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Beavercreek Police Features Online Reporting System
The Beavercreek Police Department is providing an online police reporting option for the public. This web-based reporting system will allow the public to file certain incident types (minor thefts, criminal damaging, lost property, crime tips, etc.) over the Internet at their convenience. The Beavercreek Police Department expects this Internet-based reporting service to be very popular among citizens who have come to expect police services to be provided immediately and conveniently online.
The service will allow the public to file a report at a time that is best for them without having to wait for an officer to respond or call them back. The public will be able to print a temporary copy of the report upon submitting the report. The report will be reviewed by police personnel and once approved the filing person will receive an email with a copy of the report attached without cost. The report will transfer into the Beavercreek Police Departments records management system and receive the same investigation and statistical analysis ability as if the report had been filed by a police officer.

This web-based reporting option will allow officers more time to address community needs while keeping pace with the public expectancy to complete services via the Internet.

The Beavercreek Police Department will be using the Desk Officer Online Reporting System from San Ramon, California based software company Coplogic, Inc (www.Coplogic.com).

The web-based crime reporting service is available here.

I-75 Modernization Feedback Needed
The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC), in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 7 and the Federal Highway Administration, is asking for public feedback on the first phase of the I-75 Modernization project through downtown Dayton.  This phase, of the three-phase project, reconstructed I-75 and added three continuous lanes in both directions in the area that includes Main Street and State Route 4. The reconstructed portion of I-75 eliminated the sharp curve that previously existed near I-75 and SR 4, as well as replaced bridges and improved ramps and pavement. The project began in 2007 and was recently completed.

Motorists are asked to fill out a brief survey online to provide their feedback.  The survey can be found online at www.I75commuting.com

“The reconstruction of I-75 through Dayton is one of the largest highway projects ever undertaken by the State of Ohio.  Now that the first phase is completed, we’re interested in finding out what the public thinks about the improvements,” said Don Spang, Executive Director of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.

The second phase of the I-75 Modernization project is currently underway on I-75 at the US 35 interchange. The third and final phase is the downtown area and is currently in final design.
“The roadway users and surrounding communities’ feedback is critical for the Department to find ways to improve and do better. This survey can help us do just that,” said District 7 Deputy Director Randy Chevalley.

Anyone interested in filling out the survey can log on to www.I75commuting.com and answer a brief set of questions   Survey participants will be placed in a weekly drawing for a free $25 gasoline card courtesy of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s RIDESHARE Program.

The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission strives to foster collaboration among communities, stakeholders and residents to advance regional transportation priorities.  MVRPC is a forum and resource where these regional partners can identify priorities, develop public policy and implement collaborative strategies to improve the quality of life and economic vitality throughout the Miami Valley.  MVRPC performs various regional planning activities, including air quality, water quality, transportation, land use, research and GIS.  As the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), MVRPC is responsible for transportation planning in Greene, Miami and Montgomery Counties and parts of northern Warren County.

For more information, contact Laura A. Loges, MVRPC’s Director of Marketing and Public Affairs, at (937) 223-6323 or via email at lloges@mvrpc.org

City Faces Reduced State Funding
Drastic reductions in state funding to local governments have been passed by the Ohio General Assembly as part of the 2011 bi-annum budget.  It is estimated that the City will lose approximately 1.947 million dollars in state funding over the remainder of this year and for 2012 and 2013.

The funding losses include:
Local Government Fund -  Revenue from this source will be reduced by 25 percent starting with the August 2011 payment and an additional reduction of 25 percent beginning July 2012.
Estimated Loss: $680,000        Fund Affected: General Fund

Estate Tax - The estate tax will be eliminated in 2013.  Previously estates valued between $338,000 to $500,000 were taxed at 6 percent, and estates in excess of $500,000 were taxed at the 7 percent rate.  The City has averaged $500,000 per year.
Estimated Loss: $500,000 in 2013 and beyond           Fund Affected: General Fund

Tangible Personal Property Tax Reimbursement - Originally to be phased out and eliminated by 2019, the reimbursement phase out period was accelerated and essentially eliminated beginning in 2012.
Estimated Loss: $630,000        Fund Affected: General, Police, & Street Levy Funds

Public Utility Deregulation Replacement Tax - Originally to be phased out and eliminated by 2016, the reimbursement phase out period was accelerated and essentially eliminated in 2013.
Estimated Loss: $137,000        Fund Affected: General, Police, & Street Levy Funds

These reductions were enacted abruptly, impairing the ability of local governments to plan effectively.  The City of Beavercreek relies primarily on property tax for funding and will have a difficult time trying to supplement these revenue losses in addition to keeping up with inflation and rising commodity prices during these current economic times.

Over the years, the City has maintained the lowest cost of local government within the region for residents by maintaining a lean organization and pursuing cost efficiencies and department staffing reorganizations.  During the recent flurry of retirements, the City evaluated each position and explored alternatives before filling a position or in some cases making the decision to leave a position unfilled.  In some cases, where positions were not filled, the department reorganized and consolidated and reassigned job duties to meet the current organizational needs.   The City has been effectively working with the revenue generated by the property taxes but the abrupt loss of state revenue will have an adverse effect on the City’s ability to maintain services at the level the residents have grown accustomed.

The State, through their budget process, has pushed the burden of financing local governments back to the residents of their local communities.  The City will continue to look at alternatives to supplement this lost revenue to ensure quality service levels are maintained in the future.

Beavercreek Police Features Online Reporting System
The Beavercreek Police Department is proud to announce it will be providing a new online police reporting option for the public. This web based reporting system will allow the public to file certain incident types (minor thefts, criminal damaging, lost property, crime tips, etc.) over the internet at their convenience. The Beavercreek Police Department expects this internet based reporting service to be very popular among citizens who have come to expect police services to be provided immediately and conveniently online.

The service will allow the public to file a report at a time that is best for them without having to wait for an officer to respond or call them back. The public will be able to print a temporary copy of the report upon submitting the report. The report will be reviewed by police personnel and once approved the filing person will receive an email with a copy of the report attached without cost. The report will transfer into the Beavercreek Police Departments records management system and receive the same investigation and statistical analysis ability as if the report had been filed by a police officer.

This web based reporting option will allow officers more time to address community needs while keeping pace with the public expectancy to complete services via the internet.

The Beavercreek Police Department will be using the Desk Officer Online Reporting System from San Ramon, California based software company Coplogic, Inc (www.Coplogic.com).

The web based crime reporting service is available here.

Road Resurfacing Update
After completing the initial program, we have determined there is enough money left in the budget for the program to do additional streets.  This will consist of the following:

Base Repairs Only:
1.       Kemp Road from Van Oss to Beaver Valley = 1.10 miles
2.       Shakertown Road from North Fairfield to Farmbrook = 0.46 mile
3.       Swigart Road from the culvert to the west of South Fairfield Road = 0.53 mile
Total = 2.09 miles

Roadway Resurfacing:
1.       Stedman Lane from Dayton-Xenia Rd to Lyndell = 0.22 mile
2.       Dayton-Xenia Road Eastbound Lane from Fudge to East of the High School = 0.30 mile
3.       Dayton-Xenia Road from Cross Country to Beaverbrook = 0.46 mile
Total = 0.98 mile


The Dayton Daily News (DDN) editorial staff has published a series of articles, in each labeling the Beavercreek City Council as being uncollaborative, against regionalism, racist, and other unflattering labels due to our recent decision regarding the Greater Dayton RTA (GDRTA) establishing fixed-route transit stops along Pentagon Blvd.  Most of the editorials are filled with misinformation, misrepresentations, and outright fallacies.  I’d like to address a few of them.

In the most recent editorial (Sunday, April 17th, 2011, “Is regionalism still possible after Beavercreek?”), the DDN editorial staff attempts to paint Beavercreek as being uncollaborative and against being a regional partner.  The DDN knows (or should know) that Beavercreek has been involved in many collaborative efforts.  Just to name a few - we are actively engaged with the Dayton Development Coalition and its initiatives, we recently collaborated with 21 other local communities to negotiate lower electricity rates for our residents, we collaborated with Beavercreek Township to share road crews in the case of heavy storms, we are collaborating with other local communities to negotiate lower road asphalt rates to save additional monies, we collaborated regarding maintenance of park facilities, our Fire Department is run by Beavercreek Township, our courts are run by the City of Fairborn, our Building Inspection is run by Greene County - and there are more, too many to list here.  One could easily make the case that Beavercreek is a model for collaboration and regionalism.  But, as happened recently in Montgomery County with the Regional Dispatch System, a community’s opting out of that system doesn’t make it against collaboration nor does that make it a bad regional partner.

Also misleading was the DDN’s comment in that editorial that a bridge that “links WSU with the Fairfield Mall area is a little hard to picture.”  If the DDN did its homework, they would see that construction of a multi-purpose pedestrian/bicycle bridge across I-675 at a point west of N. Fairfield Road in Beavercreek to a point by Center Park Blvd in Fairborn is actually in the design phase (with financing in place).  Despite the negatives that the DDN attempts to label on Beavercreek, the evidence shows that we are actively engaged in collaborative efforts.  The Beavercreek Mayor (and/or Vice Mayor and City Manager) meets with other local leaders at monthly Dayton Area Mayors and Managers meetings so that we can discuss each of our cities’ common needs and possible collaborative efforts.  My position as an elected official on collaboration is the same as it has always been - it must be demonstrated to be quantitatively or qualitatively beneficial to all participants.

The editorial published on Sunday, April 3rd, 2011 (”B-creek may face RTA riders in court) presented more false allegations.  One allegation that this article brought up, as have earlier editorials that the DDN has written, deals with race and bigotry.  As Vice-Mayor of the City of Beavercreek (and an African-American on the Beavercreek City Council), I have had ample opportunity over the past 27 months to work with the other Council members and am confident that race is not an issue in this discussion. Are there racists in Beavercreek? Of course there are. Are there racists in Dayton? Of course there are. Are there racists in the greater Dayton area? Yes, of course there are. But, of interest to me is whether race is driving this issue in the City of Beavercreek and particularly with the City Council? The answer is No. Unfortunately (and predictably), race does appear to be the main driver for the DDN.

Outside of race, the DDN continually focuses on two of the requests that were made by two of the Council members - that of heated and air-conditioned transit stops. Those two requests, that even I have been quoted as saying were absurd, were stated as a result of frustration with the ongoing discussions with GDRTA.  The Beavercreek City Council bases decisions on data and information requested and provided by applicants and legitimately tailoring its decisions based on what best fits the need. City Council does regularly modify and expand upon the conditions in applications and we do so based on the specifics of the request. Nothing is “one size fits all.” We handled this application exactly like any other application that has come before us.  I believe in taking a minimalist approach - if a problem is a small problem, use a scalpel to fix it; if a problem is a big problem, use a sledgehammer to fix it. This transit issue, with the information we were provided, appears to be a very small problem that can be easily remedied while making as small a footprint in the City of Beavercreek as is possible.

As much as the DDN wants it to be, race is not an undercurrent of the Beavercreek City Council in this issue. Our discussion is certainly not about “not wanting blacks or people who can’t afford cars coming to the Mall.” (This is a quote by the DDN editorial staff.) Several Councilmembers asked the GDRTA to provide ridership data with information showing the level of need for ridership to the Pentagon Blvd area - that data would be invaluable to us in determining what would be the best type of transit to that area. We were informed by the GDRTA that information would not be provided.  Race played no part in the City’s decision.

Regarding the DDN’s statement that “jobless people who might want jobs at nearby businesses, also lost.” GDRTA had indicated that there were unfilled jobs at the Mall that could be filled if fixed-route mass transit were provided to that area - we asked them to provide jobs data so that we would know whether this was a significant issue. With no response from the GDRTA, I took it upon myself to ask a small sampling of businesses (approximately 20) at the Mall as to whether they had jobs that were not being filled due to lack of fixed-route mass transit by the GDRTA. Not a single business I spoke to indicated that “unfilled jobs at the Mall due to transit problems” was an issue. Again, race played no part in the City’s decision.

Regarding the DDN’s statement that “…presumption was that bus riders are trouble-makers and that they can be prevented from shopping at the Mall or taking jobs in Beavercreek.” No one is trying to stop anyone from shopping at the Mall or from taking jobs in Beavercreek. Our position from the start has been that there is no way to determine why the trouble that the DDN says appears to follow the GDRTA occurs - it may be the riders, it may be people specifically following the riders, or they may be incidents of opportunity, as criminals target areas where concentrations of people are. So, I completely reject that claim by the DDN, as well.

Regarding the DDN’s comments regarding GreenCATS. The DDN knows fully well that when GreeneCATS states that it denies “400 trips per month because of space and financial limitations,” that number is for all trips within, into and out of the entire Greene County area. Within the data that GreeneCATS presented to us last year regarding trips anywhere in Greene County, trips to and from the City of Beavercreek (which were the ones of specific interest to our discussion at the time), showed that only 2 trips per day were denied (that is 2 coming in and 2 going out of Beavercreek).

Regarding comments that there were significant numbers of individuals at Wright State University desiring transportation to the Pentagon Blvd area - this is the first time that this issue has been brought to our attention. Now that we know about it, we will work to take steps to remedy that problem.  The full scope of this problem will be assessed and a remedy commensurate with the size of the problem will be implemented.

Other editorials that the DDN published (March 30th “B-creek vote against RTA embarrassing,” March 20th “B-creek, RTA dust-up is case study of what’s wrong”, and March 16th “B-creek’s bias against RTA won’t hold up”) are simply more rehashing of the same misrepresentations and misinformation that has occurred in the more recent DDN editorials.

But, one thing is for sure, the race-baiting that the DDN and other groups are actively engaged in is certainly not the way to remedy this issue.

Brian Jarvis, Vice Mayor
City of Beavercreek

Millions Slated to Improve North Fairfield Road at I-675
One of the most heavily traveled roadways within the City of Beavercreek is the portion of North Fairfield Road in the vicinity of the interchange with I-675. This segment of North Fairfield Road not only provides access to I-675, but also serves a major retail area, office development, Wright State University, access to Wright Patterson AFB, and other important destinations where an average of more than 32,000 vehicles travel upon this section of roadway every day.  By 2013, the area will also include Greene County’s second hospital.

With the high volume of vehicles using this roadway, traffic congestion and accidents have become an increasing problem in this area.  Recently, the City of Beavercreek has secured the grant funding needed for the construction of several projects that are expected to have a great impact in addressing the congestion and traffic safety issues in this area.

These projects represent a combined investment in the City of Beavercreek’s infrastructure of over $8.6 million with over 85 percent of the total cost of these improvements being paid through various grant sources as summarized below.

North Fairfield Road Bridge Widening
The benefits to traffic flow and traffic safety resulting from the widening of the bridge on North Fairfield Road over I-675 has been identified in numerous traffic studies dating as far back as 1993. There have been multiple attempts to secure the funding needed to widen this bridge since that time and recently the City of Beavercreek was successful in securing the grant monies needed to construct this $5.4 million improvement.

This project not only includes the widening and deck replacement of the North Fairfield Road bridge over I-675, but also entails the construction of a third southbound through-lane and the lowering of a section of I-675 to secure the necessary vertical clearance under this bridge.  The City of Beavercreek secured $3 million in state and federal safety funding for this improvement in 2010, and recently secured an additional $1.76 million in funding through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.  These grant funds will pay for approximately 88 percent of the total cost of this improvement which is currently planned for construction in the summer of 2013.

North Fairfield Road Widening
This project includes the construction of a separate northbound right turn lane on North Fairfield Road at the northbound I-675 entrance ramp as well as the reconstruction of the existing traffic signals at the I-675 northbound ramps and at the I-675 southbound exit ramp to mast arm type traffic signals. The construction of the separate right turn lane will improve traffic flow and the reconstruction of the traffic signals will eliminate the current problem of the signals heads becoming twisted on the span wires due to high winds in this area.  This project also includes the installation of improved overhead lane use signage to help drivers better identify their correct lane in traveling through this corridor.  The total estimated cost of these improvements is just over $900,000, with a Traffic Safety grant secured through the Ohio Department of Transportation paying for 90 percent of the cost of these improvements.  This project is currently scheduled for construction in 2012.

Traffic Signal Improvements
The City of Beavercreek is currently planning for a traffic signal improvement project that includes the traffic signals along North Fairfield Road in the vicinity of I-675, as well as other traffic signals on portions of North Fairfield Road, Pentagon Boulevard, Grange Hall Road, Dayton-Xenia Road and Col. Glenn Highway.  This project includes traffic controller upgrades, the installation of fiber optic cable between traffic signals, upgrades to improve traffic signal visibility and the development of new traffic signal coordination and timing plans to improve traffic flow along all of these major corridors.  The majority of the cost of this $2.3 million traffic signal improvement project will be paid for through a $1.8 million grant secured through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, with the construction of this project planned for 2012.

The City of Beavercreek continues to aggressively pursue grant opportunities to improve traffic flow, safety and to secure the best possible return on the investment of local street funds committed to these improvements.


9/11 Heroes Memorial

The City of Beavercreek, in collaboration with the Beavercreek Township Fire Department, The Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce, and The Beavercreek City Schools, joined together to form a committee that designed and constructed a memorial to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001. The centerpiece of this memorial is a steel beam from the World Trade Center that was once located between the 101st and 105th floors of the North Tower. The beam is approximately 23 feet long, 7.5 feet wide and weighs between 2 and 3 tons.

The memorial’s location is near the North Fairfield Road and U.S. Route 35 interchange in the vicinity of Beavercreek Station. This site is centrally located within the City of Beavercreek and is adjacent to existing pedestrian and bikeway facilities as well as several amenities.

The beam is located at the center of a large pentagon which will contain seating as well as a detailed narrative describing the events of that day and the purpose of the memorial.

For more information, visit the Memorial’s facebook page.

9/11 Memorial Donor List (PDF)

Roads Treated with Salt Brine Prior to Winter Weather Events

saltbrinetruck-large

The City of Beavercreek Street Department uses a tactic to treat streets of snow and ice.  Before a snow or ice event begins, City crews will line the streets with salt brine, a clear water and sodium chloride solution.  It is composed of tap water and road salt, and is mixed in concentrations of 23% to 26% salt and has a freezing point of -6 degrees F.

The strategy is to pre-treat streets by applying salt brine directly to the road anytime the road temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing even when there is no snow or ice in the weather forecast.  The brine liquid is placed on the roadway in small streams usually across only one driving lane at a time.  In clear weather, the brine will dry up leaving a bonded strip of fine salt on the pavement.  During dry weather these strips will remain on the pavement for several days, even under heavy traffic conditions.  When snow does begin the moisture will activate the strips into brine and help prevent a snow/ice bond from forming.

The total application is usually at a rate of 30 to 50 gallons, with 50 gallons being the maximum rate of salt brine per lane mile.  This equates to a cost of .0516 cents per gallon, which figured as one lane mile will equal out to be at a cost of $2.58 for pre-treating.   Salt pellets are used for its snow and ice pavement-bond-breaking capability, not for melting all the ice on the pavement. The amount of salt required to convert ¼ inch of ice on one lane mile of road to a liquid with a freezing point of 20 degrees F would be 8,234 lbs of salt (4.117 tons) at today’s cost of $191.98.

Applying brine to the pavement before snow or ice has bonded can be 10 times more effective than placing salt crystals on top of snow and ice after the precipitation has bonded to the pavement.  Pre-treating is labor efficient since the process can be done during normal shifts, reducing overtime and greatly reducing the total cost of treatment.  Once a snow/ice bond has formed it is dangerous to the traveling public, as well as expensive and time consuming to break.

Placing dry granular salt on the roadway as a pre-treatment for deicing is inefficient for several reasons.

  • It must be dissolved into brine before deicing can begin
  • Granular salt will not bond to the dry pavement.  Traffic will crush it and cause the powder to blow away
  • Ohio Department of Transportation tests have proven that efficient placement of dry salt can only occur at very low truck speeds.  Excessive scattering of material begins at speeds as low as 15 mph

Pre-treating streets with salt brine before winter weather events is a cost-saving measure that will enhance the City’s ability to help keep streets clear in the winter.


Beavercreek Citizen Satisfaction Survey Results
Fallon Research has published its findings of a telephone survey of Beavercreek residents from June 1 to June 3, 2010.  Among the findings:

•General satisfaction among the community’s voters and, presumably, all citizens, remains exceptional and they give the City high marks for performances in specific areas and services it provides

•In addition to matters related to public education, which is outside the City’s purview, the two top areas of concern are taxation and growth, followed closely by traffic congestion and the need to expand infrastructure, which are related issues

•Although still rated highly compared to many desirable and thriving communities, there appears to be some disenchantment with growth and development that could manifest itself as opposition to future efforts to expand the community’s housing stock or borders. Further study is warranted to determine whether such opposition stems from philosophical underpinnings or about the related effects of past growth, which can be mitigated

•While traffic congestion does not rise to the same level of concern as growth, the community seems to becoming wary of its increased prevalence. Despite this, the idea of expanded public transit may only be acceptable for certain additional travel needs

•The TIF concept seems to be generally acceptable to the community, although it is a polarizing and, admittedly, murky concept to test in a survey. The earnings tax concept remains a viable one for the community to explore and the fact that it may be accompanied by a property tax swap could prove to be a powerful inducement that should be explored further, if an earnings tax is placed on the ballot for voter consideration

Click here for a PDF of the complete survey results.

In Case of a Power Outage…

Fallen Power Lines

Notify DP&L of lines that are down by calling 877-4OUTAGE (877-468-8243).
For a life-threatening emergency due to a power line:  call 911.
Never Touch a Power Line.

Before a Severe Storm
Have a plan in the event of a power outage, including a place to stay if your home is without power for a prolonged time period.
Have a storm kit with

  • battery-operated or wind-up emergency radio
  • water
  • flashlights and batteries
  • first aid kit
  • blankets

Unplug sensitive and expensive electronics prior to severe storms to prevent damage.

During a Power Outage
Report a power outage by calling DP&L:  877-4OUTAGE (877-468-8243).
Be very careful using

  • candles,
  • portable heaters, such as kerosene
  • generators
  • One of the most important precautions is to ensure that you have proper ventilation for a portable heater or a generator.
    • Generators should not be used indoors.
    • Follow all manufacturers’ instructions and think safety first

Be careful with perishable food.  If you keep your refrigerator door closed:

  • a refrigerator will stay safely cold for about 4 hours
    • a full freezer - 48 hours (24 hours half full)

If the power goes out, turn off and unplug.

  • Make sure that all heat-producing appliances are turned off or disconnected from a source of electricity so you’ll be safe when the power comes back on.

Stay clear from DP&L crews while they work.

  • For the safety of our crews and for your own safety

Web links:

Tips for Weathering the Storm

Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Directory

Generator Safety Tips (PDF)

(Courtesy Dayton Power and Light)


Moody’s Upgrades City of Beavercreek’s Bond Rating to Aa3 from A1
Moody’s investment service recently upgraded the City of Beavercreek’s bond ratings for all outstanding bonds.  In their press release Moody’s cited the City’s stable financial position, large and diverse tax base and manageable debt profile.  Moody’s further indicated they anticipate that the City will experience moderate near-term growth and cited Beavercreek’s favorable location in Greene County.  This was based on recent and forecasted commercial growth, with potential for even further growth with BRAC activity which will consolidate military operations at Wright-Patterson AFB and be a positive enhancement for the area.

Moody’s emphasized that City leaders have continued to balance operational priorities and officials expect that Beavercreek will continue to maintain adequate operating reserves.  Moody’s followed with a statement that Beavercreek has a record of strong voter support for levies (Police and Street) which “bodes well for ongoing stability of City’s finances.”

What does the bond rating mean to the City?  The bond rating by an independent outside agency provides an overview and risk rating for investors wanting to purchase City bonds.  This lower risk translates into lower interest rates.  This rating assists the City to issue more attractive bonds when funds are needed for various capital projects.

Moody’s rating system is noted below:

Investment Quality Rating Result
Best Quality Aaa Lowest Interest Rate/Lowest Risk
High Quality Aa1 High grade bonds/Low Long Term Risk
Aa2
Aa3 NEW RATING
Upper Medium Grade A1 PREVIOUS RATING
A2 Favorable investments/Long Term Risk Favorable
A3

“In this economy with negative headlines regarding reductions in city services throughout the country, this reaffirmation by Moody’s that the City is worthy of a bond upgrade reflects well on the City of Beavercreek’s conservative investment strategy,”  indicated Michael A. Cornell, City Manager.

Greene County Now Included in Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine
From the Ohio Department of Agriculture - Ohio’s Emerald Ash Borer quarantine was expanded today by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to include five new counties. Ashland, Richland, Summit, Greene, and Morrow counties were added to the quarantine, which helps slow the spread of the ash tree-killing insect by prohibiting the movement of all hardwood firewood and ash tree materials.

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials confirmed the positive identification of specimens collected in each of the counties.  The Greene County specimen was retrieved by an Ohio State University Extension agent. These findings mark the first known infestations in each of these counties.

Since Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Ohio in 2003, the Department has placed 50 counties under quarantine.  The quarantine makes it illegal to transport ash trees, parts of ash trees, and all hardwood firewood from any quarantined county into a non-quarantined county without a compliance agreement from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.  Ohio’s quarantine map is also available at the Department’s Web site. Violators of this quarantine may face fines up to $4,000. Due to a federal quarantine, it is also illegal to take these items from the state of Ohio.

Firewood dealers, businesses, or woodlot owners interested in marketing and transporting ash trees or firewood from quarantined areas can do so only with a department-approved compliance agreement.  These agreements stipulate handling practices that mitigate the artificial spread of Emerald Ash Borer.

Ash trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer typically die within five years. The pest belongs to a group of metallic wood-boring beetles. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length, one-eighth inch wide, and fly from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees and leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide when they emerge as adults.

For information on the Emerald Ash Borer, compliance agreements, firewood restrictions, purple traps, and quarantine updates, call 1-888-OHIO-EAB.

An informative video about the Borer is available from Beavercreek Media; call 937-426-5100 or e-mail for a copy.

Got a Plan?  Get a Permit!

Are you planning an addition to your home, or plan to install a fence, storage shed, deck, detached garage or swimming pool?  Before calling a contractor or visiting the hardware store, first call or visit City Hall because you will need a zoning permit.  Proposed structures must meet location, size and height requirements of the City of Beavercreek Zoning Code.

In order to secure a permit, you need to complete an application from the Beavercreek Planning and Zoning office at City Hall.  All applications are reviewed to ensure that proposed structures meet location size and height requirements as defined in the Zoning Code.  If these standards are met, a permit is issued and construction may begin.

In the case of new building construction, additions, sheds, garages, decks, and swimming pools, a building permit from Greene County is also required; contact them at 562-7420.  Before applying for the County’s permit, you must have a permit from the City.

If this seems a bit complicated, just contact the Planning and Zoning Department at 427-5512 or planning@ci.beavercreek.oh.us.