The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
ON THE SAME PAGE
Four Mayors’ Luncheon focuses on collaboration
“We’re committed to help one another wherever we can. One success is the success of all of us, so we’ll continue to work for that.”
The North Coast Chamber of Commerce’s annual Four Mayors’ Luncheon featured new faces on the podium for the first time in a decade.
The mayors of Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake and Sheffield Village gathered for their annual event March 26 that was attended by more than 220 people, according to Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen and Avon Lake Mayor Mark Spaetzel.
The luncheon at Tom’s Country Place, 3442 Stoney Ridge Road in Avon, was a great way to make sure all four communities are on the same page, Sheffield Lake Mayor Rocky Radeff said.
“I really just want to make sure I’m informing people of what’s going on in Sheffield Lake,” Radeff said. “These four cities, there’s a lot of history of working together.
“A lot of it is that we’re dealing with the same people. Being
able to be on the same page, and have a consistent story and a consistent idea, it’s huge.”
Along with Sheffield Village Mayor Bob Markovich, Spaetzel and Radeff make up three new mayors in the area.
Spaetzel stressed that communication and cohesiveness are key among the cities of Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake and Sheffield Village as they navigate this new era.
“It’s got to be collaborative,” he said. “I’ve met Rocky, I’ve met Bob, I’ve met Bryan and we all get along very well. It’s all about this regional concept.
“For us to be successful, it means that other cities will be successful as well. So, it really is about that collaboration, cooperation and working together.”
Spaetzel also mentioned the significance of the Ford Motor Co. Ohio Assembly Plant and it expansion into electric vehicles.
While the plant’s new add-on is located entirely within Sheffield
Village, its existence still helps out the entire area, he said.
“What it does, is it also helps secure the plant,” Spaetzel said. “When you invest that kind of money into a local entity, you’re not just going to walk away.
“It’s good for all of us, because it means that the Ford plant is going to stick around.”
Jensen said he felt the annual luncheon was a success, and helpful for each of the four mayors.
As always, a rising tide raises all ships, he said.
“I definitely think it was productive,” Jensen said of the lunch meeting. “I think it shows, all of us coming together, that we are committed to working together.
“We’re committed to help one another wherever we can. One success is the success of all of us, so we’ll continue to work for that.”
Like his contemporaries, Markovich urged the four communities
— Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen
to work together to better the region.
As a whole unit, he said he believes that the four governments can lift each other up and become a powerhouse area in Northeast Ohio.
“If we can work together and raise, how do we create a reasonable space of the best communities in the county, in the state and in the country,” he asked. “We really need to work together to pull that off.”