Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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Hope Toledo
There was wonderful news coverage this week on an initiative to improve educational outcomes for all Toledoans. You can read about it
here
and
here
.
The great hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said "you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." Well, we are taking a shot. If you set low goals for yourself, then you will always achieve them. We are not afraid to set high goals for ourselves and this is another example of that.
Leaves
I want to address the problem we have with uncollected leaves. No, we have not done the best job possible collecting leaves. I understand how hard everyone works to keep their properties looking nice, and leaves in the street are not helping. I could give you all kinds of statistics that show leaf collection is ahead of past years and how the leaves fell late this year, but none of that matters if you have not seen us on your street. Transparency includes admitting when we fall short. We started this administration with the desire to try new things, and we understood some things would work while others would not. We have done some things this year that I think have helped, but there is a lot to learn. We are making more changes for next season that will allow us to do better with leaves.
Meanwhile, I hope you will sign up for leaf collection text alerts at
this link
and view an updated leaf collection schedule and map at
this link
.
Disability Dialog
I want to thank The Ability Center for starting an important public discussion called the
Disability Dialog
.
The goal of the program is to create a wider conversation about accessibility services and create meaningful solutions that allow people with disabilities to thrive. Toledo is a disability-friendly community but we can do better. Council Member Sandy Spang, in particular, has shown a lot of leadership on this issue, and I share her goal of working to make Toledo the most disability-friendly city in the country.
Budget
Finally this week, I want to thank Toledo City Council for the great collaboration on the 2019 budget, which was unanimously
approved this week
. It was the earliest in the year that the city of Toledo approved its spending plan in a decade. I want to especially thank Councilman Tom Waniewski for his hard work and leadership in chairing the budget task force.
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2019 Grass Cutting Program
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The city of Toledo conducted an open house meeting for potential 2019 grass mowing program partners Thursday night.
Applications for the 2019 Grass Mowing Program are available on the city’s website. Applications are due at 4:30 p.m., Jan. 31.
The Neighborhood and Business Development Department employed 68 local neighborhood partners last year to maintain vacant lots and overgrown properties. The city hopes to identify up to 130 neighborhood-based partners who will be paid to help clean up neighborhoods this year.
“We are positioning this as a microenterprise development strategy for our partners,” Amy Sackman Odum, director of neighborhood and business development, said. “Many of our participants want to move beyond working for the city, and we are doing what we can to help by providing resources.”
Representatives from the University of Toledo Minority Business Assistance Center, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, PNC, Key Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Huntington Bank, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Toledo’s office of Diversity and Inclusion were present to help people through the process of starting a small business to cut grass.
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2018 Property Tax Abatement for Improvements
The city of Toledo filed property tax abatement petitions under the Community Reinvestment Act for:
- Eyde Company for $20,000,000 for improvements at the Tower on the Maumee (formerly the Fiberglass Tower).
- Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for the Faurecia project for $5,850,378 in improvements at Overland.
- Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for the Consolidated Electric project for $2,430,000 in improvements at Overland.
- Madhouse for $750,000 in improvements to 436 13th St.
- Olympic Real Estate Group for $549,582 in improvements at the former Stautzenberger property on Southwyck Boulevard .
Tax Increment Finance
- The Overland Industrial Park Tax Increment Finance district was expanded to include the Faurecia and Consolidated Electric projects.
- A new Tax Increment Finance district was created for the Ironville property that includes the Cleveland Cliffs project.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Unity Celebration
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Everyone is encouraged to join the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy,
10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Monday, Jan. 21
at the The University of Toledo's John F. Savage Arena.
The city of Toledo supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability to fully participate in this program/event, please contact ADA Administrator, Joan Easler, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, city of Toledo at 419-245-1059.
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Toledo Lucas County Public Library
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Join the Toledo Lucas County Public Library and Friends of the Library for the first book sale of the year at FOL Book Center, 1301 N Reynolds Rd. (Reynolds Road and Dorr Street). Shop for a new novel, CD, magazine, and many more items at discounted prices.
Jan. 24, 25, 26
- Thursday, 4 - 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Proceeds benefit Friends of the Library and help support Library programs such as the Children's Summer Reading Challenge and Authors! Authors!
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Mayor Kapszukiewicz partnered with the
The Arts Commission
to bring local artists and their works to the mayor's office. These works will rotate twice a year to highlight the wide-ranging talent of local artists, the many contributions they bring to our community, and the importance of supporting creative industries in Toledo. It is curated by Nikki Eggerstorfer. Artists currently showing include David Cuatlacuatl, Mary Jane Erard, Jemma Hostetler, Natalie Lanese, Yusuf Lateef, Katie Lenhert, and Kati Kleimola.
Join us for an artist reception,
5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 29
on the 22nd floor of One Government Center.
To enter the building, guests must have a photo ID. All bags are subject to search and no large parcels or backpacks will be permitted. Nominal parking fees will apply.
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By The Numbers
(
year to date
)
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210
potholes filled
50,127
cubic yards of leaves collected during the 2018-19 program
8
water main breaks repaired
37,396
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
852
feet of storm sewers cleaned
362
vehicles towed
139
fire runs
1,396
EMS runs
115
building inspections completed
256
contractor licenses issued
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The Nigerian Association of Toledo was formed in 2003 and has filled a growing need in our community for a supportive environment for the Nigerian residents of northwest Ohio.
It partners with public and private agencies, business, industries, and other community organizations to promote the wellbeing of the Nigerian community.
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Toledo In The News
How can we be disability-friendly in Toledo?
The Ability Center of Greater Toledo is asking the community to consider a question: “What would it take for the Toledo area to be named the most disability-friendly community in the United States?” The nonprofit on Monday launched its “Disability Dialog,” a public awareness and engagement campaign meant to discuss how the area can better include people with disabilities.
Toledo looks for ways to pay for lighting upgrade
Both Toledo City Council and the Kapszukiewicz administration want to see the city’s 28,000 streetlights converted to LED by the end of next year, but it is unclear how they’ll fund what could be a nearly $10 million undertaking. The city first explored replacing the traditional high-pressure sodium lamps with light-emitting diode bulbs through three pilot programs, including about 200 lights in the Old South End and 15 lights each on Garden Estates Drive from Sylvania Avenue to Rose Garden Drive and on Bancroft Street between Maplewood Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard.
Ex-cannabis CEO initiates plan to pay for universal pre-K in Toledo
A soon-to-be nonprofit organization has started soliciting private donations to help pay for a citywide educational initiative that includes access to preschool and tuition-free college for Toledo Public Schools students. Helping Our Population Educate — or HOPE Toledo — is the latest philanthropic effort of Ottawa Hills High School graduate and Chicago area resident
Pete Kadens
.
Mr. Kadens, who retired at age 40 as the CEO of national cannabis company
Green Thumb Industries
, said he wanted to turn his attention to high-impact philanthropic work where he can make a difference in the lives of youth and the impoverished. He has served as chairman of Chicago-based homeless aid agency Streetwise, but he wanted to invest in his hometown.
Passenger traffic continues to climb at Toledo airport
Buoyed by
growing service to and from Charlotte
, air travel through Toledo Express Airport increased by more than 22 percent during 2018 for its sixth straight year of growth, according to data released by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.
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