The Observation Deck

Dear Meg, Betsy, Christina, and Diane,

The meeting went well and I hope that the Mayor continues our existing practice of holding monthly meetings with the Mayor, Superintendent, and Board President. The Treasurer was also in attendance at this meeting.

The Mayor listened to my concerns regarding such City issues as maintaining the sidewalks and crosswalks free from snow for our Community – young and old – regardless of whether a resident is walking to school or the Root Café.

I would encourage you to also share these concerns with the Mayor, directly.

Matt

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the report. I'm sure I can speak for Meg, Christina, Diane and myself when I say that it's not okay with us if non-students get hit by cars in the street in the winter in Lakewood because sidewalks haven't been shoveled either.

I'm assuming you are stressing that-- whether a person is on their way to school or to the Root Cafe-- to make the point that this is a matter for the City to take care of. I'm in agreement with you there, but was pleased that you were willing to represent the needs of parents and students in your meeting with the City.

I think we're all hoping that you, in your capacity as School Board President, could speak for all of us in terms of being concerned about the safety of our children on their way to our schools. My question is what was the Mayor's response to you?

Did he say they would do something to enforce fines on people who don't shovel, or that they would make an effort to contact or advise people who aren't shoveling in some way?

I know that after Lakewood residents are notified that their lawns need maintenance, they are given a certain amount of time and then the City sends someone to mow the lawn and the residents are billed. Maybe something like that could happen here.

I know, you're going to say, "Tell it to the Mayor," and we will, and we're grateful that you led the way and let the City know that we're concerned. Meanwhile, what did they say to you?

Did they "take it under advisement"?

Thanks.

Betsy Voinovich

Mike,
The announcement was made by Dr. Wagner on Friday at LHS.

A large corporate gas station on Warren and Franklin is not doing anything, and in fact it made the sidewalks much worse, completely blocking the walks with what is now ice (from clearing their own inside property's pavement for business). But as Meg said, there are plenty of other large businesses who aren't doing a thing, and if they are waiting for their "landlord" or someone else to do it, maybe this is part of the problem. There is no clear assignment of responsibility or accountability, so how can there be any reasonable, consistent compliance or enforcement?

I've become frustrated that it seems so difficult to know whose responsibility it is to clear the damn sidewalks. As a resident, I really don't know if it's mine or my landlord's, and I'd really like to know. There are many who would prefer not to, and how would they ever know?

Looking at the ordinance Matt cited, it's pretty fuzzy there too. It's either my responsibility as an occupant OR it's my landlord's. It doesn't say AND, it says OR. What determines which? Dice? Are tenants in a high rise guilty of a misdemeanor when the walks abutting the property aren't clear? One ultimate clue might be that while the law doesn't clearly state who exactly is going to be guilty of a misdemeanor, it does say who can be billed if the City sees to doing it, and whose property can get a lien put against it: THE OWNER.

The Law:

521.06 DUTY TO KEEP SIDEWALKS IN REPAIR AND CLEAN.
(a) Every owner, occupant or person having charge of any tenement building, lot or land fronting any avenue, street, alley or public highway in the City shall remove and clear away, or cause to be removed or cleared away, snow and ice from a path of at least four feet in width from so much of the sidewalk whether or not flagged or paved as is in front of or abuts such building or lot or land.
No person removing snow from any driveway, sidewalk, public or private parking lot or private premises within the City shall deposit the same on the street, pavement, sidewalk or driveway apron of any public street. (Ord. 3-85. Passed 2-4-85.)
(1) Except as provided in subsection (b) hereof, snow and ice shall be removed from all business districts within the City by 9:00 a.m. of each day.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (b) hereof, snow and ice shall be removed from all other sidewalks within the City on the same day as the cessation of any fall of snow, sleet or freezing rail or not later than 8:00 p.m. after the cessation of such fall, whichever period is longer.
(b) In the event snow and ice on a sidewalk has become so hard that it cannot be removed without the likelihood of damage to the sidewalk, the person or entity charged with its removal, shall within the time mentioned in subsection (a) hereof, cause enough abrasive material or sodium chloride or derivative thereof to be put on the sidewalk to make travel thereon reasonably safe and shall then, as soon thereafter as weather permits, cause such sidewalk to be thoroughly cleaned.
(c) Every owner, occupant or person having charge of any tenement building, lot or land fronting upon any avenue, street, alley or other public highway of the City shall keep the entire width of such sidewalk from curb to lot line, free and clear of all earth, sand, brick, stone, rubbish, dead trees and dead branches of trees or other material which from any cause whatever shall have accumulated or may accumulate upon such sidewalk above the established grade of the same and shall also cut and remove from the sidewalk between the lot and curb line, all weeds, grass and vegetable growths that are more than four inches in height.
(d) If the owner of any building, lot or land fails to comply with the provisions of this section, then the Director of Public Works may remove the snow, ice, earth, sand, brick, stone, rubbish, dead trees or dead branches of trees or other materials, weeds, grass and vegetable growths, from the sidewalk in front of the premises of such owner, and may charge the expense thereof to such owner, and if, upon being notified, he fails to pay the City the amount of such expense, then such amount may be certified by the proper City officer to the County Auditor, and the same shall act as a lien upon the property of such owner, and shall be collected as provided for in the case of special assessments.
(e) For the purpose of this section, the term, business district, as set forth in subsection (a)(1), shall include all properties abutting or within 150 feet of Detroit Avenue from 117th Street to the Detroit Bridge approach; abutting or within 150 feet of Madison Avenue from 117th Street to Riverside Drive; abutting or within 150 feet of 117th Street from Lake Avenue to Berea Road; abutting or within 150 feet of Warren Road from Detroit Avenue to Franklin Boulevard; abutting or within 150 feet of Sloane Avenue from West Clifton Boulevard to Phelps Avenue; abutting or within 150 feet of Berea Road from West 117th Street to the City limits; abutting or within 150 feet of Hilliard Road from Madison Avenue to Woodward Avenue; abutting or within 150 feet of the Detroit Bridge approach from Detroit Avenue to the Rocky River Bridge.
(f) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

(Ord. 89-78. Passed 11-6-78.)

Betsy Voinovich wrote:I'm assuming you are stressing that-- whether a person is on their way to school or to the Root Cafe-- to make the point that this is a matter for the City to take care of. I'm in agreement with you there, but was pleased that you were willing to represent the needs of parents and students in your meeting with the City.

I think we're all hoping that you, in your capacity as School Board President, could speak for all of us in terms of being concerned about the safety of our children on their way to our schools. My question is what was the Mayor's response to you?

Betsy,

I shared my concerns with the Mayor. Now, I really do think it would be best if the Mayor plows through this snow issue on his own. I would not even begin to speak for the Mayor.

Matt

Dear Matt,
Thanks for your continued open conversations on this forum. It is reassuring as a parent that there is someone on the school board who is open to addressing concerns in such a public way.

Mr. Marking --

I don't believe you are being asked to "speak for" the Mayor, but it's only reasonable to wish for something more substantial to report back to parents who voiced a specific concern than "The Mayor listened to my concerns regarding such City issues as maintaining the sidewalks and crosswalks free from snow for our Community . . ." It implies either a complete lack of response to your communicating of parents' concerns (only his "listening"), or one you are not comfortable sharing publicly.

Maybe we are naive somehow and misunderstand the role of the School Board vis a vis the City. In that case we could all use an education to modify our expectations. That is not to say that parents aren't ALSO persuing various other routes of redress.

It's not all on you or the School Board, but that is a reasonable starting point in many people's minds whose primary concerns are students of Lakewood Public Schools. Especially because you, as current President, enjoy widespread trust and support among parents of these students, and they are therefore comfortable with communicating issues with you. If it's wrong to consider the School Board and its President representatives of parents and other citizens, who then would be closer to the mark?

Please elucidate further if possible, to the degree you can and deem politic, on the Mayor's response to the concerns you brought to him as a representative of the School Board. No one is asking for more than this, that I can see.

Thank you.

Anyone who has had their child in Lakewood Schools long enough has had the snow removal conversation with school administrators, councilpersons, or the school board at some point. I can remember a couple of years ago that fed-up parents that didn’t even live on Elmwood spent time before and after school to a clear a way for the kids to get to school.

When I moved here from Chicago and started to send my son to Lakewood Schools I couldn’t understand the complacent attitude of the school district about removing snow. We only had one car at the time (living in Chicago you don’t even really need one car) and so I had to walk my child to school—and I had a 2 year old little girl. I am sure all of the parents who have ever tried to take a stroller out in the winter can relate that it just wasn’t happening. It was really impossible to walk to school so my husband started to take the bus to work (Parma) so that I could have the car to drive my kids across the street.

I contacted the superintendent’s office and I probably talked to my principal at the time, but I kept getting the same response, “not our responsibility” or it “costs too much”. My husband and I were perplexed. So, this is a ‘walking’ school district that didn’t clear the walkways for students to get to school? To me, it was common-sense. The school district ought to be clearing the block around the school in collaboration with the city so that all routes are clear. The school district has the responsibility to clear the parking lots and the sidewalks actually on school property—this isn’t always happening. The rest of the city should be the city’s problem.

Enter city and school officials. Get together work it out and determine the best approach to solving this issue. That is what citizens, taxpayers, want you to do. I think this issue provides a great example (and opportunity) of how our school district and the city can work together to solve common problems. Don’t pass the buck. Don’t say it’s impossible or costs too much. Don’t stop talking to citizens or engaging us on how we can make it work better. Everyone wants our kids and citizens to be safe. In the case of the schools, the safety of our kids should be our first priority. Kids need to be in school and parents need to feel good about sending their kids out to walk to school. Work it out-remove the snow. We will be facing enough issues come this summer when our new governor slashes our budget. This is the small stuff. How are we going to handle the big issues?