[00:00:04]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED BY OUR SERVICE DIRECTOR THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SAFETY PANEL IN THIS BUILDING AND OUR SERVICEMEN ARE HERE WORKING ON IT.
SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO HEAR AN ALARM DURING THE MEETING THIS EVENING, DON'T BE, THEY'RE WORKING TO FIX WHATEVER IT IS.
OKAY? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO RUN FOR THE HILLS UNLESS THEY COME IN HERE AND SAY SO.
[Call to Order]
UH, THIS SPECIAL, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEE IS NOW IN SESSION.I'LL HAND IT OVER TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMISS - COMMITTEE.
MR. PRESIDENT, BEFORE WE DO THAT, MAY I TAKE ATTENDANCE? ROLL CALL.
SO, UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR, UH, BEING HERE TONIGHT, BOTH IN PERSON AND THOSE WATCHING ONLINE.
UM, SO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING AND FINALIZING THE BUDGET FOR 2027.
SO JUST, UH, KINDA SOME, IT'S ADMINISTRATIVELY JUST FYI.
SO TONIGHT THE ADMINISTRATION IS PRESENTING, UH, AN OVERVIEW INCLUDING ANTICIPATED REVENUE ESTIMATES AND CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR 2027.
UM, BY NOVEMBER 15TH, UH, THE MAYOR MUST SUBMIT THE BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, CURRENTLY THEY'RE ANTICIPATING THAT BEING WITH US BY THE 13TH.
ON NOVEMBER 16TH, UH, WE WILL HAVE AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS EITHER BEFORE OR AS PART OF THE MEET.
UH, THE BUDGET MUST BE ADOPTED NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 24TH, AND SO WE WILL BE LOOKING TO PUT IT ON, UH, PUT THE ORDINANCE FOR ADOPTION ON THE DECEMBER 7TH COUNCIL MEETING, UH, AGENDA.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE GENERAL TIMELINE OVER THE NEXT, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS REGARDING, REGARDING THIS.
SO, UM, WHICH, WHICH OF COURSE GOT ME THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO KIND OF FRAME TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAD SOMETHING OVER THE WEEKEND THAT, UH, SEEMED LIKE A PRETTY GOOD ANALOGY.
SO I WENT AND SAW THE, UH, UH, BALLET METS PRODUCTION OF MARYLAND, WHICH IS BASED ON MARILYN MONROE'S LIFE, AND, UH, WHICH WAS AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE.
IF THEY EVER BRING IT BACK, SHE COULD SEE IT.
UH, BUT ONE THING THAT REALLY STRUCK OUT TO ME IS HOW SIMPLE THE SET WAS AND HOW SELECTIVE THEY WERE ABOUT BOTH WHAT PARTS OF HER STORY THEY CHOSE TO TELL AND HOW THEY SHOWED THAT.
IT WAS GREAT PRODUCTION, NOT BECAUSE THEY TRIED TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS MA - IT WAS, THEY MADE DELIBERATE DECISIONS AND DELIBERATE CHOICES ABOUT WHAT MATTERED MOST AND WHAT BELONGED THERE.
SO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT MADE ME START THINKING ABOUT BUDGETING AND HOW THAT KIND OF IS ALONG THE SAME LINES AS BUDGETING
SO BORROWING FROM THAT IDEA, I'D LIKE TO SET THE STAGE HERE TONIGHT FOR, UM, UH, AROUND THREE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS.
SO ARE WE SPENDING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE? ARE WE FUNDING THE HAVE-TOS BEFORE THE WANT-TOS? AND ARE WE INVESTING IN THINGS THAT STRENGTHEN THE CITY IN THE LONG TERM? SO
[Summary Overview of Annual Appropriation Ordinance]
WITH THAT SAID, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.UH, I BELIEVE MAYOR STAGE, YOU'RE STARTING WITH A SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE.
AND THE ANSWER IS YES, YES, YES.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE PRIDED OURSELVES ON, UH, AS WE'VE DONE BUDGETS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IS, UH, NUMBER ONE, WE DO WHAT I CALL VERTICAL BUDGETING.
THAT IS, WE HAVE STOVE PIPES IN WHICH DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES ARE, UH, HAVE INCOME SOURCES AND EXPENSE SOURCES SO THAT YOU TRY TO BALANCE OUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN CONTROL AT A, AT, AT A, UM, MORE, UM, DISSECTED LEVEL.
BUT THE THING THAT, UH, I'VE, UH, HAVE LEARNED IS THAT YOU, YOU FIRST HAVE TO HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A VISION.
[00:05:01]
WE HAVE IS MAKE SURE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THAT WE HAVE SOME IDEA OF HOW WE'RE GOING INTO 26 AND THEN BE ABLE TO FORECAST THROUGH A PRO FORMA HOW WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO END IN 27.SO I PASSED OUT AT EACH ONE OF THE STATIONS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PROFORMA.
UH, IT IS A DRAFT BECAUSE, UH, IT, IT IS DYNAMIC, UH, UP UNTIL, UH, DECEMBER THE 13TH WHEN WE PROMISED YOU THE BUDGET.
BUT SOME OF THE, UH, BENCHMARKS THAT WE PUT INTO THE BUDGET MANY YEARS AGO, AND THESE ARE NOT DICTATED BY, UH, THE OHIO AUDITOR, UH, EVEN THE NATIONAL, UH, NFOA, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED, UH, GROUP, BUT IS INTERNALLY HOW WE, UH, HOW WE SEE LIQUIDITY IN PARTICULARLY.
AND, UH, AND THEN, SO I'LL, I'LL START AT THE TOP.
UH, WE, WE OBJECTED AT THE END OF, UH, 25 THAT WE HAD ABOUT 19 MILLION, UH, AND THEN, UH, UH, BY THE END OF 26, UH, WE HAD A FORECAST THAT WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, 12 MILLION OR 17 MILLION.
AND BY THE END OF 27, WE'RE FORECASTING WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 12,470.
UH, DO YOU SEE THOSE NUMBERS? MM-HMM.
SO THEN WE GO INTO THE METRICS THAT, UH, WE'VE USED AGAIN FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, ONE OF THE BASIC METRICS IS, ARE THE INCOME TAXES THAT WE'RE COLLECTING FUNDING OUR GENERAL OPERATION? UH, WE LIKE TO KEEP THAT AT 100% OR 100% OR LESS.
SO OUR, OUR EARLY FORECAST HAS US AT JUST ALMOST EXACTLY EXPENDITURES EQUAL TO WHAT WE ANTICIPATE AS, UH, INCOME TAX COLLECTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, INCOME TAX COLLECTIONS IS A, BY AND LARGE, THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR, UH, REVENUE SOURCES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THE OTHER BENCHMARK, AND THIS IS A LIQUIDITY QUESTION, UH, IF YOU, IF EVERYTHING'S SHUT DOWN, CAN THE FUND, UH, CAN THE CITY FUND ITSELF FOR THREE MONTHS? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.
AND, AND WE HAVE A, A LITTLE BIT LEFT OVER.
UH, THE, THE LAST QUESTION IS, ONCE YOU KNOW YOU'VE FUNDED IT, HOW MUCH EXCESS, UM, LIQUIDITY DO WE HAVE? AND IN THIS CASE, WE'RE FORECASTING, WE'D HAVE ABOUT $268,000 IN, UH, ADDITIONAL, USING, UM, THE TERM AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST, AGAIN, A BENCHMARK.
BUT IT, IT, IT IS AN INDICATION THAT FROM THE HIGH LEVEL OF HOW IS THE CITY OPERATING IN THE PAST, HOW HAS IT BEEN OPERATING, AND HOW DO WE SEE IT OPERATING FOR 2027? AND ALL THOSE LIQUIDITY MEASURES ARE WELL WITHIN BOUNDARY.
AND THE ONE THAT I PAY THE MOST ATTENTION TO, UH, ARE THE INCOME C - TAX COLLECTIONS EQUALING, UH, GENERAL OPERATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT I SAY, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN DOING WHAT I CALL, AGAIN, VERTICAL BUDGETING, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST BUCKETS.
IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, UH, WE, WE HAVE SOME ISSUES.
SO THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, IS WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF REVENUE? THAT'S A SECOND HANDOUT.
AND, UM, WE, UH, WE ARE PLEASED, NUMBER ONE, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA EXCEED OUR 2%, UH, ESTIMATED, UH, INCREASE IN REVENUE OVER 25 BY A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND FOR 27, UH, WE'RE FORECASTING, UH, ABOUT A 2% INCREASE IN REVENUE AS WELL.
THAT'S AT 59 MILLION, 200, UH, $200,000.
SO AGAIN, FROM A VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL, HOW DO WE SEE OURSELVES, UM, UH, BALANCING OUT THE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS, THE OPERATION REQUIREMENTS, AND INCOME STREAMS THAT WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT 27, UH, WILL BE, UM, UH, ON BALANCE AND WELL WITHIN OUR BOUNDARIES.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, AND, UM, I HAPPEN TO BE WITH, UM, PAT TEABERRY, FORMER CONGRESSMAN PAT TEBERY, WHO'S, UH, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE AND STEVE STIVERS, WHO IS THE, UH, PRESIDENT OF, UH, OHIO CHAMBER.
AND WE ALL TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT CENTRAL OHIO STILL IS VERY ROBUST.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY BLESSED.
AND, UM, YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A DOWNTURN'S GONNA HAPPEN.
[00:10:01]
OHIO AND THEN BEING GROSS CITY IS, IS QUITE A COMPLIMENT.BOTH OF THEM OBSERVED THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL OHIO, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE THE LARGEST SUBURB ENTIRELY WITHIN FRANKLIN COUNTY.
UH, SO IT IS QUITE A COMPLIMENT TO KNOW AT THAT HIGH LEVEL THAT GROSS CITY IS ON THE MAP AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOGNIZED AS A WELL-PERFORMING, UH, WELL, UH, MANAGED CITY.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL ASK ANY QUESTIONS AND, UH, BECAUSE THIS WILL BE THE THING THAT'LL BE UPDATED, THIS PROFORMA, AND OF COURSE THE EXPENSES AS WE, AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, JUST ON THE, UH, ESTIMATED 2026 REVENUE, ON THE HANDOUT WE GOT TODAY, IT SAYS IT WAS 58016, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND I HAVE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED, AND IT SAYS ESTIMATED 2026 REVENUE IS 56,244.
SO AT BUDGET TIME, YOU WERE EXPECTING 56 MILLION - RIGHT.
AND BUDGETED APPROPRIATELY, BUT THE ANSWER IS IT CAME IN TWO MILLION OVER.
AND 2% OF THAT, UH, I'M SORRY.
MOST OF THAT CAME IN, UH, OUT OF WITHHOLDINGS.
AND THEN RIGHT AT, WITH NOT TOO MANY WEEKS AGO, WE HAD A, A MILLION DOLLAR NET PROFIT, UM, DEPOSIT THAT CAME IN.
SO THAT, THAT PRETTY MUCH BAGGED THAT, UH, 50, UH, 58 MILLION DOLLARS.
NOW, I, I SAID WE'RE ESCROWING A MILLION DOLLARS OF A NET PROFIT THAT'S BEEN DEPOSITED WITH US.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT WILL STAY BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME VERY LARGE DRAWS ON NET PROFIT AFTER THEY'VE DONE THEIR ACCOUNTING IT.
SO, BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S WHAT MADE THAT HAPPEN.
JUST FOR MY BENEFIT, IF NOTHING ELSE,
THEY'LL ALSO DO, UH, FORMAL TAX RETURNS USUALLY, UH, OCTOBER THE 15TH IF THEY - THIS IS BUSINESS INCOME TAXES, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THEY CAN ESTIMATE IT AND THEN, BUT THEN WHEN THEY DO THE ACTUAL NUMBERS, THEY CAN...
UM, AND THAT AFFECTS THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE, UM, ALSO.
UH, SO AT THIS POINT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GET INTO, THAT'S THE REVENUE SIDE.
[Overview of Capital Improvements Plan]
UH, GET INTO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SIDE AND, UH, MS. FITZ- FITZPATRICK WILL LEAD THAT DISCUSSION.GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
UM, SO WHEN WE GET INTO THE NITTY-GRITTY FUND STUFF OF WHAT PROJECTS WE'RE PROPOSING FOR NEXT YEAR, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO SHANNON.
BUT BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. STURHAM, YOU HAD SHARED SOME PRIORITIES FOR 2027 ON COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AND HOW WE WANTED TO ATTACK THESE KIND OF BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, IT'S ALSO REALLY EXCITING WHEN AS AN ADMINISTRATION WE REFLECT ON THIS AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR GOALS ARE ALIGNED PERFECTLY WITH OUR GOALS.
MUCH OF THIS AND MUCH OF THESE PRIORITIES ARE ALREADY BUILT INTO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, UNDER CORE SERVICES AND LONG-TERM CAPITAL PLANNING, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY, ROADS, TRAFFIC, AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, THESE, WHEN WE ARE MAKING CAPITAL DECISIONS, THOSE ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST EVERY SINGLE TIME.
UM, BUT TAKING CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE, YOU MENTIONED THAT EARLIER.
AND I THINK THAT ONE, SOMETHING WE DON'T NECESSARILY TELL THE STORY WELL ENOUGH ABOUT IS HOW WE ACTUALLY MANAGE THAT.
AND SO THINGS THAT ARE BUILT INTO OUR EVERYDAY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGETS, IF YOU GOT DOWN INTO THE WEEDS OF IT, YOU WOULD SEE THAT EVERY OTHER YEAR WE EVALUATE EVERY ROAD, BIKE PATH AND PARKING LOT THAT WE OWN AND GIVE IT A C - PAVEMENT CONDITION RATING.
EVERY YEAR, WE TELEVISE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF OUR SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OLDEST INFRASTRUCTURE IS HOLDING UP.
AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE PLAN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS IN OUR SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM.
WE INSPECT ALL OF OUR STORMWATER BMPS EVERY YEAR.
IT'S A REQUIREMENT FOR OUR, UM, MS4 COMPLIANCE.
ON OUR WATER SIDE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, CITY OF COLUMBUS TRACKS EVERY WATER BREAK THAT HAPPENS IN OUR CITY AND KEEPS A GIS LAYER OF IT.
SO WE REQUEST THAT EVERY YEAR.
[00:15:01]
ON WHERE WE'RE SEEING FREQUENT BREAKS, AND THAT'S HOW WE INFORM THE CAPITAL DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE.SO I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE IN HERE THAT TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE GOING AFTER EVERY FUNDING SOURCE THAT'S OUT THERE.
I THINK I SHARED IN OUR 2025 STATE OF THE CITY THAT WE INVESTED NEARLY A MIL - OR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
OF THAT, ONLY 19 MILLION WAS FINANCED, MEANING ONLY 20%.
OF THE REMAINING 80 P - MILLION DOLLARS, WE PAID CASH, $45 MILLION IN CIPS OVER FIVE YEARS.
BUT 35 MILLION CAME FROM GRANT FUNDING SOURCES.
AND THOSE ARE THE BIG CAPITALS LIKE COLUMBUS STREET, LIKE, UM, DEMOREST ROAD, YOU KNOW.
BUT WE ALSO GO AFTER LITTLE FUNDING SOURCES.
YOU GUYS WILL HEAR US GIVE UPDATES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, URBAN FORESTRY GOT $70,000 FROM ODNR THIS YEAR TO PLANT STREET TREES IN THE LA ROSA NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE, WE GOT GRANT FUNDING TO PLANT A POLLINATOR GARDEN IN HOOVER CROSSING PARK.
WE GO AFTER CLEAN OHIO FUNDS TO DO STREAM RESTORATIONS THROUGH GANTZ.
WE DID ONE IN BULA BEFORE IT REDEVELOPED.
WE DID ONE DOWN AT MOUNT CARMEL THAT MAKES SOME OF THESE OTHER SPAWNING DEVELOPMENTS POSSIBLE.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR EVERY AVAILABLE DOLLAR OUT THERE AND WE'RE GOING AFTER IT AGGRESSIVELY.
AND FORTUNATELY, WE'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT.
SO, UM, YOU'VE RECEIVED A BOOK THIS EVENING THAT SHOWS OUR FIVE-YEAR CIP PLAN.
UH, YOU GUYS GET THAT BOOK EVERY YEAR.
OF COURSE, IT HIGHLIGHTS UP FRONT ALL THE THINGS WE'RE DOING NEXT YEAR.
UH, BUT WHEN YOU FLIP TO THE BACK, YOU SEE THE FIVE-YEAR SPREADSHEET.
WE HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE SEE ON THE HORIZON.
MANY OF THOSE ARE INFORMED FROM THE PLANNING THAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, OUR UTILITY MASTER PLANNING, OUR THOROUGHFARE PLAN, OUR GROVE CITY 2050 PLAN THAT INFORMS THAT.
BUT IT ALSO IS INFORMED BY OUR ANNUAL INSPECTIONS THAT WE DO ON OUR PLAYGROUNDS OR ON OUR FACILITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE DO CONDITION ASSESSMENTS ON ALL OF OUR FACILITIES AS WELL, BUILT INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
SO I LOVE TO SEE ALL THESE AND I CAN, YOU KNOW, RAMBLE ON ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE'RE DOING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, BUT YOUR GUYS' PRIORITIES FROM THIS LIST ARE EMBEDDED IN WHAT WE DO AND THEY'RE ALIGNED AND THAT'S HOW WE TRY TO, UH, DEVELOP OUR BUDGETS.
AND THEN WITH WHAT'S REMAINING AFTER OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR EXISTING ASSETS, THEN WE LOOK TO CAPITAL AND HOW WE EITHER REINVEST, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, OUR ANNUAL SIDEWALK PROGRAM, TRAIL PROGRAMS, ALL OF THOSE.
BUT WHAT'S LEFT REALLY LETS US BUILD THE NEW SHINY THINGS, RIGHT? SO WE'RE BUDGETING AND PLANNING JUST THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR PRIORITIES SET UP, AND THAT'S EXCITING TO BE ALIGNED IN THAT MANNER.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SHANNON.
HE'S GONNA GIVE YOU GUYS BOTH AN UPDATE ON, UM, STATUS OF OUR 26 PROJECTS AND THEN SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PROPOSING FOR 2027.
WE STILL HAVE A FEW, UH, WEEKS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, BUT I WOULDN'T EXPECT, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER DRASTIC SURPRISES IN THAT REALM.
THIS IS WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT SO FAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE AS ENERGETIC AND AS EXCITING AS CINDY IS, BUT, UH, I'LL TRY MY BEST.
UM, BUT AS SHE SAID, THIS IS REALLY A, A PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, HAPPENED AND, AND IS HAPPENING IN 26, AND THOSE PROPO- PROPOSED FOR 27.
AS SHE SAID, THE BOOKLETS THAT YOU HAVE HAS A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAN I WILL SHARE TONIGHT, UH, FOR BREVITY'S SAKE, UH, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND A LOT MORE ABOUT EACH OF THESE IN THAT BOOKLET.
WE'LL START OFF WITH THE, UH, 2026 COMPLETED PROJECTS, UM, FOR...
OH, LET'S, UH, GET THIS LIT UP HERE.
UM, SO YOU'LL SEE HERE, UH, THAT, UH, WE HAD HAD SOME PROJECTS, UH, COMPLETED.
THE CITY, UH, BUILDING WINDOW REPLACEMENT PROJECT, WE DID SAFETY COMPLEX CITY HALL IN THE EVANS CENTER THIS PAST YEAR.
UH, FOR PARKS, THE PINNACLE QUARRY PARK WAS THE LARGE EVENT THAT IS NEARLY COMPLETE.
THERE'S STILL SOME, UM, UH, RE- RE- RESTORATION TO, UH, BE COMPLETED.
UH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, THERE WAS A NEW PLAYGROUND, TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS, ONE BASKETBALL COURT, A PAVILION, UH, 10 PARKING SPACES.
THE PAVILION HAS RESTROOMS, BY THE WAY.
UH, SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT RESTORATION WILL BE COMPLETED YET THIS FALL.
UH, THE BIG SPLASH SLIDE TOWER PAINTING AND SLIDE RESURFACING, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT IT IN JACK'S, UH, ABSENCE.
FOR ROADWAYS, UM, WE ALWAYS DO THE, UH, ANNUAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, AND FOR 2026, WE HAD 34 LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN, UH, INCLUDE CITY-WIDE STRIPING AND A BRICK CROSSWALK REPAIR
[00:20:01]
AT STRINGTOWN AND PARK MEAD.SO, UM, THAT'S, UH, CONTINUING AND WE'LL BE, UH, FINISHING UP HERE IN, UH, OCTOBER.
UM, FOR THE SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, THE SHERRY LYNN NEIGHBORHOOD NORTH OF WINDSOR PARK, UH, IS AN AREA.
UM, SOME ADDITIONAL AREAS, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM ARE IN WEST GROVE AND ALONG HOME ROAD.
THAT ALSO WILL BE FINISHING UP IN OCTOBER.
DO WE HAVE THIS AS A PRINTOUT OR ARE WE JUST KIND OF SKIMMING THROUGH AND GOING THROUGH THE PAGES TO SEE IN THE COLUMNS OF 2026 WHAT WAS SPENT? WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE THE SLIDESHOWS A PRINTOUT, BUT WE COULD MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU.
DIDN'T YOU HAVE TIME TO - OH, THANK YOU.
UM, AND YOU ADVANCED IT FOR ME TOO, DIDN'T YOU? I DID.
SO, UM, I'M SORRY WE DIDN'T BRING THOSE, BUT AS I SAID, EVERYTHING IS IN THE BOOKLET THAT YOU RECEIVED IN, IN GREAT DETAIL.
UM, MOVING ON, THE HOOVER ROAD I-71 OVERPASS AND SUP, UH, THAT WAS A, UH, PRETTY TRYING BUT SUCCESSFUL ENDEAVOR.
AND IF YOU'VE DRIVEN OVER IT, IT LOOKS PRETTY GREAT.
UM, THAT, UH, ROAD DIET AND SUP, UH, FULLY OPENED LAST WEEK.
UH, THERE'S SOME MINOR LANDSCAPING THAT STILL NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE.
UH, THAT WAS LARGELY FUNDED, UH, BY $2.2 MILLION FROM THE LINCOLN GRANT.
UH, SO WE THANK, UH, KODA AND THOSE FOLKS FOR THAT.
THE RIBBON CUTTING AND THE FIRST RIDE WITH THE MAYOR WILL BE THIS WEDNESDAY AT ONE O'CLOCK, SO IF YOU WANNA JUMP ON YOUR BICYCLE AND JOIN US OUT THERE, UH, PLEASE DO.
UH, THE NORTH MEADOWS DRIVE REALIGNMENT, ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT, UM, THIS PAST YEAR AND WHICH IS ACTUALLY FINISHING UP AND WAS FINISHED EARLY.
UM, THIS REALIGNMENT AND THE ROUNDABOUT, UH, COMPLETION, WHICH WILL, WILL EVENTUALLY, UH, CONNECT TO THE NEW I-71 BRIDGE AS PART OF THE, UH, SOUTHWEST MEDICAL REGIONAL GATEWAY.
UM, NOT ONLY D - WILL IT, UH, CONNECT TO THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE FREEWAY, BUT IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT EAST-WEST LINK TO HOOVER, UH, WHICH WILL TAKE PRESSURE OFF OF 665 IN EAST WEST MANOR.
ON, ON THE, UH, SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WERE ON THE LIST.
UH, WH- WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN HOW WE DETERMINE WHERE WE PUT SIDEWALKS? YEAH.
UH, CINDY ALLUDED TO IT A LITTLE BIT.
EVERY, EVERY YEAR, WE DO AN ASSESSMENT OF NOT ONLY THE SIDEWALKS, BUT ALSO THE STREETS TO DETERMINE WHICH ONES WILL BE PART OF THE PROGRAM UPCOMING.
UH, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE WON'T REALLY DECIDE WHAT THOSE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS ARE UNTIL PROBABLY TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UH, AND THEN WE WILL FULLY, UH, WE'LL GO OVER THEM AGAIN AND PRIORITIZE THEM AGAIN.
AND, UH, WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO OR, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ONES OFF THAT LIST.
AND, UM, IT MIGHT BE EARLY, UH, 27 BEFORE WE HAVE THAT LIST COMPLETE.
DO, DO YOU - UH, ONE OF THE...
UH, I, I, I SEEM TO REMEMBER, IT SEEM, SEEMED LIKE WHAT YOU TYPICALLY TRY TO DO IS DO THEM IN A GROUP, LIKE IN ONE AREA.
UH, IT'S NOT SO MUCH IN THE STREET PROGRAM.
THAT'S, THAT'S SPREAD AROUND THE COMMUNITY, BUT SIDEWALKS, YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE TRY TO PICK AN AREA THAT'S, UH, AN OLDER AREA THAT HAS A LOT OF NEED.
UH, AND, AND YOU'LL SEE THE AREA THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST I'VE SEEN, UM, IN SOME TIME.
SO THAT WILL BE COMPLETED AND, UH, THOSE WILL BE BROUGHT BACK UP TO, UH, STANDARD.
AND THEN WE'LL PICK ANOTHER AREA THAT'S ALSO IN THE NEXT YEAR.
WELL, WELL, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WHEN WE STARTED A PROGRAM, I THINK 11 YEARS AGO, UH, SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS BECAME OUR MAGNET AS TO WHAT IS THE CON - WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS OF THE SIDEWALKS IN THE SCHOOL AREAS? AND, AND SO WE PICKED MOST OF THOSE OFF NOW.
AND, UH, THE ONE, FOR INSTANCE, AT, UH, SHERRY LYNN DOWN BY WINDSOR WAS BECAUSE OF WINDSOR PARK.
SO WE DO TRY TO GET IT TIED TO, UH, SOME ACTIVITY OR SOME MAGNET, AS I'LL CALL IT, THAT IS, IS A, A DRAW TO, UH, UH, TO, UH, WALKERS AND PARTICULARLY IN BIKE RIDERS.M.
PARK SCHOOLS, UH, IRONICALLY, A LOT OF THE SCHOOL AREAS, OF COURSE, ARE IN SOME OF THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS, SO IRONICALLY, IT, UH, DOES MATCH UP QUITE, UH, QUITE WELL SOMETIMES.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE, UM, LIFESPAN OF, OF SIDEWALKS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD? I MEAN, I KNOW IT PROBABLY VARIES, BUT - THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE.
SO HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR SOME TIME.
[00:25:02]
YEAH.BACK IN THE DAY, THE TREES HAD UGLY ROOTS.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE SHERRY LYNN NEIGHBORHOOD WAS DONE, BUT THAT MIGHT BE MORE THAN 40.
IN THE, SORRY, QUICK QUESTION.
HAS, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY EFFORTS IN THE PAST TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, LIKE, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SURVEY OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT? UM, WELL, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE DO MAKE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND WE TRY TO, UH, PRESENT THAT IN ADVANCE, OF COURSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REALLY...
I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S GONNA SAY, "I, I EITHER DO WANNA HAVE MY S- SIDEWALKS DONE OR I DON'T WANT TO BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANNA PAY FOR IT.
SOME PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE HALF OF IT PAID FOR THROUGH THE PROGRAM." UM, I, I REALLY CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT I, WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS HERE.
DO WE, DO WE EVER HAVE ENGAGEMENT BEFOREHAND BEFORE WE DO THE - UH, NO, NOT REALLY.
UH, SOME OF IT IS SELF-POLICING.
SO WE HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT ANOTHER NEIGHBOR'S SIDEWALK, SO WE KEEP TRACK OF THAT.
AND THEN, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH HOW SOME OF THE AREA IN WESTGROVE GOT TAKEN CARE OF WHEN IT DID, BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME EROSION OF THE CONDITION OF THOSE SIDEWALKS, UH, IN THAT AREA.
BUT WE DO, WE DO TRACK WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS IN AND REPORTS.
IN SOME CASES, WE CAN CITE THEM FOR NOT FOR REPAIRING THEIR SIDEWALKS.
YEAH, IF THEY'RE NOT PART OF A PROGRAM, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING, UH, THEIR SIDEWALKS.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES, YEAH.
UM, SO, UM, MOVING ON, UH, THE TRAILS.
UH, WE BASICALLY IMPROVED SIX TRAILS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY THIS YEAR.
UH, ONE VERY NOTABLE ONE WAS THE, UH, MISSING SECTION OF HAWTHORNE PARKWAY TRAIL CONNECTION.
WE FILLED A GAP THERE, AND WE DID THE GANTZ PARK TRAIL REHABILITATION, UH, IN THAT AREA, WHICH WAS, UH, GREATLY NEEDED FOR THE VISITORS OF THAT PARK.
UH, MOVING ON FOR OTHERS, UH, IN SANITARY AREA, WE JUST COMPLETED THE 2025, UH, SANITARY SEWER REHAB.
UH, WE GOT THAT DONE HERE IN 2026.
UH, BASICALLY LINING, REPLACEMENT, REPAIR OF AGING SANITARY AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, FOR THE 25 PROGRAM FINISHED THIS YEAR, WE DID 6,000, I THINK 6,000 LINEAR FEET, UH, IN 16 LOCATIONS OF REPAIRS OF AGING, UH, SANITARY.
UM, IN THE WATER PROGRAM, UM, WE INSTALLED A, UM, WATER FLUSHING STATION AT, UH, 104, UM, NEAR 104 IN STRINGTOWN TO INCREASE THE WATER QUALITY FOR OHIO HEALTH AND, UH, OTHER BUSINESSES THERE.
UH, IN BULA PARK, WE INSTALLED A DEDUCT METER SO THAT WE DON'T GET CHARGED FOR, UM, THE IRRIGATION WATER THAT WE USE FOR THE PARK THERE.
SO THAT, THAT'S A NICE, UH, IN- INVESTMENT FOR US.
FOR 2026, UH, THE ACTIVE PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL ONGOING, UM, OR IN THE PLANNING STAGES, UH, FOR FACILITIES, THERE IS A PLAN FOR A FRIAR PARK MAINTENANCE STORAGE FACILITY.
THIS IS BASICALLY FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, THEY ARE IN DIRE NEED OF HOUSING OF THEIR EQUIPMENT.
AND, UM, THIS IS A PLAN FOR CONSTRUCTION IN 2027, UH, OUT THERE IN FRONT, UH, CLOSE TO ORDERS ROAD.
UM, THE COMMUNITY CENTER DESIGN WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IN A MINUTE.
UM, THE BABART WAY PICKLEBALL COURTS AND STORM SEWER, IF YOU'VE BEEN OVER THERE RECENTLY, UM, WE'RE RIGHT NOW ADDRESSING THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THERE AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE COURTS, UM, AND THE, UM, RECONSTRUCTION OF THE COURTS THEMSELVES, NEW FENCING AND SO FORTH.
UM, THAT SHOULD BE DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, IN PARKS, UM, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THE WINDSOR, WINDSOR PARK, UH, TURF REPLACEMENT FOR FIELDS TWO AND FIVE.
UH, THAT'S A REPLACEMENT SYN- SYNTHETIC TURF AND UPGRADE OF THE DUGOUTS.
THE FRIAR PARK BALL FIELD IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EAST POD, UH, THIS WILL, UH, IM - ALSO HAVE ITS SYNTHETIC TURF UPGRADES, NEW FENCING AND DUGOUTS, AND NEW CONCRETE CURBS AROUND THE FIELDS.
THIS IS VERY, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE, UH, WEST POD LAST YEAR FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, SIOTT MEADOWS PARK UPGRADES, THIS, UM, WILL BE, UH, A BASKETBALL COURT RENOVATION, WALKING PATH IMPROVEMENTS, EXPANDED SHELTER AREA, NEW SEATING SWINGS, PLAYGROUND ENHANCEMENTS, AND A POLLINATOR GARDEN.
[00:30:01]
CINDY REFERRED TO ONE OF THOSE EARLIER.UH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORTH, UM, THIS $400,000 INVESTMENT, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE, UH, ANOTHER $150,000 OF PARKS IMPROVEMENTS AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER PARKS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S AN EFFORT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO EVERY YEAR MOVING FORWARD.
WHAT WE CAN'T GET THIS YEAR OR THE NEXT YEAR WE'LL GET IT IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
UM, THE CARRIAGE HOUSE, THE GRANT SAWYER HOME.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY BEING, UH, DONE WITH A GRANT FROM THE, UH, OHIO FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION OF $200,000.
SO THIS, THESE UPGRADES WILL BE, UH, INCLUDING A EXTERIOR METAL STAIRWAY, UH, METAL ROOF, UH, ELECTRIC, AND HVAC UPGRADES.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO, UH, IMPROVE THE WINDOWS FOR THE PERIOD, UH, STYLE THAT THEY HAVE HISTORIC.
UM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE STORMWATER.
THE, UH, EACH YEAR WE, WE PICK, UH, AN AREA THAT, UH, STORMWATER, UH, AREA THAT HAS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE.
UH, WE NEED TO IMPROVE A STORMWATER FEATURE.
UH, THIS YEAR WE DID, ARE DOING, UH, BRECK PARK BASIN, HOLTON ROAD, UH, BIKEWAY PARKWAY, 665 HOOVER ROAD UNDERGROUND STRUCTURE.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT NEXT YEAR FOR THAT.
UM, TRAFFIC, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A SECOND.
UM, THE, UH, QUAIL CREEK BOULEVARD EXTENSION, WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
UH, SOUTHWEST, UM, GATEWAY WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
UM, THE MCDOWELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, IF YOU'VE GONE BY THERE, YOU'VE SEEN THAT HAPPENING, THE ROAD DIET AND THE SUP, UH, THAT WILL BE DONE BY THANKSGIVING.
SO FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING YOU, THAT'S THE TARGET DATE.
AND THANKS TO, UH, $4 MILLION FROM THE OHIO PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION AND $1 MILLION FROM THE LINCOLN PROGRAM ENABLES, ENABLED US TO DO THAT PROJECT.
UM, I MENTIONED THE 2025 COMPLETION OF THE SANITARIA REHAB SEWER A LITTLE BIT AGO.
UH, WE'RE DOING THAT AGAIN FOR 26.
UM, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THAT UNDERWAY NOW AND IT'S SIMILAR TO, UH, WHAT WE'LL HAVE DONE IN, UH, 2025.
UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, UH, UM, SPILLMAN AND THE ORDERS WALLACE SUBTRUNK IN A BIT.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME TRAIL UPGRADE IN A LITTLE BIT ALSO.
UH, NOW LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2027 FORECAST, UM, AND OUR REQUESTS FOR THAT, THE, UH, WE DO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS EVERY YEAR.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM A BIT.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE BUDGETED, UH, 4.5 MILLION LAST YEAR AND REQUESTING THE SAME AMOUNT FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, THE TRAIL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THIS PAST YEAR THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS 320,000.
UH, SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE, UH, AGAIN, 600,000 FOR THAT.
AND THEN THE SEWER REHABILITATION PROGRAM, UH, THAT WE DO AROUND THE TOWN, UH, 600,000 AGAIN FOR THAT AS WELL.
HOW'D I JUST LET YOU DO IT?
UH, EAR- EARLIER THIS YEAR, COUNCIL APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO ADVANCE THE PROJECT IN PINNACLE PARK, UH, WITH A PREFERRED SITE ALONG 71.
UH, A SITE ANALYSIS UN - IS UNDERWAY NOW TO EVALUATE THAT LOCATION AND THEN, UH, EXPLORE THE GEOTECHNICAL CONDITION OF THAT SITE AND THE REST OF THE PARK TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER POTENTIAL USES THERE.
UM, AN RFP FOR OWNER'S REP IS OUT THERE NOW, UH, AND RESPONSES ARE DUE BACK BY NOVEMBER 12TH FOR THAT.
UH, WHEN WE GET THOSE BACK AND TO REVIEW THEM, THEN AN RFP WILL BE SENT OUT FOR DESIGN AND THIRD PARTY WELLNESS PARTNERS IN EARLY 27.
UM, THE $7 MILLION HERE, SHOWN HERE, IS ACTUALLY A CARRYOVER OF THE MONEY APPROPRIATED IN 26.
SO THERE WAS EIGHT MILLION APPROPRIATED AND THIS IS A CARRYOVER, SEVEN MILLION FROM THERE.
UH, THE BROADWAY LIVE SITE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, 2.7.
[00:35:01]
CITY'S TO CONTRIBUTE TO BROADWAY LIVE, UM, SITE IMPROVEMENTS PER AGREEMENT AND, UH, LAND ACQUISITION WAS BUDGETED FOR THIS YEAR AND, UH, PARKING LOT CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED FOR NEXT YEAR.WE HAVE 120,000 FOR CITY HALL ROOF REPLACEMENT AND $125,000 FOR EAGLE PAVILION, UH, BOTH OF WHICH ARE IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR.
AND THIS WILL PREVENT, UH, FURTHER, UH, DECAY AND, AND PROBLEMS WITH THE ROOFING SYSTEMS. UM, BROOK PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL AIR CONDITIONING, UH, WE HAVE $80,000 IN THERE FOR THIS, AND THESE ARE PORTABLE UNITS THAT ARE JUST FOR THE CLASSROOM, CLASSROOMS THAT WE UTILIZE IN, IN BROOK PARK.
AND, UM, WHEN NEEDED, UH, IF WE LEAVE THAT BUILDING OR WHATEVER HAPPENS, UH, THESE CAN BE USED ELSEWHERE.
THEY, THEY'RE PORTABLE AND CAN BE MOVED OUT OF THE FACILITY.
JANET, IS THERE HEATING AND COOLING NECESSARY FOR BROOK PARK OR JUST - I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN, PLEASE.
IS HEATING AND COOLING NECESSARY OR IS THE HEAT COVERED FOR WINTER? I, I THINK THE HVAC FOR THE HEATING IS OKAY.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY SUMMER CONDITIONS.
UH, LAST YEAR I KNOW THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PARENTS THAT WERE TAKING THEIR KIDS OUT OF PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT WAS JUST TOO HOT.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL KEEP PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE WANT THEM IN, SO.
UM, OKAY, MOVING ON TO PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT, AGAIN, $150,000 INVESTMENT FOR THE PARKS AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THESE WOULD DO PROJECTS SUCH AS INCLUDING PR - UH, PLAYGROUND ENHANCEMENT, AMENITY PLACEMENTS, LANDSCAPING, ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND THE LIKE, UM, AT VARIOUS PARKS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
ONE INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR, UM, IS, UH, AN OUTDOOR RINK, A HARD RINK, UM, FOR ROLLERBLADES OR WHATEVER THEY, PEOPLE USE.
I DON'T DO THIS, SO I WOULD BE BROKEN IF I TRIED TO DO THIS.
UH, BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH CBJ IF WE PROVIDE A SITE AND, UH, THIS SITE WOULD BE, UM, REVIEWED AT, UH, BROOK PARK AREA TO SEE IF THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
AND, UH, THEN IF, UH, WE HAVE A SITE THAT'S DOABLE AND WE THINK WE WOULD, UM, CBJ WOULD PAY FOR THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE FACILITY.
UM, THAT, UM, THAT APPLICATION, I BELIEVE, IS DUE IN MARCH, AND THEN WE'D FIND OUT IN APRIL IF THEY'RE GOING TO CHOOSE US FOR THAT, UM, SOLID RINK.
YEAH, IF I COULD JUST INTERJECT.
UH, ON, ON THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS, THIS HAS BEEN A FIVE-YEAR DEAL.
I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN WE PUT THE STUFF IN THE BOOK, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON, IT'S, IT'S NO JOKE.
I MEAN, WE SOMETIMES NEED THAT KIND OF TIME, AND THE BLUE JACKETS CAME TO US ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS, UH, GETTING OUR ARMS WRAPPED AROUND, UH, ALL THE OTHER ACTIVITY HAD GONE ON, AND THEY'VE COME BACK TO US AND SAID, OKAY, WE'RE HERE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET IT DONE.
SO WHAT DOES THE $200,000 COVER, AND WILL THERE BE ADDITIONAL S - EXPENSES IN THE, IN FOLLOWING YEARS THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO BRING FORTH TOWARDS THIS PROJECT? WELL, IT'S GOING TO BASICALLY BE TO, UH, INVESTIGATE AND PREPARE A SITE.
UM, AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT JACK HAS IN THERE FOR CONTINUING, UH, MAINTENANCE OF THE RINK ITSELF.
UH, I'M SURE THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE - OKAY.
UH, LIABLE FOR, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF - SO INITIALLY, THIS IS AN EXPENSE TO KIND OF EVALUATE, THEN THE BLUE JACKETS PAYS FOR CONSTRUCTION, EVERYTHING FOR CONSTRUCTION, AND THEN POTENTIALLY IN THE FUTURE, THERE'S MAINTENANCE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FOR BUDGETING.
SO THEY'VE DONE THESE ALL ACROSS CENTRAL OHIO.THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, THERE'S ONE IN WESTERVILLE, WHITEHALL, REYNOLDSBURG, I THINK IS WORKING ON ONE NOW.
UM, AND SO THE WAY THESE PARTNERSHIPS WORK IS THAT WE PREPARE THE SITE, MEANING WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GRADED, WE PUT DOWN THE, UM, FOUNDATIONS AROUND THE EXTERIOR.
WE COULD DO THAT WITH, LIKE, A STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM TYPE ACTIVITY, AND THEN THEY COME AND THEY PROVIDE ALL OF THE MATERIALS, LABOR TO INSTALL THE COURT ITSELF.
AND SO THEN YOU HAVE THE FACILITY AND IT'S DONE, AND AFTER THAT POINT, IT'S NOT A, NECESSARILY A FUTURE, UH, INVESTMENT IN THE FACILITY.
WE OWN THE FACILITY WHEN WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE IT AND PROGRAM IT.
UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF HOW THAT PARTNERSHIP WORKS AS FAR AS WHAT WE'D BE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERSUS WHAT CBJ WOULD PROVIDE.
AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS A HARD RINK.
I GUESS I JUST DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT LIKE.
ROLLER, IS IT ROLLER BLADE? IT'S LIKE STREET HOCKEY, SO IT'LL HAVE LIKE THE HALF WALLS, UM, AND THEN A HARD SURFACE THAT YOU COULD EITHER JUST ON FOOT OR IN LINE SKATE, UM, KIND OF A TILE FLOORING IS THE WAY I'VE SEEN THEM IN OTHER LOCATIONS.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONE AT TUTTLE PARK AND UP BY CAMPUS THAT I BIKE BY ALL THE TIME WHEN I GO UP TO WESTERN.
[00:40:01]
SO WHO, REMIND ME WHOSE LAND THAT IS? THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.THAT'S OUR LEASED LAND FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
WE LEASED IT TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR EIGHT YEARS.
WELL, IT'S PART OF THE OVERALL SITE, YES.
IS, IS THIS TO THE, TO THE EAST OF THE BROOK PARK BUILDING? IS THAT WHERE THE OLD FOOTBALL FIELD WAS? YES, YES.
IS THERE - WE'RE STILL USING THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
SO THERE'S SPACE KIND OF ALL WHERE THE, UM, PORTABLE UNITS ARE.
SO UTILIZE THAT FRONT PARKING LOT.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BUILD ADDITIONAL PARKING.
BUT IT'S NOT ON LAND THAT WE CURRENTLY OWN WITH BIG SPLASH BECAUSE WE OWN BIG SPLASH LAND, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THERE ISN'T A LAND OPPORTUNITY WITH THE CURRENT PARCEL WE OWN.
THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO GO ON THAT LEASED LAND.
ARE THESE TYPE OF RINKS, UM, MOVABLE IF WE EVER HAD TO RELOCATE? NO.
HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT AN AGREEMENT OR ANYTHING WE'D HAVE TO ADD INTO THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF PUTTING THIS ON THEIR LAND AND YOU, THE CITY HAS DEVELOPED THE PARTNERSHIP? THAT, THAT DISCUSSION IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND THEY'RE SEEM TO BE VERY FAVORABLE, BUT THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT IN TERMS OF THE LONGEVITY OF THIS FACILITY AND WHO OWNS IT.
AND, AND AGAIN, IF, IF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS DON'T COME TO FRUITION HOW WE ALL WOULD LIKE IT TO BE IN TERMS OF LONG, LONG TERM, THERE ARE OTHER, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO PLACE THIS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
UM, ALSO IN PARKS, UM, IT IS HOPED THAT, UH, THEY COULD UNDERTAKE SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL BIG SPLASH, UH, CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE INCLUDE, UH, FLOORING REPLACEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN THE BATHROOM AREAS, UM, ENTRY CHECK-IN IMPROVEMENTS, CONCESSION ENHANCEMENT, CABANAS, AND, UH, OUTDOOR SHOWERS.
UM, WHAT COULDN'T BE ACCOMPLISHED IN 27, UH, WOULD BE INCLUDED IN SUBSEQUENT ANNUAL PROGRAM REQUESTS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, BIG SPLASH REMAINS A VERY VIABLE AND ATTRACTIVE FACILITY FOR THE LONG TERM.
SHANNON, IS THERE ANY LONG TERM - EXCUSE ME? HAS THERE BEEN ANY LONG TERM DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BIG SPLASH? AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE, HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, BUT I MEAN -
UH, JACK IS ON VACATION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK TO THIS.
AND YES, IF YOU, YOU TAKE A LOOK DOWN THROUGH, UM, THE, THE PARKS, UH, SECTION OF THAT FIVE-YEAR PLAN, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S IN A FUTURE OUT YEAR POTENTIAL THAT OUR COMMUNITY MAY NEED A SECOND OUTDOOR FACILITY.
BUT WE'VE RECENTLY INVESTED A LOT IN REHABILITATING, UM, THE BIG SPLASH TO KEEP IT, UM, YOU KNOW, UP AND RUNNING AND, AND, AND GOOD REPAIR.
SO WE REPLACED THE LINER, UM, IN 25, AND THEN IN 26, WE REDID THE SLIDE TOWER AND ALL OF THE AQUATIC FEATURES, THE SPRAY, UM, SYSTEM THAT ARE IN THERE, AND THEN REPLACED ALL OF THE SHADE STRUCTURES AND ALL OF THE POOL CHAIRS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YES, IT IS A, GOSH, 20-YEAR-OLD FACILITY, BUT WE'VE INVESTED IN IT TO KEEP IT UP AND RUNNING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE EQUIPMENT WE PURCHASED EARLY ON, WE, WE'VE REPLACED THINGS OVER TIME, BUT WE BOUGHT REALLY EXCELLENT SYSTEMS THAT HAVE, UM, ENABLED IT TO SUSTAIN.
AND WE FORESEE THAT TO CONTINUE TO BE A ASSET THAT WE UTILIZED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I, AND ABSOLUTELY, I AGREE, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT FACILITY.
JUST THE QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT I'VE, HAVE HEARD IS, AGAIN, IT'S STILL THE CAPACITY IS 650 PEOPLE.
WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS WHEN WE OPENED IT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
AND SO IS THERE ANY FUTURE PLANS OF EXPANDING IT? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT - I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD EXPAND IN THAT LOCATION, BUT WE ARE MONITORING THAT, AND I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF BRIANNA COULD SPEAK TO THIS RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD.
UM, BUT IT WAS LESS THAN A HANDFUL OF TIMES THAT WE EVER MET CAPACITY.
AND EVEN WHEN WE MET CAPACITY AT THAT FACILITY, IT'S NEVER FOR AN ENTIRE DAY.
IT MAY BE AN HOUR HERE OR THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHERE, UM, YOU GET, YOU GET CLOSE TO THAT CAPACITY RANGE, UH, HAS A FACTOR OF SAFETY BUILT INTO IT ALWAYS.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PROBLEM WE'RE SEEING TODAY, THAT IT'S OVER CAPACITY ALL OF THE TIME, AND WE'RE MONITORING THAT CLOSELY.
BUT YES, YOU'LL SEE ON THAT FIVE-YEAR PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO INVEST IN AND WHERE THAT MIGHT BE, SO.
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE RUSH HOUR, THERE'S TIMES WHERE YOU'RE JUST AT CAPACITY, RIGHT? CORRECT.
[00:45:02]
OKAY.UM, JUMPING OFF OF PARKS AND GOING INTO ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, ONE OF THE, UH, MOST VISIBLE, I'M SURE, FOR NEXT YEAR WOULD BE THE MARLANE DRIVE STRING TR - STRINGTOWN IMPROVEMENT TO BROOKHAM DRIVE.
UM, THIS PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, FULL ROADWAY RECONSTRUCTION OF MARLANE, INCLUDING A STORM SEWER INSTALLATION AND SHARED USE PATH, STREET LIGHTING, AND ADA COMPLIANCE, UH, PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES.
ALSO, STRINGTOWN WOULD, UH, RECEIVE A CONCRETE MEDIAN AND ROADWAY RESURFACING BETWEEN 71 SOUTHBOUND RAMP AND GANTZ ROAD.
UM, THIS WOULD, IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A, UM, POTENTIAL OPWC GRANT OF NEARLY $3 MILLION.
UM, DESIGN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 2027, FOLLOWED BY CONSTRUCTION LATER IN THE YEAR.
UM, THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL MEDICAL INNOVATION GATEWAY WE TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY.
UH, AGAIN, IT, IT IS OUR FUTURE, UM, INCOME CENTER WITH JOB GROWTH, UM, THE I-71 OVERPASS PLANS AND LAND ACQUISITION.
UH, THE STUDY IS TO BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR.
UM, ACTUALLY 27 TO 29 PLANS WILL BE COMPLETED WITH CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING IN, UH, 2030.
UH, THAT'S THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE.
THE, UH, FUNDING YOU SEE HERE IS ACTUALLY IN A RE- REAPPROPRIATION OF MONIES LEFT OVER FROM THE $4 MILLION HUD GRANT FROM LAST YEAR.
SO THESE AREN'T NECESSARILY NEW MONIES, BUT, UH, THEY ARE STILL PART OF WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY.
THE QUAIL CREEK BOULEVARD EXTENSION PHASE ONE, UM, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE PROJECT.
UM, IT'LL INCLUDE A ROUNDABOUT AT HOOVER AND QUAIL CREEK WITH THE ROADWAY EXTENDED TO THE WEST OF KEENELAND APARTMENTS.
UH, FROM THERE THEN, A FUTURE PHASE WOULD CONNECT PAST, UH, BUCKEYE RANCH AND TO, UH, NORTH MEADOWS DRIVE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE TWO MILLION CIP FUNDS, UH, IN 27, THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER FIVE MILLION POTENTIALLY COMING FROM THE OHIO PUBLIC'S WORK COMMISSION.
THAT SHOULD BE ANNOUNCED BY DECEMBER IF WE ARE TO RECEIVE THAT MONEY AND THE PROGRAM OR THE PROJECT COULD MOVE FORWARD AT THAT TIME.
SO- SO SHANNON, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE ON HERE, THE MARLENE DRIVE, 3,352,000, IS THAT INCLUDING THE $3 MILLION GRANT? Y- YES, THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THE 3,800 IS LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS LEFTOVER.
WE GOT A $4 MILLION GRANT, SO THAT'S WHY THE MONEY IS IN THERE.
THE 6,650,000, YOU'RE POTENTIALLY HOPING THAT A $5 MILLION GRANT COMES IN FROM OPWC, SO REALLY THEN 1,150,000 IS WHAT WE'RE TAKING AWAY FROM, LIKE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING IN THE DRAFT - RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THE BULK OF IT WOULD BE OPWC FUNDS.
SHANNON, I HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE MARLENE DRIVE.
UM, JUST WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE LEFT THAT AREA AND NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE MOVING IN - UH-HUH.
WE, SOME OF US ON COUNCIL HAVE BEEN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE TO, UM, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT, "HEY, THERE'S A MEDIAN COMING DOWN TO HELP REDUCE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND LEFT TURNS OUT OF THESE BUSINESSES." UM, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS FOR THEM, BUT CAN, WILL PEOPLE...
THERE WILL BE NO LEFT TURNS, RIGHT? THERE WILL BE, UH, LEFT TURNS, NOT UNTIL YOU GET TO, UH, THE END OF THE, THE, UH, MEDIAN THERE AT, UM - AT GANZ? GANTZ.
SO, UM, WE HAVE HAD A PUBLIC MEETING AND WE HAVE INVITED THE BUSINESSES TO ATTEND THAT.
UM, THE ATTENDANCE FROM THE ME - THE BUSINESSES WAS SOMEWHAT SKETCHY.
WE HAD SOME RESIDENTS ATTEND THAT MEETING, AND WE WILL HAVE AN, IF WE FIND OUT THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THE FUNDING, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER MEETING AS WELL TO, UM, DISCUSS THIS.
WE HAVE ALREADY, AND W- WORKING THROUGH KYLE, WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES OUT THERE.
SO, UM, EMH&T FOLKS KNOW THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL SITUATION.
UH, IT'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THERE.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY, BY THE TIME THAT WE GET THIS DONE, THE, THE TRAFFIC WILL MOVE BETTER, AND IN THE LONG RUN, THE BUSINESSES WILL BE BETTER SERVED BECAUSE OF IT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE MINIMAL LEFT TURNS UNTIL YOU GET TO GANTZ, THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, AND WE WILL MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE WHEN THAT, UH, NEXT, UH, PUBLIC MEETING IS.
THAT'S A, DEFINITELY A GOOD PROJECT.
OR THIS PLACE? AND IS THERE GONNA BE A SERVICE ROAD BEHIND?" I MEAN, I KNOW RANDY TALKED ABOUT HOW COULD WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN? UM, I DON'T HAVE ALL THOSE ANSWERS, BUT - RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE TOO, SO IT'S NOT COMPLETED YET.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE SEEN THESE IN
[00:50:01]
OTHER PLACES AROUND THE UNITED STATES WHERE YOU GO TO A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A BIG INTERCHANGE LIKE THIS, AND IT'S NOT UNCOMMON.IT, IT, IT DOES HAPPEN AND, UH, IT'S DEALT WITH THAT WAY.
AND WHEN YOU'RE COMING, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU, YOU JUST PRACTICE THE TURNS AND YOU MAKE THE TURNS AND PEOPLE BECOME AWARE OF IT.
THERE'LL BE A LOT OF SIGNAGE DIRECTING PEOPLE WITH HOW TO GET AROUND AND BACK TO 71.
SO, UM, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GREAT ENGINEERS THAT ARE PLANNING ALL THIS, SO IMPACT SHOULD BE MINIMAL, HOPEFULLY.
I'VE OFTEN WONDERED IF YOU COULDN'T EXTEND MARLANE BEHIND - UH-HUH.
WELL, IF YOU'VE BEEN BY MARLANE, YOU KNOW WHAT THE CONDITION IS LIKE AND HOW, HOW MUCH IT SHOULD BE THERE, SO.
UM - WE JUST ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, MOVING ON FOR SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AGAIN, UH, TO THE SOUTHWEST, UH, UH, REGIONAL MEDICAL INNOVATION GATEWAY, UH, IS THE ORDERS WALLACE SUBTRUNK EXTENSION UNDER 71.
UM, THE DESIGN AND EXTENSION OF THE 18-INCH SANITARY FROM MOUNT CARMEL, UH, TO THE WEST SIDE OF 71 IS VERY CRITICAL TO THE GROWTH THERE, AS, AS YOU KNOW.
UM, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT, UH, WOULD, COULD BE FROM THE BROWN, BROWN'S FARM TIF FUND.
UH, STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THE BULA WETLAND REHABILITATION.
I TALKED EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE DID, UH, FOR THE BMP.
UH, THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID, UM, FINISH UP THIS YEAR, UM, AND, UM, WOULD BE, UH, LOOKING AT THE BULA WETLAND AREA.
UM, THIS WILL PROBABLY BE DONE IN PHASES WITH THE FAR WESTERN, UH, POND BEING THE FIRST LOOK THIS YEAR ON THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THIS, UH, PRICE, UH, PRICED OUT YET.
IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY OR ANY MONEY LEFT OVER FROM THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM, WE WILL APPLY IT TO, UH, THE NEXT PHASE THERE AS WELL IN BULA.
BUT RIGHT NOW - WHAT WILL THAT DO? UH, WELL, IT WILL, IT'LL HELP THE FLOW OF WATER.
IT'S NOT HAPPENING VERY WELL FROM, FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST.
UH - FROM BRECK, FROM BRECK OVER TO? WELL, THAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH TAKEN CARE OF, BUT THIS, THIS AREA HAS THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN IT, BULA.
SO, UM, THIS FIRST ONE IS THE MOST, UH, PROBABLY VISIBLE AND, UM, IT'LL HELP, UH, REDUCE THE STAGNATION.
IT'LL ALSO HELP WITH THE, UH, UM, THE FACILITY ITSELF, THE WATER, UH, UM, EMBANKMENT THERE.
AND, UH, IT'LL IMPROVE THE ENTIRE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE, OF THE POND.
AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, UM, IN, IN PHASES ALONG THERE.
JUST TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THE, UH, ORDERS WALLACE SUBTRUNK.
ALL OF YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS, RIGHT? NO, YOU DON'T.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PUNCH IN UNDER 71, GET IT INTO THE CHURCH OF THE NA - OR THE, UM, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH SITE.
UM, AND THEN IT WOULD ALSO GO, BE ABLE TO GO ON OVER TOWARDS, UH, FRIAR PARK.
AND THE SAME WITH THE, THE OTHER ONE I WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SPILLMAN SANITARY SEWER IS ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF 71 MORE TOWARDS, UH, UH, WHAT ARBY'S...
WELL, SOUTH OF, UM, NORTH, JUST NORTH OF HAN ROAD THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO 65, 665, BETWEEN IT AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY OVER TO BROADWAY.
DID I SAY THAT RIGHT?
UH, THE NEXT THREE ITEMS I WANNA SPEAK ABOUT, UM, ARE BASICALLY FUNDED THROUGH THE KODA LINCOLS TRANSIT, UH, SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS.
UH, SO WE'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN, UH, GOING AFTER THAT, UH, FUNDING AND HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL TO THIS POINT, UM, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO CINDY AND OUR ENGINEERING GROUP.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE, UH, SIATA GROVE METRO PARK TO GREAT SOUTHERN METRO PARK, UH, DESIGN FOR 2027.
UH, THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING A SHARED USE PATH CONNECTION BETWEEN SIADA GROVE METRO PARK, UH, TO THE GREAT SOUTHERN METRO PARK NORTH OF I-270.
[00:55:01]
TRANSIT SUPPORTING FUNDS, UH, IS PLANNED FOR DETAILED DESIGN AND RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION IN 2029 WITH FUTURE TSI FUNDING FOR THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT.UM, SO THE S - UH, STATE ROUTE 104 SHARED USE PATH FROM HOLTON TO FARMSTEAD.
UM, THIS, UH, IN 2025, THE CITY EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY OF FILLING A GAP IN THE CITY'S SUP SYSTEM BETWEEN FARMSTEAD AND HOLTON.
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING BEGAN THIS YEAR WITH FINAL ENGINEERING AND RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION PLAN FOR 27, UH, AND CONSTRUCTION IS PLANNED FOR 2030 WITH ADDITIONAL TSI FUNDING AS WELL.
UH, THEN THE CAMP CHASE TRAIL CONNECTION, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, UH, FEASIBILITY WAS STARTED IN 25, UH, TO LOOK AT CONNECTING GROVE CITY'S SUP AT HOLT ROAD TO CAMP CHASE TRAIL IN, UH, NORTHWEST COLUMBUS, NORTH OF BOLTON THERE.
UM, DETAILED DESIGN AND LAND ACQUISITION ARE FUNDED THROUGH 26 WITH ADDITIONAL DESIGN PROBABLY LASTING THROUGH 27.
AND, UH, THE JOINT PROJECT WITH COLUMBUS WOULD, UH, UTILIZE CODA LINCOLN FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROBABLY IN 2028.
SO, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING A MEETING ABOUT THIS TOMORROW, UH, TO TALK TO THEM AND, UM, CONTINUE PUSHING WITH COLUMBUS TO, UH, GET THAT UNDERWAY.
SO JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE- THESE TWO PROJECTS, THE ONE THAT'S OFF OF 104 WILL CONNECT US WITH THE DOWNTOWN TRAIL PATH THAT GOES TO DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS.
UM, IT, UM, IT'LL, IT MEANDERS ON, ALL THE WAY UP ALONG THE RIVER AND GET YOU TO DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS.
FROM DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, YOU CAN TAKE OLENTANGY NORTH, OR YOU CAN TAKE THE SIOTA, UM, PATH WEST OR EAST AND EVERYTHING.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE CAMP CHASE CONNECTION.
ONCE YOU GET TO CAMP CHASE, IT CAN EITHER TAKE YOU BACK INTO DOWNTOWN FROM THE WEST, OR IT CAN TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY TO SPRINGFIELD, AND YOU CAN GO TO TOLEDO OR CINCINNATI.
WELL, WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO DO THEN, RIGHT? YES, AB- ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CINDY ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE IN GOING FOR GRANT MONEY.
UM, SO WE HAVE IN THIS, UH, INFORMATION PROVIDED TO YOU, THERE'S ABOUT $30.3 MILLION OF, UH, INVESTMENTS FOR 2027.
OF THAT 30.3, ONLY 11.4 MILLION IS, UH, FROM THE CIP GENERAL FUND.
UM, EIGHT HALF MILLION WOULD BE TIF FUNDED, AND 9.4 WOULD BE GRANT FUNDED.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT GOING FOR THOSE DOLLARS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO US.
UM, OH, AND ALSO 1.1 MILLION WOULD BE FROM THE WATER SEWER FUND.
SO THAT, THAT MAKES UP THE, UH, 30.3, UH, WITH ONLY 11.4 COMING FROM THE CIP LOCAL FUND, SO.
AND HOW MUCH IS CARRIED OVER FROM THIS YEAR? UM, THAT, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND ADD IT UP, BUT THERE'S - A LOT.
I MEAN, EITHER ONE PROJECT WAS, UH, THREE POINT SOMETHING CARRIED OVER.
THERE WAS SEVEN MILLION CARRIED OVER FOR THE, UH - COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT, UM, AGAIN, UH, OUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO GO AFTER THOSE GRANTS, UH, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD HELP FROM EMH&T TO DO THAT.
UH, AND GOT A LOT OF GOOD FORECASTING BY THE MAYOR AND CHUCK AND CINDY ON WHAT IT IS WE WANNA GO AFTER.
ONE, ONE QUESTION IS, AND THIS IS MORE FOR CINDY.
I, I ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT COUNCIL WOULD KNOW THIS.
SO THE THIRD LINK TO COLUMBUS WILL BE 62, CORRECT? SO THERE'LL BE YET ANOTHER LINK FROM DOWN, THAT'LL CONNECT DOWNTOWN GROVE CITY WITH COLUMBUS, WHICH IS HUGE.
UM, CITY OF COLUMBUS IS THE SPONSOR ON THAT.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL, AS YOU GO UP AND DOWN 62, THERE ARE PORTIONS THAT ARE WITHIN IOTA, THERE'S PORTIONS WITHIN COLUMBUS TOWNSHIP AND THE COUNTY, AND THEN US AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THAT PROGRAM IS THAT IT BRINGS ALL OF THOSE JURISDICTIONS TOGETHER AND IT GIVES IT A FUNDING SOURCE THAT, UM, OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE A PRIORITY FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE OF THOSE, UM, JURISDICTIONS.
BUT YEAH, COLUMBUS IS LEADING THE CHARGE ON THAT, UH, WITHIN THAT LINCUS FUNDING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF, IF I COULD, MR. STERN, ONE - YES.
UH, WE, WE KIND OF GLAZED OVER THESE BECAUSE GOING BACK TO, UH, MR. DURHAM'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE SAFETY BEING PRIORITY, I THINK THE REST OF COUNCIL'S ON THE BOARD OF THAT.
THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AT HAWTHORNE PARK PARKWOOD WAY
[01:00:01]
AND 104 IS INCREDIBLE.I MEAN, THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR SAFETY FEATURE FOR EVERYBODY GOING UP AND DOWN 104.
A MATTER OF FACT, I SENT A COPY OF THAT.
THE APPROVAL WE HAD TO THE TOWNSHIP, UH, BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATION.
BUT, UM, WHAT'S THE DATE THAT WE THINK THAT MIGHT BE INSTALLED? SO WE, UH, AWARDED THAT CONTRACT JUST IN THE LAST...
TRAFFIC SIGNALS HAVE LONG LEAD TIMES, SO WE DON'T HAVE, UM, A FINAL SCHEDULE FROM THE CONTRACTOR YET, BUT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WON'T GO IN TILL SPRING, UM, JUST BASED ON LEAD TIMES OF THAT EQUIPMENT.
AND HOW MANY YEARS? HOW MANY YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS? MY GOSH.
THAT'S ANOTHER FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE OTHER ONE I WANNA POINT OUT, AND AGAIN, IT'S PRETTY SUBTLE, BUT IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT, IS THE HAWTHORNE PARKWAY BIKE TRAIL.
UH, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT COMPLETE UP TO, UH, 104 AND EVENTUALLY ON OVER INTO SINO MEADOWS AND SO FORTH, BUT IT ALSO GOES ALONG THE RIDGE OF THE, UM, THE STREAM THAT GOES THROUGH THERE.
SO IT'S A VERY SCENIC TRAIL AS...
AND, AND WE JUST KINDA TAKE THIS OFF FOR, FOR, UH, AS AN ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYBODY CAN DO THESE AND SO FORTH.
BUT THAT IS A SECOND EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY AS WELL AS, UH, UH, CITIZENS CONVENIENCE.
AND THAT WILL ULTIMATELY, UM, CONNECT ALL THE WAY OUT TO 665 BECAUSE WITH THE HARRIS PROPERTY DEVELOPING HAWTHORNE PARKWAY EXTENDS, IT CURRENTLY STOPS AT BOHR.
WE HAVE TRAIL ALL THE WAY TO THERE.
BUT AS THAT EXTENDS THROUGH THAT DEVELOPMENT, THERE WILL BE SHARED USE PATH, UH, THAT CONTINUES ALL THE WAY TO 665.
AND I JUST GOTTA PUT A PLUG ON THE SAFETY ISSUE WITH, UH, STRINGTOWN AND MARLANE.
UH, THAT IS OUR HIGHEST CRASH INTERSECTION IN THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO MAY MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A LONGER DETOUR TO GET PEOPLE THAT WANT TO TURN LEFT IN OR OUT OF THOSE BUSINESSES, BUT IT'S EXTREMELY IMPACTFUL FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
SO THAT IS NUMBER ONE REASON WHY THAT PROJECT ROSE TO THE TOP AS WE SEE APPLICATION TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO MAKE THAT SAFETY IMPROVEMENT HAPPEN, NOT JUST FROM THE TRAFFIC FLOW, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATING THOSE, THOSE, THE HIGHEST CRASH INTERSECTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON MY QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE GRANTS AND HOW MUCH MONEY'S CARRYING OVER FROM 2026.
SO OUT OF THE 30 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS, UM, YOU SAID ABOUT 11.4 MILLION ACTUALLY THAT FROM THE CITY, BUT SEVEN MILLION OF THAT JUST WAS CARRIED OVER FROM THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, OUR INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF LOW THIS YEAR.
WELL, IT IS LOWER THAN LAST YEAR.
UM, CINDY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A MORE ACCURATE NUMBER.
THAT 11.5 IS TRULY FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT GENERAL FUND.
UH, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL NINE POINT, I THINK HE READ THE NUMBER, NINE POINT SOME MILLION THAT ARE TIF FUNDED.
AND SO YES, THOSE ARE COMING FROM CITY REVENUE SOURCES, BUT IT'S NOT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, SO.WHAT WAS THE TOTAL LAST YEAR? UM - 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE - 8.5.
THE EIGHT, I THINK IT WAS EIGH AND A HALF MILLION THAT YOU SAID WAS TIF FUNDS, THAT'S THE PIECE FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
SEVEN MILLION OF THAT IS IN THE TIF FUNDS.
YEAH, SEVEN MILLION FOR THAT AND THE 1.5 FOR THAT SANITARY EXTENSION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO FUND OUT OF THE BROWN'S FARM TIF.
JUST - SO YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT, UH, I THINK CHUCK MENTIONED THIS JUST A MOMENT AGO, THAT LAST YEAR WE HAD 32 MILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT IN CIP.
SO WE ARE A LITTLE DOWN A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYBODY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[Review of Council-requested items for 2027]
RIGHT.SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA WAS REVIEW OF COUNCIL REQUESTED ITEMS FOR 2027.
UM, WE DID HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME ITEMS THAT WERE, UH, THAT WERE SUBMITTED IN AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN CONTINUE TO, TO, UH, FILTER THOSE THROUGH ME AND I CAN, I CAN CONTINUE TO PASS THOSE ALONG, THOSE PRIORITY ITEMS. LET ME JUST READ JUST A QUICK SUMMARY THAT I WROTE UP AND THEN ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN ON A COUPLE THINGS, UH, MAYBE HIT SOME HIGHLIGHTS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY, AGAIN, PROTECTING OUR CORE SERVICES, UH, MAINTAINING WHAT WE ALREADY OWN, DEMA - UH, DEMANDING MEASURABLE VALUE FROM DISCRETIONARY SPENDING,
[01:05:01]
MAKING INVESTMENT, RE - INVESTMENTS RESIDENTS CAN SEE AND USE AND GROW THE TAX BASE SO THAT FUTURE NEEDS CAN BE FUNDED SUSTAINABLY.SO THAT'S KIND OF MY SUMMARY OF WHAT I RECEIVED FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT DID SUBMIT, UH, ITEMS. UM, BUT, UH, DID ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ON ANY PARTICULAR, UH, ITEMS THAT THEY, UH, HAVE ALREADY PUT IN OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, JUST GO FROM, UH, GO FROM THERE.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO, UH, FILTER THINGS THROUGH ME AND I'LL PASS THEM ALONG TO THE ADMINISTRATION AS THEY CONTINUE TO FINALIZE THIS, UH, THROUGH THE MIDDLE, MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER.
[Details of any money movement between funds prior to the end of 2026]
UH, SO THE NEXT ONE ON THE AGENDA IS DETAILS OF ANY MONEY MOVEMENT BETWEEN FUNDS PRIOR TO THE END OF 2026.UH, JUST, UH, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, IN TERMS OF, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, WE HAD FUNDS ONLY TRANSFERRED FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND THEY WENT TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, WHICH WAS $11,545,000.
THE BIG SPLASH FUND RECEIVED 100,000, AND THE, UH, GENERAL REC FUND RECEIVED 200,000.
AND THOSE WERE ALL APPROVED IN THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET.
SO THERE'S BEEN NO OTHER, UH, TRANSFER OF FUNDS, UH, OTHER THAN THOSE THREE.
I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THOSE AGAIN? THE, THE AMOUNTS? SORRY.
THE, UH, UH, THEY ALL CAME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THESE AMOUNTS.
THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND RECEIVED $11,545,000.
THE BIG SPLASH FUND FROM THE GENERAL FUND RECEIVED 100,000.
AND THE, UH, GENERAL RECREATION FUND RECEIVED 200,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY ON THAT? YES, PLEASE.
IS, IS THERE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR OR IS THIS IT? ANY, ANY FUNDING FROM, THAT GOES, UH, FROM ANY OF THESE FUND TO FUND WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A COUNCILMATIC ACTION.
WE CAN'T DO THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY.
[General Q/A by Council]
THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS GENERAL Q&A BY COUNCIL.DOES THAT MEAN THE SEVEN OF US OR DOES THAT MEAN COUNCIL COUNCIL?
I, UM, SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS WHEN YOU WERE UP HERE.
BUT IF YOU CAN KIND OF WALK US THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR MAYBE BRIANNA, YOU CAN PROBABLY SPEAK ON THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK REINVESTMENT PROGRAM, HOW DID YOU ALL GET TO THE 150,000? OR CINDY, SORRY.
SO, UM, JUST IN, IN PLANNING CONVERSATIONS WITH JACK, UM, WE CAME UP WITH A STRATEGY AND YOU'LL SEE IT IN THAT FIVE-YEAR PLAN WHERE, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING SIOTA MEADOWS, UM, PARK UPGRADES THAT, THAT HE WENT OVER.
THAT'S A LITTLE OVER $250,000, I THINK.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS JUST DON'T REQUIRE AS MUCH.
SO WE'D LIKE TO GET ON AN ANNUAL CADENCE WHERE IT'S 150,000 THIS YEAR, 250 SO WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIGGER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK THE NEXT YEAR, 150, 250.
WE'LL EVALUATE THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE NEED TO ADJUST OVER TIME, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD DO THAT.
UM, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING BACK INTO, UM, THESE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, NOT JUST OUR TIER ONE PARKS THAT ARE OUR LARGE PARKS.
AND, AND WE HAVE A HISTORY OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, DONE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS IN HOOVER CROSSING, UM, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, I GUESS.
I'M SAY - SHOWING YOU GUYS HOW LONG I'VE BEEN HERE, YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH ME FOR 12 YEARS.
UM, BUT, BUT WE DO THIS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, BROADWIN PARK, JUST A C - UM, THREE YEARS AGO, WE REPLACED THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IN THAT PARK.
AND SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY INSPECTING THESE PARKS AND PLANNING FOR, UM, SMALLER INVESTMENTS TO KEEP THEM, UM, REVITALIZED.
I BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, THE SUMMARY THAT ALAN HAD SENT TO US, WHICH I APPRECIATE, AND THIS, UH, FORECAST FOR 2027.
WELL, BEFORE I, I SAY THIS PART, UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR, AS WE ALL KNOW.
UM, AND I, I'M 100% FOR ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND HA - LETTING THE PUBLIC HAVE A SAY IN WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE USED.
NOW, GRANTED, THERE, THERE ARE THINGS WHERE, UM, THE MONEY HAS TO GO TOWARDS, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME SORT OF, LIKE, PARTICIPATORY BUDGET WHERE WE CAN ALLOW RESIDENTS TO HAVE SOME INPUT ON WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS GO.
IS THIS AN AREA WHERE WE COULD SEE SOME OF THAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE, UM, PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN
[01:10:01]
THIS YEAR WHERE WE HELD SEVERAL, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS AND ASKED FOR THAT KIND, EXACT KIND OF FEEDBACK.AND WE ARE INFORMING DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST FEEDBACK PIECES WE HEARD IS MORE SHADE AT THE SPLASH PAD, RIGHT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, ARE SMALL INVESTMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE IN THESE KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND HIGH USED PARKS.
SO, UH, WE ARE ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY, UH, THROUGH THAT EFFORT AND WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND THE, THE MASTER PLAN WILL BE WRAPPING UP SHORTLY.
AND THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WAS SENT OUT THAT I THINK WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST, UM - ABSOLUTELY.
ENGAGED AND RESPONDED UPON SURVEY.
I KNOW YOU WERE ALL IMPRESSED AND JUST EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, WE WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT ON THAT.
SO YEAH, WE'RE DEFINITELY TRYING TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC TO HELP INFORM THOSE DECISIONS AND THEN TRYING TO, TO LOOK AT IT COMMUNITY-WIDE.
I THINK WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE MASTER PLAN AND JUST KIND OF THE COMBINATION OF THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN BUILDING AT LEAST OVER THIS YEAR, BUT EVEN JACK HAS BEEN WORKING ON JUST BUILDING THAT, UM, FOR A WHILE NOW.
SO IT WILL BE EXCITING TO SEE THAT.
YEAH, MS. ANDERSON, I WAS, I WAS GONNA ACTUALLY ASK IF - UH-HUH.
YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT AS THE PARKS - IT'S, IT'S COMING.
THAT'S AS MUCH AS I KNOW AT THIS POINT.
MAYBE CINDY KNOWS A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT JUST IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH JACK, IT IS, IT IS STILL IN ITS KIND OF FINAL STAGES OF, OF PUTTING IT TOGETHER, AND IT IS COMING.
I DON'T HAVE A DATE YET OF WHEN IT'S COMING TO COUNCIL, BUT I KNOW THAT IT IS HOPEFULLY COMING TO THE PARK BOARD VERY SOON.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, DRAFTS OF EVERY CHAPTER AND THEY'RE FINALIZING THOSE THINGS, BUT I'M NOT GONNA COMMIT TO A DATE ON BEHALF OF JACK RIGHT HERE.
AND I DO, I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
I THINK, UH, THE IDEA OF THE PARTICIPATORY BUDGET IS NOT, IN MY EYES, SPECIFIC TO JUST PARKS.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO REVITALIZE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR STREETS, LIKE, THE WORK IS BEING DONE.
UM, I JUST, AS I WAS KINDA CREATING THIS LIST OF, UH, OF, UH, UH, WHAT'S THE TERM? WANT TO HAVES.
IDEAS, IT WAS SHOOT FOR THE STARS, RIGHT? AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A, A, UM, SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF MONEY ALLOCATED AND US SAYING, "THIS WARD, WE HAVE THIS MUCH DOLLARS.
UM, LET'S LET THE RESIDENTS THAT RESIDE IN THIS COMMUNITY HAVE A SAY IN WHERE THESE DOLLARS ARE USED." UM, SO JUST AN IDEA.
BUT APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE.
KIND OF ON, ON, ON THAT NOTE, A- AGAIN, ANY IDEAS ON A, YOU KNOW, UH, MR. AMAR, YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN ME SEVERAL THINGS.
UH, BUT ANYBODY ELSE, UH, ON COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA CONTINUE TO FILTER THOSE IDEAS THROUGH ME, UM, I WILL BE PASSING THOSE ALONG, SUMMARIZING THEM, THEM UP, JUST LIKE I HAVE BEFORE.
UH, DO, DO, IF YOU, IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A QUESTION OR AN IDEA, BUT, UH - IT'S GOT CIP, RIGHT? WE'RE ON THE CIP, IS THE SUBJECT.
OR IS THIS THE WHOLE BUDGET? IT'S THE WHOLE BUDGET.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR POLICE HEADCOUNT FOR 27.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THAT YET, MR. MAYOR OR NOT, OR WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR...
UH, THERE, THERE'S NO PLANS IN, IN TO INCREASE THE NUMBER THAT IS AUTHORIZED IN THE, UH, UH, ORDINANCES RIGHT NOW AT THIS POINT.
HAVE WE OBTAINED, UH, FULL STAFFING, UM, YET? WE HAVE NOT.
WE'VE BEEN CLOSE, BUT WE L- LOSE PEOPLE.
WE SEND THEM TO THE, UH, VARIOUS ACADEMIES.
THEY MAY COME OUT AND THEY, UH, FOR SOME REASON OR NOT, THEY, UH, DECIDE THEY DON'T WANNA BE A PART OF THE, UH, UH, THE DIVISION ANYMORE OR THEY, QUITE FRANKLY, WASH OUT.
BUT CERTAINLY OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, HIRE POLICE OFFICERS.
WE JUST, UH, LAST WEEK SENT OUT LETTERS, UH, OFFER LETTERS TO FIVE ADDITIONAL ONES.
SO, AND AGAIN, THOSE, THOSE TAKE TIME WHEN YOU SEND THEM TO - WHAT'S THE, UM...
SOME, SOME REASON IN MY HEAD, 58 OR 72 BADGED OFFICERS.
THERE'S SE - 71 TOTAL, WHICH IN- INCLUDES, UH, SERGEANTS, LIEUTENANTS, AND THE CHIEF.
YEAH, SO THAT'S THE 71 NUMBER PROBABLY.
YEAH, IT'D JUST BE GOOD IF WE COULD EVEN JUST GET THE FULL STRENGTH FROM WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
AND AGAIN, Y- YOU KNOW, WE JUST, UH, WENT THROUGH OUR, OUR CONTRACT WITH THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE.
THE ESTIMATED TOP SALARY NOW JUST FOR A POLICE OFFICER IS $199,000.
SO WHEN YOU START SAYING, "LET'S BRING ON TWO OR THREE OR FOUR," YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, CERTAINLY AFFECTS THE, UH, OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR BUDGETING IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT - UH-HUH.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, WELL, WE KNOW THE EXPENSE OF, OF PEOPLE, SO THANK YOU.
AND IF I MAY, MR. STERHAM, I'LL CONTINUE.
UH, TED, I'LL ASK YOU TO GO BACK IN HISTORY AND REMEMBER THIS, BUT, UM, THERE WAS ONE TIME WHERE THERE WAS A BUS SHELTER, THERE WAS NO SHELTER, IT WAS JUST A BUS STOP, AND YOU MADE SOME REQUEST TO PUT A SHELTER OVER IT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A MEMORY OF THAT? IT'S ON, IT WAS ON, UM, UH, BUCKEYE PARKWAY, I THINK, LIKE, SOMEWHERE.
[01:15:01]
AND MY QUESTION IS JUST, UM, I- IS THAT A CODA THING OR IS THAT AN US THING OR IS IT A TOGETHER THING? SO IT USED TO BE A CODA THING, UH, AND THEY BASED THOSE DECISIONS AND THEIR BUDGETING PRACTICES ON RIDERSHIP.AND SO OFTENTIMES, UM, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT INVESTMENT HERE.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOW ELIGIBLE THROUGH THE LINCUS TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.
AND SO AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, THESE ARE JUST OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION IN URBAN CREST, BUT, UM, I ADVOCATED TO INCLUDE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE BUS STOPS THAT'S RIGHT THERE AT 270 AND CENTER POINT ACROSS FROM THE TURKEY HILL BECAUSE IT'S LITERALLY A STICK IN THE SIDE WITH NO - STANDING THERE.
YEAH, AND NO PEDE - THERE'S NOT EVEN A CROSSWALK TO GET OVER THERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE PUT INTO THAT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE STOP AND THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.
AND SO THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS ARE AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE UNDER THE LINCUS, AND SO NOW THEY HAVE A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE.
SO I'M JUST WOULD, WOULD, UM, ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE BUSIER ONES THAT WE HAVE WHERE I DRIVE BY AND I SEE PEOPLE STANDING AT...
THESE ARE ACTUALLY, THERE'S A, THERE'S A BENCH THERE, BUT THERE'S NO COVER OR ANYTHING.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE COVERED.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST A PLUG FOR THOSE, THOSE ITEMS. THANK YOU.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE A WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, TOWN CENTER MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT WAS THE ITEM I SAW IN THERE, RIGHT, FOR TOWN CENTER PARK.
THAT'S, THAT'S IN THERE TO DO THE ENGINEERING AND WHATEVER WE GOTTA DO NEXT YEAR.
SO WE HAD THE 1.5 MILLION FOR, UM, DESIGN IN THE 2026, UM, BUDGET.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE DESIGN, UH, BEING ABLE TO ADVANCE THROUGH 2027, UM, AND THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS AS WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT OUR EXACT FUNDING STRATEGY FOR CONSTRUCTION, UH, WE CAN IMPLEMENT PHASING IF NECESSARY OR IF WE'RE ABLE TO FUND THE ENTIRE IMPROVEMENT, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH 2027.
SO THAT'S THE SAME AMOUNT THEN THAT'S IN 27, IT WAS IN 26.
AND - RANDY, ON, ON THAT PARTICULAR ONE - GO AHEAD, GUYS.
WE DO HAVE GRANTS, AND I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THE TIMING ON THOSE ARE TO EXPIRE, WHEN DO YOU HAVE TO USE THEM BY? SURE.
SO WE HAD A $400,000 STATE CAPITAL GRANT FOR A PLAYGROUND, AND THEN THIS YEAR WE WERE AWARDED A, UM, $500,000 GRANT FOR THE PARK.
UM, ON THE 400,000, WE FILED FOR AN EXTENSION, UH, SO THAT THAT WOULD ALIGN WITH OUR CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.
AND ON THE ONE THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR, WE HAVE THROUGH 28 TO USE IT, SO.
IS THERE ANOTHER COMMENT? UH, THEN, UH, MY LAST ONE FOR NOW WOULD BE, UM, UH, W- WE, WE NEED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE VCB ALLOCATION.
$2.6 MILLION, UH, I THINK AT THE TOP, AND, UH, TYPICALLY 25% GOES DIRECTLY TO VCB, 25% GOES TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN 1.3 MILLION WOULD GO TO THE GENERAL FUND.
I THINK THAT'S THE WAY IT'S KINDA MAPPED OUT AT THE MOMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, UH, WHAT DIRECTION WE WANNA GIVE THE MAYOR FOR THE FIRST DRAFT OR NOT, OR ANY, OR WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
WELL, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT POTENTIALLY ESTABLISHING A DEDICATED FUND, UH, THAT THE, THAT MONEY WOULD GO INTO FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM.
UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT WE, I'VE, I'VE PROVIDED THAT TO, TO, TO MIKE AND SOME OTHERS, UH, TO, TO EXPLORE THAT.
THE QUESTION WOULD BE, NUMBER ONE, IS THAT VIABLE, YOU KNOW, PERMITTED TO DO IT THAT WAY? UM, AND, UH, AND THEN NUMBER TWO, WHAT WOULD THE, UH, WHAT WOULD THE BREAKDOWN THEN ULTIMATELY, ULTIMATELY BE? YOU KNOW, DO WE ALLOCATE, YOU KNOW, 0.5% OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, UH, OF THE, OF THE 6%, UH, OUT OF THE 6% TO GO INTO THAT FUND, WHICH WOULD DRIVE THE, UH, THE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR TOWN CENTER, UM, AND, AND, UH - MY, UH, ESTIMATE OF KIND OF BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM FOR 2027, UM, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF GROWTH, I WOULD SAY THAT'S ABOUT 200,000.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE ARTS IN THE ALLEY, BOURBON FEST, WINE FEST, MISTLETOE MARKET, AND LITTLE THEATER OFF BROADWAY.
SO INSTEAD OF THOSE FUNDS COMING, LIKE, ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE BUDGET, THERE WOULD BE A GRANT FUND SOMEWHERE IN THE BUDGET - RIGHT.
THAT THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE APPLIED FOR WITH FULL TRANSPARENCY, WITH A FINAL REPORT AND RECEIPTS SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY
[01:20:01]
WENT AND EVERYTHING IS IN GOOD SHAPE THAT WAY.UH, I JUST TODAY RECEIVED THE ARTS IN THE ALLEY FINAL REPORT, JUST AS AN FYI.
UM, AND I'M EXPECTING SOMETHING FOR MISTLETOE MARKET, I BELIEVE.
UM, SOME OF THE POSITIVES THAT I'VE NOTED, AND I KNOW YOU'VE GOT SOME COMMENT IN HERE ABOUT OVERLAY AND BUDGETS AND SIMILAR ITEMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS, IS PREVIOUSLY WE HAD TENTS AND SOME THINGS SCHEDULED UNDER, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT YET ON THE OTHER HAND, WE WERE ALSO MAKING A SINGLE LUMP SUM PAYMENT FOR THAT SAME EVENT OUT OF THE, THE, THE BUDGETARY FIRST PAGE.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO NOTICE, UH, SOME DUPLICATE ENTRIES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SPENT IT TWICE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ACCOUNTED FOR A COUPLE TIMES.
AND, UH, WE JU - WE JUST THINK IT'S REALLY A GOOD PRACTICE RIGHT AT THE MOMENT WITH THE WAY WE HAVE THIS REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.
AND I WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN, UH, CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM.
WE NEED TO ADD THE PEOPLE TO THE COMMUN - TO THE, UH, COMMITTEE, GET THAT COMPLETED FOR 27, AND THEN HAVE A FUND THERE, AND WE WON'T HAVE TO DO AN, UH, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? REIMBURSEMENT.
WE WON'T HAVE TO DO APPROPRIATION NECESSARILY EVERY TIME, AS LONG AS WE'RE UNDERNEATH OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET AMOUNT.
UM, OKAY, THAT'S MY THEORY ON THAT.
CAN I GO ON THAT? SO WITH THE VCB ALLOCATION, I JUST WANNA KINDA SPEAK TO THAT FOR A MINUTE.
AND RANDY, I APPRECIATE HOW YOU LAID OUT THE BED TAX DOLLARS.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 2.6 MILLION, 25, SO THAT'S 6% THAT COMES IN.
AND OF THAT 6%, WE TAKE 25% TO THE VCB, 25% TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND, AND 50% TO THE GENERAL FUND.
NOW, WE ARE OBLIGATED BY THE ORDINANCE NOW THAT WE HAVE DONE, THAT 25% GOES TO, UM, THE VCB.
AND SO, AND THAT WAS KIND OF A REDO OF AN ORDINANCE.
DO WE DO THAT ORDINANCE? IT, IT, IT'S NOT AN ORDINANCE.
THE 25% BY STATE STATUTE HAS TO GO TO A CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU OPERATING WITHIN THE COUNTY.
I THINK WE UPDATED OUR ORDINANCE THOUGH TO STATE THAT OUR CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU IS VISIT GROVE CITY.
WE, WE ACTUALLY, UH - JUST PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
AND, AND AS MR. BOZA SAYS, THE HOTEL-MOTEL TAX IS A LITTLE BIT WEIRD.
IT'S TWO, 3% CHUNKS AND HALF OF ONE OF THE 3% HAS TO BE ALLOCATED TO A VCB THAT OPERATES WITHIN THE COUNTY.
AND THE TERM VCB IS NOT DEFINED ANYWHERE UNDER STATE LAW.
WE HAVE DEFINED IT, AND WE BELIEVE WE HAVE AUTHORITY FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS THAT WE REFER THAT WE CAN, IN ESSENCE, UM, SET WHAT CONSTITUTES A CONVENTION VIGILS BUREAU.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDS WE PUT IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF THEY'RE BRINGING PEOPLE TO GROVE CITY OR SPENDING MONEY.
SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO FURTHER DISTRIBUTE THE MONEY.
AND WHEN I SAY THE MONEY, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ONE AND A HALF PERCENT WE HAVE TO SPEND WITH THE VCBS.
WE HAVE MORE LATITUDE IN WHO WE GIVE THAT ONE AND A HALF PERCENT TO.
THAT, THAT WAS THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THIS COUNCIL GAVE ITSELF TWO YEARS AGO.
BUT WE PULLED BACK ON SOMETHING, RIGHT? WE - AT ONE POINT YOU WERE - YEAH, LAST YEAR I, WE, UH, WE FULLY GAVE THE ONE AND A HALF PERCENT TO THE VCB AND THEN WE FUNDED THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE CITY'S PORTION, WHICH IS THE OTHER FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT.
SO I THINK - THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR KIND OF CLARIFYING THAT, BRINGING US ALL BACK ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT AND HAS WATCHED THIS KIND OF GO BACK AND FORTH, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF KIND OF CONTINUING OUR FULLY FUNDING OF VISIT GROVE CITY AS WE DID.
AND IF WE HAVE MONEY, YOU KNOW, 50% THAT'S GOING INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING SOME SORT OF GRANT DOLLARS ALREADY KIND OF ESTABLISHED.
I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PULLING FROM THAT 50% THAT HAS BEEN GOING INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND NOT WHAT WE ARE ALLOCATING ALREADY OR WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AND ALLOW THAT ORGANIZATION TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE.
LAST, LAST YEAR WHAT WE DID WAS WE JUST MOVED A COUPLE OTHER LINE ITEMS INTO A GENERAL FUND LINE ITEM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE APPROPRIATED OUT OF.
UM, BUT I KNOW MR. ALLEN, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE CREATING A COMMUNITY GRANT LINE ITEM.
I, I, THE, THE PROGRAM ITSELF THAT, THAT YOU GUYS DESIGNED, I, I, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, VERY TRANSPARENT.
WE GET TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT.
UM, THE, THE THING THAT, THAT KEPT GNAWING
[01:25:01]
AT ME WAS, WAS, UH, THE, THE, THE ACCOUNTING OF IT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE APPROPRIATING DOLLARS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.THERE'S STILL SOME MONEY THAT'S BEING USED FOR TENTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND SO MY, MY THINKING JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL WAS WHY DON'T WE ESTABLISH A FUND, KIND OF LIKE WE HAVE THE GROUP, THE, THE CARES FUND OR SOME OF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER FUNDS THAT ARE IN THE, IN THE BUDGET, AND LET'S FUND THAT.
AND THIS GRANT PROGRAM COMES OUT OF THAT.
AND WE, WE GET AWAY FROM THIS PULLING MONEY FROM HERE OR THERE AND THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S ALL COMING FROM ONE PLACE JUST FROM AN ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVE.
HAVE WE FULLY VETTED OUT? WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND, FUND? OH, ABOUT 90% OF EVERYTHING WE DO THAT IS EXTRACURRICULAR, FIREWORKS, UM, THE OVERRUN, UH, FOR, UH, DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES NOT COVERED BY, UH, UH, THE, THE SPONSORS.
UH, I MEAN, MATTER OF FACT, IT'S PROBABLY IN EXCESS OF THE 600 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WE GIVE TO THE CONVENTION BUREAU.
MATTER OF FACT, I'M SURE IT IS.
IF I WAS GIVEN THAT QUESTION, UH, MR. HOLT, ON WHAT THE APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE WOULD LOOK LIKE, I WOULD SAY THE $620,000, WE WOULD SET ASIDE $200,000 OF THAT TO A GRANT PROGRAM WITH THE SAME FRAMEWORK AS YOU'VE SET UP FOR THE, UH, DIRECT GRANTS THAT YOU'RE DOING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, THAT WOULD BE WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN THE APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE IF I'VE GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TODAY.
SO IT WOULD WORK THE SAME MECHANISM, WOULD BE THE, UH, UH, COMMITTEE MAKING JUDGMENT ON WHERE DOES THE OTHER $200,000 GO, EXCEPT IT COME OUT OF THE VCB CATEGORY.
AND PART OF THAT IS, UH, WE ARE VERY STRICT, AND, AND I APPRECIATE IT, ON ALLOCATING RESULTS, OR NOT ALLOCATING, BUT MEASURING RESULTS OF THE CHAMBER, THE, UH, TOWN CENTER GROUP, THE LITTLE THEATER OFF BROADWAY.
BUT I, I AM, UH, HESITANT TO THINK THAT WE USE THAT SAME TEST FOR THE VCB, BECAUSE THERE ARE DRIVERS THAT ARE PART OF THE RECORDS THAT THEY OUGHT TO BE KEEPING ON HOW MUCH INCREMENTALLY DID YOU MOVE VISITORS TO GROVE CITY? AS AN EXAMPLE, THE GENERAL INCREASE IN HOTEL MOTAC, MOTEL REVENUES FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY IS UP 7% FOR, I THINK, THE, THE LAST NUMBER I SAW FROM THE VCB FOR GROVE CITY, IT'S UP 4%.
SO ARE WE STAYING EVEN WITH WHAT THE, THE COUNTY IS DOING? SO I, I THINK THE TESTS HAVE TO BE ADMINISTERED IN THE SAME FASHION AS, UH, WE DO FOR THE, UH, THE, UM, CHAMBER AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
YEAH, MY, MY, MY, MY THINKING ON THIS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE DEFINITION THAT, UH, MR. SMITH LAID OUT, YOU KNOW, BR - PEOPLE BRINGING, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE CITY TO SPEND.
SO MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS THE 1.5% OUT OF THE SIX THAT'S GOING TO VCB TODAY IN TOTAL, TAKE 0.5 OF THAT, PUT THAT INTO THE FUND, THE GRANT FUND THAT WOULD DRIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TOWN CENTER STUFF AND, UH, UH, ARTS IN THE ALLEY AND, AND THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR, WHICH IS AROUND 170, 180,000, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, GONNA GO UP SOME, BUT TAKE 0.5 TO PUT IN THE FUND AND THEN THE 1% WOULD REMAIN WITH THE VCB AS IT IS TODAY.
I, I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF THAT, JUST TO SAY.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE'VE, WE'RE JUST GOING BACK AND FORTH YEAR AFTER YEAR OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND ALLOCATING AND THEN PULLING BACK, AND THEN WE FULLY FUNDED THEM LAST YEAR, AND NOW WE'RE SAYING A YEAR LATER WE'RE NOT GONNA FULLY FUND THEM.
SO I'M GONNA BE VERY DIRECT IN SAYING THAT I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK THAT'S - THE - I THINK WE'RE CREATING SYNERGY.
I THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT WITH WHEN WE, LAST YEAR WHEN WE WENT BACK TO FULLY FUNDING THEM.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALSO REINVESTING AND DEVELOPING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS, WHICH I THINK WAS THE INTENT BACK IN 2023 WHEN THIS WHOLE PROGRAM CHANGED.
PRIOR TO THAT, THEY WERE GETTING FULLY FUNDED, BUT THE INTENT OF THE, OF THE ORDINANCE THAT MR. SMITH REFERRED TO EARLIER WAS THE...
I WASN'T ON COUNCIL AT THE TIME, BUT I WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE, OF THE VISIT GROVE CITY, UM, WAS TO...
THE GOAL WAS FOR ALL THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO WORK BETTER TOGETHER.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DUPLICATIONS.
UM, AND I THINK THE MOVE THAT WE DID LAST
[01:30:01]
YEAR HAS CREATED THAT SYNERGY AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE.UM, THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN SPONSORING THESE EVENTS AS WELL.
UM, I KNOW THAT ALSO, UM, MR. HELINGA, YOU CAN TALK TO THIS.
I THINK YOU RECENTLY, YOU HAD A MEETING.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS CONFUSED WITH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN ANSWER TO IT, BUT, UH, CERTAIN ACTIVITIES, THEY HELPED WITH THE FUNDING, BUT THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDING CAME FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO IT'S LIKE TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES - RIGHT.
NEEDING THE SAME FUND AND YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A HANDLE ON IT.
BUT THE, THE OTHER THING THAT I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT, IS THERE A STATE REQUIREMENT THAT 25% OF THE VET TAX NEEDS TO GO TO THE VISITORS BUREAU? YES.
VISITORS BUREAU, HOWEVER YOU - HOWEVER WE DEFINE IT.
AT THE END OF THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I DON'T CARE WHAT COUNCIL DOES WITH THE MONEY, BUT 1.5% OF THE MONEY THAT COMES IN HAS TO GO TO VCBS, PERIOD.
AN ORGANIZATION THAT - ACT, A- AS WE'VE DEFINED VCB UNDER OUR CODE.
AND, AND I'D BE IN FAVOR OF SOME KIND OF A GRANT PROGRAM TO CHECK THAT, BUT IT APPEARS THAT LEGALLY WE CAN'T DO THAT.
AM, AM I CORRECT OR INCORRECT? WELL, YOU, YOU CAN IN THE SENSE THAT IT...
I MEAN, WHEN MR. MR. STURM AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT HE, BECAUSE HE CALLED TO ASK LEGALLY WHETHER HE COULD DO IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL OF THE GROUPS THAT I BELIEVE THAT IN MR. STURM'S MIND THAT HE WANTS TO GIVE MONEY TO WOULD QUALIFY AND FIT THE DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A VCB.
THUS, YOU COULD DO WHAT HE IS REFERRING TO IF THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL CHOOSES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, PART OF IT, I, I THINK THE MAYOR SAID, AND THE MAYOR'S THE ONE WHO'S KIND OF BEEN PREACHING THE, WE WANNA SEE RESULTS FOR THE MONEY WE SPEND.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO, WE DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AND WE HAD A CONTRACT WITH THE VCB.
LAST YEAR WE GAVE THE VCB ALL THE MONEY AND THERE WAS NO CONTRACT WITH NO MEASURABLES.
UM, AND WE OFFERED TO DO ONE AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, 1.5% HAS TO BE SPENT ON VCBS, PERIOD.
AND THAT'S HOWEVER YOU ALL DECIDE TO ALLOCATE THAT MONEY ALL TO ONE, SPLIT IT UP INTO YOUR POT, HOWEVER YOU WANNA DO IT.
BUT THAT MONEY HAS TO BE ALLOCATED TO THEM AND ONLY TO THEM.
THE OTHER FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT, YOU CAN GET AS CREATIVE AS YOU WANT WITH.
AND IT'S, AND TO MY POINT, I MEAN, I KNOW WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT DEFINES WHAT WE FEEL IS A VIS - UH, CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU.
BUT BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AND INVOLVEMENT IN TOURISM FOR THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS IN THE STATE OF OHIO, UM, I SAT ON GOVERNOR KASICH'S TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD FOR NINE YEARS.
I'VE BEEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE OHIO TRAVEL ASSOCIATION, UM, WHICH PROMOTES TOURISM THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STATE OF OHIO.
I'VE SAT ON THE VISIT GROVE CITY BOARD FOR NINE YEARS IN THE PAST.
A, A CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU IS NOT A TOWN CENTER, GROVE CITY TOWN CENTER.
IT IS NOT THE LITTLE THEATER ON BROADWAY.
IT IS NOT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THOSE ARE NOT TECHNICALLY VBS.
AND IF I MAY, NOT TO, NOT TO, YOU KNOW, JUST PULL STRINGS, BUT TECHNICALLY WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFINE IT HOWEVER WE WANT.
AND UNDER OUR LAW, THEY ACTUALLY ALL WOULD QUALIFY.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS THE BEST ONE.
AND, AND THAT'S FINE, BUT UNDER OUR LAW, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE WOULD CONSTITUTE A VCB IF YOU WANTED TO GIVE THEM.
BASED ON THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED.
BASED ON THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED IN - 23.
THE PREAMBLE OF HOW, BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE THE LUCKY ONE TO SET UP THE VCB MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
UNDER THE OHIO LAW, I MEAN, WE, WE, WE GAVE FURTHER DEFINITION TO IT.
IT WAS SO BROAD, AS LONG AS THEY ADDED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE, OF A CITY OR OF, OF A COUNTY, THEY ARE A VCB.
IT'S NOT WHAT WE DID AS THE CITY GROW CITY.
BUT OHIO LAW IS VERY SPECIFIC.
THERE'S A VERY BROAD DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A VCB IS, AND WE CAN MAKE IT ANYTHING WE WANT TO ALMOST.
I THINK WHAT, UM, I THINK THERE'S THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE MOMENT THAT WOULD SUPPORT THIS OPPORTUNITY, THIS DIF - THIS DISPERSION OF FUNDS.
THAT WOULD BE THE FULL 25% GOING TO THE VISIT GROVE CITY SINGULAR ORGANIZATION AND THEN 25% TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND AND 50% IN THE GENERAL FUND.
[01:35:01]
75%, A FUND OF 200,000 IS CREATED NOT IN ADDITION TO THAT 75%, BUT OF THAT 75%, 200,000, WHICH IS 200,000 OF 1.9 MILLION WOULD, UH, BE THE GRANT FUND THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE FOR ARTS IN THE ALLEY, BOURBON FEST AND WINE FEST.SO WOULD, WOULD IT, WOULD THAT BE COMING OUT OF-THAT MEANS - IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING IT OUT OF VCB, ARE YOU TAKING IT OUT OF - YOU TAKING IT, YOU'RE TAKING IT.
YOU'RE TAKING AWAY FROM WHAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND WOULD GET OR WHAT THE GENERAL FUND WOULD GET.
WELL, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THE MAYOR SUBMITS US A BUDGET.
IF WE WANNA CHANGE THAT, WE CAN CHANGE THAT.
SO THIS IS ALL FOR NAUGHT RIGHT NOW UNTIL WE GET A BUDGET.
CONVERSATION THAT LEADS TO RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK HE KNOWS WHERE WE STAND.
BECAUSE WE HAVE IT EVERY YEAR.
Y- YOU KNOW, JUST AN- ANOTHER NOTE, I- I - ON THE SUBJECT, I HOPE IT'S THE LAST ONE.
UH, IN- IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE VISIT GROVE CITY, UH, ORGANIZATION, THERE WAS DISCUSSION THAT THEY WOULD GIVE SO MUCH BACK TO ORGANIZATIONS.
60,000, I BELIEVE, WAS THE NUMBER.
AND DURING OUR DISCUSSION WITH THEM, AND, UH, MR. HALINGA WAS THERE, WE SAID, "WELL, WHY DON'T WE JUST KEEP THAT AND LET COUNCIL MAKE THAT DECISION RATHER THAN YOUR ORGANIZATION?" AND I THINK THAT QUESTION IS STILL LINGERS OUT THERE THAT WHY NOT DO IT THAT WAY? OKAY.
SO ARE WE WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THEM? THE CONTINUATION OF THAT CONVERSATION THAT WAS RECENTLY HAD.
ADDITIONALLY, I, AND GEORGE, YOU'RE ON THE BOARD NOW.
UH, AND CERTAINLY I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT THEIR DESIRE IS TO REALLY HAVE A THREE-YEAR, UH, A THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT SO THEY CAN HAVE A BUDGET CYCLE THAT THEY CAN, UH, KNOW THE REVENUE THAT THEY'RE GONNA RECEIVE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING COUNCIL WOULD ENACT, BUT, UH, AGAIN, THE DISCUSSION WAS STILL AROUND.
THEY WOULD STILL GIVE MONEY BACK TO THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THE QUESTION I ASKED WAS, I THINK COUNCIL IS, IS THE BETTER BODY TO DECIDE THAT.
AND, AND THEY DID INDICATE THEY WERE GONNA SEND ME A DRAFT THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT TO REVIEW, BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM THEM YET, JUST TO KEEP YOU UPDATED.
I, UH, SPOKE WITH AMANDA TODAY IN REGARD TO THAT, AND SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS APOLOGETIC.
THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN IT YET, BUT THEY PLAN ON DOING THAT.
SO, UM, AND I AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT, WHAT CHUCK SAID THERE BECAUSE I, I HAD A QUESTION.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS UNUSUAL THAT WE WOULD FUND, UH, AN EVENT AND THEY WOULD FUND AN EVENT, BUT IT CAME FROM TWO DIFFERENT POCKETS.
AND I LIKE THE, I LIKE THE GRANT PROGRAM THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED SO THERE'S MORE CONTROL OVER WHERE THAT GOES AND WE HAVE A, UM, A, A WAY OF MONITORING THE RESULTS AND IN EFFECT RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT THERE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHAT THEY COME WITH, WITH THE CONTRACT.
LET'S - I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
UH, TO DIFFERENT SUBJECT THOUGH.
UM, EARLIER THIS SPRING, WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE EXTENDING THE CODA PLUS TO SATURDAY, AND THERE WAS A CONTRACT THAT WAS UP FOR RENEWAL.
CAN YOU GIVE US THE STATUS ON THAT? UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON, ON THAT FIGURE.
UH, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE SPENDING...
WE WERE SPENDING, UH, AND BILL PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE FIGURES BETTER THAN I, I THINK ABOUT ALMOST $700,000 A YEAR IN, IN TERMS OF CODA WITH THE, UH, LINCOLN NOW.
UH, I THINK OUR BUDGET IS DOWN TO 300,000 AND WE'VE BEEN ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET, UH, SOME HOURS ON THE WEEKENDS? AND THEY'RE STILL, UH, EVALUATING THAT, THAT, UH, ITEM.
SO, AGAIN, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT MAY NOT, UH, COST US ANY ADDITIONAL THAN WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THE GOOD THING IS WE GOT THE BUDGET DOWN FROM 700 TO 300.
BUT IF YOU CAN GET MORE SERVICE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT AS WELL.
THAT'S GREAT.THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR SENIORS WOULD REALLY LIKE THAT.
UM, MR. MAYOR, OR CHUCK, WHAT'S THE, UH, SALARY COST OF LIVING OR INCREMENTAL CHANGE IN SALARY FOR 27 THAT'LL BE FACTORED IN THE BUDGET? UH, AGAIN, M - UH, THE MAJORITY OF, UH, EMPLOYEES ARE UNDER A, A CONTRACT OR THREE ORGANIZATIONS.
THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, THEY HAVE THEIR, THEIR, UH, CONTRACT THAT RUNS, UH, THROUGH 27.
[01:40:01]
UH, WE'RE IN, UH, WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, UH, DISPATCHERS.I WOULD SAY IT'S GONNA BE A SIMILAR AGREEMENT.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE, WE, UH, HAD OUR, UH, AGREEMENT WITH THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, OUR SERVICE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT WAS ALSO AT 4%.
THEIR CONTRACT RUNS THROUGH, UH, 2027.
SO IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES, I WOULD SAY, WHICH ARE MAYBE 30% OF THE, THE, UH, THE ORGANIZATION'S PERSONNEL WILL PROBABLY BE IN THAT THREE TO 4%.
AND THE OTHER NOTE, I THINK CINDY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, THE OTHER DAY AFTER COUNCIL WAS ABOUT OUR PART-TIME WAGES AS WELL WENT UP.
WE AGREED TO - A MINIMUM OF $20 AN HOUR THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL PERSONNEL, UH, OF THE CITY, FOR EACH 1% OF INCREASE, IT COSTS ROUGHLY ABOUT $300,000.
SO WHEN YOU GIVE A 4% INCREASE, IT'S...
DO I NEED TO CALL FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.