Mr. Klopsch welcomed the committee members and discussed the following recent events and city projects:

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  Shroyer Road: Mr. Klopsch thanked committee member Bill Meyer for his comment after the last meeting about Shroyer Road and the center median visibility. Staff is testing two options for improving the visibility through use of reflectors.

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  November 14 Houk Stream Event: During a routine patrol, an Oakwood Public Safety Officer found an unattended vehicle at Ridgeway Road and Oakwood Avenue near the entrance of Houk Stream that belonged to an endangered missing adult. Search efforts conducted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Five Rivers MetroParks, Oakwood Public Safety Department, and members of EquuSearch located the individual deceased in a wooded area of Houk Stream.

  Mr. Klopsch invited Amanda Krauss, who is a member of EquuSearch and was involved in the search efforts at Houk Stream, to share information about EquuSearch. Mr. Klopsch added that Mark Risley, also a member of EquuSearch, was also involved in the search and was the one who found the deceased.

  Mrs. Krauss shared that EquuSearch is an organization dedicated to searching for missing persons. EquuSearch Midwest started in 2012, as a branch of Texas EquuSearch. The organization is a volunteer based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Searches are often done in wooded areas and include the use of ground searchers, horses, ATVs, drones, sonar, plans and mapping. Many law enforcement agencies call on the resources of the organization’s searchers to assist in their lost or missing cases.

  Mr. Klopsch thanked Mrs. Krauss for the information and continued with his report.

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  Local Health Districts: The Oakwood Health District has been in place since the 1930’s. The 2022/2023 Ohio Biennium Budget included a provision that will likely require Oakwood’s local health district to merge with Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County. The Board could continue to serve as an advisory body for city leaders on matters of health and safety.

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  Staffing: There continues to be a challenge finding part-time and seasonal employees amid the hiring shortage and competitive market.

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  Costs of Goods and Services: The increase in costs have been challenging and are reflected in the proposed 2023 budget.

He then reported on the following:

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  2022 HIGHLIGHTS:

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    Orchardly Park Tennis and Pickleball Courts: The tennis courts at Orchardly Park were refurbished and two public pickleball courts were added in July of this year; one tennis court was converted into two pickleball courts. The pickleball courts have been a great addition to the community.

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    Gardner Pool Improvements: The Gardner Pool Project is well underway. Since the last budget committee meeting, staff added $30,000 to the 2023 budget for additional expenses at the pool. Staff also added $180,000 to the Sanitary Sewer