Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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It has been an exciting five weeks since we began this new administration and started our multi-faceted, strategic plan to change the way we do business, encourage growth, and improve our municipal amenities. I am invigorated by the determination and passion of the people who work for the city, residents and business owners, and the people I meet riding TARTA to work once a week.
Job readiness continues to be one our challenges as a region. Yes, the economy looks great for at least three years or more. Yet, I hear from business owners and executives that they are scaling back what they want to do because they have trouble finding employees who can meet their needs. I will be examining ways to encourage employers to play a part by helping connect learning in our schools to the careers of today and tomorrow. We can’t start early enough when it comes to closing opportunity gaps. That is one of the reasons I believe universal prekindergarten is important. We must also be cognizant that there are good-paying jobs for which we once had a number of vocational schools to train students. I spoke to our partners at the Toledo Trucking Association Thursday and many told me business was great but they sometimes struggle to find drivers. Transportation is an important industry for us and Toledo is situated to be the logistics leader of the nation.
We had our first “Wednesdays with Wade” this week at the Heatherdowns Branch Library. It was a great discussion and we heard a multitude of complaints the city needs to work on. Among the things we heard: pick up the leaves and fix more potholes. Yes, we did not have a good start to leaf collection late last year but we are catching up and your city employees continue to fix the streets.
Crews were out non-stop when the snow started falling early Friday morning. Mechanics who work in the police and fire departments helped our streets division keep our fleet of 60 snow plows in great shape and on the roads this week. This is Toledo. We are tough. When winter hits, and several inches of snow gets dumped on this city, we respond.
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The Kapszukiewicz administration started on day one planning for 2018 street repair and replacement. The mayor is asking Toledo City Council next week to authorize up to $5.44 million from the Capital Improvement Fund for the 2018 "Matches and Planning Program," which is our main roadway repaving program.
This allocation is combined with grants and loans. We are starting this process early so we can start bidding and construction on time.
We will also have a residential street repaving program and a residential street patching program this year.
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State of the City
Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz will deliver the 2018 State of the City Address at the
Ohio Theatre and Event Center
at 6 p.m., Feb. 22, 2018. The annual State of the City brings business, community, faith, non-profit, and government leaders together to hear the “state of the city” from Toledo’s mayor.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz's address will highlight accomplishments of the past year and his vision and initiatives for the future. He is committed to enacting fiscally-responsible policies to enhance the efficiency and transparency of city operations. He also strives to increase the education, income, and health of all Toledoans.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the speech begins at 6 p.m. The mayor is especially pleased to invite all to the historic Ohio Theatre, 3114 Lagrange St., in one of Toledo's great neighborhoods. Parking will be available next door, behind the theatre, across the street, and at the Chester J. Zablocki Senior Center. Refreshments will be available for purchase and the proceeds will benefit the Ohio Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.
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Public Utilities
The city of Toledo is in the final three years of the 18-year, $527 million Toledo Waterways Initiative construction program to reduce pollution from entering our waterways.
The largest project of the Toledo Waterways Initiative is the newly-constructed $70 million Ottawa River Storage Facility at Joe E. Brown Park. The 36.3 million gallon underground basin will store water after heavy rainstorms until it can be pumped to the Bay View Water Reclamation facility for treatment before it's returned to the Maumee River. All TWI projects are designed to reduce pollution from entering our waterways.
The park is being restored with a new lighted ball diamond with dugouts and a scoreboard, tennis courts, roller hockey rink, playground, and exercise areas, a shelter house, walking/bike path, and expanded parking. Landscape plantings will be installed this year and a community celebration is planned to formally open the park in the spring.
When completed in 2020, the TWI program will eliminate 650 million gallons of untreated sewage from entering our waterways every year.
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Neighborhoods
Even though there is snow on the ground, the city's 2018 mowing program just started with a welcome meeting for our partners who will help keep the grass cut this year. We started with a request for proposals from more than 135 potential contractors. The city will employ neighborhood and community partners, including registered non-profit agencies. Eighty percent of our neighborhood partners are minority business enterprises. About $1 million will be paid to these partners and contractors to mow properties in the city. That investment helps create small business development. The city will oversee more than 15,000 grass-cutting work orders that will handle 8,000 properties.
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By The Numbers
(
year-to-date
)
48,460
cubic yards of leaves collected
5,121
potholes filled
119,506
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
143
water main breaks repaired
1,732
contractor licenses issued
542
new jobs
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We're Hiring!
Click this
link
for the most current job postings in the city of Toledo.
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here
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On January 30, I went to work in the morning as a police officer. By the end of the evening, I had retired and was sworn in as the newest member of Toledo City Council representing District 6. It was a bittersweet day and I will be forever grateful to my colleagues at the Safety Building. I was fortunate to have the support of those sitting on City Council to gain the seat. I’m still working on getting my balance as a councilman and I was pleasantly surprised at how all of the sitting council members were kind, enthusiastic, and offered assistance.
With slightly more than a week under my belt, I have learned a lot about the intricacies of serving on council. I know there is much more to learn. There are many things happening in Toledo. I look forward to working with the new mayor and administration and the challenges that Toledo faces.
I also look forward to meeting leaders in District 6 and more constituents. I have confidence that my 30 years experience as a police officer will serve the District well. I was pleased to learn that I will be vice-chairman of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee.
I look forward to working with everyone to keep Toledo on pace to being one of America’s best cities. I hope to hear from my constituents with any concerns they may have. I am both humbled and honored to continue my service to the citizens of Toledo. Thank you for letting me serve you!
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Toledo In The News
The Toledo auto show opens to showcase autonomous cars
Much like at the Detroit international auto show, autonomous driving will be a hot topic. From the outside, it’s doesn’t look any different but it’s the technology just below the surface that’s changing the way we drive.
Toledo neighborhood Block Watch
The program serves to make neighborhoods safer and more wholesome. The purpose of Toledo Neighborhood Block Watch is to form a partnership among citizens, city services, and other community organizations in an effort to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood.
I-75 projects could help Broadway Corridor growth
This summer, ODOT will rebuild the overpass at Broadway and lengthen the exit and entrance ramps at South Avenue. It is roadwork that needs to be done on the interstate and ODOT wants to assure residents the $300-million project will not to ruin the progress that's been made here.
Art Museum unveils expansion plan
The Toledo Museum of Art unveiled a master plan that outlines significant physical changes to its 40-acre property, including the addition of a new art storage building, heightened gallery space, and proposed changes to the front facade and Monroe Street intended to unify the campus.
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