MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor Rousmaniere and Members of Council FROM: Doug Elliott, City Manager RE: Friday Letter DATE: November 22, 2019 _________________________________________________________________________ ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING Under the Oxford City Charter newly elected Council members take office on the third Monday after the election (November 25, 2019). The City will be holding an organizational meeting on November 26, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the Courthouse. At this meeting the newly elected Council members will be sworn in. Then, the full Council will go into executive session to determine who will be the next Mayor and Vice Mayor. Council members will also decide which City boards/commissions they wish to serve on. JOINT WORK SESSION A Joint Work Session between Oxford City Council and Miami University Officials was held Monday, November 18, 2019 at 5:30 PM in room 322 of McGuffey Hall. This meeting was a result of a Miami University presentation to the Oxford Leadership Group in May of 2019. Pres. Crawford and Dr. Creamer presented information on several Miami owned properties where public-private partnership opportunities exist. The properties include the Marcum Hotel Conference Center, Millett Hall site, Elm Street building, Miami University Airport, Fryman Farm property on Bonham Road, and the former Talawanda High School site. I requested this meeting so that City Council and staff can learn more about these opportunities, discuss any concerns, and explore ways for the City and Miami University to work together on these potential projects. The City and Miami University have a great working relationship. Both entities recognize that our futures are intertwined. I am looking forward to a productive dialog to further strengthen our working relationship. OXFORD PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD I attended the first meeting of the Oxford Parking and Transportation Advisory Board which was held on Monday, November 18, 2019. The agenda included election of officers, review of the purpose of the board, discussion of future meetings, and review of supporting plans and documents. 45 EAST BUILDING Building plans for the 45 East Building were presented to the HAPC and given final approval. The plan is for the building to be updated with a business on the first floor and a student apartment on the second floor. The greenhouse addition will be replaced with a same size addition level with the first floor of the main building. FOLLETT’S COOP BOOKSTORE BUILDING The Follett’s property requires environmental remediation which includes the removal of any underground fuel storage tanks and contaminated soil. The site is 110 East High St. and according to Benjy has received designation “..as a BUSTR Class C site. This makes the property eligible for an assessment/cleanup grant.”

Benjy had requested that the City assist him in the redevelopment of this property by applying for an Abandoned Gas Station Cleanup Grant. Patriot Engineering (his consultant) is estimating an application of $250,000 for the cleanup. Apparently the grant does not have an application deadline and may be awarded at any time until the state appropriation is spent. According to the published guidelines, each fiscal year $4 million is appropriated. The Guidelines require that the City enter into a “Relevant Agreement” with the organization that owns the Eligible Property”. Chris and I have been finalizing documents to apply for this grant. The City will serve as a pass-through agency to obtain funding to complete the cleanup. City Council adopted a resolution to authorize the City Manager to apply for the grant at the last Council meeting.

Assistant City Manager Weekly Report: November 18-22, 2019 Submitted by: Jessica Greene

Communications:

• The social media star of the week is the City E-News with 1.5K views. • Discussion with OPD on how to educate the public on the new Smart Meters. • Town and Gown photo shoot: Partnership with MU Economics and Community

Development on Short Term Rental research.

Special Projects and Meetings:

• Work Session with Miami University. • City Council Work Session with HAPC and City Council Meeting. • BZA (in my quest to visit every board and commission!) • Panel speaker for League of Women Voters on the City’s actions on the Global Covenant

of Mayors. • Meeting with Suzi Zazycki about Oxford/MU partnership on Climate Action Items and

future task force. • Strategic Planning with the Community Improvement Corporation. • Discussion with local activists about pollinator gardens in Oxford, Ohio.

Human Resources:

• Presentation to Miami Career Services students interested in working in the public sector.

• Hosted 3 Employee Benefits meetings for open enrollment. 48 FT staff attended. • Launched employee benefits website: www.cityofoxford.org/employee

Enjoy your weekend!

Economic Development Department Director’s Weekly Report # 37 From: Nov 15th to Nov 22nd, 2019

Lowlight: It was the last official City Council meeting for,

Mayor Kate & Councilor Steve Dana.

Activities: • Miami/Media: I spoke with Bob Ratterman on eScooters.

• Parking & Transportation Commission: I attended the first meeting of this group.

• Miami/City Council Work Session. Dr. Crawford and Dr. Creamer presented the future of the university to City Council. This included both the future direction of the academic divisions as well as future on & off campus proposed and potential building plans.

Bits & Pieces: (Some facts, some rumors, some information may change. Some items are reprints from the Oxford Community Development weekly report)

Meetings: • City Council meeting: One item of EcDev interest was the City agreeing to host a grant

application with the Ohio Development Services Agency for the removal of underground storage tanks at the old Folletts site at 110 E High St. In order for the site to be redeveloped, the underground tanks need to be removed. In 2020 we will see activity at this site.

• Chamber of Commence meeting: • CIC meeting: The 2020 Economic Development Strategic Plan process has begun.

Friday’s meeting was an important meeting. o The first order of business was the CIC Board added one more Miami

representative, Randi Thomas, to the Board. This was done to create additional levels of cooperation, coordination and communication with Miami during this process.

o The CIC Board then updated the prior Oxford area EcDev SWOT analysis. o The Board then identified and prioritized broad EcDev goals. o Then the Board identified and prioritized strategizes for the top ranked goals.

For the January meeting, staff will take this information and begin to create implementation strategies for these goals. With the long term goal of creating a 2020 EcDev Strategic Plan which will be presented to City Council for approval.

City of Oxford Finance Department

Weekly Report November 18th through November 22, 2019

Accounting Activities

Accounts payable checks have been processed this week. The 2020 Budgeted Appropriations, Transfers, and Advances Ordinances passed at the

November 19th City Council meeting. The 2020 Fee Ordinance passed at the November 19th City Council meeting. Supplemental Appropriation Ordinance #8 passed at the November 19th City Council

meeting. Supplemental has been posted and sent to the County. A Resolution to Request Advance Payment of 2020 Property Taxes passed at the

November 19th City Council meeting. Supplemental Appropriation Ordinance #9 will be on the agenda for 1st reading at the

December 2nd City Council meeting. The 2019 Year End memo instructions has been sent to department heads in

preparation of closing 2019 and rolling the year to 2020.

Utilities Activities

Readings for December billing continues. Processed 462 DirectPay ACH payments for a total of $45,841.94. Processed 434

automatic credit card payments for a total of $36,309.50. Staff is working with service technicians to get additional radios installed that will read

from the tower. We currently have 1611 active accounts reading from the tower. Training continues within the Finance and Utilities areas.

Week ending 11/22/19 Programs/Activities

Toddler Tuesdays program began Tuesday, November 5th. This program is free to attend, and

occurs every Tuesday morning from 9-11am in the TRI Gym. It’s designed for toddlers ages 1-4

to run and play and use up some energy in the colder months. Parents are required to have a

yearly TRI membership, but children are free as always!

Program Supervisor, Director and Custodian repaired some fencing at Merry Day Park.

New fencing was installed around the parking area off Michelle Drive at Merry Day Park.

This is Kentucky 3-rail fence, the same as the fencing around the parking lot at Leonard

Howell Park.

Activity guide for October 2019 to March 2020 is available in-person and online

(www.cityofoxford.org/flipbook).

Sports Activities

Youth Basketball – practice for grades 3-6 have begun. Practices for grades K-2 will begin after

Thanksgiving. Sports staff are working on youth basketball events both at Talawanda and

Miami to get our youth players some on-court recognition.

Soccer, baseball and softball have all officially shut down for the year.

Meeting with multiple contractors about new tennis/pickleball courts at the TRI

Began renovation of OCP Field #4 into smaller fields. Fencing was removed, and new fencing

will be installed later in November.

Oxford Aquatic Center Ohio Parks and Recreation Association awarded the Oxford Aquatic Center with the 2nd

Place Award in the state of Ohio for 2019 Capital Improvement Projects. It’s an honor to get some recognition for our hard work here in Oxford; it was a city-wide effort.

Aquatic Center buildings / restrooms were winterized. Thank you to the Service Department for completing this work, as well as winterizing the concession stand and restrooms near the ball diamonds.

Splashtacular was on-site in late October to repair some rusting issues on one of the play units. Winterization with Patterson Pools was completed on 9/24. Wilcon was on-site last week to work on punch list items. We will complete a site visit next

week to ensure all punch list items were completed.

Senior Center

CIP Project: New pavement installed at entrance. Crack-filling on entire lot completed.

Sealcoating will likely be pushed off until early spring due to weather.

CIP Project: Siding / painting the west side of the building should begin next week.

Working on new lease terms for 2020-2024; will go to City Council December 3rd.

Miscellaneous

Director attended the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association’s Leadership Summit in

Columbus on Nov. 19-20. Several speakers from around the country discussed different

leadership styles and methods to enhance skills and abilities to run P&R departments.

New Rec Rewards t-shirts were ordered; these are shirts customers get after spending so much

money with OPRD each year. We also ordered logo koozies and power banks as giveaways at

special events.

Director attended the Butler County Visitors Bureau annual partner meeting on Nov. 13. BCVB

does an excellent job of marketing and forward-thinking with their technology and event

planning and always have great ideas to share. We intend to use some of their technology to

assist in our marketing efforts of the aquatic center in 2020.

Met with Enjoy Oxford and Chamber of Commerce to discuss details of Conquer Cabin

Fever event coming in January 2020. Blog Post with details about the four-day event will

be available the afternoon of 11/22 through Enjoy Oxford’s website.

Phase I of Teen Center Renovation Project happened on November 1st –old weight room

equipment was removed. Several community members made donations to the TRI for that

equipment; those donations will assist with the Teen Center renovation.

Phase II began with new electrical and lighting installed this week. Flooring and painting will

come soon.

Program Stats

Weight Rooms – Men: 21 Open Gym – 7 Toddler Tuesdays – 26 AM Workout – 28 Preschool – 56 Wee Paint Event – 7

Save the Dates:

Wine & Design at LaRosa’s – Dec. 5th

Oxford Holiday Festival – Saturday, December 7th

Conquer Cabin Fever – January 17-20 Ninja Warrior, Sled Dogs, Football Tailgating & More

Community Dev Dept. Report for Nov 18-22, 2019

Community Development Department November 18-22, 2019

Weekly Report

Boards/Commissions Activities: This week there were two Commission meetings:

Board of Zoning Appeals: Meeting Wednesday night; 3 cases: An appeal of an approved

fence design on Oberlin Court was overturned by BZA, found to be an incorrect decision

by staff. This was a very rare case: typically appeals of denied permits are taken, when

the appealant believes the city staff incorrectly denied a permit or that relief of the

zoning code should be granted. In this case, a resident appealed an approval of a fence

permit because the resident believed it did not meet the architectural standards of the

zoning district. The resident was found to be correct, therefore city staff will be more

specific with fence designs in the Mile Square districts. The second case was an approval

of several area variances for the

reconstruction of a house in the 800

block of South Beech Street (across from

Oxford Storage Solutions). The owner

started the project without proper

permits, and after having received

proper permits eventually found that

there was hidden damage that would

require a complete re-build. The

complete re-build meant that the

location of the house was no longer legally nonconforming.

Housing Advisory Commission: The HAC worked on prioritizing goals within categories of

Policies, Programs and Projects. This process has helped Commission members to

further refine their individual ideas into common ideas shared by the group. There is a

parallel effort with the Age-Friendly Oxford Community Wide Assessment. The next step

will be to invite the Law Director to provide general guidance on assessing risk and

benefit in implementing these goals. On December 3, City Council will review HAC’s

recommendation to transfer the remainder of the city’s affordable housing fund

(~$5,825) to Oxford Community Foundation.

Historic and Architectural Preservation Commission: Vice-Chair Chris Skoglind presented

an update to City Council at a work session on Tuesday night. The update was regarding

HAPC discussions on possible historic district expansion. Council members provided

Community Dev Dept. Report for Nov 18-22, 2019

helpful feedback and general support. Chris will be discussing this item at an upcoming

HAPC meeting on December 11. The final review of a new 3 story mixed use building for

the current vacant lot at 131 W. High Street will likely also be on the agenda for Dec 11.

Planning Commission: We are preparing for a meeting on December 10. There is

currently one case for review, a revision to the Plan for 5990 Contreras Road.

Student Community Relations Commission: Meeting is Friday, Nov 22 at 3:00pm. The

focus of the meeting will be on high-risk alcohol consumption. The last meeting until

Spring term will be Dec 6 at 3:00 p.m. at LCNB Bank.

Housing Board of Appeals: No recent activity.

Western Knolls Design Charrette:

This week we held some debrief sessions with staff and our partner Miami University

Class on Community Based Leadership. Thank you to Kathleen Knight-Abowitz for this

partnership. Working with a non-planning class helps to keep us on our toes and better

explain why we do what we do regarding community planning.

Next week we will debrief with our architect Norman Butt of the Architectural Group to

assess common themes. We plan to produce a written summary with graphics.

Legislation Work

Short Term Rentals: Our partnership with

Miami University Farmer School of

Business continues. We are reviewing and

assessing the research that Dr. Mark

Tremblay and his students Ben Anderson

and Jordan McMaster provided. One of

the takeaways of the research to this

point is that in 2019 alone, there was

over $400,000 in revenue collected by

Oxford property owners for short term

lodging stays through AirBNB, Homeaway and VRBO. Today we also did a ceremonial

photo shoot to document this “Town and Gown” work between the City and Miami.

Mayor Kate joined us in one of her final appearances as mayor. Miami will be producing

a news piece on this.

Tree Preservation: We are continuing to work on drafting zoning code revisions

following Environmental Commission’s recommendations.

Phone, Web & GIS Activities:

Working on Parking areas data and web app with the Police Department’s Parking

Division

Working with the Service Department to roll out an inspections app using our GIS server

Community Dev Dept. Report for Nov 18-22, 2019

Planning a ShoreTel server upgrade which will replace Shortel Communicator with Mitel

Connect.

Building, Rental Permits and Inspections:

Building permits, rental permits, inspections and fee collection are ongoing

Attached is our regular website report and recent parcel ownership transfers. Please let us know if you need any

additional information.

Community Development Department / 15 South College Ave / 1st Floor

513-524-5204

sperry@cityofoxford.org

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Church

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Recent Parcel Transfers

0 2,700 5,4001,350Feet

1 inch = 3,500 feet¬ABOUT THIS MAP: This map displays transfers within and adjacent 0.25 miles to City of Oxford.Parcel lines and transfer data come from the Offices of the Butler County Engineer and Auditor. TheCity of Oxford does not guarantee the dimensional accuracy of this map. Precise dimensionalaccuracy should be based upon recorded deeds, plats or a professional survey.PURPOSE: Show City staff and decision-makers locations of recent parcel sales and transfers.PRODUCED BY: Andrew Wilson, City of Oxford Community Development Department,15 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, awilson@cityofoxford.org, 513-524-5218

Transfers Date RangeNov. 15 - Nov. 21, 2019

(8 1/2 x 11" paper)

Nov 15, 2019 - Nov 21, 2019 ▼

Report Date Range

City Website Metrics

7,041 2,6542,193 2.65

This report displays public utilization of cityofoxford.org using Google Analytics data. Cityemployee web traffic is excluded. Analytics tracking does not include personallyidentifiable information. Use the glossary on page 3 for definitions.

Sessions Pageviews

Nov 15 Nov 16 Nov 17 Nov 18 Nov 19 Nov 20 Nov 210

500

1K

1.5K

2K

378203

329

569412 419 344

1,040

468

825

1,660

1,046 1,097905

Date

Sess

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| Pa

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7. Sessions and Pageviews per Day

9. Top 10 Visitor Locations

City Visitors New Visitors Pageviews Sessions Pages / Session Avg. Session Duration

Oxford 1,018 619 3,739 1,242 3.01 00:02:33

Cincinnati 161 123 415 190 2.18 00:01:16

(not set) 61 51 315 94 3.35 00:01:12

Hamilton 55 41 158 61 2.59 00:01:29

Chicago 49 43 73 51 1.43 00:00:27

Nashville 46 34 136 57 2.39 00:01:02

Columbus 36 27 75 40 1.88 00:01:19

Santa Clara 34 34 34 34 1 00:00:00

New York 32 25 93 37 2.51 00:02:45

Logan 32 18 131 36 3.64 00:02:42

▼

Full Referrer Pageviews

google 4,122

(direct) 2,153

bing 264

yahoo 148

duckduckgo 44

ecosia.org 39

en.wikipedia.org/ 26

oprd.recdesk.com/Community/Page 20

l.facebook.com/l.php 20

alltheinternet.com/ 18

▼

8. Top 10 Referrers

Andrew Wilson, City of Oxford Community Development Department,15 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, awilson@cityofoxford.org, 513-524-5218

ABOUT THIS REPORT:

PRODUCED BY:

Allow City staff and decision-makers to gauge citizen usage and engagement of the Citywebsite based on metrics, types of devices, and location of visitors.

PURPOSE:

1. Visitors 2. TotalPageviews

3. TotalSessions

4. Pages PerSession

Page 1 of 3

00:01:54

5. Avg. SessionDuration

42.35%

6. BounceRate

Nov 15, 2019 - Nov 21, 2019 ▼

Report Date Range

12. Top Operating Systems with Top Web Browsers

Chrome

Safari

Edge

Internet Explorer

Firefox

Samsung Internet

Safari (in-app)

Android Webview

Windows Macintosh iOS Android Chrome … Linux Window… OS/2

2,436 1,116 93 381 56 5 - -

- 639 1,407 - - - 1 -

326 - - - - - - -

238 - - - - - - -

159 46 - 6 - 4 - 1

- - - 43 - - - -

- - 36 - - - - -

- - - 23 - - - -

Operating System / Pageviews

Top 8 - Browser

13. Device Category

Pageviews

0 2K 4K 6K

tablet

mobile

desktop

170

1,847

5,024

Pageviews

Dev

ice

Cat

egor

y

15. Top 10 Pages

14. Social Networks

Pageviews

0 20 40 60 80

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

10

8

65

Pageviews

Soci

al N

etw

ork

Page ( / = https://cityofoxford.org/) Pageviews

/ 852

/pay_online 780

/departments/finance-utilities/billing-and-payment-options 548

/payment_thanks 467

/departments/police-parking 287

/directory 155

/departments/finance-utilities/water-sewer-and-trash-ser… 134

/city-council 123

/students-residents 84

/employment 84

▼ URL Pageviews

https://smartbillcorp.com/oa/frmLogin.aspx?ws=oxford 792

http://cityofoxford.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view… 250

https://oprd.recdesk.com/ 95

http://library2.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Ohio/oxford_… 86

http://mygovhelpadmin.org/OXFORDOH/_cs/RequestOp… 73

https://miamioh.edu/police/services/etms/index.html 69

https://cityofoxford.nupark.com/portal/citations 68

https://gis.cityofoxford.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/ind… 64

https://secure4.aladtec.com/oxford/index.php 61

http://www.respectforlawcamp.org/ 58

▼

16. Top 10 Outbound Links

11. Website Utility Payments10. Website Utility Payers

439Page 2 of 3

467

1

Weekly Report Oxford Division of Police

November 11, 2019 – November 17, 2019

1. PSA Fields, PSA Schatzle, and PSA Alcorn attended the Ohio Community Wildlife Cooperative Conference on Thursday. The conference focuses on the role of local government in managing human-wildlife conflict. This year’s topics included coyotes, turkeys-the next urban nuisance species, natural spaces in cities, raptors, media relations & zoonotic diseases.

2. On duty patrol/CIU attended a Public Safety Appreciation brunch hosted by the Knolls of Oxford.

3. Ptl. Carlson recovered two recently stolen vehicles while checking area parking lots. Most of our recent car thefts have been attributed to owners leaving keys in their unlocked vehicles. The keys are stolen several days or weeks before the thieves return and steal the actual vehicle.

4. OPD hosted an educational seminar for employees on buying or selling a home presented by Coldwell Banker. This was a very small part of an overall employee wellness strategy.

Meetings

• Chief Jones o Monday meeting with Command Staff and on-duty Sergeants o Veterans Day Ceremony o Dan Wozniak, Ohio Public Leaders Fellowship intern o Ben Finfrock, Associated Student Government – Angel Shot program o Lexi Scherzinger, journalism student – Traffic stop data collection o Alcohol Coordinating Committee meeting o City Manager staff meeting o Police Community Relations & Review Commission (PCRRC) meeting o City Manager, Assistant City Manger & Assistant Law Director - upcoming negotiations o New City Council member orientation

• Lt. Fening

o Health Insurance Advisory Committee meeting o Matt Winegar, journalism student – Parking issues o T2 Client Portal Overview meeting o Explorer unit meeting o Anna Gyde, journalism student – Community outreach activities

• Lt. Robinson

o Construction meeting – Lobby signage and project closeout

2

SRO News SRO Wagers monitored the area of Oxford Reily Rd. and Dana Dr. in an effort to slow down motorists for the safety of TMS student walkers. SRO Butler spoke to Mr. Brown’s freshman health class about illegal drugs and addiction. This prompted great conversation and he was able to clarify quite a few misconceptions about certain substances. Notable Report Summaries 11/11/2019 10:41:00AM 19-OPD-1645 18 W Collins St THEFT - MOTOR VEHICLE Victim reported sometime between 2030 and 0030 hrs. someone took his vehicle that was parked in the parking lot of 18 W. Collins without his permission. There are no suspects at this time. The vehicle has been entered into LEADS as stolen. 11/17/2019 12:51:00AM 19-OPD-1666 101 E HGH ST CRIMINAL DAMAGING OR I was notified by an OPD employee that his vehicle was damaged while parked outside the station. Video showed the offender keying the hood on the vehicle. The suspect was recognized as a person who had just been involved on a different call. The male was located at the Hookah Lounge and arrested.

Arrests and Citations Nov 11 - Nov 17 YTD Incidents Reported Nov 11 - Nov 17 YTD Minor Misdemeanor 4 186 Traffic Crashes 3 208

Misdemeanor 11 523 Sexual Assault 0 12Felony 0 61 Robbery 0 3

Moving Traffic 9 547 Assault 0 32Non-Moving Traffic 1 170 Burglary 2 71

Drivers License Law Violations 0 171 Theft 6 349Civil Offense Citation 5 384 Motor Vehicle Theft 2 20

Underage Alcohol Violation 5 146 Drug Offense 0 29OVI 1 63 Aggravated Menacing/Menacing 0 18

Disorderly Conduct 4 163 Domestic Violence 0 21Property Damage 4 124Criminal Trespass 0 20

Weekly Report: By the Numbers

This report highlights major projects and does not detail daily department / division operations. Please let me know if you need any additional information. MBD

• Municipal Building Renovation – Project is substantially complete and an Open House was

conducted August 29th in conjunction with the Community Picnic Uptown. Contractor is working on punch list items including minor soffit details, lock hardware issues, and signage for the lobby areas. Council authorized $4.117M for this project; the contract value authorized to date is $3.9M. New Lobby signage still needs to be completed. Heating system software is being tweeked to fix programming glitches. Erlanger Hardware will be addressing access control issues for the next several weeks. Both historic building plaques have been reinstalled as well as a modern plaque recognizing the building renovation for the Police Division.

• Aquatic Center at the OCP – Facility opened to the public on June 15th. Staff generated a punch list of items for correction on June 20th; the contractor is working on these items. Final punch list review was conducted on Wednesday, August 14th. Contractor will continue to finish punch list items including reseeding of the entire project footprint. P&R is coordinating winterization of the pool systems with the contractor (Patterson Pools); for the week of Sept. 23rd. Staff met with the general contractor on October 8th to review punch list items for the project.

• Southpointe Parkway Secondary Access Road – The City is working with Four Leaf Development, LLC for the design and potential construction of a secondary access road for this development. Funding will be provided by tax increment financing (TIF) once the County determines the improvement in values from recent construction. Four Leaf has requested reimbursements for expenses related to the roadways engineering. The OEPA has approved the plans for WATER main extension as related to this project (Mar. 1, 2019). It appears the TIF will generate approximately $2.4M. Initial estimate of probable cost for the entire project is approximately $3.2M (incl. US27 turning lane improvements). Roadway plans were submitted the week on November 18th for review (including a precast culvert structure).

• Black Covered Bridge Repairs – Four decayed wood support posts are being replaced on the north bank of Four Mile Creek. Contractor – Timber Frame Reclaim. Work will be completed as creek water levels allow. An access drive from Morning Sun Rd. to the bridge has being cleared; work is proceeding on bridge support column replacements. The bridge will be closed temporarily to pedestrians and bicyclists while work is completed. Significant wood rot has been discovered in newly exposed load bearing members. These areas will be removed and replaced with solid timber. New support timbers have been installed. Contractor is restoring site to complete this project. Staff is evaluating video surveillance options for this site.

SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Weekly Report # 47

Nov. 18 – Nov. 22, 2019

• OATS Multi Use Trail – Phase II- This project will construct a new segment of OATS trail from SR73 to US27. The City is working with Bayer Becker to amend our existing design contract for the engineering of this phase. The City Council approved a design/engineering contract at their Jan 16th meeting; OKI and ODOT have been updated on the status of the design contract. Plans will be developed over the rest of 2018, and the project will be bid in February 2019. Construction will run through 2020. Project construction estimate is $2.1M. Stage 2 plans have been submitted to ODOT for approval. Miami has agreed to INCREASE their contribution from the original commitment of $150,000 to $700,000. The extra funding will be used to connect the OATS trail to new dedicated bike lanes on SR73 at Ditmer Field. Final plan package has been received from the consultant and is under review by ODOT / Central Office). ODOT AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAVE APPROVED THIS PROJECT FOR BIDDING, we anticipate a recommendation for a construction contract in early June. Construction is expected to take up to two construction seasons. The City has invoiced and received $700,000 from Miami University for their contribution to the project. Latest project estimate is $2,281,700. Bid opening was held May 24, 2019 with three companies submitting. Sunesis Construction is the apparent low bidder and will be an agenda item for the June 4 City Council meeting. Contract documents have been sent for signatures. Staff coordinated a pre-construction meeting with ODOT, Sunesis, Subs, and the City. Tree clearing began Oct 1st as allowed by environmental restrictions dealing with Indiana Bat habitat. Work this fall and winter will also include storm sewer and manhole installations as well as bridge abutments while the bridges are being fabricated off site. New bridges will be installed across Four Mile Creek and Collins Run (at Peffer Park). Surveyors have begun laying out the proposed centerline of the trail. Groundbreaking was held Oct. 1.

• OATS Multi Use Trail – Phase III- The City has received a letter from OKI informing us that Phase 3 has been awarded a grant of $1.5M for this segment of the OATS trail. This grant will require a 25% local match. Phase 3 will construct a new segment from US27 to the RR tracks and Talawanda High School and will pave existing gravel / ash segments between Bonham Rd and SR73. The City is working with ODOT, MU, and TSD to develop the scope and alignment for this project. Recent flood events along Four Mile Creek have caused significant damage to the coal ash trail base in this area. This could lead to a significant cost impact if the existing base is not sufficient to support the future asphalt paving in this area. Staff will present a Local Let agreement with ODOT for the City to locally bid and manage this project involving Federal funds at the October 15th Council meeting.

• OATS Multi Use Trail –– Phase IV - Middle School to Oxford Community Park Jessica Greene is successful again in obtaining grant funding for the OATS trail, this time $750,000 for a segment from the Talawanda Middle School on SR732 to the Oxford Community Park. This segment will be approximately 11,590 feet long and is proposed for constuction in 2022. Funding comes from OKI and the Transportation Alternatives program. The City is working with ODOT, MU, and TSD to develop the scope and alignment for this project. Staff is working to identify additional funding sources to fully fund this segment. The next funding cycle requires applications by June 7th for CMAQ or TA funding through OKI. Staff will present a Local Let agreement with ODOT for the City to locally bid and manage this project involving Federal funds at the October 15th Council meeting.

• OATS Multi Use Trail – Phase V – Oxford Community Park to US27 North Staff is beginning to identify possible alignments and impacts on ROW acquisition and construction costs. Enjoy Oxford has identified a significant private contribution that could possibly be utilized for this phase of the project.

• Pedestrian Safety Improvements in the MU Campus area- The City is working with MU to design landscaped pedestrian refuge islands on Patterson Ave, SR73, and High St. between Patterson Ave. and Campus Ave. This work will need to be completed prior to the City’s urban paving project now scheduled for 2020. Meeting conducted Jan 31 to discuss scope and concerns with project. Engineers studying traffic pre-emption technologies for the project. Stage III plans have been completed and are under review. The City Council has approved this project being Local Let by the City. By local letting and local project management, the City will not have to pay ODOT a construction engineering fee of 10% of project costs. Project award is expected in March with construction beginning in May 2020.

• Food Waste Composting – Staff has developed specifications for a pilot food waste drop off and trucking program to begin April 6, 2019. Collection bins are being placed outside the security fence at the City Garage. This will allow for 24/7 access to the bins. Previously, participation was limited to Saturdays only. Currently, approximately 500# per week is being diverted from a sanitary landfill and trucked to Lima, OH for processing. Council has discussed their support in continuing this pilot program through 2020.

• 2019 Program Year CDBG project – The City’s 2019 application for funding handicap ramp and sidewalk improvements has been submitted to Butler County. We will need HUD and County approval prior to proceeding with construction.

• Chestnut St. / College Avenue Traffic Control Signal - Ohio Public Works Comm. – District 10 has recommended award of two projects to the City. Chestnut /College traffic signalization $ 151,800; High St. (Contreras Road) water main replacement and borings under the CSX RR $ 276,500. Plans and specifications are complete and will begin advertising for bids the week of October 14th. Work will be completed during the summer of 2020. Bids were opened 11/1/19. Council awarded this contract to Elex, Inc. on November 19th.

• Contreras Road Water Main Installation under CSX Railroad Tracks – Plans and specifications are complete and will begin advertising for bids the week of October 14th. Work will be completed during the summer of 2020. New conduits to accommodate water mains will be bored under the RR tracks so that antiquated pipe may be replaced. Bid were opened on 10/25 with SmithCorp being the apparent low bidder. Council awarded a contract for construction on November 5th.

• The Ohio EPA has completed its review of the City’s 2018 Annual Post Closure Report for the City’s closed landfill. No deficiencies were found. The Ohio EPA also completed a review of the City’s 2018 Annual Ground Water Monitoring System and Leachate Sampling Results. No deficiencies were found by the OEPA inspectors. David Treleaven does a great job making sure our landfill, groundwater & leachate monitoring systems, and Class IV composting facility remain in compliance with all State and Federal regulations.

• Curb, Gutter & Sidewalk Assessment Project – This project must be re-advertised with a new

scope. No bids were received; contractors are already very busy for this construction season. We are hopeful that at least gutter improvements will be made on schedule and prior to street resurfacing. One bid was received from Jackson Construction. This will be a June 4 City Council agenda item. Contract documents were sent to the contractor. This project is complete. Staff will request a Council Resolution to affirm actual costs to property owners. Once published for an objection

period, Staff will request an Assessing Ordinance in November to certify costs as a special assessment to Butler County to be collected with property taxes.

• Water Main Replacement Project on SR73 – The City was notified by a township customer (Sherman) of a City water main on private property (no easement or ROW) serving Springwood Subdivision. Staff is designing a new water main, staying within existing ROW, to connect with Springwood via SR73. The old main on private property will be abandoned. A supplemental appropriation will be likely, along with permits from ODOT, OEPA, and BCEO. Staff is running calculations to verify our design will accommodate future development at the Heritage Tech Park (former day lily farm). Council has approved a supplemental appropriation to fund this unforeseen project for 2019. The Ohio EPA has approved the plan and a permit application has been submitted to ODOT. Materials for the project will be advertised for bids the week of September 30th. Council approved a materials contract on Nov 5th; construction of this new water main began Nov. 14th and should be completed in 2-3 weeks.

• Solid Waste / Recycling Contract – Staff is developing specifications for a new solid waste / recycling contract. Staff is evaluating requirements for wheeled totes (with lids) for recyclables as opposed to the current red bin; possibly listing an alternate for volume based pricing; and possibly an alternate to add curbside collection and composting of acceptable kitchen wastes. Bids were opened on Sept. 26; Rumpke was the only bidder for this contract. Staff is evaluating the various options and alternates to provide the City Manager and Council with a recommendation for a new contract. City Council approved a new two year contract with three option years on October 15th. The new terms take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

• 2019 Public Tree Maintenance Program – staff is getting quotes for hazard tree maintenance and

removal as well as for our autumn planting program to restore trees in the ROW. Removals were completed in August; plantings will begin in November or when predictable rainfall may be expected.

• Water Treatment Plant Modernization – Staff is evaluating options for study for the possible future

retrofitting of the water treatment plant to possibly include hardness removal, disinfection methods, and removal of an underground fuel storage tank for emergency power generation. Requests for Proposals began advertising the week of October 14th. Staff will make a recommendation to Council at the Dec. 3rd meeting.

• 2019-20 Deer Management Program – local permits have been issued to Ohio licensed

individuals for our Deer Management Program that will run through Feb. 2, 2020. The private Oxford Cemetery Association has been approved as an additional location for this program (at their request). To date, nine deer have been harvested with the venison of seven donated to the Community Meal Center.

• Culvert Repairs – ODOT PID 94179 - ODOT will be making culvert repairs at 4312 Oxford-

Reily Rd. and 720 W. Chestnut St. This project is 100% funded and managed by ODOT. The inverts of the culverts will be repaved to prevent future scouring.

• 2020 CDBG Application – City Council has authorized Staff to submit an application to Butler

County. HUD funds will be used to continue constructing additional handicap ramps for access to the City’s sidewalk system.

• Curbside Leaf Collection – Street Division crews began picking up leaves curbside beginning the week of October 28th. Collections will continue through December (weather permitting).

• New Generator and Transfer Switch for Seven Mile Well Field – Plans and specifications are complete to install a new emergency generator and automatic transfer switch at the Seven Mile Well Field to power wells # 6, 7, and 8 during periods without commercial power. This area was previously served by a trailer mounted gen-set, the new equipment will be permanently mounted at the well field and always available for service. Bids were opened on 11/1/19. Council awarded this contract to Cummins on November 19th.

• New Proposed LEAD and Copper Rule from the US EPA – there will be a 60 day comment period for the following proposed rule changes regarding lead and copper.

• 2020 Curb, Gutter, & Sidewalk Repair Program – Staff is marking defective concrete in advance of our 2020 street resurfacing program. Letters will be sent to property owners requiring repairs be made. If there is not compliance, Staff will present a Resolution of Necessity to the City Council in early 2020 to begin a special assessment process.

• Courthouse Security – at the request of the Butler County Judges, the City will be installing an electronic keypad lock on the north entrance to the Courthouse. The will remove the need to have metal keys, and the lock code may be changed quickly as circumstances warrant.

• Winter Storm #1 of 2019-20 Season – The City experienced our first winter storm of the new season on November 11th. Combined with single digit temperatures, this weather is delaying leaf collection efforts.

• Holiday Lighting- Street Division staff are installing holiday lights along High St. – these lights

will be energized the Friday following Thanksgiving – November 29th.