District 5 (pdf map) Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski's March 2013 Newsletter
Distributed on March 3, 2013.
Street Planning Forum
District 5 will host the first Street Planning Forum of the new season. You may recall a similar forum was presented last year to a packed house. The administration and I want residents' input on the paving and planning process. This year's gathering will be Tuesday, March 12, at Sanger Branch Library on Central near Middlesex from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Among the things you'll hear about include how streets are rated and selected for repair, and the planning process for 2014 and beyond. These are the streets in District 5 that will be repaved in 2013:
- Grantwood, Bellevue to Coolidge.
- Castlewood, Coolidge to Bellevue.
- Coolidge, Grantwood to Tremainsville.
- Christie, Secor to East Dead End.
- Hughes, Secor to East Dead End.
- Secor, Central to Monroe.
Nuisance Notices
One of the more-frequent calls I receive regards nuisance complaints; anything from overgrown grass to clunky vehicles on blocks. My office takes nuisance neighbors very seriously. A gentleman emailed me complaining that the city sent him a bill for $4.96 to pick up some debris on his property. He said the city charged him for one minute of work. I say, "Good!"
The city charges $297 an hour to clean up a mess the property owner should clean up, so we're going to charge a premium rate. Here's the better thing to do: Take care of your property.
Here's a helpful link with our nuisance laws spelled out.
If you live near a nuisance, let me know, and I'll take the necessary steps to get it taken care of as best as I can. Some property owners are easier to get a hold of than others, and some of those we can get a hold of can be slow to respond, but I'll do everything allowed under law to get the problem taken care of.
Top Cop
A number of awards were handed out at the most-recent Toledo Police graduation. One officer stuck out because his name was called frequently. Officer Thomas Killen was selected as the class president. Additionally, the city measures academic achievement and driving ability, and Officer Killen finished in the top three in each. He finished first in firearm marksmanship. At right, he's congratulated by Police Chief Derrick Diggs.
Take the Survey: Toledo's Water Rate Dilemma
You may have heard that the city is in dire need of major repairs to our water treatment facilities. A near-cataclysmic pump failure occurred last summer. It is believed by almost all the experts I've talked with that the state of disrepair has been ongoing for some time; by some estimates for more than 10 years. No longer can we continue to put our water supply in jeopardy. That's how I feel. I'd like to know how you feel. Click here to take my brief survey and input your comments.
To Protect and to Serve
The Toledo Police Department's 60th graduating class will be on the streets March 4th. 38 men and 2 women join the street strength after six months of classroom and field training. Among the recruits were seven officers who currently have family serving on the force, too.
Things I Find Interesting
- There were eight zip code areas in the city where the average sale price of a home went for $17,806 this past January. I thought that was an astonishing large area to get such a low price for a home.
- The city has budgeted $4.9 million in revenue for this year from Hollywood Casino.
- In 2012, 101 people were charged with violating the city's curfew law. In 2011, there were 71 arrests.
In the Community
- Northpoint Church is adding another location for their services. They'll be in the Central Academy building at Kenwood and Douglas. They will retain their two other service locations; at the West Toledo Y and at the Sylvania Senior Center. Learn more here.
- The University of Toledo's Juried Student Exhibition runs through March 15th at the UT Center for the Visual Arts on Grove Place next to the Toledo Museum of Art. Find gallery hours and more info here.