The Hilliard Beacon Podcast

We open the latest episode of the Audio Companion by welcoming Sam Swank, a longtime member of 4-H, who discussed his experiences with the organization and his current project studying yeast breads. Sam, who joined 4-H at age six, described the program as a place where you learn about nature, practical skills and career interests while pursuing projects that match your passions.His own interests have ranged from birding and fishing to baking. Currently working on a yeast bread project for the county fair, Sam turned the tables on Jordan and asked thoughtful questions about donut making, including how yeast is activated, how commercial baking differs from home baking, and what kind of training is needed to become a professional baker.The conversation highlighted one of 4-H’s enduring strengths: its ability to introduce young people to skilled trades, science, agriculture and entrepreneurship through hands-on learning. Founded more than a century ago, with deep roots in Ohio, 4-H remains one of the nation’s largest youth development organizations, reaching millions of participants through local clubs and county fairs.The second half of the program shifted to a much more contentious and now familiar subject: the rapid expansion of data centers across Ohio.Joining the second half of our show was Amy Swank, Sam’s mother and a prominent grassroots advocate who has become one of the state’s most active voices examining the impacts of large-scale data center development.Swank said her interest began when a proposed facility was slated for construction near her home. Since then, she has traveled the state speaking with communities facing similar projects and helping residents understand zoning processes, public records requests and the economics behind fast-moving data center agreements.According to Swank, concerns raised by residents are remarkably consistent regardless of geography or politics.“It didn’t matter if I was in Pickaway County or Madison County or Franklin County,” she said. “They all kind of shared the same concerns. It always evolved around transparency.”Swank argued that many communities are being asked to accept projects with limited information about long-term environmental impacts, energy demands and tax arrangements. She expressed particular concern about backup diesel generators, electrical grid capacity and the use of unaffordable tax abatements to attract facilities.The discussion also explored the mixed response at the Ohio Statehouse, where lawmakers have formed a select committee to study data centers after separate legislation establishing a more formal commission stalled in the state senate.Swank said she hopes legislators will make more legitimate efforts to slow things down while taking a much closer look at the economics of the industry and carefully examining whether promised benefits match public investment.The 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

For our first fresh Audio Companion of the new year we featured an in-depth conversation with Annette Singh, a Hilliard resident who has emerged as a leading local advocate around the environmental and governance implications of Amazon’s expanding data center footprint on Scioto Darby Road. Singh described how a neighbor-to-neighbor conversation in October quickly escalated into sustained civic engagement, legal appeals, and coordination with city officials over air permits and on-site power generation plans.Originally, residents understood the Amazon facility as a conventional grid-connected data center, but later learned that plans included extensive behind-the-meter power generation, including 228 natural gas fuel cells and a subsequent draft permit for diesel generators. Annette described the process as opaque and fast-moving, noting that “the deeper you dig, the less information is known,” with overlapping authority and initiative shared among Amazon, AEP, PJM, the Ohio EPA, and the Ohio Power Siting Board.A major concern raised in the discussion was the revelation that projects exceeding 50 megawatts fall under the jurisdiction of the Ohio Power Siting Board, effectively removing local veto power. Singh characterized this as a consequence of state law like HB15, saying, “the more power you ask for, you just usurp local government,” particularly for facilities located near homes, schools, and public parks. She emphasized that while she understands the need for data infrastructure, the addition of large-scale on-site generation fundamentally changes the nature and impact of the facility.Singh also detailed her role in appealing the fuel cell air permit and monitoring the newer draft permit for diesel generators, which she said would be regulated under a Title V air permit. She described Title V as a significant threshold, stating that it applies when emissions are high enough that “the government needs [to] step in” and require ongoing monitoring.Particular concern was raised about the lack of a clear (and potentially outdated) definition of “emergency use” for diesel generators and the absence of enforceable penalties if runtime limits are exceeded.Citizen Advocacy, Public Hearings, and Technology StandardsDuring the interview, Singh outlined how a small working group of residents has divided research responsibilities, with her focus on EPA air quality standards and permitting frameworks. She confirmed that both she and the City of Hilliard are parties to the appeal of the fuel cell permit, while the diesel generator permit remains in draft form before the Ohio EPA.ResourcesSingh said the group has mailed letters requesting a public hearing on the diesel generator permit, explaining that such hearings are not automatic and must be explicitly requested by the public. She expressed concern that the generators proposed are Tier II technology, which she described as outdated, and questioned why Tier IV generator offering significantly reduced emissions were not required instead. “I think a win would be getting these to a tier four level,” she said, adding that such a change would benefit both the community and the company.Ward-Based Representation and Ongoing Civic EngagementJordan (as usual ;-) turned to the broader question of how Hilliard residents can engage more consistently and effectively with city government as large-scale projects accelerate. The current ad hoc model (where residents organize rapidly around individual issues) is insufficient for a city now hosting multinational corporate developments. He called for “an ongoing engaged ward system where there are recurring meetings for geographic areas of the city,” describing such a system as a way to ensure sustained, city-sanctioned civic participation rather than temporary issue-specific mobilization.Annette described herself as having become civically engaged only in recent months, and said the experience highlighted how high the barriers to participation can feel for residents balancing work and family responsibilities. She emphasized the value of accessible forums that lower the threshold for being heard, noting that many residents simply do not know where to raise concerns until a problem becomes urgent.All agreed that more structured, ongoing neighborhood-level engagement could help residents share information earlier, reduce isolation, and better prepare communities to respond to complex projects as they arise.We hope you enjoy our ongoing coverage of the city of Hilliard. The podcast is produced by Tim Hofmann for Franklin Street StudiosThe 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

(Music and Production by Tim Hofmann for Franklin Street Creative)Folks, we’re back. Been a minute…sorry about it! In the latest episode of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion we opened with a community-wide call to action centered on Hilliard Food Pantry Plus. Hosts Jordan, Tim, and Kevin Corvo highlighted a now concluded December drive at the UALC Mill Run Campus and emphasized that ongoing monetary donations are especially impactful, as funds can be multiplied through Mid-Ohio Food Bank partnerships. We hope our quick plug emphasized the expanding role of the pantry, which provides not only food assistance but also critical access to additional community resources.Community Care Overcomes Toy RuinOn another front of the giving season, a significant portion of the conversation had to focus on an unexpected setback for the Norwich Township Fire Department: a sewage pipe failure at the firehouse that destroyed approximately $30,000 worth of toys intended for holiday distribution. Fire Chief Dave Baird explained that contamination required all stored toys to be discarded, leaving the department scrambling to replace them just days before scheduled deliveries to Hilliard Food Pantry Plus. While insurance claims are underway, the timing gap prompted urgent community appeals, with local businesses, schools, and residents responding through new toy drives and donations to ensure children don’t go without gifts this season.Trustees-elect Brian Rothenberg and Kelli Arthur Hykes addressed questions around public funding and insurance, clarifying that township trustees lack immediate authority to make charitable disbursements without state and county approvals. Instead, they noted that insurance reimbursements for the destroyed toys are expected to be donated to the pantry after the claims process concludes, effectively shifting those funds to future support. The immediate priority, they said, was in bridging the short-term gap through community generosity to serve up to 1,000 families relying on the program. Immediate crisis averted we moved into…Amazon Fuel Cell DiscussionGiven the confluence of guests at the table the episode widened considerably. First we asked about preparations for Amazon’s proposed fuel-cell-powered data center and the strain of rapid growth on local fire and emergency services. Chief Baird described the department’s efforts to educate itself on emerging technologies not yet addressed in existing fire codes, while township leaders (and concerned residents) have stressed the importance of transparency, interagency coordination, and resident engagement.https://www.nbc4i.com/video/hilliard-residents-raise-concern-over-fuel-cell-addition-to-data-center/11208053Sutphen Strike and the Municipal Cost of Monopoly on Fire SafetyLastly we turned to the ongoing labor dispute at Sutphen Corporation, a major manufacturer of firefighting apparatus, and its downstream effects on local governments. The table discussed how private equity consolidation in the larger fire truck industry has contributed to rising costs, longer delivery timelines, and reduced competition, while the current strike (tied largely to two-tier wage and benefit structures dating back to the 2007–08 downturn, according to Rothenberg) has left workers without health care since May. The discussion framed the dispute as both a labor and public-interest (even national security) issue, arguing that antitrust enforcement and more deliberate procurement policies are increasingly necessary to protect workers, municipalities, and emergency response readiness.You can learn more about this pressing issue by reading the full piece which inspired the conversation here:Thanks for listening to the HBAC - we’ll be back sometime around the Holiday break to take you through our annual most read (or listened to!) stories of the year!The 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

City Updates and Meeting HighlightsWe opened this episode with an update on several city developments discussed in the latest Hilliard Happening newsletter and recent council meetings.* Local Heroes Recognized: Four Darby High School and Tolles Career Center students (Future potential first responders Dylan Shields, Luke Self, Logan Faulkner, and Seth French) were honored by City Council for providing emergency aid to a semi-truck driver who suffered a medical episode.* City Manager Search: The formal search for Hilliard’s next city manager is underway. The city has partnered with the national firm Raftelis to lead recruitment. Applications are open with the first review set for December 1. Virtual interviews will follow, with finalists participating in a public reception in February. A new city manager is expected by spring 2026.* Tim Ward Memorial: In a nice concluding chapter, City Council and family dedicated a commemorative stone at First Responders Park in honor of former Mayor Tim Ward, recognizing his years of service to Hilliard.* Upcoming Meetings:* Housing Steering Committee – Thursday, Nov. 6, 6 p.m. (story to come)meetings take place at City Council chambers, 3800 Municipal Way.* EPA Fuel Cell Permit Appeal: Council voted unanimously to appeal the Ohio EPA’s approval of fuel cells at the Amazon data center on Scioto Darby Road. The city will retain specialized environmental counsel as it challenges the permit.Feature Interview: Cathy Cowan Becker on HB 15, Fuel Cells, and Citizen AdvocacyGuest Cathy Cowan Becker, co-founder of Save Ohio Parks and longtime environmental organizer, joined the program to help explain how recent state legislation enabled the fast-tracking of the Amazon fuel cell project and what it reveals about Ohio’s shifting energy policy.Legislative BackgroundCathy outlined the problematic House Bill 15, a sweeping energy reform bill passed earlier this year. The legislation repealed some provisions from the corrupt 2019 HB 6 but introduced new measures that compress Ohio Power Siting Board timelines. The new guidance cutting typical multi-year reviews to as few as 45 to 60 days for projects located on land owned by the applicant.While framed as “energy neutral,” the bill’s language created an expedited path for natural gas-powered facilities serving private users such as data centers. These “behind-the-meter” projects are exempt from many forms of local review or public hearing. In Hilliard’s case, this mechanism allowed Amazon’s 73-megawatt fuel cell plant to move through the approval process with little notice to residents.Cowan Becker and the City of Hilliard were the only two entities to file formal objections before the project’s automatic approval in September.Fracked Gas and GreenwashingThe discussion explored how solid oxide fuel cells often touted as “clean” or “renewable” in this context rely on fracked natural gas, not hydrogen. Although such fuel cells produce fewer particulates than traditional combustion, they still emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide.According to Cowan Becker’s analysis of manufacturer data, emissions from the full installation could exceed a million tons of CO₂, undercutting Hilliard’s voter-approved renewable energy aggregation program.She described the HB 15 language as a form of “greenwashing”: presenting fossil fuel infrastructure as a sustainable technology through neutral or misleading terminology.Statehouse and Grassroots ActionCathy outlined how her group tracks state legislation through committee email alerts and rulemaking notices which are often buried deep in agency communications. Save Ohio Parks, founded in response to mandated fracking on public lands, now monitors bills and encourages public comment or testimony at both the Statehouse and regulatory levels.The organization is also supporting a new proposal to ban fracking in state parks and pushing for greater transparency in siting board decisions.Paths Toward Positive ReformDespite criticism of HB 15, Cowan Becker pointed to constructive models emerging in Ohio:* Municipal and community-owned utilities (as seen in Westerville and Columbus) can lead local renewable adoption.* HB 303, currently in committee, would enable community solar pilot projects that could allow residents to invest in shared solar installations and receive virtual net metering credits even if their own roofs aren’t suitable.* Expanded virtual net metering could eventually allow large users like data centers to offset their electricity demand through offsite solar generation rather than gas-powered “fuel cells.”Advocacy RootsCowan Becker’s environmental activism began in 2014 when Ohio lawmakers attempted to repeal the state’s renewable standards. She led the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign, which helped Columbus adopt the Midwest’s largest clean-energy aggregation program in 2020. That success encouraged suburbs including Hilliard, Grove City, and Worthington to follow suit with local renewable aggregation efforts that save residents money and cut emissions.Stay Connected…Hilliard’s unanimous Council appeal of the Amazon fuel cell permit may mark the first local test of Ohio’s accelerated siting authority under HB 15.The Beacon will continue to follow the city’s legal appeal and upcoming legislation.The 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

Educator and longtime Hilliard resident Kathy Parker-Jones joined the Hilliard Beacon for a sharp conversation in the waning days of campaign season (Thursday October 16th), outlining her bid for City Council as an extension of a career spent working on solutions and building consensus. A 30-year teacher and now district administrator in Dublin Schools, she said the leap into politics came from wanting to counter national divisiveness with local action. “I’m a doer,” she said.Parker-Jones says she’s knocked on more than a thousand doors since the primary. Most residents seem to express broad satisfaction with life in Hilliard but recurring concerns include property-tax burdens, traffic, and data-center development. Her economic priority, she said, is “smart, strategic growth” that attracts employers to the I-270 corridor and offsets resident tax pressure through income-tax revenue from commuters.On planning and growthThe candidate called the 2023 Comprehensive Plan “a first step in the right direction” after years of uncoordinated development. She favors measured infill that preserves Old Hilliard’s small-town character while encouraging mixed-use projects near the highway to draw younger residents. Parker-Jones also voiced strong support for protecting the Big Darby Creek corridor and maintaining a green beltway to limit encroachment.Administrative directionWith a new city manager on the horizon Parker-Jones compares council’s role to a school board guiding a superintendent, saying council must set vision while the city manager executes it. She thinks ongoing refinement of the comprehensive plan should be shaped by community feedback as well as administration. Her approach would stress transparency and consistent dialogue between residents and staff.Community engagementWhile she prefers the city’s at-large election system over Jordan’s proposed wards, Parker-Jones suggested quarterly meetings linking city staff, council members, HOA leaders, and civic or cultural groups to encourage more ongoing, two-way conversations.Diversity and cohesionReflecting on her family’s 30 years in Hilliard, she said the community’s growing diversity “makes us better.” A focus in this area would be connecting with cultural centers, HOAs, and civic groups to foster understanding and relationship mending following recent tensions around the former BMW building and the Noor Islamic Cultural Center.Data centers and energyParker-Jones took a clear stance on data-center saturation: “We’re full.” She questioned promised economic benefits, citing minimal employment and resident complaints of constant noise from the Amazon facilities. She also raised ecological worries over water use and the proposed fuel-cell power plant and saying Hilliard shouldn’t serve as “the testing zone” for such technology.Approach to major corporationsHer guiding principle in negotiations with these high power corporations going forward? Weigh the overall community impact via noise, density, traffic, environmental footprint and seek compromises that preserve residents’ quality of life. “How can we work with those folks who want to come here and do business while also making sure our residents’ needs are met?”The 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

In their return visit to The Hilliard Beacon, sitting council members and current candidates Tina Cottone and Andy Teater discussed the evolving landscape of Hilliard’s growth. We touched on Amazon’s proposed on-site fuel cell power generation, the city’s developing community plan and the upcoming search for a new city manager.Both emphasized a pragmatic, service-oriented approach to leadership: balancing economic development, neighborhood quality of life, and trying to provide transparent governance amid the pressure of rapid transformation.Topics CoveredOn Amazon & Data CentersAt the time of recording (October 9th) Cottone noted that Amazon’s fuel cell proposal was still new to her and all of council, but recognized it as part of a broader trend toward corporate self-sufficiency. Teater noted that Hilliard has likely reached its limit on data centers, saying council’s appetite for new facilities “isn’t great.” He emphasized their benefits to schools and tax bases but acknowledged the city’s ongoing challenges managing noise, power, and land use issues.On Economic Development and City ServicesTeater repeatedly connected industrial and light manufacturing projects to the city’s ability to fund police, parks, and infrastructure. He cited the Wolpert property as a major opportunity in this new stage of commercial growth, provided the developers remain a “good neighbor” to nearby residents.Community CommunicationThe group reflected on the public’s frequent frustration over “not being informed,” despite multiple communication channels. The candidates largely agreed on this point, observing that “the more ways people receive communication, the harder it is to get to get to everybody. It all gets diluted.” All pointed to social media’s fragmenting influence, while Jordan argued that - as a maturing city - an organized ward system could institutionalize recurring, place-based engagement and rebuild core civic participation.City Manager SearchBoth candidates said they would keep open minds during the search. Teater expects a strong national pool of candidates, and Cottone praised outgoing manager Michelle Crandall for empowering staff and fostering independent problem-solving. The next manager, they agreed, should “build on what’s already there.”Aspects of the Community PlanCottone expressed excitement about implementing new and broader elements of the city’s community plan, including updates to the 270 corridor and Old Hilliard. On housing, she championed exploring Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and building out support for the new organization Home in Hilliard, a new nonprofit aiding seniors through volunteer services that allow for residents to stay in their homes longer.We thank the candidates for taking the time amid busy schedules to participate and give Beacon readers and listeners an opportunity to know them and their perspectives on city matters via these interviews. Thank you!(Music and Production by Tim Hofmann at Franklin Street Creative)The 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