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SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT PRO TEM ELIZABETH BROWN
Recently on a walk in our neighborhood with our kids, four-year-old Carolyn spotted a beautiful, teddy bear-like dog. She exclaimed, “We can’t pet that dog because we have to stay six feet away!” I nodded as she paused for a mournful few seconds. “Mommy, I wish my arms were six feet long.”
Over the last month, I too have wished often that I had superpowers to reach across the space and distance between all of us right now.
One way we have tried to span the distance at home is through the simple power of gratitude. We make lists. Carolyn’s list includes our mail carrier (who brings her Highlights magazines), the Easter Bunny (the grocery store employees who ensured we had jellybeans), and “Mae’s mom” (who is a nurse).
In this unprecedented time, I am thinking a lot about my responsibility as a parent to teach good hygiene, some letters and numbers, and an abundance of gratitude. I am also thinking about our responsibility as a city in the next chapter of this crisis.
One thing is abundantly clear: we must focus on helping people first.
While traditional office environments are mostly able to migrate to working-from-home arrangements, low-wage earners and service sector workers have absorbed the huge majority of layoffs: restaurant staff, hotel housekeepers, salon workers, childcare workers, and more.
Every layoff is a family: usually a woman, often an African American or Latinx woman, and often a mother of young children.
As we all experience daily now, our first responders in this crisis are not only our safety forces and health professionals. They are folks working for very little pay in the same service economy that has depleted some industries but made others essential: grocery store clerks, cooks, transportation workers, and delivery drivers. The kind woman who cashed out my plastic eggs and jellybeans last week told me she has been working six days a week now. She never asked to be on the front lines.
She deserves our gratitude, absolutely. But that’s not what she needs. She needs better pay, guaranteed healthcare, an affordable home, and a safe neighborhood. For the long haul.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Brown
President Pro Tempore
City Council returns on April 20, 2020, for its first public meeting since March 16, 2020. Conducted virtually, the meeting will address concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, while conducting regular City business. The zoning meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm.
Council President Hardin will conduct the virtual meeting from Council Chambers. In adherence to social distancing, the other members and department directors will appear virtually through WebEx. The meeting will be livestreamed on CTV, the City’s YouTube channel and Facebook Live.
Columbus City Council urges residents to not attend the meeting in person, and to submit their testimony in writing. The protocols of the social distancing guidelines will be duly enforced within Council Chambers prohibiting overcrowding, and thus the capacity in Chambers will be correspondingly drastically reduced.
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Request an Absentee Ballot Today!
Did you know the Franklin County Board of Elections is accepting absentee ballots for the Ohio primary until April 28, 2020? That means all ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections by 7:30pm on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
vote.franklincountyohio.gov/Absentee-Ballot-Request
Any registered Franklin County voter, who has not already cast a ballot, can request an absentee application by calling 614-525-3470 or visiting the Franklin County Board of Elections website. Call today, because your voice and your vote matters. Learn More
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An executive order issued by Governor DeWine expands flexibility for Ohioans to receive unemployment benefits during Ohio's emergency declaration period. There two ways to apply for benefits in Ohio:
- Online - File online unemployment.ohio.gov 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Note that we are experiencing slow processing times due to high claims activity.
- Telephone - Call toll-free 1-877-644-6562 or TTY 1-614-387-8408. EXTENDED CALL CENTER HOURS: Agents are available to assist with PIN resets and take initial applications Monday through Friday 7am-7pm, Saturday 9am- 5pm, and Sunday 9am-1pm. For any other calls, regular business hours are: Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm. Learn More
Despite what the packaging may say, “flushable wipes” do not dissolve in the sewer system and can cause clogs. Wipes and other non-dissolvable products can cause costly, time-consuming basement backups and damage to pump station equipment. Worse yet, the expense for repairs can fall on homeowners as well as the City.
Here’s a friendly reminder on what not to flush, to avoid home plumbing and city sewer clogs. Please report any public sewer issues to our Sewer Maintenance Operations Center, at 614-645-7102.
Top 10 "Do Not Flush" Items
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Medications: Prescriptions, over-the-counter, vitamins, illegal drugs, patches, and hypodermic needles
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Feminine Products: Sanitary pads, tampons, applicators
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Wipes: Baby wipes, “disposable/flushable” wipes, personal hygiene wipes, and cleaning wipes
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Cooking Oil/Grease: Fats, oils, cooking grease - used or unused
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Grease: Auto, industrial
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Cloth: Cleaning rags, nylon stockings, underwear, shop towels, mop heads, dental floss
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Plastic: Plastic bags, plastic cotton swabs, disposable lighters, hotel shampoo bottles
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Chemicals: Cleaning products, herbicides, insecticides, solvents
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Condoms: Condoms and condom wrappers
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Diapers: Paper or cloth, no matter how dirty, please dispose of in trash
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works 24/7 keeping America safe from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and domestic. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease, and supports communities and citizens to do the same.
Visit the CDC website for up-to-date information on COVID-19
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