2020 ANNUAL REPORT
NEW ALBANY at a glance • Best city to live in Ohio (according to 24/7 Wall St.) • One of “America’s Best 50 Cities to Live” (according to USA Today) • Population estimate . . . . . . . . . . . 10,933* • Square miles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.83 (approximately 10,771 acres) • Number of homes . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,641 • Residential units per acre . . . . . . . 0.33 • Lane miles of roadway . . . . . . . . . 275.56 • Miles of leisure trail . . . . . . . . . . . 55+ • Homes per acre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.34 (by far the lowest of comparable central Ohio cities) • Median home value . . . . . . . . . . . $497,800* (owner occupied home units) • Median household income. . . . . . $203,409* • High school grad . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98.6%* • College grad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78.5%* • Business Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 million square feet of office space 16,000 employees 5,000+ acres $5.5 billion in private investment *Source: U.S. Census July 2019 data (2020 data not yet available at time of printing)
Photo courtesy of Connor Moriarty
MESSAG E F RO M CI T Y C O U N C IL It’s an understatement to say that 2020 was a challenging year, but our community responded well to the circumstances we faced and we still had many reasons to celebrate. ROSE RUN PARK It was gratifying to see so many people begin to use Rose Run Park. We now have a place that connects people to nature, each other and many of our community assets while preserving green space in the heart of town. This park provided a respite from some of the stress of 2020 by offering fresh air and a beautiful setting just a stone’s throw from the library, Heit Center, McCoy Center, and many restaurants and shops. It was also heartening to see community partners like the New Albany Symphony Orchestra, New Albany Chamber and Healthy New Albany take advantage of the park by holding socially-distanced concerts and programs there. EVENTS Even though COVID-19 forced the cancellation of many of the community events that we love, we found ways to have fun together in 2020, albeit in a socially responsible way. Events like the Independence Day and Santa neighborhood parades, and virtual events like Pelotonia, the New Albany Walking Classic, and the Thanks For Giving 4-Miler showed that we could enjoy some of our traditions, even if they looked a little different. SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES This past year was difficult for a lot of our local business owners but many of you came together to support them when they reopened. Some of our manufacturers altered their normal production lines to make products needed throughout our country. For example, companies like Alene Candles and Exhibit Pro made and donated thousands of face shields to help our front line responders, and Bright International (Bocchi) began producing hand sanitizer. Facebook, which opened their New Albany Data Center early in 2020, also gave back by providing a grant to the New Albany-Plain Local Schools in support of their robotics program and donating a new delivery truck to the New Albany Food Pantry. THANK YOU FRONTLINE WORKERS When it comes to frontline workers and responders, there’s not enough we can say to thank them. From police and fire personnel to medical health professionals throughout central Ohio, delivery workers and everyone in between, you all helped keep New Albany safe while slowing the spread of the virus through many hardships. SCHOOL SUCCESS Our school leaders and students responded with great resiliency. Superintendent Sawyers created a New Albany COVID-19 Task Force that included school, city, and local medical 2
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leaders, our teachers and administrators created and supported a hybrid learning environment where our students could still thrive, and our students continued to excel inside and outside the classroom. Congratulations to the girl’s golf team on yet another state championship and to the boy’s soccer team on an exciting run to the state final. Congrats, as well, to the state runner up girl’s swim and dive team, and to the girl’s 400 swimming freestyle relay team and to Noah Duperre (diving) for winning state championships in 2020. A GREAT IDEA Community connects us here in New Albany, and we continued New Albany resident Dr. Olayiwola serves on to work toward cohesively moving forward in 2020 with the establishment of our Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Action (IDEA) New Albany’s COVID-19 Task Force and IDEA Committee. IDEA’s origins began when we heard feedback as part Committee. of our Engage New Albany strategic planning efforts that New Albany needed to make a more concerted effort in welcoming people of diverse beliefs and backgrounds. Then, when protests around race relations occurred throughout our country in 2020, we felt compelled to ask more questions about diversity, inclusion and equity as part of our resident survey. Ultimately, we formed the IDEA Committee in late 2020 to help us address these issues together as a community. We will provide updates on the efforts of this committee as they come more into focus throughout 2021 and beyond. We thank all of you for your diligence and compassion through a tough year and we value your trust in us to lead this wonderful place we call home. Read on to review city financial information and learn more about how our staff looked for ways improve our operations in 2020 while investing in programs and infrastructure that encouraged private development, grew our economy even in the midst of COVID-19, and enhanced our quality of life. New Albany City Council Members Left to right: Colleen Briscoe, Kasey Kist, Chip Fellows, Mayor Sloan Spalding, Matt Shull, Mike Durik, Marlene Brisk
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CITY C O U N CI L SLOAN SPALDING, MAYOR mayor@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4019 Sloan and his wife Jennifer have been New Albany residents since 2002 and are the proud parents of three boys. The Spalding family is very active in New Albany youth sporting leagues, charity walks and runs, community events, the New Albany Symphony and Pelotonia. Sloan was elected mayor in 2015 and 2019 after having been elected twice to City Council. Prior to being elected to Council, Sloan served New Albany on the Personnel Appeals Board, Planning Commission, and was the Chair of the 2009 Charter Review Commission. Prior to moving to Ohio, Sloan was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Army.
COLLEEN BRISCOE, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE cbriscoe@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4020 Colleen and her husband, Bob Berry, moved to New Albany in 1992. Both their children are New Albany High School graduates. Colleen served as New Albany’s mayor from 1996-2003, and has served on City Council since her term as mayor ended. As a member of City Council, Colleen has been council’s representative to the Planning Commission, Economic Development Commission, and Community Improvement Corporation. In addition to volunteer work at various events in New Albany, Colleen has served on the Founders Day Committee and the New Albany Community Foundation Board. MARLENE BRISK mbrisk@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4021
More descriptive bio information about each City Council member is available online at newalbanyohio.org
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Marlene and her husband Jim have been residents of New Albany since 2004. Their three daughters all graduated from New Albany High School. Marlene has been a member of City Council since 2016 and serves as Council Liaison to the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Action (IDEA)
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Committee, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Grant and Non-Profit Funding Committee. Prior to her terms on City Council, she served on the City’s Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission. MIKE DURIK mdurik@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4022 Mike has lived in New Albany since 1993 and is the parent of two adult children. He has served on City Council since 2017 and is currently Council Liaison to the Architectural Review Board and Plain Township. Prior to that, Mike served on several city boards and commissions, including the Economic Development Commission, Zoning Appeals Board, Planning Commission, and the steering committee for the Western Licking County Accord. In addition, Mike has served on the boards of the New Albany Chamber of Commerce and Healthy New Albany.
CHIP FELLOWS cfellows@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4023 Chip and his wife Teresa are proud New Albany residents. He has lived in New Albany since 2001 and he has two daughters. Chip has served on City Council since 2006. During his tenure, he has been Council Liaison to the New Albany-Plain Local School District, Board of Zoning Appeals, Charter Review Commission, Parks and Trails Advisory Board, and the Grants and Non-Profit Funding City Council Subcommittee. Prior to his City Council tenure, he was on the New Albany Community Events Board and the Architectural Review Board. KASEY KIST kkist@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4025 Kasey and his wife Rebecca have lived in New Albany since 2004. They have two sons who attend the New Albany-Plain Local Schools. Kasey has been a City Council member since 2018 and currently serves as Council Liaison to Public Utilities and the New Albany-Plain Local Schools. He also chairs the Administration standing committee, which includes overseeing
boards and commissions. Prior to serving on City Council, Kasey was a member of the Rocky Fork Blacklick Accord, Parks and Trails Steering Committee, Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission. He is also co-founder of the Thanks For Giving 4 Miler, an annual Thanksgiving Day event based in New Albany that raises funds for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, LifeCare Alliance, and the New Albany Community Foundation. MATT SHULL mshull@newalbanyohio.org voicemail: 614-939-4024 Matt and his wife Vickey have been New Albany residents since 2000 and their son and two daughters all graduated from New Albany High School. Matt has been a member of City Council since 2016 and he currently serves as Council Liaison to the Planning Commission. He also served on the 2019 Charter Review Commission and chairs the Grants and Non-Profit Funding City Council Subcommittee and the Service and Public Facilities Committee. Prior to his tenure on City Council, he served on the Board of Zoning and Appeals for twelve years and was that board’s chairman for two years.
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New Albany Government 101 STYLE OF GOVERNMENT
CITY MANAGER
New Albany utilizes the Council-Manager form of government, which combines the political leadership of elected officials with the managerial expertise of an appointed, professional city manager who serves as New Albany’s CEO.
The city manager serves as the community’s CEO and is appointed by City Council to:
City Council has been granted certain powers by the Ohio Constitution, the laws of the State of Ohio and the New Albany Charter. These powers are exercised through the adoption of ordinances and resolutions. Among other things, the New Albany Charter gives City Council the authority to create and abolish departments, commissions, boards and committees, audit accounts and records, conduct inquiries and investigations, levy taxes, enforce laws and regulations, adopt a budget, appropriate funds, adopt building and zoning regulations, and hire a city manager. 6
• Coordinate and direct the budget process; • Oversee implementation of City Council enacted policies and adopted budgets; Photo courtesy of Peter Aaron
City Council is the legislative branch of government consisting of seven members, one of whom is the mayor. City Council and mayoral elections are held in November of odd-numbered years and are non-partisan. City Council members are elected by residents to four-year terms. The mayor, in addition to the powers, rights and duties of a City Council member, presides over meetings and acts as a primary spokesperson for the city. The mayor has no veto powers. The current mayor is Sloan Spalding.
• Manage municipal operations;
• Ensure effective delivery of services to New Albany residents and businesses; • Advise City Council members on policy matters and keep them apprised of municipal operations; • Direct department heads and consultants; • Implement all fiscal, planning and infrastructure programs. The current city manager is Joseph F. Stefanov. He has served in this capacity since 2000 and is the longest serving city manager in New Albany’s history. HOME RULE CHARTER Residents approved New Albany’s first charter in 1992, giving the then-village greater local control and flexibility than Ohio’s statutory provisions. The charter is reviewed every ten years and any proposed revisions must be approved by the New Albany electorate before they can be enacted. The last charter was approved by residents in 2019.
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Photo courtesy of Andrew Malone
MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL
• Provide organizational leadership;
Photos without masks taken prior to pandemic
Drivers passing through our Village Center may have noticed that the roundabout at Market & Main has a new name. Several years ago, City Council decided to name this roundabout after City Manager Joseph F. Stefanov in recognition of New Albany’s accomplishments under his leadership. During his tenure, which began in 2000, New Albany has doubled in geographical size and tripled in population, and New Albany’s International Business Park has grown to represent 16,000 employees and $5.5 billion in private investment. Revenues from the business park account for the vast majority of funding for city services provided to the community.
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NEW ALB A N Y B O A RDS & C O MMIS S IO N S City boards and commissions play an important role in our local government by evaluating matters of interest and making recommendations to City Council. All board and commission meetings are open to the public. For information about becoming a candidate for a city board or commission, please contact Clerk of Council Jennifer Mason at jmason@ newalbanyohio.org.
Qualifications: Preferred background in design, architecture, landscaping, construction, engineering, city planning or other applicable field. CEMETERY RESTORATION ADVISORY BOARD Meets as necessary
INCLUSION, DIVERSITY & EQUITY ACTION (IDEA) COMMITTEE Meets as necessary Duties: To address issues of inclusion, diversity and equity in a manner which helps create a better understanding and acceptance of the diverse beliefs and cultures as one community.
NEW ALBANY PARKS & RECREATION (Appointed by City of New Albany, New Albany-Plain Local Schools, and Plain Township) Meets the first Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Duties: Oversee fiscal operations of the Joint Parks District, approve budgets
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
Duties: Advise City Council and staff on issues related to the restoration of the New Albany Cemetery.
Meets the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Qualifications: No specific qualifications necessary.
INCOME TAX BOARD OF REVIEW
Qualifications: No specific qualifications necessary. Preferred background in finance, business, law, or active user of the parks
Meets as necessary
PARKS & TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD
Duties: Review plans, drawings, and signage applications. Issue Certificates of Appropriateness for any major or minor environmental or zoning changes. (See NA Code 1157.07.) Hear appeals of staff decisions or interpretations made under New Albany Code section 1157.
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT CORPORATION
Duties: Hear tax appeals, issue resolutions/ declarations
Meets the first Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m.
Meets as necessary
Qualifications: Background in tax law and finance preferred.
Duties: Advisory capacity only, make recommendations regarding parks and trails to council and administration
Qualifications: Candidate preferably has background in architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, interior design, industrial design, engineering, or other allied design professions. BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS Meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Duties: Hear and decide appeals regarding legislation and administrative determinations related to zoning and land use. Also shall hear variances from zoning area regulations and general development standards. Subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, compel discovery as needed.
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Duties: Trustees adopt by-laws and govern the CIC, handle CIC employee matters, handle CIC financial matters, act as agent of New Albany in certain matters. Qualifications: Prefer experienced business background. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION Meets as necessary Duties: Study, analyze, and make recommendations regarding economic development in New Albany Qualifications: Background in business and/ or economic development preferred.
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Qualifications: No specific qualifications necessary
JEANNE B. MCCOY COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS (Appointed by City of New Albany, Plain Township, McCoy Center, New Albany Community Foundation, New Albany Plain Local Schools) Meets the second Thursday of each odd month at 8:00 a.m. Duties: Foster an appreciation of the arts and culture by providing life-long learning opportunities through education, exposure and participation. Qualifications: No specific qualifications necessary
Qualifications: Preferred background in natural resources, parks, city planning, or an active user of parks and trails. PERSONNEL APPEALS BOARD Meets as necessary Duties: Shall hear appeals from administrative determinations made pursuant to Administrative Code. Qualifications: HR, business, or law background preferred. PLANNING COMMISSION Meets the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Duties: Hear applications for land use, zoning classifications, recommend
legislative actions, review legislation, rules, and regulations re: city planning, land use, and zoning. Qualifications: Preferred background in design, architecture, landscaping, city planning, etc. ROCKY FORK BLACKLICK ACCORD (Appointed by City of Columbus, City of New Albany, Plain Township) Meets the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Duties: Evaluate applications for rezoning and make recommendations to the planning body of the impacted jurisdiction (Columbus, New Albany, Plain Township) in the RFBA area
Photo courtesy of Jaya Naik
Photo courtesy of Joe Maiorana/Impact Action Photos
Qualifications: No specific qualifications necessary. Preferred background in design, architecture, landscaping, city planning, etc.
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Resident Survey Results QUALITY OF LIFE
CITY SERVICES
• 88% believe New Albany is heading in the right direction
PUBLIC SERVICE
92% of survey respondents < 55 years of age believe this
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78% of survey respondents > 55 years of age believe this
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• 86% consider New Albany an excellent or very good place to live • 62% believe traffic in the core of town is not a problem; 29% believe it is a minor problem and 9% believe it is a major problem. • The majority of residents would like more dining options in the core of town. For the second time in three years, the City of New Albany retained central Ohio research firm Saperstein Associates to conduct a resident phone survey. These types of surveys remain the most effective methodology for randomly representing an entire community. While the full survey report can be viewed at newalbanyohio.org/ survey, here is a quick summary:
• New Albany’s social networking sites and LIST e-newsletter are the two most popular sources of city news and information, followed by This Week New Albany News and the city website.
• 97% satisfied with snow removal • 96% with an opinion satisfied with leaf collection services • 94% satisfied with trash, recycling and waste collection POLICE • 94% satisfied with police services LAND USE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (including parks and trails) • 85% satisfied with maintaining appropriate architectural standards for new construction • 81-85% satisfied with developing and connecting leisure trails, development of public park lands, and business recruitment to expand the tax base COVID-19 • 91% of households with children spent more time helping their child with school work • 88% postponed or canceled a major event or celebration • 78% noticed an increase in stress • 57% of households with children lost child care for an extended time
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• 35% found accessing health care more difficult • 35% had hours reduced at work, 23% were furloughed and 10% were permanently laid off DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION • 88% believe it is important for the people of New Albany and local government to focus on creating a diverse, inclusive and fair city • 80% believe New Albany is welcoming to people of all religions • 72% believe New Albany is welcoming to people of all political beliefs • 72% believe New Albany is welcoming to people of all races and ethnicities • 70% believe New Albany is welcoming to people of all sexual orientations • Most residents agree that people similar to themselves are treated fairly by neighbors, law enforcement and local government. Fewer believe the same to be true for people different from themselves.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Malone
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CITY OF NEW ALBANY ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL
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Invest in Projects and Programs that Enhance Quality of Life Heit Center/Healthy New Albany Senior Connections One of New Albany’s most notable health and wellness investments is the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, which celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2020. As a public/private collaborative project, the New Albany Company donated the land and the City of New Albany funded the Heit Center’s construction with bonds that are being paid off by long-term leases signed by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital occupy the entire second floor, and The Ohio State University also leases and operates the fitness center on the main floor. The remainder of the first floor is occupied by Healthy New Albany, a local 501c3 non-profit designed to create and promote a culture of health. Healthy New Albany partners with the City of New Albany on a number of initiatives that provide opportunities for physical, emotional and social well-being. For the full range of services Healthy New Albany provides, visit healthynewalbany.org. Healthy New Albany also provides services to our age 55 and older community through their Senior Connections programming. Activities include healthy cooking and nutrition classes, lectures, volunteer opportunities, book club, technology tutorials, and exercise and yoga classes. The group hosts evening and special events as well as outings to local areas of interest. Coffee club meets every Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon. New Albany residents and non-residents are welcome to attend. For more information, go to healthynewalbany.org/seniorconnections.
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Photos without masks taken prior to pandemic
An IDEA Whose Time Is Now City Council established the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Action (IDEA) Committee in 2020. IDEA’s origins began in 2019 as part of our Engage New Albany strategic plan update, when we consistently heard small group workshop feedback that New Albany needed a more concerted effort to be a welcoming community to people of all backgrounds. Then, when the tumultuous events around race relations occurred in the United States in 2020, we felt compelled to ask questions about diversity, inclusion and equity as part of our resident survey.
PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE ROSE RUN PARK Our newest park connects people to our civic amenities and each other, albeit in a socially responsible manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. The park was also a great way for people to get out of their homes and enjoy nature during 2020. For more information, go to newalbanyohio.org/ rose-run-park.
2020 marked a year of significant planning and design, including planning for a Market Street extension east of Reynoldsburg New Albany Road, design work on the second phase of Rose Run Park that will include a new community Veterans Memorial, and a plan to update New Albany’s pocket/neighborhood parks throughout the next decade.
Dr. Lisa White
New Albany has long been committed to self-evaluation and improvement, and we view the work of the IDEA Committee as an extension of this commitment. Conversations and engagement around issues of race, inclusion and equity will not be easy, but we want to create and support an environment where these issues can be discussed constructively. Racism and inequality directly impact our health and well-being. The IDEA Committee, with the input Courtnee Carrigan of New Albany residents, will develop a set of recommendations for our city with the goal of creating an environment that is welcoming to all people, encourages a diverse citizenship, and inspires participation by everyone in community activities and leadership roles. Mayor Sloan Spalding and Councilwoman Marlene Brisk are serving as City Council’s liaisons to the IDEA Committee, which is being facilitated by Dr. Lisa White and Courtnee Carrigan. Councilman Matt Shull is also participating in the discussions, which are open to the public. IDEA Committee members include Nicole Dempsey, Vida Farwana, LaVerne Fudge-Williamson, Ofra Eliav Greenshtein, Mo Gupta, Abe Jacob, Kimberly Lee Minor, Paul Naumoff, Dr. Nwando Olayiwola, Shohba Painter, Anita Patel, Benjamin Reid, Ben Collins, Tiana Samuels, Renee Shumate, Jennie Wilson, Joe Stefanov, Adrienne Joly and Jennifer Mason. We will provide more detailed updates on this committee’s efforts as ideas for specific actions come into focus.
CITY MAP LEISURE TRAILS New Albany’s leisure trail network now spans more than 55 miles, connecting neighborhoods to our Village Center, school learning campus, parks and the New Albany International Business Park.
To access the City of New Albany map online with access to trails, parks, and city, school and New Albany International Business Park boundaries, go to newalbanyohio.org/maps.
Mayor Sloan Spalding
Councilwoman Marlene Brisk
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CITY OF NEW ALBANY ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL
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Invest in Infrastructure that Encourages Local Private Development New Albany International Business Park $5.5 billion in private investment
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Nearly 12 million square feet of commercial space
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16,000 employees
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5,000+ acres
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Corporate partners include Abercrombie & Fitch, AEP, Aetna, AWS, Bath & Body Works, Facebook, Google and Nationwide Insurance
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Facebook’s 2020 grand opening of its 900,000-square-foot New Albany Data Center confirmed to the world that New Albany gets business. This project created more than 1,000 jobs during construction, and it is expected to generate $700,000 annually for the City of New Albany and more than $500,000 annually for the Licking Heights School District. Facebook also provided community action grants to a myriad of local nonprofits and schools, including the New Albany-Plain Local Schools robotics program. Finally, they purchased a delivery truck for the New Albany Food Pantry. We thank Facebook for their presence and investment here in our community!
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Photos without masks taken prior to pandemic
Strategic Planning Manages Growth, Supports Financial Stability The “Engage New Albany” Strategic Plan update, which began in 2019, is designed to manage growth and development by prioritizing community needs and infrastructure investment, guiding private development, and generating income to support services. This plan will help create a stable, self-sustaining community that can weather downturns and provide consistently high service levels. Unlike communities dominated by residential uses, nearly half the land in New Albany is zoned for commercial use. This is purposeful, as commercial development produces additional revenue for our city and schools without adding a single new student to our school district. In 2020, three of the biggest players in the tech industry (AWS, Facebook and Google) expanded their presence in the New Albany International Business Park. These companies plan to invest in excess of $3 billion combined in our community, and they are producing community benefits even without large numbers of employees working at their facilities. Google will generate revenues similar to what New Albany would receive from a company with 750 employees and a payroll of $37.5 million, and the Facebook and AWS agreements are similarly structured. The majority of revenue generated from these companies will be used to fund capital investments and infrastructure items such as roads, utilities, parks and leisure trails. These long term planning efforts assist in projecting revenues we can expect to receive from various land uses, as well as the financial obligation to serve those uses. Editor’s Note: City Council approved the Engage New Albany Strategic Plan on March 16, 2021; it can be reviewed at newalbanyohio.org/strategic-plan.
NEW ALBANY LAND USE at a glance
16.83 T O TA L SQ U A RE MILES (AP P ROX I M ATE LY 10,771 A C R E S)
47.11%
31.26% RESIDENTIAL
RIGHT-OF-WAY
PARKS/OPEN SPACE
While best known for its miles of iconic white horse fence and Georgian architecture, New Albany is home to one of the largest planned commercial office parks in Ohio. The New Albany International Business Park, located within 500 miles of half the U.S. and Canadian population, has four interchanges along SR 161, 16,000 employees, and represents $5.5 billion in private investment.
3,641 total households
Civic, Institutional, Governmental
Counting Rocky Fork Metro Park, nearly 20% of land in or abutting New Albany is either green or open space
COMMERCIAL
0.33 units per acre, the lowest residential density (by far) of all comparable central Ohio cities
11.85%
9.78%
55+ miles of leisure trails connecting all facets of New Albany Park or open space within ¼ mile of most neighborhoods
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CITY OF NEW ALBANY ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL
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Pursue Continual Service and Operations Improvements 2020 ADMINISTRATION QUICK FACTS • Managed personnel functions for 102 staff positions • Coordinated implicit bias training for city staff • Completed first year of staff wellness program • Secured technological solutions that enabled staff to perform operations remotely to serve the public during the early months of COVID pandemic
• Coordinated logistical support for July 4th neighborhood parade, Santa neighborhood parade and multiple Rose Run Park community events • Implemented new city brand • Redesigned city website • Created/distributed 55 LIST e-newsletters (to subscribe, go to newalbanyohio.org/ subscribe) • Produced more than 100 videos viewed 374,160 times
• Safely re-opened city buildings to the public for services in June 2020 while other public agencies remained closed
• Social media
• Implemented technology solutions to connect street signals and cameras, allowing them to work in an integrated fashion
• >1 million Instagram impressions for first time
• Integrated new police cruiser video system that will also work in conjunction with 2021 police body camera implementation • Led “Engage New Albany” strategic planning initiative • Facilitated resident survey (full report available at newalbanyohio.org/survey; summary on page 10 of this report) • Mayor’s Court cases processed: 780
>3.2 million impressions (average of 8,676 daily impressions)
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195,125 engagements (average of 537 daily engagements)
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Followed by more than 20,000 accounts across all platforms
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2020 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUICK FACTS • Acres zoned: 120.91 • Total Permits Issued: 783 • Total Inspections: 5,720 • Average time for building permit review: residential: 3.2 days; commercial: 12.7 days • Total residential units: 3,641 • Commercial square footage under construction: 2,352,089 • Total commercial investment (announcements, construction, granted occupancies): $3,499,800,000 • Assisted in facilitating CARES Act funding and support of small businesses • Partnered with COTA to launch and promote COTA//Plus in a portion of the Business Park with the suspension of Line 45 (New Albany Rush Hour) and SmartRide • Design plans produced in 2020 include: Economic Development Plan
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Parks Update Plan (framework complete)
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Taylor Farm Concept Plan
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Veterans Memorial Concept Study
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Village Center Traffic & Parking Study
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Photos without masks taken prior to pandemic
2020 POLICE QUICK FACTS
2020 PUBLIC SERVICE QUICK FACTS
• Officers dedicated to the school learning campus throughout the school year: 2
• Basic infrastructure maintained:
• Total high school students who learned dangers of impaired and distracted driving through “Maria’s Message” simulators: 70 • 5th grade and 7th grade students participating in DARE: 646 students • Number of school staff taught ALiCE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) active shooter threat response training: 398 • K-9: 206 detection deployments, seizing 413 evidentiary items; 5 patrol deployments for searching and tracking purposes • RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) classes for females aged 18+: 1 class (only 1 due to pandemic) • Collected 86.2 pounds of unwanted medications collected through Drug Drop Box (open 24/7/365 at NAPD)
16.83 square miles
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4,914 catch basins
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2,116 sanitary sewer manholes
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1,527 streetlights
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1,412 fire hydrants
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275.56 miles of roadway
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295.23 miles of water, storm and sanitary sewer lines
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22 bridges
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25 traffic signals
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• Collected 686,000 pounds of leaves • Managed collection of >10.3 million pounds of trash, recycling and yard waste
SENIOR STAFF
• Service training hours: 1,724 • Performed 2,465 vacation house checks (to sign up for a vacation house check, go to newalbanyohio.org/vacation-checks Joseph Stefanov, City Manager
Adrienne Joly, Director of Administrative Services
Lindsay Rasey, Human Resources Officer
Scott McAfee, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer
Jennifer Chrysler, Director of Community Development
Bethany Staats CPA, Director of Finance
Greg Jones, Chief of Police
Mark Nemec, Director of Public Service
Mike Barker, Deputy Director of Public Service
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Community Connects Us GET CONNECTED, STAY ENGAGED
• City website: newalbanyohio.org
• City Council meetings: typically first and third Tuesdays at 6:30 pm at Village Hall (99 W. Main St.); meetings are always open to the public
• Economic development website: newalbanybusiness.org
Online attendance to meetings is also available at newalbanyohio.org/city- council-mayor
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City Council members can be contacted via email or phone at newalbanyohio.org/city-council-mayor
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• City board and commission meetings: those who have an interest in attending one of these meetings please see page 8 for a schedule
• Innovate New Albany website (a community resource for entrepreneurs): innovatenewalbany.org • LIST e-newsletter received by 1,400 households and businesses (55 total sent in 2020; to subscribe, go to newalbanyohio.org/subscribe) • Community Calendar (sponsored and maintained by the New Albany Chamber of Commerce): newalbanyohio.org/events
For information about becoming a candidate for a city board or commission please contact Clerk of Council Jennifer Mason at jmason@ newalbanyohio.org.
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Online attendance to board and commission meetings is also available at newalbanyohio.org/boards- commissions
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Social Media • >3.2 million impressions (average of 8,676 daily impressions) on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter • 195,125 engagements (average of 537 daily engagements) • 374,160 video views from more than 100 videos produced • >2,100 new Facebook and Instagram followers, >3,000 new social media followers overall
18 2020 New Albany Annual Report | newalbanyohio.org
Photos without masks taken prior to pandemic
CITY UPGRADES WEBSITE If you haven’t visited the City of New Albany’s website (newalbanyohio.org) lately, we invite you to take another look. One of the first things you’ll notice is a pop-up inviting you to sign up for New Albany’s LIST e-newsletter. If you aren’t currently subscribed to this weekly publication, it’s our residents’ favorite way to stay updated on city projects, services and happenings. After this pop-up, you will be taken to our homepage with access to city videos, an events section for upcoming events, a more prominent “News” section and a social media section featuring recent community pictures taken by residents who used the #NewAlbanyOhio hashtag. After all, the best way to illustrate life in New Albany and the beauty of our community is to let residents share what they love most. We also created a Rose Run Park section that helps bring our newest community asset to life and we upgraded the city map by adding icons and pop-ups to showcase subdivisions, landmarks, city and school boundaries, leisure trails and parks around town. We also created a revised “Find Answers” section, an easily identifiable word search on the home page and a “Quick Links” section that provides access to city forms and information about a variety of city services.
newalbanyohio.org | 2020 New Albany Annual Report
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INSTAgrammys Thanks to all the residents who were such wonderful New Albany brand ambassadors in 2020! We greatly appreciate you showing off your local pics and using #NewAlbanyOhio while doing so. For the first time ever, our Instagram posts had more than 1 million impressions in a calendar year!
Sarah Higgiston
Cindy Warner
Lindsey McCollough
Stacie Miller
Angela Myers
Todd Patterson
20 2020 New Albany Annual Report | newalbanyohio.org
Julie Borm
Rich Jochems
Andrew Malone
Jaya Naik
Kyle Schaper
Jennifer Mason
Ian Kalinosky
Nancy Ferguson
newalbanyohio.org | 2020 New Albany Annual Report
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CITY OF N E W A L B A N Y FIN A NC E S New Albany finance functions include overseeing fiscal operations, debt issuance, providing an accurate accounting of receipts and disbursements, managing financial investments and coordinating the annual audit. New Albany’s general obligation rating from Moody’s Investors Service is Aaa and from Standard & Poor’s is AAA, the highest ratings possible by those agencies. New Albany is one of only eight Ohio cities to obtain this “double triple” rating.
2020 Finance Quick Facts
INCOME TAXES
PROPERTY TAXES
• New Albany’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, the highest form of governmental accounting recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association.
In 2020, local income taxes accounted for 81.5% of all City of New Albany general fund revenues. In Ohio, income taxes are typically paid to the community where people work. Most New Albany residents pay no income tax to New Albany because they are provided a 100% credit for income taxes they pay to the communities in which they are employed. This is why it is so critical to create jobs inside New Albany borders. New Albany levies a 2% local income tax on gross wages, salaries and other personal services compensation. This tax is also levied on net profits of corporations and smaller businesses based here.
Property taxes, which are based on the local tax rate (in mills) and the taxable value of the property, are critical to schools, townships and county-wide service agencies. In 2020, the Franklin County Auditor determined annual property taxes for City of New Albany households to be $2,490.58 per $100,000 fair market value based upon the mills for Tax District 222 – City of New Albany, Franklin County, New Albany-Plain Local Schools, Plain Township Fire. (This millage rate does not include the 3.40 mills paid by most New Albany residents to the New Albany Community Authority for debt on the New Albany High School building, Fodor Road improvements, and fire station improvements and equipment.)
• New Albany’s 2020 budget also received the GFOA Distinguished Budget Award • Finance staff also received the Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction for financial reporting. • New Albany’s bond rating: Moody’s – Aaa; Standard & Poor’s – AAA (the highest ratings possible and one of only eight communities statewide to obtain this “double triple” rating). • 70% of all general fund revenues were income taxes paid by businesses and their employees who work in New Albany but don’t live here. • 81.5% of all general fund revenues were from income taxes. Most residents do not pay New Albany income taxes because of the city’s 100% income tax credit paid to other communities. • Property taxes constituted 5% of revenues for city services.
2020 Net Annual Tax Estimate
$2,490.58 per $100,000 of Value Source: Franklin County Auditor’s Office
New Albany-Plain Local School District. . $1,525.01 FCBDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 158.99 Children Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 110.34 ADMH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 49.97 County General Fund . . . . . . . . . . . $ 45.02 Senior Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 41.24 Metro Parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 27.69 Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 15.84 Plain Township . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 271.36 Columbus Public Library . . . . . . . . . $ 63.54 Eastland Joint Vocational School . . . . . $ 61.25 City of New Albany . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 59.41 New Albany Joint Parks District . . . . . . $ 42.72 Columbus State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 18.20
22 2020 New Albany Annual Report | newalbanyohio.org
$2,490.58
2020 City of New Albany General Fund Revenue
$27,217,543
Source: City of New Albany
• 5% Property Taxes & HSRB • 81% Income Taxes • 1% Hotel Taxes • 1% Other Intergovernmental • 3% Fines, Licenses & Fees • 2% Interest Income • 6% Other Revenue • 1% Transfers & Advances
2020 City of New Albany General Fund Expenses
$21,490,171
Source: City of New Albany
• 24% Police • 14% Community Development • 17% Public Service • 4% City Council • 11% City Manager, Mayor’s Court, IT • 1% City Attorney & Legal Services • 6% Finance • 3% General Administration • 7% Land & Building Maintenance • 3% Debt Service • 10% Transfers & Advances
CITY OF NEW ALBANY GENERAL FUND Source: City of New Albany
2020
2019
2018 2017 2016
REVENUES Property Taxes, Homestead & Rollback $ 1,378,536 $ 1,329,487 $ 1,230,666 $ 1,141,832 $ 1,146,546 Income Taxes $21,965,716 $21,526,836 $19,888,263 $16,957,190 $15,739,673 Hotel Taxes $ 236,594 $ 439,849 $ 343,522 $ 328,232 $ 258,630 Other Intergovernmental $ 175,596 $ 59,334 $ 38,320 $ 41,408 $ 45,029 Charges for Services $ 148,189 $ 367,692 $ 174,044 $ 247,812 $ 171,685 Fines, Licenses & Permits $ 780,433 $ 770,806 $ 631,668 $ 733,040 $ 548,813 Interest Income $ 522,457 $ 701,751 $ 376,822 $ 214,976 $ 137,700 Other Revenue $ 1,735,022 $ 983,157 $ 973,563 $ 516,214 $ 516,300 Transfers & Advances $ 275,000 $ 0 $ 1,000,000 $ 0 $ 85,000 Total Revenues
$27,217,543 $26,178,912 $24,656,868 $20,180,704 $18,649,376
EXPENDITURES Police $ 5,042,959 Community Development $ 3,054,819 Public Service $ 3,729,020 City Council $ 862,254 City Manager, Mayor’s Court, IT $ 2,327,447 City Attorney & Legal Services $ 275,762 Finance $ 1,250,923 General Administration $ 586,683 Land & Building Maintenance $ 1,471,538 Capital $ 20,581 Debt Service $ 646,003 Transfers & Advances $ 2,222,182
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
4,562,983 3,070,696 3,544,372 542,898 2,196,056 252,976 1,220,430 715,663 1,024,989 50,650 644,372 3,865,351
$ 4,153,568 $ 2,561,004 $ 3,393,731 $ 448,993 $ 1,996,667 $ 281,376 $ 1,010,628 $ 673,236 $ 1,044,018 $ 114,878 $ 645,272 $10,843,705
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
3,820,512 2,557,168 2,722,982 404,628 1,709,558 284,487 916,454 529,355 870,238 174,012 869,125 1,655,000
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
3,505,530 2,415,018 2,689,961 337,577 1,466,750 236,781 880,392 565,036 790,923 69,290 986,484 5,826,670
Total Expenditures
$21,490,171 $21,691,436 $27,167,076 $16,513,519 $19,770,412
Excess (def ) of revenues over expenditures
$ 5,727,372
$ 4,487,476
($ 2,510,208)
$ 3,667,185
($ 1,121,036)
Fund balance at beginning of year $19,777,649 $14,685,186 $16,585,078 $12,298,456 $12,709,738 Lapsed encumbrances $ 626,785 $ 604,987 $ 610,316 $ 619,437 $ 709,754 Fund balance at end of year
$26,131,806 $19,777,649 $14,685,186 $16,585,078 $12,298,456 newalbanyohio.org | 2020 New Albany Annual Report
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C ELEBR ATE !
Photos courtesy of Columbus Crew SC
The City of New Albany would like to congratulate Caleb Porter and Aidan Morris for leading Columbus Crew SC to victory in the 2020 MLS Cup. Porter, the Crew’s head coach and a New Albany resident, and Morris, a midfielder and 2019 NAHS graduate, were recognized by New Albany City Council in January for their efforts. You can watch a video of Porter and Morris discussing the victory and what the New Albany community means to them by heading to the City’s social media accounts, YouTube page or the video section at newalbanyohio.org.
“I believe in my job and my ability to use that vehicle to ignite a community…Can we bring even more attention to a community like New Albany, which is, I think, one of the best in the country.” – Caleb Porter / Columbus Crew SC head coach and New Albany resident 24 2020 New Albany Annual Report | newalbanyohio.org
CI TY C ONTA CT S CITY SERVICE CONTACTS Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.855.3913 admin@newalbanyohio.org Community Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.939.2254 development@newalbanyohio.org Community Development Inspection Scheduling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.939.2222 City Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.939.2244 council@newalbanyohio.org Finance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.939.2245 finance@newalbanyohio.org Mayor’s Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.855.8577 court@newalbanyohio.org Police. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.855.1234 info@newalbanypolice.org Public Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.855.0076 publicservice@newalbanyohio.org
LOCAL INCOME TAX QUESTIONS
NEW ALBANY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND FRANKLIN COUNTY CONTACTS New Albany Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . . 614.855.4400 Franklin County Board of Elections. . . . . . . . . . . 614.525.3100 Franklin County Auditor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.525.4663
Regional Income Tax Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.866.721.7482
UTILITIES
OTHER NEW ALBANY AREA MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Cable (Spectrum). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.800.892.4357 Electric (AEP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.800.672.2231 Electric, Gas & Propane (The Energy Cooperative). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.800.255.6815 Gas (Columbia Gas). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.800.344.4077 OUPS (Call Before You Dig). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.800.362.2764 Sewer (City of Columbus). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.645.8164 Trash (Rumpke). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.800.828.8171 Water (City of Columbus). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614.645.8270
New Albany-Plain Local Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Albany Parks & Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Albany Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plain Township. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plain Township Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plain Township Aquatic Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
614.855.2040 614.939.7275 614.645.2275 614.855.7770 614.855.7370 614.775.9430
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