Jerome Township’s first annual Community Car Show was a hit and officials are already planning for an even more successful event next year.
“It’s just going to get bigger and better,” Township Administrator Brandon Standley told the trustees during their most recent meeting.
The Community Car Show, held June 1, raised approximately $11,000 for The Fallen 15, a Columbus-based nonprofit that honors fallen service members.
Part of the organization’s mission is to allow family members to tell the stories of their loved one and promote healing.
Standley said he was particularly proud of the car show revolving around highlighting the lives of the military servicemembers.
The show itself drew immense interest from both exhibitors and visitors.
Leading up to the event, Standley said around 70 cars were registered to be shown, but more and more registered as the day of the event approached.
In all, Michele Carter, administrative assistant who served on the car show committee, said “at least” 160 cars, trucks and motorcycles were shown during the event.
Standley added that he was impressed by how many “one of one” custom-built cars were on display.
“Several hundred guests” were in attendance, Standley said, who shared “nothing but positive” feedback.
He said the committee that organized the car show met on Tuesday for a debriefing and to prepare for the event next year.
The group has “plenty of ideas” to expand and improve the event moving forward, Standley said.
Tentatively, next year’s Community Car Show will be held on May 31, as Standley said organizers want to avoid scheduling for the same time as the Memorial Tournament. If the tentative date is finalized, it would fall the weekend after Memorial Day, as this year’s show did.
The trustees said they heard many positive comments from community members and appreciate the effort to organize a local event that also benefits a military charity.
In other business:
– Standley said the trustees meeting was livestreamed Tuesday after a pause in live broadcasting initiated by the trustees in February 2023.
“It’s taken us a little longer than we hoped for but we’ve gotten it right, I think,” said Trustee Chair Barry Adler.
Previously the township livestreamed meetings on its Facebook page but, after consulting with other local governments, Standley said he felt YouTube is a more appropriate platform.
To watch the meetings live, those interested should search “Jerome Connections” on YouTube.
Standley said the trustees meetings will continue to be livestreamed and the hope is to eventually broadcast the Board of Zoning Appeals and Zoning Commission meetings live as well.
An archived video of the live meetings is also available on the township’s YouTube page.
– The trustees approved a change to township employees’ schedule by allowing for a half-day holiday to be observed on Dec. 24.
Standley said staff will be expected to work the first four hours of the day, then the second half of the day will be considered a holiday.
Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell said the change poses no financial concerns.
– The board authorized a request from Standley to revise certain portions of the staff handbook relating to the township’s overtime policy.
He said the policy is unclear as to the definition of “emergency,” which leads to questions as to in what scenarios roads division employees would be paid double time or time and a half.
Standley said he wants to ensure the policy is fair to employees and honors the township budget.
– At the request of the applicant, the board unanimously voted to again continue the public hearing regarding a rezoning of 108.84 acres at 12030 Industrial Parkway from Rural Residential District to Commerce District.
The Walbonns public hearing will now be held at 7 p.m. July 2.