MadeiraNews November — December 2019

Vol. 43 Issue 6

In This Issue:

City Manager’s Report 2-3

Mayor’s Moment 4-5

Message from Tax

Office

6

Message from Fire

Chief

6

Community News 7

MadeiraNews Sponsors 8-9

Chamber of Commerce

Holiday Trash/Recycle

Schedule

10-11

Back

Cover

City Government Meeting Schedule:

City Council

September thru May

2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30 PM

June thru August (TBD)

4th Monday, 7:30 PM

Planning Commission

3rd Monday, 7:00 PM

Parks & Recreation Board

2nd Wednesday, 7:00 PM

Board of Zoning Appeals

1st Monday, 7:00 PM

Happy Holidays And Happy New Year!

Municipal Offices

will be closed Thu., 11/28 and

Fri., 11/29.

ST NICHOLAS SLEIGH RIDE

DECEMBER 5, 2019 Please note: For safety reasons, the former Kenwood/

Cherokee stop at 5:20 pm is now at the entrance of

Camargo Canyon at 5:20 pm.

MAPLERIDGE & KENWOOD HILLS 5:00 PM MIAMI HILLS & TIMBLERLANES 6:55 PM

CAMARGO CANYON ENTRANCE 5:20 PM SOUTH MINGO & SHEWANGO 7:10 PM

NAVAHO & APACHE CIRCLE 5:35 PM MADEIRA ELEMENTARY 7:25 PM

ROSECREST 5:50 PM THOMAS & DEE 8:10 PM

PINENEEDLE & JUNIPERVIEW 6:05 PM BERWOOD & HOMART 8:25 PM

SUMMIT & LAUREL 6:25 PM SANOMA & IUKA 8:40 PM

MAYFIELD & SOUTHSIDE 6:35 PM MAXFIELD & LONGFIELD 8:45 PM

FOWLER & MAR DEL 6:45 PM

Advertise Your Madeira Business in the 2020 MadeiraNews

The City of Madeira offers you, as a Madeira business owner, an

opportunity to advertise your business products and services through the

MadeiraNews newsletter. This newsletter is mailed to each Madeira

resident 5 times a year. The newsletter is also posted on the City of

Madeira website (www.madeiracity.com) and FaceBook page.

For only $110 your business gets all of this exposure! There’s a

limited amount of space available so the businesses who respond right

away have the best chance of taking advantage of this opportunity. The

following guidelines are followed in advertising:

Ad Size: 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” space; using a business card graphic/format is

best. Please make sure all information submitted is correct.

Ad Copy: Your ad will be printed as we receive it. You may send it

digitally as a JPEG file.

The same ad will appear in all 5 newsletter issues. General

business information is best; do not advertise special sales

or events for specific dates. The copy will be in black and

white so be sure to check the quality of your graphics.

There is a limited number of spaces available. Advertising is accepted on a

first come, first served basis. Call Debbie Desgrange at (513) 561-7228 for

more information on how you can get your business advertised in 2020.

From the Desk of the City Manager… As we wind down 2019, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge some

transitions taking place in the organization. First, we recognized the recent

retirement of Administrative Assistant Kathy Faris. Kathy came to our

organization in 1995 and became a valuable member of the team over all those

years. She was one of the first faces you would see as you entered the

Municipal Building. Whether it was a building permit, park shelter reservation,

payment for service, Kathy could be more than counted on to address the issue

for the public. She became an integral part of the planning efforts related to all

of our recreation events, like the Street Dance and Independence Day Parade/

Fireworks. We could always rely on Kathy to be the liaison with the Park and

Recreation Board to make those events happen! We welcome Barb Griffin to fill

this position. Barb came to us from the City of Blue Ash so she knows and

understands our work and mission to provide the best possible service to the

community.

Another recent retirement is from the Madeira Indian Hill Joint Fire District; Chief Steve Ashbrock retired

after nearly 20 years serving the District. Steve brought tremendous leadership to the District and brought

about many important changes to improve Fire and EMS services. He also worked very hard to manage the

two new fire stations. Chief Steve Oughterson is replacing Chief Ashbrock; I look forward to working with

Chief “O” as he brings new leadership to this very important public service.

I would be remiss if I did not recognize two transitions taking place on City Council. As you will note in

Mayor Theis’s article, she will be stepping down as Mayor on December 1 when the new City Council takes

office. While she will remain on City Council to finish her term through 2021, I want to acknowledge and

say “thank you” for her efforts as our Mayor and how much energy and dedication she has brought to the

position. As the community’s “political leader”, she was always out there to promote Madeira and provide

leadership to City Council. She was especially important to me in my role as City Manager because she

made herself available to assist my office with information important to the efforts of City Council. Finally,

I want to say “thank you” to outgoing Council Member and former Mayor Melisa Adrien. Her intelligence

and insight into the issues taking place in the City were always appreciated by staff and by me during her 8

years on City Council. She put an amazing amount of time and effort into her roles, and I want to wish her,

her husband Todd, and son Max all the best in the future!

Looking Ahead!

Miami Avenue Traffic Study. At the time I write this, we are accepting proposals from traffic

engineering firms to study the Miami Avenue Corridor through the Business District to look at options to

improve both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in this very busy area. The Comprehensive Plan identifies

this as an issue to be evaluated; therefore, City Council approved moving forward with the study/

evaluation as the first recommendation from the Comprehensive Plan. The City received $25,000 from the

Hamilton County Community Development Block Grant Program for this work. Depending on the total cost

of the project, the City will budget the remaining funds from the 2020 Budget. We expect the consultant

to be selected before the end of this year with the work to begin in 2021.

Camargo Road Improvement Project. By the time you read this, the majority of the project will be

completed and the road open to two-way traffic. This $1.8 million road improvement was funded by a

grant from the State of Ohio’s Public Works Commission ($308,000), the Traditions of Camargo Tax

Increment Financing Fund ($1.2 million) and the City’s Street Repair Fund ($300,000). As always, we

appreciated everyone’s patience during this very large project. Closing roads is never easy but is

sometimes necessary to get the project finished inexpensively as well as faster.

Page 2 MadeiraNews Issue 6 * November/December, 2019

From the Desk of the City Manager…. Continued

Euclid Avenue Improvement Project. We recently made application to the State of Ohio’s Public

Works Commission for a grant to partially fund the resurfacing of Euclid Avenue between Camargo Road

and Hosbrook Road. It has been 23 years since this section of road was last resurfaced. Because of the

traffic volumes, this street is eligible for OPWC funds. This will be a $900,000+ project as it also includes

replacement of the severely deteriorated storm water pipes/system and the installation of a sidewalk on

the south side of the street from Maple Avenue to Hosbrook. We are requesting $450,000 in grant

funding; we should learn as to whether we are awarded those funds before the end of this year. If we do

receive funding, the work would commence after funds are actually received from the State of Ohio on

July 1, 2020. Regarding the section of Euclid between Hosbrook Road and Ken Arbre, this would be a

separate project as it must include financial participation from the Hamilton County Engineer’s Office.

The north side of the street is in Sycamore Twp. so a joint project is necessary. No schedule for this work

has been established.

Indian Hill Water System/Greater Cincinnati Water System Update. We received from GCWW a

proposal to provide water service to the east side of Madeira presently served by the Indian Hill Water

System. City Council is reviewing the proposal along with additional information from Indian Hill. There

are going to be increases in water rates regardless of which water system is eventually chosen. City

Council is sensitive to this and wants to do a thorough evaluation before any decisions are made. There

are over $9 million in pipe replacements needed ahead of our annual Street Repair/Resurfacing Programs.

Watch for additional information through the City Council meeting packets and feel free to email my office

(tmoeller@madeiracity.com) if you have any questions or comments.

Email/Listserv Reminder. Don’t forget to sign up for email alerts and information on our new Madeira

website. Go to www.madeiracity.com, scroll to the bottom of the homepage and enter your email

address to receive news on services, public events, public meetings, etc. You will receive a weekly email

called the Friday Flash, which highlights upcoming meetings and events. It is a great way to stay in

touch with the City! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

MadeiraNews Issue 6 * November/December, 2019 Page 3

Come share your holiday wishes

and for a small fee, have your

picture taken with Santa.

Saturday, December 14th

10 am—1 pm

Madeira Municipal Building

7141 Miami Avenue

(513) 561-7228

Madeira Boy Scout Troop 560

17th Annual Christmas Tree Pick-Up

The Troop will be picking up Christmas trees on Saturday, January 4th

and Saturday, January 11th from 8 AM until 2 PM.

To schedule a pick up, please notify the Troop BEFORE 12/25 by email at

troop560@alta-gila.com with your name, address, phone # and the

preferred pick-up date. If you do not have email, please call the Madeira

Administration Office at (513) 561-7228, and they will relay the info to the

Scouts for you.

Special Holiday Shopping Event Wed., 11/13– rom 5:30 pm to 8 pm

RSVP for this free event:

cincinnatimagazine/girls-night-out-

holiday/

NEW event check-in at The Village

Coworking (formerly Cincinnati

Health Foods)

6911 Miami Avenue

Sponsored by Madeira Chamber of Commerce

Mayor’s Moments with Mayor Traci Theis

It’s hard to believe this is the last newsletter Mayor’s Moment that I will be writing.

Although my Council term is not up until 2021, my mayoral term comes to a close this

December, and it will be time for someone else to write the happenings around the

City. Know that it has been an extreme honor to serve as your 38th Mayor. These past

2 years have flown by, and, along with my fellow Councilmembers, I will say we have

accomplished much. Many of these accomplishments have been decisions geared

around providing our residents with the best possible services and community

atmosphere while making sound financial decisions. These actions have helped our community receive

numerous recognitions. Madeira has been voted a Cincinnati “Top Suburb” and one of the nation’s best

places to raise a family consistently over the past few years. I will do my best to highlight some recent

accomplishments of Council.

The first ever Comprehensive Plan for the City of Madeira was adopted by City Council in August. The

Comprehensive Plan serves as a guiding document to direct future policy decisions, development and

investments. With the help of Envision Group, many volunteer hours went into creating this plan; this

goes without saying, but we could not have done it without the residents’ input. Special thanks to

Councilmember Doug Moormann for helping, not only in the beginning phases of the plan as a Planning

Commission member, but then answering the call to fill a vacant Council seat and remain as our Council

liaison to Planning Commission throughout the Comprehensive Plan adoption. Thank you to Mr.

Moormann, all of our Planning Commission members and all of the citizen and business volunteers who

worked on the Comprehensive Plan. You can read more about the Comprehensive Plan on the City’s new

and improved website.

The Council Tech Committee spent about a year making decisions and implementing a new user-friendly

website. We hope you have found the features helpful, and you have been able to find the information

you seek. Police vacation forms are a click away, as well as building permit applications, tax filing

information and Council agendas and minutes. Thank you especially to Assistant City Manager Lori

Thompson for all her dedication and effort in organizing and implementing the new website.

Along with adoption of the Comprehensive Plan come opportunities to apply for some State and Federal

grant funding. I am happy to announce that we have recently been awarded 2 grant opportunities. The

first one will help pay for a traffic study for Miami Ave. The second will help pay for new playground

equipment at McDonald Commons. There are many more future applications we will be submitting for

grant funding, and I know that Council is committed to capitalizing on many outside funding sources to

give our taxpayers more “bang for their buck”. Grant money does not pay for whole projects; many

times we have to match a portion of the project amount with a grant.

Council continues to work on our capital plans, which include our annual Street Program and maintaining

community facilities as well as equipment and vehicle replacement. It’s a crazy puzzle, but we try to

make the best decisions for the community during these discussions, with the help and experience of our

City Manager, Tom Moeller. Mr. Moeller’s wisdom in budgeting and finance is so impactful that he was

asked and is currently teaching a graduate level course in Public Budget and Finance for Public

Administration Majors at the University of Cincinnati. We appreciate his historical view, expertise and

insight to the budgeting process. Although the capital improvement recommendations are not finalized

by printing time, we do appreciate all the work of the Budget and Finance Committee, including Chairman

Nancy Spencer, and Councilmembers Scott Gehring and Brian Mueller. Thank you for continually making

recommendations for Council to discuss. These are great idea people, and I am appreciative to have

them watching out for our City’s finances.

Another reason Madeira ranks highly in outside surveys is because of our wonderful Parks and Recreation

Board and its commitment to bringing fun and inclusive programs to our community. Our Parks and

Recreation volunteers are very committed, not only to maintaining the parks, but also providing residents

with many opportunities for “community-gathering” events with continuous improvement. One big

change the Parks and Recreation Board has recommended is moving the fireworks celebration to

McDonald Commons. This move is in line with our Comprehensive Plan goals of making McDonald

Commons our city center gathering space. The details are still being discussed, but it appears that the

move will potentially happen with the 2020 Fourth of July Celebration. This allows for beer sales to occur

during the show, and the actual viewing space is much larger than at the previous location at Sellman

Park. As with any change, there will be those who like the idea and those that don’t. I ask that you keep

an open mind as these community volunteers are only trying to give you the best experiences. I thank

them for their commitment to our town and their thoughtful recommendations. There is a lot of research

and logistics that go into this change so more details to come as plans are finalized.

Traditions of Camargo is soon to open its doors to residents and is an amazing public/private partner with

the City of Madeira. The newly constructed facility includes an ADA compliant community room and

gathering space for our Seniors in the community. Many senior-friendly groups have been meeting at

Traditions’ leasing offices on Miami Avenue, and soon the new community room will become a home for

clubs, such as the Madeira Woman’s Club, needle artists club and a few book clubs. Traditions plans to

host future events along with our Madeira Senior Commission to help enrich the lives of our Senior

residents. Traditions at Camargo will be a new polling place for those who normally would have voted at

the Madeira Health Center. Please check your polling place before the Nov. 5th election as it may have

changed. These changes should be mailed to you by the Board of Elections, but it is always good to

double check. If you would like more information about our Senior Commission or any of our Senior

programs, please contact Councilmember Chris Hilberg (chilberg@madeiracity.com). Chris has done a

great job advocating for our Senior residents.

One of our greatest assets in the City is our employees and volunteers. We have had a few retirements of

persons in crucial administrative roles. We wish them well, welcome their replacements and offer our

support. First, Mrs. Kathy Faris retired from the City of Madeira on September 20th. Kathy worked for

the City for 24 years as an Administrative Assistant. She will be greatly missed. We have employed

Mrs. Barb Griffin, who comes to us from the City of Blue Ash; we welcome her to our team.

Another retirement was Chief Steve Ashbrock from the Madeira and Indian Hill Fire Department. Steve

was with the fire department for just shy of 20 years. You may still see Steve around as he has

purchased a home in Madeira and looks forward to retired life. His replacement is Chief Stephen

Oughterson. Chief Steve “O” comes to us from West Chester Fire Department where he served as an

Assistant Chief of Operations. We are thrilled that Chief “O” has decided to serve the joint fire district.

One last “retirement” will be this fall when Mrs. Melisa Adrien steps down from Council. Melisa has served

on Council for a total of 8 years and served as our 37th mayor. She has taught me so much since I have

been on Council. I will miss her advice but know she is always a phone call away, and I always have her

support and prayers. Council has provided me many opportunities, but one of the greatest opportunities

is the friendship I have made with Melisa. I will miss the Monday night public meetings with Melisa, but I

am now free to eat lunch with her anytime I want-public or private! Cheers, and thanks for a job well

done, Melisa!

Again, I appreciate all the support the community has given me as the 38th Mayor of Madeira. I hope that

you have found me approachable in my role as I am still only a phone call or email away as I continue to

serve Madeira as a Councilmember. Thank You!

MadeiraNews Issue 6 * November/December, 2019 Page 5

Light Up MadeiraLight Up Madeira

The lighting of the tree at Light Up

Madeira marks the beginning of the

holiday season.

This year the event will be held on

Saturday, December 7th at 6pm at

the Millennium Fountain Plaza

located at Miami Avenue and

Dawson Road.

Santa’s MailboxSanta’s Mailbox

For all children and those young at heart,

Santa’s mailbox will be located in the Municipal

Building plaza from 11/18 thru 12/9. Santa

answers all letters so be sure to include your

name and mailing address.

A Message from the Tax Office

The City of Madeira has mandatory filing for all residents, business owners, property owners and those

doing business within the City of Madeira. Anyone 18 and over that lives in the City, whether or not they

have any income, is required to file. If you are newly retired and do not have any earned income, we have

an exemption form that will need to be filled out to determine your filing requirements.

Taxable or earned income includes, but is not limited to, salaries and wages (W-2 box 5 – Medicare

wages), commissions, bonuses, employee contributions to deferred compensation plans, and other

qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, stock option income, tipped income, lottery, sweepstakes,

gambling and sports winnings, net profit of any business, rental income and other business activities. We

do not tax interest, dividends, retirement income or social security benefits.

If you are required to make estimated payments (anyone that owes over $200 in tax that is not withheld

by their employer), your 4th quarter payment is due January 15th.

To receive reminders and changes sent directly to your email, you can visit the City’s website and sign up

for notifications at the bottom of the City website home page (www.madeiracity.com). If you have any

questions or need additional information, we can be reached at:

(513) 272-4212 or by email at: tax@madeiracity.com.

MadeiraNews Issue 6 * November/December, 2019 Page 6

A Message from FIRE CHIEF Stephen Oughterson

Residents may have noticed improvements to some of the fire hydrants around the

District recently. Our community has once again been the beneficiary of kindness from

Mr. Harold Thomas and family. Many of you remember that Mr. Harold Thomas and

his late wife, Mitze, contributed 100% of the funding for both fire stations in Madeira

and Indian Hill.

The latest project has Mr. Thomas and the Fire Chief working with the Indian Hill Water Department to

identify hydrants that are in need of sandblasting and repainting. The Indian Hill Water Department is

busy improving the water mains and installing new hydrants when the budget allows and/or the need

arises. To assist in that end, Mr. Thomas has taken financial responsibility to blast, prime and paint

around 100 hydrants in Indian Hill and Madeira. We sincerely thank Mr. Thomas and his family for their

continued generosity to both communities.

We contacted Ellis Blasting and Maintenance to perform the work. The process includes using an

environmentally friendly medium to blast the old layers of paint and rust from older hydrants, then prime

and paint the hydrant yellow. If you travel Shawnee Run from Milford to Miami Avenue, you will see that

many of those hydrants are looking brand new! The blasting process takes about 10 minutes and leaves

only dust behind. Painting is accomplished by a spray gun supplied by air from a compressor and leaves a

little bit of overspray on the grass. With a little help from some rain from Mother Nature, the "painted"

grass will be gone after the next grass cutting. The company does use a shroud, if needed, for areas

where paint overspray could be left permanently.

DID YOU KNOW. . .that you can significantly increase your chance of survival in a house fire by

closing the doors in sleeping areas? Half of the nation’s fires happen between 11pm and 7am while

most people are asleep. Having working smoke detectors and closing your bedroom doors might save you

and your kids’ lives. The door buys precious time in a fire, time that is becoming

increasingly scarce because fire spreads faster than it did years ago. Thanks to the

Madeira & Indian Hill Fire Company October 2019 newsletter for this information. For

more information, go to https://firstresponders.closeyourdoor.org/.

Welcome to fall at Madeira City Schools! The Madeira City School District invites members of

the community to see the district’s outstanding Theatre Arts students perform Catch Me If

You Can by Robert Thomas. Performances will be held in Medert Auditorium (7465 Loannes

Dr.) on Nov. 21-23 at 7:00 PM with a matinee on Nov. 23 at 2:00 PM. Madeira senior citizens

are invited to a free performance Wed., Nov. 20 at 10 AM, with an optional $5 lunch

following. Doors will open at 9:30 AM. Please call 891-8222 for lunch reservations.

Visit www.seatyourself.biz/madeira to purchase tickets for all community performances. For

more information contact rbrewer@madeiracityschools.org.

Our newest Quality Profile takes a detailed look Academics, Arts, Student Leadership & Activities, Fiscal

Stewardship, Parent & Community Involvement, Student Services, and Staff & District Recognitions. It

shows what makes Madeira such a great place for our students beyond mandated test scores. We are

proud to share some of the highlights from the 2018-2019 school year at www.madeiracityschools.org/

Welcome. For updated school news and more events, please visit our website (www.madeiracityschools.org).

MadeiraNews Issue 6 * November/December, 2019 Page 7

BSA Troop 209’s

28th Edition of the

City of Madeira Directory

Every 2 years the Troop publishes a city

directory as a fundraiser for its members, and

it’s time to prepare the 2020-2021 directory.

But the Scouts need your help! Please make

sure your residential information is correct by going to:

http://madeiratroop2009.com/directories/

For questions, contact Jennifer Cissell (513-319-1781) or

madeiradirectory@yahoo.com.

Madeira Pickleball Celebrates 6 Years

On August 28th, the Madeira Pickleball Players

celebrated 6 years with a summer picnic (photo

below). The senior-friendly sport is played 7 days

a week and is a great way to stay active and com-

petitive while making new friends.

For more information, contact Jane Niehaus at

(513) 791-JANE.

Christmas Tree “Drop Off” Available at McDonald Commons

Park from Thursday, December 26, 2019 through Friday, January 31, 2020

Take note of holiday trash and recycling schedules! Thanksgiving Week Wednesday Pick-Up—NO CHANGE—Wednesday, November 27 Usual Thursday Pick-Up—Friday, November 29 Usual Friday Pick-Up—Saturday, November 30

Christmas Week Usual Wednesday Pick-Up—Thursday, December 26 Usual Thursday Pick-Up—Friday, December 27 Usual Friday Pick-Up—Saturday, December 28

New Year’s Week Usual Wednesday Pick-Up—Thursday, January 2 Usual Thursday Pick-Up—Friday, January 3 Usual Friday Pick-Up—Saturday, January 4

MADEIRANEWS

City of Madeira

7141 Miami Avenue

Cincinnati, OH 45243-2699

Contacts City of Madeira

7141 Miami Avenue

Cincinnati, OH 45243-2699

Hours: Mon - Fri 8 AM - 5 PM

CITY WEBSITE

www.madeiracity.com

City Manager

Thomas W. Moeller

tmoeller@madeiracity.com

Newsletter Editor

Debra Desgrange

ddesgrange@madeiracity.com

Administration 513-561-7228

Building Dept. 513-561-7228

City Council 513-561-7228

Finance Dept. 513-272-4212

Fire Dept. 513-271-2669

Police Dept. 513-272-4214

Parks & Recreation 513-561-7228

Service Dept. 513-792-9123

Tax Department 513-272-4212

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