The Observation Deck

I wasn't sure I accidentally connected to a used car lot web page or the City of Lakewood. What is this, a lot of marketing spin, no information and difficult to find where to look website? If you want to look up the City of Lakewood ordinances you have to go to a third party website with a disclaimer. It was a reminder of years past when people had to look at a friend’s family slides for an hour. I think the city officials should look closely at their sister city in Colorado website.
What is this issuing more residential permits than ever before? The city is built out unless God started making more land. There are no large sections of undeveloped land where the deer roam and I can attest in Lakewood they roam in someone’s yard. The only way the city is issuing more residential permits is through the attrition of single family residential homes, offering ten year tax exemptions to box car developments or the school district eliminating neighborhood schools.
Perhaps the sales pitch is a veiled attempt to overcome the cities property tax rates but I doubt its future success because the City felt the need to offer 10 year tax exemptions on $700,000 condos. Just a thought as we get nailed for 15 percent property tax increase

I agree. Whoever is responsible for the new city website should be fired as soon as possible--and the person who hired them.

I lodged a complaint on the website soon after it was launched.

I would encourage everyone who thinks the same about the website to lodge a complaint.

Problem: The site is so bad and there is no way of knowing they receive the complaint.

I inquired about this a little over a month ago. Below is the response I got from the city. I considered responding, but then thought, "why waste any more brain cells on this guy?"
Guess I should be happy I even got a response!
____

Leo,

Thanks for sharing your concerns.

The new website is designed to be organized by subject not by department, as was the previous website. A key feature is the variety of searches that can be performed: A-Z by subject, Contact city Hall (by subject), and Search (by key word)- note screen print below.

It is our goal to use key words that you might use. Therefore, I ask that you share particular searches with us that have been less than fruitful. Indicate the terms you used and what you were looking for. We can easily add these terms to the “meta data” that is used to guide these searches.

We have also added in the front page common or currently popular search subjects such as the hospital to further facilitate citizen access.

All of the information on the previous sight was ported over to the new site, so it is all there, plus more each day. Please help us to help you by sharing your frustrations so that we might improve this site.

Incidentally, we paid $20,400 to develop and design the new site. We are doing all of the cross referencing internally. We can make this site better, with you and other citizen’s input. Most importantly, its framework is very flexible so that we can make these changes easily. This was not the case with the old site.

I hope that addresses your concerns.

Michael P Summers
Mayor, City of Lakewood, Ohio
216-529-6600
Mike.summers@lakewoodoh.net
_____

Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2015 11:16 PM
To: Summers, Mike
Cc: Leo Wetula
Subject: City of Lakewood Website

Just to let you know, the City of Lakewood's new website format renders the website practically useless. Whatever information there may be on the website (much less than previously it appears) is impossible to find. It is almost as if the city is intentionally trying to hide information. Was someone paid to implement this new design? What a complete waste and disservice to Lakewood residents.

Leo Wetula

Leo,

That is priceless! You just can't make this stuff up!

So instead of arranging things logically and by category so we can see what were looking for, everything is hidden and we need to be creative in our searches---but if the searches don't work--just write him and they will test it and...."you can help us help you" Let's have every user get involved in a project we already paid $20K for. LOL! One Big Ball of Confusion!

Brilliant!!!

This is just like Summers' restructuring the Planning, Housing and Building departments and making them a ball of confusion too---put someone in charge of it all that doesn't communicate plans well, let alone has no plan.

Brilliant!!!

What a mess!

“There is a time to laugh and a time not to laugh, and this is not one of them.”
Inspector Jacques Clouseau

I tried to look up something fairly basic and innocuous - I think council members? And it took me clicking through a dozen pages and several minutes of searching for the search box and maybe 3-4 minutes to find what I wanted. SOOOOOOO helpful

The website is a perfect reflection of the administration we have - secretive, confusing, obfuscating, and condescending. The less we know, the better, it seems.

The new city web page is nothing but another campaign site for Summers. He should be listing a part of the cost for this site under his campaign expenditures!

The new website is like the ”I’m Feeling Lucky” button on the Google main page.

Here is one unexpected gem that recently found:

http://vision.onelakewood.com/

http://vision.onelakewood.com/focus-are ... -wellness/

Where We Are Today

The health of our community is maintained in a number of ways. Lakewood Hospital, supported by the Cleveland Clinic, provides world-class care in Downtown Lakewood. We are also well served with regard to food access with six grocery stores and two farmers markets. In 2012, the city offered 220 community meals, and two community churches hosted summer lunch programs….

OBJECTIVES

Enhancing Existing Assets (click “+” sign)

• Enhance infrastructure to support active lifestyles including sidewalks, bikeways, open space, and parks
• Ensure that Lakewood Hospital continues to be an asset in our community
• Build on recreational programming to address community needs
• Ensure that all residents have convenient access to healthy, affordable food

So, has the Mayor changed his stance on Lakewood Hospital? I guess he must have because the city’s own vision, presumably drafted under Mayor Summers, states that one of the city’s objectives is to ensure the continued existence of Lakewood Hospital (I guess liquidating Lakewood Hospital does not sound as inspiring).
Seriously, did the city actually pay someone to draft this “vision” (either city employees of consultants)?

Leo Wetula wrote:The new website is like the ”I’m Feeling Lucky” button on the Google main page.

Here is one unexpected gem that recently found:

http://vision.onelakewood.com/

http://vision.onelakewood.com/focus-are ... -wellness/

Where We Are Today

The health of our community is maintained in a number of ways. Lakewood Hospital, supported by the Cleveland Clinic, provides world-class care in Downtown Lakewood. We are also well served with regard to food access with six grocery stores and two farmers markets. In 2012, the city offered 220 community meals, and two community churches hosted summer lunch programs….

OBJECTIVES

Enhancing Existing Assets (click “+” sign)

• Enhance infrastructure to support active lifestyles including sidewalks, bikeways, open space, and parks
• Ensure that Lakewood Hospital continues to be an asset in our community
• Build on recreational programming to address community needs
• Ensure that all residents have convenient access to healthy, affordable food

So, has the Mayor changed his stance on Lakewood Hospital? I guess he must have because the city’s own vision, presumably drafted under Mayor Summers, states that one of the city’s objectives is to ensure the continued existence of Lakewood Hospital (I guess liquidating Lakewood Hospital does not sound as inspiring).
Seriously, did the city actually pay someone to draft this “vision” (either city employees of consultants)?

Hurry, get some screen grabs, Leo!

How long until Team Summers and Build Lakewood cause City Hall to destroy this evidence?

This is the kind of government activity that has started civil wars.

Last week I saw a Shred-it truck heading westbound down Detroit Avenue. I assumed that they probably had just made a stop at City Hall. I heard that the city's electric bill quadrupled this past month. So many shredders, so little time! Are the tax payers paying for overtime? Maybe some of our City Hall employees could shred while they are looking on the Observer. Of course, that would mean multi-tasking!