Air Quality, Closed Health Care In Court, and Letting the Dogs Run Highlight Council Meeting
Public comments set tone before Westerville City Council moves through routine agenda
Citizen concerns about air quality, off-leash dogs and a troubled former health care facility framed the most pointed discussion at Westerville City Council’s April 7 meeting, before council moved through the rest of its agenda with relatively little debate.
Elizabeth Moes urged council to take an active role as the Ohio EPA renews the air permit for the Scioto Materials asphalt plant near I-270 and Route 3, saying residents and businesses continue to be affected by emissions and odor from the site. She asked the city to push for a public hearing during the permit process. “This is our once in a five-year chance to weigh in on what’s in the permit,” Moes said.
Paul Sheridan focused first on the long-running problems tied to the former health care facility at 140 Old County Line Road, which sits behind his neighborhood. He thanked the city for filing a second contempt motion against the property owner, Propco LLC, and urged residents, especially those in Westerville Heights, to attend the April 24 show-cause hearing in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. “When a judge sees a packed gallery of residents who actually care about their neighborhood, that means something,” Sheridan said, adding, “Four years is long enough.” He also called on council to support the local LGBTQ community in response to pending state legislation.
John Hughes asked council to consider changing city rules to allow dogs off-leash in parks and on trails when they remain under direct control, arguing that dogs need more room to run and explore than designated off-leash parks provide. “We should give our well-trained dogs the ability to experience a healthier, more fulfilling existence,” Hughes said.
After public comment, council’s most significant official action was unanimous approval of a development and income tax incentive agreement with Vertiv, the city’s top employer by income tax revenue.
Vertiv employs about 1,200 people in Westerville and accounts for nearly $185 million in total payroll, according to the city. The company currently operates in four buildings in Westerville, including two it owns and two it leases. City officials said the proposed agreement is connected to the retention of existing jobs and the creation of about 210 new positions and $40 million in new payroll by 2030.
The new agreement also replaces and consolidates an earlier incentive agreement approved in 2021 and enacted in 2022, when Vertiv relocated its global headquarters to Westerville from Columbus.
Economic Development Director Rachel Ray said the five-year incentive proposal includes a 20% income tax offset. Officials said the city would still net an estimated $5 million in new income tax revenue over the five-year term.
Beyond the Vertiv vote, council also unanimously approved two fleet-related motions. One authorized the purchase of two new dump truck cabs and chassis along with disposal of two existing dump trucks. The other authorized the purchase of dump truck equipment from through a national cooperative purchasing contract.
Council also heard three ordinance readings, all with little comment, covering updates to the city’s records management program, rules on unauthorized commercial use of parks and recreation facilities, and standards aimed at protecting the public water supply through backflow prevention and cross-connection controls. Votes on the record management and commercial use of park facilities will happen at the next council meeting. This was the first of three readings for the water backflow ordinance.
The overall tone of the meeting was procedural. While public comment brought the sharpest concerns of the evening, council moved quickly through the rest of its business, passing all motions unanimously and hearing legislation with little discussion.
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