Highlights

 

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: October 7, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

DIVERSITY BRIDGE:  The Columbus City Council is investing more than $5 million this year to support and grow small businesses in the city.   Ordinance 2303-2013, sponsored by Small & Minority Business Development Committee chair A. Troy Miller, will allow Columbus to allocate $50,000 to partner with the Columbus Chamber to support the Diversity Bridge initiative.  The program was launched by the Columbus Chamber to cultivate the growth of minority- and women-owned businesses in Columbus. Diversity Bridge is a direct outgrowth of a comprehensive strategic planning process that involved more than 100 diverse stakeholders, including minority business owners, nonprofit-minority and women-owned businesses, business resource providers, local, state and federal government and the private sector. The Chamber, working with its partners, serves as the centralized point of contact for the programs and activities of the Diversity Bridge initiative and is able to encourage collaboration among the organizations/agencies that serve minority businesses, thereby eliminating unnecessary redundancy and enhancing service. Through the Diversity Bridge web portal, the Chamber desires to provide more jobs and build wealth in the W/MBE community by creating a more efficient and effective service delivery network, and build capacity within the minority business community.

 

WIC FUNDING:  Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, is sponsoring three ordinances to support the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.   Ordinance 2261-2013 allows the City of Columbus to accept $5,880,237 from the Ohio Department of Health to operate the WIC program.   Ordinance 2282-2013 spends $26,694 for language interpretation services at WIC clinics and ordinance 2279-2013 allows the City to contract with Nationwide Children’s Hospital for the operation of a WIC clinic at their facility.  The amount of that contract is $533,015.

 

WATER LINE IMPROVEMENTS:  Ordinance 2171-2013, sponsored by Public Utilities Committee chair Eileen Y. Paley, allows the City to enter into a construction contract with John Eramo & Sons, Inc., in the amount of $639,258.84, for the Old Roberts Road 20-Inch Water Line Improvements Project.  This portion of the project will install a 20-inch water line in Old Roberts Road from the intersection of Wilson Road and Roberts Road to connect into a 24-inch water main at Zane Trace. This will improve the water distribution system in the northwest service area served by the Dublin Road Water Plant.

 

FIRE PREVENTION WEEK:   To mark the occasion and raise awareness of fire prevention at home, work,  and school, Councilmember Michelle M. Mills, chair of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, is sponsoring a resolution to declare October 6-12 Fire Prevention Week in Columbus.  Members of the Division of Fire will be on hand to highlight the many activities residents and visitors can take part in to prevent fires.

 

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov

    

 

    

 

Highlights

 

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: September 30, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

POTHOLE PATROL:  Every year in the City of Columbus, crews patch tens of thousands of potholes to improve area roadways and protect residents from injury.   Ordinance 2017-2013, sponsored by Public Service and Transportation Committee chair Eileen Y. Paley, will allow the Department of Public Service to purchase two new pothole patching trucks from FYDA Freightliner.   The company provided the lowest competitive bid of $290,242.

 

REBUILDING LIVES:  The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) provides permanent supportive housing for women at its 65 South Front Street facility.   Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 2229-2013 to provide $650,000 in bond funds to the YWCA to make necessary repairs to the building.   The City of Columbus has pledged $6,000,000 in funding over a five-year period to support the YWCA and the women it serves.

 

EDUCATING SAFETY FORCES:  In mid-August, the City of Columbus and Columbus State Community College announced a partnership that puts all incoming firefighters and police officers on a direct path toward an associate degree.   The academic program is designed with three blocks of courses involving a combination of state certification courses and academic courses.  Councilmember Michelle M. Mills, chair of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, is sponsoring ordinances 2245 and 2013 to put in place  memorandums of understanding that will allow the City of Columbus to pay tuition for firefighters and police. In addition, firefighters and police officers already working for the city would have the option to take the courses, which would allow them to earn an associate degree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov

    

 

    

 

September 23, 2013 Highlights

 

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: September 23, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

HEALTHY MOMS AND HEALTHY BABIES:  The Child and Family Health Services Perinatal Program is designed to eliminate health disparities, improve birth outcomes and improve the health of women, infants and children in Ohio.  Ordinance 2135-2013, sponsored by Health and Human Services Committee chair Priscilla R. Tyson, will allow the City to enter into a $50,000 contract with Neighborhood Health Center, Inc., to use grant funds from the state to support a variety of medical services for women and children. 

 

CAR2GO:  Councilmember Eileen Y. Paley, chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 2105-2013, to allow Car2Go, a car sharing service, to park their vehicles in residential permit parking areas and at certain parking meters.   The legislation suspends two sections of the City Code and puts in place a 12-month pilot program to study the effects of a car sharing program on mobility options and Columbus neighborhoods and businesses.  

 

KICKSTART WIDGETPITCH:  Councilmember A. Troy Miller, chair of the Small & Minority Business Development and Technology Committees, is partnering with the Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) to sponsor KickStart WIDGETPITCH.  WIDGETPITCH is an innovative competition that will allow startup and existing businesses or individuals to compete for investments with the goal of helping to get products to market.   Five finalists will make their pitches to a panel of community judges at 7pm on September 26, during Mayor Coleman’s Small Business Conference at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.

 

PROTECTING THE PUBLIC:  The Columbus City Council is proud to invest in equipment to help our safety forces protect the public and improve the quality of life in Columbus.   Councilmember Michelle M. Mills, chair of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 1969-2013 to spend $1,900,582.16 to purchase eight new custom build medium duty medics for the Division of Fire from Horton Emergency Vehicles. The vehicle body is locally manufactured and Horton has provided excellent service to the Division of Fire and the Fleet Management Division.  The new medics will replace medics that are beyond their useful lives and have high maintenance costs.

 

BIKEWAY ADDITIONS:  Columbus is committed to becoming the most bike-friendly community possible, and the creation of trails and recreational spaces is an important component of that plan.   Recreation and Parks Committee chair Zach M. Klein is sponsoring ordinance 2114-2013 to fund the Goodale Street Bikeway Project.  The $5,570,703.00 project will build a dedicated trail facility along Goodale Street, providing access for downtown workers and residents of Harrison West and Grandview Heights to the Olentangy Trail and the Arena District.  The project increases safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.  The work for which proposals were invited consists of the following: Construction of trail improvements along Goodale Street, from Olentangy River Road to Michigan Avenue, including a connector ramp to the Olentangy Trail.  Work items for the project include bridge construction, concrete, lighting, asphalt pavement, signage, and maintenance of traffic

 

FREEDOM AWARD:  Councilmember Hearcel F. Craig, chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, will visit Washington, D.C., to accept the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award on behalf of the City of Columbus.   The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees.  More details on the award will be released later this week.   

 

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov

    

 

    

 

{SPAM} Columbus City Council Highlights

 

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: September 16, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

 

SERVING VETERANS:  Councilmember Hearcel F. Craig, the chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 2147-2013 to allow the Development Department to modify a contract with Community Development for All People relating to the Better Municipal Care for Veterans-Home Fund.  The program, which began as a pilot on the South Side and has now be expanded City wide, provides targeted financial assistance to eligible homeowners who have served in the military.   The ordinance will allow the social service agency to complete home repairs for the rest of this year.

 

WIC SERVICES:  The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program provides nutrition programming for women (pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding), infants, and children under the age of 5 years, and provides invaluable assistance for families during their children's period of growth and development.  Ordinance 2086-2013, sponsored by Priscilla R. Tyson, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, will allow the City of Columbus to lease space at 4550 Indianola Avenue for clinic space.   The City will receive a grant from the State of Ohio that will cover the cost of the lease.

 

BIKE PLAN:  Ordinance 2007-2013, sponsored by Public Service & Transportation Committee chair Eileen Y. Paley, will allow The Department of Public Service to enter into a $400,000 contract with Alta Planning + Design  for the purpose of updating the 2008 Bicentennial Bikeways Plan with a focus limited to education, encouragement, evaluation, and engineering standards.   This project will also include research into pedestrian education and encouragement and data collection on bicycling and walking levels.  This effort and its results will be coordinated with and incorporated into an upcoming and likely concurrent effort by the City to develop a Complete Streets Thoroughfare Plan for the City of Columbus.  An education and encouragement communication plan and one year of bicycle/pedestrian counts will be implemented with this project.

 

BROWNFIELD CLEANUP:  The economic development along South High Street continues with ordinance 2076-2013, sponsored by Development Committee Chair Zach M. Klein, that allows

the Director of the Department of Development to enter into an Agreement of Understanding and Access with The Annex at River South II, Ltd. and to file an application with the State of Ohio to participate in the Clean Ohio Brownfield Fund.  The application would support the environmental cleanup and demolition of The Trautman at 203-213 and The HUB Buildings and 221 South High Street, respectively.  The current development design is for an eight-story, mid-rise mixed-use structure that will cover the entire 0.538 acre site, LC RiverSouth Phase II.  The project will consist of 106 top quality apartments, street level retail space, and a partially subterranean parking garage. The building is configured in a “U” shape around a center courtyard which will open to Rich Street and feature more than five thousand square feet of outdoor urban green space. The Annex at River South II, Ltd. will invest approximately $20,900,000 in the project for property acquisition, site preparation and construction.

 

 

PREVENTING DRUG ABUSE:  Local and state law enforcement and health care professionals recognize prescription drug abuse is a serious problem affecting all segments of the community.   Safety Committee chair Michelle M. Mills is sponsoring ordinance 2029-2013 to allow the City to appropriate $5,000 for the 2013 Law Enforcements Grants-National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, Inc. (NADDI) to provide funds to support increased enforcement and education in the prevention of prescription drug abuse.  The money will be used for specialized training resources for the Columbus Division of Police Narcotics Bureau to access valuable prescription drug diversion information and educational seminars which address current and emerging criminal trends.

 

 

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov

    

 

    

 

{SPAM} City Council Discusses Permit Parking in Short North/Italian Village

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL ALERT   For Immediate Release: July 22, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

City Council Discusses Permit Parking in Short North/Italian Village

 

WHO:

Councilmember Eileen Y. Paley

 

WHEN:

Wednesday, July 24, 2013
5:00 pm

 

WHERE:

Columbus City Council Chambers

90 West Broad Street

 

WHAT:

Councilmember Eileen Paley, chair of the Public Service & Transportation Committee, will host a public hearing to discuss recommendations to authorize and direct the director of the Department of Public Service to impose a twelve-month moratorium on the consideration or approval of any petition to establish or expand residential district permit parking within the boundaries of King Avenue on the north, the Olentangy River on the west, I-670 on the south, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad right-of-way east of Fourth Street on the east.

The meeting will be broadcast live on CTV, Columbus’ government television channel 3 on local cable systems. Speaker slips will be accepted on the day of hearing and the general rules of speaking before Council will apply.

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov

    

 

    

 

{SPAM} Highlights July 22, 2013

 

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: July 22, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

 

 

IMPROVED COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS: Columbus City Council is always searching for new and innovative ways to communicate policies and programs with the community. Ordinance 1907-2013, sponsored by Technology  Committee Chair A. Troy Miller, allows the City Council to enter into an $8,000 contract with GovDelivery for a pilot constituent communication system. GovDelivery is an industry leader in public communications used by more than 550 federal, state and local governmental agencies. Residents will notice an easier-to-read format for Council communications with more options for customizing the communications they receive.

 

SUPPORTING CHILD CARE PROGRAMS: Each year in Franklin County, nearly 150 babies do not reach their first birthday and African American babies die at twice the rate of other babies. Health and Human Services Committee Chair Priscilla R. Tyson is sponsoring legislation to help address perinatal health and infant mortality.  Ordinance 1588-2013 would accept a $100,000 grant to support the Child and Family Health Services Perinatal Program with The Ohio State University Research Foundation. The Foundation provides perinatal care services to high-risk and uninsured patients under the program. Ordinance 1603-2013 authorizes a contract with CityMatCH, a national organization of urban maternal and child health leaders that will assist with the Ohio Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes, a new three-year project to promote health equity and help babies reach their first birthday. Columbus Public Health will be a partner in the Ohio Institute for Equity in Birth Outcomes and will focus its initial efforts on the South Side. A kickoff event for the Institute will be held at the Lincoln Theatre on July 23rd.

 

IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS: Since joining Columbus City Council in 2009, Councilmember Eileen Y. Paley has made one of her top priorities the construction of ADA curb ramps to ensure that all residents and visitors can more easily move around Columbus. Councilmember Paley is sponsoring two ordinances this evening to improve mobility options in Columbus. Ordinance 1764-2013 authorizes the Director of Public Service to spend up to $1,000,000 for the construction of the ADA Curb Ramps - Citywide Curb Ramps 2013 Project 1 and to provide payment for construction administration and inspection services. The ADA Curb Ramps - Citywide Curb Ramps 2013 Project 1 consists of building ADA curb ramps at various locations throughout the city. A second ordinance, 1749-2013, authorizes the director of Public Service to enter into an $876,084 contract with G & G Cement Contractors, LLC, for the construction of the Curb Replacement - Citywide Curb Rehabilitation - 2013 Project 1 and to provide payment for construction administration and inspection services. The Curb Replacement - Citywide Curb Rehabilitation - 2013 Project 1 consists of the removal and replacement, at potentially twenty locations, of the curb and/or curb and gutter, and the construction of ADA curb ramps along those streets when warranted. The works consists of removing curb, replacing in kind, and other such work as may be necessary to complete the contract in accordance with the plans and specifications set forth in the bid submittal documents.

 

EAST FRANKLINTON DISTRICT PLAN: The East Franklinton neighborhood is experiencing a tremendous amount of growth and targeted economic development. Councilmember Zach M. Klein, chair of the Development Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 1508-2013 to create the East Franklinton District as a new tool to implement the adopted East Franklinton Creative Community District Plan (2012). The East Franklinton District is an urban, mixed-use zoning classification that provides flexibility for development consistent with the adopted plan. It creates the East Franklinton Review Board, which issues certificates of approval to ensure that new development, expansion of existing development, site improvements and graphics are consistent with the adopted plan. The companion rezoning ordinance (ordinance 1569-2013, Z13-043) reclassifies 551 parcels to the East Franklinton District. The rezoning proposal is endorsed by the Franklinton Area Commission, and the Columbus Development Commission has recommended its adoption.

 

RECRUIT TESTING: One of the first steps to becoming a member of the Columbus Division of Police or the Columbus Division of Fire is to complete a pre-employment physical and cardiovascular stress test. Ordinance 1691-2013, sponsored by Administration Committee Chair Hearcel F. Craig, allows the Civil Service Commission to spend $10,000 to cover the testing costs associated with the June 2013 police and fire recruit classes. The testing was administered by The Ohio State University.

 

IMPROVING SAFETY FACILITIES: Public Safety and Judiciary Committee Chair Michelle M. Mills is sponsoring ordinance 1775-2013, to protect the city’s investment in the safety vehicles that deliver critical services to our residents when they need them most. The ordinance contracts for the restoration of the parking lots and driveways at various Division of Fire facilities. The restoration will help extend the life of the facilities and protect the public’s investment in the fire apparatus that travel to and from them. Councilmember Mills identified this need as a priority when she crafted her amendments to the 2012 Capital Improvements Budget.

 

 

 

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov

    

 

    

 

July 15 Highlights

 

 

 

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: July 15, 2013   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

SUPPORTING BUSINESS INCUBATORS:  Councilmember A. Troy Miller, chair of the Small and Minority Business Development Committee, has made it a budgetary priority this year to support a number of small business incubators around Columbus.  Ordinance 1627-2013 authorizes the Director of Development to spend $75,000.00 from the City Council’s Jobs Growth Fund to support the “All Things Linden” business incubator to be located at the Clarence D. Lumpkin Point of Pride Building.  The “All Things Linden” business incubator will provide an affordable, high-tech gallery retail incubator for Linden entrepreneurs to market their products and services in a highly-visible and easily accessible location, thus providing an innovative economic development opportunity without requiring a large initial investment of capital from the business participants.  The incubator will be operated by the Greater Linden Development Corporation, a nonprofit community development corporation that focuses on economic development and has been serving the Linden area since 1994.

 

POWERING CITY VECHLES:  In a continuing effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible, Columbus is about to construct a second compressed natural gas (CNG) station to provide fuel for the hundreds of heavy duty CNG-powered vehicles the city expects to have on the road in the coming years.  Finance Committee chair Priscilla R. Tyson is sponsoring ordinance 1739-2013 to enter into a $4,577,100.00 contract with RW Setterlin Building Company to build the new fueling station at 2333 Morse Road. CNG vehicles produce significantly lower amounts of harmful emissions such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and toxic and carcinogenic pollutants. Natural gas is a domestically available, inherently clean-burning fuel. Like the Groves Road CNG station opened in the spring of 2012, this station will be a public facility where consumers will be able to purchase CNG.  

MORE STREET RESURFACING:  Construction season is in full swing and that means the City of Columbus is aggressively resurfacing dozens of streets.  Ordinance 1706-2013, sponsored by Public Service & Transportation Committee chair Eileen Y. Paley, authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a $10,347,499.92 contract with the Shelly Company for the Resurfacing 2013 Project 3, to repair and resurface 25 city streets and construct 198 ADA curb ramps along those streets.

 

MARYLAND POOL IMPROVEMENTS:  Swimming pools are fun and safe places for families to cool off during the summer months and for children to learn valuable lifesaving skills that will last a lifetime.  Ordinance 1711-2013, sponsored by Recreation and Parks Committee chair Zach M. Klein, will allow the City of Columbus to invest $4,012,500 million in 2008 voted bond funds for the renovation of Maryland Pool at Saunders Park on the Near East Side.  The project includes the replacement of the current bathhouse and the addition of new slides and water features. 

NEW POLICE AND FIRE FACILITIES:  The Columbus City Council will consider two pieces of legislation that will help the City’s safety forces fight crime and keep residents safe.  Ordinance 1653-2013, sponsored by Public Safety and Judiciary Committee chair Michelle M. Mills, allows the Finance and Management Director to enter into a $8,196,377 contract with Thomas and Marker Construction Company for the construction of a new Fire Station No. 2 at 222 Greenlawn Avenue.  The new station, built in part with the proceeds from voter-approved bonds, has been designed to accommodate all of the equipment, apparatus, and personnel currently housed at the fire station along Fulton Avenue. After renovation of the Fulton Avenue site, the City will have two new engine houses to better serve the public. A second piece, ordinance 1638-2013, also sponsored by Councilmember Mills, allows the City to contract with Thomas and Marker for the construction of the Police Crime Lab at 770 East Woodrow Avenue.  The Woodrow Avenue building was purchased several years ago and is now home to the recently renovated Columbus Police Property Recovery Room, which utilizes seventy percent of the building space. The Police Crime Laboratory has outgrown its current leased space on the campus of The Ohio State University and will be relocated to the Woodrow Avenue building. Housing both police functions in the same facility will save time and space and create efficiencies with evidence handling. This renovation will incorporate police functions such as a DNA lab, a dark room, an alcohol toxicology lab, Evidence Control, Firearms/Toolmarks testing, Latent Prints, Controlled Substances, Forensic Biology and Digital Forensic laboratories, and a drug analysis lab.  The cost of the construction contract is $11,197,035.

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JOHN IVANIC

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

_____________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

90 W. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Direct: 614-645-6798

Cell:     614-701-1411

www.columbus.gov