Toledo Mayor Rod Cross delivers his State of the City report during Wednesday night’s city council session. Cross summarized the changes the city, its staff, and its residents experienced in 2009, and looked ahead to 2010. (Photo by Terry Dillman)

Toledo endures change and faces challenge, says mayor



In what was likely the first State of the City report ever given by a Toledo mayor, Rod Cross presented a summary of 2009, and a glimpse of the community’s course for 2010 - and beyond.

Toledo endured considerable change last year in terms of infrastructure, government, and personnel.

Cross said the big issue fro 2009 involved a longstanding issue within the city - lack of an infrastructure repair and replacement plan, and a way to fund those needs. Several breaks in water transmission lines and tens of thousands of dollars spent in emergency repairs added to the routine maintenance of equipment are severely depleted reserves, and brought the matter to a boiling point.

Cross said the reserves they delved into were earmarked for system upgrades, but due to the increasing frequency of repairs, “these reserves have been used for band-aids.”

“As a council, we have taken several steps toward rectifying this situation,” he noted.

First, they authorized master plan studies for the water and wastewater systems. Next, they authorized completion of the city’s transportation master plan. Finally, they authorized and approved a street utility fee to feed the street maintenance budget. “Master plans are vital in two ways,” Cross stated. “They give you a blueprint, not just of what items need to be fixed and in what order, but they identify and allow the city to apply and compete for loans and grants to accomplish the work.”



Busy year

Cross lauded the efforts of the department heads - Police Chief Mark Fandrey, Fire Chief Will Ewing, Library and Recreation Director Peter Rayment, Finance Director Polly Chavarria, Public Works Director Adam Denlinger, and City Manager Michelle Amberg.

He outlined their accomplishments for the year in the face of daunting challenges, especially under public works.

The administration department experienced personnel changes, as long-time Executive Secretary Teresa Jenkins retired, and Assistant Recorder Nancy Bryant took the post, and Josephine Ward replaced Bryant.

In addition to the day-to-day operations of the city, Amberg oversaw the connection of fiber-optic cable to various departments to enhance communication capabilities; led successful negotiations with the city’s general bargaining unit; worked with the governor’s revitalization team, “assuring that our community could profit from a closer relationship with our state government”; led efforts to ‘outline, streamline, and codify city council committees” that Cross said “has been immeasurable in pour efforts to engage the citizenry in the decision-making process.”

Amberg also worked with Denlinger to finalize a long-awaited wetland mitigation, allowing the city “to put that project behind us at long last.” And she worked with Celeste Mathews - a Jill-of-all-trades serving as the city’s community projects organizer, Main Street program coordinator, and business relations specialist - that led to the city’s acceptance into the national Main Street Program, and “administer a state program that will continue to reap benefits for our citizens,” Cross noted.

Mathews also proved instrumental in Toledo’s becoming one of 32 finalists for an All-American City award.

“This community showed true ‘All-America’ spirit, coming together to not only fundraise, but choreograph a presentation that would represent all the citizens of Toledo at the national convention,” said Cross. “Our delegation was a true cross-section of our community. Even though we were not chosen in the top 10, it was an opportunity and experience we will never forget.”



Looking ahead

Cross said the city leaders face “some daunting challenges” going into 2010 and beyond.

The general fund budget - the one that provides funding for all city operations and services other than water, wastewater, and streets - has failed to match inflation for more than 20 years.

“We need to work toward long-term viability of our services, not just the usual year-to-year juggling act,” said Cross. “As city councils past have had to reduce and cut programs, now it is our turn. This will be a major topic of discussion and action for us during the next several months.”

Citizen input, he added, is vital in shaping the near- and long-term vision for the city’s governing body.

Cross said they must take the information from the master plans and ‘work to find ways to improve, not just repair, our aging infrastructure.” They must determine “more creative ways to provide the services you desire.” Whether that means more public-private or public-nonprofit partnerships - or a combination of both - remains undecided for now, but it will become part of the discussions for the city’s future.

“While there are limitations to what we can do, there should not be limitations on what we can consider,” Cross stated, inviting residents to talk to him, other council members, or city staff about ideas they might have “to help this city keep moving forward.”

Council members unanimously adopted council goals for 2010 after spending considerable time in several workshop sessions since December to develop and distill them. They are:

• Finance - Identify the city’s funding priorities and objectives; develop a diverse revenue stream; develop contingency plans for dire economic emergencies; and develop a city-owned vacant land inventory, so that council and staff can evaluate proposals and discussions for parks, housing, disposal, or other uses.

• Communication - Develop and enhance avenues of communication, part of which is to distribute public information as broadly as possible.

• Infrastructure - Maintain master plans; maintain fire and police services; identify funding sources to complete capital improvement projects; and prioritize challenges to overcome to assure successful operations dependent on effective infrastructure.

• Legal - Resolve the city’s long-standing legal issues.

Cross called the goals “very laudable,” and considered them fodder for “many great discussions” in the months ahead. Individually, he has two major goals for 2010.

First, he wants to promote and begin construction of workforce housing in Toledo in cooperation with the Lincoln County Land Trust and other interested agencies and groups. “This housing would fill a huge gap in our housing stock, and allow our young families with family-wage jobs to own their own home,” he said. “These units would allow our young police officers, firefighters, teachers, machinists, and craftspeople an opportunity they otherwise are shut out from.”

His other goal is to shake the money trees in Salem, and lobby to change how government is funded at the state and local levels (see related story).

“As you can see, it will be a very busy year for your community and us,” he concluded, inviting Toledo residents and business owners to become part of the effort.



Terry Dillman is the assistant editor of the News-Times. Contact him at (541) 265-8571, ext 225, or terrydillman@newportnewstimes.com.





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