022712 State of the City Address – Looking back at 2011

  • By Sharon Haught
  • February 15, 2012
  • 344
                        
Summary: During his State of the City Address before City Council on Feb. 6, Wooster Mayor Bob Breneman looked back on the milestones the city reached in 2011. Series Introduction: When Mayor Bob Breneman delivered his annual State of the City Address before Wooster City Council on Feb. 6 he looked back on the milestones the city reached in 2011 before turning his attention to the challenges that lay ahead for the city in 2012 and 2013. In the first of a three part series we’ll look back at how the city fared in 2011. “The start of 2011 was unnerving,” Mayor Bob Breneman began his State of the City Address to Wooster City Council. “We were coming out of 2010 with the loss of 24 voluntary separation plan retirees,” said Breneman adding “most of them were leaders in what they were doing so we were a bit unsettled in the start of 2011 because we lost all that institutional memory.” The city responded by consolidating divisions and promoting internal candidates into new leadership positions. According to Breneman 2011 also began with contract negotiations with the unions representing city employees. A 15 month extension of the existing contract eventually evolved into new two and three year contracts with no increases in salary. With a large percent of the city’s budget tied up in salary and benefits, personnel moves like these had a positive impact on the city’s 2011 budget. Breneman noted that through the voluntary separation plan alone the city saved $1.8 million in 2011 and will save the same amount in 2012 because none of the retiring employees have been replaced. According to Breneman the city’s financial burdens were also eased in 2011 when the police, fire and engineering divisions received the grants totaling $1.7 million. “Fiscally we ended last year near break even,” said Breneman adding “in these challenging economic times those are very good words to be able to tell you.” In 2011 city residents saw changes too. The latest addition to the city’s park system - Oak Hill Park - opened to the public last fall and recycling bins were introduced into the city’s trash collection program last summer. Main Street Wooster’s efforts to revitalize a downtown neighborhood were rewarded through the successful completion of the Howey Houses project. Wooster’s downtown revitalization efforts continued at the site of the former Freedlanders Department Store with the Oct. 20 groundbreaking for the Merchants Block complex, which according to Breneman is expected to open this fall. Local businesses, retailers and educational institutions also undertook major projects in 2011. Seaman Corporation announced a major expansion to its headquarters and Wooster Growth Corporation purchased the former SnapOn building and leased the facility to ABS Materials, which is expanding its operations in Wooster. In 2011 Cleveland Clinic also opened an ambulatory surgical center and the College of Wooster put the finishing touches on the $30 million Scott Center. There was also a major addition to the OARDC when the Plant Animal Advanced Research facility was dedicated in September, making it one of only two facilities in the United States that can work on large animals in addition to plants and small animals, Breneman noted. The BioHio Research Park also took a major step forward when its first board of directors was seated in 2011 and the search for a park president got underway. Breneman noted that the city’s innovative EB-5 center had its first project applicant in 2011. “We are awaiting INS approval to move this forward but EB-5, which we have been working on for a number of years, actually has something in the pipeline now,” said Breneman. Wooster also found itself in the international spotlight in 2011 with Josh Krajcik’s meteoric rise to fame as a contestant on the hit reality TV show The X-Factor. Breneman also noted that the city received international attention for its successful economic development efforts when an affiliate of the Financial Times of London - fDi Magazine – named Wooster as one of the top 10 cities in North and South America in the categories of Business Friendliness and Cost Effectiveness. “That was truly an international honor for what we do here in Wooster to help business grow and thrive,” said Breneman. The city is even looking at Newell Rubbermaid’s announcement that it will complete its pull out from Wooster in 2012 in a positive light. “That’s not what we want to happen but if you look for the silver lining we can now market the entire building, which should make it easier to attract a manufacturer,” said Breneman adding that the city is actively working with the Wayne Economic Development Council, the Chamber of Commerce and building owner InSite - to market the property.


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