Mayor Dennis Clough Says State of the City Is Stable and Developing

Mayor Dennis Clough painted a picture of an economically stable and developing community at the 2011 State of the City speech on Tuesday at .

In his 26th annual address, Clough praised city workers for their dedication, residents for their continued engagement and volunteerism, and local businesses for reinvesting in the community.

The city of Westlake has weathered the economic downturn well, and unlike many neighboring suburbs, is operating with a balanced budget.

“We’ve been a very, very strong city financially for a long time,” Clough said. “We continue to be a government that believes in low taxes and we’re very careful with the funds we receive.”

The city’s sewer rates have not gone up in the past year and property taxes have actually decreased 25 percent since 1985.

Clough said the city’s success is due in large part to a balance between the long-term plan for the city as a residential area and a growing business sector.

“Business grows, but it’s important to stick to the plan, although we do make the occasional exception,” he said. “This is a great environment for growing businesses. It’s also a great location.”

Fifty eight businesses either opened, relocated or expanded in Westlake last year and the city won the Team NEO 2010 Economic Development Plus Award for their work to help Hyland Software and Nordson Corp. remain in the city.

This year, more organizations will invest in buildings, including Hospice of the Western Reserve, off of Crocker Road, and a $100 million renovation to .

“That’s a healthy sign of economic activity in the community and we’re very pleased about the ones expanding or staying,” Clough said.

The city issued over 1,200 building permits last year including 13 for new single family homes and almost 1,000 for improvements to existing homes. In the commercial sector, the city issued permits for an estimated cost of over $4 million to Nordson Corp. for and over 50 permits with an estimated cost of nearly $4 million for .

Street construction was also expansive last year with the widening of the Dover Center and Detroit road intersection, replacement of the water main on Westwood Road and the widening of Bradley and Nagle roads with improvements to the railroad crossing.

In the coming year, Clough said the city will begin construction on a variety of projects including widening the Dover-Detroit intersection, replace water mains Westwood Road, widen the Bradely-Nagle intersection and rehabilitate sanitary sewers on Allen Drive and Westhill Boulevard. Designs will also be in the works this year to improve the Interstate 90 interchange at Columbia Road, upgrade traffic signals citywide and widen the intersection at Bradley and Detroit roads. There are also plans for a citywide water study.

“Just when you think construction is over, we’re doing something else,” Clough said.