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STEUBENVILLE -- About 85 area residents were in attendance Wednesday for Steubenville Mayor Ralph Petrella's first "State of the City" address at Youngstown State University-Steubenville.
"The point was to make sure that our citizens know what our vision is," he said afterward. "We want to make clear that we have a vision, that we have an identity and a direction, and we want our citizens to be involved."
He pointed out new businesses have been opening throughout town "and more are being developed as we speak" even as the city continues "investing in our parks and making our neighborhoods more enjoyable and more recruitable."
"What was once a dream is now a visible plan of action," he said. "The work we are doing today encourages hope for tomorrow, but it also brings forth a huge responsibility to continue to build and show progress through our actions, not merely our words. This is the turning point for Steubenville, this is where we take the progress that we see today and turn it into lasting opportunity for generations to come."
Petrella pointed to what he sees as signs of progress throughout town - including Franciscan University's record enrollments as well as its campus expansion; the College of St. Joseph; UPMC's acquisition of Trinity West; YSU expanding into Steubenville, Steubenville City School's STEM building, OYO brewery, the Grand Theater as well as recreational advancements like Hellbender Preserve.
Petrella said building on this momentum is crucial, so the community "must continue to strengthen our connection between education and employment...whether it's education in the skilled trades or (through) formal schooling, we must create a clear and direct path for our young and adult citizens to achieve greater success right here at home."
He also said the city also must "act pragmatically to support business investment with infrastructure, clear communication and better help to ensure businesses are able to succeed in Steubenville." Even community cleanups play a role in "creating a better quality of life, making Steubenville more recruitable and enjoyable for all."
He said they're also emphasizing transparency and communication.
"We want our residents to know why we do what we do and we want to know what our residents need most from us," he said. "These priorities rely on consistent communication and high-level collaboration with all of our regional partners.”