A copy of the resolution, having been placed on the desks of each member of Council prior to introduction, was read by title.

Mr. Stephens explained that each year, the City incurs costs for mowing and clearing overgrown yards and removing nuisance plant material when owners do not take care of their property. The City bills property owners for those costs and most of them pay. For those who do not pay, this is the annual resolution to certify the costs to the County Auditor so they can be added to the tax bill for each property. This certification includes eight properties at a total outstanding dollar amount of $11,608.68.

Thereupon, it was moved by Mr. Stephens and seconded by Mrs. Hilton that the resolution be passed.

Upon call of the roll on the question of the motion, the following vote was recorded:

There being five (5) yea votes and no (0) nay votes thereon, said resolution was declared duly passed and it was so ordered.

Personnel & Properties Report: Mrs. Jennifer Wilder, Personnel & Properties Director, referenced a PowerPoint presentation and updated Council on the activities of the Personnel and Properties Department.

Each spring, city staff conducts a city-wide automobile tour to identify violations of the Oakwood Property Maintenance Code. During the strictest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, only significant property maintenance violations were addressed through normal code enforcement procedures. The more thorough annual city-wide property maintenance review was resumed in May 2021. To date, 147 letters have been sent to property owners advising them of violation(s) and establishing a date to complete the repair(s). City staff works with property owners who require additional time to correct violations. In the rare circumstance that a property owner makes no attempt to correct a violation, citations are issued to appear in Oakwood Municipal Court. The most common violations seen this year include dead or diseased trees and chipping or peeling paint. Mrs. Wilder provided a reminder about caring for trees in Oakwood. Oakwood Property Maintenance Code Section 17-302.14 – Diseased and Dead Trees states that if a dead tree constitutes a safety hazard because of its proximity to the right-of-way, any building or structure, or to persons who use nearby premises, it shall be removed at the expense of the owner.

Jessup Wealth Management has embarked on an interior and exterior renovation of their building on Park Avenue. Renovations are expected to be complete later this summer. Mrs. Wilder displayed a rendering of the front of the building.

In June, the Planning Commission heard a request from Natalie Dunlevey of National Processing Solutions, a company located in the Sugar Camp office buildings, to amend the Sugar Camp Master plan to change the gatehouse at 10 Sugar Camp Circle from delicatessen use to professional office/business use. The original Sugar Camp Master Plan was approved on April 23, 2007. The Plan has been amended a number of times, sometimes to accommodate market demands and sometimes to shift the location of approved uses within the development. The Gatehouse building has been vacant since before the original master plan approval, and no one has stepped forward with a plan to operate it as a deli, or any other type of food service establishment. Other ideas have been floated over the years, but to date, nothing concrete had been proposed and the master plan has never been amended with respect to the Gatehouse. Ms. Dunlevey has invested in the gatehouse, restoring the building and making overdue repairs. Landscaping will be compatible with the surrounding sugar camp development, and a 10.5 square foot wall sign will be added to the front. City Council held a public hearing for the request at the July 19, 2021 meeting and approved the change of use.

As a free service to Oakwood citizens, the City has contracted with Shred-It to be on-site at the Public Works Center at 210 Shafor Boulevard on Saturday, September 25, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to provide document destruction services.

Mrs. Wilder then reviewed the 2021 employee retirements and hires. Steve Alston, a Maintenance Worker who most recently worked on the city’s yard debris crew, retired in April after 33 years of service to Oakwood. New hires include: Water Plant Superintendent and