Hilliard · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Hilliard public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Senior Van Program Eligibility
Home and Hilliard helps seniors age in place but charges $300 memberships some seniors can't afford. Council funded $35,000 and required at least ten scholarships, while noting only 85 service requests were made last year.
Grant program criteria and accountability
Council wrestled with fuzzy rules all afternoon — whether salaries can be funded, how to verify Hilliard residents benefit, and whether repeat applicants become too reliant. Next year's applications will need line-item budgets and resident-service numbers.
2027 Community Grants Program distribution
Council decides each year how to split $200,000 among local nonprofits. This year it gave out $166,000, favoring long-standing Hilliard institutions and food security, and declined requests that would pay individual salaries or fund service clubs, churches, and media.
Tax levy certification deadline
Council had to pass the annual tax levy certification ordinance tonight or miss the county's October 31 deadline, so they suspended the normal two-reading process and passed it 7-0 the same night.
Circle K gas station at Roberts and Alton Darby
Council had to decide whether to fold a corner parcel into the Alton Place C-7 sub-area, effectively moving the planned Circle K from the southwest corner of Roberts/Alton Darby to the northeast corner — closer to apartments and townhomes but farther from the Hamilton Ditch stream restoration and better for right-in/right-out traffic. Text changes staff opposed were denied.
Street lighting and light pollution
A new $75,000 street light maintenance program starts with Fairway Commons, and Council Member Vermillion raised whether the city should address light pollution — staff confirmed there's no dark-sky ordinance but agreed to study it.
Destination Hilliard program cuts
Budget constraints are forcing Destination Hilliard to pause two popular events — Galentine's and the Bunny Hop — for 2027, though the Coffee Festival drew over 10,000 visitors.
Recycling changes: orange bags discontinued
Because demand is too low, the orange recycling bags the city has been promoting will no longer be collected starting at the end of February 2027.
Youth sports background checks
The Recreation and Parks Commission reviewed the city's background-check policy for volunteer coaches in leagues like HOSA and Optimist, including regular audits — legislation could come to council soon.
Heritage Trail Extension land acquisition
The city is chasing state grants to help fund a roughly $600,000 trail connector between Municipal Park and the Hilliard Wellness Campus.
Hampton Reserve Ditch Maintenance
Routine stormwater inspection found the city responsible for downstream ditch work near Hampton Reserve; the Franklin County Engineer will do it for up to $101,833.
Road, culvert, and intersection projects
The city has never systematically inspected culverts smaller than 10 feet, and some could pose real risks. A new $150,000 contract will inventory, map, and assess them so problems get fixed before roads fail.
Old Hilliard water line replacement
The city is hiring Burgess & Niple for five years to design replacements for aging pre-1960s cast-iron water lines in Old Hilliard — $117,000 this year for Wayne Street, Main Street alleys, and Norwich Street work that goes to construction next year.
Pedestrian/bicycle mobility and safety program
The city landed $1.2 million in ODOT construction funding to replace a narrow four-foot sidewalk over I-270 with a real shared-use path, with construction targeted for spring 2028.
2027 Capital Improvement Budget
Council got its first look at a roughly $33.9 million 2027 capital budget. About $5 million should come back in grants. Full department presentations were pushed to the next committee-of-the-whole meeting, with a second reading November 9.
Residential deck and porch variances in older Hilliard neighborhoods
Two homeowners in older Hilliard neighborhoods needed variances because their lots are shallower than modern zoning standards allow. Both got unanimous approval, showing the board treats older-plat lots with flexibility when additions don't change neighborhood character.
Stop-loss insurance renewal
The city's annual stop-loss insurance renewal with Anthem comes in at a 3% increase, capped at $941,000, after two years of minimal or zero increases.
Engineering second deputy city engineer
Engineering wants a second deputy city engineer to oversee transportation and mobility, bringing the department to twelve staff. The gas tax holiday may eventually trim the street fund revenue the department relies on.
Cancelling the Purdy Bull CRA tax incentive agreement
A tax incentive agreement is being cancelled because the business was sold to a national chain that won't meet job requirements.
Street sweeper replacement
The city is replacing a 2017 skid loader and an aging chipper (one has been out of service for two months, forcing rentals). The old chipper will be kept as a backup.
Hilliard Recovery Court funding
The Law Department is requesting a $169,800 transfer from the General Fund to keep the Recovery Court program running in 2027.
Gasoline tax holiday impact
Council Member Vermillion asked about the state gas tax holiday — so far no effect on Hilliard, but it will likely hit the General Fund and street maintenance funding down the road.
Sustainability coordinator position
A proposed new position (roughly $100,000 with benefits, salary $68,000–$90,000) sparked debate over whether it should be a coordinator or a leadership role advancing initiatives like solar power. City Manager Rauch said the job description isn't finalized.
Police staffing increase and dispatch costs
Police are asking for two more officers (finishing a four-officer staffing study recommendation) and a third lieutenant. Dispatch costs drop slightly, but a $250,000 regional CAD system upgrade is being split among NREC member cities.
Employee Compensation Study Implementation
The city's first comp study in over five years recommends tightening pay bands, raising range maximums 5%, and restructuring positions — including adding a public service operations manager and an economic development administrator.
2027 Operating Budget
The proposed 2027 operating budget is balanced, with modest department increases and investments in staffing and service levels. Council will take final action later in October after a public hearing.
Yetsi property rezoning and Tarleton Meadows traffic
A 69-lot conservation subdivision next to the Heritage Trail won unanimous support, but neighbors say the single-entrance pattern in their area breeds speeding and cut-through traffic.
Cemetery Road corridor growth
Negotiations with the Wendy's and Mill Run owners have stalled, so Council approved the formal step that allows eminent domain if deals aren't signed by June 1.
City Council Resolution
Speakers from the Columbus DSA asked council to pass resolutions decoupling city resources from federal immigration enforcement and deprioritizing state anti-trans laws. Council took no action; similar measures have passed in Columbus and Whitehall.
Old Hilliard boutique conditional use
The Happy Closet Boutique and Birch Tree Home can open retail in a converted house on Columbia Street, with conditions to repave the driveway and add a walkway.
Sister Cities partnership exploration
In a Committee of the Whole session before the regular meeting, Council heard from Greater Columbus Sister Cities director Jamie Staley about how a Hilliard sister city could boost economic development, workforce programs, and cultural ties.
Homestead Metro Park expansion in the Big Darby greenbelt
City-owned Darby watershed parcels go to Metro Parks to enlarge Homestead Metro Park; a resident urged stream restoration along Clover Groff Run and high-quality native plantings.
2025 Clean Audit
The City lacks updated reserve, investment, and debt policies. Council wants those drafted by mid-2027 and wants to confirm investments stay in the U.S.
City Hall and Public Service Building renovation
City Hall, the aquatics center, and the Joint Safety Services Building all need attention, and council is weighing debt versus cash to pay for it. A facilities master plan is due by October 2026.
Homestead Metro Park expansion land transfer
The city is handing over Big Darby watershed parcels to Metro Parks to grow Homestead Metro Park, along with a trail operations agreement. A resident urged the city to fund stream and native-vegetation restoration so the Green Belt starts out healthy.
Hill Farm II West Final Plats
Two final plats were approved adding 19 and 23 residential lots off Elliott Road within the 272-acre Hill Farm II conservation development, continuing the buildout of the Big Darby Watershed-area subdivision.
Flock camera / ALPR program pause
Residents wrote in about the city's Flock license plate reader cameras. The city has tightened data-sharing limits and is preparing materials weighing the technology's benefits and tradeoffs, with more information coming.
Flex Employment Development on Anson Drive
Three buildings totaling 161,700 square feet on 16.875 acres west of Britton Parkway, expected to house research, tech, and clean-manufacturing employers. The site's stream corridor and sewer easement forced an unusual layout needing multiple variances.
Hill Farm II Community Authority and road funding
New Hill Farm 2 homes will pay a 5-mill Community Authority assessment, with the money routed to the city for road projects — the Cosgray-Jeffrelyn roundabout and Scioto Darby corridor work — instead of repaying infrastructure costs.
Economic development and Wolpert property
The five-year economic development plan will be revisited in 2027; the city-owned Wolpert property is being positioned for development that maximizes jobs and tax base.
Comprehensive Plan and zoning code updates
Zoning code revisions are underway for the Cemetery Road corridor, Old Hilliard, and the Heritage Trail Connector, implementing the 2023 Community Plan and 2026 Housing Study.
Hilliard Housing Study
Council expressed general support for a source-of-income protection ordinance, with a Committee of the Whole discussion planned for early 2027 alongside a Housing Authority briefing.
Council governance and relationships
Members agreed on a 'no surprises' rule, roles clarity, and cross-member outreach, and committed to quarterly Council Rules refreshers and two-on-two conversations with the City Manager.
Economic development strategy
The city plans to revisit its five-year economic development strategy in 2027, push the Wolpert property for job-creating development, and expand City Lab internship programs.
Community Plan and zoning code updates
Zoning code revisions are coming for the Cemetery Road corridor, Old Hilliard, and the Heritage Trail Connector, tied to the 2023 Community Plan and 2026 housing study.
Financial policies: reserve, investment and debt
The council agreed the city needs new or updated reserve, investment, and debt policies, plus answers on how investments are made and current debt levels — due by the end of October 2026 with policies by mid-2027.
Flex office development design standards (brick requirement)
The Anson Drive case put a spotlight on whether the flex district's brick and facade standards still make sense. The board granted the variances 6-1, and staff acknowledged the brick requirement is under review for a possible code change because it's economically difficult in the flex market.
Legal Dispute
Hilliard just dropped its legal fight against a proposed data center power plan, which clears the way for the project to move forward faster. If you're wondering why this matters, it's because this massive development is going to seriously shake up local energy use and growth.
Alton Place HCD subarea C7 modification
A plan change at Roberts and Alton Darby roads to allow a vehicle service station was sent back to Planning & Zoning because the proposal changed after P&Z's May review, frustrating the property owner's attorney.
Paid parental leave for city employees
A new benefit would give non-union city employees up to eight weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or foster placement, plus paid leave for pregnancy loss. Union employees would need to negotiate it in contracts.