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.

On August 10th, the City will host an Open House event for the new David E. Anderson Senior Center. This much-anticipated facility will become the new home for our over 1500 members. Please stop by to take a tour, become a member or learn about all of the programs offered. The Center will open for our members on Monday, August 12th. The ribbon cutting will take place on September 14th.

Union Village is a collaboration between the City of Willoughby, the Willoughby-Eastlake School District, and the Lake County YMCA. This will represent the largest construction project in Willoughby’s history, and one of the most unique collaborations in the State of Ohio. In 2014, Superintendent Steve Thompson and Lake County YMCA Executive Director Dick Bennett began a conversation about combining and sharing resources. Given Willoughby South High School and the West End Y are neighbors, these leaders believed a partnership would increase services of both institutions. Shortly after this, Mayor David Anderson suggested it would be an excellent opportunity to build our long-anticipated senior center. Before the 2015 school district bond issue, the City, School District, and YMCA conceived a joint-use facility now called Union Village. The name truly represents the philosophy behind this project: a union of three entities to provide better services while reducing operational costs. It is also a nod to the former Union High School located in Wes Point Park.

Union Village includes an expansion and renovation of Willoughby South High School, the relocation of Willoughby Middle School to the current high school and the demolition of the existing Willoughby Middle School. The YMCA is investing in a new state-of-the-art facility and will relocate from its current building at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Shankland. Finally, the City is constructing a new senior center and will relocate from the current building on Brown Avenue.

The real story, however, is the value these separate but connected projects bring to our community. For the City, we will have a single-story facility with flexible and expandable spaces for programming. We also gain better parking and a more functional layout. Our proximity to the YMCA will offer more programming opportunities, and the new South High School field house will provide a larger gym as well as a walking track. We are also looking forward to a renewed relationship with our neighbors, Breckenridge Village, and their new Executive Director Dean Palombaro. The new YMCA facility will offer more program opportunities with an emphasis on family programming. Their building includes a warm water therapy pool, and the Y will manage the 8-lane competitive pool constructed by the school district. The pools are adjacent to each other, and they serve as an outstanding example of how the YMCA’s expertise in pool management can provide a direct benefit to the schools. The expanded Willoughby South High School/Middle School will offer more opportunities for student-centered learning and an opportunity for cross-generational learning experiences with its proximity to the Senior Center.

We look forward to seeing the community at Union Village soon!