Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
Regional water is an important step for Toledo and its suburban partners to take together. I
spoke Wednesday
about our decision to have a referendum to create a new regional water authority.
The question of creating a regional water authority should be decided by the voters. Section 79 of our city charter deals with granting a general public utility franchise and the requirement of a referendum. This looks enough like a franchise, even though some may argue it is not, that we think there should be deference to the referendum process. The city law director and the law firm Squire, Patton, Boggs concur that this is a close call, and that a referendum is prudent. Citizens who do not want their water rates to triple will vote the way I am going to vote - to move forward with the regional water system.
Also this week,
TARTA
announced a proposed transit hub at the former Goodwill building on Cherry Street downtown. Federal grant money will be used to purchase and renovate the building. We think this is a great plan for TARTA. The city has started environmental assessments of the property and, with Toledo City Council approval, we will spend $230,000 this year to change Huron Street from one-way to two-way between Adams and Cherry streets. A $975,000 paving project is planned for next year on Cherry between Greenbelt Parkway and Summit Street. This is part of TARTA’s evolution into the future and we support it. TARTA is not just our public transportation agency, it is our mass transportation of the future and we think its role will dramatically change. Additionally, we know TARTA moving from its location at Erie and Madison facilitates the development of the Madison/Nasby Building.
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Streets
The city is doing everything possible to combat potholes.
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The Streets, Bridges, and Harbor department will be using a skid loader outfitted with a 24-inch grinding drum. We will be targeting streets that are high-traffic and have decent pavement, but also have a few bad areas that continue to be an issue. These areas will be milled, cleaned, tacked, and patched with a hot, recycled asphalt. We are in the process of selecting streets and issuing a purchase order to get the recycled material.
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The streets department has two
DuraPatcher machines
that have been cleaned and prepped for service. DuraPatch is the same method of patching potholes as the “Pothole Killer.” Both of these units will be sent out to other streets that are pothole riddled to smooth out the pavement. They will also be used on concrete streets that need major joint repairs.
We are considering renting a “
hotbox
”
with a radiant heat unit. This reheats existing asphalt, makes it soft again, and lets us smooth out the material along with a liquid rejuvenator. It is rolled with a steel drum or tamped with a mechanical plate tamp. The process leaves no seams for water penetration.
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The latest Toledo Police VLOG was released Wednesday on YouTube. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the 64th Toledo Police academy class. The VLOG highlights the graduation ceremony, which took place on February 2 and ends with an introduction to the field training program.
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Mark Your Calendars
The next
"Wednesdays with Wade"
will be 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 7 at the
Locke Branch
Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
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The city of Toledo
Inspection Department Listening Session
will be 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Monday, March 5, at the
Toledo Lucas County Public Library
Main Branch, 325 N. Michigan St. More info
here
.
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The
regional water meeting
for Council District 3 will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8 at the East Toledo Family Center, 1020 Varland Ave.
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Parks, Recreation, and Forestry
The city's recreation operation has continued its partnership with Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter to teach girls and boys, 4 to 13 years old, to skate and play hockey on Sundays.
The
FREE
program is run at the
Ottawa Park Ice Rink
until the weather turns warm, when it moves to Tam-O-Shanter.
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Winter is winding down but we are hoping for more days on the ice. Warm weather forced us to close the ice rink but we are working to get the surface thick enough to skate safely.
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By The Numbers
(
year-to-date
)
15,247
potholes filled
168
water main breaks repaired
272
illegal signs removed
41,374
tons of road salt used
2,005
contractor licenses issued
1,665
building inspections completed
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Engage Toledo
How can we help you? The Engage Toledo app lets you to make service requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. We are committed to customer service.
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Text Alerts
Sign up for Toledo text alerts
here.
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From Toledo Councilmember Nick Komives
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As a new Toledo City Council member, I have enjoyed the opportunity to educate myself on the essential functions of the city that fall under my purview. As chairman of the Water Quality and Sustainability Committee, I oversee the work of our amazing, and world-class, Public Utilities Department. The work of this department ensures that we all have clean, safe drinking water, appropriate infrastructure for distribution, and proper handling of storm water. You can learn more about their work, including the large project known as the Toledo Waterways Initiative,
here
. You may even find use of the many programs designed to help you!
Covering water quality also means that I have been hard at work looking into the proposed Toledo Area Water Authority. It is one of the largest issues facing our city, with implications that will surely be felt for decades and generations to come. With that in mind, I want to invite you to join us at one of the upcoming opportunities you have to interact with us on this topic. The schedule can be found
here
. I hope to meet you there and look forward to the discussions.
Lastly, as a part of my committee, we will be looking into sustainable measures that will not only help us protect the environment around us, but also save the city money. If we expect our partners in the business community, residents, and beyond to practice sustainability, then we certainly have an obligation to do so ourselves. Because of these efforts, you will likely see more wildflowers growing throughout the city, and, in turn, hopefully more butterflies, birds, and beauty.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you. I look forward to engaging with citizens and being not just a great listener, but a public servant who seeks solutions. Let’s show the world that they Will Do Better In Toledo!
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We couldn't make this one up, and we had to share the story.
A groundhog hitched a ride this week in the undercarriage of a city-owned vehicle that was brought in for service at the police and fire maintenance facility on Imlay Street. Both the mechanic, who was shocked to find the groundhog, and the animal are fine.
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Toledo In The News
Developer plans to build townhomes in Toledo's Warehouse District
Developer Jim McGowan, who has built a solid reputation in the construction of upscale homes in Toledo’s suburban neighborhoods, is asking the city to approve plans to build new single-family homes at 151 S. St. Clair St. near the Farmers’ Market in the Warehouse District.
Partnership with TFRD and Mercy Health working on reducing 911 calls
More than 50,000 times in the past year, the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department made runs for emergency medical assistance, and the reality is, not all of them are emergencies. Toledo City Council this week approved a partnership with Toledo Fire and Mercy Health, hoping for a solution to this problem.
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