Powell Finance Committee Meeting Summary – August 11, 2026

The Powell Finance Committee met at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, in Council Chambers at 47 Hall Street, Powell, Ohio. Chair Tom Counts presided, with Kurt Ramsey and Leif Carlson present; Marcus Banasik and Jennifer Bonifas were absent. Staff present included Finance Director Samantha Borchers, Assistant City Manager Jeffrey Tyler, City Engineer Aaron Stanford, Public Service Director Charles Dukes, Police Chief Ron Sallows, Planning Director Logan Stang, City Clerk Elaine McCloskey, and City Manager Andrew D. White. Mayor Heather Karr and Councilmember Carlos Crawford also attended. The committee approved prior minutes, reviewed July 2026 financial reports, recommended Q3 supplemental appropriations to City Council, and reviewed the proposed 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the July 14, 2026 Finance Committee meeting were approved by consensus.

Discussion Items

Monthly Financial Reports – July 2026

• Finance Director Samantha Borchers reported July year-to-date operating revenue of $13.6 million, or 61.1% of budget. Tax assessments and related revenue were over budget by approximately $280,000 but about 6% below last year's 25-year tax receipts. Development revenue was slightly under budget due to project timing, while other revenue was at 80.3% of budget, with interest trending about 4% higher than last year.
• Operating expenditures were $7.5 million, or 45.7% of budget. Personnel and operating expenses are expected to finish under budget. Non-operating expenditures were under $5 million. Transfers and capital equipment costs ran above target because of the timing of larger capital purchases and intentional transfers when excess cash flow is available.
• July year-to-date net cash flow/excess revenue over expenditures was about $1.1 million.

Q3 2026 Supplemental Appropriations

• Borchers reviewed the supplemental requests by numbered items. Item 4 appropriated previously issued debt financing for the North Depot Reconstruction Project into 2026, allowing City Engineer Aaron Stanford to begin the bid process.
• Item 11 requested a $100,000 increase for an Owner's Construction Reserve for the Lechler Building Project, about 7% of the original $1.3 million contract. Assistant City Manager Jeffrey Tyler said there are currently three change orders: a no-cost change order from unexpected ceiling materials; an owner-requested protective measure involving six bollards around three doors and a breezeway; and an AEP-required replacement of the electric feeder and meter. Additional structural issues, including trusses bearing on nothing, are expected.
• Item 9 added Powell Fest funds to book larger entertainment acts for next year's festival. Item 3 was a placeholder for potential external public relations consultants for Village Green/downtown communications, contingent on future Council discussion.
• Kurt Ramsey moved to recommend the supplemental appropriations to City Council; Leif Carlson seconded. The motion passed 3-0 with no abstentions.

2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan Requests

• City Manager Andrew White called the plan aggressive at approximately $62 million and said the administration made recommendations based on community feedback and limited resources; the Committee and Council can adjust priorities. Borchers explained the CIP funding starts with a General Fund transfer equal to 25% of prior-year municipal income tax revenue per the CIP Funding Policy, with up to 5% potentially transferred to the Powell Development Corporation. The 2027 projected transfer is $4,537,500, assuming a conservative 1% revenue increase and about $650,000 from Ohio State Medical Center. The total five-year CIP is $62,513,653, about 4% above the prior five-year plan, with engineering representing about 68% of project costs. The plan includes 7 new capital projects and 29 existing projects.
• New projects presented by White and Tyler included Bennett Farms schematic design, with the minutes citing $314,800 and the transcript citing $343,800, to support the full $17 million buildout; Liberty Road/Carriage Road roundabout design at about $420,000; replacement of the timber pedestrian bridge in Woods of Powell South; Adventure Park Phase 2 playground equipment; a $150,000 splash pad replacement feasibility/design study; Meadowview Park equipment replacement requested at $500,000; and Murphy Park equipment redesign and replacement at $180,000.
• Councilmember Leif Carlson asked whether every park should be adaptive/inclusive. Public Service Director Charles Dukes said all parks will include a blend but cannot be 100% inclusive/adaptive. Carlson suggested concentrating major inclusive investments rather than equipping every park, and later said making 4 of 9 parks inclusive/adaptive was an admirable and budget-conscious target. Chairman Counts said having an accessible park in each quadrant, including Meadowview, would be admirable. Mayor Heather Karr noted that some of the city's biggest inclusivity advocates live near Meadowview.
• Carlson questioned the need for a splash pad feasibility study. White said the $150,000 would include design/engineering costs before bidding and would allow community input on location and features.
• Borchers reviewed fund balance projections, noting the Capital Projects Fund target balance is between 25% and 50% of budgeted expenditures. Counts recalled that the fund balance was nearly negative during earlier CIP cycles and called the projected 2031 balance of about $3.2 million a good sign. White suggested future agenda topics on policy allocation and purchasing policy modernization.
• Administrative projects totaled $11.8 million, including about $2 million in PDC transfers over five years, reduced capital contingency levels, debt payments, and $250,000 for an IT server upgrade in 2028. Counts requested that debt service be broken down between parks and streets for clearer public communication.
• Development Department requests totaled $1.3 million for Bennett Farm master planning and wayfinding. Tyler said wayfinding was suspended in 2024 and would re-engage with design in 2028 and implementation in 2029-2031, including efforts to reduce sign fatigue. Mayor Karr reported positive public feedback on the new parking signs.
• Engineering projects included the Adventure Park CSX tunnel rehabilitation, with $1.4 million construction planned in 2027; annual stormwater system maintenance; the annual street and path maintenance program; downtown streetscape improvements; Liberty Road/Carriage Road roundabout design; replacement of the Woods of Powell South pedestrian bridge; Sawmill Corridor traffic signal enhancements; Scioto Street Extension and Northeast Quadrant parking lot; Scioto Street Reconstruction; shared-use path additions; and the South Depot Street connection. Streets and paths make up 54% of Engineering Department requests and about 36% of the citywide CIP.
• On the street and path program, Stanford said the City's PCI goals are a minimum of 65 for local streets, 70 for all other streets, and an overall average of 75. The current overall average is about 74, with many local streets and cul-de-sacs below 65. Counts requested reporting that separates vehicular and pedestrian allocations.
• On the Liberty/Carriage Road roundabout, Stanford said the intersection currently lacks pedestrian/bicycle crossings and requires multi-jurisdictional cooperation. Preliminary discussions have occurred with Liberty Township and the Delaware County Engineer's office, and the project is considered a strong candidate for state funding. In response to Ramsey's question about grant tracking, Borchers cited an Adventure Park parking lot grant that covered about 75% of that project's cost.
• On Scioto Street Extension, Carlson raised the future Susan Lane connection. Planning Director Logan Stang said staff are working with the developer to preserve a future public connection and are keeping private drives, but will not commit to the connection until timing and public right-of-way status are certain. Counts noted Susan Lane was intended as a public street but such projects often require waiting for development. Stang said staff would consider adding an associated design cost to the CIP.
• On Scioto Street Reconstruction, Counts requested a wide bike/pedestrian facility. Stanford said the north side would be an 8-to-10-foot concrete shared-use path similar to North Liberty, with a normal sidewalk on the south side; on-street parking is not currently proposed.
• On the South Depot Street Connection, Stanford said timing and alignment will be influenced by Village Green redevelopment and the project may be delivered through a public-private partnership. Ramsey questioned the $4.3 million potential cost; Stanford said it is a basic-road estimate that could increase with aesthetic elements.
• Public Safety and Fleet requests totaled $3,825,243. Police Chief Ron Sallows said the 2027 request is $251,000 for two marked cruisers, one unmarked cruiser, and upfitting, saving about $40,000 under the redesigned five-year replacement schedule. Body-worn cameras purchased in 2022 reach end of life in 2028, with just under $73,000 programmed for replacement. Five remaining cruiser video systems need replacement in 2027. Security camera buildout is requesting $50,000, plus door access controls for park restrooms, Council Chambers, and the East Community Room.
• Public Service and Parks projects totaled $3.1 million over the five-year CIP. Dukes proposed moving Adventure Park pavilion work to 2028 and moving Murphy Park pavilion work earlier due to greater structural distress. Skate park resurfacing had a $175,000 placeholder pending more accurate bids. Bennett Farm site maintenance includes perimeter fencing, demolition of deteriorating buildings, and invasive species removal; fencing is expected to go to bid around $225,000 in 2026. Splash pad replacement discussion included 20-year-old infrastructure, buried mechanical systems, and flooring less than three years old that is already separating. Meadowview Park equipment replacement was moved to 2029 in two phases.
• Powell Pool Improvements: $1 million is programmed over five years, roughly $200,000 annually. White said the pool board is meeting with contractors; priorities include concrete decking, leak detection/filtration, and diving wells. The City is pursuing a partnership/operating agreement to avoid demolition, with a goal of adding 20-25 years of life. Mayor Karr raised the policy question of whether the pool should become a public facility as public spending increases. Stanford said electrical work related to the pool would also improve the Adventure Park parking lot feed.
• Salt Dome Replacement: the current salt dome is 22 years old; the proposed 56x60-foot structure would store 1,200-1,500 tons of salt. The location is undetermined, and the project is planned for 2030. Counts noted Seldom Seen Park was the original intended location. Carlson expressed concern that the CIP does not include brine mixing tools, and Counts said administrative facilities are missing from the five-year plan and should begin planning.

2026 Project Status Updates

• Stanford reported that the Seldom Seen Crossing upgrade is open; two tornado sirens are live, with a third to be online within days, followed by testing on the first Wednesday monthly; the Holman/Steitz intersection construction contract was approved; Bennett Farm Shared Use Path received a $200,000 ODNR grant but costs cannot be incurred until the grant agreement is executed; Scioto Street Extension acquisition is underway and some portions may be bid for construction this year; and the 2026 Street Maintenance Program and North Depot project are in the bidding phase, with Street Maintenance award scheduled before Council on September 1. CSX has not indicated start dates for Jewett Road or Rutherford crossings.
• Stanford said bidding the street maintenance package later can produce better or worse pricing depending on contractor capacity, and EMH&T was engaged to help audit the pavement program.

Other Business

• Chairman Counts asked staff to consider including, as part of the 2027 budget, a hard-copy communication to residents telling the story of the last five years of capital improvements and what the tax increase accomplished.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes from July 14, 2026 were approved by consensus.
• The Q3 2026 supplemental appropriations were recommended to City Council by a 3-0 vote.
• No formal vote was taken on the 2027-2031 CIP. Staff planned to bring a revised draft to the December Finance Committee for a formal recommendation, with City Council consideration to follow.