The Observation Deck

Dan Alaimo wrote:I applaud Mike Bentley's efforts to inform all of us and hear what is being said.
I hope the other task force members are equally open.

I plan on going to this meeting, and will take some of the questions along.
Seems to me that the money is what it is, but a question will be: what is it?
Another question is how much control will CCF have over this foundation?
Seems to me the Clinic name has been tarnished here in Lakewood over the past two years, but I don't know how many people agree.

For instance, one thought I've long had is that this foundation money could go toward defraying unreimbursed ambulance bills incurred by Lakewood residents, but I wonder how open the Clinic would be such a use of the foundation moneys.

I'd also like to see fairly short term limits on board members.

I expect a full report back.

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Jim O'Bryan wrote: I expect a full report back.
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The usual fee?

You need to understand I'm drinking espresso now.

Dan Alaimo wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote: I expect a full report back.
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The usual fee?

You need to understand I'm drinking espresso now.

Dan

As you well know this administration is capable of nearly anything. One of the ideas behind the Observer was we all can't be everywhere at the same time, so let's get at least one pair of eyes on everything and post reports back. Whoever reports it, gets to write the report, and bring their bias or lack of bias to the table.

Look forward to it. I might even throw in a scone.

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The second the meeting started, poster unpinned and back with this conversation, carry on.

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Just like the selection of the site developer, this is all a big farce.

Pretend to be “listening” to the people. Yeah, just like the Carnegie selection - already in place while proclaiming public input was sought.

As I said before, this is the situation in a nutshell:

Someone came in and robbed your house. Then the robber starts to give away all your property, BUT he makes a show of asking you to help decide which of his friends gets each item that you owned.

Who in their right mind would agree to do that?

Bridget Conant wrote:Just like the selection of the site developer, this is all a big farce.

Pretend to be “listening” to the people. Yeah, just like the Carnegie selection - already in place while proclaiming public input was sought.

As I said before, this is the situation in a nutshell:

Someone came in and robbed your house. Then the robber starts to give away all your property, BUT he makes a show of asking you to help decide which of his friends gets each item that you owned.

Who in their right mind would agree to do that?

Bridget

I have been getting calls, One broke me up, discussing how they broke into tables, and noticed there were enough control people to be at most tables. Then he asked, "what were all the people that turned the WestEnd into a scam doing there?" I died laughing.

Look forward to more reports.

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I have been getting calls, One broke me up, discussing how they broke into tables, and noticed there were enough control people to be at most tables. Then he asked, "what were all the people that turned the WestEnd into a scam doing there?" I died laughing.

All carefully orchestrated.

Just like their polls.

Remember the Cleve Clinic in the high school questionnaire they sent out?

“Did you know the Clinic was in the high school?

“Yes, that’s so exciting!”

Or,

“No, but I’m glad I know now!”

Same thing here. They already know what they are going to do with the foundation and the money. But they will make it look like they’re “listening” but manipulate the conversation in such a way that the “people” end up thinking it was their own idea!

Voila! Any illegality suddenly “cured” because the sheep agreed to it.

bentleymike wrote:Thanks for hijacking the point of the original post. I'm disappointed that, as a LO supporter & advertiser, that it's gone down this road. I've been working my ass off the last few months, with all of the others on this task force, on making sure this new foundation doesn't get screwed up, and we do what our residents want and need as a whole. The past is the past. We can't change that. I'm strictly focused on the future of our community. MY COMMUNITY THAT I'M RAISING MY KIDS IN. I'm convinced that we're on the correct path & that it doesn't correlate with anything any of you are implying. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn't be involved. I feel many of you have knocked my integrity, as well as the others I'm working with on the foundation planning task force. You don't have to agree with what the process was, or that there is going to be this foundation. What you should agree with is that this is the future of our funds. Do something, or do nothing. If you choose to do nothing to help shape that, please don't complain. Myself and any other's on our task force are open to having REAL conversations with people who actually care about the impacts this can have on EVERYONE within our community.

Here are some truths:

1. The funding is the way it is, because it's the way the Clinic & the City could compromise. I wish the payments were all up front, but they aren't. Unfortunately, none of us can change that now.
2. CCF only has first rights of refusal over their $8MM pool of funds.
3. The Clinic does NOT have veto power over the structure of the board, outside of their 2 positions.
4. NOTHING has been decided as to structure, bylaws, or board composition or size. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF TOMORROW'S COMMUNITY CONVERSATION!

Show up and have a conversation to how we can make sure this best fits, or don't. Show up to our monthly meetings, or don't. If you don't, then don't complain. We take public comment, and some, like Dean Dilzell & Pam Wetula (both of whom show up to almost every meeting & subcommittee meeting), have given us some impactful feedback.

Don't question my integrity.

Don't question the transparency. This is/will be one of the most transparent processes this city has ever seen. We're making sure of that.

Where were you before all of this? It is certainly commendable to care & to be a part of shaping the future, however, why sit back and quietly accept the damaging behavior of the mayor, the law director, the finance director, city council & LHA to begin with?

I am not expecting a direct response to my question. I only hope you understand why I find it somewhat contradictory to imply how you care about the future. What happened was absolutely wrong. Quietly accepting it is compliance. I commend Brian Essi for holding those leaders accountable & I look forward to the day justice is served.

Already, a loud message was made by eliminating Marx & Nowlin. Bullocks low numbers also speaks volumes.

So kudos for your current efforts, but I still question your silence to allow the damage to begin with.

T Peppard wrote:Where were you before all of this? It is certainly commendable to care & to be a part of shaping the future, however, why sit back and quietly accept the damaging behavior of the mayor, the law director, the finance director, city council & LHA to begin with?

I am not expecting a direct response to my question. I only hope you understand why I find it somewhat contradictory to imply how you care about the future. What happened was absolutely wrong. Quietly accepting it is compliance. I commend Brian Essi for holding those leaders accountable & I look forward to the day justice is served.

Already, a loud message was made by eliminating Marx & Nowlin. Bullocks low numbers also speaks volumes.

So kudos for your current efforts, but I still question your silence to allow the damage to begin with.

TP-

While I’ve lived in Lakewood most of my life, my wife & I lived in West Park from 2008-2014. We moved back as it was all playing out. We love this city & will never leave it. I have opted to stay out of it until the Foundation piece came up. It’s something that is in my wheel house with my profession & I decided to get involved, once asked, as I felt it was my time to step in and do what I could to make sure it wasn’t messed up.

Thanks to those that attended this evening. I felt there was some great dialogue overall. We’re going to work on getting some of the info together from tonight & submit a story to the LO & others.

I hope those that were there felt it was honest, transparent & forthright. I’ll be interested to get some feedback from those I know we’re there.

Naïveté.

They love that you’re there - you lend that respectibility to their charade.

I’m sure your intentions are good. But, one day, you’ll realize you’ve been had.

Bridget Conant wrote:Naïveté.

They love that you’re there - you lend that respectibility to their charade.

I’m sure your intentions are good. But, one day, you’ll realize you’ve been had.

It may well turn out that way in the end, but I walked into the meeting last night with my bullshit detector set to sensitive and it didn't go off until a certain grey-haired man from City Hall came in and stood in the back. He didn't address the meeting, although his law director said a few words ("bong, bong, bong"). It was silent through the rest of the meeting.

My impression is the citizen members of the Lakewood Wellness Foundation Task Force are a very sincere bunch who are determined to carry out their assignment the right way, although the odds of them succeeding might be long. They want to build trust in a situation where trust has been decimated. The seem inclined to embrace the same citizen activists the administration has vilified. They seem to understand the meaning of 'transparency'.

Take that together with our two new members of City Council and we may have another reason to hope.

My big takeaway from this meeting is that the Foundation "isn't soup yet." It has been organized just about to the point where it can establish an organization, and defined itself to the point where it can begin to talk about what it needs to talk about.

I had Mark Kindt's list of questions at the ready, but it was apparent that it was far too early to answer a lot of them. I aaked, "Who will appoint the board members?" But they asked meeting participants for suggestions about how to go about this. This will be an early sign of the Foundation's independence. If it's a small board, then the two CCF members will wield considerable influence; not so much if it is a big, diverse board. So we'll watch for that, as we watch for who is appointed to the board. If indeed they tap someone who was prominent in Save Lakewood Hospital, I'll take that as a sign that they are on the right track. If it is mostly people connected to CCF or City Hall, then the suspicions voiced here will be proven correct.

In the first part of the meeting, there were two presentations:
* "Salient Findings from Community Discussions About Planning for the Lakewood Wellness Foundation" by Phyllis Dykes. They appear to be reaching out to a wide cross-section of Lakewood's population.
* "Importance of Communication" by Michael Bentley. Mike's perseverance here on the Deck is enough evidence for me that communication and transparency really is important to this task force.
Details on these reports and other Foundation Task Force information lives online at:
http://www.onelakewood.com/wellness-fou ... task-force

In the second part of the meeting, there were discussions at the various tables of six or so people led by task force members. At my table, Dan Cohn was extremely open to all views. I suggested that they take Jim O'Bryan up on his running offer to provide forum bandwidth to civic groups. If they do so, it will be more evidence of the task force's desire to bridge the great divide that this city has suffered in recent years.

On Nov. 7, we turned an important page in Lakewood history with the election of two challengers to City Council. Given all the evidence presented in this thread, it would seem that the Foundation's success as an independent entity is a long shot. But it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy if we write them off before they get started.

I intend to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best. There's really nothing to lose.

Dan

I completely trust your impression of the event and respect your optimism.

However, as T Peppard mentioned earlier, where were all these concerned and eager citizens when the hospital was “struggling” to survive? That is when they were needed, not at this point in time when all that’s left is to hand out the candy.

It is an illegitimate process. Handing out ill-gotten gains. How exciting to give away money that belongs to someone else - the citizens of Lakewood.

As Bill Call said, give it back to the city. Anything else is just a sham.

Dan Alaimo wrote: I intend to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best. There's really nothing to lose.

I think that is the right attitude.

I wanted to go last night but a something came up at the last minute. Thanks for your update.

The behavior of the Lakewood Hospital Association and the Lakewood Hospital Foundation offer a cautionary tale about the evolution of foundation boards. No matter what the original mission of a foundation over time a small group can hijack its mission and its assets.

Right now we don't know the mission. Its a foundation in search of a purpose.

What is meant by health and wellness?
Who is the community?
What is the role of the Lakewood Hospital Foundation?
Should the new board partner with the Lakewood Hospital Foundation and if so, to what purpose?
Is it necessary to preserve the assets forever or should those assets be depleted over time?
Should the foundation have a date of death?

Should we trust the process?

The membership of the board, the selection process and the mission statement will tell us a great deal.

By the time I went to bed, 5 of 6 callers had said they had a good experience at the meeting, and believe the Task Force is both sincere and committed in finding the best use for the remaining funds from the Lakewood Hospital debacle.

I would encourage all to go to the meetings and follow all that comes from it.

Michael, when will the white paper be produced that lists the ideas, and discussions from the meeting. As everyone was at separate tables it would be great to get everything together in one place to add to the discussion.

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By the time I went to bed, 5 of 6 callers had said they had a good experience at the meeting, and believe the Task Force is both sincere and committed in finding the best use for the remaining funds from the Lakewood Hospital debacle.

I would encourage all to go to the meetings and follow all that comes from it.

Michael, when will the white paper be produced that lists the ideas, and discussions from the meeting? As everyone was at separate tables it would be great to get everything together in one place to add to the discussion.

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