Charter Review - The Observations

[marklingm]

Because professional lawyers knows the laws, and a good one can work wonders.

Right?

What just happened?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Matt

Just trying to point out that in many, many, many things being a professional is not a bad thing.

Is it the answer. I do not know. But I am not afraid to look at it.

Is it right for Lakewood, who knows. I thought this might be a chance for Lakewoodites
to learn, and ask questions, and maybe we could trust "them" to decide.

But maybe, I got that wrong too.

.

[marklingm]

Just trying to point out that in many, many, many things being a professional is not a bad thing.

Jim,

We already had this discussion.

See the thread entitled, "Will Mike Summers Be The Last Elected Lakewood Mayor?" at http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12311, wherein we state:

Matt

If a position is filled with a human, you have the same issues.

Our last GREAT mayor is serving 1.5 years in jail right now.

On my long drive into work today, I pondered your question.

Maybe the term "mayor" is the problem.

Certainly we would demand more from a paid professional.

As you know in the business world, "but he is a nice..." gets you nothing.

http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11475&start=105

Jim,

You may have a good point.

The mayor is elected.

The mayor is paid.

Now let's work with your premise that the problem rests with the mayor being unprofessional.

So, which of the below City Hall paid professionals (for example) will we demand more from once the unelected, paid, professional city manager takes over and which of these paid professionals (for example) will lose their jobs to this unelected, paid, professional city manager?

Director of Public Works
Finance Director
Director of Human Resources
Law Director
Director of Planning and Development
Director of Public Safety

http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12311

I can assure you that our system of democracy will survive Mike Summers as mayor.

I know that you and your fellow "city manager huggers" want to engage in social engineering just to see what happens.

I already read the end of the story.

Spoiler Alert: You and your pals won't like the first city manager ... but you will be the folks who put him/her on the throne.

Matt

[Jim O'Bryan]

Spoiler Alert: You and your pals won't like the first city manager ... but you will be the folks who put him/her on the throne.

Matt

Matt

Oh, I guess you think the alternative is the way to go.

Mayor Hugger, Mayor Hugger

Actually I can do even better. Our best mayor of the last ten mayors, is in jail.

The next best by most accounts would be Lakewood's version of Gerald Ford.

Followed by an ex-nun, a realtor, a short term FBI/Mayor, and now a great guy, that
ran his dad's business and is good with spread sheets.

Why am I afraid to look at hiring someone that has a track record of building up housing,
safety, cleanliness? Why am I afraid of the discussion or GOD FORBID A VOTE?

I already know, neither governor is making me happy, and neither version of this
government is probably making me giddy.

But I am not afraid of the conversation.

I am not afraid of the Charter carrying out Charter stuff.

Why are you so upset?

Is this like birther stuff, where the Charter put this in decades ago, for Mike to do this?
Or perhaps, in 1999 the scheme was hatched. "I have it, make these poor bastards come
back every 10 years until they get this overthrow right done"

.

[marklingm]

Oh, I guess you think the alternative is the way to go.

Mayor Hugger, Mayor Hugger

Do you even read these threads and posts?

Yes, Jim.

I believe that a democratically elected mayor is better than a city manager.

Matt

[Jim O'Bryan]

Was trying to put it in a way you could understand.

Interesting meeting tonight, was nice to see Scott Meeson, and some others there.

Early on was Ward 2 councilman, Sam O'Leary, Council President, Mary Louise Madigan,
and Council-At-Large council person Cindy Marx.

An interesting discussion on government from the beginning until today. Federal, State,
County, and Municipality, including where they came from and why.

.

[Scott Meeson]

Was trying to put it in a way you could understand.

Interesting meeting tonight, was nice to see Scott Meeson, and some others there.

Early on was Ward 2 councilman, Sam O'Leary, Council President, Mary Louise Madigan,
and Council-At-Large council person Cindy Marx.

An interesting discussion on government from the beginning until today. Federal, State,
County, and Municipality, including where they came from and why.

.

Cleveland Heights was mentioned in last night's conversation...so:

City Organization of Cleveland Heights:http://www.clevelandheights.com/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=14

Resume of City Manager(Tanisha Briley) of Cleveland Heights:

Tanisha_Briley_Resume.pdf

(59.43 KiB) Downloaded 126 times

An article about Tanisha Briley:
http://www.cleveland.com/cleveland-heights/index.ssf/2013/09/tanisha_briley_settling_in_as.html

FWIW.

Scott Meeson

[marklingm]

I guess some folks at City Hall and some members of the City Charter Review Commission won’t post in this dedicated thread if I keep harping about city manager issues.

You are still good to go, Scott.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other Observers observing “City Hall and Friends” – that includes you, Steve Davis.

Here are two photos I took during the City Charter Review Commission meeting last night:








My final thoughts: I like the idea a fellow Observer had of having a city charter mandate that the next city manager can't come from anywhere related to City Hall within the past 10 years of being appointed. This would certainly ensure that no further hanky-panky is going on given the constant game of musical chairs that is being played over at City Hall. It would also derail the current plans of "City Hall and Friends."

Steve Davis, you now have the floor.

Matt

[Jim O'Bryan]

From the thread Scott Meeson brought back up...

The intelligent words of Councilman-At-Large, Tom Bullock, then merely a citizen.

The best we can do is be open and honest about our bias, then work with others in a spirit of goodwill and do our best to embrace our differences.

A City Manager form of government may be a good idea, or it may not be--but either way, it won't remove politics from politics. It'll just change the rules of the game, create new winners and losers, create different pressure points and bottlenecks.

This is a great discussion.

As others have pointed out, let's get back to owning our bias and TALKING about our
differences in an effort to understand the entire process.

.

[Scott Meeson]

In attendance, a person that left. Matthew Markling, Scott Meeson, and Peter Gorssetti.
.

Jim,

I think Peter Grossetti could have a future at city hall:


Peter,start growing a beard.

And I'm going to have to keep my eyes open.

Scott Meeson

[Scott Meeson]

Emotional Intelligence, does it matter? http://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader/ar/1

[marklingm]

Any observations from the last meeting?

[Peter Grossetti]

Next meeting:
Monday, March 31, 2014
Lakewood Public Library
Lakewood 6:30PM

On the agenda will be presentations on City Management with Public Q&A Session with Ken Filipiak, (Mentor City Manager) and Randy Sharpe, (Chardon City Manager).

Instead of wondering "what's going on?" ... show up and listen! Hell, ask a question or two.

But I seriously doubt there will be any more than 3 or 4 folks there other than the Commission. Typical.

[marklingm]

Instead of wondering "what's going on?" ... show up and listen! Hell, ask a question or two.

Peter,

I think Jim needs to remind you of the nature of this project.

And, there sure seems to be a lot of "city manager" discussion going on for what isn't a faux charter review committee.

Maybe I'll show up - again - when the committee starts talking about what's actually in the charter - or not.

Matt

[Peter Grossetti]

"Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it." ~Henry David Thoreau