OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gahanna City Council Regular Meeting - April 8, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Wednesday, April 8, 2026
BodyGahanna, Ohio
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, April 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 50:19

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening, everyone.

0:02

Today is Monday, April 6th, 2026.

0:06

I've got 7 p.m., so I'd like to go ahead and call to order this regular meeting of Gehana City Council.

0:12

We will get started with the invocation and pledge of allegiance led by Vice President Jones.

0:20

We gather this evening in April, the start of Earth Month, a time when communities around the world pause to reflect on the planet we share and recommit to protecting it.

0:30

The poet and farmer Wendell Barry wrote, the earth is what we all have in common.

0:35

That common ground is not abstract.

0:37

It is the air our children breathe, the water in our rivers, the green spaces that restore us, and the soil that sustains all life.

0:45

This month we are called to ask how can we best care for the earth?

0:49

May the decisions made in this chamber tonight reflect our deepest responsibility to the community, to the environment, and to every generation that will inherit the world we shape today.

1:11

Undergone.

1:18

Thank you, Mrs.

1:18

Jones.

1:20

Mr.

1:20

Clerk, would you please call the role?

1:22

Bowers.

1:22

Here.

1:23

Jones.

1:23

Here.

1:24

McGregor.

1:24

Here.

1:25

Padova.

1:26

Here.

1:26

Renner.

1:27

Here.

1:27

Schnezer.

1:28

Your Weaver.

1:29

Here.

1:30

All right.

1:30

Thank you, Mr.

1:31

Clerk.

1:32

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

1:37

All right.

1:38

Seeing none.

1:40

Next we'll move on to hearing of visitors.

1:42

I do have one speaker slip.

1:44

When I call your name, if you'll please approach uh approach the lecturn, you will have three minutes.

1:49

And if you would state your name and address for the record, we'd greatly appreciate it.

1:53

And I've got uh Mrs.

1:54

Sharon Montgomery.

1:59

Good evening and welcome back.

2:01

Thank you.

2:02

This is all you hear me?

2:05

Yep.

2:05

Okay.

2:06

Sharon Montgomery, 572 Bondington Way in Gehana.

2:10

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

2:13

I did not ask for a resolution or proclamation this time, noting this special month, to see what would happen if I didn't.

2:20

I think you all know me well enough to know that my decision was not a gotcha.

2:24

I think you know I don't operate that way.

2:26

I was merely trying to gauge the level of awareness among the four central Ohio cities that have been so supportive of my advocacy efforts against this danger.

2:35

Mayor Jadwin obviously was aware because she already spoke to me about this before the meeting.

2:41

Unfortunately, despite our efforts, driving under the influence of electronics is still a problem.

2:47

Drivers making all kinds of bad decisions that result in serious harm is still a problem.

2:52

In the first 90 days of this year, there have been 231 fatalities due to traffic violence in Ohio.

3:00

That's a 12% more than increase than by this time last year.

3:05

Crashes attributed to phone use are reported to be down, and we can all hope that that's accurate.

3:11

But with the challenges of enforcing the state law, and what I hear from some of my law enforcement contacts about the challenges of using the distracted box on the crash report that might or might not be accurate.

3:24

The report does not make clear if those are all e-distractions and does not make take into account the widely acknowledged fact of under-reporting a B distraction.

3:35

In those 8,000 some crashes, 29 people died within 30 days of the crash.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection██████████████████████████████████████38%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Arts And Culture████████████12%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Legislative Procedure███████7%
Strategic Planning████4%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Transportation Safety███3%
Water And Wastewater Management██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Gahanna City Council Regular Meeting - April 8, 2026

The Gahanna City Council met on April 8, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. All seven council members were present. The meeting covered approval of consent agenda items, adoption of two resolutions (Volunteer Appreciation Month and Earth Day), introduction and adoption of two ordinances with waivers and an emergency declaration, and reports from representatives and city officials. The meeting adjourned at 7:51 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approved: Council Regular Minutes (2026-03-16) and Committee of the Whole Minutes (2026-03-23) were approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance Adopted: ORD-0009-2026, authorizing supplemental appropriations from the Office of Criminal Justice Services grant fund for body-worn camera services, was adopted unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Sharon Montgomery (572 Bonnington Way, Gahanna) addressed Council regarding National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. She reported that in the first 90 days of 2026, Ohio recorded 231 traffic fatalities, a 12% increase over the same period in 2025. Approximately 8,000 crashes involved distracted driving, resulting in 29 deaths within 30 days and 2,899 injuries. She criticized Ohio’s distracted driving law as too permissive, particularly the exception for phone use at red lights, noting that over one-third of distraction-related crashes occur at intersections. She also cited lenient penalties (e.g., $150 fine, no court appearance required under Traffic Rule 13) as contributing to the problem. She thanked Council for addressing penalty concerns and Chief Spence for applying to serve on the Ohio Traffic Safety Council.

Discussion Items

  • Resolution RES-0011-2026: Recognizing April 2026 as Volunteer Appreciation Month and honoring Eagle Scout Aiden Combs. Councilmember Bowers introduced the resolution, highlighting Combs’ achievements (over 63 merit badges, 350+ miles hiked, 317+ service hours, and a playground project for a preschool). The resolution was adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution RES-0012-2026: A joint proclamation recognizing Earth Day 2026 and affirming shared responsibility for environmental stewardship. Councilmember Renner presented the resolution, emphasizing local priorities such as tree canopy stewardship and stream/watershed care. He noted the theme “Our Power, Our Planet” and the importance of community action. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance ORD-0010-2026: Authorizing a contract with Cap-Stone & Associates, Inc. for the 2026 Street Rebuild and Waterline Program. Senior Director Kevin Schultz requested a waiver of second reading because the item is a construction contract not subject to a 30-day referendum. The waiver was approved, and the ordinance was adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance ORD-0011-2026: Authorizing a contract with Visu-Sewer of Ohio, LLC for the 2026 Sanitary and Storm Sewer Cleaning Project, with an emergency declaration. Director Schultz requested waiver and emergency status to issue a notice to proceed promptly. The ordinance was amended between committee and first reading to include emergency language. The waiver and emergency declaration were approved, and the ordinance was adopted unanimously.
  • Representative Reports:
    • Community Improvement Corporation (CIC): Councilmember Padova reported on the March 18, 2026 meeting. Topics included strategic planning updates from Montrose Group, benchmarking against Bexley, Hilliard, and Westerville CICs, and approval of a property acquisition policy. The next CIC meeting is April 15, 2026 at 8:00 AM.
    • Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC): President Weaver reported that no commission meeting occurred in April; instead, four regional meetings were scheduled, but one he planned to attend was canceled. He highlighted the Central Ohio Climate Action Plan and the State of the Region event.
    • Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB): Councilmember Padova announced the Spring Showcase (April 14, 2026, 5:30–7:30 PM at Noble Cut Distillery) offering free tickets to the Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival; Herb Day (May 3, 2026); Urban Restaurant Week (starting May 3); and volunteer opportunities for the festival.
    • School Board: Vice President Jones reminded of upcoming Gahanna Jefferson Public School Board meetings: Workshop Meeting (April 9 at High Point Elementary), Finance and Facilities (April 14 at Clark Hall), and Regular Board Meeting (April 16 at Clark Hall).
  • Official Reports:
    • Mayor Jadwin: Announced the 2026 Community Grant Program deadline (April 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM); Gahanna Bike Rodeo (April 18, 9–11 AM at Academy Park); Make Gahanna Yours spring litter cleanup (April 25, 9 AM–12 PM at Friendship Park); Walk in Our Boots 5K (May 2); Shred and E-Recycle Event (May 9, 9 AM–12 PM at City Hall); and the release of the State of the City video.
    • City Attorney Tamilarasan: Reminded that the Charter Review Commission meets April 9, 2026, which is the last opportunity for boards and commissions to provide feedback before deliberations. She also noted she is reviewing the traffic and criminal code, and will separately consider golf cart regulations in response to a citizen inquiry.
  • Council Comment: Members thanked Sharon Montgomery, highlighted volunteer opportunities (Hoover Reservoir litter cleanup, Junior Rangers program), encouraged attendance at upcoming events, and promoted the Gahanna Lincoln High School production of “Grease” (next weekend). Councilmember Bowers noted her constituent hours and professional development opportunities through Columbus Metropolitan Club. Vice President Jones announced her constituent hours (April 18, 12:30 PM at Sergeant Coffee) and the second annual Juneteenth celebration (June 19 at Creekside).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
  • RES-0011-2026 (Volunteer Appreciation Month): Adopted 7-0.
  • RES-0012-2026 (Earth Day): Adopted 7-0.
  • ORD-0010-2026 (Street Rebuild/Waterline Contract): Second reading waived; adopted 7-0.
  • ORD-0011-2026 (Sewer Cleaning Contract): Second reading waived; adopted as an emergency 7-0.
  • Next Meetings: No meeting for two weeks; next regular meeting and Committee of the Whole on April 27, 2026.

Note: The source materials (agenda, minutes, transcript) indicate the meeting occurred on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The date in the title and summary follows the user's instruction to use April 8, 2026, creating a discrepancy.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Today is Monday, April 6th, 2026. I've got 7 p.m., so I'd like to go ahead and call to order this regular meeting of Gehana City Council. We will get started with the invocation and pledge of allegiance led by Vice President Jones. We gather this evening in April, the start of Earth Month, a time when communities around the world pause to reflect on the planet we share and recommit to protecting it. The poet and farmer Wendell Barry wrote, the earth is what we all have in common. That common ground is not abstract. It is the air our children breathe, the water in our rivers, the green spaces that restore us, and the soil that sustains all life. This month we are called to ask how can we best care for the earth? May the decisions made in this chamber tonight reflect our deepest responsibility to the community, to the environment, and to every generation that will inherit the world we shape today. Undergone. Thank you, Mrs. Jones. Mr. Clerk, would you please call the role? Bowers. Here. Jones. Here. McGregor. Here. Padova. Here. Renner. Here. Schnezer. Your Weaver. Here. All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Are there any additions or corrections to the agenda for this evening? All right. Seeing none. Next we'll move on to hearing of visitors. I do have one speaker slip. When I call your name, if you'll please approach uh approach the lecturn, you will have three minutes. And if you would state your name and address for the record, we'd greatly appreciate it. And I've got uh Mrs. Sharon Montgomery. Good evening and welcome back. Thank you. This is all you hear me? Yep. Okay. Sharon Montgomery, 572 Bondington Way in Gehana. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. I did not ask for a resolution or proclamation this time, noting this special month, to see what would happen if I didn't. I think you all know me well enough to know that my decision was not a gotcha. I think you know I don't operate that way.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com