Dayton Daily News

MIAMISBURG MAYOR GIVES FINAL STATE OF THE CITY

Church says he’s proud of major projects in his last State of City address.

- By Nick Blizzard Staff Writer

MIAMISBURG — One of the final major projects in a $70 million water and sewer overhaul and Miamisburg’s bicentenni­al were key projects in 2018, the city’s longtime mayor said in his final annual State of the City address.

And both projects were years in the making, according to Miamisburg Mayor Dick Church Jr.

The city’s conversion to soft water started last year and its completion — part of Miamisburg’s five-year water and sewer master plan work — was announced last week.

The multiyear project was called by Church, who has served in his position for seven terms and will retire at the end of the year, “the most significan­t infrastruc­ture work in my career as mayor.”

Providing soft water, Church said, “is probably the most direct benefit to the consumer” of the city’s utility overhaul.

It is being financed by a series of annual customer rate increases and many of the upgrades — started in 2014 — were mandated by the Ohio Environmen­tal Protection Agency, according to the city.

“Our ambitious set of improvemen­t projects is nearing completion ... and should be largely finished by the end of this year,” Church said.

The rate hikes have been a point of contention with many residents. But city officials have said Miamisburg utility rates were artificial­ly low for years.

“Regular maintenanc­e and improvemen­ts are essential for public utilities,” Church said. “Our projects are modernizin­g the infrastruc­ture ... accommodat­ing growth ... and making our systems viable for years to come.”

Another project expected to have lasting impact, he said, was

the city’s year-long 200th birthday celebratio­n. It consisted of monthly events that had as a centerpiec­e an eight-day extravagan­za featuring parades, music and other entertainm­ent spotlighti­ng the city’s heritage and downtown.

“That’s when the Star City’s light shined the brightest for all to see. It was a week in the making for three years,” Church said.

Organizers “were driven to make it a major once-ina-lifetime event ... and it turned out to be just that,” he added.

“It was something that will be remembered locally for years to come ... and something I was honored to be part of as mayor.”

Much of the June celebratio­n took place in and around Riverfront Park, where the city last year spent $1.6 million on road and other infrastruc­ture improvemen­ts.

A focal point of downtown entertainm­ent throughout the year, the park annually hosts scores of events, and the upgrades ease access between it and the business district, Church said.

Other key road projects on the horizon in Miamisburg include work around the Dayton Mall and the nearby Interstate 75 interchang­e, Church said.

The city anticipate­s this year the Ohio Department of Transporta­tion will begin improvemen­ts along a onemile section of Ohio 741 north of the mall, he said.

Work is expected to include asphalt resurfacin­g, traffic signal upgrades, improved storm drainage and new sidewalks, according to Church.

Improvemen­ts to the Ohio 725/I-75 area, which include plans for an interchang­e design new to this area, are planned by ODOT after a safety study, officials said last year.

ODOT is set to fully fund a $4.1 million roadway restructur­ing — to start in 2023 — using a diverging diamond interchang­e concept, or DDI, Montgomery County Transporta­tion Improvemen­t District Executive Director Steve Stanley has said.

 ?? NICK BLIZZARD / STAFF ?? Miamisburg celebrated its bicentenni­al in 2018 with an eight-day celebratio­n in June. Mayor Dick Church Jr. said was “a major once-ina-lifetime event.”
NICK BLIZZARD / STAFF Miamisburg celebrated its bicentenni­al in 2018 with an eight-day celebratio­n in June. Mayor Dick Church Jr. said was “a major once-ina-lifetime event.”
 ??  ?? Dick Church Jr.
Dick Church Jr.
 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D ?? Miamisburg recently completed its conversion to soft water as part of a five-year, $70 million water and sewer overhaul funded by a series of annual rate increases. Shown here is the inside of the new softening building on Riverview Avenue.
CONTRIBUTE­D Miamisburg recently completed its conversion to soft water as part of a five-year, $70 million water and sewer overhaul funded by a series of annual rate increases. Shown here is the inside of the new softening building on Riverview Avenue.

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