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Residents of Salem and interested parties:
If you recall, Part one of my address to Salem City Council for 2022, focused on the safety forces. That is almost 80% of the city budget. Part Two of that address will show you the highlights of what was done with the remaining 20% of our budget.
City hall underwent a major update to our heating and cooling systems. Our inefficient and costly boiler system is in the process of being replaced with a more energy efficient and fully-functioning system. This is no easy feat for a building the age of our city hall which houses the police department, dispatch, mayor's office, treasurer's office, auditor's office, zoning office, three conference rooms, council chambers, tourism office and utilities offices.
The City Electrical, Traffic and Safety Department, under the direction of Scott Devan, maintains all the traffic lights for the city. These lights are systems within themselves which are synchronized and computerized to keep traffic flowing efficiently from one end of the city to the other. Routine electrical updates and maintenance occurred. Barricades were maintained and installed as needed. In addition to these day-to-day tasks, lighting and wiring was installed in McCulloch Park; wiring and conduit installation was started at Waterworth Park for the new gazebo; inspection, testing, and hanging downtown Christmas lights was completed; wiring and hookups were installed for the Super Cruise and the Freed Fest; the streets were given new white striping for over six miles, including lines and turn arrows; and South Broadway Avenue between State and Pershing has new decorative lighting that will remain up throughout the year. Thank you for all the hard work from such a small crew.
The city completed Phase 1 of the Downtown Sidewalk Repair Project. This was funded by a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant from ODOT. It provided $500,000 and the City Capital Fund provided $100,000. Over $1.3 million of street, parking lots and alley paving was completed in 2022 funded by the ¼% temporary income tax levy. The city was also awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) for paving Columbia Street and the surrounding area.
The Streets Department, under the direction of Shawn Smith, worked tirelessly to maintain and clear the roadways as well as assisting with many projects that require equipment and manpower. Twelve trees and stumps were removed. The roadway at Newgarden and Prospect was repaired after a water line break. Seventy-eight tons of grindings and 250 gallons of emulsion were used at this site alone. The department designed an emulsion spray system to coat alleys. Ten miles of alleys were repaired. Ten streets were crack sealed. The department responded to 83 calls from city hall and the Salem Police Department for roadway emergencies; installed 210 feet of 12-inch drain pipe with six new catch basins; and installed bypass doors on the salt shed and main salt barn. We had 1,200 tons of salt to start 2023. Two hundred feet of concrete curbing were repaired in 2022. Six thousand tons of grindings from the 2022 streets project were sold. Routine annual tasks were completed including mowing, tree trimming, ditch cleaning, trash pick up along the roadways, and trash removal from several vacant properties as well as the downtown area.
New equipment purchases in 2022 for the streets department included 2022 John Deere Mini Track Hoe 60g with a 24-inch bucket and 42-inch bucket; 2022 John Deere Skid Loader 324g with 72-inch bucket; 84-inch material bucket, pallet forks and 84-inch Virnig Snowblower; 2022 Quality 16,000 lb. trailer for hauling the skid loader and mine track hoe; and a spray system to apply emulsion to the alleys with grindings. At the end of the year, we were still waiting on the availability for the new street sweeper.
I am very grateful to the Salem Street Department for maintaining our streets to a level that outshines other area cities and villages. It only takes a trip outside the city to appreciate their hard work and the investment the taxpayers have made in Salem.
2022 was a very interesting year for the Salem Utilities Department due to large constructions projects, design for construction, and inflation.
Projects the Utility Department was engaged with:
1. The Gravity Snyder Road Sanitary Sewer Extension, beginning at New Garden Avenue continuing southeast to Fresh Mark Salem Mfg., was basically completed in 2021.
2. The last payment of $217,500 to eliminate a large waste pumping station, future electric and maintenance cost and the gaining reliability was completed.
3. The consent order issued through Attorney General David Yost's office regarding phosphorous discharge limits having begun 2001-2002 era was settled out of court.
4. The department worked diligently with engineering firm Burgess and Niple Inc. on the Design Phase for the Salem Wastewater Treatment Phase 3, which was bid Jan. 27, 2022. The Ohio EPA DEFA Loan is now considered to be the loan agent. The Phase 3 was preceded by the Phase 1 and phase 2. These were completed by the end of 2021.
5. The wastewater department is in the process with Burgess and Niple Inc. to provide the second Technical Justification for the Local Limits Industrial Waste Study required by the Ohio EPA to determine the amount of waste chemicals the Waste Treatment Plant can receive, treat for removal, and the limits that the city will accept. The report will be completed in 2023.
6. The water department in 2022 has retained Howells and Baird Inc of Salem to design and prepare plans for bidding of the water circulation main to connect the Goshen Road Industrial Park Way water main to Beechwood Road and Colonial Drive water mains to improve water circulation as recommended by the Ohio EPA and Salem Water Department. Depending on funding and construction costs the project may be scheduled for 2023.
7. At the Salem Potable Water Treatment Plant, we have received a $235,000 grant to assist the funding costs of the project to repair the concrete aprons on the water side of the three dams used to contain the waters of the Salem East Cold Run Reservoir. Design for this repair is contracted to Burgess and Niple Inc, Akron. To retain the grant, the construction must be completed by Feb. 28, 2024.
8. The Alfred Benesch and Company, Salem/Pottsville, Pa. was retained to design and prepare plans to install mixers in Salem East Cold Run Reservoir and the Salem Spring Valley Reservoir and the water treatment plant sludge holding facility, for treatment, sludge disposal.
9. Also, an electrical generator housing facility, including modification to Salem Potable Water Treatment Plant inside Electrical Distribution System Up-grade. We are applying for a permit to install these improvements, working through the Ohio EPA Plan Review Department at this time.
10. Water and sewer rates had not increased significantly since the 1990s. The cost for supplying safe drinking water and sewer disposal was much higher than the department was charging its customers. Grants had been applied for and some were received but the costs continue to increase, especially in 2022 when due to inflation, Chlorine alone more than doubled in one year. EPA standards continue to demand updates at huge price tags.
The knowledge and manpower involved in producing safe drinking water and processing and disposing of sewer and wastewater according to Ohio EPA standards is staggering. My hat is off to the fine members of our Salem Utilities Department.
Salem has a downtown area that is experiencing a breath of fresh life. We had 19 new businesses open downtown in 2022. Of the 15 vacant store fronts from 2021, eight are now under renovation and have committed leases for businesses when they are completed. Three buildings are under review for violations to attempt to bring them up to code and get them to a place where they can once again be occupied and productive.
The owner of our former First National Bank and Butler Art buildings, with the help of Ginger Grilli from the Historical Society, applied for historic tax credits, which they received and will be under renovations for a business soon.
City Council renewed the SOD Center contract in 2022 for one year. The SOD Center, under Executive Director Julie Needs, assists the City of Salem with Economic Development and related projects. They achieve this through economic development sustainability, business development and entrepreneurial support, business retention and expansion, workforce development, downtown revitalization, and housing.
In 2022, the city received $542,204 in grant funds through the efforts of the SOD center. These were the Commodores Foundation training grant, First Energy Foundation training grant, Police Retention Grant, Salem Police Department Ohio Violent Crimes Reduction Grant, GOA Training Center Grant, and two Inclusion Grants. We also received an additional $500,100 in other funding from T-Mobile (for the McCulloch Park Project) and from a Pearce Foundation Award.
SOD Center assisted in Annexation strategy development, research, facilitation and agreement preparation for the city and Hickey Manufacturing.
It also assisted with the ODOT SRTS Travel Plan and downtown seminars and small business seminars. The training center trained 379 local employees for 2,158 hours total for 28 businesses.
The new businesses that were assisted in 2022 were Bella C's, Bob's Bookstore, Creations by Sheena Marie, Gotham Knight Comics, Kast Iron Soda Works, Killy's Kauldron, Nature and Nurture, Nostalgic Toys, RedneckSide, Salem Rocketeria, State Street Records, and Wild City Feed and Seed.
Total jobs retained were 1,275, Total jobs created were 119, Total businesses assisted were 71.
As you can see, Salem has been working toward its future. We have not been satisfied to sit by and wait for the future to reveal itself. We have been molding it, and investing in it. We will be continuing this trend in 2023. Keep your eyes focused on Salem. Step up. Be a part of the bright future that is Salem, Ohio. Part three will show you how.