The Observation Deck

Stan Austin wrote:I think this request should go to the top of next meeting's agenda

next meeting was just posted.

Previously I expressed concern over the governor's statements about re-opening. I'm good with what has been announced so far and heartily commend his recent statement against racism.

The Funds Are Out There

The CDC is releasing $631,000,000 to state and local health departments for Covid-19 testing.

Here is the Washington Post article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... g-testing/

The City of Lakewood shut down its Health Department in 2008 during the last recession.

Now all of us risk a very heavy price to pay for this loss of longstanding civic infrastructure. Now is the time to fix the problem!

When Governor DeWine and Doctor Acton talk about working with local municipal health departments all across the State, they are not talking about Lakewood.

Lakewood simply does not have a municipal health department.

If for no other reason, and mind you there are pandemic reasons, Lakewood needs to re-establish its Department of Health just so that it can be eligible for state and federal funding for Covid-19 testing and contact tracing at a time when it is in the midst of both a healthcare crisis and plummeting revenues.

We are facing a multi-year problem here; one that cannot be avoided or postponed.

My points are very simple:

1. Lakewood needs to do this soon. There is serious public need.

2. There is massive CDC funding for it.

3. Lakewood did it in the past. It has no choice now.

4. No time to waste.

We can applaud the fine work of the Cuyahoga County Health Department and I do.

However, they too are in crisis mode. --Underfunded, understaffed, and overwhelmed.

Lakewood has a duty to its 50,000 residents that the CCDH is currently not prepared for.

A new Lakewood Health Department is now called for.

Mr. Kindt,

1. Thank you for sharing your letter. It’s a no brainer to begin pushing for the re-establishment of a public health department.

2. If there is a phase 4 of a federal stimulus package that is targeted towards infrastructure, Lakewood’s government should push its congressional representatives to fund shovel ready projects and a new hospital. I never understood why any member of council thought it was a good idea to replace 1,500 jobs with service-sector/retail employment.

3. “Spending on hospital care is expected to rise by 5.9% per year in 2021-23 and then by 6.0% per year in 2024-28”.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/publicheal ... care/85601

4. Retail on the other hand, will experience significant declines.

5. Fitzgerald/Summers pushed a morally corrupt and economically bankrupt vision of Lakewood that was not subject to the economic realities of A. Cuyahoga County population decline and

B.Over-leveraged retail spaces in NE Ohio meant that even if Lakewood pursued the Carnegie deal, there was little chance the development would have succeeded.

6. Lakewood’s strength was always its embrace of small business and community. Good public schools, great parks, safe and walkable neighborhoods and a hospital if you got sick.

7. Lakewood needs a public health department and a hospital.

Nadhal

Vulnerable Populations.

The City did a healthcare analytical study in 2018 for its entire population.

That Study demonstrated that the City already had enough vulnerable populations to justify a new Department of Public Health.

All that data sits on a server either in Planning or with the 5 vendors that did the Study.

Nadhal Eadeh wrote:Mr. Kindt,

1. Thank you for sharing your letter. It’s a no brainer to begin pushing for the re-establishment of a public health department.

2. If there is a phase 4 of a federal stimulus package that is targeted towards infrastructure, Lakewood’s government should push its congressional representatives to fund shovel ready projects and a new hospital. I never understood why any member of council thought it was a good idea to replace 1,500 jobs with service-sector/retail employment.

3. “Spending on hospital care is expected to rise by 5.9% per year in 2021-23 and then by 6.0% per year in 2024-28”.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/publicheal ... care/85601

4. Retail on the other hand, will experience significant declines.

5. Fitzgerald/Summers pushed a morally corrupt and economically bankrupt vision of Lakewood that was not subject to the economic realities of A. Cuyahoga County population decline and

B.Over-leveraged retail spaces in NE Ohio meant that even if Lakewood pursued the Carnegie deal, there was little chance the development would have succeeded.

6. Lakewood’s strength was always its embrace of small business and community. Good public schools, great parks, safe and walkable neighborhoods and a hospital if you got sick.

7. Lakewood needs a public health department and a hospital.

Nadhal

Let's keep in mind that Mr. Eadeh has spent most of his career in government at the largest healthcare provider in the world -- the Veterans Administration. He works on the leading edge of healthcare. He knows Lakewood. I have known him for a decade and I deeply respect his opinions.

Vulnerable Communities and Vulnerable Populations

I now want to stress the point that the City has already done much of the work to re-establish a Department of Public Health.

The Report is already sitting in the files.

The City did a healthcare analytics study in 2018 for its entire population and a "confidential" report was prepared and circulated to insiders at that time.

That Study demonstrated that the City already had significant vulnerable communities and populations to justify a variety of recommendations that were left unfunded by the prior administration.

All that data sits on a server either in Planning or with the five vendors that did the Study.

Just to mention one population in need; the uninsured population of Lakewood is now under greater stress than ever as employees are laid-off without enough funds to cover COBRA coverage (if they are even eligible).

If this wan't truly a crisis, Lakewood City Council would actually be convening in council chambers, not just online.

This is sounding similar to the situation in Flint, MI where there was such a conscience and deliberate effort to hide facts

A Thank You and Some Comments

Thank You

First, I want to thank the Mayor, the President of Council, and those Council Members that responded to my letter to them (posted above). I am sure that each of them truly understands the crisis situation that we all face. I thank them for their leadership during these difficult times.

Some Comments

The City of Lakewood has an annual contract with the Cuyahoga County Health Department that costs the City about $250,000. Frankly, this is enough money to begin to re-establish a Department of Health for Lakewood, especially considering that there will be significant State and Federal funding available for the Covid-19 Response effort.

It was pointed out to me that Parma does not have a municipal health department and relies upon the County like Lakewood does. If I was a citizen of Parma I would be pressing for a new Health Department there.

The major difference between Parma and Lakewood in the age of the Covid-19 Pandemic is that Parma has three hospitals; Lakewood has none.

Mark Kindt wrote:A Thank You and Some Comments

Thank You

First, I want to thank the Mayor, the President of Council, and those Council Members that responded to my letter to them (posted above). I am sure that each of them truly understands the crisis situation that we all face. I thank them for their leadership during these difficult times.

Some Comments

The City of Lakewood has an annual contract with the Cuyahoga County Health Department that costs the City about $250,000. Frankly, this is enough money to begin to re-establish a Department of Health for Lakewood, especially considering that there will be significant State and Federal funding available for the Covid-19 Response effort.

It was pointed out to me that Parma does not have a municipal health department and relies upon the County like Lakewood does. If I was a citizen of Parma I would be pressing for a new Health Department there.

The major difference between Parma and Lakewood in the age of the Covid-19 Pandemic is that Parma has three hospitals; Lakewood has none.

Not only does Parma have three hospitals, but the Cuyahoga County Board of Health is also located in Parma.

Mark Kindt wrote:A Thank You and Some Comments

Thank You

First, I want to thank the Mayor, the President of Council, and those Council Members that responded to my letter to them (posted above). I am sure that each of them truly understands the crisis situation that we all face. I thank them for their leadership during these difficult times.

Some Comments

The City of Lakewood has an annual contract with the Cuyahoga County Health Department that costs the City about $250,000. Frankly, this is enough money to begin to re-establish a Department of Health for Lakewood, especially considering that there will be significant State and Federal funding available for the Covid-19 Response effort.

I would set this as a priority. Way before anyone tries to fill the big hole. Let's get people at the table that care more about Lakewoodites and our health, and less about not looking like total failures.

Too many of those that caused this nightmare running around talking bullshit.

.

Mark Kindt wrote:

Mark Kindt wrote:
The City of Lakewood has an annual contract with the Cuyahoga County Health Department that costs the City about $250,000. Frankly, this is enough money to begin to re-establish a Department of Health for Lakewood, especially considering that there will be significant State and Federal funding available for the Covid-19 Response effort.

Does this contract hamper the city's ability to re-establish the health department? And do you know when it ends? I don't understand why a community would have to pay for services through some side deal when we all pay for county services through our property taxes.