Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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2019 was a great year, during which we made a lot of progress. We still have a lot more to do in 2020!
As
many
have observed, 2019 will go down in history as the year of regional cooperation. We cemented cooperative deals last year on
regional water
and
911 consolidation
-- two changes that drastically improve operations and finances for everyone involved. The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) is still pushing ahead to make improvements for Toledo and the entire region under the leadership of a new executive director. We have to do these things together for efficiency.
2019 was also another banner year for economic development. Site Selection Magazine ranked Toledo third in the nation for economic development among mid-sized cities; Kempler Industries ranked Toledo the fourth-best city in the United States for manufacturing jobs, and the Associated General Contractors of America named Toledo the fifth-fastest growing construction job market in the country from June 2018 to June 2019.
After 12 years of seeing our police department decline, we increased the number of police officers in 2018 and 2019. That is part of our commitment to add more officers to the city and we will continue to increase the size of the department.
Even with the strides we made in 2019, we are never satisfied, and in the early part of 2020 we will face some choices on the direction Toledo will take. I am confident 2020 will be bright with all of your help.
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Here is a look back at a busy 2019 that saw more than 60,000 calls for service.
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Changes are coming to your water bill.
Starting Jan. 1, 2020, Toledo is:
Eliminating Minimum Water Charges
Toledo Public Utilities has eliminated minimum water charges to allow customers to reduce costs based on actual water consumption and conservation.
Starting Monthly Billing
Monthly billing is in place for all Toledo retail customers. Billing by the month also allows customers to participate in the Federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program.
Offering Bill-Paying Assistance for Low-Income Customers
Toledo Public Utilities will provide up to $500,000 a year to assist low-income customers pay their utility bills. Households at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level will be eligible for assistance.
Offering Lead Service Line Replacement Assistance
Toledo Public Utilities allocated up to $300,000 annually for private lead service line replacement loans on private property. Loans of up to $2,000 at zero percent interest will be offered to private homeowners, regardless of income, with up to a ten-year term, payable through the utility bills.
Offering Water Conservation Education
Toledo Public Utilities will provide water conservation information. “Conservation Kits” with low flow shower restrictors, toilet leak detection kits, and conservation information for inside and outside the home will be available for the public at the Toledo Customer Walk-In Center, 420 Madison Ave.
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Seven new homeowners in Toledo celebrated the holidays in their new homes with the help of Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity and the city's neighborhoods staff working hard to process Down Payment Assistance grants.
"This was a tremendous effort to ensure that the Down Payment Assistance program was processed and helped to make their homes affordable," said Amy Sackman Odum, Toledo's director of neighborhoods.
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2020 U.S. Census Application Sessions
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The U.S. Census Bureau is seeking temporary workers for the 2020 Census now! It is accepting applications and interviewing applicants at the Kent Branch Library, 3101 Collingwood Blvd. during the following dates:
- 9-11 a.m. on Jan. 13
- 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 14
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Jan. 21
- 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 28
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Day Celebration
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Join us for our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Day Celebration,
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday, Jan. 20, 2020
at the University of Toledo's Savage Arena.
The service begins with a
free
breakfast, and will move into a program that includes performances and music that honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Join us after for a community project that gives us the opportunity to serve Toledo residents.
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Public Notice for Penn 7 Public Meeting
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The City of Toledo invites the public to attend a meeting to discuss updates on the wetland and habitat restoration design plans for the Penn 7 property in north Toledo and to share your ideas.
Please join us
5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday Jan. 22
at The Friendly Center of Toledo, 1324 N. Superior Street.
The vacant, 59-acre Penn 7 property is a former confined disposal facility on the lower Maumee River that accepted material dredged from the Maumee River shipping channel in the early 1970s. Restoration plans at Penn 7 involve creating wetlands on the property that are hydrologically connected to the Maumee River and providing a protected embayment area ideal for fish nursery habitat and was a recommended management action project by the Maumee Area of Concern Advisory Committee. This project is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through a National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Regional Partnership Grant awarded to the Great Lakes Commission and subcontracted to the City of Toledo.
For those unable to attend, or who have questions, please contact Jenny Carter-Cornell at 419-385-2018 or
jcornell@hullinc.com
.
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By The Numbers
(2019 totals)
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162,888
potholes filled
3,634,617
pounds of debris cleared from streets with street sweepers
6,177,911
pounds of debris cleared from alleys
309
water main breaks repaired
1,889,612
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
47,037
feet of storm sewers cleaned
2,405
illegal signs removed
17,222
tires collected
1,518
trees trimmed
10,204
building inspections
4,523
contractor licenses
71,401
cubic yards of leaves collected
30,190
tons of salt used
6,561
EMS runs
53,429
fire runs
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Toledo adults, youth starting 2020 on positive note
Downtown Toledo was abuzz with optimism Tuesday evening as friends, families, and couples prepared to ring in the new year. Their toasts? To old friends and new beginnings. Jake Fejes, of Martin, met with Genoa Area High School friends and his girlfriend, Haley Goetz at Chevy’s Place on Monroe Street to share beers and toast to their futures. The couple, both 24, graduated from The University of Toledo on Dec. 14 with degrees in human resources and education, respectively. They say they’ve watched Toledo’s revival in recent years and now want to be part of it.
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