The Observation Deck

I was wondering what other people were thinking of the state of Lakewood. I had serious doubts when I heard how many cuts were being made and to what departments.

Recently I have walked sections of the city, and the overall look and feel is that the Ed FitzGerald Administration is achieving good results with a much leaner City Hall. (Please note that I am not a user of Health and Human Services)

Birdtown was quiet and very well groomed. House were looking as good if not better than we remembered in the past. City gardens are looking good. Adopt a spots are still adopted and looking good. Recently I have noticed street sweepers on Detroit and Madison.

I believe that the civic groups like Mains Street, LIA, LEAF, Bike Lakewood, MAMA have kicked it up a notch making Lakewood more fun this summer. Which always helps with perception. The new Library and schools have made others in the region take notice and wonder how we are doing it.

I have had to depend on division of streets and parks and both did great jobs with less. While talking with store owners, residents and residents that moved and returned for vacation or to live. All seem to think Lakewood is better, but all say it very nervously, while looking for wood to knock on.

While we have been lucky having no stand-offs this year, the streets seem quieter and safer to walk. Not that they were out of control. We have heard some complaints on the parks, but we have had those in the past, but the parks like Lakewood, when they need to be looked great.

What is your opinion?

Better? How?

Worse? Why?


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Jim O'Bryan wrote:Recently I have walked sections of the city, and the overall look and feel is that the Ed FitzGerald Administration is achieving good results with a much leaner City Hall. (Please note that I am not a user of Health and Human Services).

The City will need to cut another 20 jobs to avoid a deficit. It would be better all around if there was cooperation from the unions but there isn't and there won't be. If the City cuts those 20 jobs it will still employ more people than it did 25 years ago.

Jim O'Bryan wrote: Birdtown was quiet and very well groomed. House were looking as good if not better than we remembered in the past. City gardens are looking good. Adopt a spots are still adopted and looking good. Recently I have noticed street sweepers on Detroit and Madison. .

Just the other day I was thinking the same thing. The general look of the City is clean and peaceful. I think the administration deserves a good deal of credit for the look of public areas. The parks, streets, etc. A City like Lakewood needs a Mayor and support staff that walk or ride around the City with an eye out for what needs to be cleaned up, picked up or rounded up. It's management by walking around. A good concept.

The other aspect is the general decline in housing prices across the country. People are staying put. Fixing up. Sprucing up. The no credit, no money, no problem, housing houisng boom caused unnatural churning in the housing market.

That means we have a quiet interlude that offers an opportunity to make real improvements. If we take advantage of it. The real struggle will come when (if) the administration takes on the challenge of development. Is the administration going to rest on its foundation or establish a vision for the future? (That's not a criticism. I happen to think they are doing a fine job. But what have they done for me lately?

Jim O'Bryan wrote:While we have been lucky having no stand-offs this year, the streets seem quieter and safer to walk. .

There was a standoff in Middleburg Heights recently, a police officer shot in Twinsburg, rapes in Strongsville etc. Do the people in those communities shout the sky is falling? Cowboy up people.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I have had to depend on division of streets and parks and both did great jobs with less.

I have to give kudos to the division of streets. I used their new form to report pot holes on my street and literally within 2 days, they were all patched.

To be honest, I was shocked at how responsive it was, consdering I was expecting it to take a very long time (if it all given the way most governmet beaurocracies work). Definitely beat my expectations.

As for the rest, I agree, I think the city is doing quite well and Ed, Council, and the city employees should all be proud of what they've accomplished given the difficult circumstances.

Bill Call wrote:The real struggle will come when (if) the administration takes on the challenge of development. Is the administration going to rest on its foundation or establish a vision for the future?

To be honest, given the massive eroding of the foundation that happened under the previous administration of Tom George, I'm more than happy if all we do is get ourselves on solid footing again.

Development should only be a priority after the basics are stabilized and secure. Negotiating with developers from a position of strength rather than desperation will get the best results.

Unfortunately I had two different fights occur in the school parking lot across the street yesterday. Both by the same group of kids.

However, I'm greatful that I live in a community that still has good neighbors that come out of their homes to stop these things. It was nice to know that my wife and I were not alone out there.

And again, Kudos to the Lakewood Police, who when called (even though it happened right at shift change) were still very responsive.

The strength of ANY city is always determined by it's citizens, not it's administration.

On my way home from doing errands this morning I saw people cleaning weeds from the cracks between the sidewalks and brick along Detroit Ave. I'm assuming these were Community Service folks.

In addition, I am so happy that Riverside Dr. from Detroit up to right at the curve that starts the guardrail is being redone.

Whenever I drove down that street I was very happy I had a Jeep.