Creating Elyria’s Best Future

1. Creating Elyria’s Best Future The State of the City February 2012

2. Elyria is another name for opportunity…Paraphrased, Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. Our Beliefs: Creating the Community of Opportunity • We see an opportunity in every difficulty. • We are accountable to citizens for every tax dollar and are committed to delivering efficient, effective, performance-based, outcome driven cost-effective services. • We will explore new ways of thinking and operating. This includes shared services among cities and counties to save money and improve service delivery.

4. Creating the Community of Opportunity…Continued • Government must be conducted openly and transparently to gain trust. • Research and understanding costs and benefits are key to decision-making, and sharing carefully framed, viable options with citizens in a two-way dialogue to build consensus for public policy decisions is important. • Citizen safety is paramount in all decisions.

5. Creating a Community of Opportunity…Continued • Working collaboratively to develop a strategy for fiscal strength is critical. • A team approach to economic development that leverages relationships with existing economic development and educational organizations is key. • Elyria must better align and market its assets within the region to position itself to grow jobs, increase incomes and attract investments. • Having a vision and a plan that is constantly revisited and monitored will strengthen us. • Customer service is key.

6. Your New Administration • Mayor Holly C. Brinda, MPA – focus planning and community engagement, resource & economic development, marketing & community relations • Safety Service Director Mary F. Siwierka, BA – focus public services, customer relations • Asst. Safety Service Director Dan Jaykel, MPA – focus public safety • Asst. Safety Service Director Elayne Siegfried, Esq. – focus human resources & risk management

7. Finances: Creating a Community of Opportunity

8. City of Elyria Financial Overview • Has approximately $185 million in assets • $86 million in liabilities • $99 million in net assets • The General Fund, five categories of services offered to the public, has fluctuated between $34 - $27 million in the past five years.

9. General Fund Breakdown Function Category Approx. % of Budget • Public Safety • Health • Culture & Recreation • Community Environment • General Government • 50% • 6% • 5% • 3% • 36%

10. General Fund Sources of Revenue • Income Tax: 68% • State of Ohio Local Government Fund: 5.4% • Estate Tax: 1.3% • Other: 25.3%

11. Comparison of Major General Fund Revenue Sources by Year • State of Ohio Local Government Fund to be slashed by 25% in 2012 from $2,281,240 in 2011 to $1,636,20 in 2012 & additional 25% in 2013. • Estate Tax is scheduled to be repealed 1/1/13 and will eliminate this source of revenue for all municipalities (Est. annual revenue loss $400,000 - $650,000. • With these anticipated reductions, Elyria will be forced to operate with $1.8 less in the General Fund. • Income projections may not hold: Comparing January 2012 to January 2011 collections are down over 17% (refunds to employers withholding & net profit accounts) - despite a 8% overall increase from 2010-2011.

12. The Budgeting Challenge • Reductions in the Local Government Fund and repeal of the Estate Tax in 2013 means Elyria must eliminate over $1.8 million from its General Fund over the next two years – including $1 million this year to maintain a necessary $3 million carry-over. • This $1 million reduction in 2012 does not include the expiration of the $3.7 million Safer Grant that paid for 23 firefighters over two years and other grants that will expire.

13. How We Will Attain Fiscal Stability & Responsibility • Initiate State of Ohio Performance Audit • Conducting contract review/re-issue RFPs • Assessing impact of captive systems • Scrutinizing purchase orders; centralizing purchasing for some items/adding cooperative purchasing programs • Five-year capital outlay plan/equipment sharing • Monitoring overtime with Chiefs/Dept. Heads • Reducing vehicle expenses

14. Attaining Fiscal Stability & Responsibility Continued… • Adjusting fees to market rates • Exploring and executing shared services across municipalities/region • Adopting and publishing a City Report Card that shares status of goal attainment • Modeling personal sacrifice: eliminated longevity and vehicles for senior staff; mayor gave up vehicle & travel allowance/makes annual voluntary contribution . • Applying for additional grants including a SAFER grant to support Fire Department.

15. Attaining Fiscal Stability and Responsibility Continued… • Working with employee groups to identify cost savings • Recognizing employee process improvement and cost-saving efforts • Strengthening the tax base with strategic economic development incentives, adapting design review

16. Attaining Fiscal Stability & Responsibility by Expanding the Tax Base • With partners, adopt three tier (region, county, city) economic development strategy. • Align assets to region & market. • Expand Elyria’s economic development tool kit; add local Job Creation Tax Credit (income tax credit); Expand our Alternative Energy Conservation Loan Fund; Add SIDs & create a Financial Security offering tax incentives to private investors and use the pooled funds for matching grants to downtown or other business investors. • Take leadership in developing a county-wide land bank.

17. Why a Land Bank? Benefits Powers • Allow Elyria to be eligible to receive a portion of Ohio’s $335 million award from the nationwide mortgage settlement. • Enhances ability to acquire property for economic development and business and residential retention purposes. • Enhances ability to return properties to productive use. • Enhances ability to demolish blighted properties. • Increases property values. • Requires no primary city obligation dollars; funding from interest/penalties on unpaid/delinquent real property taxes & DTAC assessment collection fee. • Nonprofit community improvement corp. that can purchase, receive, transfer, hold, manage and lease property. • Engage in code enforcement & nuisance abatement. • Acquire/manage unimproved or underutilized property and forfeited lands. • Purchase delinquent property tax lien certificates. • Contract with government & other entities. • Issue bonds, apply for grants, make loans & borrow money.

18. Attaining Fiscal Stability and Responsibility Through Collaborations • NOACA – regional transportation planning • NEOSCC – regional planning: economic development, environment, housing, connecting systems, data/GIS, communications • Team Lorain County & Lorain County Chamber of Commerce memberships

19. Attaining Fiscal Stability & Responsibility Through Shared Service Delivery • County-wide health district: current discussion • County-wide police dispatch & communication systems: current discussion • County-wide broadband system: current discussion • County-wide waste water treatment: current discussion • Lorain County MetroParks affiliation – current discussion

20. Attaining Fiscal Responsibility & Responsibility Through Open & Responsive Government • Council encouraged to adopt transparency legislation. • Website to share more information: meetings, budgets, spending data, contracts, salary & pensions, audits, etc. • City Report Card and annual performance reports • Annual community planning forums to update the city’s strategic plan – aligned with budgeting process.

21. Attaining Fiscal Stability & Responsibility Through Open & Responsive Government • Initiate Mayor’s 24 Hour Action Center • Televise City Council Meetings; post video archive on website • Engage citizens in monthly Spotlight Elyria Television Show • Monthly Mayor’s Night In • Weekly Media Updates • Community E-Newsletter

22. Attaining Fiscal Stability & Responsibility through Volunteer Engagement • Mayor’s Office on Volunteer Engagement M.O.V.E. • Volunteers being recruited to provide time, talent & treasures to support recreational and educational programming for children & teens and community building activities: Fireworks, Finwood Holiday & MLK Celebrations, flower baskets and more.

23. Current M.O.V.E. Projects Summer 2012 Community Projects • Raise $15,000 to replace broken diving board & stand at East Park. • Raise $15,000 to help sponsor four one-week summer recreational math & science camps and a combination recreation/arts camp. Recruit screened volunteers. • Recruit caring adults to work with 30 at-risk female students at Elyria High School • Additional Pool Invest. TBD • Raise $1,200 for MLK Holiday Commission • Recruit 50 volunteers and raise $50,000 to offset cost to hold the Holiday Celebration at Finwood Estate. • Begin planning for 2013: raise $120,000 to support community fireworks display: $35,000 show, $75,000 for city support services.

24. Creating Opportunities Through Our Employees • Bring Human resources under one umbrella. • Update/adopt job descriptions & an evaluation system. • Develop a personnel policy manual.

25. Human Resource Opportunities Continued… • Create more formal on-boarding orientation for new employees. • Revise the records management and retention process. • Review healthcare administration: contract, contribution formula, coordination of benefits, wellness program. • Reform worker’s compensation processes: safety training & audits

26. Customer Service Opportunities • Training staff to encourage ownership and empowerment of service recovery situations • Instituting the Mayor’s online 24- hour Action Center; designing more interactive website • “Right tooling” employees, replacing antiquated computers, updating software that impact service delivery • Streamlining processes for citizen damage claims • Developing standard resident notification processes for road and other work/situations that impact them • Adjusting hours of service operations to better meet resident needs

27. Elyria Service Trivia • How many gallons of water does the city pump per year? • How many water towers are there? • How many miles of roadway is there to maintain? • How many potholes do you think the city fills each year? • How many internet cafes are there and how much revenue do they generate? • How many tons of trash does the city collect annually? • How many incident calls do you think our police officers respond to each year? • How many fires and life-threatening emergency calls do our firefighters respond to annually? • How many children attend safety town each year?

28. Fascinating Facts • The City pumped 4.3 BILLION gallons of water per day in 2011 to Elyria, Amherst, Sheffield, and Carlisle Township. • There are five water towers in Elyria; Clark, Furnace & 16th Streets hold 1 million gallons each; Chestnut Commons holds 250,000 gallons And Murray Ridge holds 750,000 gallons. • The City maintains 52 square miles of roadway and fills over 5,000 potholes each season. • The City collects nearly 17,000 tons of residential trash each year and nearly 3,000 tons of recycled materials. In 2011 that amount tripled for recyclables. • The police department responded to 34,750 calls and initiated 8,736 calls for service for a total of 43,486 incident calls in 2011. • The EPD & EFD helped 450 children learn at Safety Town. • The Fire Department responded to 3,750 calls: 268 fire calls resulting in an estimated $1,950,910 in personal property damages, 2,185 life-threatening emergency medical responses, 1,285 service calls and 12 mutual aid responses. • Elyria has 5 Internet Cafes that generate $95,300 for the City: Annual fee $2500 x 5 & $30 per terminal (2,760)

29. 2012 Department Status/Projects Opportunities for Enhanced Service Delivery

30. IT Department Projects/Opportunities State of IT Remedies • Over 50% of the city’s 209 computers are 5-8 years old. • 101 computers are 8 years old or older with 2001 software. • All departments are losing productivity due to computer down time and antiquated software. • Ready to roll out a tracking system that will catalogue computer and other equipment and software issues and plan for future needs. • Exploring a life cycle approach for computers that takes into account maintenance and replacement needs.

31. Engineering/Capital Improvements • In a national search for Chief Engineer • Middle Avenue Water Main Project: 2nd to 16th – cost: $1.27 million; replacing smaller lines; increased flow and fire protection • Lift Station Repairs: Turner, Overbrook, Pinewood – cost: $2.4 million; combination of increased capacity & compliance with NPDES Permit

32. Engineering Capital Improvements Cont. • West River Road: 57 to 254, sewer repair, resurfacing, widening in some parts – cost $2.9 million (city 80%); Start July – end November, 2012. • Lorain Blvd. resurfacing: 57 to Lake Avenue to remedy poor road conditions – cost $585,000 (city $65,000) Start May – end September 2012. • Street sweeping program – spring & fall – cost $165,000 clean debris from catch basins to prevent drainage issues.

33. Engineering/Capital ProjectsPending • Furnace Street Water Main Replacement Project: • To be re-bid – bids ranged from $940,000 to $1.25 million. Original budget was $800,000. • Replace 5,300 linear feet of 4” x 6” water main, 150 water services, install 16 new fire hydrants. • SR 57/49th Street Bridge: • ODOT Administered project • Stage 1 plans submitted to ODOT • Stage 2 plans to be submitted in April. • Project cost $28.437 million • $9 million approved by NOACA • City submitted for TRAC funding (Transportation Review Advisory Council) • Project includes changing the I-90 ramps, removal 49th St. Bridge at Midway & Griswold roads.

34. Community Development Department/Status Opportunities 2011 Projects & Beyond Current Assistance • Under contract to demolish 12 properties, with additional 18 properties in progress stages: condemnation/demolition • Served 25 homes with emergency home repair dollars and over 30 homes with emergency repair • Identified and working with homeowners in 15 lead hazard/abatement homes. • February 1 – March 16 Elyria residents can apply for assistance to improve their homes through the Community Housing Improvement Program. • Renovated, energy-efficient homes are also available for purchase though the Neighborhood Stabilization program. • For more information call 326-1541.

35. Building Department Status/Opportunities • Received 1043 complaints involving property maintenance, public nuisance, zoning and permit related concerns. The City had the personnel to investigate and resolve about 40%. • Issued 3,196 building permits – a 25% increase from 2010.

36. Building Department Major Oversight Projects • New Lab Building at LCCC • New Taco Bell Restaurant – 117 Middle Ave. • Two New Family Dollar Stores – 400 Oberlin Road & 401 Lake Avenue • Addition to PSC Metals 800 Infirmary Rd. • Blue Sky Restaurant on Cleveland Street

37. Building/Community Department Dept. Opportunities • Working to refine Design Review Guidelines: graduated approach (more stringent core city and entrance/ exits and more open in some other areas) and more acceptable alternative building materials to make Elyria more business friendly. • Land Bank to provide more leverage and assistance to the City with existing and future properties. • Community Task Force exploring Rental Housing License Program to ensure properties are maintained, and safe.

38. Parks & Recreation/Cemetery Status/Opportunities • Trying to open two pools and provide programming at four recreation centers for 2012 with combination re-allocation of funds/philanthropic support. • The Nature Center is back in full operation and we hope to have collaborative programming wit h the schools this summer. • The entrance to the Cascade Park 19 acres entrance will be open and the pavilion open for rentals. • The two new pavilions at South & West parks are complete and open for rentals. • Having a very successful season at Ice Rink. Rentals/utilization at 100%.

39. Park & Recreation Continued… • Planning for concert series this summer (sponsorships) and working with Main Street Elyria on flower baskets for Ely Square. • Reviewing cemetery fees to seek income/cover costs. • Continuing conversations with MetroParks regarding potential affiliation agreement for Cascade.

40. Water Pumping/Waste Water Departments Status/Opportunities Water Pumping Wastewater treatment • The department pumped over 4.3 billion gallons of water in 2011 to Elyria, Amherst, Sheffield and Carlisle Township. • The department is in negotiation for the sale of water to two additional communities. • On February 2 Ohio EPA Inspectors concluded after a thorough inspection that the Waste Water Pollution Control Plant is in compliance with its discharge permit and the plant is being effectively managed and maintained. • Elyria continues to explore ways to make participation in a pending county-wide waste water treatment project cost-effective for residents despite study results to the contrary.

41. Health Department Status/Opportunities • 2,094 Seasonal Flu Shots • 1,140 Travel Immunizations • 1,892 children’s immunizations • 1,262 Help Me Grow visits • Made 832 restaurant inspections for licenses/complaints

42. Health Department Status/Opportunities Continued… • Lead screening for Head Start pupils at their centers • Re-design of pre-natal care coordination program • Public health nurses provided coordination of services for 200 families • Conducted child nutrition and dental programs • Continuation of conversation regarding a joint health service delivery system for the county

43. Fire Department Status • Maintained 73 firefighters at three fire stations with assistance of SAFER grant (funded 23 firefighters). The grant expires 6/30/11 • Emergency responses increased by 983 calls in 2011. • 268 fire calls and an estimated $1,950,910 in property damages • Made 12 Mutual Aid responses to surrounding communities • Received 5 Mutual Aid Responses

44. Fire Department Status Continued… • Responded to 2,185 Emergency Medical Responses – these are only the life threatening emergencies • Made 1,285 Service Calls • Completed 11,739 hours of training • With EPD, investigated 60 known arson cases and have obtained 17 convictions to date. Arson conviction rate in Elyria is 28% higher than state rate, which speaks well for the relationship between the departments.

45. Fire Department Status Continued… • Assisted with another successful year of Safety Town with 450 children in attendance. • Every Monday morning provide blood pressure checks for senior citizens at East Recreation Center and open houses throughout the city. • Sponsored an October Open House where 350 residents learned how the EFD protects the public.

46. Fire Department Opportunities • Use a community-wide Safety Summit, with all key constituents, to assess the coordination and delivery of emergency medical care. • Apply for a SAFER Grant to maintain 23 fire fighters and keep three stations open. • Train all firefighters in the Blue Card Command System to enhance response to type 4-5 incidents. • Update the EFD’s data collection and analysis software.

47. Police Department Status • 83 sworn police officers • Responded to 34,750 calls from citizens and initiated 8,736 calls for service for a total of 43,486 incidents. • The Neighborhood Impact Unit has pursued and has had successful hearings to end liquor licenses for the Red Fox, Toy Box, Ely Inn and Uncle Vics/MardiGras . This is resulting in less violence downtown.

48. Police Department Status Continued… • NIU helped the Lorain County Drug Task Force by completing 16 controlled drug buys • Assisted other agencies in 4 search warrants: seized 71.7 grams of crack cocaine, 87.7 grams of powder cocaine, 1,228 grams of Marijuana, 32.5 doses of ectasy, 1,228.1 grams of heroine, 44 doses f oxycontin and seized $85,616 in cash • As a member of the Lorain County Drug Task Force completed 26 arrests, 8 search warrants, seized $47,000 and 3 hand guns. • NIU officers wrote 338 citations and made 518 arrests in 2011. They obtained 5 federal indictments for firearms violations, seized 8 hand guns and 1 shotgun. • NIU officer met monthly with 15 block watch groups

49. Police Department Status/Opportunities • The EPD Investigative Unit: Investigated 431 cases – 140 cleared by arrest or indictment, 40 remain open • Investigated two homicides: one murder/suicide, one murder • Presented 257 felony cases generated by Patrol Division to Grand Jury – 93 % True Billed • Assigned 72 burglaries, 18 robberies, 24 felonious assaults, 7 arsons • Youth Bureau investigated 142 sex crimes and crimes against or by juveniles • Responded to 1,321 crashes – the highest in any city in Lorain County and higher per capita than most cities in the state. Further investigation is pending

50. Please join us in:Making Elyria the Community of Opportunity “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more…” • …Anthony Robbins