City projects, finances remained strong in 2019

Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow attributes the city’s strong financial status and project completion to new partnerships and wise spending habits.

During his State of the City address at a March 9 City Council meeting, Costilow said successful improvements were made to the city during his first term and he is excited to serve a second.

“We have seen many significant accomplishments over the past four years, and I’m grateful to be a part of them,” he said.

Projects undertaken or completed in 2019 include repaving streets, completing miles of infrastructure improvements, replacing aging pieces of the city’s equipment and modernizing technology, Costilow said.

These projects were not completed alone, he said.

“Last year alone, partnerships we have built with the Amherst (Exempted Village)

Schools, neighboring communities, businesses, residents and church have allowed us to accomplish considerably more than we could have done alone,” Costilow said. “These partnerships have resulted in storm and sanitary sewer improvements, intersections and roadway widenings that significantly improve traffic flow.”

Some of those improvement projects include the intersection of Main Street and Cooper Foster Park Road, Cooper Foster east and Milan Avenue.

Costilow

Partnership projects

One of the neighboring communities the city of Amherst has partnered with is the city of Lorain, with Costilow maintaining contact with Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley.

He said he has spoken with Bradley on improvements to Cooper Foster

Road, state Route 2 and North Main Street.

“The discussion was promising, and I look forward to continuing a productive working relationship with Lorain on this matter, as well as others that will benefit our communities,” Costilow said.

Additionally, the remodeling and opening of The 1907 at Central School was completed in 2019 in partnership with the Amherst Schools, Sprenger Health Care Systems and the Lorain County Engineer’s Office.

The Amherst Area Office on Aging also served about 5,000 meals to the city’s senior citizens in 2019 through its Meals on Wheels program.

Another large project undertaken by the city was in partnership with American Municipal Power Transmission LLC, which is working to install a second electric loop for the city to help reduce power outages in the city.

The $7.5 million project to affect the substation on the west side will be at no cost to the city, with American Municipal Power to begin detailed engineering in the following months.

Financial strength

By spending within the city’s means, Costilow said balanced budgets over the past few years have remained stable.

In 2019, the general fund operated under the city’s budget limit, with the general fund having the largest carryover into 2020 in several years.

“This accomplishment was due to wise spending by every department and every city employee working efficiently together,” Costilow said.

The city also received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association, which is the highest form of recognition in government accounting.

Costilow said understanding where the city’s money comes from also gives his administration more purpose in spending it well.

“My administration, as well as all the city’s employees, take pride in the services we provide,” he said. “We are well aware that the funds we spend come from our residents’ tax dollars.

“Therefore, we always strive to do more for you while spending less.”

An increase in income tax collection in 2019 also has helped pad out the city’s budget, Costilow said.

New construction

Large-scale construction projects that were completed in 2019 include The 1907, new Powers Elementary School and other projects at Tyson Foods.

In 2019, the building department approved 1,400 residential and commercial permits and started constructing 71 new homes.

More houses are to come out of the new Eagle Ridge and final phase of The Reserve at Beaver Creek subdivisions this year, Costilow said.

Over 15,000 square feet of sidewalks were improved for the 2019 sidewalk program, he said.

The 2020 street rehabilitation program will be less involved this year, with many streets on the list only needing resurfacing, Costilow said.

He does not anticipate many road closures or long construction projects on streets this summer.

Safety services

Costilow said safety service departments in Amherst are fully staffed and have worked to decrease incidents.

The Amherst Police Department has seen a slight decrease in opioid overdoses, an 11 percent drop of general criminal offenses, a five percent decrease in car crashes and nine percent decrease in injuries related to crashes.

By taking on Amherst Township in its service range, the Amherst Fire Department responded to 840 calls last year.

Costilow said he is proud and thankful for both departments and the growth the city has seen during his time as mayor.

“Together, we remain Amherst proud,” he said.