The following council members were present for the meetings:

Council President: Vito Dipierro
Ward 1: Monica Wilson
Ward 2: Deborah Lime
Ward 3: John Soeder
Ward 4: Kelly Zacharias
Ward 5: Allan Divis
Ward 6: Kevin Kussmaul
Ward 7: Kammy Coyle Shuman
Ward 8: Amanda Boyd
Excused absence: Ward 9 Council Member Rob Euerle 

Parma City Council held eight meetings — two special meetings, five committee meetings and one regular meeting. During each meeting, members approved the minutes from the previous session. 

In the regular council meeting, council members approved one appointment and 10 pieces of legislation, and each was declared an emergency. All of the votes were unanimous with the exception of Resolution 125-25, which encourages the federal government to relocate NASA’s headquarters to Brook Park. Wilson voted “no.” There were no public comments.

Here are the agenda and meeting materials. The meeting can be viewed here.

Tax Budget Hearing

The hearing was called to order at 6 p.m. The 2026 tax budget is on file at the auditor’s office. No one spoke about the budget in the hearing. The meeting was adjourned at 6:01 p.m. 

Public Housing Committee

The meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. Members unanimously approved a motion for third reading and passage of Resolution 25-4. The resolution authorizes the executive director of North Coast Housing Connections to write off the amount of $5,584 of uncashed checks for North Coast Housing Connections. The meeting was adjourned at 6:03 p.m.

Public Housing Committee Special Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 6:04 p.m. The meeting was scheduled for a third reading of Resolution 25-4. Members unanimously adopted the resolution. The meeting was adjourned at 6:06 p.m.

Governmental Operations Committee

The meeting was called to order at 6:06 p.m. Members did not vote on any legislation. State Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) was there to give an update on the 2026-2027 biennial state operating budget. 

Brennan introduced himself and said it’s “nice to be back.” He was a Parma City Council member for 19 years, his last role being council president, until he went to serve in the Statehouse in 2023. He represents District 14, which includes Parma, Parma Heights and the following Cleveland neighborhoods: Brooklyn Centre, Clark-Fulton, Old Brooklyn and South Hills.

He explained the budgetary process and said he voted against the budget in the house because it has “devastating cuts” to public schools, libraries and food banks, inadequate childcare funding and “no real substantive property tax reform.” [Editor’s note: Gov. Mike DeWine sided with public schools, libraries and local governments as he vetoed several high-profile items from the state budget on July 1.]

The Senate’s version of the budget includes a flat tax that Brennan said is a “$1.4 billion giveaway” to the wealthy at the expense of the local government fund and first responders. [Editor’s note: Learn more about Ohio’s Flat tax here]

Discussion: Parma Auditor Brian Day said the city will lose $7.9 million of unvoted “inside millage” if a different bill, HB 335, passes. He said it would be a “drastic financial hit.”

Mayor Timothy DeGeeter said the Ohio Mayors Alliance held an emergency board of directors meeting. He said they sent a joint letter to the governor, legislative leaders, the House speaker and the Senate president to voice their concerns. He read a long list of organizations that signed the letter.

Brennan said, “It’s almost like Armageddon against our local governments,” referencing the budget and HB 335. Brennan also said he checked the Division of Unclaimed Funds website and found the majority of council members’ names on the list with a few exceptions. He said most of the amounts are for $25 or less. Brennan handed members a copy of their information and a letter he gives residents to inform them about the program.  [Editor’s note: Learn more about the connection between Ohio’s unclaimed funds and the proposed Browns Stadium.]

The meeting was adjourned at 6:46 p.m.

Regular Parma City Council Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 6:47 p.m. Council Member Kammy Coyle Shuman gave the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Parma resident Dale Kline was honored as the June 2025 Citizen of the Month. DeGeeter and Brennan gave Kline certificates of appreciation in recognition for his decades of work as a volunteer coach. 

At 7 p.m. Dipierro said they were going to “pause” the council meeting and “go into committees.”

Finance Committee

The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. 

Third Reading and Passage

Resolution 103-25 adopts the city’s 2026 tax budget and declares it an emergency.

Discussion: Council Member Debbie Lime asked the auditor if there’s anything that council should be concerned about moving forward. Day explained the purpose of the tax budget to new council members. He repeated his concerns about how a potential state cut of inside millage could impact the school district and police and fire pensions. [Editor’s note: Learn more about inside millage and HB 335 from Signal Ohio’s Andrew Tobias.]

Ordinance 106-25 authorizes the mayor or his designee to submit the five-year fiscal year 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and the FY 2025 annual plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development as an entitlement community within the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, and declares it an emergency.  

Second Reading Suspension

Ordinance 112-25 authorizes the issuance of bonds, not to exceed $1.56 million, for the purpose of retiring notes issued to improve the service garage, justice center, senior center and other public buildings by replacing roofs. It also approves related matters in connection with the issuance of the bonds. It was passed by the committee, which sent it to full council with the intention that council suspend the rule requiring that pieces be read on three separate days and hold a vote on passage. 

Ordinance 113-25 authorizes the issuance of bonds, not to exceed $1.6 million, for the purpose of currently refunding a portion of the city’s outstanding $7.9 million various purpose and refunding general obligation bonds, Series 2016 (Limited Tax), dated Nov. 22, 2016; approves related matters in connection with the issuance of bonds. It was also passed on second reading suspension.  

Second Reading and Back

Ordinance 118-25 determines to proceed with the North and West Linden Lane Septic Abatement Project Phase I by installing sanitary sewers and declares an emergency. It was advanced to the full council for a second reading with the intention of it coming back to the committee.

Ordinance 119-25 authorizes the mayor and/or director of public service to enter into a contract with the lowest and best bidder for the Brookdale Avenue water main replacement project from Broadview Road to West 16th Street and declares an emergency. It received the same action as the piece above.

Discussion: Day said he had a matter to address with the safety director and law director. He said council passed legislation a few years ago to accept OneOhio opioid lawsuit settlement funds. The city has accumulated a balance of about $200,000. He said he will forward the spending guidelines to the law director and safety director so they can start having some conversations. “Let’s start putting together a plan,” said Day.

Law Director Scott Tuma said the city regularly receives checks from the settlement and his office has had “internal discussions.”

DeGeeter said, “We’re working with the county and also with Parma Heights on something I think that will nicely fit” with these funds. “It’ll line up magically, perfectly.” The safety director did not comment. The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

Public Safety Committee 

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 p.m.

Third Reading

Ordinance 98-25 authorizes the mayor and the director of public safety to execute a Master Services Agreement with Sensys Gatso USA to continue the school zone photo enforcement program and declares an emergency. 

Discussion: Safety Director Bob Coury said the city renegotiated a new five-year contract with a 32% reduction in fees. The cameras will be upgraded in all six school zones. The new high-resolution security-grade cameras will retain video for 45 days, which can be downloaded if necessary. Coury said the program has been very effective at reducing speeders. There’s been a reduction from almost 25,000 violations in 2022 to about 14,000 violations in 2024.

Lime asked for an update on Safety Town. Coury said 200 seats are available and 85 children have registered. Kussmaul thanked the safety director, police department, mayor and law director for catching “the perpetrators” accused of stealing the pink flamingo statue at Broadview Road and Snow Road. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m.

Appointment Scanning Committee

The meeting was called to order at 7:25 p.m. Members unanimously voted to reappoint Doug Zubricky to the Board of Building Appeals. His current term expires on June 18. The new appointment is for a five-year term ending on June 18, 2030. The meeting was adjourned at 7:27 p.m.

The following committees did not meet: Planning, Public Service and Environmental Standards.

Regular Council Meeting

The meeting reconvened at 7:27 p.m.

Communications, Petitions and Claims: The Parma Board of Zoning Appeals met on June 10.

• Variances for the following properties were read into the record and referred to the Planning Committee: 5932 Stumph Road and 5288-5294 State Road.
• The transfer of a D1, D2 liquor permit for Watami Revolving Sushi Inc. at 7426 Broadview Road was referred to council and the Safety Committee.

First Reading

Ordinance 122-25 levies special assessments for the improvement of certain public streets, roads, boulevards and places by providing street lighting and declares an emergency. The ordinance was referred to the Finance Committee.

Ordinance 123-25 authorizes the mayor to accept the donation of two canine cadets and their training from RSS, LLC for the benefit of the Parma Police Department and the community for therapy and support purposes. The ordinance was referred to the Public Safety Committee.

Second Reading

Ordinance 118-25 and Ordinance 119-25, referenced above, were read into the record again. Members voted unanimously to refer both ordinances back to the Finance Committee.

Second Reading Suspension

Members unanimously voted to waive Rule 48 and adopt Ordinance 112-25 and Ordinance 113-25. 

Rule 48 requires the reading of legislation three times on three different days before council votes on it. This rule must be waived under suspension of the rules if council wants to vote after fewer readings.

Third Reading

Members unanimously voted to waive Rule 52 and accepted motions to adopt Ordinance 98-25 and Resolution 103-25 on third reading as amended. Nobody explained what Rule 52 is. Members unanimously voted to adopt both pieces.

Council also passed Ordinance 106-25, regarding the five-year fiscal year 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and the FY 2025 annual plan. It did not waive Rule 52 to pass it.

Suspension of the Rules

Dipierro said council has five pieces of legislation under suspension of the rules. “If there’s no objection from council, I will read Rule 48 and Rule 45 en masse,” he said. Rule 45 requires referring legislation to committee twice, where it will be discussed and brought back to council for a second and then final reading, at which time a vote is taken. This rule is waived under suspension of the rules.

Resolution 120-25 approves the auditor’s post-certification of requisitions as detailed in exhibit “A” and declares an emergency. The measure is necessary to ensure prompt payment to city vendors. It was passed unanimously.

Ordinance 121-25 amends the city’s 2025 permanent appropriations and declares an emergency. It was passed unanimously.

Ordinance 124-25 authorizes the mayor and/or the director of public safety to enter into a contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. to purchase 15 in-car cruiser video recording systems, 10 body-worn cameras and 90 pro-user licenses for the Evidence.com platform to manage digital evidence for the Parma Police Department, and declares an emergency. The measure is necessary to continue the uninterrupted operation of the Axon equipment integrated platform.

Discussion: Council Member Monica Wilson asked how much this will cost. Answer: $602,996. Lime said she had questions because the legislation is being passed under suspension of the rules. Lime asked if this was a budgeted item for 2025, Coury said yes, $602,996 will be paid over a five-year period. The city will pay $120,000 in 2025. The funding will come from the law enforcement trust fund.

The city is transitioning from the Safe Fleet platform to Axon. This contract is for 15 dash cameras and 10 additional body-worn cameras. But the city is separately purchasing 65 body-worn cameras from Axon. He said “we got a nice grant” but didn’t elaborate. The police department will have 90 pieces of equipment, each of which requires a “pro-user license.” The contract includes those licenses.

Lime said she thinks it should have had at least one reading and not been considered under suspension of the rules. “I am the sponsor of it, but I’ve had no discussion about it,” she said.

Coury said they are suspending the rules because “we have the cameras now and we can’t use them without the license. So this is a situation in which our officers are out there with the equipment and without the licenses. They cannot use them.” He said he got the information from Capt. Thomas Siedlecki and Chief James Blair. Coury said the captain was able to negotiate a discount.

Coury said that after 10 years, the current equipment is at the end of its “useful life.” The cameras have “poor image quality” and it’s a “time-consuming process.” There’s no artificial intelligence and no additional benefits.

He said the city relies on cameras for “improved accountability and transparency” for “police conduct, improved community relations, evidence in investigations, resolving complaints, because the camera doesn’t lie. The video doesn’t lie,” said Coury. It provides “legal protection and policy improvement” because seeing the video helps improve processes. “We cannot afford to use substandard equipment any longer,” he said.

Ordinance 124-25 was passed unanimously.

Resolution 125-25 encourages the federal government to relocate the headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Brook Park and declares an emergency.

Discussion: Wilson asked how this legislation interests Parma. Lime said Brook Park City Council passed this resolution last week. She said supporting Brook Park in “their endeavors” would bring jobs and also help Parma’s economy. Wilson said they should change the resolution’s wording. “I just don’t see the benefit to Parma unless we are more specific,” said Wilson. Others disagreed. Members voted to pass Resolution 125-25 with the exception of Wilson, who voted “no.”

Resolution 126-25 supports the City of Parma — Cuyahoga County Healthy Urban Tree Canopy Grant Program application to the County Planning Commission and declares an emergency. It was passed unanimously.

Appointments and Confirmations

Members unanimously approved the reappointment of Doug Zubricky to serve on the Parma Board of Building Appeals for a five-year term ending June 18, 2030.

Miscellaneous Business

The law director thanked the safety director, police chief and assistant police chief for their work over the weekend with respect to a peaceful protest. “They were on top of that issue very early on. They had a plan in place, and it proceeded very smoothly,” said Tuma.

Lime said Scene Magazine’s Best of Cleveland issue includes a number of Parma restaurants. She suggested using that information to help promote those businesses.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 p.m.

These notes are by Documenter Rosie Palfy.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at [email protected]  with “Correction Request” in the subject line.