City Council

200 South Hamilton Road City of Gahanna Gahanna, Ohio 43230 Meeting Minutes City Council Stephen A. Renner, President Merisa K. Bowers, Vice President Karen J. Angelou Nancy R. McGregor Kaylee Padova Michael Schnetzer Trenton I. Weaver Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council Monday, October 3, 2022 7:00 PM City Hall, Council Chambers A. CALL TO ORDER: Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call Gahanna City Council met in Regular Session on Monday, October 3, 2022, in Council Chambers. President of Council Stephen A. Renner called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Vice President of Council Merisa K. Bowers delivered an Invocation and led members in the Pledge of Allegiance. The agenda for this meeting was published on September 30, 2022. President Renner welcomed all those in attendance. As it was a full Council Chambers, he reminded all those in attendance of cell phone etiquette and the procedures for speaking during Hearing of Visitors. Present 7 - Nancy R. McGregor, Karen J. Angelou, Merisa K. Bowers, Trenton I. Weaver, Kaylee Padova, Michael Schnetzer, and Stephen A. Renner B. ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA: None. C. HEARING OF VISITORS: 1. Marilyn Brown, Co-Chair, Committee to Save Senior Services (Issue 10). Chairwoman Brown said she was co-chairing the Committee with Nana Watson. This is a levy that comes up every 5 years. It is a renewal levy. It does not cost any more for a home than for what one is paying currently. For a $100,000 per home value, this is amounts to $40.13. For this, seniors over 60 receive house giving care and meals on wheels. At least 60,000 seniors per year receive these services. Brown said that along with caregiving help, there is also transportation help and much more. She was happy to answer any questions from people and offered additional literature on the issue. She said the Committee would be honored to have everyone’s support. Brown noted that the website is www.SeniorOptionsLevy.com. Councilmembers City of Gahanna Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 Angelou and Renner welcomed Brown to Council Chambers. Brown is a former Franklin County Commissioner. Renner said that Brown is one of the most outstanding leaders of the highest of ethics and service. Brown expressed her thanks to all public officials in doing the work that they do. It is not easy work, but it can be worthwhile. 2. Proclamation Presentation by Mayor Jadwin 2022-0287 Mayoral Proclamation - Dr. Daniel Heinmiller Day Mayor Jadwin noted that the Chambers was the most crowded it had been since January 2020 and was phenomenal to see everyone here to participate in local government. Regarding the Proclamation, Jadwin said it was bittersweet and an honor recognize an individual who has been part of the fabric of our community for more than 30 years and who has touched the lives of thousands of people in the community. At the same time, it is sad to say goodbye to an individual, that same individual who has decided to hang up his stethoscope and retire from the practice of medicine. Jadwin noted she is speaking of Dr. Dan Heinmiller, seated in the audience with his family. She said “Dr. Dan” has been a staple in the community, having founded Gahanna Pediatrics in July 1991. This was just a few years after he had been practicing in Westerville and having completed residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Heinmiller estimates having treated over 20,000 children in his 30 plus years in Gahanna, Jadwin’s two daughters included. Jadwin noted that through the years Heinmiller became a trusted confidant, a source of care and comfort for Jadwin and for her daughters. He was a friend, as well as a physician. She said it is tough to say goodbye to Dr. Dan. He has been so involved in the community for several years. Jadwin said that if anyone had ever been to the St. Matthews Festival, he was on the dunk tank. He was always willing to do that. He sponsored little league teams, helping with the Dreams on Horseback program, working with St. Vincent De Paul, and feeding the poor. He has been invested in this community in every sense of the word. Jadwin said she is honored to present him with a Proclamation. Heinmiller joined Jadwin as she read from the Proclamation declaring October 3, 2022, as “Dr. Dan Heinmiller Day” in the City of Gahanna. With congratulations and applause from audience and Council, Heinmiller received the Proclamation. Heinmiller thanked Jadwin and said he was humbled and honored. When he was trying to figure out where to start his own practice, he studied demographics and realized the community was underserved in the pediatric realm. Heinmiller added that he was glad he came [to Gahanna] and started Gahanna Pediatrics. He remarked that the people of Gahanna live in a wonderful community. It is integrated, a common thread of hard work ethic, civility, and helpfulness between everyone. He is truly honored and humbled to accept the Proclamation. He thanked his wife for her support. He thanked all his family for coming and for their support over the years. They have had to sacrifice when he was leaving in middle of night to see babies or being called out of a Christmas recital in snowy weather to help a frenetic mother. Heinmiller expressed his appreciation to Jadwin, Attorney Mularski, Chief City of Gahanna Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 Spence, Council, and the City of Gahanna. 3. Councilmember Weaver presentation for Resolution on Arts & Humanities Month. Councilmember Weaver introduced the Resolution recognizing October 2022 as Arts & Humanities Month (RES-0031-2022). He said the goal of the Resolution is to recognize the arts and humanities in the City of Gahanna and the wonderful opportunities that are available to our residents to partake in the arts and humanities in the city. He noted the Gahanna Area Arts Council (GAAC), along with Visit Gahanna, and the Department of Parks & Recreation partnered to bring the Columbus Symphony to Sunpoint Park with some wonderful music. One could not have asked for a better performance and the turnout was great. Weaver noted that the chief operating officer of the Columbus Symphony, Dan Walshaw, was going to join this evening’s presentation, but was not able to do so due to a family emergency. Weaver said that Rebekah McBride-Smith from the GAAC was able to accept the Resolution on their behalf. Weaver presented the Resolution to McBride-Smith with applause from the audience. 4. Members of the Public Nora Bolon of 1333 Amberlea Dr NW, Gahanna, OH, spoke on the rezoning of 5503 Morse Rd. Ms. Bolon said she is opposed to the development and variances that Stonehenge has presented and requested. She asked for Council to recall from the September 26, 2022, meeting that the developer presented a visual in red of MFRD properties already within the northeast quadrant of Gahanna. This quadrant is inside Morse Road, Hamilton Road, Beecher Road, and Johnstown Road. Bolon asked what you think of when you hear multi-family residential. She said she bets you think about apartments. Condominiums are also considered MFRD. Bolon reviewed the developments within this quadrant. On Morse Road headed west, starting at the roundabout, you have a commercial property, a daycare, Story Point, which is assisted living, the 5503 Morse Road property, Sage Park, an assisted living medical facility, Residences of Gahanna, an apartment complex, Cameron Ridge, an apartment complex, Villages at Sterling Pines, a condominium community, an animal hospital, the Polo Club, a condominium community, and commercial. On Hamilton Road headed south, you have a commercial, Shagbark condominiums behind Giant Eagle and more commercial. On Beecher headed east, there is a medical park, commercial, and The Courtyard at Beecher Crossing, another condo community. On Johnstown Road headed north, you have a daycare center, a medical facility, another daycare center, Gahanna Grove condo community, Rittenhouse Senior Living, Amberlea Village condo community, houses, Windward Trace condo community, and houses. Bolon reviewed the areas that consist of Gahanna residents. The developer is requesting a rezoning from single-family estate to multi-family. The variance request is for 251 apartments. Why? Money. These small but City of Gahanna Page 3 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 many apartments scream a transient development and is smackdab up against Windward Trace and Amberlea Village with its longtime and long-staying Gahanna residents. Bolon said they own their condos and pay their own taxes. The area in question is surrounded by condominium and medical buildings. The entire northeast quadrant in which the people live consist of two apartment complexes, three senior assisted living, and seven beautifully established condo communities. She said Council’s argument may be for more housing, but she urged that they look at the 43230 zip. As of yesterday, Bolon said 35 apartment complexes were listed with available space. New apartments are being built on Morrison Road. She asked Council to not approve the rezoning for this development. She asked if Council did grant the rezoning to not grant the three stories and 251 units but to make the development more consistent with the surroundings. Bolon said the extremely high density is not the right fit for the 13.96 acres at 5503 Morse Road. She reemphasized that the red multi-family residential visual from September 26, 2022, meeting does not always mean apartments. Leo McCann of 1261 Amberlea Dr W, Gahanna, OH spoke on the Morse Road 14 site plans. Mr. McCann is president of the Amberlea Village condo association. He is speaking in opposition to ORD-0056-2022, the Morse Road 14 project. One of the greatest concerns he has with regard to the process of the reviewing of the zoning as well as the variance request, is we have no visuals or drawings or renderings of what the proposed development is going to look like. For McCann, this is a “ready, fire, aim” situation. This is 251 apartment units stacked in three stories. The sight lines are bad to Windward Trace and Amberlea Village. McCann said that some speakers tonight are going to talk about how they have to live with this every day. He said to think about when you have to leave your house and you look at a three-story building right there. He said we need to talk about what the development looks like before we can turn around and approve zoning changes and variances. McCann thinks this process is very backwards. He stressed the need to talk about what we are looking at before we decide. McCann said the condo associations pray for artistic renderings and drawings and the actual site plan and development before it comes back to you. McCann thinks that this would be appropriate. He thanked Council for their consideration. Ed Douglass of 725 Windward Ln, Gahanna, OH spoke generally on the Morse Road 14 project. Mr. Douglass thanked Council for the chance to present concerns. Some of the issues mentioned are ones brought up at the Planning Commission, but Douglass stressed the importance of making all public officials aware of their concerns. He said it looks like the goal is to have developers build apartment living on virtually every bit of available land. The argument seems to be that much more housing is needed in the metropolitan area. We must provide as much of it as possible. But, is that a good goal? Must we satisfy all that need at the expense of residents who own and occupy private homes in the City of Gahanna Page 4 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 adjacent areas? Shouldn’t those people be considered as well? Douglass said Council is being asked to overlook a number of changes to the rules on zoning, rules that have been written by government officials. In the staff planning report, there is a list of 9 variances that would be requested for the conditional use. He said number seven seemed to be a really egregious one. The zoning code requires approximately a half-mile lot, 2,640 feet, in order to develop 251 units. The lot being considered is just under 1,000 feet, not even half of the required width. The first item lists the number of units at eight. He said Council is being asked to expand that to 24 units per building. This is limited to two or more residential buildings on a lot being expanded. He said Council is being asked to expand that to 11 buildings. The density per acre is 6-18 units. This is right at the limit. He said Council is being asked to approve 17.96 units per acre. The rule calls for a maximum of two stories per building. He said Council is being asked to raise that to three. He stated there is a reference to a flexible arrangement of buildings. The variances are requested to some of the development standards of the MFRD and zoning code. Variances are not spelled out. With accessory buildings, the request is for a clubhouse, pool, garages, and so on. There does not seem to be any problem there. The zoning code prohibits no parking area closer than 25 feet to the front or rear of a building. Douglass said the staff did not understand why that code was implemented, so they recommended overruling it. Last, he said there is a zoning certificate that can only be granted within one year of conditional use approval. They are asking to double this to two years. President Renner noted that Mr. Douglass had reached his time. He asked for Douglass to finish his thought. Douglass said one thing that struck him as odd was at the top of page four of the staff report. It says that the land use portion specifies that additional housing, specifically apartments, that 90 percent of the city’s housing stock was constructed prior to 2000. Housing opportunities need to evolve to match the preference of the market. Modern apartment projects typically have the amenities and features desired and are lacking in existing stock. Douglass said what this seemed to imply was that if they become obsolete in 22 years, will these be obsolete as well? And if so, what is likely to happen to the occupants? He thanked Council for the time. Jim McIntosh of 721 Windward Ln, Gahanna, OH spoke generally on the Morse Road 14 project. Mr. McIntosh thanked Council for the opportunity to speak. He is here to comment on the scores of beautiful trees on the property, past, present, and future of the trees. McIntosh said that they had looking down on them and comingling with them birds, bats of all types, chickadees, titmouse, every order of finch, many species of hummingbird, cardinal, blue jay, several species of raptor and many others. Also finding refuge among the trees and underbrush there are deer, bucks, does, and fawns, squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, and an occasional coyote. McIntosh stated that the high-density development on the property will disperse this wildlife population, resulting in City of Gahanna Page 5 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 the preponderance of creatures then looking over to and down on their neighbors, us, to be as many as 500 people, maybe more. For those among us who think about what we can do to serve the betterment of the environment, McIntosh asked to think about the fact there is no other greenspace of this size and of this quality nearby. He said to think about the incalculable tons of carbon dioxide that the scores of trees consume and the includable tons of oxygen those trees create. Should any plan be approved, McIntosh expects them to strategically plan and design and salvage as many of the property’s trees as practical. He said is also here to comment on if this were to be approved, how would they expect the developer to implement a consistent setback from the Morse Road properties, southwest and east boundaries with its neighbors. He said they would expect a minimum setback from the property lines of 60 feet for all buildings above ground infrastructure, roadways, driveways, automobile parking, standing water, and other project property or property improvements. Having agreement with an assurance from the developer on this aspect of the prospective project’s design and execution and on other aspects as well, along with the sentiments expressed on trees, would all favor residents’ confidence in having acceptable security and privacy. He said it would also limit unwanted sound and light intrusions upon the peace they have enjoyed in their homes for many years and up until now. He thanked Council for their attention and the time to speak. Dennis Huffman of 737 Windward Trace Ln, Gahanna, OH spoke on fencing with the Morse Road 14 project. Mr. Huffman said he was the president of the Windward Trace community. His property back’s up to the woods of 5503 Morse Road. He said that as a community, they are not happy with the Morse Road project. One of their concerns is with fencing for security and privacy along the west and south perimeter of property boundaries. This needs to be setback at least 55 feet. They want to see the builder install an eight foot, solid, earth tone, low maintenance durable vinyl with galvanized steel standards and cross members for support. Huffman noted that they have had two meetings with Stonehenge. He said they think they agree with the eight-foot vinyl fence. There is nothing in writing, however. Additionally, Huffman said they have not seen anything as to what this was going to look like. Douglas Knotts of 785 Windward Ln, Gahanna, OH spoke on the Morse Road 14 project zoning (ORD-0056-2022). Mr. Knotts said he lives along the tree line that has been discussed tonight as part of the Morse Road zoning project. He said the point he wanted to make, which the Mayor had noted earlier, was on the attendance in Chambers. He said this is a good reflection of how unpopular this zoning request is in the two developments it would affect. He questioned whether the developer has gone through the process correctly or not. He said his wife contacted Ohio EPA shortly after the meeting held in August with the Planning Commission. At that point, the Ohio EPA had not received a request for mitigation on this property as being wetlands. Also, Knotts said the Army Corps of Engineers City of Gahanna Page 6 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 needs to rule on the mitigation of this land as a wetland project. He would like to know whether the developer has proceeded. As of today, they called the Ohio EPA and a call into the Army Corps of Engineers to confirm this has been done by the developer. He would like to have this put forth to the Council prior to a vote on the rezoning. Knotts strongly recommends, based upon how unpopular project is by the number of people in attendance, that the Council votes no on the proposal. He thanked Council for the time. Mark Nawrocki of 1292 Amberlea Dr E, Gahanna, OH spoke on his opposition to the development at 5503 Morse Road. Mr. Nawrocki said he was opposed to the development as he saw at the Planning Commission. He will be one of the units that would walk outside with a three-story tall building in his face. This is how he felt at the Planning Commission when seeing the plans for this piece of land. The others spoke about the trees and the wetlands, etc. It seemed like the plan was to push it as far as you can and as tall as you can go. He said he understands that this is the last piece of land (in the area), and he does not own it. It is going to be developed. But, he said, it seemed like that plan was just an “in your face” and virtually everything that would not fit in with what already exists. With this being the last piece of land that is there, he thinks if you are last to the party, you need to make it match to fit in with the surrounding developments. Nawrocki said the density is an issue. There is a traffic circle that works very well. Now, they are talking about putting in a light a few yards away that would kind of defeat the whole point of a traffic circle. He thanked Council for time to speak. Jeannie Hoffman of 708 Waybaugh Dr, Gahanna, OH spoke on the Fair Housing proposals. Ms. Hoffman said she was not clear on a couple things with the Fair Housing legislation. What is the issue we are trying to solve? Under source of income, she understands all the “legal income,” but is a little bit not in favor of forcing a landlord to accept a voucher. Is this ok to do? Is that really something local governments should be doing? Are there unintended consequences to this? She said she did some back of napkin math. With the subsidy, the income limit, and 40 percent of that and looked up what would rent for under that amount. She said there were four apartments, possibly including. One specifically had said to her no Section 8. The other she had emails said they do not accept Section 8. She is thinking whether one of the unintended consequences of that would be raising rents. She said some of them only had to raise it by $30 and then it would be unreachable for someone who is on a voucher or using a voucher for part of their rent. The other things she had questions about concerned real estate agents. She said she did appreciate the legislation limiting to 10 housing units but is not sure why real estate agents are in there. If they sell 10 houses in Gahanna, she thought that could be every realtor in the state possibly being affected. She said she is not really sure. The other question she had was about tendering rent. How would this be handled? What if it is repetitive? For instance, if the person is not City of Gahanna Page 7 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 paying that they are never going to get caught up. She said she did not know if this would help either the landlord or the renter. Having emailed landlords herself to see if they accept Section 8, she asked has anyone called to check and see why they do not accept it. There must be a reason. If it is easy to receive, easy to get, why are landlords not accepting it. She thought this should be looked into. With the unintended consequences of raising rent a little bit, and with this apartment development people are in opposition about tonight, are the developers still going to want to do it if they are forced to accept vouchers? Is this going to be a problem? She said she had more questions but would email them to Council. Maximillian Orsley of 691 Vivian Ct, Gahanna, OH spoke on his support for the proposed zoning change. Mr. Orsley said he supported the changing zoning for the development project at Morse Road. He said the reason for this is that higher density means more efficient use of city resources and more accessibility for people. He thanked Council for the time. Monica Morgan, owner of 5503 Morse Rd, Gahanna, OH spoke on her decision to sell the property. Ms. Morgan said she owned the 14 acres subject to the rezoning and proposed development. She acknowledged Attorney Mularski and Mayor Jadwin. She said that 20 years down the road, she is still being harassed and sued about her trees. Everybody loves the trees but then has had to deal with numerous suits over her trees. This has been a very hard, difficult decision to sell this property. She said she has gone out of her way for two years trying to find a suitable buyer. She wanted the property to become something beautiful. She said she is worn out with trees, mowing grass, and the harassment from many people. It breaks her heart that she has to sell it because this was her grandmother’s homeplace. She just wanted everyone to know that these trees were going to be the death of her. She gets registered letters. She gets calls. She gets suits about her trees. Attorney Mularski knows this. This is hard. Morgan said she is one little person trying to do the best she can. She understands everyone’s hate of the three stories, but they also do not want her trees hanging over. She has had arborists come out. She has walked the property with Brian Reynolds (city code enforcement) regarding the trees. This is constant. She plead with Council to help zone this to make it a new beautiful. Maybe there are some trees that can be left that Windward Trace can be happy with. President Renner thanked Morgan for stepping forward to talk about this. He said this was part of the narrative: property rights and ownership rights. Dr. Mary Dixon, of 847 Eastchester Dr, Gahanna, OH spoke on the Fair Housing legislation. Dr. Dixon expressed her thanks for the Ordinance on Fair Housing and City of Gahanna Page 8 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 nondiscrimination laws. She said she came before Council a couple times to ask for this. She said she is more than grateful for what has been put into this. She never imagined Council would do all this. She said Council had listened and was acting. She had been talking with city officials and elected officials since January 2021. Now, this has finally come to pass and is this far. She said she is really impressed with the Fair Housing Board and with the nondiscrimination laws and the fairness to renters and landlords. There is a procedure outlined for noncompliance, which is also great. Dixon thinks this is a very good piece of legislation and is more than she had expected. It is very comprehensive. She thanked Council for the time to speak. D. PRESENTATIONS: 1. Shiloh Todorov, Director of Development, Move to PROSPER 2022-0288 Move to PROSPER Presentation - Gahanna City Council 10.03.2022 President Renner invited Ms. Todorov forward. He said Todorov had been part of the Leadership Columbus program with him in the class of 2014. Todorov thanked Renner, along with Councilmember Bowers and Councilmember Padova for the invitation to present tonight. She shared there is a new approach to housing affordability and economic mobility that has been recently piloted by Ohio State University and is now its own standalone non-profit. Move to PROSPER (MTP) is a three-year program. They empower families to gain economic security. Over the course of the three years, the organization helps them out with rent, partial rent support, as well as career and financial coaching. They also set health and wellness goals. MTP had a ten-family pilot that was run by the city and regional planning at the Knowlton School at OSU that completed on July 31. Just one takeaway or headline from that pilot program is that they were able to help families raise incomes by 58 percent on average. They felt really good about this outcome. This prompted the organization to want to do this for more families. MTP was founded at OSU. Steve Heiser, a local commercial realtor in Upper Arlington was having a conversation with Amy Klaben, who ran HomePort, one of the largest affordable housing nonprofits in Central Ohio. Heiser had shared with Klaben that he was glad they were bringing on more of these units but sometimes it can take 12-15 years for project from start to finish. What were they to do with children in low opportunity neighborhoods? There is a generation lost every 18 years. They thought there must be a different way to think about this. Klaben started with Dr. Rachel Kleit, Associate Dean of Engineering Department and chair of the city and regional planning. Kleit’s background is not so much in the building of affordable units but in the socioeconomic problems that can lead a family to need affordable housing into perpetuity. She is in the social-emotional side of this. Todorov explained that Kleit and Klaben started working together, brought in experts from across the community, and finally landed on a program (MTP). The criteria for the population that the organization looks to work with. She showed a slide and noted that on the right is the basic criteria: four-person home, children under City of Gahanna Page 9 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 age 13, and $21,000-$51,000 based on the family size for area median income. She said these are families not currently on a housing voucher. The organization worked with 120 non-profits in Central Ohio to recruit these families, not only under the auspices of what the criteria said, but once they meet those criteria, they take recommendations and letters of support from these non-profit agencies who can say, “This is a family ready for this intensive program.” They are ready to set goals and accomplish them. Todorov explained four components of the model, including rent support in higher resourced communities, individual life coaching, monthly programs, and two-generation model (moms and children). Families work through same set of goals, or coaching pillars. All of them work once a month on financial literacy, parenting skills, and being partner with their children’s schools. National research out of Harvard showed that just accessing higher resourced zip codes alone for three years had a tremendous effect on children’s outcomes. They were even higher if they got there before they got to high school. A critical piece of the program’s design is this national data. She reviewed the pillars of coaching and monthly programs. This starts before families actually make the move. If you think about it, if you are in a neighborhood because it is the only place you can afford rent, thinking differently about what you want out of a neighborhood may not be something you had an opportunity to practice. MTP’s coaching starts with helping people define what they need. Do they want to live where they work? Do they need a special program out of a school? Maybe one has a rambunctious five-year-old and really needs some greenspace nearby. So, they start helping people work through these questions, help put a budget together for move, and think about all the aspects that make moving stressful, including putting one’s kid in a new school. With housing stability coaching, many of these families have not had a positive relationship in the past with their landlords. They do not know what their tenant responsibilities and rights are. With financial capability and education and career coaching, setting one’s own career goals and breaking them into bite-sized pieces is an area of focus in the program. With health and wellness goal coaching, this can include anything from using yoga for stress relief to cooking on a budget. MTP works with families for 36 months. They have a copyrighted curriculum and work their way through bespoke goals. Todorov showed Council a map that shows different things about pilot families. On the right of the slide there is a graphic that defines higher-resourced neighborhoods in and surrounding Franklin County. The Kirwan Institute at OSU creates this map every two years. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency, when thinking about where they are going to do tax credits, looks at this for determining opportunity zones. MTP looks at the other part of the map, looking at where moderate-high and very high neighborhoods and zip codes are in central Ohio. MTP’s 11 landlord partners are in the deep red and orange colors of map (indicating high or very high opportunities). She pointed out various numbers that represented families making various zip code jumps with moves. She noted that the zip codes might be seven areas away from each other, but they could still be using the same grocery store or the same interstate exit, but the opportunities are like 40 points different on a 100-point scale. This map really display what MTP is trying to do. On the left of the slide is the demographics of the pilot families. City of Gahanna Page 10 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 Todorov tried to share a video highlighting one of the families in the program, but the audio was not available. Todorov said it was unfortunate the audio would not play because Bessie, the parent in the video, is in love with Gahanna, Ohio. Todorov said Bessie could not say enough good things about becoming a member of the community. Bessie talks about using the bike trails, being able to walk to the grocery store when her car was faulty at the beginning of the program, and the story she shares with the most pride is of the day after meeting with the principal at the school. On the first day of coaching class, she shared the principal met them at the curb and welcomed them to the school and is part of the family now. She had a son who was finally diagnosed correctly, got on the right supports, and was able to get up to grade-level on both math and reading within one year of joining the community. Todorov reiterated Bessie is a very proud resident. Todorov moved forward in the slide presentation, noting that the results of the program were 58 percent or $17,000 in higher income on average. This meant that on July 31, 100 percent of the pilot families were able to take rent on by themselves. They give families $400 per month, which means families need to make $5,000 more than when they enter the program. This had blown that goal out of the water. This is part of the reason the organization is going to expand. For Bessie, she came into the program as home health aide, with $12.09 average hourly wage in Ohio. Her outcome is not in the 58 percent. She did not get her commercial driver’s license until May. This pays $72,000 per year in Ohio. As the organization continues to track their families, Todorov believes they will continue to see really good things happening. Additionally, MTP did not go in trying to do public health research, but what they learned from moms is that their trips to the emergency room, particularly for asthma and other upper respiratory problems, had fallen from 14 one year to one in the first year of the program. Lower income neighborhoods tend to be the places where factories are. Moms were having absolute terror in having their children play outside. Now, they are playing outside in fresh air and out of homes that are not safe or healthy with mold issues, etc. This is another outcome that has attracted Humana’s support. With neighborhood resources on the map of 18 indicators of resource put together by the Kirwan Institute, Todorov said the neighborhood resources jumped by 44 percent and the graduation rate jumped by 17 percent. Going to class with peers that are thinking they are going to graduate from high school is entirely different going to class with kids who think they will not. School rankings also jumped considerably. For MTP’s expansion campaign, they have welcomed their first 16 families. They are going to do this in two, sixteen-family cohorts per year over the next three years, unless they find out they can go faster than that. The key, in addition to it being about $6,200 per person per year and a cohort of 16 being about $890,000, is the opportunity to partner with more and more landlords. They currently have 13 landlord partners in 17 neighborhoods in which they can offer apartments. What landlords are doing is helping create stealth affordable housing. This turns into just “a unit” in an apartment building. The organization is constantly looking for partners to expand the landlord pool. Todorov invited City of Gahanna Page 11 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 those interested to an event on December 1, 2022, for volunteer opportunities. Thank you from Renner. Councilmember Padova thanked Todorov for being here tonight, as the work that she and MTP are doing was incredible. Padova said we always hear this analogy of “teach someone to fish” but we never talk about the access to fishing poles. This is exactly with MTP is doing. This was excellent to hear. Padova said she wished everyone could have heard Bessie because she looked so happy to talk about Gahanna. Todorov said she would send the video link via email to share. President Renner thanked Todorov. He said perhaps the City could put the YouTube link on the City’s website or something like that, especially since this is a Gahanna resident. It is a story we really want to get out there. He asked for more details on the upcoming event. Todorov said there would be snacks and wine and a little program on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at The Pointe at Polaris (8900 Lyra Drive) from 5:30-7:00 p.m. There will be in the room a number of pilot families and new families in attendance and speaking on their stories. There was applause from the audience on the presentation. E. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Minutes - To Approve: 2022-0285 CN Minutes 9.19.2022 These meeting minutes were Approved on the Consent Agenda. 2022-0286 COTW Minutes 9.26.2022 These meeting minutes were Approved on the Consent Agenda. 2. Ordinances for Second Reading & Adoption: ORD-0055-2022 AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH SEPARATE DEPARTMENTS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND ENGINEERING This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0057-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS - TIF Fund This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. ORD-0058-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS - Developers Escrow Fund This Ordinance was Adopted on the Consent Agenda. City of Gahanna Page 12 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 End of Consent Agenda A motion was made by Bowers, seconded by Angelou, to Pass the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner F. RESOLUTIONS: RES-0031-2022 A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING OCTOBER 2022 AS ARTS & HUMANITIES MONTH FOR THE CITY OF GAHANNA A motion was made by Weaver, seconded by Angelou, that the Resolution be Adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner G. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION / FIRST READING: ORD-0056-2022 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE 198-96 ON NOVEMBER 19, 1996, AND SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED; CHANGING THE ZONING DISTRICT OF 13.96 +/- ACRE PARCEL LOCATED AT 5503 MORSE ROAD, PARCEL ID 025-011219 FROM ESTATE RESIDENTIAL-1 (ER-1) TO MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (MFRD); PROJECT MORSE ROAD 14, SCOTT HARPER, APPLICANT This Ordinance was Introduced by President Renner and Read by Title. Renner noted this would come back to Committee of the Whole on October 10, 2022, for more discussion. Then, there will be a public hearing on the matter scheduled for October 17, 2022. ORD-0061-2022 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, ENACTING CHAPTERS 790, 791 AND 792 TO CREATE A FAIR HOUSING BOARD, TO ESTABLISH HOUSING NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS, AND TO CODIFY AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO EVICTION COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS PAY TO STAY This Ordinance was Introduced by President Renner and Read by Title. Renner noted this will also come back to Committee of the Whole on October 10, 2022, for more discussion. H. ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING & EMERGENCY ADOPTION: ORD-0059-2022 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORD-0089-2021 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE SALARIES FOR PERSONNEL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2022, THROUGH City of Gahanna Page 13 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 DECEMBER 31, 2022, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Padova, that the Ordinance be Adopted as an Emergency. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner ORD-0060-2022 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORD-0091-2021 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN AND ADOPT THE PAY ADMINISTRATION POLICY, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2022, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Vice President Bowers thanked Miranda Vollmer, Director of Administrative Services. She said this had come onto the agenda pretty quickly and Vollmer and the finance team were able to pull this together so that it did not have to come forward with a waiver of second reading. Bowers appreciated this. She expressed thanks on behalf of the citizens of Gahanna who would rather not see things with waiver and emergency but have full first and second readings. Bowers appreciated the City is doing its best to attract and retain employees in a difficult period. She thinks this is important and necessary in order to fully staff to provide city services at the level which residents deserve and should expect. Bowers mentioned she attended the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s forum on the State of the Workforce Report. One of the things discussed by the chief talent officer from Huntington Bank was that in addition to compensation, things that keep a happy and healthy workforce, such as benefits, is value alignment that is critical to employees today. She thinks that people who choose to work in the public sector have a calling. She wants to recognize that and thank all city employees to seek to improve values along with Council. A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Padova, that the Ordinance be Adopted as an Emergency. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner I. CORRESPONDENCE AND ACTIONS: 1. Clerk - none. 2. Council - none. J. REPRESENTATIVES: 1. Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) - Renner, Weaver President Renner said the CIC met on September 20, 2022, in the Committee Room. Betty Collins called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. The financial statements at the end of August showed more than $976,000 in cash and City of Gahanna Page 14 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 about $3.5 Million in total assets, with an equivalent amount in liabilities and equity. The Mayor provided the CIC update on new businesses, such as the CAPS project and the 825 Tech Center Drive purchase. The Real Estate Committee asked for an Executive Session. The CIC authorized Director Strum to continue to negotiate with Heartland Bank to provide future financing for acquisition of properties with terms and totals to be determined later. The next meeting is scheduled for October 18, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. in the Committee Room. 2. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) - Angelou Councilmember Angelou said the Executive Committee would meet Thursday, and the Commission meeting would meet in one week after that. 3. Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) - Padova Councilmember Padova said the CVB is encouraging people to enter a decorative pumpkin for the Creekside Pumpkin Crawl taking place on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Those who attend will vote on their favorites and winners will be awarded in various categories. You can sign-up to enter a pumpkin on VisitGahanna.com. The Ohio Herb Center is offering a variety of classes this month, including Ghosts of Gahanna, Sacred Smoke, Herbal Beauty: Natural Hair Care, and Nature Photography with your DSLR camera, a beginner’s course. Sign up on VisitGahanna.com. 4. School Board (SB) - Bowers None. K. OFFICIAL REPORTS: 1. Mayor Mayor Jadwin said Cherry Bottom Road construction work would commence soon. As Council is aware, the administration has identified maintenance work necessary for the preservation of the integrity of the roadway. The City received $200,000 in Ohio Public Works Commission grant funding toward the project. It is expected to be $1 Million to $1.2 Million. Council recently approved this project. She said the City was advised late last week that construction is to begin soon to get it done before winter months. The first phase of construction will be the northern section of Cherry Bottom Road. There will be a road closure. All of Cherry Bottom Road that is just south of the entrance of Academy Park to just north of the entrance of Columbus Academy. This closure is scheduled to be from October 17 to October 31 for work on the northern section. Once this is complete and the road reopened, the construction will switch to the southern section of Cherry Bottom. This is a small section but still requires road closure. The closure in this section City of Gahanna Page 15 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 would be just north of the entrance to Stonybrook Church and just south of Springbrook Drive. People would not be able to travel all the way up Cherry Bottom from Morse Road to Route 62. People will need to take detours. Message boards are up on the closures. The City finalized a graphic with details on detours. Jadwin said it will be about a one-month period for some detours as work is completed. She said the City appreciates patience in advance. This is critical work that needs done for this roadway. She added the City would be posting updates on social media and on the website. They will also be sending letters to homeowners’ associations to distribute to residents. She asked Council to direct people with questions to the Department of Engineering. Second, Jadwin announce that Director of Public Service Grant Crawford will be leaving Gahanna. He has taken a position with the City of Powell to be their director of public service. Crawford’s last day with Gahanna is Thursday this week. Jadwin said staff has been downloading everything from his knowledge base, so to speak. He has been with the city for 15 years. He started as a part-time, seasonal employee flushing fire hydrants. Crawford knows everything about the sewers in Gahanna. Jadwin said the City will miss him. This is a tremendous opportunity for him to continue to grow in his role. Jadwin said she had appointed Crawford as director during her first month in office. She came to rely on his knowledge and hard work and sense of humor. She said not everyone would climb into trash can to promote new trash cans being distributed. On another note, Jadwin said Jim Turner, a former water resource engineer, will rejoin the City as a senior civil engineer, thanks to the Salary Ordinance in large part. He will be working with Director of Engineering Tom Komlanc and will begin on October 17. Turner is currently working as a consultant. Jadwin said the City is thrilled to welcome him back. He is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. Jadwin thanked Council for its vote this evening on the Salary Ordinance. Over the last four years, the Department of Human Resources has been working to ensure the City’s compensation program for unclassified personnel is competitive and equitable. It will ensure competitive for future employees, local government sector hardest hit. Recruitment of employees, also important for current employees. Ensure pay in future is equitable. The vote tonight was passage of the final phase and will ensure pay is competitive in the Central Ohio market for employees. The local government sector has been one of the hardest hit by the “Great Resignation.” Jadwin thinks this will be a huge step forward for the recruitment of employees and is also important for current employees. The compensation program demonstrates the City’s commitment to retaining the talent it has here and ensure pay is equitable. She said it takes a lot of resources (staff time and finances) to advertise, recruit, hire, and train employees, only to then lose to another municipality who can offer more money and less work hours. Jadwin said this is a huge step forward. The City has an incredible team of truly dedicated individuals who come to work every day to serve residents and businesses. They are great people. They are our neighbors and friends, many of whom are living in Gahanna, and take great pride in their work. Finally, Jadwin stated that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She said during this time especially we think of victims of this horrific crime and of the many individuals and organizations that work to prevent it. Gahanna has been City of Gahanna Page 16 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 impacted by domestic violence. She referenced Judy Malinowski’s devastating situation that started in 2015 and had succumbed to injuries sustained in 2017 to just a recent event in the past year, a terrible incident in a neighborhood off Morse Road. It is something that happens everywhere. Later this month, there is a documentary that will be released on Judy Malinowski’s story. It details the bravery she showed and discusses all the efforts of her loved ones and investigators to hold her murderer accountable. Jadwin said our thoughts continue to be with her family and all families of victims of domestic violence as they continue their lifelong journey to heal and deal with the impact of that crime. Throughout the month of October, Jadwin said the City will continue to send awareness of domestic violence through social media posts. She said if you know someone showing signs being in a situation that is difficult, the best thing to do is to help them reach out. They can call the Gahanna Division of Police at 614-342-4240 or dial 911. There is also a national domestic violence hotline, which the City will be sharing on social media and websites. Jadwin emphasized that with tragic events like this, people need other friends to be strong and stand up for them. If you see something, say something. Say something to someone who can help the most. 2. City Attorney Attorney Mularski said Director Crawford taught him more about sewers than he ever wanted to know. He joked that being an attorney, he had often been compared to having crawled out of sewers. Mularski now knows a lot more about sewers than when he first came into office. He said Crawford would be missed. He apologized for having to step out earlier (to speak with Dr. Heinmiller). He said “Dr. Dan” was not only Mularski’s son’s pediatrician, but Heinmiller personified what it is to be a good soul. Mularski said he hoped when he steps into his next phase, people will think as highly of Mularski as they think of Heinmiller. L. COUNCIL COMMENT: Councilmember Angelou said she hoped to see everyone at the MORPC Summit on Sustainability. This will be held a week from Friday. She noted Mayor Jadwin is part of this group. She said we are all fortunate to not be in Florida right now. She said she was watching the hurricane forecasts and noted it was fortunate that the storm did not show up so much in the Columbus area. She hoped people prayed that not many more people will have the problem of putting families into a different place because of the storm. Councilmember McGregor appreciated the Mayor honoring “Dr. Dan.” She noted she had grandchildren that go to his practice. McGregor stressed that she appreciated the practicality of the doctors at the practice. She is sure Heinmiller will be sorely missed. Councilmember Weaver echoed his colleagues in congratulations to Dr. Dan City of Gahanna Page 17 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 and the Heinmiller Family. They are quite the large family in various neighborhoods throughout the community. Weaver believed Dr. Dan’s sister-in-law taught for many years at Middle School East. Weaver had her for seventh grade English. He said they are a kind, loving, and generous family. He thanked everyone coming out and offering thoughts during Hearing of Visitors. He deeply valued the comments. He thanked Director Todorov with Move to PROSPER for the wonderful presentation. He said it is incredible work they are doing. He encouraged everyone to participate or tune-in to the Public Hearing on October 17 on the proposed rezoning. He encouraged people to continue to reach out in the interim and reach out to the developers as well with questions, comments, and concerns. Councilmember Padova expressed her thanks to all speakers this evening. She said it is always nice to hear from residents in Chambers. She echoed President Renner’s thoughts and thanks to Ms. Morgan for coming to Council to speak on her decisions to sell the property. Padova read a poem in light of the devastation in Florida over the last week. This poem is by Amanda Gorman, first read to the UN General Assembly on September 18, entitled “An Ode We Owe.” Councilmember Schnetzer thanked everyone who stepped up to podium on a variety of issues. He said it takes a bit of courage to stand up there. He applauded all. He said citizen participation is vital to local government. He said he hoped for good weather in the month of October for Cherry Bottom Road and had his fingers crossed for no delays in the construction. Vice President Bowers extended her gratitude for Shiloh Todorov on her presentation tonight. Bowers said she liked Councilmember Padova’s comments on the fishing pole and analogy. Bowers stated she is glad and proud that Gahanna is a destination community for those seeking to improve their lives and the lives of their children. Bowers said she has heard Councilmember Angelou talk about Gahanna being a great place to live. Bowers said she could not agree more and was great to see other families recognize the same great opportunity that Bowers saw 10 years ago. She thanked all residents who spoke tonight. She said she is happy to respond to Ms. Hoffman. The Fair Housing Ordinance will be back in front of Council on the 10th for further discussion during Committee of the Whole. Bowers said they would also be hearing from Amy Klaben, who will speak specifically on building welcoming communities. There will be more information to share on some of the remaining questions with the Ordinance. On September 22, 2022, Bowers noted Representative Lightbody hosted a meeting between local public officials and Intel. Bowers was able to attend, along with Mayor Jadwin, and heard from two Intel representatives, including Kevin Hoggatt who is the Director of State Government Affairs. He has joined Intel from Senator Portman’s office. They also heard from Emily Smith, Intel’s Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability for Ohio. Smith’s background was in fine arts and dance, as well as science. They talked about everything from what semiconductors are and what the facility is, the hyper clean environment of the facility to produce the semiconductors, commitments to the region, City of Gahanna Page 18 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 commitments globally, and the company’s corporate values. Bowers said Jennifer Chrysler, the director of development for New Albany, also presented on infrastructure, locations, roadway improvement plans and highway improvements that will be happening. She referenced Route 161 getting improvements and expansion at certain points along the roadway. Chrysler pointed the group to NewAlbanySiliconHeartland.com for more information. Bowers said they also heard from Joe Garrity from MORPC and Ashely Savieo from AEP, who spoke on transformer and power grid improvements to the area. County Engineer Cornell Robertson spoke about additional lower roadway improvements happening throughout the region. Bowers thought it was a really informative meeting and got everyone in the room to meet each other and find out who the point people are. Bowers thanked Councilmember Weaver on bringing forward the Resolution on Arts & Humanities Month. She extended her gratitude to the volunteer board of the GAAC. She is grateful for all the events GAAC puts on. This was the second event for partnering with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. It was wonderful to see it grow from an in-car event to a post-pandemic event in lawn chairs at a park. This embodied the types of things that high-opportunity communities are able to provide to residents. Thanks to the GAAC, VisitGahanna, and the Department of Parks & Recreation for this event. President Renner remarked on those who took the time filling out the speaker slip. It is a bit of bravery and courage to get up and speak in front of people you do not know. Part of that is being a participant in government. This is one of Renner’s biggest things he is passionate about. He thanked people for standing up and talking. He hoped speakers were reaching out to the developer. He reminded that part of narrative is someone owns the property and wants to dispose of it. Constitutionally, they have rights to this property. So, he encouraged those in attendance on how they might navigate this to continue being part of the process and learning and taking a deeper look at the government process. Right now, this is a zoning question. Do we want to do this? Yes or no. Then, with the design, the building, and all the stuff related to this comes much later for Planning Commission’s process. Renner said we can talk about the process, all those on the dais, including the Mayor and City Attorney in helping explain the process. Thanks to all for being part of the great American experiment. Renner also echoed Councilmember Schnetzer’s comments on road construction and inclement weather. He said fall is probably going to be colder, with precipitation that is not enjoyable. In tandem with participating and defending property rights or talking about government, people need to take a deep breath with traffic, move slower, and understand things. He said everyone heard very well from Councilmember Padova’s reading of a fantastic poem. Renner said he got choked up at the end. He quoted the last lines, “Above all, I dare you to do good, so that the world may be great.” M. EXECUTIVE SESSION: City of Gahanna Page 19 City Council Meeting Minutes October 3, 2022 A motion was made by Weaver, seconded by Schnetzer, to go into Executive Session under authority of Section 5.40(a) of the Council Rules of Procedure to consider the appointment of public employees or officials. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner President Renner noted that the Council would meet in the Law Library for Executive Session, with no planned action to follow. The Council rose to report to Executive Session at 8:32 p.m. The Council rose to report from Executive Session at 8:49 p.m. with no further action. N. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Council, President Renner adjourned the meeting at 8:49 p.m. Jeremy A. VanMeter Clerk of Council APPROVED by the City Council, this day of 2022. Stephen A. Renner City of Gahanna Page 20