Ohio City/County Management Association

Thank you to our Bronze Sponsors! We appreciate your support! Bradley Payne Municipal Advisors, Energy Optimizers, USA, LJB Inc., Management Advisory Group, LLC, McGohan Brabender, Retail Strategies, Verdantas, Wessler Engineering, and NOPEC.

Congratulations to the City of New Albany, Ohio, for receiving the Placemaking Award for the Taylor Farm Park. ?? Taylor Farm Park stands as a transformative asset in New Albany, enriching community life through recreation, education, and environmental stewardship.?The vision for a destination park in New Albany began two decades ago, but it wasn’t until the perfect opportunity arose in 2018 that the City was able to move forward with the land purchase and construction.?The New Albany Company partnered with the City to gather insights from community leaders, residents, and consultants.?Through a Clean Ohio Grant and City funds, the 100 acres were purchased, paving the way for the $10.7 million capital improvement project that would ultimately give rise to Taylor Farm Park. The park includes 24 acres of forested wetland and 10 acres of emergent wetland.?In addition, approximately 10 acres of upland buffer have been planted/restored, and 5 acres of forested buffer have been preserved. By transforming a historic farm into a multi-faceted public space, the park fosters a connection with nature and provides recreational opportunities that enhance residents’ quality of life.

Congratulations to the Village of Gibsonburg for receiving the Redevelopment Award for its Logyard Project. ?? In 2021, the Village of Gibsonburg began a three-year, aggressive project to transform the site of a vacant and abandoned gas station into a vibrant downtown park (“The Logyard”) that would assist in showcasing out downtown businesses and establishing a centralized location where the community could gather for events like the Farmers Markets, Concerts and Movie Nights.?The Logyard Project was completed in October of 2024 and features?a covered structure, tables and benches, walkways, landscaping, fencing, an archway, The Gibsonburg Hall of Fame Wall, a mural and “Spirit”, an 8.35-foot tall, hand-carved Golden Bear (their high school mascot) that stands in the center to honor all Golden Bears past, present and future. The Redevelopment Project award recognizes innovative community redevelopment projects.

Congratulations to the City of Cincinnati Water Works for receiving the Citizen Participation Award for its outreach strategy on the City's lead line replacement program. ?? Several changes to Greater Cincinnati Water Work’s outreach strategy for its lead line replacement program resulted in a 30% increase in customer participation during the past year. Although the utility offers to replace privately owned lead service lines at no additional cost to customers, the participation rate for eligible areas only reached about 50%, mostly due to mistrust and confusion. To make the program more appealing, the utility revamped and streamlined all program materials to rely more on infographics than text, making them easier to understand. These include postcards, emails, texts, automated telephone calls, geofenced social media posts, yard signs, and personal contact via door-knocking. These changes have increased the program’s average participation rate to 81%. The Citizen Participation Award recognizes successful strategies designed to inform citizens about the local government services available to them and to include citizens in the process of community decision-making. The award concentrates on community consensus building and adult (non-student) citizenship education.

Congratulations to the City of Gahanna and the City of New Albany, Ohio, for receiving the Intergovernmental Cooperation Award for their Mayor's Court collaboration. ?? In a groundbreaking example of intergovernmental collaboration, the City of Gahanna and the City of New Albany have established a joint Mayor’s Court arrangement that benefits both municipalities, offering a scalable, efficient model of shared services for Ohio’s cities. This partnership addresses common resource challenges, optimizes service delivery, and supports fiscal responsibility while ensuring residents receive timely, effective judicial services. As intergovernmental collaboration becomes increasingly essential in a landscape of rising costs and resource limitations, this initiative provides a roadmap for how cities can achieve common goals without compromising service quality. By demonstrating the advantages of shared resources, this partnership inspires other Ohio municipalities to explore opportunities for intergovernmental collaboration. The Intergovernmental Cooperation Award recognizes outstanding programs developed out of cooperative actions or strategic partnerships between at least two jurisdictions or between a jurisdiction and a nonprofit agency established by a jurisdiction.

Thank you to our Silver Sponsors! We appreciate your support! American Structurepoint, Back To Business I.T., Enterprise Fleet Management, GovWell, Marathon Health, Omni Fiber, Polimorphic, Software Solutions Inc., Technique Roofing Systems, Veregy, and Workday.

Congratulations to Judith Zimomra on receiving the Career Development/Mentoring Award. ?? Judith Zimomra is a professor at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.?Per her students, Professor Zimomra’s mentorship extends far beyond the bounds of the classroom.?She offers extensive experience and genuine investment in her students, making her an unparalleled role model and mentor.?Whether reviewing resumes, offering invaluable career advice, or helping students prepare for job interviews, Professor Zimomra goes above and beyond to ensure that every student feels supported and prepared for their future in public administration.?It is rare to have a professor touch the lives of so many students in their work. Her encouragement, patience, and belief in her students’ abilities are a source of inspiration for all. Professor Zimomra received her JD from Capital University Law School, her MPA from OSU’s Glenn College, and a BA in Speech Communication and Rhetoric from Kent State University. The Career Development/Mentoring Award honors an OCMA member who has made a significant contribution to the development of new talent in professional local government management.

Reminder: Nominations for the ICMA Local Government Excellence Awards are due on March 14th.

Congratulations to Ashley N. Combs on her appointment as City Manager for the City of Middletown, Ohio. https://lnkd.in/gh4sTPpb

Thank you to our 2025 OCMA Gold Sponsors. We appreciate your support! Bricker Graydon, JobsOhio, OpenGov Inc., Renogize Professional Coaching, and SecureCyber.