November 9th Hilliard City Council Agenda Preview

Meeting Date: Monday, November 9, 2026 | 6:00 PM

Location: Council Chambers, Hilliard City Hall, 3800 Municipal Way

Key Takeaways & Headline Items

• $13M Land Assembly Borrowing (26-29): Council faces a second reading and final vote on issuing up to $13 million in short-term notes to refinance debt on the Wolpert property and fund the municipal acquisitions of the COTA Park and Ride and the former Chase Bank site on East Main Street.
• 68-Acre Darby Shift (26-32 & 26-33): Introduced on first reading, the city is considering rezoning 68.45 acres along Hayden Run Road from Big Darby Employment District (DE) to Hilliard Conservation District (HCD) for the Yutzy Property Development, accompanied by a proposed development agreement with Onyx and East LLC.
• 2027 Capital Budget Adoption (26-27): Up for final vote, appropriating $33.95 million across city infrastructure, facility upgrades, and park projects for fiscal year 2027.
• Wolpert Footprint Rezoning (26-30): Second reading to rezone 1.616 acres on Davidson Road from R-1 Low-Density Residential to Planned Unit Development (PUD), folding the parcel into the Wolpert Development text and concept plan.

Ordinances: Second Readings & Public Hearings

• Ordinance 26-27 (2027 Capital Improvement Budget):

Appropriates $33,946,501 for FY 2027 capital projects. Capital spending is heavily weighted toward Engineering and Transportation ($25.38M), Facilities ($2.61M), IT/Fleet/Safety ($4.26M), Recreation & Parks ($1.30M), and Stormwater/Utilities ($400K). Long-range projects outlined in the capital program include the Leap Road South Improvements ($20.3M total through 2029), the Heritage Trail Extension ($4.8M in 2027), and preliminary positioning for a future suburban passenger rail station along the CSX corridor ($3.5M budgeted for 2030).

• Ordinance 26-29 ($13M Real Estate Notes):

Authorizes the issuance of up to $13,000,000 in bond anticipation notes (BANs). The debt package provides bridge financing to refund prior debt on the Wolpert Property while establishing the purchasing power to close acquisitions on the COTA Park & Ride and downtown Chase Bank properties to facilitate municipal land assembly.

• Ordinance 26-30 (Davidson Road Rezoning):

Rezones 1.616 acres on the north side of Davidson Road (~2,200 feet west of Leap Road) from R-1 to PUD, amending the Wolpert Development PUD Concept Plan and Development Text to allow integrated planning across contiguous city-held acreage.

Ordinances: First Readings

• Ordinance 26-31 (I-270 Corridor Uses & Signage):

Amends Chapter 1116 of Hilliard’s Codified Ordinances to update the Summary of Uses Table and sign regulations governing commercial corridors along Interstate 270.

• Ordinance 26-32 & 26-33 (Yutzy Property Rezoning & Development Agreement):
  • Reclassifies 68.45 acres located on the south side of Hayden Run Road (~2,400 feet east of Elliott Road) from DE (Big Darby Employment District) to HCD (Hilliard Conservation District).
  • Authorizes City Manager Joshua Rauch to enter into a formal development agreement with residential builder Onyx and East LLC for the property.

Resolutions & Consent Agenda

• Public Infrastructure Dedications:
  • 26-R-109: Formally accepts public sanitary sewer infrastructure and completed Leppert Road widening improvements (including a new shared-use path from Davidson Road north toward the corporation limit) constructed by Epcon Carr Farms LLC, valued at approximately $1.80M.
  • 26-R-110: Accepts 74 feet of sidewalk and 191 feet of curb and gutter within the Dublin Road right-of-way fronting Columbus’s Rock Run Apartments development ($49.2K value).
• City Operations & Strategic Policy:
  • 26-R-111: Formally adopts updated City Council Strategic Focus Areas and Goal Statements for 2026.
  • 26-R-112: Authorizes the purchase of an MTech portable sewer inspection camera system for the Public Service Department to enhance utility maintenance.
  • 26-R-108: Appoints Davidson High School student Elle Eckert to the Hilliard Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee (RPAC) to fulfill an unexpired term ending May 31, 2027.
• Liquor Permit Consent:
  • City Council will waive objection/hearing on a new D-5J liquor permit for Medley Kitchen at 3986 Truepointe Blvd., Suite 101, located inside the TruePointe Community Entertainment District.

Special Recognitions

• State Auditor’s Award with Distinction (2025): Regional liaison Scott Brown from the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office will present the city with the annual award recognizing financial reporting excellence and clean audit records.