The Powell Operations Committee met on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, 47 Hall Street, Powell, Ohio. Chair Carlson presided, and the roll was called. The agenda covered approval of the April 21, 2026 meeting minutes, a review of deer management approaches using Worthington's program as a comparable, and an update on the newly created Tree Board. No formal vote was taken on deer management; the committee instead discussed the need for better population data and possible future funding. The Tree Board appointment process advanced to the City Council meeting later that evening. Consent Calendar - The minutes of the April 21, 2026 Operations Committee meeting were included in the packet. Chair Carlson asked whether any member wished to change or amend them; none did, and the minutes were approved as presented. Public Comments & Testimony - One resident spoke during public comment on the deer management item and gave her street name for the record. She described seeing large herds of deer, stating it was "not unusual to see 10 deer together" during her husband's evening walks. She said she had not previously known she could report deer-related issues to the city, and she noted that many calls involve injured or deceased deer, for which the city's reportable-incidents list explains what residents are supposed to do. Her comments indicated the deer population is a visible concern in her neighborhood. Public comments were limited to three minutes per speaker. Discussion Items Deer Management — Worthington Program Review and Powell Data - City Manager White opened the item, explaining that staff wanted to provide context on deer management programming using Worthington as a comparable. He noted that Worthington spent significant budget dollars up front to determine the scope of its deer problem—information Powell does not yet have—and that staff may later request funding for further analysis the city cannot perform internally. - The Police Chief, asked by City Manager White to provide a high-level review, summarized Worthington's program from publicly available materials. Worthington City Council approved a deer management program in January 2025, and targeted removal operations began in January 2026. The program was developed to reduce vehicle collisions, property damage, and human-deer conflicts. Worthington chose not to use archery, instead using night operations with sharpshooters, spotters, and downrange safety protocols. In its first operational season, Worthington reported removing 100 deer over eight nights. - Worthington's year-one program cost was approximately $119,000, plus about $13,000 in venison processing fees to supply food pantries—rounded in discussion to roughly $135,000 annually, excluding additional manpower for the nightly operations. - Worthington's frequently asked questions cited a spring 2024 survey estimating nearly $1.5 million in property-related costs and $200,000 in injury-related costs associated with deer. - Powell data: Police Assistant Rebecca Winning reviewed city records from the beginning of 2024 through the meeting date, identifying 77 deer-related incidents. Two aggressive-deer incidents occurred on the same day in 2025; no other aggressive deer reports were found. - Powell's existing hunting-prohibited ordinance would need to be updated to allow firearms use under a city-authorized animal control program before a similar management program could proceed. - Staff noted the police department has drone technology with thermal imaging that could conduct nighttime population surveys, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) could be contacted for assistance. - City Manager White suggested a closer review of partnerships—including with ODNR and The Ohio State University, which assisted Worthington with surveys—but cautioned that Powell's jurisdictional footprint is less uniform than Worthington's because of overlapping townships, making implementation more challenging. - Committee member David voiced concerns about long-term costs, estimating implementation could take four or more years, during which costs would likely change. He noted that supplemental appropriations in the middle of a budget cycle require moving resources from other efforts, which is possible but not ideal. He supported investing up front in better data collection, such as drone-based thermal surveys and work with Ohio State, and suggested studying comparable communities including Hilliard, Ohio, and Carmel, Indiana. - Questions were raised about whether neighboring communities, such as Liberty, might share program costs; staff indicated the working group identifying overlapping issues would be a useful forum and agreed to report back as part of the overall work on the issue. - The committee acknowledged Powell is in the early stages of this conversation and relies largely on anecdotal information. Key policy questions identified for the community included: what deer population level is acceptable, what role public education should play, and how the city should measure success. - A committee member relayed that residents had given positive feedback about the city looking into deer management and had commended the city for placing the topic on a public meeting agenda. Tree Board Update - Staff reported that the ordinance creating the Tree Board had passed and was in effect following the 30-day period, and public applications had been received. - A committee member who had volunteered to serve as the council representative was expected to be appointed at the City Council meeting later that evening at 7:30 PM. If approved, four members would be in place, and the board and council would subsequently appoint two residents to complete the six-member board. - Once fully seated, the board would begin regular daytime meetings, which would also help satisfy a Tree City USA designation requirement. Other Business - A committee member mentioned receiving a concerning video earlier in the week (the day before the meeting), but no further discussion of the item is captured in the transcript. Key Outcomes - Approved the April 21, 2026 Operations Committee minutes as presented. - Deer management: No motion or formal vote was taken. The committee indicated consensus that Powell needs better population data before committing to a deer management program. Staff were encouraged to explore partnerships (ODNR, The Ohio State University), consider drone-based thermal surveys, and research comparable communities. A future request to City Council for funding for population analysis is anticipated. - Tree Board: The committee advanced the appointment process; City Council was expected to consider the council representative and additional member appointments at its 7:30 PM meeting that evening, with two resident appointments to follow to complete the six-member board and allow regular daytime meetings to begin.
