High School Indoor Track not for Student Use?

[Kate McCarthy]

Leslie Favre Krogman, I have always thought of as a great choice to lead the Rec Department. She was extremely active in sports and recreation when growing up and attending Lakewood Schools. She is truly dedicated to Lakewood Rec Programs, and she was working within the Rec Department when the job opened up. I think given a little more time she will win many over and perhaps even you. It is a massive job to walk into.

As far as Nepotism, I know her father Ed Favre had little if nothing to do with her appointment, and I wonder how having a family in the school system that grew up and lived in Lakewood is a bad things for the schools? Her mother a teacher that was loved by all has retired.

I think you may have a blind spot here. What I have heard is so the opposite of all you stated. I don't know if her father had anything to do with her appointment, but where I work, the rules would not allow both to maintain their positions. I know other people in the employment of both the schools and the city whose family members are not allowed to work for the city or schools, even in temporary student summer employment. Having the child of a board member employed in this capacity looks bad when things are going well. When things are badly managed, the family relationship becomes even more of a target of why person "a" has that job.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Jim you opened with "Just in from the..." as if something was new. You highlighted some lines in bold. All this discussion and no one read the policies in place? I think the source of confusion is that many people cannot distinguish the fitness room from the weight room.

There are plenty of concerns for parents about the public having access to school property but this is the bind we find ourselves in when we don't have a City Rec Department like 99% of cities do.

Vince

Sorry, I didn't mean to throw you so far off. I was merely pointing out, there is no confusion at all. If it is a school deal, or run by the Rec Department, or BOE, students have first right to the use. You should be proud we gave the students a first class facility. You should be less worried about people out of the city being able to work out there for pennies a day.

As far as Rec centers, we have three pools open to the public. Nearly a dozen baseball fields, tens if not a hundred miles of bike paths, walking paths, a YMCA, yoga and work out places galore. Most cities I know cannot afford "Rec Centers" what alone a city that is tapped out and just lost two of their largest employers. There is only so much you can ask from tax payers. North Olmsted just requested a tax levy to cover the $44 million in repairs their rec center needs. Westlake a much wealthier city looses nearly a million a year with their rec center. Rocky River is suffering under the cost of theirs. Brook Park had the option of closing theirs, or closing City Hall, they opted to move City Hall into the Rec Center, and sell of City Hall.

You have kids, this is very important to you. Most of the city doesn't, lower and competitive taxes is important to others. Two years ago the Mayor chose to build the Solstice Steps instead of spending the same amount on needed repairs at Foster Pool less than 100 yards away. We have not even spoke of the $100 million dollar project the EPA is demanding on Clifton Blvd. which has been kicked down the road by mayor after mayor. Soon they will come for a tax increase, we all have to budget and make tough choices.

It would be great having a Community Rec Center in theory. I would like a Ferrari, alas it is not the purchase price keeping me from it. That is easy to come up with. It is the cost of required maintenance. $2,000 for an oil change?! $5,000 a tune up?! Insurance $10,000 a year!

.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I think you may have a blind spot here. What I have heard is so the opposite of all you stated. I don't know if her father had anything to do with her appointment, but where I work, the rules would not allow both to maintain their positions. I know other people in the employment of both the schools and the city whose family members are not allowed to work for the city or schools, even in temporary student summer employment. Having the child of a board member employed in this capacity looks bad when things are going well. When things are badly managed, the family relationship becomes even more of a target of why person "a" has that job.

Kate

If I did not know her background in Lakewood Rec growing up, and she had ZERO qualifications I would be more than happy to think WTF. I have heard it both ways, strangely most of those who complain have an ax to grind elsewhere. I try to look at the larger picture. Give people the benefit of the doubt early on. I also hear good things about Leslie, to me, right now it is a wash.

However you are correct, maybe the Rec Center will be the downfall, of it all.

But it seems as equally odd an unfair to throw her out, simply because her Dad is still on the Board instead of how this plays out.

.

[Kate McCarthy]

However you are correct, maybe the Rec Center will be the downfall, of it all.

I never said this. I said Leslie Favre Krogman was, from what I understand, the source of confusion regarding the use of the Rec Center track and her directives at one time were in stark contrast to the BOE directives you posted. She needs to be clued in, and in my opinion, needs to have one member of her family resign. This is a problematic conflict. I feel we live in Trumpland and this is yet another example.

[Jim O'Bryan]

However you are correct, maybe the Rec Center will be the downfall, of it all.

I never said this. I said Leslie Favre Krogman was, from what I understand, the source of confusion regarding the use of the Rec Center track and her directives at one time were in stark contrast to the BOE directives you posted. She needs to be clued in, and in my opinion, needs to have one member of her family resign. This is a problematic conflict. I feel we live in Trumpland and this is yet another example.

Kate

I said it. Sorry it read the way it did, I doubt very few people are more upset and confused over this entire Family Rec Center debacle than I. One would ask how any of this happened without the BOE knowing it in advance and telling the residents about it years ago, when we were voting on the Bond issue. At the same time most of the BOE sat strangely silent during the entire Hospital Debacle, the lone voice during that period of time on the BOE was Ed Favre.

The thing is built, and filled. If Leslie did this on her own, I would side with you on the dismissal concept. If she did it with her father, I would be behind both of them stepping down. But, I fear this might be a total failure of the BOE. Some people are upset with CCF in the medical center. I can point to drawings of the medical center going back years, I have seen no drawings, postings, conversation of the Family Rec Center. That is a monumental failure of communication somewhere. Not just in explaining the rules. Could it be that Leslie is trying to come up to speed with something thrown into her lap? Something she didn't have the time to plan or deal with? I do not know the answer, but I am going to find out.

I would say we have two groups of elected officials in the City of Lakewood, both seem happy to keep the voters and the people that pay taxes in the dark.

I appreciate your point of view, I do, I just don't nepotism plays out right here, right now. But that is only my point of view.

If you would like to start another thread about nepotism and the rec center, I will be more than happy to jump in and keep you and everyone posted on why I find out. This thread was about track usage, and I think we have the answer for that.

Now if the BOE changes their rules, it will be interesting who calls for the changes and why.

.

[Mark Kindt]

Had I known that the proceeds from the various tax levies would be used to plan, build and operate a non-student recreation center, I would never have voted for them.

If you read Westlife, on the front page is a story about the need for a $44,000,000 tax levy to upgrade and maintain the North Olmsted recreation center.

The school district has embarked upon a misguided boondoggle at the expense of taxpayers and, moreover, at the expense of vibrant local small businesses focused on physical fitness services.

I have yet to hear a single reason why the Lakewood School District believes that it has either the legal authority or even the basic business acumen to compete with Planet Fitness.

Lakewood is destined to become a high tax community (and, by that, I mean higher than it already is).

[Bridget Conant]

Lakewood is destined to become a high tax community (and, by that, I mean higher than it already is).

It’s coming and coming soon.

So funny a lot of the Build Lakewood rhetoric was “we can’t afford the hospital - our taxes will go up!” And they pushed the deal because they didn’t want a tax increase.

Guess what? They’ll get one and it will probably be more than they ever expected.

You can’t lose major employers, and the schools can’t run a rec center for the public without finding other sources of income. Despite Jennifer Pae claiming we can easily do without a few million, it’s just not the truth.

[jkocinski]

When I coached football for Lakewood rec I found Leslie to be very committed and I feel she did an excellent job.