Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Powell City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The agenda included presentations from the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Liberty Township Fire Department, citizen participation from the Delaware Public Health District, approval of the October 6 minutes and September staff report, adoption of Resolution 2026-58, committee and city manager reports, and a vote to enter executive session.
Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities – Chase Waits, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, presented the agency's 2026 levy request. He explained that county boards were established in Ohio law in 1967, that the agency serves 2,401 people and families in Delaware County, and that local property taxes fund roughly 90% of its operations. Of those served, 67% are school-age and younger; Waits noted the population is aging and service needs will increase as people leave school and family supports. The current 2.0-mill levy, first passed in 2011, expired December 31, 2025, and collections end this December. The board is asking voters to approve a replacement 1.8-mill levy costing $63 per year per $100,000 of home value, an estimated increase of $2.35 per month per $100,000. Waits said the Medicaid waiver match has grown from about $4 million in 2015 to $16–17 million now, and local levy match dollars draw down about $85 million in services annually. If the levy fails, the agency would eliminate its early intervention program, family support services, and advocacy/accessibility grants; reduce staffing by 40%; and be unable to reduce its current 200-person Medicaid waiver waiting list. Waits emphasized that no other agency provides these supports and that the request is for sustaining, not expanding, current services. Council members thanked the presenters, and one council member noted that their son receives services from the agency and called the work very important.
Liberty Township Fire Department 3rd Quarter Report – Battalion Chief Ryan Half presented in place of Chief James Reardon. He reported that fire runs are up roughly 7%, with almost 1,100 runs in the third quarter, making it the department's busiest quarter ever. The department responded to five building fires in the quarter, including mutual aid calls. Station 322's remodel is winding down its design phase, with construction expected to begin spring 2027; the living quarters, about 24–25 years old, will be modernized. Two new firefighters were sworn in to replace two retired senior firefighters. A new Community Care and Risk Reduction Specialist position began in July and is already reducing repeat calls by following up with seniors after hospital stays. In response to council questions, Half said the most frequent addresses are large senior-living complexes, Thursday is consistently their busiest day, and the department has not seen e-bike-related motor vehicle accidents, though occasional minor incidents and resident complaints have occurred.
Resolution 2026-58 – A resolution accepting the amounts and rates determined by the Budget Commission and authorizing the necessary tax levies, certifying them to the county auditor. Staff member Andy presented the resolution as a routine statutory item that establishes the city's foundational revenue for the 2027 budget. He noted that the certified values for 2026 had not yet been received by the Budget Commission, so the numbers may be conservative and may need to be revisited if actual values are higher. Public comment was opened and closed with no comments. Council adopted Resolution 2026-58 by voice vote.
Committee Reports – Council heard upcoming meeting dates: Development Committee on November 4, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.; Finance Committee on November 10 at 7:00 p.m.; Operations Committee on November 17 at 6:30 p.m.; Planning & Zoning Commission on October 28 at 6:30 p.m.; Powell Development Corporation on October 27 at noon; and Tree Board date to be determined. The Finance Committee reported spending two hours reviewing the budget; overall expenditures would increase less than 1%, with a general fund spend-down of several million dollars tied to the capital program. The Operations Committee discussed e-bike ordinance options and the cost of replacing street signs.
City Manager's Report and Police Follow-up – The city manager noted the budget includes a first appropriation of $100,000 for tree maintenance, and the Tree Board will present policy considerations to HOAs on October 22. A Village Green plan update is scheduled for November 12 at 8:00 p.m. at City Hall, with increased community communication planned. He reported visible progress on downtown improvements, the new parking facility, and the Leckler area. The police chief reported on follow-up to two resident traffic complaints from the previous meeting: a speed-monitoring traffic data device was installed on Presidential Parkway, data will be available later in the week, and a recent crash into a house was caused by a medical condition, not speed. On South Liberty Street, the department found earlier similar complaints, contacted the schools involved, and had not received recent school-bus violation reports. The department has a second device deployed and advised a resident on requesting a light-up speed sign through the appropriate process.
E-bike Legislation Discussion – In response to a council question, staff said townships are statutory creatures with limited authority and likely defer to state traffic law on e-bikes. A council member added that the Delaware County e-bike task force includes township police chiefs, and State Representative Brian Lorenz is discussing state-level coordination.
We'll call the City Council October 20th meeting to order. Elaine, will you please call the role? Thank you. We'll see. Tom Count. Here. Carlos Crock. Tyler Herman. Other car. Yeah. They made Lester. Kurt Ramsey. Here. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it saves. One nation. All right, this evening we have a couple of presentations. The first presentation is the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Thanks for having us. Good evening, everyone. My name is Chase Waits. I'm the director of communications and community engagement with the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and I'm here tonight to walk you through our 2026 levy request, what we do, how we're funded, what the request is, and what's at stake. So let's start off with talking about our mission and vision. Our mission is to inspire, empower, and support people to achieve their full potential. Our vision is that all people will lead personally fulfilling lives. You'll notice I didn't say people with developmental disabilities and either of those statements. That's because we support not only the people who qualify for our services, but also their families, providers, and the community as a whole. Quick history lesson. County boards of developmental disabilities were established in Ohio law in 1967 after decades of advocacy from families who didn't accept that there wasn't an option for their kids to have education, to have supports in the community other than institutions. So that was pretty much your option before county boards were established. You sent your child to an institution. You never maybe never saw them again. Happened in 1967, like I said, for the purpose of collecting property taxes to pay for services. So we support people throughout their entire lifespan, so birth through adulthood. No two people are alike. Our services are built around individual goals, whether that's communication skills, daily living skills, employment, or community involvement. As someone's needs change from early diagnosis to school transitions to older adulthood, those supports change with them. And no other agency provides the supports that we do. You may see providers out in the community, all our friends, Alpha Group, Creative Foundations, those are all funded by us and only by us. So if our services weren't around, they wouldn't be around either. That's about six or seven hundred businesses just in Delaware County that we fund. The people we support are part of this community. Many work at more than a hundred local businesses in retail, food service, health care, and manufacturing. They're dedicated employees, but they're also customers, volunteers, neighbors. They contribute to the local community and the local economy. These outcomes don't happen by accident. Local levy dollars are what make it all possible.