Kelli Hykes for Norwich Township Trustee

04/06/2026

April marks the first quarter of Brian Rothenberg and my year as Norwich Township Trustees. It has been eventful and active but we are committed to our stated goals of listening to the community and doing our best to create transparency, ethics and conflict of interest standards.

Along the way we regretfully accepted the resignation of Trustee Rick Tidd and held an open process interviewing over a dozen candidates for Township Trustee in public sessions. State law required the appointment to be made within 30 days and on March 17th we welcomed Trustee Trish Barker to fill the unexpired term.

Here are just a few, but not all of our accomplishments in January, February and March:

-Joined the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission

-Began discussions with the Ohio AARP to become an Age Friendly Community

Took action on:
-Passage of a formal and transparent policy to choose Trustees and Fiscal Officers in the event of a vacancy including public interviews.

-Passage of a Norwich Township Right-of-Way Regulation Policy

-Moved year-end items to a new year January meeting from December

-Created a webpage for Finance Reports on the Township website and planning for an Annual Township Report

-Began first and second readings for new contracts and/or unbudgeted items

-Identified key concerns as discussion of the Big Darby Accord
Proceeded including:
-Budget Planning for TIF Payments
-Discussions on Fire Service in Annexed areas
-Discussions on remediation or financial assistance for sewer tie-ins.
-Collaboration with surrounding Townships and the City of Hilliard.

Ridgewood School drop off
-Engaged in a productive neighborhood meeting to explore solutions
-Began work on updating the Ridgewood parking resolution in place in accordance with the neighborhood agreement.
Coordinated with Hilliard Police Department and Hilliard City S-chools to work toward the proposed solutions.
-Worked with the Franklin County Engineer Adam Fowler to apply for a sidewalk grant on Ridgeview.

Discussion and began work on the creation and implementation of the following policies:
-Township Investment
-Township Purchasing
-Township Hiring policies
-Creation of a Capital Expenditure Fund
-Ethics language in all contracts.
-First and second readings for contracts and/or unbudgeted items

-Purchase of a new Fire Truck with provisions for labor protections and protections in case Township funding is impacted.

-Agreement between the City of Columbus Fire Department and the Norwich Fire Department to review response times and work together on response issues on a quarterly basis.

-Worked with the City of Columbus and Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano to estimate the amount of TIF funds for Fire Safety capital costs and timing of payments.

-Testimony on the impact of Data Centers and the AWS Fuel Cell facility with the Ohio General Assembly and the Ohio EPA.
-Identified key citizen protections with the AWS fuel cell facility and data center including inside and outside air monitoring, safety service protections and disbursement bonds in the event of closure.

-Approved a resolution requesting the PUCO to deny Aqua Ohio’s rate increase for Timberbrook Estates.

-Established twice monthly meetings – Held on the first and third Tuesday’s

03/26/2026

Please join in on the conversation by submitting public comments.

I am excited by the momentum and the way this plan is evolving in a way that is again inclusive of smaller jurisdictions.

Big Darby Accord Master Plan Amendment News!!!

This Big Darby Accord revision will impact Big Darby Creek’s water and aquatic life for generations to come. It will also shape development around us — in Columbus, Hilliard, Brown Township, Norwich Township, and Prairie Township.

The first Public Draft of the Big Darby Accord Master Plan Amendment is now available to view online at your convenience. The public comment period is open now through April 7, 2026.

This draft represents multiple rounds of community engagement, stakeholder discussions, and ongoing working sessions with the Big Darby Accord Review Team (BDART).

Please take a few minutes to:
• Check out the plan online
• Jot down your notes for public comment (due April 7)
• And most importantly — submit your comments!

Your voice matters, and this plan will affect our community and our natural resources for years to come.

View the Public Draft and submit comments here:
https://arcg.is/1nS1qa0

03/21/2026

Honored to share a table at the Women'sBallot Breakfast and be founding members of the Hilliard Democratic Women's Club with Emily Cole, Kara Crowley, Sara Byler, and Trish Barker!

03/20/2026

We will also have the opportunity to vote to pay for an emergency sewer repair at a cost of $4000 split with the City of Hilliard.

03/20/2026

Excited to represent Norwich Township today at MORPC's state of the region address. William Murdock shared some exciting transportation updates and it was good to connect with other local government leaders and planning partners.

03/17/2026

It was an absolute honor to get to swear in Trish Barker as the newest member of the Norwich Township Board of Trustees.

Brian Rothenberg and I were overwhelmed with talented applicants. Trish stood out due to her background working to support government processes and her dedication to the greater Hilliard area community. She is a great addition to our team and I look forward to what the three of us will be able to accomplish together.

03/15/2026

The day started with a community clean-up at Indian Village, where our township administrator, road director, and volunteers worked together with SWAG members to pick up trash. This event was followed by an 8-hour interview and deliberation process for the Board of Trustees vacancy. It's inspiring to work alongside people who are genuinely committed to serving the community. Trustee Brian Rothenberg and I will meet in executive session on Monday evening to decide on the appointment. We're in the fortunate position of having many exceptional candidates to choose from, which makes the decision even tougher.

03/06/2026

My colleague Brian Rothenberg had the opportunity to speak to the media about the questions that remain about the Amazon Fuel Cell project.

We remain committed to asking tough questions, advocating for our residents, and working to hold Amazon accountable for their fair share.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DfCRoQo3Y/

AEP Ohio held an open house Thursday night as plans move forward to install 228 natural-gas fuel cells to power an existing Amazon Web Services data center.

03/04/2026

Last night Brian Rothenberg and I took two important steps to make our community safer for pedestrians.

First, we adopted a Right-of-Way Policy that places pedestrian safety front and center in how we think about roadway access. If we get a complaint about anything a resident has placed or built in the public right of way, it will be evaluated for safety, and if deemed unsafe by the police, streets crew, or Franklin County Engineer, the board will order it's removal.

Second, we approved an agreement with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office to apply for a Safe Routes to School grant that would fund construction of sidewalks connecting Ridgewood Elementary to the Dublin Road multi-use path.

Safe infrastructure matters. It allows kids to walk to school more safely, neighbors to get outside, and families to move through our community without needing to rely on a car for every trip.

Pedestrian safety has always been important to me—not just because I’m a runner and a mom, but because of something much more personal.

I lost my father after he was struck by a car while running. It wasn’t because anyone was reckless or careless. It happened because the infrastructure designed to protect both pedestrians and drivers simply wasn’t there.

That experience has shaped how I think about public policy and local government. Safe roads are not just about traffic flow—they’re about designing communities where people can move safely, whether they’re driving, walking, running, or biking.

I’m proud of the work our board is doing with regional partners to move Norwich Township in that direction.

I am also excited to host a meeting on Friday, March 13 at 10am at the Township Offices to discuss parking at the the Ridgewood Elementary drop off and pick up area. This is a time for community members to discuss options that will keep kids safe, respect homeowner access to their driveways during these high traffic times, and give the experts a chance to address parking policy options that have already been evaluated.

02/24/2026

Come serve our community with me and Brian Rothenberg!

02/24/2026

As your Norwich Township Trustee, I provided testimony in support of House Bill 646, which creates a Data Center Study Commission to examine the rapid growth of data centers across Ohio.

Data centers are complex facilities. They impact our electrical grid, water usage, farmland, local economies, and importantly, public safety.

Norwich Township has a data center within our fire jurisdiction. While we may not always control where these facilities are sited or expanded, we are responsible for protecting them. That means specialized inspections, additional training, and potentially costly equipment to respond to high-voltage infrastructure, backup generator systems, and battery storage facilities.

That is why I urged lawmakers to ensure the Commission studies the impact on local emergency services and includes representation from a township serving a data center. If Ohio welcomes this growth — and there are legitimate economic and national security reasons to do so — then local governments and first responders must have a seat at the table.

It is critical that local voices are heard. The people who live near these facilities and the departments that protect them deserve thoughtful, data-driven policy.

Economic development and public safety must move forward together.

I will continue advocating for Norwich Township and for balanced, responsible decision-making at the state level.

To read my testimony in full or others, follow this link and and download comments on HB 646

02/23/2026

With heavy heart, I accepted the resignation of Trustee Rick Tidd. He has served this community admirably and I thank him for his service.

This opening requires the Board to move swiftly to consider and adopt a formal policy for filling vacancies (as discussed at our planning meeting last week). The following notice is for a meeting to consider a policy and implement the application process in accordance with Ohio Revised Code. We have 30 days to make an appointment.

There will be a Norwich Township Trustee Special Meeting on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 12:00 PM at the Safety Services Building.

For more information please visit https://www.norwichtownship.org/government/meetings___minutes/index.php