From the desk of Mayor Sam Alai
Welcome to spring! Although it seems like it took a long time for spring weather to finally arrive, I think that warmer temperatures and sunny days are finally here. With this warmer weather comes the start of another jam-packed sports season here in Broadview Heights. Our dedicated Parks and Recreation department, as always, has been very busy putting in motion all the necessary parts that comprise a successful season. In addition, our exemplary Service dept. has been working really hard to prepare and maintain our fields so our team members, coaches, and parents will have top-notch facilities for their games. On behalf of the entire community, I sincerely thank them for their time and efforts. As always, I ask all families to keep in mind that our coaches are volunteers and our athletes look forward to playing their best, regardless of the final outcome. My wife, children, and I are looking forward to our grandchildren playing T-ball this summer and spending a lot of time at The Fields. Let’s make this a fun-filled season for everyone!
Some of you may have noticed that we have a brand new skate park in BVH. Because of its popularity, our old park was in need of updating, so I was so pleased to be a part of its renovation and reopening. Thank you to the Parks and Rec Dept. for spearheading the project, and I hope that our residents will enjoy it for years to come.
Congratulations go out to Nancy Sheeler, owner of Broadview Heights’ own “Transitional Design”. Nancy was recently honored as the 2022 Achievement in Excellence Award recipient at the 50th Accent on Excellence awards event. Nancy has been a business owner here in our city for many years and has always been supportive of community events. Her dedication to excellence is evident every day, not only in the quality of products she sells, but in her high standards of customer service. Nancy hires highly-qualified staff who bring their design expertise to the displays in the shop, painting classes, and services offered to clients who are down-sizing and in need of extra assistance. Our family has used her services when family members have moved into smaller accommodations, and my wife is frequent shopper both in the store and through the online auctions. Many of the items in our home have come through Nancy’s business. On behalf of Council and my administration, heartfelt congratulations go out to Nancy. We all look forward to many more years of Transitional Design remaining an important business in Broadview Heights!
As summer approaches, we are in full swing to bring back our very popular Nights in the Heights free concert series held at the amphitheater on our city hall campus. They are held on the first Friday of every month from June through September. Food trucks will be there and beverages will be sold for guests of all ages, so bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy a lovely evening with friends and family while listening to music provided by some of the best musicians around. Hope to see you there!
Sincerest and heartfelt thanks to all of the people who worked so hard on our recent charter amendment to help fund our fire department. From the moment we started planning for a much-needed facility, dedicated and knowledgeable experts provided feedback and input to help us put forth this initiative to the residents. We were committed to giving all of you the opportunity to vote on what level of safety services you wanted to see in our city. Understandably, some people could not justify the slight increase due to an already-stretched budget. However, others could not support it due to misinformation disseminated within the last month of the election. Despite our best efforts to clarify the facts, some folks cast their vote based on skewed information about the process and the facility’s specifications. Regardless, the people had the opportunity to vote, and that was our primary objective. As we look ahead to the future, we will have more conversations about how we can best support our fire department and the work they do on behalf of all of us. Rest assured that we will continue to engage with the public as a part of our future plans. Even though the outcome was not we had hoped, the voters have spoken, and I applaud each of you who came out and voted. We will continue to look at how we can fund our fire department’s needs in the future.
Finally, as always, City Council, our employees, and I appreciate your support. You bolster us when challenges arise, and you help us celebrate all of the many positive things that happen in our city. I am continually gratified by the way you all embrace my belief in “Together, let’s do what’s right for Broadview Heights”. We may have minor disagreements at times, but we share a common goal of wanting to continue our reputation as being the best place to live, work, and raise a family. That philosophy will continue to make Broadview Heights the city we are all proud to call home.