OXFORD – Oxford City Council discussed public legal counsel, maintenance codes, and other subjects during a Tuesday, Oct. 4, meeting.
The first issue on the agenda was a notice informing the council of a request by Phan Shin Chinese & Thai Restaurant for a currently open D-3 liquor license. Approval of this license would complete Phan Shin’s licensing, giving them the full set: D-1 beer, D-2 wine, and D-3 liquor.
The only resolution on the table authorized the Oxford City Manager to enter into a renewal agreement with the Butler County Public Defender Commission to provide legal counsel to indigent individuals charged with violations in the year 2017.
Cost is slated at $3,306.30, which council noted was not a high for legal counsel. City Manager Doug Elliot clarified, this should cover no more than 30 indigent individuals, due to the clause in the agreement that specifies only those in threat of jail time shall be covered.
In other business, there were first readings of several different ordinances:
• Service Director Mike Dreisbach introduced, “the fourth and final piece of legislature necessary for our curb, gutter, and sidewalk program.” Through numerous resolutions, the city has worked to repair “deficient” cub, gutters, and sidewalks. With this last piece of legislature, members of the public were told their sidewalks needed replaced – they could do it themselves, or the city could contract the work for them.
Many citizens decided to go a bulk agreement and pay for the sidewalk repairs as neighborhoods. It was advertised for several consecutive weeks that those “who did not have the sidewalk fixed would have it fixed for them.”
The ordinance notes, “The Clerk of Council has received no written objections to the assessments.”
There are nine units on Brown, Road which will have their curb and sidewalks repaired, with a final cost slated as $14,094.30.
• An ordinance replacing Ordinance Chapter 1157 with one of the same number and name, “Wireless and Cellular Telecommunication Facilities,” was read.
Originally called “Wireless, Cellular, and Small Cell Telecommunication Facilities,” Community Development Director Jung-Han Chen started his reading by proposing edits to the ordinance.
This ordinance is to include small cell towers. Chen explained, “The telecommunication technology is pushing for small cell towers to boost the transmission of data due to the increased demand for more and quick data information.”
• Director Chen continued with an ordinance relating to adoption of the international property maintenance code, and a revision giving means to obtain a search warrant to inspect rental properties, for administrative reasons (legal issues not included.)
The next Oxford City Council meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Oxford Courthouse.
