Columbus City Council Meeting: April 8, 2026 – NWSL Stadium Debate, Health Recognitions, and Zoning Actions
Columbus City Council Meeting – April 8, 2026
The Columbus City Council convened on April 8, 2026, at 5:00 pm in Council Chambers. The meeting opened with a prayer led by Monsignor Cody, followed by roll call and announcements. The council considered a range of resolutions, ordinances, and public testimony, with the most contentious item being Ordinance 1112-2026, which would authorize a lease of McCoy Park for a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) training facility. The council also approved numerous consent agenda items, zoning variances, and committee reports.
Consent Calendar
- Resolutions of expression: 75, 86, 87, 89, 74, and 78X-2026 (adopted unanimously).
- Finance and governance ordinances: 375, 823, 848, 914, 938, 939-2026 (adopted).
- Economic development ordinances: 753, 756, 845, 894, 912, 913, 915, 960, 974, 984-2026 (adopted).
- Public service and transportation ordinances: 686, 715, 762, 814, 830, 876-2026 (adopted).
- Neighborhoods, recreation, and parks ordinances: 672, 675, 685, 917, 955, 973-2026 (adopted).
- Health, human services, and equity ordinance: 928-2026 (adopted).
- Public safety and criminal justice ordinance: 254-2026 (adopted).
- Public utilities and sustainability ordinances: 592, 648, 703, 840, 844, 866, 889, 896, 902-2026 (adopted).
Public Comments & Testimony
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Ordinance 1112-2026 (NWSL training facility at McCoy Park): Eight speakers were scheduled (three against, four for; one against speaker was not called due to time).
- Derek Bergman (Franklin Tenary Commission, personal capacity) opposed the ordinance, arguing that the city had promised an adaptive/therapeutic recreation park for children with disabilities at McCoy Park, which was funded and planned. He stated that the administration’s lack of due diligence and failure to consult the community before offering the park violated public trust. He asked: “How will the neighborhood be made whole? What happened to the plans for the park? Where will the hundreds of kids using the park go?”
- Rachel Wenning (former Hilltop Area Commissioner) spoke against the ordinance, criticizing the campaign contributions from the Haslam family (owners of the proposed NWSL franchise) to city officials, totaling at least $295,000 in the last five years. She argued that the deal prioritized wealthy donors over the poorest census tract in Columbus, which had been promised accessible park improvements.
- Liz Reed (Area Commission chair) opposed the ordinance, emphasizing that the city had approved funding for McCoy Park improvements to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2027, but the administration hid this fact. She stated that the administration’s haste to secure the team put a community in one of the most resource-deprived neighborhoods at risk. She called on the council to vote no and save the park.
- Alaria Rollins (CEO of Fortuna Bank) spoke in support, stating that a women’s soccer team would inspire young girls and women, provide economic benefits, and align with Columbus’s values of inclusion and opportunity.
- Don Stewart (Director of Strategic Partnerships, Greater Columbus Sports Commission) spoke in support, sharing her personal story as a female athlete and administrator, and argued that the NWSL team would provide role models and strengthen Columbus’s sports landscape.
- Eric Rkowski (Program Director, Leveling the Playing Field) spoke in support, highlighting the Columbus Crew’s community investments (e.g., $60,000 to four local nonprofits) and the positive impact of sports on youth.
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Public comment on Ordinance 860-2026 (Franklin County jail contract): Isaiah St. John (personal capacity) urged the council to reject the contract due to the Franklin County Sheriff’s policy of notifying ICE about inmates who speak little English. He stated that in February 2026, 20 individuals were taken into ICE custody from the county jail, 12 of whom had no criminal convictions. He argued that taxpayer dollars should not support a system that collaborates with federal immigration enforcement.
Discussion Items
- Parkinson’s Awareness Month Resolution (0090X-2026): Councilmember Day-Agnew introduced a resolution recognizing April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month. She noted that approximately 1 million people in the U.S. have Parkinson’s, with 90,000 new diagnoses each year. The Parkinson’s Foundation’s annual “Moving Day” walk is scheduled for April 26, 2026, at 10:00 am at Wolf Park. Michael Rawl from the foundation thanked the council.
- National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day Resolution (0088X-2026): Councilmember Green introduced a resolution recognizing April 10, 2026, as National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day. He noted that 1.2 million people in the U.S. live with HIV, and young people (13–24) account for 20% of new diagnoses. Ava Greer, an ambassador for Advocates for Youth, spoke about the importance of education and testing.
- Local Food Action Plan 10-Year Anniversary Resolution (85X-2026): Councilmember Weich introduced a resolution celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Columbus and Franklin County Local Food Action Plan. Jill Clark (OSU professor and board member) and Yolanda Owens (executive director of Local Matters) thanked the council for investments in the local food system.
- Delta Sigma Theta Senior Health Fair Resolution (0079X-2026): Council President Harden introduced a resolution honoring the Delta Sigma Theta Columbus Alumni Chapter for hosting a senior wellness health fair on April 22, 2026, at Broad Street Presbyterian Church. The fair is open to the public and targets the fastest-growing population in Columbus—seniors.
- AIDS Walk of Central Ohio Resolution (0088X-2026): Council President Harden introduced a resolution commemorating the 2026 Dr. Robert J. Fast Memorial AIDS Walk on April 18, 2026, at 9:00 am at Genoa Park. Swan Blakely (Equitas Health Forward) and CEO David noted that more than 24,000 people in Ohio live with HIV, and about one in five do not know their status. They highlighted threats to federal funding for HIV prevention.
- Participatory Budgeting Announcement: Councilmember Bankston announced that the city is launching the next phase of participatory budgeting with $9 million ($1 million per district). The process will allow residents to collect ideas and vote on capital projects. A steering committee has developed a guidebook. The kickoff event is April 29, 2026.
- Street Sweeping Reminder: Councilmember Day-Agnew reminded residents that street sweeping runs April through October. Signs should be heeded to avoid towing.
- Public Hearing on Council Structure: Councilmember Prespotan announced a public hearing on April 28, 2026, at 5:30 pm in Council Chambers as part of the Rules and Reference Committee to discuss the structure of Columbus City Council, including district representation. Residents can submit testimony by 3:00 pm on April 28 to AEB McDonald at Columbus.gov.
- Short-Term Rental Regulations Hearing: Councilmember Remy announced a second hearing on short-term rental regulations on April 21, 2026, at 3:30 pm in Council Chambers. Written or public testimony must be submitted by 12:00 pm on April 21 to Pedro Mejia.
- Cleaner Columbus Citywide Cleanup: Councilmember Remy announced the fifth annual Cleaner Columbus Citywide Cleanup on May 9, 2026. Sign up at CleanerColumbus.org.
- Community Working Hours: Councilmember Ross announced community working hours at Parsons Library on April 14, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
- Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee Hearing: Councilmember Weich announced a committee hearing on April 15, 2026, at 3:30 pm in Council Chambers, discussing the Columbus Green Fund, Environmental Science Advisory Committee, and surveillance pricing. Testimony due by noon on April 14.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 1112-2026 (NWSL training facility): The council took no vote on the ordinance at this first reading. Council President Harden and Chair Bankston expressed frustration that the administration had not disclosed the existing plans for McCoy Park (a therapeutic recreation park for children with disabilities) and that the area commission chair had not been contacted. Councilmember Day-Agnew stated that the Haslam Sports Group refused to include a playground or splash pad in the training facility, only soccer fields. Council President Harden called for an amendment to require the city to move at “warp speed” to find an alternative park location and to require the ownership group to fund community amenities. The ordinance will be brought back for a second reading, and the council will hold further discussions with the administration, the area commission, and the public.
- Ordinance 860-2026 (Franklin County jail contract): Councilmember Remy moved to refer the ordinance back to committee for further study of the sheriff’s ICE notification policies. The motion passed unanimously. Public speaker Isaiah St. John’s testimony was noted.
- All other ordinances and resolutions on the second reading agenda were passed unanimously, including the consent agenda items, zoning variances, and committee reports.
- Zoning Committee: All three council variances (967-2026, 971-2026, 979-2026) were approved unanimously.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:15 pm.
Meeting Transcript
This evening, Council is grateful to have an old friend, Monsignor Cody here to pray with this. My senior, welcome back to council. Thank you, Mr. President. It's always a pleasure to be here. Brothers and sisters, let us pray. Oh, good and gracious God. Members of our Columbus City Council have gathered to conduct the business of our city on behalf of the citizens of our city. May your wisdom guide their deliberations tonight and always as we seek together to work for the common good of all of us in Columbus. Our council members ask for your guidance. We are concerned that our nation is engaged in yet another war. We pray for peace and a renewed sense of mutual understanding and respect among the nations of our world. Send a spirit of peace among us and special blessing on the members of our council and the citizens that they serve. Amen. Thank you so much for seeing Cody. Clerk, please call the role. Any person who takes any action to obstruct or interfere with the conduct of tonight's meeting may be charged with disturbing a lawful meeting pursuant to Columbus City Code 2317.12. Any person who enters those areas of city council chambers reserved for city officials or invited guests may be charged with criminal trespass pursuant to Columbus City Code 2311. Clerk please call the royal.gov as well. Again, each speaker will be limited in the remarks lasting no longer than three minutes. So again, really looking forward to uh really kicking off and getting the next phase of our petitionary budgeting process uh rolled out, as many may remember. Uh, we're able to secure nine million dollars, a million dollars for each of our districts to go through a process by which uh residents will lead us through an exercise of collecting uh ideas for their neighborhoods and also voting directly on what they want to see uh in those capital projects. So really excited about that process and want to thank all of the residents who have stepped up uh during the steering committee process and have put the guidebook together that will help uh guide us through that uh uh endeavor. Uh so again, looking forward to having everyone out on April 29th. That's all I have. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh Councilmember uh Dia. Uh thank you, Council President. Happy spring, everyone. It's April, and uh as the city uh has begun street sweeping this month, so April through October, uh, the street maintenance section sweeps streets from early April, and then it goes all the way until the last week of October. The street sweeping program is focused on mitigating environmental concerns to prevent pollution from entering into our waterways. So please, please, please pay attention to the street cleaning signs in your neighborhood so that your car does not get towed, or if you're visiting one of the other beautiful areas of our city, just make sure that you pay attention to those signs since it is that season. Um and unfortunately, I wish I had happier announcements, but it's a beautiful day, so thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember Day of Gauer. Thank you, Council President. Um, I have one resolution this evening. And as I read the title, I would like to invite Michael Rawl and invited guests of the Parkinson's Foundation up to the podium. So resolution 0090X-2026 to recognize the month of April as Parkinson's Awareness Month and commend the efforts and increased education and research by the Parkinson's Foundation. As the spouse of someone living with Parkinson's, I'm always proud to bring forward this resolution each year. It is an opportunity to uplift a group educating and raising awareness and clearing up misconceptions around the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the country. Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive neurological disease affecting approximately one million people in the United States, diagnosing 90,000 new people each year. There is no objective test or biomarker for Parkinson's disease, and there is no cure or drug to slow or halt the progression of the disease. The symptoms are extremely wide-ranging beyond just tremors, and it is not a disease that exclusively affects older adults, like many presume. The Parkinson's Foundation is an outstanding nonprofit that has been helping those living with Parkinson's and their families and caregivers for decades. Whether it is through their fundraising for research, they're helping folks get up and move, which is the number one way to manage symptoms, or their education and advocacy work. This organization shows up time and time again for those living with this disease. So I'm happy to once again be sponsoring their annual Columbus Moving Day walk on Sunday, April 26th at 10 a.m. at Wolf Park.
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