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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-06-2025 Council MinutesMinutes of RECORD OF FROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Meeting GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Amorose Groomes called the Monday, October 6, 2025 Regular Council Meeting of Dublin City Council to order at 5:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Members present were Vice Mayor Alutto, Mayor Amorose Groomes, Ms. De Rosa, Ms. Fox, Mr. Keeler and Ms. Kramb. Mr. Reiner was absent. Staff members present were Ms. O'Callaghan, Mr. Hartmann, Ms. Babbitt, Mr. Earman, Ms. Rauch, Mr. Fagrell, Mr. Gracia, Ms. Goehring, Mr. Rubino, Mr. Barker, Chief Paez, Mr. Urbancsik, Ms. Goliver, Ms. Hunter, Mr. Jiang and Ms. Blake. Others present were Scott Dring, Visit Dublin Ohio; and Rachel Stuart, Embassy Suites. ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to adjourn to executive session for the purposes of discussing the following: e Personnel Matters: Considering the Employment of a Public Employee; e — To consider Confidential Information related to a request for Economic Development Assistance that involves Public Infrastructure Improvements that are directly related to an Economic Development Project, and which Executive Session is necessary to Protect the Possible Investment or Expenditure of Public Funds to be made in connection with the Economic Development Project; and e Considering the Purchase of Property for Public Purposes. Vice Mayor Alutto seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Ms. De Rosa, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes. The meeting reconvened at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amorose Groomes invited Mr. Keeler to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Dublin Hospitality Industry Update Mr. Dring began the presentation by introducing Rachel Stewart from Embassy Suites, who has been in Dublin for 13 years and represents Dublin's 18 hotels. Ms. Stuart thanked Council for making Dublin a safe, welcoming, and desirable destination for guests and visitors. She reported that 2025 has been an outstanding year for the hotels, with all indicators showing the remainder of 2025 will continue to be strong. Through August, Dublin's hotel occupancy rate stands at 69%, an increase of 4% year over year. The average daily rate is $132, up 5.2% year over year. Together, these numbers translate into what will be a record bed tax year for the City of Dublin in 2025. Looking ahead into 2026, they anticipate anywhere from a 2% to a 4% increase in these revenues. Ms. Stuart emphasized that beyond the bed tax, visitors continue to fuel Dublin's economy by supporting restaurants, shops, attractions, and the local workforce. She thanked Council for the resources dedicated to Visit Dublin, noting that as a company managing over 1,500 hotels across the United States, the competition to attract visitors has never been more intense. Dublin's competitive advantage is Visit Dublin and the results they deliver year after year. She stated that any reduction in Visit Dublin's resources would have a direct impact on hotels' performances and would impact the momentum built in generating bed tax in the future. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Minutes of Meeting GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-538 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 2 of 141 20 Mr. Dring thanked Ms. Stuart and echoed her comments about the importance of Council support. He particularly thanked the Finance Committee, including Chairperson Keeler, Vice Mayor Alutto, and Councilman Reiner, for their recent discussion about ensuring accountability for those receiving bed tax funds. Mr. Dring presented Visit Dublin's nine organizational metrics used for accountability, including worldwide media impressions (1.9 billion impressions in 2025), regional campaign impressions, social media metrics, website visitors, room nights generated, new leads provided to hotels and restaurants, private sector money, bed tax collections, and occupancy rates. He reported that the City is projecting a record $4.2 million in bed tax for this year, with an average increase of 9.5% over the previous four years. The return on investment is 16 to 1 - for every dollar invested in sales and marketing, the City gets $16 back through bed tax and broader economic impacts including restaurant spending, job generation, and income tax. Mr. Dring highlighted the awards received this year, emphasizing that Dublin competes not with neighboring suburbs but with major cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and nationally with cities like Orlando and New York City, despite having a fraction of their budgets. He shared a video created for Cinema Saturdays to increase awareness of Visit Dublin among local residents and visitors. Ms. De Rosa congratulated Mr. Dring on the CEO in the C-suite achievement. CITIZEN COMMENTS Ms. Babbitt read a comment submitted by Sandy McIntosh, 5792 Trafalgar Lane, Dublin. Ms. McIntosh wrote: Good evening, Council Members. I am writing concerning an item not on tonight's agenda, the WID re-zoning and associated code language. Over the summer, City staff met with representatives of the Ballantrae Community Association to discuss concerns related to the WID and next steps in light of those concerns. Since the August 11 City Council meeting, however, there has been no communication from the City. I personally sent two emails requesting that staff continue regular meetings with Association representatives so we can be a part of the code /anguage discussions. I received no response whatsoever to those emails. I resorted to public records requests to try and obtain information. Responses are taking up to three weeks, which is unreasonable. When received, the responses are questionable. Specifically, I asked for draft code language and was told there is none. This is despite the fact that staff told you on August 11 that they anticipated submitting draft language to the planning and zoning commission in October. My specific request to you tonight is that you direct staff to maintain regular communication with the Ballantrae Community Associate's designated representatives, who are me, Jim Martinson, and Joy Kouns Lewis, and to share updates regarding the re-zoning plans and code language, including but not limited to draft language and the setback study that was commissioned months ago. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Sandy McIntosh Sherri Finelli, 6881 Muirfield Drive, Dublin, spoke about safety on the bike path, specifically the stretch from Karrer Middle School through Indian Run to the DCRC. She walks this path almost daily and noticed this summer it has become more dangerous with more scooters, electric bikes, motorcycles, rollerbladers, and bike riders going too fast when approaching and passing walkers and runners. She has witnessed others and herself needing to move out of the way because riders do not give enough space or slow down. Often they do not announce when passing, which is protocol and courtesy. Ms. Finelli proposed several solutions: e a well-positioned convex safety mirror at the top of the tunnel so people can see each other coming, e a solid path line at the tunnel to indicate which side to use, Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Meeting GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 844-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 3 of 11 20 e signs reminding people to maintain their lane and use caution when turning, e signs for those exiting the tunnel to use caution, e speed limit signs for wheeled vehicles (noting bikers might go 15 mph which is too fast when passing pedestrians), and e notices to households about updated safety protocols. She also noted the City website's biking and hiking tab only addresses biking with nothing about pedestrian safety protocols. Mayor Amorose Groomes asked staff to exchange contact information with Ms. Finelli to discuss her concerns further. Arjene Chen, 7472 Bardston, Dublin, greeted Council on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners in Ohio and as a 20-year resident of Dublin. She provided information explaining what Falun Gong is, also known as Falun Dafa. It is a peaceful meditation practice based on principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. She appreciated Dublin's recognition of World Falun Dafa Day on May 13 over several years. Once widely praised in China for its positive impact on health and moral values, Falun Gong was banned in 1999. She hoped Council would stand with them in raising awareness and resisting this transnational repression, noting that supporting Falun Gong and Shen Yun is about preserving America as a place where faith, culture, and freedom can flourish without fear. Mayor Amorose Groomes indicated Police Chief Justin Paez and IT Director Brandon Brown would meet with Ms. Chen to get contact information and respond appropriately. CONSENT AGENDA e Minutes of the September 22, 2025 Regular Council Meeting e Minutes of the September 29, 2025 Work Session There was no request to remove an item from the Consent Agenda. Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Vice Mayor Alutto seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: Mr. Keeler, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Ms. De Rosa, yes; Ms. Fox, yes. INTRODUCTION/FIRST READING — ORDINANCES Ordinance 42-25 Amending Chapter 35 of the Codified Ordinances to Revise the Fee and Service Charge Revenue/Cost Comparison System and Establishing a Schedule of Fees and Service Charges for City of Dublin Services Vice Mayor Alutto introduced the Ordinance. Mr. Urbancsik presented the staff report. He explained that Ordinance 94-13 established a structure for alternating between inflationary increases and full cost studies. Odd number years like 2025 apply inflationary adjustments while even number years involve comprehensive reviews. This approach aligns with best practices. In 2023, a 4.25% inflationary increase was applied (reduced from the original 6.8% measure). 2024 was a full comprehensive cost study, and this year is an inflationary measure. The timeline for the 2026 fee schedule included departmental reviews from May to July, presentation to the Finance Committee on September 9, first reading tonight (October 6), anticipated Council adoption on October 20, with fees implemented at the beginning of the year. Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Nieoing GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3338 FORM NO. 10748 Held October 6, 2025 Page 4 of 11. 20 For Engineering, Parks, Police, and Public Service, no fee changes are proposed this year - only inflationary adjustments. All departments will undergo full evaluation in next year's comprehensive cost study. In Court Services, new fees for probation services are proposed: $50 for non-reporting and $150 for reporting probation (currently $0). Additionally, credit card fees totaling over $12,000 in 2024 will be passed on to payees to reduce the general fund subsidy, with most fees incurred by non-Dublin residents. Park rental fees have not changed since 2019. Staff is proposing increases across the board with a larger jump for pavilions due to the cost to maintain enhanced amenities. Shelter rentals for residents will go from $10 to $15 per hour, and pavilion rentals from $15 to $25 per hour. DORA cups are transitioning to sticker-based pricing at $10 for 45 stickers. This shift addresses retailer feedback, reduces storage needs, allows flexibility in cup types, and enables real-time updates to DORA rules through QR codes. It aligns with neighboring communities' best practices and could improve retailer compliance. Recreation fees will see a 2.6% inflationary increase. Lap lane rentals for Dublin residents will increase from $9 to $20 per hour, moving closer to the full cost recovery rate of $56 per hour. The school district's adjustments were part of Ordinance 12-25 and took effect October 1 with similar pricing structure. For Building Standards, the department achieved 105% cost recovery in 2024. City Council's goal is to achieve 100% full cost recovery including direct and indirect costs, which would be approximately 130% cost recovery. Staff proposed a 2.6% inflationary increase. Dublin continues to offer exceptional service including same-day inspections, early morning availability, and an online request system. Mr. Urbancsik presented cost of development benchmarking analysis comparing Dublin to surrounding cities. Dublin remains one of the more expensive cities for development, but rankings have improved since 2020. Unlike cities that subsidize fees through general funds, Dublin's model emphasizes service quality and transparency. Cities like Westerville and Marysville are more expensive due to infrastructure ownership, while others offer lower fees but fewer services. Dublin's fees reflect actual service costs, ensuring sustainability. High planning fees support customized services like PUDs, and developers benefit from unlimited inspections and fast reviews. While residential fees are mid to upper range, developers consistently praise Dublin's responsiveness and efficiency, reinforcing the City's competitive edge. There were no public comments. Ms. Fox appreciated the comparisons but noted that looking at commercial building department fees, they are twice what they are in Marysville, Hilliard, New Albany, and Westerville. Planning and zoning costs are seven times higher. While acknowledging Dublin offers the best quality and great staff, she encouraged looking at ways to bring fees down through improved efficiency, noting the competition will be even stronger. Ms. De Rosa asked about AI adoption and new technologies that could lower costs. She noted that with Dublin's larger staff and infrastructure for quality, there's a chicken-and- egg problem with cost-based pricing. To drive efficiencies, she requested information about process changes and Al's potential, knowing the community would like to hear about these efforts. Ms. O'Callaghan responded that technological advances will be part of the conversation moving forward, with the next phase of process improvement focusing on engineering and technical processes, which are ripe for AI improvements. Ms. Kramb suggested that during next year's full cost study, staff should examine how Dublin has one price point whether applicants have 2 meetings or 20, which differs from surrounding communities. She recommended capturing data on average touch points or meetings to find a middle price so the burden is not on either side. Vice Mayor Alutto thanked Ms. Kramb for bringing that perspective to help with the full cost study discussions next year in Finance Committee. Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Meeting OVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3338 FORM NO. 10748 Held October 62025 Page 5 of 11 20 Second reading/public hearing is scheduled for October 20, 2025. INTRODUCTION/PUBLIC HEARING/ VOTE — RESOLUTIONS Resolution 50-25 Adopting the Dublin Sustainability Plan Vice Mayor Alutto introduced the Resolution. Ms. Goliver provided background that City Council adopted the 2018-2020 sustainability framework at the September 24, 2018 meeting. Of the 35 goals, 31 were substantially completed. The sustainability plan was reviewed at the June 3, 2024 City Council meeting, and a revised plan was brought to the August 25, 2025 City Council meeting where Council provided feedback. Based on Council's August feedback, staff amended the executive summary and sustainability plan. Per Council's request that budget processes highlight items advancing sustainability goals, the proposed 2026 operating budget consolidates several sustainability initiatives into the Office of the City Manager to increase visibility. The executive summary was made more reader-friendly by cutting redundancy and shortening it to two pages with refined language. It now provides background, defines sustainability, highlights impactful initiatives, and outlines next steps for communication and community participation. Public education was highlighted in the executive summary by adding objective 1.3: "Amplify Dublin's sustainability story" to the goals and implementation roadmap. This provides strategies for clear communications about events, programs, and participation opportunities. Language was added to clarify that the timeframe for action 1.1.5.d includes both hiring a consultant and implementing their recommendations. The action plan now memorializes that timeframes (years 1-3, 4-7, 7+) begin with plan adoption, selected to align with the parks and recreation master plan for tracking consistency. Staff recommended adoption of the Sustainability Plan. There were no public comments. Ms. Kramb thanked staff for revising the executive summary, calling it user-friendly and a huge improvement. She noted one grammatical issue with item 4 not starting with a verb and suggested changing it to "Foster a thriving circular economy" for parallelism. Vote on the Resolution: Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Ms. Fox, yes; Ms. De Rosa, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes. OTHER BUSINESS e Proposed 2026 Council Meeting Schedules Ms. Delgado reported that 2026 proposed meeting schedules were provided to Council at the September 22 meeting to provide time for review and feedback. Having received no concerns or feedback, staff recommended adopting the schedules. Mayor Amorose Groomes moved to approve the regular meeting, work session and standing committee meeting schedules for 2026. Vice Mayor Alutto seconded. Vote on the motion: Ms. Fox, yes; Ms. Kramb, yes; Mr. Keeler, yes; Mayor Amorose Groomes, yes; Ms. De Rosa, yes; Vice Mayor Alutto, yes. e Human Resources Briefing Ms. Miglietti presented the quarterly briefing focusing on several HR focus areas, with data regularly reported in the City Manager's monthly report. Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ublin City Council Meeting GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3388 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 6 of 11 20 Regarding employee relations, all four collective bargaining agreements remain in effect for three years. The City is currently in negotiations with the United Steelworkers, with that contract extended through January 1, 2026. Negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police recently began and will make significant strides in October and November. For health care benefits, the City has 410 employees with 374 participating in medical coverage, totaling 1,129 lives covered. A smaller group participates only in dental and vision benefits. The City continues managing increasing health insurance costs, driven by stop loss premiums (insurance for claims exceeding $175,000 per individual). Through July, three claims exceeded the stop loss threshold totaling over $810,000, with three more likely before year end. These represent a small percentage of the health population but drive annual premiums. On the positive side, the medical increase was extremely low at 0.14%, and dental costs increased a modest 4.9%. This is attributed to the Healthy by Choice wellness program and employee education on being smart consumers. The City's top three cost drivers for 2024 were nervous system claims (25% of total plan spend), maternity costs due to three NICU stays, and musculoskeletal claims. Diabetes represents 5% of overall plan spend. Looking forward, while employer-sponsored health insurance historically grows at 4.7% annually, and Mercer's survey shows 2026 costs expected to rise 6.5%, the City's projected increase for 2025-2026 is approximately 1.33%, significantly lower than benchmarks. As of July, 81.26% of employees and spouses have had dental cleanings since last October, signaling proactive health management that reduces expensive medical claims. The annual health fair's theme was "Roll into Better Health," offering screenings, healthy food, games, and vendor engagement. The addition of the Health Check 360 app provides a one-stop shop for tracking health and completing the wellness program, through which employees can earn premium waivers - the most unique and generous medical benefit of any Central Ohio municipality. Regarding recruitment and selection, the City has a 3.1% vacancy rate and 8.4% turnover rate, indicating effective talent management and workforce stability. New employees attended Q3 meet-and-greets and received R-Factor and Culture Training, which will be offered semiannually to new hires. The employee survey with Energage achieved 70% participation. Results show employees feel proud to work for the City and view Dublin as an employer of choice. Concerns were raised about workload balance, meeting volume, and career progression. Key statistics included: 79% agreed their job makes them feel part of something meaningful, 68% said work stress is manageable, 68% are very satisfied with benefits, 73% would highly recommend working at Dublin, and 79% said their supervisor cares about their concerns. Dublin was benchmarked against 67 local government organizations with 200-870 employees. Finance was recognized as the latest exceptional team through a Celebration Station for integrating the operating and capital budget process into a streamlined schedule. Vice Mayor Alutto thanked Ms. Miglietti for discussing dental hygiene as it is a significant health indicator, noting the huge compliance number. She praised using the Energage survey program, emphasizing its importance in years 2-3 for tracking employee engagement progression. Mr. Keeler asked about viewing the full employee engagement survey and comparison with benchmark cities. Ms. Miglietti explained they show comparison with benchmarks rather than individual cities, and she plans to share more information at the December briefing after sharing results with employees and senior leaders. Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Meeting GOVERNMENT FOAMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 7 of 11 20 Mayor Amorose Groomes asked about options to circle back to the 150+ employees who did not complete the survey. Ms. Miglietti noted this was the highest participation in five years (from 50% to 70%), attributing it partly to persistent encouragement. Ms. Fox confirmed the survey is anonymous, with no names attached to comments. Ms. Miglietti confirmed it is run by Top Places to Work with no ability to identify respondents, ensuring privacy. Innovation and Technology Briefing Mr. Brown presented on the state of AI and the City's approach. He framed the discussion around five focus areas where AI impacts operations: security, customer experience, collaboration, operational excellence, and innovation. Mr. Brown distinguished between generative AI (built on large language models that respond to prompts, like ChatGPT) and agentic AI (which chains together actions for autonomous automation). While generative AI is current, agentic AI is still formulating, though adoption may be faster than research suggests. He outlined challenges including security concerns with data, AI ethics ensuring fair and unbiased results, technology accuracy and reliability, energy usage, keeping humans in the loop, and cyber threats. Common myths include: viewing AI as a fad, expecting full autonomy (not currently capable), over-reliance without human oversight, and workforce replacement fears. The City has AI guidance within its information security program and is pushing for increased adoption within City data tools. Dublin was an early member of the GovAI Coalition started by San Jose, providing resources like policies, playbooks, and use cases. The City also engages with state programs mixing public and private sector perspectives. Mr. Brown categorized AI tools into three buckets: assistive tools, predictive analysis and action, and straight analysis. Current uses include: e Assistive AI: Teams meeting helpers for notes and tasks, Copilot for drafting and summarizing documents/emails, coding helpers for spreadsheet formulas and Python code. The City is building agents using Microsoft Copilot Agent Studio, and a brand/voice checker for communications. Staff is developing an agent to help front desk staff find information faster using natural language. e Predictive and Action-Based AI: The Transportation and Mobility team uses cameras and sensors for data collection and interpretation. Examples include DURA, parkpilot, FIBAR technologies, pickleball court usage analysis using computer vision, Power BI analytics, and dynamic snowplow routing that adjusts based on conditions. e Analysis: Power BI analyzes work orders, permits, finance data, and customer service information. Placer provides location analytics for events and facilities. Salesforce with economic development assists with business retention visits. Change detection in GIS identifies differences in aerial photos for asset collection or permit violations. Vision-assisted analytics test pavement and pipe conditions. Future focus includes targeted document search and intelligence, continued finance data processing and agent development, code and permit assistants, digital front door evolution, and staying current with new developments. Vice Mayor Alutto appreciated the presentation, noting task displacement rather than human displacement allows humans to work at highest capacity. She encouraged partnership with HR on job description impacts and change management, seeing potential for cost reduction while maintaining high-touch human interaction when needed. Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Neate GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 8 of 11 20 Mr. Keeler acknowledged AI as a game changer that will eliminate some positions but cautioned about limitations. Using the example of ChatGPT creating a solar code by gathering from various sources, he emphasized the need for human vetting, noting it saves time but requires attorney review to catch what AI might miss. Ms. Fox viewed Al as either building or breaking trust in City government, depending on whether people understand how it benefits them or puts them at risk. She challenged the City to teach the public at a "kindergarten level" how Al is being used to improve services and protect residents, suggesting communication through Dublin Life magazine and social media to help residents grow with the City's AI adoption. Mayor Amorose Groomes noted AI has amazing implications for planning through modeling, visioning, and generating building images and landscapes. She advocated for Dublin to lead in preparedness rather than implementation, being judicious since great possibility comes with potential for great harm. Ms. De Rosa estimated 75-95% of local businesses and employees are already using AI, creating an expectation that the City be bold but prudent. She emphasized the community expects the City to use AI to lower costs and improve service, comparing it to past adoption of telephones and computers. Mr. Brown wished everyone a happy Cybersecurity Awareness Month, noting phishing training would come soon. Japan Trip Report Mayor Amorose Groomes, Jeremiah Gracia, and Jenna Goehring reported on their attendance at the 55th annual Midwest US Japan Conference in Tokyo. The conference, organized by a 10-state organization, focuses on economic relations between the American Midwest and Japan. Discussions covered tariffs, foreign policy, and included executives from Japan Airlines, Eli Lilly Japan, Hitachi, Toyota, ANA, Medtronic, Kawasaki, and others. Government representatives included the governors of Michigan and Nebraska, lieutenant governor of Kansas, and several Japanese prefecture governors. Consul General Kishimori arranged a visit to the Mori Business Urban Lab featuring a 1/1000th scale replica of Tokyo, with similar models of New York and London. The model demonstrated transit-oriented development along subway and rail corridors, park space distribution, and transportation options. Mayor Amorose Groomes emphasized the importance of viewing communities holistically. They met with Honda executives at a lunch hosted by One Columbus including representatives from Bellefontaine, Columbus, Dublin, Marysville, West Jefferson, and several counties. Mayor Amorose Groomes thanked Honda for their presence and supply chain contributions. Honda discussed their plant's capacity to toggle between gasoline and battery manufacturing and their commitment to EV battery technology development in Ohio, though tariffs remain a challenge. Mr. Gracia reported on meeting with JETRO (Japanese External Trade Organization) in Osaka, where JobsOhio presented Ohio opportunities to interested Japanese businesses. The World Expo in Osaka, running through next week with the theme "Designing Future Society of Our Lives," featured country pavilions. Osaka Prefecture's pavilion focused on healthcare technology and the future of food, healthcare, and city infrastructure. The team met with existing corporate headquarters. At Hidaka USA, they met founder Mr. Hidaka's younger brother, with Mayor Amorose Groomes presenting a gift. The room displayed Dublin gifts from previous mayors and council members, demonstrating the importance of relationship building. The Hidaka team adjusted their schedule and finished a robot overnight to showcase it during the visit. Minutes of RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Dublin City Council Meeting GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 844-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 9 of 1120 Through their transportation mobility network, they met with Accenture's Tokyo office to discuss smart city initiatives and pilots, facing similar challenges with technology interoperability and adoption rates. Ms. Goehring detailed business visits to Toyodenso (parent company of Weastec), which develops 4,000 types of electrical components. Discussions covered international operations, workforce development, the shift to electric vehicles, and connected vehicle technology. Dublin shared information about Beta District incentives attractive to R&D companies. At Goken Nihon (a subsidiary of Goken), a global engineering and technology services provider for automotive and aerospace industries, leadership discussed partnership opportunities while Dublin offered marketing, outreach, and growth strategy assistance. At Micware in Kobe, which develops navigation software and in-vehicle electronic systems for Honda, Toyota, Mazda and others, conversations centered on new technologies and Beta District partnerships. Ms. Goehring emphasized that effective business retention and expansion efforts are key to Dublin's economic development strategy. Regular missions to Japan are especially valuable as Japanese companies value long-term relationships. These visits provide opportunities to hear directly from business partners and gather feedback to shape programs and strengthen the business environment, supporting business attraction, entrepreneurship, and foreign direct investment. Mayor Amorose Groomes noted these trips require multiple meetings to build relationships and trust. Every company with Dublin subsidiaries was extremely complimentary of the economic development team. Mr. Gracia compiled extensive takeaways and follow-ups to deepen relationships and explore economic opportunities. The Mayor mentioned attending a Tokyo Giants baseball game one evening and thanked her travel partners. STAFF COMMENTS City Manager Megan O'Callaghan announced the City received a Specialized Plan Award for the Metro Center Revitalization Plan at the American Planning Association Ohio Conference, recognizing projects addressing specific planning challenges with innovative, transferable solutions. Since 2003, Dublin has partnered with Central Ohio communities through SWACO's solid waste consortium for collaborative bidding. Currently including 11 communities representing 68,000 households, Dublin's contract with Rumpke for residential solid waste, recyclables, and yard waste services began January 1, 2022, initially for three years with two one-year extensions through 2026. Planning for the new bid process began last January, with the consortium meeting regularly to discuss service levels, vendor information, efficiency improvements, and environmentally friendly services. The consortium will bid separately for collection/delivery and recycling processing, with the recycling bid releasing in November and collection services bid in March 2026. On September 26, Dublin hosted city managers, administrators, police chiefs, and fire chiefs from Northwest Regional Communications Center (NRECC) partner agencies for a comprehensive discussion on past, present, and future regional communications operations. All agreements except Upper Arlington's expire at year end, requiring new agreements for 2026. Dublin is proposing additional NRECC positions with associated costs reflected in partner agency charges. Future significant capital investments in the five-year horizon were introduced for partners' budget planning. Since no current leadership was involved in NRECC's formation over a decade ago, the meeting provided valuable history and overview of operations, staffing evolution, call volume trends, and technology improvements. This was the first of several engagement meetings planned. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin Gry Council Meeting ‘GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 844-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held__ Cte 6, 2025 Page 10 of 11.20 The annual SnowGo Rodeo occurred October 1, beginning with comprehensive classroom training followed by the rodeo event testing maneuverability skills and SnowGo system readiness. Drivers then identified potential conflicts on assigned routes. Scoring was handled by Dublin Citizen U alumni who also brought treats for staff. Spooktacular is coming October 16-17 at Coffman Park. The events team recruited a record-breaking number of sponsors with an 88% increase over 2024. Top sponsors include Amazon, Mount Carmel, and State Farm, totaling $22,000 in sponsorship. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Ms. Kramb attended the Dublin City Schools Hall of Fame ceremony on September 26, congratulating all inductees. On September 27, she joined others at Miracle League's 20th anniversary celebration, noting perfect weather. On September 30, she attended the MORPC Sustainability Summit with hundreds of attendees and the Taste of Dublin event that same evening. She announced that the State Historic Preservation Office will be awarding the Brown Harris Cemetery project, with an award at the ceremony on November 7. Ms. Fox appreciated hearing about the Japan trip and economic development efforts, encouraging council members to travel for ideas, perspectives, and partnerships. She also encouraged considering accessory dwelling units for affordable senior housing, allowing seniors to age in place on existing properties where families live - a simple zoning change providing the cheapest way to bring less expensive senior housing. Mr. Keeler highlighted the MORPC Sustainability Summit's stormwater management discussion, emphasizing collaboration with upstream communities since their development impacts downstream areas. He suggested the Logan-Union-Champaign Committee and SR 33 Corridor group as venues for these conversations. Regarding the bike path safety concerns, while the Public Services Committee addresses speeds and requirements, he suggested creating etiquette videos and signage for blind spots like tunnels, clarifying right of way. He congratulated the events team for securing $22,000 in Spooktacular sponsorships. Ms. De Rosa echoed comments about major events, particularly Miracle League's heartwarming 20-year history. Regarding bike path safety, she traverses the path daily and agreed about the importance of trail markings and etiquette signs as the Public Services Committee works on these issues for the signature trail and other projects. Vice Mayor Alutto agreed about addressing not just bicycles and walkers but e-bikes, mopeds, and small motorcycles on trails and surface roads. She expressed concern about teenage boys driving these vehicles on roads and appreciated the Public Services Committee's work on this needed issue. Mayor Amorose Groomes reported the following: e She attended the Dublin City Schools Hall of Fame induction on September 26, and was amazed at graduates’ accomplishments. e She thanked Joe Fox for being the face of Dublin to many with developmental disabilities, representing the City with excellence and kindness, congratulating Miracle League on their 20th anniversary. e She enjoyed a visit with third graders from Deer Run on September 29. e She thanked participants in the Universal Oneness Day wrist tying event, and e MORPC for another sold-out sustainability summit where she attended sessions on parks and transit interconnection. e She welcomed two new MORPC Executive Committee members on October 2: Kelly Scocco (Public Services Director, City of Columbus) and Steve Schoeny (City Manager, Upper Arlington). RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Minutes of Dublin City Council Meeting GOVERNMENT FORMS & SUPPLIES 644-224-3338 FORM NO. 10148 Held October 6, 2025 Page 11 of 11. 20 e She congratulated the Chamber on a great Taste of Dublin event. e On October 3, she and City Manager O'Callaghan divided duties between COMMA and altafiber meetings, with the Mayor attending altafiber's grand opening. e She met with Bailey Elementary third graders today (October 6). e She appreciated the Public Services Committee's work on e-bikes, noting existing convex mirrors in some tunnels are helpful for enhancing safety. e Finally, she shared a congratulations letter from Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano recognizing Dublin for Best Suburban Fourth of July Celebration by CityScene Magazine, which she will forward to Events Director Alison LeRoy and team, acknowledging it is an all-hands-on-deck effort deserving recognition for everyone involved. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. a) — Presiding Oyu MA, CL in of pt ncil