Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at June 15, 2026's City Council meeting. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions. For those interested in the full details, we've included links to longer articles where appropriate.
A valet parking program is coming to Old Worthington
Council approved rules that let a private valet operator use the city's curbs along High Street, with the first applicant expected to be a service connected to Wolf's Ridge Brewing. The valet would run Thursday through Saturday evenings and affect two parking spaces in front of Joya's, which stay open for general drop-off and pickup the rest of the time, with cars stored in a shared private lot nearby. Several council members argued that the $300 annual fee is too low for the use of public parking and pressed staff on whether parking should be its own permit category, questions council agreed to revisit when the one-year permit comes up for renewal.
New benches for the Village Green
The 28 aging wooden benches on the Village Green are being replaced, using about $72,000 already set aside in this year's capital budget. Staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission settled on a classic design meant to suit the historic green, and because the charter gives the Village Green special protection, the replacement needed a six-vote supermajority, which it cleared with a 7-0 vote. A separate idea, letting residents sponsor or donate benches on the green, drew more debate and was set aside for a future discussion.
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Battery backups for 13 traffic signals
Council funded battery backup systems at 13 traffic signals so they keep running on their normal timing during a power outage instead of going dark and becoming four-way stops. That works at quiet crossings but gets confusing at busy ones. The upgrade brings 27 of the city's 32 signalized intersections up to that standard; the remaining five are either too old to accept a battery or need other rework first, and will get backups when their equipment is replaced. City Engineer John Moorehead explained that the years-long switch from incandescent bulbs to LEDs is what made the batteries practical, since the lower power draw lets a battery bank keep a signal cycling for several hours. The benefit, he said, is that the signals "continue running, not just flashing, but running on the timing patterns that they've been programmed to follow,” buying the city time to respond, connect a generator, or wait for AEP to restore power.
Depending on the location, the backup is either a bank of climate-controlled batteries that keeps the full signal running or, at lower-volume intersections, a battery built into the red light that provides a flashing red; at some intersections it fits inside the existing cabinet, while others gain a small metal cabinet on the existing pad. The batteries last about a decade and the overall system roughly 25 years. Moorehead said full solar power isn't feasible at a busy intersection, where the power draw is too high, though the city does use solar for lower-demand equipment like pedestrian crosswalk beacons and school-zone flashers. He also noted that two intersections residents have asked about, New England and High Street and North Street and High Street, are slated for full upgrades under separate appropriations and will receive battery backups then. Council approved the program 7-0.
In Other News
Around the City
- E-bike and e-scooter safety messaging is in the works. Prompted by a resident's email and ongoing community concern, the city is preparing safety communications about e-bikes and e-scooters, working with the police division, engineering, and the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Board. The city is also exploring a partnership with Worthington Schools to reach students and families. Council also discussed setting clearer standards for how it acknowledges and responds to constituent emails.
- Neighborhood grants awarded. The Community Relations Commission's neighborhood grant program awarded $750 to Worthington Interfaith Neighbors for its Festival of Faiths and Nations and $1,250 to the Worthington Partnership for its Juneteenth celebration.
- Mrs. Goodman's bakery clears another step. Council approved the final plat and right-of-way dedication for Mrs. Goodman's new bakery at 1012 High Street, with construction targeted for this summer.
- American Legion parcel rezoned. Council approved the rezoning of 700 Morning Street to the Veterans Memorial district, the American Legion Post 239 site.
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Money & Spending
- Property tax rate holds steady. Council filed its 2027 tax budget with Franklin County, an annual requirement that doesn't itself raise or spend money. The city's property tax rate stays at 5.94 mills (5 mills plus 0.94 for the pool). The charter caps the rate at 8 mills, leaving three mills of unused headroom.
- Bond sale and a budget award. The city sold about $4.35 million in bonds at a 3.71% interest rate, drawing eight bidders, with closing expected June 24. Worthington also received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Award for the seventh year in a row.
Economic development districts (JEDDs)
Worthington partners with neighboring townships on joint economic development districts (JEDDs), an Ohio arrangement for sharing the tax revenue that commercial growth generates. Because a township can't levy its own income tax, it teams up with a city: the city's income tax is applied to businesses on a defined patch of commercial township land, and the two governments split the revenue, without the city having to annex the land. That tax falls on the businesses and their workers inside the district, not on Worthington residents. Three JEDD items came up:
- The Orange Township JEDD grew to eight sites. Council added two Delaware County parcels: a self-storage facility and a site with a 7 Brew drive-through coffee shop and a Taco Bell. Staff said neither is a large revenue generator.
- A Sharon Township JEDD hearing is set for Monday, July 13. Council will take public comment on adding Tree of Life Christian Schools land to that district before voting.
- An Orange Township JEDD appropriation gets a public hearing on Monday, July 20. This is a routine budget step (Ordinance 18-2026): it would authorize spending income-tax revenue the JEDD has already collected but not yet allocated. It carries no direct cost to Worthington residents, and the amount and specific purpose weren't detailed when council introduced it.
Looking Ahead
- Major development applications go before the design boards. Two significant projects are headed to the Architectural Review Board and Municipal Planning Commission on June 25: the Boundless/Elford residential development and a Crawford Hoying proposal on West Wilson Bridge Road.
- Comprehensive plan nears a milestone. The Worthington Together community committee is reviewing public comments as the comprehensive-plan update heads toward a joint City Council and Planning Commission work session, expected later this summer.
Upcoming Dates
- Saturday–Sunday, June 20–21 — Worthington Arts Festival in Old Worthington; Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Monday, June 22, noon — Deadline to submit written or online comments on the proposed City Charter amendments to the Charter Review Commission, which meets June 23 to finalize the recommendations it will send to council for the November ballot.
- Monday, June 22, 6 p.m. — Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Board meeting at the Planning and Building training room, 374 Highland Ave.
- Thursday, June 25 — Architectural Review Board and Municipal Planning Commission meeting at the Municipal Building, with the Boundless/Elford and Crawford Hoying applications expected.
- Saturday, July 4 — City of Worthington Independence Day fireworks at Thomas Worthington High School.
Thanks for reading this summary of the City Council meeting, you can watch the original full video here