Lagrange Village Council
Our
Mission
A Voice for the Lagrange neighborhood
The Lagrange Village Council (LVC) strives to strengthen the Lagrange neighborhood socially, economically and politically. One of the major efforts of LVC is to attract residents interested in making a difference on their own quality of life. Our membership serves as a power base of neighborhood residents who are willing to come together to implement change for the good of the entire neighborhood.
LVC is comprised of individuals living within the Lagrange trade area who are committed to encouraging residents, businesses and government to be more responsive to the needs of the Lagrange neighborhood.
Thanks to the unrelenting push from LVC members to improve the neighborhood, an increased quality of life for local residents is more than a dream-it is becoming a reality.
Power through community organizing
LVC was founded in 1990. Professionally-trained organizers and leaders recruit, door to door in the "village," dues-paying members who then come together to decide what issues affect them most profoundly. They do research, study the roots of problems, learn how to bring about change, explore solutions, and take action.
A Sustainable organization
Ultimately, the entire cost of LVC, including the professional staff, the office, and training of lay leaders, will be shouldered by those most directly affected. Members pay $25 per year in dues and donate their time and effort to the organization.
LVC accomplishments to date:
- Received funding to implement a "Youth Mentorship" project starting in 2007
- Helped shut down John Ulmer’s Westhaven Group, one of the city’s biggest slumlords not only in the Lagrange-Stickney neighborhood but also the City of Toledo
- Won a commitment from Toledo Board of Education to keep the new schools being built in the neighborhood
- Launched an education-organizing campaign in March 2006 to build a base of parent involvement to address school reform issues affecting academic improvement
- Won a commitment from the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to move forward with the building of a new library on the corner of Lagrange Street and Manhattan Blvd.
- Convinced the Ohio Liquor Commission not to renew the liquor license of a problem bar in the neighborhood
- Winning commitments from the City of Toledo since 2003 totaling over six miles of street resurfacing in the neighborhood
- Eliminated countless blighted and nuisance houses and businesses
- Won a commitment from the mayor’s administration to do aggressive code enforcement on the top 40 properties identified by LVC; more properties will be added to the list as the current ones are demolished
- Secured a pledge from the mayor’s administration to demolish one property each month from LVC’s list
- Won a commitment from Toledo Edison to keep their promise to begin implementation on both street light upgrades in the Weed and Seed area (new and additional street lighting with poles) and re-lamping (replacing all old style bulbs with new high pressurized sodium lighting and arm replacement) for the rest of the neighborhood
- Held the first-ever City Council budget hearing in a neighborhood—our neighborhood—and received a commitment for $500,000 in capital improvements
- Worked on two educational issues: one succeeded in getting the Toledo Board of Education to allow longer public testimony at meetings and the second focused on participation in decisions on building renovations and construction of Toledo Public Schools
- Led the successful campaign to vote the first dry precinct in the history of Lucas County
- Won our campaign for increased police protection in 2003
The largest and most effective community-based membership organization in the City of Toledo!
Completed playground at the Sherman School
LVC Philosophy
When LVC sees something lacking in our community, our members come together and charge toward their goals. Our members are strong-willed, determined people who will not let anything stand in their way in order to accomplish their goals for the betterment of our "village" neighborhoods.
Sidewalk repair in progress
Membership Categories
The membership of the Lagrange Village Council is comprised of residents and businesses in the Lagrange trade area who pay annual dues of $25. The Friends of the Lagrange Village Council include any nonresident individual or group interested in improving our Village neighborhoods by volunteering, donating and/or investing in our community.
E-mail the Village Council if you are interested in becoming a member.
Our Structure
The Lagrange Village Council is divided into eight geographical areas, each comprised of neighborhood residents who annually elect one person to serve as an Area Representative on LVC's Governing Committee. The Governing Committee provides a cohesive unit for all neighborhood groups to build a power base on issues of primary concern for the entire Village. The Governing Committee elects four members to an Executive Committee who each serve a one-year term.
Our Programs
- Monthly meetings of the Governing Committee
- Quarterly meetings of LVC membership
- Area meetings of residents
- Monthly meetings of the Community Safety Initiative Task Force
Our Current Projects
- Building a parent education-organizing base to address school reform issues affecting academic improvement
- Addressing issues concerning nuisance businesses in the neighborhood
- Working with the Toledo Building Inspection Department (code enforcement) to clean-up blighted properties and businesses in the neighborhood
- Encouraging the clean-up and development of the abandoned Cook’s Department Store site
- Conducting our annual Paczki Day fund raiser
- Participating in the annual Lagrange Street Polish Festival
- Coordinating neighborhood clean-ups
- Working with the City of Toledo to ensure infrastructure repairs
- Working with the Toledo Board of Education to improve neighborhood schools and to improve the quality of education for neighborhood students
What We Do for Our Neighborhood
- Reduce blight and crime through the Community Safety Initiative Task Force
- Encourage community involvement
- Collaborate with the City of Toledo to raze abandoned houses
- Encourage negligent owners to improve their properties
- Assist in the closing of nuisance businesses
- Work with the City of Toledo to rezone districts and to allocate funds for community improvement projects
Your comments are always welcome - Village Council e-mail
