February 14, 2018 at 7:09 p.m.
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Ritter says he wants to ‘make Dunkirk great again’
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With a nod toward Donald Trump, Mayor Gene Ritter said this morning he wants to “make Dunkirk great again.”
An upbeat Ritter delivered his annual State of the City address at the Jay County Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast at West Jay Community Center.
“We’ve had a busy year,” said Ritter, citing work on improving local sewers, street paving and repairs to the deck at the Dunkirk Municipal Pool.
He said work on the Todd Building continues to move forward, with the focus currently on the north part of the structure that will become the site of a Firehouse Barbecue restaurant.
A second restaurant, with a Mexican theme, will come at some point in the future.
“The place is looking awesome,” said Ritter. “I can’t wait for our restaurant.”
The mayor said he has continued to work on attracting a grocery store to Dunkirk, though success has eluded him.
“That doesn’t mean I haven’t been working on it,” he said. “I’m still going to be working on that.”
He said he’s also going to be focusing on efforts to bring more manufacturing jobs to the Dunkirk community.
An upbeat Ritter delivered his annual State of the City address at the Jay County Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast at West Jay Community Center.
“We’ve had a busy year,” said Ritter, citing work on improving local sewers, street paving and repairs to the deck at the Dunkirk Municipal Pool.
He said work on the Todd Building continues to move forward, with the focus currently on the north part of the structure that will become the site of a Firehouse Barbecue restaurant.
A second restaurant, with a Mexican theme, will come at some point in the future.
“The place is looking awesome,” said Ritter. “I can’t wait for our restaurant.”
The mayor said he has continued to work on attracting a grocery store to Dunkirk, though success has eluded him.
“That doesn’t mean I haven’t been working on it,” he said. “I’m still going to be working on that.”
He said he’s also going to be focusing on efforts to bring more manufacturing jobs to the Dunkirk community.
The year ahead will include another blight removal project, said Ritter.
“We’ve got 11 properties that are in much need of being torn down,” he said. “Our last blight project was very successful.”
Under the grant-funded blight removal project, houses that are delinquent on their property taxes are acquired from the county. The buildings are then razed, the sites cleaned up and the bare ground made available for purchase, with adjoining property owners given the first chance to acquire them.
Noting that a substantial increase in water rates had been necessary this year, Ritter said he hopes that any future rate increases can be done by smaller increments. Revenue from the rate increase will go toward improving the water utility.
“We’re looking to improve infrastructure and our water quality,” the mayor said.
“We’ve got 11 properties that are in much need of being torn down,” he said. “Our last blight project was very successful.”
Under the grant-funded blight removal project, houses that are delinquent on their property taxes are acquired from the county. The buildings are then razed, the sites cleaned up and the bare ground made available for purchase, with adjoining property owners given the first chance to acquire them.
Noting that a substantial increase in water rates had been necessary this year, Ritter said he hopes that any future rate increases can be done by smaller increments. Revenue from the rate increase will go toward improving the water utility.
“We’re looking to improve infrastructure and our water quality,” the mayor said.
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