March has always been my favorite month not only due to the ultimate promise of Spring, but obviously because of St. Patrick’s Day. Growing up Irish Catholic, our world was adorned with shamrocks and the sounds of bagpipes, fiddles, tin whistles, and Irish ballads rang through the house day and night. When St. Patrick’s Day landed on a Friday during Lent, we always wondered if the Bishop would extend dispensation so that we could eat our corned beef free of guilt? Luckily, he always did.
A few months back, I asked my wife Jeni and a few community members to plan a March event that could give our community an early chance to come together and welcome Spring. Thanks to their hard work, on March 27th the “Shamrock Shuffle and Shenanigans” will be held at City Hall. The event will kick off at 10:00 a.m. with the start of a 5k run. A live band will begin at 11:00 a.m., and the Murphy’s Irish Dancers will end the day with a performance at 2:00 p.m. There will be food and beverages for purchase, a Kids Zone with video games, and special visitors from our friends at the Metroparks. Thanks in advance to all the sponsors; all remaining proceeds from the event will go toward a new playground at the Community Center. A very special thanks to Kirtland High School senior Evan Dures for designing the event logo and to Mr. Harvey’s Art Department and students for their willingness to help. Please see the advertisement in this edition of the Kirtland Chronicle as well as the City of Kirtland website for more details.
In this Chronicle you should have also received a flyer for a resident broadband internet survey. A digital form of the survey can also be found on the city website. We are hoping for a high rate of resident participation as we want feedback as to what improvements, if any, can and should be made related to broadband internet services in Kirtland.
City Council will continue to review and discuss the City of Kirtland’s 2022 Budget Appropriation. This year’s budget includes a $1.35 million road program of which $480,000 is proposed to be funded from the General Fund. The commitment from the General Fund is nearly equal to annual collections of the previous road levy. This is an important note as we will have funded our road program for three paving seasons without a road levy and will be part of the conversation between Council, myself, and the community in the next weeks and months.
Over the next few weeks, Old Town residents can expect an update related to timelines for a Public Hearing, a bid process, possible construction dates as well as cost estimates. Our City Engineer, Doug Courtney, has been working hard to assist some residents of the neighborhood as they discern options to split or consolidate parcels. This process has taken more time than anticipated but we wanted to be sure our residents had the information needed to make the best decisions.
Here’s hoping to a warming trend and a great Spring for all!
Mayor Kevin Potter