Cynthia Vermillion and Dan Ralley - HBAC #23

(editor's note - a previous version of this post included Councilperson Vermillion on the author line. That has been corrected.)We were happy to welcome in Dan Ralley and Cynthia Vermillion for a wide ranging conversation across a Beacon record FIVE microphones! Kudos to Tim for the studio engineering on this one.After a brief introduction we get right into the city’s electric aggregation program and the bet that green energy based, bulk buying performance, over time will deliver savings and stability. We also talk about potential future expansion of city energy programs - including local possibilities.https://hilliardohio.gov/aggregation/We then segue into commission talk and how the large number of openings on Planning and Zoning as well as the Board of Zoning Appeals will be resolved in the coming months. We also talk about city offerings like 311 and Hilliard Express as part of the city’s commitment to supporting residents as they age and look to maintain their best lives here in Hilliard.https://hilliardohio.gov/hilliard311/https://hilliardohio.gov/hilliard-express/In the home stretch we talk the dawning election cycle and the state of local politics - what we like and don’t - and where we see things going as politicization moves along its weary path. The issue of the Community Plan becoming front and center in this year’s contest is discussed and we also talk HOUSING and how those plans can (or may never) actually come about. https://hilliardohio.gov/hilliards-comprehensive-plan/ Finally, Jordan gets off his beloved TIF / tax abatement rant on recorded audio and the development community could not care less about his take - though the word on the street is they are watching the overall situation closely. All this and more…https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/30/report-auditors-online-hub-focus-columbus-tax-incentive-results/6176057001/https://franklin-county-tax-incentives-fca.hub.arcgis.com/Franklin County Tax Incentive Review ToolThe Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe