Franklin County commissioners approve batch of contracts, road projects and youth program grants

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on June 24, 2025, adopted a broad set of resolutions approving contracts, infrastructure projects and grants across county departments.

The board approved Resolution 48125, a professional services contract with Returning Citizens with Hope (referred to in the record as "Arch") to provide comprehensive support services for the RISE mental health court docket. Susan Bridal, deputy court administrator, said the $175,000 agreement will fund housing assistance, resource linkage, paperwork guidance and case-management navigators for court-referred clients for the period June 24, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2026. The resolution was adopted following a motion and second.

Rich Sims, director of auto title for the Clerk of Courts, asked the board to renew a two-year lease with the Ohio Department of Public Safety (Bureau of Motor Vehicles) for the Clerk of Courts East Auto Title branch at 1583 Alum Creek Drive. Resolution 48225 renews the lease at $1 per year from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027; the board adopted the measure.

The commissioners approved several county engineer projects, including Resolution 48325 approving plans for a modern roundabout at Walnut Street (County Road 19) and New Albany Condit Road (State Route 605) in Plain Township; Resolution 48425 awarding a $1,152,742.21 contract to Elite Excavating Company for the Case Road area storm sewer replacement; Resolution 48525 awarding a $1,038,067 contract for the Crop Road Drainage Outlet Improvement (Part 1) in Pleasant Township funded by OPWC; and Resolution 48625 awarding a $700,356.79 contract to Strausser Paving Company for 2022 Safe Routes to School pedestrian improvements at multiple school sites. County staff said many of the pedestrian and bicycle projects will be funded through ODOT or COTA transportation-supportive infrastructure funding and represent the first legislative steps toward 2026 construction on some corridors.

The board adopted several road-establishing or widening resolutions (48725–49325) declaring necessary improvements on corridors including Snaffer Road (Perry Township), Renner Road (Norwich Township), Galloway Road (Prairie Township), Grinner Avenue (Prairie Township), Macomb Road (Jackson Township), Winchester Pike (Madison Township) and portions of Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road and Morse Road in Jefferson and Plain townships.

Dustin Cohorst, IT director for the treasurer's office, described a data strategy management contract with Uprise Inc. not to exceed $152,000 for work to consolidate and modernize treasurer data systems; the board approved Resolution 49425.

Emergency Management requested a non-general fund supplemental appropriation to address additional outdoor siren relocation and replacement projects, driven in part by construction impacts and obsolete equipment. Thomas Page, alerting and warning manager, said the list grew by roughly six additional projects beyond an initial 13, citing work in New Albany and Gahanna; the commissioners adopted Resolution 49525.

Emergency Management also sought approval for a five-year renewal of the Everbridge critical event management and mass notification system under Resolution 49625 in the amount of $2,143,199.60. Jeff Young said the platform supplies SMS, email, voice and social publishing capabilities, provides agency-level access for partner organizations and serves as a third-party connection to federal IPAWS and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The board adopted the renewal.

The board authorized grants supporting youth programs: Resolution 49725 approves a $200,000 grant to the Center for Healthy Families for the 2025 Day of the Girl summit (projected reach 300+ participants; event scheduled Oct. 8 at The Ohio State University); Resolution 49825 authorizes $159,250 to Honest Works Studios for a six-week media production camp serving 60 youth ages 13–18 and providing meals, transportation and equipment access.

The commissioners also approved an expedited type 2 annexation petition (Resolution 49925) to annex about 14 acres from Mifflin Township to the City of Columbus along Stelzer Road, citing Ohio Revised Code sections 709.021 and 709.023. Job and Family Services and related contract approvals included Resolution 50025 (a $333,138.07 subaward with Healthy Gamer Foundation for Level Up programming serving about 70 youth); Resolution 50125 (a case management services agreement with Mount Carmel Health System not to exceed $226,506.36); and Resolution 50225 (a three-year workers' compensation third-party administration agreement with Sedgwick Claims Management Services not to exceed $530,600). Finally, Resolution 50325 approved 80 purchase orders across county agencies totaling $1,955,031.88.

All of the listed resolutions were moved, seconded and adopted as recorded in the meeting minutes by unanimous roll calls noted in the record.