New City Manager Begins Work in Municipal Hall

BY: BETSY SINN
November 19, 2007

Newly appointed Oxford City Manager Doug Elliott started work Monday, as he met with City Council, city department heads and community leaders to discuss the future of Oxford.

Elliott applied for the position after hearing about it through Mercer Group Inc., the management consulting firm Oxford hired to recruit city manager applicants.

Elliott filled the position vacated by Jane Howington, who resigned in June to become an assistant city manager in Dayton. Oxford Service Director Mike Dreisbach, who served as interim city manager after Howington’s departure, met with Elliott during the interviewing process and was convinced he was the right applicant for the job.

City Councilmember Doug Ross said Elliott’s experience and calm attitude made him stand out against his competitors.

Elliott grew up in Eaton, Ohio, a few miles north of Oxford and is very familiar with the area. He is currently living in Eaton with his brother until him and his wife move to Oxford after the holiday season.

“I’ve always been impressed with the town and the knowledge of Miami University. I like managing smaller cities like Oxford because it provides me with the opportunity to be more hands-on as a city manager,” Elliott said.

Elliott worked in a college town previous to accepting the job in Oxford. As assistant city manager in Painesville, Ohio, a job he held from 2006 to 2007, Elliott worked closely with Lake Erie College. However, Elliott admits Lake Erie College didn’t have as big of a presence in Painesville as Miami University does in Oxford.

Miami President David Hodge met with Elliott last week to discuss the city’s partnership with the university.

“It’s important that I stay in close contact with President Hodge and university staff because our destinies are intertwined in a way. We both need to pursue our similar interests and work together on community projects,” Elliott said.

Councilmember Ross encourages Elliott to have a “thick skin” in dealing with any issues or problems that might arise now that he’s started the job.

“You get criticized sometimes when working in this type of position and you have to be able to accept that those criticisms aren’t always directed at you personally,” Elliott said.

“As city manager you have to make independent decisions and realize that not everyone is going to be happy. I don’t know the key to success, but I do know the key to failure and that is to try and please everyone,” Elliott said.

Elliott has several projects on his agenda for his first year in Oxford. A major one is an update of Oxford’s Comprehensive Plan, which he has had experience with in the past. He updated two plans when he served as city manager in Somersworth, N. H., from 1990 to 2004 and on one in Painesville.

“We kicked off the updated plan process here in Oxford by forming a steering committee and holding public forums to get feedback from community members. Now, I think we all need to think about a plan for the future development of Oxford and its land uses,” Elliott said.

Elliott proposes drawing more niche businesses to the historic mile square in Oxford, hoping it will aid the city in developing economically.

“The local economy is like the body and we need new cells or new businesses to keep the body alive. We need more new businesses to keep Oxford’s economy thriving,” Elliott said.

Another capital project at the top of Elliott’s agenda is the Municipal Facilities Plan. The Oxford Police Department wants larger and better-equipped facilities and City Hall needs more space for staff. The current Municipal Building at 101 East High Street no longer has enough room.

Elliott will also face decisions about Oxford’s city pool. In coming months community leaders are discussing whether to build a new pool or repair the existing one, located at 6035 Fairfield Road.

“Oxford also needs street and sidewalk improvements and I would also like to see citizens and neighborhoods maintaining their properties and keeping them free of litter,” Elliott said.

As he begins work in Oxford, Elliott remains involved in an ongoing project in Painesville.

“We had a major flood mitigation project where we were able to secure $8 million in federal and state funds to demolish an area of 80 condos that were destroyed in floods last year,” he said. “Currently, we are in the implementation stage of the project and I would like to see this project through to its completion.”