Budget workshop to be held on March 31
By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
OXFORD — The Oxford Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors approved several projects for the downtown area and discussed potential upcoming projects during its meeting on March 17.
DDA Executive Director Kimberly Smith said she would like to spend time with the DDA board and village council to discuss projects to do over the next one to three years, what to partner on, and timing. She mentioned parking-lot resurfacing and tree removal in the north west quadrant, and re-coating garbage cans and benches.
“I don’t know that we’re going to be able to do all of that this year, or even into early 2026, but (here’s a) heads up on it,” Smith said.
Budget workshop
Smith also mentioned she met with committees, the DPW and Village Manager Joe Madore to look at items to prioritize in the DDA’s budget.
The village’s first budget workshop will be on March 31, followed by another workshop next month. Smith said this means the DDA will “hopefully” have an idea of the amount increase it will provide the village. The DDA gives funds to the village for services the village provides, such as using village police for DDA events.
The DDA and Village Council boards met on Feb. 17 to discuss budget and cost sharing, plus the process the DDA uses to produce and present its budget to the village council for approval. Madore said when the village council had its budget workshop in 2024, council members said they thought the village should receive more cost recovery for maintenance and other expenses incurred by the village from DDA activities and events.
Oakland County tech grant
The board also discussed requesting funding from Oakland County in a tech grant. The DDA will need to justify using the funds for a suitable purpose to receive the grant worth approximately $10,000.
The application for the grant and an idea of what the DDA would use it for need to be completed by the end of the month.
“We would hear back whether we received it or not, and then we’d have to use it, or at least be in process of using it, by the end of September,” Smith told the Oxford Leader.
Intern program
The DDA is looking at using around $5,000 for their intern program this year – $2,500 more than last year. The organization the DDA worked with in the past for their program indicated they want to prioritize communities who have not had interns in the past, according to Smith, so she said the DDA’s organizational committee is comfortable with the DDA sourcing its own intern and funding it through their budget if necessary.
Those interested in applying for an internship can email the DDA’s administrative and promotions coordinator, Jess Dickieson, at jdickieson@thevillgeofoxford.org.
Downtown beautification
The board approved purchasing flowers and baskets for $5,285.
The total comes from purchasing from two vendors – $3,578 for Jos. Kutchey and Sons and $1,707 for Buds and Blooms Gardening, according to the meeting’s agenda packet.
The DDA will receive 25 wire baskets for $1,100 and 37 labor saver baskets with liners for $2,478 from Jos. Kutchey and Sons. Buds and Blooms Gardening’s price tag includes flowers, container installation, job supplies, a personal shopper, spring clean-up services and a garden contact.
Smith said updating baskets is necessary because water leaks out of the baskets from last year.