City Council approves public-safety, infrastructure and health funding; arts measures referred back to committee

Columbus City Council on the record approved multiple ordinances authorizing emergency expenditures, technology contracts and capital transfers and referred several arts-related contracts back to committee for further consideration.

Major measures approved or advanced include: A $2.1 million increase to the architect-of-record agreement with AECOM for the Public Safety Real Time Crime Center and Public Safety Operations Campus (ordinance 2084-2025) to address design changes; authorization to distribute $4,435,000 from the facility stabilization fund to the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority for improvements at Nationwide Arena (ordinance 0402-2025); a contract authorization to migrate the city’s on-premise Accela land-management instance to the Accela cloud platform in the amount of $1,033,000 (ordinance 402-2025); and funding for the Cassidy Avenue arterial rehabilitation project totaling $11,157,681.54 (ordinance 0132-2025).

Health and human services actions included authorization for roughly $4,299,110 to continue contracts with federally qualified health centers to provide primary and dental care at community sites (ordinance 0383-2025), and acceptance and appropriation of an STI prevention grant of $2,117,285 from the Ohio Department of Health (ordinance 0415-2025).

Public safety items approved by council included the use of ARPA grant funds to purchase access to the Lexipol/wellness application for first-responder mental-health supports ($125,000, ordinance 0205-2025); continued access to the LexisNexis Accurant investigative database ($164,774.19, ordinance 0329-2025); a facility rental agreement with National Trail Raceway for driver training ($60,000, ordinance 0380-2025); and purchase of access to a scrap-metal transaction information system from Leeds Online to assist theft investigations ($128,934, ordinance 0407-2025).

Public utilities and infrastructure allocations approved included general budget commitments and purchase-authority amounts for sewerage and water operations: $4,466,250 for the division of storage and drainage; $4,665,000 for the sewer maintenance operations center; and $2,673,000 for water distribution maintenance contracts (ordinances 0157-2025, 0214-2025, 0260-2025 respectively).

The council referred multiple arts-related allocations back to committee: an authorization to contract with the Greater Columbus Arts Council for hotel-motel excise tax funds ($9,481,000, ordinance 0312-2025) and related distributions from the facility stabilization and creation/innovation/inclusion funds (ordinances 0353-2025 and another item estimating $1,110,000). In the roll calls related to those referrals, Council President Beatty recorded an abstention on at least one arts item while other members voted to refer the legislation back to committee.

Several land and preservation actions were approved: an acquisition for the Cook Woods Preservation Project at 1873 East Cook Road, authorizing up to $1,170,000 from recreation and parks funds (ordinance 0395-2025). Zoning committee items and multiple variances for residential and redevelopment projects were also considered and advanced.

Votes at a glance (selected items):

- Ordinance 2084-2025 (AECOM for Public Safety Campus): Passed (motion to pass by committee chair; roll called; recorded as passed). Commitment: increase architect-of-record agreement by up to $2,100,000 to accommodate design additions and schedule recovery.

- Ordinance 0402-2025 (Nationwide Arena facility stabilization fund distribution): Passed. Authorization to expend an estimated $4,435,000 from facility stabilization fund for arena capital improvements; emergency designation to allow timely disbursement.

- Ordinance 402-2025 (Accela migration): Passed. Authorizes $1,033,000 from the Department of Technology operating fund to migrate Accela to cloud; waiver of competitive bidding recorded.

- Ordinance 0132-2025 (Cassidy Avenue reconstruction): Passed. Project appropriation of $11,157,681.54 for full reconstruction, sidewalks, shared-use path, trees, and utility upgrades.

- Ordinance 0383-2025 (FQHC contracts): Passed. Authorizes $4,299,110 for contracts with local federally qualified health centers to provide primary and dental services.

- Ordinance 0415-2025 (STI prevention grant): Passed. Accepts $2,117,285 from Ohio Department of Health for STI prevention and partner services.

- Ordinance 0205-2025 (Lexipol wellness app): Passed. Authorizes $125,000 from general government grant funds; waiver of competitive bidding due to grant timing.

- Ordinance 0329-2025 (LexisNexis Accurant): Passed. Authorizes $164,774.19 from law enforcement seizure funds for investigative database access; waiver of competitive bidding cited.

- Ordinance 0380-2025 (National Trail Raceway rental): Passed. Authorizes $60,000 for driver training facility rental to meet state-mandated academy requirements.

- Ordinance 0407-2025 (Leeds Online scrap-metal system): Passed. Authorizes $128,934 from general fund for access to automated transaction information to aid investigations.

- Ordinance 0395-2025 (Cook Woods Preservation acquisition): Passed. Authorizes up to $1,170,000 for acquisition of roughly 6+ acres, expanding the nature preserve to about 10 acres.

Council members generally moved committee recommendations "for passage" or "to refer back to committee" and the clerk performed roll calls for recorded measures. Several ordinances were designated as emergency measures. Arts-related appropriations drew at least one recorded abstention and were sent back to committee.