Franklin County Board of Commissioners general session, Oct. 13, 2026

Columbus Documenters are trained community members paid to report on public meetings. Want to become a Documenter? Check them out here. Learn more about Signal Columbus. And if you are looking for news that connects the Statehouse to your house, check out Signal Statewide.

Documenter name: Nyshia Gentry

Agency: Franklin County Board of Commissioners

Date: Oct. 13, 2026

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

---

Summary

• Health equity funding: The commissioners approved $2.03 million in grants for 19 nonprofit organizations to address food insecurity, housing stability, behavioral health, maternal and child health, and access to healthcare. The funding is expected to benefit approximately 100,000 Franklin County residents.
• Affordable housing pilot: Commissioners established a $3 million Pre-Development Incentive Fund to help developers cover early construction costs. Commissioners raised concerns about the program’s ability to promote affordable housing and said they will track the pilot’s results before deciding whether to continue.
• County building improvements: The commissioners approved funding for approximately 2,200 new signs throughout the downtown county complex. They also discussed improving digital navigation tools to make county buildings and services easier for residents to access. 

Follow-Up Questions

•  How will Franklin County measure whether the $2.03 million in Health Equity Grants improves access to essential services for residents?
• What specific goals and measurements will commissioners use to determine whether the $3 million affordable housing pilot is successful?
• When will Franklin County implement digital wayfinding tools to help residents navigate county buildings and access services more easily?

Notes

Meeting link can be found here.

Meeting agenda can be found here.

The meeting started at  9 a.m.

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ general session opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Commissioner Erica Crawley.

Residents were reminded that early voting for the Nov. 3 election runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. The full voting schedule and polling locations are at vote.franklincountyohio.gov. Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.  Voters were encouraged to mail them early and plan ahead, including considering transportation, wait times and required identification.

Crawley described including her daughters and coordinating with about 11 friends to vote. President O’Grady described his family’s polling-place tradition changing with his college-age daughter voting absentee for the first time, and the Election Dday luncheon his family has held twice yearly since 1990. The luncheon has been at Dempsey’s for 13 to 14 years; it began with his father, Pete O’Grady.

The board recognized 330 participants in the previous Sunday’s Franklin County 5K, representing 37 of 45 cooperative agencies. Mariah Hicks and Spencer Necker were the top finishers; the winning agencies were the Clerk of Courts, Guardianship Service Board, and Emergency Management team. Trophies were presented during the meeting.

County Administrator Kenneth Wilson said this was the eighth 5K. The event included healthy-food resources, fresh produce, and flu shots as part of the Thrive On program. Wilson walked the full 3.1 miles in the rain rather than running.

Resolution 0666-26 authorizing a one-year, $110,307.12 agreement with Mobile Communications America Inc. for Milestone software licensing and server configuration. Assistant Finance Director Albert Smith said the platform will bring existing county camera systems together; it is funded through the Law Enforcement Trust Fund. Adopted.

Resolution 0667-26 for a $401,054.22 contract with iVideo Technologies LLC for the Emergency Operations Center technology upgrade was read. Jeff Young, Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security director, said the congressionally funded project, awarded by U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty, replaces display technology and connects the assessment center, EOC, and joint information center so they can operate concurrently and share or customize display inputs. The longer-term vision is a multi-agency coordinating center that can share information with local jurisdictions and department operations centers. Adopted.

Resolution 0668-26 to execute the previously approved release of easement for the radio tower at 8995 E. Main St. in Reynoldsburg, Licking County. Young explained the county had not used the tower before 2020 and returned it to the State of Ohio after the county and state radio systems merged. The original release was never filed, and the state now needs a wet signature on the 2026 version for filing with the Licking County Recorder’s Office. Approved.

Resolution 0669-26 would extend the Central Ohio Workers Center grant through May 31, 2028, for up to $300,000. Curtis Brown, community partnerships administrator, said the organization had served over 130 workers through consultations, referrals and workplace-rights guidance; reached over 225 participants through its Latina Women’s Circle Initiative; trained over 85 workers; and distributed 100 solidarity boxes to underserved families. Approved.

Resolution 0670-26 to provide up to $2.03 million in 2026-27 Health Equity Grant agreements with 19 nonprofit organizations. Brown said the program received over 160 applications and a 50% increase in letters of intent compared with the prior cycle. The recommended partners are projected to serve about 100,000 residents, addressing needs such as food access, housing stability, behavioral health, maternal and child health, and access to care. Work is concentrated in the South Side, Franklinton, Hilltop and Linden neighborhoods, among other areas aligned with the Rise Together Poverty Blueprint. Approved.

Resolution 0671-26 for an expedited Type 1 annexation of 3.008 acres, comprising two parcels at 6345 and 6347 Olney Road, from Blendon Township to Columbus. Tamara Ennist, planning administrator,  said the township and city entered an annexation agreement June 14, 2021, and the petition meets Ohio Revised Code Section 709.02 requirements. Approved. 

Resolution 0672-26 to allocate $952,425 in SPARK kindergarten-readiness sub-awards to Action for Children, Home for Families (the Homeless Families Foundation doing business as Home for Families), and the YMCA of Central Ohio. Carmen Barnes described SPARK as a family-focused program for children ages three through five, with monthly lessons, educational supplies, and referrals to address barriers to school readiness. The agencies served over 355 low-income families and delivered approximately 2,380 lessons in the prior cycle; the new agreements are expected to serve 360 children and their parents. Approved.

Resolution 0673-26 $600,000 transportation sub-award for St. Vincent Family Center and its PREP Academy Day Treatment Program. The presenter, whose name could not be heard, said the program serves children with behavioral or serious emotional disturbances, that more than 120 families received services in the last award period, and that the center plans to serve about 300 children ages three through 12  with non-emergency transportation. Funding passes from the Ohio Department of Medicaid through Franklin County Job and Family Services. Approved.

Resolution 0674-26 for a $12,500 consultation contract with IMPATTO, LLC to support the Achieve More and Prosper (AMP) Youth in Care initiative. The initiative coordinates services between Job and Family Services and Franklin County Children’s Services and aims to engage more youth ages 16-24 in college, career and employment training. Approved.

Resolution 0675-26  for a professional-services agreement with John Reesman, capped at $55,296, for SAFER peer support and case management from Oct. 13  through Dec. 31, 2027. His role includes connecting residents to treatment, developing post-release transition plans around recovery goals, and referring them to community health and human services. Approved.

Resolution 0676-26 for a $1,459,701.60 supplemental contract with Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP to install and upgrade security equipment at the Franklin County Office Tower, Juvenile Intervention Center, Franklin County Correction Center II and Harmony Center. The work is funded through the 2026 Public Facilities Management Capital Improvement Plan and is to be completed within 90 days, with two optional 30-day extensions. Approved. 

Resolution 0677-26 for an $872,807 contract with local firm Quality Custom Signs LLC. The work includes removing existing signs, patching and painting as needed, permits, and fabrication and installation of about 2,200 physical signs in the downtown county complex, including braille where applicable. Installation begins in the 373 Office Tower, with signs expected to be visible by year-end. Approved.

Public Facilities Management person (could not hear name),  said digital wayfinding options—including kiosks or phone-based navigation, multiple languages, and access to county services—are still being developed with the Data Center and BOC IT. Commissioner Kevin Boyce said he would hold PFM accountable for advancing the work. Wilson said jackets and uniforms had been ordered to make navigators easier to identify.

Resolution 0678-26:  93 purchase orders totaling $1,242,263.95. Approved.

Resolution 0679-26 one Public Facilities Agency purchase of $16,478.86; Boyce abstained, and the resolution was adopted. 

Resolution 0680-26 established the Franklin County Affordable Housing Pre-Development Incentive Fund pilot and adopted its program guidelines and application procedures. The fund is capped at $3 million, with no award over $1 million per approved developer, to help cover pre-development costs for new and newly affordable housing construction. The board may administer the pilot internally or through a certified community development financial institution; that choice requires a separate resolution. The county administrator must give the commissioners at least 10 days’ notice before proposed guideline or procedure changes take effect.

Commissioners voiced reservations that the model was not their preferred affordable-housing approach and that $3 million might have limited impact, while still supporting the pilot. They emphasized the need to collect data, assess whether it is moving the needle, and review the application process and program effectiveness before deciding whether to extend or close it. Wilson said the county would examine impact during the pilot and bring forward a second component to determine whether administration will be contracted or handled in-house. Approved.

Resolution 0681-26, accepting the Budget Commission’s amounts and rates for collection in calendar year 2027 and authorizing tax levies. Zach Talarek from the Office of Management and Budget said the annual authorization is normally due by Oct. 1, but an extension of the final abstract moved this year’s deadline to Oct. 31.

Public commenter D.J. Byrnes, known online as The Rooster,  initially called the resolution good business, then shifted to allegations concerning VIP tickets, a suite at Historic Crew Stadium and county officials. The clerk repeatedly asked him to stay on topic with the tax-levy resolution and follow the public-comment rules; Byrnes continued with accusations of corruption and demanded an apology.  The resolution passed unanimously.

The board announced that had expedited a Type 2 annexation petition Annex 30-26, filed Sept. 21  to annex 5.9 acres from Franklin Township to Columbus at 1028–1030 Frank Road (PID 140-003394). It is scheduled for consideration Oct. 27, 2026.

The clerk said commissioners will review the Recorder’s Office proposal to fund the Recorder’s Technology Fund during a briefing on Thursday, Oct. 22, as required by Section 317.321(D) of the Revised Code.

Resolution 0682-26 was adopted to convene in executive session with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office concerning pending or imminent litigation. 

The meeting adjourned at 10 a.m.  

---

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at columbusdocumenters@gmail.com with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

Documenters notes are free and publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (CC BY 4.0). They may be shared, remixed, or reused with appropriate credit to Documenters.org and the local partners. For full guidance, see: https://www.documenters.org/creative-commons/