Oakwood Council adopts resolutions on street lighting, sidewalks, regional bylaws and county solid waste plan

Oakwood City Council on March 3 unanimously approved four resolutions that move forward annual street‑lighting and sidewalk repair programs and ratified two regional governance and planning measures.

The council adopted a resolution declaring the necessity of improving specified streets by lighting them with electricity as the first step in the city’s 2026 street‑lighting program; it also approved a resolution declaring the necessity of repairing sidewalks, curbs and driveway aprons in this year’s 2025 sidewalk program. Council members also voted to ratify revisions to the First Suburbs Consortium of Dayton bylaws and to approve the Montgomery County Solid Waste Management District’s updated five‑year solid waste management plan.

The lighting and sidewalk resolutions are procedural first steps required by state law before the city advances to ordinances that authorize work and levy assessments. Councilmember Rob Stevens introduced the street‑lighting measures and described them as the initial step of the 2026 program; the council approved that resolution by roll call vote. The council likewise approved the sidewalk resolution for the 2025 sidewalk, curb and driveway apron project; that program area covers all city streets within the area bounded by Far Hills Avenue on the west (not including Far Hills), the Oakwood–Kettering boundary line on the east and south, and Corona Avenue on the north. Stevens said the sidewalk resolution is the first of three required legislative steps and that a separate ordinance to levy assessments will be introduced after the project concludes.

Vice Mayor Steve Byington introduced a resolution approving minor procedural revisions to the bylaws of the First Suburbs Consortium of Dayton, a regional organization of first‑tier suburbs that was established in 2005; council approved Oakwood’s ratification of the updated bylaws. The council also approved a resolution expressing the city’s support for the Montgomery County Solid Waste Management District’s updated five‑year solid waste plan. Council members noted that the district plan has been reviewed by Ohio EPA and by district staff and that Oakwood staff presented the draft to council at a recent work session.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution declaring necessity of street lighting for 2026 program — mover: Councilmember Rob Stevens; second: not specified in the public record; roll call: Mayor Bill Duncan — Yes; Vice Mayor Steve Byington — Yes; Rob Stevens — Yes; Lee Turban — Yes; Healy Jackson — Yes; outcome: approved.

- Resolution declaring necessity of repairing sidewalks, curbs and driveway aprons (2025 sidewalk program) — mover: Councilmember Rob Stevens; second: not specified in the public record; roll call: Mayor Bill Duncan — Yes; Vice Mayor Steve Byington — Yes; Rob Stevens — Yes; Lee Turban — Yes; Healy Jackson — Yes; outcome: approved. Program area: Far Hills Avenue (west, not included) to Oakwood–Kettering boundary (east and south) and Corona Avenue (north).

- Resolution approving revisions to the First Suburbs Consortium bylaws — mover: Vice Mayor Steve Byington; second: not specified in the public record; roll call: Mayor Bill Duncan — Yes; Vice Mayor Byington — Yes; Rob Stevens — Yes; Lee Turban — Yes; Healy Jackson — Yes; outcome: approved.

- Resolution approving the Montgomery County Solid Waste Management District five‑year plan — mover: not specified in the public record; second: not specified; roll call: Mayor Bill Duncan — Yes; Vice Mayor Byington — Yes; Rob Stevens — Yes; Lee Turban — Yes; Healy Jackson — Yes; outcome: approved.

Council notes and next steps

- For both the street‑lighting and sidewalk programs, Stevens said the city is required by law to pass a sequence of legislative items: a resolution declaring necessity, an ordinance to proceed (first reading scheduled in subsequent meetings), and later an ordinance levying assessments after the project is completed. Stevens said the lighting ordinance to proceed will be presented for its first reading in April. The sidewalk program will follow a similar multi‑step schedule.

- The First Suburbs Consortium bylaw changes were described as “minor procedural updates” approved locally by the Consortium in October 2024 and now submitted to member communities for ratification.

- The Montgomery County solid waste plan was developed by the district staff, reviewed with Ohio EPA and presented to Oakwood council at a recent work session; council stated it believes the plan is in the city’s best interest.

The council completed its legislation portion of the March 3 meeting after the roll calls. No ordinances authorizing construction or assessments were adopted at the meeting; two related ordinances were presented as first readings and will return to council for future action.