The Observation Deck

In the Observer's news release dated January 11th, there is no mention of a return on investment of the $ 3,800,000.00 for a wireless water meter system Council's approved, only the increase of the sewer and water rates that went unchallenged by the newspaper. No reduction of personnel, instead the city is justifying a 3.8 million dollars wireless water meter system, the return is to expedite the dispatch of a hoard of city service trucks to congregate at a location of a suspected leak and debate if there is actually a water leak.
The approval of this project only confirms the Council's lack of leadership and capability of making independent decisions based on common sense and sound fiscal management. Our council is led like sheep by the city's administrative management shepherds who's has "it's not my money" mentality.

What was the Council smoking when they decided to authorize the purchase a $3,800,000.00 water meter system project that will never recover the cost of capital to initiate? This is similar to their arsine decision to fund an internal income tax department at a cost more then what RITA charged the city.

The article's comment, "Ohio Regional Sewer District, which represents over 60 communities in the region, is expected to spend $3 billion dollars over the next 25 years to comply with these EPA requirements.", is ludicrous. It infers that the City of Lakewood is part of this district, which it is not. If the Observer is going to have the city propaganda spokesperson write their articles, at least have the courtesy to review the facts before publication.

The City of Lakewood has been dancing with the EPA for years by presenting studies/strategies that they have paid outside consulting firms untold dollars to generate to impede penalties and mandates the city to cease dumping raw human waste from the outflows and partially treated waste from the sewage plant into Lake Erie due to storm water. The sewer rate increase is only an extension of this policy. Had the city been proactive in the 1980's some of the problems with poor maintenance or insufficient sizing of the sewer infrastructure would have been in part subsidized by the federal government. That funding is no longer available now it seems the federal government is too busy rebuilding infrastructure in oil rich foreign countries that they bombed into ablation.

In a town that has a private company providing sewer and water service the water rate is 5.735 per ccf verses Lakewood's $5.93 ccf and the residential sewer service is a flat rate of $11.50 verse City of Lakewood's $3.99 per ccf of water used. Lakewood's water rate is 3.5 percent higher and its sewer operational and capital expenses are being subsidized by homeowners watering their plants and shrubs, a water usage that has no effect on the sewer system. We can only be thankful that the city only distributes and does not provide our water or it would be unaffordable with this governments history.

Need I say more, we have a city government that is governed by the derisory and managed by the unprofessional that is fleecing the taxpayers. Kingdoms are expensive and the Lakewood taxpayers will continue to support these two very inefficient and expensive realms unless at the ballot box they decide to make substantial changes in the city government and school distrect with people that expect the taxdollars spent be for the benefit of the taxpayer and not the realm.

Richard Baker wrote:The article's comment, "Ohio Regional Sewer District, which represents over 60 communities in the region, is expected to spend $3 billion dollars over the next 25 years to comply with these EPA requirements.", is ludicrous. It infers that the City of Lakewood is part of this district, which it is not. If the Observer is going to have the city propaganda spokesperson write their articles, at least have the courtesy to review the facts before publication.

Richard

How are you doing. The Lakewood Observer model, is to get the people saying things to
put their names on it. So that when something like this comes up, the reader, and the rest
of us understand, it is coming from that person and retains all of the bias that would come
from that person or organization. And then let the conversation flow out of that. We, that
is the founders, all were sick with what had happened to "real journalism." Which is take
the same news release, change a couple words and put it out their as vetted in depth reporting.
This is one of the reasons, the LO has fallen out of favor a City Hall, we, that is the residents
they feel have become hyper-critical of their community. But asking questions like you did
above, or when I put forward, that the new trash collection would take a minimum of 8
years to make even the smallest difference in cost. And that savings was from laying off
two workers not the trucks or the system.

Of course much of this has been disrupted as we have 3-4 media projects in Lakewood, that
thrive on taking news releases and making it look like they wrote it. Or grabbing info from
other sites and rewriting it. Thereby making it look vetted, or somehow more true. It was
James Madison that said, the most successful journalist are the ones that are the most
servile to their politicians and subjects.This is exactly what is wrong with the media today,
and for the past twenty-years. Let's be honest, if you are a sports reporter, and write a
hard hitting factual story about the Cleveland Indians, your credentials are pulled and your
career is over.

What we had found out that was getting them with the goods, then vetting the story, almost
always provided way more information and truth, that city, schools, and non-profits groups
would ever let happen in an interview or story. The Observer relies on volunteer writers
like you, that are not dependent on making their living covering city hall or the topic, they
write, as you did here because they care about their city, love the topic, or know something
that points out how right or wrong a story is.

It was the ex-director of Lakewood Alive that said, "We love the paper but
hate the Deck." Sure, they can, by our very bylaws, put anything into the paper, but the
Deck and the very residents they were supposed to be serving, held their feet to the fire,
and ask the tough questions like, "What happened to the money?" Then went forward the
the backroom marginalization, "Oh it is just so negative!" No only the person afraid of the
answers see it as negative. "Oh it is just a couple people!" No at any given time, there might
be a few active people, but when questions need to be asked, a person like you, like
Council people jump in and say what is needed and get out. Which is great. Againthe LO is
not like the rest, we do not have facebook dreams of you on this site 24/7/265. We want
the viewer to get in read what they want and go back to their lives. This site, nor is this
project based on us getting access to anything or anyone. We are not servile to anyone.
We want the discussion pull in the facts, the rumors, and the ideas vet them and get them
out in a way that can be found for decades. Because, many if not all of the "power
brokers" in this town have a long history, and it is the complete view of their work that
allows us to form opinions and thoughts on how it impacts our lives. It also gives us a
pretty good view of our future.

So, thank you for the post, and now we will all look into what is going on.

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Correction...

“The most esteemed journalists are precisely the most servile. For it is by making themselves useful to the powerful that they gain access to the ‘best’ sources.” Walter Karp

Madison Quote would be...

“All men having power ought to be mistrusted.” James Madison



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Hi Jim,
I didn't want the city to think they could continue on with their champagne spending at taxpayers' expense without someone objecting. It's a shame about your relationship being strained but the onus is on the city to be open and honest with the local paper. In general I find this very wanting from the City of Lakewood. When a city council forms decisions at the committee of the whole meeting level rather than debate the subject on the council floor they are being evasive, covert and dishonest in their duties to the citizens they swore to represent. The council meetings are a sham and held only for awards and passing ordnances that were approved at the committee level.

I doubt if the council members can even see the citizens through the haze due to the height of their lofty perches in the council chambers. Perhaps if they took a seat at a table on the same level with the citizens of Lakewood they would have a better perspective of why they are there and their responsibilities of serving the people, not the city government.

Richard Baker wrote:Hi Jim,
I didn't want the city to think they could continue on with their champagne spending at taxpayers' expense without someone objecting. It's a shame about your relationship being strained but the onus is on the city to be open and honest with the local paper. In general I find this very wanting from the City of Lakewood. When a city council forms decisions at the committee of the whole meeting level rather than debate the subject on the council floor they are being evasive, covert and dishonest in their duties to the citizens they swore to represent. The council meetings are a sham and held only for awards and passing ordnances that were approved at the committee level.

I doubt if the council members can even see the citizens through the haze due to the height of their lofty perches in the council chambers. Perhaps if they took a seat at a table on the same level with the citizens of Lakewood they would have a better perspective of why they are there and their responsibilities of serving the people, not the city government.

Richard

I can write a book about how elected officials seem so afraid of open honest dialogue.
Mayor George was very comfortable, coming on the Deck, did a lot for this project and
has started writing for the project since losing to Ed. Ed FitzGerald was no stranger to the
Deck, while never as active as Tom, he would weigh in, and often called late at night to
put a little light and some air into what was going on. To this day, Ed and the way he
handled the garbage collection is one of 5 stories I tell to other cities on how the program
works, and makes cities whole. David Anderson comes on now and them, and of course
Shawn comes in often to correct me, or post something. But the rest, and the mayor, now
there are some interesting characters to say the least.

The same is true at the School Board, honest hard working people that act like the Observer
is the tool of the devil himself. When in fact it was completely designed and implemented
by Lakewood School Students. With full input from the School Board and the city! Even
our code writers are Lakewood grads. We hire for paying positions almost solely Lakewood
grads and certainly on Lakewoodites. But will they step into the light of day and let anyone
ask questions with their real names, no. OH THE HORROR!!!!!

Pitiful

Funny you mention lofty perches, and I had the good fortune to talk with a member of the
County Government a couple days before I was to file paperwork for running for mayor.
During the discussion which is part of my book now. Came up the question, "Why do you
think no one is running for office? I asked him why? And he said, "Because everyone is happy."
I do not think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. I do believe some feel anointed not
appointed or elected. But, the roar is about to be heard, I know so many people talking of
running in council races next time. More and more people are realizing, our safety, our
cleanliness, and our city's future has been squandered on some shiny objects, bullet points
for the next election, and foolishness to make it look like things are being done. But as we
all know, huckster's tricks can only go on for so long, then the rubes become smart, and...

We shall see.

No matter, thank you for taking the time to call attention to the water increases. I figure
the city can afford one hike. I would have rather seen the schools get it. But it looks like
it will go to the water department, and we still have a $75 million dollar sewer project due.

But did you see the banners? The new signs at Lakewood Park? The $400,000 lamp posts?


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I've seen it many times, newly elected council members with the best of intentions become overwhelmed by the complexity of the budget and sheer number of services a city performs. The dilemma with Lakewood City Council is the new council members are purposeful trained with the same old procedural methods of doing business, the catch 22 of possible change.

The city is simply a service business and to serve the people council must keep overhead at a minimum so it can provide the best possible services to its residents at a reasonable cost. Many cities have quite successfully privatized specific services due to the high cost of wages and benefits to accomplish that goal. I disagree, the expense of 3.5 million dollars in not simply one rate increase, it's a diversion of more capital that could be use to rebuild the cities aging distribution infrastructure.

I'm sure the council members are good, honest, hard working and well meaning people but this is about their decisions. Their approval of funding government's indulgences [or new shiny objects] confirms this councils inability to make sound business decisions. Any council person who approves such expenditures should reevaluate their commitment as a representative of the people.

Jim, I'm not sure under the present city charter the mayor has the authority to correct the problems plaguing the city. At the minimum, I assume the mayor can at least stop department heads from the presenting council with indulgences they seem to approve.

Good luck with your mayoral campaign.

This expenditure for new water meter readings transmissions sounds interesting. However, the cost sounds high. I would like for a council member or administration member to respond to this question-----Has there been any discussion with other utilities such as gas, electric, phone to have one "utility transmitter" with the costs being shared between the participating utilities?

Stan

Can you expound on the "transmitter" situation? My water meter has an outside box installed and the meter reader waves a wand or something up to it to get the current reading. There is no need to come into the house and so the meter reader covers more territory in a shorter amount of time.

Just what are these transmitters supposed to do and how will they save, not just cost, money?

Grace--- what I envision is essentially a "smart" house in terms of data transmission. For instance, in California, Pacific Gas and Electric has two way meters so that a homeowner or utility customer can have all the utility usage available on one device which can also transmit data constantly back to the utility. This can be used simply for informational purposes or for billing purposes. Also, this can be used for Time of Day Rates so you can run a washer/dryer during the nighttime when generating costs are lower and your rates would consequently be lower.
Also, you can monitor and instruct usage remotely, from a smart phone anywhere in the world.
But, my main point or argument is that the hardware for one utility, in this case the Water Department is the same as for all other utilities and with just one installation the costs could be spread out and therefore a proper due diligence of Lakewood would include an exploration of these alternatives.
Stan