State of the city: 'Solid'

NORWALK — Norwalk Mayor David Light presented the State of the City address Tuesday night during the Norwalk City Council meeting. Light believes the city is in a good position. "The state of the city is solid," Light said. Here's a snapshot of what he discussed: The financials Revenue exceeded expenditures for the city's operating budget in 2024. This is also known as the general fund. According to Light, total general fund revenues totaled about $9.8 million, with expenditures at about $9.7 million. The most significant expenditures were police services, which cost nearly $2.9 million, and firefighting and prevention, costing about $2.1 million, the mayor said. The city has a special fund to purchase a fire truck. It has been making regular deposits into the Fire Truck Capital Fund. Light said the fund currently stands at $550,000 as of December 2024. The city also maintains an emergency account, which can be utilized, with council approval, in the event of a natural disaster or unexpected economic downturn. At the end of 2024, that account balance stood at about $2.1 million, Light said. The city also paid off the remaining balance of the $700,000 note for the Ernsthausen Pool Tank Project. The original tanks built in 1994 needed replacement. The new tanks are fiberglass and are expected to outlast the building. Projects completed in 2024 The city completed a number of projects this year, Light said, including fully resurfacing nine streets and partially resurfacing four. The sewer linings were entirely replaced on Jackson Street and South West Street, and the water main lines were replaced on Oak and Maple streets. The Benedict Avenue water main project was also finished last year. The city spent about $53,400 to improve Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility at Stoutenburg Park, installing a walking path and sidewalks and adding ADA-accessible parking spaces and grills, Light said. Water treatment and wastewater The water treatment department also saw a significant increase in water needs in 2024. Light said the department produced 631 million gallons, up from 570 million in 2023. The department also pumped 92.5 million gallons of water from the Huron River into the reservoir. The increase in water usage also translated into a more significant amount of wastewater treated by the city's water treatment department. "The wastewater department treated 892 million gallons of wastewater compared to 835 million gallons in 2023," Light said. According to the Mayor, construction was also completed on the new sewer interceptor from Washington Street to the treatment plant for about $7.2 million. Sanitation department In line with other departments, the city's sanitation department saw an uptick in its services. There were 1,200 more yard waste drop-offs at the compost station compared to 2023, the mayor said. The department collected 4,913 tons of trash, 80 tons more than the previous year. Recycling also increased by three tons in 2024, for a total of 559 tons. Zoning department According to Light, the zoning department issued 54 grass violations, with nine being assessed to the homeowner's property tax bill. The department also wrote violations for 10 inoperable vehicles and 18 abatement notices for junk and garbage. Blighted property committee The city's Blighted Property Committee worked on bringing the hazardous and blighted buildings up to code with property owners. Those properties pose a danger to residents and first responders. "The city saw huge improvements in the Midtown Manor, Key Estates and Newton Terrace areas throughout the year," Light said. The zoning department reported that 80 new apartment units are starting construction in 2025 on Republic Street, along with five commercial builds. The city has permitted 10 new home builds. General services department Norwalk's general services department responded to 12 snow removal events last year; it has already responded to 11 events in 2025. They also applied 784 tons of salt in 2024, compared to 246 tons in 2023, according to Light. The Veterans Memorial Park Amphitheater ribbon cutting took place on Oct. 19. The site will host a number of concerts this year. "There is a free concert schedule from June through August, and we hope to get into September as well," Light said. The city also completed the Jaycees Bicentennial Park Pickleball Courts, which opened to the public on Aug. 17. Future projects Light also touted several future projects in his presentation, including: • Street resurfacing on Bouscay, Baker, River Bend, Sycamore and Grand streets. • Relining the sewer pipes on St. Clair, Stoutenburg and North Prospect streets. • Replacing the water mains under Bouscay, Baker, Riverbend and Sycamore streets. • Wastewater treatment plant upgrades to increase the plant capacity from 8 million gallons to 15 million gallons. • The Ohio Department of Transportation Urban Paving Project, which looks to pave the entirety of U.S. 250 and Ohio 61 within city limits. Uptown-Main Street Committee The city also has several recreational activities and events planned by the Uptown-Main Street Committee, which include: • Chocolate Walk, happening March 15 • Strawberry Festival, happening May 23-25 • Market on Main, happening June 13, July 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 12 • Veterans Memorial Park Amphitheater's free summer concert series • 4th of July Parade and fireworks • Strongman Competition, happening Aug. 9 • National Night Out • Half Marathon, happening Oct. 12 • Halloween Home decorating contest and Witches Wander • Light Up Norwalk - December holiday home decorating contest