MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor Smith and Members of Council FROM: Doug Elliott, City Manager RE: Friday Letter DATE: August 20, 2021 ______

MASK MANDATE City Council was provided an updated and revised face covering ordinance for the August 17, 2021 Council meeting. The expiration date is December 13, 2021. This date can be extended or shortened by City Council depending on a review of the local Covid-19 number of cases and the vaccination rate or other public health information.

The ordinance received a first reading. It was not adopted since the City Charter requires 3/4 of all members elected to Council (5.25 or 6 members) for passage of an emergency ordinance. The next regularly scheduled Council meeting is September 7, 2021. A special meeting may be scheduled for August 30, 2021 at 6:30 PM.

Miami University announced an indoor face covering requirement for all of its buildings.

INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE (IRC) MEETING The IRC met on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 with Ryan Nelson and Joe Violand of Red Tree Investment Group (the City of Oxford’s Investment Advisor). The purpose of the meeting was to receive an update on the City of Oxford’s investment of General and Landfill Funds. The estimated annual income for FY 2022 of investment for both funds is down. The estimate for General Funds is $245,000 for FY 2021 and $170,000 for FY 2022.

POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND REVIEW COMMISSION (PCRRC) I attended the PCRRC meeting Thursday, August 19, 2021 in the Courthouse. The agenda included reviewing the Annual Report which will be presented to the City Council at the September 7, 2021 meeting. It also included meeting with police officers to discuss ways to improve the relationship between the PCRRC and OPD officers.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EVENT I attended the Business After Hours event on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. It was hosted by the Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC) and the Oxford Kiwanis Club. It was held at the OCAC.

PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM The plan was reviewed with the City Council during a work session on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 6:30 PM. I discussed Capital Improvements for the next year (FY 2022).

The proposed CIP for 2022 is $10,658,300 for Construction Projects of which $735,000 is General Fund projects and $5,500,000 (or 51.6%) is for the Oxford Area Trail. Of the General Fund amount $350,000 is for Street Resurfacing & Repairs and $100,000 for three Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.

The 2022 Proposed Capital Equipment total is $924,213 with $313,975 for the General Fund and $317,000 for the Street Fund.

This proposed Capital Improvement Program continues to be less than recent years as a result of revenue reductions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its effect on the economy, as well as, our inability to accurately estimate future income tax revenues. This proposal is a balanced, essential, and sustainable Capital Improvement Plan for the next five years. After reviewing this plan with City Council, I will incorporate the 2022 CIP plan into the City Manager’s Proposed Budget for 2022.

2020 POPULATION The U.S. Census Bureau released Redistricting Results yesterday which included local population counts. The City of Oxford 2020 Census of Population is 23,035 residents. This is an increase of 7.8% or 1,664 residents from the 2010 Census. Although I have not seen the results by age breakdown. I would expect that much of the population growth is due to Miami's increasing enrollment. For example, Miami's total Fall enrollment on the Oxford Campus was 16,359 in 2010 and 18,656 in 2020.

COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECT The plan is to lease the closed Municipal Solid Waste Landfill site (14-18 acres) for development of a solar energy (photovoltaics) system. The RFP will require the solar energy development company to design, obtain approval from Ohio EPA, determine a point of interconnection (POI) with Duke Energy, finance, construct, operate and maintain the solar energy system. The City anticipates a long term lease of the site for 20-30 years or more with a possible option offer to purchase the power directly for the City’s own uses and/or the City’s Electric Aggregation Program. This community solar project could support a 1 to 2 megawatt system. (A megawatt is equal to 1 million watts which could power about 300 homes). The RFP is complete and advertising has begun. Proposals are due June 30, 2021.

The City of Oxford received five responses to the Request for Proposals for the Solar Energy Array Development Project on the Closed Sanitary Landfill. The City Manager and Service Director have interviewed two companies. Once a company has been selected, I anticipate recommending to City Council a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to sign a lease option agreement for the closed municipal landfill.

COVID-19 UPDATE The Butler County Board of Health (BCBOH) updated information regarding COVID-19 reported cases from the 45056 ZIP Code. The new figure is 3,675 as of August 14, 2021 and includes Miami University student confirmed cases. This represents 8.8% (down from a high of 13.0% in late December 2020) of all reported cases in Butler County. The total reported cases for Butler County is 41,601. Our ZIP Code is the only one in Butler County listed as an area of substantial transmission. The others are all high transmission.

The Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard provides vaccination numbers for the state and for each county It provides information on how many individuals have been vaccinated (started) as a percent of the total population. For example, as of August 19, 2021 in Butler County, 187,426 individuals or 48.92%% of the population have been vaccinated. For older age groups in Butler County, 78.26% of the 80 plus, 81.31% of the 75-79, 86.61% of the 70-74, 80.77% of the 65-69, and 74.48% of the 60-64 age groups have been vaccinated. You can also view the data by sex, race, and ethnicity.

The state vaccination rate as of August 19, 2021 is 51.5% (percentage of total population with at least one dose). The vaccination rate for those aged 65+ is 81.8% and 58.1% for those aged 18+. The percentage of the population fully vaccinated is 47.5%. Ohio ranks 27th in the percentage of the total population fully vaccinated by state. Ohio is the seventh most populous state.

OXFORD DIVISION OF FIRE & EMS- LABOR NEGOTIATIONS The City has received a Notice to Negotiate from the City of Oxford Professional Firefighters IAFF 5272 bargaining unit and an Assignment Letter from the State Employment Relations Board. A date will be set to adopt rules of negotiation and bargaining so that negotiations may begin. This will be a time consuming process for the administrative and legal staff of the City as this is the initial agreement between both parties. There are six IAFF Locals in Butler County with labor agreements. They vary in membership size from the City of Hamilton with 103 members to Liberty Township with 33 members. The City of Oxford’s will be the smallest with 9 members (including one vacancy).

An executive session with City Council was held to discuss this. Staff and I have met to begin management planning for the negotiations. The parties are in the process of negotiating a contract.

An executive session with City Council was held before the July 6th regular meeting to provide an update on negotiations.

POTENTIAL INCOME TAX REVENUE LOSS In March 2020, Governor DeWine signed HB197 into law to respond to the public health emergency and economic crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation included Section 29, which, in effect, states that income taxes should be collected by the municipality where employers are located and not the city or village where employees were temporarily working remotely.

The two-year, state operating budget bill (HB 110) adopted by the House and Senate was signed by the Governor. It included a provision for income tax refunds for 2021 qualifying wages. It did not include refunds for 2020.

However, there remains two outstanding lawsuits challenging the legality of temporarily collecting city income taxes from people based on where they worked ahead of the pandemic, even if they have since been working elsewhere remotely. Recently, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas dismissed the Buckeye Institute’s lawsuit against the City of Columbus which challenged the constitutionality of Section 29 of HB 197. Also, on June 16, 2021, the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas dismissed the Buckeye Institute’s lawsuit against the City of Cincinnati.

I have estimated the City of Oxford’s loss in income tax revenue at $1.5 million. This represents 16.7% of estimated FY 2021 income tax revenue.

BUDGET SIMULATION The City will be utilizing a budget simulation program (Balancing Act) to obtain citizen input for the development of the FY2022 Budget. The simulation will focus on the General Fund which funds the majority of the City’s programs and services directly or indirectly through transfers. It will require users to complete a balanced budget based on the City’s revenue projections. There will be opportunities for citizens to select various revenue and expenditure scenarios to achieve a balanced budget. The goal is to increase public engagement and knowledge of the City General Fund Budget. It will also give citizens the opportunity to experience the hard choices that Council and the City Manager must make with regard to City spending.

Assistant City Manager Weekly Report: August 16-20, 2021 Submitted by: Jessica Greene

Highlights for E-Newsletter: Social Services Building Proposal:

We’ve been invited by the Butler County Commissioners to share our idea for a one- stop social services model and solicit funding from the County. Together with Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services and the Family Resource Center, we will present our concept to the County on Wednesday, August 25th, and ask for $1.5M toward the effort. If awarded, this facility will house our new housing nonprofit, the emergency cold shelter, satellite offices for other social services, and serve as a tornado shelter for the mobile home park. It is a competitive process, but we are excited to advocate for Oxford.

Communications:

 City weekly staff reports were sent 8/16  City E-News sent 8/16  Social promo out for the: Red Brick Friday Streets & Eats on August 27th. This replaces the Community Picnic.  Drafting Oxford Area Trail planning FAQs and also compiling public comments.

Special Projects and Meetings:  Council Meeting  Climate Action Steering Committee  PCRRC  Bob Lindner’s retirement party (congrats Bob!)  Finance Committee meeting  Meeting with resident concerning our chicken ordinance  COVID call with community partners. Economic Development:

 Nelson Morrow appraisal came in at $352,000 but that is not enough for TSD to build/renovate another location to house their several staff who use that space. We are exploring what TSD does need if we need to take Nelson Morrow for the proposed Amtrak station.  Spent a lot of time this week coordinating the joint broadband letter that we plan to send to the Butler County Commissioners. We are working on getting signatures from each township and a copy of their resolutions.

Human Resources:  Interviewed 3 individuals for the IT/GIS coordinator position. City of Oxford Finance Department Weekly Report August 16th through August 20, 2021

Accounting Activities

Payroll checks were processed this week. Staff is working on records retention and destruction, including old electronic files. Budget meetings with departments will begin the week of August 23rd. Heidi, Katrina and Kim have been meeting with vendors and scheduling demonstrations for a provider for everything from hire to retire. Including on boarding, time and attendance, payroll processing, benefit management and off boarding. We are be gathering some additional information and presenting a resolution to City Council for the September 7th meeting. Joe and Heidi attended the Investment Committee meeting on Tuesday along with Doug and Jessica. The CIP work session with City Council took place on Tuesday this week. The Final CIP will be incorporated into the draft Budget. Supplemental Budget Ordinance #6 will be on the agenda for 2nd reading at the September 7th City Council meeting. A Resolution creating the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) will be on the agenda for the September 7th City Council meeting. Submitted the City’s request for American Rescue Plan Act first distribution.

Utilities Activities

Readings for September billing continues. Move in is officially in full swing. We have processed 193 online applications for utilities this week. Since July 1st there have been 714 applications submitted online. Processed 455 ACH direct payments for a total of $38,745.83. Processed 406 automatic credit card charges for a total of $30,859.47. Staff is working with service technicians to get additional radios installed that will read from the tower. We currently have 3595 accounts reading from the tower. Training continues within the Finance and Utilities areas.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 18, 2021

For more information, contact:

Technical Services Center Phone: (312) 977-9700 Fax: (312) 977-4806 E-mail: [email protected]

(Chicago, Illinois)--Government Finance Officers Association is pleased to announce that City of Oxford, Ohio, has received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as:

. a policy document . a financial plan . an operations guide . a communications device

Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award. This has been presented to Finance Department.

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.

GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Distinguished

Budget Presentation

Award

PRESENTED TO

City of Oxford Ohio

For the Fiscal Year Beginning

January 01, 2021

Executive Director

Week ending 8/20/2021

Aquatic Center  Doggie Dip Night coming to OAC on Monday, Sept. 6 from 6-8pm. See flyer on next page.  Oxford Aquatic Center made the cover of the July Issue of Parks and Rec Business magazine; published an article entitled “Pouring through the Details” about designing and opening an outdoor aquatic center. See image on next page.  Aquatic Center hours were reduced this week. Open 3-7pm (Mon-Fri). Open regular hours this weekend. Starting next week, the aquatic center will only be open weekends due to staffing. For detailed hours, please click here.  Season Pass sales have far exceeded the expected amount for 2021. Daily admissions revenue is getting close to surpassing the expectation.  Dive In Movie Night, Aug. 13 – This event was canceled due to lightning. This was a free night for all our summer camp kids and families. Open to the public for special event admission price.

Facilities, Programs and Leagues  Submitted ROW requests for Halloween, Veterans Day and Holiday Fest events. o Miami Activities & Planning will participate in Holiday Fest this year. o Comm. Arts Center, Enjoy Oxford, and Band Boosters also partnering again this year.  Working with contractors to get exterior painting done at the Oxford Senior Center.  Our new October – March Activity Guide should be available by Sept. 3rd.  Southwest Ohio Services is scheduled to begin the pickleball court surfacing on 8/23.  Preschool class began on Wednesday, Aug. 18th. Class is full this year! Kudos to our outstanding preschool staff for their hard work in providing such a high quality program.  Minor flooding at TRI building on Thursday morning. Staff worked quickly to dig some trenches and fill with gravel. Working with contractors on a more permanent repair.  New Memorial Tree Plaque work is almost complete. The new plaque was ordered and will be installed in September. Special thanks to DS Dewitt Construction for this project.

Sports Activities  Ready Set Run program is complete. Final 5K event was held Friday, August 13th, at Oxford Community Park.  Flag Football games begin the week of August 23rd. 93 participants this year!  Adult softball games began Tuesday, August 10th. 5 teams signed up for fall season.

Miscellaneous  Attended the OATS trail public input session on Wednesday August 11th.  TRI Board meeting held Thursday, August 12 at 4:00pm. Main Discussion: New facility needs  New bottle filler unit installed at the TRI Community Center. See picture on next page.  Coordinating with water department to repair a new unit installed at Oxford Community Park.  Met with BC MetroParks this week to discuss potential projects they can partner with us on between the years 2023-2028 as part of their upcoming replacement levy.

New bottle filler, drinking fountain and pet fountain installed at TRI Community Center near the skate park. Thanks to Oxford Service Department and Water Department for getting this installed and running this week.

4th Annual Doggie Dip Night coming to Oxford Aquatic Center on Monday, September 6th from 6:00-8:00pm. Prize baskets being donated by Oxford Kennel, Training Tracks, Animal Care Clinic and Oxford Veterinary Hospital. Community Development Department Weekly Aug 13-19, 2021

Highlights

• Detailed public comments on the Northwestern Arc Oxford Area Trail route planning project continue to come in. Click here to add yours.

• Earthwork is underway on the Kettering Health site (5095 University Park Blvd.) The building plan has been revised slightly to remove the On Demand Care Suite and to increase the number of exam rooms from 18 to 21.

• Foundation work has begun at 12 S. Beech, former site of Chunxi Kitchen, which was lost to fire in November 2018. A 1-story building with elevated facade is planned.

• Work continues on the new Dairy Queen on College Corner Pike.

• Footer/foundations have continued for the Caroline Harrison Building Uptown on the site of the former BP Fuel (131 W. High).

• 80+ inspections were performed within the past week, including rental inspections, tall grass, litter, final building/engineering, and inspections related to building and electrical permits.

• 5 new construction/alteration permits were issued within the past week.

• Staffing updates:

o Full-Time Code Enforcement Officer interviews completed. New hire to onboard next week. Captains J. Fields and C. Meador, Oxford Fire Dept, have been filling in for inspections this month.

o Tech Assistant vacancy: Restructured job description under the City Manager’s office for IT/GIS Coordinator. Panel interviews held this week. Contract for temporary GIS services in effect with LJB/Miamisburg, Ohio. Contact is Kelly Haws.

o Training of new administrative staff continues.

Board and Commission Highlights:

• Planning Commission: Next regular meeting will be held September 14.

o This week City Council approved three Planning cases: May Day Business Park Preliminary Plan; Heron Pond Residential Final Plan and South Forest Edge Residential Final Plan

• Historic and Architectural Preservation Commission: August 11 meeting cancelled. Commission members are evaluating outreach methods for potential historic district

Community Dev Dept. Report for Aug 13-19, 2021 expansion. Two administrative cases have been approved – A mural and a new privacy fence within the Uptown District. Next regular meeting September 8.

• Housing Advisory Commission: This week, the HAC held a brief meeting to elect a new Chair (Steve Schnabl) and touch base on the status of funding for housing initiatives. Next meeting September 20.

• Board of Zoning Appeals: Last month, the extension request for the 407 N. Campus Ave two variances, was granted. The August meeting has been cancelled due to no new cases. Next meeting Tuesday, September 28. One case scheduled at this time.

• Building Board of Appeals: Staff is evaluating the possibility of re-vamping this board to prepare for the incoming new Code Enforcement Officer.

• Student Community Relations Commission: The final meeting of the school year was on April 23. The City Manager’s office will be taking over the lead staffing of this Commission.

• Past virtual public meetings can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/user/cityofoxfordohio

Long Range Projects

• Community Strategic Plan (Comp Plan Update):

o City Council appointed members to the Steering Committee. This group is assisting staff with the ‘feedback loop’ process of drafting, proposing, reviewing and revising the Comprehensive Plan. The next Steering Committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for September 15. Location TBD.

o This webpage is being populated with info. This project is being managed by Jessica, Sam and Zach.

• OATS Phase III and IV: Staff assisted the City Engineer this month with coordinating proposed developments with 2022 planned trail construction. Phase III will pave the existing path between Bonham Road and SR 73 as well as a new path from Peffer Park to the High School. Phase IV will connect the Community Park to the Middle School along existing roads.

• OATS Northwestern Arc RFP: This project studies the gap between the Community Park and the Black Covered Bridge. Draft route studies are underway. This process involves stakeholder input and is scheduled to be complete before the end of 2021. Rough preliminary estimates of completing this ~4 mile gap hover around $4.5M. Initital key stakeholder engagement was completed last month, with general public continuing up to September 11 for compilation of comments and later revision of routes. https://www.oxfordareatrails.org/post/publicinput [email protected] Community Development Department 15 South College Ave Oxford, Ohio 45056 August 20, 2021

Community Dev Dept. Report for Aug 13-19, 2021 Transfers Date Range Recent Parcel Transfers Aug 13, 2021 - Aug 16, 2021

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. The 1 inch = 3,500 feet City of Oxford does not guarantee the dimensional accuracy of this map. Precise dimensional (8 1/2 x 11" paper) accuracy 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. Feet

PRODUCED BY: Lucas Hershberger, GIS Analyst, LJB Inc., for City of Oxford Community Development 0 1,500 3,000 6,000 Department, 15 South College Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, [email protected], 440-426-2606

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o S o til W lwe ll B eck ett Wallace Weekly Report Oxford Division of Police August 9, 2021 – August 15, 2021

1. Officer Anthony Jones attended the first week of Evidence Technician training. This course was designed to teach basic and advanced principles of crime scene processing and evidence collection. Introductions to specialty evidence areas such as bloodstain documentation, shooting scene documentation, and pathology/entomology was also included.

2. Sgt. Jenkins attended Police Rifle-Carbine Instructor training last week. Instruction focused on: firearms safety, administrative procedure, operational procedure, fundamentals of marksmanship, instructional concepts, and correcting shooter error. Additional topics included rifle/carbine maintenance and sight calibration/zero.

Meetings

• Chief Jones o Jason Merz and Bill Hubbard – Talawanda School District o Chief VanWinkle and Lori Minges – Clery Report o Command/General Staff meeting o Staff meeting with the City Manager o Mark Weisman, Brick Street o Joe Kistle, VALOR o Dr. Ann James, MU Office of Community Standards

• Lt. Fening o Coalition Leadership Team meeting o OACP – Recruitment, Selection, and Retention discussion webinar

• Lt. Robinson o Butler County Incident Management Team Command/General Staff meeting o Nextstep monthly partner call o High St./Patterson Ave. Construction Project – signal pre-emption training and equipment testing/rollout

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Weekly Report: By the Numbers

Arrests and Citations Aug 9 - Aug 15 YTD Incidents Reported Aug 9 - Aug 15 YTD Minor Misdemeanor 0 87 Traffic Crashes 4 131 Misdemeanor 2 278 Sexual Assault 0 11 Felony 4 31 Robbery 0 4 Moving Traffic 6 451 Assault 0 16 Non-Moving Traffic 3 63 Burglary 2 39 Drivers License Law Violations 3 88 Theft 3 179 Civil Offense Citation 0 310 Motor Vehicle Theft 0 18 Underage Alcohol Violation 0 99 Drug Offense 1 40 OVI 0 53 Aggravated Menacing/Menacing 0 21 Disorderly Conduct 0 44 Domestic Violence 3 15 Property Damage 1 53 Criminal Trespass 0 7

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City of Oxford - Division of Police Oxford Division of Police 101 E. High St. Weekly Media Incident Summary Oxford, OH 45056 Report span: 8/9/2021 7:00:17AM to 8/16/2021 7:00:17AM

FOR PUBLIC / MEDIA RELEASE

Date Reported Incident Number Address Reporting Officer Offense Type

8/9/2021 8:23:00AM 21-OPD-1028 221 W Spring St Campbell Jeffrey S Theft

MEDIA

Victim reported he and his wife left town for the summer in the beginning of July leaving his vehicle parked in the parking lot of Fox and Hounds Apartments, 325 Fox Fire Drive. After returning on August 6, 2021 he responded to his vehicle and discovered someone had removed the catalytic convertor from his vehicle.

There are no suspects at this time.

8/9/2021 10:27:00AM 21-OPD-1029 3770 Southpointe Pkwy. Sikora Thomas R

MEDIA

On 08/09/21 at 1200 a sick raccoon was put down for humane reasons using a City of Oxford Police Department issued service weapon.

Report generated on:8/18/2021 at 11:29:32AM Page 1 of 6 FOR PUBLIC / MEDIA RELEASE

Date Reported Incident Number Address Reporting Officer Offense Type

8/9/2021 3:39:00PM 21-OPD-1030 5032 College Corner Pike Campbell Jeffrey S SQUAD ASSIST

MEDIA

Officers responded to 5032 College Corner Pike #24, Park View Arms Apartments, for a male possibly overdosing. Upon arriving the male was found to be alert and was transported the McCullough-Hyde Hospital for further evaluation.

8/11/2021 10:18:00AM 21-OPD-1031 507 Wells Mill Dr Hayes Jacob D WARRANT ARREST

MEDIA

Responded to a bus stop on Wells Mill Dr. for a report of a female slumped over on the bench. Female was found to have a warrant through Fairfield PD and issued a recite.

8/11/2021 3:58:00PM 21-OPD-1033 15 W Walnut St Durkin Peter F Burglary _ trespass in occupied structure,

MEDIA

On 08-11-2021 I responded to the area of the 0 block of W. Walnut St. concerning a report of an burglary that occurred sometime between the dates of 08-01-2021 and 08-11-2021.

Report generated on:8/18/2021 at 11:29:33AM Page 2 of 6 FOR PUBLIC / MEDIA RELEASE

Date Reported Incident Number Address Reporting Officer Offense Type

8/11/2021 8:37:00PM 21-OPD-1034 218 Judy Dr Blauvelt Matthew R Domestic Violence

MEDIA

A male did cause physical harm to his girlfriend that he cohabitates with.

8/11/2021 11:32:00PM 21-OPD-1035 10 Park Pl W Reihs Robert W WARRANT ARREST

MEDIA

After several calls about a suspicious male, the male was located and was found to have a warrant out of Franklin, Ohio. He was transported for his warrant.

8/12/2021 1:47:00AM 21-OPD-1036 Brown Rd / W Sycamore St Carlson Derrick A

MEDIA

I issued a re-cite to a male subject who had an outstanding arrest warrant through Hamilton Municipal Court. The subject was then released.

Report generated on:8/18/2021 at 11:29:33AM Page 3 of 6 FOR PUBLIC / MEDIA RELEASE

Date Reported Incident Number Address Reporting Officer Offense Type

8/12/2021 3:19:00AM 21-OPD-1037 MCGUFFEY AVE / BROOKVIEW CT Thrasher John R Possession of Drugs _ schedule I or II

MEDIA

During the course of a traffic stop, it was discovered that the driver had a suspended drivers license. During an inventory of the vehicle suspected narcotics were located. Several items belonging to persons not associated with the vehicle were also located inside of the vehicle.

8/12/2021 7:55:00PM 21-OPD-1038 3770 Southpointe Pkwy Thrasher John R Burglary _ trespass in occupied structure,

MEDIA

Victim came home and noticed the door was unlocked and slightly open. After looking around the apartment, the victim noticed that two pairs of shoes were missing.

8/12/2021 6:26:00PM 21-OPD-1039 415 Lincoln St Reihs Robert W DEATH

MEDIA

Officers were dispatched to assist a squad call on Lincoln St.

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Date Reported Incident Number Address Reporting Officer Offense Type

8/13/2021 9:39:00AM 21-OPD-1040 216 W High St Hatfield Matthew R Theft _ without consent

MEDIA

Victim reported that over the summer months an unknown person(s) stole some of his belongings from a house he leased for the 2021-2022 school year.

8/13/2021 9:27:00AM 21-OPD-1041 5032 College Corner Pike Durkin Peter F Domestic Violence _ knowingly cause

MEDIA

On 08/13/2021 officers responded to the area of the 5000 block of College Corner Pike, concerning a report of domestic violence. During the course of the investigation a suspect was located and taken into custody.

8/14/2021 12:33:00PM 21-OPD-1042 124 Homestead Ave Campbell Jeffrey S Domestic Violence _ knowingly cause

MEDIA

Officers responded to 124 Homestead Avenue for a dispute in progress. While on scene it was discovered the female half had struck the father of her child with her fist. The female was taken into custody and charged with Domestic Violence and transported to the Butler County Jail.

Report generated on:8/18/2021 at 11:29:33AM Page 5 of 6 FOR PUBLIC / MEDIA RELEASE

Date Reported Incident Number Address Reporting Officer Offense Type

8/14/2021 11:19:00AM 21-OPD-1044 5145 Brown Rd Hatfield Matthew R

MEDIA

A male reported an incident that was investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.

8/15/2021 3:31:00PM 21-OPD-1046 20 E Spring St Campbell Jeffrey S Criminal Damaging/Endangering _

MEDIA

Victim reported after returning home, 20 East Spring Street, from a wedding he discovered his front door to be standing open. Upon inspection he discovered the door to have been forced open damaging the door and frame. Nothing inside has been reported as missing.

There are no suspects at this time.

8/15/2021 4:39:00PM 21-OPD-1048 5098 Red Cloud Ct Gilbert Anthony Theft _ without consent

MEDIA

Victim reported that someone opened her package and stole two items from within, leaving only one item behind.

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Report generated on:8/18/2021 at 11:29:33AM Page 6 of 6 SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Weekly Report # 33

Aug 16 – Aug 20, 2021

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

Special Projects and Items of Interest:

• Pedestrian Safety Improvements – High St. and Patterson Ave. - 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. Council approved a construction contract on Jan 19, 2021 with Sunesis Construction (builders of Phase II of the OATS trail segment). Miami has paid $2.079M for their portion of the work. ODOT will be funding the other $1M for the project. Work is complete on this project, including the ODOT Urban Paving Project, except for some new traffic & transit preemption equipment (due by the end of August).

Before / After aerials for the pedestrian safety project along US 27 / High St.

• Ohio Dept. of Development Grants for Water and Wastewater Projects – Per House Bill 168, the City has submitted a listing of potential water and wastewater utility projects that might qualify for prioritization and funding through the State. $250M will be made available on a competitive basis with priority to economically disadvantaged areas, areas without utility services, failing systems, public health concerns, and time frame for construction. Our list of potential projects was submitted to the BCEO by the August 16th deadline. Potential projects include water storage tank coatings, water main replacements and extensions, water system interconnections with Hamilton and/or SWRWD (planning), and WWTP Biotower media AGU replacements. The BCEO will score and rank all Butler County projects and make recommendations to the State for funding.

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations – Staff met with Miami U. to discuss a joint application for grant funding (VW settlement with OEPA) to install electric vehicle charging stations on campus and in the City. The City has budgeted for at least two stations to be installed in 2020. Site assessments have been conducted at three locations for possible funding applications. Locations include the City surface lot at the Uptown Parks (Main and Church), the parking garage structure, and the Municipal Building parking lot. OEPA has accepted the City’s grant applications for Level 2 AC chargers (slow chargers typically taking 8-10 hours for a full vehicle charge) which was due Sept. 30. Applications for “fast chargers” – Level 3 DC chargers, are anticipated to be accepted in early 2021. The OEPA has awarded the City $15,000 for a 2 port charger at the Parking Garage. Signed agreements with the agency were submitted April 21st. An agreement for installation of the PG charger was approved at the June 15th Council meeting. Electrical plans have been submitted to NIC for review and permit approval.

• Railroad Passenger Platform / BCRTA Facility - Staff is working on joint design professional RFP’s for development of a Rail Platform in conjunction with Butler County RTA’s multi model maintenance facility to be developed near the City Garage. A pre submittal meeting was conducted Sept. 15 for potential firms to ask questions regarding the projects. Submittals were due October 19, 2020; seven proposals were received and were reviewed by the Assistant City Manager, Community Development Director, and Service Director. Rankings of proposals was submitted to BCRTA on October 29th. Three finalists were identified and have been interviewed and ranked. The City has begun contract negotiations with AECOM for architectural / engineering services for the City’s Rail Platform project. BCRTA has signed their contract with Bowen Architects, and they conducted their first site visit at the end of March. RTA also announced that their $4.5M in CMAQ funding will likely be moved up from 2024 to 2022. Staff attended the design kickoff meeting held at the Shriver Center. Representatives from the City, Ox. Township, MU, TSD, and BCRTA were in attendance. City Council approved a $250k contract with AECOM for architectural and engineering services on April 20, 2021. Council would also like to move forward with a purchase of the Nelson Morrow Building from TSD. The law director is reviewing the agreement currently in advance of signatures. The contract has been signed by all parties. BCRTA’s initial estimate for their project exceeds $20M as of June 3, 2021. Project kickoff meeting with CSX, Amtrak, and the City was conducted June 18, 2021. Site review meeting conducted July 15th. Work on preliminary engineering agreement with CSX continues; we await additional guidance from AMTRAK on operation parameters for the project. Project coordination meeting with BCRTA was conducted August 20.

• Water Softening Evaluation and other WTP Improvements – Council has approved a contract with Strand Associates for this project. Kickoff meeting with our consultant was conducted January 21, 2020. Staff is meeting with the Engineers on a biweekly basis to review progress. Technical memorandum #1 has been received evaluating four softening solutions. This will be pared down to three for further evaluation. We have received a draft of the report and are reviewing the data and recommendations. Staff met with Strand Assoc. the week of Jan 18th to obtain more data for the report, particularly softening’s impact on process control and raw water consumption as well as potential impact to water quality in Four Mile Creek and the City’s wastewater treatment plant; Alternatives presented to the City Council on June 15, 2021. The City will investigate the feasibility of purchasing wholesale water from the Hamilton system and build a new pipeline from their North Plant to our existing pipeline at the Seven Mile Well Field. Staff is also discussing an interconnection with Southwest Regional Water District for emergency water transmission between the utilities.

• Water Treatment Plant – Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) – Our Water System is completing the RRA for compliance with the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. The Plan must show that the Utility has reasonable controls to secure against natural disasters, cyber threats, and threats to its financial infrastructure. Our deadline for this plan is June 30, 2021 and it shall be updated every five years. We have certified completion to the USEPA as of June 23rd.

• Lead Service Line Investigations – we are investigating every water service property associated with this summer’s street resurfacing program to ensure there is not water service connected with a lead conduit. If a lead service is located, the City will replace it the point of demarcation and advise the property owner to replace the service on their side. The Utility will have a contractor available to assist property owners as necessary.

• Elevated Storage Tank Exterior Coating – Staff is developing specifications for replacement of the tank’s exterior coating. We expect to have a contract completed by 4Q 2021 for work to be performed summer 2022.

• Seven Mile Well Field Water Main Improvements – Staff is developing a project to install new valves / discharge ports on the raw water main at Seven Mile. This will allow for the removal of iron and manganese deposits at the source rather than at the water treatment plant where the material can cause fouling of our sand filters.

• Electrical Improvements for West Booster Station – Staff is developing specifications and quantities for improvements including the installation of variable speed drives that synchronize with water level transducers. This will allow for automated pumping to the service area when the elevated tank is taken off line for maintenance.

• Backflow and Cross Connection Control Program – As required by the OEPA, the City continues to implement this water quality program. Staff is evaluating new software that will minimize paperwork, postage expenses, and staff time administering the program. The agreement has been signed and program migration will begin soon.

• Fire Hydrant Flushing and Inspection – All City owned and maintained fire hydrants will be flushed and inspected beginning August 2nd. Work will take approximately 4-6 weeks to complete.

• ADA Transition Plan – Federally funded projects will require to have an approved ADA Transition Plan on file with ODOT. Jessica and Seth have identified a Miami group that will assist Engineering in writing this plan during the Spring 2021 semester. The City Council approved the City’s Transition Plan at their June 1st meeting. Staff will continue to enhance the plan where necessary and begin planning and budgeting for improvements.

• Main St. (SR732) Reconstruction between High St. and Park Place - The Ohio Public Work Comm. – District 10 Integrating Committee approved funding for our project to reconstruct the bricked portion of Main St. (SR732) between High St. and Park Pl. in the Uptown Parks. We should receive written approval from the OPWC this summer for construction in summer 2022. Our project scored 13th highest out of 25 projects that were recommended for funding. 21 additional projects were not selected for funding in this round. Written confirmation of our project funding was received July 2, 2021.

• Solar Array Potential for Closed Sanitary Landfill – Staff is working with the City Manager to evaluate technologies and options for a potential project. Ultimately, Staff will develop a Request for Proposals to determine the most advantageous technology and financing for this type of project. The City will need to interface with Ohio EPA to stay in compliance with post-closure rules, and with Duke Energy to receive solar generated power from the facility. Miami University has released an RFP, for a study, to determine the feasibility of a solar array at either the Hamilton or Oxford campus. Five proposals were received by the June 30th deadline; the proposals are now under review by Staff. The CM and SD have interviewed two firms. Permitting with OEPA, power transmission agreement with Duke Energy, and facility construction could take up to two years for completion.

• 2021 Special Assessments for Curb, Gutter & Sidewalk – The Engineering Division is marking defective curb, gutter, and sidewalk on streets slated for resurfacing later in 2021. Certified notices will be sent following a Resolution of Necessity to be approved by the City Council at a future meeting. It is important to have defects resolved prior to repaving later this summer to increase the longevity of the improved street. 171 properties were sent notices to repair at a total estimated cost of $482,701. Bids were opened March 25th. Council awarded a contract to Adleta Construction for this project on April 6th. Contractor began work May 10th and is complete.

• Conversion of Conventional Streetlights to LED Technology – Staff has budgetary estimates from Duke Energy on this PUCO regulated project. City Council has awarded a contract to Duke Energy for this project. Field conditions are now being inventoried and verified. Duke has ordered all of the equipment necessary for the conversion and will begin installation on August 23rd.

• OPWC Culvert Improvements for US27 North – City has signed the agreement with OPWC; The City has advertised plans and specifications for the project and opened bids on December 4th. Staff anticipates a recommendation to the City Manager and City Council in early January 2021. City Council approved a contract award to Larry Smith, Inc. Documents have been signed and a preconstruction meeting was held. This project is to be completed by mid-August 2021. Work began on this project on July 16th and is approximately 50% complete.

• 2021 Urban Paving Program – The City will partner with ODOT for resurfacing of US27 from Campus Ave. to Chestnut St. This project, in conjunction with Miami University and an ODOT safety grant, has been re-bid and has been delayed until summer 2021. Council approved a contract with Sunesis Construction on Jan 19th (John R. Jorgensen will be the paving contractor). Work is complete on this project.

• 2021 Street Resurfacing Program – Staff is preparing specifications and quantities for bidding. Advertising for bids will be released in early March. Work will be completed by August 1, 2021. Notices have been sent to properties with defective curb/gutter/sidewalk for repair prior to resurfacing. Bids were opened March 25th. Council awarded a contract for this project on April 6th to Barrett Paving. Work is complete on this project.

• 2020FY CDBG Handicap Ramp Program – Specifications have been prepared and the project advertised for bids. Bids were opened March 25th. Council awarded a contract to W.G. Stang for this project on April 6th. This project is complete and ready for street resurfacing.

• Foxfire Culvert Improvements – Recent inspections noted scouring at the inlet and outlet of this culvert. Work will be performed summer 2021 to repair this damage and improve the lifespan of the conduit.

• New Sanitary Sewer at Melissa Drive – City crews will be installing a new upsized sanitary sewer main on Melissa Drive east of Oxford Reily Road. The project will also cross to the west to serve the majority of the City owned 47 acres at Western Knolls. Work should be completed by the end of summer 2021. Rate payers will save ~ $100,000 for this work being performed by the Wastewater Collection Division. Work began on this project June 28th and is now complete.

• OATS Phase I – Black Covered Bridge Maintenance – Staff is developing specifications and quantities for a maintenace project for the bridge. Work will include the removal of unwanted vegetation around the bridge’s siding and roof and well as minor wood replacements.

• OATS Multi Use Trail – Phase II- This project will construct a new 1.4 mile segment of OATS trail from SR73 to US27. Latest project estimate is $2,281,700. Punch list walk through conducted Sept. 15 with ODOT and contractor. This project is substantially complete. Staff is adding addition mile markers to the unimproved portion of this trail between Bonham Rd. and SR73. Benches have been ordered to provide seating along the trail along with a plaque recognizing Howard & Gwyn DuBois for their generous donation to the OATS projects. We have installed a water bottle filling station / bike repair station near the restroom building at Peffer Park.

• 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. City Council approved a design contract with Environmental Design Group on Feb. 4th. Kickoff meeting for the projects was held March 4th. Contract documents have been signed and consultant is proceeding with work. Feasibility Study / Alignment documents were received from the consultant May 29, 2020. The City has received Stage 2 plans for this phase in conjunction with preliminary cost estimates and Geotech reports. The coal ash segments will require cement stabilization to function during high water events. Preliminary cost for segment “A” (Bonham Rd. to SR 73) is $840,000. Preliminary cost for segment “B” (Peffer Park to Talawanda High School) is $720,000. Total estimate for Phase III is $1.56M. Now proceeding with ROW / easement acquisition as needed. ODOT comments for this Phase were received on Feb. 8 and are being incorporated into design plans. Miami has agreed to pay the grant match on Phase III for trail segment on their property (78%)…. $303,922 of the required $390,000.

• OATS Multi Use Trail –– Phase IV – Talawanda Middle School to Oxford Community Park – the City was successful 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. City Council approved a design contract with Environmental Design Group on Feb. 4th. Kickoff meeting for the projects was held March 4th. Contract documents have been signed and consultant is proceeding with work. Feasibility Study / Alignment documents were received from the consultant May 29, 2020. The City has received Stage 2 plans for this phase in conjunction with preliminary cost estimates and Geotech reports. Preliminary cost estimates for this segment of the OATS system is $2.7M. Now proceeding with ROW / easement acquisition as needed. Stage III plans for this project are 95% complete and will be submitted to ODOT in a few weeks. The City has secured an easement with Talawanda School District for the path to the High School; this will be an agenda item for City Council beginning September 7, 2021.

• OATS Multi Use Trail – Phase V – THS to TMS - 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. The ACM is coordinating an application to OKI for Surface Transportation Block Grant funding for $3.3M to pair with $1.55M in local levy funds for this segment of the OATS trail.

• OATS Multi Use Trail – Phase VI – OCP to US27 North – Staff evaluating timelines and funding opportunities for this section of the OATS trail. Engineering reviewing sanitary sewer trunk main for this area designed in the late 1980’s to see if this could dovetail into the OATS project. Community Development is promulgating an RFP for this phase to determine initial alignment possibilities and rough cost estimates for grant writing purposes. A contract for alignment and cost estimates was awarded to Bayer Becker at the April 6th Council meeting. Staff is beginning to review potential route segments.

• Extra Trash Collection during Fall Semester Move In – Rumpke will conduct additional trash collection in the Mile Square Plus area from August 19th through August 28th.

• Hazard Tree Pruning and Removal – Work will begin in approximately two weeks to prune or remove hazard trees from the ROW. The City will plant new trees later this autumn when planting conditions are favorable.