200 South Hamilton Road

Gahanna, Ohio 43230

City of Gahanna

Meeting Minutes

City Council

Merisa K. Bowers, President

Trenton I. Weaver, Vice President

Jamille Jones

Nancy R. McGregor

Kaylee Padova

Stephen A. Renner

Michael Schnetzer

Jeremy A. VanMeter, Clerk of Council

Monday, July 21, 2025

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, July 21, 2025, in

Council Chambers. Vice President of Council Trenton I. Weaver called the

meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilmember Stephen A. Renner delivered

an Invocation and led members in the Pledge of Allegiance. The agenda was

published on July 18, 2025.

6 -

Present

Jamille Jones, Nancy R. McGregor, Kaylee Padova, Stephen A. Renner,

Michael Schnetzer, and Trenton I. Weaver

1 - Merisa K. Bowers

Absent

ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA:

None.

PRESENTATIONS:

Swearing-in Ceremony - Division of Police

Luke Guthrie, Police Officer, and Amber Ramsey, Communication Technician II

Mayor Jadwin invited Director of Public Safety Tim Becker to introduce the

swearing-in ceremonies. Director Becker reminded the Council that he and

Chief Spence appeared before them the previous fall to request a second

communications technician supervisor for the radio room, that the Council

approved the request, and that they promoted Amber Ramsey for the second

half of the year. He noted that she performed excellently in the radio room and

was ready to assume supervisory responsibilities. Mayor Jadwin

administered the oath of office to Amber Ramsey as Communications

Technician II for the Gahanna Division of Police. Director Becker then

introduced Luke Guthrie, whom he said was joining the city from Knox County

as an established deputy. Guthrie would enter field training the following week

and begin protecting Gahanna as a police officer. Mayor Jadwin administered

the oath of office to Luke Guthrie. Mayor Jadwin congratulated both Ramsey

and Guthrie. Director Becker expressed enthusiasm about the two new

members beginning and noted that additional new personnel would appear

before the Council shortly; he thanked the Council for its continued

investment in public safety and said he hoped residents would have the

opportunity to meet them soon. Vice President Weaver congratulated Officer

Guthrie and Ms. Ramsey and their families, remarking that although he might

say “welcome to Gahanna,” they already appeared familiar with the city, and

thanked their colleagues for attending, commenting that he appreciated

having a full house.

HEARING OF VISITORS:

Craig Clawson of Gahanna, OH, spoke on the proposed Velocis tax

abatement.

Mr. Clawson thanked the Council for pausing the tax abatement for the

Velocis warehouse project. He said Council’s willingness to slow down and

investigate the developer’s background showed real diligence and he

appreciated their commitment to protecting the public’s interest. As Council

continued to evaluate the proposal, he offered a broader perspective on the

use of tax abatements in the current economic landscape. He said municipal

budgets were shrinking, revenue from state and federal sources was

becoming less reliable, and the cost of providing basic services, such as

public safety, roads, and schools, continued to grow. In that context, he said,

offering an 80% tax abatement worth over $3.7 million across 12 years

constituted a serious financial decision with long-term consequences, not a

minor incentive. He noted that such deals often relied on the promise of job

creation, but that premise deserved closer examination because the job

market faced extreme uncertainty due to automation and artificial intelligence.

He added that warehouses already were moving toward robotics and reduced

headcounts, so the 37 jobs being promised might look very different in five

years, and without enforceable guarantees, the projects remained

speculative. He recalled that in 2019 Gahanna raised taxes on its residents to

fund essential services and said that when the city turned around and offered

massive abatements to private developers, it unfairly shifted the tax burden

away from businesses and onto families; he characterized that as neither

sustainable nor equitable. He urged the Council to continue applying the same

careful scrutiny they had shown so far and said economic development

needed to rest on fair, transparent, and future-ready policies.

CONSENT AGENDA:

1. Minutes - To Approve:

2025-0145

Council Regular Minutes 7.7.2025

The minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda.

2025-0146

Council Special Minutes 7.10.2025

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:

6 - Jones, McGregor, Padova, Renner, Schnetzer and Weaver

1 - Bowers

Yes:

Absent:

CORRESPONDENCE AND ACTIONS:

1. Clerk - None.

2. Council - None.

REPRESENTATIVES:

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

Councilmember Padova reported that their last meeting occurred on July 15,

2025, at 8:00 a.m. She said Mayor Jadwin informed them that Uniquely

Gahanna was arriving in mailboxes. Mayor Jadwin also updated the CIC

about the strategic planning event at Creekside scheduled for August 26,

2025, and advised them to watch for the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that

would come to Council in August 2025. On planning, Director Blackford said

projects were a bit slow, so staff were shifting their focus to working on code.

On development, the administration reported that the CORA (Creekside

Outdoor Refreshment Area) renewal would go to the Committee of the

Whole, at the following meeting, and that the annexation on Johnstown Road

moved to the county level, so it was no longer before the City of Gahanna.

The CIC then went into Executive Session and reconvened shortly after 9:00

a.m., after which they adjourned the meeting. Padova noted that their next

meeting would be Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 8:00 a.m.

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

2025-0147

Councilmember Weaver's MORPC Report to City Council 7.21.2025

Vice President Weaver stated that members would find his MORPC Report

attached to the agenda. He said the agenda included links to a couple of

attachments that he and Mayor Jadwin received during their membership

services meeting with Executive Director William Murdock and Membership

Services Officer Eileen Leuby of MORPC, and that the attachments

contained some good information. He added that the agenda attachment also

included MORPC’s July legislative update, noting that the update was

published before that week’s actions at the Statehouse, asking the members

to take a look. He said the commission would meet again in August 2025.

3. Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) - Padova

Councilmember Padova reported that the next farmers market was

scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at Creekside. She asked the

Council to save the date of August 2, 2025, for the Pelotonia cheering station

in Gahanna, which Visit Gahanna would host at 7:30 a.m., and said people

could contact Visit Gahanna for more information.

4. School Board (SB) - Jones

None.

OFFICIAL REPORTS:

1. Mayor

Mayor Jadwin shared several items. She welcomed Officer Luke Guthrie to

the public safety team and congratulated Amber Ramsey on her promotion,

stating that those roles were critical to public safety and the delivery of

services to the community. She said from the first call to the final response

they served with professionalism, dedication, and commitment. She

expressed confidence that Ramsey would continue in that regard and noted

that Guthrie was bringing a wealth of experience. She said she looked forward

to having them as part of the team. Several weeks earlier, Director Anverse

from the Department of Public Service provided an update on the

department’s work, the projects underway, and the investments the city was

making. He specifically mentioned the investment in a new street sweeper,

the creation of the new program, and bringing that function in-house, which

enabled the city to expand the level of services while reducing costs. The

program divided the city into five zones. The goal was to sweep all roadways

three to five times a year; previously contracted work covered roadways twice

a year and after special events. The crews had already begun their work. The

city posted a map on Gahanna.gov showing projected time frames; they

estimated a two-week window to cover each zone. The website also included

a detailed explanation of the benefits of the street sweeping program,

including improving aesthetics, helping with flood prevention, and improving

water quality in local streams by removing debris. She said the team was

very excited about the program, comparing their enthusiasm to little kids with

Legos and cars, describing them as eager to train and begin. She

encouraged members to look for the crews in their neighborhoods soon.

Mayor Jadwin then outlined upcoming events. She said Uniquely Gahanna hit

mailboxes and asked those who had not yet received their copies to watch for

them; the publication featured stories on new businesses, development

projects, the Our Gahanna strategic plan, the recent Citizens Academy, and

the upcoming alumni musical that weekend. She deferred to Councilman

Weaver to speak further about the musical and noted that she had tickets for

both Friday and Sunday and offered extras to anyone who needed them. She

said the Gahanna Market would take place that Wednesday, July 23, 2025,

from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Creekside Plaza; they had about 30 vendors

previously and many, if not more, lined up for the market. Because the

Council would not meet again before then, she mentioned that Saturday,

August 2, 2025, would be a busy day in Gahanna. Pelotonia would ride

through the city in the morning, taking the same path as before, entering

northbound on Hamilton Road to Tech Center, Morrison, and then east on

Taylor Road. She said Visit Gahanna and Make Gahanna Yours were

partnering again on spirit stations to cheer riders. The ride would precede the

Capital City Corvette car show at Creekside, which would run from 11:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the city would post road closures along the roadways.

That evening the Columbus Jazz Orchestra would perform at Headley Park

as presented by the Gahanna Area Arts Council.

Mayor Jadwin concluded by noting that the following week, Tuesday, August

5, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Division of Police would host National

Night Out at Headley Park. She believed Councilman Weaver, she, and Chief

Spence were all in line for the dunk tank and asked people to save their coins,

saying she did not know the exact cost but hoped they would make it a good

donation. She said more information about that event appeared on

Gahanna.gov. She stated that the event always proved great, that officers

looked forward to engaging with the community and the children, and that the

children always enjoyed exploring the vehicles and equipment. She said she

hoped to see everyone out there.

2. City Attorney

City Attorney Tamilarasan reported that the Brookewood Construction versus

City of Gahanna litigation in federal court reached an outcome. She said the

lawsuit, which the plaintiff filed in January 2023, and which included various

federal and state claims, resulted in the court granting a motion for summary

judgment in favor of the city and the federal court declining to hear the state

claim. She said the case was now dismissed and closed. She added that she

would provide an update if any appeals arose and characterized the decision

as very thorough and favorable to the city.

COUNCIL COMMENT:

Vice President Weaver reported that the first-ever Gahanna Lincoln High

School (GLHS) Alumni Musical would take place the coming weekend, July 25

through July 27, 2025. He said he remained a proud alum of Gahanna

schools and the theater program but clarified that he would not tap dance in

the show, noting that nobody wanted to see him tap dance. He said the

number of alumni participating impressed him, with the age range spanning

60 years of graduating classes. Because he had a little one on the way during

the rehearsal process, he could not perform, but he stayed involved by

assisting on the production team. He encouraged alumni to take advantage of

one last chance to perform on the current GLHS theater stage and to get their

tickets at glhsalumnimusical.com. He reminded the members that they would

not meet the following week and that the next regularly scheduled Council

meeting would occur on August 4, 2025.

ADJOURNMENT:

With no further business before the Council, Vice President Weaver

adjourned the meeting at 7:21 p.m.