Foundation Task Force to release Community Report

[bentleymike]

Tonight, the Task Force will be releasing it’s Community Engagement Interview Report, and discuss potential structures in its monthly meeting. This will lead into a community forum in November. For more on the progress to date:

http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2017/1 ... nversation

[Mark Kindt]

Mr. Bentley, thank you for your post.

From my perspective as a citizen, voter, resident and taxpayer, I view the process that led to the creation of the foundation as the illegal diversion of valuable and material public assets to a private entity that should not be entitled to receive them.

This is an extraordinary and improper wealth transfer of $32.4 million of moneys that should have been paid to and have been retained by the public treasury.

The process by which these funds were diverted has all of the hallmarks of a shabby "heist" by well-compensated lawyers and consultants.

It involved a secret, non-public process that evaded public bidding requirements.

It involved a secret, non-public process where conflicts of interest were identified by the Ohio Ethics Commission.

It involved illegal deliberations by city council in violation of Ohio sunshine laws.

It involved a vote by a city council that was broadly tainted with obvious conflicts of interest.

It involved the suppression of access to public documents in violation of Ohio sunshine laws.

It involved the highly questionable liquidation of an irreplaceable community asset.

Need I go on?

Who controls the decision to use these funds?

Need I go on?

[Bridget Conant]

I find it amusing how anyone would expect ANYTHING positive out of this foundation or the "task force" put in place to try to legitimize it.

[Bridget Conant]

Community Engagement.

Pretty funny.

[Mark Kindt]

Mr. Bentley, to the extent that you are seeking input on structure, I provide the following recommendations:

1. The Foundation should adopt bylaws that have both broad and restrictive conflict-of-interest provisions to avoid conflicts-of-interest. For example, employees, trustees, vendors and contractors of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation should be prohibited from employment, board seats or funding.

2. The Foundation should adopt bylaws that prohibit the Foundation from making any political contributions in the municipality and in the school district.

3. The Foundation should adopt bylaws that prohibit it from seeking funds, grants, tax revenues or other support from the municipality and the school district.

4. The Foundation should adopt bylaws that prohibit former board members of LHA and LHF and their relatives from employment, board seats or funding for a period of seven (7) years.

5. The Foundation should adopt bylaws that prohibit current and former municipal elected and appointed officials and their relatives from employment, board seats or funding for a period of ten (10) years.

6. The Foundation should set an antitrust policy to ensure that collaborations with other entities do not affect the delivery of services in terms of price coordination, geographical scope, hours of operation or other areas typical of antitrust regulation.

7. The Foundation should set a communications policy that is rigorously committed to actual honesty, openness, transparency and accountability.

I am particularly concerned that the Foundation will misuse its coordination or collaboration functions to impede private sector competition and/or mettle in public policy issues better left to elected representatives.

I am also particularly concerned that the financial and economic needs of the Foundation will induce pressure for local tax increases (as I believe the Master Agreement is already doing.)

The Foundation's origins and genesis were not transparent or open and still have the decided whiff of illegality about them. If it is to serve the best purposes for our community, it needs to do so in a manner that is significantly superior to its creation.

[bentleymike]

I was one of the individuals to conduct these interviews. It was a great learning experience, and wonderful to interact with those on both sides of the hospital debate. Thank you to those who participated.

Make sure to read our report & come to our community conversation on November 15.

Here is the report:http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/CE-Interview-Panel-Final-Report.pdf

Here is the event link for the community conversation: https://www.facebook.com/events/3219145 ... tory%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22dashboard%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22calendar_tab_event%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22dashboard_filter%5C%22%3A%5C%22upcoming%5C%22%7D%22%7D]%2C%22ref%22%3A2%2C%22source%22%3A2%7D

[Lori Allen _]

Why would the citizens of Lakewood ever believe anything presented to them by a committee of hand picked Summer's Gang members?

Notice how the majority of them were Build Lakewood people?

Are the "chosen" ones going to tell us how the allegedly stolen 120 million dollars is going to be spent?

Funny, it appears to be, that, with all the work being done in the city,that the Summer's Gang was trying to dump the allegedly stolen money in a hurry!