Columbus City Council Meeting Highlights:
• PRIDE ILLUMINATION AND SHELLABERGER AWARD CEREMONY:
Council President Shannon Hardin, Mayor Andrew Ginther, and Auditor Megan Kilgore will honor Chris Cozad with the Shellabarger Award for her honorable work in the LGBTQ+ community. Following the award ceremony, City Hall will be illuminated in rainbow colors. This event is meant to celebrate Pride Month and honor those who have had a large influence in the LGBTQ+ community. Members of the public are welcome to attend and can arrive outside City Hall between 7:30 – 8:00 pm.
• RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DON A. SELLERS: Councilmember Nick Bankston, chair of the Small & Minority Business Committee, is sponsoring Resolution 0110X-2023 Councilmember Nick Bankston is sponsoring Resolution 0110X-2023 to celebrate, honor, and recognize the life of Don A. Sellers and to extend our sincerest condolences to his friends and family. Don Allen Sellers was a proud graduate of Linden-McKinley High School where he was a basketball player who helped lead the Panthers to a state title in 1977. Sellers held many illustrious positions in the basketball world including, being an NBA scout and evaluator for the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers, and coaching positions in the Chinese Basketball Association, Lebanese Basketball Association, and the Hong Kong National team. Sellers was inducted into the Greater Columbus Basketball Legends Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
• INCREASING 614 BEAUTIFUL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES:
Councilmember Lourdes Barroso De Padilla is sponsoring Ordinance 1424-2023 in the Neighborhoods and Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Affairs to modify an existing agreement with the Neighborhood Design Center to provide an extension of the original contract for the next round of 614 beautiful grants through July 31, 2024, and increases the available funding by $300,000.00. 614 Beautiful is a program created in 2022 aimed at beautifying and unifying Columbus communities through place-based, public-facing improvements. Previous projects include murals and a 3-D bus stop. You can learn more about the program at www.614beautiful.org.
• SUPPORTING ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN NEIGHBORHOODS: Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, chair of the Environment Committee is sponsoring Ordinance 1392-2023 to implement the Empowered! program and support energy efficient, sustainable neighborhoods in line with the City’s Columbus Climate Action Plan. Empowered! is a clean-energy jobs program geared toward Columbus residents ages 18-24. The program will provide training and on-the-job experience for careers in the clean-energy sector. Funding will support three cohorts of program participants over the next year, providing training to establish the skills and knowledge needed to be a competitive candidate for full-time employment within the clean-energy sector. Training will also highlight career exploration; digital literacy; diversity, equity and inclusion; and wraparound services.
