Mayor Smith walks 3rd Ward

May 21—LIMA — Councilwoman Carla Thompson said the biggest change she noticed from the last time she and Mayor Sharetta Smith walked the wards was the enthusiasm of Lima residents.

Although Smith's walk Tuesday night in wards 3A and 3B was only the second she has been able to complete due to the weather, she said she noticed that every neighborhood is different, making it important to talk to neighbors about their issues.

"Some things are long-term issues that take a little time to resolve and others are quick fixes that we can get to," she said. "The takeaway for today is to do a public information campaign about proper ways to bag refuse and call the utilities department if you're going to set out furniture. But that is just what is in front of us so it reiterates the importance of walking the wards and engaging with residents."

Like Thompson, Smith felt like the interactions with residents were positive.

One resident spoke about how good of a neighborhood he felt he lived in.

Another resident of Haitian descent spoke with Thompson and city council president Jamie Dixon about his desire to find work as a plumber and learn English, something that stood out to Thompson.

"He wanted to show us his certificate for training as a plumber and what he wanted was to speak better English and work in his profession and utilize his skills," she said. "And I think that's important because everybody acts like they're taking handouts, but they're trying to be productive citizens. So we should encourage that."

Resident Lisa Mault showed the mayor around and pointed out areas of concern.

"We also got to hear from residents about the heartbeat of their neighborhood," Smith said. "For instance, the resident that met us told us how kids are accessing the (Central Lima NA) Reading Park, what families have been in the neighborhood for generations and what is going on in alleys behind houses. And those are things that you don't see during your normal 9-to-5 if you're a property maintenance code inspector."

Thompson praised the park's example of green space and said she was glad to see the issue of speeding solutions brought up.

Overall, the experience gave her more confidence about the course of the city.

"I think the general attitude about living in Lima has improved," she said. "More people had questions and compliments as opposed to explaining their problems and I'm glad to see that they feel like we're moving in the right direction. Hopefully, we keep that momentum going."

Mayor Smith's walks will continue every Tuesday night through September starting at 5 p.m. with the next walk taking place May 28 starting at Unity Elementary in ward 5C.

For more information, check out the city's calendar (bit.ly/3KdMd5E).

Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.