The Observation Deck

Overall I think Mayor Summers and Council have done a fine job.

Should a really bad decision about Lakewood Hospital cause him and Council members to lose an election?

To what extent are the failures of the Hospital Board and Hospital Foundation a failure of the Mayor and Council?

If he sells out the people and future of Lakewood, then yes, he's toast. If this is, in fact, the failure of the LHA then why does he support it? It seems he's been on board with the CCF from the start and has resisted other options no matter how promising.

One can give council somewhat of a pass since they are part time. I feel there's no giving Summers a pass since it's his full time position to work on behalf of the citizenry. I wonder if the results of the vote will be made public as far as how each member voted.

cameron karslake wrote:If he sells out the people and future of Lakewood, then yes, he's toast. If this is, in fact, the failure of the LHA then why does he support it? It seems he's been on board with the CCF from the start and has resisted other options no matter how promising.

One can give council somewhat of a pass since they are part time. I feel there's no giving Summers a pass since it's his full time position to work on behalf of the citizenry. I wonder if the results of the vote will be made public as far as how each member voted.

Cameron

This was not a proposal from CCF.

It was their answer to Mayor Summers request.

The CCF knows it has a contract through 2026.

As for giving Council a pass, their are elected to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to the
residents of Lakewood, that supersedes all other duties.

.

Related question: In the past, how have Lakewood incumbents who have backed unpopular development proposals fared in their next election?

Dan Alaimo wrote:Related question: In the past, how have Lakewood incumbents who have backed unpopular development proposals fared in their next election?

The election is going to be a referendum on the Letter of Intent.

Does Lakewood want a full service hospital, 1,100 direct jobs, hundreds more jobs as doctors return to Lakewood and the hundreds of millions in business for the City

or does Lakewood want a recreation center?

I've been told that the Mayor is telling various groups and non-profits that if they want a piece of the action they need to support the LOI.

I can only conclude the Mayor and his supporters are eager to get their hands on the $90 million dollars. But for what purpose and for whose benefit?

About three years ago, Mayor Summers asked the Clinic to support a recreation center for Lakewood. In January, 2014, Mayor Summer approached the Lakewood Board of Education about financing a recreation center in Lakewood. In early 2014, Lakewood Hospital Association (LHA) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) concerning Lakewood Hospital. There was no mention of a Recreation Center in the RFP. In April, 2014, the Clinic responded to the RFP by proposing a “Community Center” to be funded with “residual resources.” Where do you think the Clinic got the idea to propose supporting a "Community Center" with hospital money? Do you think that the structure of the LOI can now best be explained by the separate goals of the Cleveland Clinic and Mayor Summers—the Clinic wants to tear down a hospital and the Mayor wants money to fund recreation center?

Brian,

Talk of a recreation center pre-dates Mayor Summers. In late 2009 during Phase III of the Lakewood City Schools master facilities planning process, then Mayor Ed FitzGerald suggested to me that what I “should really be working on” is advocating for moving our Recreation Department away from the schools and under the city’s domain. Then “Lakewood could build a recreation center like the Gemini Center in Fairview Park.” It was implied that my efforts at the time to maintain a centrally located elementary school were being wasted. He went on to say that “most recreation departments are operated under city government.” At the time, I thought this was an odd suggestion and didn’t give it much thought. I was intently focused on the school issue. Then a short time later, long time school board member Linda Beebe proposed that the Grant Elementary property might better serve the community as a recreation center while explaining her 2010 vote to remove it from the master facilities plan. After that vote, it was discovered that Grant Elementary had already been previously removed from the plan by resolution in 2008 under the guidance of The 50 Year Committee, a group of citizens who served during the first two phases of the process. When the board was questioned about that 2008 resolution, it was explained that Grant Elementary was simply named as a place holder until a public process could take place. That process, known as Phase III, was a debacle. Ultimately, Grant was returned to the plan and is currently being rebuilt.

Now that the hospital is under threat and the language in the Letter of Intent implies that “wellness activities” will minimize the need for healthcare services in Lakewood, I find it peculiar that another citizen group, the Active Living Task Force, has been hard at work while talk of a recreation center abounds.

I was opposed to a recreation center in place of a much needed school. I am opposed to a recreation center in place of a much needed hospital. I am not opposed to a recreation center if I can be convinced that we can afford one…and I don’t just mean financially.

Thanks for all the hard work you are doing on this issue.

Where is the talk of the Rec Center occurring other than these boards? - that's what I don't understand.

I'm on the Active Living Task Force and while I don't speak for the group and our recommendations are still being vetted by the citizen members I don't mind saying that there is not a recommendation saying that we should build or need a rec center.

Ben VanLear wrote:Where is the talk of the Rec Center occurring other than these boards? - that's what I don't understand.

I'm on the Active Living Task Force and while I don't speak for the group and our recommendations are still being vetted by the citizen members I don't mind saying that there is not a recommendation saying that we should build or need a rec center.

Ben,

I provided two examples in my previous post of recreation center talk by elected officials that did not take place on this board. More recently, language in the Letter of Intent http://www.onelakewood.com/pdf/2015_Lak ... al_LOI.pdf and MetroHealth Systems’ proposal http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... oheal.html suggest a wellness/community/recreation center in our future. These documents have people talking, not just on these boards but on porches, in coffee shops and in meetings.

Please keep us posted on your work with the Active Living Task Force.

It seems odd that the desire to have a recreation center can cause people to support the dismantling of Grant and the destruction of a hospital but that's where the facts lead us.

I looked on line for any support for the idea that a recreation center is an economic driver in local communities. I haven't found any.

The oddest thing of all is that the moribund Rockport development and surrounding area would be a great location for a recreation center. Instead the Mayor wants to move 1,100 jobs and hundreds of millions of economic activity out of Lakewood to make way for a recreation center.

This is all like a Twilight Zone episode.

It looks like the Mayoral race will be a referendum on replacing the Hospital with a recreation center.

I would like to put this out as part of the discussion.

Since 6th grade I have been a member of the Lakewood YMCA. The "Y" does a good job of meeting the community's needs. It is affordable and accommodations can be made for everybody.
I think now, and have always thought, that the "Y" is the embodiment of democratic and inclusive values in Lakewood.
The "Y" is proven over decades.
Why this idea of a competitor such as the Gemini in Fairview?
Stan Austin

Stan Austin wrote:I would like to put this out as part of the discussion.

Since 6th grade I have been a member of the Lakewood YMCA. The "Y" does a good job of meeting the community's needs. It is affordable and accommodations can be made for everybody.
I think now, and have always thought, that the "Y" is the embodiment of democratic and inclusive values in Lakewood.
The "Y" is proven over decades.
Why this idea of a competitor such as the Gemini in Fairview?
Stan Austin

I guess a rec center would be nice but there is no need to destroy a hospital to get one.

It looks like the Mayoral election will be a referendum.

Do we destroy a hospital to build a rec center?

Bill -- what makes you think that Summers won't run?
He's gonna get whooped, but he doesn't see it.
He has friends and family telling him what a great job he's doing.
He has the Clinic feeding him his script and reassuring him.

Bill....you should realize that many politicians are COMPLETELY delusional.
They get so caught up inside their bubble that they don't see reality.

Examples:
*Ed FitzGerald for Governor
*Bryan Flannery for Governor
*Every 2016 GOP Presidential candidate not named "Bush" or "Walker"
*This just in: "Martin O'Malley for President"

Stan Austin wrote:I would like to put this out as part of the discussion.

Since 6th grade I have been a member of the Lakewood YMCA. The "Y" does a good job of meeting the community's needs. It is affordable and accommodations can be made for everybody.
I think now, and have always thought, that the "Y" is the embodiment of democratic and inclusive values in Lakewood.
The "Y" is proven over decades.
Why this idea of a competitor such as the Gemini in Fairview?
Stan Austin

In March 2013, the Executive Director of the Lakewood YMCA went before council to gauge the level of interest for adding a second location on the east end of town. Reports were that the idea was well received and that the next step would be a feasibility study. Does anyone know if this is moving forward?

Meg Ostrowski wrote:

Stan Austin wrote:I would like to put this out as part of the discussion.

Since 6th grade I have been a member of the Lakewood YMCA. The "Y" does a good job of meeting the community's needs. It is affordable and accommodations can be made for everybody.
I think now, and have always thought, that the "Y" is the embodiment of democratic and inclusive values in Lakewood.
The "Y" is proven over decades.
Why this idea of a competitor such as the Gemini in Fairview?
Stan Austin

In March 2013, the Executive Director of the Lakewood YMCA went before council to gauge the level of interest for adding a second location on the east end of town. Reports were that the idea was well received and that the next step would be a feasibility study. Does anyone know if this is moving forward?

The YMCA was very interested in another site in Lakewood, then nothing.

I wonder, did anyone at City Hall give them the hint: We are going to build a taxpayer subsidized recreation center and put you out of business so get lost.