What's Happening In Marietta This Week

MARIETTA, OH — There is a lot going on around Marietta this week. Mayor Josh Schlicher sat down to chat with Patch about what's going on around town. As always, there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

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New business

• Mayor Schlicher said that the Christmas in July Parade was a hit. He said a lot of folks from the community came out to see the floats. Rain cleared up for a good hour, just enough time for the parade. He gave full marks to Marietta Main Street.
• Gayle Manchin with the Appalachian Regional Commission came to Marietta today. Mayor Schlicher escorted her and other regional members to Washington State Community College, Building Bridges to Careers, the Galley, and The Peoples Bank Theater. He said there was a lot of good collaboration with good folks on the federal side.
• Mayor Schlicher says there will be a hearing on the DORA lawsuit next week. There will also be a hearing on the 115/117 Gilman Avenue properties next week too.
• Marietta Police Chief Rodney Hupp has retired. Schlicher says that Captain Aaron Nedeff will continue as acting police chief until a new chief is named, this could take up to three months.
• There are still traffic upgrades coming to the city. Mayor Schlicher says the bids for the second phase of the project came in higher than they were anticipating, so they will be trying to raise more money and there could be delays to phase two of the city's traffic project.
• There will be a Music in the Park event this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Muskingum Park.
• The Veterans Commission presented Mayor Schlicher with a check for nearly $5,000 that they raised for the Gold Star Park. He said they will use the money to expand the walking path at the park.
• The city still needs one more person for the Marietta/Belpre Health Board. Schlicher says this isn't a huge commitment. He asks for anyone in the city with a healthcare background to reach out to his office. He says he's also looking for someone who lives in the city limits to be on the fair housing board.

Ongoing projects

• Improvements to the city's wastewater plant.
• The city is suing engineers of the river trail project after a retaining wall collapsed, taking out a sewer line and the bike trail. Mayor Schlicher says the engineers used faulty data and should have known there was an issue. They hope to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
• The city is continuing to work to identify blighted properties and rectify those for a safer and more beautiful Marietta. Anyone who notices an issue with a property near them can fill out and turn in a nuisance complaint form. More details on Marietta City's code enforcement here.
• The Washington School playground is closed for most of the summer. Schlicher says they're removing all of the playground equipment because it's almost all out of date. They will be putting in a brand new basketball court and bringing playground equipment over from Harmar Elementary.
• Folks are continuing to enjoy the DORA. People are drinking responsibly in downtown Marietta from 5 p.m.- 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Various road and drainage projects.
• There is work ongoing on the city cemeteries and the city parks.
• The city is continuing to work on the planning and fundraising for the Start Westward Monument project.

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