CITY OF

UNI N

SUMMER 2022 NEWSLETTER

CITY OF

Several years ago, the City of Union purchased the property

located at 201 West Martindale Road, formerly used as a

church. The city maintenance employees have been working at

updating the building and as it is getting closer to completion, the

landscaping has been added around the structure this spring.

The Union Police department will be

located in the building. It will have

police ofces, property storage areas,

and a large room for meetings and

training. The location of the building,

across from the City of Union Fire

Station and close to city hall will help

all the departments continue to function

together.

The police department will move into their

new ofces later this year. With the new

parking lot and landscaping being added

recently, the city is already receiving

favorable comments on the changes.

If you didn’t have time or were on vacation for our June city-wide

garage sale, or if you have emptied more of your closets, you

have a second chance to turn your unwanted items into cash!

The City of Union will be having an additional garage sale event

in September, on September 8, 9, and 10th. No permit fees are

necessary for those three days. Anyone wanting to have a sale

has the option of calling city hall at 937-836-8624 to add your

address to a list. The list of all the sales will be posted on the

city’s website and residents can pick up a list of the sales at city

hall, along with a map, if needed.

FALL GARAGE SALE

September 8, 9, & 10

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Future Home of the City of Union

After being cancelled for the last two years

due to the pandemic, the spring egg hunt

in the City of Union has returned!

The event was held on April 16, at the

Phillipsburg-Union Road community park.

Despite being a little cold and rainy, there

was a good turnout and the children

enjoyed racing towards collecting the 4,000

eggs lled with candy. There were cookies

provided and donations collected for the

FISH organization.

Thanks to Mayor O’Callaghan who

enlisted multiple volunteers to help out,

including the North Dayton Diamondbacks

for preparation of the elds and hiding

of the eggs, the City of Union Fire

Department for giving the Easter Bunny a

ride, the friendly presence by the City of

Union Police Department and special

Spring Egg HuntSpring Egg Hunt

thanks to the Easter Bunny who was

able to make a comeback

this year!

Every year, the City of Union Park Board chooses a property

that has done an exceptional job of beautifying their homes. It can

be improvements to the house or new landscaping, adding a

gazebo or deck, whatever is eye catching and an asset and

improvement to the neighborhood.

If you notice a neighbor or person on your street has worked hard

and made improvements on their property, why not give them the

recognition they deserve and nominate them for the Spirit of Union

award? All you have to do to nominate someone is call Union city

hall and provide the address. The staff and park board will do the

rest. They will check out all the nominees and choose the most

outstanding property.

Wouldn’t it be great to see a special property pictured in

the next City of Union newsletter?

SPIRIT OF UNION NOMINATIONSSPIRIT OF UNION NOMINATIONS

Congrats to Union Homes

CHOSEN BY THE CITY OF UNION PARK BOARD FOR MOST BEAUTIFUL CHOSEN BY THE CITY OF UNION PARK BOARD FOR MOST BEAUTIFUL

LIGHTING & DECORATIONS FOR DECEMBER 2021LIGHTING & DECORATIONS FOR DECEMBER 2021

The City of Union always looks so bright and festive along Main Street with all the pear trees

decorated in white lights. The residents living at the addresses listed below have added to the festive

look of the town with outstanding displays of light, color, and holiday favorites. The city receives many

compliments from people driving through the town and touring through the city streets enjoying the view.

The families listed below have all received an acknowledgement and appreciation letter from

Union Mayor and Park Board President, Michael O’Callaghan. Thanks for brightening up the holidays!

This list is also posted annually on the City of Union website.

WATER QUALITY REPORT

The City of Union 2021 Consumer Condence Report for water is

available on the City of Union’s website at www.unionoh.org or

you can view the report using the following links:

https://bit.ly/38ECaY3

https://www.unionoh.org/sites/g/les/vyhlif3961/f/

pages/ccr_report_2021_nal.pdf

If a paper copy is preferred, it can be obtained by calling

937-836-8624. This annual report includes important information

about water quality in our community. We have a current,

unconditioned license to operate our water system.

Every year, the City of

Union Fire Department

participates in “spring

cleaning” and ushes out all

of the City of Union re hydrants. This cleans

all the water lines of any minerals that have

settled in the water mains and is

considered as preventative maintenance.

As the remen move through your

neighborhood ushing the hydrants, some of

the minerals that get stirred up can show up in

the line when you turn on your water. The

minerals are harmless but you might want to

wait until the remen move to the next area,

and then if you run your cold water for a

moment, the water should run clear.

If by chance, the discolored water is used in

a wash cycle, it can leave a stain on white

articles of clothing. The city does have some

detergent that should remove that, which they

will provide at no cost. This year, the Union Fire

Department will be starting in May and usually

they have completed all the hydrant ushing

within a month. If anyone has any questions,

call city hall at 937-836-8624.

HYDRANT

FLUSHING

198 Carol Lane • 14 Hitching Post Road • 104 Irongate Drive • 108 Krug Drive

109 Krug Drive • 119 Krug Drive • 123 Lightner Lane • 630 Morning Glory Lane

199 Preakness • 201 Riesling Drive • 204 Riesling Drive 101 Sande Court

107 Shaw Road • 108 Shoemaker • 137 Union Ridge • 104 Venetian Way

107 Venetian Way • 100 Waldwick • 102 Westrock Farm • 154 Westrock Farm

A survey of water and sewer charges in the area, looking at over sixty communities was done for years by the

City of Oakwood and recently was taken over by the City of Piqua. This year the colorful chart shows all of the

same information as before but has a color code of what rates have remained the same, decreased or increased.

Union is once again one of the communities with the lowest water rates and lowest combined water and

sewer rates. Below is a copy of the combined water and sewer rates chart. All of the charts will be posted

on the City of Union’s website.

UNION'S WATER & SEWER RATESUNION'S WATER & SEWER RATES

Union

Huber Heights

Vandalia

Clermont County

Butler County

Dayton

Warren County

Englewood

Waynesville

Bellefontaine

Oxford

Fairborn

Greenville

Faireld

Oakwood

Eaton

Tipp City

Monroe

Milford

West Carrollton

Troy

Xenia

New Lebanon

Clark County

Bellbrook (GC sewer)

Hamilton

Carlisle

Lewisburg

Brookville

Franklin

Lebanon

Springeld

Beavercreek (GC)

Cedarville (GC)

Green County

Springboro

Trenton

Washington Court House

Mason

Covington

Urbana

Middletown

Loveland

Trotwood

Germantown

Farmersville

Sidney

Wilmington

Centerville (MC)

Clayton (MC)

Drexel District (MC)

Kettering (MC)

Moraine (MC)

Northridge District (MC)

Riverside (MC)

West Milton

Harrison

West Alexandria

New Carlisle

Miamisburg

Miami County (Tipp City)

Miami County (Troy)

Piqua

Yellow Springs

RED BAR RATE INCREASE (38)

BLUE BAR RATE SAME (23)

GREEN BAR RATE DECREASE (3)

Rates are based on 22,500 gallons

or 3,000 cubic feet of water in a three

month period. Rates quoted are those

in effect as of March 1, 2022.

YEAR 2022

ANNUAL SURVEY

COMBINED WATER &

SEWER COST

HIGH: $585.23

LOW: $178.90

AVERAGE: $309.04

MEDIAN: 294.45

COMBINED INCREASE OF 2.38%

FROM 2021 AVERAGE RATES

64 JURISDICTIONS WITH BOTH

WATER & SEWER

179

188

190

196

202

206

208

222

226

228

234

240

247

249

252

257

259

260

261

263

274

278

279

281

287

290

291

294

302

304

306

316

319

322

323

331

344

345

350

351

356

362

370

378

411

419

447

453

480

551

585

Prepared by the City of Piqua

Utilities Department

You can sign up any time and your address will be added to the list. Every ve years, a new registration list will be created

and everyone will have to re-conrm that they want on the list.

Once a person is signed up, your address will remain on the Do-Not-Solicit list until the next time a new

registration list is created (which is every ve years) but you always have the option to withdraw or add

your address at any time.

To ll out the form in person, stop by the City of Union building or sign up online at:

https://www.unionoh.org/building-zoning-department/webforms/do-not-solicit-signup

Please add my address to the Do-Not-Solicit List

Stormwater runoff can be affected by residential lawn fertilizers.

Help keep the Stillwater River safe and clean with these lawn tips:

It’s Spring again! Time to get your lawn in such good shape that the neighbors are envious.

More fertilizer? Maybe not. With an eye to preserving the environment and the nearby rivers and creeks,

we should consider using less fertilizer. This author uses very little, and yet my lawn grows rather well.

Let’s consider what type and how much fertilizer is necessary.

Those three numbers on bags of fertilizer (the ones that look like “22-0-4”) are always in the same order

and they stand for the amounts of “Nitrogen,” “Phosphorous,” and “Potash” that are in the bag. Fertilizer

companies are required to put this information on the bags, and they typically have other useful info on the

bags, as well.

Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase too

much, which can damage or even kill the grass. When this happens, it is known as “fertilizer burn” and

looks like yellow and brown strips or patches of dead grass.

An established lawn needs only a little Nitrogen fertilizer each year, no additional Phosphorous, and only

perhaps a little Potash. It you leave your clippings on the lawn when you mow, the lawn gets all the

Phosphorous it needs from the clippings. If you are trying to start a new lawn, you do need some additional

Phosphorous, but once established the best source for the phosphorous is the lawn clippings themselves.

For new lawns, or troubled lawns, it might be good to contact an expert at the area “Soil and Water

Conservation District 937-854-7645. They have “Soils test kits” for free. The samples need to be sent to

Spectrum Analytic, Inc. in Washington Court House, Ohio.

The cost is about $20 per analysis for the information that would be useful for lawn care. They offer

several soil testing packages based on what you would like analyzed. The Montgomery County Soil and

Water Conservation District has free soil sample bags and instruction sheets available at their ofce at

10025 Amity Road in Brookville, Ohio. Call ahead to make sure that they have enough on hand.

In short I recommend that you experiment with using less fertilizer overall:

- Applying the high Nitrogen fertilizer sparingly where the grass looks “thin”.

- Leave the grass clippings lay (thus supplying the Phosphorous).

- Aerate your lawn periodically. Aerating is a process that removes cores for the

soils to stimulate grass root growth, enhances oxygen levels in soils and loosens

compact soil to increase the absorption of rain water and nutrients.

Tips for using Less lawn Fertilizer

HELP KEEP OUR TOWN BEAUTIFUL

Please nd below a guideline for several property maintenance regulations for the City of Union. Union residents

are very proactive and protective of their neighborhoods. Listed below are some important guidelines all

residents should follow to help keep our neighborhoods looking great. If residents have any questions, please

call UNION CITY HALL at 937-836-8624.

Property Maintenance Requirements

Here are a few of our key property maintenance items:

DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT?

Permits Are Required for:

Sheds • Pools • Electrical Work • Driveways • Pods • Furnace • Generators

Sidewalks • Fences • Air conditioning • Gas Piping • Curbs • Remodeling

Room additions • Garages • Decks

Lawn maintenance/mowing - Properties should be maintained, with lawns, hedges, and bushes kept from becoming

overgrown or decayed. Grass may not exceed a height of 6 inches. All trees and bushes along sidewalks and streets

should be trimmed back to provide a clear height of 10 feet above the surface of the sidewalk and 12 feet above the

surface of the street. Overhanging branches should be trimmed back to the property line. If a property backs up to a

City- owned greenspace, that area may not be used for gardening, planting of bushes, owers, trees, etc.

Trash receptacles - Containers for all residential garbage and residential rubbish and recycling materials shall be

placed at the street curb or alley right-of-way line not sooner than twelve hours before the beginning of the day of

normal collection thereof. For the purposes hereof, the beginning of the collection day shall be considered to be at 7 a.m.

Removal of empty receptacles. Empty containers shall be removed from the street curb or alley right-of-way line

within twelve hours after the end of the collection day. For the purposes hereof, the end of the collection day shall be

considered to be 10:00 p.m.

Inoperable/unlicensed vehicles - All operable vehicles should be parked on a paved surface. Parking or storing any

truck or commercial vehicle more than 11,500 pounds is prohibited in the front yard, including on the front driveway.

Boats and RV storage and utility trailers - Trailers, recreational vehicles, tents, garages, or temporary buildings can-

not be used as residences. RVs, trailers, and boats more than 6 feet in height cannot be parked or stored in the front

or side yard of residential properties, except for a loading or unloading period, not to exceed 48 hours. RVs,

trailers, and boats less than 6 feet in height may be parked or stored in the side yard of residential districts if screened

by a 6-foot solid or privacy fence. Temporary parking of a motor home is permitted for up to 48 hours; it cannot be used

as a residence.

Mayor Michael O’Callaghan

937-836-0177

Vice Mayor John Bruns

937-832-0912

Councilwoman Lynne omas-Roth

937-671-6613

Councilman Jay Niemann

937-414-7529

Councilwoman Jean Kyle

937-832-2811

Councilwoman Helen Oberer

937-832-3269

Councilman Ken Prunier

937-751-4073

• The upgrades on the City of Union wastewater treatment

plant have been completed and the plant is operating at

peak efciency. This was a major project required and

approved by the Ohio EPA.

• As requested by the Ohio EPA, water lines have been run

to Audubon Aullwood Center and Farm due to that area

having contaminated private drinking wells. The city also

was able to supply water to several other locations that

needed it.

• The industrial park is growing and a variety of facilities will

be built, bringing in much needed jobs to not only Union,

but also Dayton and Montgomery County.

• As that area grows, the City of Union, working with

Montgomery County Transportation Improvement District

will continue to improve and widen roads to handle any

additional trafc.

• State Route 48 has been resurfaced as part of an Ohio

Department of Transportation Department project,

postponed from last year.

Residents enjoy walking on many of the city’s sidewalks, bike paths, and park areas and are frequently accompanied by their

dogs, who also benet from the exercise and fresh air. The City does have regulations on pets, for protection of both property

owners and their pets. Dogs are not allowed to run loose while on walks; they should be tethered on a leash no longer than

6 feet. Pet owners must immediately pick up after their pets on walks and in public areas and also routinely take care to keep

their property clean of pet waste. This is not just people being considerate of others but is in the city regulations.

Dogs and cats should be kept safe and secure on the owner’s property, either by way of leash, fence, or contained inside

the home. Also, owners should take measures to prevent a dog’s prolonged howling or barking. Vicious animals, including

vicious dogs, are prohibited in the City of Union. Vicious animals are those that bite or have a propensity to cause harm to

humans or animals. Residents must limit the number of dogs and cats to no more than two of each per household. The city

sometimes is asked about other animals such as chickens, ducks, and other farm type animals, but those are not permitted in

residential areas in Union.

UPDATES IN THE CITY

PETS IN UNION

e City of Union Newsletter

118 North Main Street

Union, OH 45322

937-836-8624