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STREETSBORO – As he began his annual market report Thursday morning, Streetsboro Mayor Glenn Broska drew attention to the building he and his audience were in.
“What you are seeing is the culmination of three years of hard work, collaboration, cooperation and pure vision,” Broska said.
Broska was speaking at a Streetsboro Chamber of Commerce breakfast held inside the city’s new $3.2 million, 7,400-square-foot community center.
This was the first event in the building behind Streetsboro City Park, which also houses the new senior center. Until 2018, senior citizens held meetings in the now-demolished Old City Hall, but were forced to move elsewhere when it was sold. Until recently, they used to gather on school grounds.
Broska thanked them for their patience.
“I know this hasn’t been easy for them, but I hope they’re happy to have a new, permanent facility,” Broska said. “We would also like to thank Streetsboro Schools and the Board of Education for allowing us to temporarily house our seniors in their facilities. Our relationship with them continues to improve.”
And speaking of City Hall, Broska said the city is in the design stages of a new 14,500-square-foot facility to replace the leased space it currently uses. He added that construction is expected to begin in June.
Broska said the Streetsboro Community Center was the result of a lot of hard work by architects and city staff, as well as support from the City Council.
“This group not only helped us figure out how to design and get buildings out of the ground, but it also helped us figure out how to actually grow the funding,” he said. “The same inflation that everyone feels at grocery stores and gas stations is also very noticeable on construction sites, and we were able to complete this project on time and on budget.”
The successful completion seemed to symbolize much of what Broska talked about during his approximately 35-minute lecture. He covered a variety of topics, including business and economic development, infrastructure, especially roads and transportation, public safety, and resident amenities.
He expected recognition from city department heads and city council members.
“We are fully invested in this community and want to give Streetsboro residents not only what they need, but what they want,” Broska said. “This can only happen if all of you are on the same path and on the same path. We respect each other, listen to each other, share thoughts and ideas. We We may not always agree, but we can come together.”It is a decision that has been considered from all sides.”
Economically, it’s been a great year
Broska said business in the city is good.
“Our revenue base is manufacturing, and we were fortunate not to be significantly affected by the pandemic,” he said. “Since the pandemic, our economy has actually had some great years and business activity has increased.”
Broska said 19 businesses will open or relocate in Streetsboro in 2023. This includes Another Broken Egg, which serves breakfast at the community center. New emergency medical care at university hospitals. Rita’s Ice Cream has taken up residence in a long-vacant building on the public square. There are several new businesses in Market Square.
Construction is expected to begin soon on a 150,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse located on State Route 43 north of the Ohio Turnpike. Broska said the developer originally wanted to place the noisy equipment near his Camelot Village mobile home park.
“Economic development and planning directors worked together to reposition the building to minimize disruption to residents,” Broska said. “And we did it all by being conservative in our tax cuts. We offered a 30% reduction in property taxes for just five years in exchange for new jobs and taking care of our residents. We also made cash donations “We have also been promised that we will be able to improve the signage in public squares.” ”
Broska also brought up the joint economic development district approved in 2022 between Streetsboro and Scherersville. It is hoped that this will bring jobs to the area and allow the city and town to share in tax revenue.
Broska said the facility consists of more than 500 acres of industrial land with 1 million square feet of construction space, and construction is underway on a facility for German pipe fitting manufacturer Viega.
“This is the largest investment in Portage County in decades, and it took a lot of effort,” he said. “However, while this transaction was structured in a way that provided only minimal tax breaks, “There will be high manufacturing employment.”
Broska also mentioned efforts to update the city’s zoning code. For example, this was done to try to control the numbers of both hotels and car washes when the influx was a concern.
Broska credited many of these efforts to Planning and Zoning Director John Cieszkowski.
“He was able to put together three master plans that allowed us to implement something that would allow the city to continue to grow in an orderly manner,” Broska said. .
jump over the “hurdle”
Broska said the city is catching up in terms of roads and transportation.
“One of the hurdles we had to overcome was poor city planning years ago,” he says. “I don’t think it was designed, but I don’t think people years ago understood what was going to happen.”
He said this includes impacts from the Turnpike and Interstate 480, which terminates at State Route 14. More than 6.6 million vehicles a year enter and exit the Streetsboro Turnpike, and many more travel on nearby interstates, Broska said.
He said the area was particularly good for business because of the heavy traffic, but added that “sometimes it can be a nightmare.”
The city is currently trying to focus on addressing road and traffic issues.
“You can really say that our city flower is the orange cones that seem to be flooding our streets for the past five or six years,” Broska said.
He said Streetsboro has secured $40 million in federal and state highway grants in recent years, and the city will only have to pay about 12 percent of the cost. The work is not limited to state highways; the City Council is also required to spend $1 million a year on city roads, with funding augmented by the Public Works Commission of Ohio.
In 2021, Streetsboro hired its first city engineer in more than 15 years, Justin Czekai, Broska said. He and Service Director Bill Miller, who has worked for the city for more than 40 years, have collaborated on the project.
“By being able to plan and execute many projects in-house, we are able to do more for our people and save money in the process,” Broska said. Ta.
more:Streetsboro City Council considers plans for new city hall
What you need is “courage” and “brains”
Broska pointed out that as mayor, he also serves as the city’s public safety director, giving him special oversight responsibility for the police and fire departments.
“I do this not only to ensure the well-being of the public, but also to ensure that safety service providers are accountable to the public’s taxpayers,” he said. “I have to trust our front-line police officers to not only keep us safe, but also to keep our residents and employers safe. I know from my experience in these buildings that these jobs are not for the faint of heart.” “But it takes more than just courage. Is required.”
One example, he said, is Police Officer Joshua Bartholomew, who has been recognized multiple times for his work as Portage County’s crisis intervention team coordinator.
“Recently, Josh was recognized for his ability to de-escalate tense situations by being awarded the Ohio Statewide Crisis Intervention Team Champion of the Year for his work training many of his fellow officers in de-escalation techniques.Mental Health His work with the Recovery Committee [of Portage County]” Broska said.
Broska said the city has one school resource officer and is looking for a second one. He said Streetsboro is one of the few areas in the state that doesn’t charge schools for services.
“It’s a sad reality that we have police in schools, but we accept it because we don’t want residents to have to worry about the safety of their children,” Broska said.
Broska pointed to a joint drill held at Streetsboro Middle School in October as an example of how safety forces are working to maintain awareness of schools in case of an emergency. He expressed “admiration” for the leadership of Fire Chief Robert Reinholtz and Police Chief Patricia Wayne.
“The time to prepare for an emergency is not when an emergency is occurring, but when everything seems calm,” he said.
more:German companies joining JEDD could pump thousands of taxpayer dollars into Streetsboro, Shailersville
“How to bring people together”
Broska said the city is looking to increase benefits available to residents in addition to essential items.
This includes plans to utilize the area in front of the fire station along Route 43, just north of Route 14.
As envisioned, the project will create a “central gathering place” in an area larger than the soccer field that can be used for events such as farmers’ markets, craft shows and small concerts, Broska said.
Additionally, a new 5,000 square foot splash pad, restroom facilities and picnic area are expected to be completed by early August, a gazebo will also be built on site and a “passive walking area” will be constructed between the site and the nearby park. That is scheduled. Apartment and Route 14.
“This area is a showcase for the city, and it would not be possible without cooperation and collaboration between elected officials, departments and residents,” Broska said.
He also praised the work that Parks and Recreation Director Greg Mittinger and “his very limited staff” have done to “turn our park system into the jewel in the crown.”
Broska said the city could host baseball and softball tournaments, with up to 60 teams playing in 10 fields.
In 2023, a lighted sand volleyball court, a pickleball court, a new pavilion will be added, the basketball court will be rebuilt, and the tennis court will be renovated.
And this year, thanks to funding secured by state Rep. Gail Pavliga, a new Floyd North Park near the city’s industrial zone is scheduled to be completed. Broska said the Parks and Recreation Department also continues to organize a variety of programs.
Broska praised Finance Director Matt Miller for allowing the city to do everything it does without hurting its finances.
“The pie is so big that he makes sure everyone gets a piece of it,” he said. “We all have things we want, we all have things we need, and he’s been good with our money. The funds available to us have increased almost every year. , we have been very fortunate in that we have been able to provide more benefits to our people.”However, we must still remain fiscally conservative and plan for the future. ”
Broska was elected to a fourth term in November. He said the fact that he received more than 80% of the votes cast gave him confidence that the majority of residents approve of the work his administration has been doing. This brought him back to the new community center, which he said was done for the benefit of the residents.
“A government of the people, for the people, must find a way to unite the people,” he said. “Anything else is a collection of homes, not a community. With our new community center, we can all interact and move our city forward.”
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
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