MILFORD, Ohio — Milford City Council heard a pitch for a park district levy renewal, expanded the city’s downtown drinking district and authorized new testing for groundwater contamination at a former gas station site during a meeting that also highlighted an upcoming tribute to a local Vietnam War hero.
The March 3 session featured East Fork Park District Executive Director Josh Torbeck urging council members to spread the word about a 0.5-mil, 10-year levy renewal on the May ballot, emphasizing it as “no new taxes” while funding free park access, trails, and community grants.
“The last thing I want to hear is people go to the ballots and say, ‘We have no idea it’s going to be on the ballot,'” Josh told council. “So I’m trying to get the word out — educate the public.”
The levy, first passed in 2016, supports 13 parks and preserves spanning more than 1,000 acres in conservation easements from Loveland to Shiloh, including a river museum. For a $300,000 home, it costs about $30 annually, or $2.64 monthly, according to the district.
Josh highlighted plans for new parks near an old rail bed outside Loveland and in Washington Township if the levy passes, plus a community grant program that’s distributed over $1 million for nearly 100 local projects in the past decade. Milford received $20,000 last year for irrigation at Five Points Park, with pickleball courts potentially next.
“Josh and his team have been great to work with,” one council member said, noting the grant’s role in a $120,000 project. Another stressed: “It’s a renewal. No new taxes. As far as park levies go, it’s about as affordable as it gets.”
Council unanimously passed Ordinance 26-448 to expand the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), established in 2017, allowing open alcoholic beverages in branded containers downtown. The update adds areas across the bridge on Longworth Street and near Riverside 2 on Cash Street, switches to cheaper disposable cups with stickers, and makes the district permanent seven days a week.
“The city created a DORA district in 2017 and that’s been a tremendous success for us in the downtown area,” City Manager Benjamin Gunderson said. “It’s been extremely beneficial to us as a community and to the businesses, and we’ve had very little issues with that DORA district.”
The police chief reported “zero issues” since inception, adding the expansion covers business areas previously excluded by state limits. On waste concerns from disposable cups, Gunderson said: “I think this is the opportunity to address that with recycling bins throughout the downtown. … The cups are recyclable.”
Council will review the DORA in a year.
In another unanimous vote, council approved Ordinance 26-449 for an $8,350 agreement with Terracon to add monitoring wells and retest groundwater contamination at the former Sour Marathon gas station at 300 Main Street, bought by the city years ago.
Gunderson explained the contamination, likely from an unreported underground tank leak, was discovered post-purchase. Initial remediation estimates hit $200,000 to $300,000, but levels dropped naturally over a year of monitoring, prompting a state-approved pause.
“The actual potency within the monitoring wells — have gone down,” Gunderson said. “The area spread marginally, but the actual levels of contamination have gone down. So instead of spending the $200,000 to $300,000 … we are now going back to testing.”
No public health concerns were mentioned, and the agreement calls for full capture of the affected area before final fixes. The cost wasn’t budgeted, as officials awaited the right strategy.
Under old business, council previewed an April 7 presentation honoring Capt. Lewis John Spidle, a Milford Vietnam veteran, with a State Route 28 dedication. The 21-year-old flew missions over “Hamburger Hill,” earned the Purple Heart and owned Spidle Nursery in the named area.
“He has a tremendous story,” Gunderson said. “You see those signs, but you don’t necessarily know the backstory. We’ll make sure that gets out.”
The mayor credited the Lucky family and the State House for the designation, with Spidle’s daughter set to speak. “It’s an impressive story,” a council member added. “The area he’s being recognized as is very significant to his family.”
