Fairport Harbor Village will be pursuing a variety of projects this year which are aimed at enhancing the community. Mayor Timothy Manross talked about Fairport Harbor government’s major initiatives for 2026 in his recent State of the Village address. He delivered that speech on Feb. 17, prior to the regular Village Council meeting at the Fairport Harbor Senior Center. People also could watch the address through a live-stream online video presentation. In addition, the video of Manross’ speech is archived on the village website, fairportharbor.org, to view at any time. Some of Fairport Harbor’s 2026 goals highlighted by the mayor included: • Creating a new version of the village’s comprehensive plan. Manross said Fairport Harbor is updating its comprehensive plan for the first time since 2002. In July, Village Council approved a resolution authorizing Verdantas to spearhead efforts to update the community’s existing comprehensive plan. Manross described this document as “a roadmap that preserves Fairport Harbor’s character while embracing future opportunities.” He said the plan is being updated through a community-driven process involving a steering committee consisting of residents, business owners, school representatives and elected officials. “But not many elected officials,” he said. “We made sure that we kept that small, because we wanted to hear more from residents and business owners to see what they wanted their town to look like.” Manross said Verdantas created and sent out a survey about the comprehensive plan that generated more than 300 responses. That number translates to about 10 percent of the village’s population. “So people are engaged,” Manross said. “They want to know what’s going on with their village and they want a say in it, and we’re glad to know that.” • Building civic pride. Manross said village government will continue to collaborate in 2026 with the Fairport Harbor Opportunity Development Corporation. The corporation is a nonprofit organization that leads the village’s participation in the American in Bloom program. AIB is a national initiative that looks at how communities care for their public spaces, the environment and overall quality of life. The corporation has been working to implement suggestions that were offered to the village in an AIB report. One idea that the group already acted upon is an endeavor that invites Fairport Harbor residents to help select an Official Village Flower. That designated flower is intended to create a unifying symbol that reflects Fairport Harbor’s identity. Manross said village residents have until Feb. 28 to respond to an online survey in which they can cast votes for the Official Village Flower. Manross said speaking about the village’s collaboration with the Fairport Harbor Opportunity Development Corporation isn’t intended to shine more light on this entity than the community’s many other civic organizations that also do great work. “What it is really meant to do is show how important all of these organizations are,” he said. ” Know that your efforts are noticed and appreciated here.” • New Fourth Street storm, sanitary and water improvement project. Work will focus on the 400 and 500 blocks of New Fourth Street, including the section of New Fourth south of Fairport Harbor School. “We plan to upgrade the 6-inch water main to an 8-inch water main,  increasing pressure and capacity for users, depending on final costs,” Manross said. “We’re still working through some of that.” This project will involve installing new stormwater pipes, catch basins, stormwater manholes and pavement replacement, along with CIPP-lining sanitary sewer lines and reinstating sanitary connections. CIPP lining refers to a trenchless method of sealing cracks and leaks in pipes. • Continuing to work with Lake Development Authority and the Fairport Harbor Port Authority toward completing the transient marina project. Manross said he gets a lot of questions about the proposed transient marina, and wanted re-emphasize that this endeavor is still being actively pursued. “Again it’s a big project, there’s a lot of moving pieces to this, but it’s still very much something that’s on our radar,” he said. “It’s also on the county’s radar, the state’s radar and the federal government’s radar.” Manross said Lake Development Authority is working with MSA, a Wisconsin-based engineering firm, to submit permit applications to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for construction of a new breakwater at the future marina. The mayor added that the current funding breakdown for the project is: $5 million from Ohio Department of Natural Resources; $1.1 million from U.S. Fish and Wildlife for boating infrastructure; $63,000 from Clean Vessel Act Grant (ODNR); and $350,000 in State Capital Funds. Businesses in the 200 block of High Street in Fairport Harbor Village's downtown are shown on Feb. 21. In 2026, Fairport Harbor will apply for Community Development Block Grant funds to perform Phase 3 of the downtown streetscape project That initiative will be focused on High Street, between Third and Second streets. (Bill Debus - The News-Herald) • Streetscape Phase 3 (High Street) In 2026, the village plans to apply for Community Development Grant funding to build upon the progress of Streetscape Phases 1 and 2, Manross said. Streetscape Phase 3 will extend enhancements to an area between the 300 200 blocks of High Street, connecting downtown with one cohesive design. “This phase will focus on upgrading street lighting, improving sidewalks, adding elegant gray stone accents, and enhancing the safety, functionality and visual appeal of the northern section of downtown Fairport Harbor,” Manross said. ...read more read less