Wondering about Lakewood Hospital?

The current lease with the clinic expires in 2027. The lease obligates the Clinic to provide very specific services through out the term of the lease.

The question to be asked and ultimately answered is: What should a community based health care service and facility look and behave like in 2028?

The compelling issues to ponder include:

1. Who will pay and how much will be paid and for what service?
2. How will technology continue to change the health care and medical delivery systems?
3. What trends are apparent today that render systems built in the last century obsolete?

(For example, pharmaceuticals have minimized the need for heart bypass surgery. Hip replacements are soon to be done on an outpatient basis. early diagnostics will make prevention the focus rather than intervention(sick in bed).

Once we understand these trends and their implications, we must identify strategies to be implemented  to address them.

This will not be quick nor easy. It will be very interesting and very important to our community and citizens.

We will begin to address all of these issues and questions in 2013. This Fall, the Hospital Trustees will be shaping a framework to lead us to the best solution for Lakewood. Citizens will be engaged in a thoughtful manner.

I believe it is appropriate to begin this thoughtful and complex journey while time is our ally.

As news and information develops, I will share it on this blog.

#1LKWD www.onelakewood.com

Listen to Lakewood - I mean, "TWEET" Lakewood

Attention Gen Y'ers and Millennials of Lakewood!

Ready, Set, Tweet!

Listening to citizens is a very important part of my job. Citizens are my bosses. I have 52,136 bosses. Citizens   provide feedback regarding our service quality. They help identify emerging trends. They spot problems that are difficult to see.  All of which helps us improve.

Thirty five percent of our citizens are between the ages of 20 and 39. This generation of citizens is very connected to their “universe” by using  social media. This generation takes a “virtual” approach to place versus physical place.  Thus, being available via social media is just important, if not more important, than being in the same room.

For all of the above reasons, I am experimenting with a new (to me) communication vehicle to make City Hall more accessible to Citizens.

On Tuesday, August 21  from 5:30-6:30 PM I will be at my keyboard, logged onto Twitter ready to field questions and comments.

"stuck on ready" to tweet!

My twitter handle is @LakewoodMayor

 I am looking forward to Tuesday August 21^st. For this baby boomer, it will be a great adventure.

Future “physical “ Listen –to-Lakewood dates and locations: (all start at 5:30PM)

September 11^th at Mahalls.

October 9^th at Around the Corner

November 13^th at Buckeye Beer Engine

December 11^th at Trinity Lutheran Church

(no comment on 3 bars and one church!)

 #1LKWD  www.onelakewood.com

July 4th Fireworks (or lack thereof!) lessons learned

What happened to our Fireworks? What are you doing to make sure it does not happen again?

For many Lakewood residents, our national holiday of July 4^th is known as our nation’s birthday, yet we also like to think of it as “Lakewood’s Day”.  It is marked by pageantry, family fun, a day to reflect, and much like Thanksgiving, a simple day of celebration that does not require a great deal of preparation, decoration, or planning.

A traditional highlight is our Fireworks display at Lakewood park. This event is seen annually by more than ten thousand in the park, and thousands more from rooftops, porches, lawns and apartments all over Lakewood. 

Fireworks displays became increasingly regulated about 10 years ago. As a result, these displays are almost all ignited electronically. The sequence is controlled by a specialized computer processor that programs the timing of the various ignitions. The Fireworks themselves are packed into closely confined crates. A maze of wires connects everything to the processor board.

The Electronic match

This past July 4^th Fire Chief Gilman and I were monitoring the advancing weather from the West.  We seemed to dodge the storm as it went South and then back East. We could see the lightening to the South.

fireworks rack- packed close- eliminating safe manual ignition

Our biggest threat, however, lay in the complexity of electronics and wires. The test launch worked. The wind was fine. Several shots were fired, with increasing delay between these, and then nothing.  Pytrotecnico, our licensed vendor who provided spectacular shows the previous two years, went into high gear. They swapped out the main lead with two sets of back up wires. They swapped out the main fire control processor with a preprogrammed back up. The lead operator was talking via cell phone, with intermittent service, to the programmer to trouble shoot the problem. All to no avail.

the culprit- firing sequence control board

The whole delay, from first recognition of the problem until I made the decision to cancel the show, lasted 45 minutes.

The biggest criticism heard from citizens was the lack of information throughout the 45 minutes as to the nature of the problem.  I think this is a valid criticism.

 I made an announcement over the pool PA system indicating electronic issues and requested  patience. This information system proved woefully inadequate. The bandstand microphones used by The Lakewood High Rock Orchestra had been all packed up.

As we have reviewed how we could have improved, we have identified several opportunities to get the word out to 10,000 people over 15 acres of park, plus those scattered throughout Lakewood.

1)      We should have tweeted the situation. This would automatically update our Facebook page.

2)      We should have put an immediate update on our website

3)      We should have installed a working PA system in the park.

We should have improved our communication between police and Fire Chiefs and me, as cell phone service proved to be unreliable.

4)      In order to perform the above, we will need to;

a.       Have immediate access to a hardwired internet workstation. The Board of Education has such a workstation in the Pool Pavilion. We will  have prearranged password and user access

b.      We need to upgrade our early warning siren system to include microphone access and speech broadcasting ability

c.       I will carry a public safety police/fire radio.

d.      Have access to the City’s Tweet and website from my cell Phone (already done)

e.      Any PA announcement should be repeated multiple times, with a request to  “pass the word”

f.        Encourage citizens to sign up for alerts and become a city tweet follower. on our website. Approximately 3000 have done so.

I am sure we will continue to think of other improvements. I am grateful we could learn all of the above in a non-emergency situation. Had it been an emergency, we would have triggered the early warning sirens. While this would have indicated an emergency, it would not have provided any information.

 I want to compliment the crowd on the orderly  exit from the park despite being very hot and disappointed. We are working with our vendor to get full credit for this year's costs, and apply them towards a great fireworks display on July 4th, 2013!

We know we can always do better, which is why we will.

#1LKWD  www.oneLakewood.com

What’s up with all of the activity on Detroit?

Our $13 million investment is beginning to pay off!

13 Million dollars?  How was it spent? The investment started in 2004 under Mayor Tom George. The first step was a $3.9 million dollar sewer replacement, paid for with bonds financed by our sewer fees. This was a very smart first step because it required tearing up the entire street. The second step was to resurface the torn up street. This was primarily paid for by the State of Ohio. (Detroit is a State Route). The next big step was the design phase for creating a sense of ‘place”, followed by the traffic signals we are now seeing. 

The pie chart shows the breakout of our investment.

How did we pay for all of this?

The local share of all of this was little more than half of the total. $3.9 million of the $6.7 million of local tax dollars was dedicated to the sewer work mentioned above. The remaining  $2.8 million was our required local participation to get more than $5.8 million of Federal and State grants. 

 The following pie chart shows the break down.

Who did the work?

All of this work took many, many partners. This included the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) which oversees federal transportation money, several private contractors and engineering firms, Baily Building owners, our staff at City Hall, and many dedicated citizens.

What do we have to show for this investment?

We have a structurally sound, upgraded street ready for its 2^nd century. We have traffic signals that will use less energy, allow us to manage and adjust for changing traffic patterns, and will require less maintenance. These signals should be good for 30 years, perhaps more.  

Most importantly, we have a dynamic, revitalized sense of  “‘place” that continues to attract millions in private investment. In fact, there is in excess of $20 million of private investment up and down Detroit.

Was this a good investment? Time will be our best judge- but all of the indicators point to it being superb investment.

#1LKWD  www.onelakewood.com

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Why doesn't government behave more like business?

I am frequently asked about my views and experiences regarding the differences between business leadership and government leadership.  It is a great question and I am in a very unique position to answer it. I spent 32 years in business.  Twenty six of these years were spent owning and operating a mid-sized industrial distribution company. I left the management of this Company on December 31, 2010 and walked into the mayor’s office 24 hours later.

The differences are many, yet the five of the clearest differences I have observed:

business  leadership- more autocratic- I speak,others listen

1.       Ownership:  In government, the owners and customers are the same. Every citizen is an owner and customer, and has a rightful seat at the table. Business has a clear distinction between owners and customers. This is a very important distinction. In business, owners choose their customers by their strategies. Government cannot make this choice. Government must serve all of its customers. The strategic options available to government to manage costs are therefore fewer.

2.       Power and authority: Business is more autocratic. Government in the United States is everything but autocratic, as it should be. This defining characteristic dramatically changes the speed and process of decision making and implementation.  Thus, checks and balances  and the owner/customers having a voice can make for a sometimes chaotic, very lengthy decision timeline.

government leadership - 2nd row- top- listening, more listening

3.       Approach to risk: Businesses must be risk tolerant to succeed. The very essence of business decision making is risk and reward.  Business understands that not all investments will succeed. Business reconciles its setbacks and moves on. Government is risk averse. We are charged with taking the hard earned tax dollars of our owner/customers and making certain that every penny is spent well. Big, bold initiatives are therefore hard to justify. Government mistakes can affect every citizen, not just a “few owners.”  Good ideas that do not pan out are frequently viewed as ‘waste and fraud’. All of these issues foster a decision making culture that favors caution.

4.       Approach to investment:  The essence of investment is to get an expected return. Business can much more easily quantify the cost and return. In government, the returns are frequently “aspirational.” Leaders can seek a desired state of behavior or achievement that may take a very long time in coming. It is more difficult to quantify if and when success is achieved. In government, there are many more variables at play outside of the control of government that will ultimately determine success.

5.       Short term vs. long term thinking: Government leadership is very transitory. I am the fourth mayor in nine years.  With the exception of a few, all of the top managers of our government serve as “At Will” appointees of the mayor. Thus, with each new mayor you can anticipate a turnover of top managers. This makes it very difficult to create and sustain a long term investment view.

Likewise, some other noteworthy differences between government and business are the respective approaches to strategy development processes, customer feedback, suppliers and competitors, performance measurements, organizational development and employee motivation.  These subjects will be a story for another day.

By no means should these differences be viewed as excuses for lesser government performance. Business leadership principles do apply. But not directly.  At the core of both good business and good government is a commitment to goals, great customer service, efficient use of resources and effective implementation of thoughtful strategies. This is exactly what we are endeavoring to do in Lakewood city Government.

#1lkwd  www.onelakewood.com

Volunteer Lakewood: What? Why? How?

Our country is coming off a 60 year run where government has been viewed as the primary solution provider for many of our society’s needs. The fact is that we are looking at a future of less government resources at all levels- Federal, State, and local.

In Lakewood, we have reduced our program and service at the margins. The good news is that “the margins’ means we have and will continue to focus on service excellence at our core mission: Public Safety (police, fire, Emergency Medical Service), Public works (streets, parks, water, sewer and refuse), Building and Housing safety, Economic Development and Specific Human Service programs. All of these must and will focus on the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens.

But what about the smaller specific programs that serve a smaller number of citizens? The honest answer is that these services are at risk if we continue to rely on government as the answer. These services include snow shoveling, back yard refuse pick up, and lawn care for some senior citizens. It could include transportation as RTA shrinks. Other services include social support for dislocated families. Some of our nonprofit social support agencies such as Lakewood Community Service Center, which provides food and shelter for needy citizens, reports  a disturbing trend of seeing  past volunteers who are now their clients.

Lakewood is fortunate. We do not have to look far to see needs or travel far to help. It is not hard to spot someone in need.   The need could exist with a senior citizen on you block who needs an occasional ride to a medical appointment. It could include a neighbor with a physical limitation who may need occasional help with lawn care, snow removal, bringing the refuse container to/from the street, or some basic house repair. It could be more formal by volunteering at one the local service providers listed on the city’s web page.

The needs are growing, and the resources are scarcer than ever. This trend will not lessen for years to come, if ever.
Each of us who are more fortunate have an opportunity to help. Government is not the answer in many of these needs. Government, can, and in Lakewood’s case, will help match needs with helpers. Neighborhoods are made by neighbors.

Volunteer Lakewood is an attempt to create awareness of local needs.  You can be a solution: low cost and very efficient.  Start with http://www.onelakewood.com/volunteer/

Check out the list. Find a need that makes sense for you. Give it a shot. Please.

#1LKWD  www.onelakewood.com

When is direct intervention in a neighborhood by a government (at any level) justified and appropriate?

   Why would the City Purchase 3 boarding Houses?

Starting in the 1920’s and continuing through the 1980’s, boarding houses had a place in Lakewood’s housing mix. These boarding houses offered affordable rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. Transient residents- newly arrived or temporarily dislocated persons could find very modest and affordable living accommodations in a city that was safe, easily accessible by mass transit, and most of life’s necessities could be purchased within walking distance.

1436 Grace Boarding House: 6 roomers

As Ohio and our region’s population growth became negative, the market forces provided many more options for these residents. By the year 2000, the demand for this type of housing applied more to individuals dislocated from mainstream life. Demands for city services such as police, Emergency medical, building and Housing, and fire safety grew substantially.  The surrounding neighborhoods were forced to deal with increasing  levels nuisance activity, and therefore a threat these entire neighborhoods. Ward 4 Councilperson  Mary Louise Madigan and Ward 2 Councilperson Tom Bullock each handled hundreds of complaints from nearby residents.

1446 Mars Boarding House: 8 roomers

How does this cycle get corrected? Who would have the economic capacity and incentive to challenge these trends? The current owners of these boarding houses would not have this incentive. Only the Lakewood Local Government (City Council and Mayor) could and would step in.

Opportunity presented itself when a Grace Ave resident brought to my attention that The Grace Ave Property might be for sale. To make a long story short, our government recognized and took advantage of a once in a generation opportunity to purchase these properties and reintroduce them in their original form which were as single family homesteads.

Newman and Madison Ave Boarding House: 15 roomers

While this is a very aggressive move, it is clear to me that there are unique and compelling circumstances which makes this appropriate governmental action. Government is obligated to identify and protect to collective good of all.  The private sector has no such charter.   Government’s broader duty allows it to take a longer view, and can put heavy weight on opportunity cost and, as in this case, the stabilization of values of all other homes in the neighborhood. It does so with confidence that the return will be evident in the pocketbooks of these neighbors. No private sector investor could make such a justification.

We expect to get most of the taxpayer’s money back by reselling these properties with deed restrictions preventing them from use other than single family, or possibly two family homes. But Profit is not our motive.  Neighborhood stabilization and enhancement is our goal.

This was government doing some of its best work.

#1lkwd  www.onelakewood.com