E-News
August 2017
   Calendar of Events             Watch: July Council Meeting   
If you'd like to volunteer, please contact Amy Rubenstein at  amyhrubenstein@gmail.com
Property Maintenance

Amberley Village has experienced an increase in property maintenance complaints this year and has mailed numerous letters to property owners asking for attention to their property for violations, the most common being high grass, paint, garbage cans, improper storage of toys, and dead trees. 

Residents will be receiving a postcard from the Village to step up awareness about the importance of maintaining homes and properties in our community to the high standard for which homes in the Village have become known.  Properties found to be in violation will receive a notification letter from the Village which could ultimately result in costly fines and a lien on the property should the Village have to come on the property to remediate the violation.

With streamlined staffing levels in place, there are not enough personnel to assign solely to the enforcement of the property maintenance code.  The Village  strongly encourages residents to report properties that appear to be in need of maintenance.   You can report a property maintenance violation by giving the property address to the Village Administration at 531-8675 or visit amberleyvillage.org and click on Contact Us .


Get Back to School Safely

With school back in session this month, Amberley Village Police Department shares these tips and reminds everyone to be on alert for an increase in traffic congestion.

WALKING
  • When no cars are coming, it is safe for you to cross.  Look left-right-left as you do.
  • Walk, don't run.  This gives time for drivers to see you before you enter the roadway.  Running also makes you more likely to fall in the street.
  • Don't dart out in front of a parked car.  Drivers will not be able to see you.
  • If possible, walk to school with a group or have an adult with you.
  • Always walk on the sidewalk if one is available.  If no sidewalk is available, walk facing the traffic.
  • The safest place to cross is at a street corner, intersection, or where a crossing guard is posted.
BIKING
  • Always wear your helmet when riding your bicycle.
  • Make sure your helmet fits correctly.  The helmet should fit low on your forehead so that two fingers fit between it and your eyebrows.
  • To ride safely, you need to know the rules of the road.  If you don't then you should not ride in traffic.
  • Ride on the right side of the road in a single file line in the same direction as other vehicles and come to a complete stop before crossing streets and busy driveways.  
DRIVING
  • Drivers should obey the 20 mph speed limit of school zones.
  • Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn. Do not stop with a portion of your vehicle over the crosswalk.  Blocking the crosswalk forces pedestrians to go around your vehicle and puts them in a dangerous situation. 
  • Always stop when directed to do so by a school patrol sign, school patrol officer, or crossing guard.
  • Children are the least predictable pedestrians and the most difficult to see.  Take extra care to look out for children not only in school zones but in parks and any areas where children are likely to be.
Kids Learn Bike Safety with Village Officers

This year's Bike Safety Fair better equipped children to navigate their bikes on the roadway. The event, held June 25th at the Jewish Community Center, highlighted the importance of bike safety rules children need to know to stay safe while riding their bikes. Some topics covered included rules of the road, how to look back and navigate for traffic and how to make sure their bikes are safe to ride.


Children's Hospital attended and assisted with helmet fittings.  The re-creation of a small town with streets and plenty of signage gave a real life perspective and bikes were inspected and tuned-up for safety.  Fairfield Bicycle set up a station to do the bike tune-ups.  During the rodeo, Amberley Officers and volunteers made sure each child stopped at all stop signs and looked both ways before entering the intersection.  After completing their safety lessons, kids practiced on the obstacle course and received tickets to participate in a drawing for a new bike.
 
The Amberley Village Police-Fire Department thanks all of the employees and the volunteers that participated to make this such a successful event.
2100 Section Road Update

Preparation work continues on the Port Authority's 56-acre tract located at 2100 Section Road to return the land to a shovel-ready site for redevelopment within the Industrial A zone in the Village. The demolition of the former Gibson Greeting Card building on the property has been completed. 

The contractor is in the final clean up stage of the building material with major crushing of the concrete floors and footers underway. Work will continue into September and the Port Authority contractors are performing work on Saturdays.

The 72" pipe for the new storm water infrastructure has been installed along the east and west property lines. Storm water is being piped east to west until the detention pond is completed this summer, followed by the final grading of the property.
Demolition of Temple Sholom

The Jewish Foundation announced in late March its intentions to tear down the Temple Sholom building.  Demolition activity has begun on the site at 3100 Longmeadow.  

The process is expected to be completed in 2 ½ weeks, weather permitting, with work also occurring on Saturdays. Currently, no plans for the property have been announced to the Village.
Electric Aggregation: Enrollment Letter Mailed

In mid-July, residents who are currently enrolled in the Village's electric aggregation program with IGS Energy received a letter from IGS and Amberley Village providing a 21-day window to choose to opt-out of the program if they do not want to be automatically enrolled.  The opt-out letter was sent to all eligible residents, including new residents or others utilizing Duke Energy services.  Duke Energy also gave notice as a second opportunity for residents to confirm their decision to stay with IGS which provided a seven-day response window to opt-out of utilizing IGS.  Residents who wish to stay enrolled in the Village's electric aggregation program do not need to take any action and may ignore the letters.
Additionally, the Village has received calls about a representative from IGS Energy going door-to-door asking residents to sign up for utility rate offers.  The Village has been in contact with IGS Energy about this activity.  Residents do not need to respond and may contact the Police Department at 531-2040 regarding any solicitation concerns. 

Residents can expect to receive calls and mailers from competitor suppliers due to the expiring contract.  To stay with the Village's program which is renewing, simply do not respond to any phone calls or mailers, or in-person offers and the new negotiated rate of $0.0527 per kilowatt hour will take effect on your electric account in September or October once your meter is read.  This lower rate will continue through August 2020.
                  
6100 Emerald Parkway                                              
Dublin, OH 43017                                                      
Customer Service: 1-877-353-0162 (8 am - 8 pm Monday-Friday)             
www.IGSenergy.com
Disposing of Household Hazardous Waste

Proper disposal of household hazardous waste helps reduce instances of accidental  poisoning and helps keep chemicals out of the wastewater treatment process and landfills.  

Typical household hazardous products include lawn and pool chemicals, cleaning products, pesticides, and automotive fluids. These items should not be placed in your regular trash or down the drain, because they are harmful to the environment.
Year round drop-off outlets are available for most materials.  The Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District has a resourceful website    for residents to look up outlets that will accept a variety of hazardous products and methods for  disposing of latex paint . Questions?  Call the Hamilton County Recycling Hotline at 513.946.7766.
Native Tree & Shrub Sale

The Great Parks of Hamilton County has a healthy stock of trees and shrubs in 1-gallon and 3-gallon containers for sale at a low cost of $25.  The species available have already adapted to the Midwest weather.
Orders can be placed online or mailed-in now through September 13.  Pick-up date is September 23.  Go online for more information, place your online order, or print the mail-in order form available.
Volunteer to Clean the Green!

The next Clean the Green will be September 28th at 5:30 p.m. to perform light maintenance work in a variety of areas on the Amberley Green property. Volunteers will meet in the parking lot at 7801 Ridge Road.  

Don't forget to bring your gloves, hat and water! Everyone is welcome to join us! 
Tax Reminder - Estimates Due September 15

Residents making estimated payments to the Village for taxes due in 2017 exceeding $200 in Amberley Village income tax have an upcoming payment deadline.  Third quarter estimated taxes are due September 15.  At least 90% of your 2017 tax liability is due by December 15. Making quarterly payments helps meet this requirement.  

Quarterly estimated payments are available at www.amberleyvillage.org under Forms and Documents. Questions?  Call the Tax Administrator Patty Meiers at (513) 531-0130.
Water Works Moves to Monthly Billing

Greater Cincinnati Water Works has announced it will begin monthly billing in 2018 as a response to customer feedback.  Residents can expect their monthly bill to be about 1/3 of their quarterly bill.  For January, bills will be pro-rated and amounts will vary depending upon the days of service since your last quarterly bill.  Customers will receive their first "true monthly" bill in February.  Bills will also begin arriving at the same time every month to allow better cost planning and regular updates.

Additional options available to residents when it comes to their bill are managing your account online and auto pay.  To learn more about the move to monthly billing or set up your online account, visit www.cincinnati-oh.gov.