Cuyahoga County gives Parma nearly $1 million grant for regional dispatch center

Parma council

Parma received a $972,000 grant from Cuyahoga County.

PARMA, Ohio -- Cuyagoga County council approved a $972,000 grant Tuesday to help pay for Parma's regional dispatch center.

However, Parma will still have to borrow about $2.5 million to fund the $3.5 million project that will be shared with Parma Heights and Brooklyn.

Safety Director Greg Baeppler said Parma Heights and Brooklyn will pay about $1.5 million for a three-year contract for the center, to cover staff salaries and other center expenses. He said other cities could join, as the county encourages regionalization.

Parma currently has 14 dispatchers, but Baeppler said they expect to hire at least nine more.

The center is expected to be completed this summer.

At a January meeting, Parma city council members questioned if the city could afford the loan, which city Auditor Dennis Kish said will probably take 20 years to pay off. But Mayor Tim DeGeeter said the city needs the center.

The grant from the county will cover the costs technology at the new center.

"We grateful to our partners Cuyahoga County Council and county Executive [Armond] Budish for approving our grant application," DeGeeter said. "The award, which is just shy of one million dollars, is a crucial piece of the finance package to get this project done for the cities of Brooklyn, Parma Heights, and Parma."

For more Parma news, like us on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.