As April hurtled past us, the month known for its showers lived up to its reputation. Despite the rain drops (and snowflakes), Kirtland had both a productive and fun-filled month. The Easter Egg Hunt gathered over two hundred parents and children to City Hall. The Easter Bunny arrived by way of a fire truck, escorted by a snowplow and police cruiser. I’m not sure who had more fun, the kids or me! April also brought a couple of great community service days. Led by Service Director Fornaro, and as part of the Great American Cleanup Initiative, twenty plus volunteers hit the roadsides, picking up litter in an effort to keep our City beautiful. We closed out the month continuing in the spirit of service as Kiwanis led a community garden work party, and six resident yard cleanups took place. Thank you to all who coordinated and participated in these events.
May is shaping up to be chock full of opportunities for both community and service. In honor of National Public Works Week, our very own Service Department will be hosting an Open House on Friday, May 20th from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. This free event will showcase the equipment used to keep our City going, tours, refreshments, and so much more. If you’ve ever wondered about all the work that goes behind our Public Works, come check out the Open House located right behind Fire Station 2 on Chillicothe Road.
On May 21st, the annual Veterans Memorial cleanup will take place at City Hall. All volunteers are welcome to come help weed and mulch, starting at 8:00 am. Immediately following the cleanup, the city will be hosting the second consecutive tree planting ceremony in front of City Hall. And as always, Memorial Day (Monday, May 30) will be celebrated with a 10:00 am parade from the High School to City Hall with a ceremony to follow at the Veterans Memorial.
In addition to days of service and celebration, the City will host a second Community Forum to further discuss the future of road funding on Tuesday, May 10th at 7 pm. Please join us at City Hall or on our live broadcast through our YouTube channel. If you are unable to attend in person, but would like to ask a question or make a comment prior to the meeting, please email Teresa at [email protected]. Just remember to list your name and address so that the question may be read into the meeting record.
We would greatly appreciate your participation and input as Administration and Council further discern what question, if any, to put to our voters this Fall regarding future road funding. And if so, what dollar amount is appropriate, and which mechanism of tax generation currently suits the community better. The choices would be a property tax levy or a charter amendment to the income tax. If a tax levy is chosen, the new revenue would be shouldered by all property owners. Whereas an income tax adjustment affects only those that are earning income and would not impact pensions or social security income for our seniors.
Before closing, I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate our Senior Center Chair Volleyball team for their recent triumph over the Mentor and Perry Senior Centers. A great victory and a great time were had by all!
Mayor Potter