2025 Candidate Questionnaire on
Environmental Sustainability
Candidate Responses: Michelle Kozak
[email protected]
Environmental Sustainability
Candidate Responses: Michelle Kozak
[email protected]
- Background
What would you like Grandview residents to know about your background, as it relates to the environment, climate, and conservation? If applicable, please describe any relevant educational, career, or service experience you have.
I care deeply about the environment, and over the past couple of decades have been an avid recycler and composter – first with backyard composting, then moving to the city’s drop off site, and then a couple of years ago switching to the curbside service.
I’ve been driving a Prius for 13.5 years. When our budget will allow for it, we would like to get an EV and also solar panels for our home.
I started replacing the turf grass around our house with perennials and native plants 10-15 years ago. We’ve been using an electric mower for at least that same time to mow the little remaining grass we have. Through the Franklin Soil and Water program, I was able to get two rain barrels and I use those to help minimize the amount of water we use to keep plants alive. We have added many trees around our home to help with shading and carbon capture.
During my first term on council, I have twice advocated for a curbside compost pilot once in 2022 and again this summer. I also sponsored legislation to remove milkweed as a noxious weed and to allow for managed natural landscapes (passed in April 2024). At that time, I was also trying to change the legislation to allow for homeowners to plant natives, etc, in the right of way. That was met with some resistance from the administration, but I would like to pursue it again if there is support on council.
In August 2024, I brought forward an initiative to have $2,000 of council funds be used to give away trees for the tree lawn. Parks & Recreation decided on the format and chose to do a tree lottery.
During the discussions for our new buildings, I advocated for solar panels. We were able to get the panels over the parking lot behind the new municipal building (a savings of 5% of the energy used in the building), and there is infrastructure on top of the new building for them but we don’t yet have funding for the rooftop solar panels.
In the summer of 2024, I led the creation of the new Grandview Heights Farmers’ Market, www.grandviewheightsfarmersmarket.com, that had a monthly pilot market through the winter and has been weekly this summer. Farmers’ markets provide many benefits to a community through supporting local businesses, creating community with a place to gather, and giving the residents the ability to purchase food that is coming from 0-130 miles away instead of being unsustainably shipped from across the country or other parts of the world.
We have been going through the trash and recycling after each market and have found that 99% of what is being thrown away can be composted or recycled- either through regular recycling or using the Hefty orange bags.
We have enlisted the help of the GHHS Environmental Club to come at the end of each market and collect compostable items from the vendors that are then taken over to the drop off compost site. They were previously unaware of the drop off, so it was great to inform them about it and now they are sharing that information out on their social media.
SWACO has set up an info booth at one of our markets to answer questions on recycling, and Matthew from Columbus Recycles sets up monthly and takes hard to recycle items and shares information on recycling right. - Priorities
If elected, what are the top environment-related priorities you will pursue, if any?
At a council meeting a few weeks back, I discovered that there is no plan to purchase/fund the solar panels for the top of the new municipal building. I would like for us to get that in the budget and have a definite plan to have those purchased and installed.
I would also like for us to include EV chargers in the budget and to require that any new city vehicles are hybrids/EVs.
I will continue to push for a curbside compost pilot and to encourage use of the drop off compost site, which I think is still unknown to many residents.
If you look on the www.treeequityscore.org website, you can see the areas of Grandview Heights that need more trees. I will continue to advocate for the city to plant more trees and increase the tree canopy. There was a significant increase in the tree budget for 2025 to add trees around the parks and municipal buildings. That same $20k is included in the 2026 budget to continue plantings around the new building, along First Avenue and around an upcoming tennis court project. - Climate Action Plan
Several cities/municipalities across Central Ohio have adopted climate action plans, which principally are done to assess their greenhouse gas emissions, identify steps to mitigate these emissions, and enact a plan to implement those steps. Should Grandview pursue a climate action plan? Please elaborate on your position.
It would be great if we had a long-range plan of dates by which we would get solar panels on top of the municipal building, have EV chargers at locations throughout the city, require any new city vehicle purchases to be EVs or the most efficient hybrids (a Prius over an SUV hybrid, for example), enroll the city into the energy aggregation program, increase the tree canopy. A couple of us on council have advocated for these things, but there is no written plan with a timeline of how to get there. - City-Resident Partnerships
How well does the City work with residents to source community input in guiding policies and programs relating to sustainability? As a councilmember, would you seek any changes in our current partnerships?
Unfortunately, the administration has not been open to suggestions from community members or from some council members about policy changes for sustainability topics. If more sustainably-minded people ran for office it would be easier to advance polices we care about.
I will continue to be an advocate for sustainable policies and am happy to listen to input from community members about initiatives they are interested in. - Renewable Energy Aggregation
In November of 2023, Grandview Heights voters passed Issue 23, which authorized the city to implement an electric aggregation program for residences and businesses, featuring 100% renewable electricity. Do you support the continuation of this program, and would you make any changes to it?
I was proud to co-sponsor this legislation and work on the PAC for Issue 23 to help get information out to voters. It was an exciting success with ~82% of voters supporting the initiative, one of the highest passage rates in the state. This year I voted to have us continue with the program for another one-year contract with Energy Alliances. Earlier in the year, we had the option of switching all of the city government’s electricity over to the aggregation plan, but there was some hesitation about the uncertainty of what the rates would be. In the future, I would like for us to research and plan for this switch. I would also like us to periodically reassess the other aggregation options available to make sure that we are getting the best rate and benefits. - Biodiversity Loss
Many residents are concerned about biodiversity loss and wildlife decline. For some examples, it has been estimated that birds have declined by about 30% and insects by as much as 75% in the past several decades. Do you believe that Grandview Heights can or should take part in addressing this issue? If so, please elaborate.
Grandview used to have a Landscape Advisory Board that would provide guidance on what types of trees are permitted to be planted each year in the right of way. It would be great to revive this or have some type of program focused on planting native trees in the right of way and throughout the city.
A few years ago, a resident made me aware of an organization called DarkSky International, www.darksky.org. In reading through their website, I learned how light pollution can negatively impact birds, insects, humans and other creatures. I advocated for downward facing light poles for First Avenue and other areas where new poles were going in. I also shared with the administration that the light poles in the alleys (maintained by AEP) create a lot of light pollution and that it would be beneficial to either not use them or have a downward facing light with a shield so they don’t shine into people’s homes. - Plants
Related to Question 6, a growing scientific literature has demonstrated the importance of native trees and plants in supporting our ecosystem, while exotic invasive species pose significant threats. What steps, if any, should the City take to promote native plants and control invasives, both on public and private property?
Recently, there was a change to the Ohio Revised Code to no longer permit the planting of some invasive tree species like the Callery pear. The code does not require that existing trees be removed, but it’s a start, at least to restrict the planting. In the Ohio Administrative Code they also list restricted trees like the Tree of Heaven that is a host to the spotted lantern fly.
I know that the city periodically does try to remove invasive honeysuckle and other invasive plants from city property. I am also aware that last year they did remove some Callery pears in the right of way that were in poor condition. I am not familiar with what type of legislation we could pass to require the removal of these trees on private property and would need to research that to see if it would be an option. Having the bandwidth for enforcement of any policy like this is usually an issue.
The city could put more native trees and plants on city property and share out this information with residents as a way to encourage them to do the same. - Walking, Biking, and Transit
Do you believe Grandview is a safe and easy place to walk, bike, and take public transit? Should we take steps to provide safer routes for walking and biking? Should we work to broaden public transit options? Are you happy with our sidewalks? Who should be responsible for maintaining sidewalks? What is your position on e-bikes and scooters?
As someone who walk a lot, I see sidewalks as a public benefit, much like streets. For this reason, I voted against legislation in March that brought back our sidewalk program that would require property owners to pay to have their sidewalks replaced. I made a motion at that meeting in March to not charge homeowners for the cost of the sidewalk replacement, but I didn’t get a second (no other councilmember supported this). The $100k is already in our budget to cover all costs up front. Because sidewalks are a public benefit, I think repairs should be paid for by the city. If you agree, please contact council and the administration to let them know.
Three local suburbs have all passed legislation to shift the burden of the sidewalk repair to the city instead of the property owner:
2017 - Dublin, https://dublinohiousa.gov/sidewalk-maintenance-program/.
2019 – Westerville, https://www.westerville.org/services/planning-development/engineering/sidewalk-maintenance-program
2023 – Bexley, https://bexley.org/sidewalks/
I spoke with Director Hughes again about this last week, and I will continue to advocate for the city to cover the cost of sidewalk repair. Westerville’s program includes a nice feature where you can contact the city if you know of a damaged panel that is unsafe. It would be great to be able to address the most serious panels around the city right away instead of waiting for the cycle of repairs to reach that part of town. Currently, only one area of town is addressed each year.
Grandview does have several bus routes running through it, though I know that the 75 line has had some cuts to service. In the coming years, there should be two LinkUs stops along Olentangy, one at Goodale and another at Third Avenue. Hopefully, ridership will increase even more with this additional option.
There are bike paths in the vicinity of our city, but not enough safe bike routes within Grandview. Very few places have dedicated bike lanes, unfortunately. Before another major street renovation is done, it would be great to have a push for/a plan for dedicated bike lanes on major streets.
From my limited knowledge of e-bikes, I don’t have an issue with them. They seem like a sustainable option for travel.
Grandview banned scooters quite a few years ago, and I agree with restricting those from our community. While they are a sustainable mode of transportation, I think they pose a danger to those using them on our streets. I’ve seen many of them on OSU’s campus, and that seems like a safer environment for them to be in, ie one without cars. - Waste
Is Grandview doing well at diverting waste from the landfill? Should we try a curbside compost pilot program like other cities have done? Please elaborate on your positions.
Grandview does have a fairly high participation rate for our recycling program, as compared with other communities.
In 2022, when I was in my first year on council, I was advocating for a curbside compost pilot. The mayor said that it would be ‘subsidizing privilege.’ Since the administration’s position on things often determines the majority of councilmembers’ positions, I didn’t pursue it further at that time.
Earlier this year, I heard that Marble Cliff started offering a curbside compost pilot to their residents last year using The Compost Exchange, and their council approved funding for it to continue into this year. I reintroduced the subject again after learning about this and gathering some information from The Compost Exchange who does our drop off site. In response to this, the administration prepared a staff memo on food waste alternatives on 6/17/25 (I’d be happy to share with anyone who is interested). They came up with a cost to have our Service Department do the collection (something I was not advocating for), and it would not be feasible given the current staffing. In the memo they state that “SWACO recommends drop off locations as the best service offering for the public.” The city is getting some funding from SWACO to do a mailer to residents when the new municipal building opens this fall. It will highlight the drop off compost location on the street behind that building.
The Compost Exchange shared with me that as of August 8th, there were 134 curbside customers in Grandview Heights who they collect 900 lbs of food waste from each week. At the drop off site from April-June 2025, they picked up an average of 1,132 pounds of food waste each week. I will continue to look for ways to have us introduce a curbside compost pilot. Some residents might not drive or have an interest in taking their compost to a drop off site. Providing two composting options would increase awareness and get more people involved. - Lawn Care
Quite a few of our members want to know your thoughts about gas-powered lawn equipment, particularly leaf blowers. It has been estimated that using a gas-powered leaf blower for 30 minutes produces about the same pollution as driving a large pickup truck from Texas to Alaska. They are also loud, often exceeding 90 decibels. Since 1990, leaf blower usage has doubled, and there has been a trend toward more powerful models. Some of our members state that they cannot enjoy outdoor spaces during the day due to the air and noise pollution. For similar reasons, over 100 cities in the US have enacted bans and/or restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers. Please share your thoughts about this issue.
This would be a great topic to research and include in a climate action plan.
In the past, when the subject of banning coal tar as a driveway sealant was raised, I know the administration expressed concern about not having the bandwidth to enforce it. I anticipate a similar response to us trying to ban/restrict gas-powered leaf blowers. I would support a ban or some type of restriction.
I checked with a couple of city departments today and was told that Parks & Rec is currently using a variety of electric or battery powered lawn care items including string trimmers, handheld blowers, chainsaws, push mowers. They are looking to add more backpack blowers and string trimmers next year. It’s great that they have started making this shift.
