Powell Council adopts prosecutor agreement, OKs ODOT consent for SR 315 drainage; tables council-rules amendment

The Powell City Council on Feb. 1 adopted a contract authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with the Delaware City Prosecutor's Office for municipal court services and approved consent to Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) drainage work on State Route 315, while tabling a separate amendment to the council rules.

City Manager Andy introduced the prosecutor agreement as “an annual item that comes before council” for municipalities that do not operate their own municipal court. He said the City routinely directs qualifying criminal and traffic cases to Delaware and that the fees for those services were budgeted in the city’s 02/2025 fiscal-year budget. Council voted by voice to adopt Resolution 2025-01.

The council also approved Resolution 2025-02, a consent measure allowing ODOT to perform drainage improvements on State Route 315. Staff said much of the drainage work is north of the City of Powell’s corporate limits but noted ODOT may need to place signage or other supporting infrastructure within the city limits. Council member discussion about SR 315 broadened into routing of hazardous materials and truck traffic on that corridor.

Council Member Farzana Ahmed asked whether the city could itself designate preferred or prohibited routes for certain vehicle classes on state routes that pass through the municipality. Andy replied, “We do,” but said the city’s leverage would be affected by the small segment of SR 315 that lies inside Powell. He told council he expects to present a resolution at a future meeting seeking the city’s consent to request a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) analysis of the corridor’s hazardous-material routing. “The first step would be consent by the city to begin that study,” Andy said, and he said he hoped to bring back the resolution for council consideration at the next meeting or the first meeting in February.

Council tabled the third reading of Resolution 2024-48, an amendment to the City of Powell rules of council, to the next regularly scheduled meeting at the request of the mayor and without extended debate.

In other business, Council Member Farzana Ahmed reported the development committee received an update from the YMCA and on the city’s shared‑use master plan. City Manager Andy gave a brief operations update on winter storm response, noting limited staff worked remotely during the weather event and that two crews were deployed. Andy praised crew members and staff who resolved a citizen inquiry during the storm.

Toward the end of the meeting the council voted to enter executive session under the Ohio Revised Code language read into the record to consider purchase of property for public purposes and confidential economic development information. The roll call vote to enter executive session recorded “yes” from Farzana Ahmed, Lee Carlson, Tom Counts, Christina, Tyler Herman, Heather Carr and David Lester.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 2025-01 (authorize city manager to enter agreement with Delaware City Prosecutor's Office): adopted (voice vote). Funds for the agreement were included in the 02/2025 fiscal-year budget.

- Resolution 2025-02 (consent to ODOT drainage improvements on State Route 315): adopted (voice vote). Staff noted the replaced drainage line is north of the city’s corporation limit but that related signage or support work may occur inside the city.

- Resolution 2024-48 (amend City of Powell rules of council, third reading): motion to table approved; item tabled to next regular meeting.

What’s next

Staff indicated it will prepare a resolution asking council to consent to a PUCO study of hazardous-material routing on the SR 315 corridor; if brought forward, that resolution would trigger an external analysis by the PUCO and would be a separate future council action. The city also scheduled the tabled council‑rules amendment for the next regular meeting.