Mr. Klopsch mentioned that he meets with other city managers regularly and there is often discussion on finances and budget processes. From these discussions, it is clear that there are no other communities that have a budget committee (or financial advisory committee) that is as robust as Oakwood’s.

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

Mr. Klopsch commented on holiday decorations in Oakwood. He shared that residents may decorate their private property, but decorations cannot be placed in the public right-of-way. He discussed locations where decorations are being placed in the public right-of-way and shared how the city is addressing it. He noted that Mr. Jacques will comment later in the meeting about the public right-of-way and why it is important to carefully manage it.

The Montgomery County Solid Waste District (MCSWD) is considering imposing a fee for the drop-off of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) material to begin in 2026. The County Commissioners seem to be opposed to the fee and are asking their staff to seek ways to stabilize the budget without imposing the fee.

The city received a notice from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) regarding the resurfacing of Far Hills Avenue. The project is programmed for next summer with 80% of the project to be funded by ODOT and the remaining 20% to be paid by the city as a local match. A supplemental appropriation will be presented to Council at the December meeting to finalize city’s portion of the project funding.

Mark your calendars for the annual Holiday of Lights Ceremony at Shafor Park at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 10.

Mr. Klopsch invited Mr. Jacques to comment on the holiday lights display on Wonderly Avenue located in the public right-of-way.

Mr. Jacques shared that as a general rule, the city does not regulate Christmas lights. The issue on Wonderly Avenue is that the decorations extend across the sidewalk which is the public right-of-way. The right-of-way is regulated through the Traffic/General Offenses Code, Streets & Public Service Code and the Oakwood Zoning Code. Mr. Jacques briefly discussed the specific regulations in these codes. The commonality of these is that they are an exercise of what the law calls the city’s police power and they arise from statutory and common law duties that the city has to keep the public right-of-way open and safe for public use.

Mr. Klopsch reported on the following 2023 highlights:

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Gardner Pool Improvements: Gardner Pool improvements began in the fall of 2022 and were completed in the spring of 2023. All of the construction was done on time and Oakwood residents were able to enjoy a summer of fun at the pool.
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LED Street Lights: About 96% of the street lights in Oakwood have been converted to LED fixtures. City staff is working on a plan to replace the remaining lights.
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Far Hills Storm Sewer and Structure Improvements: The work along Far Hills Avenue is moving along. The construction is expected to be completed by the end of November or the beginning of December. This is all being done in advance of the repaving of Far Hills Avenue next summer.
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