Welcome to the Village of Moreland Hills - The #1 Rated Community in Northeast Ohio

A Message From Mayor Daniel Fritz

Dear Residents,

First off, I want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year! It is an honor and privilege to begin 2020 by being sworn in to serve as your new mayor. I am grateful to Mayor Susan Renda for her guidance and support over the last couple of months as we worked together to ensure a smooth transition. She was an extraordinary leader of our Village and truly will be missed.

Secondly, I want to welcome Ethan Spencer and Laura Kozminski-VanderHart, who were sworn in January 6 as new members of Moreland Hills Council. I know they will bring valuable insight and experience to the table, and I look forward to working with both of them. I’m also pleased to continue working with Stephen Richman, who was re-elected to his fifth term on Council and will serve as Council President, as well as David Emerman, who was also re-elected. Finally, I would like to thank Ted Buczek for his more than two decades of service to the Village as a Council member. I am proud to have served alongside Ted for many years and always valued his expertise.

With the departure of former Law Director Aimee Lane, one of my first priorities has been to appoint a new Law Director as well as legal representation for the Moreland Hills Planning Commission. After careful consideration, I felt that a continued partnership with Walter Haverfield LLP was in the best interest of the Village. At the January 6th annual organizational meeting, Council approved the appointments of William R. Hanna from Walter Haverfield for the position of Law Director, as well as R. Todd Hunt, who will assume oversight of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) and Planning Commission.

Having served on Moreland Hills Council for 12 years, I have had the opportunity to get to know many residents and look forward to meeting many more. For those of you who don’t know me, I want to share a little bit of my background: I’m a proud graduate of the Orange High School class of 1986 and an Ohio University alumnus (Go Bobcats!). My wife, Colleen, and I have lived in Moreland Hills for more than 20 years. We have three children, all of whom attend or attended Chagrin Falls Schools. I am a second generation firefighter/paramedic and serve on two local fire departments as a Captain and Assistant Fire Chief. I’m also an avid backpacker, runner and outdoor enthusiast with a deep appreciation for our Village’s beautiful parks and trails.

During my tenure on Village Council, I spent four years as Council President and chaired the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals. I also was a member of the Roads and Safety Committee and Facilities Committee. Additionally, I was selected by Mayor Renda to chair the Master Plan Review Committee, which was charged with reviewing and updating the blueprint for zoning in Moreland Hills. Assisted by residents who also participated, we worked very hard to ensure our strategic plan will stand strong in defense of the Village’s serene atmosphere.

In my new role as Mayor, there are a few initial areas in which I want to pay particular attention – with continuity being key. Thanks to the exceptional leadership of Mayor Renda, along with the dedication and hard work of Moreland Hills employees and Council, our Village remains strong in terms of fiscal responsibility, public safety, protecting green space and serving residents. I will do my utmost to ensure the Village continues on this path of excellence, building upon our successes and enhancing experiences for everyone who calls Moreland Hills “home.” This includes:

• Protecting our zoning by continuing to work on the very intricate and strategic goals we have set forth to preserve the character of Moreland Hills
• Furthering our commitment to being good stewards of our environment as a community
• Maintaining high-quality services for our residents
• Keeping residents safe through support of our outstanding Police, Fire and EMS services
• Ensuring fiscal responsibility and sound decision-making to retain the Village’s solid financial position
• Safeguarding transparency, accessibility and respect in all aspects of Village governance

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