Mayor DeGeeter Looks Forward To State Of The City Address

Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter enjoys looking back proudly at the accomplishments of his administration. “We’re all working hard to move Parma forward,” he says. “It’s nice to see the things we’ve done. But we don't want to live in the past, we are looking ahead to our future as well.” So when DeGeeter takes the stage on Feb. 24, 2014, at the new Parma-Snow Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, he will share accomplishments, yes, but he will also look ahead to what residents might expect from his administration in the coming year. The Mayor will deliver the speech in the new, state-of-the-art, 400-seat auditorium at the library; the address is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Mayor has taken the speech “on the road” for the last two years, delivering his first one at the GrafTech Corporation and this year’s at Parma Community General Hospital. After the Mayor was treated to a sneak peek of the Parma-Snow Branch before it opened, he decided showing off this new library is a perfect fit for the 2014 speech. 

“The auditorium is a beautiful space and we are so appreciative of our partnership with the Parma libraries,” he said. "Let's show them off."

DeGeeter’s speech will encompass a review of a busy 2013 in which, among other things, The Shoppes at Parma began reconstruction, two Parma library branches became reality, and a sister city relationship was formed with Lviv, Ukraine. The address will also map out continued efforts and plans to continue to move the city forward and increase the quality of life for Parma residents.

He will likely introduce a new program or two during the speech. One of them is a series of events called “Business 101” in which City officials and the Chamber of Commerce help new business owners navigate the sometimes tricky landscape of licensing, permits and inspections, among other things.

“If someone wants to open a business in Parma, we’ll have representatives there from our Building Department and Engineering, for example,” DeGeeter said. “They can answer questions right there on the spot about zoning and building code compliance.”

The programs will be free, and city officials will gauge further programs by attendance at early offerings.

The Mayor will also expound on the Good Neighborhood Initiative, which encompasses several programs designed to increase the quality of life for residents by praising and rewarding those who take care of their properties and ticketing those who don’t. “We don’t want this to be just about the bad apples,” he said. “This is also about the homeowners who take pride in their properties and are assets to their neighborhood.”

DeGeeter will be available for anyone who wants to seek him out for comments after the speech, as this will be a Mayor’s Out event as well.

"We are thrilled that Mayor DeGeeter asked to use the auditorium for his speech,” said Parma-Snow Branch Manager Stacey Boycik. “It’s a wonderful reflection on the partnership that the Parma libraries have with the City. We are looking forward to hosting it.”