City Hall Almost Ready to Open - Council Meeting Summary - Light Ohio Blue in Westerville
New Westerville City Hall to open May 11, with some areas still under construction
Westerville’s new City Hall will open to the public Monday, May 11, although not all of the building will be open as work continues on City Council chambers and some office space, City Manager Monica Dupee announced Tuesday night.
Dupee said community celebrations for the new building will be scheduled later because construction is still underway. She described the facility as a centralized hub for city services for residents and businesses.
The announcement came during a City Council meeting that also included approval of updated water-system safeguards and the formal welcome of a new deputy city manager.
Council unanimously approved updated backflow prevention and cross-connection control standards, a move city officials said is intended to protect the public water supply and strengthen public health safeguards.
The vote came during National Drinking Water Week, which city staff noted was a fitting time for the ordinance’s third and final reading.
“This backflow policy is to us modernizing our ordinance,” said Water Utility Manager Adam McDowell, who presented the measure. “It allows us to create a good cross-connection policy.”
Council also unanimously approved a motion acknowledging Dupee’s hiring of Ed Krieger as deputy city manager. The position does not require council approval, but Chair Megan Czako said she wanted council to formally express its support.
Krieger, who is in his second week with the city, will help lead Westerville’s infrastructure and public utilities work. He said he was excited to join the city and praised Westerville’s strong staff and municipal services.
“I’m excited, and thankful,” Krieger said. “My goal is to help make things better for our residents, our businesses, our team, and our council.”
The city manager also gave updates on several park projects, including construction at Walnut Ridge Park, which is expected to continue through October. Dupee said the city will try to keep the playground and restrooms open as long as it is safe to do so.
During the mayor’s report, Mayor David Grimes issued proclamations recognizing Taiwanese American Heritage Week and ALS Awareness Month.
Nancy Ho, chapter president of the Taiwanese Association of America Columbus Chapter and the Formosan Association for Public Affairs Central Ohio Chapter, accepted the Taiwanese American Heritage Week proclamation. Ho spoke about Taiwanese culture, democracy, technology, and the importance of the relationship between Taiwan and the United States.
Leslie Ressa accepted the ALS Awareness Month proclamation and spoke about her father, who was diagnosed with ALS in 1982 and died in 1992. She said families affected by the disease need continued support.
Planning Commission representative Aaron Glasgow reported that the commission approved a conditional use permit for Allegro Ballet Academy to operate a dance studio at 921 Eastwind Drive. He also said the commission approved a site plan for Canoe Coffee, which plans to renovate the former church building at Central College and Sunbury roads into a coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating.
The commission also approved an outdoor play area for Action Behavior Centers at 955 Eastwind Drive, and updates to the Polaris Parkway corridor design standards.
Three residents spoke during public comment.
Peg Duffy urged the council to pursue an income-based reduced utility rate program for water and electric service. She said the council should follow up on previous discussions and prioritize residents.
John Wargo, who described himself as an avid e-bike rider, asked the council not to ban Class 3 e-bikes from trails. He said the city should rely on its 15 mph speed limit for trails instead.
Paul Sheridan, who said he lives next to the condemned health care facility at 140 Old County Line Road, thanked the city’s law department for its work during a show-cause hearing that morning in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. Sheridan said the city presented residents’ concerns and issues related to the property and said he hoped the judge would act on the city’s contempt request.
Law Director Winkel said the judge took the testimony under advisement and would issue a ruling later.
Sheridan also addressed e-bikes, saying irresponsible riders have created safety concerns. He asked the city to clarify the difference between “shared use paths” and “public trails” so residents understand where different types of e-bikes are allowed.
Czako later asked staff to bring back clarification on that language.
Council heard second readings of three additional ordinances. One would update regulations for taxis, vehicles for hire, and transportation network companies. Two others involve energy schedules with American Municipal Power, including the Potomac Energy Center and Bright Mountain Solar projects.
Council also unanimously approved the purchase of a new Digger Derrick truck. The vehicle is used by the Electric Division to drill holes, and set utility poles.
Staff said the truck came in above budget due to high demand, higher costs, and the need for a larger vehicle to handle larger poles, including those required for fiber attachments. The lead time is expected to be 24 to 30 months.
The next council meeting is scheduled for May 12 at the Justice Center, with an executive session at 6 p.m. and a work session at 7 p.m. Council is also scheduled to meet on May 19, with an executive session at 6 p.m. and a regular meeting at 7 p.m.
Light Westerville Blue
A caravan of police cruisers moved through Westerville past First Responders Park on Wednesday, launching the 11th annual Light Ohio Blue campaign with a statewide show of remembrance and support for law enforcement.
The 2026 campaign runs May 6 through May 16 and opens with the annual cruiser caravan, as police, sheriff’s deputies, and state troopers across Ohio take to the streets with lights activated in a public show of remembrance and solidarity.
Light Ohio Blue began in 2016 as a grassroots effort by Bill Swank, a longtime law enforcement professional and federal agent, after Columbus SWAT Officer Steven Michael Smith was shot in the line of duty and later died. What started with three downtown Columbus buildings illuminated blue during National Police Week has grown into a statewide campaign reaching 80 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
This year’s observance remembers four Ohio law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2025: Special Deputy Sheriff Larry Henderson Jr. of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office; Deputy Sheriff Daniel Weston Sherrer of the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office; Police Officer Phillip C. Wagner of the Lorain Police Department; and Trooper Nicholas P. Cayton of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Organizers say the campaign honors “those who have given the ultimate sacrifice” while thanking the officers who continue to answer calls for service in communities across the state.
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