Residents urge Parma Heights to help seniors with home repairs and to address contractor drop-offs

Two residents used the public-comment period at the June 12 Parma Heights City Council meeting to seek city help for homeowners and to raise consumer-protection concerns.

Sue Randall Alexander (6612 Rochelle Boulevard) asked whether the city has programs to assist senior homeowners with costly repairs and whether the city maintains or could create a vetted list of contractors. "Are there programs available for senior housing repairs, do we have a list of people that do repairs, if we do how do seniors find out where that is? If not, why not? What can we do to put one together," she asked.

Separately, Vitaliy Melnychuk (9168 Stoney Creek Lane) said many clients report that some contractors take a deposit, start work and then disappear. "I also have an issue with many clients that they complain that somebody gets the deposit, starts the job and then disappears," he said, asking how the city helps residents recover deposits or compel completion when licensed contractors do not finish jobs. He also noted his truck length — "my truck is 22 feet" — as a separate notification to council.

Council President Rounds opened the public session and reminded speakers to state their name and address and that comments are not a discussion but an opportunity to speak; no formal response or action on the repair and contractor questions is recorded in the minutes for this meeting.

The comments raised potential follow-up areas for the administration: whether the city maintains a list of vetted contractors for senior homeowners, existing consumer-protection or licensing enforcement options, and whether a program or resource list should be developed for residents seeking repairs.