Dear Villagers,

I hope you have enjoyed a month of beautiful September weather and look forward to the crisp mornings that are upon us. October is truly the month where spectacular colors show the change of seasons and one of the treasures of living in the Midwest and in the Chagrin River Valley.

Most damage to the Village property from the August 6th storm has been addressed. There are still areas to tackle such as mangled guardrails, tree removal and chipping. Our recovery claim to FEMA has been submitted and we are in the review queue.

Council met in September to conduct a workshop on zoning and four specific topics. There was active dialogue in a constructive session. Minutes will be posted in mid-October.

At the October meeting, Council will discuss the broadband topic. Over several years, post-Covid, we have studied how to bring an affordable fiber optic solution to all of the Village in a buried vs aerial delivery system. An RFP process was launched earlier this year and the responses have been analyzed. We will be ready to share them with Council and the villagers. This project represents a strategic decision for the Village with an expected twenty-to-forty-year life. We look forward to villager comments and will organize a town hall over the next few months. Council will address this through three readings.

The Village has also been working with four government regulators and environmental organizations and the Hunt Club to eliminate its private operator septic system and connect to the Village’s municipal wastewater treatment system for commercial customers. No village funds will be spent on this project. A FAQ document is on the Village website to provide you more information. The first stage is applying for funding, which we did last week through two governmental bodies. A new committee has been formed to provide transparency to the discussions.

Finally, the Village has a 3.5 mill operating levy renewal on the ballot in November. This levy was first approved in 2005, has been renewed three times with this request being the fourth. No new taxes are being requested. This levy provides $728,000 annually; about 10% of the Village’s revenue. The renewal will generate the same tax amounts that we receive currently through the life of the levy. I respectfully ask for your consideration when voting on this levy – Issue 22.

The next few months will be exciting in the Village. I hope to run into you at the coffee shop, Halloween party, council meeting or on Election Day. Thanks for all you do for our village.

Steven L. Siemborski, Mayor
1470 Chagrin River Road
Gates Mills, OH  44040
(440) 423-4405   Ext. 122
mayor@gatesmillsvillage.com