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, December 19, 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, December 19, 2022, in Council Chambers. President of Council Stephen A. Renner called the meeting to order at 7:04 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 December 16, 2022. 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: President Renner noted that Councilmember McGregor would present the Resolution for the Gahanna Lincoln High School football team. C. HEARING OF VISITORS: Councilmember McGregor invited Kathryn Harris, Director of Athletics, Coach Bruce Ward, and football team captains Romearo Wells, Dylan Scott, Maxwell Cummings, Brennen Ward, and Brayden Sanders to the podium to receive the Resolution Honoring and Celebrating the Achievements of the Gahanna Lincoln Football Team During the 2022 Season. McGregor read the text of the Resolution with applause from the audience and congratulations from members of Council. McGregor said she appreciated everyone’s hard work and dedication and for coming to Chambers to receive the Resolution. President Renner recognized Sloan Spalding, Mayor of New Albany, in attendance to provide remarks. Mayor Spalding said it was his privilege to be in Chambers this evening and make good on his bet with Mayor Jadwin. They had a friendly side bet regarding the outcome of the New Albany and Gahanna playoff game. It was a great game. He said New Albany showed their toughness, which they are known for, but they just simply could not City of Gahanna Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 overcome the explosiveness and athleticism that is the Gahanna Lincoln Lions. He offered his congratulations to the team and offered a “tip-of-the-hat” to the effort that was shown against the All Star team from Cleveland, also known as St. Eds. He said the Lions gave them everything they could ask for and is sure if you asked the St. Eds players and coaches, that was the best game they have had in years. Spalding said to do that and also play almost every game on the road really shows the grit, grind, and determination of a team that has the heart of a champion. On behalf of the City of New Albany, Spalding said he wanted to come here tonight and say congratulations for a great year and hopefully New Albany will get the Lions next year. Spalding brought Eagles Pizza to make good on his bet with Jadwin. Mayor Jadwin remarked that the number one question she gets from residents is what kind of pizza Mayor Spalding delivered to her. Members of Council and Mayor Jadwin expressed their thanks to Mayor Spalding for attending the meeting this evening. D. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 1. 348 Granville Street Rezoning (ORD-0073-2022) ORD-0073-2022 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 +/- 0.299 ACRES OF 3.4 ACRE SITE LOCATED AT 348 GRANVILLE STREET, PARCEL ID 025-000276 FROM SUBURBAN OFFICE (SO) TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (CC); PROJECT KASSEL 348 GRANVILLE, LLC, MATT VON BARGEN, APPLICANT President Renner read the Rules of Procedure for the Public Hearing. Pursuant to Council Rules 9.10 & 9.11, the President of Council shall give a brief statement or explanation of the item under hearing. Prior to the opening of the public hearing, the administration may make a presentation of slides, videos, photos, staff comments, or combination thereof, regarding the application in question. The public hearing shall be opened with any proponents being allowed seven minutes, opponents ten minutes, then three minutes for rebuttal by the proponents. Such time schedule shall prevail unless extended by the President without opposition by a Council member. Everyone addressing Council will approach the lectern and state their names and addresses for the record. President Renner noted that this hearing is on the matter of rezoning 348 Granville Street (ORD-0073-2022). He invited the administration to provide any opening remarks or presentation. Michael Blackford, Director of Planning, said there was no formal presentation tonight. He noted that he had presented on this last month. It is a rezoning that Council is to consider. The proposal is to go from Suburban City of Gahanna Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 Office (SO) to Community Commercial (CC), which are very similar zonings that allow for commercial activities. Community Commercial is the more intense of the zoning classifications and allows for retail types of uses in addition to office uses, but not automotive uses that were previously discussed. Blackford is available for any questions. President Renner opened the Public Hearing at 7:14 p.m. asking first for proponents and then for opponents. There were no speakers that came forward. Renner closed the Public Hearing at 7:15 p.m. After some brief discussion at the dais, President Renner reopened the Public Hearing at 7:16 p.m. and recognized Matt Von Bargen, property owner of 348 Granville Street, to provide his remarks. Mr. Von Bargen said he did not have any prepared remarks. He offered to answer any questions from Council. As Blackford noted, Von Bargen said he is just looking to have the property rezoned and explore alternative uses. The benefit of the Community Commercial is that it can be kept as an office building if it is determined that this is the highest and best use. He thanked Council for the time to speak. With no additional speakers, President Renner closed the Public Hearing at 7:17 p.m. E. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Minutes - To Approve: 2022-0335 COTW Minutes 11.28.2022 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2022-0336 FIN Minutes 11.28.2022 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2022-0345 CN Minutes 12.5.2022 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2022-0346 FIN Minutes 12.5.2022 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2. Resolutions: RES-0035-2022 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COMPREHENSIVE LANDSCAPE PLAN DATED NOVEMBER 9, 2022 FOR THE CITY OF GAHANNA, City of Gahanna Page 3 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 OHIO The Resolution was adopted on the Consent Agenda. RES-0036-2022 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS - Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund, Central Park TIF, and Water Capital Fund Relating to Tech Center Drive Extension The Resolution was adopted on the Consent Agenda. RES-0037-2022 A RESOLUTION TO DECLARE THE NECESSITY AND INTENT FOR ACQUIRING/EXPANDING AN EASEMENT FOR THE CLAYCRAFT ROAD WATERLINE AND BOOSTER STATION IMPROVEMENTS The Resolution was adopted on the Consent Agenda. RES-0038-2022 A RESOLUTION HONORING AND CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE GAHANNA LINCOLN FOOTBALL TEAM DURING THE 2022 SEASON The Resolution was adopted on the Consent Agenda. 2. Ordinances for Second Reading, Adoption: ORD-0076-2022 AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING A DEED OF EASEMENT OF 0.020 ACRES ON PARCEL NO. 027-000110 FROM VALUE RECOVERY GROUP II, LLC, FOR UTILITY PURPOSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE TECH CENTER DRIVE EXTENSION The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda. 3. Ordinances for Waiver, Adoption: ORD-0080-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND WAIVING SECOND READING - State LETF Contract Services and Police Pension Fund The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda with waiver of second reading. ORD-0081-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE REDUCTION IN APPROPRIATIONS AND WAIVING SECOND READING - Capital Improvement Fund The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda with waiver of second reading. ORD-0083-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND WAIVING SECOND READING - Tech Ctr Security Deposit Fund City of Gahanna Page 4 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda with waiver of second reading. 4. Ordinances for Waiver, Adoption as an Emergency: ORD-0078-2022 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE SALARIES FOR PERSONNEL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2023, WAIVING SECOND READING AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda with waiver of second reading and an emergency declaration. ORD-0079-2022 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE BENEFITS FOR PERSONNEL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2023, WAIVING SECOND READING, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda with waiver of second reading and an emergency declaration. ORD-0084-2022 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY GENERAL HEALTH DISTRICT FOR 2023 PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, WAIVING SECOND READING, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY The Ordinance was adopted on the Consent Agenda with waiver of second reading and an emergency declaration. End of Consent Agenda A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Bowers, that to Pass the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner F. MOTIONS: MT-0020-2022 A MOTION TO APPOINT JAMILLE JONES TO THE FAIR HOUSING BOARD SEAT 1 FOR A TERM CONCURRENT WITH THE APPOINTMENT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION A motion was made by Bowers, seconded by Weaver, that the Motion be approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner MT-0021-2022 A MOTION TO APPOINT KYLIE COOPER CYRUS TO THE FAIR HOUSING BOARD SEAT 2 FOR A TERM CONCURRENT WITH THE APPOINTMENT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION City of Gahanna Page 5 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 A motion was made by Bowers, seconded by Weaver, that the Motion be approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner G. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION / FIRST READING: ORD-0082-2022 AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING A SIDEWALK PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENT ALONG SCIENCE BOULEVARD CONSISTING OF 0.107 ACRES ON PARCEL NO. 027-000113 FROM SCIENCE ONE, LLC President Renner introduced the Ordinance and read it by title. H. ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING / ADOPTION: ORD-0073-2022 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 +/- 0.299 ACRES OF 3.4 ACRE SITE LOCATED AT 348 GRANVILLE STREET, PARCEL ID 025-000276 FROM SUBURBAN OFFICE (SO) TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (CC); PROJECT KASSEL 348 GRANVILLE, LLC, MATT VON BARGEN, APPLICANT A motion was made by Bowers, seconded by Weaver, that the Ordinance be Adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Weaver, that ORD-0074-2022 be amended to replace the EXHIBIT A appropriations under first reading with "Final Appropriation 2023 as Amended" under second reading. President Renner discussed the need for an amendment due to updated reconciliations of expenses. He asked for a motion to incorporate the proposed reconciliations into the Second Reading. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- McGregor, Angelou, Bowers, Weaver, Padova, Schnetzer and Renner ORD-0074-2022 AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE APPROPRIATIONS FOR CURRENT EXPENSES AND OTHER EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, OHIO DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023 Councilmember Schnetzer extended his gratitude to Council colleagues for what he thought was a relatively clean and seamless process. There were good questions and discussions. He also extended thanks to the administration, Mayor Jadwin, and her staff. He said the City is well stocked City of Gahanna Page 6 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 with professionals and thinks they showed that they are masters of their craft during the budget discussions. Councilmember Weaver echoed Schnetzer’s remarks. He also wanted to add thanks to Schnetzer, who served as the Finance Chair, and for his leadership throughout the process. Vice President Bowers said this budget largely allocates our resources for our operations and reflects our values. She believes it shows that we value people, and we want to invest in the people and families who work for the City of Gahanna by ensuring that they are compensated for the high performance and service that they provide. She is glad to see that salary changes are addressed through this budget. Attracting and retaining high quality professionals from our Police Department to our maintenance and code enforcement will help ensure the success of the high-quality programs and policies we seek to implement in Gahanna. We also have our values reflected in the budget through funding departments and programs that provide a high quality of life to our residents, including the street maintenance program, the sidewalk program, and Parks & Recreation programming. Bowers especially wanted to address how valuable the camp and recreation programming is to families in Gahanna. She attended the annual luncheon earlier this month for Ohio Women in Government, where the panelists identified childcare as a critical infrastructure need. Camps and Parks’ accessibility are just part of the childcare fabric that is needed by our families across the region. Bowers personally relies on these offerings not just as enrichment for her child but for childcare. Bowers continues to support the Parks & Recreation Department with ensuring the affordability and accessibility of these programs, perhaps even rethinking the cost ratio as a way we drive economic development in Gahanna through the use of camps as another piece of the childcare fabric that is so critical to regional development. Bowers echoed Council colleagues thanking the administration for a well-presented budget and Finance Chair Schnetzer for a smooth process this year, too. A motion was made by Angelou, seconded by Bowers, that the Ordinance be Adopted as Amended. 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 President Renner asked Council colleagues about whether to hold the annual organizational meeting earlier in the day. He noted that traditionally it is at 7:00 p.m. There is a regular meeting associated with that. He wanted to poll colleagues if there was a desire to change the meeting time, and if so, what would it be? Renner said he preferred to keep the meeting at 7:00 p.m., City of Gahanna Page 7 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 as the public has been used to this time. Councilmember McGregor said she was ok with holding it earlier in the day. She noted there is usually not a lot of business, even with the regular meeting agenda. Mayor Jadwin noted that the item under the first reading today would be the only item to receive a second reading [at the January 2, 2023, meeting]. McGregor said she is open to other times. Councilmember Angelou said 7:00 p.m. was ok with her. Vice President Bowers said she was open to whatever people wanted. Councilmember Schnetzer proposed 5:00 p.m. Bowers said she is happy to change it and recalled in past it has been changed to adjust for football schedules. With access on YouTube, and lack of significant business is, Bowers is ok with the change in time to earlier in the day. She said if there is no good reason to change, she is also ok with it being at 7:00 p.m. Councilmembers Weaver and Padova both said 7:00 p.m. was fine. McGregor asked if staff had to be present for the meeting. Jadwin said staff would be here, as there might be an item to discuss. Jadwin said she was open to 5:00 p.m. Renner confirmed with Council colleagues that 5:00 p.m. would be acceptable. The Clerk will post notice for the organizational meeting to be held on January 2, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. with the regular meeting immediately following. J. REPRESENTATIVES: 1. Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) - Renner, Weaver President Renner reminded Council about the joint meeting between Council and the CIC board that would be held December 20 at 7:30 a.m. at the Gahanna Senior Center. 2. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) - Angelou Councilmember Angelou said the Commission met for the last time this year. The next time that the Commission will be meeting will be in February. At the December Commission meeting, there were special thanks to panelists who led the Regional Housing discussion. Angelo said it was really well done. Angelou referenced the monthly e-mails about regional initiatives, public policy, and how MORPC is building value for our community. Angelou said the Commission welcomed its newest member, the City of London. London becomes MORPC’s 82nd member. She said that was amazing because when she started there, there were 35 members. The MORPC 2023 operating budget was approved. The budget focuses on advancing MORPC’s strategic framework, enhancing its team of experts, expanding its strategic reserve, and building on existing programming. The State of the Region and awards nominations will be March 31, 2023. The award nominations are now open. The MORPC Public Policy Agenda 2023-2024 was adopted. Key changes include expanding housing language and elevation of key initiatives in the region and emphasis on MORPC strategic framework. The public policy agenda will be distributed to key decision makers at the state and federal level in 2023. With the National Association of Regional Councils conference in January, MORPC will send a delegation to the conference and to Capitol Hill to meet with federal lawmakers. The Air City of Gahanna Page 8 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 Quality Commission authorized MORPC to enter into a $500,000 air quality monitoring grant with the US EPA. MORPC will be collaborating with member communities to improve air quality and health outcomes throughout the region. Angelou noted other upcoming grant opportunities through the US Department of Transportation. The Commission passed a resolution for planning work on updating transportation modeling for the region. MORPC was awarded $1,000,000 by the Ohio Department of Transportation to do this work. MORPC also passed another resolution which authorized agreements for consulting services and planning support to Intel area communities. Data Day is going to be March 1, 2023, at Ohio University Dublin’s Integrated Education Center. Registration is now open for that. Angelou concluded that 2022 has been a banner year for Central Ohio and MORPC members communities with landmark investments and a wealth of new opportunity to follow in 2023. Central Ohio is really hitting its stride. Angelou said she felt very blessed to have been part of this as the past chair of MORPC. She thanked Clerk VanMeter for attending the Commission meeting. 3. Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) - Padova Councilmember Padova noted that Holiday Lights are up and running. Visitors to Creekside will enjoy a ton of lights decorated throughout. Padova said it was amazing going down there and seeing all of the lights themed with the music and strewn throughout the trees, along with the little houses that were decorated. She noted that this year we are lucky to have the butterfly from Nationwide Children's Hospital. If you scan the QR code and donate $10, the butterfly lights up. It also lights up at Nationwide Children's Hospital for the kids to look out their window and see it and hopefully bring them a little bit of joy this holiday season. This runs through January 8. Padova encouraged everybody to go check it out. The Ohio Herb Center will be open this week, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. People can stop in to find some last-minute holiday gifts. They will then be closed next week. 4. School Board (SB) - Bowers Vice President Bowers noted that last week, the school board voted unanimously to join a lawsuit seeking to declare Ohio’s school voucher system as unconstitutional. This would seek to keep public tax dollars paid by Gahanna residents used to fund Gahanna public schools. Board President Beryl Piccolantonio issued a statement saying, “I stand firmly on the side of supporting a family’s freedom to choose the best education for their children and also firmly disagree that the EdChoice voucher program is the path toward providing that freedom. It is our constitutional obligation to fully fund our public school system and neither the current nor the expected expanded EdChoice voucher system would have us meet that obligation.” Multiple board members have expressed their openness to dialogue about this issue with residents. K. OFFICIAL REPORTS: City of Gahanna Page 9 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 1. Mayor Mayor Jadwin said that earlier this month she had issued a proclamation declaring December as Driving Impaired Awareness Month. As we head into the last two weeks of the year with holidays and parties, that becomes an extremely important message. Officer Hoffman was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his work in leading our Division in OVI arrests. Jadwin shared that this is not the only way our officers work to keep us safe. They deploy many types of proactive measures. One is their participation in the STOPPED program, which is the Sheriffs Telling Our Parents to Promote Educated Driving program. Jadwin invited Chief Spence and Lieutenant Moffitt to speak about the Division’s work in that program. Chief Spence thanked Mayor Jadwin and members of Council for the opportunity to speak. There have been several traffic safety programs that the Division is involved in through the Governor's Office. There are grant programs. There is a Franklin County OVI Task Force. There is work that the Division does both in an educational capacity and through enforcement efforts. The STOPPED program is one of those programs. Lieutenant Moffitt, who runs the Division’s Field Services Subdivision is the primary architect of traffic safety programs in Gahanna. He has some data to go over with Council. Spence noted that there was a pedestrian crash within the last few days that Moffitt will speak to in terms of overall pedestrian safety, which dovetails into an educational component. He recognized Lt. Moffitt to address Council. Lt. Moffitt said the Division is engaged in a variety of traffic safety programs. Moffitt said when they throw out statistics it has a way of sounding like they are just talking numbers. However, he wanted to assure Council that from the Chief to every officer on the street, they know that there are people behind these numbers. They are our family members, our friends, visitors to Gahanna, and our neighbors. The Division takes these numbers seriously. They are more than numbers to [the Division]. The STOPPED program is work done in conjunction with the Franklin County Safe Communities. Through this, the Division reports to juvenile drivers that they have stopped them and provide them with information relative to why they were stopped. A letter is sent out to the parent or guardian of the driver. The letter is signed by the Chief. It refers them to traffic safety and educational resources. Not every juvenile driver notifies their parent that they have been stopped by the police. Moffitt said the Division receives fairly routine “thank you’s” from parents and guardians that were not aware that their child had been stopped. The letters serve as a way to let the parent drive the conversation about safety and education. Moffitt addressed the pedestrian involved crash last week on December 15 on Havens Corners. He said one pedestrian crash is too many. The Division endeavors to use data-driven approaches to optimize the execution of the Division’s mission because it has finite personnel resources. While City of Gahanna Page 10 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 sometimes it takes away the human element when we just throw out raw numbers, Moffitt said it is important to ensure optimization of the Division’s resources. Moffitt said the Chief wanted him to provide Council with some traffic enforcement metrics to date and a general picture of pedestrian related crash data over the last several years. For 2022 to date, the Division has had 518 state reportable crashes. This pedestrian crash last week on the 15th, was our first pedestrian crash of this year. It accounts for 0.19 percent of all our crashes. More broadly since 2017, we have had about 3,692 state reportable crashes, and of those, there were 17 pedestrian crashes accounting for 0.46 percent. Moffitt reported the City has had more bicycle involved crashes than pedestrian crashes. In this same timeframe, the City had 23 bicycle involved crashes that accounted for 0.62 percent. Through November of 2022, the Division had 6,486 traffic stops, which is a 35 percent increase from traffic stops in 2021 through the same time period. This is the highest volume of traffic stops that conducted since pre-COVID in 2019. That year, the Division had about 8,000 traffic stops. There were 109 arrests out of traffic stops this year, which is a 44 percent increase. We have had 157 OVIs, or a 17 percent increase. Removing impaired drivers from the roadway remains one of the main things we can do to ensure pedestrian safety. In terms of our pedestrian crash picture, Moffitt specifically analyzed the area around Gahanna Lincoln High School. Since 2012, data from ODOT around the school (Rocky Fork Blvd, Hamilton, Granville, Havens Corners, and all the way around), we have had five crashes involving presumably a student. The data only tells Moffitt that the pedestrian was a juvenile. Since 2012, there have been 4-5 juveniles, pedestrians, that were struck and not at fault. Since that time, we have had about 7,239 state reportable crashes citywide, not just around the high school. If you count pedestrian at fault or not at fault, those five crashes amount to 0.06 percent of all those crashes since 2012. Moffitt noted there was one crash in 2020 that was almost the same set of circumstances as the crash last week, which was the student was crossing at the signalized crossing, the pedestrian signal on Havens Corners. In both cases, the one in 2020 and the one last week, the student was ok. That is great news. The pedestrian signal worked in both the 2020 crash and the crash last week. The signal activated when it was actuated by the student. The signal flashed and traffic stopped on Havens Corners Road to allow the student to cross. What happened in both instances is a car that was back in the traffic queue went left of center and went around the stopped traffic and then contacted the pedestrian while the pedestrian was crossing. That vehicle then left the scene, so they are both currently unsolved. Hit-skip crashes are how they are classified. The signal had the intended effect, but it was a driver that was jumping the queue that caused the crash. This is akin to a car just failing to stop for a red light at an intersection. Moffitt said the from an enforcement standpoint, it is difficult when someone just does not obey the traffic control device. From an engineering standpoint, the control device worked and was not a preventable crash. Of the five crashes involving a pedestrian, most of them involved right turns on red. This is where there is a pedestrian crossing, a driver is stopped on red making a right turn, they have looked to their left, but they have failed to look to their right. Once they initiated their right turn on red, they struck a City of Gahanna Page 11 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 pedestrian. In all five of those crashes, there were minor to no injuries. We are not seeing a failure of the traffic device. It is driver behavior. The Division has laid out a three-point response. After the winter break, there will be increased officer presence in all of school zones. This serves as a reminder to commuters for when school is back in session to recognize appropriate driving in school. Additionally, after careful assessment the Division plans on deploying one of the electronic signs on Havens Corners Road as you are approaching the school to draw attention to the pedestrian crossing ahead. Third, as directed by the Chief, Moffitt has been in some very initial conversations with the school superintendent to put together a safety meeting. They hope to hold this in late January, bringing together stakeholders from the City, the Police Department, and specifically the school, to discuss and layout ideas. Moffitt is also going to reach out to partners at Safe Communities, which is involved in the STOPPED program. The Division wants to see if they can bring them in to be part of that conversation to highlight the importance of education, specifically as it relates to pedestrian traffic. Moffitt stressed that this is a multi-pronged approach in terms of traffic safety, engineering, education, and police. Education remains vital as it relates to pedestrian crashes. There was a study by Safe Kids Worldwide in 2016. There were more than 39,000 students involved in their sample and 56,000 driver observations. In their study, 17 percent of middle school students and 27 percent of high school students observed were “crossing while distracted.” Moffitt added that there was no distraction involved in the crash last week. This data is not specific to our most recent crash. The study reported that 44 percent of the of the distracted pedestrians were wearing headphones, 31 percent were texting, 18 percent were talking on a phone and 7 percent were engaged in a combination of distracted behavior. The “crossing while distracted” accounted for more than one in four, which was up from one in five from 2013. Moffitt thought this was likely not trending downward. Besides distracted driving, they also looked at dangerous crossing behaviors. Those included not looking for crossings and crossing assisted locations. The study found that at least one of these behaviors was observed in 83 percent of middle schoolers and 76 percent of high schoolers. One in 10 drivers were distracted by mobile devices while entering or departing a school zone. Moffitt laid this out to stress the importance of the educational component. He stated there was no fix to this that did not involve education. He is happy to answer any questions. President Renner said he deeply appreciated Lt. Moffitt’s time in coming to talk about this. Renner agreed that education is key. He appreciated Moffitt’s efforts in reaching out with multiple parties to involve in the education piece. Is there anything Council can do to help? Lt. Moffitt asked for Council to continue to support the Division as it has. Moffitt said the City had outstanding leadership from our Mayor to our Council, to our Chief of Police. He has complete clarity in his mission in terms of what the Chief has laid out for public safety. There is no confusion on his end as to what he is to do. The Chief provides Moffitt the resources to City of Gahanna Page 12 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 do his job, and Moffitt tries to use those resources the best he can. Moffitt said he strives to be transparent. He does this with the public every day. In an ideal world, he would have a police officer at every crosswalk around the high school, but there are a lot of crosswalks. There are a lot of students. They come and go multiple times throughout the day. He cannot keep police officers out at all the crosswalks all the time. Moffitt added that this does not mean that some presence would not happen, but he must be judicious with resources. From a data standpoint, and in consideration of the traffic volume that we have in the location and infrastructure in place, Gahanna is a safe pedestrian city. More police presence alone is not the sole fix. He stated that it is not clear that police presence in it of itself would have impacted some of the crashes we have had since 2012. Mayor Jadwin thanked Chief Spence and Lt. Moffitt for the work that is being done with respect to traffic safety. With the most recent incident in mind, and going into a holiday travel weekend, especially with the questionable forecast, road safety remains paramount. According to The Weather Channel this morning, predictions are anywhere from 2 inches to 12 inches. Public service personnel are on standby. They will be ready to go if and when needed. While the forecast is still somewhat unclear, Jadwin asked residents to be as prepared as possible, especially if traveling by car. She urged people to pay attention to the forecast to the direction in which they were traveling and make sure that they had supplies in their cars in case they get stranded on a highway. In addition, we are forecast to receive high winds Friday. This often leads to power outages, which can be very dangerous given the single digit numbers that we are forecast to receive. She said to also pay attention to the hazards with flames when the power goes out. Space heaters sometimes can present a problem. She thought it would be Wednesday that we get a clearer picture of what exactly the forecast looks like. The City will be posting on social media and on the website tips and information for residents to refer to prepare for whatever the forecast may hold. Jadwin thanked President Renner for the latitude earlier this evening with the pizza delivery and kind comments from Mayor Spalding. She said that the week of the game she texted him and proposed a friendly wager. He was immediately on board. She said Spalding had proposed buying pizza for the entire team and then realized how much that would cost. Jadwin recognized the absence of City Attorney Mularski. He was not able to be here this evening due to a death in his family. She said we are keeping Mularski and his family in our prayers. It is always difficult to lose someone but especially this time of year. It could be very devastating for many, and we have many residents who are suffering right now. We think of all of them in a special way as we close out 2022. Jadwin said it certainly has been an extremely busy year. It was the first year since she took office in January 2020 that we had a “normal” year. Our Sidewalk Program, which began in talks back in 2017 finally moved into full implementation. We began the year in workshops over at the Senior Center with Council talking about the critical condition of our facilities and what we were going to do. The goal at the time was simply City of Gahanna Page 13 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 to come up with an idea or a plan as to how we might in the future be able to address that problem. Now, we are closing out the year with a brand new 100,000 square foot Class A office space that will take care of three of those facility needs for decades to come. That alone was quite an accomplishment this year for all of us. Jadwin recognized Kevin Schultz, who led that effort and continues to lead the project going forward. The Crescent Central Park continues to be an economic driver for the city. We saw the opening of Walnut Creek Surgical Suites and most recently the groundbreaking of a third medical facility. Construction is about to begin on a fourth medical building in that direction. Next door, we have construction on a brand-new high school that is well underway in part due to the collaborative effort of City Council and the administration and our City Attorney working with the school district. This effort allowed that project to move forward as expeditiously as possible. Michael Blackford, Director of Planning, has been very involved in making sure that this project stays on pace with our building department as well. Jadwin added that certainly the football team as regional champions for the first time in 40 years was something to also celebrate. And of course, she added, the big news for Columbus region was the Intel project. How we prepare for Intel, and how that project will impact Gahanna both positively and negatively, is something that will be woven into the City’s long-term planning. We have a great deal of positive momentum in the city right now and in the Columbus region. As we move forward into 2023, we continue to build upon that momentum. The budget that was passed tonight reflects a balance of addressing years of deferred maintenance on everything from our infrastructure to facilities to our human capital, balancing that with new projects that will move the city forward. First, it set us up for success for many years to come. She thanked Council for the very healthy dialogue that they have had these last few months. She appreciated the process that we used. Again, many thanks to Councilman Schnetzer for leading that as Finance Chair. Having those questions, being able to gather the information that Council needed to make informed decisions, is critical to this process and Jadwin appreciated the collaboration throughout the process. It has been a pleasure to work with Council this year. We have all accomplished a great deal together - everybody from our team, our directors and our staff members here at the City, to Council, our City Attorney, the members of our boards and commissions who volunteer their time and serve, and our residents who hold us accountable and demand the best. Jadwin looked forward to continuing our work in 2023 and continuing the great collaboration that we have shared in the new year. She wished all the residents a wonderful and blessed holiday season. 2. City Attorney - none. L. COUNCIL COMMENT: Councilmember Angelou said it has been a wonderful year indeed, considering we have had to deal with COVID over the last few years, and at times it seemed as though things were very dark. We have been able to get past that. Angelou thanked all of the people in the City who had been part of this year’s successes, whether it was a police officer or Parks & Recreation City of Gahanna Page 14 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 staff member or Mayor Jadwin. She wished all a very happy holiday, whatever holiday it may be. Angelou said we know that there are many different ones this time of year. She thought that the community understands that the City is trying to take advantage of many opportunities that have come about and make it something special for everybody. Councilmember McGregor referred back to Mayor Jadwin talking about being prepared. When you are traveling, you always think it is not going to happen to you. She recalled that last February she and her husband were headed to Florida and got stuck on the highway for five hours. Thankfully, she had put a sleeping bag in the car. It was 27 degrees out. There were trucks all around them, but they were not moving. They were afraid about running out of gas. They would turn the car on, warm it up a little bit, and then turn it off. So, it does happen. She urged people to heed the advice to keep supplies in their vehicles for this reason. McGregor wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Councilmember Weaver shared his congratulations to the GLHS regional champion football team. This was quite the accomplishment. He said it was fun seeing the players here today. He thanked Councilmember McGregor for taking the lead on the Resolution. Weaver also expressed his thanks and congratulations to Jamille Jones and Kylie Cooper Cyrus for their willingness to serve on commissions. He encouraged folks to apply as those positions become available. Weaver also thanked Chief Spence and Lt. Moffitt and echoed the comments to please be careful on the roadways. He shared that, unfortunately, his wife had a student who passed away this weekend due to a vehicle accident in a neighboring community. This was simply tragic. He said you do not think it can happen to you. There is a tendency to think you are immortal. You are not. It is even more important to be careful as the weather turns. On a lighter note, Weaver said he got to see Santa this weekend. He thanked Santa and Mrs. Claus, The Ruarks, and the Gahanna Police out there. There were many volunteers and community members who were there, including Vice President Bowers. It was a great turn out on a very cold, snowy evening. Echoing the Mayor’s comments, Weaver said it has been a big year. For himself, this was his first year on Council. It has been very humbling and rewarding. He thanked President Renner, Vice President Bowers, and Chairman Schnetzer, as well as all Council colleagues for the warm welcome and guidance throughout the year. He thanked City Attorney Mularski, the administration, Mayor Jadwin, our fantastic city staff, Clerk VanMeter, and Deputy Clerk Ripley. Weaver wished everyone a very happy, healthy, and safe holiday season and Christmas and New Year. Councilmember Padova thanked everyone who participated last week in the ugly sweater fundraiser. It was at a CVB meeting that Director Strum threw out the idea. Mayor Jadwin and Padova were quickly on board. Wil Schulze was nice enough to offer up Edison as an event location. Padova said that in just a few hours they raised about $3,000 to support GRIN. She thanked everyone who came out to support the cause, including Councilmember City of Gahanna Page 15 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 Weaver and Vice President Bowers. She also thanked Councilmember McGregor and Mayor Jadwin for being judges for the ugly sweater contest. There was a lot of positive feedback. Padova said some people were already asking for this to be an annual event. Everybody in the ugly sweater contest brought their “A game.” Padova said that as she also wraps up her first year on Council, she wanted to thank Council colleagues and the administration for helping her along the way. She has learned so much from everyone, as well as our community, and looks forward to an even better second year. She reminded everybody to shop local for any of your gifts that people had left on their list. Her heart broke this weekend when she found out that Gahanna Hardware would be closing in mid-January. With that being said, Gahanna Hardware is open now, so people can get their shovels, salt, and everything needed to prepare for this weekend. She asked people to check out all of the local stores and try to spend as much money as you can locally because you never know what stores are counting on the holiday sales to keep their doors open until the next holidays. She wished everybody a safe and happy holiday season. Councilmember Schnetzer said it really had been a fantastic year. He thought 2022 finally seemed like the year where things kind of got back to “normal,” whatever that may look like, whether it is fully back in the office work environment or work from home or hybrid or whatever it may be. He thinks that as we enter 2023, the city has tremendous momentum. He believes the budget positions the City well to continue that momentum into the new year. He noted the presence of Santa and Mrs. Claus in Chambers. He wished everybody a Merry Christmas. Schnetzer hoped that everyone can unplug, take a well-deserved break and remember what the holidays are all about, spending time with friends and family and form some fond memories that that will take with us into the future. Vice President Bowers urged people to Give to Gahanna at www.givetogahanna.org to support a host of Gahanna nonprofits that support our residents. She thanked Jason and Colleen Ruark for making Christmas magic happen this year and also to the 254 Youth Center, Meredith Mendoza, Emily Bernard and her family, and many others. She also expressed thanks to Kari Hawk, Councilmember McGregor, and Kylie Cooper Cyrus for their work on hosting a Victorian Christmas at the Historical Society. Bowers mentioned a report from WOSU this morning about an aspect of housing problems in Central Ohio. She noted that in 2022 there had been 20,000 eviction filings, the highest in about 10 years. There are some apartment management companies refusing to work with rental assistance agencies, which is one reason why she is so proud of Council colleagues for passing the comprehensive Housing Nondiscrimination Ordinance in October. One of the most difficult aspects of the story, though, was about the woman who went to eviction court with her landlord so that they could both seek financial assistance so she could stay in her unit, and he could make his financial obligations. Going into 2023, as we look ensuring housing access and stability for the region, Bowers said she will continue to advocate on behalf of all Gahanna residents, owners and tenants, to ensure that these systems work for all the people who need it. City of Gahanna Page 16 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 Lastly, she wished everyone a happy holidays, Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, and a Blessed Yule. President Renner said the Mayor summarized things pretty well. We started with very major issues in front of us. Renner thought that as a team, everyone went through those issues very well. The Mayor and her staff are helping lead those discussions and were patient as Council asked them questions, sometimes hard questions. The City was able to address at least one set of facility problems. As a Council, Renner noted they had passed some major pieces of legislation. They tackled an issue that society seems to keep having a problem with: gender and sexuality. He is not exactly sure why that is, but they had a good discussion about that, got through it and passed it. Then, we had the Fair Housing legislation led by Vice President Bowers, which is a very significant piece of legislation. This modernizes our city in the collection of all the cities around the outer belt. This is coming to the close of his tenth year sitting on Council. In 10 years, Renner has seen the City grow significantly and not necessarily in population. We have grown and wrestled with the questions of “What is it that we want to do? How do we pay for the things that we want to do?” Renner said Council heard from residents what services they want. Residents have been specific about what they wanted Council, the City, to do. The request was to modernize the city. It was to provide the parks, the roads, and many things that we could not pay for in previous years. He reflected on a time when the City was very close to the unencumbered balance being less than $1,000,000. This was a very scary thing for many on Council. Council had these demands from constituents, but the City did not have the revenue. Issue 12 happened. That changed the course of things. When Renner first started, he voted on a General Fund budget in 2012 at $22.8 million, and now Council had passed a $30.3 million budget. He said that expenses were getting unwieldy, and things were really challenging, but Council and administration are modernizing the city. In 2012, the overall city budget, counting all the enterprise funds and special revenue at that was only $47 million. Today, it is $73.9 million. We are growing with a lot of internal stresses. We are growing and meeting the demands. Speaking to Council colleagues, Renner said he is very happy and impressed with how we have measured and took on these issues this year. He looks forward to better addressing these issues again and in the newer ways. In the new year, we will have newer stresses and newer problems. There is a very good, diversified set of opinions and experiences on Council. Renner stated his rule has always been to be kind and to be respectful and make sure that we have a very public and good process to follow. Renner added that The Ruarks seem to be a very axial household in Gahanna because they know the Easter Bunny, the Grinch, and Santa quite well. He noted they have been a jewel on the west side. He was not able to attend all the events, as other things required his attention, but is very proud to have The Ruarks as members on the west side of Gahanna. Renner noted that the City did lose a member, a resident of the west side, Bobbie Burba. The City collectively said our goodbyes to her. As we are now faced with severe winter weather, Renner noted that earlier this year he talked about climate change. It is hard to talk about climate change in the middle of winter when you are freezing. He understands this, but asked people to look at the climate and watch what it is doing. He said we City of Gahanna Page 17 City Council Meeting Minutes December 19, 2022 were definitely heating up. Renner said that the season is a point of reflection. He asked everybody, regardless of their spiritual affiliation, to remember their neighbors and those who are less fortunate. He wished all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. M. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Council, President Renner adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m. Jeremy A. VanMeter Clerk of Council APPROVED by the City Council, this day of 2023. Stephen A. Renner City of Gahanna Page 18