Health Services Shifting to County Agency

In a busy week for council, historic action was taken at the regular Monday meeting and the presentation of the Public Safety Initiative was heard at the committee of the whole on Wednesday.

Michael Dever is starting to imprint his style on meetings with a signature opening. In this case it was “Good evening. I’m Michael Dever, President of Lakewood City Council. Welcome to the April 21, 2008 meeting.” In the past, an abrupt, “the meeting will come to order,” usually served as a public salutation...

As a budget cutting measure, Lakewood’s City Council has passed an emergency resolution to end trash collection in Lakewood, effective April, 1st. Councilman Mike Summers, as chair of Council’s Finance Committee, has consistently made it clear that Lakewood can no longer afford business as usual. Trash removal became a target for budget cuts. He challenged the Fitzgerald administration, and fellow council members to come up with a solution.

At the end of the week Lakewood City Council wrapped up an extensive series of budget hearings. Council also had a look at the first phase of a performance audit conducted by the Auditor of State...

Several years ago Dennis Albrecht assumed the position of City Engineer for Lakewood. One of his first major tasks was to implement an objective, engineering based evaluation of all the city’s streets. This evaluation was then used to rank the streets so that repairs and rebuilding could be prioritized. It also made street repaving less subject to politics and more responsive to actual needs. Albrecht was able to bring his background at the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to bear on this project. Albrecht will be returning to ODOT to assume a major supervisory position...

Council president Mike Dever called the February 19, 2008 meeting to order at 7:36 PM. The first order of business was a resolution presented by Dever (at large) commending Thomas J. George for his public service as Mayor of Lakewood.

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The beginning of the year brings the departure of board and commission members and the appointment of new members. Resolutions offered by Dever to council commended the service of two members of the Board of Building Standards/Architectural Board of Review/Sign Review Board. The two members who completed a full five-year term were George Kubas II, and Traci Nelligan. During their tenure they served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of that body...

At 7:34 Council President Dever called the January 22, 2008 meeting to order. The first docket item was the committee of the whole report which recommended appointing Brian Powers to the vacant council at large seat. Council received the report then passed a resolution to appoint Powers to fill the remaining two years of that seat’s term...

At 7:30 PM January 7, 2008 Mike Dever (at large) called the council meeting to order. By virtue of being the longest serving member of council the job fell to him to open the meeting. After the roll call, pledge to the flag, and moment of silence Dever then called for nominations for the post of President of Council...

At the final City Council meeting of the year, the Lakewood City Council and Lakewood Mayor, Thomas George, combined to present a special resolution to congratulate and honor Geiger’s for “…75 years of civic involvement in our community and for Geiger’s dedication to the ideals of the city of Lakewood and its citizens. The City of Lakewood wishes to express its gratitude to the Geiger family...

It’s a new season, a new council, and a new administration and Lakewood City Council will execute a triple play. It will organize itself, appoint a new member, and make a budget.

City Council report.

Lakewood Christian Service Center Celebrates 25th

In the political world having the year of an election follow your name is generally a campaign slogan. For Michelle Sikes ’08 is the year for the Olympics and the destination is Beijing.

Council President Robert Seelie called the July 2, 2007 meeting to order at 7:40. Fewer than ten people were in the audience for this meeting as compared to the 80 who attended the last meeting.

With summer temperatures of 93 degrees outside over 100 people with various public issues sat in the audience for the June 18, 2007 council meeting.

Every year there are a select few homeowners and businesses who set the standard, or raise the bar when it comes to property renovations. They provide examples of what can be done with a home or storefront to make it reach its potential.

Council President Robert Seelie called the May 7, 2007 meeting to order at 7:34 P.M.

Seated in the audience were members of the Lakewood Blue Star Moms. They are the mothers of our military men and women serving throughout the world. Council member Nickie Antonio (at large) joined them at one of their regular monthly meetings which are held at Lakewood Christian Church. She was particularly impressed by the fact that these mothers carry the burden of the knowledge that their children’s daily duties put them in harms’ way.

Council reporting was diverted somewhat in the past month because of attention paid to internal council conflicts and the Observer’s efforts to make up to the minute reports. Despite those detours there were regular agenda items that were temporarily overlooked but will now be revisited.

Yogi Berra famously said, “It’s not over ‘til it’s over.” And so it is with the continuing debate over council leadership. Council tonight did not address in its regular agenda any of the issues that were discussed at the Friday the 13th special meeting.

On Friday the 13th a caucus of four council members tried but failed to change council leadership.

The 2007 budget has been put to bed but the budgeting process is just taking a nap.

This year’s budget which was passed in a special meeting of council calls for expenditures in the amount of $38,534,502.

Several times during the year the production schedule of the Observer and the meetings of the City Council don’t match up for a timely article. In those instances I will use the opportunity to expand our awareness of other areas of Lakewood government. Meanwhile, as always, you can keep up on council actions by visiting the City Council thread on the Observation Deck.

Vice President Michael Dever took over the gavel from President Robert Seelie who was absent and called the February 5, 2007 council meeting to order.

The first order of business was a resolution offered by Mayor Thomas George and all council members commending the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for their assistance to the safety forces during a crisis on Fry Avenue two weekends ago.