MINUTES

The Council of the city of Oakwood, Ohio, met in a work session on Monday, April 22, 2019 in the conference room of the Oakwood Municipal Building, 30 Park Avenue. The Mayor of the City, William Duncan, presided.

Council members in attendance were Mayor William Duncan, Vice Mayor Steve Byington, Councilmember Rob Stephens, Councilmember Anne Hilton and Councilmember Chris Epley. Staff in attendance were City Manager Norbert Klopsch and City Attorney Rob Jacques. Also attending for the first three agenda items were Dr. Kyle Ramey, Oakwood Schools Superintendent, and Julie Belden, CPA, Oakwood Schools CFO.

Mayor Duncan called the meeting to order at 5 p.m. and welcomed Dr. Ramey and Mrs. Belden. Mr. Klopsch noted that he invited Dr. Ramey and Mrs. Belden to the meeting this evening for two purposes. The first was so Mrs. Belden could meet City Council. Mrs. Belden began her duties as CFO about two months ago, after the retirement of Treasurer/Business Manager Kevin Philo. The second was so Dr. Ramey and Mrs. Belden could speak about the May 7 ballot issue regarding a new school property tax.

Dr. Ramey introduced Mrs. Belden and asked her to provide some details about her professional background. Mrs. Belden did so, after which Dr. Ramey provided an overview of the two-part property tax levy. One part is for operating expenses and the second is for capital improvements. The operating part is 4.99 mills and the capital improvement (bond issue) is 2.71 mills. If approved by the voters, the cost to the owner of a $100,000 value home is $269.50 annually.

At the conclusion of the tax levy discussion, Mr. Klopsch addressed two additional items in the presence of Dr. Ramey and Mrs. Belden.

• Shafor Park Tennis Courts: Mr. Klopsch provided an update on warranty repairs needed at the new Shafor Park Tennis Facility. Staff has already met with the consultant and contractor. Staff will have another meeting with the consultant in the near future to discuss technical aspects of these warranty repairs. All of the repairs will be done at no cost to the City or the Schools.
• Fiber Optic at Lane Stadium/Old River: Mr. Klopsch mentioned that the City and Schools are obtaining a cost proposal to install a fiber optic communications line to Lane Stadium/Old River. The line would be connected to the existing fiber optic cable at the intersection of Far Hills Avenue and Springhouse Road/Old River Trail. The fiber would be used for various purposes, including security cameras, telephones, and enhanced Wi-Fi service.

Dr. Ramey and Mrs. Belden departed the meeting at approximately 5:50 p.m.