July 21, 2025

Good Works Columbus: July 21, 2025

Hi gang! Welcome to Good Works Columbus, a newsletter featuring tiny actions you can take to make our city a better place.

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Things you can do in person

• ADU Council Hearing
  Tuesday, July 22nd
  Join Councilmember Beatty in a public hearing on Accessory Dwelling Units. Before the meeting you can join council for a screening of the movie “United: the Hidden Story of the Humble Duplex”.
  
  Screening starts at 3:30pm and meeting is at 5:00pm. Check out Neighbors for More Neighbors website for a sample letter in support of ADUs.
  

  

• Zone In Columbus Work Shop
  Wednesday, July 23rd 5:00pm
  179 S Powell Ave, Columbus, Ohio, 43204
  Provide feedback to city of Columbus on the next phase of the zoning update.

• Broad St Bike Lane Survey
  If you bike down East Broad between downtown and Bexley, there are QR codes along the new protected bike lane with feedback opportunity.

• Save the Date: Green Columbus Fall Tree Giveaway
  Franklinton - September 28th
  South Side - October 5th
  Linden - October 12th
  Sign up here

• Matter News Community Conversations
  

  

Things you can do online

• City of Columbus Deer Survey
  Columbus City Council and the Department of Neighborhoods are partnering on an initiative to examine the impact of the white-tailed deer population in our community. After consulting with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State University, the city is launching a community survey to better understand Columbus residents’ general sentiments surrounding deer in neighborhoods. The survey also will collect feedback on potential city-led deer management strategies, to help the city identify practical ways to manage issues associated with our deer population.

  Please complete our survey to help us determine how best to manage our relationships with our four-legged neighbors. The survey takes 5-10 minutes and does not collect any identifying information, so submissions will be anonymous. 

• Metro Parks Survey
  Metro Parks have launched a new survey looking for feedback. We want to hear your perspective on what we’re doing well, what could be improved, what new ideas we should consider, and what changes may help us better serve our community and support one another as a team. Is there an amenity you wish our parks had? Did you attend an event that you really loved and think more people should know about it?
  

• Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan Feedback
  One of the most significant actions recommended in the UFMP is to improve regulations to protect and preserve trees in Columbus. The City has been is moving forward on working to improve these regulations over the past few years, passing a Public Tree Code regulation, which included a technical manual that serves to aid users in compliance with that code.   
  A revised technical manual is now available, and we would like to hear from you!  Comments are due by July 31, 2025. 

• CWP and FLOW Olentangy Trail Pump Station Mural: Public Input Survey
  Columbus Water and Power (CWP) and the Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) are looking for public input for the mural that will be painted on pump station ST-34 along the Olentangy Trail off of Dublin Road near the Nationwide Blvd – Olentangy Trail Bridge. Please look through the 5 semi-finalist concept designs, and vote on which one you would like to see completed. These results will be taken into consideration when the final decision is made by representatives from CWP and FLOW.

• City of Columbus Alternative Response Survey

  The City of Columbus wants to know how well our public safety and behavioral health response programs are working when people need support. We want to hear what matters most to you.
  
  This survey takes about 7-10 minutes to complete. No personal information is collected.

• Zoning Feedback

  Phase 2 for the Columbus zoning update is beginning and the city is looking for feedback.

• Organizing for Local Action
  July 23rd, 2025
  Tired of your representatives backing corporate lobbies over your community? Ever felt like you’ve done a bunch of marching, but it didn’t quite yield the results you were hoping for? This workshop on strategic organizing will give you some of the fundamental tools you need to build community power for the mid- and long-term.

  After the workshop, you will be able to 1) discern the difference between advocacy and organizing, 2) understand the importance of building lasting power to create change, 3) know how to identify winnable campaigns and decide on strategies, and 4) develop a long-haul strategy to win campaigns. This ONLINE workshop should run between 1 - 1.5 hours and will be highly interactive. Depending on interest, an intensive hands-on workshop will be held at a later date at the Columbus Garden School. Budget-friendly workshop fee $5-20; no one turned away for lack of funds. (Just drop us a note. Our website platform doesn't allow us to mix-n-match free vs. paid events.)

• Access Ohio 2050 Transportation Survey
  Access Ohio 2050 is the Ohio's long-range, multi-modal transportation plan, developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation, that will guide the state’s transportation policies and investments for the next 25 years.

  Complete the survey and share your support for expanding passenger rail and multimodal transportation across Ohio. Your feedback will help guide the state’s transportation priorities. Shout out to All Aboard Ohio for their work promoting this and encouraging expansion of multimodal transportation.

Other Stuff

Things I’m reading/watching:

• Trash Party volunteers clean up Columbus from Axios Columbus

• Columbus is piloting a clothing recycling program from Axios Columbus

Have a great day everyone and see you next week!

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