200 S. Hamilton Road  
Gahanna, Ohio 43230  
City of Gahanna  
Meeting Minutes  
Charter Review  
Ethan Barnhardt, Chair  
Carrin Wester, Vice Chair  
Jamie Belisle  
Edward A. Hill, Jr.  
Richard Maxwell  
Raymond J. Mularski  
Karen Reynolds  
Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council  
Thursday, February 12, 2026  
6:30 PM  
Council Chambers, City Hall  
Organizational Meeting  
A.  
OATH OF OFFICE: Administered by Hon. Laurie A. Jadwin, Mayor  
Karen Reynolds, Seat 1  
Ethan Barnhardt, Seat 2  
Edward A. Hill, Jr., Seat 3  
Jamie Belisle, Seat 4  
Richard Maxwell, Seat 5  
Raymond J. Mularski, Seat 6  
Carrin Wester, Seat 7  
The City of Gahanna Charter Review Commission met on Thursday,  
February 12, 2026, in Council Chambers for its Organizational Meeting. The  
agenda was published on February 6, 2026. All members were present for the  
meeting. There were no additions or corrections to the agenda.  
Mayor Laurie Jadwin welcomed those in attendance and watching from  
home to the 2026 Charter Review Commission organizational meeting.  
She explained that the Charter Review Commission is convened every  
five years pursuant to City Charter, which is effectively the constitution of  
the City of Gahanna. The Commission is comprised of four citizens  
chosen by City Council and three citizens chosen by the Mayor to review  
Charter, engage the public and city staff, and bring forward suggested  
changes or raise questions. She invited Commission members to  
introduce themselves and share what ward they reside in.  
Dick Maxwell, ward four, stated that his family has lived in Gahanna 49  
years and had three daughters that graduated from Gahanna. He shared  
his appreciation for the City and added that he is nearly retired.  
Ed Hill, ward one, stated he has been a Gahanna resident for 35 years.  
He expressed excitement to be part of the Commission and give back to  
the community.  
Jamie Belisle, ward one, has been a resident for five years. She has two  
children and stated that living in Gahanna has given her so much and she  
felt the need to give back.  
Carrin Wester, ward four, has lived in the Gahanna for almost 13 years.  
She expressed excitement to serve the community on the Commission.  
Ray Mularski, ward two, introduced himself as a mostly retired attorney of  
over 40 years, and a resident since the age of three, for a total of 63  
years. He was the City Attorney from 2020-2024 and practiced law in  
Gahanna his entire career. While mostly retired, he continues doing  
hearings for the Ohio Department of Health.  
Ethan Barnhardt, ward four, shared that he had lived in Gahanna for  
about ten years, and was a transplant from South Carolina. He and his  
wife have a four-year-old daughter and are proud to call the Gahanna  
community home.  
Karen Reynolds, ward three, has lived in Gahanna since 2017 and works  
to support libraries with their IT services and social media. She  
expressed her love for libraries and community, and felt serving on the  
Commission would provide a good opportunity for outreach.  
Mayor Jadwin then introduced Assistant City Attorney Matt Roth, noting  
that City Attorney Priya Tamilarasan would be joining future meetings.  
After introductions were made, Mayor Jadwin administered the Oath of  
Office to all members.  
B.  
C.  
CALL TO ORDER: Pledge of Allegiance & Roll Call  
Mayor Jadwin called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m.  
7 -  
Present  
Ethan Barnhardt, Jamie Belisle, Edward A. Hill Jr., Richard Maxwell,  
Raymond J. Mularski, Karen Reynolds, and Carrin Wester  
ELECTION OF CHAIR:  
1. Open Nominations  
2. Close Nominations and Elect Chair  
3. Mayor Jadwin turns over meeting to Chair  
Mayor Jadwin opened the floor for nominations for Chair of the 2026  
Charter Review Commission. Ms. Wester nominated Mr. Barnhardt as  
Chair. Mr. Barnhardt accepted the nomination. There were no additional  
nominations.  
A motion was made by Mularski, seconded by Belisle, to elect Ethan Barnhardt  
as Chair of the Charter Review Commission. The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
7 - Barnhardt, Belisle, Hill, Maxwell, Mularski, Reynolds and Wester  
Yes:  
D.  
ELECTION OF VICE CHAIR:  
1. Open Nominations  
2. Close Nominations and Elect Vice Chair  
Chair Barnhardt opened nominations for Vice Chair of the 2026 Charter  
Review Commission. Mr. Barnhardt nominated Carrin Wester for Vice  
Chair. Ms. Wester accepted the nomination. There were no other  
nominations.  
A motion was made by Mularski, seconded by Belisle, to elect Carrin Wester as  
Vice Chair of the Charter Review Commission. The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
7 - Barnhardt, Belisle, Hill, Maxwell, Mularski, Reynolds and Wester  
Yes:  
E.  
ADOPTION OF RULES OF PROCEDURE:  
Charter Review Rules of Procedure - Proposed Draft 2.12.2026  
RULES-0002-20  
26  
Chair Barnhardt noted that the Rules of Procedure were distributed to  
members in advance. He invited discussion on the rules prior to a motion  
to accept them. There was no further discussion.  
A motion was made by Belisle, seconded by Hill, that the proposed Rules of  
Procedure be Adopted. The motion carried by the following vote:  
7 - Barnhardt, Belisle, Hill, Maxwell, Mularski, Reynolds and Wester  
Yes:  
F.  
DISCUSSIONS:  
1. Overview of duties, roles, deadlines, and current City Charter  
2026-0028  
Charter Review Commission Onboarding Materials  
Assistant City Attorney Matt Roth introduced himself. He introduced  
Charter Review as an important process that happens every five years.  
He noted that while there is not much guidance within the Charter as to  
what Charter Review entails; the job is to review the existing Charter and  
make recommendations to City Council for changes that would be voted  
on by the public. He explained that Charter is similar to the City’s version  
of the United States Constitution. Ohio law has always permitted  
municipalities to become charter municipalities. Cities without a charter  
are governed by the Ohio Revised Code in terms of how the city  
operates. Communities transition from village to city designation when  
they reach 5,000 residents. Villages can also have charters, and  
Gahanna’s charter was initially passed in 1961, when Gahanna was still  
a village. When a municipality adopts a charter, they gain what is referred  
to as a home rule, or self-governance. Mr. Roth explained that this largely  
means the City can make its own rules with some exceptions where Ohio  
Constitution and statutes overrule charter.  
Mr. Roth explained that the Charter outlines the City’s organization, such  
as its executive, legislative, and judicial bodies, while ordinances passed  
by City Council deal with the day-to-day operations of the City. Charter  
serves as a framework that the rest of city governance is built from.  
Mr. Roth explained the ways in which Gahanna City Charter can be  
changed. The first is through the Charter Review Commission process.  
Second, if five members of City Council put forth a matter on the ballot for  
voters, they can enact Charter amendments. Third and finally, if a citizen  
petition in which at least ten percent of City residents would sign, a  
charter amendment can be placed on the ballot. The last time a citizen  
petition occurred was in 1964, and is uncommon. Most changes to  
charter happen by way of the Commission. There have been 123 charter  
amendments since 1961. Eighty-eight of which were passed by vote of  
the citizens. Mr. Roth explained that the Commission’s proposed  
amendments will be presented to City Council, who then votes to pass  
the amendments to the Franklin County Board of Elections. City Council  
does not make any changes to the recommendations that go to the  
voters. The only exception would be amendments that are clearly illegal  
under Ohio law.  
Provisions related to the Charter Review Commission are very brief.  
They must be concluded by July 1, 2026. Mr. Roth stated that in previous  
review years, the Mayor and her staff have been invited to suggest  
changes, along with City Council and the general public. The  
Commission then discusses all suggestions, assisted by the Clerk of  
Council and City Attorney’s office. Mr. Roth closed his presentation by  
noting that Charter Review Commission is not required to make  
changes.  
Chair Barnhardt thanked Mr. Roth for his presentation, adding that the  
Commission would certainly lean on the City Attorney’s Office for  
guidance through the process.  
2. Set meeting schedule  
Chair Barnhardt then shifted to the discussion of the meeting schedule.  
The proposed schedule is generally the second and fourth Thursday of  
each month (proposed calendar of meeting dates attached to the  
agenda). He opened the floor for discussion. Mr. Maxwell noted that it  
may not be possible for every member to be there every time. Mr.  
Mularski asked whether video conferencing was an option. Mr. Roth felt  
that as a public body, the Commissioners should be required to be in  
attendance. If a member is unable to attend and wants to watch from  
home, the livestream option is available. He added that he would confirm  
current rules. Clerk VanMeter commented that video conferencing  
capabilities within Council Chambers are limited and there would be  
technical hurdles to overcome. He added that the state legislature has  
permitted certain public bodies to convene virtually, but he did not know  
where Charter Review Commission fit within those rules. If permitted at  
the state level, a policy would also need to be in place at the municipal  
level, and Charter Review Commission’s rules would need amended. Mr.  
Mularski noted telephonic options might work better than video  
conferencing.  
Vice Chair Wester inquired if there happened to be a week when  
multiple members were unable to attend, whether the adopted schedule  
could be amended. Mr. VanMeter noted public meetings needed to be  
public noticed 48 hours in advance. Mr. Roth suggested that if there was  
no quorum, the meeting date could be moved. Chair Barnhardt asked  
members to be present for all meetings they could, and to provide as  
much notice as possible when they were unable to attend.  
A motion was made by Wester, seconded by Maxwell, to adopt the Charter  
Review Commission meeting schedule as proposed in the calendar  
attachment. The motion carried by the following vote:  
7 - Barnhardt, Belisle, Hill, Maxwell, Mularski, Reynolds and Wester  
Yes:  
3. Discussion on the structure of future meetings  
Chair Barnhardt opened discussion for how the Commission would like  
its meetings to be structured. He noted that previous commissions have  
invited input from the administration, City Council, and public. He asked  
the Commission if they had any additional suggestions on how to handle  
the meetings.  
Mr. Mularski felt it was pertinent to hear from the administration and City  
Council. He also felt it was important to determine how the body should  
hear from the public as soon as possible because engaging the public  
can pose challenges.  
Vice Chair Wester agreed that hearing directly from staff conducting the  
work is critically important. She added that the public needed to be  
provided with as much information as possible, and their hearing their  
input was also important. She considered different options, such as  
assigning each department their own week. Mr. Roth added that it was  
ultimately the Commission’s decision on how to schedule meetings with  
the administration, City Council, and the public, adding that advance  
notice was important. Mr. Mularski recalled challenges with notifying the  
public during the previous Charter Review Commission. Belisle  
suggested the creation of a subcommittee that is dedicated to engaging  
the public and pursuing methods of communication with the public. Chair  
Barnhardt asked the Mayor whether her staff could provide any updates  
at the next meeting. Mayor Jadwin noted that the March 12 meeting  
would allow more time for the Senior Directors to prepare. Chair  
Barnhardt suggested that March 26 be reserved for City Council. He  
suggested the next meeting, February 26, could be reserved for  
discussion of subcommittees and planning.  
Vice Chair Wester and Mr. Hill volunteered to work with Ms. Belisle on  
the subcommittee.  
Mr. Mularski recommended April 9 for a meeting to receive public  
comments. Ms. Belisle wondered if the Commission should schedule a  
meeting for public feedback after it receives suggestions from the  
subcommittee dedicated to public engagement. Mr. Hill suggested the  
subcommittee connect with the City’s Communications team to further  
communicate ideas on reaching the public.  
Vice Chair Wester inquired with Mayor Jadwin whether one meeting  
would be sufficient to hear from the administration. Mayor Jadwin noted  
that additional meetings may be needed once input is received from all  
sources, as staff may have new ideas or feedback to share. Mr. Roth  
added, regarding public comment, that there is also time during each  
regularly scheduled meeting for public comment. Clerk VanMeter added  
that there is an opportunity for members of the public to submit a video  
recording of their comments as well.  
Ms. Wester directed a question to Clerk VanMeter. She wondered  
whether all engagement, including social media posts and  
correspondence, should be saved as a potential public record. Clerk  
VanMeter confirmed.  
Chair Barnhardt remarked on his connections with the John Glenn  
College at Ohio State University. He wondered if there would be a benefit  
to invite a professional from the College to talk with the group about best  
practices as a way to have well-rounded advice.  
Mr. Roth returned to the discussion of meeting dates, noting that City Hall  
will be in the process of moving to the new Civic Center building in April.  
No action needed to be taken at present, but the meeting schedule may  
need to be revised to accommodate.  
Mr. Hill made a clarifying comment to Chair Barnhardt. He identified two  
prongs to the public engagement side: first, there would be public  
engagement in the form of receiving comments and suggestions from the  
public. Second, there would be public input that is received based on  
what the Administration and City Council present to the Commission. He  
wanted to ensure that both perspectives were understood. Chair  
Barnhardt agreed.  
Ms. Belisle noted that she would not be in attendance for the April 9  
meeting.  
Vice Chair Wester wondered if the Commission should set objectives or  
agenda items for the next meeting, noting there would be no scheduled  
presentations. Chair Barnhardt stated two initial objectives, which were  
for all members to read through charter and provide their thoughts, and  
also to have the subcommittee provide a report. Chair Barnhardt  
welcomed additional thoughts if members had other items they wished to  
add to the agenda.  
Ms. Reynolds inquired about video input. She wondered if there were  
additional forms public could provide feedback. Mr. VanMeter stated  
CRC@gahanna.gov <mailto:CRC@gahanna.gov> was the Charter  
Review Commission’s email, where all members could receive feedback  
from the public. Mr. VanMeter also noted other municipalities have used  
formats such as a Google form to solicit feedback.  
G.  
ADJOURNMENT:  
With no further business before the Commission, the Chair declared the  
meeting adjourned at 7:16 p.m.