Following are updates on various topics for your information. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Citizen Police Academy Scheduled – Chief Tom Miller has announced the dates for the new Oberlin Police Department Citizen Academy. The academy will begin on March 12 and continue for 10 consecutive weeks. Each session will last from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Space is still available, so the Chief asks for your assistance in encouraging residents to apply so we have a good cross-section of Oberlinians participating in the academy.
Promotional Exams Scheduled – Following approval of the change to the Classification Plan, the Police Chief has scheduled exams for the Lieutenant positions and for Sergeant over the month of March. In addition to the written exam, we will use assessment centers as well for the first time in the Police Department. The assessment center will gauge leadership skills and decision-making abilities. (A similar assessment center was used by the Fire Department last summer.)
Congresswoman Betty Sutton Briefs Lorain County Mayors/Managers – Earlier this week, Congresswoman Sutton held a conference call to provide a briefing on the stimulus bill working its way through Congress. She reported on the specific programs that are expected to meet needs of Ohio and Lorain County. She heard frustration from some of the Mayor about length of time it takes to distribute federal funds through the State (see below) and she urged us to take this issue up with the Governor. Elyria Mayor Grace is the current chair of NOACA and plans to address our concerns with the State’s “infrastructure czar” when they meet next week.
Underground Railroad Center Project Moves Ahead – Planning work is underway again on the Underground Railroad Center thanks to the involvement of Assistant City Manager/HRA Darlene Colaso and the Public Services Institute. Darlene met with PSI in December. Since then, the PSI team and Darlene have collaboratively been making community contacts and formulating discussion materials to begin the formal public engagement process. A joint meeting with the Underground Rail Road Center Design Team and PSI has been scheduled for February 11th at 3 p.m. and meetings with other interest groups are being scheduled. Attached you will find the draft materials this team has developed. Please let Darlene or me know if you have any questions.
Economic Development and Housing
McQuade believes we will feel optimistic about the future and a sense of pride as residents of the area after looking at the websites.
Foreclosure Clinic Held – The Oberlin Foreclosure Task Force, in cooperation with the Lorain County Task Force, coordinated a Foreclosure Prevention/Borrower’s Outreach Day Clinic on Saturday, January 24, 2009 which was held at the Lorain County Joint Vocational School. This free public service was offered to all Lorain County residents who needed advice regarding their mortgage, especially if they were facing foreclosure. Residents were encouraged to drop by between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The goal was to target the Oberlin and surrounding communities who may not have had the opportunity to attend past clinics held at Lorain County Community College. Twenty residents were assisted during this clinic by housing counselors, lenders and attorneys. Participants were able to speak with an attorney for free, which normally would have cost them at least $150. The event was coordinated by Angela Wu (Oberlin Street Law), Judy Wright (Zion Community Development Corporation), Barbara Mehwald (Human Relations Commission Chair), Kristin Braziunas (Oberlin resident/POWER Fund), Kathy Burns (Oberlin Community Services), and Sharon Pearson (City of Oberlin).
2008 Foreclosure Data Received – Recently received data from the Lorain County Clerk of Courts reports 29 foreclosure filings in Oberlin during 2008; a slight decrease from 32 in 2007.
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