The Observation Deck

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:53 am**

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2010 9:14 am**

The letter I sent to Council:

I have attached my resume for your consideration for the open council at large seat of Nickie Antonio. I understand that the seat will become vacant on January 1, 2011 and that if appointed I will have to run for election during the municipal general election in November of 2011.

I am interested in serving on council because:

• I have a family, a home and investments in Lakewood. I care about the City and its future and I think that future is at risk.

• While council and Mayor Fitzgerald have done a fine job in managing City finances there needs to be more strategic thinking. What I mean by strategic thinking is more coordination between cities to challenge the State of Ohio, its mandates and its budget priorities. It’s time for cities to unify their efforts and get some control over their own destinies.

• The recent “reform” movement in Cuyahoga County will result in serious efforts at fake reform. Fake reform will take the form of regionalism for the sake of regionalism. Such changes will weaken local control without providing the framework for a competitive region. City councils will have a large voice in what type of regionalization we end up with. I will offer reasoned opposition to the “bigger is better” mentality.

• Lakewood Hospital is being drained of its people and its resources. It’s time for City Council to demand that the Hospital Board be more than a rubber stamp for the Clinic. The hospital needs to fight for business in the market place. I will ask for more from the Board.

• As a business owner I understand the importance and value of good employees. I also understand that the need for budget discipline which means the ability to say no to the ongoing demands of our unionized workforce. I am willing to fight that fight.

The City of Lakewood is poised to achieve great things if we can seize control of our own destiny. I think I would be a valuable ally in that fight.

Respectfully,

Bill Call

Posted: **Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:25 pm**

Now here is a list with some names. I recognize many and many would do well. Bill, my advice to you in the future is not to criticize Council in your letter. It will surely drop you from contention even if your claims/insights/criticisms are true. It immediately puts people in those positions on defense.

Posted: **Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:27 pm**

Posted: **Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:54 pm**

Posted: **Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:47 pm**

Good luck to all those that applied. I honestly wanted to put my name in the ring, but I figured I would get laughed at. You know, people falling off their chair, peeing their pants laughing!!!! :lol:

Posted: **Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:52 pm**

Missy--- not really. An impressive group has submitted credentials for consideration to the soon to be vacant Council positions.
I have reviewed the submitted resumes. Each offer skills that can benefit Lakewood.
But you, missy, Missy, are one of the few who have actually been out there, doing good things, spending your time,risking your resources, for such a good cause.
In my mind, the only reason why you SHOULDN'T be considered is that you wouldn't be available to accept a new rescue!
You should be one of the evaluators, not an applicant.
Stan

Posted: **Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:59 pm**

Aww Stan thank you so much for the kind words. That means so much to me. When ever I am feeling down, I am going to come back to your kind words for a lift me up. THANK YOU!!!!

Posted: **Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:36 pm**

Stan,

I could not agree with you more! I FINALLY met Missy yesterday picking our kids up from school, my daughter wanted to pet the cute puppy she was holding. She is amazing, so nice to finally put a face ( and a sweet puppy ) with the name...keep doing what you do my friend.

By the way, I did not see my name on that list...hmmmmm.

Posted: **Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:35 am**

As the self-appointed banjo playin' town minstrel, some have said that perhaps, just perhaps, I like to put too much of a positive face on the concerns of Lakewood.

That said, and consistency being the norm with me, I find it amazing and very comforting to see the astonishing amount of names interested in taking the reins of leadership here in Lakewood.

As long as there is such an active interest in matters that concern Lakewood, by so many people, I think that's a really good sign. Thanks Jim, for the updates!

By the way, to echo Stan and Jennifer, I too, think that Missy is a fantastic person!

Back to the banjo....Holiday parties are just around the corner....

Posted: **Fri Dec 03, 2010 9:36 am**

So I'm sorry, but I've got to say it bugs me a bit that the list is so huge, but most of those on it can't be bothered to step up during a regular election cycle?

It's rather depressing. Are most afraid of the light of public elections shining on them...earning the seat by the will of the voters? Why are they only coming out when their selection can be made behind closed doors without the input of the public at large?

I'll be very interested to see how many of those on the list choose to run for the seat in the next election, that will show who really deserves the seat.

I appreciate the fact so many are interested, it just seems a little strange. This is a servant of the people, not something you should only be interested in because you don't have to ask the people for their votes.

Posted: **Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:12 am**

Bryan Schwegler wrote:
It's rather depressing. Are most afraid of the light of public elections shining on them...earning the seat by the will of the voters? Why are they only coming out when their selection can be made behind closed doors without the input of the public at large?

I'll be very interested to see how many of those on the list choose to run for the seat in the next election, that will show who really deserves the seat.

All of your criticisms are valid. So why would so many seek the appointment but not the election?

It’s a lot easier to get elected to council after you are first appointed to council. I don’t know of anyone who was appointed who later lost.

It cost about $7,000 to run a serious race for council, even more for an at large seat. That’s a lot of money to invest in what is probably going to be a lost cause.
This is a Democratic town. There is very little chance a Republican will get elected. Ryan Demro ran a great campaign for Council at Large, worked hard, spent a lot of money and was defeated by Monique Smith who was a virtual unknown. I put my name in anyway because I thought my business experience, education and perspective on City issues would be helpful. Council disagreed so I won’t be getting an interview.

Anyway, I’m giving serious consideration to running next year.

Of course I’m not much of a people person or glad hander so I’m not sure how people will respond. Maybe my wife can campaign as me as the people guy and I will campaign as me as the policy wonk. . :wink:

I guess I could run as a Democratic woman but that seems too great a sacrifice.

Posted: **Sat Dec 04, 2010 3:31 pm**

Jim O'Bryan wrote:CORRECTION

Shawn Juris had sent his name and resume in long before the call for Ward 3, and
he wanted to be only considered for Ward 3 Council seat, and we had him mixed
up with the others that had applied for Council At Large Seat.

Last Minute Additions Mostly For Ward 3
Robert Bond- Submission For City Council
Jacob K. Bell- Submission For City Council
Patrick Duffy- Submission For City Council
Edward F. Herman- Submission For City Council
Michael R. Holyko- Submission For City Council
Shawn Juris- Submission For City Council
Gregory McQueen- Submission For City Council
Pat Metzger- Submission For City Council
James Nagy- Submission For City Council
Jon T. Neuffer- Submission For City Council
Tim Rinehart- Submission For City Council
Jared Shapiro- Submission For City Council
Jeffery Sobieraj- Submission For City Council

Original Applicants and Second Wave.

Who has put their names in for City Council.[/b]
Those in BOLD had their names submitted by the first deadline.
Click on Submission to see what they submitted to Council.

Dan Alaimo- Submission For City Council
Dan Bartos- Submission For City Council
Bill Call- Submission For City Council
Stephen Davis- Submission For City Council
Savannah Dugan- Submission For City Council
Kenneth Farley Jr.- Submission For City Council
Hannah Fritzman Belsito- Submission For City Council
Donnald Heckelmoser Jr.- Submission For City Council
David Howard- Submission For City Council
Tracy Jemison- Submission For City Council
Shawn Juris- Submission For City Council
Kyle Krewson- Submission For City Council
John Litten- Submission For City Council
Carole Lohr- Submission For City Council
Edward McCartney- Submission For City Council
Gaynel Mellino- Submission For City Council
Edward Monroe- Submission For City Council
Ryan Nowlin- Submission For City Council
Jennifer Overstreet- Submission For City Council
Aaron Purdum- Submission For City Council
Daniel Rigney- Submission For City Council
Bryan Rosser- Submission For City Council
Matthew Sattler- Submission For City Council
Daniel Shields- Submission For City Council
David Stadler- Submission For City Council
Kyle Weigand- Submission For City Council

.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the updates on the applicants for Council. This last minute "correction" confuses me.

Mike Summers' seat became open when he was appointed to be mayor, right? He's the Ward 3 Councilman? How could Shawn Juris have put his name in for that position, BEFORE Mike Summers was appointed? Did he know Mike Summers was going to be appointed?

If that information was out there, why put the people of Lakewood through this process of submitting their names for mayor, when the choice had already been made? If that information wasn't out there, why did Shawn Juris think that seat would be open?

Mike Summers hadn't even put his application in to be considered for the position of mayor when Shawn Juris put his name in ONLY for the Ward 3 seat which was NOT VACANT. How did he know that that seat would be available to be applied for, I say again. At that early point, Mike Summers hadn't even put his name in. As it was, he applied at the last minute, after the first application period was closed.

I know I sound paranoid, but I participated in the fake Phase Three Committee, where the people in charge had already decided which schools they wanted us to choose before the committees were even formed, and when the community spoke during a Community Forum and asked for certain criteria, those in charge chose to IGNORE the criteria of the citizens, and go with their original choice, which met none of the criteria of the community. (Once again, Lakewood citizens asked that schools be kept open where there was the greatest density of students, to keep our school district walkable, and make the responsible choice, money-wise. The Board chose the school that would force the most children to walk the furthest, and the choice that was 12 million dollars MORE, supposedly in a time that the Lakewood School District and indeed Lakewood citizens, along with the entire state of Ohio, are strapped for cash.)

So that was a lengthy horrible waste of the citizens' time, while the School Board PRETENDED that an open process was going on. They have no guilt to this day(with the exception of Board Vice President Matt Markling, who chose the same schools that the community chose, criteria-wise) over wasting thousands of hours of busy parents' and community members' time on a sham committee.

This one isn't as lengthy, but why bother putting all of these applicants through this, and getting people in Lakewood excited about the fact that the new mayor could be "any qualified citizen" from among the ranks of many qualified Lakewood citizens, if that was not indeed the process the Council was going to use to choose the mayor?

Shawn Juris put his name in for Mike Summers' seat before most of the applications for mayor could even have been READ by the members of Council, not to mention thinking about them or considering them.

Please let me know if I'm wrong about the timing here, or if I'm wrong to wonder what is going on.

I'm not saying anything about Mike Summers' qualifications to be mayor-- he is not my council person-- though he, along with every other member of the City Council, and the mayor, remained silent while the School Board made decisions based on economic development and city planning, instead of the educational needs of Lakewood's children during the Phase 3 process. No member of the city government spoke up to say, "Hey that's not your job, School Board. If that's what the School Board is doing, who is taking care of the kids? And, School Board, why are you trying to do our job?"

But I don't want to get off the subject, though I know many believe it to be my favorite. What happened during Phase 3 is my least favorite Lakewood subject, but if we don't learn from it, it will all have been a waste.

Is this process to appoint the mayor another fake process? What about the process to appoint Council members? What are they basing that on? Bill, why did you say that the Council won't be giving you an interview? Did they tell you that? Are they interviewing anybody? Do they have any criteria?

What is this for? To make citizens feel like they are being included and listened to, when in reality, they are jumping through hoops and paying attention for nothing?

I am really hoping that this is not the way we start out a new administration and Council for 2011 in Lakewood, even if this is only the interim period.

I am really hoping I got this wrong.

Can anyone provide some clarity?

Betsy Voinovich

Posted: **Sat Dec 04, 2010 6:17 pm**

As we are talking about clarification--does anyone know if everyone who applied to council will be interviewed or is everyone screened first with only those going forward who make the final cut?

Posted: **Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:36 pm**

Kristine Pagsuyoin wrote:As we are talking about clarification--does anyone know if everyone who applied to council will be interviewed or is everyone screened first with only those going forward who make the final cut?

Kristine

There is no laid out process as set by charter, or even council. It is within their power to
appoint anyone simply by any process they agree on. So whatever they do is in addition
to the way it is set now.

Rumors are background checks, and interviews are currently going on as we read this.

I really want to stress there was no process for mayor, and I have no problem with the
way I was treated in that process. Nor am I disappointed with the final outcome. And I
am sure at the end of the day, we will have two new council people.

There are some really good names on the list.

I do hope they interview all the applicants. One of the things I was looking forward to was
an interview and conversation with members of council to share some ideas. I know a
couple of the applicants have some pretty spectacular ideas and it would be squandering a
grate opportunity to not talk with them.

I suppose in the end the most gratifying thing were the many applicants that came forward.
In the mayor's portion we had some people willing to give up some nice paychecks to fill
the gap left by others not so willing to take one for the team. Mike Summers had to think
long and hard about his decision, and how he would handle running the family business.
It wold seem that a proper process would help encourage more people to get involved,
and that could only be a good thing.

FWIW

.

The Observation Deck

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