Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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On Valentine's Day this week, I urged more people to consider becoming foster parents. Lucas County Children Services serves the most vulnerable children in our community and the agency really needs our help.
What they need most right now are new foster families. There are hundreds of children in our community who need homes and Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to issue that call for action.
Lucas County Children Services Executive Director Robin Reese told me the agency is in desperate need of foster parents. She attributed much of the increased need to the opioid epidemic. As of September, 2017, 56 percent of children in the agency’s custody were there because of opioids.
In July, 2013, there were 12,654 children in foster care on any given day in Ohio. Three years later, that number increased to 13,769, and by July, 2017, it spiked to 15,145, with only 7,200 foster homes available statewide.
The opioid epidemic is a challenge that all communities in Ohio must face. The fortitude of the men and women in law enforcement and our criminal justice system, the energy of our residents, and the creativity of our businesses will all work together to defeat this problem.
Also this week,
I visited our Collins Park Water Treatment Plant
.
We are five years into the 10-year, $500 million program to modernize the drinking water plant. We are on time, on budget, and entering the heart of the program right now. The city historically broke ground on Basins 7 and 8 at the plant in 2017 - the first expansion of the plant since 1956. The basins will add 40 million gallons of treatment capacity to water operations.
As we head into algae season this summer, we will continue to make sure the water is safe and continue to push for reforms that will improve the health of Lake Erie.
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LED Streetlights
Toledo Edison finished installing new, energy-efficient LED streetlights in the second pilot project area in the city.
Toledo City Council last year approved three pilot programs for LED street lights to improve the lighting in a portion of the Old South End; on Garden Estates Drive from Sylvania Avenue to Rose Garden Drive, and on Bancroft Street, between Maplewood Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard.
The Nopper Gardens neighborhood near Sylvania Avenue and Talmadge Road was completed recently. Older metal poles were replaced with new metal street light poles with LED cobra heads along Garden Estates Drive. These new, energy-efficient lights replaced mercury and sodium street lights installed from 1980 to 2010.
The city of Toledo is working with Toledo Edison to one day have all streets illuminated by energy-efficient LED lights rather than the yellow haze of older technologies. The city of Detroit took three years to install 65,000 LED streetlights across the city.
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Parks
Toledo City Council this week approved Mayor Kapszukiewicz’s request to transfer the
Toledo Botanical Garden
in west Toledo to Metroparks Toledo.
Metroparks Toledo agreed to acquire the 60-acre garden and artist village in west Toledo to ensure it remains one of the city’s great attractions.
Metroparks Executive Director Dave Zenk said the park district will “keep what people love about the garden while adding additional reasons to visit.”
“Metroparks Toledo has always been an amazing agency that oversees some of the greatest assets our region has to offer – the Metroparks,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “I have the utmost confidence in the Metroparks to continue to maintain the botanical garden as one of Toledo’s great amenities. It will continue to rival other botanical gardens across the nation.”
The Toledo Botanical Garden, 5403 Elmer Dr., began in 1964 when George P. Crosby donated 20 acres to the city to create a public park. The city established the George P. Crosby Park Board in 1967 to oversee the operation of and programming at the newly-opened garden. The Toledo Botanical Garden has been operating under the direction of a board with no budget assistance from the city of Toledo since 2006. Metroparks assumed responsibility for operating the property from the city in 2006 under a 33-year cooperative agreement then entered into an agreement with Toledo Botanical Garden Board, Inc., a non-profit organization, to manage day-to-day operations.
Last June, Metroparks and Toledo Botanical Garden Board, Inc. agreed to shift daily operations of the garden to Metroparks, while the non-profit organization continues to operate Toledo GROWS, its community garden outreach program. At the time, the park district announced that the popular Crosby Festival of the Arts and the Jazz in the Garden series will continue.
Metroparks is planning to develop a garden-themed playground envisioned as part of the new Discovery Trail that opened last spring. Recently, the park district renovated a restroom building, and renovations are set to begin shortly on the conference center and a maintenance building.
Metroparks and Toledo Public School are in discussions about a partnership to create a new trail through TPS property adjacent to the garden.
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Streets, Bridges, and Harbor
Much thanks to all of the Streets, Bridges, and Harbor employees this week for their relentless hard work over several days to clear and treat streets. The men and women were on 12-hour shifts clearing snow and ice before heading back out to work on pothole repair.
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State of the City
The mayor's address will highlight accomplishments of the past year and his vision and initiatives for the future.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the speech begins at 6 p.m. The mayor is 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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By The Numbers
(
year-to-date
)
48,460
cubic yards of leaves collected
5,558
potholes filled
19,386
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
155
water main breaks repaired
213
illegal signs removed
41,374
tons of road salt used
1,888
contractor licenses issued
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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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Toledo In The News
Toledo police offer inside look at the city's K9 units with virtual ride-along
Officer Michael Garcia and canine Zola are an inseparable duo working to keep Toledo safe. "We assist street crews, our vice narcotics group, our gang task force," Officer Garcia said. The pair is one of 10 canine units in Toledo's police department. Tuesday, their work was on display for all to see with a 'virtual ride along' on social media.
Ballroom, better views planned for Seagate Center
After a developer announced plans for a $20 million dollar makeover of Hotel SeaGate, the Lucas County commissioners announced refurbishing the SeaGate Convention Centre would have to be next. An ambitious project is planned, but tens of millions of dollars are needed. The idea is to attract business conventions through what commissioners see as vital renovations.
Crews were repairing Manhattan Boulevard headed East toward Summit Street.
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Presidents Day
In observance of the holiday, most city offices are closed Monday. Engage Toledo will be open. Reach them at 419-936-2020 or use the mobile app.
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