City closes warming centers early this season
Columbus mayor’s office cites safety as a concern
The City of Columbus has ended funding to warming centers early, making Thursday the last night they were open for those living on the streets and looking for respite from outdoor conditions.
Columbus City Council and the city’s development department partnered with the homeless services organization Community Shelter Board, faith-based nonprofit United Methodist Church & Community Development for All People and the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless to create a winter warming plan, opening several warming centers across the city.
The city spent $590,000 funding the warming centers, and although they were originally going to be open through mid-march, city leaders made the decision to end the funding early when “safety became a concern,” said Melanie Crabill, a spokesperson for Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.
“The warming centers have served their purpose, providing places for those experiencing homelessness to go during extreme weather,” she said. “They were never intended to be permanent shelters, but instead one part of many resources available to those in need.”
One of the warming centers — the former Summit on 16th United Methodist Church at 82 E. 16th Ave. — closed Monday after two men were stabbed and injured Feb. 10.
Two men staying at the warming center were hospitalized after a suspect entered the building and stabbed them both. The men were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, but the incident prompted the church, which leases the building to the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless, to shutter the warming center.
In addition to the now-closed warming center near Ohio State, the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless also operated a warming center at the Broad Street United Methodist Church at 501 E. Broad St. That warming center closed on Feb. 5, a decision made by
this month — the NWS reports Columbus hasn’t had any measurable snowfall.
The possibility of no measurable snowfall comes as the weather in the Columbus has smashed records for warmth several times this month, most recently on Thursday when the high temperature in Columbus of 73 degrees at John Glenn Columbus International Airport broke the previous record of 72 degrees for Feb. 23 set in 2017.
Despite an approximately 40-degree plummet in temperatures overnight Thursday into Friday, the NWS had forecast a chance of only a few flurries in places with no accumulation.
Why is it so warm here this winter?
Much of the American Southwest and along the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard, including Ohio and neighboring states, are experiencing the third winter in a row under the “La Niña” weather pattern, according to the NWS.
The climate pattern, a natural cooling of sea water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, affects the position of the jet stream and thus, the weather across all of North America.
In the lower and middle Ohio Valley, La Niña tends to increase the chances of warmer-than-normal weather and more rain than snow, the NWS says.
This winter, the Ohio Department of Ohio Transportation has so far used 57,846 tons of salt versus 92,367 tons last year in central Ohio. Brine, which is a mixture of salt and water used for deicing, is also down in central Ohio from 1,078,145 gallons used last year versus 571,935 gallons this year. This year, central Ohio plow drivers drove 603,411 miles versus 1,008,007 miles last year, the agency reports.
ODOT will begin to realize any possible savings from reduced load of material used next winter when they restock for the season, spokesperson Breanna Badanes said. She did say that the reduced amount of round-the-clock snow removal shifts and overtime has saved money on labor costs so far, but could not provide an immediate cost savings.
Columbus Department of Public Service spokesperson Charles Newman said that while the city has used less salt this year, they used more liquid deicer to deal with icy conditions earlier in the season.
Newman added that a reduction in winter weather means less potholes on the road — and more time for crews to properly repair them. The department has repaired 5,000 more potholes so far this season compared to last year, and has had more time — and beneficial weather — to use more long-term repair solutions rather than quick fixes.
While the weather has been fair, Newman said, snow crews still remain prepared for sudden winter weather.
“In our business, we still have a lot of days left,” Newman said. “We’re grateful for the weather — it has been on our side this year.”
@Colebehr_report Cbehrens@dispatch.com