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Arts and Beautification Commission reports higher participation, $11,000 2026 budget ask and plan to remove invasive Bradford pears
Summary
The Arts and Beautification Commission told the Huber Heights City Council it received more lawn-beautification nominations this year, will move its annual art show to May at the senior center, seeks an $11,000 2026 budget allocation and supported a Parks & Rec grant to remove Bradford pears with a 2-for-1 native-tree replacement plan.
Sarah Chapman, chair of the Arts and Beautification Commission, told the Huber Heights City Council at its Sept. 16 work session that the commission saw greater public engagement this year, is changing the timing and location of its art show and is seeking a modest operating budget for 2026.
Chapman said the commission received 31 unique nominations this year for its lawn-beautification awards, up from 19 in 2024, and that businesses who won awards promoted the city’s program on social media. "We received 31 unique nominations," Chapman said. "We are definitely going to do it again."
The commission plans to move its annual art show to May and relocate it to the senior center to increase visibility and parking. Chapman said the change aligns the show with America 250 activities and gives the commission more time to advertise the event.
The commission asked the council to include $11,000 in the 2026 budget to cover communications, marketing and program costs. Chapman said the ask covers the commission’s planned activities for the year.
The commission also said it gave full support to a Parks and Recreation grant application to remove Bradford pear trees from public lands and would run a parallel public-awareness campaign if the grant is awarded. "If that is approved, we, the citizen commission, committed we would run a parallel campaign for citizen awareness," Chapman said. In a follow-up exchange, a city representative said a recently applied-for grant would total about $100,000 and, if awarded, would remove a significant portion of identified Bradford pears south of Taylorsville.
Commissioners described a replacement strategy that would plant two native trees for every Bradford pear removed and favor a diverse mix of species — including redbuds and dogwoods in flowering locations and larger shade trees such as maples and oaks in parks — to reduce future vulnerability to pests or disease.
Chapman said the commission will also draft basic policies and procedures this fall and winter to standardize how donated or city-owned artworks are handled going forward; Huber Heights currently has no formal art-policy binder, she said.
Greg Fox, a commission member, and other council members praised the commission’s outreach and urged the council to assist in recruiting volunteers: the commission currently has four vacancies and is operating at minimum quorum.
The commission concluded by saying it will return with a formal budget request and additional program proposals during the city’s regular budget process.
