E-News December 2015

Village Council Election Results

While there was only one contested seat on the seven-member Village Council for the November election, all seven incumbents will return to serve another two-year term.

Your elected officials for the 2015-2017 term:

Pictured left to right: Ed Hattenbach (District A), Natalie Wolf (District B), Ray Warren (District D), Peg Conway (At-Large), Richard Bardach (District E), and Tom Muething (District C). Not pictured, Bill Doering (At-Large).

The council was sworn-in by Village Solicitor Kevin Frank to begin their service on December 1.  A public ceremony was held in council chambers and residents had the opportunity to talk with council members afterward.

The next order of business at the start of the council’s term will be to select the positions of Mayor and Vice-Mayor which will occur at the regular public meeting of council on Monday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers.  The public is welcome to attend this and all meetings of Village Council and its committees.

To learn more about council members, or contact council visit www.amberleyvillage.org and click on Government & Administration, then Village Council and Committees. 

Calendar Events

December 14 Council Meeting 6:30 p.m.
December 24 & 25 Christmas – Closed

Watch the November Council Meeting

November Council Meeting Highlights

Holiday Leaf Collection Schedule

• No collection on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day

Leaf it to Us

Have a question about leaf collection?  Get it answered when you watch our newest video!

Rumpke Holiday Pick-Up Schedule

Residents can expect a one day delay for trash and recycling collection service from Rumpke for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday.  Friday collections will occur on Saturday.  

Visit rumpke.com for recycling and trash collection schedules and information.

At its November council meeting, the Village Council presented Amberley employee Tom Karr with a plaque in recognition of his retirement from the Maintenance Department after 25 years with Amberley and a total of 30 years in public service.

Tom spent six years with the Lockland Maintenance Department, including 3 as a volunteer fireman, before joining the Village in 1990.  Having served the Village as a full-time Maintenance Worker/Fire Fighter, Tom also served as the Village Employee Liaison to the Environmental Stewardship Committee and acquired his Tree City USA Bachelor’s Certificate in the Tree Commission Academy.  His dedication to the program enabled the assembly of a comprehensive tree inventory of the Village’s urban forest.  

While the Village happily congratulates Tom on his well-earned and deserved retirement, he will certainly be missed.  

Once bulk leaf collection concludes which is planned for December 31, the maintenance department will resume brush pick-up the week of January 4 on your normal pick-up day, weather permitting.  View guidelines for placing brush at the curb 

Recycling your holiday tree is available as a curbside service! The brush crew will chip it at your curb along with your other brush beginning in January.  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.

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.  

Winter Heating Safety

Space Heaters:

• Make sure your space heater has a working safety light, alarm, automatic shut-off switch in case of being tipped over, and a cut-off device to prevent overheating.
• Keep all objects, people and pets at least three feet away from the heater.
• Never use a space heater in your bathroom. Water and electric appliances don’t mix!
• Always remember to turn off your space heater when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Plug your space heater directly into a wall outlet. Never use extension cords to power your space heater.

Furnace:

• Have your furnace regularly inspected by a professional to ensure it is clean and working properly.
• Make sure to check the condition of the automatic controls and emergency shutoffs.

Fireplaces:

• Have the fireplace inspected and cleaned by a professional chimney sweep to ensure it is clear of obstructions, cracks, etc.
• Make sure the damper or flue is open.
• Be sure to use a metal screen to keep hot embers and shifting logs from falling out.
• Keep any combustible objects (paper, clothes, blankets, etc.) at least three feet away from the fireplace.
• Do not “over-build” your fire. Too much wood or paper placed in the fire can cause the fire to get too hot and could ignite the soot in your chimney, causing a chimney fire.

This month the Environmental Stewardship Committee’s healthy home series is bringing awareness to home ventilation.  Ventilation refers to the exchange of indoor and outdoor air. Without proper ventilation, an otherwise insulated and airtight house will seal in harmful pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, and moisture that can damage a house.  Proper ventilation helps keep a home energy-efficient, safe, and healthy.

There are three types of home ventilation:

1. Natural ventilation: Natural Ventilation is uncontrolled air movement from windows, doors, or cracks in the home.

2. Spot Ventilation: Spot ventilation controls air movement by using localized exhaust fans to quickly remove pollutants and moisture at the source. Common household examples include range hoods over stoves and bathroom exhaust fans.

3. Whole House: Whole-house ventilation entails using one or more fans and duct systems to exhaust stale air and/or supply fresh air into the house.

Now some tips:

• All houses, no matter their age or how drafty, need to have local exhaust ventilation.  That means a correctly sized and installed exhaust fan in each bathroom and in the kitchen vented to the outdoors. 
• NEVER vent exhaust fans to attics, porches or crawl spaces.
• Clothes dryers should always be vented to the outside.

More information at: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/guide_to_home_ventilation.pdf

While the upcoming tax year will be filing of the 2015 year, residents will want to become familiar with the new tax code which will go into effect for the 2016 tax year.  In January residents will be receiving a letter from the Tax Office outlining changes in the Amberley Village Tax Ordinance.

The changes are a result from House Bill 5 adopted by the 130th Ohio General Assembly in December of 2014 requiring municipal corporations levying an income tax to establish a uniform tax base by further defining the forms of income they may or may not tax.   The bill follows most of our current tax ordinance procedures but changes include limitation of 2106 employee business expenses, uniform filing dates for tax returns, extensions, estimates and withholding payments. Penalties, interest, fees and charges will also follow a uniform amount or percentage.

For tax years beginning with 2016, Tax Ordinance Chapter 101 will apply. Tax years 2015 and prior will follow Tax Ordinance Chapter 93.  The updated Chapter 101 is now available on our website and will soon be incorporated into the Village Code link on the homepage.   If you have any questions please call the Tax Administrator Monday – Friday 8 am. to 4 p.m. at (513) 531-0130.  

Ohio law requires that dogs older than three months be licensed.  Residents may purchase a Hamilton County dog license during the regular licensing period of December 1 through January 31.

The regular annual dog license fee continues to be $19.  If you fail to renew by the January 31, 2016 deadline, you can still purchase a dog license but an additional penalty of $19 will be added to the cost.   Starting this year, you may purchase a 3-Year Dog License good for the 2016, 2017 & 2018 Dog License season.  If purchased during the licensing period the cost is $57.  Late fees do apply. Also available for the first time this year are Permanent Dog Licenses. If purchased during the licensing period the cost is $190. Late fees do apply.

A license can be purchased at the Hamilton County Auditor’s Office, 138 East Court Street, Room 304, in downtown Cincinnati. Licenses can also be purchased on-line at Dog and Kennel Licenses New or Renewal. There is a convenience fee charged for on-line purchases.  Licenses are also available at the Hamilton County SPCA or you may visit one of Hamilton County’s convenient neighborhood vendors. There is a 75¢ agent fee for purchasing this way. Please call 946-4106 for an application or details.