Canal Winchester charter review commission elects chair, sets meeting schedule and public outreach plan

The Canal Winchester Charter Review Commission elected Mister Milligan as chair and Mister Connor as vice chair by voice vote, set a regular meeting schedule and agreed on steps to solicit public input ahead of a July deadline for forwarding charter recommendations to the city council.

The commission—organized at an initial meeting where Jordan called roll—voted to excuse two absent members and then moved to nominations. A member nominated Chuck Milligan for chair; the nomination was seconded and approved. Members then nominated and approved Mister Connor as vice chair.

Commissioners discussed scheduling and process at length. They agreed to meet on the first and third Wednesdays at 6 p.m., with that cadence running through May 21 to allow time for staff and the commission to prepare recommendations for the city council’s July 21 deadline to forward items to the Board of Elections. Commissioners generally favored an article-by-article review of the charter and sketched a plan to cover two sections per meeting when feasible.

On public engagement, the commission agreed to an opening public-comment night and to advertise meetings and feedback channels using the city’s regular publication channels and social media. Jesse (city staff) said, “we'll publish it just on the same schedule that we publish the city council meeting,” and staff offered a public feedback form and social-media outreach to collect written comments from residents who cannot attend meetings. The commission set a five-minute limit for individual public-comment remarks at meetings, subject to chair discretion.

Members also discussed an educational session for the next meeting on the different forms of municipal government (for example, strong mayor vs. council–manager arrangements) so the public and commissioners understand implications before debating major changes. The commission agreed to invite students from local government classes to participate in a limited, project-based role—researching and briefing options rather than advocating for a specific change—and to schedule a school visit or student presentations at an upcoming meeting (participants and format to be confirmed with school staff).

The commission identified a few specific items staff should prepare for future meetings, including: clarifying a recently noted constitutional issue in the charter language governing salary increases for mayor and council members (staff said the current phrasing was found to be unconstitutional and needs amendment), examples of how other central-Ohio municipalities structure mayoral and administrative roles, and a draft education brief on forms of government for distribution before the next meeting.

Commissioners discussed meeting management and logistics: aiming for roughly two-hour meetings with flexibility to extend when needed, avoiding the introduction of new topics late in the evening, and publishing meeting dates and agendas on the city’s usual channels. Staff agreed to circulate a proposed schedule and supporting materials in advance of the next meeting. The commission tentatively scheduled the next meeting and education session for Feb. 5 (as discussed during the meeting) and asked staff to confirm and publish the agenda.

Votes at a glance - Motion to excuse two absent members (McBrier and Mister Young): approved by voice vote. (Mover/second: not specified in the transcript.) - Election of chair: Chuck Milligan elected chair by voice vote. (Mover/second: not specified.) - Election of vice chair: Mister Connor elected vice chair by voice vote. (Mover/second: not specified.)

The meeting closed after staff agreed to circulate materials and the commission directed staff to coordinate student participation and public outreach prior to the next session.