ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Economic Development Committee met this past week to plan the Economic Development Breakfast. The breakfast is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 13, 2005. The breakfast will serve as an opportunity to inform CEO’s of companies/industries, in Ashtabula and Lake Counties in Ohio and Erie and Crawford Counties in Pennsylvania, about what the City of Conneaut has to offer from an economic development standpoint. The purpose is to attract one or more of the companies/industries that may be looking to expand in the future.   

 

The program will be sponsored by the Economic Development Committee, Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County, the Conneaut Port Authority and the City of Conneaut.  Breakfast will be catered and the event will be held at the Conneaut Community Center.  Following a presentation during the breakfast, the Committee has made arrangements to  tour the Port of Conneaut Port and the CN Property. 

 

MANUFACTURING SCHOOL:  In order to address the training needs of manufacturers in Conneaut and throughout Ashtabula County, staff has been working with the executive director of a manufacturing school to determine: 1) if a need for such services exists in Conneaut and Ashtabula County, and 2) if it would be possible to locate a site for them in Conneaut. Growth Partnership and a local manufacturing company have also been involved in the discussions.          

 

WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION: On Wednesday, August 24, 2005, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) held a public meeting at Conneaut Middle School to present information and receive comments on the Conneaut Creek Wild and Scenic River Designation. Approximately 70 persons were in attendance. The meeting was facilitated and a number of people expressed their support for the designation. There was also a group that expressed opposition based on their concerns of property rights. Individuals were asked to submit their comments to Samuel W. Speck, Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 2045 Morse Road, Building D-3, Columbus, Ohio 43229-6693. Comments are being accepted until September 2, 2005.      

 

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION: The Ohio Department of Transportation recently notified us that our application for $565,000 in funding through the TE Program for downtown revitalization was not selected for funding. The project did not score high because many of the requested items were considered either maintenance or ineligible. As a result, staff will determine eligible items and use a combination of the CDBG Downtown Revitalization Grant and the TE Grant to fund the project. What is not covered under one program will be submitted for funding through the other.    

 

As a result, this is another reason why the Downtown Ohio Program would greatly benefit the City of Conneaut. Under the program, communities with the designation receive preferential treatment when applying for the CDBG Downtown Revitalization Grant.   

 

 

CENTER ROAD STREET LIGHTS: As the City Council is aware, the Illuminating Company mistakenly installed street lights on Center Road south of Interstate 90. The lights were supposed to be installed on Gateway Avenue leading to Conneaut Middle and Elementary Schools.  The request to move the majority of street lights from Center Road to Gateway Avenue was submitted to the Illuminating Company this afternoon.  It is anticipated that the work will be performed over the next two weeks.  

 

 

METER READING EQUIPMENT:  The new meter reading equipment will be installed at the Water/Sewer Billing Office in early September. The system will interface the new handheld meter reading equipment with our existing billing system. CMI (the Finance and Water/Sewer Billing Office’s software vendor) has provided all necessary software to make the changes. We anticipate the system will be up and running by September 12, 2005. Neptune will then provide the necessary training to the Water/Sewer Office, the meter readers, and the meter service person. 

 

We are excited about this project because we anticipate that it will save a considerable amount of time and money. In addition, it will provide for more accountability as it automatically dates and time stamps when a meter has been read.

 

WOODWORTH ROAD WATER LINE PROJECT: The water crew installed 260 feet of 6-inch water line on Woodworth Road this past week. This makes a total of 360 feet that has been installed thus far.

 

INTAKE CRIB COVER:  Underwater Services of Ohio will be installing the new intake crib cover to the number three-intake crib in the next couple of weeks. Once this is complete, all three cribs will have been replaced. Once installation is complete, they will then perform an inspection and cleaning where necessary to the remaining intake system.

 

OLD MAIN FORCE MAIN:  The new Old Main Force Main has been hooked up. It was a very labor-intensive project and the Public Works Department and Wastewater Department should be commended for their diligent work on this project. The ditch line and station have been restored and seeded. The Eagle’s Club driveway apron needs to be concreted and the road crossing needs to be paved. Before this can be done, the fill will have to settle. The Public Works Department also installed three (3) new catch basins in the area to collect some of the water run off from the hill.

 

 

POLICE CALLS/CITATIONS/ARRESTS: The week of August 19 through August 26, there were 418 service calls logged and 26 citations/arrests issued. Included in these numbers were 34 traffic stops, 15 thefts, 35 suspicious activity calls, 27 registration checks, 11 disturbance calls, 16 assaults, 10 accidents, nine juvenile complaints, four burglaries, nine animal complaints and two missing person calls.

 

 

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CASES: Six housing cases have been filed with the Conneaut Municipal Court. All cases involve derelict houses and owners who have refused to repair their property in accordance with our property maintenance standards. Additional cases are pending. 

 

CLINTON AVENUE RESTORATION: The restoration work on Clinton Avenue Storm Sewer Project began this past week – including the planting of grass. In addition, the Public Works Department prepped the sidewalks for pouring of concrete this week.

 

COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOME:  The Public Works Department has been busy cutting trees and limbs in the country that create visibility problems. In addition, they mowed right-of-ways before school starts on Tuesday, August 30, 2005.

 

 

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR – IMPORTANT DATES: 

 

CONGRESSMAN LATOURETTE VISIT:  Conneaut Moose Club on Monday, August 29, 2005 at 4:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to update Congressman LaTourette on the project currently underway to remove the sand from the inner harbor of the Conneaut Port Authority. While he has been very helpful to date, Congressman LaTourette’s visit will enable him to learn more about the project and see it for himself. 

 

D-DAY EVENT: September 17, 2005 at 12:00 and 4:00 p.m. at Conneaut Township Park.

 

BEST OF THE COUNTY AWARDS DINNER – GROWTH PARTNERSHIP:  Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 5:30 PM. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Ms. Pat Beckwith in the City Manager’s Office. 

 

TRICK OR TREAT:  October 31, 2005 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.