Plymouth Mayor highlights city progress in State of the City Address

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 2:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

Mayor Robert Listenberger delivered his second State of the City address Monday evening, highlighting significant progress across multiple city departments as he begins his third year in office.

Speaking during the Common Council meeting, Listenberger focused on major accomplishments from 2025, which he described as "a turning point for our city's long-term planning efforts."

The mayor credited much of the city's progress to the hiring of Plymouth's first full-time Planning Director, Ty Adley. With Adley's leadership, Plymouth has already achieved a majority of the goals outlined in the 2040 Plymouth Forward Comprehensive Plan.

The Plymouth Park Department completed two phases of the Greenway Trail, creating a continuous 5.1-mile path connecting River Park Square to Price's Pond.

Meanwhile, the Plymouth Municipal Airport celebrated a milestone after seven years of planning and construction with the opening of its first paved parallel taxiway, funded by more than $4.5 million in state and federal grants.

The city's Building Department addressed major enforcement issues in 2025 while modernizing its permitting and enforcement processes. Officials are currently exploring a new code enforcement system designed to track complaints more efficiently.

Oak Hill Cemetery expanded with the addition of the Cherrywood Addition, which includes 180 new grave sites with monument foundations already in place. The cemetery is also implementing a new GIS mapping system to help families more easily locate burial information.

Emergency services continue to face increasing demands. Fire-related calls have surged nearly 25% since 2020, while the Plymouth Police Department responded to more than 16,500 calls last year alone.

Mayor Listenberger thanked city department heads, employees, the clerk, council members, and his team for their professionalism and service to Plymouth residents.

In closing remarks, the mayor reflected on the community's strength: "As we step into 2026, I'm reminded of something I've learned again and again this past year. The heart of a community isn't found in its buildings or its projects – it's found in the people who choose to care, show up, and lift each other higher."