Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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The city of Toledo was flush with exciting news this week.
We
announced Wednesday
that the conversion of Toledo's 28,000 conventional high-pressure sodium bulb streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs will begin soon with the help of Toledo Edison. That change will save us $580,000 annually on energy costs since t
hey consume 50 to 75 percent less electricity than the sodium lights.
The savings will
cover the cost of the upgrades, and there is a 10-year or better return on investment for the conversion.
We committed to converting every streetlight to LED by the end of 2021, and we are now following through with that promise to make our streets safer, more illuminated and to do so less expensively over the long run through the efficiency of LED lights.
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A successful pilot program in the Old South End, which converted 200 streetlights to LED, led to a measurable reduction in crime -- there was a nearly 25% reduction in what TPD considers major crime in the year after LED were installed. Those streets are brighter and safer, and that is exactly what we expect citywide through this upgrade.
The citywide conversion will begin in The Junction neighborhood. All of the streetlights in Central Toledo and East Toledo should be converted this year.
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Also this week, we announced
the kickoff of an e
xhaustive energy conservation and facilities improvement project. We will be asking Toledo City Council to approve
an energy savings performance contract with
Leopardo Companies, Inc.
to provide comprehensive energy management and infrastructure-related capital improvement services. The goal is to reduce the city’s utility and operating costs. (The guaranteed savings this project generates will allow the city to make the much-needed building infrastructure improvements without requiring the city to come up with any capital or new money.)
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Prospective Buildings for Energy Conservation and Facilities Upgrade Project
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Toledo owns and operates 137 buildings and many are outdated, obsolete, or in need of significant repairs and improvements. The improvements will generate significant operational and energy savings and efficiencies. We will start with improvements at eight buildings, and Leopardo will serve as the general contractor to implement the improvements. We are very excited to move forward with these long overdue upgrades that will save residents money in the long run.
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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. At a time when our nation seems as divided as it has ever been, I encourage all Toledoans to join in the celebration of Dr. King, whose life’s work was dedicated to bringing people together and finding common ground.
Join me and UT President Sharon Gaber after the program for a community project that gives us the opportunity to serve Toledo residents.
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Nine members of the Streets, Bridges, and Harbor Division, who served during our leaf collection season, had perfect attendance for the entire program!
They worked 45 out of 48 days, serving city residents 10 hours per day.
They were recognized by Toledo City Council and Mayor Kapszukiewicz this week.
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Toledo Waterways Initiative Update
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In 2019, the Toledo Waterways Initiative Program achieved several Consent Decree Long Term Control Plan Critical Milestones.
Final Completion was granted for the International Park Storage Basin, Swan Creek North Sewer Separation, and Paine and Fassett Regulator Modifications projects. With the completion of these projects, the untreated sewage that enters our area waterways continues to be reduced.
2020 promises to be an exciting year for the TWI Program. Construction will be completed in late spring for the last project, the Downtown Storage Basin.
With its completion, an estimated 650 million gallons of untreated sewage will be eliminated from our waterways on an annual basis.
This will improve public health and recreation by improving the quality of our rivers and streams.
Also in the early fall of 2020, we will be entering the Compliance Phase of the TWI program. Post-construction compliance monitoring is the final step in the TWI Program.
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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.
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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.
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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Mayor Kapszukiewicz will deliver the 2020 State of the City address in the
Great Hall
at the Toledo Zoo at
5 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30.
Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and the speech begins at 5 p.m. The mayor is especially pleased to invite all to the historic Great Hall at the Toledo Zoo. Parking will be available in the zoo’s Broadway lot, located at
2700 Broadway
.
The event is free and open to the public. An American Sign Language interpreter will be present.
The speech will air live in its entirety on BCAN (Buckeye Community Arts Network). You can watch the live broadcast on Buckeye Cable Channel 109/609HD or watch on Facebook by following BCAN Arts at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/BCANarts.
The city of Toledo supports the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Joan Easler, ADA coordinator, at 419-245-1059.
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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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By The Numbers
(2020 totals)
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1,880
potholes filled
21
water main breaks repaired
50,179
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
415
feet of storm sewers cleaned
24
illegal signs removed
1
tree trimmed
297
building inspections
509
contractor licenses
3,030
tons of salt used
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Martin Luther King Jr. 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.
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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All city streetlights will be LED by Dec. 31 2021
It’s a citywide initiative that has been a long time coming. That was the response Wednesday from representatives of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee Homies Union, the Black/Brown Coalition, and the Junction Coalition after Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz officially announced his commitment to converting all 28,000 streetlights in the city to light-emitting diodes by the end of 2021.
Toledo-made Jeep Gladiator wins Truck of the Year Award
Years of planning and conceptualizing went into Jeep's first pickup truck since the early 1990s, and an announcement made Monday indicates Fiat Chrysler got it right with the newest member of the family. The Toledo-built Jeep Gladiator was named the 2020 North American Truck of the Year at a news conference at the TCF Center in Detroit.
Toledo gives its regards to Broadway
St. Ursula Academy students likely don’t know how fortunate they are to be performing a Broadway show like Jesus Christ Superstar later this month. Some of us could only dream of such productions while in high school.
Fun and free activities at the library
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library has the cure for your cabin fever, and even more to offer than the books! This January, the library is offering a Winter Read program. This was inspired by the wide participation in Summer Read, says Library Media Coordinator Kelsey Coogan.
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