Finance Committee

200 South Hamilton Road City of Gahanna Gahanna, Ohio 43230 Meeting Minutes Finance Committee Michael Schnetzer, Chair Karen J. Angelou Merisa K. Bowers Nancy R. McGregor Kaylee Padova Stephen A. Renner Trenton I. Weaver Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council Monday, July 17, 2023 City Hall, Council Chambers Immediately following the regular Committee of the Whole meeting on July 17, 2023 A. CALL TO ORDER: Councilmember Michael Schnetzer, Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:58 p.m. The agenda was published on July 14, 2023. All members were present. There were no additions or corrections to the agenda. B. DISCUSSIONS: 1. Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Chairman Schnetzer began the meeting by mentioning that he had several questions to guide the discussion. He referred to page numbers in the PDF document, specifying that it had 147 pages, but acknowledged that the page numbers shown on the pages might not align correctly. 2023-0109 Capital Improvement Plan Draft Follow-up on McKenna Creek Concerns Chairman Schnetzer noted a follow-up question from the previous Finance Committee meeting about concerns related to McKenna Creek, specifically regarding the table shown on page 64 of 147 in the PDF, under section 10.1.2.2. He asked the administration for any follow-up on this matter. Tom Komlanc, the Director of Engineering, responded that the staff was actively looking into the riparian corridor, reviewing plats, and identifying maintenance responsibilities. They also planned to conduct field investigations to gain a better understanding of any erosion issues in that area. He mentioned that the process might take some time, and they would likely present further information during the budget timeframe for 2024 or consider it as a project for 2025. City of Gahanna Page 1 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes July 17, 2023 Vice President Weaver thanked the staff and administration for their efforts in following up on the concerns related to McKenna Creek. He expressed appreciation for their clarification and dedication to resolving the matter. Wayfinding Chairman Schnetzer brought up a question related to wayfinding, referring to page 86 of 147 in the PDF document. He asked the administration to be prepared to discuss the project priority assignment of "CM" and whether there were any plans for general city wayfinding in addition to the wayfinding already mentioned for parks. Kevin Schultz, Senior Director of Operations, responded to the question, explaining that "CM" referred to Capital Maintenance, which meant replacing something that already existed without adding to the overall assets in the city. He clarified that the project listed on page 86 was about replacing existing signs within parks, such as “No Parking” signs, and that there was an ongoing internal discussion about whether these replacements should be considered capital maintenance or covered under operating budget. Councilmember Bowers noted that a previous branding project had identified the need for additional wayfinding throughout Gahanna. She hoped that the plan would consider general municipal wayfinding, even if it was decided not to include it in the current CIP. Mayor Jadwin added to the discussion, explaining that several ongoing projects, such as the Creekside Redevelopment Plan and the Active Transportation Plan, would inform the city's overall wayfinding needs. She also mentioned the Central Ohio Greenways sign packet developed by MORPC, which would be used to establish a unified trail signage standard for Gahanna. The information gathered from these projects would contribute to the development of a comprehensive wayfinding plan for the city. Councilmember McGregor expressed agreement with the need for uniform wayfinding and suggested leveraging existing signage standards from organizations like Metro Parks for consistency across Franklin County. Additional Pickleball Courts Chairman Schnetzer brought up two items for discussion. The first one, referenced on page 89 of the 147-page PDF, pertained to the construction of additional pickleball courts at city parks, aside from the existing ones at Friendship Park. He inquired if any consideration had been given to this matter. Alan Little, Projects Manager for the Department of Parks & Recreation, responded to the chairman's question. He acknowledged the growth of pickleball and mentioned that while there were opportunities to expand the sport using existing underutilized courts and spaces, there was still a vision for a dedicated facility for pickleball. He highlighted that the residents had identified pickleball as a need in the Parks Master Plan, and the City of Gahanna Page 2 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes July 17, 2023 department was addressing it in the short term. The second question Chairman Schnetzer raised was related to fencing at Academy Park. He asked if it was possible to increase the height of the fencing along the first base lines between fields one and two. He proposed exploring options such as netting. Chairman Schnetzer expressed his concern about foul balls potentially affecting spectators from neighboring fields one and two. He also brought up the idea of utilizing an open grassy area north of the basketball court at Academy Park for additional pickleball courts. Little responded that while the space was currently used for soccer practice and overflow parking for events, it could be better utilized. He mentioned that the area was being considered for expanded parking, including potentially moving the basketball courts, to accommodate both basketball and pickleball use. Projects Manager Little confirmed that the open green space near the playground was the area being discussed for pickleball courts. He explained that it was outside the floodway and could be used for establishing blacktop courts without any prohibitive constraints. Councilmember McGregor recalled plans for striping basketball courts at Sunpoint Park for pickleball. Little mentioned that there was a possibility of striping the basketball courts at Sunpoint Park for pickleball use, even though the initial grant was for basketball. Throughout the discussion, it was evident from Little’s feedback that there were opportunities to expand pickleball facilities in the city's parks, and the department was open to exploring options for better utilization of spaces to accommodate both pickleball and other activities. Drainage at Academy Park Chairman Schnetzer brought up the next item, PK-24-084, which can be found on page 92 of 147 in the PDF. He requested that the administration be prepared to discuss specific items related to park drainage, especially concerning Academy Park ball diamonds. Projects Manager Little responded by referring to the Parks Master Plan and mentioning that there were identified opportunities to address drainage issues in various sports complexes and fields, including Academy Park. He explained that the park presents challenges due to its location in a floodway and the presence of wetlands nearby. Any drainage modifications would require careful consideration to avoid degrading the wetlands. He mentioned that there were swales to help with surface drainage when the park was built in the 1990s, but subsurface drainage would be more challenging and costly. Chairman Schnetzer inquired about the possibility of raising the height of the infields by bringing in additional loads of dirt. Projects Manager Little explained that the park is located in a FEMA-regulated floodway, making any substantial material fill prohibited without proper study and permitting. Chairman Schnetzer thanked him for the information and noted that he now had a response to provide to those who asked about the park's situation. City of Gahanna Page 3 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes July 17, 2023 Title / Project Overview Mismatch Chairman Schnetzer addressed the next item, TR-20-1401, on page 120 of 147. He pointed out that there was a comment stating that the project overview did not match the title. He assumed that this would be corrected in subsequent drafts and asked the administration to confirm this. Director Schultz acknowledged the comment and expressed gratitude for identifying the significant typo on page 120. Usage Data on Charging Stations Chairman Schnetzer brought up the next discussion topic regarding page 132 of 147, item EQ-22-1405. He requested any usage data the city had on file for existing charging stations and inquired about the intent for the proposed charging stations: whether they would be user-paid or city-paid. Director Schultz responded, stating that he was still in the process of gathering the usage data for the existing charging stations located citywide at four locations. He mentioned that the current charging stations were user-paid, but there was a question about whether they were subsidized in any way. He assured the council that he would provide follow-up information at the next meeting regarding usage data and any potential subsidies. Regarding the proposed charging stations at 825 Tech Center Drive, Director Schultz explained that they would most likely follow the same model as the existing stations, both for level three superchargers and level two chargers. He mentioned that the city had applied for a grant through MORPC for the charging and fueling infrastructure, which included EV charging stations, as well as other alternative fuel facilities like compressed natural gas. Councilmember McGregor expressed her observation that the existing charging stations, despite being in prime locations, were rarely used. She suggested possibly moving them back farther so that people coming in and out of the building could have access to the closer spots. Director Schultz addressed this concern by stating that the proposed charging stations at 825 Tech Center Drive were intentionally placed in the middle of the parking lot to serve as a regional facility. They needed to be within a certain distance from multi-family apartment complexes, such as the ones being built nearby at the Crescent. The middle location also ensured accessibility for those residents. While it limited some parking spaces closer to the building, the decision was made to address the regional needs effectively. Concluding Remarks & Next Steps Chairman Schnetzer addressed the council and asked for their input on how to proceed with the discussions. He inquired if there was a preference to continue discussing the topics every week or if a break was needed. He also mentioned that there was one carryover item he had noted, unless there were City of Gahanna Page 4 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes July 17, 2023 pending questions from previous discussions. Director Schultz offered to follow up with the answers to the EV charging stations question via email to the councilmembers. Chairman Schnetzer proposed a plan where Director Schultz would email the answers to everyone, and if any council members had additional questions, they could send them to Schnetzer by Wednesday night. Based on the responses received, he would then schedule a Finance Committee meeting with Clerk VanMeter or skip it if there were no further questions. Council was agreeable to this proposed course of action. C. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Finance Committee, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 9:23 p.m. Jeremy A. VanMeter Clerk of Council APPROVED by the Finance Committee, this day of 2023. Michael Schnetzer City of Gahanna Page 5