The City of Oxford Annual Report 2023

Top achievements in

the

City of Oxford 2023

Comprehensive Plan

The Oxford Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the Oxford City Council on January 17th, 2023, and replaces the previous Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2008. The plan update process was facilitated by consulting firm MKSK, along with significant support from City Staff. Envisioned as a more ‘living’ document than its predecessor, the new Oxford Tomorrow plan serves as a blueprint for guiding the Oxford community toward a more economically and environmentally sustainable future over the next decade. Key goals expressed include increasing the supply of affordable housing, reducing carbon emissions, and embracing alternative modes of transportation including active transportation.

Collaborated with TOPPS and provided $15,000 in funding for hotel stays during the coldest winter months.

City Manager

Housing

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The City of Oxford has a goal of Housing Opportunities for Everyone and in 2023, City Council charged staff with working toward providing affordable housing.

The City has made significant progress toward the foundation of assisting with affordable housing, defined as serving households at or below 80% of the Area’s Median Income.

Using the American Rescue Plan funds, the City has purchased 4 parcels of land for affordable housing.

Biodiversity in Your Yard and Beyond campaign reached 2,000+ people in and around Oxford

COTTAGE COMMUNITY ON HESTER ROAD

5234 Hester Rd. is a 2-acre parcel that will be developed in partnership with Community Development Professionals. They will construct 12 tiny homes and provide wraparound case management services.

CHESTNUT STREET DEVELOPMENT

60+ GUESTS attended the first Electrification and Efficiency Fair

Received a grant for $2,096,183 to construct an Amtrak rail platform

601, 604, and 607 W. Chestnut St. were also purchased using American Rescue Plan funds. Upon acquisition, the City began the rezoning process to allow for higher-density development. The City released a request for proposals for housing developers and the City Council selected Habitat for Humanity as their partner. In 2024, the City will negotiate an agreement with Habitat for the construction of up to 38 townhomes that are 3-4 bedroom, 2-story units with unfinished basements.

Homelessness

To assist the homeless population, the City of Oxford has collaborated with the Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services (TOPSS) and has provided $15,000 in funding for hotel stays during the coldest winter months.

Tiny home plan

Tiny home elevations College@Elm

Climate

The City of Oxford adopted a Climate Action Plan. This plan provides a roadmap to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and remain a thriving community in a changing climate. We are the second city in SW Ohio, along with Cincinnati, to adopt a climate action plan. Our leadership was not exclusive to planning in 2023.

Over the summer, we collaborated with the Three Valley Conservation Trust (TVCT) for the Biodiversity in your Backyard and Beyond campaign, teaching us how to identify and support biodiversity in our community. The campaign reached over 2,000 people.

The City also collaborated with the League of Women Voters and local vendors to host the first Electrification and Efficiency Fair, which educated homeowners on cost-saving and sustainable home improvements. The fair had over 60 in attendance.

Amtrak Updates

The City of Oxford continues its engineering and design efforts to bring a stop on the Amtrak Cardinal Line to Oxford. Amtrak has agreed to this stop and the City has received a grant for $2,096,183 for construction of a rail platform. Design and engineering are underway and construction is expected to occur in 2025 and 2026.

Economic Development

COLLEGE@ELM

The College@Elm innovation center opened in August, with Economic Development Staff occupying an office on the main floor. This move has created multiple opportunities to meet with local entrepreneurs interested in starting a wide variety of businesses in Oxford.

College@ Elm photos provided by Miami University Communications & Marketing.

College@Elm ribboncutting

ribboncutting

College@Elm interior

ribboncutting

OXD Airport

City Staff worked with team members from Miami and CVG as the future of the OXD airport continues to take shape. A comprehensive master planning process is nearing the final stages outlining use cases, infrastructure needs, and opportunities to develop OXD as a job center for Oxford.

City Staff attended a national conference on Advanced Air Mobility in Springfield, Ohio to see how they leveraged their General Aviation Airport into a broad community asset.

Creative Placemaking

The momentum of creative placemaking in Oxford continues to build. Economic Development staff hosted eight events in the Uptown Parks, including an expanded Chocolate Meltdown, five Red Brick Fridays, our second annual Oxtoberfest, and a brand new Farm & Flea event. These programs have received positive reviews from our community, visitors, and local businesses.

Public Art

A new initiative, in partnership with the Public Arts Commission of Ohio brought local art to the walls of the Oxford Municipal Building. Local artists submitted their work to Public Arts Commission of Ohio, who then recommended specific works to be on display. This program has added vibrancy and visitors to the City Building.

Ox Chalks the Walks

OXtoberfest

ENGINEERING DIVISION

DRONE STATS:

Service Department

67 flights

58.63 miles flown

465 minutes total flight time

Missions included

• Mapping

Construction updates Inspections

• Editorial images

2023 was a busy and successful year for the City of Oxford’s Service Department which includes Engineering, Streets & Maintenance, Water Treatment, Water Distribution, Wastewater Treatment, Wastewater Collection, and Environmental Divisions. The Top Accomplishments from each division include:

Engineering Division

OXFORD AREA TRAIL SYSTEM (OATS) CONNECTOR

Major’s Enterprises completed the construction of the section of OATS from the Owl’s Landing development to the existing trail at the Oxford Community Park. This project began on March 12, 2023 and the trail was opened on July 6, 2023.

GRANT AWARD

The Engineering Division applied for an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Systemic Safety Grant for the South Locust Street Sidewalk Improvements to complete missing sections of sidewalks on S. Locust St at Spring St. and Brookview Ct. The design consultant was Bayer Becker. Costs for the design were $48,300 (90% ODOT, 10% City). The estimated construction cost is $265,609 (90% ODOT, 10% City) and is planned in the summer of 2025.

DRONE MAPPING

The Engineering Division began using drone mapping software to create scaled aerials of curb, gutter, and sidewalks marked for replacement. Mapping the marked areas and using the maps in AutoCAD to measure the quantities saves time in the field and eliminates time consuming steps from the process.

Streets & Maintenance

STREET RESURFACING

The City of Oxford Street & Maintenance Division Staff administered the Street Resurfacing Program. The $520,000 project was within $5,796.00, of the purchase order amount, for a total of $514,203.57. The remaining materials were then redirected to resurface and re-profile other streets in the City. Barrett Paving has submitted our 2023 Street Resurfacing Program for the Flexible Pavements of Ohio 2023 Quality Asphalt Paving Award.

S. Locust St. sidewalk improvements

OATS connector

OXFORD CEMETERY ACQUISITION

The City of Oxford became the new owners of the Oxford Cemetery in 2023. It is currently staffed with 1 full-time position and several part-time and seasonal positions. The Street Division Staff were able to successfully improve the operations of the cemetery. 36 total burials were completed between Woodside and Oxford Cemeteries (31 at Oxford Cemetery and 5 at Woodside Cemetery).

FLOODING ON LOCUST STREET

Rain on March 3, 2023 created a major flooding issue at the intersection of Locust St. and Spring St./Fairfield St. City Staff successfully diagnosed and safely resolved the problem. After the water level receded, staff was able to perform a confined space entry into the storm sewer, where a very large log jam at a junction of several box culverts was discovered. After some careful planning, staff was able to cut and remove the debris from the pipes, eliminating the problem for future rain events.

IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons were installed at the intersection of E. Chestnut St. and Oak St., at the midblock crosswalk.

Water Treatment Division

IMPROVED EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY FOR WATER PRESSURE SYSTEM

The Water Treatment Division installed a pressure relief valve on the high service line. The operation of the high-service pump 1 motor was replaced with a more efficient variable frequency drive in order to eliminate the in-rush electrical current.

GROUND WATER STORAGE TANK REHABILITATION

Staff successfully had our 2.0 MG ground water storage tank cleaned and the exterior of the tank re-coated. The interior ceiling had structural repairs completed to the center hub, and the remainder of the ceiling was media blasted to bare metal and re-coated. The interior walls and floor were cleaned and spot-coated.

WATER SOFTENING PILOT PROGRAM

The design of a new nano-filtration water softening plant was studied and the pilot plant was installed inside of the Water Treatment Plant. The 2000-hour study began on

50 hydrants restored

100% of Water Distribution staff are EPA Certified Licensed Operators

Wastewater Treatment Division treated

739,001,542 gallons of wastewater, removing

173.6 dry tons of biosolids

400ft of sanitary lines relined to prevent infiltration and root intrusion to the sanitary sewer system.

December 19, 2023.

Water Distribution

“TOGETHER, LET’S GET THE LEAD OUT” PROGRAM LAUNCHED

The Water Distribution Division’s Infrastructure Goal was to complete a water service material inventory and have an accurate inventory to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After an extensive search of historical and existing records, along with physically verifying service lines by potholing, the number of ‘unknown’ service lines number was reduced from 3,012 to just 9. The Division was able to gain data on just over 3,000 service lines, including finding and replacing four lead service lines. The ‘Together, Let’s Get the Lead Out,’ program on our City website includes a self-assessment with an accurate map of all service line data for all residents to view and the ability to communicate with the Water Distribution Division.

HYDRANT RESTORATION

The Water Distribution Division worked with a hydrant team, Giant Maintenance and Restoration, to restore 50 hydrants by media blasting, priming, painting, and adding new labels. This project improved the visual aesthetics on newly paved roads.

EPA CERTIFIED STAFF

The entire Water Distribution Division staff are all EPA Certified Licensed Operators. All staff successfully passed a difficult Operator Training Committee of Ohio (OTCO) Water Distribution Course and passed the EPA Operator Exam, proving their dedication to their responsibility and their trade. The City of Oxford residents are in good hands with this crew, which performs its tasks with professionalism, knowledge, and safety for its crew and is dedicated to providing safe drinking water and fire protection.

Wastewater Treatment Division

AERATION TANK REHABILITATION

The aeration equipment, which controls the dissolved oxygen in the wastewater treatment tanks, was upgraded with new bearings, an orbital disc, gearboxes, variable frequency drives, and some of the electric motors were replaced.

Wastewater Collection Division

SUPPORTED THE AERATION TANK REHABILITATION.

Wastewater Collection Division supported this project at the Wastewater Treatment Plant by removing 120 cubic yards of debris during the rehabilitation.

Environmental Division

LANDFILL FLARE

In May of 2023, the Environmental Staff constructed a solar-powered flare on the closed landfill to incinerate approximately 98% of the methane present in the emissions from a passive gas vent (GV-23), located in the southeastern portion of the closed landfill. GV-23 was selected for flaring its emissions due to the relatively high volume of emissions and methane content; GV-23 accounts for over a third of the entire landfill’s total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) value. The flare was ignited on May 22, 2023. From May-December 2023, use of the flare has reduced the landfill’s total CO2e value by 225 metric tons (MT). The landfills’ average monthly total CO2e value average the 32 months prior to the flare coming online was approximately 144 MT. Since the flare has been in use, the landfill’s seven month average monthly total CO2e is approximately 73 MT.

URBAN FORESTRY

Oxford’s Urban Forestry efforts during the 2023 qualified the City to be certified as a ‘Tree City USA’ by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 28th consecutive year for Oxford.

OHIO EPA CLASS IV COMPOST FACILITY

Oxford has an Ohio EPA permit to operate a Class IV Compost Facility for yard wastes. Oxford initiated yard waste composting in response to the Ohio EPA restricting yard wastes from solid waste landfills in the early/mid-1990s.

Flare reduced landfill average monthly CO2e by approximately 50%

44 street and parks trees planted

23 dead or declining trees removed 19 trees pruned

4,555 yd3 of residential yard waste, including leaves, collected by city staff

Community Development

Improvements to Mapping Applications & Systems

The City relies on geographic information system (GIS) technology to store and display data critical to City functions. Data is stored in the form of map “layers” which can be exhibited on any series of paper maps, or made available in a more interactive fashion through web-based mapping applications. A robust collection of GIS data has been generated and maintained for nearly two decades and includes such layers as address points, zoning district boundaries, and an inventory of infrastructure assets (e.g., utility lines, manholes, hydrants). Throughout most of this history, layers have been stored on the city’s local network server. 2023 saw a significant effort to migrate many of the City’s “authoritative” layers over to ArcGIS Online. The new cloud-based environment offers improvements to accessibility, as well as more robust analysis and presentation capabilities. A series of new web apps were launched online this year, including: Active Transportation Viewer, Address & Property Viewer, Future Land Use Viewer, Planning & Zoning Case Viewer, and Zoning Viewer.

Cross-Department & Town and Gown Collaboration

This year, GIS Coordinator Zachary Moore worked closely with ACM Jessica Greene, City Engineer Scott Otto, and representatives from Miami University to design a brand new, all-inclusive map of community trails and amenities. Previously, the City and University maintained separate maps and kiosks for their trail networks. The new trails map is now posted at kiosks located at Howell Park and the DeWitt/SR 73 trailhead. The map was also recognized at this year’s Ohio GIS Conference, winning two awards for First Place in the Cartographic/Reference category as well as Best in Show.

Notable New Construction Projects

48 EAST PARK PLACE

Four-story mixed-use building which includes ground floor commercial space, as well as 6 residential apartment units on the upper three floors.

CAROLINE HARRISON BUILDING

Three-story mixed-use building which includes space for up to 3 commercial tenants on the ground floor and 22 residential apartment units on the upper two floors.

OWLS LANDING SUBDIVISION

2023 saw significant progress on the construction of public and private infrastructure to support the new Owls Landing Subdivision. Once completed the subdivision will contain a total of 86 new, single-family homes.

TALAWANDA BUS GARAGE

The Talawanda School District completed the construction of a new bus maintenance facility and storage lot on University Park Boulevard next to Talawanda High School.

RENTAL INSPECTION PROGRAM

In 2023, a total of 2,997 rental inspections were conducted, of which 161 were exterior-only. Of these 2,997 inspections, 2,578 inspections passed and 419 failed (86% pass rate).

Finance & Utilities Department

The Finance Department continues to provide service excellence and transparency with public tax dollars. They submitted the compilation and audit of the City’s 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and won the Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for the 29th year in a row!

The Utilities Department implemented an all-inclusive billing and payment portal, achieving our key customer service goal. The Payroll team launched a new time and labor tracking system in anticipation of our implementation of the Financial Management software to the cloud in 2024.

The Auditor of State’s Office presented staff with the Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction.

building permits issued, for a total estimated construction value of $17.7 million; 17 permits issued for new residential buildings

The Finance Department won the Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 29th year in a row!

The Finance Department, along with the entire City of Oxford Staff, experienced great loss in the spring of 2023, with the passing of our Finance Director, Joseph Newlin. Joe’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparent governance served as a guiding light, shaping the financial landscape of our community for over a decade. The effects of his passing are still very much felt amongst all City Staff. He has been and will continue to be missed.

Fire Division

1,075

total fire calls

2,095 total EMS calls

Parks & Recreation Department

ADA Playground Renovation Project

The primary playground at the Oxford Community Park was renovated in 2023 to be more inclusive and allow youth of all ages to enjoy the facility. An ADA Whirler was installed, as well as new turf surfacing and several wheelchair-friendly activities, like music panels and a scavenger hunt.

Ball Field Renovation Project

Officially this project began in 2020 but it was in 2023 that the adult-size softball field was renovated into three youth softball and baseball fields. This renovation allows more play to occur and serves more users, while also adding convenience for local families with multiple children competing in youth baseball or softball. This renovation also allows for the City to host regional tournaments which has a positive economic impact on Oxford by driving visitors here during the summer months. In 2023, there was a noticeable increase in concessions revenue as a direct result of having more fields and more games played. This project was funded by Miami Little League, Oxford Rotary Club, Oxford Community Foundation, and Oxford Parks & Recreation Department. See the coverage of this project in the Parks & Recreation Business Magazine in September 2023:

3 new youth

Chief Detherage responded to Columbiana County with the Butler County Incident Management Team to assist with this major train derailment.

Members of the Butler County Incident Management Team with Governor DeWine

Captain Jay Fields serving lunch at the Oxford Senior Center

Kids Egg

3 new youth baseball/ softball fields

Oxford Aquatic Center

The Oxford Aquatic Center had over 31,000 visitors during public swim hours. This does not include visitors from the Oxford Swim & Dive Team practices/meets or from private parties.

Watch the end of the season thank you video!

Summer Camp

Camp POP! for grades K-6 had 462 campers in 11 weeks. Little POPPERS! Camp for ages 3-5 had 128 campers in 10 weeks.

Preschool & Childcare

The combination of our full-day preschool program, as well as the first summer of full-day Little POPPERS! Camp allowed the City to offer yearround preschool and childcare for ages 3-5 to the community.

OPRD Sports Highlights

This was a record year for Youth Flag Football and the first year for a kindergarten age division in flag football. OPRD Sports directly served participants over 28,000 times via various leagues, programs, and tournaments and continued to have a successful partnership with Miami Little League, SAY Soccer, Talwanda Athletics, Miami Club Sports, Bantam Football, Oxford Battlehawks, and Epic Cup Soccer.

31,000 visits to the Oxford Aquatic Center during public swim hours.

590 campers attended Summer Camps. Served participants

28,000+ times via various leagues, programs, and tournaments

Community members volunteered

3,300+ hours, primarily as youth sports coaches.

Holiday Fest!

City Staff and Community Volunteers set the igloos up early this year!

Scramble

11 career fairs attended

Police Division

Recruitment/Hiring

• Hosted 2 recruitment open houses

• Attended 11 career fairs

• Visited 4 police academies

• Held testing for open positions in the spring and fall

• Started active testing again at the end of the year to be continued into 2024

100+

community members assisted by Social Services Liaison

New Policy Manual

Staff spent a lot of time and effort developing the Police Department’s Policy Manual.

Training

All Police Officers completed 24 hours of the state required training. Many Officers received additional training on topics, such as: Drone Pilot, Emergency Management, Vehicle Interdiction, School Resource Training, Advanced Firearms Tactics, and Tactical Police Officer Training.

24 hours of required training completed by all police officers

Officer Combs and Officer Weaver completed field training program and were released to work independently.

Austin Lovins, a new police officer, completed the Butler Tech Police Academy.

Chief Jones attended the FBI National Academy from January-March 2023.

Lieutenant Robinson attended the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Certified Law Enforcement Executive (CLEE) program throughout the year and will graduate in 2024.

Community Outreach

Social Services Liaison Ashlea Weddle settled into her new position and assisted over 100 community members by connecting them with services. She applied for and received a $5,000 grant from the McCullough-Hyde Foundation to assist with funding for her program.

Chief Jones with new officer, Austin Lovins at the Butler Tech Police Academy Graduation

Chief Jones with FBI Director Christopher Wray at graduation from the FBI National Academy Session 285

Oxford Police Department Engagement

OPD created opportunities for interaction and officers took advantage of scheduled public events to engage with the community. These events include, but are not limited to:

• Safety Events & Fairs

• Church Security Assessments

• Coffee with a Cop

• Red Brick Fridays

• Youth Group Engagement

• Citizen Police Academy

• Medication Take Backs

• Public Safety Cadets

• Scouting Tours & Safety Talks

• Panel Discussions with Miami University Greek Organizations

Parking Updates

A new metered area was established around the Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC).

Personnel/Human Resource Updates

Collective bargaining contracts were finalized with all three bargaining units: Police Officers & Sergeants & Lieutenants, and Non-Commissioned Employees.

Calls for Service/Crimes Reported

Officer Scott Campbell and Officer Derrick Carlson talking with community members at an Uptown Red Brick Friday event.

New parking infrastructure on Walnut Street to support the College@Elm Building

Get involved as a citizen

We encourage residents to get involved and participate in our local government. City Council meetings are the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm.