Vice Mayor Byington explained that Oakwood is fortunate to have 35 volunteers currently serving on the City’s Budget Review Committee (BRC). These citizens provide valuable advice and feedback to members of City Council and City staff on a regular basis on the use of public resources.

Membership on the BRC is linked to Oakwood’s voting precincts, with five members being appointed from each of seven precincts. Recently, the Montgomery County Board of Elections expanded Oakwood’s electoral map from seven to eight voting precincts and this resolution will address how the change will impact BRC membership.

If five members continue to be appointed from each precinct, the new math will increase the overall BRC size from 35 members to 40. However, four members are appointed from each precinct, the new committee size would go from 35 members to 32. Council feels that a committee starts to become too large when it crosses the threshold to 40+ members, and that a committee size of 32 members would work well for the purpose of the BRC.

This resolution would authorize Council to appoint four BRC members from each of Oakwood’s eight official voting precincts.

Thereupon, it was moved by Vice Mayor Byington and seconded by Mr. Stephens 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.

Mayor Duncan noted that there are several vacancies on the citizen committees. City Council and city staff are in the process of identifying citizen volunteers for future appointment.

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

Vice Mayor Byington explained that this is the first reading of an ordinance to adjust Oakwood’s shared corporate boundary line with the city of Kettering. Although minor, the importance of these changes came to light when Kettering began its project to upgrade the Ridgeway Road Bridge.

The existing corporate boundary follows an irregular path in the vicinity of the bridge. The boundary veers out into West Dorothy Lane on both sides of Ridgeway Road, placing parts of West Dorothy Lane and the bridge in both cities. It also follows an odd L-shaped path at Fairmont Avenue, placing parts of that street in both cities.

This adjustment, which is being done by mutual agreement with Kettering, will address these irregularities by aligning the boundary with the northern edge of West Dorothy Lane, except for a stub that is being created at Ridgeway Road. This is, in effect, a housekeeping measure to ensure that all of West Dorothy Lane, and the entire bridge right-of-way (including its northern approach), are under the jurisdiction of the city of Kettering, and all of Fairmont Avenue will be under the jurisdiction of the city of Oakwood.

The two cities are awaiting final engineering review from Montgomery County. As soon as that is complete and a final exhibit is confirmed for the ordinance, the matter will be back for its second reading.

This was a first reading of the ordinance, so Vice Mayor Byington made no motion.

Mayor Duncan noted that this boundary line adjustment will not impact any resident’s city locations.