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2026-05-11 - Columbus City Council

Summary

Built from the final minutes (regular meeting no. 23). 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 2026-05-11 - Zoning Committee; the next Council meeting was 2026-05-18 - Columbus City Council.

  • Called to order 5:07 PM. Present (8): Bankston, Day-Achauer, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Wyche and President Hardin. Absent (1): Barroso De Padilla. Unless noted, every vote was 8-0.
  • Journal dispensed with and approved 8-0 (Green / Remy).
  • Liquor permit communication C0019-2026 (received by the Clerk as of May 6, 2026: transfers and new D-2, D-1, D-4, D-5A and C-1/C-2 permits, including 22 E. Mound St., 3232 Olentangy River Rd. and 5295 N. High St.) read and filed.
  • Two ceremonial resolutions adopted 8-0, with all nine members as sponsors: 0123X-2026 (Remy) recognizing May 15, 2026 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in Columbus (Remy / Day-Achauer), and 0125X-2026 (Ross) honoring the legacy of Bishop Dr. Charles E. Burger, Sr. on becoming Bishop Emeritus (Ross / Wyche).
  • Five economic development ordinances (0999-2026, 1311-2026, 1312-2026, 1315-2026, 1316-2026) were removed from the consent agenda and voted on separately later in the meeting.
  • First reading of 46 items, titles waived (Remy / Day-Achauer, 8-0): technology contracts, enterprise zone assignments, Public Utilities contracts, Recreation and Parks agreements, the Complete Streets and Community Benefits Agreement ordinances, and nine zoning items. Most were approved on May 18 or June 1.
  • Consent agenda of 70 items (66 ordinances plus the four Civilian Police Review Board appointments, after the five pulled items) approved 8-0 (Ross / Wyche).
  • Second-reading and emergency calendar of 29 items plus the five pulled items: all approved except the 0999-2026 annexation, postponed to May 18 (Bankston / Wyche, 8-0). The only split vote was the Sutphen fire pumper, 7-1.
  • Recessed 6:40 PM (Remy / Wyche, 8-0); reconvened 7:04 PM (Wyche / Bankston, 8-0); adjourned 7:44 PM (Remy / Wyche, 8-0).

Downtown Special Improvement Districts Formation

  • 1311-2026 and 1315-2026 (petitions and articles of incorporation for the Downtown Central and Downtown East Special Improvement Districts of Columbus, Inc., including City-owned property) and 1312-2026 and 1316-2026 (their plans of services): each moved by Bankston, approved 7-0 with Green abstaining. Emergency; $0.00.

Deer Feeding Prohibition

  • 0944-2026 (Day-Achauer): enacts Section 2327.21 of the City Codes to prohibit feeding deer. Day-Achauer / Wyche; 8-0.

Technology Investment Committee Code Changes

  • 1000-2026 (Bankston): technical corrections to Chapter 153 and clarification of the role of the Information Technology Investment and Planning Committee. Bankston / Ross; 8-0.

Complete Streets Policy Requirement

  • 1392-2026 (Barroso De Padilla): first reading only on 5/11; approved 7-0 on 5/18.

Hard Road Apartment Rezoning

  • 0290-2026 and 0291-2026 appear in the first-reading list (FR-38, FR-41), but the 5/18 journal correction says their first reading was 4/20/2026. The committee postponed them on 2026-05-18 - Zoning Committee.

Zoning first readings

South Outpost Project Contracts

  • 1129-2026 (consent): Hill International owner representation services, up to $497,027.00.
  • 1235-2026: Elford, Inc. Construction Manager at Risk services, up to $10,000,000.00 (Bankston / Day-Achauer; 8-0).

Fire Division Equipment Purchases

  • 0496-2026: transfers $1,263,945.00 within the Safety Voted Bond Fund and buys one Sutphen Monarch Custom Pumper from The Sutphen Corporation, competitive bidding waived; emergency. Remy / Wyche moved to amend as submitted to the Clerk (7-1) and then to approve as amended (7-1). Dorans voted no both times; the minutes give no reason.
  • 1263-2026 (consent): one 1,000-gallon diesel fuel delivery truck from C H Bradshaw Company Inc., $144,584.00.

Roadway Construction Contract Approvals

  • 0966-2026: A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Nelson Road, Livingston Avenue to Main Street, up to $1,000,000.00 (Day-Achauer / Ross; 8-0).
  • 1205-2026: real estate acquisition and a Norfolk Southern construction contract for Livingston Avenue, 18th Street to Nelson Road, $1,200,000.00 from the ODOT Highway Safety Improvement Program and the Streets and Highways Bond Fund (Day-Achauer / Wyche; 8-0).
  • Consent: Woolpert, Trabue Road, Bolingbrook Drive to Tenagra Way, up to $500,000.00 (0965-2026); Kapsch TrafficCom connected vehicle road-side unit modification, up to $125,000.00 (1287-2026); right-of-way transfers near Richmond Avenue and Sunbury Road; dedication of a tract as Olentangy River Road right-of-way (1110-2026); acceptance of $36,468.00 in insurance proceeds for a damaged City bike shelter (1165-2026); a mobility agreement with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission on electric vehicle charger reliability (1246-2026); four "Woodlands at Central College" plats from M/I Homes of Central Ohio (Sections 1 to 4).

Parsons Avenue Wellfield Construction

  • 0882-2026: Kokosing Industrial, Inc., up to $33,805,400.00 plus $2,000.00 for prevailing wage services, contingent on Ohio Water Development Authority loan approval. First reading 5/11; approved 7-0 on 5/18.

Lead Service Line Replacement Contracts

  • 1060-2026: planned modification of the Murphy Epson, Inc. contract for Lead Service Line Outreach, up to $2,527,488.06 from the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account Fund, with an application for a loan from the Ohio Water Development Authority and the Ohio EPA; emergency. Wyche / Day-Achauer; 8-0.

Water Utility Contract Approvals

  • Second reading, all moved by Wyche and seconded by Day-Achauer, 8-0: 0950-2026 Arcadis, DOSD Storm Pump Stations construction engineering, up to $1,040,794.17 (OWDA loan contingent); 1134-2026 payment of $1,383,585.54 to the State of Ohio for Alum Creek Reservoir operation, maintenance and water entitlement.
  • First reading of 18 Public Utilities items (Parsons Avenue wellfield, Youngs Drive and Community Park/Maple Canyon contracts, Second Avenue sewer engineering, DWR sanitary pump stations, the PFAS Settlement Fund transfer of $2,288,967.85, Synagro Lagoon 3 up to $12,000,000.00, headquarters parking and others), approved May 18.
  • Consent: EP Ferris, Petzinger Road stormwater, $56,839.94; real estate acquisition up to $190,000.00; Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District stormwater education, $370,166.00 in total; Woolpert Cityworks renewal; Schneider Electric software maintenance, $52,800.85; UPS equipment, $83,908.00; Frank Road Recycling clean fill disposal modification; and $1.00 option-to-purchase contracts for pumps, polymer and road salt.

Township Annexation Applications

  • 0999-2026 (AN25-027, 15.4 acres, Jefferson Township): pulled from consent and postponed to 5/18 (Bankston / Wyche; 8-0).
  • 0985-2026 (consent): accepts AN25-021, Dublin MHP LLC, 4.46 acres in Washington Township.

Madison Township JEDD Expansion

  • 1317-2026 (consent): second amended and restated Madison Township JEDD contract. Also 1347-2026 (consent), RiverSouth Authority third supplemental lease for refunding Scioto Peninsula bonds.

280 High Street TIF Creation

  • 1249-2026 (consent): removes eleven parcels from the Downtown TIF and creates the 280 High TIF with a reimbursement agreement.

Enterprise Zone Abatement Approvals

  • 1170-2026 (Bankston / Wyche) dissolves the Enterprise Zone Agreement with RM Biltrite LLC, Watkins Road LLC and QRRI, Inc.; 1171-2026 (Bankston / Day-Achauer) dissolves the agreement with JBG Enterprise, LLC and America's Floor Source, LLC. Both 8-0, $0.00.
  • First reading of the second amendments substituting the enterprise party (1179-2026, 1236-2026, 1273-2026), approved May 18.

Confluence Community Authority District Expansion

  • 0121X-2026: first reading only on 5/11; amended and adopted 7-0 on 5/18.

Community Benefits Agreement Advisory Committee Changes

  • 1265-2026 (Dorans): first reading; approved 7-0 on 5/18.

Opportunity Pointe HOME Loans

  • 1189-2026 and 1191-2026: up to $1,200,000.00 each in HOME funds for Opportunity Pointe I and II limited partnerships. Ross / Wyche; 8-0 each.
  • Other housing items: first reading of the Orono Pike HOME loan interest forgiveness (up to $838,648.00), the Star House capital contribution (up to $1,000,000.00) and the Sky Nile Consulting extension; consent for housing counseling contracts up to $275,000.00 (Homes on the Hill CDC, Columbus Urban League, Homeport) and the Spatialist HOME policies extension to August 31, 2026.

Age-in-Place Village Grants

  • 0941-2026 (Day-Achauer): $50,000.00 for four age-in-place village programs. Day-Achauer / Ross; 8-0.

Neighborhood Initiatives Grant Awards

  • 0921-2026 (Barroso De Padilla and Day-Achauer): first reading of a $20,000.00 grant to the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio for outdoor programming; approved May 18.

Big Walnut Trail Design Grant

  • 1082-2026: COTA grant of $4,082,250.00 for the Helsel Park to Refugee Road design. Day-Achauer / Ross; 8-0.

Parks Capital Project Contracts

  • Consent (Recreation and Parks): Arcadis Big Walnut Trail modification ($43,803.04), CAP-STONE hard surfaces ($285,555.75), Accenture Case Road Park modification ($709,300.00), OPWC grant of $431,640.00 with a local match of $167,860.00 for Alum Creek Trail preservation, a parkland dedication fee refund to M/I Homes ($30,292.50), gym floor refinishing ($74,000.00), permit management ($54,000.00), festival utilities ($68,750.00) and staffing ($68,000.00).
  • 1070-2026 (Day-Achauer / Wyche; 8-0): Theatrical Payroll Service stagehand services, $78,000.00, bidding waived.
  • 1075-2026 (Day-Achauer / Bankston; 8-0): extends Amara's liquor permit to Bicentennial Park for up to 19 community events in 2026.
  • First reading of Topiary Park shared use with Encova, Active Network software and Friends of the Cultural Arts Center, approved May 18.

Sustainable Columbus Funding

  • 1087-2026: transfer of $24,500.00 from the Sustainable Columbus Fund to the Recreation and Parks Special Purpose Fund; first reading 5/11, approved 5/18.

Columbus Printed Arts Center Grant

  • 1262-2026: up to $197,000.00 for the new facility at 705 Ann Street. Bankston / Ross; 8-0.

City Technology Software Contract Renewals

  • First reading of 0881-2026 (Carahsoft VMware, $108,219.18), 0946-2026 (Hyland OnBase, $233,597.25), 1218-2026 (fiber maintenance, $300,000.00) and 1281-2026 (Tableau, $222,621.70).
  • 1251-2026 (Bankston / Ross; 8-0): up to $1,084,000.00 for Dynamics 365 support, hosting and maintenance under the Microsoft and Dell Marketing contracts; emergency.
  • Consent: CDW video storage ($75,822.16), Smartsheet licenses ($326,015.70), NetApp storage for the Public Safety project ($398,997.98); also Oracle licenses ($83,741.77) and data storage ($71,658.00) for the Municipal Court Clerk.
  • 1154-2026 (Bankston / Day-Achauer; 8-0): Assetworks fleet management software, $1,100,000.00; 0986-2026 pest control, $55,152.00; 1094-2026 energy supply contracts, $1.00.

Pro-Tow Towing Contract Funding

  • 1144-2026 (consent): Universal Term Contract for the option to purchase towing services for City-owned vehicles from Pro-Tow Inc., $1.00. Also consent: Fleet Management contracts with Express Wash Holdco (vehicle washing, $225,000.00) and Ricart Properties (alignments and Ford repairs, $370,000.00).

Justice Ecosystem Study Contract

  • 1042-2026: Mission Critical Partners study for the Municipal Court. Remy / Ross; 8-0.

Refuse Tipping Fees Funding

  • 1161-2026: $14,500,000.00 for 2026 tipping fees. Wyche / Day-Achauer; 8-0.

Civilian Police Review Board Appointments

  • Consent: Jay Beighley (term to April 30, 2027), Adam Rusnak, Sheldon Goodrum and Sheila Turner (terms to April 30, 2029).

Other items

  • Public safety (Remy, chair), all 8-0: 0929-2026 Lexipol Cordico wellness application, $125,000.00, bidding waived (Remy / Day-Achauer); 1245-2026 OARnet VMware licenses for the Municipal Court Clerk, year 3 of 5, $15,182.40; 1266-2026 OhioHealth Employer Services pre-employment physicals for police and fire candidates, $207,200.00 (Dorans / Day-Achauer). Consent: Intergraph CAD maintenance, $838,809.12; SWAT CBRN equipment, $78,313.38; a FY2023 Paul Coverdell forensic science subgrant, $52,226.87.
  • Health (Green, chair): 1040-2026 appropriates $1,172,278.92 for primary health care services (Green / Wyche; 8-0). Consent: Epic EMR hosting with Ohio State University Hospitals, $667,223.00; contract modifications with DAS Health Ventures, Quality Custom Signs and Mahogany Search Partners; a $1.00 Nexplanon purchase option. First reading of the Minority Health grant of $52,500.00.
  • Workforce (Dorans, chair): 1120-2026 Learning Circle Software CeeHiVE data platform support for the pre-kindergarten goal, $226,375.00, bidding waived (Dorans / Day-Achauer; 8-0). Consent: CTI Audit Solutions, May 18, 2026 to April 30, 2029, $175,000.00.
  • Other consent: Black Bronco Construction, Municipal Court restroom renovation, $100,000.00; Proline Electric, Fire Training Academy fire alarm replacement, $637,856.20; invoice payments of up to $5,000.00 (Legacy Youth Sports Academy) and $3,013.00 (Mount Carmel Health Providers); the Stelzer-Stygler CRA school district compensation payment of up to $96,869.68 to the Gahanna-Jefferson School District.

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