After careful review and much consideration, the Board of Trustees will continue to participate in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program while continuing to fight any increase in the number of subsidized housing units in the Township.  There has been a significant amount of attention given to the CDBG Program recently due to the Federal Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD) intentions of expanding the number of public housing units into the suburbs of Hamilton County.  While we remain very concerned about the negative impact that an over-saturation of public housing can have on our community, taking action to not participate in the CDBG Program and give up potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding will not prevent subsidized housing from being able to locate in the Township.  In order to address this issue more comprehensively and answer some very legitimate questions regarding our decision to remain in the CDBG Program, we have prepared the following FAQ. 

Would opting-out of the CDBG Program prevent Section 8 housing  

from locating in the Township?

No, unlike what has been portrayed in the newspapers, there is no connection between the Section 8 voucher recipient's ability to locate in the Township and our participation in the CDBG Grant Program. 

Would opting-out of the CDBG Program  

prevent any subsidized housing from locating in the Township?

The only housing that may be affected or limited in locating in the Township would be properties owned by the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) or HUD and financed with 100% public financing.  In almost all cases, CMHA or HUD use some private financing and therefore are able to locate in a community whether that community participates in the CDBG Program or not.  

Does the Township currently have any CMHA or HUD  

owned properties within our community?

Yes, there are approximately 16-20 CMHA owned properties in the Township.  This is much less than the estimated 600 Section 8 vouchers currently utilized in the Township, which represents 4% of our 14,478 total housing units. 

What are the criminal activity and property maintenance  

issues associated with subsidized housing?

While we have experienced some criminal and property maintenance issues with Section 8 voucher housing, the 16-20 properties owned by CMHA have not presented any property maintenance or criminal issues to date.  Again, opting-out of the CDBG Program will not enable the Township to limit or prevent Section 8 voucher properties. 

What does the Township use CDBG funds for?

Historically, the Township has applied for and received CDBG funding to complete infrastructure projects such as road repaving and funds for senior and community center expenses in qualifying neighborhoods.  CDBG Funds can only be used in income qualifying areas of the Township as defined by HUD.  Using these funds in these areas enables the Township to utilize remaining Township funds in areas that don't qualify, thereby stretching the use of existing tax dollars.    

Due to the downturn in the economy, Springfield Township, like many communities, has been presented with challenges in property abandonment and foreclosure.  In addition to the loss in tax revenue used to provide Township services, properties that have been abandoned generally create blight, may present health or safety issues, can negatively affect property values, and increase the likelihood of criminal activity in neighborhoods.  Fortunately, Hamilton County is working on creating a Land Bank that will enable communities to more effectively deal with properties abandoned by tax foreclosure. 

Land Banks enable communities to gain title to abandoned properties and put them back to a productive use when the private market cannot or is unwilling to do so due to economics or complicated title issues.  The county is able to pursue this initiative due to recent legislation passed at the state level giving local authorities the tools to deal with these problem properties.  Many states have similar legislation, most notably Michigan, which has been successfully utilizing Land Banks for years to deal with the foreclosure issues plaguing their state.  The Township is eager to work with the county on this effort and is excited about the ways the Land Bank may be able to assist us in dealing with vacant and abandoned properties.  For more information about Land Banks and their potential benefits please click here. (pdf download) 

The Springfield Township Board of Trustees formally adopted the Community Master Plan at the Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Trustee meeting. The plan outlines several strategies to govern a sustainable community into the future, create the groundwork for new zoning and provide a concept for "The Core District" along Galbraith Road.  Over the past few weeks, Township trustees and administrative staff have met with various developers to relay the potential use for real estate in Springfield Township.

To view the final community master plan, visit

http://www.springfieldtwp.org/neighborhoodmasterplan.cfm 

The Free concerts, held on Thursday nights will begin at 7:00 p.m. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. (You may not bring alcohol with you; however, you may bring your own food.)  

Concert Schedule

Thursday, July 21, 2011 

The Cincinnati Civic Orchestra  "Folk Music Inspires The Pops"

7:00 p.m. 

*This co

ncert will take place outdoors on the back deck of the Springfield Township Senior Center. Bring your picnic blankets or lawn chairs. Register to win doorprizes by Drees of Bridgecreek.

Kids' Police Academy ages 8-13 

July 11 - July 16  2011

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Graduation - Saturday, July 17 10am-noon

Register online at http://www.springfieldtwp.org/KidsPolice.cfm  

Kids Fire Academy ages 8-12  

Junior Fire Academy ages 13-17

WINTON ROAD STREET BANNER CONTEST  

WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Wine & Cheese Artist Reception Planned!!! 

Springfield Township was awarded $2,500 by ArtsWave Presents to host a new art contest for street banners along Winton Road carrying the theme "A Community of Neighborhoods, A Great Place to Call Home." The non-profit agency ArtWorks coordinated the contest and rules. The contest was first announced in the Township's April - May e-newsletter and thirty art projects were submitted using various forms of media. A panel of judges reviewed the images and has now announced the winner to be Susan Mahan. Susan captured the theme beautifully using mixed media and brilliant colors. Her art depicts a tapestry of houses with a park-like feel, a perfect reflection of Springfield Township. Two of Susan's artworks were selected and she has agreed to design a third custom piece capturing a few architectural elements signature to our community. The three designs will be formatted for street banners and will be hung in early fall.  

To commemorate the art contest, the Township will host an artist reception in coordination with the hanging of the street banners on September 2, 2011 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the Administration lobby and front patio. There will be no charge for admission and a cash bar will be available.  Susan's work will be on display. To learn more about this artist and to see many of her current works of arts, visit http://susanmahan.com/  

Economic Development News

McDonald's Construction Begins

Buffalo Wings & Rings Schedules Grand Opening

J Gumbo Coming Soon

 

Caring for a parent comes with many challenges. Juggling between your child's soccer game and your mother's doctors' appointments - managing to balance it all. Whether you are one of the 42 million people currently caring for an older adult or are just approaching the years when its time to take care of mom, this seminar series will held guide you through resources you will need to make difficult decisions easier.  Join us as we take you through the important topics centered around being an informed caregiver. Each program will be offered at one of the three sponsoring senior centers providing this course. All programs are scheduled 6-8 p.m. Light refreshments will be included.  (Register for each program individually.) 

Recycling Your Yardwaste and Electronics

You can use your handy recycling bin or cart to recycle metal cans, paper, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars at home, but it's important to remember that just because you can't toss it in your bin doesn't mean it's not recyclable. Did you know that your yardwaste can be broken down to create rich compost, and old electronics can often be remade into new materials? From leaves to laptops, the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District is providing programs this summer to help Hamilton County residents recycle their waste.

Both programs are free and available to Hamilton County residents only. Please bring proof of residency, such as a driver's license or a utility bill.

Yardwaste Drop-Off Program:

o   Locations:

o   Bzak Landscaping, 3295 Turpin Ln.                 

o   Kuliga Park, 6717 Bridgetown Rd.

o   Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, 3800 Struble Rd.

o   Dates:   

March 26 - November 20, 2011. Saturdays and Sundays.  11:30 a.m. -  5 p.m.  January 7 and January 14, 2012. Saturdays only. 12:00 p.m  - 3 p.m.

o   Bzak Landscaping will also be open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. in addition to weekend hours listed above.  Bzak will be closed May 30, July 4 and September 4.

o   Kuliga Park will be closed July 2 and July 3, 2011.

o   Details:  

Landscapers and commercial establishments are not eligible to participate in this program. For more guidelines, please see the District website at HamiltonCountyRecycles.org

Computer and TV Recycling Drop-Off Program: 

o   Location:   

2trg- 11085 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242

o   Dates:  

Monday - Friday. May 2 - Oct. 31, 2011   

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Open ONLY two Saturdays. June 18 and October 15.  

9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

o   Details:   

Items from businesses, churches and non-profits will not be accepted. Items accepted free of charge include CPUs, monitors, printers, televisions, fax machines, main frames, laptops, mice, keyboards, speakers, scanners, personal copiers, cables, printers, chips, circuit boards, back-up batteries, cell phones and PDAs.

For more information about these programs, please visit the district website at HamiltonCountyRecycles.org. For questions about our yardwaste drop-off sites, please call our yardwaste hotline at 513-946-7755. For questions about our computer and TV recycling drop-off program, please call our recycling hotline at 513-946-7766.