Shows / Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Wilmington Weekly is a local podcast focused on Wilmington, Ohio City Council and how local government decisions actually work. Hosted by former Council President, Matt Purkey, the show provides context, explains process, and helps residents better understand what’s happening at city hall and why it matters.
Episodes
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Thirty-Two - Special Meeting Preview (8/20/26)
Thursday isn't a normal council meeting - it's a special meeting built around two public hearings on the AWS-related ordinances that aren't the big one, both…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Thirty-One - Council Wrap Up (8/6/26) and Reflections
Council came within one vote of fast-tracking a new public camping ban Thursday night, despite the city's own police chief, prosecutor, and cleanup crew all…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Thirty - Council Preview (8/6/26)
In this episode: the AZEK Group decision, Thursday's light agenda, why the public hearing notice actually matters, the August 20th/September 3rd split on the…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Nine - Repeal, Replace, or What?
Three ordinances are headed to Wilmington City Council’s August 20th public hearing, all carrying emergency language, all tied to the data center project. In…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Eight - Council Wrap Up (7/16/26) and Reflections
Council voted down a previously unanimous data center ordinance, five to one, with no discussion on the floor, right after the longest executive session of the…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Seven - Council Preview (7/16/26)
A preview of Wilmington City Council’s July 16th meetings, workshop at 6, regular meeting at 7. On the agenda: third readings on the AZEK Group’s Prairie Road…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Six - Council Wrap Up (7/2/26) and Reflections
Thursday's council meeting produced two corrections to last week's preview: the CRA Housing Council appointment turned out to be two separate resolutions, and…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Five - Council Preview (7/2/26)
Thursday’s Wilmington City Council meeting carries the heaviest agenda of the season. Council is set to give final passage to the data center zoning text…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Four - Council Wrap Up (6/18/26) and Reflections
Council took data centers from a permitted use to a conditional one on the same night a separate rezoning locked one specific property out of ever becoming…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Three - Council Preview (6/18/26)
Episode Twenty-Three previews Thursday's Wilmington City Council workshop and regular meeting. The meeting opens with two public hearings: a zoning text…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-Two - Council Wrap Up (6/4/26) and Reflections
Episode Twenty-Two is the wrap-up from the Wilmington City Council meeting of June 4, 2026. Thursday night's meeting ran less than an hour. The agenda was…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty-One - Council Preview (6/4/26)
Thursday night is one of the lighter agendas of the year, but there is enough context worth understanding before the meeting. The workshop opens at 6:00 with…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twenty — Council Wrap-Up (5/21/26)
Episode Twenty is the wrap-up from the Wilmington City Council meeting of May 21, 2026. This episode opens with a disclosure: Matt served ten years on council…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Nineteen - Council Preview (5/21/26)
Episode Nineteen is a preview of the Wilmington City Council meetings scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2026. This episode covers both the 6:00 PM public…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Eighteen - Council Wrap Up (5/7/26) and Reflections
Episode Eighteen is the wrap-up from the Wilmington City Council meeting of May 7, 2026. This episode covers the city treasurer's financial overview, a water…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Seventeen. - Council Preview (5/7/26)
This episode previews the Wilmington City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 7.The meeting includes a 6 p.m. public workshop followed by the regular…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Sixteen -Council Wrap Up (4/16/26) and Reflections
This week’s Wilmington City Council meeting was shorter than usual, but it still covered a wide range of topics, including long-term fire department planning…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Fifteen - Council Preview (4/16/26)
In Episode Fifteen of Wilmington Weekly, Matt previews the Wilmington City Council workshop and regular meeting for Thursday, April 16, 2026.This week’s agenda…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Fourteen - Council Wrap Up (4/2/26) and Reflections
In Episode Fourteen, Matt wraps up Wilmington City Council’s April 2, 2026 workshop and regular meeting. He covers the swearing-in of Officer McKenna Branham…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Thirteen - Council Preview (4/2/26)
Matt previews the April 2, 2026 Wilmington City Council meeting, including old business on downtown parking, infrastructure, landfill notes, and subdivision…
- Wilmington Weekly with Matt Purkey
Episode Twelve - Council Wrap Up (3/19/26) and Reflections
This week’s episode covers both the 6:00 public workshop and the 7:00 regular Wilmington City Council meeting on March 19, 2026.That matters, because if you…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Eleven - Council Preview (3/19/26)
In this Wednesday preview, Matt walks through the Wilmington City Council agenda for Thursday, March 19, 2026.The workshop includes a presentation on downtown…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Ten - Special Episode - Public Works, Recycling, and Fluoride (3/9/26)
In this special episode, Matt takes a closer look at the March 9 Public Works Committee meeting and two issues that could be headed to full council.First…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Nine - Council Wrap Up (3/5/26) and Reflections
This week’s episode walks through the Wilmington City Council workshop and regular meeting held on March 5, along with a Planning Commission discussion earlier…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Eight - Council Preview (3/5/26)
In this episode of Wilmington Weekly, I preview the Wilmington City Council workshop and regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2026.Council will…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Seven - Council Wrap Up (2/19/26) and Reflections
In this episode of Wilmington Weekly, we walk through the February 19, 2026 Wilmington City Council meeting in full.Council completed third readings and voted…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Six - Council Preview for 2/19/26 meeting
In this Wednesday preview, Matt Purkey walks through the full agenda for Wilmington City Council’s Thursday, February 19th meeting, including the 6:00 p.m…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Five - Council Wrap Up (2/5/26) and Reflections
This episode breaks down last week’s Wilmington City Council meeting with a focus on process, timing, and where decisions actually happen.Several rezoning…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Four - Wednesday Preview for 2/5/26 meeting
This is a Wednesday preview of the upcoming Wilmington City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 PM.In this episode, I walk through…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyNo Council Meeting - Fifth Thursday
If it felt like there should have been a city council meeting this week, you’re not wrong.This short update explains why council did not meet due to a fifth…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode Two - Council Meeting Wrap Up (1/15/2026) and Reflections
Episode 2 – Council Recap and ReflectionsIn this episode, I look back at the most recent Wilmington City Council meeting and talk through what happened, what…
Wilmington Weekly with Matt PurkeyEpisode One - Wednesday Preview for 1/15/26 meeting
Episode 1 is an introduction to the podcast and its purpose.After serving on city council for ten years, the host explains why this show exists and what gap…