Mayor's Report

As we begin a new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the challenges our city faced during the early winter weather in late November and early December. An early winter storm arrived suddenly with significant force, causing widespread tree and branch damage from the weight of the snow. The heavy snowstorm the week before Thanksgiving disrupted our regular operations as we shifted focus to storm debris cleanup. However, another storm over Thanksgiving required us to reprioritize and focus on snow removal. Plowing roads and ensuring safety became our top concern, requiring several days of intensive work from our service team. Once snow removal was under control, we resumed clearing the storm debris.

This back-and-forth effort, while necessary, unfortunately delayed the completion of our planned final round of curbside leaf collection in early December. We understand how disappointing this was for residents. During a brief break in the weather, we hired a contractor to assist with storm debris removal and shifted our service department team to finish the final round of leaf pickup. While these efforts helped address many of the remaining piles, some areas were unfortunately missed due to weather.

Our city’s service department is made up of an incredible group of individuals who manage a variety of responsibilities throughout the year. From responding to storm damage and collecting leaves to preparing for and managing snow and ice removal. When severe weather strikes, priorities often need to shift rapidly to ensure the safety and accessibility of all Willoughby residents. Despite the challenges of this past season, their commitment to serving our community never wavered as they worked tirelessly to meet the city’s needs.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these demanding circumstances. As weather allows, we plan to address the remaining leaf piles that were not collected in December.

This winter also brings an exciting new opportunity to embrace the season with Chilloughby, our newest family-friendly event on January 11th from 4 PM to 7 PM. This festive celebration of winter will feature ice sculpting demonstrations, a fire dancer, a live DJ, games for all ages, and a fireworks display to close the evening. We hope you’ll join us and make this a new winter tradition!

Looking ahead, we have many exciting initiatives planned for this year. Visit our website and Facebook page for updates on events and projects. From all of us, best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!