Mary Alice Reporting –
Business growth, continued work on zone code revisions, and inflationary costs were among many items reported on in the review of the City of New Philadelphia.
The State of the City report was released by Mayor Joel Day to highlight all departments on what was accomplished in 2023.
One area where they city saw a shift relates to inflationary costs for material, supplies, and equipment.
“Our department heads told me the cost of materials can go anywhere from a thirty-percent increase to a hundred-percent increase. That inflationary effect had a direct effect on the city’s budget.”
The mayor notes they had a difficult year in attracting and keeping employees in the Sanitation Department and are now one short in that office and still have not hired an assistant superintendent at the Water Department.
From the Service Department, approximately 6.25 miles of streets were paved in 2023, along with about 550 feet of new paving and storm sewer lines for Glen Drive NE, and the completion of phase one of the Franklin Square storm sewer project.
Mayor Day adds that work continues with Compass Point Planning to revise New Philadelphia’s zoning and planning codes.
“It needed updated to bring New Philadelphia up to date and to give us that ability to look out into the future. The thing about zoning is it tries to create order within the city so that things are built and located where they logically belong.”
A major accomplishment, according to Day, which will continue into 2024, is the expansion of outdoor recreation and the trail development.
“Last year, we started the effort to complete the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, from Dover to New Philadelphia, and we’re doing that hopefully through an Appalachian Community Development grant, and also, the trail out [State Route] 39 and the old railroad bed, the Roswell Trail.”
Other highlights in the 2023 State of the City report, for New Philadelphia, was the water department making improvement to its distribution system and water main replacement, the City’s Health Department was awarded national accreditation, and the installation of the LoveTusc sculpture was placed downtown.
The full report can be found on the city’s website, www.newphilaoh.com.
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