By 1808Delaware
Sunbury City Council received a wide-ranging City Manager Report on Wednesday night, with updates covering the city’s ongoing data center review, public records requests related to the AWS project, street improvement plans, downtown parking, public safety activity, and several community items. The report was presented by City Manager Daryl Hennessy in a memorandum dated May 6.
Data Center Review To Include Public Meetings
City staff are planning a special City Council meeting on June 25 to bring in specialists and engage the community in a public open house discussion on selected data center topics.
According to the report, the meeting is intended to provide updates from specialists in the field of data center development on subjects such as water quality, energy, noise, economic development, and land use planning. The final list of specialists is still being developed, and city officials noted that not every topic listed may be covered at the June meeting. The format is expected to include a brief presentation, followed by an open house-style opportunity for residents to discuss issues directly with the specialists.
The June 25 session is described as the first of at least two community meetings planned for this year. A second meeting, expected sometime in the September or October timeframe, is anticipated to focus more heavily on health impacts and other outstanding issues related to data centers.
Public Records And House Bill 184
The report also addressed recent public records activity involving the AWS data center project. Hennessy noted that House Bill 184, approved late last year by the Ohio General Assembly, included a provision amending Ohio public records law to exempt the release of public documents containing information received from an applicant for, or recipient of, economic development assistance. The law went into effect on March 20.
According to the report, the city this week withheld the release of eleven documents containing such information after receiving advice from legal counsel. The memorandum stated that failure to comply with the new law could result in criminal charges.
At the same time, the city said it has released more than 1,000 pages and 56 documents directly related to the AWS data center project in recent weeks. Copies of the AWS non-disclosure agreement, community reinvestment area agreement, hydrologic water study, and other related documents have also been posted to the city’s website under the Government, Zoning, Development Projects, and Data Center tab.
Students To Help Around The Square
In community and economic development news, Big Walnut Middle School students are scheduled to volunteer with landscaping projects in and around the Square on Friday, May 8. The effort is part of the school’s Day of Service.
Downtown Parking Lot Ready For Opening
Sunbury’s Columbus Street parking lot is now complete, and the city is tentatively planning a ribbon cutting on Friday, May 8 at 10:30 AM. The new lot features permeable pavers and is being described by the city as a valuable addition to the Square. The community is welcome to attend, and city staff planned to notify surrounding businesses.
Signal Work Completed At Cherry Street And SR 3
Public Works and MP Dory Contractors completed signal maintenance at the intersection of Cherry Street and SR 3 on May 4. The work required a four-hour signal shutdown. The report thanked the Police Department for providing flagging assistance and the public for its patience during the project.
Street Improvement Contract Advances
Council also received an update on the city’s 2026 Street Improvement Program.
A bid opening was held on April 22, with three contractor submittals received. Decker Construction submitted the low bid, with a recommendation of award at $1.3 million. The item received its first reading Wednesday night, and bid results were also discussed in greater detail at the Services Committee meeting earlier that day.
The program includes several projects around the city, including South Vernon Street reconstruction, intersection improvements at Cherry Street and South Morning Street with mountable curb work, traffic calming on North Miller Drive and West Granville Street, rejuvenation of streets paved in 2025, and multiple street paving efforts.
WWTP Contract Administration Update
The report also included a contract modification related to the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
The modification places contract administration services under Accenture, the current construction inspection team. No changes to the existing WWTP expansion plans are needed, according to the report, because the modification simply adds contract administration management services.
Light Ohio Blue Caravan Marks Police Week
In public safety news, the Light Ohio Blue Campaign caravan was scheduled to proceed through the city Wednesday night. The caravan honors the families of fallen law enforcement officers and helps kick off National Police Week.
Police Calls Up Year Over Year
The report also included April year-over-year general patrol statistics.
Total calls for service increased from 533 in 2025 to 733 in 2026, a 37.5 percent increase for April. Of that increase, 149 calls were attributed to proactive policing, including traffic enforcement, follow-ups from officer investigations, and business and residential security checks. The remaining 51 additional calls involved various police activities, including an increase of nine accidents compared with the prior year.
Traffic activity also increased. Traffic stops rose from 201 in April 2025 to 239 in April 2026, while traffic citations increased from 49 to 64. The warning rate moved from 75.6 percent in 2025 to 73.2 percent in 2026.
The report noted that traffic complaints continue to come in from the public and that officers remain active in enforcement efforts.
