As Columbus pushes massive zoning overhaul, city hires PR firm to bolster public support

Editor's note: A secondary headline on a previous version of this story was removed for containing information not supported by the story.

For more than two years Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's administration has been paying a private public relations firm more than $260,000 to help gain public support for his housing strategy, which includes expanding tax abatements citywide and a massive zoning overhaul unveiled in the past two weeks.

The firm's objectives include to "rally the community to this common vision" and to "create a strategic communications plan."

A Dispatch review of public records reveals a behind-the-scenes effort that included the firm writing an emotional draft letter to the editor on behalf of a supposed member of the public, creating and/or revising "quotes" supposedly said by the mayor and a citizen supporter of the rezoning effort, and a team of writers drafting a public essay on the initiative signed by the mayor, but for which it is unclear if Ginther ever saw.

In essence, documents suggest that Paul Werth Associates worked in concert with the city's Department of Development to create a top-down public relations campaign funded by city taxpayers, but also produced work product that sometimes gave the impression of a bottom-up grassroots movement. The city called the work "standard industry practice."

Key messages developed by the firm included that central Ohio residents "must embrace greater density in their neighborhoods if we are to remain economically competitive and create prosperity for everyone," or face a "housing crisis that could displace working families and force our most vulnerable residents into homelessness."

They also developed a marketing framework: Build, Preserve, Invest, Include. The region must build more units, preserve existing affordability, invest public dollars in housing the market won't provide, and include everyone by getting the public to embrace new-housing density "in their own neighborhoods."

The goal was to "sustain a drumbeat of communication on the Columbus Housing Strategy," according to a July 2022 email by Jennifer Fening, deputy director in the city Development Department, to Paul Werth officials. "...What other narratives should we put forth, to demonstrate action (for) the Build, Preserve, Invest, Include framework? What channels/tactics should we use?"

Much of what the firm did on behalf of the city remains unclear. The Development Department and the firm declined to answer a list of questions from The Dispatch, including what the firm provided under the section of its contract dealing with "social media." Its contract calls for it to develop and schedule social media content, including "monitoring channels, and engaging with followers."

But it was clear that the firm created other content under the contract designed to look like an everyday citizen had said it, and was not a product of a taxpayer-financed marketing effort.

Deliverables under the contract with Paul Werth include workshop agendas, discussion guides, fact sheets, policy briefs and "messaging documents to educate audiences." The city contract also requires Paul Werth to electronically submit "strategic communications plans" in a "final document." It is unclear whether the city provided those strategy plans in response to a public records request, as it repeatedly declined to discuss the matter.

Paul Werth firm writes emotional letter

In early December, upset over a Dispatch story on Ginther's efforts to expand property tax abatements from older neighborhoods into thriving sections of Columbus, Michael Stevens, director of the Development Department, informed The Dispatch by email that "one of the experts who spoke at (city) hearings will be submitting a letter to the editor on this coverage."

That same day, Dec. 8, 2023, Dan Williamson, once a senior adviser to former Mayor Michael B. Coleman — who was now heading the Paul Werth team assigned to the city PR project — emailed Fening and two other Development officials: "Here's a first draft."

Attached was a document that embedded metadata shows was created by Williamson earlier that day, which read:

"To the Editor:

"It saddened me to read Friday’s Dispatch story about the proposed Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) expansion in the City of Columbus. The Central Ohio community has come together to recognize the threat posed by our housing shortage and the consequences of inaction. Other media outlets have given balanced, thoughtful coverage to this important issue.

"I joined other community members (name them) to voice our support for the CRA proposal before City Council. But the Dispatch story didn’t mention any of us, quoting instead the mayor’s political opponent, who lost the November election. Those of us who work every day to provide housing to Columbus residents deserve better. So do your readers."

The "political opponent" referenced was Joe Motil, who unsuccessfully ran against Ginther in November.

Stevens declined to respond to questions, including whether this was the letter he referred to in his email to The Dispatch dated the same day, whether he asked Paul Werth to create it, and whether the city had asked anyone to lend their name to it.

The letter was never submitted to The Dispatch.

"Our engagement with Paul Werth reflects standard industry practice," Sheldon Goodrum, the Development Department spokesman who worked closely with Paul Werth on the project, said in an April 1 email in which he declined to answer questions about a series of incidents revealed in emails, including "media training" the firm gave to Department of Development employees in 2023.

"Today is my last day with the City of Columbus," Goodrum added in the email, referring questions to a new spokesman, Cameron Keir, the spokesperson for Ginther's mayoral campaign last year.

Firm crafts Affordable Housing Trust quote

In November 2022 Goodrum emailed Lark Mallory, president and CEO of the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County, which has received millions of dollars from the city for affordable housing initiatives and which Stevens is a member of the 11-person board, five of whom are appointed by Ginther and Franklin County.

Goodrum asked Mallory to "share a quote with me" for an in-house city housing strategy publication. She responded that Williamson had already "offered to draft something I could tweak."

Williamson responded to the group email: "Thank you Lark. How's this? 'If we can speed up our review and permitting processes, it will be great news for affordable housing development and for our emerging developers.'"

Mallory responded that the suggested quote neither named her organization nor any projects it had partnered on. "I'd like the quote to include our name. Let me know if that's possible?" She gave them some projects to craft a different quote around.

Goodrum responded: "We'd like the quote to be a little broader, addressing the need for more housing in the region, why it's so important, what you and your partners are doing, etc. Thanks!"

The final quote that appeared under Mallory's name was similar to a draft that included mention of two housing projects, but added to it was that they were "the type of creative, transformational solutions we need to address our housing needs."

Mallory didn't return a call left with her office.

Emails show Williamson crafting and refining a quote for Ginther that appeared in the same report. The Dispatch asked the firm and the department when the mayor made that statement that was quoted, but received no response.

PR team writes Ginther op-ed

City records show a team of PR people from the firm and the city labored over the creation of a piece submitted under Ginther's name to The Dispatch in December.

"Our current zoning code was created to serve the Columbus of the 1950s," the piece said. "...We've engaged residents from all corners of the city to join us in visualizing and evaluating a modernized zoning code."

"Most of our changes are outlined with comments, but I also punched up the opening paragraph a bit," emailed Kevin Kilbane, city director of communications, to seven other people, including Williamson, showing numerous edits.

"Attached for your review is the mayor's contributed column to The Dispatch," Fening emailed to Robin Davis, Ginther's former chief of staff, who also recently left her city job.

No one at the firm or city responded when asked if Ginther ever saw this essay before it was published, which appeared under the byline: Andrew J. Ginther, guest columnist.

wbush@gannett.com

@ReporterBush

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus, Paul Werth PR firm work in tandem to boost zoning overhaul