Mayor Kessler previews summer events, new hires and inclusion initiatives

Mayor Kessler used the administrative-update portion of Tuesday's meeting to list several community programs and personnel changes ahead of summer.

Events and programs: The mayor highlighted library festivals, a science fest on Main Street, a native-plant giveaway at City Hall, and a May 17 soft opening for the city's skate park. He asked council to promote the May 9 Women's Health Month event at the Bexley Public Library (9 a.m.-noon) and noted the Ohio State mobile mammogram will be on site that morning; organizers require registration and the mayor said a community foundation grant will cover mammograms for uninsured residents.

Staffing and city services: The mayor announced two hires: a part-time position (Robin Store) and Ryan Boatsman as a parks facility supervisor. He also previewed an e-bike class on May 17 and described ongoing park signage and wayfinding projects.

Inclusion initiative: Staff described a sensory-support program for festivals that will include a quiet space and sensory kits for attendees with sensory needs; the program is funded by a community-foundation grant and staff will track usage and feedback during a soft launch.

Quotation: "We absolutely need a big splash about it because we wanna make sure that we're doing this appropriately," a staff member said of the sensory-inclusion launch.

Next steps: Staff will continue outreach and registration details for the May events and will share more details on the sensory-inclusion roll-out and park openings.

Ending: Council members applauded the community programs and encouraged promotion to residents.