Council office staff briefed the finance committee on their top priorities for 2026, highlighting plans to improve onboarding for nearly 50 boards and commissions, prepare for a Charter Review Commission, modernize records management and evaluate AI tools, and expand digital-accessibility work under WCAG standards.

The office said it will relocate operations to a new facility at 825 Tech Center Drive, provide targeted professional-development funding for boards and commissions, and support a Charter Review Commission scheduled to meet January through June 2026. Staff also noted they have budgeted additional funds for legal advertising because The Daily Reporter is ceasing operations and the Columbus Dispatch is an expensive alternative for statutory legal notices.

On records and AI, Clerk Van Meter described an established records-liaison structure and ongoing foundational training; staff set aside funding for advanced public-records courses from organizations such as the IIMC and Nagara and said they are evaluating whether existing systems or new AI tools could help indexing, redaction and search. Van Meter pointed to a recent low‑cost improvement that shows promise: an in‑system prompt directing requesters to the state crash‑report portal has been viewed 661 times in a month, reducing unnecessary requests to police records.

Why it matters: The items touch transparency (public‑records handling), accessibility of city materials, and the Charter Review Commission that could recommend governance changes. The council office said careful evaluation with legal and IT stakeholders is needed before requesting capital funds for AI solutions.

What’s next: Staff said they will continue information gathering on AI capabilities, return cost estimates if funding is warranted, and proceed with the Charter Review Commission and facility move planning.