Norwalk mayor outlines finances, grants and infrastructure projects in annual city report

The mayor of Norwalk delivered an annual overview of the city’s finances, capital projects and service operations during the City Council meeting, highlighting reserve balances, recent grant awards and upcoming infrastructure work.

The mayor said Norwalk ended 2024 with $2,141,886 in a reserve balance account set aside for emergencies and economic downturns, and noted total municipal income tax revenue for 2024 was $9,496,415. He reported total general fund revenue of $9,809,613 and combined city funds of $28,423,611.

The presentation emphasized grants and capital planning. The mayor said the city’s grant writer secured about $8,524,000 last year and roughly $21 million over the past four years. Among major grant-awarded projects noted were a full-depth replacement of the Linwood Bridge (more than $4 million, with construction expected around 2026–2027) and a $2 million grant for West Main Street phase 4.

Public utilities and capital projects were prominent in the report. The mayor reported the water treatment plant produced 631,000,000 gallons in 2024, up from 570,000,000 in 2023, and that the wastewater plant treated 892,000,000 gallons, up from 835,000,000. He said the city plans to increase wastewater treatment capacity from 8,000,000 gallons to 15,000,000 gallons as part of a plant upgrade. City staff also completed a 48-inch interceptor sewer and eliminated the final two combined sewer overflows; the interceptor and related work were reported as a multi-million-dollar project supported by a $5 million state grant.

On equipment and reserves, the mayor described a multi-year “fire truck capital project fund.” He said the fund held about $550,000 at the end of 2024 and the city hopes to limit borrowing for a future engine purchase by saving toward the cost.

Sanitation and public services figures were also included: the sanitation department collected 4,913 tons of trash in 2024 (an increase of about 80 tons from 2023), 559 tons of recycling, and roughly 354 tons through seasonal curbside bulk pickup. The mayor noted an approximate per-household cost of $21 per month (paid via the city’s 0.25 percentage-point sanitation allocation of the 1.5% municipal income tax).

The mayor described new and recent park and downtown investments: an amphitheater funded in part by a $300,000 state grant to host free summer concerts, completed walking paths at Memorial Lake Park aided by the Huron County Board of DD, new pickleball courts at JC Bicentennial Park, and work on Old Dock urban paving and Route 61 improvements.

He also summarized city staffing and services, including in-house work by general services crews (concrete work, snow removal and leaf collection) and the city’s grant and capital planning practices. The mayor said city staff paid off a 2024 note for pool-tank replacement to save interest and that some projects — including water-main replacements and street resurfacing — respond to aging infrastructure.

The mayor closed by outlining plans to relocate council chambers to a renovated portion of the old Norwalk Fire Station and invited council members and citizens to review uploaded slide materials on the city website.

The mayor used the presentation to summarize departmental work rather than presenting each department’s complete report; council members asked routine follow-ups during the meeting. The presentation materials are available on the city’s website for readers who want itemized line-by-line budget detail.