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2026-08-31 - Columbus City Council

Summary

Built from the final minutes (regular meeting no. 37). No agenda or video is recorded for this meeting. The minutes record motions and votes but no debate.

  • Called to order 5:05 PM; all nine members present: Bankston, Barroso De Padilla, Day-Achauer, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Wyche and President Hardin. Adjourned 6:35 PM (Green / Dorans, 9-0).
  • Journal dispensed with and approved 9-0 (Remy / Green).
  • Liquor permit communication C0035-2026 (five transfer requests and one new D-1 permit for a Chipotle on East Main Street) read and filed.
  • City Clerk Johnson read a Franklin County Board of Elections letter dated July 29, 2026 on an initiated charter amendment petition, and the Clerk forwarded the City Attorney's legal sufficiency memorandum of the same date (see below).
  • First reading of 22 items under the 30-day calendar (waive the reading of titles, Green / Remy, 9-0).
  • Consent agenda: 92 items (resolutions, contracts, annexations, grants and appointments) approved 9-0 (Remy / Green).
  • Second-reading and emergency calendar: 25 items. Three were not unanimous: 2104-2026 (8-1, Wyche no), 2223-2026 (7-2, Barroso De Padilla and Green no) and the consent appointment A0151-2026 (8-0 with Bankston abstaining).
  • The minutes close with the notice that there is no Council meeting on September 7 (Labor Day) and the next regular meeting is September 14 (2026-09-14 - Columbus City Council).

Charter Amendment Petition Signature Certification

  • The Board of Elections certified that it examined the initiated charter amendment petition received July 20, 2026: 23,211 raw signatures examined, 15,945 valid (68.6 percent). Ten percent of the 125,329 voters in the 2025 general municipal election is 12,533. Read into the record by the Clerk; Charter Section 42-9 requires the Clerk to forward the elections report and the City Attorney's findings on legal sufficiency to Council. No vote was taken.

Council District Elections Charter Amendment Correction

  • 2451-2026, sponsored by Hardin, amends previously passed ordinance 2354-2026 (Proposed Charter Amendment No. 1, City Council District Elections) to correct a drafting error. Hardin / Wyche; 9-0.

State Government Relations Consulting Contract

  • 2104-2026: Byers, Minton & Associates, LLC, state government relations consulting, $60,000.00 from the General Fund, competitive bidding waived, originally an emergency. Bankston / Day-Achauer moved to amend it to the 30-day track (8-1, Wyche no); approved as amended 8-1 (Wyche no).
  • 2223-2026: Pen-Link Ltd. software licenses and subscriptions for obtaining and analyzing electronic information in cases, $139,680.33 from the Law Enforcement Contraband Seizure Fund, bidding waived, emergency. Remy / Wyche; 7-2 (Barroso De Padilla and Green no).

Admissions Tax Facility Stabilization Funding

  • First reading of 1883-2026 (Hardin), the Chapter 375 admissions tax rewrite. Approved September 14.

Alkire Industrial Enterprise Zone Assignments

  • First readings of 2318-2026 (Jim Pattison Development (U.S.) Inc.) and 2321-2026 (COI Alkire Industrial II, LLC). Voted September 14.

Brownfield Remediation Grant Support

  • Consent: resolutions 0192X-2026 (Thrive Companies, former auto parts salvage on McKinley Avenue), 0195X-2026 (Northpoint Development, Frank Road) and 0189X-2026 (Scannell Properties, Joyce Avenue) supporting Ohio Department of Development Brownfield Remediation Program applications.

Township Annexation Applications

  • Consent: AN26-002 (1.681 acres, Jackson Township), AN26-004 (0.28 acres, Sharon Township), AN26-005 (167.2 acres, Madison Township), AN26-006 (1.89 acres, Plain Township), and the services statement for AN26-001 (4.23 acres, Prairie Township).

North Market Grand Atrium Grant

  • 2231-2026: reimbursable State of Ohio grant of up to $1,000,000.00 for the North Market Grand Atrium, cooperative use agreement and a grant agreement with the North Market Development Authority, Inc. Bankston / Day-Achauer; 9-0.

Roadway Construction Contract Approvals

  • 2222-2026 SR 161 (I-71 to Cleveland Avenue) Phase 2 with Shelly and Sands, Inc., up to $23,868,642.76; 2268-2026 Polaris Parkway with Double Z Construction Company, up to $3,904,562.36; 2165-2026 property acquisition for Broad Street Phase 1, $32,910.00; 2266-2026 Highway Safety Improvement Program grant agreements. All moved by Barroso De Padilla, 9-0.

Water Utility Contract Approvals

  • Second readings, all moved by Wyche, 9-0: Heyl Avenue Area Water Line Improvements with Fields Excavating ($7,360,590.58 total); Shamrock Drive Area Water Line Improvements with JLD Construction Services ($6,800,972.95 total); Resource International and CTL Engineering inspection services (up to $1,316,643.59 and $1,098,331.21); emergency power distribution line upgrade with New River Electrical Corporation under a Mayor's Emergency Waiver dated August 12, 2026 (up to $2,500,000.00); Duke's Root Control ($225,000.00); equipment purchases.
  • Consent: Cherry Hill Drive, Desantis Drive and Hilock Road Area water line design contracts (about $455,000.00, $487,000.00 and $484,000.00) and seven equipment purchases, plus a $23,059.54 transfer to reimburse the Water Operating Fund for helping senior customers avoid disconnection.

Housing Division Contract Extensions

  • First readings of 2296, 2297, 2298 and 2299-2026 (lead abatement and healthy home repair contracts extended to December 31, 2027). Voted September 14.
  • Consent: Inservice Training Network lead licensing training, up to $11,000.00.

Zoning Code Update (Zone In) Phase 2

  • Consent: 2294-2026 adds $750,000.00 from the Development Services Fund to the Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc. contract for the Zoning Code and Map Update ("Zone In").

Campaign Finance Code Amendment and Industrial Billing Charges Streamlining

  • First readings of 2455-2026 (Dorans) and 2265-2026 (Wyche). Approved September 14.

Other second-reading items (all 9-0)

  • 2013-2026 Columbus FiberNet fiber optic maintenance, bidding waived, $90,653.27 (Bankston / Day-Achauer).
  • 2169-2026 police and fire vehicles and up-fitting from existing term contracts, $2,000,000.00 from the Income Tax Set Aside subfund, emergency (Bankston / Remy).
  • 2114-2026 Neighborhood Design Center 614 Beautiful Program, $100,000.00, extended through December 31, 2027 (sponsor Barroso De Padilla; second reading waived, then approved).
  • 2197-2026 Berglund Construction, Marion Franklin exterior improvements, $1,015,000.00.
  • 0179X, 0180X, 0181X and 0182X-2026 withdraw the city's objection to renewal of liquor permits for Speedway LLC (two locations), Buckeye Supermarket and True North (sponsor Remy).
  • Resolutions recognizing the 15th anniversary of Hope City Global and September 13, 2026 as Recovery Sunday.
  • Finance and operations: security systems for Facilities Management ($75,000.00); Renewable Natural Gas program agreement with Trillium Transportation Fuels; Fujitec elevator service (up to $100,000.00); universal term contracts for supplies.
  • Parks and grants: Clean Ohio Conservation and Transportation Alternatives grant applications; Ohio Arts Council grants of $14,372.00 and $30,848.00; Gay Softball World Series advance payment, $15,000.00; Adopt-a-Center, $15,000.00; Meals-on-Wheels with LifeCare Alliance, $145,000.00; Columbus Coalition for the Homeless supplies, $20,000.00.
  • Public Safety: surface supplied air system for the Division of Fire dive team ($56,130.45); sale of a retired police therapy dog to its officer for $1.00; veterinary payment ($6,728.18); Batterer's Intervention Program transfer ($168,838.00).
  • Public Service: East Livingston Avenue right-of-way dedication; Safe Streets for All grant application; Cassady Avenue bikeway design change (up to $350,000.00); Sign Maintenance Truck ($444,847.00); SR 161 Busch Boulevard to Ambleside Drive contract change ($220,000.00).
  • Appointments: 37 consent appointments to the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, Zoological Park Association, several New Community Authority boards, the Building Commission and area commissions. The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority appointment of Denise Robinson (A0151-2026) was voted separately, Remy / Green, 8-0 with Bankston abstaining.

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