City council honors BBHHS gymnastics team

by Dan Holland

April 18 city council meeting

The first order of business at the April 18 Broadview Heights City Council meeting was honoring the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School girls gymnastics team for winning its 19th consecutive team state championship title. It is the school’s 22nd overall team state title since 1994.

“This was No. 22 in 2022, and hopefully it will be No. 23 in 2023, and so on,” said Mayor Sam Alai, as he presented a resolution of commendation honoring the achievement to head gymnastics coach Maria Schneider.

”It’s so incredibly hard to keep repeating and to keep up that good work; it’s only because of your efforts year in and year out that that happens. So, I congratulate you all,” Alai continued. “And understand, this isn’t just ‘Hey here’s another one. It’s hard to maintain that. When you get to the top, it’s easy to fall down. But this team constantly stays at the top and will stay at the top, and I want to congratulate all of you and your coaches.”

Schneider thanked the city of Broadview Heights, which consistently reaches out immediately after the team wins a state title to congratulate the team publicly and present each member of the team with a personalized resolution.

“It’s just extraordinary for them and for myself, but for these young ladies who are the ones out there really doing the hard work and did it once again,” she said. “We didn’t fall prey to the ESPN curse, thankfully.”

An ESPN.com feature article on the BBHHS gymnastics program entitled “The greatest streak in sports? Meet the gymnastics team that has won 18 consecutive state titles” ran just a short time prior to the March 4-5 state tournament.

Council also passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Flock Safety to install and operate two additional license plate reader cameras at a cost of $5,700. Those two cameras will add to the six cameras previously agreed upon. Police Chief Steven Raiff said the two additional cameras will be placed at Broadview and Boston roads facing northbound and at Broadview and Edgerton roads facing southbound. The cameras will be used for investigative purposes only; not for the issuance of citations.

Council also passed a resolution for an agreement with the city of North Royalton establishing costs associated with prisoner housing. Members also approved a second resolution establishing a lease agreement for jail housing and ancillary services at the North Royalton Municipal Jail. The lease agreement provides one jail cell bed to the Broadview Heights Police Department on an exclusive basis at a cost of $56,000 annually.

In other business, council:

  • Passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Kokosing Materials, Inc. for asphalt materials.
  • Passed a resolution amending an agreement with Specialized Construction, Inc. for the 2022 road program.
  • Passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Tri-County Concrete for the provision of concrete in the city.
  • Passed a resolution designating funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as revenue loss to be used for government services.
  • Passed a resolution creating a need-based scholarship program for recreation programs offered by the Parks and Recreation Department not to exceed $3,000 per year.
  • Passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Right Stuff Software for time and attendance software.
  • Passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Sweetwater for city amphitheater audio equipment.
  • Accepted a Planning Commission recommendation to grant final approval for plans at 1 Eagle Valley Court for a 10,000 square-foot building to house Creative Movement Center and Main Street Play & Café.
  • Passed a resolution declaring April as Child Abuse Awareness Month. ∞