Mayor says exciting things happening in city in State of the City Address
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EAST LIVERPOOL -- When East Liverpool Mayor Bobby Smith gave his first State of the City address to East Liverpool City Council during Monday's meeting after 26 working days in office, he said that a lot of exciting things were going on in the city.
"The state of the city in my opinion, with the Thompson House (Building) and all the other things going on here, is really exciting," Smith said.
The mayor noted that the new administration has met a lot of good people who want to do good things for the city, and they were just going to have to treat them in the right way, with respect shown both ways, and keep talking to these people while keeping an open ear.
"We all know this whole town has been kicked down the road for about 50 years, and that is how we got in some of these boats like with the water department," Smith said. "I think we are on the upswing and will keep things positive and whatever was working under Mayor (Greg) Bricker we will continue that and what wasn't working, it was pretty obvious, and we will be getting handles on that."
Smith noted no transition took place between the former and current administration.
"After being in office for 26 days, that's work days I might add, I've learned a lot and listened a lot and shook my head a lot, smiled a lot and cried one time," Smith said.
He noted his short time in office so far is the reason his first State of the City is a little vague and the next one would be more informative.
Smith said he and Safety/Service Director Bill Jones have been meeting with all the department heads and those meetings have gone well. They have been working to speak with all the city employees, talking to them to explain what they are expecting, going over the pros and cons and trying to get them to be a little more detailed about what they do.
When discussing the police department, Smith said a new patrolman was hired and the city was looking to hire some more. The department needs 17 officers on staff before they can put someone on the drug task force.
"That is so important. We all know why. It's kind of somewhat out of control at this point, unfortunately," Smith said. "But we hope to get that under control with more policemen and having a representative on the drug task force."
Smith reported that the fire department has run well over the years due to Jones's leadership as the former chief. Antony Cumo is currently acting as the interim chief. The ambulance service provided by the fire department is going well.
The mayor noted that while the garbage department is doing great they could use some more equipment and money. He said he would like to see the department expand instead of shrinking.
"The street department with Dan Galeotti there, we have taken the chains off of him and let him do his job and that has worked out well," Smith said.
When it comes to the housing department, Smith said since he worked there, they hold a part in his heart and that he knows firsthand, day after day they have their problems, but they are still there. A new housing inspector was recently hired.
The administration is working to get the police department some help for them to help the city and housing department by writing instant tickets instead of writing letters.
Smith said it was no wonder some of the city's departments have been over stressed because so much has been allowed to get out of hand and it's a big thing for the city to get things back under control.
Smith has been attending a variety of meetings including Ohio Department of Transporation (ODOT) with Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) Executive Director Bill Cowan and those have been a real eye opener for him when it comes to grants and matching funding.
"It blows you away when you sit there listening to it. You learn quick on that," Smith said. "What I have learned going to these meetings with Bill (Cowan) is he has done such a wonderful job for the city. It's really amazing. I never realized just how much he has done."
Smith said he has been meeting with people and local organizations regarding the homeless situation in the city.
While sources previously reported there were approximately 150 to 200 homeless people in the city, Smith said that was a foolish statement and that there are not 200 homeless people, and he would debate that number.
He also said there were a lot of people trying to help the city including the county commissioners and he thinks that help will be fruitful.
With the 250th anniversary of the country approaching, the State of Ohio is looking to have certain cities take part in a celebration and Smith said he believes this will be a great opportunity for the city to get some positive publicity. The director of the group planning the celebration will be coming to East Liverpool to go up to the "Point of Beginning."
Smith said he believes that type of publicity will tie into what the administration is trying to do to move the city forward.
"We are trying to move forward with the Route 39 project and there is a bike trail also coming from Pennsylvania this way and that all ties together," Smith said. "That is kind of exciting."
Smith noted that he would like some of the local transport companies to become number one haulers for the cracker plant and that he has requested if that happens for the city to a receive a portion of the license plate fees.
Smith has talked to local businesses who are willing to support the local playgrounds through sponsorships.
"The maintenance of the playgrounds is pretty simple. It's just cutting grass," Smith said. "But we need to do more than just maintain them. We need to improve them, so we need to step up on that and give the kids a little bit better opportunities than they have."
Smith also noted that Thompson Park was doing well.
He noted that is was taking some time but the water department is and will be doing better.
"All this stuff in 26 days was learning the hard way and that's okay," Smith said. "The secret to it is good people."
He noted that the administration has a lot of good people and will continue that.