21 will now come to order.

Please stand for the playing of the national anthem.

Counselor Banks and we lead us in the pledge.

This evening, Council is grateful to have Minister Ayanna Fulham from Hope City Church.

Lead us in prayer.

Mr.

Welcome to Council.

Good evening.

Thank you guys so much for having me.

Heavenly Father, God, we take the time to come before you, Lord, and we ask for your presence, God, to be in this meeting, God.

We come um we come before you, God, with humility and gratitude, God acknowledging that all wisdom, authority, and all power, God belongs to you.

And so, God, we ask God that you will have your way in this meeting, God, that you will guide the council members with your wisdom, God, with your peace and with clarity that only comes from above.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Thank you so much, Pastor.

Clerk is called the role.

Banks Timberosa de Padilla, De Aka or Dorns Green, Remy Ross Weiss President Harden.

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.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um I get a motion to swim to the reading of the journal.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you, uh, Madam Clerk.

Are there any additions or corrections to the uh journal?

There's one.

Please.

Uh 2026.

If there are no additions or corrections to the journal, the journal is approved.

This week's communication received by the city clerk's office are listed on the agenda and we published in City Bulletin.

Are there any other communications to be read for the record?

Not at this time.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um, before we move uh through the rest of the agenda, uh, we just had a very thoughtful um conversation for the last hour uh pre prior to this uh meeting around the appointment of uh uh repl uh auditor uh to replace Megan Kilgore, who will resign effective May 4th.

Uh as stated at the hearing, um our charter says that we have to have an auditor in place in time for her uh resignation.

Uh we do not have a council meeting next week, so that vote must come today.

Um, this has been a truncated process, but it has been an open and transparent con uh uh process uh where we have had um five folks apply, uh three that met the um requirements.

Uh they spoke uh uh before at the hearing, and um as we said, we're very grateful for each and every one of them.

Um they they really uh showed us uh the best of Columbus.

Uh and and uh we're we're grateful that we have um great people to pick from.

Uh I want to open I'll say this too before we go any further.

Um we will have to have Auditor Kilgore back for making Kilgore Day here in the city of Columbus as a true expression of gratitude that we have for her stewardship of that office.

Uh I said last week, she inherited the about the largest shoes that you could inherit um in uh taking over after Mr.

Hugh Dorian, and she walked in those shoes flawlessly uh without one misstep, and we're just grateful for you and thank you so much for your service, and we're so grateful.

I also will acknowledge uh Miss Darlene Wilde, who I think retires this week.

Um Meg, what are you gonna do flying solo for three or four days?

Yes, um, but who has also served this city.

Uh, and I say this often um folks see us uh and and and think that this is the city.

The truth is it is you all who are the city, the folks who are really keeping this thing running.

Uh and uh we're just so grateful for you, Ms.

Darlene, and excited for your next uh as you go into retirement.

So would you help me uh celebrate Ms.

Darlene Wilde as well.

With that, we have some city business to do.

We have to uh deliberate and pick an auditor.

So I would like to just open it up.

Is there any more conversation that we'd like to have before uh uh I ask for a motion?

Sure.

Um so first I want to just start off with um we said these thank yous before, but I just wanted to speak to each candidate for just one moment.

So I want to start with Kimberly, and I actually want to start with your sons.

Um it is a big deal to bring your babies with you, and it is a big deal for them to see their mom doing this.

And so I just want to say thank you for loving her and supporting her and making her the mom she is, the woman that she is, and um thank you for bringing them along because I think it shows so much um courage to our young people when they see us right in these spaces and they see us being courageous because it gives them the courage to follow their dreams.

You are people centric, you are um you ran for office and now you're looking for another office, and that takes a lot of courage and you have a mastery in people, and so I want to thank you for continuing to raise your hand.

I want to I look through the the letters of recommendation that you received, and they were glowing.

They were from people who I know and love as well.

And so I want to say thank you for your service because you've been serving our community and you continue to do that.

Um, Garrett, I want to say uh thank you also to you.

You have a level of, I mean, when I asked the question of like how do you make this make sense to everyone else, I was also talking about me, Garrett.

Um, because Megan will tell you that sometimes I'm like, tell me like I'm five.

Um, because to Nancy's point, this is a lot, or council members' point, this is a lot of mathing.

And so making these complex ideas make sense, and you've been doing that, and coming here to the city, especially at a time like this when we have lots of complex issues to work through is a lot.

Um, so thank you for raising your hand.

And lastly, um to Jackie, thank you.

Thank you for your continued service here.

Thank you for bringing um fresh new ideas.

Thank you for raising your hand to say, hey, I want to step up my service.

I would say whoever is going to be the auditor, you also have two amazing candidates here.

We it looks like we might have some openings in the auditor's office.

So I think if you want to make some good choices, we already did the hard work for y'all.

So I think that there is different approaches here where you have people who have these different skill sets and who are ready and chomping at the bit to serve.

So that's a bit of um uh uh advice that you didn't ask for, but I'm just putting out there.

But I just want to say thank you, thank you all for raising your hands and for wanting to serve at a time like this because yes, it is being in the auditor seat, but after this, you also have to run and you have to raise funds and you have to be out there and you have to make people care about a role that they didn't even might not have even realized was an elected role.

So that's a huge undertaking, and I just wanted to acknowledge what that means for all of you and for bringing your loved ones here, and thank you to your loved ones for even making the sacrifice of your person to be here because it does take a lot, and these are long hours and sometimes thankless.

So thank you for supporting them.

Thank you for your services, potential service as well.

Sure.

And thank you, council member, for breaking that down.

Honestly, I feel like all three of you could play a role in the auditor's office in terms of community engagement, in-depth knowledge of debt servicing and what that looks like.

And so uh it is not lost on any of us that you were willing to raise your hand and commit to doing something in the public eye um and hope that this is just the first conversation we will have with you, and that you do not go away because we still need your expertise and your support um as we do things for the city of Columbus.

So appreciate you.

If there are no other questions or comments, uh does someone have a nomination for auditor of the city of Columbus.

Uh Council President, I have a motion.

Okay.

Uh, due to the resignation of Senator or Senator Give you a This is Sprite and not coffee.

Sorry, guys.

All right, start over.

Due to the resignation of City Auditor Megan Kilgore, effective May 4th, 2026, creating a vacancy in this office of city auditor.

I move pursuant to city charter section 87-2 that Jacqueline Lewis be appointed to the position of city auditor effective May 4th, 2026.

Is there got you?

Thank you so much for that uh nomination.

That motion is there.

Are there any other motions or nominations?

Council Mayor Bankston.

Council President.

Um again, I think it's been said here that we had a really good conversation.

I think that there are uh several qualified candidates in.

I do want to say that uh uh support for Miss Jackie Lewis, and I think that she is extremely qualified, but I think there are other qualified candidates as well whose names I want to lift up.

So I would like to nominate uh Garrett Patterson uh for the auditor uh position starting May 4th.

Thank you so much.

Are there any others?

Hearing none, may I have a second on uh the nomination?

Uh the motion uh for Jacqueline Lewis second clerk, please call the row.

Bankston.

Yes, Barossa de Bodilla.

Yes.

De Akawa.

Yes.

Dorans.

Yes.

Green, Remy.

Yes, Ross, yes.

White, yes, President Hardin.

Yes, congratulations, Madam Auditor.

Um Auditor Lewis, uh, what do we call it?

Designate.

Um would you like to come forward uh and say a few words uh before council well?

I would like to say, first of all, thank you for this tremendous honor.

I know this was not an easy decision.

Uh you had some phenomenally qualified candidates.

Um a very short window in which to do this.

Um, but I'm excited about the opportunity to continue to serve.

I'm excited about the opportunity to serve alongside you to be your partner at the city and to continue to move the city forward.

And so thank you so much for your vote of support.

Thank you so much.

Would you help me celebrate and thank all of you?

Um now um we'll go around the diets.

Um we're for resolutions and um updates from my colleagues, starting with Council Mayor Brankston.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Um, I know a resolutions, but one announcement this evening, just a final reminder that this Wednesday I am holding a hearing to unveil and discuss the steering committee's recommendations on the establishment of the city's first participatory budgeting pilot.

And I am looking forward to sharing all of the progress made on the initiative to date and how residents can engage in the process moving forward.

All persons wishing to speak during the hearing in person must email JB Brown at Columbus.gov by 10 a.m.

on Wednesday with the subject line participatory budgeting hearing.

Written testimony must also be received by 10 a.m.

on Wednesday and emailed to Jonathan Brown at JB Brown at Columbus.gov.

Again, each speaker will be limited to their remarks lasting no longer than three minutes.

And as always, it will be streamed on all of the city's streaming channels.

Council President, that's all I have.

Thank you, Mr.

Councilman Bankston.

Councilmember Barossa De Badilla.

Thank you, Council President.

I just have two announcements.

One, and we should blame this on the head because we had a lot going on last week and not the heart.

But we missed volunteer appreciation week, which was last week.

And so I just want to send a I made sure that we put it on the calendar for next year because I work at a volunteer organization.

But I just wanted to say, even today, before this council meeting, we had folks planting trees at HM Park.

This weekend we had a number of cleanups.

I was on the South Side.

I know my colleagues were on the hilltop.

Um, and we had a number of other events happening throughout the uh city.

I just want to thank all of the folks who take their time out to give a little bit more to our community to make our communities better for the folks who stand in the gap, for the folks who offer their time, their talent, their treasure as a board member as a volunteer, showing up for a cleanup day.

If everyone gives just a little bit, we can inch closer and closer to the kind of community in the kind of city that we want.

So I just wanted to acknowledge Volunteer Appreciation Week.

And then, secondly, if folks were out this weekend, it was a beautiful weekend.

You probably saw it is prom season.

Um, so just a reminder to folks who are out.

I know my daughter went to prom this year, 2026 uh senior parents.

I'm in it with you.

I feel all the feels.

Um, I just wanted to send a reminder to all of our young drivers to lock in, especially as you're driving big groups of friends.

Um, to remember to put your phones down, to remember to the best way that you can be the best friend is to make sure that your friends are driving safely and that you are taking care of the people that you love as you're transporting them to prom to after prom to your mama's best friend's house to do whatever.

Um, so make sure that you're out there that you're safe and that you're making good choices.

So happy prom season and right around the corner is graduation season.

So, to all of our 26 graduating seniors, congratulations.

I'm sure we'll be doing much more celebrations with all of them.

But um also to all of our parents, just a reminder to our kids as we're giving them those keys to our cars or their cars to remember to lock in and be safe.

Councilmember mom, make good choices.

That was good.

Good advice.

Councilmember Day October.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, on this evening's agenda, we have the first reading of ordinance 0944-2026, which is a code change that would prohibit the feeding of deer in the city of Columbus.

My team, along with the Department of Neighborhoods, has been leading a year-long community-focused discussion around deer and how the city can manage the population in our more densely populated areas, such as Clintonville.

We're happy to be hosting a second community meeting to continue this discussion next week as we provide information and answer questions on the aforementioned no feed ordinance before it comes for a vote.

In addition to providing other updates on our deer policy discussions.

This meeting will once again be held in Clintonville, this time at the Whetstone Library on Tuesday, May 5th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

This meeting will be open to all, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP as space is limited in the library.

The RSVP form can be found at Columbus.gov slash deer survey.

Um, another item on Wednesday, April 29th.

Um, my colleague, Councilmember Barossa DePadilla and I will be meeting with residents of Roberts Road to discuss um road safety.

Um, for information on that, it is available on the Far West Side Area Commission um Facebook page.

And finally, since I will be on vacation for part of May, um, I wanted to alert everyone that the City of Columbus does now have a Memorial Day service.

It is held on Memorial Day at 1 p.m.

at the park adjacent to the Linden Community Center.

It is held in front of the Linden War Memorial, and this year, in addition to honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, we will be giving a special tribute to Master Sergeant Time and Simmons.

So that's all for me.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Uh Councilmember Green.

Nothing from me.

Councilmember uh Remy.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to remind everybody that we are less than two weeks away from the fifth day in the old Cleaner Columbus Clean Citywide Cleanup.

We hope to see you and or your organization there, and you can sign up by going to CleanerColumbus.org.

We will be working across the city um that day on May 9th to ensure that our city is clean as possible.

We'll be meeting at Wolf Park at 9 a.m.

and look forward to seeing you out there.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Cosmer Ross.

Thank you, Council President.

Just one announcement and two and then two resolutions.

We are having our fourth community listening session tomorrow at Franklin Library from 12:30 to 2:30.

This discussion will be focused around re-entry.

Um we are sharing the voices, lifting the voices of the folks who have served their time and are looking to contribute back to our community.

We will have various resources.

Um, the League of Women Voters will be there, the Columbus Urban League, Alvis House, and some other employment and basic needs opportunities will be available.

And so if you are interested in coming and listening and sharing, please meet us at Franklin Library from 12:30 to 2:30 on tomorrow.

Two resolutions.

I will start with resolution number 0095 X-2026.

And before reading the resolution, if I could have Vincent Coleman and the Columbus Realtors head to the podium, this resolution is to recognize and celebrate April as Fair Housing Month in Columbus.

As they are coming forward, I'm going to give you a little information about the Fair Housing Act, which was enacted on April the 11th of 1968, enshrined into federal law, the goal of eliminating racial segregation and ending housing discrimination in the United States.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability, and commits recipients of federal funding to affirmatively further fair housing in their communities.

Columbus Realtors has long been committed to the mission and intent of the City of Columbus, which is to provide fair housing and equal housing opportunities for all.

More than 50 years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, discrimination persists, and housing segregation remains a strong force in many communities.

I want to thank Vincent Coleman and the Columbus Realtors for their commitment to fairness and equity in the housing space.

Housing is a human right and is fundamental to leading a productive life.

Certainly got to know you all very closely last year and know some of you personally, have known some of you for years.

Always raising your hand to be at the table when we're having discussions about equity in the housing space.

Certainly look forward to hearing from you.

And so I will pass it on to you before I uh turn it over to my colleagues for further comment.

Thank you for being here today.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Council President Harden and Chair Ross and members of Columbus City Council for this recognition tonight.

My name is Gloria Alonzo Cannon, and I am the 2026 president of Columbus Real Tours.

Columbus Realtors and our members understand that real estate professionals and consumers depend on strong fair housing laws and practices for our communities and economy to thrive.

Discrimination distorts the housing market and closes the door on the American dream of homeownership for qualified buyers.

We advance our commitment to fair housing through policy, advocacy, innovative programming, and legal guidance.

Article 10 of the Realtor Code of Ethics states Realtors shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Realtors shall not be party to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Columbus Realtors holds this to the highest standard when conducting business and in our advocacy.

We promote public policies that advance broader homeownership, availability, accessibility, and affordability in all communities.

Additionally, we prioritize efforts to narrow homeownership gaps among demographic groups and promote strong enforcement of anti-discrimination laws within the housing market.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Brittany Eddy, I serve alongside my colleague Cindy Jacobs as the chair of Columbus Realtors Housing Affordability Committee.

Enacted in 1968, the Fair Housing Act is a landmark piece of legislation that protects these rights.

Every April, Realtors observe Fair Housing Month to reaffirm our commitment to providing fair, equitable and professional service to all individuals searching for real estate.

We must continue to work together in the field of real estate to ensure we are not only qualified, but also equipped with the tools of addressing, articulating, and resolving the many challenges encountered by minority home seekers in their quest for adequate and affordable housing.

We are proud to celebrate National Fair Housing Month and appreciate council's recognition tonight.

We look forward to our continued partnership and collective commitment to upholding fair housing policies through advocacy and community engagement.

Thank you.

Do any of my colleagues have comments?

Sure.

Well, you know, as a council member and a realtor, you know, fair housing is about making sure everyone has access to opportunity and that in that decisions about where people live are based on fairness, not bias.

It also means recognizing that we still have work to do.

It never ends.

And so, you know, I want to thank we want to make sure that we're always working to make to access housing and that it's equitable across our community.

But I do want to thank the Columbus Realtors for being here today for the role that this organization plays to uphold those standards and help people navigate one of the most important decisions in their lives.

So as Columbus continues to grow, we all have a responsibility to make sure that growth is inclusive and opportunity is available to everyone.

So thank you, Councilmember Ross, for allowing me the moment.

Thank you, Councilmember Remy.

Any other comments from my colleagues?

Yes, Councilmember Bainston.

I just want to say congratulations to the Columbus Realtors and also a thank you.

When we talk about fair housing, that is a policy.

But policy in action without folks like you, boots on the ground is what I call it.

Uh, that policy and those actions don't get carried out.

And so I consider you all not just simply uh small business owners or folks that are buying and selling housing, but navigators, navigators of our communities.

Oftentimes when I hear about challenges and sometimes in neighborhoods, it comes from you all first.

Uh when it's done when I think about the hurdles that some of our residents are facing, uh, you all are there on the front lines, not simply pushing and advocating for the the agenda of the realtors, but pushing and advocating for a better Columbus.

And that is really how we move the city forward.

So I want to thank you all uh for your continued partnership and for the continued work that you do in our community to make our neighborhoods stronger and better.

So thank you again and congratulations.

Thank you, Councilmember Bankston, Councilmember Lourde.

Thank you.

Um, I just wanted to echo, I think Councilmember, I was gonna say the same thing.

I one of my best friends is a is a uh realtor and um specializing in people who are buying homes for the first time and you know, the stories that she comes back and shares with me.

I think being a navigator is the perfect um description.

You know, whether somebody's buying their first home or third home or fourth home, it is a big decision.

It's the biggest investment that they're gonna make.

And so making that decision for their families, having someone who is a trusted source, but then also I think the partnership that we have built as we think about housing, when you all are on the front lines, the things that you're seeing, the things that you're hearing, the things that our folks are experiencing, I think is incredibly important, especially as we think about policy and especially as we think about um the future of Columbus.

And so I just want to thank you for continuing to push to make us better, continuing to push to make policy better for being the navigators, for being the trusted sources for our folks for ensuring that folks find a place that whether it's their forever home or on the road to their forever home, that they find a place that they can really uh make it not just a place to live, but a community and a house for them.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember, Councilmember Deakauer.

I've mentioned before my father and grandfather were all realtors.

And um I grew up in rural California, and um the work that the realtors did actually integrated my county.

Um it was a big deal when people of color started to move to the county where I lived, and it was the realtors that made that happen because there were a lot of community members who didn't want that.

So I think people forget what a critical role realtors play in um integration in our communities.

So thank you all for what you do.

Thank you, council member.

Anyone else?

In a minute, if you don't speak.

Well, I just hear that it's uh my brother uh just uh Coleman's uh birthday tomorrow.

No, happy birthday.

So that's what I'll add to the conversation.

I love it.

Vincent Coleman.

Happy birthday, and thank you again, Columbus Realtors.

And I think I don't have to convince all of you of the impeccable need that we have in our community.

And so all of you continuing to stay in this work and do this work and do it as trusted partners is so ever important, both now and in the future in our city.

So thank you again.

And if I have no further comment from my colleague, I will move for adoption.

Clark, please call the row.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, de Acarns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Harton.

Adopted.

All right.

It might be.

April might be National Everything month, but I have one more resolution.

Uh, it is resolution number 0118X-2026 to commemorate the Central Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative Reentry Week, April 20th through 24th of 2026.

And so, if Mr.

Zach Rupo will head to the podium.

Welcome to council.

Thank you so much for coming.

Um the City of Columbus recognizes the importance of supporting individuals who have been impacted by the justice system and are working to reintegrate into society with dignity and with purpose.

The Century Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative has been a leading force in providing critical resources such as employment opportunities, housing assistance, education and training, entrepreneurship services, health care, recovery programs, and essential needs like food and clothing to ensure a successful transition from conviction to restoration.

Re-entry week, observed from April 20th to April 24th serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by restored citizens to celebrate their resilience and to promote policies and programs that facilitate their full reintegration as valuable and active members of the community.

The City of Columbus is committed to changing the narrative surrounding criminal justice by recognizing the efforts of restored citizens who seek to reclaim their rightful place in society, and by supporting organizations such as the CORCC in their mission to provide pathways to success.

According to Franklin County's reentry task force, estimates that about 2,212 adult inmates and 1,700 juvenile offenders are expected to leave Ohio's correctional and rehabilitative institutions annually and return to Columbus and the surrounding community in Franklin County.

This makes Franklin County the third highest in the state for ex-offender releases.

The task force emphasizes that housing, employment, health, and social services are critical to successful reintegration.

The January 2024 point in time count by the Community Shelter Board found that 2,380 individuals are experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness is a major barrier to re-entry, and stable housing is essential for employment, health access, and reducing recidivism.

I want to thank the CRCC for their commitment to reducing barriers and creating opportunities to build awareness and promote reintegration.

And with that, Zach, I will turn it over to you all for comment.

Thank you for being here.

Good evening, everyone.

Council President Hardin, President Pro Tim Dorans, and members of City Council.

My name is Zach Ruppel, I UC Him Pronouns, and on behalf of the Central Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative, thank you for this annual recognition.

I've served as a volunteer administrator with this collaborative for the last seven years, and I am deeply grateful for the partnership that we've been able to establish with this council.

This recognition comes as already shared at a critical juncture for reintegration.

We are facing a perfect storm that threatens our city's resilience and the wellness of those with a conviction history.

While incarceration and re-entry rates remain high, the federal funding that once stabilize many local programs is drying up or already has disappeared.

Essential re-entry on ramps for housing and jobs are disappearing from the community map.

Meanwhile, the rights and protections of our residents are being rewritten by the Fed as policymakers continue to create permanent punishments.

The math is crystal clear.

Last year, including local jail numbers, over 20,000 of our neighbors returned to Columbus.

20,000 parents, siblings, voters, and taxpayers who have served their time.

They are returning to a landscape more precarious than I personally have seen in close to a decade.

For 25 years, research and lived experience alike have proven that the promise of investing in re-entry with the same urgency that we do in corrections and diversion is critical.

Tonight's agenda and forthcoming items offer clear choices in how this can't council can respond to this disappearing safety net.

Your considerations for courthouse infrastructure, funding to scaffold affordable housing, and improve community mediation.

Each help ensure that re-entry is not short-circuited before reintegration can take hold.

But as federal funding support pulls back, our city's investments cannot merely indirectly benefit justice-impacted residents.

They must be built on the expertise of and for the direct benefit of those who have and are re-entering.

Earlier this year, CRCC provided many of your staff experts with a robust set of recommendations for innovation and for action.

And we look forward to remaining in close communication with your teams this year.

Justice involvement is not a mysterious phenomenon, nor is the basic idea of a fair chance.

With one third of our community holding a conviction, this is not a them problem.

It is a Columbus reality.

It is an all of us reality.

Those closest to the problem must be closest to the solution.

And by working together, we can ensure that every neighborhood in this city is a place where all individuals, regardless of their past, have the stability they need to truly call this a permanent home.

Thank you for your time.

And I'd like to introduce my friend and colleague Shannon Bradshaw to share a bit more.

Thank you.

Thank you, Zach.

Councilmember Harden, President Pro Temp Dorans, and members of City Council.

Thank you for your time tonight and your continued service for the serving the members of Columbus.

We are honored to remain in partnership with the council since 2019 and recognize your commitment to uplifting importance of re-entry and fair chances.

My name is Shannon Bradshaw, and I'm proud to speak as one of the volunteer administrators for the Central Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative.

I also come to you today before as somebody who was personally impacted by the criminal legal system in my younger years.

And now I currently work for the county courts.

I've lived both sides of this issue, and I know that re-entry must be authentic.

Too often re-entry is treated like a checklist.

But real re-entry is human.

It is trust, dignity, and relationships built with people who understand trauma, setbacks, and what it takes to rebuild.

As you heard Zach share, if we want safer communities, we must recognize re-entry as both a public safety and public health issue.

That means integrating re-entry navigation into Columbus's behavioral health network and connecting people to trusted, effective resources.

It also means expanding peer supporters in municipal court beyond specialized dockets into spaces like eviction court and arraignment court.

A peer connection at the right moment can prevent deeper crisis.

When people feel seen, supported, and connected, they're more likely to stay engaged in services and less likely to return to incarceration.

Thank you for supporting communities like ours, and please continue investing in grassroots experience-driven communities, led by impacted individuals.

I have seen the lasting change happen, and when those who lived it are leaded or trusted to lead it, we would be happy to answer any questions at this time.

Thank you again.

Shannon.

Yes.

Councilmember Lourde.

Councilmember.

And Chair.

Yes.

I think this is such important work.

I think you said it best when you were in your introductory remarks.

I think that one bad decision does not define your whole existence.

And I think unfortunately in our society, too often that it does.

And so I think that if we have had, if we have asked someone to whatever the price they have paid for whatever bad decision that they made once they're brought back into society, that they can have a job, that they can have a place to live, that they can have a future worthy of them.

Right?

And everything that they give back to us.

And so I think this week and continuing to advocate for people, I I think all of us would be hard pressed not to find someone who has not been touched by the justice system in some way for whatever reason.

And so not giving them the kind of future that they deserve, letting that define them is in itself unjust.

And so I just want to thank you for your advocacy.

Thank you for your continued work.

I think this is one of the most important things that we commemorate is to just remind people of their own humanity and their own forgiveness and ensuring that we are giving access to folks so that we also don't miss out on the gifts that people have to give back to all of us.

And not to forget that they also have families and children and people who love them who also deserve to have a full person back in their lives.

So thank you again for your work and um for everything that your organizations will do this week to see people.

Councilmember Biggson.

Yeah, I won't belabor the moment, but I just wanted to say congratulations and thank you uh for the continued work that you all do.

Uh you you you all said something that is about public health.

This is uh about uh public safety, but I would also lift up as economic development years also about the economics.

Uh we have thousands of folks returning to uh our community and simultaneously I hear from employers.

I can't find people.

Right.

What is an entire population that's being overlooked?

And I really hope that this falls on someone that we need to really lean into, not just say that you hire uh restored citizens or second-chance citizens or justice-involved citizens, but put it into action.

What I know is that one of the highest reasons why people uh uh recidivizer go back into prison is because of the economics.

Right.

Because they have to resort to living, right?

And all these barriers are in place, education, housing, everything else, and you can't even get a simple job.

We are not setting people up for success.

So thank you all for continuing to beat uh that drum uh and continuing to call uh and bring this to light for us because it is uh uh uh uh a thing that matters uh to the economic health of our region.

So again, thank you all.

And to and lastly, I will say to folks that have been justice involved: you are not second-chance citizens, you are not restored citizens, you are citizens of the city of Columbus.

And it is imperative uh that we do everything we can to ensure uh that the thing that you did on the worst day of your life doesn't define the rest of your life.

Absolutely.

Thank you, councilmember.

Um again, thank you for all of the work that you do.

I have the honor of serving as vice chair of our public safety and criminal justice committee as well as chair of our housing committee and the way those worlds intersect is something that you all are are championing and have brought to the forefront of our community so that folks understand that real safety in our community means more than just sending folks to jail, but it can only be achieved through systems that ensure that folks have their basic needs met, um, that ensure that those folks that have served their time are not continuing to serve time because they have an inability to be productive citizens in our community.

And I Shannon, I I share experiences with you as I worked in the bowels of the criminal justice system for nearly a decade in Franklin County and saw what an injustice it was to perpetuate harms through our criminal justice system by adding additional barriers to folks that were certainly unnecessary.

And so I thank you again for the work that you do every day to make sure that our community is educated.

I thank you, Zach, for turning your pain into purpose and for continuing to advocate um on such an important issue uh for our community.

So thank you so much.

I am honored to present this resolution to you all today.

And if there are no further comments from my colleagues, I will move for adoption.

Thanks, Den Barosa De Padilla.

They are coward Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

Adopt it.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councillor Weich.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

On this final Monday in April, I just want to say again, happy Earth month to everyone.

Uh, thank you to all the volunteers who planted trees, planted uh native plants, who built community gardens.

Um, and if you did not have an opportunity to do so in May, you can do the same thing.

So come on out, volunteer, get in the community, get in the dirt.

Um, I'd like to invite Ryan and Noah from the Clintonville Green team up to the podium while they're making their way to the front.

I would like to introduce resolution 110x-2026 to recognize and celebrate Arbor Day in Columbus, Ohio.

Arbor Day was first established in 1872 by the Nebraska Board of Agriculture as a special day to be set aside for the planting and care of trees.

Arbor Day is now celebrated annually on the fourth Friday of April with the goal of highlighting the environmental importance of trees and encouraging community organizations and members to practice environmental stewardship by planting and caring for trees.

Trees are a vital component of our community.

They help combat climate change, reduce energy consumption and costs, filter the air, and provide necessary habitat for wildlife.

We must continue to prioritize increasing our community's tree canopy and ensuring that Columbus residents have adequate access to green spaces in tree cover.

And additionally, trees are a social justice issue across our state and our community.

We have seen the persistent impact of historic policy that has systematically undermined black and brown communities, including the removal of access to tree cover.

It is vital that we continue to increase our CD's tree canopy and champion policy and action that ensures a sustainable future for all, including minority populations in underserved communities here in Columbus.

Ryan and Noah, thank you both for the work that the Clintonville Green Team does to champion sustainability and increase our community's tree canopy.

We are also grateful for the meaningful work you do in the city to engage community members and to advocate for the environment.

Before I move for adoption, would you like to share a few words?

Yes, we would.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Ryan Foshi, co-chair of the Clintonville Green Team.

That's the Green Committee of the Clintonville Area Commission.

With me is Noah Faust, project leader for Columbus Arborfest.

Today we're here to talk about trees.

It feels a little funny to stand here without our partners today because we're accustomed to working with partners across the city very often.

Working on trees in Columbus is always a group effort.

Sure, we organize a community festival about trees, Columbus Arborfest.

That comes up on August 22nd at Whetstone Park in Clintonville.

But it's all the partners and the community that makes that festival so interesting and full of life.

Organizations like Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, Columbus Wreck and Parks, local volunteers and civic groups, and nonprofits have been the key to protecting and restoring a high quality tree population in our city.

Among many others, I'd like to name some groups and people that I consider local heroes.

Green Columbus, Friends of the Lower Olin Tanji watershed or flow, friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries, or Fact.

Neighborhood groups like the Adina Brook community in Clintonville.

Activists like Mort Schmidt, who volunteers every week to do tree ID walks and educate anyone.

He also writes the Tree of the Month column for the Simply Living newsletter.

Tony Stahl, who publishes her monthly Nature Scoop e Newsletter.

Julie Smiley, who has done too much to recount to protect and grow more great trees.

And Diane Catanaga, who runs Sunny Glenn Garden and the CCC for the PPP in Linden.

I've come to know many incredible volunteers and organizations, some of whom have worked for decades or longer, invested their own time and money, generous and seemingly tireless campaigners planting trees.

So trees support our local plants, animals, air and waterways, and uh they represent the opportunity to simply have a healthy life as a baseline in the city of Columbus.

Here's a few things about trees as well, just so people know because it's pretty important.

The city's urban forestry master plan details all kinds of things about trees, but also shares important info on our tree canopy.

If you dig into the plan, the goal is to have 40% citywide coverage for trees and in any given neighborhood where possible.

That's only achievable with everyone's participation.

A 2015 assessment showed that we're at about 22% canopy coverage.

Most of the land within our city is privately owned.

70% of the trees in Columbus are on private land.

The other 30% of the trees are public in parks and along the streets.

There's a lot to know about trees, but the best approach is to take your time, have fun, find quality learning opportunities, and learn as you go.

It's fun and empowering to know hey, what's that tree?

First, focus on a few native trees that you like and are easy for you to remember.

For example, oaks are a keystone species, meaning their presence is crucial for the health and biodiversity of many ecosystems.

Oaks, you know the ones with acorns, provide food in the form of acorns and leaves and offer habitat through their branches, canopies, and fallen leaves.

They host more caterpillar species than any other plant genus in North America.

Over 900 types of caterpillars, making them particularly important.

So, yeah, oaks, a keystone species and a very important tree.

But all native trees are important.

Many are the specific host species for certain types of animals, meaning they're essential to their reproduction.

Diversity of species is the key to a healthy ecosystem.

Some trees do well by a streamside, others by the side of our streets.

Each has a unique benefit and excels in certain conditions.

Also, this is important in Columbus because there's some of it around.

Non-native invasive trees and plants introduce problematic side effects such as potentially destructive foreign animal life or resource competition without much benefit going back into our local ecosystem.

Example, the non-native Bradford or calorie pear tree is beautiful, which is often kind of the case or why it made its way to North America in the first place.

But it's so particularly harmful to the environment that is now banned in Ohio with bounty programs appearing in some localities to encourage the swift removal of calorie pear and replacement with native trees.

It's also a refuge for the spotted lantern fly, which is a invasive species of concern.

Learning how to spot both native and invasive trees is a very helpful skill that can be shared with anyone.

And a world of interesting facts about life and nature.

Oh, wait, as you dig deeper.

Here's Noah with more.

Hi, Council.

I just want to say thank you very much for having us here today and particularly to Councilman Weiss for inviting us and recognizing the importance of Arbor Day.

I'm just going to expand a little bit on what you talked about about getting involved with planting trees in Columbus.

I'm going to talk about a couple different ways that you can do that.

So, first, just as you mentioned, there's so many volunteer opportunities happening right now.

It's spring.

There's a ton of different organizations that have almost daily programs where you can go maintain a pollinator garden or plant a tree or pull out invasive species.

And I've seen the Instagram.

I know that you've been doing a lot.

You've been literally doing the work on the ground to make that happen.

And we see that and we appreciate that.

You know, we're we're Clintonville Green Team, but in every neighborhood, there's there's things going on so that you can make uh your particular neighborhood a little bit greener.

Um you can also go to so many wonderful places in Columbus where you can learn more about trees.

We have Franklin Park Conservatory, which is probably the most well known, but we actually have uh arboretums all over the city.

Um, everything from the Chaddock Arboretum to actually right in front of my house is the lower Olin Tangy, urban arboretum, where you can just walk around the neighborhood, and there are trees of a whole bunch of different species that are all native that were planted uh there so that you can kind of just take a little walk around and see all sorts of different species.

Um third, uh you can plant a tree yourself.

It's not too hard.

You can look up some information online, make sure you don't put under a power line or over a sewer line.

Um, and you can have a tree of your own that is going to grow uh for decades.

It just become more and more valuable, provide beauty and shade, um, and make uh the neighborhood better for everybody who walks under the shade of that tree.

Uh but last and certainly not least, my personal favorite is that you can come to Columbus Arborfest on August 22nd.

It's a celebration of trees here in Columbus.

Uh we're gonna have food trucks and live music, just like you would expect at any festival, but more importantly, we're gonna have tree talks, we're gonna have nature walks, and we're gonna have an opportunity to really bring the community together around not just celebrating trees, but learning about trees and getting involved to increase our urban canopy and try and hit that 40% goal by 2050.

Um, so thank you very much for having us here today.

Ryan, no, thank you both for being here and for your continued advocacy.

I don't know, we'll have to just do a competition.

I feel like I've planted the most trees on council.

Maybe Councilmember De Oka or a close second.

I don't know, in my entire time.

Um, but we're gonna have to start the count to get more folks out to do this work because it's so important to the everyday life.

Um, and we sometimes take for granted the trees that are there.

So uh let me stop, see if any questions or comments.

Of course, I called her out so she has something to say.

Councilmember Dayako.

Thank you for doing real things, for actually being out there and engaged in planting trees.

Lots of people like to talk and point out that other people should be planting trees, but you're doing the real work.

And I really appreciate that.

This is how we get trees in our city go out and plant a tree.

Thank you so much for your work.

Anyone else?

I just I I think you know, one thing that we hear often in public service is as we're thinking about you know, the landscape of streets and other things, this is something that we've incorporated as we're thinking about our streetscape projects is how do we add to our urban canopy?

And I I just want to say thank you for your continued advocacy, thank you for planting trees.

Also, um, Councilmember Wise, you're throwing down some gauntlets.

I was a core member for two years and worked at a service organization for 30.

So I think as a lifetime tree planter, I might have y'all be, but anyways, I just want to say, um, but but no, sincerely, thank you.

I think y'all also might have started something.

I think you should continue to advocate.

Let's see who can plant the most trees by the end of the year.

But um, seriously, as we think about safety, as we think about our future, I think this is what we're talking about right now in in a space where we don't want to talk about the environment, where we don't want to think about clean water, we don't want to think about clean air.

These are the things that matter and are most important.

And um, we don't have enough conversations.

And so every time we do a tree planting, every time we do something, we should, we need to continue to push that to the top because we we can't live without it.

And too many times it's not at the top of our conversation.

It's many other things, right?

And so none of this matters, not infrastructure, not housing, not anything if we don't, if we can't breathe, right?

If we can't live.

So um again, thank you.

And um, thank you for um acknowledging and for continuing uh to push and make us all better and greener.

No worries, council member, and as a former city year, I'll pull those records.

Don't don't make me go back and pull them.

We'll do that.

Get them with seats out.

Councilmember Green, yeah.

Down here.

I can't get them to work.

Okay, I just have a question since we have our tree experts in the room and apparently up here as well.

Um can you just yeah, so through the programs that you're working on, are you able to just go and plant a tree anywhere?

Like, can you you know what's the process of like if I want to put a tree in the right of way?

Maybe this is a question for public service, you know, something I hear a lot a lot on the hilltop of people being like, we deserve, you know, beautifully uh shaded streets as well, which absolutely we do.

Um, can I just walk up to the right of way and plant a tree in the street or no?

Please don't go right up to the right of way and plant the tree.

You can request the tree via 311.

So please do that.

That would be the preferred method.

If you want to plant a tree on your property, yeah, have that.

So front yard, backyard, we'd love to see more.

Just call 811 before you dig, please.

Thank you.

Just do what?

Call 811 before you dig.

Call 811 before you dig to make sure there's no utilities or you're not adding anything.

Yes, yes.

In your tree, yes.

In your yard.

Okay.

But we can request them for streets through the city.

Correct.

Yes.

And there are videos to tell you guys will be there next weekly late.

All right.

Just seriously, I know we're joking around, but seriously, one of the reasons is in the right-of-it is a public right away.

And so when there's work to be done, that's why sometimes folks will get upset.

Also, depending upon where you plant the trees, if the roots mess up your sidewalk, you're then responsible for it.

So there's lots of different reasons you don't want to do that, but I think you can ask that as experts, which is why going to the city is really important.

But on your property, certainly you can plant what you want, making sure that they're the right species so you don't invite other friends that we don't want on your property or in our community.

Yes, look at all this debate on trees.

That's what we look at.

Thank you.

Um with that, I move for adoption.

Clark, please call the row.

Bankstin Barossa de Padilla, de Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Harding.

Adopt it.

Thank you, Mr.

Councilmember Weiss.

That was the most thorough conversation on trees that this council has had.

Um, next up is Press Pro Tim Dorns.

Well, thank you, Council President.

I may not be with you all in chambers, but uh learn about trees uh every which way uh with you all here virtually.

But uh, did want to thank uh my colleagues and and certainly folks for accommodating me here this evening.

I'm obviously not with you all in City Hall.

Uh my family has uh a medical issue going on with with one of my parents and wanted to be with them uh as they're dealing with that issue.

So thanks for those who've reached out to me.

I appreciate it.

Um I did have an announcement regarding uh we had planned on having the uh public hearing tomorrow to discuss uh possible changes to council's uh district structure um with the uncertainty about whether or not I will be back in town.

We decided to go ahead and postpone that public hearing tomorrow uh to make sure that um we could fully devote our energies to that.

So that hearing will now be taking place on Monday, May 4th at 5:30 here in council chambers.

Um my staff should have reached out to any individual that has requested a speaker slip um to let them know that those speakerships certainly will be honored for that public hearing now scheduled for May 4th.

And you have not signed up to speak uh at that hearing and would like to, uh, please reach out to my legislative aid, Annie McDonald at AB McDonald at Columbus.gov with the subject line May 4th testimony with your name and address by May uh by 3 p.m.

on May 4th.

Uh again, uh apologize for having to move that council uh public hearing, uh, but wanted to make sure that we got that back on the calendar as quickly as possible.

Do you want to acknowledge there was a little bit of confusion when we initially initially changed that uh the initial release mentioned that that would be happening on May 5th?

That is incorrect.

That is primary election day, and we did not want to um add to any confusion or take folks away from be able to participate in that election.

So we reschedule that date again for May 4th, next Monday at 5 30 in council chambers.

If any folks have any questions, you're welcome to reach out to my office for that hearing.

Um with that, I will turn it back to you, Council President.

Thank you.

Thank you, Press Pro Tim.

Uh, and thank you.

And our thoughts are with you too, as you're with your your parents.

Um it's 6 30.

So is there a motion to recess for zoning?

Clerk please call the row.

Bankston, Barosa Day Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

We're in recess.

You can call it within Bankston, Barosa Day Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weish, President Hardin.

Can I get a motion to spend for the reading of the journal?

Clerk please call the row.

Bankston, Barosa De Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weish, President Harding.

Are there any additions or corrections to the journal here?

None of the journals approved.

We'll now go to the zoning committee.

Councilmember Doran chairs that committee while members are one.

Council member, the floor is yours.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Uh, again, as I mentioned, uh, during the regular meeting, just appreciate folks' flexibility uh with me being virtual tonight uh while I'm dealing with my family situation.

Uh, I do uh want to acknowledge that we had uh many members of the public planning to come down to testify tonight on two pieces of legislation within this committee.

Uh appreciate uh those individuals understanding that we are going to be uh referring those uh postponing those pieces of legislation uh to later in May.

Uh and I did confirm the city attorney's office that those who have speak signed up to speak on those ordinances uh will have their speakerships transferred to that night that we consider those ordinances and will not need to sign up again.

Uh again, if you have any questions about that, you're welcome to reach out to to my office or certainly Kevin McCain from our uh zoning folks uh in the legislative research office.

Um, as always, uh I explained our current rules pre speaking before council on rezonings or variances.

We only hear a staff presentation for ordinance to have a disapproval from a recommending body, or if we have a public speaker to sign up, speak against an ordinance.

We permit three speakers on each side of an ordinance, three proponents, three opponents.

We ask those speakers to limit the remarks to three minutes per the standard rules of city council.

All speakers in the council variance, including city staff, air commissioners, applicants, and members of the public will be sworn in before they get testimony.

Representatives of an area commission are always able to speak on the ordinance and do not need to fill out a speaker slip.

But we do ask you alert city staff of your intention to speak at this hearing.

Uh for our uh agenda here tonight.

We did have 11 public speaker slips signed up to speak.

Uh, again, though, due to postponing the pending legislation.

Uh, again, those speakers have been notified of the new dates that those ordinances will be considered in the month of May.

On the advice of the city attorney's office, we'll now swear in city staff.

Please stand and raise your right hand to be sworn in.

Do you swear affirm the testimony you're about to give shall be the truth, nothing but the truth.

You shall answer under painful penalty of perjury.

If so, please say I do.

I do.

Please let the record reflect that Joseph Rose and the Department of Building Zoning Services have been sworn in.

First, we have ordinance number 0290-2026 to rezone 210 hard road being 5.0 plus acres located in the north side of Hard Road, uh, 150 plus feet west of uh Stone uh Stoneford Drive from LRR, limited rural residential district to AR1, apartment residential district.

Uh I first move to postpone this ordinance to the May 18th zoning committee agenda.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, Day Akar, Dorrance Green, Remy, Ross Weish, President Hardin.

Postpone.

Thank you.

And again, please let the record reflect that Scott Fiedriksen, Lisa uh Kaiser, Deborah Link, and backup Aaron Newman have uh have will have their speaker slips honored for the May 18th zoning committee hearing.

Next we have ordinance number 1035-26 to re zone 7801 and 7809 on Tanger River Road, being 5.82 plus acres located on the west side Olin Tanger River Road, 370 plus feet south of Clubview Boulevard from R1 Rural District to L AR12, limited apartment residential district.

Again, I move to postpone this ordinance in the May 18th zoning committee agenda.

Clark, please call the row.

Bankston, Barossa De Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross Weissh, President Harden.

Postpone.

Thank you.

And again, let the rec reflect that Russell Carnahan, Paul Peterson, and Brian Hunt, and backups Ryan Borchers and Aaron Newman have their will have their speaker slips again honored for the May 18th zoning committee agenda.

Next we have ordinance number 1136-2026 to rezone 6955-6999.

Harlem Road being 4.4 plus acres located on the west side of Harlem Road, maybe 880 plus feet north of College Central College Road from LM Limited Manufacturing District to AR1 apartment residential district.

Site consists of one parcel developed with a single note dwelling and undeveloped portion of another parcel in the requested rezoning will allow an 84-unit apartment complex.

A concurrent council variance will be considered later on our tonight's agenda.

Proposal is approved in the city staff development commission and the Rocky Fork Black Lick um accord panel.

I move for passage.

Clerk Peace Call the Row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weish, President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you.

We now move into Council Variances portion of our agenda.

First, we have ordinance number 0291-2026.

Grant variance provisions of section 3312.27 parking setback line, 333.18 building lines, and 3332.255 permit yard, the Columbus City codes for the property located at 210 Hard Road to allow reduced development standards for apartment complex in the AR1 apartment residential district.

I move to postpone this ordinance in the May 18th zoning committee agenda.

Clerk Peace Call of the Row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla Day Achar Dorns Green Remy Ross Weiss President Hardin.

Postponed.

Thank you.

And again, let the record reflect that Jennifer DeBlass will have her speakers honored for the May 18th zoning committee hearing.

Next we have ordinance number 1036-2026 to grant advanced provisions of section 333.025 uh AR12 ARLD and AR1 Apartment Residential District District Use.

3333.41HIJ standard of the Columbus Dakota property located at 7801 and 7809 Olin Tanger River Road to allow reduced development standards for the townhouses in the L AR12 Limited Department Residential District.

Again, I move to postpone this ordinance in the May 18th zoning committee agenda.

Clerk Peace Call the Row.

Bankston Barosa De Padilla, Day Akar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weish, President Hardin.

Postponed.

Thank you.

Again, let the records that Russell Carnahan will have speakers of honor for the May 18th zoning committee agenda.

Next we have ordinance number uh 11.

I'm sorry, 1116-226 again a variance provisions of section 3332.035 R3 resident district 3312.49 C required parking 3332.05 A4 Air District A lot with requirements and 3332.13 R3 area district requirements.

The Columbus City Code for the property located at 1289-1291 East 17th Avenue to allow two unit dwelling reduced development standards in the R3 residential district.

Site consists of one undeveloped parcel that has formerly developed a two-unit dwelling and the request accounts and variance will allow a construction of a two-unit dwelling, which is not allowed in the current zoning district.

Variances to reduce required parking, lot area, lot width are also including the request.

Proposal approved from city staff in the South Linden Area Commission.

I first move to accept the entire step row into evidence as an exhibit.

Clerk Peace Call the Roe.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, Day Akar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross Weish, President Harden.

Accept it.

Thank you.

Next move to adopt the final staffs, the finance of council.

Clerk Peace Call the Row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, De Achar, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Weissh, President Harden.

Adopt it.

Thank you.

And finally move for passage.

Clerk Peace Callerow.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, Day Acar, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

Passed.

Thank you.

Next we have ordinance 1137-2026 to granted variance provisions of sections 3309.14A Height Districts 3312.21D landscaping and screening 3332.06 R Rural Area District Requirements and 333.18 building lines and 3333.255 permit yard of Columbus City codes for the property located at 6955-6999 Harlem Road to allow reduced development standards from apartment complex in the AR1 apartment residential district and recruit lot sizes in the R Rural District.

This is a concurrent variance to rezoning we considered earlier in tonight's agenda, which will allow a reduced development standards for an 84 apartment unit complex on the tract one of the parcel and reduced lot size for tract two and tract three for a future lot split as shown in the submitted site plan.

Track two, currently developed with a poll barn structure is to remain under current ownership.

And track three proposed for a drainage basin expansion for existing proposed apartment complex properties to be combined with the existing apartment complex park property to the west.

Variances are required because the uh proposed development site and lot splits cannot meet all development standards in the current district.

The proposal is approved some city staff and the Rocky Fork Black Lick Accord Panel.

I first move to accept the entire staff report and do evidence as an exhibit.

Clerk Peace Call the Row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross Weish, President Hardin.

Accept it.

Thank you.

Next move to adopt the finance of staff, the finance council.

Clerk Please Call the Row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weissh, President Hardin.

Adopt it.

Thank you.

Finally move for passage.

Clerk Peace Call the Row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weish, President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you.

Next we have ordinance 1139-2026 regarding variance provisions of section 3332.037 R2F residential district.

3332.18D basis of computing area and 3332.25AB required side yards.

The Columbus City Codes for the property located at 427 Hanford Street to allow uh to conform a seven-unit apartment building with new development standards in the R2F residential district.

This site consists of one parcel developed with a seven unit townhouse style apartment building and the quest accounts of variance will conform the existing development and update the on-site parking with a new detached garage.

A council variance is required because the while the current district allows one single or two unit dwellings in a lot, it does not allow a seven unit apartment building.

Variances for lot coverage and required side yards are also included in the request.

Proposal has approvals from C staff and the Columbus South Side Area Commission.

I first move to accept the entire step report and do evidence as an exhibit.

Clerk please call the row.

Bankston Barosa De Padilla, De Acar, Dorns Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Hardin.

Accept it.

Thank you.

Next move to adopt the Biance of Staff, the Finances of Council.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bankston, Barosa Day Padilla, De Acarra, Dorans, Green, Remy Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

Adopted.

Thank you.

Finally move passage.

Clerk is called the row.

Bankston Barosa Day Padilla, De Akira, Dorns Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Harden.

Passed.

Thank you.

And finally, we have orders number 1143-2026.035 R3 residential district of the Columbus Decodes.

So the proper located at 2930-2932 Medina Avenue to allow two unit dwelling in the R3 residential district.

Site consists of one undeveloped parcel.

No quest counts and variants will allow it to be developed with a two-in-dwelling.

A request of council variance is required because the current district prohibits two unit dwellings.

The proposals are from city staff and the North Linden Area Commission.

I first move to accept the entire staff report into evidence as an exhibit.

Clerk please call the row.

Bankston Barossa de Padilla, De Akira, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

Accept it.

Thank you.

I next move to adopt the finance of staffs, the finance council.

Clerk is called the row.

Bankston Barosa de Padilla, De Akira, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

Adopt it.

And finally move for passage.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bankston, Barosa Day Padilla, Day Akira, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

Uh passed.

Thank you, Council President.

This is all we have this night's zoning agenda.

And wish you all a great rest of the meeting.

We're thinking about your friend.

If there's no uh further business coming for council, is there a motion to adjourn?

Clark, please call the row.

Bankston Barosa Day Padilla, Day Akaur, Dorns Green, Remy Ross, Weissh, President Harden.

Meeting is adjourned.

Meeting number 21.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bangston, Barosa De Padilla, Day Akar, Dorns Green, Remy Ross.

I'm sorry.

Bankston Barosa De Padilla, De Acar Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Harden.

Uh, we're back in meeting number 21.

At this time, I request the following ordinance be removed from the excuse me, consent action portion of the agenda.

Neighborhoods, recreation and parts committee ordinance 1288-2026.

Hmm.

Are there any other requests by members of the council for the removal of an ordinance on the agenda?

May we now have a motion to waive the readings of titles of 38 legislation on tonight's agenda?

Clerk please call the row.

Bankston Barosa Day Padilla, De Akarra, Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Hardin.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

With the clerk now reading to the record the ordinance numbers of 38 legislation on tonight's agenda for first reading.

Public Service and Transportation Committee Ordinances 1110, 1148, and 1183-2026.

Neighborhoods recreation and parks committee ordinances 1070 1071 1072 and 1073-2026.

Health and Human Services and Equity Committee Ordinance 1050-2026.

Housing Homelessness and Building Committee Ordinances 1189 1191 and 1191-2026.

Rules and Policy Committee.

Sure.

Resolutions of expression 113x 11 or 11x 112x 108x and 109x-2026.

Public Service and Transportation Committee, Resolution 0083X, ordinances 1029, 1032, 1095-2026, neighborhood recreation and parks committee, ordinances 956, 1090 and 1186-2026.

Workforce Education and Labor Committee 1047 and 1145-2026.

Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee Ordinances 1045, 1187 and 1288-2026.

Housing, homelessness and building committee ordinances 1037, 1059, 1065, 1089 dash 2026.

Rules and Policy Appointments A0081, 0082, and 0083-2026.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We have one speaker on the consent portion of the agenda, uh Sherry Smith.

Smith, welcome to council.

Yes, ma'am.

Sorry, I'm a little slow.

No, take your time, you're fine.

This is your first time speaking before us.

Uh if you're representing anybody, you can tell us who that is, and you have about three minutes to speak.

Pardon me, uh President Hardin, but I'm hard of hearing.

Yes, ma'am.

And so what you just said, I did not hear a word, and I apologize.

No, no, no, it's my apologies.

I was just saying if you represent, if you're representing someone, you can just tell us if you're representing someone.

Okay, but that you have about three minutes to speak.

Okay.

I um I am representing uh senior citizens in Columbus.

Um, not like on a group thing.

I got it.

Um, but tell me, do I get it like a bell or something to start or just start?

You're good.

Oh, okay, because I want, oh, there's the timer.

Okay.

Um, well, uh, my name is Sherry Smith.

I've lived in Columbus all my life.

I'm 68.

I'll soon be 69 in a few months.

I'm very blessed to be in this city, and I'm grateful to all of you for allowing me this time.

I am here because I am very concerned.

I'm glad that you have decided to allocate some money to help people who have apartments and they can't pay their rent.

I remember those times when I had an apartment and it was such a struggle.

And if I had had something like what you're offering now, it would have been oh, just so much help at that time.

So I'm grateful to you for doing that.

I also would like to add that as a senior, um, I know that I don't have an apartment.

I have a home.

And I'm really concerned because a lot of us who have homes who cannot pay these high property taxes, we're kind of getting left out.

And uh while ago, the um Catholic Social Services and the Auditor's Office put something together to help people who uh were in my type of situation.

That funding is no longer available.

So I'm just saying that we also need help, but it's with property taxes, mortgages paid off, but I don't want to lose my home either.

So I don't know if this would even fall under that, but I'm hoping that it does.

Um the other thing is in I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous.

Uh the other thing is um, I'm looking at the clock.

Bear with me, but um a lot of times uh those of us who even when we were trying to get the funding for from Catholic Social Services, one of the things they said was if you had a life estate, and I don't know if you all understand a life of state is when, say, for example, my mother passed away, left the house to four siblings.

She left me with the life estate.

I live in the home.

I'm responsible for everything.

Nothing is given to me by my siblings.

In fact, many times siblings are fighting over the property, but with the life estate, you have it, it's under your name until you move or die.

And so in that situation, the your programming a lot of times says if you are in a situation where the house is owned by multiple people, then you have to get permission from those other people in order to get assistance.

And it doesn't work for everybody because sometimes the siblings want you out anyway.

So if I were to send some of that paperwork to them to get that help, they would never have signed it.

Never.

So I'm hoping and praying that y'all will consider what I'm saying.

Help those senior citizens that need help.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

You do not have to apologize.

I certainly thank you for coming and for advocating on behalf of your neighbors.

We um here at council are very keenly trying to understand the needs of our seniors in the community, and as we think about housing and supporting housing and preventing displacement and promoting aging in place, we are talking about all of those things to include property taxes.

And while property taxes is not within the full jurisdiction of the city, uh making sure that we are advocating to our state partners as well as thinking creatively about what we could do to support seniors in that space.

So I thank you for coming and for advocating.

Um I've also been able to help work through some of those probate issues.

We used to do it at the city attorney's office through our owner occupied initiative when seniors would come in and need support and need home repair resources, but had probate issues to work through.

And so if you are coming up against those issues, I would encourage you to reach out to our office, and I'm sure that we can be able to help you navigate through those so that you still have access, particularly if you are responsible for taking care of that piece of property and if you are living in that piece of property.

And so um, even if there seem to be barriers before you, please please reach out to us so that we can try to help you navigate through some of those things.

Just to let you know, the city did change some rules on helping people with that program where you help them fix up the house.

Yes.

Well, they changed it so that it used to be if you're a life estate, then they would help you, but now they changed this so that everybody's got to sign the documentation to get the help.

And everybody's not gonna sign it.

So I certainly look into that and see what we can do.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, Miss Smith.

If there are not any other questions or comments on the consent portion of the agenda, is there a motion for approval?

Thanks, Simp Barroso De Padilla, Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Harden.

The uh consent uh portion of our agenda is passed.

We'll now proceed with uh second reading.

First committee to come before council is the public service and transportation committee chaired by Councilmember Barroso De Padilla.

Council Member Floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

I have two items today on second read for public service and transportation.

The first is 0924 2026 to amend the 2025 capital improvement budget to appropriate funds within the street and highway improvement fund to authorize the director of public service to enter into a contract modification with Kimley Horn and Associates Incorporated in connection with the intersection Hilliard Rome Rule Road at Rainier Road, those are lots of ours project, and to authorize the expenditure of up to one million dollars from the streets and highway improvement fund to pay for the project.

This project in District 2 involves improvements to the intersection of Hilliard Rome Road and Rainier Road.

Uh, this intersection is listed on the high injury network.

The project includes improvements to Rainier Road, both west and east of Hilliard Rome Road.

Improvements include intersection uh capacity, mobility, pedestrian, and bikeway facility additions, asset management, lighting additions, and updated infrastructure, all intersection approaches in the project will also be widened.

So, deputy director, we talked about this before.

This is just the design phase of this project.

Um, usually, can you just talk a little bit about how long that takes and when residents might start to see shovels or not shovels, big actual machinery and orange combs, but in the ground when they will start to see movement on the project.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, good evening, President Harden Council.

I'll talk as best as I can here.

Uh I did not do that.

So right now, this do I need to sit back further?

Yeah.

Okay.

Do my best.

Uh, this project is slated for construction in 2028.

We just got through preliminary engineering, and this this construction or I'm sorry, design cost is literally for the plans for creating a set of plans for contractors to bid on.

The one thing I'd like to add on it that we are going through, we're improving the intersection.

So think wide nodes, thin roads, we're going through and we're actually widening out the intersection to process all the traffic from the interchange.

And it does include improvements on renter road.

The one thing I'd like to add on it, just in the theme of tonight, this project will have street trees.

So new lighting and street trees, along with all the other pedestrian improvements and vehicular improvements.

So we're able to leverage a lot of money here to actually go secure federal funding for this project that should be shoveling the ground, hopefully late 28, if not early 29.

Perfect.

And thank you for highlighting that.

I think as we talk about um all of the infrastructure dollars and how we have different tools in the toolkit that we can use to leverage dollars to ensure that we're addressing especially those problematic intersections that are on the high injury network, it's always important um to show.

Again, I've tried to um for my colleagues, we've had conversations about this highlight when things are happening in your particular district, what those improvements look like.

So as you go back and you talk to residents, you can highlight some of the good things that are coming.

I know that it's not always on the timeline in which we would want it, but I think that um the time and care uh to ensure that we are addressing all of the concerns, especially on this stretch.

And I know council member Vice, my vice chair, I know this is something that you often talk about, and something that we're gonna talk about this week with residents that this is one of those problematic intersections.

So thank you for highlighting that.

Do my colleagues have any additional questions or comments?

Seeing none, um, I move for passage.

Passed.

Great.

Next, I have thank you.

I have um ordinance 1048, 2026 to authorize the transfer of appropriation within the municipal motor vehicle license tax fund to authorize the transfer of appropriation cash from the street construction maintenance and repair fund to the motor, the municipal motor vehicle license tax fund to authorize the director of the department of finance and management to enter into a contract with the Ohio Department of Transportation or ODOT, and yet to be named vendors for the purchase of rock salt uh based on the terms of a cooperative purchase contract to be established by the Ohio Department of Transportation to authorize the director of finance and management to establish purchase orders for Rock SOT to authorize the expenditure of up to 2,688,125 from the municipal motor vehicle tax license tax fund up to 70,313 from the water systems operating fund, up to $32,258 from the sewerage uh system operating fund and up to $7,038 from the electricity systems operating fund for the purchase of Rock Salt to authorize the director of finance and management to associate all general budget reservations resulting from this ordinance with the appropriate contract purchase agreement for Roxaw and to declare an emergency.

So, as we all know, the Department of Public Service and the Department of Public Utilities are now responsible for snow and ice removal, our control and removal on the city's roadway system and removing snow and ice, the departments use rock salt extensively in these operations.

This ordinance authorizes the purchase for the winter season.

Y'all know we got hit very hard this season, and so we depleted a good um amount of our stored rock salt.

So this is to ensure that especially as we have changing climate, we don't know what to expect that we have everything that we need once winter.

So sad to talk about it right now.

I feel like we just came out of the seven reams of winter.

Um, but that we have it all uh for when that season comes.

Do my colleagues have any additional questions?

Yes.

Um I'm not sure who this would be directed to, but um just kind of trying to think through budgeting and thinking about inflation and the cost of things going up.

I'm wondering if as we are looking at um this item, if this is something that we feel like has fluctuated in price or that we're concerned about in terms of like resources, supply chain issues.

We can go to I think deputy director, you can answer that.

I'll I'll do my best.

Um the cost of rock salt over the years has been relatively staid.

It does fluctuate up and down, but we're buying on a contract price along with ODOT.

So we're group purchasing this and we are securing the best price we can.

Awesome.

Thank you.

And the other thing that I would also note is that we buy, and I'm gonna give the simple version of this, so check my work.

So we buy enough quantity, and because we don't know what is to come yet for winter.

Last year, la last winter, right?

We had more in our reserves because we had a lighter winter, so we had more.

This winter we dipped into those reserves and what we purchased, so now we're gonna purchase more.

So going into next winter, depending upon what winter looks like, we could have some left over, or we could have to, you know, put more in.

So we're always buying more, but we also sometimes might have that reserve.

Is that correct?

I got an A plus.

Yes.

Gold stars, thanks.

Um, does that answer your question?

Thank you.

Uh any additional questions?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bankston, Barossa De Padilla, Day Akar agreeing, Remy Ross Weiss President Harden.

Passed.

That's all for me this evening.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Uh, the next committee come for council as the neighborhood's recreation and parts committee.

That committee is chaired by Councilmember Day Apcar, Councilmember the Floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh tonight I have ordinance 1066-2026 to authorize the director of recreational and parks department to execute an intergovernmental agreement with the regional council of governments for the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging to authorize a transfer of cash between objects within the recreation and parks grant fund to authorize the appropriation expenditure of $3,776,868.44 cents from the recreational parks grant fund and to declare an emergency.

This ordinance authorizes the third and final intergovernmental agreement with the new COAA Regional Council of Governments, referred to as the COG.

As with previous transfers, these dollars are not general revenue dollars, they are passed through grant dollars from the state.

These dollars will allow the COG to continue new operations for 2026 and thus prevent any delay in meeting obligations made as part of the transition out of city government.

Emergency action is requested to allow the funding transfer to be completed as soon as possible in order to continue senior services uninterrupted.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, then I move for passage.

Clerk please call the row.

Bangston Barosa De Padilla, De Akarra, Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Harden.

Passed.

Thank you.

That's all for me this evening.

Thank you, madam chair.

The next committee.

You have um extra earlier.

Yeah.

Go back to page 11.

Go back to page 11.

Are we is she tabling it?

No, usually referring it to committee.

Are we referring to committee?

Okay, so go to page 11, ordinance of 1128.

Um for as the director of the department of neighborhoods to extend an existence service contract with the Don Lee Tyler Lee DBA forestry consulting through August 2026, and to um declare an emergency.

Um, I'd like to request that this be um removed from the calendar and referred to committee.

Bankston, Barosa De Padilla, De Akar agreeing, Remy Ross Weiss, President Harden.

Okay, that's it.

Uh the next committee to come before council is the public safety and criminal justice committee chair by Castle Marimi.

Council Member of the Floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

Tonight in public safety and criminal justice.

We have one ordinance for second read, and that is 860 2026 to authorize and direct the director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into contract with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and expend funds for use of the Franklin County Correction Centers for the housing of City of Columbus prisoners to authorize the expenditure of two million dollars from the general fund and a declare an emergency.

So before we take a vote, I do want to make some a few clarifying comments about this legislation.

Two weeks ago, I moved to refer this ordinance back to committee.

I did that because members of this council and members of our community had questions about policies at the Franklin County correctional facilities involving notification to federal immigration authorities.

It was not an attempt to interfere with the sheriff's day-to-day operation of his facilities.

It was responsible oversight.

This council does not move forward when there are unanswered questions that affect public trust.

We pause, we ask, and then we act.

Since then, there's been meaningful dialogue with the county and with Sheriff Baldwin's office.

I appreciate the sheriff sharing that the policy in question is under legal review with the county prosecutor's office.

And I look forward to the outcome being communicated clearly to the public.

Comprehensive change does not happen overnight.

But this council has been clear where we stand on public safety policies involving ICE.

We passed a comprehensive package reflecting those values, and we will continue to push for policies that are both safe and fair.

The sheriff's indication that this policy remains under review, along with this council clearly reiterating its expectations, is why I'm prepared to move forward with a vote tonight.

I also want to be clear about something broader.

Public safety and community trust are not competing priorities.

They are connected.

When residents are afraid to report crimes, cooperate with investigations, or engage with local systems because of where they were born, that is a public safety issue.

As it relates to invoice timing and payment processing, that is a separate administrative matter from the policy concerns that prompted the pause.

Council authorizes funding.

Council does not process invoices or issue checks.

Any administrative issues around payment should be resolved by the city administration and the county.

Tonight our responsibility is to ensure the city has the authority in place to meet its obligations and keep public safety operations stable.

The sheriff and the county have responsibilities that are distinct from ours.

They operate the facilities and make decisions within their legal authority.

That is the balance tonight.

We can approve approve this contract, maintain public safety, and continue and continue insisting on answers.

This vote does not end the conversation.

It allows the city to function while that conversation continues.

I stand by the POS.

It created space for questions, for dialogue, and for council to do the work residents expect of us.

For those reasons, I'm bringing forward this legislation tonight.

I will pass the floor over to my colleagues, and I see Councilmember Bros at APD.

Councilmember, can you, and maybe this is also a question for the city attorney's office, can you just give more insight into what this money is for and how this is accounted for and what all of why we give it and what our contractual obligation is.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Um the City of Columbus has had a long-standing contract with Franklin County Sheriff's Office to operate a community-wide jail from municipal jail for also housing of uh individuals who have been charged with felony level offenses as well.

Under the Ohio Revised Code, because we have city ordinances that carry the possibility and potential for jail time, uh municipality is obligated to provide services for housing those inmates during a period of time where they are incarcerated, either pending trial or because they've been sentenced to jail on those misdemeanor crimes.

As you know, we have a Columbus City Codes.

We do have a number of criminal violations under those codes, and we do have individuals who are charged and convicted under Columbus City Codes.

So under the Ohio Revised Code, we are obligated to provide services so those individuals can be detained.

In uh City of Columbus, we do not have our own municipal jail.

Um, instead, the decision was made many, many decades ago that we would instead have a local county jail, and under the Ohio Revised Code, county jails are run by the Sheriff's Department.

So we have a contract with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

That contract, the most recent iteration of it is at least back to 94 and 95.

Um, and we've had a number of addendums since then that deal mostly with the rate that we charge.

It's a per inmate rate based upon the number of days, number of inmates who are being held on primarily City of Columbus charges.

Uh we executed that contract, and that contract does have a termination clause, but that termination clause, because it is, of course, a service that both we rely upon and the sheriff's office relies upon.

It's a three-year termination clause, 36 months.

We would have to give them notice if we decided we didn't want to use their services anymore.

We would then also need to provide for alternative means for housing those individuals when they're being held on city cases.

So the ordinances before the council tonight is for a payment of services that have already been rendered by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office that we are contractually obligated to pay them pursuant to the terms of that contract.

And I have two other questions, follow-up questions.

So can they at any time terminate the contract?

Yes, it's a mutual termination clause, and for each party it's 36 months or three years.

Got it.

And then just also understanding when the the sheriff had made a comment in the media around if if it wasn't paid by a certain day, that essentially they might move inmates to another jail or to another facility that is within the contract for them to be able to do or the contract doesn't specifically discuss what their remedies might be in the event of breach.

Um those are things that they would then discuss with the county prosecutor's office what remedies they might have in the event that we owe funds that we are refusing to pay.

Um I mean, at that point, it would at that point I would be advising you as your attorney as to what our response might be.

Sure.

I just I'm asking because this, since this was in the dispatch and it was quoted in the dispatch, and we've gotten questions.

I want to make sure that the public also understands and advocates also understand what we are contracted to do.

And then, you know, when the sheriff is giving us a specific response, what what that then means, and we have a venue here.

I mean, I think what is disappointing to me, and I had a conversation with the chair about this is that part of the reason that we referred this back to committee was so that we could have the sheriff who could be here and we could have questions, because I think first of all, I mean, this is already for services rendered.

I think one of the concerns that I have, especially is that knowing that there are other counties that deal, especially with ICE differently.

My concern is that we could be causing more harm than not by sending them to Franklin County just because we know that the severity of how some of our folks who are detained or how they work with ICE is even different.

Um I appreciate that you know, the sheriff said they were looking into things.

That's also the response I gave us months ago, and still had not gotten back to us around a conversation we had with them.

And I think it's just frustrating to say it's continued to be under review.

Something could be under review for two years, for three years, whatever.

That doesn't tell me if you're still reviewing it, doesn't tell me what the outcome is.

And so I think that's frustrating for me.

I think in this particular, I was very conflicted in this particular vote just because you know I think it's going to cause more harm than it is good.

I don't think it's going to get to what we want.

But what I will say is I know we have a number of advocates that are here.

And what I would say is that I appreciate you continuing continuously coming down here, but I would say that this is a county issue, and the same sort of advocacy should go to the county commissioners.

The same sort of advocacy should go to the sheriff's office because they are duly elected.

They are elected separately, and this is under their jurisdiction.

So we can try with our, we can put it together all of our policies, we can have conversations with all of our partners, we can put pressure on them to do good, but it is always but for the people that change happens.

And so I think this is a place where you can continue to voice those concerns, but I also implore folks to take that advocacy there because they're directly, they can make those decisions in a way that we cannot.

Um, but I again we have the dispatch here, we are on TV.

I'm the same questions that we had, however many months ago that was, since September of last year, are still the same questions.

I mean, this has been under review for many, many months.

At some point, I would like some sort of outcome to come out of it because we can be reviewing things forever.

Um, to the city attorney's office, you mentioned that we don't necessarily have specific terms as to breach of contract and what that means if we were not to pay the two million dollars that are owed for services already rendered.

Um that that is correct.

There's not a specific provision within the contract for what the remedy would be in the event that there is breach.

So you would then go to the general common law breach of contract and consideration that imagine, and again, I it's probably inappropriate to speculate on what all that would be here in a in a public forum, um, but there's not a specific uh remedy within the contract.

Okay.

I wonder if that's a conversation that we can have so that we have a little bit more clarity on what our contractual obligations are with the county, particularly for this, so that when we are receiving letters that threaten to do a thing, we understand what our response can be, particularly when we are trying to support our residents here.

So I would ask that of the city attorney's office if we could work together to figure that out.

I think that would be a healthy, a very healthy exercise because the proposition that you are going to let violent offenders out on the street because you are refusing to have a conversation about how we are helping our residents, it's quite crazy.

Um I'm obviously the to no fault of the city attorney's office at all, but I do want to at least have this conversation.

That's not in the interest of the public.

Like that is it's it's a banana threat.

Like I don't even have the words, I cannot properly articulate myself to how outrageous of a comment that even is.

I'm sorry.

Totally agree.

Okay.

Councilmember Green.

I I also just want to clarify, and I think what is so frustrating about this experience has been like I can't tell you how many phone calls, like the ring around the rosy just in the last week that I've had to have to try to piece together like what is actually happening here.

And then it's just today, you know, we're talking about how like this is already services rendered, but then I spoke with the sheriff personally and then was confirmed by the Department of Public Safety that actually what we're talking about is the month of March and then the rest of the year.

So it's not like we owe them two million dollars for services that have already been rendered two million dollars worth of services.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

We're what we're talking about is the month of March, and every other invoice has been paid per the sheriff's office conversation I had today.

So it just is, I think like it's frustrating trying to to piece together information and hearing different things from different people, as we're also in the midst of trying to understand, you know, and from my standpoint, I I just had a very simple question of what are the policies?

Why are the policies, how are the policies being implemented?

And then that has sort of led to this.

I I have a couple of other questions too unrelated to that, but if you want to respond to that, so I was just gonna say, I think very simply, and I want to be very open about this.

The question at hand is what is the legal policy, not what is there is a current policy that you choose to enforce, and there's what you can legally do.

And that is the question that we have asked that we have not gotten clarity on.

Yes.

And I think that that is a very simple question that I'm not sure took has taken like six months of review.

I yes, and Laura and I had a conversation, so it's my understanding based on looking at the contract today that that you and thank you for sending that over, um, that this current contract would expire at the end of this year, the because they're three-year terms, so this is the third year of that 2026 contract year.

And so that gives us, I think, in my mind, or what you and I discussed, eight months to really like review the policy and prepare for you know any potential changes or additions.

And we could it sounds like based on my conversation with the sheriff's office that they're you know open to those reviews.

I know that's what they told us in September as well.

Um, and so my expectation is we can do that together or not.

Hopefully together.

Um, I do have a couple of questions though for the department or maybe for the finance department.

Um on page 130 of our budget document, it says in this budget document, jail contract expenses are budgeted at 1 million dollars in 2026.

We are, of course, appropriating 2 million dollars today for 2026.

Um can you provide some clarification into that discrepancy?

Yeah, it's our understanding it was a typo.

We looked into it.

Uh it was supposed to be two million.

It's my understanding that when it was brought before the council, it was addressed in talking points, and we confirmed with finance and management that it's two million that's what was budgeted.

Okay.

Um, I know also I think um, you know, we had a lot of conversations during the budget process, just generally about the public safety budget, about um concerns related to that, um, especially related to overtime.

So I have, you know, I I've asked for some feedback.

I know your department sent over some information earlier um that I need some need someone else smarter than me to help me make sense of just to confirm that I'm doing my math right on that.

Um, however, I thought this would be a good opportunity to also talk about, you know, during the budget process related to public safety's budget, police and fire overtime was the number one thing that was driving up um a lot of unexpected costs.

And so can with consideration to this when I found this, I was like, oh, we're under budgeted by a million dollars, about to appropriate a million dollars.

It reminded me of that conversation we had with Director Long about uh where he said that it was a very optimistic uh estimate for police and overtime.

Can you, now that we're a full quarter in, um, provide any sense of an update on whether or not we're hitting those optimistic numbers?

I'll have to get back with you.

I didn't come with that information, but we're happy to give that information to your office.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other comments by my colleagues?

Okay, we do have two speakers tonight on this particular ordinance, and uh the first one is Mr.

Isaiah St.

John, Mr.

St.

John.

Welcome back to council.

Um is that you have three minutes.

Please say your name in any organization that you may represent.

Yeah, I have uh my name is Isaiah St.

John.

Uh and I speak today as an organizer of Como Ice Watch, as a participant in the 614 Ice Watch Network, and as a res resident, council member Remy of the district you represent.

Uh I have some written remarks, but first of all, eight months, Councilmember Green, you're gonna wait eight months before you do anything to change this.

How many people are going to get delivered up into ICE's concentration camps in eight months?

About 160 people.

What are you gonna tell their families?

It is your policy, and this is a city issue.

These are city prisoners being arrested, being taken off the streets by Columbus police and delivered into a jail contracted by this city council.

As you know, our community continues to be under siege by President Donald Trump's white nationalist secret police.

This body has made noises and taken largely symbolic action against this assault, but on issues of substance like the city's flock cameras that allow ice to stalk us and our neighbors, like this racist conveyor belt from the back of Columbus police patrol cars to filthy overcrowded ice prisons.

This body is MIA.

I will say that so-called comprehensive package you all passed a while back was better than nothing, but on the ground, it changed nothing.

Councilmember Remy, addressing Sheriff Baldwin's cooperation with ICE, you told the dispatch Thursday, quote, I have greater clarity and confidence about how these concerns are being addressed, end quote.

I'm glad you have the peace of mind, Councilmember Reamy, but do you mind sharing why you're so blasé with the rest of us?

How are these concerns being addressed?

I'll be honest, from where I stand, it appears we have another example of what happens when you all don't need to earn votes from your districts.

Councilmember Ross didn't even pretend to have an iota of regret as she voted last week to take the only green space in Columbus's poorest neighborhood from the children in her district and give it to out-of-town billionaires.

Why would she?

As an at-large council member, she's accountable to money, not her neighbors.

That's why this our city, our say amendment is urgently needed.

Councilmember Remy, your constituents are hurting.

One Latino business owner in your district told me 25% of his employees have been abducted or have had a family member abducted by ICE since December.

In that same time frame, one Northland Strip Mall has been the site of five separate abductions.

Businesses are faltering in your district as their customers are afraid to visit commercial districts that have become ice hunting grounds.

We are hurting.

We need a champion, we need a fighter.

We need someone who will face stiff opposition head on and persist.

Councilmember Reamy, you were that warrior for the Haslums.

Be that warrior for us.

Let's take a step back.

Right now, at the time of release, Columbus prisoners are sorted into two groups based on the language they speak and their place of birth.

And one group goes home, and the other group is disappeared into concentration camps.

And everyone in this equation is a Democrat.

Nine Democratic members of council, a Democratic mayor, three Democratic County Commissioners, and a Democratic sheriff.

You are politicians.

You are deal makers.

It is because you do not want to.

Thank you for your testimony, Mr.

St.

John.

I say I say, Isaiah?

Isaiah?

Hi.

Can you come back for just a second?

Um, first of all, I want to thank you for welcome back to council.

I want to thank you for your testimony.

I know you came the first time this was around.

Um, and I want to appreciate all of the work that I swatched as.

I would also, I'd be happy to meet with you if there's additional things that we can be doing.

We've been working to try to do everything which within our jurisdiction to continue to put pressure.

First of all, the ice package was everything that we felt like.

We modeled it after other cities.

We modeled it after what we knew we could do with which was within our purview first, and then second of all, I think that the other work that we've done, you know, working to helping to put pressure together with uh our other partners, the common police court, the municipal court, etc.

I would I would welcome it, doesn't have to be right now, but I would welcome a conversation where we can talk if there's additional ideas, additional thoughts, additional things that you think that we're not doing that we could be doing, and let's have that conversation.

So I appreciate you coming down here today.

I appreciate your continued advocacy.

I feel that we have been working on this long before.

Um we've had this increase from ICE, and so I appreciate uh any sort of conversation or any sort of dialogue that we can continue to have together.

Please vote no then.

Thank you.

All right.

Next speaker is Miss Ricky Asher.

Welcome to council.

Please state your name in any organization that you may represent.

And you have three minutes.

I appreciate your call-outs.

Um I also applaud your mental gymnastics and ability to pass the ball of blame and then vote in favor of something you are claiming to be critical of and skeptical of.

Uh my name is Ricky.

I was born and raised in Columbus.

My friends and family are dedicated and educated voters.

There is no new information I can offer when it comes to how the Franklin County Sheriff's Department directly hands off undocumented people in Columbus, Ohio, to the Department of Homeland Security when they are detained, where they are detained and trafficked to a prison that operates as an ICE detention facility.

Something as simple as a FOIA request can tell you that.

So I am merely here to be a voice for my community, my family and friends who hold systemic privilege and who vehemently denounce this procedure, even though that community primarily consists of people who know that they don't personally have to worry about a militarized government-sanctioned kidnapping organization for now.

We are not dumb.

We completely and fully understand the implications of a procedure like this, a system of human trafficking, and we understand that an injustice to anyone in the city of Columbus is a direct injustice to us as well.

As a council, as political figures.

Don't distract us from issues like this, from issues like divesting from Israel, which this council continues to fail miserably at.

Thank you for your testimony.

Um there any other comments before I call for a vote.

With that, I move for passage by voice.

Click Please call the row by voice.

Bankston.

Yes.

Barossa de Padilla.

No.

Who's that?

I'm sorry, I didn't hear Day Akar.

I'm sorry.

Uh Green.

Yes.

Remy.

Ross.

Weish.

President Hardin.

Yes, ordinance is passed.

And that is all I have in criminal justice and public safety and criminal justice.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The next committee coming for council is the housing homelessness and building committee chair by Councilmember Ross.

Councilmember Floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

Just one ordinance on second read from the Housing Homelessness and Building Committee.

It is uh ordinance number 1051-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with legal aid of Southeast and Central Ohio in an amount up to 1.5 million dollars to enable the legal aid of Southeast and Central Ohio to be designated to be the designated organization as defined in the Columbus City Codes and to make available free full legal representation to unrepresented tenants facing eviction from their homes at Franklin County Municipal Court to authorize the expenditure in an amount up to 1.5 million dollars to authorize reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to execution of the purchase order beginning March 1st, 2026, and to declare an emergency.

This is the fourth piece of legislation in a package of legislation amounting to approximately 2.8 million dollars to support the work of the division of housing stability, including $90,000 toward vacated tenant services, $300,000 toward mediation services in eviction court and $965,250 towards the resilient housing initiative.

Evictions are at the highest in the past 20 years in Franklin County.

Eviction filings hit a record of 25,000 last year with this year's total on pace to reach a similar level.

According to the Ohio Finance Agency, over 1.2 million Ohioans, which is 11%, live in a household spending at least half of its income on housing, putting them at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure or eviction.

This includes over 496,000 people living in households that are severely mortgage burdened and over 761,000 Ohio's living Ohioens living in severely rent-burdened households.

I am certainly encouraged by the continued growth and expansion of the resilient housing initiative and other vital nonprofit partners to administer these services.

This expansion will better position the city to meet the increasing needs of individuals experiencing crisis while ensuring services are delivered effectively and with dignity.

Seeing that I move for passage.

Second.

Bankston, Barosa De Padilla, Day Akar, Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Hardin.

Thank you, Mr.

Madam Chair.

Is the public utilities and sustainability committee chaired by Councilmember Weiss, Councilmember Gloria is yours?

Thank you, Council President.

Uh tonight in public utilities and sustainability.

To authorize the expenditure of 3,200,000 from the Sanitary Sewer Ridge Operating Fund.

Uh this ordinance enables the division of water reclamation to properly dispose of biosolids produced at the Jackson Pike Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plants in accordance with the city's commitment to 100% beneficial reuse of its biosolids.

These biosolids will be disposed of via an Ohio EPA approved hybrid poplar tree farm and other rapid growth tree farm.

Uh if only all of our ordinances were tree farm, tree related, we'd be in a much better circumstance.

Um but let me stop there, see if any questions or comments for my colleagues.

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk please call the row.

Bangston, Barossa De Padilla, Day Akar, Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you, Council President.

That's all I have this evening.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

See no further business coming to be for council.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Clerk, please call the row.

Bangston, Barossa De Padilla, Day Akar, Green, Remy Ross Weish, President Hardin.

We have two not agenda speakers.