city reporter

NEWS FROM THE CITY OF WESTERVILLE • MAY/JUNE 2020 CityReporter

www.westerville.org

Separate But United How the Community Came Together During a Global Pandemic

It was mid-March when the impact of the international coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis truly came into focus in the state of Ohio. What once was an issue relegated to other countries quickly crossed the U.S. border, triggering a series of statewide restrictions related to physical distancing. Non-essential businesses, recreational amenities and schools would all be closed for weeks. Much-loved-andanticipated community events were postponed. In the end, the City joined the rest of the world in doing what was tough but what was right for the benefit of the greater good.

At the time of this writing, it’s difficult to know what recovery will look like in Westerville and everywhere else in the world. What’s sure is that we will grow stronger, united as a community.

Here’s a glimpse of how the City came together during this unprecedented time:

www.westervillemagazine.com PAYING IT FORWARD: City Council Approves Utility Bill Holiday

Based on economic uncertainties for residents and businesses caused by the spread of COVID-19, the City enacted a payment holiday relief program to waive payment of electric, water, sewer and trash/recycling fees for the month of March and due in April.

Residents were encouraged, if they were able, to consider paying-it-forward by supporting a local charitable organization providing assistance during the pandemic.

The fiscal impact of this bill waiver on all of these various utility enterprise funds of the City (Electric, Water, Sewer, and Refuse) in the aggregate is approximately $5.5 million.

These funds have cash reserves as a matter of fiscal policy which City Council adopts for each enterprise. Those fiscal policies dictate how much cash reserves should be held in each of these enterprise funds to provide sufficient operating cash to sustain critical utility services. Each year as part of the budget process, the City Council and Administration reviews the adequacy of those reserves in relation to fiscal policy, and if necessary, provides for rate adjustments for any enterprise fund projected to be non-compliant with that fiscal policy.

Postponed:

Keep an eye out for announcements about the following City programs and events postponed during the pandemic. • State of the Community • Spring Household Hazardous Waste

Collection • Shredding Day • 10th Annual Bunny Hop 5K • Westerville Citizen’s Academy • Westerville Citizen Police Academy • Women’s Self-Defense • Car Seat Inspections • Public fingerprinting • Westerville Youth Explorer meetings

Find the most up-to-date information on the City’s website at www. westerville.org.

Public Safety Profile

A Message of Thanks to Westerville’s Firefighters/Medics

To the brave men and women of the WFD on the front lines of public health:

We see you every day in Westerville and Blendon Township, racing by with sirens on your way to bear light to those in their darkest moments. You think quickly on your feet. You provide care and hope to many who have none.

When an international pandemic arrived in our state, you did not shy away from your duties. You remained determined to do what it is right and needed. You were smart, taking extra care to protect yourselves and others from this new, silent threat.

You also took care of each other and, in doing that, took care of our community.

You showed compassion. You showed bravery. You showed the world what it means to live the “Westerville Way.” You continue to make us proud. For this, we thank you.

Uptown Improvements Ramp Up During Pandemic

During a time when everything seemed to pause or stop in the City, improvements to the heart of Westerville have accelerated.

Among other things, the project involves widening sidewalks in Uptown to bring them into compliance for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pavement resurfacing and upgrading traffic signal components.

Vehicular and pedestrian traffic was considerably lighter in Uptown as many businesses closed up shop or limited hours in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Hoping to provide a silver lining to what is undoubtedly a difficult time for many in the community, the City took the opportunity to extend work hours to help complete construction faster.

With crew members maintaining the recommended six-foot distance, they ramped up work to replace and widen sidewalks on the west side of the road, between College Avenue and Main Street. On the east side of the road, crews replaced and widened the sidewalk between Winter Street and College Avenue and constructed an elevated sidewalk to allow the much-loved Heritage Tree’s roots to grow without endangering the integrity of the much-traveled walkway. This new construction method should not only protect the tree and provide

drainage, but should also reduce the need to replace future walk areas due to upheaval from roots.

Stay up to date about the Uptown Improvements Project at www.westerville. org/uptown.

Sparks Will Fly Big Changes in Store for the Fourth of July

DISCLAIMER: This information is current as of April 2020. Find updates at www.westerville.org.

After weeks of quarantine, physical distancing and uncertainties, the Westerville community will once again come together for a tradition as classic as apple pie with a twist. This year, the Westerville Rotary Club, supported by the City of Westerville, will move Fourth of July activities to the Westerville Sports Complex (325 N. Cleveland Ave.) after the parade through Uptown.

Additionally,fireworks will be shot off from a new location, closer to the Sports Complex.

For years the Rotary hosted hours of games, rides, food trucks and live entertainment at Westerville South High School (currently under construction). The Sports Complex will offer more space for these activities and more. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy an afternoon of fun and stay to watch the fireworks at dusk. There is no fee to enter the event space, though fees apply for games, rides and food trucks.

Learn more about Fourth of July plans at www.westerville rotary.com.

See You In Uptown

The Parade will begin at the intersection of North State Street and Old County Line Road. It will proceed south on State Street to Electric Avenue, then east on Electric to Westerville South High School.

Join the Fun at the Westerville Sports Complex • Rotary 5K Run/Walk | 8 a.m. • Rotary Children’s Fun Run | 9 a.m. • Food Trucks | 5–10 p.m. • Family Fun Zone | 6–9 p.m. • Live Entertainment: • Jon Anthony & Wishful Drinkin’ | 5–7 p.m. • Pop Gun | 7:40–10 p.m. • Fireworks at Dusk (approx. 10 p.m.)

Get Fireworks Updates

The City will provide updates via their Twitter account, www.westerville.org/tellwesterville.

Local Businesses Adapt During Pandemic

www.westervillemagazine.com

As the Ohio Department of Health stay-at-home orders were issued (and extended) during the coronavirus pandemic, local entrepreneurs were forced to temporarily close their doors and rely on different ways to conduct business at a distance. During these trying times, many residents stepped up their support for local businesses in an effort to help their entrepreneurial neighbors and local economy.

“I think everyone is looking to still support small businesses from the safety of their homes,” said Lauren Williams, owner of The Gemma Shop (43 E. College Ave.)

Williams temporarily closed the doors to her brick-andmortar store at 43 E. College Ave. on March 16, opting to shift her focus to online sales through The Gemma Shop’s website.

“You have to think about your business in a wider range than just the storefront to keep it alive during trying times,” said Williams.

Nicole Harrison, owner of Pure Roots Boutique (18 N. State St.) in Uptown Westerville uses social media platforms to promote inventory and arrange sales. She also started “virtual walkthroughs” of her store. Customers will describe something they’re seeking, and she’ll send photos of related items in the shop via text message.

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“They pick what they want and I wrap it up and drop it off to them,” Harrison said. She offered free local delivery within a 15-20 minute drive of the store.

Megan Ada owns Asterisk Supper Club (14 N. State State St.) in Uptown Westerville, Sunny Street Cafe Westerville (644 N. State St.) and Ampersand Asian Supper Club in the Short North. Her restaurants remained open for delivery and carryout from March 15-24 before she made the difficult decision to temporarily close. Ada says the response from the community was nothing short of touching.

“People have reached out to me personally letting me know they are thinking of the restaurants and can’t wait for us to open again and on social media, the comments are so kind and supportive. Everyone is trying to help; it’s a beautiful thing,” Ada said.

All three entrepreneurs expressed optimism for the return to “normal.”

“My hope is that everyone will be so sick of being inside that they’ll want to come out,” said Harrison. “I’m a ‘glasshalf-full’ girl. I think it’s going to be better than before for a lot of people and businesses. I feel like people are going to see what’s really important in life.”

Learn more about local businesses in Uptown Westerville at www.uptownwestervilleinc.com.

The Tell Westerville app is the fastest, easiest way for you to submit non-emergency requests and get updates from the City. www.westerville.org/ tellwesterville.

Westerville Community Contacts

All area codes are 614 unless otherwise noted.

FIRE/MEDICAL/POLICE EMERGENCY. 9-1-1 Gas/Carbon Monoxide Leaks. . . . . . . . . . . 9-1-1 Mental Health Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1-1 Fire, non-life threatening emergency 882-2213 Police, non-life threatening emergency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882-7444 City Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.westerville.org Community Affairs .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 901-6400 Animal Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6863 Animal Removal (dead at roadside). . . 901-6740 Cemeteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 City Manager’s Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6400

TDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6413 Clerk of Council. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6410 Digging (Ohio Utilities Protection

Service). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-362-2764 Economic Development. . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6403 Electric Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6700

Electrical Outages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6700 Street Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6700

Tree Trimming Near Electric Lines. . 901-6700 Finance Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6440 Fire Division Headquarters. . . . . . . . . 901-6600

CPR/First Aid Training. . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6600 Human Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6406 Income Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6420 Leaf Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Mayor’s Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6419

TDD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6418 Parks & Recreation Department. . . . 901-6500

Inclement Weather Hotline . . . . . . . 901-6888 Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6530 Community Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6500 Everal Barn & Homestead . . . . . . . . 901-6570 Parks Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6591 Highlands Park Aquatic Center. . . . 901-7665 Recreation Program Center. . . . . . . 901-6531 Senior Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6560 Shelter Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6515

Urban Forestry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6598 Permits

Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6650 Burning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6600 Parade/Block Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6410 Security Alarm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6482 Zoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6650

Planning & Development Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6650

Planning, Engineering & Zoning. . . 901-6650 Traffic Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6670

Code Enforcement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6816 Police Division Headquarters. . . . . . . 901-6450

Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6470 Detectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6475 Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6482 Recorded Information Line. . . . . . . . 901-6879

Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6450 Service Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740

Sewer Emergencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Sewer Line Maintenance. . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Stormwater Hotline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Street Emergencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Street Maintenance Repairs. . . . . . . 901-6740 Trash/Recycling Collection. . . . . . . . 901-6740 Water Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6740

Water Line Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . 901-6740 Traffic Violations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6419 Tree/Storm Damage (in right of way). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6591

After hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6790 Tree Trimming (in right of way). . . . . . . 901-6598 Utility Billing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6430 askutilitybilling@westerville.org Water Plant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 901-6770 Other Community Service Contacts Airport—Port Columbus. . . . . . . . . . . . 239-4083 Concord Counseling Services . . . . . . . 882-9338 COTA Bus Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228-1776 Delaware County

General Information. . . . . . . . . 740-548-7313 Franklin County

Board of Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-3160 Property Taxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-3696

Voter Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525-3100 Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital. . . . . 898-4000 Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882-8917 Westerville Area Resource Ministry. . . 899-0196 Westerville City Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . 797-5700 Westerville Historical Society. . . . . . . . 891-0821 Westerville Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882-7277 Westerville Visitors & Convention Bureau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 794-0401

Contact City Council Council Chairperson Mike Heyeck Michael.Heyeck@westerville.org Vice Chairperson Craig Treneff Craig.Treneff@westerville.org Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi Kathy.Cocuzzi@westerville.org Vice Mayor Valerie Cumming Valerie.Cumming@westerville.org Alex Heckman Alex.Heckman@westerville.org Diane Conley Diane.Conley@westerville.org Kenneth L. Wright Kenneth.Wright@westerville.org

Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/cityofwesterville City Manager Dave Collinsworth David.Collinsworth@westerville.org

www.westerville.org Follow us on Twitter: All-City news and information: @tellwesterville Westerville Electric Division: @WvilleElectric Westerville Parks & Recreation: @WestervillePark Westerville Division of Police: @WestervillePD Westerville Division of Fire: @WestervilleFire