Candidates' Forum - Sarah Kepple

Please describe your current job and past experience. 50 words

After serving as a librarian for over a decade at Lakewood Public Library and throughout the Cuyahoga County Public Library system, I launched my technology education business Gigalearn in 2014. I co-founded Action Together Lakewood Area, and I was honored to be unanimously appointed to City Council in February 2020.

1.) No one can dispute the fact that there has been an influx of businesses, mostly bars and restaurants, and a gentrification of the community. The previous two administrations had the residents carrying more than their fair share of the burden for this build-up through failed developments, taxes, property evaluation, and giveaways to both businesses and developers. 

Describe 3 programs you are looking to start that would principally benefit residents. Highlight which ones will help current Lakewoodites stay in their homes and/or improve their daily life.250 words

Serving on the Americans with Disabilities Act Task Force and on the Housing, Planning, & Development Committee, I see the potential for our new development projects to provide affordable and accessible housing, pay prevailing wage to create good local jobs, utilize women & minority-owned enterprises, and implement sustainability measures like reducing water runoff and adding to our tree canopy. Additionally, we can and should better advertise the city’s no-low interest loans for seniors and folks with disabilities for home adaptations and improvements.

Our recent allotment of ARPA Funds, as well as potential Build Back Better federal dollars, presents a great opportunity to strengthen our technological and sustainable infrastructure. Solutions now exist to provide universal high-speed internet access throughout the city to reduce barriers for students, utility costs for seniors, and hiccups for those working from home. As one step toward this, I have proposed improving and expanding wifi in our public parks. To make it easier for residents to interact with their government, I helped establish eComment and closed-captioned live-streaming. With the majority of users now accessing the internet through mobile devices rather than desktop computers, the next step that I’ve proposed is to review the information most commonly needed by constituents and update the City’s app to be fully responsive, integrated with other city systems, and accessible, particularly for the Report a Problem type of concerns, and ideally with multiple language options. Finally, I have proposed development of a digital marketplace and delivery system to keep local dollars in our community. 

2) What will you do to provide relief to residents whose quality of life has been impaired by the ever increasing intrusion of businesses into our residential areas? This includes outdoor dining, speeding/parking, loud behavior, accessibility to our sidewalks, crime etc. 150 words

I have proposed the formation of an Intersectional Safety Committee comprised of community members with a diverse combination of experience to work with City leadership including traditional safety forces, planning, and human services to consider safety from a holistic lens and to proactively help residents rise from the mental, physical, and financial trauma of the pandemic; use research based approaches to buck the national trend of rising gun violence; and design a more sustainable future. One such approach on which I’m working is the development of a Community Stewards program to educate neighborhood leaders to connect their neighbors with resources, build resiliency, and community engagement. Serving on the Americans with Disabilities Act Task Force, I helped launch a new tool to make it easier for residents to report accessibility issues, and we’ve begun the work of making sure that all of our public spaces are accessible to all residents. 

Sarah Kepple serves all residents as Lakewood City Councilmember at Large. She is the owner of Gigalearn, LLC and led Action Together Lakewood Area for many years. She and her husband Andy live on Summit Ave with their recent Lakewood High School graduate Quill and their two cats. Reach her at sarah.kepple@lakewoodoh.net or 216.200.5050. Visit keppleforcouncil.com to learn more or sign up for updates.

Sarah Kepple

Sarah Kepple serves all residents as Lakewood City Councilmember at Large. She is the owner of Gigalearn, LLC and led Action Together Lakewood Area for many years. She and her husband Andy live on Summit Ave with their recent Lakewood High School graduate Quill and their two cats. Reach her at sarah.kepple@lakewoodoh.net or 216.200.5050. Visit keppleforcouncil.com to learn more or sign up for updates.

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Volume 17, Issue 21, Posted 1:25 PM, 10.20.2021