WILMINGTON — The City of Wilmington recently released its “State of the City” for 2022. In it, the accomplishments of the various departments of the city were highlighted.
Mayor John Stanforth
In Mayor Stanforth’s section, he highlighted the various road and construction projects that occurred throughout the year. This included rebuilding Rombach Avenue, paving Airborne Road, new bike and walking trails, and rehabbing the city water reservoirs.
“The value of these projects totaled $19.5 million, more than 78 percent of which was financed by grants, fulfilling a promise I made to taxpayers to leverage local taxes with available state and federal funds,” said Stanforth.
He went on the highlight the work done by the code enforcement department. With code enforcement, he noted the city’s efforts to work with property owners to fix “more than 250 serious code violations” and organizing city-wide cleanups.
The mayor also noted the growth in the city’s private sector investment, including 14 new single-family homes that were started in 2022, Healthsource of Ohio launching an expansion downtown, and the General Denver Hotel constructing an addition with a rooftop deck.
Stanforth said he feels confident in 2023 that the city’s growth will continue.
“I am proud of who we are, what we have accomplished this year, and what we are prepared to do together,” he said.
Public Works
Public Works Director Rick Schaffer and Administrative Assistant Beth Magee highlighted the partnership with Fayette County to provide water to the Honda/LG electric vehicle battery plant being built near Jeffersonville.
“The contract, signed in November, gives Fayette County access to up to 4.5 million gallons of water per day. For decades, the city has been paying for seven million gallons of water each day from Caesar Creek Lake, even though the amount used has seldom been much more than two million gallons daily,” they said.
They said that in 1993, the city entered into a contract with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to purchase source water from Caesar Creek Lake and, in addition to providing the city’s water, the intention of the contract was to spur regional economic development.
“The ODNR contract had become a cost burden for the city because economic development partners had not materialized,” they said. “This new partnership with Fayette County will greatly lessen that burden as all costs will now be shared.”
Construction for it will begin in 2023 so that the water is flowing to Fayette County in time for the plant’s opening in 2024.
Code Enforcement Department
Annen Vance, the city’s code enforcement official, highlighted the process by discussing the violations the department has dealt with and the projects its undertaken.
In a chart featured in the report, Vance noted exterior property maintenance was the top violation they dealt with in the last year, followed by general zoning violations.
With special projects, the department held 14 volunteer events with over 200 volunteers participating in collecting 166 bags of litter and cleaning over 20 miles of the city streets and alleyways.
The report also highlights the improvements that are being done to certain properties, including a Lytle Place residence. The owner had passed away and it was discovered that family members were living in it without electricity or running water.
“After the home became vacant, it was sold at sheriff’s sale to a third party who completely renovated. This home then sold to a private owner over the summer,” said Vance.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
