The Observation Deck

Jim DeVito wrote:I wonder how much of out office space is ready for the new technology enabled business we will need in the future. While I agree it is a waste of time to wait for anybody else to solve our problems, I would welcome help to improve our infrastructure.

Interesting thought. Is the type of technological improvement you are talking about infrastruture? I think it is. Which opens up some interesting possibilities.

Bryan Schwegler wrote:Bill, you keep saying you think we can do better, but you haven't given any examples as to how? I'm curious what you think should or could be done differently?

As a start:

City council needs an governmental affairs committe to fight the fight against State government; it's unfunded mandates, collective bargaining laws and its polcies. That committee could also represent the City's interest during "regionalization" discussions.

Building and housing should be part of the Division of Planning & Development. The building department has a responsibiity to enforce building codes but that doesn't mean it should be the enemy of business or business development. The builidng department should be the place to go to find solutions.


Salaries and benefits of the Division of Planning & development are projected to be 50% of the budget. That seems high.

Does the City need its own welfare department?

Back in the early 60's when the City had 20,000 more people City hall was half as large. Is there a lesson there?

Bill Call wrote:As a start:

City council needs an governmental affairs committe to fight the fight against State government; it's unfunded mandates, collective bargaining laws and its polcies. That committee could also represent the City's interest during "regionalization" discussions.

Building and housing should be part of the Division of Planning & Development. The building department has a responsibiity to enforce building codes but that doesn't mean it should be the enemy of business or business development. The builidng department should be the place to go to find solutions.


Salaries and benefits of the Division of Planning & development are projected to be 50% of the budget. That seems high.

Does the City need its own welfare department?

Back in the early 60's when the City had 20,000 more people City hall was half as large. Is there a lesson there?

But what does any of this have to do with empty office space? This entire thread is about vacancy rates, you said the city should be doing better. What should they be doing better about vacancy rates?

I already know how you stand on public employees, but that's not really what you started this thread about, so I'm more curious on your solutions for what the topic of the thread is.

it is ok. it is alright. I've been studying Rand Paul and the Austrian School.
We must eliminate all zoning laws: The Zoning Laws must be destroyed!
Folks should run whatever businesses they want in their homes, and be able to live in any building space they rent.
We must eliminate Real Estate Appraisal Industry. A building should only be worth however many gold coins was spent purchasing it. The Appraisal industry leads to speculation, which drives inflation. We must encourage stagnant real estate prices. that way your gold coins will be worth more as time goes on.

Bryan Schwegler wrote:But what does any of this have to do with empty office space? This entire thread is about vacancy rates, you said the city should be doing better. What should they be doing better about vacancy rates?

I already know how you stand on public employees, but that's not really what you started this thread about, so I'm more curious on your solutions for what the topic of the thread is.

All of those issues are related.

The only reason I care about any of this is because I have a house, family and business in Lakewood and it's too much trouble to cash in and move. It is not too much trouble for a lot of other people.

Lakewood can compete but it is getting harder and harder. The economic center of gravity continues to move South and West, the leadership in Cuyahoga County is concentrating its development efforts on tax payer subsidized buildings downtown to the detriment of cities like Lakewood. NOACA is commiting more and more dollars to development outside Cuyahoga County. We can't even get funding to improve Madison Avenue. We are on our own and will have to squeeze more development dollars out of the existing budget.

(Just as an aside:

Cuyahoga County elects people who like high taxes
most of which is spent outside Cuyahoga County in areas
that elect people who like low taxes
so do do you suppose that all those areas that like
low taxes will support high taxes so
we can get some of our money back?)

One way to get more development dollars is to spend less on salaries and wages for those "development" departments and more on development. The Mayor of Fairview Park is the development director. The Mayor of Lakewood should be our development director. That's just a start.

What does Lakewood Alive do with its $100,000 subsidy?
Does Lakewood need its own welfare department?

Office vacancy rates have risen from 15% to 20% over the last few years. Residential vacancy rates have risen from an average of 4% to over 7%. Since we are not going to get any help from the State or the County or the Federal government we are on our own. That means we need to spend our tax dollars on things besides spooky pooch parades and wages and benefits.

Perhaps the Mayor as development director could work with a development/housing department run by a volunteer citizen committee.

I might expand on these thought during the upcoming council race. Or maybe not, after all, we live in a County that gave Bridget McAfferty 46% of the vote.