Ohio city reconsiders improved service to village

Officials are taking a second look at providing EMS service to a local village after initially turning down a request that would improve response times

September 08, 2014 05:25 AM

By Eric Robinette
Journal-News

OXFORD, Ohio — The city of Oxford has reopened discussions with College Corner about providing EMS service to the Preble County portion of the village.

City officials recently met again with College Corner leaders and “had a good discussion,” according to Oxford City Manager Douglas Elliott. While suggestions were made to draft a contract to provide the requested service, no offer has been made official.

“I did remind them that the city council has not voted on this issue. We still have some concerns of stretching ourselves thin,” Elliott said.

The village, with a population of 407, straddles Preble and Butler counties. Oxford already provides EMS service to the Butler County portion of College Corner, via a $60,000 fire/EMS contract with Oxford Twp.

Elliott wrote to the village in June, saying that “Further expanding this service, even though it might only be five or so calls a year, might negatively impact the service provided by our part-time staff to the residents of the city of Oxford.”

Fire departments throughout Butler County have increasingly found themselves stretched thin as they help neighbors who lack resources themselves. A recent Journal-News analysis found that mutual aid calls to Middletown and Hamilton increased considerably after departments in those cities grappled with layoffs. For example, in 2012, Hamilton received 33 mutual aid assists. The following year, that number quadrupled to 120.

College Corner had been “deeply disappointed” with Oxford’s initial decision, said Village Solicitor F. Harrison Green

Council also passed a resolution to accept the annexation of 137.6 acres of land in Oxford Township along Bonham Road. The land is near Miami University’s Yager Stadium.

According to city documentation, the Butler County Engineer’s Office plans to replace the Bonham Road bridge in 2016. The city pans to lower the speed limit in that property from 45 mph to 35 mph. That would “considerably” reduce the cost for the bridge replacement, according to Elliott’s report, which does not specify an amount.

The resolution kicks off the formal annexation process, which in this instance requires signatures from all affected property owners.

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