Panhandle Lots

A panhandle lot is a lot that is set back from the street, behind other houses, and only accessable via a long narrow drive. Imagine the main lot with a house, is the pan, and the long drive is the panhandle. In an predominantly built area, like Amberley, where some homeowners own large lots, panhandle lots may be the only area in which to build a new house. Typically, they are created when an existing homeowner sells a large lot and the new owner decides to subdivide the lot into two or more lots. Panhandle lots allow a developer to put an additional lot onto an exisiting property without building a new road. Panhandle lots can consist of one single lot with a single home or a series of new lots and homes, essentially creating a new street or drive behind the original street. Each new house would share one long driveway and the address, typically, is on the main street.

Earlier this year, The Board of Zoning Appeals heard applications from two developers over the course of nearly as many months who each wanted permission to create panhandle lots on property they had just purchased. Each property was in excess of two acres, thus meeting the minimum requirement for one acre housing lots in property zoned Residence "A." Both properties were located in deadend or cul-de-sac streets, and both were heavily wooded in the rear. Neither property owner presented a detailed plan to the BZA for the yet-to-be-built homes. Both applications were contested by existing neighbors and homeowners who stated that they did not desire the extra traffic from construction vehicles, additional curb cuts to create a drive, and a new house to be built in their backyards. Yet, each case was decided differently, primarily due to Amberley's current Zoning Code which does not provide any guidance for deciding on these type of lots. 

The trend for older communities is to restrict panhandle lots, allowing them only when detailed plans are presented to the BZA. This protects existing homeowners who were not expecting to have to share their backyard with a new homeowner's front yard. It also protects the integrity of older neighborhoods and the rural ambiance that comes from living in an area with larger lots and mature trees. Additionally, it puts potential buyers on notice that they may not be able to subdivide their property if it will result in a panhandle lot without first having their detailed plans scrutinized by the BZA. 

Amberley's Planning Commission has been examing new legislation that addresses this issue and will be presenting it to Council in the coming months. Please subscribe to our Village webpage at AmberleyVillage.org if you want to be notified of the public hearing for this ordinance.

Amberley is not an Island

One thing I like to keep in mind when I think about Amberley and my responsiblitity to the village as a council member, is how Amberley can remain a vibrant community, given the challenges that all local municipalities are facing, including elimination of estate tax, local government funds, and tangible personal property tax,  since most of our state revenue has been cut or eliminated. Where does Amberley Village fit within the structure of Hamilton County and who is looking out for us, besides our Amberley officials? Fortunately, we are not alone, but as a small community, it is important for us to shout a little louder and be a little more visible, so as not to be neglected.

One of the organizations that Amberley participates in is the First Suburbs Consortium of Southwest Ohio. First Suburbs are those suburbs that are generally located near core cities and were established prior to 1960. First suburbs share many common concerns -- older housing stock, shrinking tax base, and competition from the newer, outer exurbs for economic development. As the name suggests, the First Suburbs Consortium can generate the power of collaborative interests to influence policy -- as it is doing right now regarding HB5 and changes to how Ohio collects municipal tax.

Representatives to the First Suburbs Consortium are appointed by council. I was appointed in 2011 as an "alternate" representative. In February of this year, I learned that our appointed representative was not attending meetings, thereby leaving Amberley unrepresented and without a voice. In March, I attended my first First Suburbs general membership meeting where the Mill Creek Watershed was discussed, as well as updates regarding HB5 and other state legislative news. I have subsequently been appointed to serve on the executive committee of the Consortium.

Amberley is facing many challenges ahead, as we are forced to contend with a shrinking budget yet residents expect the same level of service they are used to. It is important for us to realize that we, as a community, share many of the same issues with our neighboring communities and that we are stronger when we harness our collective resources and ideas. The First Suburbs Consortium is just one way Amberley can have a louder voice at the state level.

Water Management

My nephew, Tyler, an environmental engineering major at OSU, has become increasingly interested in water conservation since visiting a kibbutz in Israel last winter where significant inroads on water management and conservation are being made by evironmental engineers. This week, he installed a couple of rain barrels for me. I can't tell you how happy I am to have them, just from a financial perspective, since our summer water bills tend to lean toward the side of high to outrageously high. I like plants and plants need water. But from a practical and environmental perspective, many of us in Amberley have been dealing with the question of what to do with too much water for years. While the Amberley Creek and its subsidiaries provide us with a lovely ambiance, when it rains that beautiful babbling brook can become a raging menace -- overflowing its banks and flooding our yards. Yes, the water comes from the rain falling directly from the clouds, but it also comes fast and furiously from the gutters and downspouts on our homes.

Amberley: Before Rain Garden Installed

Installing rain barrels to collect the water from our downspouts have many benefits. First, it prevents the runoff from our gutters from entering our already overloaded storm sewers. Second, rain barrels help to prevent ponding and flooding of water in our yards; third, it prevents flooding of stormwater into our streets; fourth, rain barrels provide free water for our gardens.

 Rain gardens are another practical measure homeowners can take to harvest and control some of the excess water flooding their property. In fact, Amberley Village has examples of both a rain barrel and a rain garden at Village Hall.  Before installing the Village Hall rain garden, the south end of the field was prone to flooding. By installing a rain garden, not only has the flooding been curbed, but the area is now more beautiful with the addition of deep-rooted native plants and grasses, and is a habitat for butterflies and birds.

Rain Garden in 2008

Amberley's website has plenty of information about rain barrels and rain gardens. More information can also be found at Rain Garden Network, as well as guides for installation.

Rain Garden in 2013

Amberley Rain Garden in 2013

The Hamilton County Storm Water and Conservation District has published a manual for use in properly constructing a rain garden. It can be downloaded here:http://www.hcswcd.org/uploads/1/5/4/8/15484824/raingardenmanual.pdf

Electric Aggregation

Are you getting your electricity from Dayton Power & Light (DP&L), Amberley's electric aggregator? If you are not, is it because you are currently under contract with another energy supplier (not Duke Energy) and don't want to pay an early cancellation fee? Without boring you with the details of my own experience of trying to join with other Amberley residents and get the much lower aggregated rate (.045/kwh), I will simply clear up some misconceptions and provide some information that is not currently on our website:

1. DP&L will pay any other provider's early termination fee of up to $150. If you are staying with another electric provider because you don't want to be charged a cancellation fee, call DP&L and explain this to them. They are difficult to get a hold of, but they will call you back. If you send them an email, you will hear back within 24 hours. Their email address is DPLEnergyCare@DPLinc.com.

2. Amberley's contracted rate until May, 2014 is 0.0445 cents per kilowat hour. (My current rate with First Energy is 0.063 cents per kwh and changes with each reading. I would have saved much more money by switching last year, had I known DP&L would pay the early termination charge).

3. If you never contracted with another supplier, you are already benefitting from Amberley's contract with DP&L, even though your bills still come from Duke Energy.

4. You must fill out the form on the website and email or fax it to DP&L to get the Amberley Village rate. The rate for regular customers is currently 0.053 kwh, which is not as good a deal as Amberley's negotiated rate.

Start saving money on your electric bill!

Amberley's Neighborhood School

When my husband was growing up in Amberley, he attended his neighborhood school for elementary school, which, at the time, was Losantiville School. I attended my own neighborhood schools while growing up in Finneytown. In fact, for most of us, the neighborhood school was our school, unless our parents made a different choice -- say to send the kids to parochial school. In recent decades, here in Cincinnati, the neighborhood school has been replaced by the magnet school. Parents stand in line for days, often in inclement weather, to enroll their children in select schools of choice, because of the perception, often based in reality, that the neighborhood school is unable to adequately meet the educational needs of their children.

When my family moved to Amberley in 1997, I could not tell you what our neighborhood school was. Amberley didn't have its own school and as far as I could tell, where I sent my child to public school depended on what quadrant I lived in. Although Amberley only comprises 3.5 square miles, our children could go to any one of three "neighborhood" schools. Most Amberley parents did as we did and sent their kids to private school.

Things have changed since 1997. The former Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, a neighborhood school in CPS for over 100 years, was rebuilt and re-opened as PRM (Pleasant Ridge Montessori). A very dedicated  group of parents and community volunteers have been working tirelessly since 2006 to make this school a top-performing neighborhood school for Pleasant Ridge, Golf Manor, and Amberley Village. Through the very active involvement of educators, community leaders, parents, and Xavier University, PRM has seen its academic performance indicators rise and its socio-economic makeup become more diverse and more closely resemble the neighborhood where it is located.

Last night I attended a community meeting at PRM where the focus was on the next steps for the school. From my estimation, over 200 community members were in attendance. Most were parents of PRM students, but additonally there were local elected officials from all three communities served by the school, representatives from social service agencies and other interested community members.  This is an extremely involved parent body!  For a community like Amberley, which has not had a neighborhood school to call its own since it was incorporated, we are very lucky to have this rising star of Cincinnati Public Schools as our neighborhood school. The best part is, parents of Amberley kids can enroll their kids in a school where the parents and teachers are as involved as any private or magnet school for free and without camping out for a week.

If you are a PRM parent and Amberley resident, please leave a comment about PRM in the comment section of this post. I'd love to hear your thoughts on PRM. If you are interested in the next steps for PRM, there is another community meeting on May 22nd at 5:30 at the school itself.

Natalie

Fill Up That Bin!

Ok, so you've got your new 65 gallon recycle bin. Have you filled it up yet? I mean, have you really filled it up? Are you maximizing the recycle potential of your trash?

The most recent issue of Hamilton County Solid Waste & Recycling's newsletter "WasteLine" has Amberley Village falling out of the top 10 municipalities for recycling. The truth is, our recycling rate stayed almost the same, but our solid waste output increased.

As I drive around Amberley on Friday's, I notice a lot of recyclable items stacked at the curb alongside the bins. Cardboard boxes, for example, are recyclable if you break them down and put them in the new, larger bin. In my household, I've become a super recycler -- empty toilet paper, paper towel, or gift wrap tubes go into the bin. Empty tissue boxes also go into the bin. In fact, I've been guilty of pulling recyclable items out of the trash and putting them where they belong -- in the recycle bin. If you're not sure what can be recycled, clicke HERE for a list.

 Now I'll get off my (recyclable, cardboard) soapbox and talk about something else. Trash in the streets. This usually occurs just after trash day, but I have a favor to ask. We all need to take care of our community. If you see that something from your garbage has blown out of the can, or for some reason not made it into the truck, please pick it up and dispose of it. If you see someone has thrown a beer can into your yard over the night, please pick it up and recycle it. I always ask myself, if I don't pick it up, who will?  All of us working collectively can resolve this issue and go far to keeping Amberley the beautiful community that we love. 

Training

Ohio law requires all elected officials, either individually or through an appointed representative, to attend Sunshine Law Training regarding Ohio Public Records and Open Meetings laws. On January 24, Tom Muething and myself along with Council Clerk, Nicole Browder (appointed on behalf of the remainder of Council), attended the training presented by the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

This is just one of many training workshops for government officials that is either required, or made available, to elected officials. When we’re elected to serve on Council, we are often inexperienced in public service and the plethora of government agencies available to assist our communities.  When I was elected to Council last November, I made a concerted effort to attend as many training workshops as I could since I, like most of council, was new to public service. Some workshops were presented by WeTHRIVE!, some by the Hamilton County Public Health District, The HC Planning Partnership, as well as the Cincinnati Bar Association. The information I learn from training makes me a better council person, as well as enables me to spread the great news from Amberley Village to the rest of the County.  

I encourage all of Amberley's elected officials to make it a practice to attend these workshops, which are offered throughout the year, encompassing topics such as planning and zoning, Public Records, local government law, and meeting management.

Professional Services

One of the things you learn pretty quickly as a council person is that you can't be an expert at everything. Running a village takes many layers of expertise from management to maintenance to legal to surveying to engineering studies. In this post, I am going to write briefly about the role of our Village Engineering service, CDS Associates, Inc.

The Village has contracted for professional services with CDS for 27 years. Unlike contracts for capital improvements, professional services for the village are not competitively bid, but are based on expertise and the needs of the village. Just like you would hire the best attorney for the job, the same holds true for engineering services. CDS provides engineering services for many Cincinnati jurisdictions including the Cities of Blue Ash and Cincinnati, Villages of Glendale and Amelia, Deerfield Township and many more. Jurisdictions rely on the expertise of their engineer for  everything from preliminary feasibility studies to post-construction services. Amberley's infrastructure needs are as complicated and diverse as any size jurisdiction. Our roads and bridges are aging and council relies upon the recommendations of the engineer to advise us on whether these assets are in need of repair or replacement.

Because of  CDS Associates and our Village Engineer, John Eisenman's long association with Amberley, the knowledge they bring with regard to our infrastructure is invaluable. The relationship predates the acquisition of Amberley Green, for example, and they are able to advise council on the condition of the dam that is not up to ODNR standards and provide several options for bringing it up to code in a timely manner that will potentially save the village hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. CDS advises and provides planning for bridges, roads, traffic lights and systems, crosswalks -- essentially all of the things that keep our roads and operations running safely and smoothly.

CDS has not raised their consulting rates since 2009, and only just this month brought us a new rate sheet which detailed rate increases that on average are not more than 3.4%. Council, in light of  the history and knowledge that CDS brings to Amberley, as well as the expertise and high rating by the Ohio Dept. of Transportation, its reputation among the over 25 other jurisdictions it represents, its ease of accessibility to village staff, and satisfaction with prior service, voted at last night's council meeting to approve the rate increases.

Neighborhood Networking

At a recent meeting of the Amberley Women's Forum, the topic of an Amberley Village neighborhood directory was discussed. One resident who had moved here from Terrace Park, told and showed us the great Terrace Park directory that she had kept when she moved to Amberley. It contained lists of babysitters, referrals for roofers, lawn care, mechanics, and other local businesses that had actually been used by residents. If you were looking for someone to check on your house while you were on vacation, it was easy to see who your neighbors were. Rollman Estates used to publish a  neighborhood directory and Brookwood has a neighborhood listing. Wouldn't it be nice, we thought, if Amberley could do this? And wouldn't it be even cooler if it could be done online, without incurring any printing costs?

Shortly after, Peg Conway read an article about a local Cincinnati community that was using an online "closed" networking website to do exactly what we envisioned. It is called "Nextdoor." Verified residents of a community who live within the specified boundaries are invited to join and to invite their neighbors to join. Members can create subgroups within the larger group, such as bookclubs and garden groups. Members can make referrals for local businesses and babysitters. Best of all, it makes it easy to figure out who our neighbors are.  CNet reviewed Nextdoor when it first launched in October 2011 and The New York Times also gave it a positive review in May of 2012.

When you receive your invitation to join Nextdoor, we hope you will join! It is just one more way to keep Amberley residents connnected.  If you don't live in Amberley, you can set up your own Nextdoor community here.

Budget Time

Last week the Finance Committee of Council met to discuss and make recommendations to Council for the 2013 budget. Thanks to the culture of austerity that pervades the Amberley Village administrative offices, very nearly every single line item of the 2012 budget is coming in significantly under budget for the year. Under the leadership of Village Manager Scot Lahrmer, Chief Rich Wallace, and Public Works Supervisor Steve Rasfeld, village staff has worked hard to reduce expenses in every area of the Village. Even Council is making the move to go completely paperless, for which I am extremely grateful! Our staff is to be commended for the seriousness and creativity with which they have tackled our expenses -- all while their own salaries have been frozen since 2010 and their compensation and benefits are under continual review by Council.

In the proposed budget, 2013 expenses are projected at $4.8 million, with estimated revenues of $5.5 million.  While at first glance this looks like a surplus (called a positive fund balance in municipal finance), the real significance lies in what is NOT appropriated.  Margin notations in the proposed budget showed more than $1 million in equipment purchases and capital improvements that are being deferred.  These unfunded items include police cruisers, fire hoses, upgraded traffic signals and lights at the intersection of Ridge and Section, maintenance vehicles, and repairs to Village Hall. Additionally, the 2013 budget included a contingency of $250,000, which will be reduced to $5,000 to $25,000.

While the budgeted appropriations going into 2013 are less than last year, we still face a deficit of $1.3 million in the General Fund balance. Also, we face significant capital expenses in the future, which the Finance committee will begin planning for in the near future.  Passing the Police Levy in the spring and, most recently, paying off the debt on Amberley Green which we were able to do because of a once-in-a-lifetime estate tax windfall, are positive steps in a process that must continue to move forward toward re-establishing Amberley's sound financial footing. As a Council, we must continue to work with village staff to find ways to sustain a healthy balance sheet in all areas. 

Amberley Deer Managemet: Proposed Policy

The Health Education & Welfare Committee has been meeting since May to discuss the issue of deer management in Amberley Village. Historically, this is an issue that comes before Council on an annual basis, with Council being the governmental body tasked with determining how many deer are too many and how to balance the concerns of our residents who like to see deer with our residents who are frustrated by the damage the deer cause to their property. Additionally, Council has had to determine the limit of deer our parks can handle without causing irreversible damage to undergrowth and other wildlife.

The Health Education & Welfare committee began its investigation into the issue by meeting first with experts from the Cincinnati Park Board and the Ohio Division of Natural Resources. From these two entities, we learned that the number of deer in Ohio has exploded in the last thirty years from an estimated 17,000 in 1970 to over 750,000 white tail deer today.  With no natural enemies in Ohio, the ODNR relies on hunters to keep the number of deer in check with approximately 250,000 deer harvested by hunters annually. Another 25,000-30,000 are involved in deer vehicle accidents.

The Committee also met with the city manager and chief of police of Wyoming, Ohio, as well as sought input from our own Amberley Police. Several residents attended most meetings and also provided valuable input.

The goal of the committee was to develop a policy that will maintain a deer population at a level that is acceptable from a safety and nuisance perspective as well as to ensure a healthy deer herd and continued sustainability of other wildlife and plants in Amberley Village.

  

Two documents were presented at the October Council meeting. First is a historical summary of the rising deer population in Ohio, as well as information collected from the informational meetings related to deer management. This document will be prominently published on our Village website and includes citations to the Minutes of each meeting which will be linked to the main document. Additionally, it was the desire of the committee to educate our residents about different varieties and species of plants that are often known to be unpalatable to deer – although, as we learned deer will eat anything, with the exception of honeysuckle – one of our most invasive plants – when they are hungry enough – so a plant chart is included in the document.  Finally, going forward, Amberley Village will continue to keep records of deer vehicle accidents and property damage with the aid of an online form that our residents can access for self-reporting.

The second document  is a Resolution to Establish a Deer Management Program. In years past, Amberley had no codified deer management program in place. Each year the HEW committee met and determined, by Resolution, how many deer would be culled in that year. This method is fraught with the potential for mismanagement, as Council members can feel pressure from residents to cull more or fewer deer by virtue of the issue being left to elected officials. The deer management policy put forward in this Resolution takes the politics out of the job of deer management. Deer management is a health and safety issue, and as such, it should be relegated to our Amberley Police department.

Going forward, the police will be permitted to cull up to 50 deer per year without additional approval by Council. If evidence suggests that more than 50 deer should be culled, then approval by Council will be required.

Furthermore, a more accurate method of counting the deer will be used than has in the past. Thermal imaging technology will be used to count the deer every third year, beginning in 2013. Because this is more expensive than a helicopter count, the Village Manager will try to pursue an agreement with the City of Cincinnati which owns French Park.  Deer culling will continue to be done by trained sharpshooters. We are aware that other communities are implementing bow-hunting programs, but our police feel strongly that the potential for accidental injury is too high of a risk.

Finally, our residents should know that the committee takes the issue of deer culling very seriously. We realize that it is a sensitive issue and that there are residents who feed the deer and enjoy having them in their yard. We will continue to monitor the program and provisions are included in the policy to allow for resident input and future evaluation of the deer management policy.

This Resolution will be brought before Council for a vote at the next regularly scheduled council meeting on November 12, at 6:30 PM. Residents are invited to attend the meeting and express their opinions on deer management in Amberley Village at that time. 

Deer Management...

. . .is the term used by government, wildlife, and park agencies when the deer population is thinned to protect either the biological ecosystem or to reduce property damage caused by deer.  The Health, Education & Welfare committee of Council, which I chair,  is currently in the process of re-evaluating Amberley's deer management practice and going the additional step of creating an actual deer management policy, by passing an Ordinance that future Councils and staff can rely on in order to know what to do to most effectively manage the deer in our community. There is no currently existing Ordinance, which means that Council is left to invent solutions year after year.

In furtherance of the goal of establishing Village deer management policy, the HEW committee has so far had two separate meetings with experts in the field of regional wildlife and natural resources. In May, two representatives from the Cincinnati Park Board came to a meeting and discussed the deer management practice of the Cincinnati parks. The minutes of this meeting from May 7th, can be read HERE. Deer are culled in the Cincinnati parks for one reason only: to ensure the sustainability of the park ecosystem. No consideration is given to residential property concerns or incidences of deer-vehicle collision. While these are legitimate municipal concerns, they are not the concern of the Cincinnati Park Board. According to Park representatives Dave Gamstetter and Jim Godby, in their opinion, the optimal number of deer to ensure a sustainable ecosystem is 15-20 deer per square mile. When asked specifically about French Park, they estimated that the park could sustain six deer before exhibiting signs of deer defoliation or a "browse line." It is not only the flora of the park that is at issue, but since the deer will eat practically anything, food supplies for smaller woodland creatures from turtles to squirrels are affected by too many deer in one area.

This week, two wildlife experts from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources spoke to the HEW committee. They relayed the history of Ohio's deer population and how hunting practices have changed in the last two centuries reflecting the fall and rise of the deer population. Briefly, when Ohio was settled, no hunting regulations were in place and the deer population was decimated. Hunting of deer was prohibited and most deer populations were on game preserves. As the population began to increase, deer hunting resumed in the 1950s with strict regulations. By the 1980s, hunters were permitted one deer per season. Currently, Ohio has three different zones with different "bag" limits. Hamilton County allows the most deer per hunter per season with six deer permitted. Additionally, Urban deer zones permit an additional six "antlerless" deer per season.  The representatives from the ODNR stressed that for communities, it is important to find the balance between the "biological carrying capacity" (which is the primary concern of the Cincinnati Parks) and the "cultural carrying capacity" which addresses residents' concerns about their landscaping and other property damage, as well as deer-related vehicle incidences.

Both the Cincinnati Parks and the ODNR stated the deer have no natural enemy in Ohio other than coyotes that can take out very young deer. Other than hunters and the automobile, there is no other way of controlling the ever-increasing deer population. Contraceptive use on deer is also prohibited by the ODNR.  Additionally, "trap and transfer" methods are also impractical and inhumane. Statistically, deer mortality rates when deer are moved are higher than 50%. Also, there is nowhere else in Ohio or in neighboring states to take the deer. For more on the Ohio Division of Wildlife's recommendations for managing deer populations, you can read Publication 138, which also gives recommendations for plantings that may be safe from deer predation.

The next meeting of the Health, Education, and Welfare committee to address the deer issue will be on Friday, July 13th at 3:00.  Our guests will be Lynn Tetley, City Manager of Wyoming, Ohio, as well as Wyoming's Police Chief. Wyoming has been undergoing a similar investigation of their deer management policy and it will be helpful to learn what our neighbors have to say about this issue. Everyone is invited, as well as encouraged, to attend these public meetings. It is important for Council to hear from residents. You will be able to speak and to ask questions of our guests.

For a very informative article on deer management techniques please read THIS article by the State of Connecticut. Several states and studies were used for reference, including Ohio.

Have a great July 4th weekend. Be extremely careful if you plan to light fireworks as it is very, very dry this year.

Don't Be a Nuisance

Lots of (cold) excited gardeners!

Amberley Women's Forum, Property Maintenance, Backyard Chickens 

The Amberley Women's Forum met again this week. Every month, for the past four months, Amberley women have been gathering at different homes to discuss various topics of interest to the residents of Amberley. There are no requirements or impediments to joining, other than being a woman. Past topics have included Amberley updates, police block watch and neighborhood safety, and Pleasant Ridge Montessori School. There are some "regulars" in attendance, but the group is fluid, with new people joining us whenever they are free on the night we meet. The best part is we drink wine and no book-reading is required! That is not to say that we will never read a book, but if a book club sprouts from this group all the better. The idea is to make connections to our fellow Amberley neighbors. While we love our 1 acre lots, we still miss the camaraderie that comes from getting to know each other on a casual basis. Already, as a direct result of this group, the women of Amberley can join the Amberley Women's Tennis league that will be playing regularly on our community tennis courts. Please send me an email if you want more information about this group because you will be warmly welcomed.

Will Jackson presents his Eagle Scout project

One of the topics of Wednesday's discussion, which was themed "current Amberley affairs" was the upcoming Public Hearing on the Ordinance Allowing Domesticated Chickens.  One resident was concerned because there were properties in her neighborhood that were already not being maintained in accordance with Amberley's Property Maintenance Code and that allowing these neighbors to raise chickens would add to the property infractions that are already in place.  This is a very real concern, but it was pointed out that there are already provisions in place to deal with such infractions. The important thing is that residents must be willing to bring such code violations to the attention of Village Hall. Once Village Hall is made aware of the unkempt or unsightly property, an investigation can be made into zoning violations. If violations are noted, the resident can be given fair warning, or even fined. Please do not be hesitant in calling the Village to report continued nuisances.

 With regard to chickens, it is important to note that the Chicken Ordinance clearly states that:

§ 154.54 CHICKENS.

(A)  Notwithstanding other provisions in the Village Code of Ordinances, 

chickens may be kept within the Village in any residential district subject to the following 

rules and conditions.

So, to address concerns about chickens that become a nuisance, or trespass on your neighbor's property, one needs only to look to the zoning code which already has provisions in place to ticket or fine such infractions. You are not allowed to let your dog, cat, or other animal trespass, nor are you allowed to let your chickens be trespassers on your neighbor's property. 

There was also a question about whether the chickens would be "free-range," and whether chickens would wander onto various household properties. Again, Amberley already has laws against that sort of thing, 

§ 95.51  DAMAGE TO GARDENS AND LAWNS BY ANIMALS.

   No person owning, harboring or having the care of any dog, cat, fowl or other animal, shall permit the same to run at large so as to trespass upon the property of another in a manner as to do damage to gardens, lawns, shrubbery or other property of another.

Additionally, the Chicken Ordinance itself requires that:

(D) Habitat.

(1)  Chickens may only be maintained outdoors in a predator-proof 

chicken house, coop, or other structure that is thoroughly ventilated, of sufficient 

size to permit free movement of the animals, designed to be easily accessed, 

cleaned, and maintained by the owner, and at least two square feet in size for each 

chicken.

Any suggestion that the proposed ordinance allows chickens to be "free-range" in the sense that they not be confined at all is strictly rumor. Further, since we live in an area with an abundance of hawks, vultures, and other predatory wildlife, it would be imprudent to let your chickens run free, lest they become a meal for one of Amberley's true "free-range" animals.

The Women's Forum was very positive about allowing chickens, and were especially excited to take home some freshly-laid eggs.  The Public Hearing on the Ordinance will be at the May 14th Council meeting and I encourage residents who have any interest or questions to come. By passing an ordinance permitting backyard chickens, Amberley joins the multitude of Cincinnati and Hamilton County communities that are already allowing their residents to raise chickens for eggs. 

Amberley Green Garden

Mary Lennard shows the garden plot layout

Last Monday, the first meeting of gardeners was held at the site which will be the location of the Amberley Green Garden. There is space for 40 gardeners to each cultivate their own 9'x15' garden plot. Next Monday, May 7th, representatives of the Environmental Stewardship Committee will ask the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance to construct a 7 1/2 foot high deer fence. Residents can begin gardening as soon as the fence is erected (or sooner, but at their own risk). Those gardening will use organic practices under the helpful advice of residents David Dyke, OSU extension agent, and Kathy Wise, who along with her husband Rabbi Irv Wise, have been growing vegetables organically for years. The Amberley Green Garden brings to fruition months of diligent work by both residents and council members with the financial backing of a grant from We Thrive! No Village funds were used on any We Thrive! project, and we are proud to use the funding for projects that will 1) create a community meeting place as well as a means of learning about growing food, 2) create walking paths for our residents while forming partnerships with the Cincinnati Park Board and local and Israeli scouting troops, 3) provide access to public transportation to people who must come and go to and from Amberley for work. Amberley Village is a leader among Hamilton County communities in its commitment to the health and well-being of our residents. For more information on joining the Amberley Green Garden, request a "Welcome Packet" from amberleygarden@gmail.com.

Council Member Tom Muething explains the rainwater collection

Continuing Education

Finally, as  I've mentioned in other blog posts, being a member of council gives me access to a number of educational workshops and seminars designed to educate elected officials about current trends in government and cities. Today I had the opportunity to attend a workshop given by the Hamilton County Planning Commission which focused on economic development and sustainable communities. One thing that I took away was that it is vitally important to invest in our own community in order to attract business and development to Amberley. Transit access, walking and cycling paths, access to green space are all sought-after amenities by businesses looking to grow or relocate. We have to ask ourselves what we are doing as a community to make ourselves attractive to development. Tomorrow I am attending a forum on "Form Based Codes" which ask what we want our community to look like as we develop it. These are questions that are always on my mind as we make our Village a more livable community for all ages.

Chickens

About a year ago, I attended my first meeting of the Environmental Stewardship Committee where the topic was supposed to be the creation of a proposed farmer's market in Amberley Village.  I was very interested in this as I try to do most of my shopping at local farmers' markets. Like many, I prefer to know where my food comes from, whether it's milk, vegetables, eggs, or meat products. I'm an avid baker and I prefer to use only natural ingredients, even if it means spending up to $4 for a dozen eggs. I believe that food tastes better and is better for you when it is used in its freshest and most natural state.

Well, to date, that farmers' market is nothing more than a dream for Amberley's future, but a question that arose at that meeting set me on a quest to find an answer. The question was "are we allowed to raise our own chickens for eggs in Amberley?" Such a simple question should have a simple answer, right? After all, I have heard for years that Amberley prides itself on its "rural" atmosphere. Heck, I was chastised for calling a "walking path" by the more pedestrian name of "sidewalk" while I was campaigning in favor of safer routes for pedestrians in our Village! Such a small distinction means the world to many of our residents. As for the raising of chickens, however, it seems that Amberley's zoning code hearkened back to a time when suburbanites were trying to shed their rural associations.  In our current Code, chickens likely fall under the definition of "farm animals" and farm animals are prohibited on properties of less than ten acres.  In today's world, chickens are more likely to take their place among the family's pets, have names, and be used to provide their owners with eggs. Section 154.25. Also see Section 154.02 for definitions.

After discussion with the Village manager, Scot Lahrmer, and the Village solicitor, Kevin Frank, I was advised that the way to make any changes to the Village Zoning Code was by bringing legislation to the Planning Commission. The Village Planning Commission is an independent entity consisting of residents who are appointed by Council to serve for four year terms. It's important to note that their terms outlast the  two year election cycle for candidates in Amberley so that the members of the Planning Commission (also the Board of Zoning Appeals) are not influenced by the whims of Council. The Planning Commission is established by the Village Charter and is tasked with hearing appeals to the zoning code and providing equitable relief from hardship, as well as drafting and approving legislation and making recommendations to Council. They hold hearings, call witnesses, and vote as a Board. Since I was asking for a change to the zoning code, I was advised that the Planning Commission was the appropriate committee, not, as I had initially proposed, the Health Education & Welfare committee or the Law Committee, two committees on which I either serve or chair.

The Ordinance that was voted on by 5-0 vote and recommended by the Planning Commission will allow residents to keep up to six chickens (hens only; no roosters) in a well-maintained coop, with liberal setback provisions. Chickens may not be slaughtered -- again, this is an ordinance to allow residents to raise eggs for their own consumption -- and other nuisance laws apply. Consistent with the zoning code, violation of the ordinance is a minor misdemeanor punishable by a $150 fine. A permit must be requested from the Village manager. The proposed Ordinance Section 154.54 can be read by clicking on the link. Unfortunately, if you, like me, live in a neighborhood that is governed by a set of restrictive covenants, like Rollman Estates, you cannot have domesticated chickens, even if Amberley Village passes this ordinance.

On May 14th, residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on the proposed change to the zoning code. Please come to the Council meeting and you will be permitted to speak. In the meantime, I invite you to read this beautiful article in 513eats online magazine. It is written by Amberley resident and local food aficionado and chef, Ilene Ross, with photographs by Gina Weathersby.  The New York Times has been reporting on the rise of backyard chickens for several years. Closer to home, the City of Montgomery has a Facebook page dedicated to Chickens for Montgomery. Much of Amberley's ordinance was based upon information gathered from Montgomery, where chickens have been allowed by ordinance since 2009 with no complaints.



Please make sure you are subscribed to notices and the Village e-news on Amberley's website, www.amberleyvillage.org.
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Amberley 101

In November, 2011, Council Member Ed Hattenbach and former Mayor Merrie Stillpass appointed fourteen residents to serve on a Village ad hoc Advisory Committee.  The committee was charged with examining the Village's finances in order to determine whether the Village's financial shortfall was due to a revenue shortfall or an expense surplus. The committee has been meeting for three months now, and I, along with other members of Council, have attended several of the meetings. There have been detailed presentations from Chief Richard Wallace, Public Works Supervisor Steve Rasfeld, and Village Manager Scot Lahrmer. Additionally, Mr. Lahrmer presented to the committee a theoretical look at what the Village would look like if the budget was cut by 30% in order to reflect current revenues. The presentations have been both educational and enlightening.

A few things I've learned by attending Ad Hoc Advisory Committee meetings (in no order):

•  Amberley Village staff, from Village Manager Scot Lahrmer, Chief Rich Wallace, Maintenance Supervisor Steve Rasfeld, as well as every single part-time employee, are extremely capable at their jobs and will bend over backwards to fulfill anything they are asked to do by Council and/or the Ad Hoc committee of resident citizens.

• Our excellent, full-time, fire department is possible because when the Village was incorporated, our "founding fathers" had the inspiration to initiate a combined police/fire department. Every single police officer is required to also be a certified fire-fighter and every one of our maintenance workers is also a certified fire-fighter. Because of this unique setup, our force is more efficient and costs well less than employing a separate police force and fire department. Additionally, to contract out the fire department to another jurisdiction would cost at least another $600,000, such is the efficiency of running a combined force. 

Chief Wallace and the Village Manager meet with the AHAC

•  Amberley Village owns its own 911-PSAP  Dispatch service which means that if you call 911 from anywhere in Amberley's jurisdiction, your call goes directly to Amberley Village dispatchers. This means far quicker emergency response time than if the call went first to a Cincinnati dispatcher who then called Amberley Village dispatch. There are only four of these 911-PSAPs in Hamilton County and Amberley Village has one. This is also a source of income for the Village.  This can mean the difference between the police arriving within seconds or minutes to your house in an emergency. A terrific example of our police department's fast response time occurred just two days ago when resident Dave Dahlman arrived home exactly as his home was being burgled. Police Warn of Increase in Crimes in Amberley Village 

•  Leaf pickup is NOT a luxury. One of the comments I heard from residents during the campaign was that they were surprised by the luxury of having their leaves picked up. Since I did not know any better at the time, I agreed and wondered why those with wooded lots couldn't just rake or blow their leaves into the woods. Well, now I know! Amberley is an old community, and we have lots of old trees and woods that generate A LOT of leaves. When residents think they are being helpful by carting their leaves to the back of their property, they are actually creating potential problems for the Village infrastructure. Many of our landscapes are bordered by creeks. These creeks lead to culverts and sewers. Imagine what happens when autumn leaves clog the culverts and sewers. What could have been an easy solution -- raking the leaves to the curb -- becomes a costly problem for the Village. In the future, I know that my family will be more diligent about getting our leaves to the curb. This is not a luxury, but is an important service necessary to running the Village.

• Only 10% of the property tax we currently pay goes to Amberley Village. The majority of the property taxes we pay go to support the Cincinnati Public Schools. Granted, it is to our benefit as homeowners to support the public schools. Even if we never sent our children to public elementary school, there are a lot of residents who sing the praises of Walnut Hills High School, Clark Montessori High School, and the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). However, the Village also needs revenue to function effectively. 

• Village staff = Village cleaning service. If you go up to Village Hall and notice the cleanliness of the facility, do not ask what cleaning service the Village uses. The Village staff is the cleaning service. If Village Manager Scot Lahrmer wants his office vacuumed, he knows how to use a vacuum!

•  The budget is extremely tight and efficient. A staff wage freeze has been in effect for two years, which, by the end of 2012 will have saved the village $140,000. Open positions, including that of a retiring police lieutenant were not filled. Seasonal help was not hired for maintenance work (you may have noticed this because of the halt of brush pickup during the Fall leaf pickup season). New cruisers have not been purchased in three years.

•  The Village needs revenue. This is obvious. Residents of Amberley Village have not had the opportunity to vote for an increased property tax millage since 1955. It is conceivable that a resident has lived here their entire adult life and never been asked to pay more property tax to Amberley Village. When Gibson Greeting Cards was a major employer in the Village, Amberley had a steady stream of earnings tax revenue, but it has been nearly fifteen years since Gibson left. Our next principal source of revenue was the inheritance tax. This will be gone after this year. The 10 mil Police Levy will generate 1.6 million dollars for the police budget and will be the first time the department has had a dedicated revenue stream. In five years, when the levy terminates, we hope that there are contracts to develop the North Site as well as Amberley Green.

If you are interested in learning more about the way the Village is run, I strongly encourage you to attend meetings.  Every meeting is publicized on the Village website: http://www.amberleyvillage.org/ and all meetings are open to the public. I have been tremendously impressed with the transparency with which the staff has opened themselves up to the residents. Subscribing to Village news is another way to stay informed.  Whichever way you choose -- by email or in person -- you can never know too much about your local government.