200 South Hamilton Road

Gahanna, Ohio 43230

City of Gahanna

Meeting Minutes

City Council

Trenton I. Weaver, President

Jamille Jones, Vice President

Merisa K. Bowers

Nancy R. McGregor

Kaylee Padova

Stephen A. Renner

Michael Schnetzer

Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council

Monday, April 27, 2026

7:00 PM

City Hall, Council Chambers

CALL TO ORDER: Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call

Gahanna City Council met in Regular Session on Monday, April 27,

2026, in Council Chambers. President of Council Trenton I. Weaver

called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Vice President of Council

Jamille Jones delivered an Invocation and led members in the Pledge

of Allegiance. The agenda was published on Friday, April 24, 2026.

7 -

Present

Merisa K. Bowers, Jamille Jones, Nancy R. McGregor, Kaylee Padova,

Stephen A. Renner, Michael Schnetzer, and Trenton I. Weaver

ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA:

None.

HEARING OF VISITORS:

None.

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

ORD-0018-2026

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE CITY OF

GAHANNA CODE, PART ELEVEN ZONING, TO UPDATE AND

CLARIFY CODE PROVISIONS, REINSTATE OMITTED STANDARDS,

AND IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF ADOPTED PLANS

President Weaver explained the Council’s rules of procedure for the

Public Hearing. He noted that the hearing concerned Ordinance

0018-2026, an ordinance to amend various sections of the City of

Gahanna Code, Part 11, Zoning, to update and clarify code provisions,

reinstate omitted standards, and implement recommendations of

adopted plans. He then asked if the administration wished to make a

presentation. Mayor Jadwin stated that the administration did not wish to

make a presentation at that time. President Weaver shared that the item

was slated for a First Reading on Monday, May 4, 2026, would return to

the Committee of the Whole on Monday, May 11, 2026, and had a

tentative vote scheduled for Monday, May 18, 2026.

President Weaver opened the Public Hearing at 7:03 p.m. and asked if

anyone wished to speak for or against the item. Seeing none, President

Weaver closed the Public Hearing at 7:03 p.m.

CONSENT AGENDA:

1. Minutes - To Approve:

2026-0078

2026-0079

Council Regular Minutes 2026-04-06

The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda.

Committee of the Whole Minutes 2026-04-06

The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda.

End of Consent Agenda

A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Renner, to Pass the Consent

Agenda. The motion carried by the following vote:

7 - Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver

Yes:

ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION / FIRST READING:

ORD-0013-2026

AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A

CONTRACT WITH DECKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE

2026 SIDEWALK LOOKBACK PROGRAM (ST-1123/TR-CM-03)

President Weaver introduced the Ordinance, and Clerk VanMeter read it by

title.

ORD-0014-2026

AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A

CONTRACT WITH DECKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE

2026 STREET

AND

SIDEWALK

MAINTENANCE

PROGRAM

(ST-1122/TR-CM-01)

President Weaver introduced the Ordinance, and Clerk VanMeter read it by

title.

ORD-0015-2026

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF GAHANNA CODIFIED

ORDINANCE SECTION 133.02 - PURCHASING PROCEDURES

President Weaver introduced the Ordinance, and Clerk VanMeter read it by

title.

ORD-0017-2026

AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL ORD-0045-2021 RELATED TO TAX

INCREMENT FINANCING FOR PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE CITY OF

GAHANNA

President Weaver introduced the Ordinance, and Clerk VanMeter read it by

title.

ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION, WAIVER & ADOPTION:

ORD-0016-2026

A N

O R D I N A N C E

A U T H O R I Z I N G

S U P P L E M E N T A L

Capital

APPROPRIATIONS; AND WAIVING SECOND READING

Improvement Fund for Bond Interest Related to the Gahanna Civic Center

Project

President Weaver introduced the Ordinance, and Clerk VanMeter read it

by title.

A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Bowers, that the Ordinance be

Waived for Second Reading. The motion carried by the following vote:

7 - Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver

Yes:

A motion was made by Schnetzer, seconded by Bowers, that the Ordinance be

Adopted. The motion carried by the following vote:

7 - Bowers, Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver

Yes:

CORRESPONDENCE AND ACTIONS:

1. Clerk - None.

2. Council - None.

REPRESENTATIVES:

1. Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) - Renner, Padova

None.

2. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) - Weaver

2026-0080

Councilmember Weaver's MORPC Report to City Council 2026-04-27

President Weaver encouraged his Council colleagues to review the

report that staff included, noting that it contained many useful links and

events of interest. He reported that MORPC canceled its April 2026 full

commission meeting and instead held regional breakout meetings. He

stated that the Northeast meeting took place on April 16, 2026, in the

City of Johnstown and noted that the city recently renovated and

expanded its municipal center, repurposing a former grocery store into

city hall. He remarked that it was good to see development repurposed

for the benefit of a city and noted that Council looked forward to similar

progress with its own city hall and municipal complex. He stated that the

next commission meeting would occur on May 14, 2026.

3. Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) - Padova

Councilmember Padova reminded attendees that Herb Day would take

place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at

Creekside Plaza. She stated that, in addition to the plant sale,

approximately 30 vendors would attend with herb and plant-themed

activities and noted that a list of vendors appeared at

OhioHerbCenter.Org. She also announced that Herb’n Restaurant Week

would begin on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with 11 participating businesses,

and stated that the list of menu items appeared at VisitGahanna.Com.

She noted that Thursday, April 30, 2026, marked International Jazz Day

and stated that Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival tickets would be

discounted by $5 with the promo code “Jazz Day.” She explained that

presale tickets already included a discount and that purchasing on that

day with both discounts would reduce the cost of a one-day ticket to $10.

She stated that tickets could be purchased at

CreeksideBluesAndJazz.Com. She added that the festival still needed

volunteers and noted that volunteers would receive free admission, a

T-shirt, snacks, and an invitation to a summer volunteer picnic. She

stated that interested individuals could sign up at the same website.

4. School Board (SB) - Jones

Vice President Jones provided an update on upcoming meetings. She

stated that a board workshop would occur on May 7, 2026, a finance and

facilities meeting on May 19, 2026, and a regular board meeting on May

21, 2026. She noted that all meetings would begin at 6:30 p.m. in Clark

Hall and confirmed that the workshop would also take place at that time

and location. She also reminded attendees that the entire district would

be closed on Friday, May 1, 2026, for a staff professional development

day and advised residents to be mindful of youth who would not be in

school that day.

OFFICIAL REPORTS:

1. Mayor

Mayor Jadwin provided several updates. She stated that the 2026

Community Grant Program portal opened and was now closed, and she

reported that the City of Gahanna received 24 applications from 21

entities, which reflected a significant increase in applications and interest

compared to previous years. She noted that the committee convened,

held at least one meeting, and continued to evaluate the applications.

She stated that the city would announce funding recommendations once

the committee completed its review. She also recognized the work of

local nonprofit organizations. Mayor Jadwin highlighted recent events.

She stated that the Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership

with the Central Ohio Mountain Bike Association, held the Gahanna Bike

Rodeo for the second year. She explained that the event honored

longtime resident Denny Oswald, an advocate for bicycle safety and

repair, and noted that participation increased by 50 percent from the

previous year. She stated that the event offered free bike helmet fittings

and bicycle repairs and continued to grow. She reported that, for Arbor

Day, the Parks and Recreation Department partnered with the Sycamore

Woods Homeowners Association and the Franklin County Soil and

Water District to plant more than 100 tree saplings along the

embankment behind Sycamore Woods to prevent erosion. She stated

that the city recognized and appreciated their efforts and collaboration.

Mayor Jadwin stated that Make Gahanna Yours held its spring

community litter cleanup and noted her participation. She stated that the

city planned to begin a promotional campaign focused on keeping

Gahanna clean and indicated that staff would work with the business

community on related messaging. She thanked Make Gahanna Yours for

its efforts. Mayor Jadwin also announced that the American Legion would

host the fourth annual Walk In Our Boots 5K on Saturday, with proceeds

benefiting homeless veterans and supporting their transition into housing.

Mayor Jadwin stated that the city would host its economic development

event during National Economic Development Week, scheduled for

Friday, May 8, 2026. She explained that the event would focus on local

businesses and include information from Director of Economic

Development Jeff Gottke regarding the city’s strategy and results from a

small business survey. She added that the city would relaunch the

Gahanna Business Excellence Awards. She stated that the event would

take place at 8:00 a.m. with networking at The Menlo, that attendance

was free, and that registration was required through Director Gottke or

her assistant, Jen McBroom. Finally, Mayor Jadwin announced the hiring

of Dr. Hossein Naraghi as the city’s new Director of Engineering. She

stated that he would begin onboarding the following day and would meet

with staff that week. She noted that he held a Ph.D. in civil engineering

and brought extensive public sector experience in infrastructure and

transportation safety, as well as experience in policy development and

work with a state legislature. She stated that the city would introduce him

to Council at a future meeting and expressed enthusiasm for welcoming

him to the Gahanna team.

2. City Attorney

City Attorney Tamilarasan provided an update on the tobacco litigation

pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. She stated that the case was

fully briefed and that the court scheduled oral argument for Tuesday, June

9, 2026. She noted that she would inform the Council if the court made

the argument available for streaming or provided other means of access.

She stated that all briefs, including several filed on the appellant side and

multiple amicus curiae briefs, were available on the Ohio Supreme

Court’s website.

COUNCIL COMMENT:

Councilmember Renner expressed appreciation to his colleagues and

Mayor Jadwin for the joint resolution recognizing Earth Day. He stated

that the resolution was actionable and forward-looking and expressed his

impression with the activities led by City Hall and community

organizations. He emphasized the importance of remembering that every

day is Earth Day and that caring begins with sharing the places the

community values.

Councilmember Schnetzer shared that a friend forwarded him a recent

60 Minutes interview with former Senator Ben Sasse, which he watched.

He noted that Senator Sasse faced a diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic

cancer and acknowledged limited time. He reflected on the honesty and

wisdom expressed in the interview and noted that Senator Sasse

stepped away from the U.S. Senate, which he viewed as indicative of

strong character. He summarized key points from the interview, including

concerns that neither political party addressed significant issues and that

politics had become performative. He highlighted the importance of

community and relationships over political identity and encouraged

others to watch the interview, noting that both an abridged and an

extended version were available.

Councilmember Padova stated that she planned a litter cleanup at her

daughter’s school on Earth Day but had to change plans due to tree

trimming and playground closure. She reported that she instead visited

Creekside, where her daughter expressed disappointment at the lack of

litter. She commended the team responsible for maintaining Creekside.

She added that she later participated in a cleanup event where she found

litter behind the Wendy’s parking area, and thanked those who

participated in keeping the city clean.

Councilmember Bowers thanked Councilmember Schnetzer for

referencing the Sasse interview and stated that its message resonated

with her. She reflected on the importance of using time effectively to

benefit the community. She reported that the Columbus Metropolitan

Club Forum hosted a discussion on data centers and encouraged others

to view it online, noting that panelists discussed energy, infrastructure,

and land use impacts. She also announced an upcoming “Breaking the

Silence” panel discussion and resource fair on April 29, 2026, at ETSS

focused on domestic violence and related issues, including participation

from local experts. She referenced a domestic violence fatality report and

noted that incidents between domestic partners remained high despite

overall declines in homicide rates. She also referenced her constituent

report and highlighted recognition of volunteer contributions, including

honoring an Eagle Scout, and emphasized the importance of civic

engagement.

Vice President Jones thanked Councilmember Schnetzer for sharing the

interview and stated that she appreciated the message and intended to

watch it.

President Weaver echoed his colleagues’ comments and expressed

appreciation for the success of the community grants program, noting the

strong participation from organizations and the continued need within the

community.

2026-0081

Councilmember Merisa K. Bowers' Constituent Report

2026

March-April

ADJOURNMENT:

With no further business before the Council, President Weaver

adjourned the meeting at 7:26 p.m.