The Observation Deck

Bill Call wrote:https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/city-lakewood-ohio-agrees-improve-sewer-systems-reduce-discharges-raw-sewage

Bill

As a long time resident I am sure you remember this issue going all the way back to the Cain administration, then George Administration 1, when the cost of the project was an estimated 5.7 million dollars. Then into the FitzGerald administration, when Ed kicked it down the road, because the EPA was busy suing Akron at the time. I believe we were the fourth of fifth city on the EPA list. It was also ignored by the Summers administration when it was an estimate $50 million to fix. All of it reported here with the exception of the Cain adminstration.

What should also be noted is that the FitzGerald/Summers Administrations knew of the bill while liquidating $283 million dollars in public assets. Which include off loading many $$$$$ and favors to election supporters, and friends. I personally posted, "Why are we selling off everything for $1.00 when we have a massive EPA project looming?

Of course, Build Lakewood, what is now 3 Arches, and other groups pushed to liquidate everything, especially the 3 -Arches gang that got nearly enough from our coffers to pay for the EPA project.

But now, everyone has chosen to forget who really sold our asses down the river.

So now the Holespital lost will hit $375,000,000.00 which both you and I argued was bill we could not afford.

The answer is simple, have 3-Arches pay for the project, after all they were the ones to get the lion share of funds set asside to keep the hospital going.

Is there a better example of health spending then giving Lakewoodites our money back.

Lakewod's short term memory loss is really getting embarassing.

peace

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Bill Call wrote:https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/city-lakewood-ohio-agrees-improve-sewer-systems-reduce-discharges-raw-sewage

Bill

As a long time resident I am sure you remember this issue going all the way back to the Cain administration, then George Administration 1, when the cost of the project was an estimated 5.7 million dollars. Then into the FitzGerald administration, when Ed kicked it down the road, because the EPA was busy suing Akron at the time. I believe we were the fourth of fifth city on the EPA list. It was also ignored by the Summers administration when it was an estimate $50 million to fix. All of it reported here with the exception of the Cain adminstration.

What should also be noted is that the FitzGerald/Summers Administrations knew of the bill while liquidating $283 million dollars in public assets. Which include off loading many $$$$$ and favors to election supporters, and friends. I personally posted, "Why are we selling off everything for $1.00 when we have a massive EPA project looming?

Of course, Build Lakewood, what is now 3 Arches, and other groups pushed to liquidate everything, especially the 3 -Arches gang that got nearly enough from our coffers to pay for the EPA project.

But now, everyone has chosen to forget who really sold our asses down the river.

So now the Holespital lost will hit $375,000,000.00 which both you and I argued was bill we could not afford.

The answer is simple, have 3-Arches pay for the project, after all they were the ones to get the lion share of funds set asside to keep the hospital going.

Is there a better example of health spending then giving Lakewoodites our money back.

Lakewod's short term memory loss is really getting embarassing.

peace

Truth! The Summers Administration was a sad story by almost any measure. They all understood that they had a massive unfunded and unreported federal liability for sewer and wastewater compliance while they let non-profits walk with tens of millions of dollars in assets and funds leaving an empty, polluted hole abandoned by the crony developer once the hospital was demolished.

Worse...all within months of the arrival of a global pandemic of historic impacts. The hundreds of residents that died in Lakewood from Covid in the past 3 years might have been aided by the public hospital that once upon existed.

Oh, and that EPA Press Release? OUCH !

Mark Kindt wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Bill Call wrote:https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/city-lakewood-ohio-agrees-improve-sewer-systems-reduce-discharges-raw-sewage

Bill

As a long time resident I am sure you remember this issue going all the way back to the Cain administration, then George Administration 1, when the cost of the project was an estimated 5.7 million dollars. Then into the FitzGerald administration, when Ed kicked it down the road, because the EPA was busy suing Akron at the time. I believe we were the fourth of fifth city on the EPA list. It was also ignored by the Summers administration when it was an estimate $50 million to fix. All of it reported here with the exception of the Cain adminstration.

What should also be noted is that the FitzGerald/Summers Administrations knew of the bill while liquidating $283 million dollars in public assets. Which include off loading many $$$$$ and favors to election supporters, and friends. I personally posted, "Why are we selling off everything for $1.00 when we have a massive EPA project looming?

Of course, Build Lakewood, what is now 3 Arches, and other groups pushed to liquidate everything, especially the 3 -Arches gang that got nearly enough from our coffers to pay for the EPA project.

But now, everyone has chosen to forget who really sold our asses down the river.

So now the Holespital lost will hit $375,000,000.00 which both you and I argued was bill we could not afford.

The answer is simple, have 3-Arches pay for the project, after all they were the ones to get the lion share of funds set asside to keep the hospital going.

Is there a better example of health spending then giving Lakewoodites our money back.

Lakewod's short term memory loss is really getting embarassing.

peace

Truth! The Summers Administration was a sad story by almost any measure. They all understood that they had a massive unfunded and unreported federal liability for sewer and wastewater compliance while they let non-profits walk with tens of millions of dollars in assets and funds leaving an empty, polluted hole abandoned by the crony developer once the hospital was demolished.

Worse...all within months of the arrival of a global pandemic of historic impacts. The hundreds of residents that died in Lakewood from Covid in the past 3 years might have been aided by the public hospital that once upon existed.

Mark

And let's not forget the break up and eventual closing of Lakewood's Department of Health, something we have learned is nearly impossible to start-up again.

FitzGerald/Summers, and cohorts care little for Lakewood or Lakewoodites, only what they can carry off for their own enrichment.

An outrage.

I agree with both if you.

The $85 million is just for the next 10 years.

The total is going to be more like $375 million.

$300 water bill!

Build Lakewood!!!!

The $65 million in City funds transferred to the Healthy Lakewood Foundation and Three Arches Foundation are gone forever.

Bill Call wrote:I agree with both if you.

The $85 million is just for the next 10 years.

The total is going to be more like $375 million.

$300 water bill!

Build Lakewood!!!!

The $65 million in City funds transferred to the Healthy Lakewood Foundation and Three Arches Foundation are gone forever.

Bill the money was transferred to Three-Arches, many of the original board fought for the closing of the hospital, just to get their hands on those funds.

Healthy Lakewood Foundation is a very open, very public non-profit, their money stays in Lakewood, unlike three-arches.

It should be mentioned that Three-Arches has continuously asked Healthy Lakewood to spend down their $$$$$ by putting them in Three-Arches.

Some of these people have no shame.

.

The EPA report does not even count the fecal matter that’s being dumped into the lake by the all green city from the outflows in every severe rain storm. It defines oxymoron, the Lakewood City Council closes its only hospital that services 52,000 souls and they give the assets to two for profit organizations; Healthy Lakewood Foundation, and Three Arches Foundation which are total useless to resident’s health care. It does make you wonder about the vested interest that were involved in these decisions.

The only relationship between the hospital and the sewage line infrastructure is the scores of years the city been under Democrat management. The residents and businesses, have paid tens of millions of dollars into capital improvements charges that were in their sewer bills over decades, but the inept and inert city councils, and administrations have used the funds for repairs and expanding the number city employees standing around to oversee private contractors perform the work.

The city realm had grown to a dynasty of 600 full time employees, one for every 87 man, woman, and child with the vast majority of them living outside the city due to our tax rate. In comparison Elyria, with population of 54,000 that employees only 228 full time employees. Reduce the work force by 372, will save the city $25,370,000 plus or $25 million a year. That will solve the financial problem and the city can either continue to waste money with social services or get real about rebuilding the city’s infrasture.

I understand where everyone is coming from, but too many of these threads always lead back to the Hospital. Talk to any young person newer to Lakewood, and they don't really even care, think it is just us old farts complaining about what we once had. . .

Personally, I think it's time we try to move on, constantly bitching about what happened and the consequences doesn't change anything.

I've learned a lot of life lessons after dying and being resuscitated - mainly, living in the past and thinking about "what could have been" is a waste of the time that we have left. My mother used to say, "you've got to play the hand you were dealt"

Amy Martin wrote:I understand where everyone is coming from, but too many of these threads always lead back to the Hospital. Talk to any young person newer to Lakewood, and they don't really even care, think it is just us old farts complaining about what we once had. . .

Personally, I think it's time we try to move on, constantly bitching about what happened and the consequences doesn't change anything.

I've learned a lot of life lessons after dying and being resuscitated - mainly, living in the past and thinking about "what could have been" is a waste of the time that we have left. My mother used to say, "you've got to play the hand you were dealt"

Amy

I understand people wanting to move on. Mostly the people that dug the hole we are now in.

I think it helps understand that the city was solvent, and able to handle these things until the last two administrations raided ALL of Lakewood's assets.

Why does it matter? Well I know of at least two people deeply involved in the scheme getting ready to run for office.

Those who do know know or understand history will surely live it and cause it again.

The quote at the top of this issue of the Lakewood Observer...

“Collective fatigue from talking about something does not make it go away.” Ali Velshi MSNBC

For the record most people still do not understand the Hospital ws not closed by the Clinic, but by Ed FitzGerald, Mike Summers, John Litten, Mary Louise Madigan looking for a way to siphon off the money in LHA and close a hospital making at least $5 million a year. It was never about healthcare it was always about the LHA cash, and their own interest.

Let's not forget the $7.5 million from the Jacobs estate that was squandered by the Summers Administration, and the fact they wanted the city to float another $7 mill for their development, plus the $283 million in accounted for assets and we start to talk real money. I mean it is not like the $85 million they knew we owed when they looted the funds.

FWIW

.

This issue has me scratching my head. In 2019 the City of Lakewood was recognized for its national leadership with Clean Water Act compliance based on its long-term plan for investments in improving and securing water quality and sewer treatment. What’s changed?

[url]https://patch.com/ohio/lakewood-oh/lakewood-mayor-receives-environmental-award[/url]

I'm with Richard Baker on the majority of his comments.

I will add this observation: While Republican office holders may not have done better (had they been elected), I simply cannot imagine them doing worse that what has actually occurred under multiple Democratic city administrations.

Almost everything that I have written here since 2016 describes epic public policy failures. --That I documented with actual public documents and email--

I've moved on from the former hospital issues and now view Lakewood as a city that has essentially "red-lined" itself over the past decade.

A non-hospital example of that redlining was the failure of the Summers Administration to lobby sufficiently to participate in federal programs that would have provided special tax-relief for certain business activities.

I wrote about this failure a number of years ago.

Until recently in historic terms, Lakewood was governed by Republicans.

The sewer systems that cause these sewer outflows were installed during that time.

This is not to blame the Republicans: It would take someone of Mr. Baker's intellect to make that kind of connection. In my view, they installed systems that were the norm at the time. Now it falls to us to clean up after them.

Lakewood sewer system has always had outflows, they are there to protect the sewer lines from being damaged by hydraulic pressures during severe storms, and they will remain after the city cleans up the mess it made.

The hospital closing and council members that approved this fiasco should never be forgotten, we learn from history and it's a reminder to residents they should never allow it to happen again. A mayor does not have the authority to close a hospital, the funding, number city employees, etc. etc. The city council has that authority and responsibility, therefore, direct the blame at the people who served on the council.

Clean water awards is for the potable water results from tests performed at various locations and nothing to do with sewer discharge. Clean water awards are like a Shakespearian play, fiction. The City of Lakewood has replaced main water lines but left lead service lines to residents to insure children have their daily heavy metal intake. The resident cannot replace these lines they are under the streets. Lakewood does not even pump it's own water, it's provided by the Cleveland Water District. Reminds me of the City's declaration of all green electric power to the city buildings. The City pays a premium rate, but not one KW is from green energy production, again demonstrating their ingenuous.

Everyone is missing the point, Lakewood residents and businesses have paid sewer bills for scores of years that contained charges for capital improvements/replacement, but was squandered on maintenance and personnel. Had Lakewood applied for federal government grant to repair or replace the sewer lines from storm water infiltration in the 1980s, if approved, it would have covered 80 percent of the costs.

I'm not sure who has been running the asylum, but they have convinced the council or mayor of their naivety that it's essential to have twice the number of people on city payroll as necessary to provide services while the infrastructure falls into disrepair.

Richard Baker wrote:Lakewood sewer system has always had outflows, they are there to protect the sewer lines from being damaged by hydraulic pressures during severe storms, and they will remain after the city cleans up the mess it made.

The hospital closing and council members that approved this fiasco should never be forgotten, we learn from history and it's a reminder to residents they should never allow it to happen again. A mayor does not have the authority to close a hospital, the funding, number city employees, etc. etc. The city council has that authority and responsibility, therefore, direct the blame at the people who served on the council.

Clean water awards is for the potable water results from tests performed at various locations and nothing to do with sewer discharge. Clean water awards are like a Shakespearian play, fiction. The City of Lakewood has replaced main water lines but left lead service lines to residents to insure children have their daily heavy metal intake. The resident cannot replace these lines they are under the streets. Lakewood does not even pump it's own water, it's provided by the Cleveland Water District. Reminds me of the City's declaration of all green electric power to the city buildings. The City pays a premium rate, but not one KW is from green energy production, again demonstrating their ingenuous.

Everyone is missing the point, Lakewood residents and businesses have paid sewer bills for scores of years that contained charges for capital improvements/replacement, but was squandered on maintenance and personnel. Had Lakewood applied for federal government grant to repair or replace the sewer lines from storm water infiltration in the 1980s, if approved, it would have covered 80 percent of the costs.

I'm not sure who has been running the asylum, but they have convinced the council or mayor of their naivety that it's essential to have twice the number of people on city payroll as necessary to provide services while the infrastructure falls into disrepair.

Richard

Nice to have you back on earth again, missed you. Nice post.

I do not have the actual numbers but I have been writing a piece about the service departments in Lakewood. This was started by head of City Services Roman Duco getting an award nearly a year ago. He had asked the city to keep it on the down low as he feels his award is the work of others under him. A great attitude I understand.

What shocked me as I went through the departments is just how few city workers we actually have. Nearly half of what there was back in the Madeline Cain days. There are many reasons a major one is that garbage trucks now lift the canisters themselves. And the loss of our Health Department.

Lakewood both applied for grants, and made improvements. But not fast enough. Meanwhile they were watching the EPA and how they handled these issues. You can go back and do a search for the various cities the EPA has taken to court. Usually a ten year fight, with an understanding and a fine at the end.

I believe that this is where we are at. Unwilling to kick the can down the road any longer, we are getting ready to work with the EPA, and get the work done. Let's not forget this bill would have been under $5 million 5 mayors ago. Inflation has taken a toll.

The good news is there is a plan in place to get the work started, and there is money available from various funds to help pay the bill, not the entire bill but the bill. As you know being a former mayor then there are many ways to finance this work, like bonds. Lakewood bonds are looking OK right now, and now might be the time to move on that.

I'll have more after I talk with the EPA next week.

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