City Council's New Year Began With Formalities, Collegiality, And Differences. New Fire Gear Approved. Trees Cleared On West Schrock.
Before the first meeting of the Westerville City Council on Tuesday, two new members were sworn in, and the new mayor and council chair were selected.
The new mayor is David Grimes, with newly elected council member Kelley Stocker as vice-mayor.
Megan Czako ascended to the chair position, and council member Aaron Glasgow was selected as vice-chair.
That was followed by electing council members to serve as representatives on a host of city government commissions, including Planning, Parks and Recreation, Westerville Industry and Commerce Corporation, and Uptown Westerville, Inc.
All the positions were filled by unanimous vote, except for the mayoral selection. Jeff Washburn and new council member Daniella Beckett voted “no” on the choice of Grimes. He was elected with a 5-2 margin.
Heyeck Gets Key to the City
Michael Heyeck, who served 32 years on the city council and a total of 40 years of service to Westerville, receives a kiss from David Grimes after Heyeck thanked them for giving him a key to the city during a ceremony honoring his time with the city.
In presenting the key, Council Chair Czako said, “This was actually found during the move of City Hall. This is actually a one of a kind. We do not know where it came from or how old it is, but it might be as old as you. So this seems pretty fitting that you would have this very special item.”
Fire Turnout Gear Purchase Approved
City Council approved a $110,000 purchase of firefighting turnout gear for the Fire Division during its meeting Tuesday night. The purchase was funded through the Fire Operating Special Revenue Fund as part of the 2026 appropriations.
Westerville Fire Chief Brian Miller told the council before the vote, “This is the protective gear firefighters wear during structure fires, auto extrications, and other daily operations. The gear typically lasts about ten years. The department replaces gear every five years, so each firefighter has two sets. After a fire response, firefighters can change into a clean set while the used gear is decontaminated.”
The turnout gear was purchased through a cooperative agreement with the Northwest Area Strike Team using Phoenix Safety Outfitters LLC as the supplier, allowing the city to waive a formal bidding process. The cooperative agreement provided discounted pricing and allowed the Fire Division to maintain standardized equipment that meets national safety standards.
The purchase supports the department’s ongoing five-year turnout gear replacement program, which replaces frontline gear after five years and moves older gear into backup service to ensure firefighter safety and compliance.
A city electric crew works along West Schrock Road, removing a freshly cut tree stump as the top part is fed into a wood chipper to protect nearby power lines. The trees had been regularly trimmed away from the power lines, but they had grown tall and thick enough that removal was necessary to prevent a power outage and lower maintenance costs.
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