Gahanna City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Summary - November 18, 2025
Gahanna City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Summary - November 18, 2025
On November 18, 2025, at 7:20 PM, the Gahanna City Council met for a Committee of the Whole meeting in City Hall Council Chambers, chaired by Vice President Trenton Weaver. All seven council members were present. The meeting reviewed several items including a development agreement for the Creekside District, electric vehicle charging station fee updates, utility rate adjustments, pedestrian bridge deck replacement, a fiber optic easement, a class action settlement, and scheduling of the January 2026 organizational meeting. No public comments were heard.
Items from Economic Development
- ORD-0042-2025 (Development Agreement for Creekside District): Council discussed the proposed ordinance authorizing a development agreement with Connect Realty LLC, Benson Capital, LLC, and the Gahanna Community Improvement Corporation for redevelopment of vacant and blighted properties. City Attorney Tamilarasan clarified that Section 12.4.9 identifies Phase 2 parcels usable for staging during demolition, with one historically significant parcel requiring 180 days’ written notice before use. No further questions were raised. The item was scheduled for an up-or-down vote at the next regular council meeting on Monday, November 24, 2025, with a proposed amendment (Substitute EXHIBIT A).
Items from Public Service
- RES-0055-2025 (EV Charging Station Fees): Senior Deputy Director Corey Wybensinger reported that the city’s six charging stations (Level 2 at City Hall, Friendship Park, Hannah Park, golf course; fast chargers at Creekside garage and municipal lot) have been upgraded. He proposed a two-cent per kilowatt increase for Level 2 and one-cent per kilowatt increase for fast chargers, effective December 8, 2025, to cover rising electricity costs and offset software/hardware expenses. The idle-fee module was deemed not cost-effective and will not be implemented. Usage data is limited but improving with new software. Councilmember McGregor requested usage figures; Wybensinger noted data collection is ongoing. The resolution was recommended for adoption on the consent agenda on November 24, 2025.
- ORD-0051-2025 (Utility Rate Adjustments): Wybensinger presented a detailed overview of proposed rate changes driven by Columbus’s rate proposals. Key points: Columbus proposed an 8% increase for sanitary operations (Gahanna proposes 6%), an 18% increase for water operations (Gahanna proposes 4% for capital), and a $4.39 per ERU Columbus Consent Order pass-through (estimated $1.7 million annually). Overall utility increase is 6.14%. Minimum bill impact: +$2.41/month; average household (4,000 gallons/month) impact: +$7.46/month. No refuse increase in 2026, but likely in 2027. The low-income discount is proposed to increase to 30% in 2026 (up from 25%). Wybensinger emphasized consumption awareness and a planned water conservation campaign. Councilmembers asked about Columbus’s cost drivers and the enterprise fund structure. Mayor Jadwin noted a joint meeting with Reynoldsburg and Bexley mayors to discuss Columbus’s increases. The ordinance will be introduced for first reading on November 24, 2025, and placed on the consent agenda for second reading on December 8, 2025.
Items from Parks & Recreation
- ORD-0052-2025 (Big Walnut Trail Bridge Decking Replacement): Director Stephania Ferrell requested a waiver of formal bidding to replace rotted decking on two pedestrian bridges (built 2018, seven years old) near Stonybrook Church. The water-based preservative failed, causing full-depth rot. Three quotes were solicited. Councilmembers asked about alternative materials (timber with different preservative) and timeline (to be determined after contract). The public will be notified via marketing. The ordinance was scheduled for first reading with waiver of second reading and adoption on November 24, 2025.
Items from Senior Director of Operations
- ORD-0050-2025 (Fiber Optic Easement for 825 Tech Center Drive): Senior Director Kevin Schultz presented a 3-foot-wide easement from American Electric Power (Ohio Power Company) for a second fiber optic lateral to provide redundancy. The cost is slightly over $2,500, matching the 2024 access easement rate. The city will record the easement. An emergency clause and waiver of second reading were requested to maintain project scheduling. The ordinance was scheduled for first reading with waiver and emergency on November 24, 2025.
Items from City Attorney
- RES-0054-2025 (Discover Card Class Action Settlement): City Attorney Tamilarasan explained that Discover Card Merchant Services allegedly mischaracterized personal credit cards as business cards, causing the city to incur additional surcharges. The city is eligible to participate in a class action settlement. Minimal effort is required (one form). The resolution was recommended for adoption on the consent agenda on November 24, 2025.
Items from Council Office
- Organizational Meeting Time (January 2, 2026): Council discussed the required annual organizational meeting date (Friday, January 2, 2026). After considering Mayor’s Court scheduling (8:00 AM to 3:00 PM), Council tentatively agreed to meet at 4:00 PM, subject to conflict with an Ohio State football game. No formal vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- ORD-0042-2025: Scheduled for vote on November 24, 2025, with proposed amendment.
- RES-0055-2025: Recommended for consent agenda adoption on November 24, 2025.
- ORD-0051-2025: First reading on November 24, 2025; second reading on December 8, 2025.
- ORD-0052-2025: First reading with waiver of second reading on November 24, 2025.
- ORD-0050-2025: First reading with waiver and emergency on November 24, 2025.
- RES-0054-2025: Recommended for consent agenda adoption on November 24, 2025.
- Organizational meeting tentatively set for 4:00 PM on January 2, 2026, subject to football schedule.
The meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Today is Monday, November 10th, 2025. I've got 720, so we will go ahead and call this meeting of the committee of the whole to order. I appreciate everyone's patience as we wrapped up our executive session. We will get started this evening with items from the Department of Economic Development. We have coming back for further discussion, the development agreement with Connect Realty and Benson Capital and the CIC. No formal presentation from the administration this evening is my understanding. So this is back for any further questions, comments, concerns. Otherwise, I will note that for in terms of process, this item is slated for an up or down vote next Monday, the 17th. Anything from my colleagues. Mrs. Bowers. Thank you. I think the only outstanding question that I had was related to the use of the parcels. I think this is identified in 12.4.9. And I I suppose I would just request that the city attorney just sort of summarize where we are with that paragraph. Yes, thank you. So the last red line, and there was a red line copy of the exact changes as well as a clean version of everything. Did identify the phase two parcels that would be usable for staging if and when demolished. Excellent. Thank you so much. Anything else for my colleagues. All right. All right. Thank you very much. All right, moving right along then. Uh we have items from the Department of Public Service. Good evening, Director. Good evening. So I have uh two items to present this evening on behalf of the Department of Public Service. Uh the first item is our updated fees for our EV charging stations. Um just to kind of educate, inform and catch up everyone so they know uh those listening as well about our charging stations here in the city. So we do have six locations for our charging uh stations. Um we have level twos uh that are at City Hall, Friendship Park, Hannah Park, and the municipal golf course. And then we do have fast chargers at Creekside Parking Garage and the municipal lot. Um in the 25 budget, we did have an allocation for us to upgrade those uh to get them into better working order. Um all of that has been completed. If you recall, in May, I was here to adjust the rate structure to better fit um a cost recovery model that we had. Previously it was hourly base, now it's more of a consumption base per kilowatt. Um it's been about uh six months or so. We do know that uh our rates for electric for the city accounts is going up. That was what we brought previously, as we are switching over to 100% renewable for all city accounts. That rate is anticipated to go up between December 1st and December 6th. Um with the transition to the new software, we are able to have better better analytics for a lot of the data that we're collecting, um, which can help us understand uh the usage of the kilowatts uh timing days, things like that. Um we can look at different trends of what the users uh uh can provide to us. Um another caveat is uh a sustainability approach is there are the CO2 emission reductions, so we're we can start gathering gathering data that helps us with um some of our climate action strategy that we're working towards as well. So pretty simple. Uh what I'm requesting, you know, by ordinance. Uh what I'm requesting, you know, by ordinance, I have to request a resolution to update the fee structure. Um again, I would like this to take effect December 8th.
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