Explanation
Background: The Short North Alliance, Inc. (the “Developer”) is an Ohio non-profit corporation serving both the property owners and business owners of the Short North Arts District and surrounding area to nurture commercial corridors as vibrant, creative, and inclusive communities and leading arts destinations. On May 13, 2025, the Petition for the Establishment of the Short North New Community Authority under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 349 (the “Petition”) was filed by the Developer with the Clerk of City Council. Pursuant to Resolution No. 0121X-2025 adopted May 19, 2025, City Council, as the organizational board of commissioners for all purposes of R.C. Chapter 349, determined the sufficiency of that petition, set a time and place for a public hearing on such petition, and authorized notices thereof. This resolution approves the petition, establishes the Short North New Community Authority and its new community district, appoints the City’s initial trustees to the authority’s board, and certifies the public hearing was properly conducted.
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested in order to allow the board of trustees of the authority to immediately convene to: take and subscribe to an oath, select the board’s officers, and adopt by-laws, which such steps are necessary to formally creating the new community authority to then allow City Council, by resolution, to immediately consider the addition of supplemental territory to the new community district that is immediately conducive for the board to be able to implement the community development charges for the new community development program.
Fiscal Impact: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To declare that the establishment of the Short North New Community Authority will be conducive to the public safety, convenience, and welfare and is intended to result in the development of a new community; to define the boundaries of the new community district consistent with the petition; to declare that the Short North New Community Authority be organized as a body politic and corporate, within the new community district, along with its associated board of trustees; to provide the method of selecting the board of trustees of the authority and fix surety for their bonds; to certify compliance of the requirements of the public hearing; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Short North Alliance, Inc. (the “Developer”) plans to develop a new community district located within the municipal corporate boundaries of the City of Columbus, Ohio (the “City”) for new community facilities, maintaining existing facilities, and providing services necessary to meet the current and future development needs of the Short North area of the City; and
WHEREAS, on May 13, 2025 the Developer submitted to the Clerk of City Council, pursuant to Revised Code Section 349.03, a Petition for Establishment of the Short North New Community Authority under Chapter 349 of the Ohio Revised Code (the “Petition”), a copy of such Petition is on file with the Clerk of City Council; and
WHEREAS, the Short North New Community Authority’s new community district, as described in the Petition, is located entirely within the municipal corporate boundaries of the City, and this Council, as the legislative authority of the City, is therefore the organizational board of commissioners for purposes of the Petition in accordance with R.C. Chapter 349; and
WHEREAS, on May 19, 2025 this Council adopted Resolution No. 0121X-2025, which determined that the Petition is sufficient and complies with the requirements of Revised Code Section 349.03 in form and substance; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the aforesaid resolution and Revised Code Section 349.03, this Council held a public hearing on the Petition on June 12, 2025, notices of which were published as required in Revised Code Section 349.03, and the date of which hearing is not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days after the filing date of the Petition; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Development certifies to this Council that the public hearing was held as advertised and as attested on the Certificate of Compliance with the Public Hearing Requirements (the “Certification”), attached hereto as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, this Council has determined that the Petition will be conducive to the public health, safety, convenience, and welfare, and is intended to result in the development of a new community; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to allow the board of trustees of the authority to immediately convene to: take and subscribe to an oath, select the board’s officers, and adopt by-laws, which such steps are necessary to formally creating the new community authority to then allow this Council, by resolution, to immediately consider the addition of supplemental territory to the new community district that is immediately conducive for the board to be able to implement the community development charges for the new community development program, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; and NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. Approval of Petition. That the Petition is hereby accepted and shall be recorded, along with this Resolution, in the journal of this Council, as the organizational board of commissioners for all purposes of Revised Code Chapter 349, and this Council hereby determines that Short North New Community Authority, and its new community district as defined in Revised Code 349.01(C), will be conducive to the public health, safety, convenience, and welfare, and is intended to result in the development of a new community as defined in Revised Code Section 349.01(A).
Section 2. Establishment of Authority and District. That pursuant to the Petition, the Short North New Community Authority is hereby organized as a body politic and corporate with the corporate name designated in the Petition (such name being the “Short North New Community Authority”), and the boundaries of the Short North New Community District are consistent with the boundaries described in the Petition.
Section 3. Board of Trustees. That the Board of Trustees of the Short North New Community Authority (the “Board”) shall be comprised of seven (7) members selected and appointed as provided in the Petition. Pursuant to Revised Code Section 349.04, there shall be posted for each member of the Board a bond in the amount of $10,000 for the faithful performance of his or her duties. The bond shall be with a company authorized to conduct business within the State of Ohio as a surety and shall be deposited with and preserved by the Clerk of Council. The initial appointees of the City to the Board shall be as follows:
(i) Jane Grote, Chairwoman, DonaTtos Pizza, is hereby appointed, as a citizen member to represent the interests of present and future residents and employers within the Short North neighborhood, to a one-year term, such term beginning on the effective date of this resolution and expiring on June 23, 2026;
(ii) Tyler Puhl, President, The Wood Companies, is hereby appointed, as a citizen member to represent the interests of present and future residents and employers within the Short North neighborhood, to a one-year term, such term beginning on the effective date of this resolution and expiring on June 23, 2026; and
(iii) Maria Mercurio, CFO, FCCFA, is hereby appointed, as a citizen member to represent the interests of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA), to a two-year term, such term beginning on the effective date of this resolution and expiring on June 23, 2027; and
(iv) Stephen Sayre, Deputy Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office, is hereby appointed, as a member to serve as a representative of local government, to a two-year term, such term beginning on the effective date of this resolution and expiring on June 23, 2027.
Each of the above-named persons shall serve until a successor is appointed or until death, resignation, or removal for cause as determined by this Council and each member appointed herein shall serve without compensation. This Council hereby adopts an alternative form of selecting successor members pursuant to Revised Code Section 349.04 and declares that replacement trustees shall be appointed from time to time by this Council and the Developer in the same manner as the initial appointments; no elections shall be held for successor trustees.
Section 4. Public Hearing. That this Council finds and determines that the public hearing was held as advertised and as attested by the Department of Development on the Certification.
SECTION 5. Effective Date. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this resolution is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.