Looks Like Strongsville will Sign Poaching Agreement After All

The city is poised to sign a "no poaching" agreement proposed by County Executive Ed FitzGerald after 

FitzGerald has asked the 57 suburbs to agree not to pursue businesses in other local communities, and about 28 have signed the contract so far. 

-- not because officials want to "poach" businesses from other cities, but because of technical issues over the 169 acres of industrial land the city will soon try to sell to developers.

"We don't poach," Mayor Tom Perciak has said.

But he said Strongsville is in the unique position of owning , and needs to be able to market it to the types of businesses the city wants.

He said a broker trying to sell the property on the city's behalf could also represent a private business that wants to relocate, which could be construed as "poaching."

This week, FitzGerald sent the city a letter excepting those acres from the terms of the agreement.

City Council gave the anti-poaching agreement the first of three readings on Monday.

Perciak has said he has no problem with the agreement, other than wanting assurances about the city-owned industrial land.

He said Strongsville already follows the terms, including notifying the host city if a business approaches him about relocating to Strongsville, unless the business demands confidentiality.

FitzGerald said cities that sign the deal are eligible to receive money from a $100 million economic development fund.