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City Tree Expert to Speak at FPCA Meeting on June 10: Urban Forestry, Tree Care, and New Rules

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Rosalie Hendon, an environmental planner with The Columbus Parks & Recreation Dept., will be our guest speaker at the FPCA’s June 10 meeting.

Appropriate for a neighborhood named Forest Park, Rosalie will discuss tree maintenance, planting, and provide updates on the City’s Urban Forestry Master Plan.

The public tree code — which Hendon presented to City Council in her previous position as an environmental planner for Recreation & Parks — went into effect last August. The new regulations require “inch for inch” replacement of any trees removed from city property in the course of any development project.

Columbus has been named the fastest growing urban heat island in the country.

Rosalie manages natural resource projects on city parkland — everything from forests to prairies. She holds two master degrees from The Ohio State University in public administration and natural resources. She leads the creation of citywide environmental plans and policies, including Columbus’ first Urban Forestry Master Plan, public tree code updates, and the creation of private tree protections.

The private tree code would be a similar mitigation measure applying to trees removed from private property. Hendon told ColumbusUnderground.com that her department is not necessarily aiming to penalize the average person for taking down a tree in their backyard.

“We are looking primarily at when a property goes through development or redevelopment,” Hendon told ColumbusUnderfground.com. “There are cities that permit a tree removal when it’s just a single property owner and it’s a tree in their backyard kind of thing. But that is not something that we are looking at at this stage in Columbus, simply because we want it to be practical and realistic. And really we see a lot of loss and we hear a lot from our stakeholders and our residents when properties are experiencing a lot of loss of trees due to development. So we really wanted to focus in at that stage of property ownership.”

Rosalie wrote The Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP). The plan is available here.

Tree canopy has been identified as vital city infrastructure, as trees reduce urban stressors — cleaning the air and water, improving public health, providing shade, reducing heat stress and energy costs, intercepting stormwater and more. As the 14th largest city in the country with only 22% canopy cover, the City of Columbus recognized the need to plan for its trees.

Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s Forestry section is solely and legally responsible for all public trees in Columbus that grow along streets, in public parks and on all city properties.

The Columbus Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) is the first citywide, strategic plan to improve Columbus residents’ quality of life through investment in urban trees.

Approved by Columbus City Council in April 2021, the UFMP guides the entire Columbus community to prioritize, preserve and grow our tree canopy. The UFMP sets three tree canopy goals:

  1. Reach Citywide Tree Canopy Cover of 40% by 2050
  2. Stop the Net Canopy Losses by 2030 and
  3. Invest in Equitable Canopy Across All Neighborhoods by 2030.

To accomplish these goals, the UFMP details four strategies: community coordination and collaboration, best practices, dedicated resources and stronger policies.

A video presentation of the plan is available on YouTube.

Tuesday, June 10, FPCA Meeting Schedule

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Block Watch Meeting/Supplemental Security Report

Columbus Police Liaison Officer Dan Yandrich and our Supplemental Security chairpersons provide police and security updates and answer your questions.

6:30 – 7:00 p.m. 311/Code Enforcement Issues Discussion/NCC Development Report
Learn about the latest development plans and requests, new businesses, updates from the Northland Community Council, and ask about code enforcement issues.

7:00 – 8:00 FPCA General Meeting
Updates from our many committees, upcoming plans, and other discussion about Forest Park issues and events.

Meeting Location: Epworth United Methodist Church, 5100 Karl Rd., Columbus, OH 43229
(At the intersection of Karl Road and Penworth Drive)
Everyone in Forest Park is invited!

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: May 13, 2025

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FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: 13 May 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:05 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com   No Report

Guest Speaker: Brandon Thomas – Karl Rd. Library Branch Manager

  1. Brandon lives in the Northland Area and is back working at the Karl Rd. branch.
  2. May 31st – Beginning of Summer Reading Challenge, but the BIG KICK OFF is June 2nd from 11am-1 pm, there will be a bouncy house and other fun stuff.
  3. Reading Buddies is coming back this summer.
  4. Summer Programs: (pick up a calendar at the library)
    1. JUNE: Balloon Art with Picasso (the Turtle), Baby and Me Yoga (BYOB-bring our own baby–babies not provided!), Baby Splash Time outside, and more.
    2. JULY: Foxes and Folklore (real foxes), Steel Drum Band from Trinidad (2-3 pm), DJ workshop, Young Scientist – Owls and Owl Pellets, and more
  5. Free Breakfast and Lunches for youth this summer @ the branch.
  6. In July – at the Main Library branch – Columbus Book Festival: Saturday July 12, 2025, 10 am-6 pm; Sunday, July 13, 2025, 10 am-5 pm

NEXT MONTH’S SPEAKER: The City of Columbus Forester, Rosalie Hendon. She’ll be happy to address any issues of concern about tree maintenance, planting, and updates on the urban forest master plan. Thank you Michael Cote for arranging this.

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

Mark introduced Harold and Linda Bozeman (Area 13). They will be taking over for him as Area 13 Area Reps since he has now accepted the position of Vice President. Welcome to Harold and Linda, we look forward to working with you and thank you for volunteering!

AUGUST MEETING and NCC PICNIC INFO: Instead of our usual meeting in August, we will be attending the annual NCC Picnic on August 12th at Blendon Woods Park, Dogwood Area. NCC has the pavilion for the entire day, so feel free to come out early and enjoy all that the park has to offer. Dinner will be served at 6:30 pm. NCC will provide hamburgers, hot dogs and brats, please bring a dish to share. At 7pm, they will have a very brief meeting. We encourage anyone from the Forest Park community to join us for a day of fun and camaraderie.

Secretary Lou Bernard – secretary@fpcivic.org

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, MSg, RW, DVM, SL, LH, EM, MSt, KG, QM, DP, SB, AH
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: KVM, TS
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 14
  • Total meeting attendance: 30
  1. Reviewed minutes from April, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru April: Online

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 166 household memberships so far, with a big stack still to go. If your check hasn’t cleared yet, please stand by as Cheryl is still processing checks and more memberships are coming in through PayPal. One renewed business membership.
  2. Our mulch sale so far has garnered $2,385, with the check payments still to process, so we don’t have a grand total yet.
  3. Thanks to Mike S. for getting the annual mailing to the post office when he did, we didn’t have to renew our permit – instead we got two years for the price of one! The postage was $2,012. Finally, food for the stuffing party was $154.11. Thanks, Ed for arranging that.
  4. Our other expense was $1,000 for our security patrols.
  5. Acceptance of the treasurer’s report has been tabled until more information has been received about membership numbers.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

  1. Saturday is the FPCA Spring Community Garage Sale. From 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., someone will be passing out a list of households at the Karl Rd. entrances.
  2. June 7th – Forest Park at Gabby’s – Join the FPCA and neighbors (6:00-9:00 p.m.) from across Forest Park for community fun at Gabby’s. No registration necessary. Just show up and enjoy! Bring a side dish/dessert. Main course provided. Live music!

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org 

  1. We have a delivery person moving and will finish their route in June and need a new delivery person for FP East, all of the Arrowwood Loops, E/W/N, and the Court.  Total of 51 homes. Thanks Manny for all of your help over the years of delivering the Forester. 
  2. Rita wants to do a raffle for members who read the printed Forester. Just click the QR code inside the next Forester to enter – $50 was approved for gift cards! 
  3. Deadline for the JULY issue is June 16th. We want to have the July Forester out to delivery folks by Monday June 30th so there may be one more reminder of the July 4th Parade, Bikes & Trikes, etc. 

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com, Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

Citizen’s Police Academy applications are being accepted; search for “CPD Citizen’s Police Academy” for the online application. See report in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  

Sheridan has been calling and visiting past business members and trying to get them to renew their memberships.

Civic Action Officer  Vacant

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

Laura would like to step down as Welcome Chair; she plans to spend her energy with the Grant Writing Team. She will be working with Erin to fill the position.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. Thank you to all who volunteered in the rain to distribute mulch and those who purchased it. It was very well organized and Scott did an amazing job! 
  2. We are reviving an old program in Forest Park called “Teen Helpers Work List”. This list will be featured in the next Forester and will have names of kids who can cut grass, pull weeds, dog walking, babysitting, snow shoveling, ect. A resident named Derek Billingsley has volunteered to be the point of contact to add kids to the list. Erin will work with Derek to get this up and running.
  3. We have selected a date for the New American grant party on 6/28 at the Woodward rec center.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Mike gave the Board the volunteer attendance list from the Envelope Stuffing event. Thanks Dave for creating it!!
  2. Area Reps and other board members – We should have some data to work with regarding membership.  Over the next two weeks (hopefully much sooner) Mike will put out some breakdowns to show nearby neighbors that you can see about membership.  
  3. Mike will begin sending out electronic updates regarding our progress to the community. We will do a “membership countdown” to keep the topic clear and present throughout the summer.

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com  Absent   No Report

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

See full report in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

See report online.

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com  

  1. They have had 2 meetings – April 17th and May 2nd. Quentin met with Lindora, Community Relations Coordinator, regarding the Civic Integration Seed Grant for the New American Program. They discussed our progress and plans for a kick-off event for the end of June.
  2. They will apply for the National Night Out Grant (Aug. 5th), and Quentin attended the informational webinar.
  3. They were awarded $3425 from the Parks and Recs Dept. for the neighborhood tree grant. Laura will be talking with people who have signed up for trees about the process. Trees will be planted by FPCA volunteers in September.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Website) Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

Our website/Facebook page is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. Thank you to our small but dedicated group of 2025 Mulch Day delivery volunteers. Thirteen people showed up on a rainy Saturday morning on May 3 to deliver 1,260 bags of mulch (over 25,000 pounds) to our neighbors across Forest Park East and West. 

      Volunteers included FPCA officers Erin Materu, Rita Woeste, Daryl Van Mercetta, and Mary           Sguerra. Also generously dedicating their muscles, time, and vehicles were Max Materu, Kofi       Oduro, Paulissen Owrsu-Ansah, Ed Uppenkamp, Chris Toth, Justin Moegling, James Adkins,           and Michael Wagner.

    Extra special gratitude to Mary Sguerra, who personally purchased and donated 150 bags of        mulch for the large landscaped east and west welcome islands at Karl Rd. and Sandalwood          Blvd. Mike and Diane Wagner purchased and donated five bags of mulch to the island                  landscaping. Justin Moegling of Moegling Home Improvement again this year dedicated his          van, large trailer and his muscles to serve our neighborhood. Thank you to Sequoia Pro Bowl      for allowing us to use its parking lot for our mulch storage and distribution.

    Thank you to the many households that supported the Forest Park Civic Association by                ordering bags of mulch in the 2025 Mulch Sale. ~Scott Biggs, FPCA Mulchmaster, Area 5                Representative

  1. Ambrosia, from Woodward Park Rec Center, will set up a tent on Karl Rd on the 4th of July parade route.  Kids are to be encouraged to participate in the Forest Park Bikes & Trikes competition. As an incentive, up to five bikes will be awarded (donated by WWP) to kids of different age groups judged to have the best bedazzled bikes in the parade! ~Michael Cote
  2. Columbus Recreation and Parks will NOT be hosting a Columbus Symphony Concert at Woodward Park or any other Community Center this year, only downtown at Bicentennial Park. ~Michael Cote
  3. Woodward Park Community Center is looking forward to hosting the Forest Park Multicultural Community Festival on June 28, 2025. Preliminary plans are in the works to invite dancers from the African and Nepali communities. Additional input is welcome. ~Michael Cote

Submitted by FPCA Mulchmaster Scott Biggs, Area 5 Representative.

Meeting adjourned at 8:03 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: April 8, 2025

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FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: 8 April 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:00 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. Ed will be stepping down from the role of president this year. He took on the role, for the second time, after the death of our late president, Scott Prigan. He will assume the role of past president in 2026.
  2. Ed wanted to thank everyone for the great work on Saturday at the membership envelope stuffing.

Guest Speaker: None

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

Wanted to also thank everyone for the great job on Saturday.

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, MSg, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, LH, EM, MSt, TS, KG, DP, SB
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: QM, AH
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 2, 6, 8, 10, 14
  • Total meeting attendance: 30
  1. Reviewed minutes from March; no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru April: online

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. This is the last report for this fiscal year. We were 39 households shy of our target of 480.
  2. Mulch sales have begun, and we did get a few online orders in March. 
  3. We did get a few business memberships this year, but not the 10 we were shooting for.
  4. Our two big expenses this month were the printing of envelopes and data sheets for the membership drive, printing the Forester, and paying for security patrols. We have renewed our post office box.
  5. While we did end the year in the red, there were some extraordinary expenses that pushed us over. The Board has worked to trim expenses, the grant committee is working hard to find funds that way, but again, the biggest way to support us is with your household membership.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

Just a quick reminder that we have our Spring Forest Park Community Garage Sale on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Please turn in your garage sale entry form by Wednesday, May 15th.

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Forester Articles for May Issue due to me by Friday, April 18.
  2. Articles in May for the JUNE issue are due by Friday, May 16 (make sure Rita has info for Bikes/Trikes and any other details for the Northland 4th of July Parade).
  3. Thanks to Mary for finding a new delivery person for Larkwood in FPE, and Lou for finding new delivery people, although they have not been assigned an area.
  4. Area that need delivery folks for the Forester
    1. FPW – area 2, 1262-1324 Pegwood Ct. (23) & 1344-1387 Pegwood Dr. (13)
    2. FPE – area 11, 1655-1774 Pin Oak (29) 1608-1632 Sienna Ln. N (4) 4970-5029 Sienna Ln. (15) special instructions for 4975 Sienna Ln.
    3. FPE – Area 12,  2307-2425 Green Apple Ave. (29); 5262-5297 Blackgum Pl. (13); 5272-5301 Sweetgum Pl. (8) DO NOT Deliver to 5288 Sweetgum Pl.
    4. FPE – Still uncovered  1800-1868 Coghill Dr. (12), 1837-1872 Dandridge Dr. (9), 1841-1872 Judwick Dr.(8), 4901-4991 Lyle Rd. (16)

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com, Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

  1. Officer Yandrich was not able to be in attendance tonight (scheduled vacation) so we do not have a report from him for this month, but based on the crime map it looks like there has still been a lot of theft from vehicles and properties in the apartments north and south of us, but Forest Park itself has been quiet and safe.
  2. Other than a few vacation request house checks (all secure), our security patrols have fortunately been uneventful with the exception of a deer that was hit by a car on Tamarack and reported by the patrol officer to Ohio Div. of Wildlife.
  3. Remember to keep your house and vehicles locked up and do not have anything visible in your vehicle that would tempt a thief.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  No Report

Civic Action Officer  Position Vacant – 311 Meeting 6:30-7:00 before every FPCA general meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. Welcome new neighbors! It’s been a busy spring. 
  2. Laura has been supporting the grant committee and our web administration team and will have an update on welcome folders shortly! 

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. Thank you for approximately 30 volunteers that made the bulk mailing for the 2025 Membership.
  2. We are now gearing up for the mulch sale in May. 
  3. We still have 2 openings for delivery persons of the Forester. 
  4. Also, we had over 20 people request a tree. We had overflow requests after the deadline, so we will definitely reapply in the next round.
  5. Also the city is asking to meet with the New American Grant team to see where we are at before the five is the second installment of the money.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Thanks to the wonderful 30 volunteers that helped us, we tied the FPCA time record of two hours to get almost 3,000 envelopes processed. Andy Hunt and Mike successfully delivered them to the post office Monday and everybody should be receiving them soon. Mike personally appreciates everyone who invested the time to make the endeavor successful.
  2. We can all help facilitate the success of the membership by keeping it a current topic with our neighbors and Forest Park friends. Please remind people about the membership campaign. You can even offer to collect their membership yourself and save them the stamp!! 

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com

Looking for information on the 4th of July parade. Members of the civic association met with Tiffany after the meeting to get her up to speed on her role in the FPCA parade planning.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

See full report in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

NCC Development meeting – March 26, 2025

1 case was heard, see the report on the website under the “Development Reports” tab.

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com  

  1. The grant committee has submitted our first grant application this year for the Columbus Tree Assistance Program (TAP). The grant is issued by the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District. Our application asked for $2,100 in funding to plant 20 native trees, and 2 requests for mature tree maintenance, in our neighborhood on residential property. We were fortunate to receive a letter of support from our Ohio House Rep, and Forest Park resident, Munira Abdullahi. We should hear if we were selected for the grant by the end of the month. Contact Laura Hayes for questions.
  2. We will be having a volunteer meeting to help implement the New American Grant.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Website) Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

Our social media pages (website/Facebook/Instagram) are always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow/like us.

OLD BUSINESS

Mulch Sale Update: online orders are coming in and the order form is included in the April Forester. Deadline to order is April 18. Delivery day is Saturday, May 3 from 9 am until noon out of the Sequoia Pro Bowl parking lot. Fit volunteers are needed to lift bags of mulch! Order and pay online at fpcivic.org/mulch. ~ Scott Biggs, Area 5 Rep, The Mulch King

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. Thank you 311! I’d like to remind our neighbors the importance of taking action, no matter how small. On my way to work last week I noticed a new city tree planted on Sandalwood and Cottonwood had been struck by a car and uprooted. I put in a 311 ticket, and alerted a neighbor to see if they could help. With the support of our neighbors, and 311 the tree was replanted and staked. It’s a small thing, but our actions have big impacts. Please be vigilant in protecting and caring for our neighborhood! ~Laura Hayes, Welcome Committee Chair
  2. Our guest speaker from last month extended her thanks for hosting her. She gladly reported that 15 new sign-ups from residents came in and signed up for programs. ~Michael Cote
  3. Woodwark Rec Center will be hosting Columbus’s Earth Day celebration and are looking for volunteers. You can register HERE! or at the rec center. ~Michael Cote

Meeting adjourned at 7:54 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Be a part of the pasrk - Join the Forest Park Civic Association

What does your $30 FPCA membership do? A lot.

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What does your $30 do?

Some benefits of FPCA membership are easy to see. Some are not.

You can join the FPCA online right now.

Across Columbus, you can see the difference between neighborhoods that have an active civic association and those that do not.

We are not a homeowner’s association. We do not enforce neighborhood rules. We are a civic association that works to benefit all Forest Park residents.

Membership in the FPCA is only $30 per household. The FPCA is entirely run by volunteers who are residents just like you. That means every dollar is used to directly benefit our neighborhood.

We are dedicated to transparency and publish our Treasurer’s Report every month in The Forester newsletter. Our volunteer treasurer also provides an update at every FPCA monthly meeting (I invite you to join us for our next meeting).

What do you get for your annual membership contribution? Some benefits are obvious because you see them every day.

Benefits that you see:

  1. We pay to maintain the landscaped islands at the Satinwood Pl. entrances at Karl Rd.
  2. We recently paid to replace all Welcome to Forest Park signs at all entrances to Forest Park East and West.
  3. We pay to print The Forester newsletter every month and pay for the bags which allow volunteers on your street to hang the newsletters on your door.
  4. We pay the professional supplemental security patrol officers who regularly drive through the neighborhoods in their marked cars. Planning a vacation? Every FPCA member can request free home checks with the form in each Forester newsletter, at www.fpcivic.org or by emailing our volunteer Supplemental Security Coordinator Daryl Van Mercetta at dvanmercetta@gmail.com.
  5. We pay for the welcome folders and printed materials that we drop off to new residents who just moved into our neighborhood. These packets include information about Forest Park, maps of the streets, nearby businesses, voter registration information, and other helpful items to make our new neighbors feel at home.
  6. We pay for programs that recognize neighbors for their beautification efforts in the annual Beautification Contest, rewarding our neighbors who enrich our streets with improvements.
  7. We pay for supplies to build our float for the Northland Fourth of July Parade.
  8. We pay for awards for kids who decorate their bikes and trikes in the Fourth of July Parade.
  9. We pay for printing and postage to mail our annual Membership Packet to nearly 3,000 households, encouraging residents to join the FPCA.
  10. We pay for advertising to promote two Community Garage Sales each year, attracting buyers from around Central Ohio.
  11. We pay to design and print the Forest Park Directory, which is updated every several years and delivered to all member households.
  12. We pay for neighborhood social events.

Some benefits are not obvious but are just as important.

Benefits that you do not see:

  1. We pay dues to the Northland Community Council. The NCC is a critical organization that represents 26 area civic associations and organizations in the Northland area. The NCC represents more than 100,000 households and ensures that the City of Columbus recognizes Northland as an important political voice. Two FPCA volunteers currently serve on the commission and provide detailed reports at every FPCA meeting. The NCC is our most effective connection to the City of Columbus and makes recommendations to the city on behalf of Forest Park residents. Among many other services, the NCC protects us from many development and zoning plans that would harm our neighborhoods and maintains a direct two-way channel to city officials.
  2. We pay for insurance that is required for our non-profit organization.
  3. We pay for a P.O. Box and office supplies that are necessary to conduct our operations.
  4. We pay for payment processing fees that are necessary for online membership payments.

Join your neighbors today with your FPCA Membership

You can join the FPCA right now and pay online.

We also welcome your participation and talents.

Want to learn more and get involved? Join us at our next monthly meeting.

 

2025 FPCA Budget Meeting

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2025 FPCA Budget Meeting

12 March 2025

Epworth United Methodist Church

Attendance: Ed Vanasdale (President), Mark Bell (Vice President), Lou Bernard (Secretary), Cheryl Lutman (Treasurer), Daryl Van Mercetta and Katie Van Mercetta (Supplemental Security), Mary Sguerra (Public Relations), Rita Woeste (Forester Editor), Laura Hayes (Welcome Committee), Scott Biggs (Website Administrator), Erin Materu (Volunteer Coordinator), and Mike Stone (Membership Coordinator)

Meeting called to order at 7:12 PM

  1. Cheryl did a quick review of the budget and asked for questions or suggestions.
  2. The Island Maintenance budget was discussed. The amount spent was too much last year. Mary Sguerra will be discussing the island maintenance costs with landscapers and getting new bids.
  3. The Forester will be printed March thru December, with Nov/Dec as a combined issue; Jan/Feb will be online only.
  4. There is a $628 budget deficit. To make a balanced budget we need 10 business memberships, and 480 home membership.
  5. The new budget was voted on and approved to be put forth before the members at the next meeting for a vote.

Meeting adjourned at 8:44 PM

To see the new and revised budget, look in this month’s Forester or online.

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: March 11, 2025

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FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date:  11 March 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:03 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com  No Report

Guest Speaker: Ambrosia Lamar (manager from Woodward Park Recreation Center). Ambrosia gave a very informative talk about all of the many programs that Woodward is offering. The presentation, discussion, and Q & A session was lively and engaging. There are so many programs going on at the center most of those in attendance never knew about them. Please check them out – this is your community resource – your tax dollars are working hard at Woodward Park Rec Center. https://columbusrecparks.com/community-center/woodward-park/

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com  No Report

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, MSg, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, CA, LH, EM, MSt, TS, KG, DP
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: QM, SB, AH
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14
  • Total meeting attendance: 30
  1. Reviewed minutes from February, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru March: Online

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. No memberships of any kind were received in February.  
  2. Expenses include the Forester printing, security patrols, and an expense relating to the Trunk or Treat Event.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com  

  1. Upcoming Community Garage Sale on Saturday,  May 17th
  2. Also Gabby’s Night Cookout (Potluck) will be Saturday, June 11th more details to follow

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Articles by the end of the week. This Forester will be mailed out due to it being the membership drive month.
  2. We need volunteers to deliver the Foresters. You will need to deliver only eight times a year. Please help us out.
  3. March Forester

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com, Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

See the report in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  

Been out to 3 different businesses. Trying to get smaller businesses who may be interested in a cheaper way to advertise.

Civic Action Officer  Vacant

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. Thank you, Katie, for helping update the 2025 Membership form. We hope the changes are approved this week and we can print the updated form for the new welcome folders. (Changes were approved at the budget meeting on 12 March).
  2. We are still working on gathering updated resources for the welcome folders, if anyone wants to volunteer some time to help in this effort, please contact me! 614-736-8812 thanks.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. We have over 20 households and counting for the Tree grant!
  2. Will be contacting people to help with the April membership stuffing.
  3. We may have found a person to take over the position of the Civic Action/311 officer. Updates next month.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. We are set for our membership envelope stuffing day on Saturday, April 5th at Schoedinger-North.  Right now, unless we need to adjust to accommodate Schoedingers, the arrival time will be between 12:30-1:00 PM and we will start stuffing at 1:00 PM.  
  2. Last year was AMAZING and we are hoping to replicate our two hour pace. To do so, we could use 20-22 stuffers.
  3. For the period following the post office delivery date (April 7th), we wish to coordinate with our amazing social media team to help keep the drive current, particularly for the period before Independence Day and would love to hear other ideas to make that possible.  
  4. Discussions were held to make the mulch sale open only to FPCA members. This idea was voted down. It is a significant fundraiser for the FPCA and will be open to all FP residents.

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com   No Report

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

See the full report in the Forester

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

See the full report on our website: https://www.fpcivic.org/development-reports/

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com  

  1. We had a meeting on 02/16/2025 and currently applying for the Columbus Tree Assistance Program (TAP) Grant (due March 31, 2025) – https://www.franklinswcd.org/columbus-tree-assistance-program
  2. Laura’s Update: We have 20 people who would like trees, they all need to sign a release form and pick what type of tree they’d like to be submitted along with our proposal. We also spoke with Henry Stahl from the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District and he said we have a strong proposal. Lastly, we plan to contact our Ohio State House Representative and Forest Park resident, Munira Abdullahi to ask if she’d like to submit a letter of support for our application. 

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org (Website) Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

We have updated the Mulch Sale web page at fpcivic.org/mulch to get ready for the 2025 Mulch sale. As in past years, orders and payments are accepted online (in addition to manually using the paper form in the April 2025 Forester newsletter). We will promote the sale via the website, social media and in the Forester.

From Ashley: I have been researching social media management programs and will trial a free program. These will allow us to schedule posts ahead of time to allow for more timely and consistent content. Finally, these programs offer other marketing and analytic features. Some of them make it easier to manage multiple accounts from a centralized location; however, those will require paid accounts. Many of the social media management programs offer discounts for non-profits if we decide that we need a paid account in the future. 

OLD BUSINESS

The sign that was run over (again) on the corner of Pegwood and Satinwood is in the process of being replaced by the city. (Note: The sign has been replaced as of March 17th)

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

Our 2025 FPCA MULCH SALE starts in April

The FPCA will hold a 2025 Mulch Sale for all Forest Park households again this year. We deliver bags of mulch to your house. No lifting, no mess, and you support your civic association! Mulch orders begin in April with driveway delivery on Saturday, May 3. The sale is completely run by volunteers so no money is spent on administration. Every paper and online order raises money for the FPCA. Look for details in your April Forester, on the FPCA social media and on this website. We are looking for fit, young volunteers to help deliver mulch on May 3 from 9 a.m. to noon. Find more information at www.fpcivic.org/mulch.

The Board of Trustees will meet on March 12th for the 2025 Budget Meeting. (Minutes are posted online and in the Forester.)

Meeting adjourned at 8:07 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: February 11, 2025

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FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: 11 February 2025

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:00 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via roll call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

All officers and committee chairs were asked to bring one goal that they have for their position for 2025.

Goal for 2025: To bring more synergy to the organization and continue to work with everyone to bring in more new faces into the FPCA.

Guest Speaker: None

Vice President  Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com  No Report

Goal for 2025: To become more knowledgeable about the workings of FP, and to get to know the members of the NCC.

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

Goal for 2025: To get us up and running with either Google Workspace for Nonprofits or Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits.

Attendance:

  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, MB, LB, CL, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, LH, EM, MSt, TS, KG, QM, SB, AH
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: MSg, DP
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 (vacant)
  • Total meeting attendance: 23
  1. Reviewed minutes from Jan., no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru Feb: View HERE

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

Goal for 2025: To continually keep accurate records for this year.

January was a very quiet month. 2 new household memberships, a few expenses and some advertising dollars. 

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com Absent

Save the Dates:

The Spring Community Garage Sale will be Saturday, May 17

Gabby’s Night – Potluck Gathering will be Saturday, June 7th

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Link to page of Forester DUE DATES for year 2025 is located via a link in the online minutes.
  2. Need articles/Ads/Photos by no later than Saturday Feb 15th,  this will be the first PRINTED Forester for 2025, let’s make a GOOD one!
  3. Will need help with delivery of bags to deliverers this month PLEASE
  4. Looking for new ADs for 2025

Goals for 2025: 

  1. Work with Grant committee to make multi-lingual Forester issue that celebrates/informs folks about Forest Park East/West
  2. Update delivery list, create easier/functional way to contact delivery folks
  3. Look to fill the position of person counting/distributing Foresters (I have been doing that in addition to my publisher job for 2+ years now.)

Supplemental Security Daryl Vanmercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Vanmercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com, Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

See report in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  No Report

Goals for 2025: 1) to get 10 more business members for this year, and 2) to create a way to contact people instead of just going door to door.

Civic Action Officer  Vacant

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. I have spent January finalizing materials that will go into the 2025 welcome folders.
  2. I am getting ready to assemble the next round, and purchased ink and paper to print on.
  3. Goal for 2025: To be able to track memberships coming in through the welcome folders.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

Goal for 2025: To get a working list of people who want to volunteer and to rework the membership form concerning volunteer opportunities.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. April stuffing for membership envelopes.
  2. We are working on getting the database updated. Thank you notes were sent out virtually and through the mail.
  3. We are 6 weeks away from the April stuffing.
  4. Goal for 2025: The information chain needs to be better established. Mike is frustrated because he is not getting membership info in a timely manner. He is working on cleaning up this process.

Social Activities Tiffany Smith – tsmith1599@yahoo.com

Goal for 2025: Wants to get acquainted with her position and all of the people involved with the FPCA.

  1. Asked for a list of established events: The Northland 4th of July Parade, Bikes-n-Trikes, Trunk or Treat, and National Night Out
  2. Another of her passions is families, moms, and babies and their needs.
  3. She is looking for people to work with her and find the focus.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Mark Bell – MarkBellncc@insight.rr.com

Ken’s Goal for 2025: To represent the diverse residents of Forest Park to the best of his ability.

See report in the Forester and a link HERE.

We need to get our nominations into NCC for the Volunteers of the Year Award at the NCC banquet.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

See the NCC Development report here.

Grant Writing Committee Chair  Quentin Monden – q.monden@gmail.com 

Goal for 2025: To foster a vibrant community where residents are empowered with healthier more connected lives.

  1. Quentin introduced members of his committee.
  2. We had an Emergency Meeting on January 30th to discuss and plan the next steps for supporting New Americans and immigrants in the Forest Park Area due to the increased presence and raids performed by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
  3. We met with a member of https://www.crisohio.org/ – Community Refugee & Immigration Services to discuss the best way for our community to support the immigrant community in our area. 
    1. The best 3 ways we identified:
      1. Provide supportive information (via Forester) at the Karl Rd Columbus Metro Library.
      2. Provide the same information at North YMCA – Information will be in Forester
      3. Purchase and donate to CRIS Ohio commonly requested non-perishable items from Costco in bulk to help families in need.
  4. Wants to have a table at the Elevate Northland event to help spread the word of who we are.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs sbiggsmail@yahoo.com (Website/Facebook)   Dave Paul dwpaul@fpcivic.org Absent (Website)    Ashley Howard ahoward@ashleynicolecounseling.com (Instagram/Facebook)  

Our website/Facebook page is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us.

Goal for 2025: Scott’s goal is to revamp and modernize our website.

OLD BUSINESS None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. Sign Committee: The sign on the corner of Satinwood and Pegwood was rundown again. A 311 report was filed and Devin was contacted. The city is in the process of replacing it.
  2. We have decided to hold the 3rd Annual FPCA Mulch Sale in the Spring!!

Meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA