HUBBARD — Mayor Ben Kyle said the city accomplished numerous projects last year during the halfway point of his second term in office.

Kyle said Hubbard closed out infrastructure projects started years ago as the city applied for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program in 2022 and worked alongside the Ohio Department of Transportation to pave Elmwood Drive.

Elmwood Drive was one of the only streets in the city classified as a federal aid street, which refers to a public road eligible for funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), according to Kyle. The paving project was completed several weeks after its Aug. 11 start date.

“Another big project for us was started a number of years ago, where we received a grant for wastewater treatment plant generator replacement, which replaced the original generators from the late ’80s,” Kyle said. “That project is nearing completion now, and it was nearly $1 million — for the new automatic transfer switches, electrical upgrades and the generators themselves.”

Kyle said the city removed an in-ground diesel tank during the project, doing so proactively before leaks or issues came about.

Where things fell short, Kyle noted the lack of state funding resulting from legalized recreational marijuana sales. City residents voted to lift a ban on adult-use cannabis in the November 2024 general election.

“The lack of funds coming from the state for that sale of marijuana — something that was promised to the city and has been a struggle at the state level to achieve any benefit back to us, the city,” Kyle said. “Any issue is our responsibility, not theirs.”

Kyle said it was too early to tell what the city’s plans were for the money cities are expected to receive in 2026, after state Senate Bill 56 passed in December and Gov. Mike DeWine signed it into law.

The legislation revamps the state’s recreational marijuana program.

“We don’t even know what kind of revenue stream that money from the actual sales tax is going to bring in; the income tax for the employees is there,” Kyle said. “But that’s a very small portion of what the potential could be.”

“Obviously, with every new business, we look forward to the potential growth as long as they are able to succeed within the confines of any state laws that exist.”

ENBRIDGE

In September, Enbridge Gas started a gas line project to replace approximately 5,400 feet of bare steel gas lines with corrosion-resistant plastic lines in specific areas of Hubbard, including parts of Liberty, Main, School and Walnut streets.

With that project set to wrap up this month, Kyle said the city hopes to revitalize the areas impacted by the activity.

“We want those businesses to rebound from the unbelievable strain that the gas project put on them with the amount of time and inability for their normal operations, and we understand that a gas line needs to be replaced — totally get that,” Kyle said. “But it’s something that is a very cumbersome project for a small community like ours that directly impacts our downtown area.”

Kyle said the project was critical to the city’s growth, eliminating a potential hazard by replacing a century-old gas line, but reiterated the growing pains that came with it.

He thanked Enbridge for working with him to make sure St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church had the maximum amount of parking possible on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — some of the church’s biggest days of the year.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Operations will look a bit different for the city in 2026, as Service Director Ray Farcas retired in December after 28 years of service.

Council also will have a new president, with Councilman Michael Mogg, D-3rd Ward, filling the role after William Williams chose not to seek reelection in November.

“Folks that dedicate themselves to city government for decades are truly a cornerstone for building a strong community,” Kyle said. “Their involvement is essential to moving a community forward and being able to continue operations and remember the past and look toward the future.

“People who dedicate so many years of their lives to a common good, they are truly people who cannot be replaced. We can only hope to try and work as hard as they did.”

With the service director position being appointed through the mayor’s office, Kyle said his administration is working to fill the position after the hiring of a potential candidate fell through.

Kyle said he is the city’s acting service director until the position is filled, which is being advertised on the city’s website.