Our civic meeting was held at Heritage Free Will Baptist Church, 575 Obetz Rd., at 6:00pm. Approximately 16 people were in attendance. President Curtis Brown reminded members of the decorum policy, then called the meeting to order. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Pam Richards opened the meeting with prayer. Curtis recognized all May birthdays and anniversaries. Rob Campbell had a birthday on May 7, and Donna Scaggs celebrated her birthday on May 9.
2. The Secretary’s Minutes (Pam Richards) were read and approved:
1st Motion – Donna Scaggs. 2nd Motion – Eric Mays
3. The Treasurer’s Report (Marsha Kessler) was reported, discussed and approved:
1st Motion – Donna Scaggs. 2nd Motion – Sharon Hoover
Marsha reported that the Civic had a previous balance of $1999.36. After donations and paid dues of $242.00, the current balance now stands at $2241.36.
4. The first order of business was AEP Ohio’s upcoming bill changes. Residents can expect changes in their electric bill beginning June 1, due to increased power generation costs. This impact will be the greatest for customers who are on the Standard Service Offer. This increase will probably amount to about $13 a month, for a yearly increase of $156. Consumers can check out energychoice.ohio.gov to compare suppliers and potentially find cheaper options.
5. National Police Week is May 11-17, 2025. Please try to thank a law enforcement officer for keeping us safe.
6. The April Crime Report 2024 vs 2025 is as follows:
■ Violent crime is down 24%
■ Robbery is down 53%
■ Armed robbery with a gun is down 54%
■ Police officer assaults are down 75%
■ Discharge into habitation is down 60%
■ Non-shooting felony assault is up 67%
■ Firearms discharge incidents are up 200%
■ Carjackings are up 50%
Year to Date 2024 to 2025:
■ Violent crimes down 14%
■ Homicides down 38%
■ Robberies down 42%
■ Felony assaults involving firearms down 35%
■ Police officer assaults down 70%
■ Accidental shootings increase 150%
■ Firearms discharge increase 88%
■ Carjackings increase 29%
7. EARTH MONTH Recap: April was Earth Month. There were 4 cleanups on the Far South between March 22 and April 26. Our Civic had projects with Clear Creeks & Byways, the Shamrock Club, Buckeye Middle School and our own cleanup of Southgate Dr. Curtis thanked all those who participated and Keep Columbus Beautiful for providing supplies. We plan to hold another cleanup in April next year. This October we’re planning a Fall Day of Service. Ideas are welcome.
8. The BREATHING ASSOCIATION MEDICAL MOBILE UNIT will be at the S. High Library branch on May 27 from 1:00-3:00pm. Free medical care and treatment will be provided to all individuals regardless of health insurance status or income. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are available and subject to wait times. Call 614-273-2843 to schedule an appointment.
9. Curtis informed members that our SHELLY MATERIALS TOUR is scheduled for June 17 at 1:00-3:00pm. The address is 4755 S. High St. There is a map to direct you to the parking area if you RSVP. Try to get there a little early to account for parking in an unfamiliar area. This bus tour takes place rain or shine. A maximum of 25 people can take the tour. Several slots remain open.l See one of the officers if you’re interested in attending.
10. JUNE 2025 MEMBERSHIPS are available. $5 per individual, and $25 per each business. DUES ARE NEEDED BY THE CONCLUSION OF THE JUNE MEETING. Please complete the membership form, and turn it in to Marsha Kessler with your money. As a thank you, all members who have their membership paid at the conclusion of our June meeting, will receive a T-shirt in July. Wear the shirt to our National Night Out in August.
11. The JUNE 9 CIVIC MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE SCIOTO SOUTHLAND RECREATION CENTER (3901 Parsons Ave.) TIME IS 6:00pm. Please mark your calendars.
12. New programs are being launched at the S. High St. Library branch. These programs are in partnership with our Civic Association. One program will be available each week for 3 weeks of the month, and will be held in the meeting room. Please consider supporting these programs:
A. SOUTHSIDE FIRESIDE – Held the 1st Monday of each month, 6:00-7:00pm, First meeting will be June 2. July’s meeting will be held on July 1. This casual, monthly gathering provides residents a chance to talk directly with their Civic leaders, ask questions and connect to local resources.
B. TABLE TOP GAME NIGHT – Held the 2nd Tuesday of every month, 6:00-7:00pm. The 1st game night will be June 10. Designed for adults over the age of 18. Relaxed and non-competitive board and card games are offered. NO Monopoly games.
C. SOUTH HIGH COOKBOOK CLUB –Held the 3rd Saturday of the month, 1:00-2:00pm. The 1st meeting will be June 21. The theme is “FAVORITE BAKE”. Bring your favorite thing to make and share it with others. The July meeting will be “COOKOUT DESSERTS”, and the library will offer a cookbook list in June.
13. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT will take place on August 5, 6:00-8:00pm, at the shelter houses/open spaces behind Scioto Southland Recreation Center. We need volunteers to handle various aspects of the event. Hopefully we’ll recruit at least 10 volunteers. A Firetruck is confirmed and scheduled for 7:00-8:00pm on this day, as well as a dinosaur Bounce House and KONA Ice Truck. We plan on recognizing a local business and our Columbus Police Liaison Officer.
Currently the Civic is looking to provide resources for the first 100 kids. We are sourcing book bags and school supplies. Let Curtis know if you’re able to donate items or get them at a low cost. We do have some toys from last year and some new items acquired recently. Last year all the food was donated, and we’re hoping members can help again this August. We need hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, chips, cookies and bottles of water.
To recoup some of our National Night Out expenses, our Civic is offering sponsorship opportunities. This will provide an advertising opportunity to get local businesses involved. There are 3 support tiers available with perks for each tier: 4 sponsors at the $300 level
6 sponsors at the $100 level
10 sponsors at the $50 level
These can be individual or corporate sponsors. Members are encouraged to grab a few flyers and distribute to interested parties.
14. Curtis mentioned the Candidates’ Breakfast. We need to decide if we want to plan and put on this breakfast in October. Following the meeting, Ambassadors will meet to decide if they want to plan it. If not, Curtis will ask members to take on the planning if interested.
15. The DOOR PRIZE tonight was won by Joyce Scarberry. She received a Texas Roadhouse gift card, snacks and a book titled, Aging in Place.
16. A motion was made to adjourn:
1st Motion – Ed Oberting. 2nd Motion – Donna Scaggs
Respectfully Submitted,
Pam Richards, Secretary