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2026-04-27 - Columbus City Council

Summary

Built from the final minutes (regular meeting no. 21). No agenda or video is recorded for this meeting. The minutes record motions and votes but no debate or public comment. The Zoning Committee met afterward at 2026-04-27 - Zoning Committee; there was no Council meeting on May 4, and the next regular meeting was May 11 (2026-05-11 - Columbus City Council).

  • Called to order 5:29 PM. Present (9): Bankston, Barroso De Padilla, Day-Achauer, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Wyche and President Hardin. After the recess Dorans is recorded as absent from every vote, so those votes were 8-0 unless noted.
  • Journal dispensed with and approved 9-0 (Remy / Wyche). Hardin noted one correction to the April 20 Journal: the Clerk read Ordinance 0922-2026 as 0992-2026.
  • Liquor permit communication C0018-2026 (received by the Clerk as of April 22, 2026: new C-1/C-2 and D-2 permits, D-5 transfers and a stock transfer, at addresses including 4755 Refugee Rd., 6899 Harlem Rd., 1515 Hilliard Rome Rd., 229 Civic Center Dr., 3900 Westerville Rd. and 1040 Rome Hilliard Rd.) read and filed. Advertise date 5/2/2026; return date 5/7/2026.
  • City Auditor appointed: Jacquelin Lewis, effective May 4, 2026, on a 9-0 roll call (see below).
  • Three ceremonial resolutions adopted 9-0 with all members as sponsors: 0095X-2026 (Ross) recognizing April as Fair Housing Month (Ross / Remy), 0118X-2026 (Ross) commemorating the Central Ohio Restored Citizens' Collaborative Reentry Week, April 20-24 (Ross / Wyche), and 0110X-2026 (Wyche) recognizing Arbor Day (Wyche / Remy).
  • Recess 6:29 PM (Green / Wyche, 9-0); reconvened 6:57 PM (Remy / Wyche, 8-0, Dorans absent).
  • Ordinance 1128-2026 was removed from the consent agenda to be voted on separately; it was referred to committee (see below).
  • First reading of 29 items, titles waived (Remy / Ross, 8-0): pest control, restroom renovation and towing contracts; six economic development items (two annexation applications and two enterprise zone dissolutions among them); three right-of-way items; four festival contracts; the Opportunity Pointe HOME loans; a Petzinger Road stormwater engineering increase, the storm pump station design contract and other Public Utilities items; and the Technology Investment Committee and deer feeding ordinances.
  • Consent agenda of 41 items (5 ceremonial resolutions, 33 ordinances and 3 appointments, after 1128-2026 was pulled) approved 8-0 (Remy / Wyche).
  • Second-reading and emergency calendar: six ordinances approved (five 8-0 and the county jail contract 7-1): Hilliard Rome Road at Renner Road, rock salt, the aging services agreement, county jail housing, eviction legal aid and the poplar tree farm. The pulled 1128-2026 was referred to committee (Day-Achauer / Wyche, 8-0).
  • Adjourned 7:50 PM (Remy / Wyche, 8-0).

City Auditor Appointment

  • City Auditor Megan Kilgore's resignation takes effect May 4, 2026. Barroso De Padilla moved, under City Charter Sec. 87-2, that Jacquelin Lewis be appointed City Auditor effective that date. Bankston also moved to nominate Garrett Patterson. Ross seconded Barroso De Padilla's motion; the roll call was 9-0.

Jail Housing Contract for City Prisoners

  • 0860-2026 (SR-4): contract with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners for use of the Franklin County Correction Centers to house City prisoners, $2,000,000.00 from the General Fund; emergency. Remy / Wyche; approved 7-1, Barroso De Padilla opposed, Dorans absent.
  • 1051-2026 (SR-5): grant agreement of up to $1,500,000.00 with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio as the Designated Organization to provide free full legal representation to unrepresented tenants facing eviction; expenses reimbursable from March 1, 2026. Ross / Wyche; 8-0.
  • Consent, 8-0: 1065-2026 (up to $300,000.00, Community Mediation Services of Central Ohio, mediation at eviction court); 1037-2026 (up to $90,000.00, The Homeless Families Foundation, Vacated Tenant Services); 1089-2026 (up to $965,250.00, seven agencies, Resilient Housing Initiative).

Deer Feeding Prohibition

  • 0944-2026 (Day-Achauer): enacts Section 2327.21 of the City Codes to prohibit feeding deer. First reading only on 4/27; approved on 5/11.

Technology Investment Committee Code Changes

  • 1000-2026 (Bankston): technical corrections to Chapter 153 and clarification of the Information Technology Investment and Planning Committee. First reading only; approved on 5/11.

Opportunity Pointe HOME Loans

  • 1189-2026 and 1191-2026: up to $1,200,000.00 each in federal HOME funds ($200,000.00 from the 2023 grant and $1,000,000.00 from the 2024 grant) for Opportunity Pointe I and Opportunity Pointe II Limited Partnerships. First reading only; approved 8-0 on 5/11.

Pro-Tow Towing Contract Funding

  • 1144-2026: Universal Term Contract for the option to purchase towing services for City-owned vehicles from Pro-Tow Inc., $1.00. First reading only; approved on consent 5/11.

Township Annexation Applications

  • First reading: 0985-2026 (AN25-021, Dublin MHP LLC, 4.46 acres, Washington Township) and 0999-2026 (AN25-027, Blalock, Wolf and Minto parcels, 15.4 acres, Jefferson Township).
  • Consent, 8-0: 0998-2026 (services statement for proposed annexation AN26-005, 167.2 acres, Madison Township) and 1064-2026 (services statement for AN26-002, 1.681 acres, Jackson Township), both emergency.

Roadway Construction Contract Approvals

  • 0924-2026 (SR-1): contract modification with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for the Intersection - Hilliard Rome Road at Renner Road project, up to $1,000,000.00 from the Street and Highway Improvement Fund. Barroso De Padilla / Wyche; 8-0.
  • Consent: 1029-2026 (up to $82,860.00 additional funding to ODOT for Easton Way improvements); 1095-2026 ($750,000.00 for the Roberts Road at Frazell Road-Spindler Road intersection, with property acquisition); 0083X-2026 (necessity to appropriate property for the E. Broad Street Improvements Phase 1 project); 1032-2026 (acceptance and dedication of road rights-of-way). First reading: right-of-way near 1567 Richmond Ave. (1148-2026) and near 1485 Sunbury Rd. (1183-2026), and 1110-2026 dedicating a tract as Olentangy River Road right-of-way.

Rock Salt Purchase Contract

  • 1048-2026 (SR-2): up to $2,800,733.00 for rock salt through an ODOT cooperative purchase contract ($2,688,125.00 Municipal Motor Vehicle License Tax Fund, $73,313.00 Water, $32,258.00 Sewerage, $7,038.00 Electricity). Barroso De Padilla / Wyche; 8-0.

Poplar Tree Farm Contract Renewal

  • 0996-2026 (SR-6): planned renewal with Ohio Mulch Supply, Inc. and Quasar Energy Group LLC-North Tree Farm for the Deep Row Hybrid Poplar Tree Farm #2 Program, $3,200,000.00 from the Sanitary Sewerage Operating Fund. Wyche / Ross; 8-0.

Older Adult Services Grant Agreement

  • 1066-2026 (SR-3): intergovernmental agreement with the Regional Council of Governments for the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging; $3,776,868.44 appropriated and spent from the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund. Day-Achauer / Barroso De Padilla; 8-0.

Water Utility Contract Approvals

  • First reading: 0872-2026 (EP Ferris & Associates, Petzinger Road Stormwater Improvements, up to $56,839.94); 0950-2026 (Arcadis US, Inc., DOSD Storm Pump Stations - Construction design, up to $1,040,794.17, contingent on an Ohio Water Development Authority loan); 1134-2026 ($1,383,585.54 to the State of Ohio for Alum Creek Reservoir water entitlement); 1039-2026 (real estate acquisition for utility capital projects, up to $190,000.00); 1023-2026, 1156-2026, 0989-2026 and 1093-2026 (a clean fill agreement modification, a Woolpert Cityworks renewal, APC Smart-UPS units at $83,908.00, and a Schneider Electric sole source contract at $52,800.85).
  • Consent, 8-0: 0082X-2026 (necessity to acquire property for the 4600 Kenny Road Sewer Reconstruction Project); 0601-2026 (sewer lining with West Granville Road Owner, LLC, OSU Airport East - McVey East and West); 0673-2026 (reimbursement agreement with Clinton Township, Chesapeake Avenue Area Water Line Improvements); 0689-2026 (up to $125,000.00 with the Franklin County Engineer's Office to relocate a water main near Seventeenth Avenue and I-670); 0957-2026 (Bricker Graydon LLP, additional $250,000.00 for special legal services on the Home Road Water Plant); 1097-2026 (pump parts, $1.00).

Neighborhood Initiatives Grant Awards

  • Consent, 8-0: 1283-2026 (Bankston) increases the grant to Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (R.O.O.T.T.), $100,000.00; 1280-2026, $40,000.00 to The Women's Center for Economic Opportunity for its Aspire Business Accelerator; 1059-2026 (Hardin), $25,000.00 sponsorship of an Urban Land Institute housing forum.

Violence Prevention Contracts

  • Consent, 8-0: 1288-2026, advance-pay grant agreements with 12 local non-profit organizations for spring youth programming, $156,800.00 (Office of Violence Prevention).
  • Ceremonial resolutions on consent: 0113X-2026 recognizing Michelle May for 37 years at the Ohio Department of Transportation; 0111X-2026 the Impact Solar Initiative's ribbon cutting at Bridgeway Academy; 0112X-2026 the Ohio Environmental Council's 2026 Green Gala; 0108X-2026 Kris Jackson; and 0109X-2026 April 23 as Granville T. Woods Day.
  • Finance and Management consent items, 8-0: 0970-2026 (desktop computers and related products through term contracts, $630,550.00, emergency); 1019-2026 (fire textbooks and training materials, $1.00); 1054-2026 (lock boxes and trigger locks, $2.00); 1186-2026 (irrigation parts, $2.00); 1045-2026 (change of vendor name on Public Safety furniture contracts).
  • Economic development consent items, 8-0: 0763-2026 (up to $24,769.68 for leasing office space at 845 Parsons Ave., payable from February 1, 2026); 0997-2026 (up to $225,000.00 capital improvement grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio for its downtown headquarters); 1003-2026 (USI Insurance Services extension, August 1 to October 31, 2026, up to $166,149.00); 1135-2026 ($25,000.00 advance-pay grant to Freedom Equity, Inc.).
  • Neighborhoods, Recreation and Parks and workforce consent items, 8-0: 0956-2026 (YMCA of Central Ohio grant extended through December 31, 2026); 1090-2026 (Second Amended and Restated Agreement with the Franklin County Commissioners covering the Franklin Park Community Gardens lease of 11.75 acres and a park maintenance easement); 1047-2026 (transfers of $147,625.06 and $84,849.45 for three employees moving to Human Resources, $232,474.51 total); 1145-2026 (allows Mayor's Office of Education expenses from August 1, 2025). Public safety consent: 1187-2026 (up to $97,010.00 to Favor Farms Foundation for female housing, Municipal Court grant fund).
  • Forrest Street Consulting: 1128-2026 would extend the Department of Neighborhoods service contract with Dawn Tyler Lee dba Forrest Street Consulting through August 31, 2026 ($0.00; emergency). It was removed from consent and referred to committee (Day-Achauer / Wyche, 8-0); the minutes give no reason.
  • Appointments on consent: Lark Mallory to the Community Shelter Board, replacing Michael Stevens, term ending June 30, 2029 (A0081-2026); reappointment of Frederic Bertley, Ph.D., to the Columbus Regional Airport Authority Board of Directors through December 31, 2029 (A0082-2026); reappointment of David Mitchell to the Franklin County Planning Commission through October 31, 2028 (A0083-2026).
  • Other first-reading items: Municipal Court Building restroom renovation with Black Bronco Construction ($100,000.00); pest control with The Scherzinger Corporation ($55,152.00, bidding waived); enterprise zone agreement dissolutions with RM Biltrite LLC, Watkins Road LLC and QRRI, Inc. (1170-2026) and with JBG Enterprise, LLC and America's Floor Source, LLC (1171-2026); stagehand services, temporary utilities and event staffing for the 2026 Jazz and Rib Fest and CBUS Soul Fest (about $78,000.00, $68,750.00 and $68,000.00), and a permit management renewal with Event Approvals, Inc. ($54,000.00); CTI Audit Solutions, Inc. employee benefits audit ($175,000.00, May 18, 2026 through April 30, 2029); Learning Circle Software, LLC for CeeHiVE pre-kindergarten data platform support ($226,375.00); and a Board of Health contract modification with Mahogany Search Partners.

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