Mayor Duncan commented on his and Vice Mayor Byington's recent meeting with the Smith Elementary fourth graders who toured City Hall and Public Safety.
Mayor Duncan invited Mr. Klopsch to make opening comments and deliver the meeting presentation.
Mr. Klopsch began the meeting by discussing the following city projects:
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Chevy Blazer EV PPV: Chief Hill shared that a software issue identified last December suspended production for three months on the all-electric police pursuit vehicle.
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RTA Trolley System Removal: Mr. Klopsch reported that by the latter part of this year, RTA will have removed the bus trolley system infrastructure in Oakwood along Far Hills Avenue between East Drive and Five Points and along Oakwood Avenue between Five Points and Irving Avenue. This includes removing most of the steel poles supporting the trolley wiring.
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Master Plan for Undeveloped City Properties: Mr. Klopsch shared that the city is looking at the smaller undeveloped city-owned land in Oakwood to create a master plan for future improvement projects.
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Food Waste Recycling – Foodbank and Montgomery County: Mr. Spitler shared that city staff is looking to partner with the Montgomery County Solid Waste District in a campaign with the Dayton Food Bank to start recycling food waste. The campaign is in the early stages, but the city would collect food waste in sealed buckets that would then go to the foodbank for composting.
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Hard-to-recycle Plastics – Hefty ReNew Program: Mr. Spitler shared information about the Hefty ReNew Program now offered in several counties, including Montgomery County. The program provides a way to dispose of hard-to-recycle plastics.
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Income Tax Filing: Mrs. Stafford reported that using Fifth Third Bank for our tax filing/payment processing center in 2024 is going very well. Tax payments and returns are no longer sent directly to the Oakwood city building. They are directed to Fifth Third’s tax processing center in Cincinnati where the payments are then opened, sorted and directly deposited into the city’s account.
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Far Hills Storm Sewer Reconstruction: Mr. Klopsch shared that the project is about 99% complete. He displayed a map showing the drainage areas flowing into the new sewer.
Mr. Klopsch then invited Finance Director Cindy Stafford to present the following financial data:
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2.41 MILL PROPERTY TAX LEVY:
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The tax issue was approved in March 2024 by a 56% yes vote.
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It replaces the 3.75 mill tax levy that was first approved in May 2013.
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It has a five-year term and will start generating revenue in 2025.
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The current effective mills is 2.41.
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The tax issue raises about $1.1 million annually.
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The tax on a $100,000 value home is about $84 annually.
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2023 YEAR-END FINANCIALS:
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Total 2023 spending for General City Services was $16.34 million. A review of city spending over the past 16 years shows tight cost controls. The increase in 2023