As we near the end of 2019, it is a great time to reflect on the important successes and challenges our City encountered during the past year. Financially, the City did an excellent job of managing ever-increasing costs, with a relatively stable income. Thanks to the efforts in managing expenses by our Directors, we will finish this year with a solid fund balance. It should be noted costs are rising at a faster pace than income. Our Director of Finance, City Council, and I will be closely monitoring this over the next few months. Our economic development team has worked tirelessly in bringing new business to Willoughby, including seven new businesses to Downtown Willoughby and providing two storefront renovation grants in our Lakefront District. We are also excited about the completion of the Weston building at Jet Center Place, and the announcement of Marc’s to locate at the shopping center at Euclid and S.O.M. Center Road. Proceeds from the sale of the former Memorial Junior High School were returned to the Willoughby-Eastlake School District as promised. Finally, a Request for Qualifications is underway for the Glennridge project to be located on Glenn Ave near the Todd Field parking lot. We anticipate this project will bring enhanced parking and access for our Downtown. Submissions will be received and reviewed in January.

We have been active in bringing new and exciting programs to our City, including Wildroots Modern Market, Live Well Willoughby, growing merchant organizations in Downtown and Lakefront Business Districts, and an expanded summer gazebo concert series. With recent improvements to Osborne Park, we are planning to host live music and other family-friendly events at the lakefront next summer!

We are also thankful to our Police, Fire, and Service Departments for their exceptional work. These departments continue to work with a staff committed to public service and are constantly researching better ways to serve Willoughby.

Finally, we are delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our annual Christmas Tree Lighting. This year we have a very special addition added to our program to celebrate!

From all of us at the City of Willoughby, we wish you a happy, healthy holiday season!

For many of us, the holiday season begins this month with the celebration of Thanksgiving. It seems to be an appropriate time to acknowledge and thank those who are primarily responsible for making our City a great place to live, work, and play.

Our Police and Fire Departments do an outstanding job in protecting our community. This year Police Chief Jack Beckwith provided valuable data and guidance in determining where to install our new traffic control devices. There has been a marked decrease in speeding in these targeted areas as a result of his efforts. Fire Chief Todd Ungar and his team garnered significant grants to provide our firefighters with improved equipment necessary to serve our community. Service Director Lee Bock along with our City Engineer continued our stormwater management improvements with projects completed or underway in Two Town Ditch, East 364th and 365th Streets and cleanup efforts in Ward Creek. Chief Building Inspector Darryl Keller, along with Zoning Inspector Karen Brooks, has been instrumental in researching, reviewing, and editing a significant zoning code update. Tom Thielman, our Economic Development Director, has been working tirelessly in attracting new business to Willoughby with a focus on our Lakefront District and increased efforts to reduce vacancies in downtown. Parks and Recreation Director Judean Banker successfully concluded a three-year senior center construction effort, and her team is working on exciting summer programming for the Lakefront District. Law Director Mike Lucas crafted legislation to help create an ESID, a program to assist in financing energy-saving initiatives, and a Lakefront SID to assist our lakefront property owners in addressing erosion issues. Our Finance Director Diane Bosley has done an exceptional job of managing our finances and keeping a watchful eye on both revenues and expenses.

In all, these directors and their teams have provided exceptional service to our City.

A final note is a reminder that November 5th is Election Day. Below is a brief summary of what is on the ballot:

Willoughby City Council: Six (6) of the current Willoughby City Council Members are on the ballot, and all are unopposed. The 7th Member of Council (Ward 6) is also unopposed and replacing retiring Councilman Harrold.

Issue 2 Laketran: Shall sales and use tax be levied for all transit purposes of the LAKETRAN Regional Transit Authority at a rate of 1/4 of 1% for ten years effective January 1, 2020.

Issue 3 Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library: 1 Mill Renewal Levy – Current Expenses – Ten Years – Commencing 2019 Tax Year.

Issue 4 Willoughby-Eastlake City School District: 4.99 Mills Additional – Current Expenses – CPT – Commencing 2019 Tax Year.

Willoughby City Ward 4 Precinct C Local Option Petition: Shall the sale of wine and mixed beverages & spirituous liquor be permitted for sale on Sunday between the hours of ten a.m. and midnight by 5858 SOM Center Rd. LLC, also known as Zeppe’s Tavern, an applicant for a D-6 liquor permit authorizing on-premise sales who is engaged in the business of operating a family-oriented, full-service Italian restaurant & tavern at 5870 SOM Center Rd., Willoughby, Ohio 44094 in this precinct?

Wishing you a very Thanksgiving!

On November 1st we will have a new provider for our trash and recyclables pick up.

Every three to five years, the City goes out to bid for trash and recycling services. For the past 14 years, the successful bidder was Waste Management. This year, the lowest and best bid for the 5-year contract was Republic Services. Republic is a reputable service provider and is a Fortune 500 Company, operating across 41 states. They are currently the solid waste pickup providers for Mentor, Perry, and Wickliffe and hundreds of other cities across the state. We were also successful in negotiating trash pickup for condominiums at the same price as other homeowners if the vehicles can service those properties.

Many of our residents will not notice a change in service, but there are a few important things to note. First, Republic will be providing both the garbage and recycling totes for our residents. This is due to their vehicles having automatic tote-handling equipment and is similar to the recycling pick up we currently have. Trash totes will be 96 gallons and the recycling totes will be 64 gallons. Republic is asking residents to use their totes first and you can add up to three 32-gallon cans of your own or five 30-gallon bags. Also, Republic will continue to pick up bulk items (furniture, appliances, etc.) and yard waste weekly. Yard waste in cans should be marked “YW,” or you can use yard waste bags.

Our new provider will make every attempt to maintain the current schedule for trash pickup, but some route days and/or times may change. Beginning the week of October 21st, Waste Management will start picking up their recycling bins and any bins not retrieved will be picked up the following week, along with any rented trash totes. They are asking all residents to place their recycling bins out the week of October 21st. During this same timeframe, Republic will be delivering 16,000 garbage and recycling totes to our residents.

Republic will invoice residents directly as Waste Management did. The monthly fee is $16.76 and will be billed quarterly. The first bill may only be for the last two months of this year. Waste Management will provide refunds to any residents that have overpaid but cautioned this could take 30 days.

Republic will be sending letters to residents with details of their services and will include their contact information. We are asking our residents to be patient during this change, and we will be adding information on trash and recycling pickup on the City’s website: www.willoughbyohio.com.

Finally, as fall approaches, please note that leaf pickup will resume. This will begin about the second week of October and continue until December 1st, weather permitting. If we have an early snowfall, plowing will take priority and leaf pickup may stop. You can bag leaves for trash pickup or rake them to the tree lawn. Please do not rake leaves into the street or roadside ditches.

The City of Willoughby has many assets, one of which is our lakefront. We are proud of the north end of our City and especially pleased with the recent improvements made in the area. Property owners along Lakeshore Boulevard near Lost Nation Road have been making significant investments, and these are stimulating others to do likewise.

Several years ago, J.T.’s Diner accomplished a beautiful transformation of an existing building into their relocated restaurant along Lakeshore Boulevard. The diner always noted for their excellent breakfasts and unique service has been a tremendous success. Recently Brandt’s Candies known for their exceptional handmade candies invested in a new storefront on Lost Nation. During a tour of their facility, Brandt’s owner, Barb Phillips, explained the care and attention that goes into each confection. This year, Jim and Charlotte Colwill completed a significant renovation to Charlotte’s Ice Cream. This extensive remodeling included both the interior and exterior of their store. Both Brandt’s and Charlotte’s utilized The City of Willoughby’s storefront remodeling grant program to assist with their projects. Another example of a north end improvement is the Sunoco gas station located at the intersection of Lost Nation and Lakeshore. This extensive renovation refreshed a worn corner property and is known as much for their exceptional hummus and corned beef sandwiches as their fuel.

Local community groups, including the Willoughby Lakefront Business Association, have also been working to bring events to the north end. They are the sponsor of the Osborne Park Market and Flea and Kathie Pinkerman has done an excellent job promoting this market. This market is every Wednesday from 4 pm – 7 pm through September.

The City has also been an active participant in the continued improvements to this area. The construction of Osborne Pool provided a catalyst to other park improvements including a new parking area with better access to the lake, a walking trail, a new play structure, and a new pavilion. This year’s improvements include new benches and electrical service for the recently completed pavilion.

Our lakefront, like many along Lake Erie, has been a recent victim of significant erosion. Our Service Department has investigated erosion control measures and costs associated with them. These costs, estimated at over four hundred thousand dollars, would represent about half of our annual capital budget. The capital budget is the fund we use to purchase police, fire, and service vehicles as well as pay for building maintenance. Furthermore, there are no other funding sources for erosion control measures. However, there may be a solution that will provide additional amenities for Osborne Park and residents as well as manage the erosion. The first is the creation of a Lakefront Special Improvement District (SID) with its ability to finance erosion control improvements, possibly over 30 years. The second is we have a unique opportunity to do a broader planning effort and include other park and lakefront amenities. We are reviewing our Osborne Park Master Plan for opportunities to couple erosion control measures with other park improvements which may provide other funding sources.

The lakefront is an important part of our community and we look forward to continued growth and success in this area.