MANSFIELD — Economic development, a new Ohio Air National Guard mission and continued success with initiatives found in the Mansfield Rising plan were highlighted Monday when Mayor Tim Theaker issued his annual “State of the City” report.
The 11-page document includes highlights for each city department in the mayor’s administration.
Theaker said the city “continued on its path to make great things happen throughout 2021, despite the (COVID-19) pandemic’s attempt to again hinder progress.”
“Economic development remained strong with companies/businesses such as Hess Industries, the Mansfield Art Center, Edge Plastics, the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, K.E. McCartney & Associates, Niss Aviation, the Blueberry Patch and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary completing building/expansion projects throughout the year,” Theaker said.
The mayor said he was thrilled in August when the 179th Airlift Wing was chosen to become the home of the first Air National Guard cyberspace wing in the country.
“The new mission will bring more jobs into the community, spur economic growth and create new opportunities for industry and economic growth,” he said.
The mayor said work continued on Mansfield Rising projects, including community branding, the conversion of Diamond Street to two-way traffic, the facade improvement grant program, free public wi-fi in the downtown area, a pop-up linear park, beautification efforts and the creation of the Mansfield Public Arts Commission.
“While challenges always exist in government, our focus for 2022 remains to continue our collaborative work with a host of city partners to make Mansfield more vibrant, attractive, strong and proud for residents now and for future generations,” Theaker said.
Here are some of the department highlights cited by the mayor:
Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport
Niss Aviation purchased Richland Aviation in January 2021, taking over the fixed based operation on the airfield. It built a new FBO hangar by November and projects the creation of three full-time and three part-time job as a result of the $2.2 million project, according to Theaker.
There has been a 40-percent increase in flight operations, aviation fuel sales have increased and the additional of the Aerotek Flight School from Wadsworth has bought seven additional aircraft and an increase in flight training.
Economic Development
Topping the mayor’s list was Airport West I, LLC, acquiring a 15-acre site at Airport West Industrial Park in 2020 to construct a 160,000-square foot spec building. Theaker said it’s a $10 million project investment.
“Due to uncontrollable delays, this project will now be complete by April 30, 2022,” Theaker said. “There are currently three strong prospects for this building and it is expected to be under contract prior to completion.”
McCartney & Associates constructed an expansion of its existing office facility and added a new garage/maintenance structure in 2021. The mayor said the project will add five new jobs and represents a $1.4 million investment.
He said Hess Industries completed construction of a 7,200-square foot expansion to its existing manufacturing facility during 2021. It added three employees and had a total project investment of $410,000, according to the mayor.
M&D Real Estate Investments began construction of two additions to its Newman Street facility that will enable Edge Plastics room to expand its manufacturing capacity.
“They project the creation of 35 full-time jobs as a result of the project (with) total project investment of $12,382,000,” Theaker said.
Engineering Department
The department entered into a construction contract for the $35 million water treatment plant rehabilitation project. Construction began in November and is expected to take about three years to complete.
Armed with a grant from the Richland County Regional Planning Commission, the engineering department was able to award a $1 million contract for engineering and design of the Main Street Corridor Improvement Plan.
Officials have said the effort to replace the nearly 40-year old streetscape would spur visitation to the downtown, promote business growth and increase economic investment in the area while also honoring the city’s long history.
In other department highlights, the city completed an an emergency storm sewer installation project to replace a failed 19th century system near Bowman Street; began construction of the Taylor Road storm sewer system; and completed design for the East Third Street major culver replacement system.
Fire Department
The Mansfield Fire Department made 11,829 emergency responses in 2021 — 1,984 fire responses and 9,845 medical calls. The department transported 7,454 people to local emergency rooms, earning more than $2 million in transport fees for the first time. Total call volume was up 6.3 percent from 2020 and represents about 32 calls per day in service, the mayor said.
Information Technology
The department migrated the city phone system to a cloud-based IP system, including new phones; assisted with the coordination/installation of public wi-fi in the downtown area; upgraded switches in all offsite locations and assisted the police department with technology needs.
Parks & Recreation
New playgrounds were installed at Burton and Redwood parks. The department purchased and began installation of two new splash pads at North Lake and Johns parks. The Prospect Park pavilion was demolished with plans of rebuilding a new pavilion in 2022.
Police department
The department handled 31,702 calls for service with officers arresting 3,447 people. Serious Part 1 crimes were up 2.1 percent over 2020, but robbery offenses declined by 18.1 percent.
The police division successfully obtained grants worth $363,743 for body-worn cameras, safety cameras and the Milo officer training simulator.
The department also launched a test and evaluation period for its ShotSpotter technology, using grant money. Additional grant funds are being sought to expand the coverage area to three miles from the current one-mile area.
Plans were developed and construction will soon begin on the new $305,000 range/training facility at the department’s outdoor range on Miller Parkway near the airport.
The department also obtained grant funds to include a “Shoot House” and “Driving Skills Pad” at the site, an investment of $230,000.
