> Can I get a motion to the reading of the
journal?
>> Cler, please call the role.
>> Barrosa de Padilla de Akawa, Doris
Green, Remy Ross, Vice 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 Dorren
chairs that committee and all of us
serve on it. Council member Flor is
yours.
>> Thank you, Council President. A little
bit of uh housekeeping before we get to
our agenda. Will the clerk please read
the numbers of legislation in the zoning
committee that require waiver of second
reading tonight?
>> 3223-2025
743-2026
738 20226 744 20226
and 745-2026.
>> Thank you clerk. I now move to wave
second reading on those items.
Please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Akawa Doris Green
Remy Ross Vice President Hard
>> accept it.
>> Uh waved
>> wave. Just joking.
>> Thank you. Um off to
>> a great start.
>> As always, allow me to briefly explain
our rules speaking uh pertaining to
speaking for council on resonings and
variances. We only hear a staff
presentation of ordinance have a
disapproval from recommending body or if
we have a public speaker signed up to
speak against an ordinance. We permit
three speakers on each side uh three
proponents, three opponents. We ask that
those speakers limit their remarks to
three minutes per the standard rules of
city council. All speakers of the
council variance, including city staff,
area commissioners, applicants, and
members of the public will be sworn in
before they give testimony.
Representative and area commission are
always able to speak at an ordinance.
You do not need to follow a speaker
slip, but you we do ask you alert your
the city staff of your intentions to
speak at this committee hearing. We do
have three public speakers signed to
speak against an ordinance this evening.
On the advice of the city attorney's
office, I will now swear in city staff.
Please stand, raise your right hand, and
be sworn in. Do you swear affirm the
testimony you're about to give shall be
the truth nothing but the truth as you
shall answer under pains or penalty of
perjury. If so, please say I do.
>> I do.
>> Thank you. Uh please let the record
reflect that Tim Dietrich, Alyssa
Saltzman from the Department of Building
Zone Services, Chris Lure from the
Division of Planning, Dan Blushman from
the Division of Traffic Management, the
Department of Public Service, Deputy
Director for Housing Strategy, Aaron
Proer from the Development Department,
all have been sworn in. Thank you all.
Uh our first piece of legislation this
committee this evening is ordinance
number 3223-2025
to resone 4691 central college road
being 10.1 plus acres located in the
south side of central college road 150
uh feet east of Lee Road from RO
district to LLD limited apartment
residential district site consist of one
parcel developed with a sing dwelling
and the requested reszoning will allow
for the development of an apartment
complex with a maximum of 152 dwelling
units.
proposal was approved from city staff
and the development commission, but a
disapproval from the Northland Community
Council. The development commission
originally recommended disapproval uh in
November of last year, but after the
applicant went back and made changes to
the proposal, the development commission
reversed that decision in February and
now is in approval. Uh due to that
disapproval from the civic association,
we will now hear a uh staff report. Uh
starting with Miss Alyssa Saltzman and
Mr. Tim Dietrich from the Department of
Building and Zoning Services. Floor is
yours.
Good evening, Chair Dorans, President
Harden, and members of council.
Reszoning request Z25-019
at 4691 Central College Road was filed
with the Department of Building and
Zoning Services on March 28th, 2025 as
LR1, Limited Apartment Residential
District containing 216 dwelling units
within nine threestory buildings at a
density of 21.3 dwelling units per acre
and was initially heard by the
development commission on July 10th,
2025 where it was tabled by a 4 to zero
vote. Z25-019
then returned to the development
commission on November 13th, 2025
uh as a request for LLD limited
apartment residential district
containing 175 dwelling units with a mix
of two and three-story buildings at 17.3
dwelling units per acre, a reduction of
41 units from the previous meeting. The
development commission recommended
disapproval by a 4 to2 vote. Finally,
Z25-019
returned to the development commission
on February 12th, 2026 containing
152 units within nine two-story
buildings at 15 dwelling units per acre,
a further reduction of 23 units from the
previous meeting. The development
commission recommended approval by a 3-2
vote. Tonight, Z25-019
is a request to reszone 10.1 acres from
our rural district to the LLD limited
apartment residential district to allow
for the development of 152 dwelling unit
apartment complex containing nine
twostory buildings and shall be
developed in accordance with the
submitted site plan and building
elevations.
North of the site are single-unit
dwellings in the R1 restricted suburban
residential district in Blendin
Township. South and west of the site are
single and multi-unit residential
developments in the PUD4 planned unit
development district. East of the site
is uh city of Columbus Park in the Rural
District. The limitation text includes
use restrictions limiting the maximum
number of dwelling units to 152, the
building height to a maximum of two
stories, and includes supplemental
development standards addressing
perimeter yard landscaping and
screening, and includes commitments to
develop the site in accordance with the
submitted site plan and building
elevations.
Staff notes that the requested LLD
district is adjacent to multi-unit
residential developments to the west and
a town home development to the southeast
and that the proposed site plan includes
adequate buffering from Central College
Road and from adjacent residential uses.
Therefore, city department's
recommendation is for approval.
>> Thank you, Miss Alzman. Uh Mr. Dietri,
do you have anything to add? Sorry. Uh
any questions for my colleagues for uh
building zoning services?
>> Miss Alzman, could you just walk us
again from the changes standpoint from
what was originally proposed, which I
think was over uh 200 down to where
we're at this evening, plus the the
height changes as well as this has moved
through. So, as it was initially
submitted, it was 216 dwelling units and
it was all three-story buildings and now
we've come down to 152 dwelling units
and a commitment to keep it at two
stories is the maximum.
>> And how long uh when was the original
application submitted?
>> Uh March 28th of 2025.
>> Okay. So, basically about a year.
Thanks. Um again, any question my
colleagues?
Uh, our next presenter will be Mr.
Christopher Lore from the Division of
Planning.
>> Thank you, Chair Dorans, President
Harton, and members of council. Planning
supports the proposal. The Northland
plan volume 2 from 2002 recommends the
Little Turtle District at this location,
which has a recommended density of up to
three units per acre. Although the
proposal is higher than the recommended
density, staff note that the applicant
has over the course of the last year
revised the proposal to a lower density,
reduced building heights from 3 to two
stories, increased landscaping and
buffering of adjacent residential and
park areas, increased the setback from
Central College Road to 100 ft, and
provided pedestrian activation of the
site. The Columbus growth strategy
adopted this year recommends that
projects proposed at a density higher
than the recommended land use should be
supported if they include a high level
of site and architectural design. The
proposal is consistent with this
guidance and therefore staff is in
support.
>> Thank you, Mr. Lawyer. Uh want to pause
and see if council colleagues have any
questions for the division planning.
>> Council Ross,
>> I have a question. Um, in talking to
some of the community members with
regard to this particular development,
they mentioned a 2016 agreement that the
city had with the community that seems
to be in opposition to the current plan.
And so I wanted to get some information
about this. Have you looked into this
agreement at all?
>> We have. I'm not aware of any agreement
that was made. The Northland plan volume
two uh recommendations are the council
adopted guidance for this area as well
as the Columbus growth strategy
>> and the volume 2 agreements are from 200
>> 2002 is when 2002
>> is when that plan was adopted.
>> Okay. And L you have to forgive me. Were
you here in 2016 such that you would
know if there was an agreement? I was I
was a very junior planner at that time.
But but um
>> have you talked to anyone that that
would have been part have participated
in this type of agreement?
>> Yes, I consulted with uh u our
administrator Mark Dillis. He said there
was no agreement that he was aware of.
>> Okay. So you all are comfortable in
saying that there was zero agreement
>> that we have no record of that.
>> Okay.
>> Being resto uh any other council
members?
Thank you. Uh, our next presenter is Sir
Daniel Blushment from the Division of
Traffic Management.
>> Thank you, Chair Dorance, President
Harden, members of council. In regards
to our review of this application,
please be advised that this proposed
area of development is below the
threshold to require the preparation of
a traffic impact study. Also in
consideration of the roadway improvement
project adjacent to this site currently
in construction that includes improving
Central College Road to a three-lane
roadway along the frontage of this site
and also includes completing
intersection improvements at the
intersection of Central College Road and
Lee Road. There are no additional
concerns with necessary improvements at
the proposed access point serving the
site or at any offsite intersections in
consideration that a centerleft turn
lane will be available for traffic
entering the site. With these comments
noted, the Department of Public Service
has no further concerns regarding this
application and I would be happy to
answer any questions.
>> Thank you, Mr. Blush. So, um, we do this
every now and again. I know we've got a
lot of folks that are here for this
particular piece of legislation. So can
you just talk about when we have both uh
when it's required under city code for
there to be a traffic impact study and
what that means and then uh what the
lower level which is traffic impact and
sort of what that means as far as um
what's looked at how it's reviewed and
then sort of the traffic improvements
that the city may require uh because of
those various types of studies.
>> Sure. So, so basically if if a traffic
impact study is required, that's a site
that has at least 200 trips in a peak
hour um or 100 trips going through uh a
specific intersection. This particular
development has in its highest hour
about 80 trips. So, it's about onethird
of that that threshold. So, it's it's
significantly below that impact study
threshold. Um, now if the city project
uh currently under construction was not
in progress, there would have been some
type of uh traffic access study to look
at turn lane warrants in order to see if
there would be improvements needed. So,
but however, that improvement is being
taken care of with the the larger
improvement that was planned and is
being implemented at this time. So is it
fair to say the traffic improvements
that would generally be required by an
access study, those are already
happening by virtue of the the work
that's already occurring there?
>> Correct. So basically it the say the
worst case scenario if if um those
improvements were not happening were
would be for a left turn lane to be be
installed or be the requirement of the
developer to install and that that
requirement is uh being fulfilled.
>> Thank you. Any questions for traffic
management for my colleagues? Councelor
Ross,
>> I just have one question. You talked a
lot about thresholds that would either
mandate a study or not mandate a study.
Where are those thresholds coming from?
How are they being determined and by
who?
>> So, those come from uh the Institute of
Transportation Engineers uh trip
generation manual. So, it's it's
basically empirical data for certain
land uses. So there's hundreds of land
different land uses so that that are in
this large compendium of of data and
that so it's basically um provides
empirical data to uh predict traffic
volumes generated by certain uses in
this case apartments.
>> And just one more one more followup you
said that that there there are two
different studies that could potentially
happen an impact study and then
something something lesser than that.
>> Correct. A traffic access study. and the
traffic access study was not completed
because there are already current is
already current construction on Central
College Road.
>> Yes. Basically, the the worst case
scenario as far as the most in in terms
of the most amount of improvements that
would have been required are already
being provided based in the in the
public project.
>> So, you're saying that if there was an
access study done, the the literal
maximum amount that would have been
required by the developer is something
that is literally already happening
right now. Correct.
>> Thank you.
>> Other questions, council members?
>> See none. Uh oh, I'm sorry. Council
member,
>> can we go back for just a second? Sorry,
I I missed my little window. So, I want
to go back to our planner and ask a
question. So, when we think about um the
plans that we put into place, so
obviously um you know, they're going to
have they're not going to happen
overnight. This isn't like a two or
three or four or five year plan. But
when you talk about plans that might be,
you know, from 2002 to now or that are
20 years old or older, um, when do we go
back and revisit those for changing
conditions like, you know, I mean, areas
change, right? The population changes,
zoning changes, all these things happen.
When do we periodically go back to make
adjustments to those plans for the
changing conditions?
So, in the past, our planning uh long
range planning did plans for
neighborhoods and we currently have more
than 40 plans for those areas. What
we've changed since um since the
Columbus growth strategy was adopted, we
now have around 45% of the city covered
by the Columbus land use plan, which is
part of the growth strategy. So, as part
of phase three of zone in, we will be
going and looking at any of these areas
that are primarily residential,
um, including areas that could
potentially be annexed and looking at
what the proposed land uses would be for
these areas. This particular plan is a
bit odd. It has uh three land use
districts which is um not common for uh
for plans that we've done in the last
say 20 years uh where you typically look
at parcels and you provide
recommendations based on kind of a a
closer look at that particular area.
this uh little turtle district included
um essentially a third of this planning
area as generally saying that three
units to the acre was um the
recommendation. There's lots of
developments that have been built um
that were already built even that were
not at that. So it was it was general
guidance. Um we have additional guidance
now that looks at um other factors.
>> Thank you. Thank you, Council Member.
Um, our final uh staff presentation is
Deputy Director Aaron Proser from our
housing strategy team.
>> Thank you, Chair Dorans, President
Harden, and members of council. The
proposed resoning of 14 4691 Central
College Road in the Northland
neighborhood supports the Columbus
Housing Strategy by expanding housing
options in a high demand area where the
current housing infrastructure is not
meeting the high demand, which is
increasing housing costs and the demand
for rental options. The new units will
relieve the pressure on the overall
market and allow for more options for
residents in the area, slowing the
growth in rents and and home prices,
excuse me. The census track where the
site is located has seen a 50% drop in
the vacancy rate since 2020, resulting
in a 10% increase in the median rent and
a 50 50% increase in home prices. In
order to buy a home in the area today, a
family would need to earn nearly
$140,000 per year, which only includes
about 14.8% 8% of the of the families in
the city of Columbus, making access to
rental units even more critical in this
high demand area.
The rents in the census tract are 17.2%
higher than the city as a whole, which
prices out more than a third of the
families in the city of Columbus. 33% of
the renters who do live in the census
track pay more than 30% of their income
on their housing, increasing the risk of
housing instability for those families.
This area is opportunity rich with jobs,
education, amenities, parks, recreation
and parks and services. That access to
opportunity not only increases rents,
but encourages the conversion of
formerly owner occupied homes into
rentals.
There are currently more than 100 single
family homes available for rent in the
zip code. A study last year with the
Cleveland Federal Reserve identified
portions of this zip code as single
family home investor hotspot. Additional
rentals in the area will alleviate the
pressure on the existing single family
homes to meet that rental demand. While
housing scarcity will drive up housing
prices throughout the region, in these
locations where there is high demand and
insufficient new housing to accommodate
that demand, we expect to see
accelerated housing pressure as the
market responds. Therefore, it is not
only is important not only to add the
housing but also to incre increase the
options available in these areas to slow
the rise of home prices and stabilize
families. Happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, deputy director. Want to ask
you this question. One of the things
I've heard a lot from residents uh about
this particular application is about um
their desire to see a portion of the
area um that's yet to be developed to be
reserved for single family or single
family like development versus uh you
know apartment complexes. And just from
your vantage point when you talk about
the housing needs of that area, how does
that sort of square with you? you just
mentioned a moment ago that again simply
because something is single family
within this community you're seeing an
increase in amount of single family
housing being turned over to rental
properties and I'm just um wanted to
just sort of ask you that out loud as
sort of the housing expert in the room
to sort of get your take on that
>> and I think that's the critical thing is
where we have that demand and I think
what we're seeing as indicators that
there is demand for rental in this area
um that demand that consumer choice will
be satisfied one way or the other um and
the rentals are available in those
multif family units. That's where those
renters will likely go. If those are not
available, they will turn and look at
the existing housing stock. And we see
that in a lot of communities where they
don't have that ability to identify the
housing they're looking for, they will
fill that they will satisfy that need
with existing stock in the in the
community. And so I think when we see
these opportunities to add that rental
housing, satisfy that demand, we see a
preservation of that existing single
family and that owner occupancy um that
creates that balance in the community.
And when you talk about that balance,
uh, and again, this is something we've
talked a lot about at council, and this
is something that I've had a lot of back
and forth with some of the, uh, folks
that are interested in this about that
diversity about, you know, just
different housing types. And this is
something when we look at plans going
back to 2002 versus the reality of 2026.
Just again, just curious, you're you're
the housing expert here here tonight
about the difference of what housing
diversity looks like. And this is I
think building off a question from my
colleague a moment ago of what you know
sort of where we're at in 2026 compared
to where we were at in say 2002 when we
think about what is housing diversity to
sort of meet those needs.
>> And I think when we look back certainly
the demand was a lot lower in 2002. We
were a very different city. We are very
different region. As we've continued to
grow economically obviously a lot of
folks want to come in and join us. A lot
of those folks are young professionals.
They're looking for housing typologies
that aren't necessarily ready for an
owner, you know, a single family home.
Um, and then we also have folks that
want to age in place in their community
and identifying places where they can
go. And I think what we recognize from,
you know, 2002 to today is the supply
and the volume is important, but it's
also about having that diversity of
housing type. It's referred to as the
churn or filtration where naturally we
should be moving through different types
of housing across our life. Uh I think
for a lot of folks now when they look at
the house they may be in they may not
have meant to buy their forever home. Um
but because there is that lack of choice
and supply we end up kind of staying
where we are. That also impedes the
ability for that next family to come in
and move into that house. So, it's not
only the supply in total, but without
the diversity, we lack that ability to
find the right place for us at the right
time of life. And we may end up staying
in homes that aren't working well for
us. That we aren't ready to leave our
communities to satisfy that change of
housing typology. And the opportunity to
have it um present in across our whole
city will be critical to having those
options available so that you can stay
in your community um but also be able to
fit get the house that's right fit for
you at the time you are in your life.
Thank you. Uh any question my colleagues
for deputy director?
Seeing none, I will invite the
applicant's representative Mr. David
Hodford for a presentation.
Thank you, Chair Dorans, President
Harden, members of council, uh David
Hodgej here this evening on behalf of
the applicant for this reasonzoning
preferred living. Uh certainly
appreciate the opportunity to be here uh
to give this presentation and to answer
questions that the council has and also
uh sincerely appreciate the hard and
difficult work uh that you do. Uh we're
in the change business. you're in the
change business and I'm sometimes in the
change change business being
um at the front of many new housing
developments in the community and it's
it's hard work um but it's but it's
rewarding work and it's it's work that's
worth doing.
a few things that I want to cover and
unfortunately some of it's going to be
redundant from uh what the capable uh
staff presentation was but I think it's
important to hit on all of these things
again and I'll try to be brief. I want
to talk about process. I want to talk
about policy and I want to talk about
the implementation of that policy as it
relates to this proposal.
This resoning has been pending for
almost a year. Uh, Miss Saltzman
indicated that the application was filed
on March 28th of last year.
Immediately after the filing, in
engaging with leadership at the
Northland Community Council, we were
asked to not come to the initial
Northland Community Council meeting, but
rather to come to a neighborhood
meeting, uh, which we did. That meeting
occurred in April.
We then went to Northland and gave a
presentation uh regarding the 216 unit
proposal which was recommended for
disapproval. They were all recommended
for disapproval, but that was the the
first proposal that was recommended for
disapproval. We then had a small group
uh neighbor meeting with some of the
Northland leadership uh in August
uh and then came back to the Northland
Community Council for a final meeting in
September.
Uh we also met on three different
occasions with the development
commission modifying the project along
the way as you heard from staff and and
as I'll talk about a little bit more but
ultimately
um thankfully earning earning a
recommendation of approval from the
development commission uh at their
meeting in February.
Uh so that is in a nutshell our process.
The policy
that we're working with is the Columbus
growth strategy which was adopted uh
back at the beginning of the year. And
just a couple of highlights from that
that I think are really applicable to
this proposal. That's guiding principle
one about healthy and com complete
communities which states that um the
vision for this principle is that all
neighborhoods have a mix of uses that
provide a range of housing types. So
that's a range of housing types in all
neighborhoods.
It's also it also ex uh specifically uh
notes parks and access to parks as being
a planning goal and and not an obstacle.
And that statement uh says
u that is to provide that access to
parks, open space and recreational
opportunities should be provided for all
neighborhoods. These spaces should be
developed such that they are fronted
upon by buildings to maximize their
utility, visibility, and welcoming
nature.
The growth strategy also talks about
having development in areas where the
infrastructure is there to support it.
And I was happened to be here a few
weeks ago when another proposal out on
Holt Road was before this council. much
discussion on that proposal regarding
the existing road infrastructure at that
the work that needed to be done by that
developer and I found that interesting
certainly as it relates to the proposal
that's here tonight when we come to a
site that has that infrastructure there.
The city correctly identified the need
for some improvements here and is
underway with a central college road
improvement in front of the site that
creates shared use path and three lanes
of traffic uh that Mr. Blechmidt spoke
to a few minutes ago.
Uh what the what the statement says
though is that development that utilizes
existing infrastructure within urban and
established suburban neighborhoods is a
priority. This suburban area is already
served by roads and utilities. So this
is exactly the type of site that uh the
in infill site that the Columbus growth
strategy prioritizes.
And the last principle that I want to
mention is the design and the
neighborhood uh uh attributes of the
specific proposal. Some of the planning
guidance that uh Mr. lure addressed and
what the uh growth strategy says about
that is that housing proposals at a
density higher than proposed by the
Columbus land use plan are considered
with the incorporation and commitment to
design standards that mitigate the
impact of said density. Higher intensity
uses should incorporate design elements
to minimize impacts on adjacent lower
intensity uses. So that's the policy.
The last portion that I'd like to
discuss is the implementation
uh of that policy
on this proposal uh the site plan that
was previously up. Um you'll note that
the western perimeter of the property,
we double the setback. We go in there
and create a 3 to 4 foot mound and we
and we landscape that. So we double it
from 25 to 50 and do all of that
landscaping which augments to the west
the existing landscaping of the uh
multif family community to the west to
the south at the single family same
thing to the east is the city park we go
from 25 ft to 37 ft there and much like
that guiding principle that I read we
embrace the park we come in there we
create a seating area we create a trail
uh moving from a centralized gather
gathering space that connects up to the
new shared use path uh at Central
College Road. We also through this
limitation zoning um we commit to this
site plan. So this isn't just a cartoon.
This goes into this is in the
legislation that's before you tonight.
So this becomes a hard and fast
commitment. Uh we also uh as I think Mr.
L said uh increase the set back up at
the northern two buildings you see there
the clubhouse and the the u two-story
structure there going from 50 down to
100. And then the last element of that
is that we commit uh to the architecture
that is also in the package and I think
was previously up on the screen. So
that's the twotory architecture that is
actually a commitment and ends up
constructed here. Um I think that's what
I had to say. Sorry, it was a little
redundant to what the staff said, but uh
I will stop there and do my best to
answer questions that anyone on council
has.
>> Thank you, Mr. Hajj. Questions from
council members, the applicants
representative.
>> Customer Ross,
>> thank you. Uh Mr. Hodgej for coming. I
have a question. I heard you mention
that you went a couple times back and
forth to the development commission. You
got some no votes and then ultimately
got a yes vote. Can you explain what got
you from a no vote to a yes vote with
the development commission?
>> Yes. Yes. Thank you for that question
and that also causes me to realize
something important that I left out. Uh
when we but staff had had previously
mentioned it when we originally filed it
was 216 units all of them being
threetory buildings. We then modified uh
a portion of this so some of the
buildings were two and some of them were
three stories and that took the proposal
down to 175 units. Between that proposal
and the final uh development commission
meeting, we again reduced the density.
We made the entire development two
stories instead of a mix of twos and
threes. So we committed that the entire
development be two stories and we then
reduced the units from 175 down to 152.
And that was enough to um earn a
majority of the development commission
uh uh bringing us here tonight with
their recommendation of approval.
>> And can you do you know or has your
client give you given you any indication
of what the price point of these rentals
will be?
>> He's here so I could bring him up here.
Um, this is, you know, as you know, with
within the citywide CRA and so there
will be the opportunity to participate
in that program, which, you know, the
policy behind that is to stimulate
housing in the community.
>> And so, um, some of the units may be
offered at 80% of the area immediate
income or there's the the the buyout
option that that's an option. But
exactly what these rents are, I don't
know. But I could call Mr. Smith up here
and get you that answer.
>> Wonderful. Yeah, I'd be interested.
>> Yeah.
Good evening, council. I guess I didn't
prep Mr. Hajj good enough, but uh I'd
say one bedrooms right around 1500. Two
bedrooms plus or minus 2,000. Uh from a
market condition perspective, you're
looking at from a construction, if this
went off tomorrow, at least 18 months,
12 to 18 months from opening. So
obviously markets change from then and
there, but that area plus or minus $100
is where we're seeing. So thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Can I ask a question, Mr. Smith? Uh at
this moment, and this does has no
bearing, but are you considering one way
or the other with the buyout or the
affordability component?
>> Uh as of late, we've done both. Um
probably
I want to say we've probably done 60%
where we've done the buyout of 30% at
80% the others we've paid off. It's been
a mix of both. So
>> thank you.
>> Uh other questions from council members
for the applicants representative or the
applicant themselves?
>> Sure. Just a quick clarification on the
west side. You indicated you're building
a mound with trees on top of that.
>> Correct.
>> Will people even be able to see? I I
don't think so. I don't think that there
will be any visibility from the west to
the east with the mounding the
landscaping we're doing and then the
existing you can see the shadow just on
the west side that's all really heavy
vegetation now. So I think once that
vegetation matures you will not see
sight to sight.
>> Thank you.
>> Any other questions council members? So
Mr. Haj, I want to ask a couple things
and again this is based on feedback that
we've received with some of the meetings
we've had. I think when you talk about
an application that has been back and
forth for close to a year, you know,
this is somewhat to be expected over I
think some frustrations from folks in
the community about asks and then told
no and then things change and along the
way, you know, we've heard repeatedly
from from members of the public of
saying, you know, they're really would
like to see that 2002 density
recommendation from three units to an
acre be be the, you know, what what is
actually built on this property. Uh the
reality is this project was proposed at
a much higher density level and some of
the feedback that they've given to us is
that in you know discussions and
negotiations with with you all saying
that hey that that is just not something
that our company builds or this is just
not something that uh is something that
is um something that you know again we
we do and yet here in this instance
we've went from over 200 down to 170 now
down to 150 approximately. So you just
walk us through when we when if if if
the community is hearing we can't make
any changes you know this is sort of is
what it is and then over time you see
that change um sort of what went into
those motivations to to bring something
to us uh that is very different than
what's proposed still may not be
something that folks in the community
love but there's a there was a process
that that brought you from what was
originally on the table to what is here
today.
>> Sure.
you know, I'm a believer in this process
in the city of Columbus and I've I've
been at it for my entire adult life
essentially and um you know, more more
often than not an application that gets
filed uh when it's scrutinized
um when it goes through the the planning
office, when it goes through the
development commission process, when it
goes through the neighborhood process,
and then ultimately here at council, it
often ends up a very radically different
proposal than the one that was
originally proposed.
Um,
we wanted to earn support. We we we
wanted to take in feedback. Uh, we
wanted to um
have the neighborhood have the have the
development commission
um come around and support the the
project. And so, uh, we started out at
216.
We thought that that was a good
proposal. We took in feedback and tried
to uh go down to 175, you know,
increasing the the the setbacks uh
reducing those western units that you
see there adjacent to the attached
product to the west. Make those two
stories to to lessen the impact over to
the west. And that was still not enough
to to earn the support that we felt like
we needed for this uh proposal to see
the light of day here at council. And so
uh between the the development
commission disapproval at 175, there had
to be some difficult internal
discussions with with Jared and his
colleagues and ultimately the decision
was made that we could maintain the
maintain the same building typology with
the with the two-story buildings, the
same really high quality architecture uh
and still uh make the project make sense
financially at the 152 units. So that
was that was the process. Certainly. Um
it it's true that Preferred Living uh
they have once before. They they they
won't ever again. They don't build
single family residential. They don't
build town houses. This is the type of
product that they build. And so this is
the type of of product that was um
proposed by Preferred Living here.
Hopefully that answers your question.
>> It does. Thank you,
>> Council Member Green.
>> I'm sorry. I recognize that this is
adjacent to um to the zoning, but I just
wanted to circle back again about the
the buyout um question. So, I know that
when we spoke on the phone, uh Mr.
Smith, you were pretty direct about the
fact that you did not intend to take a
buyout and I did not hear that same
level of directness from you now. So,
has that plan changed?
We evaluate each one, but at this point
we're leaning towards not taking it.
>> Okay.
>> So, just to be I wasn't trying to be
evasive. If I was, I apologize.
>> Okay. I think um you know, one thing
that
has been concerning I think you know we
have been seeing more uh revenue flow
into that fund than I believe what we
anticipated. Um which means that we're
if we're investing public dollars and
helping to incentivize a project and
then we're not seeing the direct
investment in our community through the
pres preservation of affordability. I
think that's a challenge for me.
>> Gosh, Council Member Green, you and I
should connect because I've got a lot of
I've got a lot of sites that could use
those resources to create additional
affordable housing in the community.
>> Maybe I maybe I Let me re
>> you asked me which way again. So, we've
done We're leaning towards buying out
the project. I'm sorry.
>> You are leaning towards buying out.
>> Sorry, I misspoke when I said that.
>> Okay.
>> I don't want to
>> Yeah, be disingenuous. I appreciate I
appreciate that clarification. Yeah. I
mean, you know,
>> we've gone we've gone back and forth in
a lot of different ways. We've done two
projects on Warner Road where we have
left the 30% at 80% in place.
>> We've got a project at Crosswoods where
we did the 30% at 80% in place um that
are active right now. So, we have done a
number of them both ways, but right now
the way I'm looking at it on this
specific project is with doing I should
say doing the buyout.
>> Yeah. So, just to be transparent,
>> can can I ask a follow-up question to
that because I wonder if what you're get
>> if there were higher units, if you had
more units, would you be more likely to
uh go with the affordability versus less
units?
>> I think it always makes a lot of things
easier in the develop world of
development, right? Because you have a
static amount of costs
>> um regardless of whether you have 150
units or 216 units. Mhm.
>> Um I always use the example of a
domestic water tap is $22,418
whether you have Yes, that's sad that I
know that, right? Um whether you have a
100 units or 400 units on a site.
>> So those are some of the economies of
scale that you're referring to that add
up. I mean it gets down to some of these
projects when we're looking at these how
you build the clubhouse later on. Yeah.
Yeah,
>> because the clubhouse is a static cost
again once you have 152 units or you
have a 216 unit.
>> So,
>> well, I think um
you know figuring out the whether or not
the numbers work uh as a you know
developer, that's your job to do. Fig
figuring out whether or not something is
a wise investment of public dollars,
that's our job to do. And I think that's
the thing that I'm starting to become a
little um a little disillusioned with. I
guess when we're um you know wanting to
ensure that when we're you know making
these investments that it's having a
real tangible payoff for our residents.
Um so that's a that's a bummer man.
>> Thank you.
>> Other questions from my colleagues for
the applicant or the representative?
You talked about um the length of time
in which you have been making changes
kind of to your original plan. Have
those resulted in um an increase or
decrease in costs
>> when when when the um density when the
>> I mean it's an absolute increase in
cost. Obviously kind of what I alluded
to earlier on the water tap right at
$22,418
now going from three stories to two
stories. think of it purely the easiest
thing I can tell you is is that for the
most part um staff can tell you that
when we went from three stories to two
stories I just took the third story off
the rest of those buildings right all of
a sudden now all that concrete that's on
the first floor for your concrete slabs
all the utilities that ran to that site
whether I had 152 units or 176 units all
of those costs stayed the same so if
you're factoring it on kind of a per
unitit basis my costs went up.
>> Do you make Sorry, one follow-up
question. Do you make accommodations for
those increased costs or those increased
costs trickle down to your end user?
>> Uh, you know, I'd like to believe that
we could always pass along the same cost
to our end user and in a sense we can,
but at the same time, we are also
governed by market conditions.
>> Okay.
>> Thank you.
>> Any other question for my colleagues?
Seeing none, uh, thank you. I'll give
you an opportunity to uh speak after the
the public speakers.
>> Thank you.
>> Um as I mentioned, we have three public
speakers signed to speak against this
ordinance. I do want to acknowledge that
Dave Paul from the Northland Community
Council is also here with us this
evening and prepared to answer questions
from uh council members if if needed. Um
but we do have again three public
speakers signed to speak on this. Uh the
first is Mr. Matthew Ward. Mr. Ward,
welcome back to council, sir.
>> Good to see you again. And just uh as a
reminder uh folks just introduce
yourself if you have any uh organization
you are representing. Um typically
public speakers get three minutes but
we'll try to be Midwestern polite so
don't feel like you need to speak speed
read here at all. So uh and then don't
run off right away in case council
members have a question for you. It's
worth the floor is yours.
>> Thank you. Um Chairman Dorren President
Harden and other council members um good
evening. Thank you for allowing me to
address you this evening. Um, I'm
Matthew Ward. I'm board president at
Asertton Grove Condo Association. I live
in Columbus and we are opposed to this
zoning request. We understand the
housing crisis and support the city's
efforts to address it. But you also need
to consider in the zoning request is how
the city is zoned and affected. The
existing property owners invested in
their homes, counting on surrounding
development to match the city's master
plan. Surrounding residents should have
input in consideration in the decision.
Allowing spot zoning and shoehorning
apartments on this parcel breaks a trust
between the existing residents and the
city of Columbus. We're not against
apartments. They are important part of
resolving the housing crisis. They're
just not appropriate for this location.
They do not fit due to the lack of
public access at this time,
inconsistency with the existing
surrounding residential and singlestory
condos, and the two-lane road structure.
While improvements are going on, it will
still remain two-lane for majority of
Central College where buses continually
stop to unload and reload children.
Single family homes and condos also need
to be built to reduce the housing crisis
and give people the chance at the
American dream of home ownership.
There are already within 3 to four
miles, my understanding is approximately
5,000 plus apartments in this area. The
NCC voted down this proposal twice, 16
to zero before the development
commission hearings. The NCC was
bypassed on the developer's third
appearance at the commission.
The development commission tabled the
proposal at the first meeting so the
project could be reworked.
At the second hearing, it was voted down
four to two with all six members noting
their concern that it was still too high
of a density for this area. At the third
commission hearing, it was approved by a
single vote. While preferred living has
reduced the density and has a much much
better plan layout than when they
started, it is still too high a density
for this location. We are open to a
reasonable density solution, but this is
not it.
There's been a unified effort by the
residents, the homeowners,
and the area associations with the NCC
working with the city to limit
development to this still current
Northland master plan. We have submitted
petitions to council of over 2500
surrounding residents who also object to
this resoning.
the document that um I believe CM Ross
referenced earlier. Um we have not been
able to locate a copy either. So we
appreciate you're looking for that.
Please keep like property uses together
and create multi-purpose neighborhoods
starting with the plan and not by spot
zoning. We ask that you review the
proposal and see that this is not in the
best interest of the existing
neighborhoods. there is more than useful
value
in this land for single family homes and
reject this zoning request. Thank you
for your time.
>> Thank you, Mr. Ward. Any questions for
my colleagues? Mr. Ward,
>> Mr. Warden, Council, you
>> Yeah, fans.
you say that that that um this is not
the right number of units. What is the
right number for you and how do you get
there?
>> Um
it would depend on the development. Um
master plan is three. We understand
that's not going to happen. Three
doesn't make sense with the housing
crisis. Um, this I this would be an
ideal area for somewhere between five or
six or maybe a little higher single
family homes that were smaller. Starter
homes would be a possibility. Um, if a
developer would bring that forward, we
know there's developers interested in
developing single family there, but I
don't know what density they're looking
at.
>> Thank you, C. Thank you.
>> You mentioned um the C. You you
mentioned something about no public
access. Can you talk to me about what
that means?
>> Um there is no uh public transportation.
Kota does not serve this area. The
nearest um transportation hub is about
three and a half miles away closer to
the um 161 Hamilton Road corridor where
there's already extensive development
both with apartments and services.
But if but people could live in a house
and still want to live near public
transportation,
right?
>> For people living in a house. Um
>> I guess I'm trying to understand why
just because people live in apartments,
they would have to live near public
transportation like that. That is not
connecting 100% for me. Um
it dep you don't always know who's going
to have a car or who not in in single
family homes or public transportation is
lacking at this time
>> and it does need to be there.
>> Great. Thank you.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> Any other question for Mr. Ward for my
colleagues? Great. Thank you Mr. Ward.
Uh our next speaker come for council is
Mr. David Sloby. Mr. Sloby, welcome back
to council.
Okay. I want to thank you, Council
President, President Prom, and council
members for this opportunity to speak.
I'm Dave Slobe. I represent Ashton Grove
as a representative to the NCC.
I respectfully ask you to deny this
project. Our 12 communities are asking
for the city to continue developing the
area according to the Northland 2 plan
which is still in effect along with our
investment into that vision. The
neighborhood consists of nearly 900
homes at a minimum average value of
400,000. Our neighborhood has
collectively invested $360 million into
this joint vision between our
neighborhood and city. Our neighbors
sitting in this chamber, and if you guys
could raise your hands or stand up to
show the support, have invested $360
million into this joint vision between
our neighborhood and the city.
The NCC development commission, the city
development committee, and used the
volume 2 plan have worked over the past
25 years to develop that vision for what
is now our current neighborhood. This
parcel does not border a major corridor,
nor was it ever meant to be a major
corridor. Central College Road and all
roads cannot be widened to look like
Morse or Dublin Granville.
This parcel of land is not an prior is
not currently an industrial building
site that is no longer viable. It is not
a piece of land with retail that has
seen better days. Repurposing land like
that that is already zoned for business
to use for apartments would be
understandable. This are single family
homes zoned residential.
Ponder this. City planners have done a
wonderful job in the zoning of Hamilton
Quarter. A very nice business and office
community. If a homeer were to petition
this council to change the zoning on a
10acre parcel in that middle of the
quarter to build single family homes,
would the council allow this? That would
definitely bring a diversification of
architecture.
I fully believe that companies like
Preferred Living would be standing
before you like I am today, stating that
the homebuilder's proposal to put homes
in the middle of Hamilton Quarter would
not be a good fit. And I would agree
with that. Just as I'm standing here
stating that placing apartments, a
business in the middle of single family
homes is not a good use of that land and
changes the character of our
neighborhood. City needs land to build
houses. Lack of houses keep house prices
high and forces residents to make rental
payments that rival home mortgages.
Taking land away from home builders
limits the amount of land available for
home building. This is exactly, in my
opinion, what highdensity complex
builders want to see happen. It allows
for rents to remain high and keeps
Columbus residents from achieving their
dream of home ownership. Voting for spot
zoning of this nature is never good for
a neighborhood. It sends a negative
message to other single family
neighborhoods in Columbus. Thank you for
your time and I'm open to any questions
you may have.
>> Thank you. Uh any questions from my
council colleagues from Mr. Slobey?
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Uh, our final speaker is Miss
Suzanne Harisher. I apologize if I
mispronounce your last name.
Welcome back to council.
Good evening,
President Harden and Chair Dorren and
all council members.
My name is Suzanne Haracher. I've lived
in the Northland area and in Columbus
for over 40 years. Um, I value Columbus.
I support city council and I work the
election polls routinely and I'm
involved in lots of civic activities and
I've been involved in this for quite
some time.
Um, I am a representative of the
Northland Community Council and I'm on
the uh development committee also and
have been for like 13 years. I'm here
tonight regarding the preferred living
project. Um, which though it's a nice
project, um, we are asking that you not
support it and that has nothing to do
with the type of project that it is.
I think the proposal um as has been said
was turned down by
NCC twice. It was turned down by the
commissioners. And just so you you may
know this, but when you've read when you
look at some of the remarks that the
commissioners made, it's the same
remarks that we believe. The density is
too high for this area. It's
it's a rural area. um and it has single
family homes and and we have built a
community for the last several years.
The the density issue is significant.
The
I think the we've all worked we've tried
to come together as a community, many
associations, many individual uh
developments. And what we ask is that
you hear what the community has to say
as well as what the developers have to
say
for the various reasons that have been
stated. Um, and we don't have anything
against developers. We've had a couple
of developments come in the last year or
two. They've been at the 3:1 density. As
Matt said, we may not be able to
withstand that. We know that. We're not
unrealistic.
You know, we in fact, Mr. Hodgej is
representing a project that is like a
five or six to one right across the
street. So we're open. Um I do feel like
in the
this particular project it's out of
character with the community though it's
a nice project. I know a lot of you are
going to give credit to the fact that
they reduced the numbers and I know
that's one of the selling points and I I
appreciate that. However, it still does
not fit our community. And there are
thousands and thousands of apartments
down the road just a mile from us and on
Warner Road which is right perpendicular
or parallel rather to um Central College
thousands. And I think Preferred Living
has built some of those and they are
pretty much all market rate.
I think we're willing to negotiate and
it upsets me that the implication is
that we're not
um this last round, this last revision,
no one talked to the neighborhood. No
one went back to the Northland Community
Council. It came straight to city
council and we were pretty much
threatened that that's how it was going
to work. I don't think that's real
cooperative. So, one other thing I got
to say really quick, this infrastructure
stuff and the roads, the the work that's
being done now, it's a turn lane. It's
not going to be a big three-lane road.
And some of the stuff that's being done
by Columbus City, which is wonderful,
are things that were recommended 10 and
15 years ago for projects that have been
developed and they're not including the
ones that are out there now, like this
one and a couple of others. So, and when
you see the school kids getting picked
up on the buses out on roads that don't
all have sidewalks either and traffic is
backed up way down Central College and
down, there's a safety issue and a
traffic issue.
Density impacts that.
So, I won't go on and on. I just want to
say thank you. I really, really ask that
you hear the Columbus residents and the
people from this community because we're
serious. We're good citizens. And what
we want is good things for Northland,
good things for our neighborhood, and
good things for Columbus. And by the
way, NCC very seldom votes things down.
We're pretty pro-development. I just
need to say that. Thank you very much.
Anything else I can say or
>> Thank you.
>> Um any questions by Council Council
member Green?
>> Um
>> I'm sorry.
>> Oh, no. You're totally fine. No, I just
want to I just want to say um to you and
to um the rest of your counterparts, you
know, I've really valued um
being able to meet with you and talk
about this issue. I know um we have gone
back and forth about you know the way
that I view the project and I've tried
to be very clear and transparent I think
from my perspective but um I just really
want to come out and um and get to see
you know this incredible community that
has brought all these people here
tonight. Um and you know so would love
to would love to come out and visit you
and visit your your beautiful
neighborhood at a meeting sometime. But
um but yeah, I just want to thank you
very much for your diligent advocacy
around this project and um and I'm sure
there will be future, you know, reasons
to be advocating together and so how
lucky um are all of you to be in
community with one another in such a
special way. So
>> and we thank you for meeting with us
because we got to meet with a lot of you
and it was helpful to us. It was
probably a little educational to some of
you and this is a tough process and it's
nerve-wracking and you know we don't we
just love our community and we've worked
together and the character of it is
wonderful and I know there's going to be
more apartments but believe me there's
plenty right now and we know they we
need them too. So thank you.
>> Thank you. Um, any other questions for
speaker?
Seeing none, I I'd invite Mr. Hodgejack
if he has any uh additional comments
he'd like to make based upon the public
speaker uh testimony.
>> Thank you, Chair Dorans.
Um, yes, certainly it's been a been a
tough process. It's been a it's been a
year-long process of of um
uh reviewing the proposal, revising the
proposal, and trying to find uh the
right balance that ultimately uh earned
the development commission support. And
we're we're grateful that it did. Um you
know, back in January, the city adopted
the the growth strategy. Uh a little bit
of a different policy. That's 2026 as
opposed to 2002, which is what the
Northland uh 2 plan is. Uh this is not a
business in the middle of residential.
This is exceptionally high quality uh
apartment residential adjacent to
essentially apartment residential to the
west, single family to the south with a
commitment not just a not just a
thumbming of the nose to concerns but a
commitment to that quality architecture
and a commitment uh to those buffers out
of respect uh to the process and out of
respect uh to the community. the DC
commentary from the the commentary from
the development commission uh uh across
the board u generally stated that it is
a vastly improved proposal from where it
started at 216 down to 175 uh and then
ultimately 152. That was the unifying
theme. Um,
you know, the reason I do this work,
um, and the reason that
I work through this process and the
reason that more often than not, uh, uh,
I earn support for the proposals that I
represent both at area commissions and
the development commissions is because I
take the process seriously and, uh, we
have taken this process seriously.
Certainly, we have a difference of
opinion. um three units to the acre
versus the the 15 that's being proposed.
Uh and we can uh certainly disagree, but
uh Columbus, you you heard from Miss
Proser, we and you all know this far
better than I do, but Columbus House has
has a housing issue. Um, this is uh
appropriate housing in an appropriate
location, not spot zoning, a commitment
to high-quality architecture and a
commitment to buffering all around the
perimeter with existing infrastructure
there with the central college project
to support the proposal. So, I'll stop
and uh if there are any additional
questions from council, um do my best to
answer them.
>> Any questions for my colleagues for the
applicants? represent
>> um I'm going to ask you this question,
but I'm going to preface it with I
understand that these particular uh
questions that I ask you are not
necessarily relevant, nor do they need
to be answered in order to get approval
from a zoning perspective, but I'm going
to ask them because I see them in the
concerns listed by Northland Community
Council and I had a conversation with
you all about it and give you an
opportunity to talk about it. it. There
were a few issues that have not been
discussed yet that the the NCC brought
forward as concerns and I'm just going
to read it directly from their written
commentation from September 24th, 2025.
One includes potential for vandalism and
theft of numerous ungrudged vehicles.
Uh to me that means that that is
something that a property manager and
those who would be operating that
particular development would have um
responsibility over. I know that you and
your client own a few other apartment
complexes in the area. Have have you
seen issues with regard to vandalism and
and theft at other places such that this
would be a concern and have you talked
about it and do you have a plan to
address it?
So
>> your client,
>> so yes, there they there there will be
continued management oversight over the
the property. The the the property will
be well lit. You know, are are there
vandalism and theft issues in the city?
I mean, I'd be a I'd be a bald-faced
liar if I said that there weren't. I
mean, we we all know the issues that
occur in the city. You know, hopefully
that's not a commentary on the the the
renters are going to, you know, attract
vandalism and theft. That is that is
certainly not the case. This is a
preferred living has a proven track
record of of building a a quality uh uh
development and of u professionally
managing that quality development once
it's constructed.
>> Thanks. Appreciate that.
>> Any other questions for my colleagues
for the applicants represent?
>> See none. Thank you, Mr.
>> Thank you all.
>> Uh any comments that my colleagues would
like to make before I move forward?
>> President Hart. Well, thank you, chair,
and thank you for the process uh that
you have um led us all through. And I I
am actually on the sad side that I
didn't get an opportunity to actually
sit down and and meet on this uh uh
zoning. Um because I like Council Member
Green would already knew cuz the NCC is
if you could have favorites of area
groups, the Northern Community Council
would be right up at the top. Um I'm
looking out at Dave Paul, someone that
all of us have known for me since my 15
years of working in this building. And
so I have so um much love and admiration
for this neighborhood
uh and its process. I'm going to give
you too much information.
I So
last year I went through a divorce
and for
um and I was not the bread winner in the
relationship.
Um, and so we were able to have nice
homes. Our first home was a $400,000
home downtown.
We sold that house because Columbus is
changing and growing. And when we bought
it for 400,000, we were able to put on
the market for nearly $700,000. Three
years later,
we bought a house out far east for
$525,000.
And it was my dream home. We were able
to have my son there and and it was
amazing.
When my partner and I got a divorce,
I had to find housing because we have
districts
uh close by
uh my existing house.
And
um then I was as the head of the
household. Now, I was relegated to my
city pay to pay for my housing.
Um, again, too much information, but I'm
also someone who has a lot of student
loan debt.
And so, you further take back
what I had to available to pay for
housing.
the the only the very few housing
available
apartment were were apartments that I
could afford. And so for a year I lived
in an apartment
that truthfully and very honestly
was less than the one bedroom for $1,500
a month, but that's all that I could
afford.
And so some of these conversations
around because I was waiting I was
waiting for what what is the real push
back here. We went from 216 units all
the way down to 152. That's a reduction.
I know it might not be enough for
everyone. We talked about and we we
we've heard and I have to listen to our
planning folks when they say the the the
uh right away and the um um the
infrastructure
is suitable for this number.
And so I was trying to hear like what is
the thing? What is the real push back?
And all I could hear was this just
doesn't fit in our neighborhood.
And to me, and I've learned this a long
time ago, uh when I had to uh vote on a
housing project,
um and I looked out in the audience and
my grandmother was out, uh protesting
against me,
that good people
>> can be wrong sometimes when it comes to
housing and especially who those house
what that housing looks like and who's
it for.
And so for me,
and take take aside that that that the
sketches of this project is one of the
nicest
um uh facilities I' I've ever seen come
before here. Take take that aside.
When we think about what a community is
and what a neighborhood is and who it
is, we we're going to have to push
ourselves past what our older thoughts
of what a a full neighborhood looks
like.
And we need more housing in central
Ohio. We need more housing. We need
people, hell, we need for your children
to be able to afford to live in your
neighborhood. And I promise you, a lot
of them could not afford a $400,000 home
at their starter house. And who wants to
have their son and with the baby live
next to us who have, you know, families?
We all do.
>> Unfortunately, in a growing city where
we don't have enough housing
and housing starts at $450,000,
an apartment is the new starter home.
And if you want your grandkids sometimes
to be close, you're going to need to
have diversity within
the neighborhood.
And so, you know, again, I was looking
for outside of my deep love for Dave
Paul in NCC, what else could be my
reason to vote against this?
And and truthfully, if I were to be
the most honest, it was that they went
down in density cuz we need more
affordability. And especially if that
worked against them not having the
affordability into it cuz again I could
not afford as your council president to
live in that complex.
>> I needed a two-bedroom for me and my
son,
>> right?
>> I could not afford to live in that
complex. That's my issue with it.
And so, uh, I I support this and I'm I'm
sorry that that that, um, good people
have differences sometimes and
especially on housing.
Uh, but I have a track record of voting
to make sure that all of our residents
and all of our neighbors and for many
years it was theoretical. I was voting
because I've read that housing prices
are real hard and and and that renters
are good folks. But last year I became a
renter in a apartment complex
and there were very few options. So
thank you Mr. Chair.
>> Thank you council president. Council bro
deput.
>> Uh thank you prom. You know council
president. One thing that I think about
all the time when I sit in this seat. I
was born I live in the neighborhood that
I was born and raised in. I live just
streets over from my family home and my
parents passed away and I own our family
home now. Um, and it's interesting
because 50 years ago, my neighborhood
was dairy land. My neighborhood on in
Fairmore on East Moore between Beexley
and Whiteall was literally dairy land.
It was a rural area of the city and then
it grew into what it is. And I grew up
on a street that had apartments. I grew
up in a very Archie bunker side of the
neighborhood. It I know people in this
group will know that reference.
Sometimes I say that and people look at
me like I'm crazy, but you know, we had
very similar homes. It was a starter
home. It was my parents forever home.
It's still my family home. And I moved
over to Central East, which is arguably
the more people call it Beexley
adjacent. It's the more wealthier part
of Eastmore. And there are houses on
East More or there are apartments on
Eastmore Boulevard. Just a couple
streets over, there's apartments over by
Fairmore. It has not decreased the value
of anything. It has not actually the
houses similar to you, council
president. We bought our first house at
40some. I was a renter for 11 years. We
lived in Boston and certainly could
never afford to buy a house there and
then moved back to Columbus. Couldn't
buy a house. We were just starting a
family and I rented a house on the
southside that I got priced out of. And
so, and you know, I had my niece and her
twins were living in my basement for the
past two years. And so when you think
about affordability, when you think
about where they want to live, I mean,
my niece should not she should be able
to live anywhere in the city that she
wants to in the kind of neighborhood
that she wants to. And so I being a
person that grew up surrounded by tiny
houses, bigger houses, apartments
everywhere. Um, I think to me that's
what I think of when I think of a
neighborhood. I don't think about it
singularly as single family homes. I
think about everything because those are
the people I grew up around. And if I
look at my family now, that's what they
live in. And so when I I know that there
are nuances to zoning because I've
certainly seen that on the east side,
there was a project that I was like,
"This project does just doesn't make
sense." Right? In this particular
instance, I think that this every part
of Columbus is going to change. Every
part of Columbus is going to change.
every street, every everything because
the city continues to evolve and change.
And so that's what I think of when I
think about these zoning issues and when
I think about these zoning um
developments that come before us is, you
know, does it make sense? Is it where
does it make sense? And I know for the
people who live there, it doesn't always
because it's something new and it's
something different and there is going
to be that nuance there. But I just
wanted to share I think council
president to the points that you were
making. I think in my mind that's what
makes up a neighborhood is all of these
different sorts of housing stock where
everyone can choose a place that is for
them in the city. And we are talking
about people like our aids. We are
talking about people who work in this
building. Yeah. We have a council member
that rents now as an apartment dweller.
And you should have that choice to be to
live wherever you want in the city and
not just in specific areas. So that's
why this project for me resonates and I
think I didn't get the benefit of
hearing from everyone but hearing from
you all tonight that's what I see and
that that's what goes into my decision-m
>> council member council member green
>> thank you council president prom
um council president I already shared
with the northland community council how
I was feeling I was going to vote but it
sounded almost identical to all of the
words you said tonight which um I guess
it is good to be in good company. You
know, I myself uh am a single mom. I
work two jobs. I am required to stay uh
uh in my district, of course. Um and um
I'm very committed to doing so, but when
I think about if I ever were to move um
where it would be that I would want to
be in, and it would be um you know, a
community exactly like yours. Um, and
there would be no pathway for me as a
social worker uh to be able to afford to
purchase a home on my own in your
neighborhood. And I think what a
beautiful opportunity you have here to
be able to expand um you know the
diversity and um number of people in
your community that would have what is
clearly such an incredible opportunity
to be among this group of people that
care so much about one another. Um that
being said, I you know I find it um I'm
I'm deeply troubled um just because I
feel like you know we had had
conversations uh you know Mr. Smith when
when I was asking questions about this
about um the affordability component of
this project and um felt like there had
been a firm commitment during that
conversation to maintain the
affordability piece and not take a
buyout. I think I'm feeling a little bit
a little bit radicalized this week just
by, you know, all these conversations
about where we're investing public
dollars and how and um in what ways they
are benefiting our residents. Um and I'm
just not sure even allowing a buyout
option is it anymore. Um and you know,
once a project is approved, we don't get
any say in that. We sure take a lot of
heat for it. Uh but I think that if we
are investing public dollars and we know
we are in the midst of a housing crisis,
we have an obligation to our community.
And we also know we're in the midst of a
financial crisis. You know, our budget
uh is um pushed to its breaking point
right now. And so every time we're
investing a dollar or suggesting that we
don't need to bring in your dollars,
there must be a direct tangible public
benefit. it and I'm really disappointed.
Um I'm supportive of this project. I
think it's a good project. I still
believe it opens up opportunity for um
for new people to come and move into
such a beautiful and caring community.
Um but we have got to do better and we
have got to start re-evaluating in a
serious way um the ways that we're
investing um if we want to maintain
trust of our community members.
Thank you, Council Member. Any other
colleagues have any comments? Council
member Ross. Go ahead.
>> Sure. Thank you. Um I I certainly don't
take it take it lightly when um a couple
thousand community members um organize
together to make their voices heard. And
so I think we've had a lot of
conversation this evening about this and
that is indicative of the seriousness
that I think all of my council members
have taken uh with regard to this
project and particularly as housing
chair which is why I asked for the price
point of these units um wanting to think
about whether or not this particular
project project is also going to um get
us the housing units that we need and
also help us to reach affordability. And
so I just want to to to talk through
this a little bit with um Director
Presser because I know that there were
um comments with regard to, you know,
could this could the demand be reached
with a different type of housing product
um and a different type of housing
product that could potentially bring
affordability to this community. And so,
Director Proer, could you talk just a
little bit about why this particular
project, while it's not the price point
that is going to be affordable for
everyone, it does help us to reach a
level of affordability to meet the
demand in this particular area. Um,
please. Yes, absolutely. Council member,
um, as we look at, um, the price point
here around, uh, say I think he said one
bedroom was $1,500, and that's going to
actually clock in for an individual that
would be at that 80% AMI level. Um, when
you say, and this is just so we're not
assuming,
>> this is just so we're not assuming that
everyone knows the definition of 80%
AMI, what does that mean in layman
terms? How much do I have to make
correct to be in that tunch?
>> Yes. So, that's an area median income of
about $56,000 a year.
>> And as I mentioned in my initial
comments with the price point average
price point of the homes for sale in the
this particular census track, you a
family would need to earn $114,000
to afford a home in this area. When you
look at the opportunity to enter this
community at a $56,000 income at that
one-bedroom level, you start to see that
access open up. Um, as we think about
the cost, the affordability of a house
at the end, either an apartment or a
single family home, there are two
factors. One is the supply and what we
mean by that is how much of a demand is
there? How much competition is there for
that unit? And how much is that going to
drive up the cost? The second piece
around price is going to be the cost of
construction. And as we talked about
earlier, as we think about some of those
fixed costs to de doing that
development, land, um, concrete slabs,
things that you can't necessarily
replicate, um, or divide in half when
the units go in half, all of that is
going to contribute also to the price.
So price is determined by supply and
availability, but also cost of
construction. I think as we reduce those
unit counts, some of those costs get
spread out across those units and it
elevates that rental price. It elevates
that home price. That's where you start
to see that loss of affordability. Um,
but when we look at an opportunity to
come in at a half the income level
needed to enter the community outside of
that home ownership opportunity, it
starts to make sense to have that
diversity again of housing opportunity.
Um and then to naturally come in around
80% of the AMI on that in on that single
fam on the onebedroom unit starts to be
um a really meaningful contribution in
that particular area.
>> Sure.
>> Thank you,
>> Council Amy.
>> Thank you, Chair. Um it is great to see
so many neighbors here and from an
organization that I led for six years
before getting on to council. um
appreciate all the advocacy and it was
nice to see so many of you when we went
out there a couple weeks ago. Um you
know I remember that agreement. I
remember it from a long time ago and
although um just because I was there at
the time but um you know everybody is
making good salient points here tonight
and it's understandable why um it's
important for additional housing. But I
am uh going to be supportive of my
neighbors and Northland Community
Council tonight and oppose. But um again
I you know there everybody's right um
everybody has good salient points and so
um I'm just going to just want to make
sure I made put went on record why so
thank you
>> thank you council member Remy anyone
else see not going to belabor uh I think
the many of the points that my
colleagues made I think one thing again
as council me just pointed out you know
reasonable minds can can certainly
disagree I think one of the things that
is difficult in these process processes
is where are those uh places of
compromise? Um and again in this
instance I think it's difficult for um
council and this is something I've
shared with the neighbors that I've met
with is that uh council does not dictate
terms we get presented with an
application uh after a elongated
negotiation um between neighborhood
groups between the development
commission between the applicant
themselves. Uh so when folks say they
prefer X Y and Z within this location,
council does not have a magic wand and
say magically this will now be exactly
what you want. Um so ultimately this
body is charged with reacting to what is
in front of us legislatively here
tonight and every member has the
opportunity to review that meet with uh
interested parties individuals and
consider all the information on their
own. Um again I think in this instance
personally um when we think about the
the existing infrastructure that is
there when we think about um again going
from the amount of units that were
originally on the table down to where
we're at while additionally reducing the
height of the project. Uh this body
considers a lots of these applications
and a lot of the criticisms I think I've
heard about this one um that have in my
opinion been addressed at least in part
by the applicant. Um unfortunately we
have other applications that we don't
see that kind of movement. Um so there
is not going to be a perfect compromise
here but again in a city that is
desperately needs housing particularly
in places that um contributes to that
housing diversity. Uh personally I I
think this application is ready to move
forward. So therefore I move to amend as
submitted the clerk first.
>> Clerk please uh call the role by voice.
I'm assuming
>> Barosa de Podia.
>> Deakau.
>> Yes.
>> Dorance. Yes.
>> Green.
>> Yes.
>> Remy.
>> No.
>> Ross.
>> W.
>> Yes.
>> President Harden.
>> Yes.
>> Uh, I now move to for passage as amended
by voice.
>> Barasa.
>> Is there a second?
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barasa Padilla.
>> Yes.
>> Deakau.
>> Yes.
>> Dorren,
>> yes.
>> Green,
>> Remy,
>> Ross,
>> W.
>> Yes.
President Hard.
>> Yes. Ordinance pass.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
0743-2026
reszone 6495 Hall Road being 26.69 plus
acres located on the north side of Hall
Road approximately 7 725 plus feet east
of Oakland Park Drive from Rural
District to PUD4 plan development
district. This site consists of one
undeveloped parcel spanning both sides
of Hall Road due to recent annexation
from Prairie Township in the city of
Columbus. The requested resoning request
will allow for the development of 63
single unit dwellings in a platted
subdivision with almost 12 acres of open
space. The proposal is approved from
city staff development commission and
the Westland area commission and the big
derby advisory panel. Do my colleagues
have any questions or comments? See none
and move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Akawa Doris Green
Remy Ross Vice President Harden
>> pass.
>> Thank you. We move into the council
variances portion of the agenda. The
next three items are all variances to
allow two unit dwellings on properties
where only single unit dwellings are
currently allowed. I just want to point
this out as it further illustrates we're
seeing the need for increased density in
all neighborhoods across Columbus at
different types of density levels. Um
the first ordinance is 0738-2026
to grant a variance provisions of
section 3332.035
R3 residential district 3312.49 C
require parking 3332.05A 05A area
district lot with requirements and
3332.13R3
area district requirements Columbia
codes for property located at
1541-154326
Avenue to allow a two-unit dwelling with
reduced development standards in the R3
residential district set consist of one
undeveloped parcel and requested council
variance will allow a two-unit dwelling
requested variance to lot with area lot
required parking for the two spaces are
included in this request for all
approved from city staff and the south
lynen area commission uh do my
colleagues have questions or comments
seeing none I Move to accept the entire
staff into evidence as an exhibit.
>> Second.
>> Click please call the role.
>> Barrosa de Padilla de Aar Doran screen
Remy Ross Vice President Harden.
>> Accept it.
>> Thank you. Next move to adopt the fing
of staff defiance of councel.
>> Click please call the role.
>> Barosa de padia de a dors green remy
ross vice president Harden.
>> Adopt it.
>> Thank you. Fine. Move for passage.
>> Click please call the role.
>> Barosa de padia de a doris green remy
ros vice president Harden.
>> Passed.
>> Thank you. Next we have ordinance
0744-2026
grant varance provisions of section
3332.035 035 R3 residential district
3333 2.05 05 A4 area lot district
requirements Columbus City to go for
property located at 3165 McGuffy Road to
allow two unit dwelling reduced
development will reduce lot width in the
R3 residential district site consists of
one undeveloped parcel and the requested
variance will allow the parcel to be
split and be developed with a two-unit
dwelling on each lot proposal for lot
width is also included proposal is
approved from city staff and the north
lynen area commission I first move to
accept the entire staff report into
evidence as an exhibit
>> clerk please call the role
>> barosa de padia de a doors green remy
ros president
>> accept Thank you. Next move to adopt the
fine staff defiance of councel.
>> Cler please call the role.
>> Barosa de padilla de a dors green screen
remy ros president Harden
>> adopt it.
>> Thank you. Finally move for passage.
>> Cler please call the role.
>> Barrosa de padilla de a dors green reie
ros w president president Harden
>> passed.
>> Thank you. Finally we have ordinance
0745-2026
rand provisions of section 3332.035
R3 residential district 3312.49C require
parking in 333 2.0584 05 A4 area
district with requirements in 3332.13 R3
area district uh requirements Columbus
City coast for property located at 1351
East Fulton Street to allow two unit
dwelling reduced development standards
in the R3 residential district. The site
consists of one undeveloped parcel and
request council variance will allow the
site to be developed with a two-unit
dwelling variances for lot with area uh
require parking or also included
proposals and approval from the city
staff and northeast area commission. I
first move to accept the entire staff
report to evidence as an exhibit. Clerk
please call the role.
>> Barrosa de Podia de Aar Doris Green Remy
Ross Weiss President Hart.
>> Accept it. Next move to adopt defiance
of staff defiance council.
>> Clerk please call the role.
>> Barosa de podia de a doris green reie
ros president heart.
>> Adopted
>> and finally move for passage.
>> Cler please call the role.
>> Barosa de padia de a dors green reie ros
w president.
>> Passed and c all we have tonight's
zoning agenda.
>> Thank you. See no further business
coming for uh zoning. Is there a motion
to adjurnn?
Cler, please call the role.
>> Barosa dear, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross,
White, President Harden.
>> Meeting is adjourned. We'll reconvene in
5 minutes.
Hey,
D.
Hey. Hey. Hey.
Hey.
Hey. Hey.
Heat. Heat.
Heat.
Come
on.
Heat. Heat.
Hey, hey, hey.
Hey everybody.
Hey,
hey, hey.
Hey
dick.
Daddy.
Jack.
Hey. Hey.
Hey, hey, hey.
clerk,
>> please call the role
>> for de padia de aar. Dorance green reie
ros vice president Harden.
>> We are back in meeting number 13. The
next committee to come before council is
the public safety and criminal justice
committee. That committee is chaired by
council member Remy. Council member the
floor is yours. Thank you very much,
Council President. Tonight, in the
public safety and criminal justice, I
have six ordinances for second read. The
first is 253 2026 to authorize the
finance and management director to
associate any and all budget
reservations resulting from this
ordinance with the purchase agreement
with Celco Partnership doing business as
Verizon Wireless for wireless voice data
GPS modem services and equipment to
authorize the expenditure of 1,250,000
from the Department of Public Safety's
general fund budget and to declare an
emergency. This ordinance reserves
funding for Verizon wireless voice
static GPS modem services supporting the
Department of Public Safety's daily
operations. Emergency action is
requested to ensure funding is
immediately available and prevent any
interruption to essential wireless
services. Are there any questions or
comments from my colleagues? Seeing
none, I move for pass
a Doris Green Remy Ross Vice President
Harden. Next I have 4612026 to authorize
the mun municipal court clerk to enter
in a contract with TNT Enterprises LLC
for the purchase of maintenance support
and services for the phone for phone
service to wave the competitive bidding
provisions the Columbus city code and to
authorize the expenditure of 48,000 from
the municipal court clerk computer fund
and to declare an emergency. This
ordinance is being brought forward in
part because of a corporate
reorganization involving the prior
provider and because continued phone
service is necessary for the clerk's
daily operations and public facing work.
The legislation also waves competitive
bidding because the city already
maintains the phone numbers used by the
clerk's office through an existing AT&T
master agreement, making a switch to
another vendor impractical and
potentially more costly. Emergency
action is necessary for the
uninterrupted operation of the municipal
court clerk phone service. Are there any
questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Barbosa de Padilla de Aka Doris Green
Remy Ross Vice President Harden.
Next at 4662026 to authorize and direct
the city auditor to transfer $1,649,976
within various projects of the safety
voted bond fund to amend the 2025
capital improvement budget to wave the
competitive bidding provisions of the
Columbus city code chapter 329 to
authorize the finance and management
director to enter into contracts with
and per issue purchase orders to
Atlantic Emergency Sol Solutions for the
purchase of four Horton Ford F550 gas
chassis
medics to authorize the expenditure of
$1,649,976
from the safety voted bond fund and to
declare an emergency. This ordinance
authorizes the purchases of four EMS
transport vehicles for the division of
fire funded through the safety voted
bond fund. The capital improvement
budget will be amended to shift funding
from platform ladders to medics. A bid
waiver is requested as the division of
fire has standardized its custom EMS
apparatus fleet and negotiated directly
with the manufacturer resulting in a
cost-effective procurement approach.
Emergency action is necessary due to
extended build for time for custom
apparatus. Immediate incumbrance of the
funds upon passage is required to ensure
production begins without delay. Are
there any questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Deadia de Akawa, Doris Green, Remy Ross,
Vice President Harden.
Next is 4942026 to authorize the
financer management director to
associate general budget reservations
resulting from this ordinance with the
appropriate universal term contract
purchase agreements on behalf of the
division of fire for the purchase of
uniforms from Gauls LLC turnout gear
from fire acquisition company LLC doing
business as Phoenix Safety Outfitters
and SCBA equipment from Atlantic
Emergency Solutions to authorize the
expenditure of 1,530,000 from the
general fund and to declare fire an
emergency. This ordinance reserves
funding for the division uh purchase of
uniforms and protective equipment for
the division of fire covering
replacements for existing personnel and
incoming recruits. Items include
uniforms, turnout gear, and protective
outerear for fire firefighting
situations. Emergency action is
requested to ensure funding is
immediately available and prevent any
interruption in the supply of essential
equipment. Are there any questions for
my colleagues? Seeing that I move for
passage
de a doris green remy Ross vice
president Harden
>> next 495 2026 to authorize and direct
the finance management director to
associate all general budget
reservations resulting from this
ordinance with the appropriate universal
term contract purchase agreements with
boundree medical LLC Z medical
corporation and teleoflex LLC for the
purchase of EMS pharmaceuticals and
miscellaneous medical supplies for the
division of fire to authorize the
expenditure of 1 million and 200,000
from the general fund and to declare an
emergency. Emergency action is requested
to replenish supplies to adequate levels
without delay. Are there any questions
or comments from my colleagues? Seeing
none, I move for passage.
>> Second, please call the role.
>> Rosa de Padilla de Akaw Doris Green,
Remy Ross, Vice President Harden. And
finally, F 724 2026 to authorize the
Department of Finance and Management to
enter into contract with Perkin Elmer US
LLC for the purchase of two ATR
accessories with associated shipping
costs for the division of police crime
lab to enter in said agreement in
accordance with the terms of bid pro
waiver provisions of chapter 329 of the
city code to authorize the expenditure
of $24,929
from the fiscar Paul Coverdale grant and
to declare an emergency. The Division of
Police Crime Lab was approved by the
Ohio Office of Criminal Justice to
purchase new drug identification
equipment equipment under the FY24 Paul
Coverell grant. The new attenuated total
reflectance accessories will replace
outdated equipment and integrate with
existing FTIR systems to analyze
submitted drug evidence. A bid waiver is
requested as Perkin Elmer US LLC is the
sole vendor whose ATR accessories are
compatible with the crime labs existing
FDIR equipment. Emergency action is
requested to expedite the purchase and
meet grant deadlines. Are there any
questions or comments from my
colleagues? Seeing none for passage
>> second
deodia de a dors green remy Ross vice
president Harden.
>> Thank you council president. That is all
I have this evening.
>> Thank you Mr. Chair. The next committee
to come before C council is the housing
homeless system and building committee.
That committee is chaired by council
Ross. Council member, the floor is
yours.
>> Thank you, Chair Harden. Just three
ordinances tonight on the agenda. The
first is 0552-2026
to amend the 2025 capital improvement
budget to authorize the city auditor to
transfer funds within the affordable
housing bond fund to authorize the
director of development to enter into a
grant agreement with Habitat for
Humanity Mid Ohio for development of a
14-unit affordable housing development
in an amount up to $1 million with a
total commitment to the project of $2
million and to authorize the expenditure
of up to $1 million from the affordable
housing bond. As we all know, Habitat
for Humanity is an affordable housing
developer building new homes for
qualified low-income families. Their
efforts are in response to the lack of
affordable housing options available to
firsttime lowincome home buyers in the
Columbus metro area using their cost and
energy efficient house plans, volunteer
labor, corporate sponsors, and local
government development gap funds. They
keep cost at a minimum. Qualifying home
b home buyers must live
in housing and can earn between 30 to
60% AMI. and our households who have
been qualified by Habitat for Humanity
Mid Ohio for a zero interest no profit
mortgage to purchase the homes. The home
buyers are required to complete buyer
and financial education and have
contributed up to 250 hours sweat equity
on their own home that of other Habitat
partner families classes and community
service activities. We do have two
individuals that have submitted speaker
slips uh one for and one against this
piece of legislation. I will start with
Mr. Nathaniel Wilkins who is speaking
against this piece of legislation.
Welcome back to council, Mr. Wilkins.
1612 Arlington Avenue. Mr. Leanne
Georgia Wilkins been in my house for 19
years in North London. I'm speaking in
against this for several reasons. Why it
it it seems like we overlooking vacant
property.
>> Habitat comes in here, built all these
homes and we lost amount extensively,
let me say this again, amount
extensively vacant home. Last several
years I was to Cherab and sold a vacant
property in North Lynon there. Tracked
all the homes, the vacancy rate and all
this other stuff. Let me take a moment
of my time to show you what we lost. I
kept I br a milk crate of seven
notebooks.
I want to start with the first property
of 1638 of Jennese Avenue was building
1895. Three bedrooms, uh three and a
half bathrooms, uh twocar garage.
Habitat came and bought these lots for
$5,000 a piece. I'm going to show you
some pictures. 1638 and Jennese Avenue
was a beautiful home one time or
another. I sit here and cried and
purchased my home in 2007 and watch this
home came demolished. This is what we
have. 1592 was built in 1890s.
A two-bedroom, one bath. It was slated
for a home for multi disability. We lost
that home to Habitat Humanity. Uh I
stood on my front porch and watched that
home came demolished.
Which is this?
We don't have these homes no more.
Genese Avenue was I believe 13 93 and 13
something. A unique home of two family
dwelling unit has some special type
sighting on this house. It was fastly
demolished. Habitat came in purchased a
lot. We don't have this no more. Let me
say something. What really bothered me
so much what called me to Arlington
Avenue was a four bedroomedroom houses
building. 1910 Habitat came along and
tore the sucker down. I love this house
so much. What they're doing is building
all these homes.
Let me just show you a picture. This was
my dream house. Dream house.
I stayed on Arlington Avenue. That what
brought me to Arlington Avenue to this
day. I'm still in my home because I
don't have my dream home. This home is a
a value to me. It was gone. It was gone.
Another piece of property on Myrtle
Avenue. Myrtle Avenue was just wiped
away. Wiped away because Habitat
Humanity came in. A beautiful home.
Couldn't be fixed. Couldn't be renovated
or rehabbed. Another home was torn down
behind me of 1621 at Jennc Avenue. I had
an article in that paper was lapidated
home. Why we couldn't fix these homes.
I I'm really baffled about Habitat
Humanity. I don't want them coming in my
community. I want to know with the track
record they have. They had one vacant
house on Jennese Avenue uh 1280 with
tall grass and highways. I'm so sorry I
didn't bring you that picture, but I'm
really frustrated cuz none of these
homes are being fixed up. They cannot
restore vacant and abandonment
properties. So again, I I I propose this
until they show me some track records.
Thank you for my time.
>> Thank you, Mr. Wilkins.
>> Fortunately, we do have um a member of
leadership for Habitat for Humanity here
to speak in favor of this piece of
legislation. Um Brandy, please uh come
up. And as you come up, if you could
consider the comments of Mr. Wilkins um
and be prepared to respond to those, I
would appreciate it.
Good evening. My name is Brandy Alise.
I'm the president CEO of Habitat for
Humanity Med Ohio. I don't know that
I've spok spoken publicly this late at
night, so forgive me if I stumble a
little bit. So, uh, Mr. Wilkins um, Mr.
Wilkins and I shortly after I took my
position just over two years ago, I met
Mr. Wilkins in the Lynen neighborhood.
We walked the neighborhood together and
talked about his concerns. And I
understand completely what Mr. Wilkins
is bringing up in terms of the grandeur
and design and architecture of the homes
that were built in the 1900s in Lynden
are stunning. They are beautiful. I wish
we could build homes to that standard.
If we did, they would undoubtedly not be
affordable. And what I had told Mr.
Wilkins and what I will say here today
if there are other partners that want to
come to the table in terms of the design
and the materials that would be required
we stand as a willing and able partner
but and part of Habitat's mission is to
build safe decent and affordable housing
and if if there's this tipping point in
terms of how can we build a house so
that it can still be in that affordable
price range versus trying to build
something that is beautiful and has
dignity and fits in with the
neighborhood. So, it is not an easy
solve, but we would certainly be willing
to be a partner to have conversations
with the right organizations or people.
Um, in terms of the project and
legislation before you tonight, it's not
actually in the Lynen neighborhood,
which has been a big focus of ours. We
are actually um proposing to do this 14
unit first ever multifamily project in
the Devon Triangle neighborhood on the
east side of Columbus. So, I've said to
you before and I'll say it again
tonight. Habitat aims to be a leader in
helping solve the affordable housing
crisis. We will not be the biggest
player. That's okay. But we want to do
as much as we can. Uh city council and
the city administration has been le have
been leaders in thinking about
innovative ways for us to approach
solving this crisis, including moving
towards density where it makes sense.
the ordinance before you. Um and uh
council chair, not council chair,
committee chair Ross, you did a great
job um uh teeing this up that the first
million of the two million will go to
building a multifamily town home project
that will be purchased by each one will
be purchased by hardworking families who
earn between 30 and 60% of the area uh
median income. I'll note that these 14
dwellings will be built on nine parcels
of land that we purchased through the
Columbus Land Bank, which has been a
pillar partner of ours. This project
allows us to tense to test gentle
density in the efficiencies and and
economies of scale that come with
building a larger um scale project. What
we learn from this project will help
inform how we continue our uh approach
to building in central Ohio. In a recent
survey of over 300 Habitat homeowners um
and half have owned their homes for 10
years or more, they shared that 65%
reported improved financial stability.
64% report no longer needing government
assistance. 90% feel more confident in
caring for their family and 89% feel
more positive about the future. I think
just a few of those stats help tell the
story of what home ownership can do. And
I will leave my remarks at that unless
there are any questions. questions.
>> Thank you so much. I appreciate you for
coming to council. If there Oh, I also
would like to know you're good. Would
like to note we did receive written
testimony in favor of this piece of
legislation. And because it is so short,
I I will read it. Um uh he says, "My
name is Trevan Fillinger and I'm a
resident of District 7. I live on the
near east side, not too far from this
new housing development. I write to
write in and express my support for
ordinance 0552-2026
which will provide city funding for this
Habitat for Humanity housing
development. I work as a data analyst in
my day job for Ohio. But you don't have
to be in my position to realize that the
cost of housing is skyrocketing and we
need solutions. Supporting Habitat for
Humanity's mission to build more housing
is commendable and I am especially
excited about this project because
because it is bringing essential missing
middle homes to our city. I've
volunteered with Habitat for Humanity
several times in the past, helping build
new homes for families, and I can't wait
to help with these new homes. Thank you
for supporting this project, and I hope
that we'll see more like it soon. Uh,
with that, I will take any questions or
comments from my colleagues. Yes,
>> I'm very excited that Habitat for
Humanity is getting into um the this
type of housing. I'm from the West
Coast, San Francisco Bay area. your only
chance of of a starter home was a condo
or a townhouse. This is really provides
such a great opportunity for housing
that is affordable and it's yours. When
my daughter and I first moved into our
first home that we owned and it was it
was not a new build. It was a real ugly
old townhouse. It was really hideous,
but it was ours and we were excited and
we were only able to do that because it
was a townhouse. And so to create this
opportunity so more people will be able
to afford their own place is just a real
exciting thing to be happening in
Columbus. So thank you so much, Habitat.
>> Thank you, council member. Any
additional comments, questions for my
colleagues? I just I would like to add
too that um Brandy I think the first day
that we met after you got uh this
position. We talked about an exciting
idea of trying to close that gap in
central Ohio because you look around.
>> We don't have this in our market, not
certainly not at scale. You go to other
developing cities like Atlanta and they
have town homes all over the place. Um
and right now this will be our entryway.
And so it's just really exciting to see
something that we thought out out loud
about two years ago uh at a coffee shop
to see it uh to be able to vote on it
tonight and to be at the um
groundbreaking soon. I'm really excited
about it. So just thank you. Thank you
chair.
>> Thank you council president. Any further
comment questions for my colleagues?
Seeing none I'll move for passage.
>> Clerk please call the role. Barrosa de
Padilla de Aar Dorne Green Reie Ross
Weiss President Harden
>> passed.
>> Thank you. Next, we have ordinance
number 0749-2026
to authorize the director of Department
of Development to enter into a not
for-profit service contract with the
Tony R. Wells Foundation in an amount up
to $1 million to act as fiscal manager
for the American Dream Down payment
initiative program to authorize the
appropriation and expenditure in an
amount up to $1 million from the housing
business tax incentive fund to advance
funding per a predetermined schedule and
to declare an emergency. Any comments or
questions from my colleagues? Seeing
none, I move for passage.
Clerk,
>> please call the role.
>> Bos Padilla de Aar Dorren Green Reie
Ross Weiss, President Harden.
>> Fast.
>> Thank you. And finally, ordinance number
0758-2026
to amend the 2025 capital improvement
budget to authorize the city auditor to
transfer funds within the affordable
housing bond fund to authorize the
director of development to enter into a
grant agreement with CHP Homeport Homes
LLC for development of a 24 single
family affordable housing development in
an amount up to $2.5 million with a
total commitment to the project of $5
million to authorize the expenditure of
up to $2.5 million from the affordable
housing bond fund and to declare an
emergency. The mission of the Columbus
Housing Partnership Homeport Homes LLC
is to create strong communities by
developing quality affordable homes on a
cornerstone of dignity, security, and
opportunity. The production of 24 single
family homes in the American Edition
neighborhood will address the need for
affordable housing within the city of
Columbus for low to moderate income
families that are at or below 120% of
the area median income limit set by HUD.
This project will be an addition to the
decent, safe, and sanitary housing
already located within the American
Edition neighborhood. This project will
be a landmark that will introduce the
first zero energy ready homes in a
predominantly African-American
community. These zero energy ready homes
offer a range of long-term benefits for
buyers. They are built to rigorous
national standards that ensure
exceptional energy efficiency, healthier
indoor air quality, and long-lasting
durability. Since they are designed to
be a solar ready, Since they are
designed to be solar ready, home owners
can further reduce their utility costs
over time. Zero energy ready homes
support environmental sustainability by
lowering carbon emissions for families.
These benefits translate into real
savings, increase housing stability and
healthier living environments for
generations to come. Any comments or
questions from my colleagues?
>> Yes. I'll just note given that these are
solar ready homes. If we built homes
that were more energy efficient, that
had renewable energy, that had waters
conservation at the forefront, we would
not be in this utility crisis that we
are currently in. So, just want to note,
thank you. Great project. Excited to see
it happen.
>> Thank you, council member. Any
additional questions or comments from my
colleagues?
>> Awesome. Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Second.
>> Please call the role. Bar Roa de Padilla
de Akawa, Doris Green, Remy Ross, Vice
President Harden.
>> Thank you, council president. That is
all from the housing committee.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Next committee
coming for council is the public
utilities and sustainability committee.
That committee is chaired by council
member. Council member, the floor is
yours.
>> Thank you, council president. First in
public utilities and sustainability. I
have ordinance 463-2026
to authorize the director of the
Department of Finance and Management to
associate all general budget
reservations resulting from this
ordinance with the appropriate universal
term contract purchase agreements for
the purchase of parts, materials,
supplies, and services for the division
of water distribution maintenance
section and to authorize the expenditure
of 3,200,000 from the water operating
fund. These purchases are necessary for
the maintenance of the city's water
distribution system and other related
infrastructure. Let me stop there. See
if any questions or comments from my
colleagues. Seeing none, I move for
passage. Second call.
>> Barrosa deodia de a dors green remy Ross
vice president Harden.
>> Thank you. Next, I have ordinance
479-2026
to authorize the director of finance and
management to enter into a new contract
with Truck Country of Indiana doing
business as Stoops Freight Liner for the
purchase and installation of methane
detection systems on previously
purchased automated side loader refuge
trucks to authorize and direct the city
auditor to authorize payment to truck
country of Indiana doing business as
STO's freight liner for services
rendered as part of this project per
invoices approved by the public service
department director or designate in the
amount not to exceed $55,20
$20 of which $34,60
will be on a then and now certificate to
pay in invoices due for services already
performed to authorize the expenditure
of $55,020 from the refugees bond fund
to wave competitive bidding provisions
of Columbus City code and to declare an
emergency. The installation of methane
detection systems is essential in order
to meet safety standards and comply with
environmental regulations. Emergency
designation is requested as funds are
needed immediately to pay existing
invoices. Let me stop there. See if any
questions or comments from my
colleagues. Seeing none, I move for
passage.
>> Second question
de aor screen remy Ross vice president
Harden
>> pass. Thank you. The next two ordinances
provide the funding necessary for the
purchase of light duty trucks, vehicles,
and vehicle uplifts for Columbus Water
and Power. Emergency designation is
requested for both ordinances in order
to avoid missing the ordering bank
window, which would require the city to
explore alternative options potentially
result in price increases or the
possibility of not receiving orders for
2026. Uh, first I have ordinance
507-20226
to authorize the director of the
department of finance and management to
associate all general budget
reservations resulting from this
ordinance with the appropriate universal
term contract purchase agreements for
the purchase of light duty trucks for
the department of public utilities to
authorize the expenditure of 1,889,1628
split among the water and electricity
operating funds and to declare an
emergency. Let me stop there. See if any
questions or comments for my colleagues.
Seeing none, I move for passage.
>> Clerk, please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Akawador Green Remy
Ross, Vice President Harden.
>> Pass. Thank you. And next I have uh
546-2026
to authorize the director of the
department of finance and management to
associate all general budget
reservations resulting from this
ordinance with the appropriate universal
term contract purchase agreements for
the purchase of light duty vehicles and
vehicle uplifts for the department of
public utilities and to authorize an
expenditure of 1,310,000
split among the sanitary sewer and storm
water operating funds and to declare an
emergency. Let me stop there. See if any
questions or comments from my
colleagues. Seeing none, I move for
passage. Clerk, please call the role.
>> Stadia de Akawa, Doris Green, Remy Ross,
Vice President Harden.
>> Pass.
>> Thank you. And last, I have ordinance
822-2026
to authorize the director of public
service to renew the contract with
Rumkey of Ohio Incorporated for yard
waste recycling collection services to
authorize the appropriation and
expenditure of funds in the amount up to
$15,923,729
within the income tax set aside fund to
authorize the expenditure of $3,690,527
from the general fund for the 10th year
of the contract. and to declare an
emergency. This contract provides weekly
recycling collection for residents,
regularly regular collection of sidewalk
recycling containers in the downtown
business district and glass pickup from
restaurants and bars along North High
Street and other hightra areas. These
services are essential as they divert
recyclable materials from the regular
waist stream and prolong the life of the
Franklin County uh sanitary landfill.
Emergency designation is requested in
order to avoid disruption to recycling
collection services with the current
contract expiring on March 31st. Uh,
Deputy Director Lassa, can you just
speak to where things currently stand
with the contract and the future uh for
recycling pickup?
>> Sure. Thank you, President Harden and
Council Member Weiss and other members
of council. Um, as you mentioned, this
is the 10th year for Rumkey Recycling,
for weekly recycling and bi-weekly yard
waste and also the downtown recycling
programs. This is,
sorry, this is the final renewal um year
under that contract. So, we are putting
out an RFP for services and that we're
expecting that to be going out this week
and opening
around this time in April around the
22nd. Um, so it's a four-week
advertisement and this one's a little
bit different. Right now, Rumpky is
servicing the entire city. We're going
to be advertising this to split the city
into three zones and that gives the city
the option to select one vendor for all
of the zones or select multiple vendors
depending on how the pricing comes in.
So it gives us a lot more options as far
as how we want to move forward and
contract for these services.
>> Thank you for that. and we've talked to
the department of are there ways in
which we can further our Columbus for
goes through this new RFP and look
forward to working with public service
to figure out what that looks like. Uh
deputy director Robbins, I do have a
question for you. Obviously, the use of
IT funds for uh this recycling contract,
has that been the norm throughout the
entire 10-year period?
>> Uh thank you.
Uh, Chair Weiss, Council President
Harden, uh, members of council. Um, no,
we have not. Um, the IT fund has
changed, uh, over the last few years
and, um, time to time we move, uh,
expenses on and off that fund. Uh, this
time we had planned to, uh, spend the
dollars during the budget. We did plan
on spending the dollars out of the IT
fund for uh, for for part of this
contract, not the entire amount.
>> Yeah.
The only reason I asked that question
obviously we had a we just went through
budgeting process for city council. One
of the things one of the concerns
expressed by this council was the
increasing use of its funds um which
kind of dilutes our ability to um use
capital dollars on other projects. So
can you just speak to where where is the
administration thinking this is going?
Is this something we expect during this
next contract or are there plans to find
a more sustainable fund to support
recycling expansion?
>> Um, well, I guess I should say first
off, last year we spent $43 million out
of the IT fund on these um really non-
capital expenditures. Um, this year we
are slated to spend $25 million out of
the fund. Um, so for us, um, we
actually, it's an improvement over over
last year. Um, which is something we've
been telling, uh, rating agencies,
something we've been telling everyone
all along. We're trying to to, uh, to,
you know, we don't, we would rather not
spend any of these dollars out of the
fund. But, um, you know, when we're
putting the budget together and you have
a huge amount of of these are such big
dollars, they were a lot easier to move
into that fund, especially knowing um,
that it was able to sustain it last
year. Um so this year we actually um the
effect of us spending these dollars out
of the ISA fund um you know it's
actually going to be a it's better this
year than it was last year. It's not
it's not perfect and yes we would like
to um move dollars completely off the
fund eventually but the fund also is
there um you know for it's it's a
perfectly allowable expenditure to be
spent out of that fund.
Yes, perfectly allowable. But is this
the right way to do it is always the
question. And I think as we look towards
this new
sustainability task force, right, and
look at the ways in which we are
spending money, I think that is the one
of the things that is going to be up for
discussion. So I I appreciate you kind
of walking through this. I kind of hit
you right before the meeting that we had
the questions, but I appreciate you
being willing to answer. Uh any other
questions or comments from my
colleagues?
Seeing none, I move for passage. Clerk,
please call the role.
>> Barosa de Padilla de Akawa, Doris Green,
Remy Ross, Vice President Harden.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, passed.
>> Thank you. That is all I have for my
committee this evening.
>> Got a bit ahead of myself, didn't I? The
final committee to come before council
is the rules and policy committee. Uh, I
chair that committee. In rules and
policy policy, we have uh ordinance
0583-26
to amend chapter 225 of Columbus City
codes to reestablish the information
service division within the department
of technology. The rule change will
correct in an administrative era. The
information service division was removed
in the last set of code changes for the
department but was then budgeted for an
operating budget. This ordinance
reestablishes the vision to correct that
issue. Oops. Uh if there are no
questions or comments, I move for
passage.
Cler please call the role.
>> Barrosa de Padilla de Aar Dorne Green
Remy Ross Vice President Harden.
>> See no further business come council. Is
there a motion to adjurnn? Clarosa
de Padilla de a dors green screen Remy
Ross vice president Harden.
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