Mayor's Report

As we enter the holiday season, we have a few exciting things to share and important updates for the coming month. 

We are happy to report that the Willoughby Fire Department recently received two FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grants for over $1.8 million. One grant, received through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), represents $528,815 and will be used to replace outdated portable radios initially purchased in 2010. The second grant was a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) award of $1,335,553, allowing the city to hire three new firefighters for the next three years. These new personnel will be assigned to our Fire Station #2 on Lost Nation Road, where calls for service have been steadily increasing. Only 138 SAFER grants were awarded nationally, and Willoughby Captain Mike Kocab and Firefighter Joe Hum were responsible for these successful applications. 

Recently, the city was involved in three groundbreaking ceremonies. The first was for the Willoughby Union High Renovation Project and included representatives from the County and State that helped support this important adaptive reuse project. Another groundbreaking was for the Osborne Park Shoreline Protection Project, which will include erosion control measures and slope stabilization as part of the Phase One work. We are especially grateful to State Senator Jerry Cirino for his work in securing a $2 million grant, which will jumpstart this project. A final groundbreaking for the Chagrin River Floodplain Restoration and Trail Project included representatives from several state and federal agencies, State Senator Jerry Cirino, and Congressman Dave Joyce, who was instrumental in securing over $2 million for this project. 

Yard waste pickup by Republic Services will end on December 13th, and curbside leaf pickup will continue through November, ending the first week of December. Please bring your leaves to the tree lawn, but not in the street. Our crews will continue to pick up leaves if the weather permits and may be suspended temporarily during a snow event. Please check our website, where we will update the routes of our leaf pickup vehicles daily.

We have been receiving a few questions about golf carts on city streets. The State of Ohio Revised Code prohibits golf carts from being operated on major thoroughfares and cannot be driven by unlicensed operators or anyone under the age of 16 on secondary streets. 

As we enter the holiday season, please check our website and Facebook page for upcoming events. Small Business Saturday on November 30th is a great way to experience and support our local merchants, restaurants, and bars.  Our “official” kickoff to the season begins with our holiday lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 5th, at 7:00 pm. Throughout that weekend, our Downtown Willoughby merchants, bars, and restaurants are planning some exciting events and shopping experiences, including the Holiday Stroll on Friday and Saturday, Miracle on Erie Street 5K, and Breakfast with Santa on Saturday.  

Wishing everyone a great fall season!