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.

Also, let me know if you think we missed anything. We'd love to include it in next week's edition. And if you have any events going on please be sure to post them on our community calendar right up there.

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New business

• Marietta Police Chief Rodney Hupp is retiring. The city had an internal investigation done by a third party due to allegations that Hupp contributed to a hostile workplace environment. There was no criminal behavior. Schlicher says that Captain Aaron Nedeff will continue as acting police chief until a new chief is named, this could take 4-6 weeks.
• There are upgrades coming to the intersection of Fifth and Washington Street as part of the city's Safe Routes to School project.
• The new traffic signal system is installed and in the next few weeks, the traffic in Marietta should be much smoother.
• There will be a Music in the Park event this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Muskingum 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 Schlicher says they're removing all of the playground equipment because it's almost all out of date.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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