Columbus City Council last night approved spending 60 thousand dollars to extend for a year a contract with a private company to carry out the city's graffiti removal program. Sponsoring Council Member Zach Klein says more than one hundred businesses have signed up since the program was launched last year.
City code enforcement officers are trying to spread the word about the program in neighborhoods where they estimate there are thousands of buildings with graffiti. City code requires graffiti be removed from unoccupied structures within 30 days of its discovery. Failure results in owners facing six months in jail and a 1 thousand dollar fine. Council also approved two tax breaks for businesses. Proform Industries is getting a 25 percent income tax break for five years to create 60 jobs making components for trucks. And Dynamit Technologies is getting a 3 year income tax break to create 60 jobs. Council also approved a 1.5 million dollar contract with a firm to design the rennovations of the Franklin County Municipal Court building. The 90 million dollar rennovation is expected to take ten years to complete.