Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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Members of the bipartisan Ohio Mayors Alliance testified this week in front of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation Infrastructure.
I want to thank Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan Jr. and Lakewood Mayor Mike Summers for their testimony on the critical transportation infrastructure needs in Ohio’s cities.
Since 2011, the city of Toledo has lost out on $115 million in state money that previously flowed into our community and funded things like road repair. As a result of the loss, Toledo, like many cities, has fallen dangerously behind on resurfacing.
We have a plan to resurface as many streets and fill as many potholes as possible. But with limited resources, Toledo and other cities will struggle to maintain the overall condition of the streets.
The Columbus Dispatch
reports
that a committee formed by Gov. Mike DeWine to study this problem has concluded that the state gasoline tax needs to increase. I agree with the committee. We need support across the state for a solution that will fix the crumbling streets in Ohio's cities.
Also this week, I want to thank everyone for their patience as we worked with Republic Services to help it catch up on trash and recycling collection in the city after two days of no services during last week’s brutally cold weather.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding with this matter. Republic looks forward to completing all services on all scheduled routes this week and returning to regular collection services beginning Monday, Feb. 11.
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Toledo City Council this week approved Kapszukiewicz administration funding requests to resurface several major streets this year and also accepted state grants for resurfacing projects in 2020.
The street projects this year include:
- Resurfacing Monroe Street and widening it at the intersections with Talmadge and Secor roads and East Mall Drive.
- Resurfacing Woodruff between Collingwood Boulevard and Cherry.
- Rebuilding Detroit Avenue between Copland Boulevard and the Anthony Wayne Trail, including roundabout construction at Byrne Road, and resurfacing Detroit between Sherwood and Glendale avenues.
- Resurfacing Cherry between Greenbelt Parkway and Summit.
- Resurfacing Reynolds between Glendale and Angola Road.
- Rebuilding and widening Perrysburg-Holland between the Ohio Turnpike and its intersection with Heatherdowns Boulevard, Garden Road, and Manley Road.
- Rebuilding South Avenue between Byrne and Reynolds roads.
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Road work in 2020 will include reconstructing or resurfacing parts of Douglas Road and Central Avenue, all of York Street, and resurfacing parts of Alexis Road and Lagrange, Bancroft, and Summit streets.
City crews increased pothole repair during warm days this week. There are nearly 900 regular potholes and 120 "barrel protected potholes" - which are potholes deemed hazardous to motorists - that are in the process of being filled.
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Streets, Bridges, and Harbor employees are using two different cold patch materials. One is locally-made and has been reformulated this season. This material will be watched closely to see how well it works compared to previous years. Crews are also using a material from Pennsylvania that has worked well in the past. It is manufactured to a higher standard and works well in cold, wet climates.
The city purchased and received two new DuraPatcher machines this winter to add to the two already in service. Streets, Bridges, and Harbor is getting a new asphalt storage tank installed and along with the new DuraPatcher machines so crews can patch more permanent potholes without using cold mix.
DuraPatchers are spray injection machines that heat up a liquid asphalt, sprays the asphalt with stone mixed in into the pothole. That process gives it a tight compacted patch that adheres to the existing pavement.
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Toledo Police George Kral will be on patrol, backing up Field Operations units, as the department continues its virtual ride-along series 2:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8.
Chief Kral will be at the Safety Building during the afternoon shift roll-call, and then he will be in a marked Toledo Police vehicle responding to calls citywide.
To follow, go to the department’s Instagram (@toledo_police) or Twitter (
@ToledoPolice
) accounts as posts will be made throughout the shift. Nearly 2,000 people followed along on Instagram and Twitter last month as the virtual ride-along series featured the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics section.
The purpose of the virtual ride-along series, which began in the Fall of 2017, is to provide another avenue for the community to engage with officers as well as get a behind-the-scenes look into the department.
Previous ride-alongs have included Field Operations, Gang Task Force detectives, K9 unit, midnight patrol, mountain bike patrol, and SWAT. To view past virtual ride-alongs, search #ridealong419 on Twitter or go to Toledo Police “saved stories” on Instagram.
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Black History Month at the Toledo Library
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Join the Toledo Lucas County Public Library during Black History Month, paying tribute to the generations of African-Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.
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Ottawa Park Ice Rink 50th Anniversary Celebration
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Celebrate the Ottawa Park Ice Rink's 50th Anniversary from
6-10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 8.
There will be an open skate from 6-8 p.m., TFD vs. TPD hockey match from 8:30-10 p.m., autographs with Spike and Toledo Walleye players, 50/50 and other raffles, celebratory cake, popcorn, hot cocoa, and much more.
This a
FREE
event so bring your entire family and all of your friends and enjoy as we celebrate Ottawa Park Ice Rink's 50th anniversary.
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African-American Dance Show at UT
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Step Afrika! will perform
7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11
in the Thompson Student Union Auditorium at The University of Toledo.
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The free, public event is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Success and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and is part of the University’s
celebration
of Black History Month.
The dance company is dedicated to the African-American tradition of stepping tours around the globe. Members have been taking the stage for 25 years and have multiple White House performances under their belts.
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Come out and support the Toledo Police and Fire departments in the first annual Battle of the Badges basketball game at Savage Arena! The Police vs. Fire basketball game will be played
2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23
Following the game, come out to the Rocket basketball game at 6 p.m. for their nationally televised match-up against the Northern Illinois Huskies. Tickets are available for $10 and are good for both games!
Purchase $10 tickets for Toledo Police with promo code: "POLICE"
$5 from every ticket sale with that promo code will be donated back to the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association.
Purchase $10 tickets for Toledo Fire with promo code: "FIRE"
$5 from every ticket sale with that promo code will be donated back to the Toledo Firefighters' Local 92 Charity.
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By The Numbers
(year to date)
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1,563
potholes filled
70
water main breaks repaired
158,906
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
1,140
feet of storm sewers cleaned
992
vehicles towed
168
fire runs
1,080
EMS runs
14,028
tons of salt used for 2018-19 season
54,997
cubic yards of leaves collected during 2018-19 program
151
trees trimmed
430
illegal signs removed
797
building inspections
1,001
contractor licences
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From Councilman Peter Ujvagi
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Last month, city council’s Regional Growth, Development, and Small Business Enterprise Committee had the opportunity to review the memorandum of understanding between the city and Metroparks Toledo.
The Metroparks presented their final version for Phase 1 of the new riverfront park in East Toledo -- and, what a park it will be!
The agreement enables the Metroparks to evaluate the expansion of their vision beyond the riverfront to a “green necklace” around the Garfield Neighborhood and to include undeveloped sections of Ravine Park that could potentially reach as far as Wheeling Street in the future. The connectivity to our neighborhoods and the Main Street business district is fantastic.
As a result of numerous meetings, input from residents, business people, and community leaders the plan that has emerged is exciting, innovative, and will present eastsiders and residents from all over Toledo and northwest Ohio with the most exciting, innovative, and people-friendly park ever developed in the Toledo Area. There is more to come!
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Toledo In The News
Philanthropist discusses ambitious education plan with TPS
A philanthropist born and raised in Ottawa Hills met with the Toledo Board of Education on Thursday to outline
an ambitious education initiative
that would reshape Toledo's educational landscape and, if executed, possibly reshape the city's future. Helping Our Population Educate — or HOPE Toledo — is the latest philanthropic effort of Ottawa Hills High School graduate and Chicago-area resident Pete Kadens. The education initiative is a plan that complements Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz’s
push to bring free preschool education
to all Toledoans and would serve students attending all public schools in Toledo.
NBC 24 spends "A Day with Wade" as he reflects on one year in office
A Day with Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, it's something that always comes with a history lesson. "He always has some sort of ridiculous anecdote or historical story to tell us all before a meeting or conversation," said Legislative Director Gretchen DeBacker. "Story time, and I'm sure you've heard that from other people, there's always story time. I'm always amazed by the random facts," added Chief of Staff Catherine Crosby.
Downtown Toledo to heat up, be cool during Fire + Ice Festival
Downtown will be heating up later this month, and it’s going to be very cool to watch! The three-day Fire + Ice Festival will bring the best of all things fire and ice to downtown Toledo. Local and national performers will entertain families from Thursday, Feb. 21 to Saturday, Feb. 23, taking over Promenade Park. There will be lots of fire – even eating fire! Top Hat Side Shows from Detroit will be performing.
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