The Montgomery Citizens’ Leadership Academy is about community learning and making connections. Deadline for the Class of 2019 applications is September 30.

Time is running out to apply for the Montgomery Citizens’ Leadership Academy (MCLA) Class of 2019. The application period ends September 30.

Apply Here

From its creation in 2008, MCLA has viewed local government as a “subset” of the larger community. Neighborhoods, businesses, schools, religious institutions and others are all equally important. That is why MCLA calls on some of our community partners such as Ohio National Financial Services, Sycamore Community Schools, Bethesda Hospital and Twin Lakes Senior Living Community to share their stories with the participants. The City, with these partners, seeks to provide a well-rounded experience for those wishing to “look behind the curtain” of our Montgomery community.

With MCLA now celebrating its twelfth year in 2019, it is important that we recognize the critical role these partners play in the success of the Academy.   Most leadership academies sponsored by cities across the country provide a lecture style overview of local government services. A city staff member will stand up in front of a group of residents and share the importance and effectiveness of the services they provide. Many times, it is only designed to persuade the participants that local government is a value for their money.

The Montgomery Citizens’ Leadership Academy (MCLA) has received national recognition for being something different. The City of Montgomery and their partners try to do things a little more creatively. Many journey into MCLA with the mistaken notion that local government has all the answers. The City views MCLA as an opportunity for two-way dialogue with residents, seeing residents as a valuable resource in refining services and planning for the future. MCLA participants are seen as partners in struggling with the tough questions facing the community. Workshops are designed to harvest the aggregate knowledge and experiences of Montgomery’s most important stakeholders.

With over 290 graduates, one of your neighbors is probably an MCLA alumnus or alumnae. Ask them about “The Coolest Community Experience You’ll Ever Have.”  If you are interested in applying for MCLA. Visit the web site, montgomeryohio.org or call Ray Kingsbury, director of citizen engagement, at 513-792-8359.

Local artist Paul Oliver designed the winning 2017 Montgomery holiday card submission. Oliver’s art was chosen from a field of over a dozen entries. It depicts the Universalist Church during the holidays.

Artists of all ages are encouraged to submit an original work of art for Montgomery’s annual holiday card.  The card is used by City officials and staff for their correspondence during the holiday season. The deadline for submission is Friday, Oct. 12.

This year’s winning artist will receive a gift basket, public recognition, and a set of 50 of the winning-designed cards.

Artists can use any medium, from photography to oils, chalk, etc. but will need to provide a digital image of the art to the City for consideration.  The ideal design will have a “Winter in Montgomery” theme.

Call Recreation Coordinator Julie Machon at 513-891-2424 or email to jmachon@ci.montgomery.oh.us for more information.

The Holiday Card Contest is presented by the Montgomery Arts Commission.

Submit entries below

Holiday Card Art Contest Entry Form

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Did you know that as a Hamilton County resident, you can preregister with a system called Alert HC to receive real time safety alerts for up to 42 different alerts?   Some of these warnings include;

• Tornado Warning
• Shelter in place
• Flash flood warning
• Civil emergency message
• Civil Danger warning
• Evacuation
• Municipal alerts

Residents can receive these alerts however they prefer.  Communication options include text message, email as well as a phone call notification.  Simply register at alerthc.org and select the notifications you would like to receive and the form of communication for your notifications.  Changes can easily be made at any time to your notification preferences.

Additionally, the Smart 911 system allows residents to provide a wide range of vital family information ahead of time that will be available to 9-1-1 call takers and first responders.  Medical information, medications, disabilities, pet information, and emergency contact information are examples of information that can be provided ahead of time through this system.  While on their way to your emergency, the first responders and 9-1-1 call takers will have this information on their computers and will be better prepared to serve your needs.

Both programs can be accessed by going to alerthc.org and follow the easy registration process.  There is no cost to take part in either of these programs.

Source: Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency and alerthc.org

Bargain-hunters and those who enjoy finding a curbside deal are invited to the City of Montgomery’s Community-Wide Garage Sale set for Saturday, Sept. 8 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Sponsored by the Environmental Advisory Commission, this grassroots public awareness campaign promotes reuse, repair and resale opportunities in the City of Montgomery. Registration is open for those households who are interested in participating.

Households can sign up on the City website below or by calling 513-891-2424.  The deadline to register is September 3, 2018.  There is no fee to participate.

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Last Name

First Name

Street Address

Email Address

Phone Number

Short description of items to sell

How prepared are you for a disaster? Do you know where you will go if required to evacuate? How will you be notified of weather alerts and emergencies? September is National Preparedness Month and the City of Montgomery in coordination with the Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency wants residents to know that disasters do not plan ahead- but you can! Throughout the month of September, take the three easy steps below to make your household more disaster-ready!

1. Sign up for Alert Hamilton County. When signing up, you not only receive emergency messages, you will also be able to choose from 42 different weather alerts. Alert Hamilton County is paired with Smart911, allowing you to create a Safety Profile of important family, medical, and personal information that can be shared with dispatchers and first responders during an emergency. You can quickly and securely sign up at www.alerthc.org.
2. Build a Preparedness Kit. Before a disaster, have essential elements stored away in a water-tight container that one can “Grab and Go,” in the event of an evacuation. Creating a kit does not have to be expensive or difficult, as most items you should include are already in your home! For a full list of items, please visit www.ready.gov/kit.
3. Make a Plan. Discuss with the members of your household how you will communicate in the event of a disaster, where you will meet to reunite, and how you will receive emergency alerts and warnings. Do not forget to plan for your pets! For more information about how to make a plan, please visit www.ready.gov/plan.

Need one more tip to be prepared?  Register for an upcoming First Aid/CPR training with the Montgomery Fire Department.  Call 513-985-1633 to register or for more information on the training or any of these disaster-ready steps.

On Saturday, October 27, join the City of Montgomery community development and recreation staff from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Hopewell Cemetery for a walking cemetery tour, supporting the rich historical heritage of the City of Montgomery.

Did you know Hopewell Cemetery is the location of the first church in the City? And, there are five Revolutionary War veterans buried in the Pioneer Section of the cemetery? Join to learn about this and more!

Enjoy this opportunity to walk behind the gates of Montgomery’s first cemetery, while encountering early pioneers through character portrayals. Before and after the tour, participants will have a chance to mingle and enjoy hot beverages.

The Hopewell Historic Cemetery Tour is offered jointly by the Landmarks Commission, Montgomery Historic Preservation Association and the Recreation and Community Development Departments.

Cost is $20 per person and the event is for all ages. Registration required and available online beginning September 1.

Register Here

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact Julie at 792-8316 or at jmachon@ci.montgomery.oh.us.

The Montgomery Citizens’ Leadership Academy is about community learning and making connections. Deadline for the Class of 2019 applications is September 30.

Time is running out to apply for the Montgomery Citizens’ Leadership Academy (MCLA) Class of 2019. The application period ends September 30.

Apply Here

From its creation in 2008, MCLA has viewed local government as a “subset” of the larger community. Neighborhoods, businesses, schools, religious institutions and others are all equally important. That is why MCLA calls on some of our community partners such as Ohio National Financial Services, Sycamore Community Schools, Bethesda Hospital and Twin Lakes Senior Living Community to share their stories with the participants. The City, with these partners, seeks to provide a well-rounded experience for those wishing to “look behind the curtain” of our Montgomery community.

With MCLA now celebrating its twelfth year in 2019, it is important that we recognize the critical role these partners play in the success of the Academy.   Most leadership academies sponsored by cities across the country provide a lecture style overview of local government services. A city staff member will stand up in front of a group of residents and share the importance and effectiveness of the services they provide. Many times, it is only designed to persuade the participants that local government is a value for their money.

The Montgomery Citizens’ Leadership Academy (MCLA) has received national recognition for being something different. The City of Montgomery and their partners try to do things a little more creatively. Many journey into MCLA with the mistaken notion that local government has all the answers. The City views MCLA as an opportunity for two-way dialogue with residents, seeing residents as a valuable resource in refining services and planning for the future. MCLA participants are seen as partners in struggling with the tough questions facing the community. Workshops are designed to harvest the aggregate knowledge and experiences of Montgomery’s most important stakeholders.

With over 290 graduates, one of your neighbors is probably an MCLA alumnus or alumnae. Ask them about “The Coolest Community Experience You’ll Ever Have.”  If you are interested in applying for MCLA. Visit the web site, montgomeryohio.org or call Ray Kingsbury, director of citizen engagement, at 513-792-8359.

If challenged today, would the average driver be able to pass a standard drivers test?  At the next Neighborhood Leaders Forum, the team will give the participants the opportunity to find out if they are superior or below average drivers.

All are invited to attend the next Neighborhood Leaders Forum on Tuesday, October 23, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Terwilliger Lodge.  The presenters will engage with the audience on a traffic law refresher presentation, with a focus on why the Fire Department runs lights with sirens on every emergency call.  Community Development Director Tracy Roblero will also provide an update on current economic development projects.  Finally, Communications and Engagement Coordinator Faith Lynch will collect feedback on the Distinctly Montgomery Branding + Imaging Campaign Project.

This forum is open to all and is your exclusive opportunity to learn more about what is contributing locally to economic development.  Participants will also find out if they could pass a driver’s license exam if taking the test today.

To enroll in this exclusive opportunity, register below.  For more information, please contact Faith Lynch at 513-792-8358 or flynch@ci.montgomery.oh.us.

Come be part of something bigger. Help decorate downtown Montgomery for all to enjoy this upcoming holiday season.  Delight in knowing that you played a part in the holiday decorations that grace downtown Montgomery.

The City of Montgomery, in conjunction with the Montgomery Woman’s Club, will start the holiday decorating of downtown Montgomery project in November. The first phase is the greenery and bows “fluffing” workshop on Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m., at the City Annex Building, 10115 Montgomery Road.  Join in the task of getting the greenery and bows ready for hanging.  And/or plan to be part of the next phase, the decorating of downtown Montgomery, on Monday, Nov. 5, (rain date of Nov. 6), 9:30 a.m. to about 12 noon, meeting at the Universalist Church at the corner of Remington and Montgomery Roads.

Come and devote your time to one of the City’s landmark projects. Any amount of time at either or both phases of the project would be greatly appreciated.  Then feel the pride, as you drive through downtown Montgomery and think, “I helped to do this, I am part of something bigger, for the good of all.”

For more information or to get on the volunteer roster, contact DeAnna Gross, Volunteer Coordinator, at 513-792-8329 or dgross@ci.montgomery.oh.us.

By Vice Mayor Lynda Roesch

What’s in a name?  According to a famous author “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  For businesses as well as individuals, a name or brand can be as important as the quality of the goods or services.  Similarly, places benefit from branding as a means to convey the characteristics of the place.

The City of Montgomery is currently beginning a branding and imaging campaign, Distinctly Montgomery Branding + Imaging Campaign Project.  You may wonder why the City is embarking on a branding and imaging campaign.  First, it has been about fifteen years since the City examined its brand.  Second, the City wants to stay fresh and current (without losing its history) and to reflect the City’s special qualities to its customers—residents, visitors, and businesses.  Third, branding can be an important economic driver.  We expect that this branding will fit nicely with the new gateway development.  Hopefully, the process will create a visual template for the City to attract new residents, new businesses, and new visitors.

Originally, the City solicited requests for proposals for this project.  After reviewing the ten responses from a wide and varied field of agencies with impressive credentials, the City asked four agencies to interview for the project.  The City narrowed the field to two agencies who presented again.  Ultimately, the City chose Rasor Marketing Communications, a Montgomery business, and Kolar Design, as the group to lead the City on its branding initiative.  On August 22, City Council kicked off the first phase of the project.  The campaign is broken down into three phases—discovery, strategy, and delivery.

During the discovery phase, Rasor will conduct surveys with City stakeholders including current and prospective residents, business owners, employees, and visitors.  Over the coming weeks and months, you may be asked to participate in those surveys and/or focus group sessions.  Community engagement in the process is one key to a successful branding process.  In November, Kolar will engage with MCLA graduates in a process they call “Pitchbox” which will allow the community members to “pitch” their branding ideas.

Overall, we expect the process to take about nine to ten months.  At that point, the City will have developed a brand and image that should take us through the next ten to twenty years.

Residential recycling is an important way to divert waste from landfills by repurposing spent plastics, paper, and metal as a raw material.  During 2017, the 48 different political jurisdictions within the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District diverted over 41,740 tons of waste from landfills¹.  The City of Montgomery contributed over 1,110 tons to this total while the diversion rate was 24.8 percent for full-year 2017.  The diversion rate, or recycle rate, is defined as tons of recyclables/(tons of waste + tons of recyclables)¹.  In 2013, Montgomery’s diversion rate was very near 30 percent at 29.72 percent but has decreased somewhat steadily over the years to around the recent 25 percent level.

From a diversion rate perspective, in 2017 Montgomery did very well and ranked fourth among Hamilton County’s 48 political jurisdictions (below).  It might be interesting to look at per capita waste generation and diversion.  The table includes 2016 population data for the top 10 jurisdictions as well as the per capita waste numbers.  From a per capita perspective, Montgomery ranked seventh in tons diverted per person at 0.105 for full-year 2017.  Evendale and the Village of Indian Hill diverted 0.144 and 0.143 tons of waste per person, respectively.  However, Montgomery was near the bottom of this list in total waste generation per person; at 0.423 tons/person Montgomery tied with Wyoming and slightly ahead of Mariemont.

In conclusion, Montgomery does well in limiting the amount of waste generated when compared with other high-recycle performers but needs to find ways, like using Simple Recycling, to increase the community’s diversion rate.

Source: 1, See: http://www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org/local_governments/residential_recycling_stats

Mark your calendar for Friday, Oct. 26, at 10:00 a.m. for the new Fall Tree Tour with City Arborist Terry Willenbrink. Willenbrink has over 32 years of experience with the City of Montgomery in landscape design, trees, and beautification.

Participants will meet at Swaim Park, meet at the Zig Zag Parking lot, and walk along with Willenbrink as he discusses any and everything about trees. New this year during the walk will be the actual planting of an Autumn Blaze Maple tree.  Public Works staff will be on hand to install the tree donated by the Montgomery Beautification & Tree Commission.

The City of Montgomery has been a member of Tree City USA for 22 years, meeting the standards established by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forestry Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

Bring your walking shoes and questions! This event is a free experience and registration is not required. Call Terry Willenbrink at 513-792-8320 for more information.

Montgomery residents are reminded that the City has zoning regulations in place that govern the size and location for which temporary signs may be displayed on residential lots. Temporary signs such as garage sale signs, political signs,, and real estate signs are permitted individually up to 4 square feet in size and 4 feet in height and must be located behind the sidewalk or 13 feet behind the curb if there is not a sidewalk.

To find out more about temporary sign regulations, contact Melissa Hays, zoning and code compliance officer, at 513-792-8347.

Mike Rogers was recently selected as the public works supervisor for the City of Montgomery.

In 1999, Mike Rogers started working as a seasonal worker for the Hamilton County Engineer’s office.  In 2005, he graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences.  He then began working for Miami Township Maintenance in Hamilton County as a seasonal worker before being hired full time in 2005.  Aspiring to further his career, Rogers was hired by the City of Montgomery Public Works Department in January 2007.

For the past 11 years, Rogers has been involved with several aspects of the department outside of his regular duties.  This involvement included being a team member for the redevelopment of the snow policy procedures during the salt shortage in 2009.  He helped redesign snow routes, communicated best practices and changed policy procedures to make more efficient use of the City’s resources.  Rogers presented on the City’s behalf at the Alliance for Innovation Conference in Nevada, outlining the City’s process and successes from this policy update.

As the team lead, Rogers was also involved in the upgrading and handling of the City’s fuel system operation. Working with various organizations and community members, Mike has played a huge role in getting the City’s tree and bench plaque donations upgraded and organized.

As the public works supervisor, Rogers will handle the day-to-day operations of the Public Works Department, and work with the recreation staff in planning and running City events. He will oversee the beautification and maintenance of the City park system as well as the downtown historical district and City buildings and grounds.

Rogers resides in Harrison, Ohio, with his wife and three kids.

For public works-related issues, he can be contacted at 513-792-8318, or at mrogers@montgomeryohio.org.

Yard bags filled with freshly raked leaves

In 2015, Montgomery City Council approved a three-week expansion of the current Unlimited Yard Waste Collection program conducted through Rumpke, increasing the service period from five weeks to eight weeks. In addition, the City will also provide collections during the first three Saturdays in January to coincide with the Christmas tree and wreath collections.

The new unlimited yard waste collection program will start this year on Monday, October 29. The last week of unlimited yard waste pick up is the week of December 21.

Guidelines

• Leaves need to be placed in regular 30-gallon trash cans, paper leaf bags or yard waste toters (available through Rumpke).
• There is a 75 lb weight limit on the 30-gallon cans/totes used for yard waste. Once temperatures fall below freezing, all waste must go into bags as the moisture causes the cans/toters to freeze. The toters cannot be emptied if they are over 75 lb.
• Loosely place yard waste in trash cans or in paper yard waste bags available at grocery or hardware stores. Yard waste toters must be labeled as yard waste. Yard waste placed in unmarked toters will NOT be picked up.
• Place yard waste on the opposite side of your driveway from your regular trash and leave the lids off the cans. No plastic bags will be picked up.
• Brush should be bundled in sizes up to 4 feet in length and 2 feet in diameter and fastened with cotton twine. The bundles have a 50 lb weight limit.
• Limbs need to be cut into 4-foot lengths and no larger than 6 inches in diameter.
• All limbs have to be in a can or a bundle. They cannot be placed on the ground. Limbs are only permitted to reach 1 foot above the height of the can.

The schedule will be available on the City website and reminders on social media.  If there is a schedule change, a Code Red telephone message may be delivered.

During unlimited collection, yard waste stickers are not required.

If you have questions, please call 513-891-2424.