​On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, RB Jergens Contractors, Inc. and its subcontractors will be remobilizing to downtown Urbana to complete the Monument Square Roundabout Improvement Project (US 36 & US 68 Intersection Improvement Project). The contractor will be completing remaining work items that were carried over from last fall, including final resurfacing on the project.

In early November of last year, daily and overnight temperatures were not conducive to completing all of the planned asphalt work due to asphalt placement specification requirements and limited availability of the high traffic asphalt mix being used on the project. Local and federal funding for the paving work was carried over from 2019 into 2020, and the contract was extended for completion by the end of May 2020. With daily temperatures now being ideal for the high traffic asphalt mix, the contractor has scheduled the paving work on Miami Street, South Main Street, and in the parking areas of Monument Square. In addition, the City and ODOT are stipulating replacement of at least portions of the surface course asphalt laid last fall on North Main Street and Scioto Street.

To facilitate all of this work, the contractor will be posting no parking signage within the planned work areas in advance of each respective work phase. Remaining work items on the project are as follows: milling of existing asphalt surface; pavement repair of deteriorated areas prior to paving; final surface asphalt paving; permanent striping of roadway markings, parking lines, and crosswalks; manhole adjustment; and water valve adjustment.
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In addition to parking restrictions to allow for the work to be completed, daytime road closures will be required during the paving operations. A local detour will be in place during these daytime road closures. No work is scheduled for Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, 2020.

Wet pavements and predicted showers have delayed the start date for crack sealing.  Bituminous Pavement Systems will now look to begin Tuesday, 5/19 (weather pending) or Wednesday 5/20 on designated streets around town, beginning in the south half of Urbana. 

Click here for more details and a map.

​The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Run 5K & 1 Mile Walk/Run - Saturday, September 7 that 9:00 a.m. starts and finishes near the Urbana University Student Center. This family peace building event offers lots of post-race refreshments, music and "Kids for Peace" activities. You can register & pay online at http://www.cantstoprunningco.com OR return form with entry fee (payable to The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund) to Urbana University, Attn: Stephani Islam, 579 College Way, Urbana, OH 43078 www.urbana.edu.

The inaugural Knight's Peace Award in memory of Alicia Titus will be presented in September. Please visit the www.urbana.edu. Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund page to submit names for this year's Knight's Peace Award and presentation information.

"International Day of Peace" September Celebration - Date and time to be announced.

"Nonviolent Communication" 6 Week Class - October 14th - November 18th, Mondays 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. This FREE 6 Week "Nonviolent Communication" Class is open to high school students, UU Students and community members. The classes will be held in the Moore Conference Room, downstairs in the Urbana University Student Center. To register for the Nonviolent Communication Class please call Stephani Islam at (937) 772-9246.

2020
"Season for Nonviolence" (January 30th - April 4th) - A national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund, Urbana University, A Branch Campus of Franklin University and the City of Urbana, the 140th International "City of Peace", are heading into their sixth year of promoting and sponsoring programs for the "Season for Nonviolence". 2020 - Special guest speaker, Paul Chappell. "Quilting the Golden Rule" Exhibit will be on display. Dates and times to be announced.

"Great Kindness Challenge" (January 27th - 31st) - The Great Kindness Challenge is a Bully Prevention program for Pre-K - 12 students that creates a culture of kindness!! Everyone in our Urbana City of Peace Community is invited to join in the challenge and support our youth in their efforts to be kind. To sign up your school, your business or family, please visit the "Kids for Peace" (Great Kindness Challenge) and download the School or Family Edition checklist https://thegreatkindnesschallenge.com/familychecklist/.

"Nonviolent Communication" 6 Week Class (March 16th - April 20th) - Mondays 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. This FREE 6 Week "Nonviolent Communication" Class - Level 2 is open to high school students, UU Students and community members. The classes will be held in the Moore Conference Room, downstairs in the Urbana University Student Center. To register for the Nonviolent Communication Class please call Stephani Islam at (937) 772-9246.

"Cooperative Service Volunteer" Program (April 1 - 30) - The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund "Cooperative Service Volunteer Program links Urbana University Students with service volunteer opportunities within our Urbana City & Champaign County Community.

"The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund Endowed Scholarship" will be awarded in April to our 6th recipient!

2018/2019 Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund Programs and Events
• The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund "Run for Peace" was held on September 8, 2018 and despite the rain, there were approximately 150 participants and volunteers. The Urbana Police Department once again won the special traveling trophy! We are grateful for their service!!
• The annual Knight's Peace Award in memory of Alicia Titus was given to Urbana Mayor Bill Bean Sept. 20, 2018. Please visit the www.urbana.edu. Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund page to submit names for this year's Knight's Peace Award.
• The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund, Urbana University, and our Urbana City of Peace celebrated "International Day of Peace" on Thursday, Sept. 20 serving up pizza, veggies, water and information about what it means to be a "City of Peace" to over 150 students and community members on UU's Campus!
• The International "Cities of Peace" exhibit was on display in the Urbana University Student Center's Sara Landess Room from Nov. 5, 2018 - May 6, 2019. The exhibit consisted of 12 panels that represent "Cities of Peace" around the world, as well as our own newly redesigned Urbana "City of Peace" Panel. The "Cities of Peace" exhibit panels answer the questions and address the following issues: "What Are Cities of Peace"? "Are Cities of Peace Important"? "What is a Culture of Peace"? and, "Fostering Our Peace Economy" and "International Cities of Peace" location. The "Cities of Peace" Exhibit opened with a panel discussion both times with approximately 50 community members and students in attendance.
• Alicia's Peace Fund, Urbana University, Urbana City, and Champaign County participated in our fifth "Season for Nonviolence" Jan. 30 -April 4, 2019, the 64-day educational, media and grassroots campaign is dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform and empower lives and communities. This event is a commemoration of the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.
• As a part of the 2019, "Season for Nonviolence", local schools including Mechanicsburg, West Liberty, Graham and Urbana City participated in the "Great Kindness Challenge" Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2019. The "bully prevention" program encourages children to perform random acts of kindness throughout the week. Mechanicsburg Schools dedicated an entire year to performing acts of kindness within their school, home and their communities. Close to 1,000 family and community members participated in performing random acts of kindness and nearly 4,100 Champaign County students, faculty and staff joined over 13 million students from over 24,000 schools around the world for this event. In excess of 650 million "acts of kindness" were performed in 113 countries this year!
• The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund sponsored two 6-week Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Workshops for Urbana University students, faculty and staff along with community members, free of charge. Forty people participated. NVC was developed by Marshall Rosenberg, PhD, clinical psychologist and mediator and has been taught around for over 50 years in 65 countries and has been used by thousands of people. Diane Diller, NVC trainer certified by the Global Center of Nonviolent Communication led the workshops.
• The Season for Nonviolence wrapped up with a month of service in April. The Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund "Cooperative Service Volunteer Program" links Urbana University students with service volunteer opportunities within the Urbana community. Several local businesses and organizations provided opportunities for over 100 Urbana University students, faculty and staff to serve in our Urbana "City of Peace" Community, which resulted in over 200 hours of volunteer service!
• The fifth annual endowed scholarship was awarded through the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace fund to an entering freshman woman who has demonstrated a desire to make a difference in our world.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" - Nelson Mandela 

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Urbana Energy Special Improvement District, Inc., doing business under the registered trade name Urbana Energy Special Improvement District, Inc. (the “District”) will hold its initial organizational meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, at the City of Urbana Municipal Building located at 205 S. Main Street, Urbana, Ohio 43078.
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The District is a nonprofit corporation and special improvement district created pursuant to Chapters 1702 and 1710 of the Ohio Revised Code to govern the Urbana Energy Special Improvement District.  The purposes of this meeting of the Board are to: (1) elect officers of the District; (2) consider adopting a code of regulations for the District; (3) consider adopting a public records policy for the District; (4) consider adopting competitive bidding rules for the District; (5) consider authorizing energy reporting for the District; (6) consider joining in the adoption of a plan for public improvements and public services for the District; (7) consider approving financing documents with respect to a special energy improvement project within the District; (8) consider engaging legal counsel for the District; and (9) consider other business that may properly come before the Board.

​On Tuesday, July 9, 2019, Urbana City Council approved a new $5.00 vehicle registration permissive tax that will be effective on January 1, 2020 for all vehicles registered with the Ohio Bureau of Vehicles within the corporation limits of the City of Urbana.  The vehicle registration permissive tax is an optional tax that can be levied by counties, municipalities, and/or townships on vehicle registrations.  There are eleven $5.00 levies that are available to be enacted, but only six can be in effect at any one time in any single taxing district.  The current maximum permissive tax for registration in any single taxing district is $30.00 per registration year. 
 
Currently, for vehicles registered with the Ohio BMV within the City of Urbana corporation limits, $20.00 is paid as part of the vehicle registration fees as a permissive tax.  With the additional $5.00 being added, a total of $25.00 in permissive tax will be paid as part of the vehicle registration fee when a vehicle is registered with the Ohio BMV.  Of the $25.00 collected, $17.50 of this fee will be used for maintenance, repair, and improvement of public roads within the city.  This new, city specific $5.00 permissive tax fee will generate approximately $57,195.00 per year for road maintenance and improvement citywide.  The other $7.50 will continue to be used by the county to maintain, repair, and improve county owned  roads. 
 
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, when adjusted for inflation, $100.00 invested in road construction in July 2005 now costs $152.00 as of June 2018.  According to the 2017 Pavement Condition Rating of all 62.6 miles of public streets within the City of Urbana, $6,016,075.95 in maintenance and resurfacing work is required.  Based on historically available funding, it would take the city over 24 years to complete street work on every city street if the pavement conditions did not worsen over that 24-year period.  Coupled with the recent gas tax increase that was put into effect by the State of Ohio on July 1, 2019, the new $5.00 permissive tax will allow the city to begin to further address its backlog of roadway maintenance and improvement projects.

Mark your calendars with these upcoming event dates at Grimes Field Airport in Urbana, Ohio!