Engineering & Public Works

Doug Spitler, P.E., directly oversees the Public Works Department, and Chris Kuzma, P.E., serves as the City Engineer. The department includes a refuse foreman, roadway foreman, water production superintendent/water & sewer foreman, assistant water plant superintendent, engineering technician/foreman, department administrative assistant, and 24 public works employees.

Engineering

The City provides quality professional engineering services in managing, operating and improving Oakwood’s infrastructure. This includes developing short-term and long-range capital improvement plans and implementing an annual capital improvement program. Services include project budgeting, design, preparation of construction plans and contract documents, construction engineering and inspection, and developing and maintaining a GIS database of the City’s infrastructure.

Public Works

The Public Works Department is divided into three general areas.

  • Refuse Program – This includes weekly household waste collection and disposal, a comprehensive recycling program, a special pickup program, year-round yard debris pickup, a dumpster program, and opportunities for Oakwood residents to self-dump cardboard, green waste, and recyclables. It also includes fall leaf pickup and a spring mulch delivery program.
  • Roadway Maintenance – This includes routine repair of asphalt and concrete streets and alleys, maintenance of sidewalks and other structures within the public rights-of-way, snow and ice removal, and maintenance of the city’s traffic control systems including traffic signals and street signs.
  • Utilities – The City operates the following three utilities:
    • Water: Our Oakwood public water system includes water production and treatment facilities, underground water distribution pipes, fire hydrants, and water service lines.
    • Sanitary Sewers: We maintain our own sanitary sewer lines and contract with the City of Dayton and Montgomery County for wastewater treatment.
    • Stormwater Management: Our Oakwood stormwater management program includes maintaining the underground storm sewer pipes, roadway gutters, stormwater inlets, and open ditches, creeks, and streams.

Refuse and Recycling Program

Our monthly residential refuse fee is $30 per residential unit. The comprehensive Oakwood refuse program is funded entirely by fees and is not subsidized by our General Fund. Roughly 20-25% of our monthly refuse fees pay for yard debris and leaf (green waste) collection and disposal. The balance pays for the disposal of household trash, bulk items, and our recycling program. Details about the program are posted on the city website.

  • Yard Waste – We collect yard waste on a monthly schedule from January through September, and on a bi-weekly schedule from October through December. To keep our community from looking cluttered, it is important that citizens note the week in which yard waste within their neighborhood is collected and that debris is moved out near the street just a day or two in advance. The schedule is published in the bi-monthly Oakwood Scene newsletter and is readily available from the home page of our city website at www.oakwoodohio.gov (Note: When significant storms pass through, we will conduct additional city-wide green waste pickups as needed.)
  • Monthly Debris Drop-Off at the Public Works Yard – On the first Saturday of each month, our J.D. Foell Public Works Center at 210 Shafor Boulevard is open from 8 a.m. to noon. Residents may drop off yard waste, special pickup-type items, and co-mingled recyclables.
  • Self-Service Debris Drop-Off at the Recycling and Yard Waste Facility – The Recycling and Yard Waste Drop-Off Facility located at the J.D. Foell Public Works Center, 210 Shafor Boulevard is for residents to dispose of cardboard, co-mingled recyclables, and yard debris. The facility is available 24/7/365 and is located in a well-lit area with video surveillance.
  • Roll Waste Containers – About 500 Oakwood properties that abut public alleys use 96-gallon roll waste containers for their regular weekly household trash. These property owners are limited to that single-roll waste container for normal landfill garbage. The single-roll waste container limit may be waived from time to time to accommodate extra debris from large parties, special events, etc. Recyclables continue to be placed in 35-gallon or less containers for which there is no limit. The purpose of using the large roll waste containers in alleys is two-fold: 1) it results in a more efficient and cost-effective collection operation, and 2) it helps in reducing the amount of scattered debris in our alleys.
  • Three Can Limit for Regular Trash – There is a three-can limit (35 gallons or less) for regular weekly household trash. This applies to all residential properties except those on alleys that use the single-roll waste container. As with the properties on alleys, there is no limit on the number of containers for co-mingled recyclables. The purpose of the limits on regular household trash containers is to encourage maximum recycling. The three-can limit may be waived from time to time to accommodate extra debris from large parties, special events, etc.
  • Special Pickups – All Oakwood property owners are provided two special pickups per calendar year at no cost. Additional pickups are charged at $115 each. Special pickups are for large items only (e.g., furniture, appliances, etc.) and can be scheduled by calling (937) 298-0777 or by scheduling online. If you are a tenant, you must coordinate your special pickups with the property owner. All items must be placed in an open area where the city bucket loader can safely access them, such as driveways away from structures and fences. In 2024, our Public Works Department completed 883 special pickups.