Media Release - Columbus City Council Proceeds with Graffiti Removal Program

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE   For Immediate Release: June 29, 2012   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

Columbus City Council Proceeds with Graffiti Removal Program

 

(Columbus)--The City of Columbus is another step closer to a graffiti removal program that will help residents and small businesses recover from graffiti crimes with City assistance.   City Councilmember Zach M. Klein, chair of the Development Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 1382-2012 which will authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a $100,000 contract with Graffiti Protective Coatings, Inc. to provide graffiti abatement services in Columbus.  The legislation is scheduled to appear on the July 9 agenda. 

 

Councilmember Klein, along with Safety Committee Chair Michelle M. Mills, proposed a Graffiti Abatement Assistance Program as part of a strategy to improve the safety and economic climate in Columbus neighborhoods.    Councilmembers passed the ordinance to create the program in April 2012.

 

“This assistance program ensures that our residents and small business owners are not the victims of a crime twice,” said Councilmember Klein.   “First, when they discover the vandalism and second when they have to pay for its removal.  And for many victims, whether they are financial or physically unable to clean the graffiti, there is no doubt that they will benefit from the program.” 

 

City requires the removal of graffiti from occupied and vacant structures. The ordinance gives property owners 30 days to abate the graffiti. Property owners can grant the City permission to remove graffiti on occupied structures at the City’s expense. If a property owner chooses not to remove the graffiti themselves or with the City’s help, the City can obtain an order from the environmental court to remove the nuisance and charge the property owner for the cost of the removal. 

 

Councilmembers approved a $500,000 2012 General Fund Budget amendment to support the program.   The contract with Graffiti Protective Coatings is for $100,000.  Additional dollars for the program will be appropriated as later contracts are bid.  

 

“This program sends a strong message that our residents and business owners are not fighting graffiti on their own, City Council is here to help,” said Councilmember Mills.  “This legislation shows our City Council’s proactive approach to investing in neighborhoods to make them safer places to live, work and raise a family.”

 

For more information on the program to go columbuscitycouncil.org  and click on Columbus Graffiti Removal Program or call 311.

 

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E-News Bulletin - A Special Message from Superintendent/CEO Harris

	n Special Edition - June 26, 2012 E-News Special Report In November of 2008, we thanked the Columbus community for their support in passing a combination operating levy and bond issue that allowed Columbus City Schools to further our improvement efforts, increase high-quality educational options for our students, and to construct and renovate additional schools.  We took your trust in us very seriously and worked hard to reduce budget growth and use the resources you provided us in the most efficient and effective manner possible.  At that time we promised the community that we would do everything we could to avoid asking for any additional financial support until 2012. In January, 2012 I brought together a group of knowledgeable, respected, and forward-thinking individuals from throughout the Columbus community to help me determine an appropriate direction with respect to a potential levy request.  The group has operated as the Superintendent's "Millage Committee," and members of the group include: Tanny Crane, Co-Chair, President & CEO, The Crane Group Chad Jester, Co-Chair, President, Nationwide Foundation Lolita Augenstein, President, Columbus Council of PTAs Robert "Bo" Chilton, President & CEO, Impact Community Action Michael Dalby, President & CEO, The Columbus Chamber of Commerce John Davis, Retired Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Alex Fischer, President & CEO, The Columbus Partnership Stephanie Hightower, President & CEO, Columbus Urban League Bob Leighty, President, Merion Village Association Kenneth Ramos, Columbus Police Officer, and President of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus Tim Robinson, Chief Financial Officer, Nationwide Children's Hospital Greta Russell, Senior Special Assistant to Senior Vice President, The Ohio State University Sonetta Sturkey, Chief Operations Officer, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Renea Williams, Vice President of Development and Communications, St. Stephens Community House Over the course of the past five months, these committed volunteers met nine times, carefully assessing the District's financial condition, operational plans, academic status and goals, and our capital improvement (school facilities) program.  Insightful, thought-provoking, and exciting conversations ensued.  And as a result of this robust discussion, I believe we have come to a different place than when we first began the journey together at our first meeting on February 21. Our conversations moved from a "what is needed to improve?" mentality, to a "what can we do to make substantial, transformative improvements?" mentality.   Through these intense and motivating discussions, the committee challenged me to bring back to them a plan that will have a lasting, positive impact on the District for years to come.  As a result, I came back to the table with a four-component proposal that includes:    1.  A CCS Preschool Program serving at least 50% of eligible CCS students ages three to four. National research studies clearly illustrate that children who have a high-quality, educationally-based preschool experience are far more likely to be academically successful in their early-education years. After several years of operating a small number of school-based preschool classes within the District, our data shows that CCS preschool students are performing markedly higher on the National Kindergarten Readiness assessment than their counterparts who are not attending comparable programs. Getting these early learners into a quality program as early possible exponentially increases their success as a maturing learner.  The plan would provide for up to four regional centers as well as the expansion of school-based preschool programs (where possible) across the city, to serve approximately 1,500 additional children.    2.  Principal Development Leadership Academy The ongoing development of key leadership positions is essential in any organizational improvement model.  With school principals being the foundation of our improvement efforts, we want to ensure that they have and develop practices and strategies that result in improvements in student learning, organizational management, and leadership development for a changing environment.   Over the course of the past year, CCS has been working with The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and the John Glen School of Public Policy to develop a leadership academy.  Currently there are grant funds available to sustain a small class of 40 principal leaders.  By including funding for programs of this nature in our levy request, I see this as incredible opportunity to further enhance our organizational and academic improvement efforts on an indefinite basis.    3.  School Improvement Partnership Innovation Funds This unique approach to school improvement seeks to identify exceptional, high-quality, high-achieving schools from throughout central Ohio to partner with CCS schools that are struggling with academic performance issues.  The high-performing schools could be from within CCS or from within the charter and non-public school community. High-performing schools would go through a rigorous application process as they seek to partner with low-performing schools to help them identify and address areas for improvement.  Funds could be used for expanded services, extra time, mentoring opportunities, etc.   4.  Continued Facility (School Building) Upgrades   All students need and deserve high-quality learning environments.  My recommendation seeks to continue the school construction and renovation program that we began together as a community back in 2002.  To date, this effort has invested nearly $592 million in the construction or renovation of 40 schools across the city.   By modifying Segment Four of the Facilities Master Plan, we would construct an additional 10 new schools and renovate four additional schools.  While this would not satisfy the entire plan, it gets us closer to the goal that we set together more than a decade ago. The exciting news was that the Committee overwhelmingly supported my proposal, and felt that with the implementation of the above plan, we could truly see some of the "transformational improvement" we had hoped to provide through our rigorous review and evaluation process.   In mid-June the Millage Committee began to narrow its focus and asked that I develop operating levy and bond issue options by which we could potentially achieve our aforementioned goals.  On June 26, I presented the Committee with three options for their consideration:    1.  A 7.5 mil combination levy/bond issue that would be placed on the November 2012 ballot, with the collection of the additional taxes beginning in January, 2013.    2.  A 7.5 mil combination levy/bond issue that would be placed on the November 2012 ballot, with the collection of the additional taxes beginning in January 2014.    3.  A combination levy/bond issue (millage amount to be determined) to be placed on the May 2013 ballot. In the ensuing discussion, the Committee offered overwhelming, unanimous support for pursuing a combination levy/bond issue.  In considering the options, the Committee acknowledged the District's exemplary budgeting and fiscal practices which have enabled us to maintain a solid financial position (in the black) through the 2013 school year.  Furthermore, believing it would be prudent to develop additional detail regarding our "transformational improvement plan" before going before the voters, the committee chose option three as their preference – to place a combination levy/bond issue on a ballot during the 2013 calendar year.  The Committee reaffirmed their support of our direction and agreed to remain seated as a body to assist us in the further development, refinement, and communication of our proposal. On June 26, I presented the Millage Committee's recommendation to the Board of Education.  By law, the Board of Education is the only entity entrusted with the decision as to when and how much to seek in a ballot referendum (vote) and they will carefully and thoughtfully consider the Committee's recommendation.  No action was taken on this subject at the June 26 meeting.  The Board is scheduled to meet again on Monday, July 2 and potentially on Tuesday, July 17 (5:30PM, at the Columbus Education Center, 270 E. State Street, Lower Level Assembly Room) for further discussion and deliberation.  A decision as to whether to accept the Committee's recommendation could be acted upon at that time. Because of the dedication and commitment of people such as the members of the Millage Committee, the future for Columbus City Schools is bright.  Through this process we have all learned a great deal and have a new, shared vision that will benefit our students for years to come.   Please know that I will keep you apprised of the discussions and decisions as we move forward on this and other important issues.  Thank you for continued support and encouragement. Gene T. Harris, Ph.D. Superintendent/CEO   Are you receiving a pass-along copy of CCS eNews? To subscribe to our FREE newsletter Click here   or here to opt out.
Columbus City  Schools | 270 East State Street | Columbus, Ohio 43215 | (614) 365-5000

Disclaimer: This message and any attachments are for the intended recipient's use only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information or otherwise be protected from disclosure by other legal rules. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and destroy all copies. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not use, disclose or reproduce this message, its attachment or any part thereof, or take any action in reliance thereon. Emails are not secure and cannot be guaranteed to be error free as they can be intercepted, amended, or contain viruses. Anyone who communicates with us by email is deemed to have accepted these risks.

E-News Bulletin - A Special Message from Superintendent/CEO Harris

	n Special Edition - June 26, 2012 E-News Special Report In November of 2008, we thanked the Columbus community for their support in passing a combination operating levy and bond issue that allowed Columbus City Schools to further our improvement efforts, increase high-quality educational options for our students, and to construct and renovate additional schools.  We took your trust in us very seriously and worked hard to reduce budget growth and use the resources you provided us in the most efficient and effective manner possible.  At that time we promised the community that we would do everything we could to avoid asking for any additional financial support until 2012. In January, 2012 I brought together a group of knowledgeable, respected, and forward-thinking individuals from throughout the Columbus community to help me determine an appropriate direction with respect to a potential levy request.  The group has operated as the Superintendent's "Millage Committee," and members of the group include: Tanny Crane, Co-Chair, President & CEO, The Crane Group Chad Jester, Co-Chair, President, Nationwide Foundation Lolita Augenstein, President, Columbus Council of PTAs Robert "Bo" Chilton, President & CEO, Impact Community Action Michael Dalby, President & CEO, The Columbus Chamber of Commerce John Davis, Retired Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Alex Fischer, President & CEO, The Columbus Partnership Stephanie Hightower, President & CEO, Columbus Urban League Bob Leighty, President, Merion Village Association Kenneth Ramos, Columbus Police Officer, and President of the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus Tim Robinson, Chief Financial Officer, Nationwide Children's Hospital Greta Russell, Senior Special Assistant to Senior Vice President, The Ohio State University Sonetta Sturkey, Chief Operations Officer, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Renea Williams, Vice President of Development and Communications, St. Stephens Community House Over the course of the past five months, these committed volunteers met nine times, carefully assessing the District's financial condition, operational plans, academic status and goals, and our capital improvement (school facilities) program.  Insightful, thought-provoking, and exciting conversations ensued.  And as a result of this robust discussion, I believe we have come to a different place than when we first began the journey together at our first meeting on February 21. Our conversations moved from a "what is needed to improve?" mentality, to a "what can we do to make substantial, transformative improvements?" mentality.   Through these intense and motivating discussions, the committee challenged me to bring back to them a plan that will have a lasting, positive impact on the District for years to come.  As a result, I came back to the table with a four-component proposal that includes:    1.  A CCS Preschool Program serving at least 50% of eligible CCS students ages three to four. National research studies clearly illustrate that children who have a high-quality, educationally-based preschool experience are far more likely to be academically successful in their early-education years. After several years of operating a small number of school-based preschool classes within the District, our data shows that CCS preschool students are performing markedly higher on the National Kindergarten Readiness assessment than their counterparts who are not attending comparable programs. Getting these early learners into a quality program as early possible exponentially increases their success as a maturing learner.  The plan would provide for up to four regional centers as well as the expansion of school-based preschool programs (where possible) across the city, to serve approximately 1,500 additional children.    2.  Principal Development Leadership Academy The ongoing development of key leadership positions is essential in any organizational improvement model.  With school principals being the foundation of our improvement efforts, we want to ensure that they have and develop practices and strategies that result in improvements in student learning, organizational management, and leadership development for a changing environment.   Over the course of the past year, CCS has been working with The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and the John Glen School of Public Policy to develop a leadership academy.  Currently there are grant funds available to sustain a small class of 40 principal leaders.  By including funding for programs of this nature in our levy request, I see this as incredible opportunity to further enhance our organizational and academic improvement efforts on an indefinite basis.    3.  School Improvement Partnership Innovation Funds This unique approach to school improvement seeks to identify exceptional, high-quality, high-achieving schools from throughout central Ohio to partner with CCS schools that are struggling with academic performance issues.  The high-performing schools could be from within CCS or from within the charter and non-public school community. High-performing schools would go through a rigorous application process as they seek to partner with low-performing schools to help them identify and address areas for improvement.  Funds could be used for expanded services, extra time, mentoring opportunities, etc.   4.  Continued Facility (School Building) Upgrades   All students need and deserve high-quality learning environments.  My recommendation seeks to continue the school construction and renovation program that we began together as a community back in 2002.  To date, this effort has invested nearly $592 million in the construction or renovation of 40 schools across the city.   By modifying Segment Four of the Facilities Master Plan, we would construct an additional 10 new schools and renovate four additional schools.  While this would not satisfy the entire plan, it gets us closer to the goal that we set together more than a decade ago. The exciting news was that the Committee overwhelmingly supported my proposal, and felt that with the implementation of the above plan, we could truly see some of the "transformational improvement" we had hoped to provide through our rigorous review and evaluation process.   In mid-June the Millage Committee began to narrow its focus and asked that I develop operating levy and bond issue options by which we could potentially achieve our aforementioned goals.  On June 26, I presented the Committee with three options for their consideration:    1.  A 7.5 mil combination levy/bond issue that would be placed on the November 2012 ballot, with the collection of the additional taxes beginning in January, 2013.    2.  A 7.5 mil combination levy/bond issue that would be placed on the November 2012 ballot, with the collection of the additional taxes beginning in January 2014.    3.  A combination levy/bond issue (millage amount to be determined) to be placed on the May 2013 ballot. In the ensuing discussion, the Committee offered overwhelming, unanimous support for pursuing a combination levy/bond issue.  In considering the options, the Committee acknowledged the District's exemplary budgeting and fiscal practices which have enabled us to maintain a solid financial position (in the black) through the 2013 school year.  Furthermore, believing it would be prudent to develop additional detail regarding our "transformational improvement plan" before going before the voters, the committee chose option three as their preference – to place a combination levy/bond issue on a ballot during the 2013 calendar year.  The Committee reaffirmed their support of our direction and agreed to remain seated as a body to assist us in the further development, refinement, and communication of our proposal. On June 26, I presented the Millage Committee's recommendation to the Board of Education.  By law, the Board of Education is the only entity entrusted with the decision as to when and how much to seek in a ballot referendum (vote) and they will carefully and thoughtfully consider the Committee's recommendation.  No action was taken on this subject at the June 26 meeting.  The Board is scheduled to meet again on Monday, July 2 and potentially on Tuesday, July 17 (5:30PM, at the Columbus Education Center, 270 E. State Street, Lower Level Assembly Room) for further discussion and deliberation.  A decision as to whether to accept the Committee's recommendation could be acted upon at that time. Because of the dedication and commitment of people such as the members of the Millage Committee, the future for Columbus City Schools is bright.  Through this process we have all learned a great deal and have a new, shared vision that will benefit our students for years to come.   Please know that I will keep you apprised of the discussions and decisions as we move forward on this and other important issues.  Thank you for continued support and encouragement. Gene T. Harris, Ph.D. Superintendent/CEO   Are you receiving a pass-along copy of CCS eNews? To subscribe to our FREE newsletter Click here   or here to opt out.
Columbus City  Schools | 270 East State Street | Columbus, Ohio 43215 | (614) 365-5000

Disclaimer: This message and any attachments are for the intended recipient's use only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information or otherwise be protected from disclosure by other legal rules. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and destroy all copies. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not use, disclose or reproduce this message, its attachment or any part thereof, or take any action in reliance thereon. Emails are not secure and cannot be guaranteed to be error free as they can be intercepted, amended, or contain viruses. Anyone who communicates with us by email is deemed to have accepted these risks.

Meeting Highlights 6-25-12

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: June 25, 2012   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

KEEPING FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES:  The Home Modification Program provides accessibility modifications to the homes of eligible applicants to promote independent living. Councilmember Zach M. Klein is sponsoring ordinance 1262-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $284,100.82 from the Community Development Block Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that preserve and increase the local supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for low and moderate income households. The project provides home modifications such as the removal of architectural and attitudinal barriers and the installation of ramps and/or lifts to allow individuals to live or continue to live in their home or apartment.  The program fosters dignity and self-respect through the ability to make decisions and manage one's own life.

 

NEW COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS FUELING STATION: As part of its "Green Fleet" plan, the City has committed to implementing a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle and fuel program.  The city's fleet is being replaced with CNG vehicles and a CNG fueling station is fully operational in the city's southern quadrant.  Finance Committee Chair Priscilla R. Tyson is sponsoring ordinance 1303-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $375,000.00 from the Fleet Management Capital Fund for the purchase of property located at 2333 Morse Road for the construction of a second (CNG) fuel station.  The new fueling station would provide rapid and reliable dispensing of compressed natural gas (CNG) for operations in the northern quadrant of the city.  CNG vehicles emit fewer nitrogen oxides and less particulate matter than gas powered vehicles and typically cost between 25‑50% less per mile of operation than gasoline or diesel. 

 

ENHANCING CITY COMMUNICATIONS: Councilmember A. Troy Miller, chair of the Technology Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 1278-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $207,495.00 from the Department of Technology's Information Services Fund for the installation of an underground fiber optic pathway that will connect two city agencies located at 724 Woodrow Avenue and 1111 East Broad Street.    The 724 Woodrow Ave. fiber project will provision fiber and network services to the newly located Police Property room, currently under construction, and the planned Crime Lab.  It will also provide network connectivity for security cameras for this location.  The 1111 East Broad St. fiber project is necessary for the redundant fiber optic connectivity between the City Data Centers for Citywide Disaster Recovery capabilities.

 

FIGHTING TRUANCY: Recognizing that truancy is often times a gateway activity to more serious criminal behavior, the Columbus Division of Police continues to work with various agencies to combat the problem. Public Safety & Judiciary Committee Chair Michelle M. Mills is sponsoring ordinance 1261-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $50,000 from the Law Enforcement Seizure Fund for a contract with the YMCA of Central Ohio to provide a safe supervised environment where Columbus Police Officers can drop off students that are truant from Columbus Schools.  Since 2001, the YMCA, Columbus Police and Columbus City Schools have partnered to provide positive alternatives and safe environments to students who have been suspended or truant from school.

 

PROTECTING WATER LEVELS FOR CITY RESIDENTS: The city of Columbus provides water to Columbus residents and nearby communities through three water treatment facilities throughout the city. The Parsons Avenue Water Treatment Plant is the only facility that uses well water to operate and provide water to customers in the southern area of Central Ohio. To ensure that customers continue to receive water free of contaminants and an adequate water supply, Public Utilities Committee Chair Eileen Y. Paley is sponsoring ordinance 1187-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $5.9 million for a contract modification with CH2M Hill Engineers for the Parsons Avenue Water Plant (PAWP) Treatment Upgrade Project.  The project will upgrade the treatment processes at Parsons Avenue Water Plant from a groundwater to a surface water treatment plant.  The upgrade will enable the plant to reliably treat a 50 MGD combination of ground water, ground water under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI), and surface water. One fourth of the city's water customers receive water from the Parsons Avenue Water Treatment Plant.

 

 

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Media Alert - Councilmember Klein Honors Columbus Great Chic Harley With Community Garden Dedication

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA ALERT   For Immediate Release: June 20, 2012   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

Councilmember Klein Honors Columbus Great Chic Harley With Community Garden Dedication

 

WHO:

Councilmember Zach M. Klein

Dispatch Sport Columnist Bob Hunter

Rep. Michael Stinziano

Stephan Maher, Columbus Resident

Father Joshua Wagner

 

WHEN:

Friday, June 22, 2012

10:30 am

 

WHERE:

687 South Champion Avenue

 

WHAT:

To help celebrate Columbus’ bicentennial, neighborhood and community leaders will join together to commemorate the life of one of the most important Columbus residents, Chic Harley, by building a community garden in his honor. Harley, an All-American football player at The Ohio State University, is credited with bringing national acclaim to the university and growing the popularity of the sport. Ohio Stadium is often called “The House that Harley Built”. Harley lived on the Champion site while he attended East High School. The garden will serve as a lasting memory of Harley’s accomplishments and help facilitate neighborhood revitalization. Simco construction will begin the excavation to prepare for the garden’s installation.  Parking is available next door at St. John’s Church parking lot.

 

 

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Media Alert - SUMMER FEEDING KICKS OFF FOR HUNGRY KIDS AT LINDEN RECREATION CENTER

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA ALERT   For Immediate Release: June 20, 2012   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

SUMMER FEEDING KICKS OFF FOR HUNGRY KIDS

AT LINDEN RECREATION CENTER

Children’s Hunger Alliance, public officials present kick-off, media event

 

 

WHO:           Children’s Hunger Alliance

                     Public Officials: Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Commissioner Paula Brooks, Councilman Zachary M. Klein

 

WHAT:         Columbus Summer Feeding Kick-Off & Media Event

 

WHEN:        Thursday, June 21, 2012

 

TIME:          12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.

 

WHERE:     Linden Recreation Center (Multi-Purpose Room), 1254 Briarwood Ave., Col, Ohio 43211, (614) 645-3067

 

DETAILS:   Children’s Hunger Alliance, in conjunction with Columbus and Franklin County public officials, kicks off summer feeding for local kids at Linden Recreation Center.  The Department of Recreation and Parks for the City of Columbus is the largest, single sponsor of the Ohio Summer Food Service Program.  The Recreation and Parks Department serves meals to low-income children at more than 175 summer feeding sites in Columbus.  Children’s Hunger Alliance and public officials kick off summer feeding with the following agenda:

 

                     12:00pm        Welcome

                     Andrew Ginther, VP, Community Affairs & Outreach, Children’s Hunger Alliance

 

                                          Impact of Summer Feeding

                                         Mary Lou Langenhop, President & CEO, Children’s Hunger Alliance

 

                                          Company Sponsors

·         Turkey Hill: Marketing Representative

·         The Huntington National Bank: Patricia Barton, Vice President

Regional Marketing & Communications

                                               

                                          Elected Officials

·         The Honorable Paula Brooks, Commissioner & President

                                          Franklin County Board of Commissioners

·         The Honorable Zachary M. Klein, Councilmember, Columbus City Council and Chairman, Recreation and Parks Committee

·         The Honorable Michael B. Coleman, Mayor of Columbus

 

                             

                     12:15pm        Summer Feeding (Public Officials Serve Lunch to Children)

                           

                     12:25pm        Media Questions & Answers

 

Children’s Hunger Alliance is the statewide nonprofit organization committed to breaking the cycle of childhood hunger through education, leadership, advocacy and service.  The agency does this by feeding hungry minds and bodies. The organization provides programs that directly feed children nutritious meals, educate them and their families about healthy eating, and engage children in physical activity.  Children’s Hunger Alliance also works with schools and other community based agencies to maximize children’s use of all child nutrition programs.  To learn more, call (614) 341-7700 or  (800) 227-6446 or visit www.childrenshungeralliance.org.

 

 

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MEDIA RELEASE - Mills Honored by Women for Economic and Leadership Development as 2013 "Twelve Women You Should Know"

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE   For Immediate Release: June 20, 2012   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

Mills Honored by Women for Economic and Leadership Development as

2013 “Twelve Women You Should Know”  

 

(Columbus)--Columbus City Councilmember Michelle M. Mills has been selected to appear in the 2013 “Twelve Women You Should Know” Calendar by the Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD).  Each year, the organization recognizes a diverse group of twelve women in the central Ohio community who are high impact leaders within their organizations, support the leadership development of other women, give time, talent and resources to their community, and invest in the growth of women-owned businesses.

 

“I am honored to be recognized by such a wonderful organization that impacts so many women in central Ohio,” said Councilmember Mills, chair of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee. “WELD helps provide the tools and resources needed to advance women to higher levels of leadership and economic strength in our area.”

 

Mills serves as the President/CEO of St. Stephens Community House in the Greater Linden area.  Additional honorees include:

 

Vinita Bahri-Mehra – Senior Associate, Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter Co., LPA

Joelle Brock – President & CEO, Leading EDJE

Teresa L. Caulin-Glaser, MD, FACC, FAACVPR - System VP, Heart & Vascular Services, OhioHealth

Gwen Von Holten - Acting Deputy CFO & Corporate Controller, Battelle

Linda Hondros - CEO, Hondros College

Inna Kinney – Founder/CEO, Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI)

Melanie Martin-Jones - Partner, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP

Melisa Miller - Executive Vice President and President, Retail Credit Services, Alliance Data

Ramona Reyes - Columbus School Board Member & Human Resource Specialist, Nationwide 

Aida Sabo - Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, Cardinal Health

Teri Slick - Healthcare Vice President, Messer Construction

 

The “Twelve Women You Should Know” honorees will be celebrated during a reception on November 14^th, 2012, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. WELD was founded with the mission to develop and advance women’s leadership to strengthen the economic prosperity of the communities it serves. 

 

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Columbus City Council Community Meeting Flyer - King Arts Complex 7/10/2012

 

{SPAM} Meeting Highlights 6-18-12

COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS   For Immediate Release: June 18, 2012   For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 Web – Facebook – Twitter

 

WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY:  Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells.  The disease can cause serious health problems, including tissue and organ damage, prolonged intense physical pain, stroke, blindness and vision problems, and increased susceptibility to infections.  Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson is sponsoring resolution 0119X-2012 to recognize June 19, 2012, as “World Sickle Cell Day” in the city of Columbus.  More than 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell diseases, and one of every five hundred African-American children is born with sickle cell anemia.  World Sickle Cell Day was created by the United Nations to promote local and global awareness of the disease.

 

PROMOTING LEAD SAFE HOMES IN COLUMBUS NEIGHBORHOODS:  Lead-based hazards can still be found in many Columbus homes.  Development Committee Chair Zach M. Klein is sponsoring ordinance 1232-2012, which authorizes the expenditure of $400,000 from the Housing Preservation Fund 782 as match funds for a grant through the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Program with HUD.  The funding will allow the Lead Safe Columbus program to provide eligible property owners with grant resources for lead abatement activities including lead level testing and clearance tests performed on city lead hazard control and/or home repair projects. The program demonstrates the city’s commitment to generating lead-safe affordable housing and the prevention of lead poisoning in children and adults.

 

PROTECTING FIREFIGHTERS: When firefighters rush into a burning building or work at the scene of an accident, they rely upon their protective uniforms to keep them safe. Public Safety Committee Chair Michelle M. Mills is sponsoring ordinance 1225-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $150,000 for replacement sets of turnout gear for the brave men and women who serve as Columbus’ first responders. Turnout gear must be periodically replaced as it loses effectiveness over time. 

 

MAKING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES MORE EFFICIENT: The Department of Public Utilities encompasses the Division of Sewers & Drains and the Division of Power and Water.  Those Divisions supply and manage water, municipal power, street lighting and waste water treatment for the City of Columbus.  Public Utilities Committee Chair Eileen Y. Paley is sponsoring ordinance 0974-2012 to authorize the expenditure of $1.5 million for a contract modification of Phase 4 for the Asset Management Program.  The Five Phase Asset Management Program began in 2008 as a way to identify new, efficient ways to operate the department’s facilities and reduce chemical and energy usage.  These reductions in resource consumption allow for reductions in pollution and better environmental quality for the city.  The efficiencies have also produced cost savings.  The first three phases saved over $2 million and all five phases of the program will save more than $12 million over 20 years.

 

COUNCIL PRESIDENT HONORS russian delegATION: The Compass for Childhood program is a USAID funded program that strengthens and develops a regions’ capacity to provide child welfare services.  The program focuses on preventing child maltreatment at many points along the at-risk continuum by confronting social problems such as parental alcoholism, drug use, family violence, homelessness, joblessness, and poverty.  Council President Andrew J. Ginther is sponsoring resolution 0127X-2012 to honor and recognize the visiting Russian delegation involved in the Compass for Childhood program who strive to improve the capacity of child welfare professionals to meet the needs of families and children in Russia.  The delegation consists of members of the National Foundation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NFPCC) and high level administrators from various regions of Russia.  They are visiting our city’s social service agencies, public and private to discover the models of our system.   

 

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