This week, Council passed a historic milestone. We named Jeff Cabot, Monica Cerrezuela, J. Averi Frost, Dave Paul and Malik Moore as commissioners on the first-ever Council Residential Districting Commission (CRDC).

These five residents, picked from an applicant pool of 123, will design the map to change the way members of Columbus City Council represent residents.

In 2018, voters passed a charter amendment to enhance neighborhood advocacy and amplify community voices inside City Hall. The vote added two Council seats to bring the total number to nine and established residential districts for each seat. 

The CRDC will host community meetings and gather feedback to create and submit three maps to Council. One of those maps will be approved by the end of 2021, forever changing the legislative make-up of our City. 

The CRDC will begin work in early March. As they start this process, please keep engaged with us as there will be many opportunities for residents to learn, give feedback, and take ownership in our transition to Council districts in Columbus.

Thank you to everyone who applied for the Commission, all of the work done by City staff to get us to this point, and thank you in advance to the five Council Residential Districting Commission members for the work you will do for this City in 2021. 

If you have questions about the process or want to learn more, you can visit www.columbus.gov/districtingcommission or email CRDC@columbus.gov 

In Solidarity, 

Emmanuel V. Remy
Councilmember

PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE: Councilmember Shayla Favor sponsored ordinance 0408-2021, authorizing the Director of Development to enter into an agreement with IMPACT Community Action for the continuation of the Hope Fund. The Hope Fund provides emergency rental assistance for residents facing housing instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The $10 million to be distributed by IMPACT will serve households making between approximately $25,000 and $50,000 a year. 

FUNDING PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS: Councilmember Priscilla Tyson sponsored ordinance 0335-2020 to enter into a $4,299,110 contract with PrimaryOne Health to provide medical and dental services at community-based health centers.

REHABBING SEWERS ON THE SOUTH SIDE: Councilmember Rob Dorans sponsored ordinance 0131-2021, spending $6,271,333.20 as part of BluePrint Columbus, to rehabilitate approximately 87,000 feet of sewers located in the City’s South Side. This project will help minimize infiltration to the City’s sanitary system while reducing sewer overflows to basements and waterways in the area.

ASSISTING COLUMBUS HUMANE WITH ANIMAL CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS: Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown sponsored ordinance 0211-2021 to enter into a $225,000 contract with Columbus Humane to conduct animal cruelty investigations. The Columbus Humane has increased dispatch coverage to help Public Safety with calls for assistance up to seven days a week. These investigations are performed following Ohio Revised Code section 1717 to protect at-risk animals in the community.

Glenna Watson

Glenna's life has been committed to public service. She was the first personnel manager at many state agencies including the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. She was the first African American to head up personnel in the Department of Development, and the first African American female to hold several key posts at COTA, including the first woman and African American to hold the position of General Manager. After retiring from COTA with 22 years of service, Glenna served on the Medical Mutual of Ohio board of directors.

She has served on a number of non-profit Boards including the YWCA of Central Ohio, Prevent Blindness, the Columbus Zoo, and the Columbus Urban League.

Bettye Stull

Bettye's favorite quote is “continue to do the work that needs to be done”, and her life is a testament to how she lives by that quote every day.

Bettye began her career as an administrative coordinator for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, where she worked for over thirty years. When she retired from the City, she became a curator at the King Arts Complex developing youth art education programs.

Retirement never stopped Bettye from serving the community as she served as an art advisor on the Long Street Bridge “Culture Wall” committee. Today, the Long Street Culture Wall consists of a collection of photographs and block prints that detail the history of Columbus’ Near East Side and African American leaders.

Otto Beatty, Jr.

Born and raised in Columbus, Beatty has been a public servant, civil rights activist and attorney. He has created an everlasting family legacy in Columbus, one of true service to the people.

Upon graduation from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, he established a law practice and soon distinguished himself as an astute attorney. 

His life in public service began in 1979, when he was elected to the Ohio House where he served eighteen years, and then worked as special counsel to the Ohio Attorney General. 

His leadership in the Ohio House was part of a long and effective career responding to the issues and concerns of Ohio citizens. He has been honored at the local, state, and national level for his contributions to tort reform, minority business development, and healthcare. 

Marshall Shorts and the Deliver Black Dreams Initiative

James Preston Poindexter: Emerging Leaders Award.

Over the summer, when George Floyd and Brianna Taylor died at the hands of police, the critical issues of racial injustice and racism rose to the top of consciousness for many people, prompting months of protests across the country. 

Deliver Black Dreams, led by Marshall Shorts, used art and public infrastructure as an opportunity to educate and heal. Their mission was to provide a sustained and future-oriented approach to achieving racial equity in Columbus through art. Deliver Black Dreams provided essential visual storytelling  to shift our culture by centering black voices and affirming that Black Lives Matter here in Columbus.