Wow…we are having a real winter this year. I have been following the data, and we have not seen this much snow and cold weather in Sylvania for about ten years. Historically Northwest Ohio gets around 34 inches of snowfall. In recent years snowfall has been lower, but this winter appears to be headed to a higher-than-normal total. The highest snowfall total since 2000 was in the winter of 2013/2014 when we had 86 inches of snow while snowfall the past three winters have been minimal.
Temperatures have also been colder thus far than anything we have experienced in ten years. Ten-mile creek is completely frozen over in most places. School and business closings have been numerous this year. Kids have been enjoying outdoor recreation opportunities like sledding at Northview.
While all this has been happening, the City continues to go about its business serving the public. Treating the roads with salt. Plowing the roads. These are City services that can be taken for granted until we get a seven-or eight-inch snowstorm. Each year the City stocks up its salt supplies by utilizing its 5,000 tons of salt storage to ensure we have enough to take care of our needs. Currently, the City has about 2,500 tons available for the remainder of the winter.
Unfortunately, some communities’ salt capacity is not always enough to meet their needs, and they will ask the City for a few hundred tons to help them through winters that become this challenging. The City has always cooperated with other communities and helped as it is able. When I mentioned this in passing in the past a few people have asked why. Why help your neighbor? The City may need it. The twofold answer is simple…Sylvania residents drive other places and deserve navigable roads there too and, ultimately, helping your neighbor is the right thing to do.
Helping your neighbor is happening in our area all the time without most people even knowing about it. During a recent meeting with Sylvania Township’s Fire Chief Chris Nye, we discussed many things including mutual aid. STF offers mutual aid when called upon. But other fire departments such as Toledo and Springfield Township fire assist Sylvania Township as well.
In the previous Mayor’s Message, I mentioned that Sylvania Police will be using Sylvania Township Firehouse #63 as a police substation when the bridge deck is closed this year. Sylvania Police and Sylvania Township Police cooperate and provide mutual aid frequently to address many critical issues in our community.
These are just a few public sector examples of neighbors helping neighbors. However, neighbors helping neighbors is something that happens constantly. From food banks to donating gently used clothing to reading in elementary schools to packing lunches for students to eat over the weekends, neighbors in our area are always helping neighbors. Sylvania and Northwest Ohio are stronger and more resilient due to it. So, if you have not checked in on your neighbor recently, there is no time like the present.
As always, if you have something else you want to share with me or if you have a question on other City services, please contact my office at 419-885-8926 or lsmith@cityofsylvania.com.