Just "One Shovel Wide"? A Thought....

[Tim Liston]

Well I was out and about yesterday, bought a couple gift certificates and ran a couple other errands in town. And in doing so I discovered a great use for those ghastly bike lanes on Madison. Those lanes make great sidewalks when the real sidewalks are covered with two inches of uneven ice. The city clears them, so I was easily able to use the lane to walk from car to store and back. And because I don't walk at a high rate of speed, I was never fearful that someone would open their car door right in my path. Walking into an open car door is not much of an injury risk like it is on a bike where cyclists have been knocked off their bikes and then crushed. Maybe the city could create an "all purpose" door zone lane by painting pedestrian icons onto the pavement in addition to the bicycle icons and the "door may open in your way" icons that are already there. Maybe there's some kind of removable icon and we could change out the bike icon for a pedestrian icon from January-March. Delivery truck drivers could carry one around when they use the lane. The "alt-tran" media would swoon!

But is was nice to be able to finally make use of it, and it did get me to thinking. Maybe there's a good idea there somewhere....

[jackie f taylor]

Me, I live above a business, the business owner is obligated to clear the sidewalks, not just for the average passerby, but for their customers. It is in their best interest, I have been doing it at my age, because I care more than they do? I wonder if the city would purchase special vehicles just for clearing sidewalks, imagine the job opportunities, charge every business, every homeowner a small fee to cover the labor cost, the cost of the equipment, all of it. Imagine if the residents of Arthur Ave. if each paid 20 a month to pay for the service. 100 residents times $20.00 bucks a month, $2000.00 for heavy snowfall, just one street, seems like a win win to me. No more residents having heart attacks, ignoring the problem, making it safer for everyone. If you clear your own side walk, no charge. Isn't there a solution? If I were younger, I would start a new business, "walk by jack" sidewalk maintenance. I'm just saying.

[Dan Alaimo]

If you look back on the Deck or any other discussion forum in town, the condition of sidewalks in winter is a perennial topic. Sometimes it catches on and things go well for awhile, but we usually circle back to the same place (this is the first time in memory that the road clearing has been part of the conversation). Sometimes there are goodwill efforts to do the job, sometimes the city enforces the law for a short time, but it never works long term. I've come to the conclusion that it will take a municipal solution to make our sidewalks consistently safe in winter. Since our city finances are said to be so good following the loss of our biggest employer, that should be no problem. Right?

[Gary Rice]

In at least one nearby suburb, multi-purpose mini-vehicles with plows quickly take care of residential sidewalks, and then switch to other attachments, in order to handle refuse and recyclables.

Our community continually needs to re-evaluate our priorities to address and improve quality-of-life issues. Elderly and disabled homeowners, or those having illness or financial concerns, should not have to worry about their municipal sidewalks.

Lakewood does have a program providing snow removal for some of those individuals through Lakewood's Office on Aging, but a few more multi-purpose mini-vehicles could easily take care of the problem for many of us. Granted, there are costs involved, but providing increased snow removal relief, not only for our residents, but for the safety of our students making their way to school, would seem to me to be just good common sense. Some of this is already being done. We simply need to expand that program.

I would think that more residential snow removal should be one of Lakewood's top community priorities.

Back to the banjo...

[Bridget Conant]

I would think that more residential snow removal should be one of Lakewood's top community priorities.

This is absolutely a "quality of life" issue. You won't get people to move here, or remain here, without good services.

But our "leaders" are too busy giving away jobs and chasing businesses away so they can find plots to "develop."

[cmager]

Now that the hospital is gone, the explosion in city revenue should be able to fund improved city services such as snow removal on residential and commercial sidewalks. /sarc

[Lori Allen _]

How about the Mayor / Safety Director start enforcing the city ordinances. The police, parking, building department employees and any persons the Mayor appoints can issue citations for snow / ice covered sidewalks.

Lord, your kingdom is in need of some city ordinance oversight, please!

[Jim O'Bryan]

Now that the hospital is gone, the explosion in city revenue should be able to fund improved city services such as snow removal on residential and commercial sidewalks. /sarc

From a June 9, 2008 post and discussion...

What was really striking though were the tax figures. It's amazing to see just how much more we pay in this city. What I don't believe a lot of people realize is how badly these taxes hurt our ability to draw in new residents.

I love this city, I've already been here for 10 years, I want to live here for a long time to come AND I want to see this city THRIVE. It has so much going for it (walkability, proximity to the lake, youthfulness of residents, etc), but make no mistake about it...the high taxes are hurting us.

Just in my circle of friends, I know young couples (20's and 30's) who didn't consider moving here and a big factor was the taxes. These were couples with strong incomes (6 figures combined) and they were looking to settle on a community for many years to come. The taxes were a big factor that drove us away and now they're in places like Westlake.

In my opinion, the city should be looking for ways to LOWER the tax rate in the long term. I'm fully aware that it isn't possible in the short term. Lowering our tax rate will go a long way toward making our great city THRIVE and not just survive.

Mike,

I am going to disagree.

It's not that I am not in favor of paying less taxes. Less taxes would be nice, but don't count on it.

Our property tax burden is due to a combination of things. Lakewood has overwhelmingly supported the public school and the library (Both are VERY good things.), and demands a lot of services from the city (We have very good services.). We do not have a large industrial or commercial base to generate tax revenue. The burden falls on homeowners in a ratio that may be higher than some other communities in the area.

About a dozen years ago I talked with Tom Bier. He is a professor at the Levin College at CSU. He is recognized for keeping many statistics for the county. At that time, he suggested in a newspaper interview that the communities with the highest appreciation of housing values were also communities with the highest tax rates. I called him for his interpretation of those statistics. His response was, "It seems that people want services, and are willing to pay for them." He went on to explain that communities with better services and schools were more desirable, hence their housing appreciation was disproportionately higher.

I contacted him again a couple of years ago to see if that trend had continued. He is now semi-retired, but he did say he would like to revisit those statistics. I have not followed up.

I thought his comments were interesting and his analysis was pretty fair at that time, but I'm sure it would be hard to get a good statistical read on any community in Cuyahoga County, or maybe anywhere right now, given the state of the economy and housing in particular.

The new mayor's administration and city council are doing a very good job analyzing the city's current financial dilemma. They are making tough, but rational decisions about service cuts to work within a budget based on the current tax revenue stream.

We may actually have some tax relief if housing values are still down at the time of the next county reappraisal. Sounds nice, but it may put many of our public institutions in a financial tailspin. Be careful about what you wish for. (Lower taxes, and lack of services, by virtue of my home's depreciation is not MY goal.)

Your friends would generally pay more for a comparable house in Westlake than in Lakewood. A lower tax rate on a more expensive home may make the tax part of their choice a wash. For similar money they'e either going to get less house AND pay less taxes, or they will pay more for a similar house with the corresponding same or greater taxes. My guess is that their choice was influenced by other factors.

There are many reasons that a person chooses one community over another to live in. I don't think taxes are necessarily the deal breaker.



Steve (In Lakewood by Choice) Davis


.

This is one of many things I have been getting at for years, and others. The continual cutting of our services, for Mayor's follies, is killing part of our cool. So many things that made Lakewood stand out as a place to live or go, gone, while the streets of this town get homogenized because a small group of people dream for decades of strip malls.

It is all tied together, walks, garbage, garage sales, schools, police, fire, people, attitudes, civil wars, bickering, crime, etc. We call it a community, and it is not that different from a coral community in the ocean, and nearly as fragile. Lose two of the largest employers, and all of that tax money has to come from somewhere. Cutting services is a way to raise our taxes, without ever asking us to vote on it.

.

[Lori Allen _]

Out and around town, it is obvious that the laws regarding sidewalk shoveling are still going un-enforced. Businesses that have failed to shovel year after year are still not obeying the law.



Dollar Tree Plaza is a chronic offender. Even Foran Montlack Development didn't clear their sidewalk from their vacant lot on Sloane. Even city employees, friends of the mayor, businesses owned by friends of the mayor, judges, etc. are not clearing their sidewalks.

Even the mayor's alleged friend, Nick, who total is in debt almost $150,000 to City Hall and the county, couldn't manage to clear his sidewalk. Come on Nick! Could you please spare some of your profits from your house flipping?

Come on Michael P. Summers! We can do better than this!

[jackie f taylor]

Free snow shoveling for seniors, did I hear you right? what is the number, address? I'll make a donation. I'm in this game.

[todd vainisi]

Your friends would generally pay more for a comparable house in Westlake than in Lakewood. A lower tax rate on a more expensive home may make the tax part of their choice a wash. For similar money they'e either going to get less house AND pay less taxes, or they will pay more for a similar house with the corresponding same or greater taxes. My guess is that their choice was influenced by other factors.

The other factor is the quality of the streets and schools. Lakewood High is currently getting a rating of 4/10 from Great Schools. That's just terrible. We are paying huge taxes to fund that school and we deserve better results for that money. People used to move here for the good schools. Not anymore, or if they are its because they went on old reputation.

Look:
http://www.greatschools.org/ohio/lakewo ... -district/

http://www.greatschools.org/ohio/westla ... -district/

[Gary Rice]

Lakewood schools ARE great. Period.

The primary reason that our schools may not score at the level of the outlying "money districts" is quite simple. Many students in our community need a great deal of help.

I'm a retired teacher and a Lakewood Schools volunteer. I'm in the schools often. I see what's going on there, and not only are they doing an outstanding job in every way, but the community support for new buildings and other services has generally been outstanding, as well.

Schools by themselves can only do so much, however. Schools need the support of parents and community members. Unfortunately, and particularly since the recession, Lakewood has many broken families, and many other parents of school-age children in our community suffer financially, sometimes being unable to afford school supplies, coats, or basic necessities. Many children wanting to play music, for example, cannot afford instruments or lessons.

For my part, I have donated many instruments and hundreds of dollars to the music program so that these children can have lessons. I mention this NOT to beat my own drum, but to encourage you to do the same and more.

Respectfully, I will suggest that, in this season of giving, what could YOU do to help the needful children of our district to experience greater success in school? Schools and particularly, so many of our students, need your help desperately.

It's easy to look at things from the outside and point fingers. The thing to do is roll up your sleeves and get involved. Become a part of the solution.

...and please all, this thread is about solutions for the snow. The only drifting here should be snowy.

Back to the classroom...

[Bridget Conant]

My kids attended LHS and I had no complaints, whatsoever. However, they were in the gifted program and I believe that the experience for them is not that of the typical student.

What I cannot understand is the pervasive reaction here whenever the issue of the performance of the schools is raised, or when a levy is being contemplated. You literally cannot question the performance, or the need for more money, without being attacked for being anti-public schools, anti-children, anti-Lakewood, or just being accused of being a bad person.

Why can't we discuss how the schools perform before they get as bad as Cleveland? Likewise, Cleveland amply proves that throwing more money at them doesn't solve the problems.

The schools seem incapable of offering solutions for the need to provide more intense services for incoming students with higher rates of poverty other than crying that they need more money. Again, that hasn't solved Cleveland's problems.

If you can't look critically at a vital institution, and all you can do is keep saying "we aren't that bad, there are reasons we perform at a lower level," then there will never be a creative or inventive solution because you aren't admitting you have a problem.

No matter what the reason, no matter who is "at fault," people DO look at the school ratings when deciding where to live. If Lakewood cannot bring up their rating, it hampers them from attracting the families they need to keep the city strong. "Those people" will go to Avon and Westlake.

It's going to continue to affect us all.

[todd vainisi]

Lakewood schools ARE great. Period.

Gary, the school is more than the teachers, administration, and building. It's the student population as well. You are saying that the population has major struggles right now that the school isn't fully equipped to handle - that's not a sign of excellence.

But you are right. This is a thread about snow removal!

[Lori Allen _]

Getting back on track:

Fifth Third Bank on W. 117th and the Madison Gardens Apts. by Newman/Madison are also repeat offenders. The Fifth Third on Warren Rd. always does a great job with their sidewalk. It must be a branch-by-branch issue.

Madison Gardens 11824 Madison.jpg (19.91 KiB) Viewed 2812 times

Fifth Third 1616 W 117.jpg (18.31 KiB) Viewed 2812 times

Clifton is the absolute worst. This is a major route for students walking to schools. Students from Lakewood Catholic Academy, City Academy, Emerson, Lincoln, and Horace Mann all probably use Clifton, at least somewhat, to get to school. It's not like this is a new problem. It has been on-going for years. There have even been TV news stories about the sidewalk issue before. Therefore, I think most residents are aware of the issue.

Clifton Sidewalks.jpg (31.6 KiB) Viewed 2812 times

Nowhere in City Ordinance does it say that warnings must be given first. How about just some fines? A warning is not guaranteed when pulled over for speeding.