Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
It was an honor this week to stand with so many area leaders, mayors, and commissioners to announce the historic completion of the Regional Water deal.

After decades of fighting and bickering, we have finally decided to join together in a spirit of partnership to move our region forward. We will continue to work with our neighbors and partners toward safe and reliable drinking water for all of our residents for decades to come.

What happened over the last couple of years, coming together and creating the regional water commission and having not one, not two, not three, but all nine communities sign on to it, I think, is an indication that this region is ready to work together, to cooperate, and to compete and to win. The next step is to cooperate on public transportation, economic development, 911, and more.

We will have six public meetings -- one in each Toledo council district -- to hear from you. Information on the meetings is posted on the city Facebook page.

The positive changes you will see include eliminating minimum water charges, establishing monthly billing, bill-paying assistance for low-income customers, lead service line replacement assistance, water conservation education, a conservation metering pilot program, expanded community partnerships, and more ways to help customers.

Minimum water charges will end Dec. 31, 2019. Voluntary monthly billing will begin in November and December for customers who received their final quarterly statement in October and November. Regular monthly billing and due dates will be required for all customers starting in January, which will include new water rates, and the elimination of minimum water charges. Please consider "Going Green” like I will at home by choosing paperless billing. You will receive a $1 credit for each utility statement that is not printed and mailed.

The first meeting of the Regional Water Commission will be next week. The commission will set bylaws that will determine the commission’s structure, meeting frequency, and other details.

Also this week, I was happy to endorse Washington Local Schools on the Nov. 5 ballot. A yes vote will provide roughly $3.2 million in operating funds annually, and a 37-year bond measure to provide nearly $50 million in capital improvement funds that will be used to reconstruct and upgrade district schools. The district has a chance to leverage the $50 million in bond money in order to obtain $178 million from the Ohio Facilities Commission, which would cover 80 percent of the costs of the planned improvement projects. I urge all Washington Local voters to vote yes on Nov. 5.
Streets
Streets, Bridges, and Harbor employees have been working diligently since the spring on the city's "mill and fill" program, which is a cost-effective way to repave some streets.

We are currently working on the last street in the program this year -- Florence Street.

Once Florence Street is complete, our team will have completed 28.6 lane miles of paving for the 2019 season.
Leaf Pickup Starts in November
The city of Toledo will announce leaf collection plans next week. Each neighborhood will be alerted through a number of ways when leaf collection will occur, with at least a 1-2 week notice.

Please do not blow or rake your leaves in the street until your leaf collection is about a week away.

Leaf collection starts next month. Blowing leaves in the street now will clog sewers and cause other problems. Pile them on your property or on your side of the curb. Consider mulching your leaves.
Neighborhoods
Every five years, the city of Toledo submits a Consolidated Plan to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The plan identifies housing and community development needs and sets the city’s strategic objectives and activities to address its housing and community development needs through federal block grant funding from HUD.

Then, for each year of the five-year period, the city must submit an annual action plan which outlines how the city will spend the federal funds it receives annually from HUD. Funds can be used for a wide range of activities including affordable housing, public facilities and infrastructure improvements, slum and blight removal, public services, and economic development.

We want to hear from you as you help us to identify needs, set priorities, and allocate funding. Please click on this link to complete a needs survey.

Also, please join us for two important public meetings to hear more about the Consolidated Plan at:

  • Zablocki Senior Center, 3015 Lagrange St., 6 p.m., Oct. 22.
  • Believe Center, 1 Aurora Gonzalez Dr., 6 p.m. Oct. 23.
Mark Your Calendars
Health Department Walk-In Flu Clinics
Seasonal flu activity typically occurs between October and May. Annual walk-in flu shot clinics started Oct. 5. The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department is still offering flu clinics to the public, throughout the season, on the following dates:
  • Sunday, Oct. 20 (8 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.) at Little Flower Church, 5522 Dorr St, Toledo, OH 43615
  • Friday, Oct. 25 (9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.) at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1201 Madison Ave, Toledo OH 43604
  • Sunday, Oct. 27 (8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) at Sylvania United Church of Christ, 7240 Erie St, Sylvania, OH 43560
  • Wednesday, Oct. 30 (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) at the Toledo Lucas County Health Department, 635 N. Erie St, Toledo, OH 43604
All insurances may be billed, including Medicare Part B and Ohio Medicaid. If you do not have insurance, the cost for the seasonal flu vaccine is $30, payable by cash, check, or credit card.
Free Toledo Small Business Resource Day
The Toledo Small Business Resource Day will be 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, 325 Michigan St.

What to expect: resource fair, access to capital panel, mentors on the move, financial literacy course, and doing business in Toledo discussion.

Register at this link .
There will be six community forums in Toledo to discuss the regional water programs in more detail. The meetings will be 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as follows:

  • Council District 1: Wednesday, Oct. 23 at the University of Toledo’s Scott Park Campus Auditorium
  • Council District 2: Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Heatherdowns Library
  • Council District 3: Tuesday, Oct. 22 at Birmingham Library
  • Council District 4: Thursday, Oct. 24 at Main Library
  • Council District 5: Monday, Oct. 28 at Washington Local Schools Administration building, 3505 West Lincolnshire Blvd.
  • Council District 6: Monday, Oct. 21 at Point Place Library
Quarter 4 Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Power Hour Luncheon HeForShe 
HeForShe engages male CEOs and other leaders as champions for gender equality within their own organizations, encouraging them to question the status quo and commit to concrete action.

Join us 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24 at the United Way of Greater Toledo, 424 Jackson St.

Old South End Fall Festival
The 2019 Old South End Fall Festival will be 4 p.m. to 11 p.m ., Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1411 Broadway.

The festival has several attractions for families, including trick-or-treat, games, food, music, face-painting, and a costume contest.

The event is a community-building activity for families, allowing them to play games together and enjoy the holiday in a safe environment.
By The Numbers
(year to date)
156,304 potholes filled
212 water main breaks repaired
1,525,274    feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
44,995  feet of storm sewers cleaned
3,088,557  pounds of debris cleared from streets with street sweepers
5,782,716  pounds of debris cleared from alleys
2,218 illegal signs removed
1,119 trees trimmed
8,011 building inspections
2,040 contractor licences
5,333 fire runs
42,840 EMS runs
Honors this week
For 30 years, TARTA has been serving the needs of Toledoans with disabilities through TARPS, the Toledo Area Regional Paratransit Service.

TARPS was started in October 1989. After 30 years of growth, the paratransit service now transports about 300,000 passengers annually, with an average of 950 door-to-door trips throughout its vast service area each day. Not only does TARPS enable individuals to make it to work, it has also created 68 jobs in Toledo.

TARPS makes northwest Ohio accessible and gives everyone the freedom to get where they need to be, regardless of ability. By equipping their buses with lifts, ramps, and attentive staff, TARPS enables riders to gain the freedom of the city and its surroundings. Toledo is a better place to be because of the work that TARPS has done to create a community where everyone can live and work independently.
Toledo In The News
Toledo area leaders celebrate 40-year water contracts Three months ago, Sylvania Mayor Craig Stough was in his office debating if it was worth it to continue negotiating a new drinking water contract with the City of Toledo. After months of negotiations, he wasn’t convinced it was the best deal, and he feared the Toledo-owned system would be used as political leverage over the suburban customers. On Wednesday, Mr. Stough stood proudly beside leaders of the eight other municipalities that this month agreed to 40-year uniform contracts for water. 

Kaptur, National Science Foundation highlight UToledo’s engineering opportunities Educational leaders and state lawmakers are hoping local students will help boost the engineering workforce. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur hosted a forum at Toledo Technology Academy as a part of a "Jobs of the Future Week" series to target juniors and seniors interested in the STEM field.

Reminder: 'Do's and Don'ts' of recycling in Toledo  In Toledo, when it comes to recycling the problem isn't that people aren't recycling. Leaders say the real issue is that too many residents are doing it wrong, costing more time, energy, and resources to sort through trash dumped into the wrong bin.
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