First Responder Family At City Council - DORA Approved With Objections
Police Chief and Firefighter First Responders
Morgan Murchland, left, laughs with her mother, Westerville Police Chief Holly Murchland, before the start of city council Tuesday night, where the younger Murchland was sworn in as a Westerville firefighter, joining her mother as a city first responder.
Fire Chief Brian Miller said he did not know of any other Ohio city that has a police chief and firefighter combination on staff, especially both women.
DORA Approved, With Suggestions
Uptown’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area will continue for another five years, but the vote was not unanimous. Councilmember Kenneth Wright opposed the renewal Tuesday night after residents argued the city should address the environmental impact of the estimated 82,000 plastic cups used each year.
Westerville City Council approved the extension following a required five-year review under Ohio law. The DORA, launched in 2021, allows patrons to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating establishments and carry them within a defined Uptown boundary during posted hours.
Public comment focused largely on waste and single-use plastics.
Elizabeth Moes, a resident who has previously advocated on environmental issues before the council, said she supports the DORA but urged members to tie its continuation to sustainability measures.
“DORA should be approved, but only if you clearly stipulate sustainability measures,” Moes said. “If you cannot stipulate those sustainability measures tonight because they need to be researched and assessed, then I encourage you to table the issue until such measures can be.”
Bethany Vosberg-Bluem, who said she was not speaking in an official capacity for Sustainable Westerville, told the council she has worked with Uptown businesses and community members to reduce reliance on single-use plastics.
“I would really like to see us think about options,” Vosberg-Bluem said, adding that there is strong community support for finding solutions. “I think that we can work together to think about solutions that we can make this happen.”
She acknowledged the financial and logistical challenges but urged the council to consider the city’s zero-waste plan and ongoing sustainability efforts in the discussion. Vosberg-Bluem also pointed to large events such as Uptown Untapped as additional sources of plastic waste and said community members are already working on reuse initiatives in other areas.
Moes’ comments follow earlier environmental advocacy before the council. In 2024, she was among the residents who opposed the foam densification system the city planned to install. After several months of citizen comments raising concerns about the device’s location and possible pollution from the process, the council ultimately chose not to proceed with the installation.
Before Tuesday’s vote on the DORA, Wright asked Andrew Winkel, the city’s law director, whether the council could table the measure to allow time to explore alternatives to single-use plastic cups. Winkel said that changes to the DORA ordinance would require an amendment, and that wasn’t the topic of the resolution before the council on Tuesday. Council proceeded with the vote, and Wright cast the lone dissent.
Rob Rishel, the city’s economic development administrator, said recyclable plastic cups currently represent the most practical option that complies with Ohio liquor control regulations while supporting the city’s sustainability objectives.
Rishel said staff researched compostable cups but found they were not sturdy enough for the DORA environment. He also noted that recycling containers have been placed throughout the district to collect used cups. Compostable materials, he said, would require separate compost bins at each location, adding logistical and operational complexity.
Uptown Westerville Inc., which administers the DORA with city oversight, reported purchasing roughly 82,000 branded cups last year. While that figure does not represent total drinks sold, some establishments use their own approved cups, it illustrates steady participation in the program.
City staff have previously reported that the DORA has operated without significant safety concerns. With Tuesday’s vote, the district will remain in place through its next review period, though debate over how it aligns with the city’s sustainability goals appears likely to continue.
Editor’s Note: Corrects spelling of Elizabeth Moes, not Mose as originally written.
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