Reducing the Police Levy by 20 Percent
As the Village's Finance Committee continues its process of analyzing the overall financial health of the Village, a proposal to reduce the Police Levy by 20% was recommended to the Village Council after several public meetings of the committee. The current 10 mill police levy would be lowered to 8 mills, reducing the levy taxes residents pay by an estimated $320,000.
The Village Council, at its November 14 meeting, unanimously voted to move forward with the police levy reduction. Council also authorized the formal step of requesting the Hamilton County Auditor calculate the millage of a reduced police levy renewal at 8 mills. The Village has estimated that an 8 mill police levy will generate approximately $1,280,000 based on current valuations.
When the police levy was passed in 2012, the Village pursued its commitment to the residents to engage in new ways of doing business to contain costs, create efficiencies, and bring operational changes that would become part of a multi-faceted, long-term approach in response to the lost revenues dealt to local communities by the State. Since then the Village, through the funding support of the residents, has dutifully reduced expenses and balanced the operational needs of the Village on a lowered budget.
As stewards of the residents' tax dollars, the Village will present the 20 percent reduction of the police levy to the voters on the May 2017 ballot. Council will consider a resolution to submit the reduced police levy renewal to the Board of Elections at its December 12 regular meeting.
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Package Thefts - See Something, Say Something
During the holidays, theft of delivered packages can become an easy target for criminals.
The
Amberley
Village Police Department would like to keep residents on alert for this potential activity and encourage you to take safety measures.
If someone cannot be home to receive your packages, consider an alternate delivery site, like your place of employment that would provide better security of your packages during the holiday season. Another option would be to specify that the delivery be placed on a rear porch or near a rear door at your home.
Large commercial delivery trucks will be expected in higher volume on Village streets for the coming weeks. If you observe a delivery vehicle, please take a few extra minutes to observe the delivery address in the event that a strange vehicle enters or stops in front of that property after packages are delivered. If something appears suspicious, get a description of the vehicle and occupants, and then call the Village Police immediately at 531-2040.
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Preventing Thefts from Vehicles
All auto break-ins usually have one thing in common--there's something left in the car worth stealing. Most larcenies from cars are "crimes of opportunity" that could have been prevented. During the holiday shopping season, the Police Department recommends the following prevention tips:
Don't leave valuables in your vehicle
. You'd be surprised how often this happens, but individuals leave valuable items in plain sight all of the time. If you leave items in your vehicle and they're visible, the chances of a break-in have greatly increased.
Place items out of sight BEFORE reaching your destination
. Someone may be watching when you put your valuables under a seat or in the trunk and the moment you're gone, a thief could break into your car. So place those items in a safe place before you get to your destination. Valuable items that thieves target are GPS units, cell phones, laptop computers, purses, packages and so forth. If you can't take the items with you, secure them in a safe place in your vehicle, like a locked glove compartment or trunk.
Avoid leaving packages or shopping bags out in the open
. Lock them into your trunk, if you have to leave the vehicle unattended. Never open a trunk, fill it full of valuables, close it, and then just walk away.
Lock ALL vehicle doors
. This is true even if you plan on only being gone for just a second. Remember, it only takes seconds to steal items from your car. It's not uncommon for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles looking for unlocked doors. Also, make sure car windows are closed.
Park in busy, well-lit areas
. Don't leave any sign that there might be valuables "out of sight" in your vehicle. For example, the suction cup left on the dashboard tells thieves that a GPS system is in the vehicle. Leave nothing in plain view. Very few auto break-ins are random. The thieves usually see something out in the open or hints of possible hidden valuables.
Don't leave spare keys in your vehicle
. An experienced thief knows all of the hiding places. Store spare keys elsewhere, possibly your wallet or purse.
If your vehicle has a push-button ignition, be sure to take the key fob with you.
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Repairs to Flashing Lights at Section & Knoll Roads
The flashing lights at Section and Knoll Roads were recently damaged by a semi truck passing through the intersection.
After the incident occurred, Village staff worked with Capital Electric to ascertain whether the lights could be repaired to keep costs down versus total replacement. The replacement proposal would have cost $23,487. The much lower repair cost of $8,667 was authorized by the Streets, Public Utilities and Sewers Committee and Village Council. The repair includes replacing the damaged signal head, replacing one wooden support pole, and adding down guys to tighten the support cable to raise the lights higher over the street. Through traffic will be maintained during the repairs.
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Neighbors' Information Meeting Held Nov. 30
2100 Section Road Redevelopment
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Invitations were mailed to 220 nearby residents for the informational meeting held on November 30 by Melissa Johnson, Vice President of Industrial Development & Logistics for the Port Authority. The neighbors' informational meeting was an opportunity for residents to hear about the demolition plans and overall redevelopment project at 2100 Section Road and ask the Port questions.
Residents can also learn about the current phase of the project in this video with the Port and
Mayor Muething where they also provide answers to frequently asked resident questions.
The video along with handouts from the meeting can be accessed on the Village website by clicking on Business in Amberley from the homepage.
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Holiday Schedule for Curbside Services
Leaf Collection Schedule:
Christmas - No collection on Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26.
Rumpke Holiday Pick-Up Schedule:
Residents can expect regular trash and recycling collection service from Rumpke through the Christmas and New Year holidays.
No delays are scheduled.
Visit
rumpke.com
for recycling and trash collection information.
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Shake Your Mailbox
The Amberley Village Maintenance Department asks residents to "shake your mailbox" as part of routine preparation for the winter months. Tighten screws, replace deteriorated wood posts, and secure any loose parts to ensure the integrity of the structure.
Most times when damage occurs to a mailbox during snow plowing services it is the force and weight of the snow thrown from the plow itself that is the cause of the damage.
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Village Readies for Winter Storm Responses
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With the newly constructed salt storage facility approved by Village Council in August, Amberley has expanded its capacity to store rock salt from 400 to approximately 1,000 tons. The pursuit of replacing this operational infrastructure yielded a cost-effective option of a steel and fabric structure selected keeping the project cost at $127,780, significantly less than other options ranging from $176,000 to $335,000.
The Maintenance Department recently took delivery of 455 tons of salt and will access up to an additional 1,000 tons of salt for the upcoming snow fighting season. The Village located a lower cost for salt through another vendor and switched from the City of Cincinnati's consortium to the Hamilton County consortium to achieve the lowest available rate for the acquisition which was also priced lower than last year's cost of $75.86 per ton with the new rate being $52.51 per ton for this winter's salt.
In addition to acquiring rock salt for the roadways, the Village's seven-member Maintenance Department will prepare its trucks for snow fighting by adding snow plows and salt spreaders, as well as preparing the salt brine solution and spraying equipment. The Village generates its own brine-a salt water solution sprayed on dry roadways ahead of a forecasted storm.
The Village's Maintenance Department prides itself on keeping the roadways clear and passable for residents and has multiple tools to combat the winter weather.
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Leaf Collection Ends December 30
The Village's curbside leaf collection service concludes the on December 30. Residents are encouraged to get leaves to the curb in advance to allow crews to collect leaves prior to the close of the collection season.
To ensure your leaves are picked up, the crews will make multiple routes through the Village during the final week of pickup to make every effort to collect your leaves.
Leaves placed at the curb after December 30 may be bagged for pickup by Rumpke or integrated into backyard compost.
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Holiday Tree Recycling
If you would like to recycle that holiday tree, the brush crew will chip it at your curb along with your other brush when the curbside service restarts January 3. Trees set out for collection must be free of ornaments, wiring, lights, tree stands and other debris in order to be safely chipped. Trees that contain foreign materials will not be picked up.
If you utilize a bag to contain the needles while moving the tree from your house, please remove the bag before setting the tree out for collection. Removing the bag and any other debris from the tree will assist the brush crew in moving through the route more efficiently.
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Rumpke's Nice and Naughty Recycling List for the Holidays
The Village's waste and recycling provider has prepared a fun list to help us know what items from our holiday celebrations are accepted through curbside recycling. To check for an alternative way to discard the "naughty" list items, visit hamiltoncountyrecycles.org for a list of recycling and re-use outlets.
The Nice List: Recycle These Items
- Wrapping paper (not foil)
- Gift boxes
- Gift bags (paper, not foil)
- Cardboard boxes
- Newspapers and sales ads
- Cards & envelopes
- Clean pizza boxes
- Wrapping paper rolls (cardboard)
- Junk mail
- Plastic bottles & jugs
- Aluminum beverage cans
- Steel food and drink cans
- Glass bottles and jars
- Cartons and juice boxes
The Naughty List: Don't Put These in Your Recycling
- Christmas lights
- Extension cords
- Plastic bags
- Ribbons, bows and tinsel
- Tissue paper
- Foil wrapping paper
- Plastic packaging
- Plastic toys
- Whipped topping and butter tubs
- Aluminum pie pans and roasting pans
- VHS tapes (when you upgrade to DVD and Blu-Ray)
- Packing peanuts and bubble wrap
- Ceramics
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4th Quarter Tax Estimates by December 15
In this busy December holiday season don't forget to pay your 2016 quarterly Amberley Village tax estimate. This is the first year fourth quarter
estimates are due December 15th as opposed to January 15th
in previous years.
To learn more about our new Municipal Income Tax Ordinance Chapter 101 effective January 1, 2016, visit our website under Forms and Documents and click on Code of Ordinances. Questions about taxes may be directed to the Tax Administrator Patty Meiers by email or 531-0130.
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