State of the City set for Wednesday

SANDUSKY — With all the doom and gloom 2020 brought to Sandusky, moments of bloom did happen. Officials want to recognize these positive milestones while also acknowledging the negative setbacks in this truly topsy-turvy year. During a recent public meeting, officials announced they would take part in a virtual state of the city address, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday. This annual event, normally attended by several-dozen spectators and stakeholders, usually occurs in the springtime at Castaway Bay. But because of public gathering restrictions in place due to COVID-19, officials can't host such a large in-person function — then, now or any time in the near future. So they've decided to go virtual with an online presentation. "It has been a busy year in ways that were unexpected going into 2020," city manager Eric Wobser said. "And we want to provide the community with an update on the positive accomplishments of the city going into 2020 and all of the work that has been done by the city commission, city staff and our partners to keep the city safe and solvent in 2020 while also fighting hard to continue our hard-fought momentum," he added. While they'll definitely highlight some noteworthy accomplishments — such as the opening of downtown's first college campus, a joint venture between Bowling Green State University and Cedar Fair — officials must acknowledge the concerning negatives. Conversely, among the more troubling trends: Due to many factors, including Cedar Point's delayed opening and scaled-down operations in 2020, Sandusky could lose upward of $7 million from its budget. "We are proud of the progress we've made as a city as well as how we've managed through difficult times and want to continue to communicate transparently with Sandusky residents as to the work being done by their city government," Wobser said. Want to watch? • What: Sandusky government's virtual State of the City presentation; The presentation will recap city matters in 2020 and take a look ahead into 2021 • Where: People can visit ci.sandusky.oh.us/government/city_manager/state_of_the_city.php or visit the government's social media sites to watch the presentation. • When: 7 p.m. Wednesday