In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all City of Toledo points of access for customer service will be closed and all city-owned community centers and park shelter houses will be closed for non-essential services effective March 18, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced today.
“The city and the county are collaboratively taking a common-sense approach to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in our community,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “We are focused on delivering the essential services – police, fire, water, sewer services, and trash collection. We ask that everyone limit trips to One Government Center or other government offices and instead contact us by phone, email, or through our websites. Toledo and Lucas County continue to operate as we work through this crisis and we will persevere in the face of this adversity.”
All city offices at One Government Center will be closed to the public. Engage Toledo remains open 24 hours a day to take calls and can be reached at 419-936-2020, the mayor said.
The customer service points of access that will be closed include the Toledo Public Utilities Customer Walk-in Center at 420 Madison Ave. to pay water bills; the city Finance Department at One Government Center to pay city taxes; the Building Inspections Division office at One Government Center; Toledo Police offices to file reports; the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department fire inspection office at One Government Center, and any other locations the public has typically interacted with city personnel.
Toledo Public Utilities customers are encouraged to pay water bills online at this link:https://toledo.oh.gov/services/public-utilities/utilities-administration/online-billing/. Toledo Public Utilities can be reached from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 419-245-1800 or by email atDPUcustomerservice@toledo.oh.gov. All late fees for water bills have been suspended.
Information on how to pay city taxes online can be found at this link:https://taxconnect.toledo.oh.gov/taxconnect/.
Regarding Building Inspections: anyone who needs to file a permit or schedule an inspection should visit[toledo.oh.gov/permits]toledo.oh.gov/permitsor call 419-245-1220.
Toledo Police and Toledo Fire & Rescue Department continue to respond to 911 calls for emergency services.
“We continue to ask residents to only use the 911 system for true emergent situations, including structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, life threatening injuries, or medical emergencies such as, but not limited to, heart attack, stroke, severe respiratory symptoms, or allergic reactions,” Assistant Fire Chief John Kaminski said. “If you do call 911 for any reason, please let the 911 call taker know if you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms. Using the 911 system for only true emergent situations helps us lessen the exposure rate for firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, and healthcare workers who continue to be on the front lines.”
“As for other Toledo Fire & Rescue services, the department will continue to maintain code enforcement and inspection services,” Assistant Chief Kaminski said.
Due to the fact that Toledo Fire & Rescue is limiting public access to fire stations, those in need of a smoke alarm should contact the American Red Cross at 844-207-4509.
“Toledo Police continue to keep the safety of the residents of Toledo as our number one priority,” Police Chief George Kral said. “We have sworn to answer the call and will continue to respond to 911 calls for emergencies.”
In order to keep the public safe, and further attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus throughout the police stations, the following police buildings and substations will be restricted to the public:
·Toledo Police Safety Building, 525 North Erie St.
·Scott Park District Police Station, 2301 Nebraska Ave.
·D. Michael Collins Northwest Neighborhood Station, 2330 West Sylvania Ave.
·Ottawa Park Substation, 2145 North Cove Blvd.
Information with the telephone numbers to call for assistance will be posted on the doors of each police building. We continue to ask citizens to utilize the Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU) and the online reporting system whenever possible. To contact TRU, dial 419-245-3340 and ask to be connected to TRU. You can fill out a police report online athttps://toledopolice.com/online-2/obtaining-reports-3.html. Some officers will be temporarily reassigned to expandthese units and shorten wait times.
The city-owned community centers that will be closed for nonessential services include- the East Toledo Family Center, the Aurora Gonzales Community and Family Resource Center,the Sofia Quintero Art and Culture Center,Friendship Park Community Center,the Frederick Douglass Community Center, and the Toledo Police Athletic League Building.
City-owned senior centers – includingthe East Toledo Senior Center, the Chester J. Zablocki Senior Community Center, andthe Eleanor Kahle Senior Center– are closed by order of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Public hearings impacted by the closures include the following:
·The Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions has postponed all hearings though the month of April. That includes the Lucas County Plan Commission meetings on March 25and April 22; the April 9 City Plan Commission hearing; all Historic District Commission hearings, and all Architectural Review Committees. The Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions office will also be closed. The staff can be reached at 419-245-1200 or by the emails listed athttps://toledo.oh.gov/services/plan-commission/.
·After consultation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Toledo Department of Neighborhoods mandatory CDBG, ESG, and HOME funds public hearings for the 2020-21 Annual Plan and the 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan have been rescheduled. The meetings scheduled for March 23 and April are canceled. New hearing dates will be released when scheduled.