Mayor's Report

Mayor’s Report as printed in The Willoughby Times:

After a long, cold, and snow-filled winter, spring has finally arrived, and with it I have a few important items to cover this month.

First, yard waste pickup will begin on April 1st and is on the same day as your waste collection. Yard waste must be contained in a brown 50lb Kraft bag or a container marked “yard waste.” Any items 4′ in length must be tied or bundled and may not exceed 30lbs.

Also, our summer events begin with the opening of the Willoughby Outdoor Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 7th. The market continues each Saturday from 8 am – 12 pm through October. We are still finalizing the schedules for our other summer events, including our Gazebo Concerts and the Osborne Park Sunset Concerts. We will add the information to our website and Facebook page when the information becomes available.

The City of Willoughby recently hosted a community engagement meeting for our pandemic delayed TLCI (Transportation for Livable Communities) study. The event was on March 9th at the Willoughby Senior Center, and over 50 residents from Eastlake, Willowick, Wickliffe, and Willoughby were in attendance. This was the first of three public meetings, with the remaining two in Eastlake and Willowick. The agendas and presentations for each session are different and build upon the prior meeting discussions. The TLCI study will work to enhance the streetscape along the Vine Street corridor from Lakeshore Blvd. to Downtown Willoughby and includes streetside amenities with an emphasis on making the corridor more bike and pedestrian-friendly. When confirmed, the locations and dates of the two remaining meetings will be on our website.

We are also looking forward to community meetings for our Osborne Park Lakefront study and the Chagrin River Trail and Amphitheater once the weather improves. The Osborne Park planning effort is funded by an Ohio Department of Natural Resources Emergency Erosion Assistance Grant. The Trail and Amphitheater planning projects are funded through State of Ohio Capital Grants.

Finally, we are still seeking seasonal help for our Parks and Recreation and Service Departments. This includes lifeguards, and we are currently offering classes to be certified by summer. We also raised the hourly rates to attract young summer workers.

We are looking forward to a busy and exciting summer, and, as always, we encourage you to visit our website and our Facebook page for updates and events information.