Some good news and some not so good news from Toledo City Council yesterday....

First the good news that was towards the bottom of one article in the Toledo Blade:

Don Moline, assistant chief operating officer, said the administration is trying to recruit a director of development. Mr. Finkbeiner has been heading the department this year, drawing criticism from some on council who say economic development needs its own director.


It should be pointed out that several City Council candidates feel the same way, one (Joe) even put out a television commercial on this issue.

Still staying with the good news front, another Toledo Blade article about something we have focused on here - Trash. I met Mike Craig yesterday at the UAW 12 event and he had told me that they were working on this issue but still no word on the alley clarification that he had requested from the City Administration for me. However, what is noteworthy from the article:

Officials are reconsidering a regulation, set to take effect Oct. 30, that would prohibit residents from putting their garbage cans and trash bags at the curb any earlier than 8 p.m. on days before collection instead of the current 4 p.m. rule, Brian Schwartz, a spokesman for Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, said.

According to the above article, this is thanks to Lourdes Santiago who deserves kudos on that one because it was a huge concern for our elderly.

I'm sure all of you will feel good knowing that yesterday:

In other action, council adopted a resolution requiring city employees to give first consideration to flying out of Toledo Express Airport for official travel, and adopted a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the failed Hungarian revolt against rule by the Soviet Union.

Now on to the not so good news, the $90,000 for the lighting project for the High Level Bridge was approved. However it does appear this was something that was listed as a possible cost from the way the article reads:

The vote was 9-3, with Councilmen Frank Szollosi, Ellen Grachek, and Michael Ashford voting no.

Mr. Szollosi tried to have the vote postponed until after Nov. 15, when Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's 2007 budget is due to be presented to council. He predicted the $90,000 will be needed to fend off a budget shortfall for this year and 2007.

But several of those supporting the light project noted that it was included in the capital improvements blueprint council passed earlier this year.

Still in the not so good news, while it is related to the City adding a Director of Development, we don't need more City Council Committees:

Also, council voted 9-3 to separate the Department of Economic and Community Development into two departments,

I agreed with Jack Ford's combining of the Department of Economic and Community Development Committees. We need to find a plan and stick with it, unless something drastically has changed since Jack Ford received the approval of City Council to combine these committees? Not everything that Jack did should be undone...It's just not right...(okay, I couldn't help myself.)

:-)

UPDATE: I did receive this from the City of Toledo, Department of Solid Waste that addresses some of our earlier questions:

Effective Monday, October 30th, all alley collection (except for those residents specifically notified in writing) will be moving from alley to curbside. For those few residents that will remain on alley collection, they cannot utilize bags for their refuse collection.