OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gahanna City Council Regular Meeting – March 2, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Wednesday, March 4, 2026
BodyGahanna, Ohio
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, March 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:11:29

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening, everyone.

0:03

Today is Monday, March 2nd, 2026.

0:06

I've got 701 p.m., so I'd like to go ahead and call this regular meeting of Gehana City Council to order.

0:13

Please join me and stand if you are able for the invocation and pledge of allegiance led by Vice President Jones.

0:20

Thank you.

0:21

As we mark Women's History Month, we open this meeting in the spirit of those who built the path we walk today.

0:28

The suffragists, the organizers, the elected, the quiet leaders in every neighborhood who never made the history books but shaped history nonetheless.

0:37

We are all part of this ongoing story.

0:40

May we carry the inheritance forward together by listening well to one another, engaging with courage and compassion, and remembering that the work of a thriving community is never the work of one, but always the work of all.

1:03

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:12

Thank you, Ms.

1:13

Jones.

1:14

All right.

1:15

Mr.

1:15

Clerk, would you please call the roll?

1:17

Bowers.

1:18

Here.

1:18

Jones.

1:19

Here.

1:19

McGregor.

1:20

Here.

1:20

Padova.

1:21

Here.

1:22

Renner.

1:22

Here.

1:23

Schnetzer.

1:23

Here.

1:24

Weaver.

1:24

Here.

1:25

All right.

1:26

Good evening, everyone.

1:27

Thank you for joining us.

1:28

Love seeing a packed house.

1:31

Moving on.

1:32

Are there any additions or corrections to the agenda this evening?

1:36

All right, seeing none, we'll get started with a couple of presentations.

1:40

We'll start first with the swearing in ceremony.

1:43

Madam Mayor.

1:45

Thank you very much.

1:46

This is another exciting evening for us with our Gehana Division of Police.

1:51

We are swearing in two new sergeants this evening.

1:55

We've previously, uh, as we all know, added a second deputy chief position, recently uh added two lieutenants uh as a result of some promotions that have happened.

2:05

Um but I just want to reiterate that you know, back in in 2019, issue 12 passed, and one of the most important tenants that we talked about when we talked with residents at that time was public safety and investing in our police department.

2:18

These types of promotions, uh, the hirings that we're doing, uh, the creating career opportunities, professional growth and development opportunities for our police officers are exactly what that issue was about.

2:29

We are staying true to that course, and this is an exciting evening for uh for our division as well as and it's always fun when you see all of our officers standing in the room here to support uh their brothers as they move forward as well.

2:41

Um Director Becker, till I get down there, is there anything you'd like to add?

2:47

We're just excited to have the opportunity to bring a few new lead leaders on board today.

2:52

So uh with leader new leaders come new ideas and uh new leadership takes us forward.

3:00

We want to continue to grow, and we're excited about what they're gonna bring for us.

3:13

All right, move forward a little bit closer to me.

3:16

Please raise your right hand, repeat after me.

3:19

I'm callingly swearing that I will support and defend the Constitution and Laws.

3:29

The Constitution and Laws of the United States of America.

3:34

The Constitution and Statutes.

3:37

Of the State of Ohio.

3:40

And the charter and ordinances of the City of Gehana.

3:47

And that I will faithfully, honestly, and impartially.

3:54

Discharge the duties.

3:55

Discharge the duties as a sergeant for the Gehana Division of Police.

4:01

To which I have been appointed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████23%
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Heritage And Culture███████████████15%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████12%
Government Structure████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Historic Preservation███████7%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Gahanna City Council Regular Meeting – March 2, 2026

The Gahanna City Council convened at 7:01 PM on March 2, 2026, for a regular meeting that included the swearing-in of two new police sergeants, a historical presentation for Women's History Month, and deliberation on several resolutions and ordinances. Key actions included approval of a stormwater management waiver for Academy Park (6-1) and adoption of the Tax Incentive Review Council recommendations.

Presentations

  • Swearing-in Ceremony: Mayor Jadwin and Police Chief administered the oath to new Sergeants Jeffrey Hoffman and Bryan Kovalik. Serjeant Hoffman was recognized for removing over 200 impaired drivers and his role as a field sobriety testing instructor. Serjeant Kovalik was recognized for his competitive shooting and CrossFit training. Both officers were pinned by family members.
  • Women's History Month Proclamation: Tom Gregory presented on the life of Laura M. Fisher, the first woman elected to Gahanna Village Council in 1921. He highlighted her service on council from 1922-1923 and her family's legacy of public service. Merilyn Fisher, Laura's daughter-in-law, accepted the joint resolution. Council noted the progress from Fisher's election to having a majority female council today.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda was moved by Renner, seconded by Bowers, and adopted unanimously (7-0). It included:

  • Approval of minutes from multiple prior meetings.
  • Motion MT-0010-2026 confirming fire safety inspectors.
  • Motion MT-0009-2026 amending council rules of procedure.
  • Resolution RES-0004-2026 designating March 2026 as Women's History Month.
  • Resolution RES-0006-2026 authorizing bridge repair contracts.
  • Ordinance ORD-0006-2026 (second reading) amending purchasing procedures in Section 133.02.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comment slips were submitted.

Discussion Items

  • Waiver of Stormwater Management Controls (RES-0005-2026): Councilmember Nancy McGregor objected, citing historical floodplain fill and erosion risks to 16 homes along Camrose Court and Ridenour Road. She argued further geological study was needed. Councilmember Stephen Renner clarified the distinction between floodplain storage and stormwater mitigation. Senior Utilities Engineer Holly Boyer explained the waiver allows compliance with Ohio EPA standards instead of stricter Gahanna code due to site constraints (high water table, floodplain). The pond will detain the additional flow, leaving site hydraulics unchanged. Boyer confirmed the waiver applies only to this project and similar future requests would be rare. The resolution passed 6-1 (McGregor no).
  • Ordinance for Introduction (ORD-0008-2026): A first reading of an ordinance to update sewerage system capacity charges and declare an emergency. No action taken.
  • Ordinance for Adoption (ORD-0002-2026): Accepting Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC) recommendations for tax year 2024. City Attorney Tamil Arrison provided a memo addressing quorum concerns; after conferring with the county, she determined the recommendations were sound and recommended best practices for future compliance. The ordinance was adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance for Adoption (ORD-0007-2026): Proposing annexation of 7.6 acres from Jefferson Township (Johnstown Road). The developer requested a two-week postponement to present to Committee of the Whole. Councilmember Merisa Bowers stated she would abstain due to a conflict of interest (her firm represents the applicant). The motion to postpone to March 16 carried (Bowers abstained; others yes).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda adopted unanimously.
  • RES-0005-2026 (stormwater waiver) adopted 6-1 (McGregor dissenting).
  • ORD-0002-2026 (TIRC recommendations) adopted unanimously.
  • ORD-0007-2026 (annexation) postponed to March 16, 2026; Bowers abstained.
  • No hearing requested for liquor permit transfer at Alpine Drive-Thru.
  • Councilmember reports covered upcoming MORPC meeting (March 12), CIC report deferred, CVB events (Herb Day May 2; CBJF June 19-21), and School Board meetings (March 5, 17, 19).

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Today is Monday, March 2nd, 2026. I've got 701 p.m., so I'd like to go ahead and call this regular meeting of Gehana City Council to order. Please join me and stand if you are able for the invocation and pledge of allegiance led by Vice President Jones. Thank you. As we mark Women's History Month, we open this meeting in the spirit of those who built the path we walk today. The suffragists, the organizers, the elected, the quiet leaders in every neighborhood who never made the history books but shaped history nonetheless. We are all part of this ongoing story. May we carry the inheritance forward together by listening well to one another, engaging with courage and compassion, and remembering that the work of a thriving community is never the work of one, but always the work of all. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Ms. Jones. All right. Mr. Clerk, would you please call the roll? Bowers. Here. Jones. Here. McGregor. Here. Padova. Here. Renner. Here. Schnetzer. Here. Weaver. Here. All right. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for joining us. Love seeing a packed house. Moving on. Are there any additions or corrections to the agenda this evening? All right, seeing none, we'll get started with a couple of presentations. We'll start first with the swearing in ceremony. Madam Mayor. Thank you very much. This is another exciting evening for us with our Gehana Division of Police. We are swearing in two new sergeants this evening. We've previously, uh, as we all know, added a second deputy chief position, recently uh added two lieutenants uh as a result of some promotions that have happened. Um but I just want to reiterate that you know, back in in 2019, issue 12 passed, and one of the most important tenants that we talked about when we talked with residents at that time was public safety and investing in our police department. These types of promotions, uh, the hirings that we're doing, uh, the creating career opportunities, professional growth and development opportunities for our police officers are exactly what that issue was about. We are staying true to that course, and this is an exciting evening for uh for our division as well as and it's always fun when you see all of our officers standing in the room here to support uh their brothers as they move forward as well. Um Director Becker, till I get down there, is there anything you'd like to add? We're just excited to have the opportunity to bring a few new lead leaders on board today. So uh with leader new leaders come new ideas and uh new leadership takes us forward. We want to continue to grow, and we're excited about what they're gonna bring for us. All right, move forward a little bit closer to me.

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