City Council

200 South Hamilton Road City of Gahanna Gahanna, Ohio 43230 Meeting Minutes City Council Merisa K. Bowers, President Trenton I. Weaver, Vice President Jamille Jones Nancy R. McGregor Kaylee Padova Stephen A. Renner Michael Schnetzer Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council Monday, March 4, 2024 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, March 4, 2024, in Council Chambers. President of Council, Merisa Bowers, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Vice President of Council, Trenton Weaver delivered an Invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Agenda for this meeting was published on March 1, 2024. Present 7 - Merisa K. Bowers, Jamille Jones, Nancy R. McGregor, Kaylee Padova, Stephen A. Renner, Michael Schnetzer, and Trenton I. Weaver B. ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA: None. C. HEARING OF VISITORS: 1. Women's History Month Resolution Presentation by Council President Bowers welcomed two guests of honor in recognition of Women’s History Month resolution. The resolution highlights contributions of women in medicine both in practice and as patients. The first guest was Dr. Beth Liston. Dr. Liston serves in the Ohio House of Representatives. She received her MD and PhD from The Ohio State University. She currently serves as a professor of clinical internal medicine and pediatrics with significant involvement in medical student education. Dr. Liston is also a wife and mother. Bowers remarked that Council was excited to have her in Chambers. Dr. Liston shared that Women's History Month has special meaning for her. Entering Women's History Month, she thinks there is a natural tendency to highlight exceptional trailblazers that have paved the path for other exceptional women. We talk about the first women to do the act. Whether it is to become a doctor or cross the Atlantic in an airplane. We “ooh awe” over those accomplishments with a brief City of Gahanna Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 glance at a date that feels sufficiently long enough ago for us to say, “oh wow, things have changed” and for us to feel good about it. While she appreciates those remarkable women, she has to applaud Gahanna in its approach and resolution beginning, “Whereas, women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation, state, and community in countless recorded and unrecorded ways.” She applauds its inclusive approach as there are so many minority women whose inhumane experiences are worthy of our shame and sorrow. She also applauds the resolution's understanding of the breadth and depth of women's contributions to our society and there are innumerable data on the social and financial impact of women in whatever context you study. Women are 50.4% of the population. We are the majority and somehow it does not always feel that way, especially, if you look at how recently women's rights have been gained. It was during her lifetime that women across the country could open a bank account on their own. Property rights were granted in the state in 1887, but 50 years ago women could not buy a house or open a business. In Ohio, it is still legal for a husband to rape his wife. There are state legislators that stand by their belief that is how it is supposed to be. When she was asked to come tonight, it was suggested to discuss historic advances in women's health. It is a big topic since women are more than half the population. We could talk about genomics, advances in cancer prevention and treatment. But with women's history in mind, she wanted to highlight a critical 1993 change to how research was conducted in this country. The National Institutes Health Revitalization Act, which created guidelines on the inclusion of women in minority groups in research trials. Before 1993, most of what was known about medical treatments were based on studies conducted with only men as their subjects. Like everything else, there remains significant racial and gender bias against which we must all guard. This critical change improved our understanding of women's health dramatically. She suspects when people think of women's health, their mind goes to reproductive health - something voters in Ohio enshrined as a right in our Ohio Constitution a few months ago. She would be remiss not to mention the remarkable advancements in science which have enabled women to plan their families. In 1965, five years after it was FDA approved, the birth control pill became legal across the US, the first female controlled contraceptive. Over the subsequent decades, further advancement in family planning occurred including the intrauterine device or IUD and complex processes such as invitro fertilization and advanced fertility technology, allowing women who struggle to conceive to become mothers, should they choose. She thinks it is worth taking a moment to reflect on a journey that started with women not even having the right to control their own hormones in 1960 and 1965, to where we are now with the resolution that Gahanna is introducing. That lists the important and critical contributions across all factions of society that women make to make sure that these contributions are celebrated and that the rights that women have gained are protected. President Bowers turned the meeting over to Councilmember Jamille Jones to make the introduction of Jatu Boikai. Councilmember Jones shared that in addition to the resolution honoring Women's History Month, council would like to recognize Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha Day. It is a great bridge between Women's History Month and Black History Month. Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha were enslaved women who were essentially experimented on in the early days of maternal health care in the OBGYN City of Gahanna Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 field. Council welcomes Jatu Boikai, who is one of few if not the only black nurse managers of maternity services in Ohio. She serves at Mount Carmel Grove City. She is working diligently to diversify the nursing industry by hiring more black nurses and technicians in an effort to not only improve our black maternal health across the country, but specifically here in Ohio. Jatu is a Gahanna Lincoln High School alum. Ms. Boikai shared that when she thinks about Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha what grips her heart is that there are only three names. She is happy that we have those three names, but she cannot help but think about the countless other names that we do not know. She shared some historical perspective on what happened to these three women. J. Marion Sims is known globally as the forefather of modern gynecology. What is not well known and hopefully will be well known soon is how he perfected his procedures. By conducting surgical procedures on slave women without anesthesia, because of the notion that black women do not experience pain in the same way as white women, he perfected all the procedures that we know today - the pap exam, all the painful procedures that we know, including C-sections without anesthesia on these slave women so that he could then perform them with anesthesia on his white patients. That is the history behind these three names. What she thinks about is how we know these three names but the countless other women that we do not know. She would like to honor those women as well, as we pay homage to Betsey, Lucy and Anarcha. She thinks it is very important to pay homage to all the women that have gone unnamed for centuries. As a second generation African American with roots tied to Liberia West Africa, she is blessed to be able to trace her ancestry back to the Paramount Chiefs and other indigenous royalty from centuries ago. She honors her ancestors and call upon them even to this day to help guide her steps. Many African Americans who are direct descendants of the slave trade unfortunately are not able to trace their history back past a certain point. When talking about ancestors a lot of times, we are referring to those who came before us. When she thinks about Betsey, Lucy and Anarcha, that is what they represent for her. Those who came before her as a black woman, as a black mother, as a black nurse who works predominantly in the obstetric and birthing space. She can acknowledge that without these women she would not be standing here today with the accomplishments that she has made in her life and career. As dark as the history behind obstetrical care is, she stands in humility and reverence for these brave women whose sacrifices led to the United States becoming a powerhouse in the industry of obstetrical medicine. President Bowers thanked Ms. Boikai, and Dr. Liston for the reminders of women’s history and the reminders of the progress that we have made and the bright future that we have ahead of us in women's health and maternal care. 2. Proclamation Presentation by Mayor Jadwin Mayor Jadwin addressed the Council and began her presentation stating that it is appropriate to be presenting this proclamation that follows women in medicine. There are four future health care professionals currently studying at Gahanna Lincoln High School. Often, she is contacted by people who want resolutions or proclamations to City of Gahanna Page 3 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 be issued. There are always awareness months, awareness weeks and a plethora of initiatives out there and it is difficult to recognize all of them. When she comes to council to present a proclamation, it is usually to recognize a Gahanna resident or Gahanna organization that is tied to one of those initiatives that is really doing something above and beyond or doing work to help bring awareness to an issue that is impacting Gahanna residents. Mayor Jadwin shared that student Marleigh McFarland contacted her expressing she wanted to help generate awareness in the community around blood donation. Ms. McFarland shared that she and fellow students are with group called HOSA. They are going to talk about what that is. The importance of blood donation ties to people with bleeding disorders, people with frequent nose bleeds, with excessive bruising, and a whole host of other symptoms, and plagues that affect people. They have done a series of blood drives. They are going to be doing one this week. March is Bleeding Disorder Awareness Month. It is a perfect opportunity for them to host their blood drive as well as to issue a proclamation around that awareness month. They have initiated a save a life HOSA campaign to educate others on the importance of blood donation, influence people to take the initiative to donate blood, and to fund blood centers such as the American Red Cross. Through their campaign they have collected a total of 63 units of blood, which in turn impacts at least 189 lives. Just a small unit can go a great distance. Mayor Jadwin read the proclamation and invited Marleigh McFarland, Asa Mattson, Samantha York, and Annabella Zingale to the podium. Mayor Jadwin thanked them for the work they are doing and wishes them the best of luck with the donate blood campaign. Marleigh McFarland thanked Mayor Jadwin and the council for recognizing their initiative for such an important issue. They appreciate the mayor’s generosity and interest in such an important cause. The blood shortage today is not just an isolated incident. Millions of people worldwide die every year due to chronic blood shortages, something that everyone can stop together. Samantha York noted that as a community we have the power to save people's lives in a rewarding and powerful way. Your blood can save people all around the world. Your impact that just a bit of your time can have is immeasurable. The students are all seniors at Gahanna Lincoln High School and never imagined that their campaign could go this far. They have dedicated over two years to this cause and are forever grateful for the knowledge and community partnerships that they have gained along the way. March is National Bleeding Disorder Awareness Month. An estimated three million people nationwide are affected by these bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia and sickle cell which can lead to painful and chronic symptoms that can last a lifetime. Asa Mattson shared that blood donation can directly help patients with these bleeding disorders, as platelets are commonly donated to help alleviate symptoms and provide a better quality of life for patients. Their goal is to educate Gahanna on the importance of blood donation as well as to encourage people to act by donating blood. They have provided many opportunities to support their cause and as Mayor Jadwin mentioned, on March 8th, they will be hosting a blood drive at Peace Lutheran Church from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is in partnership with University Blood City of Gahanna Page 4 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Center of Ohio. Annabella Zingale said they are also hosting a 5k to raise money for Versiti, which is a local blood center. This is a walk/run event and is taking place on March 24th. More information can be found on their fliers they made available during the meeting. They thanked their teacher, Mrs. Lewis, who has helped them achieve their goals throughout their campaign. They are grateful to have her as a teacher. They hope this Proclamation leads to further conversations surrounding this very important issue in Gahanna and its surrounding communities. President Bowers thanked Mayor Jadwin for bringing this incredible group to Council and raising the attention of the important work they are doing. 2024-0049 Mayoral Proclamation - Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month March 2024 3. SWACO - Community Waste Reduction Grant President Bowers welcomed members of Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) community grant award team to the meeting. Scott Perry, Assistant Executive Director of SWACO, thanked Council and Mayor Jadwin for the opportunity. He expressed SWACO’s appreciation for the City’s effort to prioritize sustainability and help to reduce central Ohio's reliance on landfill. The county landfills owned by SWACO continues to receive more than one million tons of materials each year. That number is projected to increase as the region’s population grows. Thanks to collaboration with many partners including the City of Gahanna they are optimistic that even with the population growth they can tip the scales even more towards reducing waste and reducing recycling, so the landfill tons stay flat, better yet begin to decrease. They are helping to provide residents with larger wheeled at-home recycled carts and convenient locations to drop off food scraps, and to deliver important waste diversion education right to the doorsteps. SWACO has been pleased to support the city's efforts for quite a while. Changing behavior is hard, but they believe it is important and necessary in the shared endeavors to create a more sustainable region for all. SWACO presented the city with the community waste reduction grant in the amount of $35,000 to improve recycling in the Creekside Outdoor Refreshment Area (CORA). By offering recycling containers with clear signage about what is accepted will be a great addition to the already wonderful community gathering space and one that will serve the Gahanna community and our shared environment for many years to come. SWACO grants are competitively awarded, and they congratulated the city administration and staff on bringing forward a project that was thoughtfully crafted and stood among the peers. President Bowers thanked Assistant Executive Director Scott Perry, and Director of Communications Hannah Greer-Brown who joined us tonight to present the check. Congratulations and thank you to Senior Deputy Director Corey Wybensinger for his hard work to obtain the Grant. City of Gahanna Page 5 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 4. Members of the Public Kathy McCorkle, 677 Picadilly Court, Gahanna, OH, addressed the City Council stating as follows: From the vitriol , rant, and false accusations against her by Steve Renner and other councilmembers during council comment period of February 19th, it is evident that Gahanna has its own DC swamp that will not tolerate dissenting viewpoints. Councilmember Steve Renner do not apologize for her to Councilmember Jamille Jones for her First Amendment remarks to council two weeks ago. She made no disparaging personal remarks to her or about her and there is no reason for her to apologize. This is what Democrats do if they cannot argue a point. They attack you and threaten to silence you. She will not be falsely accused by him or other councilmembers of something she did not do. She was falsely accused of personally attacking Mrs. Jones when she did no such thing. They need to re-listen to her words she used and lay aside their own emotion for their own political bent while doing so. Everything she spoke to was about the association of Mrs. Jones’ Pint-Size Protester group to the BLM movement and everything she said about it Mrs. Jones had already stated on her own website. Her web page shows the name Black Lives Matter next to her group name Pint-Size Protester. A picture shows a child carrying a Black Lives Matter sign. Marxism underpins the Black Lives Matter agenda. Founders of the BLM group describe themselves as trained Marxist. Marxist Democrats are intent on destroying this country. If that is not evident to you by now, it never will be and you are complicit with it in your tyrannical rant. He accused her of things that never happened and of saying things she never said. She ever attacked his colleague. She never spoke atrocities. She never spoke on respect or values. She never mentioned Jones' oath of office, but she brought up Mr. Renner’s oath of office. Ms. McCorkle showed a copy of Mr. Renner’s oath of office. He took an oath to uphold the Constitution that protects her First Amendment rights. Then threatened to violate her First Amendment right to speak to her local government. The oath signed by him on January 3, 2022: “I, Steve Renner, do swear that I will support and defend the Constitution and impartially discharge the duties as a city council member.” Is it one of your duties Mr. Renner to sit in judgment on what residents say in their three minutes to council? To decide if it was fair or not, political or not, or if you do not like what was said to threaten to infringe upon their constitutionally protected free speech that you swore an oath to defend? When he falsely accused her and threatened her because he does not like that she expressed views he disagreed with… President Bowers stated that Mrs. McCorkle’s three minutes is concluded and thanked her. Mrs. McCorkle said she has her timer, and she is asking to finish what she has to say. President Bowers said she has been at the podium for more than three minutes and she ask to conclude her statement. Mrs. McCorkle said she will be back next week and read the whole thing again. She said Renner needs to step down from his council seat if he cannot handle citizen complaints. Mrs. McCorkle said thanks for cutting her off because she had three minutes on her clock. President Bowers thanked Mrs. McCorkle. City of Gahanna Page 6 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Sharon Montgomery, 572 Bonnington Way, Gahanna addressed the Council as follows: She had not planned to speak tonight on Ordinance 0069-2023. Council has patiently listened to her rant about increased penalties enough times, but she received a phone call this morning from the mother of yet another victim. Mrs. Montgomery thinks her story is worthy of adding to the overall discussion on this topic. As council meets tonight to vote on adding or not adding increased penalties into the city’s distracted driving law when serious injury or death results, Grove City Council will hear from this mom tonight. Her son was hit in a crosswalk. He had the light; a woman was turning left and did not see him. He was low in a wheelchair, and she was high in an SUV and is a short woman. This explains but does not excuse what happened. She knew her field of vision was limited due to her size and the size of her vehicle. It was her responsibility to look even more carefully before turning. Children are lower in the crosswalk also. She was charged with the minor misdemeanor of failure to yield. It has a $150 fine and no provisions for increased penalties for causing serious harm. The victim previously had use of his arms, and mind, but not his legs. Now he has the use of only one arm. Serious injury, minor fine. Here we go again. If anyone of you still has any lingering doubts about how you will vote on Ordinance 69 tonight or if you plan to vote yes, but still wonder if that is the right thing to do, maybe this story will help you decide. This happens again and again and passing Ordinance 69 with increased penalties for one offense in one city could be the first step needed on the long road to change this injustice. Mrs. Montgomery thanked council for at the very least giving her a platform for raising awareness of this problem. President Bowers thanked Mrs. Montgomery. Patricia Kovacs 527 Haversham Drive, Gahanna addressed the Council as follows: Mrs. Kovacs shared she was unable to attend two weeks ago and sent a letter to Council in support of the ordinance. She is fully supportive of Ordinance 69 as Mrs. Montgomery is. The last couple days she has been biking and with so many people on the trails and bike routes she thinks these changes the city is making are going to be helpful for people to be aware. She is especially happy to see young people, like preteens without parents. They felt safe enough to be out on the roads in our residential areas. The reason she cares so much about these laws is because if someone gets hit and they are not doing the right thing, they will be found at fault. If a bicycle or pedestrian, for example in Columbus, you're not allowed to ride on sidewalks. If a bicyclist was hit in a crosswalk, they will usually be found at fault because the police will assume they were on the sidewalk. This is the reason why she likes how this is law is written. For the people in the audience, when she sent the letter to council, she also put together a table of where the different vehicle types are allowed to be: sidewalks, roads, bike lanes, bikes, E-bikes E-scooters and so forth. If this ordinance is passed, the information can be publicized on social media or wherever. She said there were some questions about whether the city is allowed to have a difference in its distractive driving law from the state. She attended a MORPC meeting, and they told her there were some cities that have an actual handsfree law. She contacted three of them in Franklin County. She didn't hear back from one of them, but the other two said they are going to keep their hands free even though the state allows you to hold the phone to your ear. She said what Gahanna is doing with the ordinance is clarifying what the state says can be unclassified misdemeanors. The city is just classifying them. She does not think there is anything City of Gahanna Page 7 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 wrong with that and hopefully people will be more aware that there are stronger penalties. Mrs. Kovacs thanked Ms. Tamilarasan, Chief Spence and Deputy Chief Lawless for writing these ordinances and supporting them. President Bowers thanked Mrs. Kovacs. Ginger Tornes, 99 Preston Road, Columbus, addressed the City Council as follows: She said she is in support of Ordinance 69. Everywhere there is a crash epidemic going on. Everything needs to be done to reduce that and to reduce that carnage. This is a very good start because it has been proven that that tougher penalties do make a difference in dissuading bad behavior of all kinds, including driving that ends up with somebody being dead. Unfortunately, she has the experience of losing one of her very good friends to somebody who was careless and ended up with a hand slap of a penalty. This man is still out driving and hopefully he will not hurt anybody else. If this distractive driving thing had been a state policy or even a Columbus policy, then this man would still be behind bars. Which is exactly where he belongs and exactly where the judge wanted him. President Bowers thanked Ms. Tornes. D. PUBLIC HEARINGS: President Bowers read into the record as follows: 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. ORD-0007-2024 AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA President Bowers shared that Ordinance-0007-2024 is an ordinance to repeal and replace Part 11 Planning and Zoning Code of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Gahanna. Tonight, we are holding the first of two public hearings on the proposed modernization of the city's zoning code. The code was first developed by the Village of Gahanna in the 1950’s. Tonight's introduction of the legislation represents the culmination of several years of diligence by the Department of Planning and the city's consultant, citizen engagement opportunities during community events, workshops with the Planning Commission, including a joint workshop held with Council in October, and robust discussion between the Planning Commission and Council and administration during prior meetings. City of Gahanna Page 8 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Mayor Jadwin shared administration does not have a presentation. President Bowers opened the public hearing at 7:41 p.m., asking if there were any proponents Ordinance-0007-2024, anyone who wishes to speak in in favor or support of the Ordinance. Hearing none, any opponents to Ordinance-0007-2024, anyone who wishes to speak in opposition to this Ordinance. Hearing none, Bowers closed the public hearing at 7:42 p.m. This ordinance will have a second public hearing and a second reading with a vote on adoption on March 18, 2024. E. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Minutes - To Approve: 2024-0043 CN Minutes 2.19.2024 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2024-0044 COTW Minutes 2.26.2024 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2024-0045 FIN Minutes 2.26.2024 The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda. 2. Motions: MT-0005-2024 A MOTION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE PERMISSION TO BID CONTRACT FOR 2024 STREETLIGHT PAINTING SERVICES The Motion was approved on the Consent Agenda. 3. Resolutions: RES-0007-2024 A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MARCH 2024 AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 1, 2024 AS THE BETSEY, LUCY, AND ANARCHA DAYS OF RECOGNITION FOR THE CITY OF GAHANNA The Resolution was adopted on the Consent Agenda. End of Consent Agenda A motion was made by Renner, seconded by Schnetzer, to Pass the items under the Consent Agenda as published. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Gahanna Page 9 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Yes: 7- Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver F. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION / FIRST READING: ORD-0007-2024 AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE PART ELEVEN - PLANNING AND ZONING CODE OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0009-2024 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY OF GAHANNA BUILDING AND ZONING FEE SCHEDULE President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0011-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH STRAWSER PAVING COMPANY FOR THE TAYLOR STATION ROAD AND CLAYCRAFT ROAD ROUNDABOUT PROJECT (ST-1087); AND AUTHORIZING A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION - OPWC Capital Project President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0012-2024 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORD-080-2020 CONTRACT WITH EMH&T FOR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INTERSECTION OF TAYLOR STATION AND CLAYCRAFT ROADS TO INCLUDE COSTS FOR CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION AND INSPECTION President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0013-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH STRAWSER PAVING COMPANY FOR THE 2024 STREET AND SIDEWALK PROGRAM (ST-1110) President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0014-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH BRENNSTUHL CONSTRUCTION, INC. FOR THE 2022 SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (ST-1109) President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0015-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS - Right-of-Way Special Revenue Fund for Professional Services President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0016-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS - Refuse Escrow from Grant Award City of Gahanna Page 10 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0017-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS - Parks & Recreation Fund for Recreation Coordinator II Position Supporting Community Recreation President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. ORD-0018-2024 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH JE GROTE COMPANY, INC. TO FACILITATE RENOVATION OF AN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 1160 GAHANNA PARKWAY, PART OF COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AREA #3 President Bowers introduced the Ordinance and the Clerk read it by title. G. ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING / ADOPTION: ORD-0069-2023 AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT AMENDMENTS TO TRAFFIC CODE SECTIONS OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA; TO PROVIDE FOR PENALTIES; TO PROVIDE FOR CODIFICATION; TO PROVIDE FOR SEVERABILITY; TO REPEAL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Vice President Weaver thanked all of the advocates who have spoken numerous times on this and thanked those for being here again this evening. He would be remiss if he did not express his gratitude to Chief Spence, Director Becker and their team and the City Attorney’s office, not only the new city attorney but the former city attorney and Mr. Roth. He is happy to support these changes. President Bowers echoed Mr. Weaver’s comments and thanked everyone who worked on this, and she would refer back to the robust discussion on this item as well at prior committee meetings. She is grateful to support this as well and for all the work that has been put into it. A motion was made by Weaver, seconded by Renner, that the Ordinance be Adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver H. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION, WAIVER & EMERGENCY ADOPTION: ORD-0010-2024 AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF BONDS IN THE MAXIMUM AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF $4,600,000 FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE COSTS OF REFUNDING BONDS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED BY THE CITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE COSTS OF VARIOUS PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS; WAIVING SECOND READING AND City of Gahanna Page 11 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 DECLARING AN EMERGENCY President Bowers thanked the bond counsel and the team from Baker Tilly and Director Bury for their presentation at finance committee last week for explaining the fiscal responsibility being taken by this action. A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Renner, that the Ordinance be Waived for Second Reading. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver A motion was made by Renner, seconded by Schnetzer, that the Ordinance be Adopted as an Emergency. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7- Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver I. CORRESPONDENCE AND ACTIONS: 1. Clerk - None. 2. Council - None. J. REPRESENTATIVES: 1. Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) - Renner, Weaver Councilmember Renner said CIC met on February 20, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. The meeting started with an introduction of CIC’s newest member Ms. Opal M. Brandt. Ms. Brandt joins them with an extensive background in workforce development. She was at the combined meeting in December. There will be another combined meeting in June. Financials have stayed close to the same as last month's reporting. The mayor reminded folks about the MORPC State of the Region and Gahanna’s CVB Annual meeting. It was reported that the zoning code was passed at Planning Commission and referred to Council. An Active Transportation Plan received a grant from ODOT. The Literacy Trail received funds from ODNR. They also discussed the medal of honor program at the previous night’s council meeting. CIC entered executive session at 8:20 a.m. under Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code, Section G, to discuss the sale of property. CIC exited executive session at 8:45 a.m. Visitor from Expedient, Steve Gruetter, reported to the CIC of an agreement between Expedient and CIC where they are under obligations to pass along simply prospective opportunities for them to discuss the sales of internet and cloud business. Apparently, this agreement originated from the previous administration and that knowledge had not been passed along to the current administration. There was a good discussion on it and what are some of the next steps to make sure that we learn about this agreement and fulfill the obligation. Creekside Chiropractic gave a 30-day notice that they were moving. A spa is coming to the former Olde Bag of Nails location. A web design company is coming into the former Pour House and a Bubble Tea at Creekside. CIC ended at 9:11 a.m. City of Gahanna Page 12 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 2. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) - Weaver Vice President Weaver shared on February 27th he attended an event titled, “Planning Together: Local Governments and Schools” and was honored to be joined by Superintendent Dr. Tracey Deagle. Mayor Jadwin was also in attendance. The event featured Dr. Kirsten Carr the Chief Regional Strategy Officer and Senior Planning Director at MORPC, Mayor Joe Begeny of Reynoldsburg, and attorney Robert McCarthy from Bricker Graydon. The event highlighted the importance of collaboration as all communities work to address population growth and the need for diverse housing stock and also that impact on our public school systems. Mr. McCarthy discussed some recent legislative changes from the state house that impacts the role of school districts and the effect that various economic development incentives have on them. Ultimately, the event underscored the importance of ongoing consistent and regular dialogue between cities and public school districts. The Metropolitan Transportation plan public comment is open through March. There will be an open house at MORPC on March 19, 2024, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Comments can be submitted at morpc.org/mtp2025. The Sustainability Summit will be on October 29, 2024. 3. Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) - Padova Councilmember Padova shared that the spring and summer Herbal Cocktail Trail kicked off on Friday with a record number of 12 participating establishments. New to this passport is the addition of two mocktails. The Visit Gahanna’s Annual meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Gahanna Sanctuary. It is a great way to stay in the know with what Visit Gahanna has been up to over the last year and the great things that are ahead for the organization. It will be a fun celebratory atmosphere with a lot of great information and rumor has it that Gahanna’s own Zayne Harshaw will be performing. The 25th Annual Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival is approximately 100 days away. Headliners have been announced and tickets went on sale March 1st. Early bird discount saving of $5 off each ticket during the month of March. Veterans and children 10 years and under get in free. Sunday tickets are buy one get one free and free admission can be earned by volunteering. Visit Gahanna and the Ohio Herb Center are also in the middle of planning for Herb Day on Saturday, May 4th. Plants have been ordered and vendor spots are nearly full. So, mark your calendars for a free fund family event at Creekside. 4. School Board (SB) - Jones Councilmember Jones shared the district and the teacher’s union, GJEA, ratified a three-year contract last week. Great news for all parties involved. As Public School’s Week wrapped up last Friday, she shared a video produced by the award-winning Lincoln Live media and production team. They are already award-winning but won another award for the film by the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) which was in recognition of Public School’s Week. Mrs. Jones thought it was a good City of Gahanna Page 13 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 reflection/showcase of the great things that are happening in the district and celebration of all the amazing things. She thinks that what they saw is a great way to wrap up Public Schools Week. She especially loved the line (paraphrasing) of “our district is the city of Gahanna and the City of Gahanna is our school district.” She loves that reinforces the importance of us all working together for our community. Essentially, it is a call to action to all of us as well. Great job to Gahanna Lincoln and Lincoln Live team and a happy end of Public School’s week. K. OFFICIAL REPORTS: 1. Mayor Mayor Jadwin thanked Councilmember Jones for sharing the video. A couple weeks ago she was watching the news and suddenly there was Mark Lowrie and one of the students who was in the video and two Gahanna Lincoln High School graduates talking about the two Emmy’s that Lincoln Live won, yet again. Then, you have this group of students who were here this evening. There is no end to the passion, the dedication, the talent that exists in the High School and throughout our district. It is such a pleasure to see all of them succeed at such high levels. Mayor Jadwin thanked the city partners at SWACO for the presentation of the big check and for the award of the Community Waste Reduction Grant. Those grants are very competitive, and the city was one of six grants that were awarded. Those funds are going to be used to further enhance the recycling efforts at the Creekside District. There will be an additional 30 recycling containers placed throughout the Creekside Outdoor Refreshment Area (CORA). This will enable the city to purchase a double waste receptacle container that will have both recycling and waste, along with messaging and branding that will educate the user on what can be recycled and what goes in the landfill to help educate and inform on recycling. She thanked SWACO’s efforts and those of its partners. Right now, the diversion rate from the landfill is 54%, which the highest it has ever been. That is not high enough and we need to continue to help it grow. She looks forward to the city being a part of that. She thanked Mr. Wybensinger and Chelsea Heppert for gathering the background information on what kind of recycling containers to put at Creekside. She knows Wybensinger led that project in the grant application. She thanked him for his efforts; it certainly reaps benefits for our community. In 2022 for the 2023 budget, Council approved a position for a Risk Management and Safety Administrator. The first full year for the program was 2023. The position is held by Melissa Jackson and that position also is reaping benefits already for the city. Melissa recently coordinated a training and certification process that gave existing employees an opportunity to obtain their CDL license. Federal Department of Transportation regulations recently changed putting different qualifications for those licenses, which in turn led Melissa to create from scratch an entire new training program, everything from the driver training courses to the manuals to orchestrating their schedule and making sure that they had what they needed and that they were able to obtain those licenses in compliance with both state and federal laws. This is something that we were able to achieve. Five employees, Hunter McKnight, Hunter Blankenship, Joe Fravel, Curt Martin, and Cody Rubright all obtained their CDL licenses. Fleet Superintendent Darren Arnett, Forestry Supervisor Julie Predieri, Utility Superintendent Matt Jones were the instructors City of Gahanna Page 14 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 throughout that program, not only ensuring that we are operating in compliance with the most up-to-date laws, but that we are also able to expand our service delivery to residents. Friday was National Employee Appreciation Day, there are approximately 190 employees working for the city of Gahanna, both full-time and part-time who serve our nearly 36,000 residents as well as our businesses. We are in the midst of hiring a multitude of seasonal workers, folks who will be staffing camps and pools and programs throughout the summer to make sure that people have a great summer here in the City of Gahanna. Whether a seasoned veteran or a seasonal employee, we are grateful for their contributions to our city and for continuing to make our city the best that it can be for our residents and the businesses who do business and invest here. Tuesday, March 12th at noon, and Thursday, March 14th at 6:00 p.m. there will be open houses for property owners that are within the 2024 streets and sidewalks program and within the 2022 sidewalk construction program. The Engineering team will be in council chambers and will briefly walk through the construction process and what residents who live along the streets within that area can expect to see and answer any questions. The next Gahanna 175 meeting will be Tuesday, March 5, 6:00 p.m. in the Committee Room. Friday March 8th is the blood drive. You can also go to the Sanctuary on Friday, March 8, 7:00 p.m. and watch a night of Gahanna stories. Five short films have been created by Gahanna filmmaker and resident Tim Courlas. He has been interviewing all kind of Gahanna residents over the past several months and they will tell their stories, recounting memories and telling some unique stories about Gahanna that you might not have heard. It is a ticketed event you can get a ticket at Gahanna175.com. State of the City will be Thursday, March 28, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at La Navona. It will be a little bit different this year. We will be celebrating 175 years of Gahanna as we view highlights of the past year and talk about what is in store for 2024, honoring the evolution of our city over the last 175 years. President Bowers thanked Mayor Jadwin and said it is exciting to hear about that CDL training program that Ms. Jackson has implemented. That is going to pay off in lots of ways; congratulations to her and her team on advancing that program. 2. City Attorney City Attorney Tamilarasan shared that the Speedway litigation in Franklin County Common Pleas Court has been appealed again. There was a summary judgment in favor of the city. It is now in the 10th District Court of Appeals. They are beginning the briefing process now. The Academy Woods litigation just had oral arguments last week. The litigation part is complete, and the city is awaiting a decision from the 10th District on that matter. Ms. Tamilarasan thanked Council for all their support Ordinance-0069-2023. She is doing a comprehensive review and update of the general offenses. She will be bringing that before Council in the upcoming months. President Bowers thanked Ms. Tamilarasan. L. COUNCIL COMMENT: Councilmember Jones has completed and shared her February 2024 constituent newsletter. Please look at it to learn all that we have accomplished and experienced last month. Her next constituent hour will be Wednesday, March 13th at 8:00 a.m. at City of Gahanna Page 15 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Dunkin Donuts, Vista Plaza, 1111 N. Hamilton Rd. She said that one of the joys of our democracy is First Amendment rights and we uphold that right here and we are glad to have our residents come and speak before us. The downside to that is that anyone is able to practice that free speech from a one-sided perspective without considering the values or the experiences of others. She was not going to say anything tonight. But, she feels that because it has been brought up, that residents have a concern of things that are important to her, to share with residents that she was elected to represent everyone in this community, even those who disagree with her. What she will say is that she does not take that honor lightly but opens the door for dialogue. If anyone ever is concerned about what she does, her values, her beliefs or what she represents, the door is always open. Anyone on council encourages dialogue. Come meet her at Dunkin Donuts. You can meet her any night. Her phone number and email are available. She just asks that our residents, before passing judgment, before standing before Council sharing what you think you understand, that we have dialogue. We will get nowhere in this world if we do not have the conversation. She wants to make sure that everyone is aware that that invitation and the door is open for communication. Councilmember McGregor wanted to reiterate the stories that will be at the Sanctuary by the Gahanna 175 committee on Friday night. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door. Councilmember Renner thanked Councilmember Jones; it was beautifully said and his hats off to her. He said our society has been encouraged somehow to promote uninformed narratives and impulsive rational views lately and that is what he was reacting to. Tonight, we heard a sanitized statement of what was actually said. Anybody can go back and look at the video. He stands by his comments, not fearful. He, too, has a First Amendment right of free speech and can point out when he believes something is flawed. He will still do that accordingly. Councilmember Padova thanked Councilmember Jones for her comments this evening and her work on Council. She is doing an excellent job, not even three months in. She has brought a whole new perspective to council. She has brought in guests that otherwise would not be here who have provided a lot of knowledge that Council would otherwise not have. Padova appreciates everything that Ms. Jones has done, including her position as the school board liaison, which she fully supports. Vice President Weaver thanked everyone who joined the meeting this evening in honor of the resolutions and the mayor's Proclamation. He said as someone with O negative blood, he enjoys giving blood and he thanked the students for what they have done. He received his six-gallon pin last year. He looks forward to participating again in the future. He wanted to reiterate his comments from two week ago. President Bowers wanted to start with wishing Ramadan Mubarak to all who are celebrating next week. Wishes to a generous holiday over the month following. Bowers thanked all the guest and public speakers, including the students from the HOSA program. She thanked Mayor Jadwin for bringing the program to Council’s attention. She thanked Nurse Manager Jatu Boikai, State Representative Dr. Beth City of Gahanna Page 16 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 Liston, Assistant Director Scott Perry, and Director of Communications Hannah Greer-Brown for their presence tonight. She thanked the advocates who spoke during the public hearing and other members of the public who attended the meeting. She appreciates their presence and interest in what is going on in our community. Ms. Bowers said she was having a kind of not great day today, and as she was starting to come in here and getting ready to think about council tonight, she was struck by how much gratitude she feels to be here and how much gratitude she feels to be with everyone and in service to our community, elected and unelected. Everyone in this room she thinks is incredibly earnest in their work and are all doing a great job. She truly means that; she is really grateful to be here and taking a moment to pause and reflect on that gratitude and the earnest work that she thinks is happening by everyone in this building and across the city. It shifted her feeling on her day. Bowers said congratulations on Employee Appreciation Day. She hopes everyone has a wonderful breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Great work to the Gahanna Division of Police for apprehending a suspect in the road rage incident that involved the father and the one-year-old who were shot on I-270. It seems that great police work led to that arrest. Congratulations Chief Spence and his team. She had a great time at the Visit Gahanna and Chamber of Commerce joint event at the Fable Collection. She saw Director Hamons there last week along with a number of chamber members where our resident expert herbalist Amanda Ferguson spellbound attendees with her tales of how to use herbs effectively to destress and to embrace a sense of calm in our chaotic lives. She had the pleasure of attending the Gahanna Community Chorus’ choir presentation yesterday at the high school. It was a lovely presentation and again reflecting on how great it is to be in a community like this where a few hundred residents on a beautiful Sunday afternoon took time out of their day to share in the joy of music at the high school. 2024-0046 Councilmember Jamille Jones' Constituent Report - February 2024 M. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Council, President Bowers adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m. Jeremy A. VanMeter Clerk of Council City of Gahanna Page 17 City Council Meeting Minutes March 4, 2024 APPROVED by the City Council, this day of 2024. Merisa K. Bowers City of Gahanna Page 18