Playing of the national anthem.

Council Member Green, would you lead us in the pledge?

One nation.

Liberty and justice for all.

This evening, Council is grateful to have Bishop Geis from New Fellowship Baptist Church here to pray with this.

Bishop, welcome back to Council, and thank you so much for being with us this evening.

Good evening, everyone.

Good evening.

I appreciate this opportunity to come to all civil leaders and the city council.

Let us pray.

To our Lord, our God and our Creator, we bow our heads today in gratitude for the privilege of gathering in this chamber today.

We give thanks for the rich blessings you have given to our community, for the strength of our neighborhoods, the dedication of our workforce, and the diversity of people who call this city their home.

As this city council begins to work, we ask, Lord, that you pour out your wisdom, your discernment, and your guidance upon these elected leaders.

Because the responsibility that they bear is very heavy.

And the decisions that they make will shape the lives of these residents.

Grant them, Lord, the clarity of mind to weigh issues, give them the patience to listen to one another.

In a time when voices can be fractured and divided, we pray that this chamber remains a sanctuary of respect and constructive dialogue.

Guide us, O Lord, with love and compassion.

And finally, may the deliberations of this meeting be anchored in a spirit of unity and steadfast and commitment to truth.

And let the work that is part of this great city.

Lord, we ask that you allow the legacy of peace and unity.

These things we ask.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much, Bishop.

Clerk, please call the row.

Thank Ston Barossa de Padilla, de Arcara Dorns Green, Remy, Ross Weich, 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.

Any person who enters those areas of City Council chambers reserved for city officials or invited guests may be charged for criminal trespass pursuant to Columbus City Code 2311.

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

Clerk, please call the row.

Bangston, Barosa De Padilla, they are Carodor and Screen.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Are there any additions to the journal?

Hearing none this week's communication received by the city clerk's office are listed on the agenda we publish in the city bulletin.

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

Not at this time.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We'll go around the dais for resolutions and uh announcements by my colleagues, German Councilman Banksman.

Uh thank you, um Council President.

Uh I have one resolution and one announcement this evening.

Uh really excited about uh this resolution, and as I read it, I'm gonna have uh Deontay Johnson, owner and operator of Soul Classes to come up to the podium uh as I introduce uh resolution 0135 X-2026 to recognize Soul Classics on its 20th anniversary.

Established in 2006, Soul Classics has grown into a nationally recognized sneaker boutique and cultural institution in downtown Columbus, rooted in community creativity and entrepreneurship.

Thanks to the tireless work and passion of the Soul Classics team led by Deontay, Soul Classics has helped elevate Columbus as a destination for sneaker culture and independent retail excellence while demonstrating the power of black owned businesses to inspire economic growth and cultural connection.

Anyone with any experience owning, managing or supporting small businesses knows how hard it is for a small business to make it past uh year three, let alone be in business for 20 years.

Uh so I am so proud of this homegrown black owned business for reaching this incredible milestone.

Uh Deontay is here with us tonight, the man, the myth, and the legend.

Uh I'm gonna let him turn the microphone over to him uh before I pass this resolution.

Deontay.

This yep, that's on.

You can bring up y'all can you can bring up your crew now if they want to come.

By all means, staff, please, family, friends.

It's about half of everybody in the back.

Um I don't take this lightly.

Um 20 years here in in Columbus, Ohio is a pen uh a point of pride.

I'm excited for you know what's to come, but also super proud of what's been accomplished thus far.

And it wouldn't have been accomplished without um my beautiful wife, Jessica, my my family, my mother, and all these people, different all these different people, staff and and friends and support group.

Um so with all of us, that's how it's been that's how we've gotten to 20, and prayerfully we'll keep going from here.

Thank you.

Well, I just want to say thank you, Deontay.

I know I was there recently.

We had that chance to have a conversation, and there's a celebration.

You want to talk to us about what's going to be happening uh this Saturday at Soul Classics to celebrate 20 years?

Yes.

Um, this weekend we are actually celebrating 20 years of business.

Um it starts on Thursday.

Uh we've we're partnering with the Short North Run Club and uh uh uh Columbus Running Company to start off with a run.

Uh we run we still run High Street is the name of it.

Um then on on Friday, Saturday, we have uh uh uh plethora of activities, um, starting with the uh um a workout with Hope Fitness, which is another um black-owned small business here in the city.

Uh they do fitness.

We're gonna be doing that with the teens.

Um, followed by we are doing a proclamation at the shop, um, I believe at 10 a.m.

And then we have uh uh plethora of performances leading into an evening event.

And then on Sunday, we kick it up, we finalize it with Street Rare Flea, which is a um uh endeavor that we began as well.

So uh should be a whole weekend of activities and hopefully uh could see some of you there, but but if not, we we we're gonna feel you in spirit.

So thank you.

Yeah, hopefully you get to get out in support.

And when you go there, make sure you buy some shoes, okay?

Because we got a key Beyonce in business for another 20 years, so make sure you go buy some shoes.

I'm not gonna be running.

President Pro Tim Dorns is our runner on council, so you'll run for the rest of us.

Um, but I just want to say uh congratulations uh on this honor.

Uh, when I think about what you have been able to accomplish when we think about what is the economic engine uh and really the heart of the city in the short north, you were a catalyst there, a pioneer who saw something that uh no one else saw, who laid down roots and said that we are gonna be here to not just simply represent 614 and where the city is going, but represent the culture and say show that black businesses can do this with excellence, and they can do it in the heart of our city.

So thank you so much.

Now Soul Classics has expanded.

They are in uh Los Angeles in Los Angeles, yep.

In Los Angeles.

I wanted to make sure because you know I won't get it wrong now.

They got different factions over there, so I ain't trying to you know step on nobody's toes.

But yes, Los Angeles, there right by the forum where the mighty Lakers play.

Uh, they we didn't make it to the playoffs this year, but we're gonna make it back.

Uh but uh again, just wanted to say because when you think about the stats, uh, over uh just a little under 30 percent of businesses close their doors within the first year, and then another 60 percent don't make it past year five.

And so for you to be not only thriving but expanding, uh, is a testament to your leadership and your vision, but also the team and the support that you have around you.

So thank you so much for what you do because it's not just about uh the product that you sell, uh, but it is about the lives that you impact, the people that you employ, the kids that you have sent to school, the roofs that you put over people's heads.

That is really what we are celebrating today.

And so I'm looking forward to uh celebrating 20 more years.

Before I um uh pass for resolution, any of my colleagues have any uh comments, Councilman uh Rosa De Padilla.

First, uh what high school did you go to, Deontay?

Eastmore.

Oh, okay.

I just wanted to make sure we're all clear on that.

The pastor just said unity.

He was praying.

Let's have it let's keep it in the unity.

Every time there's the East High School student, uh somebody up here, I'm just saying the warriors.

Yeah, we still run the city.

So I uh you know what's funny in the most Columbus, you know, we talk about being Columbus kids, and it's interesting because we have a very good mutual friend, Gian Allen, who went to uh who worked at Nike, and I know that y'all work together, and I know he was a mentor of yours.

And I think that when we talk about greatness and we talk about the um the talent that we produce in the city, you've also helped to put Columbus on the map, especially when we talk about not just secret culture, but just when we talk about culture and when we talk about fashion, um, you have been integral in that.

And so I think also I just want to say um thank you for the many opportunities that you give.

You know, my nephew did um the Fashion Council's uh summer program and was deeply impacted by you know being in your shop and hearing your story, and I think you know, we always talk about our kids need to see us to be us.

And so, you know, whether you went to Eastmore, East or even cause not even us.

They need to, I think I think them seeing how we can not just um start something here but grow it, you know, what that looks like, and that there is something for every young person, right?

Whatever speaks to their passion.

I see one of our graduates from the Fashion Council who's here.

Um, I think when we grow that passion and they can see themselves and they can see that they can make um they can do their art, they can do their passion and take care of their people.

Um, and then the second thing I want to just give a shout out to your family because um I think whoever I I say this all the time.

My dad had a store and was a small business owner, and I give my dad all the kudos, and he couldn't have done it without my mom.

Like he could not have done it if my mom did not give him the space to do that, if she did not pour into him, if you know my whole family, I mean, it was my after school program, my summer camp, my everything else.

And so I just also want to give a shout-out to families because we can't do this alone, and um, you know, when you're an entrepreneur, it takes that support from not just your family, but from your village in order to be there.

And so um, I just also wanted to acknowledge that.

And anytime we have babies here, um, because I see your babies out with you in the community a lot, to give them that opportunity into that exposure.

Um, they're gonna know no different than this greatness.

So, congratulations.

Uh Catherine Ross.

Um, I want to say, because I know there's probably many more people who want to give you kudos and understanding that you went to Eastmore.

What college did you go?

Okay, the absolutely.

Um, and so uh having been uh with you in undergrad and kind of just seeing how you grew.

I think more than more than what Councilmember Bankston so eloquently stated.

I think I would argue that part of the reason why you lasted is because you continue to put community first.

And I'll give one succinct example when we were dealing with the strife in our community and the outcry from George Floyd.

You were one of the first businesses that stepped up and said, we are going to build community through this struggle.

And you have for years always put community first.

It was never to me, it never felt like it was about the profit.

It always felt like it was about the people.

And so I thank you for continuing to put your heart and continuing to put community first.

And as a district seven business, I'll see you this weekend.

All right, if there was no other.

No, uh Deontay, I'm just so proud.

I'm proud of you.

Uh two things that both one, um, thank you, Consumer Bankston, for bringing this forward.

One of the things that I think that Columbus struggles with acknowledging our profits that are here.

Other communities celebrate theirs who put on and who are literally building culture.

I think it's because we're such a humble town.

It's hard for us to um lift up those great, great folks who are shining right amongst us.

You are one of those people.

I'm so grateful, I'm so grateful that we get the opportunity to lift you up right now.

Uh what you are doing to build our culture, but also to build out business to make this short north a place that is truly welcoming for all is amazing.

Uh, I was in the Short North a couple months ago, and I was like, why is there a two-block line?

It was because of a shoe, the shoe release.

Literally, two block line.

People had slept outside to come to your business.

Um, that is amazing.

Thank you, brother, for putting on uh we need to continue to lift up profits like yourself in our own land and not just uh pull in folks from other other places.

But you are one of those people that we have to continue to celebrate.

Thank you.

And I will tell you, Council President, I can't afford the shoes that they were sitting in the line for.

But uh, no, again, Deontay, one of again say congratulations.

And if you are on the Soul Classics team, uh everybody's part of So Class Team, but if you work as Soul Class, can you just raise your hand so we can just acknowledge you because again, it is about the two.

Well, thank you all so much.

Uh and again, with that, again, if you want to celebrate, we'll see you this weekend to celebrate the 20th year anniversary, and we're looking forward to 20 more years of business growth and success.

And with that, Council President, I will move for adoption.

Clerk, please call the role.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akaya, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, White's President Harden.

Adopt it.

Thank you.

Uh and just one announcement, uh, Council President next, I just wanted to take a uh personal uh privilege um to uh acknowledge the retirement of a valuable team member uh from our department of technology, Ms.

Sheree Ilhami.

Uh courtesy of Director Orth, I would like to just share a little bit about uh her story.

You know, many times we uh celebrate in this chamber folks who get to retire.

Uh, most of the folks that are sitting before us, our directors, our deputy directors, uh, that are the most visible.

Uh but again, when we think about public service, it's really the other uh thousands of employees that are behind the scenes that really power uh our city.

Uh Miss Uh Sheree and her husband Jay came to the United States following the fall of the uh Shaha of Iran.

Part of her family fled to Sweden, while Sheree, Jay, and their infant daughter, Talia came to America with little more than the clothes on their backs and whatever money they had in their pockets.

Like so many who come here seeking opportunity and freedom, they found a way to build a life.

Uh Sheree attended the National University of Iran and graduated in 1982.

After arriving in the United States, she continued her education at the Ohio State University, earning her master's of science in city and regional planning in 1989.

She began her public service career in 1994 as the GIS director for the Delaware County Auditor's Office and joined the City of Columbus in 2013 as the citywide GIS manager.

In 2018, the city created an entire new division within DOT for her to lead, consolidating the city's data management functions under the organization she built from the ground up.

Among her many accomplishments was standing up the city's enterprise data management platform, TalEd.

This engine uh that enables data movement and integration across critical city systems, financial systems, payroll, 311, and countless other operational platforms depend on the foundation that this woman created.

She also helped establish the city's first enterprise data analytics and visualization uh capabilities, founditional uh sorry, fundamentally changing how departments use information to make decisions and serve our residents, and also how we even display that data.

At the center of all of it was her unwavering commitment to helping departments use data in a meaningful and transformative way.

And she did so with unmatched enthusiasm, kindness, and genuine spirit of service.

Beyond her work here, Share also founded URISA's uh GIS Corps, part of the nonprofit urban and regional information systems uh association, which provides geographic information systems and mapping services to developing countries around the world.

Share's story is one of resilience, service, and leadership, and should remind all of us of the foundation of what this country should represent.

Share was unable to join us this evening, but uh I've been told that she is watching uh live.

So I just want to say to her, Share, uh, thank you, thank you, thank you for everything that you have done uh to take this city to the next level.

Uh we appreciate all of the work that you have done and and wish you well in uh retirement.

Uh, we will also make sure that we get a resolution uh to her as well.

Director Orth, is anything else else that you wanted to add uh to Sharay and her service.

Uh good evening, President Hard and President Pro Tem Dorren's Chair Backsons, members of council.

Um, as you all know, I've been in the IT industry for 44 years, 29 in government.

I can honestly say that uh Shrey Alhamdulillah is one of the hardest working, most capable and dedicated IT leaders I've ever had the privilege to work with.

Her passion for using data to help others and to help serve the citizens of Columbus in a word is outstanding.

While we will miss her greatly, she has developed just an incredible team of outstanding people that will continue her passion to serve going forward, and we wish her well in her retirement.

And thank you, Director, uh, for your leadership and bring us to our attention so we lift up these types of individuals again.

Um, when we talk about public services, not just the folks that sit on this dais or the elected leaders that you see, uh, but it is countless folks behind the scenes uh that are working to improve uh how the city operates, but more importantly, improve the lives of our residents.

Uh so again, Sheree, we thank you for your service.

Uh and with that, Council President, that concludes my announcements and uh this evening.

Thank you so much, Councilman Bankstein.

Councilman Barroso de Padilla.

Thanks, Council President.

I just have two announcements.

So, first, I'm pretty sure this weekend concludes all of our graduations around the city of Columbus.

So if we could all just collectively give a big round of applause to all of our young people.

We had kindergarten graduations, we had eighth grade graduations, and I think all of our high schoolers, including mine, uh, graduated.

So to all of the graduates, congratulations.

Y'all did it, make good choices.

Um this should be a fun summer.

Hope you're working hard.

I think we still have some openings here at the city of Columbus.

So uh please sure to look into those.

Um, and uh to all the parents.

I feel you were all deep in our feelings, but um uh congratulations because it definitely takes a village to get those uh kids across the stage.

So, whatever facet of life you are in, congratulations to all.

Um, second of all, this morning I had the opportunity to share in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Parsons Avenue Library.

So I want to be clear.

The library has actually been there for 98 years in some form, but in this current building, they just turned double digits.

And so I had the opportunity to go out and to celebrate in our in the border of our shared district council member Ross, uh, between uh seven and eight, not six, seven.

Um but I also want to just announce that today is the kickoff for the summer reading program for um the Columbus Library.

So the goal is for folks to read 15 minutes a day for the next 25 days.

So it starts today, it runs through July 31st, and participants can earn prizes, they get raffle entries for every five days of reading.

So you can sign up both online or go into your local library and sign up.

And very exciting for all y'all OGs like me.

Um, if you ever want a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut, if you read X number of books, I see some folks shaking their heads.

The pizza program's back, but it's actually Mikey's late night slice that you ooh, I there's audible ooz and ahs.

So the program is both for adults and for kids.

It's just to give folks out reading.

So go take someone you love, go take people you love, go to the library, sign up or get online and sign up.

Go visit our libraries.

They are I'm a big uh passionate lover of the library.

I think it is the best place in our community for folks to come together.

Um, it gives folks both shelter and knowledge, and it expands the world for people.

And so make sure this summer to go visit your library.

Um, because they definitely at this time need our support and need people showing up for them, and a shout out to all of our library staff.

So that's all for me.

Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Day Alkaur.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to take a moment to thank all the city staff and Linden Community Partners who made our second annual Memorial Day service a meaningful and memorable event.

Nearly 200 residents took time out of their holiday to come together in Linden Park and honor the lives and legacies of the brave men and women who died in service to our country.

Especially poignant was the touching tribute to Columbus's own Master Sergeant Tyler Simmons by General John C.

Harris and Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Green.

And I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Tyler's family who came from multiple states to pay their respects.

Tyler's name has now been added permanently to the Linden War Memorial.

And I want to thank Hannah Reid and the Department of Development for making that happen.

To the departments of neighborhood staff members, Delina and Bruce and Derek, my staff members, Jacob and Marwa, our community engagement staff members, Jose and Kaelin, and all of our Linden speakers and pastors and the Fort Hayes Junior ROTC.

Thank you for making Columbus proud this memorial day.

That's all for me, Council President.

Council.

Good job on that.

And thank you again to the administration.

It was a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful event.

Well done.

President Tim.

Thank you, Council President.

I just have one resolution and one announcement.

I want to invite Nicole Bergman and the rest of the folks from the Junior League down or up to the podium.

Nicole serves as the uh vice president of fund and partnership development as I introduce uh our resolution number 013x dash 2026 to honor and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Junior League of Columbus's stewardship of the Kelton House Museum and Garden.

Uh for 50 years, the Junior League of Columbus has provided leadership, volunteer service, advocacy, and financial support to sustain and enhance the Kelton House Museum and Garden, welcoming thousands of visitors annually and offering meaningful education programming for students, uh families, and community members.

Uh currently the museum and houses closed, as many folks heard.

There was a big gas explosion a number of months ago.

Um but I appreciate everything that they're doing because in Columbus, when we talk about celebrating our own history and preserving our own history, uh all too often we've lost so much of that history in our city.

And this is a beautiful example of an organization that has really uh decided to make it their mission in part to preserve a beautiful piece of history here in Columbus and been doing so for for literally decades.

So I'd love to turn the mic over to Nicole.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Christina Ellis.

I'm the president of Junior League of Columbus.

Um I have many women here with me that are also junior league of Columbus members.

Um at its core, Junior League of Columbus is we're here to develop women to do a world of good.

Um in 1976, women gathered and said and made a decision to take on the Kelton House and turn it into museum.

So they spent three years doing wallpaper, changing the gardens to show what an average family would be doing in 1852 when the house was built.

Um we have been able to be part of that Kelton family story for 50 years.

In 2000, it became a documented stop on the Underground Railroad, which is very just something we treasure.

Um we are only custodians of these stories, but it is such an honor to continue and to be able to share the Kelton family stories here in Columbus.

Um, as you know, there was a devastating fire.

Um, but I think it just becomes part of our story, and we're hoping to really find out what comes next.

But we've been really leaning into how we are all part of that story.

Any other comments from anyone else?

Any comments from my colleagues?

Well, again, thank you all for for dedicating you know part of the mission of the junior league to again preserving something that is so vital towards uh you know, sort of the history of Columbus.

And again, all too often we watch these kinds of houses and places not have that level of someone deciding to make it their mission to make sure that part of that neighborhood is preserved.

So thank you for for what you do.

Um with that, I move for adoption.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bang Stim Barossa De Padilla, Day Arcara, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross Weich, President Harden.

Adoptive thank you.

I do have one announcement.

Did want to announce that uh want to invite folks to our next hearing of the Columbus City Schools and Columbus City Council joint committee, which Council President and I are very excited to be hosting here on June 15th in City Hall at 5:30.

This will be the first meeting of that joint committee.

Uh the committee is uh being led by both council and the Columbus City School Board, and we'll be hearing a presentation outlining all the ways that the city and the school board interact financially and from a programmatics perspective.

Uh additionally, we'll have presenters from the community learning center institute uh from our neighbors down in Cincinnati to present on their community learning center model.

Uh, some of us took a trip down to Cincinnati about a month or so ago and got to see firsthand results of how that is making an incredible impact, not only for kids, Lily and those buildings in Cincinnati, but for the surrounding neighborhoods, which was really excited to learn about.

The hearing will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook as normal.

Uh, we'll be accepting speaker slips until three o'clock on the day of the hearing.

So if you're interested in testifying, please email my aide, Annie McDonald, and that's at AB McDonald at Columbus.gov to sign up to speak.

Uh Council President, I don't know if you if you wanted to mention anything on that hearing or not.

No, we're excited about this opportunity to um recommit ourselves to a closer relationship with Columbus City Schools.

Uh all public education are under more uh challenging times than they've been uh uh I think in our state's history, and so just this close relationship that we're building is uh something I'm I'm really excited about.

The future of the city is directly linked to the future of our kids, and this uh committee I think is an actualization of of the body, taking that that very meaningful work up.

Um with that, that's all I have at this time.

Thanks.

Thank you, Press Pro Tim.

Councilmember Green.

Thank you, Councilmember Remy.

Uh Councilmember Ross.

Just two quick announcements today, Council President.

One is at my office will be having its next community working hours.

It is going to be on tomorrow from 5 15 to 7 15 p.m.

at Milo's 401 West Town Street, Columbus Ohio, 43215.

This is an opportunity just to casually engage.

So if those of you who work remotely and have an opportunity to come out, or if you've already gotten off of work and want to come out, say hi.

It's literally just office hours out into the in the community.

So we'll be glad to meet you at Milo's tomorrow evening, 5.15 to 7.15 p.m.

The Kingdom Image Arts presents the future of art is female, a luncheon learned, celebrating women shaping culture through art, storytelling, leadership, and innovation, featuring eight dynamic creatives across music, fashion, visual art, dance, theater, and entrepreneurship.

The event creates space for inspiring conversation, mentorship, meaningful community connection, guided by Kingdom Image Arts Vision, Art Speaks, future where imagination meets tomorrow.

The experience highlights the power of creativity to impact the next generation, and is on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026, 11 30 a.m.

to 1 30 p.m.

I do have the honor of moderating that panel.

We'd love to see you there on June 3rd, and that is it for me, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember White.

Thank you, Council President.

Just one quick announcement.

I'm excited to share that our next public utilities and sustainability committee hearing will take place Wednesday, June 3rd at 3 30 here in Council Chambers.

It will include a presentation from Columbus Water and Power on Water Utilization and its low income and senior discount program.

If you'd like to provide testimony at this hearing, you can email my age, Chelsea Gulterman at C L G O L T E R M A N at Columbus.gov by noon tomorrow.

Of course, the hearing will be streamed live on the City Council YouTube channel as well as the Facebook page.

Thank you, Councilmember.

I want to uh start by acknowledging the passing of Peter Nelson Cass.

Um folks around City Hall used to know him as Pete Cass, and we extended our condolences to his family and friends.

Uh Pete uh dedicated nearly four decades of service to Columbus City Council and played an instrumental role in formulating the development models of the short north, the establishment of public funding for the nationwide arena area, multiple neighborhood infrastructure programs, airport regionalization, and social service funding and support.

Over the years, uh Peter demonstrated intellect, leadership, and a commitment to public service.

And he leaves a lasting impact on the city and those who worked alongside him.

So on behalf of this council, but this city, uh, we we thank him for his service, uh, his sacrifice that he made for nearly four decades uh working in this building.

Um so thank you uh to Pete Cass.

I next want to uh bring up Kent Scarrett from the Ohio Municipal League.

Um tonight I'm presenting resolution 0133 X-126 is to oppose a total elimination of property tax in Ohio.

And I want to begin by acknowledging a reality that many Ohioans, especially our seniors, are facing higher property taxes, uh, and it's becoming a real concern to people's ability to live and thrive uh and stay in Columbus, especially if you're on a are in Ohio, especially if you are on a fixed income.

Um those concerns are real and they deserve thoughtful and serious uh attention from our policy makers.

But the conversation that is happening at the state level is unserious.

Uh it is it goes far outside of how we would actually take care of our seniors, how we would keep libraries open, how we would uh support folks with disabilities, uh throwing up a pie in the sky idea without uh having a larger conversation around how we actually take care of the folks who are in need most.

Um, like I said, is unserious.

And so uh uh Kent Scarrett is with Ohio Municipal League, uh, works with uh municipalities throughout the state of Ohio and advocating on what's um on our behalf at the state level and obviously at the national level.

Uh Kent, thank you so much for your advocacy for your leadership for keeping cities at city councils and cities uh abreast of what is happening uh at the State House and throughout the state uh on this issue, and I would like to turn the floor over to you.

Well, thank you very much, Council President Harden, and thank you very much, Council, for having me uh this evening.

My name is Ken Scarrett, and I'm the executive director of the Ohio Municipal League.

There's a lot of things happening right now in the space of property tax reform, property tax challenges, both statewide and in our communities.

One of the really significant threat that is happening right now is an effort that is being led by a couple grassroots uh organizations, primarily in Northeast Ohio that would repeal the whole of the property tax system, which would be 24 billion dollars of dollars gone from our communities, from our state, um, and as a vital resource.

And just to put in context, the property tax, the 24 billion is more than the income tax, the state income tax and state state sales tax combined.

It's it would be it would bankrupt um our communities in a number of ways, and especially our schools, um, and two-thirds of uh our local revenues are generated by the property tax.

Um the Ohio Municipal League is part of a coalition, a broadband statewide coalition um named Ohio wins to protect public services, and the website is Protect Public Services.org.

Um it's a statewide correlate coalition of uh over 65 organizations, including representatives from police and fire, EMS, educators, caregivers for seniors, children, and those with disabilities, health care providers, libraries, parks, um, our business and labor leaders, local elected officials, uh, Democrats, Republicans.

It's a nonpartisan, bipartisan uh coalition of those that are very concerned about what the realized impacts would be of 24 billion dollars were all of a sudden taken away from our local from funding our local government services.

Um just to give you a quick brief uh snapshot of what uh a repeal would look like and what some of the consequences would be.

Um, first and foremost, for our municipalities, it would be longer response times for calls for assistance due to the projected elimination of 32,000 of our state or first responders statewide.

Um it would also significantly cripple the ability of our schools to um to provide an education and to fund their services through the cuts of $13 billion would be realized with a projected 50,000 teachers laid off uh statewide.

Of course, this would uh really significantly challenge um the success of our students for future educational opportunities and in the job market.

Um be less support for our seniors that uh the president rightly mentioned, our 2.8 million seniors in Ohio uh through less funding for home delivery of meals uh in home care and personal assistance, transportation and adult day services, um, the elimination of uh care coordination and wellness and and social programs, senior citizen closures or reduction in services, um the diminished ability uh to investigate cases of abuse or neglect, uh, which are um all senior programs that would be uh severely challenged.

Um74 of the 88 counties in Ohio fully fund these through property tax revenues.

Though so, of course, if the property tax revenues are gone, it would be very difficult to fund those services.

The groups that are proposing the full repeal have not come up with a alternative plan or another way to fund to make up 24 billion dollars.

There's been projections by uh the state uh budget of office and management that it um some counties could see an income tax increase to uh 27 percent.

Um sorry, a sales tax increase to 27 percent because the property tax would be gone, or an increase uh in the income tax locally to 15 to 18 percent.

And you can imagine what that would mean to the state's competitiveness going forward, the investments we're making into our future, um, and and this is a real challenge.

So I greatly appreciate the president uh and the conversation I've had with him, recognizing um this significant challenge, and it's the goal of the uh coalition to educate members of the community about what they would be voting for.

If this is something you support, this is the challenges that it would bring.

Um so um the group has until uh July 1st to um present to the Secretary of State 410,000 good signatures from 44 counties.

Um they're well on their way to getting that.

We're not sure if they're gonna make that benchmark.

We won't know until July 1st when uh they've turned in the signatures or if they've turned in the signatures.

If they don't turn in the signatures, those signatures that they've already corrected, they're the they turn them as evergreen, they'll continue to be viable so that um they there could be an effort next year to reach that 410,000 to put it on the ballot.

Um, and we know from polling that if it is on the ballot right now, without an education process, like the coalition is undertaking to educate the members and our residents about what this repeal would mean, it would pass by 67%.

Um there's a real concern that we need to inform our voters about what this really means.

Um nobody you know likes taxes, but the things that we generate that stabilizes and makes our community strong are dependent on those revenues.

Um thank you, uh Mr.

President and members of council for your attention to this very important matter, and um I'd be happy to answer your question.

And Ken, the one point that I want to make is that um we have a choice uh every time a levy is on the ballot to vote it up or down, but to take away the tool of how we take care of the least of these, uh, the option to support children with disabilities, the option to support uh schools, the option to support our seniors without having any solution.

That is why this is an important conversation, and if it is, if it does move forward, why it would be so important for all of us to be a part of that conversation.

Do you have um first of all?

Thank you for being here.

But do you have data that has shown if there's been other cities, communities, and the municipalities that have done something similar to this?

What has been the outcome?

Mr.

President and and Madam Councilperson.

There has not been a statewide effort to repeal the property tax.

The legislature has been kind of nibbling around the edges to address the problem or the challenges that these increase, these spikes in property taxes are bringing, especially to marginalized and and um you know a lot of different communities that can't handle these tax increases.

There has never been a community that I'm aware of that has outright stopped collecting property taxes because of the value that it has in the in the in the supporting of the community.

Um I could tell you that other states are looking at modifying the property tax but not eliminating it outright.

Let's see, I can speak to that.

I'm originally from California, and in was it circa 1980, the Jarvis Amendment froze property taxes, and it was catastrophic for the state.

We went from having some of the best public schools in the nation to the worst, and that never got fixed.

The um the impact on local governments again, devastating.

And it was one of those things when the taxpayers voted for it, you know, they looked at it and go, oh great, my property taxes will stay the same.

Nothing gets raised until you sell the property.

And they thought that was a really great idea, and then they suffered the consequences of it.

So at least look at if freezing property taxes is catastrophic.

Take a look at what happened in California before deciding you want to eliminate them entirely.

Yes, mate.

Thank you so much.

And like I said, this may or may not be a larger conversation that we have as a community, but we wanted to bring this before the city just to know that uh uh we need to educate ourselves, fully educate ourselves um on this potential issue.

Yes, sir.

Thank you so much.

With that, I move for passage of resolution.

Oh, we uh no, not on this one.

No, uh, on speaker 0133 X-2026.

Second, please call the row.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, de Akarra, Dorrance Green, Remy, Ross, White, President Harden.

I thought for sure he's gonna be the thing.

Let me see why he's doing this.

And I hate that we have gone an hour into this meeting without uh saying happy pride.

Uh happy pride, Columbus.

We are so excited that we get to celebrate.

Oh, thank you.

Um excited we get to celebrate this evening.

As part of that celebration, every year we uh do this resolution uh to celebrate uh Pride in the City of Columbus.

So I'm gonna ask um Leo Rodriguez, uh representing Stonewall Columbus to come forward.

Uh tonight I'm bringing uh forward resolution 0134 X-2026 is to celebrate the 2026 Pride Month and the annual Pride Festival in March until we are all free, uh, is the theme.

Today marks the beginning of Pride Month, and later this evening, we'll gather outside City Hall for our annual Pride Illumination and the Schleberger Illuminator Awards Ceremony.

I'm strongly encourage everyone to join us following tonight's meeting as we celebrate community.

Recognize this year's honoree, which is Jose Rodriguez from right here at City Hall.

As we celebrate, we also recognize prize uh pride's roots.

Prize began as a movement for visibility, dignity, and equal rights.

The 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City became a defining moment in the fight for LGBTQ equality and helped inspire generations of advocacy and progress.

June is observed as Pride Month in honor of that legacy.

This year, Stonewall Columbus's Pride theme is until we are all free.

A reminder that the work of building a more inclusive and equitable society still continues.

It calls on all of us to stand together on safety, on rights, and the dignity of LGBTQ individuals to ensure Columbus remains a city where everyone feels they belong and they have opportunity to thrive.

With that, I'm gonna uh turn it over to Mr.

Rodriguez, and then we'll go around like a dias if someone has comments.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Happy Pride.

Uh Council President Hard and members of City Council.

Like I said, happy Pride Month.

My name is Leo Rodriguez, and I'm here uh serving on behalf of Stonewall Columbus.

So thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

Uh first, I want to I want to thank you all for your commitment to making Columbus a vibrant city where every resident is celebrated and valued.

That is not the norm across the nation.

And it is important that we state that here.

Pride month is a time where we celebrate and honor the incredible journey of the LGBTQ plus community.

Here in Columbus, we have a history of building events that center community by being volunteer-led and accessible to all of our neighbors.

This is the story of Columbus Pride.

More than four decades ago, fewer than 200 people marched through downtown Columbus to demand the recognition of their civil and human rights.

Today, Columbus Pride is one of the largest pride events in the nation, drawing close to 750,000 people over the weekend and generating about 7.5 million dollars for our region and economic impact.

This growth has only been achieved because for decades, for decades, the leadership of this city has decided that supporting and investing in all of its residents means supporting all the different identities that make up our region.

In times like this, where we feel so divided, as if we are reading from different chapters.

Pride is the opportunity to convene and experience one of the most revolutionary acts we can do, our collective joy.

For many people, it's the one time a year they can access life-affirming services, often for free for low cost.

For small businesses and community organizations, it gives them the visibility to connect and engage with a wider audience.

Now the path ahead is long and tumultuous.

The LGBTQ plus community is facing escalating attacks at the federal and state level.

There is indeed a lot to be done, but the everyday work of building a stronger future requires for us to stand shoulder to shoulder in true partnership.

Columbus is a city on the rise.

On behalf of Stonewall Columbus, thank you for this resolution, and I look forward to celebrating together as we eliminate City Hall tonight.

Thank you.

I can answer any questions or comments if there are any.

Thank you, Leo.

We are so excited.

We know that uh the work of this year's Pride Festival in March started the day after last year's Pride Festival in March.

Um but we are thinking about you as you uh plan to host uh 700,000 of our friends in downtown Columbus in a couple weeks.

Uh I think it is moving into the largest thing that we do in the city of Columbus.

Uh and uh for that, um uh we are just really grateful.

I think you are literally shaping uh how folks think of our city and how we think of our ourselves as inclusive.

So we are excited to kick that off tonight.

Councilmember Brasile Badilla.

I was just gonna say, can you remind folks of the dates of pride this month and what they can expect?

I'm sorry, can you remind folks about the dates of the Pride Pride and we have our Pride Festival and Resource Fair June 19th and 20th at Goodale Park on June 19th?

It goes from 4 p.m.

to 10 p.m.

And on June 20th, it goes from 11 to 8 p.m.

And our Pride March, which is over at 1.9 miles across Columbus downtown, is on June 20th with the step of at 10:30 a.m.

That's awesome.

Thank you all.

I can't wait.

Happy Pride.

Happy Pride.

Felicia.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much.

Um before uh we pass the resolution, and I I'll bring it to you.

Um I'm gonna bring up we have a speaker uh on this resolution.

Um this is um Caden Asifa.

Uh you have three minutes.

Yeah.

Well, this is just disgusting and disgraceful.

Mr.

Keaton Assuffle 139 North Market Street, Mouse Sterling, Ohio, resident also here in Franklin County.

Pride month should be not of the rainbow flag, but of of one flag only.

And that flag is standing right behind Councilmember Ade Akaur, the American flag.

The American flag has been through wars, campaigns, and it served all of us to this country.

It is distinguished through through the revolutionary war, through the war wars, World War I, and World War II, and I can speak on behalf of my friends, business colleagues, and everybody whose family served in the military.

They are disgusted.

They are disgusted that Columbus has a Pride Month where it should be on this flag right here because of law enforcement, because of veterans, those who died in our service force for this nation's sake.

And as someone of a grandson of a military veteran, I'm disgusted.

Disgusted and disgraced by this.

You know what?

I feel ashamed that Columbus has this Pride Month, and I'm being honest.

And if I wasn't honest, I'd be a dead man.

But you know what?

That's just my opinion and my constitutional rights.

But the bottom line is council members and council president Harden, a long constituent of Wes Wexner, let me just say that guilty as charge, that this flag should be the only one.

And the flag on the brim of my hat, red, white, and blue are the only colors should be represented through June and July.

It is America's 250th birthday.

250 years of a great country of the greatest leaders and the greatest military in all the world.

Why are we a superpower in this world on this planet?

Because we are of the great leaders and those who shaped our nation from the founding fathers to the current administration.

And I can say behalf of those who support the current administration and not even the current administration, but those previous that this is just one thing that needs to be changed immediately.

Because why?

Why are we even celebrating this?

I mean, I'm speaking on behalf of everybody who's not here tonight.

And I'm speaking on behalf of my colleagues of my party.

So I want this changed, and I say this this is disgusting, disgraceful, and this dishonors our nation completely.

Thank you.

God bless.

Well, sir, I think that that flag is exactly why we get to celebrate uh Pride Month here.

And I think that those comments that you just gave shows why we need to celebrate Pride here in the City of Columbia.

So thank you so much for being here.

Uh Leo, if you'd like to come and get your resolution, um I move for passage of or resolution 0134X, S 2026.

Second.

Bankston, Barosa Depadilla, De Akara, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, White's President Harden, are there uh comments from our elected officials?

Uh, Madam Treasurer.

First, let me say happy Pride Month.

Thank you.

Um, good evening, President Harden, Pro Tem Dorans, Chair Bangston, members of council.

Um, I wanted to give you a brief overview tonight about a topic that's very important to me as your city treasurer.

I'd like to explain why this topic should be something we should all be concerned about.

That topic is PCI DSS.

That stands for payment card industry data security standards.

Why does this matter?

Well, every single day our residents trust the city with their credit card data.

Whether they're paying income taxes, parking fees, or utility bills.

As a municipality, we're legally and contractually obligated to protect that data under PCI DSS.

This is not a vague set of IC guidelines, it is a strict global security framework mandated by major card brands like Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Compliance ensures that every card swipe tap an online transaction is processed in an encrypted, secure way that's shielded from hackers.

Because the city has recently suffered a cyber attack, we know that this is a real possibility, and that we as a city need to work together to maintain the highest possible standards in this area.

So today I'm asking for your help and support in these efforts, because there are real financial and operational states and a level of serious risks that we should all be aware of.

Maintaining compliance is not optional.

If the city falls out of compliance, the consequences are immediate and severe.

First, the interruption of operations.

Card networks can will suspend our ability to accept credit card payments entirely.

Secondly, the financial impact.

A lapse could trigger heavy monthly non-compliance fines, escalating costs for every transaction we process, and a catastrophic liability cost in the event of a data breach.

Third and most importantly, to me is the trust factor of our public.

If residents cannot securely pay online or at our counters, city revenue slows down, and public trust drops instantly.

Why is the treasurer's office leading this effort in 2026?

Well, we are currently a level two merchant.

That means we process a volume of between 1 million and 6 million credit card swipes per year, and we are required to undergo an annual self-assessment to achieve compliance.

That effort will begin this month in June.

With the success of the banking modernization program that began in 2023 in collaboration with the Auditor's Office in Finance, we are heading closer to becoming a level one merchant, which will require even higher standards on measuring compliance going forward.

In 2026, this responsibility is shifting entirely to the treasurer's office, and I will need to ask counsel for support in maintaining these compliance efforts.

So to prevent any disruption to our revenue collection, avoid costly penalties, and ensure our systems remain completely secure.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Treasurer.

Adam Auditor or CHISTARE.

Are there any requests by members of council for the removal of an ordinance resolution of consent portion of the agenda?

May we have uh the motion to waive readings of 30-day uh legislation by the clerk?

Clerk please call the row.

Bankston, Barossa Depadilla, De Akaur, Dorrance Green, Remy, Ross Weich, President Harden.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Will the clerk now read into the record or order number 38 legislation on tonight's agenda?

Sure.

Finance and Governance Committee 1357, 1429, 1457, and 1472-2026, economic development and small minority business committee, 1484, 1485, 1508, 1511-2026, Public Service and Transportation Committee 1335 and 1496-2026.

Neighborhood Recreation and Parks Committee 1410 and 1436-2026, Workforce Education and Labor Committee, Ordinance 1301-2026, Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee, 1160-2026, 1325, 1386, 1387, 1393, 1470, 1471, 1491, 1500, 1515, 1524, 1540, and 1557-2026.

We zonings and amendments, zoning committee, um 1612-2026, variances 1582, 1599, 1610, 1613, and 1614-2026.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

The following orders appear on our agenda as consent action with a clerk now read those into the record.

Sure.

Finance and Governance Committee 1308, 1375, 1379, 1427, 1434, and 1467-2026, economic development and smart minority business ordinances 1306, 1480, and 1512-2026, Public Service and Transportation Committee, 1384, 1428, and 1498-2026, Neighborhoods Recreation and Parks Committee 23, 945, 1088, 1378, 1402, 1403, 1406, and 1408-2026, Workforce Education and Labor Committee, Ordinances 1228, 1229, 1474, 1605, 1625, and 1626-2026, Health Human Services and Equity Committee 95, 1227, 1371, 1478, and 1616-2026, Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee.

Neighborhoods recreation and parks committee 23 945 1088 1378 1402 1403 1406 and 1408-2026 workforce education and labor committee ordinances 1228 1229 1474 1605 1625 and 1626-2026 Health Human Services and Equity Committee 95 1227 1371 1478 and 1616-2026 Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee 1146 1193 1194 1329 1366 1367 1426 1438 1460 and 1501-2026 Housing Homelessness and Building Committee 1383 and 1528-2026 public utility public utilities and sustainability committee uh 1138 1212 1296 1318 1319 1324 1342 1355 1360 1362 1476-2026 rules and policy committee uh appointments a zero one one zero dash twenty twenty-six may I have a motion for um approval of those items designated by as consent Sir Second Uh Clerk please please call the role by voice Bangston Barossa De Padilla Day Akarns Yes Green Remy Ross Weich Yes President Hardin.

Yes, with the exception of 1229-2026, on which I abstain.

Thank you.

Uh those items are on the uh consent agenda and items are passed with noted abstentions.

Thank you.

Um we'll now proceed with the second reading of 30 day postponed in emergency legislation.

The first committee to come before council is the finance and governance committee chaired by councilman Bangston.

Councilman floor is yours.

Uh thank you.

First up tonight in finance and governance committee.

We have resolution 0127x-2026 to accept the 2026 participatory budget budget steering committee's recommendations for the establishment of our voice, our choice budget, and to acknowledge the city's role in supporting residents in the execution of the remaining phases of this participatory budgeting process.

This resolution uh clarifies and confirms the city's supportive role in the our voice, our choice budget process and accepts the process framework created by the steering committee for members of the public uh who may be unfamiliar this year.

Uh the city of Columbus will run its first ever participatory budgeting process run and managed by a team of community organizations and residents.

Uh, I'm really really excited about this work is something that we were able to secure.

I was able to secure in the uh last year's capital budget where members of our community will be able to vote on projects within their communities.

The guidebook laying out the general framework for the process can be found on my council webpage at Columbus.gov.

The next phase of the process, the idea collection phase, uh, where residents can submit project ideas for their districts will start uh the week of July 6th.

So please keep an eye out for further communications from my office and council socials on for more info on the timing, unveiling of the website and engagement opportunities near you in your districts.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

I'm sorry, I move for adoption.

Questions call the role.

Next we have ordinance 0867-2026 to authorize the director of the department of technology to enter into a contract with technology site planners, Inc.

Tech site to provide data center alarm monitoring and first responder services to waive the competitive bidding provisions of chapter 329 of Columbus City Codes to authorize expenditure of $54,770 from the Department of Technology Information Services Division Information Services Operating Fund.

Last year, this body authorized the original contract with uh Axel Axel Lion LLC for purchase of absolute secure access.

The city uses absolute secure access software to enable mobile workers, including police officers and public utility field crews to communicate securely over mobile connection communication uh networks.

Without this solution, communications will not function securely when accessed over a mobile communications network, significantly diminishing the effectiveness and efficiency of city mobile workers.

This ordinance authorizes the first renewal at a total cost of 157,859 dollars and fifty cents for the period of 12 months starting on August 21st, 2026 to August 20th, 2027.

Seeing no questions or comments from my colleagues, I move for passage.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorran's Green, Remy, Ross Weich, President Harden.

Next we have ordinance 1261-2026 to amend ordinance zero two six five-2026 to authorize the director of finance and management on behalf of facilities management division to enter into a separate contract with water with the waterworks LLC to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Codes and to declare an emergency.

This ordinance authorizes a standalone contract with waterworks for a plumbing renovation project at police substation 13.

Previous legislation was submitted and authorized by this body to ex to expend these funds under a previously established universal term contract.

This UTC has a $20,000 threshold for any single standalone project.

Since this project exceeds this threshold, the additional legislative authority is needed.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Bankston, Barossa De Padilla, Day Achar, Dorrance, Green, Remy, Ross Weich, President Harden.

Next we have ordinance 1430-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Finance and Management on behalf of the Office of Construction Management to enter into a contract with Elford Inc.

to provide construction manager at risk services for the Department of Public Safety's Easton Police Substation Project to authorize an expenditure up to 10 million dollars within the safety GO Bond Bonds Fund and to declare an emergency.

This legislation authorizes the construction manager at risk contract with Elfort Inc.

for the construction of a new police substation number six located at 3395 Easton Way.

This new facility will support patrol operations, a community response team, as well as detective and zone commander operations.

This site will also include a garage, Sally Port Space, bicycle patrol storage, and secure police parking with covered cruiser parking.

Additional space will also be allocated for a locker room space and a physical fitness center for police personnel.

Furthermore, the new facility will also include a community meeting room for neighborhood events, classes, and department trainings that doubles as a ICC 500 compliance storm shelter.

This project was competitively bid by the Office of Construction Management, and Elford received the highest overall score from the uh evaluation committee.

Construction is anticipated to commence late summer slash early 2026 with construction lasting approximately 30-13 months.

And just want to say really excited about this project.

This is one I know that's we have been in design for a while, and so looking forward to seeing that new police substation out there at Easton, as we know Easton is our third uh highest job center, and so having that extra layer of uh protection and also a new community meeting space for the residents of District 5 is going to be a huge win uh for that side of town.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Second.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorns Green, Remy Ross Weich, President Hardin.

Thank you.

And last for me and uh the Finance and Government's committee this evening, we have ordinance 1433-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with Nalco Company LLC doing business as NALCO water for their treatment and remediation of water systems under the purview of the facilities management division to authorize expenditure of 294,377.11 cents within the general fund to waive the competitive bidding provisions of chapter 329 of Columbus City Code and to declare an emergency.

This legislation authorizes a contract with NALCO Company LLC for continued water treatment services for facilities under the purview of facilities management division.

NALCO is currently under contract with the Department of Finance and Management Facilities Management Division in such capacity.

The facility management division has determined that it is best practice to continue with the water treatment services to safeguard the health and safety of employees and visitors to our uh city facilities.

Or any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, Day Achar, Dorans Green, Remy Ross Weich, President Harden.

Thank you, Council President.

So I have my committees this evening.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

That committee is chaired by Councilmember Barossa De Padilla.

Councilman, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

So we have two items for second read tonight, and I'm excited about both of them because they come directly from neighbor concerns or um neighbor and neighbors advocating.

It's in two district two different districts, district five and district seven.

So I'll read the ordinance and then we'll talk, we'll talk a little bit about each one, their impact, and then in the second one, I do have a little show and tell.

It's back.

Okay, so first is ordinance 1096, 2026 to amend the 2025 capital improvement budget to appropriate funds within the streets and highways bond fund to authorize the city auditor to transfer funds between projects within the streets and highways bond fund to authorize the city attorney's office real estate division to contract for professional services related to the acquisition of fee and simple title lesser interest in and property needed for the UIRF Eakin Road Shared Use Path Project to authorize the city auditor to appropriate $1,400,000 within the ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program to authorize the city attorney's office real estate division to negotiate with property owners to acquire the additional rights of way necessary to complete this project to authorize the expenditure of $1,040,000 from the ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program and the Streets and Highways Bond Fund to pay for the project to authorize the director of public service or a designee to execute a con a construction contract or a similar instrument and any amends amendments to modification there too as may be necessary with Indiana and Ohio Railway Company owned by WATGO companies LLC to facilitate the construction of the UIRF Eakin Road Shared Use Path Project and to repay any unused grant funds at the end of the grant period and to declare an emergency.

Whew, that was a lot.

Okay.

This project came from advocates from the Greater Hilltop Area District.

So the URIF dollars are grants that the community can actually apply for.

They usually take a while for them to get done.

So this project has been long time in the making.

This is in district uh six in the Greater Hilltop Planning Area.

The project will construct a shared use path from South Wayne Avenue through Hiltonia Park to White Hawthorne Avenue on the north side of Eakin Road and a crosswalk at the intersection of White Uh Thorne Avenue.

This project will connect to the existing shared use path on the south side of Eakin Road from White Thorne Avenue to Harrisburg Pike.

The project is located in the high injury network due to the number of serious or fatal crashes and/or crashes involving vulnerable road users like people walking, biking, or on a motorcycle.

This vision zero safety improvement will increase visibility of people walking and biking and separate those vulnerable roadway users from vehicle traffic by installing a new ADA compliant sidewalk.

So shared use paths are those wider sidewalks that allow quite literally for everyone to share the pathway.

So it's bigger than a sidewalk.

So if you're in a mobility device, if you're on, you know, pushing a stroller, if you're walking, if you're biking, there's enough of uh a path for people to use it in multiple ways and not be in the street.

Um again, this really came directly from the community, which was the emphasis, impetus of us looking for those ODOT dollars to then also add to the project.

Deputy Director, is there anything you want to add to this project in particular?

Hi, good evening, President Harden and Councilmember Barossa Deputy and the rest of the members of council.

I think you about covered it.

This was, as you said, a long time coming.

The UIRF funds or the urban infrastructure recovery funds.

They do take a while to get those projects going because we go through a design phase.

This is our right-of-way phase.

Why does it always do that to me?

So this is the right-of-way phase, and then we'll have our construction phase coming up after that.

So this was a this one's a good one.

Perfect.

Do my colleagues have any questions or comments?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Acar, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross White, President Harden.

Thank you.

Next we have ordinance 1464-2026 to amend the 2025 capital improvement budget to authorize the transfer of funds within the streets and highways bond fund to appropriate funds within the federal transportation grants fund to authorize the director of public service to enter into contract with complete general construction company for the roadway, multimodal Mount Vernon Avenue phase one project to authorize the expenditure of up to 7,100 or 2,930 and 64 cents from the Streets and Highways Bond Fund and the Federal Transportation Grants Fund for the project and to repay any unpaid or unused uh grant funds at the end of the grant period and to declare an emergency.

So I do believe we have some show and tell for this project.

Uh this is in District 7.

Um, so this actually came from uh again from the community.

This is uh improvements that will be in the King Lincoln Bronzewell Bronzeville neighborhood on Martin Luther King Jr.

Boulevard from Hamilton to St.

Clair Avenue and Mount Vernon Avenue from St.

Clair to Champion.

So the enhancements include Vision Zero safety elements such as improved bike uh sidewalks and curbs, protected bike lanes, bus islands, which essentially means if you will look near where the King Arts Complex and the Maroon are, the it will actually come into that um curb.

So when the bus pulls in, they'll be actually not blocking the roadway, but they'll be able to come closer in so folks can uh load the bus and then traffic can continue.

Um they'll also include some bump outs, those bump outs are where you see the extended curbs when you go to cross, it goes a little further.

So it makes the um crosswalk a little shorter for pedestrians and other folks to come across.

Um this reduces that crossing distance and creates a visual narrowing of the streets.

So we know this is one area where you will see that a lot of folks um uh we know that this is a high pedestrian area, especially during the summertime.

Mamie Moore Park is uh lots of events happen there.

Juneteenth celebrations happen there.

Uh Maroon, uh the Maroon and King Art Arts Complex both do summer programming down the street.

There's the box park.

And so, especially because of that curb, it made it especially challenging for folks to move in that area, and because it's become more of a pedestrian area, this gives us the opportunity to really create some differentiation on the street between pedestrians.

It also allows us to put in some bike infrastructure, so we'll have some bike lanes as well along this area, in addition to, and you can see it kind of in those little squares where the bikes would go, the uh cars would go and where buses would go.

Deputy director, is there something else that you would like to add to this project thank you?

Thank you, council member.

Let's hope we don't screech this time.

Um here at public service and in the city, we're really excited for this project to be construction this summer.

Um, this project in particular is a really great example of the partnership between the city and the communities around it.

Um, there was a lot of community stakeholders.

We're talking about residents, community and faith leaders, nonprofit, and other organizations all coming together to talk about what kind of improvements would be best for this area in the corridor.

Um, this planning took about two years, so a long time.

Um, but it's going to address those safety concerns and all those speeding concerns that they have currently.

Um that's a really great example of something that, and you'll see more of this in the future as we're doing more of these safety projects.

Um we installed quick build improvements at the intersection in the fall of 2021, and those have produced uh produced significant crash reduction.

Uh, I'll just 91% total crashes have decreased since that time in that installation.

So and that was right at the corner of Champion near Champion uh middle school.

So I'm excited about this project.

Uh we this started as resurfacing.

We've been able to also add in some other things.

I mean, this gives us gives us the opportunity when we have those funds to look at additional improvements that we can pull dollars from or that we can use community engagement to think about what are we missing in this particular area.

I'm excited because we've also had conversations with um the leadership at the Maroon and King Arts Complex about additional enhancements.

There's a parking lot there that we are looking at making additional investments in and even doing some um very cool um parking lot murals and some other things additionally that will come later on down the road.

But I want to thank the department for their leadership on this and their partnership.

Um I'm excited because this is again something that came directly from the residents because of all of the challenges that we saw along that way.

There's a ton of um uh businesses, there's a lot of our community groups, there's churches, there's other four uh there's uh elementary school right or middle school right along that path.

So um excited about what this will do in terms of safety, especially as we continue to invite more and more folks and make it a more walkable um area for the residents along that corridor in district seven.

Do my colleagues have any questions?

I do have just one question.

I know you mentioned um construction starts in the summer.

Do you and I know timelines are dynamic with this stuff.

Do you have an expected um time for completion of the project?

I don't want to tell any lies, so I will get you that information, but I want to say around June 22nd.

But don't hold me to it.

I will second to start.

Uh I think that's when we'll NTP and start shoveling the ground.

But I will get you a better answer that's more concrete.

Awesome.

Thank you.

And I do know that that project, as many of our projects are done in phases.

So there's a phase one taking into consideration the summertime and the movement of what's happening in the area, then there'll be a phase two, et cetera, et cetera.

So got it.

I think any additional questions.

Great.

With that, I move for passage.

Thank you.

Clerk, please call the role.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Achar, Dorrance, Green, Remy, Ross Weich, President Harden.

Passed.

Thank you.

That's all for me this evening.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Next committee to come before Council of the Neighborhood Recreation and Parks Committee chaired by Councilman De Achar.

Councilman the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

First, we have ordinance 1351-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Development to enter into professional services contract with MKSK Incorporated to continue a strategic update to the Big Darby Accord Watershed Master Plan to authorize expenditure in an amount of up to 75,000 from the Columbus Water and Power Sewer Operating Sanitary Fund and the expenditure in an amount up to 25,000 from the neighborhood economic development fund previously established under Ordinance 0273-2026 to authorize expenses incurred prior to the execution of the purchase order to waive the competitive biddings requirement under Columbus City Codes to repeal ordinance 0273-2026 in its entirety and to declare an emergency.

Council originally passed ordinance 0273-2026 to modify the original contract between development and MKSK, extending the original end date and adding more funds for continued support of the Big Derby Accord Amendment Project.

However, this authorized modification did not take place prior to the expiration of the contract, and thus 0273 needs to be repealed so that a new contract can be established.

The new contract for this legislation authorizes is identical to the modification seen in 0273-2026 with the same new end with a the same new end date of February 28th, 2027 and the same amount of additional funding 100,000.

Since this ordinance is related to the Big Derby Accord amendment, I wanted to remind everyone that the mayor put a pause on Columbus's consideration of the Big Derby Accord Amendment in April following calls from some jurisdictional partners and stakeholder groups to wait until the completion of a new ODNR study.

Even though we have not yet passed this amendment, the city is requesting all new projects in this area meet the higher invental environmental standards and best practices laid out in the draft amendment to the Accord.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Bangston, Barossa De Padilla, De Akar, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Harden.

Thank you.

As I read the title of our next ordinance, I would like to invite Tide Clydesmet from the America 250 Ohio Commission up to the podium.

This ordinance is 1482-2026 to authorize and direct the city clerk to enter a grant agreement with the Ohio Historical Society to provide upfront funding for event programming associated with America 250 to authorize an appropriation and expenditure from the neighborhood initiative subfunds and to declare an emergency.

America 250 is a nationwide initiative that has been in preparation for years now to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, otherwise known as our semi-quincentennial, which is quite a bit of a mountful.

Easier to say America 250.

Here in Ohio, the General Assembly established the America 250 Ohio Commission in 2021 to lead local efforts to highlight Ohio's contribution in our nation's history.

In the winter of 2024, my office started convening a special America 250 Columbus Committee to begin discussions around how Columbus could participate in these efforts.

This group included nonprofits, businesses, and other community stakeholders, and was tasked with coming up with ideas for how to incorporate long-standing Columbus events with a theme of America's 250th birthday, as well as new ideas for how to mark this occasion.

Following the completion of this committee's work, a schedule of All America 250 events in Columbus was posted on Experience Columbus and America 250 Ohio's websites.

As a cornerstone event of this year-long celebration, both in Columbus and statewide, the Ohio Commission began planning a new unique 4th of July event to take place downtown.

In any other city in the in the United States, having event on 4th of July would just be expected, but it's out of the ordinary for Columbus.

As part of my budget earmarks, I was able to set aside the funding being legislated today to support this event.

The America 250 Ohio signature picnic will take place on Saturday, July 4th in downtown Columbus.

This celebration will be very different than the red white and boom event that we all know and love that is happening on July 3rd.

The goal is to provide a free, accessible celebration that brings together residents from local communities, cultural institutions, and local businesses during this once-in-a-generation anniversary.

The Ohio History Connection is joining Columbus Area Partners to create a special event that residents may remember and cherish for years to come.

And so here this evening to talk more about the specifics behind the event and inform the community of the variety of efforts happening this year.

We have Todd Kleismet, Executive Director of the America 250 Ohio Commission.

Todd, the floor is yours.

Great.

Well, good evening, uh President Hardin and members of Council.

My name is Todd Klysmith, and I have the high honor of serving as the executive director for the America 250 Ohio Commission, charged with leading Ohio statewide efforts to showcase Ohio's contributions to the United States these past 250 plus years.

I'm here on behalf of the America 250 Ohio co-chairs, Michael B.

Coleman and Doug Price, and the rest of our commission, which also includes another name you'll know, former Councilmember Senator Herschel Craig.

You may recall that the City of Columbus passed a resolution in 2024 to become designated as an America 250 Ohio community.

I am pleased to share with you that more than 550 other Ohio communities have now done likewise and are participating alongside us in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is happening right here, right now.

Is it especially important that Ohio's Capital City helped lead the way during the nation's 250th anniversary this year?

I'd like to extend a special thank you to Councilwoman Nancy Day Ockaur, who has led the charge at the city level.

We very much thank you.

This will be an all-day large-scale celebration with entertainment, performances, family activities, historical interpreters, film screenings, educational displays, food, and more.

We are giving Ohioans and Columbus residents a celebration in the Capitol City that they will remember for generations to come.

As you know, uh Red White and Boom will take place the night of July 3rd, but keep your party hats on Columbus and Central Ohio, because July 4th is right around the corner here.

Hard to believe we're in June already.

Local nonprofits, uh businesses and sponsors will uh have come together to plan this event, which has been over a year in the making.

Uh, in particular, the City of Columbus, Kappa, Ohio History Connection, Ohio State House, the Columbus Commons, and the Columbus Symphony have been our close planning partners.

All activities and performances are free.

And the afternoon performances do not require tickets.

Admissions to the evening concert in the Columbus Commons, the Columbus Symphony celebrates America is also free, but does require a ticket registration.

So far, over 6,000 tickets have been reserved for that.

Should City Council pass this ordinance tonight, it will provide essential support to the event's infrastructure and operations, including EMS security uh services, vendor management, coordination services, permitting, and more.

And most importantly, help present this wonderful event at no cost for all to enjoy.

I could share more, but I think you've got the point, and I so appreciate the opportunity to share some of this with you this evening.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thanks for being a major partner in this work we're all doing during the nation's 250th.

Thank you.

I'd be happy to answer if any's if there are any questions.

Do my colleagues have any questions?

Yep.

Well, thank you much, Todd, for coming down.

All right, thanks so much for the opportunity.

If no one has any questions, then I move for passage.

Questions call the row.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, de Akar, Dorans Green, Remy Ross White, President Harden.

Thank you, and that's all for my committee this evening.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Motion to uh recess for zoning.

Clark, please call the role.

Bangston Barossa de Padilla de Akaur, Dorrance Green, Remy Ross, White's President Harden.

We are reassessed.

We'll reconvene in five minutes for zoning.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, de Akaur, Dorans Green, Remy Ross Rice, President Harden.

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

Clerk, please call the row.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akaur, Dorans Green.

Remy Ross White, President Harden.

Are there any additions or corrections to the journal?

Uh hearing none of the journal is approved.

We'll now go to the zoning committee.

Councilmember Dorans chairs that committee and all member Sarwin.

Council member, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

First, a little bit of housekeeping.

Will the clerk clerk please read the numbers of legislation in the zoning committee that will require waiver of second reading?

Sure.

1531.

1532, 1534, and 1535-2026.

Thank you.

I now move for uh I now move to waive second read on those items.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bangston Barosa De Padilla, Day Akira, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Waived.

Thank you.

As always, I'll briefly explain a rules pertaining to speaking for a council on rezoning variances.

We only have staff presentation of ordinance of a disapproval from a recommending body, or if we have a public speaker signed to speak against an ordinance.

We permit three speakers on each side, three proponents for opponents.

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

All speakers in the council variants, including city staff, area commissioners, applicants, and members of the public will be sworn in before they give testimony.

We do not have any public speakers signed to speak on our agenda this evening.

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

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

Do you swear from the testing we have to give shall be the truth, nothing but the truth that as you shall answer under pain to penalty perjury?

If so, please say I do.

Thank you.

Please let the record reflect that uh Brandon Carpenter Carpenter from the Department of Building Zoom Services have been sworn in.

First, we have ordinance number one three two six-2026 to rezone 4559, Knightsbridge Boulevard being 6.03 plus acres located in the north side of West Henderson Road, three 300 plus west uh Knights Bridge Boulevard from CPD Commercial Plan Development District to CBD Commercial Plan Development District.

Second consists of two parcels developed with a recreational facility, each with their own commercial plan development district.

The request of rezoning will bring both parcels under one district, allowing limited commercial uses.

Proposal approved from City Staff Development Commission and the Northwest Civic Association.

Do I make colleagues have any questions for comments?

Seeing on a first move move to amend estimate of the clerk.

Second.

Clerk please call the row.

Bangston Barosa De Padilla, De Akira, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Harden.

Amend it.

You can next move to amend to emergency.

Second.

Clerk please call the row.

Bangston Barossa de Padilla, De Akira, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Amend it.

Thank you.

I finally moved for passage as amended.

Second.

Clerk, please call the row.

Bangston Barossa de Padilla, Day Akira, Dorans Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you.

Next we have ordinance 1531-2026 to rezone 7210 Long Drive, Long Drive being 14.8 plus acres located in the northeast corner of Long Road and Abbey Trails Drive from our Rural District.

RRR restricted rural district and PU PUD6 Planned Unit Development District to L AR1 Limited Department Residential District.

Any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none and move a passage.

Second.

Clark, please call the row.

Bangston Barossa de Padilla, Day Akira, Dorans Green.

Remy Ross White's President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you.

Next we have ordinance 1532-2026 grant advanced provisions of section 333 3.18 building lines of the Columbus City Coast for property located at 7210 long drive to reduce the required building setback line for an apartment complex in the L Air L A R 1 apartment residential district.

This is the concurrent variance and rezoning we just considered, which will allow for reduced building setback line from 40 feet to 5 feet along Long Road for again a proposed 288 unit apartment complex.

Proposal is approved from city staff and the Greater Southeast Area Commission.

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

Second.

Clerk please call the roll.

Bangston Barosa de Padilla, Day Akira, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, White's President Hardin.

Accept it.

Thank you.

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

Second.

Clerk please call the roll.

Bangston Barosa de Padilla, De Akira, Dorans Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Adopt it.

Finally move for passage.

Second.

Clerk please call the row.

Bangston Barossa de Padilla, Day Akira, Dorans Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you.

Next we have ordinance 1534-2026 or granted variance provisions of section 3332.033 R2 resent residential district.

Second, this is a one parcel dealt with a single unit dwelling and a detached garage.

The question council variants will allow the parcel to be redeveloped with a two-unit dwelling.

Council variants will require because the current zoning district prohibits two unit dwellings.

Proposal versus staff and the Mid East Area Commission.

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

Clark please call the row.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akar, Dorans Green, Remy Ross Weitch, President Hardin.

Accept it.

Okay.

I'm next to move to adopt the five staff of the Finance Council.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akar Dorans Green, Remy, Ross Whitech, President Hardin.

Adopt it.

Thank you.

And finally move for passage.

Second.

Clerk Peace Callarow.

Bangston, Barosa de Padilla, De Akawa, Dorans Green, Remy Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Passed.

Next we have ordinance 1535-2026 to grant advanced provisions of Section 333-2.039 R4 Residential District, 3309.14A Height Districts, 3312.21 B uh B D landscape and screen, 3312.25 maneuvering 3312.49C require parking and 3332 21.05 B2 Vision Clearance, 3332.05 for Area District Lautworth Requirements, 3332.15 R4 Air District Requirements, 332.21 building lines, 3332.285 per yard, and 3332.29 Height District and 333 53.05 D24 C2 District Development Limitations of Columbus City Coast for Property Located 1111 Stewart Avenue to allow a mixed mixed residential development and a monopole telecommunications tower reduced development standards in the R4 residential district and to revoke ordinance number 2473-2015 passed October 19th of 2015.

This site consists of uh parcel formerly developed the religious facility and the requested council variants will allow the redevelopment of the site within an 80-unit apartment building, 20 townhome-style dwelling units, and 10 detached single unit dwellings.

The requested uh the request will also maintain the existing monopole telecommunications antenna, which was approved by the previous ordinance.

A council variants are required because the current district does not allow apartment of residential development or a monopole telecommunications tower.

The proposal is approved from city staff in the Columbus Southeast, I'm sorry, Columbus South Side Area Commission.

Any questions or comments?

Seeing on a move to accept the entire staff report into Evans as an exhibit.

Second hand.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akarra, Dorans, Green, Remy Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Any next to adopt the final staff of the Finance of Council.

Bangston, Barosa de Padilla, De Akar, Dorrance Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Thank you.

Finally move for passage.

Second.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akira, Dorrance Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Thank Council President is all we have on the zoning agenda.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

For the business to come for the zoning committee, is there motion to adjourn?

Clerk please call the row.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akar, Dorans Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President Hardin.

Meeting is adjourned.

We'll reconvene regular meeting at five minutes.

Clerk Peace Collarow.

Bangston, Barosa de Padilla, De Aka Red Dorans Green, Remy Ross Weich, President Hardin.

The next uh committee to come before council is the Workforce Education and Labor Committee chaired by Press Pro 10.

Press 10, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

First, I have ordinance number 1230-2026 to authorize the director of the mayor's office of education to enter a contract with the United Way of Central Ohio for the uh purposes of acting as a fiscal agent for the program to assist in the planning and coordinating of services and distribute funds and program supports to after school providers and to authorize the expansion of two million dollars from the general fund.

Uh this legislation funds uh after school opportunities for over 1,300 middle school students across the city of Columbus for the 2026-2027 school year.

These services will be located across the community in Columbus City schools, uh, middle school buildings, boys and girl club sites, YMCA branches, and other community centers, uh programming to begin in September of this year.

Uh last year, students engaged in over 60,000 hours of after-school programming funded by the city, providing them with academic support, enrichment activities, and workforce development opportunities, including mentorship and others.

Uh this program is continues to grow and provides real opportunities for supporting our young people, particularly uh in that middle school range that need it more than ever.

Any of my colleagues have no questions or comments?

See no and move for passage.

Second.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akawa, Dorans Green, Rimi Ross Weich, President Hardin.

Thank you.

Next, I have ordinance uh 121230-226 to authorize city clerk to enter an advanced payment grant agreement, the Columbus Board of Education in support of the Northland Community School Pilot Program to authorize appropriation of expansion within the neighborhood initiative subfund and declared emergency.

Last year, leaders from the Columbus Education Association invited Council President and myself to a presentation and a community round table at Northland High School, where teachers, students, and community members alike sat side by side to talk about how a new uh community campus school model was happening at that at Northland.

This model has been ex has already been successful in Northland and is in its just its beginning stages.

The funding before us today will support a full-time employee to serve as a coordinator for services for teachers, students, parents, and neighbors alike.

This is a really exciting next step, and we would not be able to take it without the groundwork that's been laid by the amazing team that invested in the Northland High School and the leadership of the Columbus Education Association.

I want to take a moment to turn over the mic to my partner and good in this, Council President Harden.

Want to turn it over to you and talk a little bit about this.

No, thank you.

Um, again, thank you for your leadership.

Um, like I said earlier, across the country and here in Ohio, many school districts are facing significant financial challenges as pandemic relief funding expires, and state funding models continue to fall short.

So the council wants to be a strong partner with Columbus City Schools, not just in addressing today's challenges, but in exploring innovative approaches that can help our students, families, and neighborhoods thrive for years to come.

Um for me and for us, I believe, especially uh this new relationship or this reinvigorated relationship between the city of Columbus and Columbus City Schools is just critically important as we are able to explore um current issues, but opportunities really opportunities for uh the City of Columbus to be a better partner.

Uh understand, and I guess this is a step in uh codifying, I guess.

Um our fates are intertwined anyways.

So goes Columbus City Schools goes the City of Columbus and and vice versa.

And so it just makes sense that we bring the two legislative bodies together uh to see how we can continue to support one another.

So thank you again for your leadership.

Thank you, Council President.

And this is the first piece of legislation that I'm hoping is many that come out of the the joint committee between this body and the Columbus uh school board because Council President's right, and you know, I think we've got uh more than a few kindergartners that are about to head off next year from literally this body in the Columbus City schools, and knowing um that that success again intertwined between what the future of our city looks like and what the future of our kids looks like.

Um, and we have the opportunity again, not only to visit with folks in Northland, but really to go down um to Cincinnati and see what a fully mature uh community and schools program looks like over several decades.

And I think some of the frustration I've heard from residents over the years with Columbus City Schools is that um oftentimes they'll be like an island in a neighborhood.

The community is not invited in, the community is not a part of what's going on.

And this community and schools model is about breaking that down, about making schools a neighborhood hub to allow themselves uh to not only serve those children, but also serve those residents in that community as well, um, in a way that really has not been done before.

And I know uh Columbus City Schools has had lots of efforts over the years to begin some of these efforts, but this is, I think, a really exciting time to formalize them and really put our money where our mouth is to really get this kind of thing off the ground because we've seen some success already at Northland.

Uh, also want to thank uh Mr.

Chris uh Montoya, who's been the person who's been doing this as a stipend in his spare time uh at uh Northland High School.

So this will actually allow us to make this a full-time position rather than just being one other thing that folks are doing.

Uh we do have one public speaker signed up to speak on this ordinance, Miss Iseta Thomas from the Columbus Education uh Justice Coalition.

Is she with us?

I didn't see her earlier.

Who is she virtually?

Miss Thomas, welcome to council.

Are you can you hear me?

Yes, I can hear you.

Thank you for being with us.

Floor is yours, ma'am.

Thank you.

Uh Council President Hardin, President Pro Tem Dorans, and members of City Council.

My name is Iseta Thomas.

Thank you again for having me tonight.

I am the lead organizer and director of the Columbus Education Justice Coalition.

But before that, I was an educator teaching special needs preschool in Columbus City Schools.

And even before then, I was a student of what was then known as Columbus Public Schools.

I am a proud graduate and mighty tiger of East High School.

I want to thank the council for taking the time to consider investing in the community campus school model at Northland High School.

While full service community schools, which care for students and folks within and outside of the school's walls have been around since the early 1900s, the model gained more widespread attention in the 90s during a time in which the need for wraparound services like mental health, dental care, and more in our schools became apparent for student success.

Now, since then, community schools across the nation have proven that meeting the needs of our communities and our schools with shared decision making and intentional care, increase attendance rates, lower suspension rates, and increase academic success.

Strong public schools build strong communities.

An investment in the community schools model in Columbus City Schools is an investment in a stronger Columbus, one neighborhood, one community at a time.

Now, this model was fought for and won by the educators, families, and neighbors who stood on the picket lines with the Columbus Education Association in 2022.

And that school year, the 2223 school year, the reform panel, which is a joint committee between the union and the district, along with community members and parents researched and selected the data-driven NEA community schools model for school transformation because of its proven track record and support.

You've already mentioned the success that we've seen just down the road in Cincinnati.

And there are also schools across the nation, including 400 community schools in New York City that are using this model and have seen an increase in attendance and academic achievement.

Once this model was introduced to the students and staff at Northland in 2025, one of the first things to happen was that our students identified that there was a lack of student leadership in their school.

And then with the help of supportive school staff and community members, they reinstated a student government that had gone dormant for over 10 years.

The students also began to organize programming, creating a student-led community event that saw the highest community support in years.

They went from having a couple of dozen community attendees to over 200 at their first community event that school year.

Our students and teachers in our Northland community have been invested in this model for Columbus long before today.

And this investment in the Northland Community School pilot by Columbus City Council is an intentional step forward in a path that is being carved out by your citizens.

This investment will help to provide, like you said, a full-time community campus school coordinator who will work with Northland students, the school team, parents, and community members, and community partners to recognize the strengths of our Northland High School community and its neighborhood, determine the community's specific needs and challenges, and work together to find the best solutions.

The Columbus Education Justice Coalition believes in this model.

We've believed in it since 2022.

We believe that the community schools model is exactly what is needed to strengthen and grow our schools, rebuild community trust, lift student leadership, and create shared decision making opportunities for parents, school staff, students, and community partners, making CCS the desired destination for quality education in Columbus, thus making Columbus, our state capital, the strongest and most caring city in our state.

So I'd like to thank you in advance for your dedication to Northland and the community schools model.

Thank you, Miss Thomas.

I appreciate you being here with us tonight to share those words.

I just want to say two other things before I ask my colleagues to consider solislation for voters.

One, I want to thank the Columbus Education Association and their members for making this a priority in their collective bargaining negotiations.

It's been a union that has oftentimes not only thought about how to serve their kids, but also serve the greater community itself outside of those classrooms as well.

And two, as Ms.

Thomas mentioned, just to put a finer point on this, this allows us to be in a position where rather than telling students and telling community members what we think that they need in that neighborhood, this allows have someone who's asking those students and those community members what do they need to be successful in that school and in that neighborhood?

And this allows us to have the resources to actually do that versus just ask those questions, see what happens afterwards.

So I'm very, very excited to expand what the great work that is already happening in that school.

And with that, uh let's any of my colleagues have anything else to add, I move a passage.

Thanks, Tim, Barosa Depadilla, they account Green Remy, Ross White, President Harden.

Council Presidents allow my committees.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

The next committee come before council is the uh health, human service and equity committee, chair by Councilman Green, Councilmoke Resource.

Thank you so much, Council President.

Tonight in our health human services and equity committee.

We have two ordinances on second reading.

The first one's Ordinance 1041-2026 to authorize and direct the Board of Health to enter into contracts with the following vendors, Columbus Neighborhood Health Center, Inc., uh, DBA Primary One Health, Heart of Ohio Family Health Centers, Lower Lice Christians Health Christian Health Center, Inc., Southeast Inc., the Ohio State University College of Nursing, and Lutheran Social Services, Central Ohio to provide primary health care and dental services at community-based health centers to authorize the expenditure of uh three million eight hundred thousand dollars from the health special revenue fund to authorize the payment of expenses prior to the purchase order execution starting January 1st of 2026, and to declare an emergency.

Uh Columbus Public Health is entering into a contract with Columbus's six fully designated federally qualified health centers to provide comprehensive primary and preventative health care services for uninsured, underinsured, and other medically underserved Columbus residents.

Health care services include uh but are not limited to preventative primary care, sick visits, women's health, OBGYN, childhood immunizations, dental services, vision services, behavioral health, substance use counseling, medically assisted treatment for those experiencing substance use disorders and other types of care coordination.

Um in 2024, Columbus's six federally qualified health centers served uh collectively 98,803 Franklin County residents.

Uh this funding is allows for Columbus's FQHC is to continue to offer high quality health care services to Columbus's most vulnerable residents.

Um I can't thank all of my colleagues enough, um, as well as the department over at Columbus Public Health enough for their continued support of this absolutely critical work.

More and more people are needing this type of support more than ever, and ability to access care is becoming harder and harder.

Um these funds go a long way to bridge gaps that are only growing even wider.

Um and I know that this past year was a very tight budget year.

I know there's a lot of uncertainty in Columbus Public Health's budget.

Um, but you know, we were all able to come together to also make sure to take care of our neighbors external to the city, and um, and it means a lot.

So um are there any other questions or colleagues from or questions or comments for my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move passage.

Bangston, Barosa De Padilla, De Aka Redorans, Green, Remy, Ross White, President Hardin.

Thank you.

Um, our second ordinance tonight is ordinance 1479-2026 to authorize and direct the Board of Health to accept grant funds from the Ohio Department of Health in the amount of one million dollars and any additional funds for the implementing enhanced HIV prevention and surveillance for health departments to end the HIV epidemic in Ohio uh grant program following the receipt of executed agreement to authorize the appropriation of one million dollars and any additional funds awarded from the unappropriated balance of the health department's grant fund and to declare an emergency.

Uh clients um are served through this program under uh through act under the community engagement pillar, resource navigation uh programming, addressing social determinants of health, um, and a housing program offering housing services, emergency financial assistance and transportation to support PrEP access with testing resources and referrals uh delivered flexibly across clinic community and telehealth settings.

Um this ordinance is submitted as an emergency to not delay services to clients and to meet grant deliverables required by the grantor to avoid um being at risk for forfeiture of funds due to the grant start date.

Um, these these um funds in this program is absolutely essential in being able to provide support and care to people that are living with HIV across our community.

I think it was about, am I right, Edward, about 50% of Ohio's HIV populate positive population lives here in Franklin County or Central Ohio area.

Um, and so making sure that we are able to provide support and care to people that are living with HIV as well as to prevent the spread of HIV throughout our community is absolutely inssential, and our staff over at CPH do an absolutely um exceptional job of providing wraparound supports and whole person care um to this otherwise um you know pretty vulnerable population.

So, do any of my colleagues have questions or comments?

Seeing that I move for passage.

Second.

Clark, please call the role.

Bankstin, Boros de Patia, they are covered, Doris Green, Remy Ross White, President Harden.

Pass.

Thank you, Council President.

That's all for me tonight.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Before we move to the public safety and criminal justice committee, I'd like to correct the journal.

The last ordinance in the uh workforce education and labor committee was ordinance number 1600-2026.

I will now go to the public safety and criminal justice committee.

Councilmember Remy chairs of committee law.

Thank you very much, Council President.

Uh, tonight in public safety and criminal justice, I have six ordinances for second read.

First is 252 2026 to authorize the direct direct the director of the Department of Public Safety on behalf of the Division of Support Services to enter into a contract with Motorola Solutions Inc.

for the maintenance and support of the city's 800 megahertz radio P25 digital system in accordance with the sole source provisions of the Columbus City Code to authorize an expenditure of $1,188,092 and 14 cents from public safety's general fund and to declare an emergency.

This radio system is a primary source of communications from the dispatch center to public safety units in the field.

A big bid waiver is requested because Motorola has been the city's radio contractor for over 30 years and is the only company known to the Department of Public Safety that can reliably maintain the precise systems being used.

Emergency action is necessary to allow critical radio services to continue uninterrupted and ensure law enforcement's rapid response and coordination in the field.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Thanks, Timberosay Padilla, de Aka Radoras Green, Remy, Ross Weich, President Harden.

All right.

The next ordinance before us is ordinance 1225, 2026, which authorizes the contract renewal with sound thinking, formerly known as ShotSpotter.

But before I read that ordinance into the record, I want to take a step back and address a few broader issues.

Over the past several months, I have heard clearly from residents, community members, and privacy advocates about concerns related to technologies used by the Columbus Division of Police, including ShotSpotter and Flock Cameras.

These concerns are not unique to Columbus.

They have been covered by media across Ohio and are part of a broader conversation that cities across the country are having about how to manage public safety technology, the policies that govern it, the oversight required, and the privacy implications that come with it.

As chair of the public safety and criminal justice committee, I take these concerns very seriously.

And that is why over the last few months, my staff and I have met with various advocacy groups, including the ACLU, and have had in-depth conversations with Department of Public Safety and the Division of Police about these issues.

Tonight, I have asked the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Police to be prepared to answer questions about both ShotSpotter and Flock and technology in general.

But before we get to those questions, I want to provide a brief update to the community on the work my office has done so far.

Over the last two months, my office has helped organize briefings with the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Police for each council office regarding police surveillance technologies.

In those meetings, council was told steps have been taken to limit access to Columbus's flock data by federal agencies to the fullest extent possible.

In addition, I have asked the division of police to develop a formal policy governing the use of police surveillance technologies.

That policy should not only address flock and shot spotter, but also future technologies that may raise similar privacy oversight and accountability concerns.

I'd like to then codify that policy into law, depending on what it looks like and in consultation with them.

I've asked the chief of police to conduct an audit of the use of flock data, and I'd like to hold a hearing in the in the future to share what that audit finds.

But I do want to be clear.

But at this time, I'd like to give Deputy Chief Tim Myers an opportunity to answer a few questions.

Deputy Chief, welcome to council.

Appreciate you being back here this evening.

First off, um, how many flock cameras does the city have versus how many others exist in the community?

Sure.

And uh Council President Harden, members of council, I really appreciate the opportunity to come here.

Uh we've had a lot of conversations so far about this.

Happy to continue to be parting the dialogue.

The division of police is very proud of uh being a part of the record reduction in violent crime that we've seen.

We believe that a lot of these technologies are valuable contributors to that, but we also understand that these are powerful tools, and with that power comes a responsibility.

And so happy to be a part of that.

To answer your question, uh, Councilmember Remy, we have currently 48 flock automated license plate readers that are deployed.

We have 28 that are in the process of either permitting or installation.

So that'll be a total of about 76 when we're done.

They were acquired through some violent crime reduction grants over the course of the last few years, and uh we've just been deploying them uh over that course of time.

And how many how many of the that are in the essential so just to give some perspective on what that looks like in terms of the ecosystem?

If you draw a box around the greater Columbus area, you'll come up with about 750 flock automated license plate readers within that ecosystem that we have access to.

So our actual physical deployment, once it is complete, will represent about 10% of that.

And then what control or influence do we have over the other cameras?

Uh we do not control the deployment of those other cameras.

Those are other law enforcement agencies or those are private entities like HOAs or businesses that have contracted directly with Flock to deploy those.

I should make it clear that those private entities don't have access to the data.

They contract so that the data can be shared with law enforcement.

So for example, if uh an HOA or community group were concerned about thefts from motor vehicles and things of that nature, if they wanted to generate more leads for us, they could contract directly with the company and then through the company share uh their sensor data with us, which really just means we would be able to search their sensors for investigative leads.

Okay.

Can you speak to the steps that the division's taken to limit access to Flock data by federal agencies?

Sure.

Um I should take a step back and kind of explain how we got here in terms of our sensor and surveillance technology.

As various technologies have been deployed over the years.

So for example, uh ShotSpotter was probably one of our first big uh surveillance or sensor technologies along with the neighborhood safety cameras.

Uh those have existed in various parts of either public safety as a whole or the division of police.

So as these technologies have rolled out and as they have frankly become more and more powerful, we have recognized the need to consolidate the management of that so that we have a lot better oversight over all the different uh uses of the technology.

Sitting here to my right is actually one of the examples of the chief's commitment to that.

Uh, this is uh Lieutenant Charlie Waldenga.

He is in our real-time support section as part of our uh real-time crime center operations.

A few years ago, his position did not exist.

We recognized the gap that we needed to fill in governance and consolidating this.

And so with the chief support, we were able to fill that.

Since that time, we have uh taken a hard look at our policies and procedures, um, tightened up, created SOPs, and then we have a a uh an SOP uh excuse me, a division directive revision that's uh in process right now.

As far as Flock specifically, um there are some filters internal to the Flock system that we implemented back in December that prohibit our Flock sensors from being used for any search that indicates that is for the purpose of immigration enforcement or for the purpose of any sort of access to reproductive care investigation.

So we opted into both of those search filters back in uh December of 207, excuse me, December of last year, and uh and that is across the Flock system.

So essentially what that means is it drops our sensors off of any search for any agencies who might be uh doing uh work related to that.

You've seen a lot of um a lot of cities in the news of specifically Dayton and Cleveland.

Um what do you what have you done you know to hopefully mitigate that not occurring here?

Yeah, so um actually before uh all the information from Dayton came to light, we were already thinking about other ways to potentially get at community concerns, particularly as it relates to federal immigration enforcement, right?

Because our badge says Columbus, right?

That's that's not really our concern.

Our concern is serving the whole of the city, uh, everybody that's here, okay.

Uh so in thinking about that, one of the areas of risk that we identified is uh 287G agencies.

287G law enforcement agencies, uh, if you're not familiar, it is uh a section of the immigration nationality act that allows local agencies to partner with uh immigration enforcement to do things like serve administrative warrants for ICE and things of that nature.

Um the Columbus Division of Police is not a 287G agency, although there are 287G agencies in Columbus and obviously across the country.

Um so we actually reached out to Flock.

I I think we're the first agency to do so, and we asked them to implement a filter on their end so that we can opt out of any 287G agency from our search because the balance we're trying to strike is that we do get a lot of investigative value for some very serious crimes with the use of uh ALPR searches, but at the same time, we want to strike a balance and make sure that our sensors that are deployed and the data that comes from is not used for purposes that are not supported by the city.

Can you tell us what you've been working on as far as the surveillance technology policy committees concerned?

Absolutely.

So again, our goal is to centralize and provide a little bit more superintendents to this effort.

Um it was, I think, in early December, uh, late last quarter uh of 2025.

I tasked uh the real-time support uh section with starting that policy process.

And we actually gave them a draft of the ACLU model legislation on this topic and said, hey, let's go ahead and draft policy that is responsive to the concerns in this model legislation, because it it's something that frankly everybody should be able to get behind in terms of transparency in terms of communication with the community, and so we want to be uh able to hit that target if council decides to legislate in that direction.

So in doing so, we've reviewed the policies of 20 or 30 agencies, a lot of which were uh also nationally accredited agencies, trying to uh bring out those best practices, um, broad strokes of what that policy is going to include.

It's gonna include a requirement for surveillance impact statements.

So any time we come to council with a request uh like the ones you're seeing today for funding for particular surveillance technology, we're also gonna come with a surveillance impact report that explains what the technology is, what exactly it does, why we need it, what gap it fills for us, how it works, uh in particular, how the data is stored, uh, how it's being deployed, is it being deployed uniformly across the city, or is it being deployed in particular areas?

If it's being deployed in particular areas, why is that?

What is our justification?

Those are all things that will be laid out in those surveillance impact reports.

They're going to be required by policy.

We're also going to take a hard look at how much it costs to make sure the cost benefit makes sense.

And then we're going to take a look at those potential impacts to privacy.

Um that is something that we as a division take seriously.

That's something that I uh personally take seriously.

My block screen on my phone says get a warrant.

Um it's something that as uh law enforcement law enforcement officers, we have to uh recognize, right?

We live in a democracy and and take that seriously.

So we're gonna take a hard look at the impact on civil liberties of these technologies we're deploying, and then if there are ways we can mitigate that, uh, then we're gonna articulate the steps to do that.

We already do a lot of this.

So, for example, our neighborhood safety cameras that have been deployed for years and years, um, we recognize the potential impact to liberty there.

We institute, for example, privacy blocks so that private residences, windows and doors and things like that that would otherwise be captured within the field of view are blocked out.

So these aren't things that are new to the division of police.

It will just be centralizing that and putting it in place that council and the public can see that.

Um do you know when we can expect the policy to become publicly available?

Sure.

So the target date that I set for the policy was June 30th.

Uh that will not happen, unfortunately.

Um we publish on uh a quarterly cycle, there are union notifications that we have to make in order to uh comply with collective bargaining agreements, and we could still technically get it done by that date, but I want to tell you this is not something that we should rush.

Um there will be discussion, there will be changes throughout what we call the concurrence process.

Um the reason that it's not gonna be done at the end of this month is uh the unit that is responsible for shepherding it through this process.

One is short staffed due to the hiring freeze.

So they've had some other things they've had to work on, and then two, we have uh we're in our reaccreditation cycle through Calia, and so they had some late breaking things.

All that said, given the public interest in this, I think we can do an off-cycle publication.

So essentially, as soon as it is ready, as soon as we have done that deliberation, we will publish it.

So certainly before the end of uh the next quarter, certainly before September 30th, but hopefully much sooner than that.

I just think it's important that we actually take a minute internally to deliberate uh on the right balance uh on a couple different things.

If we rust through that and we don't have good defensible policy, we'll just be buying a scandal on an installment plan, quite frankly.

What geographic areas um does shot spotter, you know, this or I'm sorry, sound thinking contract, what areas does this involve?

Geographic areas.

Yeah, broadly our entire deployment of uh shot spotter soundthinking's product is 12 square miles in the city of Columbus, Linden, the Near East Side, and the Hilltop to include uh the Wedgewood area.

Could you characterize um you know the usefulness of both Flock and ShotSpotter as investigative tools for improving public safety?

Absolutely.

Um and I'll characterize it in two different ways.

There is response and then there's investigation, because I think those are both important.

First, response.

Police officers are going to respond to these incidents.

And the way I like to look at it is you want officers positioned with the best information possible to make the best decisions at the time.

That's why we have stood up an interim real-time crime center that uses this technology on an ongoing basis, so that when the officers are responding to our neighbors, that they have the best, most timely, most accurate information they can.

Uh that helps us be more precise.

It helps us stop the right vehicle leaving the area of a crime rather than having to cast a wide net and stopping people that don't have anything to do with what's going on, for example.

Um patrol response perspective, we also use it quite frequently for other uh matters like tracking down high-risk missing people, um, high-risk missing adults, high-risk missing children.

Uh if they are in or around a vehicle, we have found uh flock to be a valuable tool in uh helping with that.

And then from the investigative side, uh we know from the work of groups such as the Innocence Project that while eyewitness identification is important, and we are always grateful for the tips that we receive from community members, eyewitness identification is not infallible.

And so when we are doing these investigations, it is important that we have some other objective sources of truth to cross-reference and validate what we think to be true.

Uh I would never want to send somebody uh to prison for even one day on the basis of a faulty conclusion.

And so these technologies are a key way to help us do that, to check our understanding to challenge our assumptions.

Um markedly in our ability to recover casings that are fired at the scenes of of uh incidents.

Um they help us even know that rounds have been fired because based on data that we have, only about uh a quarter of the shots fired that we know have occurred due to uh gunfire alerts are actually called in to the police.

And when they are called in uh from a citizen, you know, it's usually a pretty vague description.

It's just a hey, heard a couple shots, not really sure where.

And that makes it very difficult for us to recover casings.

Why is that important?

Well, because the casings help us develop investigative leads.

Just last year, we generated 655 investigative leads out of casings that were recovered from shot spot or gunfire alerts, uh, which are those are all instances where casings were tied to another gun-related incident.

And so as we are pulling the thread on these investigations, what it starts creating is a web of associations, and it helps us track these crime guns as they move throughout the the neighborhoods, and we and you know the goal is to, in a timely manner, figure out uh who's illegally carrying and using these weapons and get them off the street.

And so it's invaluable for that.

All right, thank you so much, Deputy Chief.

I'm gonna now um ask if my colleagues have any questions or comments about this topic.

Um yes, hi Chair.

Uh a couple things.

I mean, I I definitely I hope that we're having a public hearing soon, because I think there's lots of questions.

I mean, we could probably be here for like another hour asking questions specifically about Flock, I think.

For I mean, I think one, I want to remind people that not only do we not participate in two 87G agreements, but we made it so that CPD could not participate in them, they would have to come to council whereas that was part of our ICE package.

And so I just also want to just remind everyone that that is not something that we will participate in unless it was brought to council for us to decide to do that.

There's a couple questions that I have just around Flock.

If you could just answer them just super directly.

First of all, how long do we keep the data after we've collected it?

And then one, two, how do we decide where the flock cameras go?

And then three, you mentioned this a little bit, but I just want to give crystal clarity around.

So we have flock cameras, and while we have asked people not to participate, could they it could it be possible for someone to do a search within the system, even if they're not explicitly saying people are people and people use different tactics to do whatever?

Yes.

So let me try to hit those uh I'll answer your last one first.

Okay.

Uh yes, that can happen, right?

Um the flaw in most systems is the human.

And uh so as we are thinking about how we're gonna control this, we have to think about those adversarial usage.

So one balance that we think will be very helpful and workable is if we can implement uh on the flock end itself a 287G filter, because that will at least help us exclude any agency, because that's required to be published.

That is that's publicly available from DHS.

That will allow us to say, hey, we we we're opting out of uh those shenanigans that will allow us to uh exclude that from our sensors, which yeah, there's still the possibility that some other agency, some other user somewhere else.

We have to acknowledge that, um, which is why it's important to still have a robust audit program that's looking for suspicious use or or things that are sort of out of scope.

But we think that at least removing the agencies that have you know statutory backing, statutory authorization to participate in those operations will get us you know at least a 95% solution to that concern.

And then can you where do we decide the flock cameras go?

So the flock uh ALPRs that we have now were deployed on the basis of some violent crime induction grants, and so they were co-located with the other sensor technology that we already have, like ShotSpotter, like our neighborhood safety cameras.

So again, broadly in those same areas where we have shot spotter, we also have the deployments of our flock automated license plate readers.

I also just because Flock has a lot of different offerings, I should make clear what we use are their automated license plate reader cameras.

So these are not um live cameras, they are designed for one purpose and one purpose alone, and that is to capture the license plate and type of a vehicle.

They're not designed to capture people, they certainly can.

That is not their purpose, however, it is uh is designed to just capture the vehicle and and anything that's unique about the vehicle.

Um, to your first question about data retention, uh the images and the license plate reads.

The that is the flock data that I'm talking about.

That is only retained for 30 days unless during the course of investigation from, for example, the real-time crime center or from a detective, if they identify a particular uh flock hit, we call it as pertinent to a criminal investigation, then they will retain it pursuant to our evidence retention policies in our evidentiary system of record, but it still then gets purged administratively from the flock system at the end of the 30 days.

So, in other words, if we're gonna use it for an investigative purpose, we have 30 days to find it in the flock system.

Otherwise, we will we will never find it in that system.

Now, the audit logs we do retain um for audit purposes, that's also in the flock system going back years at this point.

So I will say, and this is why I think a public hearing where we can really give it its due and dig in and and be able to have back and forth.

I know that today specifically we're talking about shot spotter, which I've had continued conversations with the community about and feel at least marginally more comfortable with how we use that.

Flock still makes me feel uncomfortable.

I think that while we put in protections, I think to the to what you just stated before, I think that we are dealing with, especially when you talk about a federal immigration enforcement agency that does not follow a specific code of ethics, nor has regulations around them.

And so I think I just have to then ask myself how we protecting people.

And so I think this is why a conversation around how we use these sorts of technologies.

I understand that there's a double-edged sword, but I think for me, I'm still not comfortable that you know the the return on investment that we are making is not putting people in danger, right?

And so I think that's why having a hearing where we can really have a conversation and being ensuring that it's on an evening that you know folks can come in and they can participate and we can have a back and forth with folks in the community around what they see and what they want, because inevitably it affects all of us.

So thank you for, I know we've had conversations, continue conversations.

I look forward to making those conversations public so the community can also participate so that we can make a more informed decision about how we continue to use pieces and parts of this technology.

And that's the intent, right?

I mean, but didn't think we could let this go without having this conversation first.

So President Pro Tim Dorn.

Yeah, deep chief.

So um one, thanks for being here and provide this information.

I think a question that I have for a shot spotter is that you you alluded to this earlier.

Um, you know, with regard to sort of the city itself being in a difficult financial position right now, you refer to the hiring freeze and being understaffed.

Yeah, this is not an insignificant amount of investment in a piece of technology.

Um I guess the question I have one is just as we get into more of these things, just is it worth the investment from an effectiveness standpoint?

So one just wanted to ask the question sort of out loud, you know, both from your opinion and you know, uh obviously you mentioned earlier there are times in which this is a tool in which we learn about shots being fired that we wouldn't otherwise.

But also there are times in which that technology you know does not really provide us with the information that then becomes actionable.

So can you walk us through you know, and again, I don't know if you have the numbers in front of you, but how often um do we respond to a shot spotter alert, and how often when we do respond, that there is in fact an incident that has occurred that requires some level of investigation.

Yeah, uh thank you for the questions, uh Council uh Pro Tem Dorns.

Um there's a lot to unpack there.

I guess I'll start by saying that on a per alert basis, it costs about 220 per shot spotter gunfire alert.

Now, here's the problem with that stat.

The better we do at reducing instances of gunfire in the shot spotter alert areas, the more that that number goes up, right?

So it looks like it's more expensive per incident.

Um by way of example, when we started with the shot spotter deployments, looking at we we did like a four-year retrospective.

Um, we were at about 20,000 rounds that were fired in calendar year 2022 that were detected in uh the shot spotter system.

That is down as of last year to under 10,000, uh 9.5,000 uh shots fired.

So um I think you know, obviously, I'm not gonna claim that any one piece of technology or even just the division of police is responsible for uh that drop.

I think the whole community has a part to play in that.

But I also can't sit here and say that these technologies have not proven incredibly useful in that.

Um to the question of how often do we show up and and something has happened.

Well, it is incredibly rare that uh as far as you know, we can tell that when ShotSpotter alerts us of gunfire, the gunfire didn't take place.

If ShotSpotter is telling us that shots have been fired, shots have almost assuredly been fired.

The question is whether anyone was struck, whether anyone else called about it, um, whether we find casings.

And so uh there is you know certainly a diminishing funnel there when it comes to that.

Um by way of example, in 2024, um, which we did a full um deep dive a couple years ago on this.

2024, we had uh 3,700 gunfire alerts that year.

There were just shy of a thousand incident reports involving those alerts.

Uh and there were about 881 casings that were recovered from there.

We can also identify uh for that year 384 victims, including almost 150 felony assault victims and nine homicide victims, where we can definitively say that shot spotter contributed.

And again, uh as I recall when we put this together, we were being a little conservative there.

Um we didn't want to give credit where it wasn't due.

So if I'm interpreting your answers right, I mean, you would argue that you know this 661,000 is is worth it for again, considering that you know, when we think about um you know additional overtime, um, you know, cost of the cities incurring right now, um, as compared to what our what our city budgets look like, that you know, as compared to spending this these dollars in another way in public safety, yeah, whether or not that's overtime for officers, whether or not that that's other things, in your opinion that this is the best way to spend this money.

So the division is always looking for more ways to stretch the dollar.

So if there is other technology out there that fills the gap for uh a lesser price point, we would certainly be open to that.

Um that said, you know, in the budgetary environment that we're in, we think about it in terms of what multiplies the uh the effectiveness of the officer on the street.

Because 90% of our budget, which as you all know is substantial uh part of the city's general fund uh budget, about 90% of it is for personnel.

So that only leaves 10% for these supplies and services, uh, including ShotSpotter.

And so when we're looking to squeeze and make every dollar count, we have to look at yes, these are expensive technologies, but do they make the very expensive people uh more effective in what they're doing?

Um the reality is the division of police has only netted uh about 46 officers from 2006 to now.

Uh in terms of when you look at all the people that we've hired, all the people that have retired, uh resigned, uh been terminated, et cetera.

We've netted about 46.

And in that time, obviously the city has grown uh immensely.

Um we're very proud of what we've done, and again, we are always looking at ways to uh do more for the citizens and to uh and to be more efficient, but this is one of those ways because if you can't have a police officer everywhere at all times, you can at least let the officers that you do have know where a problem is and get them there in a timely manner and allow them to be more effective when they get there.

Thank you.

Thank you, President Protoum.

Uh, Councilmember Green.

Thank you so much.

Um Deputy Chief, as it relates to shot spot spotter before I go to the flock questions that I had.

Um, so with the reductions in violence that we've seen, you noted that's like a really impressive figure, by the way.

So congratulations to the division and to all the folks that have been working so hard to reduce violent crime in our community to see that reduction from the 22,000 to the 10,000 um shots fired.

Um so recognizing the budget constraints that we're um under to President Pro Tem's point as we're seeing continued reduction in violence.

Is there any thought given to future years, you know, at some point of scaling down some of these technologies once we have sort of like if if we see this trend continue at a minimum?

Yeah, that's a tricky one because you know, if I've got my umbrella out, I'm presently dry.

And if I put it away, you know, um it might have stopped raining or it might not.

So I think that's why it's important to have a good sense of what direction we're heading um with the data.

And uh, but to your point, I think we should always be evaluating whether the the bang for the buck is is still there.

Yeah um and uh you know, if there are other technologies that fill that gap, or if uh the need is is uh can be supplanted by another method of doing things, I think we have to be open that for sure.

Um as to shot spotter, I mean at this point it's a it's a sunk cost in that we have we've done the the difficult work of uh permitting and an installation and deployment.

Um so at least through the life of these contracts, um, we would recommend sustaining them.

But I mean the the chief is always open to new ways of doing things, particularly if it could be done uh while saving some taxpayer dollars.

I think that's something that I think about too when we have conversations about alternate crisis response, right?

Which is like not the idea of replacing or supplanting officers, but as we find you know better types of intervention, right?

It doesn't make sense to like keep investing in the same way and something that you know we might have a better alternative for.

Um so it's not like a this or a that, it's just sort of a little bit of evolution.

So you had mentioned the um uh the 287G uh request that we made to Flock.

Did Flock respond to that request?

Did they confirm that we have the ability to do that?

And when was that request made to them?

Uh I don't recall the specific date.

It was probably over a month ago now.

Uh I checked in uh a week or two ago, and uh they didn't have an update for me, but in the initial meeting, which uh was you know, with some pretty high up folks within the organization uh and some very high up folks in our organization, uh they responded positively to it.

They thought it was a good idea because again, we're not the only agency in the country trying to strike this balance and trying to respond to community concerns.

But I do think we were the first agency to approach them about this, and so um if they're able to implement it, which from a technical perspective, um it doesn't seem that difficult to do.

So we're hoping that we'll be able to hear something recently.

So that is not implemented yet, and we're not quite sure.

We feel optimistic about it.

How long does an update like that take um to change and add those filter set settings in the interim, I guess?

Well, I can tell you just as an end user, what I've seen from Flock just this year, there have been a number of changes that they've rolled out in pretty rapid succession that track pretty closely to the ongoing public conversation across the country.

And so it seems like they are continuing to make these moves.

Um if we get a no from them or if we get a yes, it's on the shelf, but don't expect it anytime soon, then obviously we're gonna have to reevaluate how we strike the right balance.

But uh right now, I think uh I have no reason to believe that they're not pursuing it diligently.

Um and so, and just to clarify too, I think you're you can uh council member Barossa de Petilla asked about this a little bit, but so as it stands right now, even though we have those ICE filters, essentially, anybody can put any purpose that they want to, what sort uh for why they're accessing it.

So they don't have to write immigration enforcement, they could just write wanted person, and then that would bypass those filters.

Um there are currently no federal laws that you are aware of or um or requirements that would hold them accountable if they were misusing this for the purposes of immigration.

Uh so yes, it it would be a violation of the flock terms of service to use it for a non-criminal justice purpose or to use it for uh some uh some reason that you know um isn't the truth, right?

Um, but from our perspective as another participating user, um, it would probably be difficult to assess that.

As far as uh federal laws, I'm not aware of any federal criminal statute.

I imagine that if you pulled on the federal fiscal law thread long enough, you would probably find that um it's an impermissible use uh for a federal agency to co-opt local law enforcement um where Congress has an appropriated funds for that use, like potentially, um, but I'm not aware of any other constraint on their end.

Um I have a question for the city attorney's office related to this.

Um February 3rd of 2017, Mayor Ginther signed an executive order where he stated in it that um that no city department or employee may use city monies equipment or personnel for the sole purpose of detecting or apprehending persons based on the suspected immigration status, unless in response to a court or their order um further uh in furtherance of this policy, no city officer employee shall request information or otherwise investigate or assist in the investigations.

Again, just a reminder, they used city money's equipment or personnel also as a way of assisting investigations.

Um to assist in investigations of a person's immigration status, unless a warrant exists, a criminal violation was reported or an arrest was made, the executive actor uh the executive order goes on to read, it shall be the policy of the city of Columbus to vigorously oppose any effort to require the use of taxpayer resources, such as these flock cameras for the enforcement of federal immigration policy.

Um if it if we learn um that these flock cameras have um or have the ability to be, which it sounds like they do, it sounds like they do.

It sounds like even if we put this to uh 87G uh filter on it, that people are still very people and they can still access these systems um and misuse them as we've seen around the state, around the country.

If that is the case, then would the use of these technologies constitute a violation of this executive order that was passed on the third of February of 2017?

Council President, uh Councilmember Green.

I'm not really prepared to answer that specific question tonight.

There are too many other potential questions that have to be answered before I can get to that hypothetical.

Starting with is this even taxpayer money?

Is this a private grant?

Because as you said, the the executive order talks about the use of taxpayer resources.

So if it's not taxpayer resources, the executive order arguably would not be implemented.

Are we using it or is somebody else using it?

Do we have specific knowledge?

Do we have reason to believe?

So these are all issues that would affect the answer that I could give you.

It's just right now too hypothetical to be able to tell you yes.

If a flock camera, the city of Columbus were accessed improperly based on everything we've heard from the deputy chief.

If it was improperly accessed, does that mean somebody here has violated the executive order?

Probably not, because we it sound and again, uh, this is not something that I have dug deeply into.

I'm just giving you first impressions.

But from what I have heard, it sounds like we are doing everything that we possibly can reasonably to make sure that third parties don't have access for improper purposes under what we have determined is a proper use.

Got it.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, if you could look into that a little bit more, and then um maybe that could be something we could discuss in the hearing.

I I'm just I'm just gonna say this.

I know I'm supposed to come up here and ask questions, but I'm I've had a day today.

I'm not really um into the spirit of asking for formative questions, I guess I'll say.

Um I have concerns uh and I'm deeply troubled at what we're seeing around the United States right now.

And I want to preface this statement by saying that uh my baby brother is a police officer, and I am 100% on board with ensuring that our officers that go out there every single day and put their lives on the line to keep our residents safe, have access to every single tool in the toolbox that is available to them to solve crimes faster and keep people safer.

Um but these technologies have no regulation.

You know, I come from a behavioral health background.

In behavioral health care, we have HIPAA rules that ensure that every single person in the United States is operating and protecting people's privacy.

And then for me within an agency, even I can't access someone else's data, and I feel very confident and comfortable with the way that the division has has been handling their own internal policy making and ensuring that we are using these technologies for um investigative purposes and that there is um real stringent requirements.

But we have we it is well documented that we have bad actors out there that are that are using every tool that they can get their hands on to target individuals and violate their due process under the law, and it's unacceptable, you know, we cannot continue moving forward with a technology that yes, does help us solve crimes, um, while at the same time it could be used to commit others.

Um and I think that we have many examples of where this shot spotter or not shot spotter, of where flock cameras have have worked really well and have been really beneficial in helping us get justice for families and closure for people who have been um victims of crime, um, but uh I think it's also working well for other people who don't have good the good intentions that we do here in our community, and I and I just feel very strongly that we cannot afford to wait for a thorough investigation.

You know, every day that we are waiting is another day that somebody could be taken away from their family unjustly.

Um so while I'm uh you know, I'm all in favor of us holding this hearing and doing this investigation, um, but I just I feel like there's too many questions for us to continue using this right now, especially in the context of what we're seeing around the United States.

Thank you, Councilmember, Councilmember Ross.

Just a quick question around shot spotters specifically.

Um I feel like the first iterations of SHATSPOR, there were communities asking for shot spotters to be in specific neighborhoods, is that correct?

Yes.

Is that still the same process that you take, or is it a different process for determining where Shot Spotter is in the community?

Well, we have not deployed any new shot spotter areas from those initial deployments.

Okay, um, the contract under consideration is just re-upping what is already there.

So each shot spotter deployment right now has been in response to a community request for shot spotter in those areas.

Coupled with the violent crime statistics, specifically homicides, um felony assaults involving firearms and shot spotters.

So just to clarify, if if I'm living in a neighborhood whereby the data doesn't somehow correlate with the request for shot spotter, meaning that they're not it's not a hot spot for violent crime, then they would not have been deployed in that area.

No.

Okay.

That's it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Council President.

No, thank you, Mr.

Chair, and reminder that this is not a public hearing, and I know that we've used it uh this meeting as such, but I do think that this conversation between balancing uh privacy and safety is the most evergreen and necessary conversation that a democracy will ever have.

Uh and so I don't I don't think we should apologize for slowing down to have that conversation because the only two conversate questions that I had specific to Flock was because uh one, I appreciate the chair's uh leadership in uh and council's insistence on uh uh having a hearing, asking the chief, and and I appreciate her leadership in having the audit of how this is how we are using this uh technology, but also how it may be used by others.

Um that is a wholly necessary and important conversation to have and have answers to.

My question is, and I think it was a little alluded to was we started that audit before there were very some really disturbing uses uh figured out uh that were happening in Dayton, Ohio, just down the street in Cleveland.

Could you specifically say what we what Dayton and Cleveland found about the usage of their flock technology?

Sorry, after saying that after being very similar to us, that of course we are not using it this way, but what did Dayton find?

And my follow-up question to that just to to give you the the next question is and then how have we changed what we are searching and auditing to see like what are we going expecting to find, knowing what Dayton found two weeks ago?

Right, yeah.

So I'm uh probably more prepared to talk about Dayton than Cleveland.

Uh just because the day after that broke, I got in contact with the the new major that's in charge of Dayton's support uh services area um who is you know kind of spotted the issue for them and is is trying to remedy it uh just to see exactly that.

What did they find?

And essentially what it boiled down to is um they found particularly over last summer, there were federal agencies.

So for example, for a while, um US uh Border Patrol had its own instance of Flock.

So they were a federal agency inside of Flock.

I do not believe they are any longer.

Um same thing with uh Homeland Security Investigations, which is a uh it's a sub-organization within the Department of Homeland Security, they also had their own instance of Flock during that time period.

And so what they found uh were a couple different things.

One, those agencies were searching across their sensors.

Um although let me be very clear about that.

What that means is just that the search that say Border Patrol or or whoever else did searched among probably thousands and thousands of sensors, the ones for that agency.

Um when that happens, that's that's why it appears on an audit log.

So it's not necessarily the case that those searches that you know were specific to that jurisdiction.

Uh so you know, today if somebody in Texas does a nationwide network search in the Flock system, that search will appear in our audit log because among the many, many sources of data that it's querying, it would query uh our deployment of Flock as well.

So they found that, and then they did find instances where when they scrutinized the reason for the search, there were uh instances where people put in immigration and and things of that nature.

Um that component of it uh would not happen in Columbus today because as of December, we implemented those internal filters.

And so uh if we spotted, you know, somebody putting immigration as the reason for the search, um, that would be a failure of that filter.

Haven't seen that yet, uh, but open to the possibility.

Well, thank you again.

And and why this is is important to even folks who maybe are not as concerned about how ICE is using it, but we've seen in like we say in Texas where folks were using this to search women's reproductive rights uh uh information.

So again, um apologize that we had a baby public hearing in the middle of uh a council meeting, but do not apologize for a deep conversation around privacy and safety and and and that this is council's legislative role is oversight and safety of of our residents.

And so we look forward to that hearing.

So it sounds like we'll be here for a lot longer, but uh uh but thank you so much for your leadership.

Thank you, Council President.

So before we move forward on ordinance 1225-26, I want to make it clear to everyone listening that this council has heard their concerns raised by residents and advocates, and we share this those concerns.

So technology has to be matched by responsible oversight, clear policies, transparency, and accountability.

That is what this council owes to the residents of Columbus, and that is the standard I intend to continue pushing for as chair of public safety and criminal justice.

With that, I am gonna read the ordinance.

It's 1225, 2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into contract with Sound Thinking, formerly shot spottering for the use of gun a gunfire detection alert and analysis program to authorize reimbursement of expenses prior to the creation of the purchase order to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code to authorize the expenditure of $661,500 from the general fund and to declare an emergency.

A bid waiver is requested due to an established relationship and existing technology in place that interface with police equipment.

Emergency action is requested to provide immediate continuity to the gunfire detection program.

Although the previous conversations mostly focused on Flock, I understand that this technology has been of interest to my colleagues, and that's why we had that conversation tonight.

I um I believe there are much fewer conversations about this particular technology, and I'm prepared to vote yes.

So if there's no more questions or comments from my colleagues, I move for passage by voice.

Clerk, please call the row by voice.

Bangston.

Yes.

Barossa de Padilla.

De Acar.

Dorrance.

Yes.

Green?

Yes.

Remy?

Yes.

Ross, yes.

Weish?

Yes.

President Harden.

Yes, ordinance is passed.

Thank you very much.

Um next is 1220, or excuse me, 1255, 2026 to authorize the director of public safety to enter into a three-year contract with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office for the purpose of collection of DNA and fingerprints as a required under section 109.60 of the Ohio revised code and to declare an emergency.

Emergency action is needed to continue vital fingerprint DNA services to ensure compliance with the RISE code and to assist in the investigation and adjudication of serious crimes.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy Ross White, President Pro Tim Dorans, or dispatched.

Next is 1257, 2026 to authorize and direct the director of the pub of public safety to enter into a one-year contract for helicopter maintenance through with thoroughbred aviation maintenance in for the division of police to authorize the expenditure of 1,473, 206 from the general fund and to declare an emergency.

This contract is for the repair and maintenance of the city's helicopter fleet in order to keep the aircraft up to aviation standards.

An emergency is needed to ensure the helicopter fleet maintains operational readiness.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bangston, Barossa de Padilla, Day Akira Green, remeat Ross Weiss, President Pro Tim Dorrance.

Ordinance passed.

Next is 1435, 2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into contract with a deme I should have pronounced DMI identity and security, USALLC to continue payments for the upgraded automated fingerprint identification system for the division of police in accordance with the sole source provisions of the Columbus City Code to authorize the expenditure of 1,75,767 from the general fund and to declare an emergency.

This ordinance authorized the final year of payments to idemia for the Columbus Division of Police upgraded automated fingerprint identification system, which supports fingerprint identification investigative work.

Half of the cost will be reimbursed by the Frank by Franklin County.

Emergency action is necessary to continue operation of a system that is critical to public safety's work.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk Clerk, please call the roll.

Thanks, Tim, Barossa De Padilla, De Aka Re Green, Remy, Ross Weiss, President Pro Tim Dorran's ordinance passed.

Next is 1435, 2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into contract with Motorol Motorola solutions doing business as vigilant solutions for the purchase of commercial licensed subscriptions for the investigative data platform to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code to authorize an expenditure of 103,990 from the general fund and to declare an emergency.

A bid waiver is requested because the city uses this software already, and peer agencies use similar Motorola licenses.

And because that overlap between agencies allows Columbus Police to share information as crime crosses between multiple jurisdictions.

Emergency action is needed so the police can continue sensitive urgent investigations using this tool.

Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk please call the roll.

Bankston, Barosa De Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy Ross Weitch, President Pro Tim Dorrans.

Or is passed.

Thank you very much.

That's all we have tonight.

The next committee to come before council is the housing homelessness and building committee chaired by Councilmember Ross.

Council Ross, the floor is yours.

Thank you, President Pro Tim Dorrans.

And I have a Wapping One ordinance from the Housing Homelessness and Building Committee.

Good thing.

It is ordinance number 1356-2026 to authorize the director of development to enter into a grant agreement with Columbus Franklin County Finance Authority in an amount up to $5 million, who will act as a pass-through entity with Barthesman Family Homes LLC in support of the development of 150 units of new affordable apartment homes with the Barthman Family Homes Project to authorize the appropriation of funds within the income set aside subfund and the affordable housing bond fund to authorize the transfer of cash between the income tax set aside subfund and the affordable housing bond fund to authorize the expenditure and an amount of up to five million dollars within the affordable housing bond fund to authorize the reimbursement of expenditures incurred prior to the establishment of a purchase order January 1st, 2024, and to declare an emergency.

The Barthesman Family Homes will consist of 150 affordable apartment home projects units that range from one bedroom to four bedroom apartment units.

These homes will serve individuals and families earning 60% of the area meeting income.

Residents will benefit from amenities such as the fitness center, business center, playground, and package conciers, along with convenient access to public transit on South High Street, connecting them to groceries, health care, schools, parks, and more.

If there are no comments or questions from my colleagues, I will move for passage.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Barossa Day Badia, De A Cower Green, Remy Ross Weich, President Pro Tim Dorns.

Ordinance passed.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Next committee come for councils, the public utilities and sustainability committee in closing us out tonight.

Bringing us home will be Councilmember Weich.

Always doing the hard work at the end here.

First, I have 813-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Public Utilities to modify and increase the contract with BBCO design LLC for the space planning study project to appropriate funds in the Department of Development Operating Fund to authorize an expenditure of up to 754,633 from the Sanitary Operating Fund and the Department of Development Operating Fund to pay for the contract modification.

I move to refer this ordinance to Housing Homelessness and Building Committee.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Barossa De Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy Ross Weiss, President Pro Tim Dorns, referred to community.

Thank you.

Next I have 948-26 to authorize the director of the Department of Public Utilities to enter into a contract for general engineering services with DLZ Ohio Incorporated and with Evans Meckwart Hambleton Tilton Incorporated to authorize an amendment to the 2025 capital improvement budget to authorize a transfer of cash and appropriation between projects within the water bond fund to authorize an expenditure of up to a million dollars from the water bond fund for the contract and to declare an emergency.

This contract will provide general engineering services to the division of water, enabling it to perform miscellaneous engineering tasks on an as needed basis.

Emergency designation is requested as some outstanding tasks are waiting to be assigned to this contract in order to ensure continued uninterrupted water supply for residents.

I'm gonna stop there, see if any questions are comments from my colleagues.

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Okay.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bangston, Barossa De Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy Ross Weich, President Pro Tim Dorns.

Ordinance passed.

Thank you.

Next I have 1184-2026 to authorize the director of public utilities to modify and increase a professional injury engineering services contract with Phil International for the Professional Construction Management Services 2020 contract to authorize an amendment to the 2025 capital improvement budget to authorize the appropriation of funds within the water fresh water market rate program fund to transfer cash and appropriation between projects within the water bond fund to authorize the director of public utilities to apply for Ohio Water Development Authority freshwater loans and to execute any documents necessary needed to accept the loans to make this ordinance contingent upon the upon the Ohio Water Development Authority approving the loans and to authorize an expenditure of up to four million two hundred and fifty thousand two hundred dollars from the water bond fund and the water fresh market rate program fund to pay for the contract modification.

This contract assists the city with managing overseeing numerous capital improvement projects.

These projects maintain and upgrade treatment facilities to provide a safe reliable water supply to central Ohio area.

Let me stop there.

See if any questions or comments from my colleagues.

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Okay.

Clerk Please call the roll.

Bankston Barossa de Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy Ross Weich, President Pro Tim Dorans.

Ordinance passed.

Thank you.

Next I have 1320-2026 to authorize the director of public utilities to apply for, accept, and enter into up to 28 water supply revolving account loan agreements with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority during the program year 2027 for the design and or construction of water distribution and supply system improvements and to designate a repayment source for the loans.

The water supply revolving loan account program provides below market interest rate loans for municipal water system improvements.

These loans will fund up to 28 water system improvement projects throughout the city and will be paid off with water service fees.

I'm gonna stop there, see if any questions or comments from my colleagues.

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Okay.

Clerk please call the roll.

Bankston Barossa de Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy, Ross Weissh, President, Pro Tim Dorns.

Ordinance passed.

Thank you.

Next I have ordinance 1328-2026 to authorize the director of public utilities to enter into a construction contract with the writer company incorporated for the Wilson Bridge Booster Station Improvements Project to authorize an amendment to the 2025 capital improvement budget to appropriate funds within the water fresh water market rate fund to make this ordinance contingent upon the Ohio Water Development Authority approving a loan for this project to make to authorize the expenditure of up to $1,285,050 from the Water Fresh Water Market Rate Fund to pay for the project and to authorize the expenditure of up to $2,000 from the water bond fund to pay for prevailing wage services.

This project will replace agent pumps and valves inside a booster station within the water distribution system.

This work will extend the life of the booster station and prepare for future demand in the area.

Let me stop there, see if any questions are comments from my colleagues.

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk please call the roll.

Bankston Barossa de Padilla, De Akira Green, Ring Me, Ross Weich, President Pro Tim Dorans.

Ordinance passed.

Thank you.

And last I have 1332-2026 to authorize the Director of Columbus Water and Power to modify service contracts with Abex Limited Davy Resource Group 4K Landscaping LLC and Watershed Organic Lawn Care LLC and to authorize the expenditure total of $2 million,496.76, $2 million from the storm sewer operating fund and $149,496.76 from the water operating fund and to declare an emergency.

This ordinance provides for the inspection and maintenance of rain gardens and watersheds.

This work is critical to ensure that they remove treat stormwater, thus mitigating street flooding and improving drainage throughout the city.

Emergency designation is requested as ideal to get ahead on green infrastructure maintenance prior to the summer growth.

Let me stop there, see if any questions are comments from my colleagues.

Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Barossa de Padilla, De Akira, Green, Remy, Ross, Whitech, President, Pro Tim Dorrans.

Ordinance passed.

That is all I have for my committee to say.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Um seeing no further business come for counselors and motion to adjourn.

Clerk please call the roll.

Bankston, Barosa De Padilla, De Akira Green, Remy Ross, Whitech, President Pro Tim Dorans.

Thank you.

We are adjourned.

We do have