The Observation Deck

BoE and City Council meetings on the same night!!!

I know lots of Lakewoodites would like attend both meetings; but cannot.

Let's try to do something about this. Meet me at Root Cafe Saturday morning (November 12) at 8am if you want to be a part of an initial conversation to stop this insanity.

Bring your ideas .. or if you cannot attend, post anything you want added to the discussion here.

Saturday - NOV 10

oops!

Peter Grossetti wrote:BoE and City Council meetings on the same night!!!

I know lots of Lakewoodites would like attend both meetings; but cannot.

Let's try to do something about this. Meet me at Root Cafe Saturday morning (November 12) at 8am if you want to be a part of an initial conversation to stop this insanity.

Bring your ideas .. or if you cannot attend, post anything you want added to the discussion here.

Hi Peter--

I'm not going to be able to be there tomorrow so I wanted to post my suggestion here. (Actually I'm just moving it from the other thread.)

Betsy Voinovich said:

Each of them meet every other week, I think-- so if Mondays are their only good nights, they could stagger the meetings. Council 1st and 3rd, School Board 2nd and 4th.

As I said, there must be something that keeps it from being this simple. Maybe it's been this way for so long no one remembers why.

I doubt that it is part of the City's or the Board of Ed's stated policy to guarantee that members of the community have no way of going to both meetings, or that news media would actually have to have two reporters for that one night in Lakewood in order to adequately cover what is happening in public meetings.

Peter--- please write up what happens and post! Thanks for doing this. You're right-- it's long overdue.

Betsy Voinovich

Hi Peter---

While posting the BOE's schedule for Monday, I remembered this issue. I've been meaning to check in with you. What happened at your meeting? What steps are being taken?
Thanks. I'm very sorry I couldn't be there.

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy Voinovich wrote:Hi Peter---

While posting the BOE's schedule for Monday, I remembered this issue. I've been meaning to check in with you. What happened at your meeting? What steps are being taken?
Thanks. I'm very sorry I couldn't be there.

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy -

A few of us gathered that Saturday morning and commiserated. Just an initial conversation amongst fellow Lakewoodites. Subsequent conversations on the topic with neighbors/friends as I run into them makes me realize that, while this is not at the top of most folks' list-of-things-to-lose-sleep-over, it IS at the very least "troubling." And to fair and honest, there are a number of folks I have come across who feel that the two bodies (BoE and Council) should keep their noses out of the others business. I have been tasked with putting together a first draft of a letter to the presidents of the two bodies to let them know that Lakewood Citizenry is concerned; we urge them to begin discussions to remedy this situation; and many of us are willing to serve in a volunteer capacity on an ad hoc Task Force to champion a solution. (I think I just wrote the outline for my letter)

If any Deck readers have any input .. this is probably the best place to continue the conversation, yes?

Peter

I have to believe you are about as happy as a kid on Christmas!

Did you see, the Lakewood Board of Education took you advice and after many "Executive
Committee Meetings" outside of the public eyes, they opened it up for everyone with a
meeting to discuss just a couple small items.

BUT DID IT ON TUESDAY! Not only did they hold it on a different day, they had it at a time
that even if had on the same day it would have given you time for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
only 6 hours of work(must be a school thing ), and get cleaned up for Council.
7:30 am!

Ask and ye shall receive. Knock and the door is open unto you.

Luckily, they were not talking about anything important. Just railroading a highly suspect
finding through the means to make it happen, before you can blink an eye. I always smile
when Lakewood Democrats act like Republican nationals.

I guess they only do the important stuff like Resolutions at night.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Luckily, they were not talking about anything important. Just railroading a highly suspect finding through the means to make it happen, before you can blink an eye. I always smile when Lakewood Democrats act like Republican nationals.

Jim,

Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.





Every elected official in the City of Lakewood is a Democrat!

Admittedly, I’m just a lowly wash ashore, but I seem to recall you saying over, and over, and over, and over that Lakewood is at its best when both Democrats and Republicans hold elected positions throughout our City.

Carry on with your Republican bashing. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Matt

Indeed


"How happy I could be with either of these two. Especially if the both went away.

My post, my bias, I accept it all 15 Republicans in Lakewood know it, even the three that
moved to River.

My god man, where is the levity in life?

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:My post, my bias, I accept it all 15 Republicans in Lakewood know it, even the three that moved to River.

My god man, where is the levity in life?

Jim,

Well, you and City Hall are working hard to get the remaining 12 to move to River ... or Bay .. or ... anywhere other than here.

Here's your levity ...





Carry on.

Matt

Matt

You know the old joke. "What do you call three Republicans moving to Rocky River...."
"... a good start."

Seriously with Lakewood Democrats at City Hall either being lifelong Republicans until they
sought public office, or just Democrats that think like Republicans, ie, business over people,
why would they need to move?

Peter

I spoke with a BOE member or two yesterday, it would seem that this was a "special" meeting
that needed to be held in 24 hours at 7:30am in the morning, and that this will not be the
usual time for "open public meetings."

However with the School Board having "open public meetings" in Columbus, and at 7:30am
on a workday, after exactly the 24 hour notice making it all seem legal, maybe, just maybe
they could see their way to having them on a different night than council.

That would be great, no longer would people that are interested need to choose. They could
go to either or both. I bet the meetings would go from empty of humans to standing room
only. I mean if there is one thing the city of Lakewood has proven, is given a chance, they
will get involved in large numbers. Wouldn't that be GREAT a room filled with informed
interested residents at every meeting asking questions and speaking. I mean who would
not want that!

Oh yeah, that would be council and the board.

The only elected official that celebrated the law and sunshine week is gone from the board.

Back to small town politics and management.

.