TOLEDO, Ohio — Residents in West Toledo's DeVilbiss neighborhood met with city council member John Hobbs III Thursday for the first of 12 town halls in the district he represents to discuss concerns, policies and violent crime in the Glass City.
Violence was a central topic for the roughly 30 residents at the Eleanor Kahle Senior Center on Hillcrest Avenue.
Paul Komisarek, a business owner on Upton Avenue, attended the meeting because he's concerned about traffic and violence.
"I'm glad I came here," Komisarek said. I'm going to do everything I can to come to the April 6 meeting. Maybe I'll have some more questions that I'll get in there. I was more of an observatory type on this meeting."
Long-time DeVilbiss resident Pat Gerdes agreed with Komisarek: the hour-long meeting was not a waste of time.
"I think it's hopeful and it's nice to be around other people that still have hope in the community and success," Gerdes said.
Hobbs, who represents District 1 on council, told WTOL 11 this was the first meeting for the area in almost three years. He took the opportunity in the intimate setting to be upfront with the residents: he, like many other city leaders, does not have the solution to gun violence.
That's why an open forum is healthy and necessary.
"The violence that's happening in our community. I'm telling you, I don't have the answers. That's why I'm asking you to be here tonight," Hobbs said during the meeting. "If I had the answers this would not be happening."
Kay Nyitrai, another long-time DeVilbiss resident, painted a grim picture of seeing no way out of consistent gun violence in the city. She recognizes any attempts at change aren't going to fix the issue overnight, but conversations to work toward it are still important.
"Those guns are ending up in these kids' hands ... What do we do about something like that? I don't know. I don't see how we're going to get the guns under control," Nyitrai said.
Gerdes agreed. It's hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel, especially since moving out of Toledo won't solve the issue for the community.
"In 2016, when somebody was killed almost out in front of my house, my daughter goes, 'You gotta move mom.' I go, 'Where?'" Gerdes said.
Neither Hobbs nor the residents had answers, but there didn't seem to be anger at that fact. Many of the community members said they're looking forward to working together for a solution.
Komisarek said working together means everyone in the community comes to these meetings.
"If this is going to change, we absolutely have to have some skin in the game," Hobbs said.
Hobbs and the residents also discussed issues like lead paint in homes and traffic at the meeting.
The next meeting will be on March 6 from 6-7 p.m. for the Ottawa neighborhood at the Sanger Branch Public Library.