Columbus City Council Meeting - October 27, 2026

Columbus City Council met on October 27, 2026. The meeting began with the national anthem, pledge, and prayer by Aaron Mackey of New Birth Ministries. Council handled routine journal and agenda approvals, recognized youth STEM and public-safety programs, approved financial guardrails for the income tax set-aside fund, adopted emergency retention-pond safety rules, revived the Transportation and Pedestrian Commission, and cleared zoning, technology, parks, and utility items.

Announcements

• Councilmember Barroso de Padilla recognized Epic Youth and the Girls World STEM Summit, a four-year partnership tied to the International Day of the Girl. Erin Hathaway, executive director of Epic Youth, said 250 girls were served this year; 168 reported discovering a new STEM career, and 80% of surveyed girls recognized they had creativity and problem-solving skills for real-world challenges. She cited the national statistic that women represent just 36% of the STEM workforce. Students from Columbus City Prep School for Girls and the Epic Youth Leadership Academy described gaining confidence, teamwork, leadership skills, and experience making an advertisement and meeting new people.
• Councilmember Day-Achauer announced a Thursday Catalyst Summit bringing together 230 people from youth-programming organizations, and a planned honor for junior ROTC director Edward DeDuces.
• Councilmember Barroso de Padilla announced the next Zone In phase-two public hearing for Thursday at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers, focused on public feedback from a six-day comment period; testimony requests go to Kevin McCain.
• Councilmember Remy reported that South Side Public Safety Week connected residents with over $30,000 in safety supplies, including 250 fire extinguishers, 300 smoke detectors, 500 Birdie personal safety alarms, 500 locks, and 150 fire blankets. He also announced the 2026 Liquor Objections hearing on Thursday, November 5, at 3 p.m.; public-comment requests go to Pedro Mejia by noon that day.
• Councilmember Ross announced the third annual C Brilliance STEAM Coalition brunch on Saturday, November 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Briggs Studio East, 1640 Oak Street in District 7.
• Councilmember Wyche encouraged residents to vote, noting poll hours of 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and directing residents to the Franklin County Board of Elections website for polling locations.

Consent Calendar

• Council approved the journal, received communications, approved the agenda, waived the reading of titles, and approved the consent agenda without public speakers. The consent agenda included routine ordinances and resolutions and appointment A0149-2026.
• Ordinance 2839-2026 was removed from consent and later approved as amended. It authorizes an advanced-payment grant to Help and Hope Community Center for a six-month youth empowerment initiative serving marginalized youth and young adults ages 14 to 21 through mentorship, leadership training, conflict resolution, financial literacy, and career readiness; Councilmember Remy said the total was $30,000 with support from Councilmember Wyche.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Stevie Pasamonte, board chair of Transit Columbus, spoke in support of reinstating the Transportation and Pedestrian Commission with Council's code edits. Pasamonte cited safety concerns for pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, wheelchair users, and drivers, and said no one should have to work twice as hard to live just because they do not drive.
• Sophia Fifner, president and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club, supported the CMC Next grant. She said CMC has operated for 50 years, has over 1,700 members, holds nearly 50 forums each year, and connects with nearly 12,000 individuals online and in person. She described CMC as a trusted, nonpartisan space for civic dialogue and said the grant would expand digital platforms and access.
• An unnamed organization submitted written testimony expecting that the income tax set-aside legislation could lead to funding cuts for its programs; administration officials said no specific cuts to organizations had been finalized.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 2954-2026, income tax set-aside fund guardrails: Council President Harden explained that Columbus deposits 25 cents of every income-tax dollar into the income tax set-aside fund for debt service and capital needs, and that using the fund for operating expenses risks the city's AAA credit rating. The ordinance categorizes inappropriate expenses and requires the city to spend 10% less on them each year, with the goal of eliminating inappropriate uses by 2037. Director Erickson said ratings agencies have warned against the practice, that about $50 million in direct, non-capital-like expenses is expected from the fund in 2026, and that amendments add allowable categories such as light-duty vehicles, normal-course advances, and pay-as-you-go capital; shift expense categorization to finance with auditor oversight; clarify the cap; and create an auditor 'break glass' authority for financial necessity, still subject to Council appropriation. The cap was changed to reduce the all-other category by 10% per year over 10 years, rather than 90% of prior-year expenses. Officials estimated the change would remove about $5 million from programmatic operating expenses, equal to about four-tenths of one percent of the general-fund budget, or about half that for the all-funds budget. The city auditor supported the ordinance as responsible fiscal stewardship and warned that a downgrade would affect component units such as River South and the region; she said the city's outlook is stable but an upgrade back to AAA would be remote. Finance Director Long raised concerns that 'financial necessity' is undefined, that limiting flexibility could hamstring the city, and that $5 million matters to employees and community partners; he said no specific cuts had been finalized and that a roughly $21 million surplus includes $10 million of set-aside use and rolls into the 2027 budget. Councilmember Ross objected to framing human-services or vulnerable-neighbor programs as the place to absorb cuts, calling that unacceptable. Council President Harden said Council decides where cuts are made and called the question. The ordinance was amended and passed; no dissent was recorded in the roll calls.
• Ordinance 3052-2026, retention-pond safety: The ordinance amends city code to require a buffer zone of at least 15 feet from the edge of retention ponds at multifamily residential properties, bars mowing or cutting vegetation in that buffer, and requires written standalone safety notices plus posting in common areas. If the city declares a nuisance, notices must state the reason. The measure followed an October 22 public hearing that reviewed 2024 pond regulations and child-drowning data. Councilmember Dorans said the rules are emergency measures and that he intends additional legislation by the end of the year requiring barriers around ponds. The ordinance passed.
• Transportation and Pedestrian Commission: Councilmember Barroso de Padilla sponsored code changes to revive the commission, which has not been seated since 2015. The ordinance requires at least quarterly meetings, clarifies professional and advocacy perspectives on the commission, updates appointment terms, removes outdated language, requires staff support from the Department of Public Services mobility and parking services, and ensures commission review of the complete-streets policy. It passed.

Key Outcomes

• The income tax set-aside ordinance 2954-2026 was amended and passed, imposing a 10-year, 10%-per-year reduction on nonqualifying expenses with an auditor financial-necessity waiver.
• Emergency retention-pond rules under ordinance 3052-2026 passed, with Council indicating further barrier requirements will be considered by the end of the year.
• The Transportation and Pedestrian Commission was reinstated by ordinance and is to be reseated with quarterly meetings and staff support.
• The consent agenda passed, and ordinance 2839-2026 passed as amended for a $30,000 Help and Hope youth empowerment grant.
• Council approved technology and finance items including a three-year Dell Microsoft enterprise licensing agreement for $3,932,230.79, Dell Microsoft unified support services for $498,222.49, an IReport Source support and hosting contract, and the sale of a 2011 Vactor truck to SWACO for $20,000.
• Council approved a CMC Next grant agreement for the Columbus Metropolitan Club to expand civic engagement and public dialogue.
• Council approved public-service and transportation items including a $300,000 CHA Consulting contract for the Kimberley Parkway North at Kimberley Parkway East intersection project, which is planned to include a roundabout, shared-use paths, sidewalks, lighting, and street trees; the project was described as having a 58% injury rate and a $2.1 million ODOT grant, with design around 2027 and construction around 2029. Council also approved up to $180,000 for COSI transportation and mobility consulting and up to $150,000 for traffic management and control commodities.
• In zoning, Council referred 1696 North Hague Avenue and a related variance back to committee at the applicant's request; approved a council variance for a Type A child care home at 100 Landers Avenue with reduced parking; and approved a temporary laydown yard at 4480 Groves Road. No public speakers signed up for zoning.
• Council approved additional funding for the Marion Franklin Pool Replacement Project, with cited costs of $740,000 for redesign and construction of a self-drainage and filtration system, $224,000 for delay, and $40,000 for legal counsel; the new completion date is May 28, 2027, and the department aims to recoup the $224,000 from the contractor.
• Council approved public-utilities items including $1,322,800 for Brown and Caldwell sludge-line improvements, $1,394,071 for Ascension Construction Solutions at the Jackson Pike Water Reclamation Plant, $4,650,000 for water-treatment chemicals, $4,595,036.43 for Black and Beach on the Lower Olentangy Tunnel Phase 2, $85,000.66 for a laboratory gas chromatography instrument, a hydrant and hydrant-parts contract, and supplemental appropriations and object-class transfers for storm sewer, electricity, water, and sanitary sewer operating funds.
• The meeting adjourned after the final roll call.