Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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Protecting Toledo’s children from lead poisoning is a goal we all share. Once a child is poisoned, he or she may suffer serious health problems for the rest of his or her life. This is a problem that affects African American and Latino children more than other children, so this is not just a public health issue, it’s a moral issue.
For those reasons, Toledo crafted and approved a lead-safe law - the first ordinance of its kind in Ohio.
We have to get this right, and I applaud the efforts of so many in our community working to protect children from lead poisoning. Unfortunately, as we approach the first major enforcement deadline for the ordinance on June 30, we have not seen major progress. Only 1,000 of the roughly 12,500 properties expected to be in compliance have passed an inspection. I know that there is time left for landlords to come into compliance. Our health department is working hard to bring landlords into compliance and develop enforcement tools if they do not meet the requirements.
If voluntary compliance and active enforcement does not result in at least a majority of properties receiving a lead-safe certificate in the next few months, then I believe we must take a fresh look at the problem and consider new ways to enforce this law.
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We released more details this week on Toledo's new bike share program. You can watch
the presentation on Facebook live
. We also talked about improving the city’s biking infrastructure, which is something successful cities take seriously. While we start new programs like the bike share, we also want to start a conversation with the community. Our bike plan from 2015 recommended developing 13 bike trails to connect major destinations across Toledo. These amenities are just a portion of our strategy to make Toledo more successful.
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The Gotcha Group, of Charleston, S.C., will operate the bike share program with 100 bicycles at 18 stations, beginning in August or September. We are working with partners like Metroparks Toledo, TARTA, and the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to make sure this is a big success. I'm happy to say the bicycles will be American-made, manufactured at Gotcha Group's Charleston office.
Finally, I hope to see many of you at the Old West End festival and the Point Place Day Parade Saturday. Those are two amazing events for two incredible neighborhoods.
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The city of Toledo will have an accelerated schedule for opening the public pools and splash pad this year.
- Pickford, Wilson, and Jamie Farr pools will open on Saturday, June 9.
- Roosevelt and Willys pools will open on Saturday, June 16.
- The Savage Park Splash Pad will open on June 23.
- Navarre Pool remains under construction. The Kapszukiewicz administration will announce an opening date for Navarre Pool as soon as it is available.
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Pool hours are noon to 6 p.m.
Willys and Roosevelt pools, and the Savage Park Splash Pad, will be closed on Mondays. Wilson, Pickford, Jamie Farr, and Navarre pools will be closed on Tuesdays. Thanks to a generous donation from the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the first 1,000 children at Wilson Park Pool will swim free. The pools have a modest entry fee of $1 for children 12 and under. The cost is $2 for those who are 13 and older. The splash pad is free.
Locations and Phone Numbers
- Willys Pool, 1375 Hillcrest Ave., 419-936-2928
- Roosevelt Pool, 910 Dorr St., 419-936-2501
- Wilson Pool, 3253 Otto St., 419-936-3071
- Pickford Pool, 3000 Medford Dr., 419-936-2863
- Navarre Pool, 1001 White St., 419-936-3064
- Jamie Farr Pool, 2000 Summit St., 419-936-3072
- Savage Park Splash Pad, 645 Vance St., 419-936-2502
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Mayor Kapszukiewicz on Friday
announced
the start of an accelerated Anthony Wayne Trail resurfacing project beginning Monday, a renewed initiative to text road work alerts in the city, and the launch of a new interactive map on the city’s website that details all road work and the reasons.
"The Anthony Wayne Trail needs this resurfacing and I am very happy we were able to work with our partners at ODOT to speed up the reconstruction schedule instead of waiting until 2019,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said during a news conference at the southeast corner of the Anthony Wayne Trail and Glendale Avenue.
“We will soon have a smooth, new surface on Trail from South to Glendale,” the mayor said. “Additionally, we are launching new ways to keep people informed about work like this because people have told us the importance of communication.”
The 10.26 lane miles of Anthony Wayne Trail resurfacing will cost $2,942,225.10. The Ohio Department of Transportation will pay $1,507,781.68; the Ohio Public Works Commission will pay $529,600.52, and the city of Toledo will pay $904,842.90.
The contractor performing the resurfacing is The Shelly Company. One lane of traffic in each direction will be closed during the day. Two lanes of traffic will be closed at night when work is taking place. The hours are 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Saturday.
The Kapszukiewicz administration will be using the text alerts for road working beginning today. Nearly 9,700 people have been signed up for text alerts for road work but the city has never used it. This is the same WENS system alert Toledo uses to alert Toledoans about leaf collection or boil water advisories.
“Those who have signed up already and anyone else who signs up starting now will be able to receive texts alerting them about roadwork in a specific neighborhood or area,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “We will also use this to send text alerts about major projects like the Anthony Wayne Trail to everyone who signs up. The city today also launched an up-to-date, interactive map on its website that shows what work is happening and why. You will at a minimum be able to see the project name, street name, limits, responsible city division, and contractor, if applicable.”
The links to sign up for the texts and the map are:
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Grass is high in some areas after record rainfalls in May. City crews are hustling to get the grass cut in parks, boulevards, medians, vacant lots, and nuisance private properties. '
The parks department has up to 20 mowing crews - some working up to 10 hours a day - to get the grass cut in parks and public spaces like the boulevards and medians.
The Neighborhoods Department has employed 62 neighborhood partners, 16 community partners, and nine private contractors to mow. We also have 12 seasonal "beatification action team" employees cutting grass. The beatification action team concentrated this week on getting ready for the Old West End festival and parade, the Point Place Days Parade, and the Our Lady of Perpetual Help festival.
Those employees have mowed more than 2,600 properties so far this year. Last weekend, 411 properties were mowed. There is $1 million budgeted for the 2018 Mowing Program.
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City employees on the Beatification Action Team tackle high grass at a residential property in the Old West End.
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Toledo's Human Resources departments recently placed a computer in the lobby of its 19-floor office at One Government Center where people can walk in, view job openings online, and apply.
Click this
link
for the most current job postings in the city of Toledo.
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Naveen Chandra began his career with the city of Toledo as Commissioner of Transportation on May 25.
Naveen comes to our city with a broad range of engineering experience. He worked for the the Transportation Department in Madison, WI for 17 years. Welcome to Toledo!
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Please take a moment to complete our survey on the Downtown Toledo Transportation Plan at
this link.
A high-resolution version of the presentation from our recent public meeting on the Downtown Toledo Transportation Plan can be seen
here
.
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Crews completed utility cut concrete restoration downtown at Jefferson and 12th streets.
City crews hustle all over the city to repair such utility cuts and make other improvements.
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Old West End Festival and Parade
Join us for the 47th annual celebration of this beloved historic neighborhood, 6 p.m., Friday,
June 1
to 6 p.m., Sunday,
June 3
.
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Point Place Days Parade
Come join the parade, 12 p.m. Saturday,
June 2
. This year’s parade theme is Point Place and Shoreland Swings Back to the ’40s. Point Place Days is an annual celebration of Point Place and Shoreland that takes place during the month of June. There are dozens of events throughout the month. More info
here.
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Anthony Wayne Memorial Service
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In commemoration of the 57th anniversary of the Anthony Wayne Trail fire, we invite you to attend a memorial service in honor of fallen Toledo Firefighters.
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The service will take place at noon, Monday,
June 11,
at the Toledo Firefighters Memorial, located across from 545 North Huron St., the Michael P. Bell Administrative Building. Please join us as we gather in memory of all Toledo firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty and our retirees who passed in 2017.
Captain George S. Fraser and Captain Benn R. Miner will be added to the monument during the service.
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By The Numbers
(
year-to-date
)
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43,695
potholes filled
231
water main breaks repaired
597,155
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
3.17 million
pounds of debris removed with street sweepers.
1,026
trees trimmed
1,104
illegal signs removed
4074
vehicles towed
4,406
building inspections completed
2,581
contractor licenses issued
647
new jobs
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Mayor Kapszukiewicz
presented
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
a proclamation for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the first Friday in June.
“It is a time to remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and reflect on the urgency of working towards eliminating gun violence,” the proclamation reads.
Ninety-six Americans are killed with guns on average each day and there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides every year. The City of Toledo stands in solidarity with the family and friends of all the victims and survivors. We recognize and thank the community organizers, activists, and/or volunteers who are working tirelessly to end gun violence. Their advocacy contributes to the safety and future of our community.
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Autism Model School, a nonprofit community school in Toledo, celebrated its 20th anniversary this week.
We commend the dedicated teachers, staff, and parents who strive to enhance the lives of the students at the school.
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Toledo In The News
USS Toledo crew to visit in July
The commanding officer and five or six crew members of the USS Toledo will visit Toledo from July 17 to 19, adding another chapter to the city’s storied relationship with the fast-attack submarine.
Toledo to get more block grant money
Toledo is set to receive more Community Development Block Grant dollars than it has in the last seven years, news that comes as a relief to both area social service agencies and city departments that rely on the annual federal funding. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development informed city officials that it plans to award nearly $7.5 million in CDBG funds for the program year that begins July 1. That’s up from the $6.7 million granted to the city last year and the most Toledo has received since 2010.
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