About the Bellbrook Lions Club For years, the Bellbrook Lions Club Festival has been a major part ofthe Club’s effort to help the community as its main source of fund raising for community projects and donations. The festival objectives continue to be maintaining a family-oriented festival, encouraging a community atmosphere to instill community service and provide qualityentertainment and food. These values are congruent with the Club’s mission to empower volunteers to serve the community, encourage youth, promote health and be stewards of community resources. The club encourages community service efforts throughout the year. Encouragement of youth comes through youth baseball/softball, basketball, and other school athletics, as well as, providing over $4,000 each year in scholarships to area students. The Lions promote healththrough the collection of used eye glasses and donations to the OhioEye Bank. Stewardship of community resources comes through partnerships with the city, township, parks and schools. Just look forthe Lions symbol on park shelters, walkways and other buildings in thecommunity where the Lions have had a hand in making these projects come to fruition.

Saturday, August 21st Parade.................................................. 4:00 PM Car Show ....................Immediately Following Parade BBQ Chicken Night.................................... 6:00 PM Raffle Drawing .......................................11:00 PM Close...................................................11:00 PM

For more information, contact Lion Gregg Sparks at (937) 862-4751 or gasparks@aol.com or visit the Lions Club website at www.bellbrooklions.org .

Come join the Bellbrook community as it celebrates the 64th Bellbrook Lions Club Festival in downtown Bellbrook on August 19th – 21st. The theme of this year’s festivalis “Community Volunteerism.” As always, there will be numerous activities for everyone. The festival is a family-friendly atmosphere and everyone is invited to come out and join the fun!

64th Bellbrook Lions Club Festival Community Volunteerism August 19th – 21st, 2010

A Publication of the City of Bellbrook

The 64th Bellbrook Lions Club Festival will be held August 19th - 21st. The festival will take place downtown on the campus of the old Sugarcreek Elementary School on S. East St. The festival will be open the following times: Thursday and Friday 6 PM – 11 PM and Saturday 4 PM - 11 PM. Attractions will include food, games, rides, bingo andmore! Dinner will be served Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6 PM.The crowd-favorite parade will be held at 4 PM on Saturday. Theparade theme this year follows the festival theme of “Community Volunteerism.” A Cruise-In and Car Show will be held after the parade until dark. Be sure to pick up your raffle tickets to win a cash prize of$10,000, a 22” Television or an iPod Nano.

Come out to the Lions Club Festival with your friends and family!

Come to the Festival!

Schedule of Events Thursday, August 19th Pork Chop Night .......................................6:00 PM Close .................................................. 11:00 PM

Friday, August 20th Fish Fry Night ..........................................6:00 PM Close .................................................. 11:00 PM

City of Bellbrook Community Report August 2010 Volume XVI, Issue 2

Bellbrook Historic Museum

July 2009August 2010 City of Bellbrook Community Report

Community News

This spring, the Historic Museum Trustees were pleased to offertheir first exhibit in the newly established Rotating ExhibitRoom. The room is designed to allow the Museum to present acontinual variety of subjects that appeal to the residents of our community. Their first exhibit, 100 Years of Scouting, featured memorabilia from the extensive collection of a local scoutinghistorian. They are building on the success of the scoutingexhibit by bringing Bellbrook and Sugarcreek artists’ work to the Museum for the Summer Rotating Exhibit titled Bellbrook Area Artists. The show began July 1st and runs throughSeptember 30th. Bellbrook Area Artists features works in oil,watercolor, pastel, pencil and three-dimensional ceramic.Regular Museum hours are Saturdays, 1 - 5 PM and is free to the public. The Bellbrook Museum is located at 26 N Main St.Come visit the Museum!

Bellbrook Garden Club The Bellbrook Garden Club thanks the entire Bellbrook community forsupporting their 9th annual Plant Salethis past May. The sale was anincredible success due to those whodonated plants and those who madepurchases. Profits provide collegescholarships to Bellbrook High Schoolstudents, scholarships to middle schoolstudents who attend Camp Kern, natureprograms through the Bellbrook-

Sugarcreek Park District, as well asseveral other community projects.

Be sure to check out other BellbrookGarden Club projects. The gardens atWinter's Library and at The BellbrookMuseum are planted by the club as arethe pots and bump-outs throughout the "Old Village.”

Anyone with an interest in gardening,horticulture, or the environment is

The Park District has a full schedule of events as usual! Jointhem for their “Outdoor Bootcamp” workout sessions, “Peek atthe Creek” to explore the Little Sugar Creek and free WellnessScreenings. Other programs include “Fun, Firm & Fit” workoutsessions, bird explorations, “Park Cleanup Day” on October 6th, “Halloween in the Park” on October 23rd, and “Stargazing.” For more information for these and other events, contact the Park District at (937) 848-3535 or visit their website atwww.bellbrooksugarcreekparks.org .

Bellbrook Sugarcreek Park District

invited to learn with them. Meetings are held monthly and cover a wide variety of topics, tours and projects. Please contact Club President, Lois Fink, at (937) 848-7914 for more information about future programs and meeting dates.

You can also visit the Club’s website at www.bellbrookgardenclub.org .

City News

Dear Residents ofBellbrook,

Message from the Mayor

It is hard to believethat summer isnearly over and ourfun-filled end ofsummer festival is at hand. I do hopemany of you canattend this

wonderful community get-together. The Lions Club has been our mostactive service organization, with a long

and positive history here in Bellbrook-Sugarcreek. I am amazed at what thisgroup has accomplished over the yearsand am proud to say that I know manyof the members, as well as themembers of the Lioness Club, theirsister organization. Without service organizations such as the Lions Club and its volunteers, communities such asBellbrook and Sugarcreek, and agencies such as the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek school system and local sports programs would not be as outstanding as they are.

As with all service and volu

organizations, both the Lions and the Lioness Clubs always welcome new members. If you have an interest in joining either organization, you can call the City Offices at (937) 848-4666 and our Clerk of Council can give you a contact name and number.

May you all have a wonderful and safe fall, enjoying our lovely foliage, the athletic venues, and just being involvedwith our wonderful community.

Sincerely,

nteer Mary C. Graves, Mayor

August 2010City of Bellbrook Community Report

City News

Waste Collection Holidays Please note that trash collection will be delayed one day dueto the Labor Day and Thanksgiving holidays. Trash collection will take place on Saturday, September 11th and Saturday, November 27th for those weeks.

City Recycling Program The City has a bi-weekly recycling program. Special items such as hazardous waste, electronics, metal appliances and scrap metal are recycled by Greene CountyEnvironmental Services who can be contacted at (937) 562-5925. For more information on therecycling program, call the Utilities Office at (937) 848-4638 or visit the Utilities page on our website at www.cityofbellbrook.org .

Bulk Pick-up Large items may be picked up by Allied Waste on Fridays. However, you mustcall ahead and schedule with Allied Waste at (937) 268-8110.

Yard Waste The City does not have leaf or yard waste collection service. However, residentsmay use the Greene County satellite site located at 2120 Ferry Rd., which is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The site accepts leaves, grass and brush no longerthan 4 feet and no more than 4 inches in diameter. For more information, visit the Utilitiespage on our website at www.cityofbellbrook.org .

The Bellbrook Beautification Committee has made their selections for the annual Beautification Awards. For many years, volunteers from the community have taken part in honoring homeowners with properties that are well-maintained and stand out from the rest. Ten homes and several businesses are chosen each year to receive the awards. A home or business mayonly win an award once every five years.

The committee begins their process in late June and takes several weeks to make their final decisions. The City is divided intofive sections with each having two homes selected along with one or two businesses. Properties are voted upon by committee members and then are presented with a plaque by the City Council in the fall. They also receive a sign to place in their frontyard for a few weeks with the title, “Bellbrook Beautification Winner.”

For more information, please contact Bronne Wilson at (937) 848-3458 or email her at bronnew@att.net .

Bellbrook Beautification Awards

The City runs a public informationtelevision channel on Time WarnerCable Channel 5 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. To add your own event information, please visit our website atwww.cityofbellbrook.org and go to the Bellbrook TV page. This channel is only available to Time Warner and AT&Tcustomers in the City of Bellbrook. Bellbrook TV is operated by Fire Department personnel who are able touse their skills and abilities to bring

Bellbrook TV this service to residents. The City uses the channel as a way to distribute information to residents.

City Council meetings can be viewedlive on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 7:00 PM. The most recent City Council meeting will run for one week to provide residents with multiple opportunities to view the meeting. The meeting will air daily at 9:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 7:00 PM and 12 Midnight.

The Policeman’s Badge

Waste, Recycling & Yard Waste Disposal

The Bellbrook Police Department will be holding several events this fall toencourage children to be safe.

DARE The Police Department will be presenting the DARE Program to 5th Graders at Bellcreek Intermediate School from August 31st through October 29th. DARE,Drug Abuse Resistance Education, will be taught by certified instructors in theDepartment.

Halloween Safety In October, the Police Department will be visiting StephenBell Elementary School to discuss Halloween Safety with Pre-K through 2nd Graders.

For more information on the Police Department, visit our website atwww.cityofbellbrook.org and go to the Police page.

August 2010 City of Bellbrook Community Report

Your Bellbrook Fire Department Urges Back-to-School Safety

As summer winds down and the school year starts, it is time to remind all parents and students about back-to-school safety. Here are the top 10 back-to-school safety lessons: Always buckle-up when riding in the car; children 12 and under should ride in the back seat. Stay in your seat when riding on a bus and hold on to bus handrails when getting on and off a bus. When waiting for a bus, stay at least five giant steps (10 feet) from the curb until the bus has

completely stopped. Wear a helmet every time you ride your bicycle and make sure the helmet fits correctly. Always walk your bicycle when you need to cross a street. Use crosswalks for crossing streets and remember to look left, right, left before crossing

(Children under 10 should cross with the assistance of a grown-up).

The Fire Escape

City News

Do not push or shove anyone when lining up or playing on school grounds. At lunch time, stay seated while eating; no running or playing. Never accept medicine, vitamins, candy or other food from anyone other than your parent or caregiver. When the fire alarm sounds at school, stop what you are doing and immediately exit the school. Once you are outside, go

quickly to your meeting place for roll call.

Ten local young people ages 13 to 18 years “suited up" for the first annualBellbrook Fire Department CadetSummer Fire Academy. These potentialfirefighters-in-training received theopportunity to utilize firefighting toolsand hose lines, put up ladders, learnCPR and perform several other drills tosimulate a real response to a fire ormedical emergency. The young peopleare taking part in this nine week-long Academy that began on June 23rd. “It’s been awesome,” said Meghan O’Grady,a Senior next year at Fairmont High

The Bellbrook Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to invitethe entire community to join us at ourannual Bellbrook Fire Department “Open House” on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

This collaborative event will be held atBellbrook Fire Station #2, 4254 West Franklin St. The whole family isencouraged to visit “your” fire department and view the various fire, emergency medical displays and safetypresentations. As a highlight this year,

several children from the Bellbrook / Sugarcreek area will be awarded fortheir participation in fire prevention efforts.

This is a great opportunity for you to meet the fire department members who find it rewarding to voluntarilyserve in the community we live in.Those residents interested in being part of our exciting fire and emergency medical service team can obtain application information at the event.

School. “There is always something new and exciting, and I want to be a firefighter.”

The Bellbrook Fire Department alsooffers a year-round Cadet program as an introduction to the fire service forteenagers who may be interested inpursuing a future career in firefighting.It is the equivalent of a youth explorer-type program. Traditionally, many FireCadets later become BellbrookFirefighters with an added level ofinitial training, thanks to thisprogressive and extremely popular

program.

"These young people are potentially our firefighters of the future," said Bellbrook Fire Chief Scott Hall. "We are excited about their dedication to the fire service and we’re glad to be able to help them as they work to try to achieve their potential dream to become a firefighter," he said.

Youths interested in the Bellbrook Fire Department Cadet program may call the Fire Department Offices at (937)848-3272 for information.

The Bellbrook Fire Department Hosts Youth Cadet Summer Fire Academy

Your Fire Department to Host Annual Open House

August 2010City of Bellbrook Community Report

City News

2010 Financial Overview

In December 2009, the Bellbrook City Council adoptedthe 2010 Annual Budget and 2010-2014 CapitalImprovement Program. Included on this page are a fewcharts that summarize the approved budget.

The City’s total expense budget for 2010 is $6.6million. These expenses are paid using a combinationof fund balance carry over ($3.8 million) and 2010revenue ($5.9 million).

The City’s largest revenue source is property tax at$2.5 million, or 43% of total revenue. The secondlargest source is charges for services, which includeWater, Waste and EMS charges. This accounts for $2.1million, or 36% of total revenue. The final significantsource of revenue is intergovernmental, which includesestate taxes, homestead and rollback reimbursements, local government funds, gasoline taxes, permissivetaxes, and motor vehicle registrations. This accounts for $1.1 million, or 18% of total revenue.

The $6.6 million expense budget can be viewed fromdifferent perspectives. In the Expense BudgetBreakdown chart, it is shown that 54% of the City’s total expenses are for wages and benefits. Thisincludes paying the firefighters, police officers and service employees that work for the City. In addition,23% of the expenses are used for capital outlay including street projects, water system projects andvehicles and equipment for the Police, Fire and Service Departments.

From a different perspective, the budget can beviewed in the Expense Budget Breakdown by Functionchart. This chart shows that the Police Department accounts for 26% of the total expenses, the FireDepartment accounts for 24% of the total expenses and the Water Department accounts for 25% of the total expenses.

The complete 2010 Annual Budget and 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Program is available by calling (937) 848-4666 or visit the Finance page on our website at HUwww.cityofbellbrook.org UH .

City of Bellbrook Community ReportAugust 2010

City News

City non-emergency services will beclosed September 6th in observance ofLabor Day, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day, and November 25th & 26th in observance ofThanksgiving.

Holidays

Water Shut-off Door Hangers

Environmental News

In an effort to keep residents informed,the City will be highlighting certainprovisions of the Municipal & Zoning Codes in the newsletter.

Signs During the warm weather, activity increases for temporary signsthroughout the City. The BellbrookZoning Code outlines the regulations on these signs. Garage sale, contractorwork and real estate sale signs are only allowed on the property where theactivity is taking place and for limited periods. The Code protects the rights of property owners residing on streetcorners to prevent the placement ofthese types of signs on privateproperty. Additionally, signs that say SOLD, LEASED, RENTED etc. are notpermitted. Lead-in signs at intersections and signs placed ontelephone poles or traffic signs are NOTpermitted. Sign size is limited to 6square feet per side. Illegal signs will be confiscated and owners of the signs may be faced with a zoning citationand fine. The only time the Code is relaxed is during the CommunityGarage Sale held in May with the approval of City Council.

Municipal & Zoning Code Highlights

Property Maintenance As the summer continues, please remember that grass, shrubs and trees need to be maintained. The Property Maintenance Code requires that property ownersmaintain their property, so there is an unobstructed view of traffic from all directions. Low-hanging trees and shrub branches should not interfere with vehicle or pedestrian use of sidewalks and/or streets. Also, adverse property issues may affect the value of a house or neighboring houses. Please be considerate of your neighbors!

Water Treatment Plant Bids In June, the City Council accepted fourbids by contractors for the WaterTreatment Plant Improvement Project.This project will expand the pumpingand water storage capacity of theCity’s Water System. The total amountof the contracts is $2,143,550. TheCity received a grant and a loan (0%interest rate for 20 years) to pay for74% of the project. The remainder willbe paid from the Water Fund. Theproject on W. South St. is expected tostart in late July and be completed byspring 2011.

Animals In April, City Councilapproved Ordinance 2010-2 to change the definition of kennel in the ZoningCode. The limit on the number of dogsand cats was raised from two to fourper household. The Planning Board andCity Council received a large amount ofpublic input during the process.

Tax Budget In June, the City Councilapproved Ordinance 2010-3 authorizing the City Manager to submit the 2011Tax Budget to the Greene CountyAuditor. This is a budget estimate ofrevenues and expenditures, which is available for public inspection. The County Auditor will use the Tax Budgetto establish the property tax rates for2011.

City Council Updates

Effective September 1st, 2010, the City’s Water Department will no longer placedoor hangers at residences where the water will be shut off due to non-payment. This change is being made to reduce costs and improve safety. Each month, Service Department employees are pulled away from their regular jobs to placethese door hangers, and this is not the best use of their time. The affected residents will continue to receive notifications about their delinquency via themail. Residents need to pay attention to these mailings because it is the only notice they will receive.

Fertilizer is a pollutant when it is washed off lawns and gardens into our localstreams and rivers. Fertilizer consists of plant nutrients that help plants grow andreproduce. In water, these nutrients feed naturally occurring algae and can lead to algae blooms, particularly during the warm summer months. An algae bloom is anexplosion in the algae population that turns the water green, shutting out sunlightneeded by bottom-growing plants and leading to oxygen depletion that kills fish

Summer Lawn Care

and other aquatic wildlife.

The best way to prevent water pollution by fertilizer is to apply no more fertilizer than can actually be used by the plants you are tending. Some practices that will limit the amount of fertilizer available to be washed into storm drains and streams are:

August 2010City of Bellbrook Community Report

Environmental News

Have your soil tested. Based on a soil test, you can learn the exact kind and amount of nutrients that the grass on yourlawn needs to grow. Using more fertilizer than needed is wasted and is left behind to wash away into local streams.Contact the Greene County Ohio State University Extension Office at (937) 372-9971 for information on this topic.

After having your soil tested, follow the instructions that come with commercial fertilizer to make sure you apply no morethan is required.

Apply fertilizer in the fall when it is most beneficial to cool-season grasses and less likely to end up in runoff. Avoid leaving fertilizer on hard surfaces, such as sidewalks and driveways where they are most likely to be washed into a

storm drain, where it will end up in a stream. Sweep fertilizer off hard surfaces onto the lawn or into the garden. If possible, avoid applying fertilizer just before a rain storm.

Less is always more when it comes to water quality.

Summer Lawn Care Continued…

When it rains, a large amount of waterflows off impervious surfaces, such asdriveways, houses and streets. Therainwater (or stormwater) enters thecity’s storm drain system and goes

straight to our local streams,untreated. The stormwater flow can be fast and can pick up and carryuntreated pollutants and sediment into the streams and rivers. Thesepollutants can be fertilizers, pesticides,pet wastes, grass clippings, leaves, dirtand debris from roofs and yards, heavymetals and rubber deposits. One ofthe ways you can minimize thenegative effects from this natural rainwater flow is by adding a rain garden on your lot.

Rain gardens are designed for smallerresidential lots and help reducestormwater flow by allowing the waterto soak into the ground and helprecharge the ground water supply.Rain gardens also help control floodingand enhance the beauty of yards byusing native plants, while providing anatural habitat for small wildlife. The

Summer Time Tips

Rain Garden IQ ideal rain garden is one that is capable of capturing and holding or draining the water from its source.

Here are a few tips for rain gardens: Place gardens more than 10’ from

your house foundation; Place gardens upslope of areas

where water collects and down slope of water sources such asdownspouts, driveways, etc;

Do not place gardens near buriedutility lines;

Do not place gardens in the area between streets and sidewalks;

Place gardens in full sun, ifpossible.

Contact your local gardening center or landscaper for additional information for ideas on how to create a rain garden in your yard!

Did you know? Soapy runoff from washing vehicles in your driveway enters the storm drains

and flows untreated into our streams. Detergent levels as low as 0.1 ppm can harm wildlife. Detergents are a source of excessive nutrients, which also degrade the creeks

and streams in the Miami Valley.

Car care tips to minimize your impact on the environment: Used motor oil can be recycled. Put used oil in clean cont ainer with a tight lid and contact Greene County Environmental Services at (937) 562-5925 for disposal information. Park and wash your ca running from your driveway directly into the storm drains. Even better, take

rs in the grass, keeping the dirty and soapy water from

your car to a commercial car wash where the water is typically filtered for re-use and ultimately treated at a wastewater treatment plant. Keep your car serviced. Regular tune-ups reduce the amount

For more Stormwater information and to learn how you can help keep our water clean, visit our website at www.cityofbellbrook.org and go to the Stormwater page!

of hydrocarbons,

,nitrous oxide, and other pollutants which impact our water as well as our air. Repair leaks. Spots on your driveway or garage floor indicate that the engine transmission or radiator may be leaking. Clean up spots and spills with catlitter or other absorbent materials and place into the trash. Do not dump or hose these pollutants into streets or storm drains.

City of Bellbrook Community Report

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PAID DAYTON OH

PERMIT NO 41

CITY OF BELLBROOK COMMUNITY REPORT PO BOX 285 BELLBROOK OH 45305

City of Bellbrook Community Report

Articles of Interest City Council 64th Bellbrook Lions Club

Festival

Information regarding activities to do and things to see at the festival

Community News

Information on community events happening this fall

For more information about City Council, past meetings and current issues, call the Clerk of Council at (937) 848-4321 or visit the Council page onour website at www.cityofbellbrook.org

Council Members

Mary Graves, Mayor

Mike Schweller, Deputy Mayor

Bob Baird

Denny Bennett

Ralph Fussner

Jon Martin

Joe Ritzel

The Bellbrook City Council would like to invite you to join its regular meetings on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Meetings begin at 7 PM.

Environmental News

o The Policeman’s Badge

o The Fire Escape

o City Council Updates

o Message from the Mayor

Information on what is happening at the City and services that we provide our residents

City News

City of Bellbrook 15 E Franklin St

PO Box 285 Bellbrook OH 45305

Departments: Administration: ... 937.848.4666Clerk of Council:.. 937.848.4321Zoning: ............. 937.848.8477Police:.............. 937.848.8484Fire: ................ 937.848.3272Service: ............ 937.848.8415Utility Billing: ..... 937.848.4638

We’re on the Web! www.cityofbellbrook.org