In today’s economy, City Council faces more challenges than in the past. We are watching the city’s budget very closely while continuing to provide residents with the outstanding city services they have come to expect, such as street maintenance and snow removal.

Our biggest road project this year will be the improvement of Akins Road between York and Edgerton. Our new road patching machine will allow us to make more efficient and longer-lasting road repairs and allows us to make repairs during the winter.

We have focused a lot of effort on our storm water drainage program and we continue to work to be sure that all creeks and culverts are in proper condition to prevent flooding problems.

One of the most important issues we face today involves protecting our environment. For that reason we are creating a new Earth and Environment Committee on City Council. This committee will look closely at all environmental issues that we face as a city, from the types of light bulbs we use, to the purchase of vehicles that are more fuel efficient. Our City Council offices have already gone paperless since January 2008.

We will be looking closely at ways to improve participation in the city’s residential recycling program. About 85 percent of everything we throw away can be recycled in some form, and every ton we separate for recycling is a ton that isn’t sent to a landfill. That saves us money and is good for the environment.

Recreation is important to North Royalton residents. We recently added two new baseball fields and are looking at adding other athletic fields as well. We also have acquired 15 acres of open space right in the center of town, which offers a peaceful park area where residents can relax and enjoy nature.

Ward One - John Nickell

I am truly enjoying the experience of serving as the Ward One councilman. We have made a lot of progress over this past year, but more work needs to be done to continue to improve North Royalton.

We have been able to accomplish many things because the members of council have a good working relationship with each other and the administration. We each bring to the table many different views, questions, ideas and goals, but in the end we have been able to reach agreement on issues and move forward. I trust that this relationship will continue and it can only benefit the community. 

In Ward One, the city has completed two large storm water mitigation projects on Gregory Lane and Pamela Drive. These are expected to greatly reduce the constant flooding of homes in these areas. Our storm crew has resolved hundreds of smaller issues that have plagued many areas over the years. The Chesapeake regional retention basin is ready for bid and we are waiting to see if it will qualify for stimulus status. Either way it will be completed.

The other large project is in Cedar Estates. Engineering is near completion and we are also analyzing the issues behind Applewood.

Besides storm waste issues, we continue to work to improve the conditions of our roads. There are many potholes to address this summer.

Once again thank you. I wish you and your family the best in life. 

Ward Two - Gary Petrusky

I would like to thank the residents of Ward Two for allowing me to represent them on City Council. Over the past year the city has focused on drainage projects that helped to alleviate flooding issues throughout the city. This year we are replacing three Ward Two culverts that average 50 years old and are in a deteriorating condition. We also are working on creek beds and retention basins, particularly in the Royal Valley area. We are working to restore the drainage system to the way it was 30 years ago before that development was built.

We’ve also done a lot of street repair. By outsourcing the concrete work to a private vendor we were able to save enough money to do more projects than we expected. It also enabled us to free up our Service Department workers to do other jobs. 

We have been able to replace some of our police cruisers so that most of the fleet is no more than a couple years old. We have hired one police officer and expect to hire a couple more next year. That will allow us to maintain a staff of highly trained officers to replace some whom are expected to retire in 2010 or 2011.

As vice chairman of the City Council Finance Committee I’m happy to report that we have brought in new financial software to replace our antiquated system and bring us into the 21st century. The new software has provided more detailed reporting and budgeting capabilities. It also is almost completely paperless, which is helping the city to be more environmentally friendly. 

Under our present administration, the city has adopted a more open approach to residents in an effort to make government more user friendly. For example, city workers recently disposed of a dead deer from the back yard of a 93-year-old resident. In the past, she would have been responsible for dragging the carcass to the curb to be picked up.

Thanks to the taxpayers, our Service Department has been able to do extensive work on storm water projects and road repairs in Ward Three and throughout the city. Our new cold sealing system has been a real help. The streets have been crack sealed and we’ve repaired some sinkholes.

We have done extensive cleaning of retention basins and creeks, including the Biro Ditch, and have cleared out 300 to 400 tons of debris.

As chairman of City Council’s Building and Building Codes Committee, I have been involved in reviewing standards and procedures for building codes. We have adopted the state of Ohio’s building codes.

The state of Ohio regulates oil and gas drilling, leaving the city with no control. We are taking a proactive approach so that the same thing doesn’t happen with wind turbines in the future. With the federal government pushing alternative energy we are educating ourselves to be ready for any proposed windmills in the city.

In my seven years on council I have chaired a number of committees and try to attend as many committee meetings as possible to be fully aware of all issues that concern the city.

I am honored to have been appointed in January to fill the Ward 4 council seat vacated by Kurt McKee. As chairman of City Council’s Finance Committee I am happy that we were able to pass the administration’s budget in a quick and timely manner without stalling any of the city’s programs.

The Service Department has worked hard to maintain and repair roads in Ward Four. Among the projects were the badly needed street repairs at the main entrance to the Sir Thomas Woods development. With the support of City Council and the administration, our Service Department has purchased a new piece of equipment. The Durapatch, which was scheduled to be delivered in May, will allow roads to be patched throughout the year and will last longer than cold patching.

In the tough economic times your City Council is working to ensure that our tax dollars are used in the most responsible way.

I encourage all residents of Ward Four to attend some of the many committee meetings that council schedules throughout the month. That is where all the work and debate takes place. You can find the schedules on the city’s Web page, at www.northroyalton.org.

With summer quickly approaching, I remind all residents to trim the trees on their tree lawns. This will make walking in our neighborhoods a lot easier.

I have spoken to many of you over the last couple of months and enjoy meeting with any Ward Four resident. Should you have any concerns or problems feel free to contact me via email, at ward4@northroyalton.org, or by phone, at 440-582-9380.

It has been a very busy and productive year.

As chairman of the Storm Water Committee I have continued to be very aggressive in monitoring all the storm water issues in the city. There were about 160 projects started and completed last year. About 30 of those projects were done in Ward 5, including inspections, repairing sinkholes, cleaning retention basins, culverts and creeks, sewer repair and concrete work.

There will be a couple of road re-surfacing projects expected in Ward 5 this year, including Akins Road between Edgerton and York Road, and Martin Drive.

There also will be some concrete repair work on North Gateway, Center Road, Hillside Road and Dan Drive.

Work has begun on the 18-month project to improve the intersection at W.130th and Route 82. The process of moving utilities has begun.

A project to improve Bennett Road from Route 82 to Akins Road did not qualify for funding through Issue 1 last year. We will re-submit that application as well as look at some other avenues to fund this important project.

The first phase of the Turnpike Noise Mitigation Study has begun. Pilot project sites were selected and construction of two selected noise mitigation methods was expected to take place this spring. A report is due to the Turnpike Legislative Review Committee before this fall.

The commission will analyze the findings produced by the pilot project and determine the next course of action. I will continue to monitor the results of the project and stay involved with the process.

I will continue to be accessible and responsive. Thank you for your continued support and input.

I am thankful to the residents of Ward 6 for bestowing upon me the honor of representing you in our government.

Communication is important to me. By providing weekly updates to more than 600 families in Ward 6, my residents are the most informed residents in our city. I have received thousands of e-mails and calls and proudly state that I have responded to each one. 

Safety and Service is important to me. The road patrol unit in our Police Department has been restored to its 2005 level. New traffic control devices have been erected and new sidewalks have been constructed making our streets and neighborhoods safer. Working with Mayor Stefanik, I have assisted residents in having sinkholes filled, sewer lines repaired, culverts cleaned, garbage picked up, streets plowed and roads repaired faster and better than ever before. 

Recreation and our environment is also important. I have worked to establish athletic fields and green space in our city and co-sponsored the creation of council’s new Earth and Environment Committee so that we, as a city, can better protect our environment and save tax dollars. 

Please sign up for my Ward 6 e-mail list today by e-mailing me at kasarisforward6@juno.com so you to can learn what is going on in our city.