LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Residents:
Allow me to thank you for your continued support of the City of Trotwood Street Department over the years.  In 1989, you approved a 1.0 mil levy which is still the only street levy in effect.  Thanks to you, these funds have been used to provide street maintenance services to residents for the past 20 years!  Time, inflation, and the age of our streets have affected the real value of that levy, resulting in inadequate funds to perform the necessary services to you.

On November 3, 2009, we will have 2 new levies on the ballot, each for 1.0 mils - Issues 16 and 17.  Your support of these levies will be used to:

• Purchase salt and deicing agents to ensure safe, drivable roads during snow and ice events;

• Restore integrity to neighborhoods by patching potholes, killing weeds, and removing yard debris (limbs/brush);

• Reinstate the leaf pickup program which was eliminated this year;

• Prune/trim trees and brush which encroaches City roadways;

• Cut grass along City roadways; and

• Remove trash and dead animals from City roadways.

Many members of the community are supporting these levies - including Rev. James Washington (Phillips Temple), Ms. Marva Meade (Phillips Temple), Rev. Dr. Hence Coats (Pleasant Green Church), Mr. Ralph Goins (resident for 64 years), Ms. Flora Northern (resident for 31 years), Dr. Major Lee III (lifelong resident & major investor in the City), Rev. J. Thomas Johnson (Summit Christian Church), Mr. Jon Stoops (former Trotwood employee and resident for 8 years), and Ms. Gayle Gibbons (lifelong resident & President of Call to Action).  These citizens may be in your neighborhood over the next several weeks to answer any questions you have about these levies.

• Inadequate street maintenance could be a major cause of blight to neighborhoods.
• Trotwood has 410 lane miles of streets; more than 50% are in a condition requiring major reconstruction; these lane miles are maintained by 7 Public Works street maintenance technicians, who maintain an average of 60 lane miles each, which would be like working on a road from Trotwood to Columbus.

• All commercial streets paved in the City are funded by grants.

• Safe, drivable streets play a major role in response time to fire and police services, especially during snow events.

• Street levy funds remain in the City’s street account and 100% of those funds are used for streets only.

• All City of Trotwood employees have taken a 7.5% pay reduction plus a 2-week furlough, which equates to a 16% to 20% total pay reduction.

Again, we sincerely appreciate your continued support.

Thomas N. Odenigbo, PE, CFM

Director of Public Works/City Engineer

For more information please contact Public Works Director Thomas N. Odenigbo at (937) 837-1702 or todenigbo@trotwood.org.