Element Oakwood, which was approved by Oakwood City Council in 2017, is located at 310 Old River Trail, across from the Old River Sports Complex. The 84-unit condominium community features a variety of sizes ranging from one bedroom to two bedrooms with a den. Leasing is currently underway in the west building and move-ins began in January 2020. The construction is expected to be complete this summer.

Pointe Oakwood construction began in 2009. There are currently three houses under construction. The City received plans for two additional houses in Pointe Oakwood so only one lot remains open.

In 2019, there were some new businesses that moved into the Far Hills Business District. Jaffe Jewelers is renovating the space at 2419 Far Hills in the former Mouisain Rug Shop, and will be moving their Kettering store to the Far Hills Business District. Park Studebaker, owner of the Oakwood Eye Clinic located at 2525 Far Hills, recently retired. The eye clinic was sold and is now called MyEyeDoctor. Salon 5 at 2521 Far Hills is currently undergoing renovations.

Kettering Health Network purchased the 2600 Far Hills Building in April 2017 for the purpose of converting the space to medical offices and related support services. In 2020, Kettering Health Network intends to move forward with an extensive rehabilitation of the existing building. As part of their plans, Kettering Health Network also intends to add supporting parking in the immediate area.

Mrs. Wilder then reviewed the 2019 employee retirements and hires. Assistant Finance Director Alice Young retired on September 30 with 41 years of service. Municipal Court Clerk Linda Young retired on November 29 with 18 years of service. Public Safety Dispatcher Pat Bobst retired on January 17, 2020 with 20 years of service. New hires include: General Service Worker Levi McMonigle; General Service Worker David Carmean; Account Clerk Gloria Corona-Luna; Public Safety Officer Kyle Sewert; Public Safety Dispatcher Jennifer Anderson; Deputy Clerk of Court Sarah Clever and Engineering and Public Works Director Doug Spitler.

The City is currently recruiting for seasonal positions in the following areas: Day Camp Counselors, Boulevard and Smith Gardens Maintenance; Public Works Laborers; and Pool Concessions and Lifeguards. The City is also accepting applications for a full-time General Service Worker position that is currently open.

The City’s new website went live in June 2019. Since that time, there have been over 54,000 browsing sessions. The search feature on the City’s website is the fastest way to find information about the City. Popular searches on the website include the employment application and announcements, online bill pay, trash and recycling information, and OCC information. The website also includes a Service Center with very helpful questions and answers. The most common questions have been: “Where can I find city ordinances and regulations” and “May I include large or bulk items with my weekly trash”. Mrs. Wilder concluded her presentation by urging citizens to contact City staff with any feedback or recommendations regarding the City’s website.

Mayor Duncan said that the current website is much better than the previous website. Mayor Duncan thanked Mrs. Wilder and Ms. Stacel for their efforts in updating and improving the City’s website.

CITY MANAGER’S COMMENTS

Mr. Klopsch referenced a PowerPoint presentation and provided an update on how the Shroyer Road roadway improvement project has addressed safety concerns that were identified in a 2016 Shroyer Road Safety Study.

Mr. Klopsch shared that the timing of his presentation is due to a Dayton Daily News inquiry that resulted in preparation of a two page paper describing the project and how the roadway has functioned since the project was completed.

Shroyer Road is much different than what it was three short years ago. Prior to the roadway improvement project in 2017, Shroyer Road was a large piece of pavement that encouraged speeding. The project converted Shroyer Road from a 4-lane section to a 3-lane section. A project that reduces through lanes is called a Road Diet. The Road Diet included several different components that dramatically improved the roadway. Shroyer Road was a good candidate for this type of project because of the large number of cross streets along the one mile stretch of roadway. Dedicated left turn lanes were added to each of the 16 cross street intersections. The distance from the travel lanes to the sidewalks was increased from two feet to seven feet, which provides a safer pedestrian experience. Two mid-block pedestrian crossings were created and equipped with flashing beacons to alert motorists of pedestrians. The