The President’s Corner

As President of Parma City Council, one of my priorities has been to inform the community about the makeup, procedures and initiatives of Parma City Council. This article represents the latest of a series in which I will provide you, the reader, with a monthly glimpse into your local government. This month I would like to inform you about the City of Parma website. 

Want to find out when the next meeting of Parma City Council will take place or when registration for Parma Recreation basketball will occur, need to find your City Council representative’s phone number, in need of an application for a building permit, or do you want to find out about the programs taking place at the Donna Smallwood Adult Activities Center (formerly the Parma Senior Center)?  Look no further than the award-winning City of Parma website at www.cityofparma-oh.gov.  A plethora of helpful information is contained at your website, which was honored with the Top City Government Website Award in 2010.  Parma’s site was chosen, according to the selection panel, due to its “impressively rich information, useful services and excellent visual design.”

Links on the City of Parma website include a section that can take you to each of the various City Departments, including the Mayor’s office, Recreation, Service, Safety, Building and Engineering, Community Services and Economic Development, Human Resources and Personnel, as well as the Law, Treasury and Auditing offices. For instance, the Recreation Department link provides downloadable fliers regarding its several programs, as well as program dates, a list of facilities, locations  and phone numbers, along with quite a bit of other pertinent information. The City of Parma Resident Services Department is also accessible. This is where you can file a complaint or recommendation with the appropriate City department.

Parma City Council has its own helpful link on the City’s website. In fact, not only can you find information about the members of Council, you can view and print meeting agendas, meeting minutes, etc. Further, the Codified Ordinances [laws] of the City of Parma can be accessed at this site. Quite often, residents contact me to inquire about current city law on particular topics. In many circumstances I will refer them to the website, as this is the fastest way to provide them with the information he or she is seeking. This is precisely one of the many reasons why Parma City Council authorized the funding of the site back in 2004. That is, to provide residents with the answers they seek in an easy, timely and user-friendly fashion.

The City of Parma website also includes links to various community organizations, such as the Parma City Schools, the Parma Animal Shelter, and Parma Community General Hospital. You will find relevant news topics, a city calendar, photo gallery, etc. In fact, if you are aware of an upcoming community event, feel free to contact City Hall to have the event placed on the City website calendar.

I realize that not everyone is internet savvy. However, for those of you who are not, using a computer and accessing the Internet have become very simple in recent years. You would be amazed at how quickly you can pick up the skills. The Cuyahoga County Library System often offers free computer and Internet classes for beginners. Simply stop by your local branch to inquire and you, too, will soon be “surfing the web!”

I hope that you find my column helpful and informative. I am always looking for ideas regarding what you would like to know more about regarding your local government. Thank you to the many folks who have contacted me over the past several months with suggestions. If you have any suggestions, feel free to contact me at (440) 885-8091 or councilmanbrennan@sbcglobal.net. See you next month.