November 2007

Lots of exciting news!

Horseshoe Lake Park is 99% finished.

It looks fabulous. Though not formally open, you can wander through it to see the lovely additions for picnics, quiet reading, biking, walking, birding, digging for fossils (young children) and climbing or swinging, and enjoy the lovely foliage. Don't miss the boardwalk connecting the park to the South Park Nature trail.

Residents moving into Lofts at Avalon Station (Shaker Town Center)

Finished units look terrific with appeal for every age, at every price point. If you're in the area and curious, the model unit is open and staffed (walk in off of Winslow Court). The rooftop garden (on the second floor) is a special draw.

South Side of Chagrin at Shaker Town Center is visibly transformed. 

Six buildings on the south side of Chagrin are being transformed. The back parking lot is re-paved and re-landscaped with new walkways, roses, ornamental fences and buried utility wires. Drive or walk by and see:

• New storefronts/rear entry at Al Nola building. New owners hope to attract a copy/small business support center for the space next to Al Nola to serve Shaker's many small and home-based businesses.
• New Sherwin-Williams west of former Ohio Savings building. A new 'design center' national prototype - substantially larger and offering an array of design services in addition to paint and other merchandise. Inside the store, historic finishes were restored and replica finishes added to replicate an old-fashioned retail space (hardwood floors, stamped tin ceiling, chandelier light fixtures). A big commitment to Shaker - we urge you to visit.
• Former Ohio Savings building to be completely renovated by early 2008. When finished, the building will house four retail businesses including relocated Gorman Insurance and will have lovely new entrances off Winslow Court and Chagrin.
• Building currently housing Gorman Insurance/State Farm to be torn down to make way for an outdoor dining patio to be part of a new restaurant in the former Sherwin-Williams location. Suggestions regarding specific restaurants that would fit this incredible spot are most welcome! New restaurant should appeal to customers of all ages, and not be fast food. A family-friendly micro-brewery (with root beer?) would be pretty terrific too.
• East end of rear parking lot in tip-top shape. Behind the lot on Kenyon, a City-owned lot will allow for expansion and enhancement of a pedestrian pathway that connects Shaker Town Center to the west Lomond neighborhood. Next summer it will be re-landscaped and available for outdoor lunches or shortcuts home from the train, bus, or new shops.

Warrensville/Van Aken Planning Process has been launched.

We held kick-off meetings in early October. Consultants are gathering traffic data and will make several proposals to solve the traffic challenges of the Warrensville/Van Aken intersection. Results of conversations among staff, Council, RTA, regional technical experts and representative community leaders:

Desired outcomes and measures of success:

• Improved traffic flow.
• Mix of uses and density to sustain long-term viability.
• Transformational, innovative redevelopment (no cookie-cutter retail).
• Authentic, not trendy, design.
• Extraordinary public space that is a destination, not just a pass-through.
• Pedestrian-friendly and safe environment.
• Development that fits seamlessly with surrounding neighborhoods.

Be sure to attend:

• Public Workshop #1 - December 5
• Public Workshop #2 - January 23
• Public Workshop #3 - February 27

Watch for regular updates here and in Shaker Life magazine.

August 2007

Staff is working hard and steadily, and I want to share the good progress with you. By summer's end, there will be lots more to be proud of.

Momentum

The positive momentum is dramatic. The City looks good; crime is down 31%. Here are a few details:

University Hospitals asked for an additional 250 Shaker Welcome Packets for new employees -- in addition to the 750 already provided.

Reinvestment in homes is up dramatically, largely due to the H.E.L.P. and Heritage Loan programs. In addition, every City dollar spent on housing assistance programs has leveraged 11 times MORE private investment (compared to a 5.6% leverage ratio last year).

Pool pass sales are up 38% and attendance is up 65%. I have been to Thornton several times and have found the supervision and behavior at the Skate Park and Basketball Court to be very appropriate.

Work at our gorgeous Horseshoe Lake Park has begun. The boardwalk over the marsh is enticing; the Park layout is inviting; the stone work is now visible; and the trees are well-protected.

Improvements

Visitors from Upper Arlington, MI were here for a full day to observe our Public Works operations, in particular our recycling programs. They commented on the friendliness and beauty of our city.

Shaker is in the forefront of addressing predatory lending and its impact on neighborhoods. We are working with County Treasurer Jim Rokakis to request stronger prevention, enforcement and remediation from the State and Federal governments.

 We are working with RTA to design a better rapid station at Lee and Van Aken.

Economic Re-Development

We are working simultaneously on multiple strands that will ultimately blend together. A few facts:

• University Hospitals is very enthusiastic about the vision laid out by Ron Ratner and Bob Stark for Warrensville/Van Aken, and plans to coordinate their strategic plans with us.
• Sherwin Williams is moving into new, renovated space on the South side of Chagrin. Walk by and look in. It will be a flagship store with refinished hardwood floors, historically-themed fittings and details, and a broader market effort. They will have an in-store designer to help customers.
• We are moving to implement Phase II of the Strategic Investment Plan, beginning with simplification of traffic flow through the Warrensville-Van Aken intersection.

May 2007

Let's start with the best news!

THORNTON PARK: Thornton Park is finished - on time and under budget. It looks simply amazing, with something for everyone. Check it out at Thornton Park . Be sure to pay a visit on Memorial Day when the park will be free for all residents (with a Rec ID card). The ribbon cutting ceremony will be at 11:30, following the parade from City Hall. Free games for all ages, free swimming, ice skating and food sales from Shaker restaurants will make for great holiday fun at our new park. Be sure to let us know what you think of our new recreational campus!

PARKS AND JOGGING TRAILS: We are moving rapidly toward improving Horseshoe Lake Park and installing a walking/jogging path linking the Beachwood path to the Park. Everyone who attended the Park presentation was very pleased with the sensitivity of design, and the respect for trees and natural areas. Horseshoe Lake Park will be a showcase once it is freshened up, and new picnic areas are added. The bike path will be carefully designed since the topography presents some interesting challenges. We are working closely with RTA and with Beachwood. There will be a public meeting in early July to review the two options for an actual route.

WARRENSVILLE-VAN AKEN TRAFFIC: We have submitted a grant proposal to NOACA, in partnership with Ron Ratner & Bob Stark (our development partners) and RTA, to study options for resolving the unacceptable traffic patterns at Chagrin/Warrensville/Northfield. As you may recall from the Strategic Investment Plan, the rating of this infamous intersection is a "D". Converting the 6 way intersection to a traffic circle would not successfully raise the rating. So it's time to get creative. If we get this grant, it means that our project will be on NOACA's "TIP" list, making it a priority for federal or state funding.

WARRENSVILLE -VAN AKEN DEVELOPMENT: The joint goal of the City, the developers (Ratner and Stark), and RTA is to create an area that reflects the very best of Shaker Heights. That means extraordinary design. We want to provide easy and safe walkable access to the surrounding neighborhoods; an attractive transit station; sensible street patterns; and all kinds of recreational and educational amenities. Westlake's Crocker Park proves that people and businesses will pay a significant premium to locate in a beautiful, urbane and vital place. Shaker was in the vanguard in the 1920s as one of the country's first planned communities. It will be in the vanguard in the 21st century as well, as it becomes a significant transit hub and commercial, retail and residential destination for the eastside.

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS: UH has already moved 500 administrative employees to its new Shaker Management Services Center and expects to have 1000 by the end of the year. The City will offer welcome "trolley tours" in the fall to UH employees, giving an overview of Shaker's housing, shopping, school and recreational amenities. We hope a number of employees will eventually choose to live in Shaker. The City has launched a number of initiatives to attract first-time home buyers and is working with the not-for-profit Fund for the Future which provides a variety of buyer incentives as well.

NEIGHBORHOODS: In February, Council and I indicated that we are designating 2007 to be the Year of the Neighborhoods. At the June Council work session, Council will review our progress to date. Here are a few of the new initiatives designed to have a positive impact:

• Increased visibility of Police in the neighborhoods, with the summer bike patrol serving as eyes and ears of the Police around key playgrounds and neighborhoods.
• A partnership between the City, School District, neighbors and parents to enforce rules at all school playgrounds. Lomond is an immediate focus. The School District is revising signage to make rules very clear. Once Thornton Park opens, the City will encourage teens to go there for social interaction, as well as for basketball, skate-boarding, climbing, swimming, skating, batting cages, jogging paths, etc.
• An array of grants, training, and services to new buyers, particularly owner-occupants of two- families.
• Hanging flower baskets along major "through" streets in Sussex, Lomond and Moreland, adding luster to those areas to which first- time home buyers are most likely to be drawn.
• Expanded housing enforcement and intervention, using both incentives and enforcement.
• Expanded police enforcement, with a focus on the Criminal Activity Nuisance ordinance that imposes fines on those irresponsible owners who are abusing our homes and neighborhoods.
• Marketing, marketing, marketing ! We know what we have, and want to get the word out. You all have a role in that. As you talk to friends, please talk about our advantages as well as acknowledging perennial issues such as taxes.

REAL ESTATE: As you know, our region, along with the country, is moving through a significant housing slump. In the first quarter, there were country- wide, fewer sales and weaker sales prices. Your question, undoubtedly is, how is Shaker stacking up during this tough period? While we won't have complete data until the end of the Spring/Summer season, here is a glimpse after the first quarter of 2007:

SHAKER HEIGHTS|
Single Family homes
all figures taken from MLS

KEY POINTS:

• 2007 pending (i.e., successful) sales are up (140); 2006 pending sales (132), in contrast to Shaker's neighboring communities where pending sales are either down or flat
• Average price per square foot for pending properties appears to be increasing
• Shaker's market in May was strong and June is looking good, too
• While the number of actual closings in the first quarter was smaller than 2006, may of our neighboring communities are seeing a more dramatic decrease.
• Shaker's number of listings is up by a smaller percent than in neighboring communities
• In sum, Shaker's average days on market and average selling price beats the average for Cuyahoga County and Eastern Cuyahoga County. See the chart, below.

$100,000-$250,000 range - 54.2% of our housing stock

Lastly, Shaker is showing leadership on so many issues involving regional collaboration between cities; joint purchasing; aggressive coordination of fire dispatch and emergency response; a look at how to use tax dollars more effectively throughout the County, etc. Thank you for your support of these values. It is a joy to work in a government that exhibits leadership on government reform because they are important to its residents.

We're off to a great summer. I hope to see you on Memorial Day and throughout the summer.

March 2007

You may wonder why Shaker has been mentioned so often in the national media lately (NBC News, 3/27/07). The attention has to do with the growing nationwide problems of predatory lending, mortgage fraud and foreclosures that are finally creeping into the consciousness of Wall Street and the general public.

Shaker was prominently featured because it is the example of a proactive community. We anticipated the problem and adopted strong legislation to guard against the negative effects of vacant and foreclosed properties. Thankfully, this problem affects very few homes in Shaker. Our property tax receipts continue to grow* and over $80 million worth of new housing and shops have been built or renovated in Shaker in the past few years.

For those owners not maintaining their properties:

• The City itself undertakes nuisance abatement, the repair of the most neglected properties, so that they do not deteriorate any further. The City then recoups the expended funds through liens against the property.
• For houses that are already in foreclosure, the City has pursued remedies in the foreclosure process that get these properties back into productive use as soon as possible.
• For uncooperative owners who are abusing our fine homes, the City increases the responsibilities of owners/tenants through landlord intervention, chronic offender sentencing, institutional owner prosecution and revocation of the Certificate Of Occupancy.

Experts from Harvard University who recently studied Shaker noted: “Given its history of active engagement in helping to develop and preserve good quality housing opportunities in stable residential communities, Shaker Heights should continue its proactive approach to community problem solving. Initiatives now underway...will serve to minimize the adverse consequences of the ongoing foreclosure boom by among other things reducing the number of foreclosure prone loans made in the first place, and helping the City identify and manage new foreclosure hot spots that may emerge in the years ahead.”

Vacant or foreclosed properties represent a very small number**  of the roughly 13,000 housing units in the City. On average, roughly 1% of mortgaged homes have been subject to foreclosure sales annually from 2001-2006. In most of the City, the rate of foreclosure is no higher than it has been over time. In the south/southwestern area of the City there is evidence of targeting those most vulnerable with subprime financing loan offers. In these areas the City is aggressively working with residents to prevent them from falling victim to these reprehensible predators and to deal with the effects should they face foreclosure.

Shaker is lucky to be able to deal head on with this problem sweeping the country. Many others do not have the financial or technical resources to respond as aggressively as we respond. It is for this very reason that others, including the media, look to us as an example of good government.

And remember, all the reasons we choose to call Shaker home - the wonderful schools, homes, parks, tree-lined streets, residents and neighborhoods - make Shaker the place that the Plain Dealer has called “Cleveland’s most prestigious suburb.” (PD, 2/14/07)

*  Property tax receipts continue to climb:

• 2004    $6,654,246
• 2005    $6,639,098
• 2006    $6,658,494

**  Number of homes foreclosed (out of 13,000 housing units):

• 2005    157 filed;  74 sold at Sheriff's sale
• 2006    188 filed; 130 sold at Sheriff's sale

February 2007

We’re off to a healthy start in 2007. Core services are strong, market interest is reasonably high given the regional challenges, and many upgrades are in the works. Throughout the year, Council and I will be working in a very focused way to address some important housing and neighborhood concerns. Before I get to that, I want to update you on a few other important topics.

1. Warrensville - Van Aken: We are working with RTA, Bob Stark, University Hospitals and Ron Ratner to develop a thoughtful plan for the 60 acres at Warrensville-Van Aken. Discussions are still theoretical, but we are bringing the objectives of multiple partners into alignment.
2. Shaker Town Center: Fifteen units at the Lofts of Avalon Station have been sold. The owner of several commercial properties on the south side of Chagrin will unveil new storefronts and updated interiors by May. Council and I are excited by the news we're hearing about prospective tenants for the space.
3. Shaker's Lakes: The Shaker Country Club is working with us to reduce erosion into their brook, and thus into our lakes. We will jointly apply for state grants and solicit input and expertise from the Nature Center.
4. New Retail: The Fresh Market is a great addition to Shaker, as many of you have demonstrated with your feet and wallets. We continue to work with them and the owners of that shopping center.
5. Financial Stability in Shaker: We have hired a terrific new Director of Finance after an extensive interview process. He will overlap slightly with Bob Baker (an equally terrific interim director), and will lead us to adopt an updated, computerized financial system for the entire city. Budget numbers suggest a stable budget with a slight surplus as we close out the 2006 books.
6. Economic Development for the Region: As part of my role as an officer of the Mayors and City Managers Association, I spend a great deal of time working for a regional Economic Development fund that suburbs can use to reposition tired properties. The leaders of that effort are Bay Village, Pepper Pike, Shaker, Parma Heights and Cleveland. We’re talking to the County, the Port, Greater Cleveland Partnership, the State, etc.
7. Harvest for Hunger Food Drive: The annual food drive begins tomorrow, March 1, and continues until March 31. As in previous years, each City building will have a blue bin (in the lobby or reception area) for food donations. Canned fruits or vegetables, soups, pastas, sauces, cereals and jars of baby food are among the suggested items to donate. Please join this effort as you are able.

Now – back to the big challenge and focus for this spring: housing and the neighborhoods. This deserves a little more information.

Shaker is known for its neighborhoods. The City, through the Neighborhood Revitalization Department, already offers excellent incentives to homeowners who are committed to maintaining and upgrading their properties, including:

• Tax abatement for rehabs and new housing,
• Technical assistance,
• Landlord services and the Certified Shaker rental program,
• Purchase/rehabilitation incentives for rehabbers.

However, the wave of mortgage fraud across the national threatens the housing and neighborhoods throughout Northeast Ohio. We intend to be at the forefront of beating back these trends.

We owe it to every property owner in Shaker to make sure all owners are holding up their end of the bargain as community members. After much discussion with residents, neighborhood leaders and our City committees, we’ve agreed on two approaches to achieve our housing and neighborhood goals: prevention and enforcement.

We are discussing new programs and staffing to address foreclosures, sheriff’s sales, vacant property, nuisance abatement to intervene in seriously deteriorated properties, criminal nuisance ordinance to hold owners of property financially accountable for criminal activity occurring on that property, and close coordination with Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. You have read about some of these initiatives in the newspaper.

In order to address all these issues, we will add a few additional staff members, and hold them accountable for specific outcomes.

One new person in Neighborhood Revitalization will enable us to double the number of Nuisance Abatement houses from 20 to 40.

One new person in Housing Inspection will enable us to track foreclosures, sheriff’s sales, vacant properties and then intervene either in the legal process or with the house itself. This individual will work with the State and regional leaders on the challenges caused by mortgage fraud.

One additional clerk in the Housing Inspection Department will enable us to respond more quickly and proactively to realtors who are trying to sell our homes to wonderful new residents.

We will increase police staffing by hiring five officers as soon as possible. Three of these will replace officers who have already retired or who are expected to do so by April. Council and I are impressed by the strong results achieved by the Strike Force, which focuses on drugs and serious crime coming over our borders. Therefore, we want to hire one new person, and reassign another in order to allow the Strike force to cut off the kind of crime that threatens otherwise strong neighborhoods.

We will also make one additional anticipatory hire to provide a transition as senior police officers retire. Council and I believe it is important for Police to be at full strength and proactive at all times.

Council and I are committed to a strong, coordinated and proactive program to protect our neighborhoods. In case you are interested in how everything fits together, you might take a look at this chart. Brand new enforcement programs are in red. Relatively new incentive programs are in green. Core services are in black.

Be sure to consult the website periodically for updates on any of this material, as well as on Horseshoe Lake Park, Thornton Park, etc.

I hope this message finds you and your families healthy.

August 2006

I hope you are having a great summer. Our beloved City has had the best summer ever. In fact, I believe that Shaker’s momentum is now visible and undeniable. Here’s the good news:

Revenues: Estate Tax Revenues are unusually high this year - $11.8M to date! This CAPITAL (not operating) money will allow us to move faster on all the plans the community has helped us develop over the past few years. In September, the Administration will recommend to Council a specific allocation of these funds, based on the extensive community input over the past few years. Our goals are twofold: 1) Attract new businesses and investment to Shaker in order to take the tax pressure off homeowners; and 2) jumpstart innovative plans to spruce up the entire community. Both of these will enhance our competitive edge well into the future. Key priorities include:

• Streets and Waterlines: more aggressive repair and/or resurfacing
• Recreation and Parks: new fields; new walking, jogging and bike trails; beautification of Horseshoe Lake Park and Thornton Park.
• Neighborhoods and Housing: the continued addition of new housing products and renovation of problem properties. The market energy from Shaker Town Center will extend into surrounding neighborhoods and will include exciting senior housing, live-work options, etc.
• Economic Development: a greatly improved shopping-commercial district at Warrensville/Van Aken, which will bring in new income and property tax revenues, helping to relieve the tax burden on Shaker residents.

Regional Fire Response: Shaker sent five firefighters to Lake County following flooding in late July to help out. The Heights Area Rescue Team, led by Pat Sweeney of our Fire Department, led the regional response in Fairport Harbor, and did wonderful work.

Property Reappraisals: I am aware of some resident concerns about the County’s recent property reappraisal. I have spoken to County Treasurer Jim Rokakis who reports that residents from all over the County are unhappy with County Auditor Frank Russo’s estimates. The City will continue to follow this issue. In the meantime, I have two suggestions:

• Appear at the informal review with the County Auditor’s office in any of the cities listed on the County site. Click to connect to the Cuyahoga County Complaint Portal, then find link to "review meeting schedule." Residents who have appeared in the past, with a documented argument, have often gotten some adjustment.
• Plan to appeal your certified appraisal to the Board of Revision. Treasurer Rokakis has agreed to hold appeal hearings in Shaker in the fall. Dates will be on the City’s website as soon as they are set.

Recycling: Shaker doubled its recycling volume this year, saving $35,750 additional in landfill costs and helping the environment. Thank you for your efforts as you sort your refuse. Remember, you may now commingle #1 and #2 plastics, glass and metal/aluminum and place them in either the City’s recycling buckets or in recyclable plastic bags for pickup. Paper products may be placed either in paper bags or bundled and tied with string.

Other Reinvestment and Economic Development News:

• Lee Road and Chagrin Boulevard are stunning! Completion of Winslow Court will transform the entire district.
• Plans for the transformation of the Warrensville-Van Aken district are moving forward. Once we solve traffic flow through the dreaded intersection, we expect strong market response. We are working hard on details of this compelling vision, but will not have details until late fall. One detail is already clear: Shaker will do its part in fighting the energy crisis by making transit-oriented development a key advantage for Northeast Ohio. We are also a leader in “Green” homes, and have plans to do more. (In Progress)
• The Lofts at Avalon Station (Shaker Town Center) are on schedule. One-quarter already have sold. Model units will be open by fall. (In Progress)
• By mid-September you will begin to see dramatic changes in appearance and investment on the South side of Chagrin. (In Progress)

Shaker is clearly on the move, with more good news to come.

March 2006

Happy Spring! We have been blessed by a mild winter this year, followed by hints of an early spring. Although I hate to think about the implications for global warming, I am pleased that we have not had a repeat of the record snowfall of ‘04-’05! For those of you curious, last year Shaker had over 100 inches of snow. To date this year, we’ve had 40 inches.

Now for the news:

First Energy:
We have had ongoing negotiations with CEI/First Energy about tree pruning. Put simply, CEI will not cut down any trees on your property without talking to you first, and will pursue moderate tree pruning procedures designed to protect the visual buffers in Shaker’s backyards. (These are standards specially negotiated for Shaker Heights.)

Chuck Jones, Senior Vice- President at First Energy, gave me a personal status report on the work. First Energy expects to complete all backyard tree pruning and reconstruction by this fall. After that, they will start on lines at the street. Mr. Jones is moderately encouraged: specifically, there were major wind storms on February 4 and 17 which caused a number of regional outages but did not affect Shaker. The real test, however, will be this summer. Three staff members continue to work intensively on these and related issues.

Street Repair:
The Public Works staff has presented a comprehensive plan for street, waterline, and sewer repairs. Over the next few years, you will see very aggressive pothole repair and large area repair throughout the City. In addition, streets will be resurfaced AFTER waterlines and sewers are fixed on those streets. The City plans to spend $1.2 – 1.4M annually over the next 9 years, which is substantially more than was committed annually during the past 10-15 years. We are trying to do all this without a tax increase. Click for a rating of driving surfaces on portions of each street.

Housing Market:
There are a lot of “For Sale” signs, but Shaker’s market continues to be quite strong. Houses are moving well in the higher ranges, and are now picking up in the $150-250,000 range as well, according to Myra White, manager of Howard Hanna Smythe Cramer.

Shaker’s inventory of single family homes/condos on the market is up 11.67% over 2005, but that compares very favorably to a 36% increase nationally and an increase, in one outer-ring suburb (Brecksville) of more than 36%. Further, our homes are selling. In the Heights communities and the Orange School District, 33 homes in the $400,000-$800,000 price category were listed with pending sales as of March 13. Fourteen of those 33 were in Shaker.

Open Council Seat:
There is an open Council seat, and applications are due April 7. If you know of anyone with a strong interest, please encourage him or her to consider this opportunity. Council members with strong financial, business and economic development backgrounds will view this as a very interesting time for Shaker.

Recreation:
At long last, we are moving forward on a comprehensive recreation plan for fields, trails, Horseshoe Lake Park, a pool and an improved Thornton Park. The total price tag is $3.5 million. Construction on the pool will begin in late August 2006.

In the new ideas category, watch for a wonderful senior fitness program called Silver Sneakers, and this summer we will offer Ice Tee Time, miniature golf on Friday nights at Thornton Park Ice Arena. Stay tuned.

New Traffic Lights:
Traffic lights at Chagrin/Lynnfield and Coventry/South Park will be put on flash this week, according to the State mandates that they must be removed. Please bear with us. Council and I have agreed to wait until all lights are in and the system is “re-timed” before we reach conclusions about whether any one change is working or not. Lee Road also continues to be a great frustration due to the long-awaited road work.

Rental Housing:
Several departments are diligently working to improve the quality of our rental housing, and to attract long-term renters to the community. A new marketing piece will help attract new medical residents, interns and singles to Shaker. We continue to enforce health and safety code issues and Certificate of Occupancy requirements on all rentals. In a break-through meeting this week, the City and School District persuaded CMHA not to issue housing voucher contracts for any property that is not in compliance with specified local laws.

Economic Development:
Developer interest in Shaker continues to be very encouraging, with lots of good ideas for Warrensville-Van Aken. Again, this is an exciting time for Shaker Heights.

Citizens Customer Service Award:
We often hear from residents that a City employee has provided outstanding customer service. It is now possible for residents to nominate that employee for a customer service award. The nominations can be made any time during the year, but we are approaching the closing date for the 2005 award (March 1, 2005 through February 28, 2006), which is Monday, April 3. Click here for more information and to download a nomination form.

Please email me or call my office if there’s any other news of interest that you wish I would cover.

January 2006

The last six years have put Shaker Heights at the forefront of regional thinking, aggressive planning for the future, and commitment to quality.

We have established Shaker Heights as a place that is home to wonderful new housing, built with the character and quality of the old. Sussex Courts, South Park Row, and now the Lofts at Avalon Station have brought 160 units and $60 million of new, private investment to Shaker Heights. At the beginning it was not easy, but we are now capturing national attention. Our success has been based on great community support that has grown steadily in recent years, and on the leadership of Council members.

We have launched a consolidated Recreation Plan that, over time, will bring new and improved fields, parks, and trails to our community. Exciting redesigns of Thornton Park and Horseshoe Lake Park are the first steps.

We have achieved top quality in core services – particularly Police, Fire and Public Works. Two of those departments are accredited. Police has been recognized nationally for outstanding leadership. Public Works is midway through a top to bottom reinvention of itself and the way it delivers services.

We have trimmed the budget for 2006, using a new budgeting process that builds the budget around our strategic vision - to protect Shaker’s legacy and strengthen our competitive position in northeast Ohio.

Finally, Shaker has captured the attention of regional leaders and serious developers who see that we get things done. They want to work with us. Now, what are the dreams and plans for the next few years?

Most important, we are going to continue to “work the plan.”  The Strategic Investment Plan set out a range of possible initiatives to improve our commercial districts from Shaker Town Center right out to Warrensville-Van Aken. From the beginning, we have known that we have to remain flexible to take advantage of any opportunities that arise.

We have broken ground at Shaker Town Center, and are working to finalize a deal for the South side of Chagrin at Shaker Town Center.  That’s a tremendous start.

We worked hard to retain OfficeMax, forging regional partnerships to make that happen. OfficeMax chose to leave, but the regional partners and new developers now see a major opportunity in the entire Warrensville-Van Aken district. It’s all about timing, and Shaker’s time has come.

We need to keep our eyes on the ball going forward:

1. Continue our hard work on quality core services (Police, Fire and Public Works).
2.  Continue to implement the Recreation Blueprint (field improvements have already begun), starting in a big way with a pool at Thornton Park – but quickly moving on to include fields, parks and trails.
3. Continue to upgrade existing housing, and also pursue partners for a few new transformational housing projects – probably serving Seniors and residents in Lomond and Moreland.
4. And, explore ideas from private and regional partners for a major initiative at Warrensville-Van Aken that will take Shaker into its 100th anniversary and beyond.

Here’s how we plan to begin.

1. Beginning at the January Council meeting, Council will turn its attention to the next phase of the Strategic Investment Plan – the entire Warrensville-Van Aken district.We will begin to consider that it might become a major destination for retail, office and housing. We will seek opportunities for existing owners and new developers to work together for dramatic improvements. And because commercial districts are neighbors to residential districts, we will make clear that any development must be sensitive to its neighbors and nearby homeowners will have a part in the process. So stay tuned!
2. In February we will see a couple of design options for a new pool at Thornton and then commit the necessary dollars so detailed design can begin. We are also making progress on a collaborative effort for new fields.
3. In February and March we will present a unified plan for roads, sewers and waterlines, and immediately go out to bid so that the work can begin early in the season.
4. Throughout the year, we will continue to work with the various private partners to make Shaker Town Center an appealing destination for all Shaker residents.
5. All year, we will proceed with housing upgrades, neighborhood improvements, infill housing on vacant lots, and the pursuit of fresh housing options for those looking to move beyond their single-family homes.

That’s a very full plate, but an exciting one with great potential for Shaker’s future. I personally look forward to rolling up my sleeves and helping to move Shaker forward toward a proud and prosperous Centennial.

November 2005

The City’s 2006 budget was presented at the Council meeting last night. The summary facts of most interest are as follows:

We have reduced the anticipated 2006 deficit by $1.7 million (which is a 79 percent reduction) and raised the cash reserve to its historic level of 20 percent (enough to cover emergencies, major storms, or revenue shortfalls without fiscal crisis.)

We have reduced expenditures by $1.2 million, with 62 percent of the savings coming from deferred or eliminated vacant positions in five large departments and reduced hours or overtime allocations for four departments. The rest of the savings come from more efficient service delivery, reductions in some service levels, outsourcing and a reduction in miscellaneous administrative expenses. The impact on current staff jobs has been minimized.

We also plan to raise fees in seven departments to bring in over $500,000 in new revenues. These expenditure reductions and fees have reduced the projected deficit for 2006 by $1.7 million…a 79 percent decrease. We started the process with a projected $3.6 million deficit for 2006 -- 10 percent of the projected operating budget. We ended the process with a deficit of $767,900 for 2006 ---2.2 percent of our final operating budget. That is a real achievement!

These adjustments build on the steady budget work over the past five years, and position Shaker for a much stronger budget position in the coming years. Serious scrutiny of every expenditure will continue. But our position is stable -- unless the State cuts our funding again, at which point we will once again need to reassess our situation.

The story of how we achieved this is pretty remarkable. We created a new process that could be useful at any level of government.

Context:

Budgetary belt-tightening has been a challenging fact of life since 2000 -- due principally to three factors:

• a persistent recession in Ohio, with reduced income tax collections;

• State cuts in local funding; and

• dramatic increases in the cost of health insurance.

We would all love to return to the fiscally generous 90's. Average growth in income taxes then was about 4 percent per year -- enough to cover inflation’s impact on steady-state budgets. But since 2000, through no fault of our own, income taxes have grown by only 1.3 percent per year. Despite our relentless belt-tightening, costs have grown by more -- 2.3 percent per year. You can see the problem.

Outside forces have not helped. If health insurance costs had risen by only 8 percent per year since 2000 and if the State had kept its original commitment to the local government fund, Shaker’s budget would be in balance. Shaker led the lobbying effort by Northeast Ohio mayors to persuade the State legislature to stop the constant raids on local funding (local government fund and the estate tax). In 2005, we were successful. This challenge may well resurface in 2007.

Meanwhile, all Directors (and their departments) have worked hard to streamline operations. We’ve aggressively sought competitive bids in health insurance; we’ve pursued joint purchases with other communities; we’ve consolidated publications and use of paper; we’ve eliminated programs that are readily available in the private sector; we’ve eliminated (largely through attrition) 23 full-time employees and 22 part-time employees; we’ve transferred Economic Development into a self-sustaining special revenue fund; we’ve worked with union leaders to achieve an employee co-pay toward health insurance premiums; and we’ve made economic development a priority in order to bring in new tax dollars. All this hard work has avoided fiscal crisis.

Hard to believe, it wasn’t quite enough. In December 2004, budget projections for 2005 were sobering. Councilman Brian Parker took a stand against raiding the rainy day fund to balance the budget, and offered to join the Administration in a thorough review of the entire budget to stop the persistent sense of worry. Council asked Nancy Moore and Earl Leiken to join that effort. As a result, Council members Parker, Leiken and Moore, together with Mayor Rawson and CAO Chaikin designed an innovative process for taking a rigorous and fresh look at every aspect of our budget. Every director was a key participant. The result was a $1.7 million solution, with little impact on residents and minimal job loss. Here’s how we did it!

Budgeting in Shaker: A fresh approach

We first divided the budget into 400 separate functions (“programs”). Mayor Rawson and CAO Chaikin devised seven criteria for measuring each program against our mission and for then measuring effectiveness. We asked of each program:

• Is it mandated? (If so, we have little discretion.)

• Is it a Core Service?

• Does it increase the Tax Base?

• Does it Attract residents willing to pay for our quality of life?

• Does it Retain residents willing to pay for our quality of life?

• Is it Worth the Effort? (A gut check question)

• Is the level of Quality appropriate?

• Is there a lower cost alternative for delivering this service?

All Directors and Council anonymously ranked each of the 400 programs against each of the criteria. We combined the scores and ranked programs from highest to lowest. Given the limited resources going forward, programs that ranked in the bottom third were identified for further discussion.

All Directors then divided into three groups, with one Council member assigned to each group. Consistent with our Vision, the groups were:

1. Core Services

2. Tax Base

3. Attract and Retain

Each group reviewed their respective programs looking for cost savings (with an eye toward modifying service delivery, outsourcing or eliminating the program). Rankings shifted, and groups found some creative efficiencies. We did this several times, with better results each time. It took months. Throughout, the Council Team members were completely involved: urging equity; finding savings in each department; and clarifying community expectations.

When we exhausted the savings opportunities, each Group turned to fee increases, and recommended a total amount in excess of $500,000. In addition, each Department made a concerted effort to control spending and hold vacancies open until the process was completed.

Additionally, we received some good news that will affect the 2006 budget. Each year City Council directs the Administration to maintain a cash reserve (rainy day fund), ideally equal to 20 percent of the operating budget. The original 2006 budget put the cash reserve at 17 percent. However, as of November, two positive changes occurred:

• Actual income tax receipts spiked in October/November, allowing us to raise income tax projections for 2006.

• Because of departmental underspending in 2005, the 2006 cash reserve can be returned to its historic 20 percent minimum.

The 2006 projected deficit is now $767,900, a 79% percent reduction from original projections.

Summary of Results:

Over the three years of 2004-2006, here’s what we’ve achieved:

• Reduced expenditures by $2.3 million

• Borrowed $500,000 from capital for the operating budget

• Increased fees by over $500,000

• Maintained a cash reserve of 15-20 percent

• Eliminated 23 full time and 22 part-time positions, mostly by attrition

• Kept crime rates at a 40-year low

• Initiated or assisted new projects to increase tax values from $2.8 million to $59 million, that will generate new property taxes for the City, schools and library of at least $621,000 in 2006, ramping up to $1.7 million by 2011.

Based on the results, we can all be very proud of Shaker’s sense of financial responsibility.

(Signed by Mayor
Judy Rawson and Councilmembers Brian Parker, Nancy Moore, and Earl Leiken, and
Chief Administrative Officer Jeri Chaikin)

October 2005

I hope you had a wonderful summer. Here’s what’s happening:

We’re delighted to start seeing tangible evidence of the work we’ve been doing at Shaker Town Center. Please drive down Chagrin, and imagine the stores filled with interesting restaurants and convenience retail. Façade work is moving rapidly; groundbreaking on Avalon Station will occur in the next few weeks; and the new road and public art will be completed by spring. A fun celebration is planned. We also have some interesting possibilities for the South side of Chagrin. As for South Park Row, 9 of the 16 townhomes have already sold!

As you begin to think about holiday shopping, please make an effort to shop in Shaker, on Larchmere, and at Shaker Square. Reports of increased sales, coupled with foot traffic, are what will bring the kind of businesses and restaurants that we’re all hoping for. So vote with your feet and prove that Shaker has that special touch. The November issue of Shaker Life features the convenience of holiday shopping and entertaining within the City.

The City spent $3.2 million on road work this year: resurfacing; lots of preventive maintenance; and the State-sponsored Lee Road project. We’re sorry about the mess and inconvenience, but are pleased by how many miles will be covered. Leaf collection has now begun, with crews working throughout the weekend prior to Halloween. Trick or Treat is Monday, October 31 from 6-7:30 PM. I will be joining the Police as they monitor overall safety.

As you may know, we have had a few random crimes recently that the Police have handled magnificently. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but here are the proactive steps being taken: extension of evening patrols through mid-November; creation of a program to promote wider use of exterior motion lights (details regarding discounts and installation advice will be posted at shakeronline.com next week); recruitment of 5 trained and experienced police officers. Additionally, some neighborhood associations are taking a look at forming Block Watches. If you see anything that looks even slightly suspicious, please call 911. Those calls go directly to the Shaker Police, and are dealt with immediately. The keys to safety are: keep neighborhood eyes on the street; communicate all concerns to the police; lock your homes, garages and belongings; and provide extra lighting for dark corners and escape routes (motion lights). Historically, cold weather brings a sharp decrease in crime.

We should all be proud of the passion and creativity the police department puts into their efforts to protect us. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies is naming our department one of 12 Flagship Police Departments in the country! We are also one of the few that has been continuously accredited since 1989.

I am continuing to work on regional solutions for economic development. This region needs to form ambitious partnerships to create successful redevelopment and renewal of aging properties. Leaders are coming together around a variety of exciting options, and I am encouraged. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, tax receipts for Shaker are up slightly.

A word on traffic signals:  the new poles are going in on a $9 million, State-funded project. The goal is to improve traffic flow on the main streets, and reduce cut-through neighborhood traffic. The planned traffic signals are based on state guidelines and federal requirements. Lights will be controlled by computer at the Police Station, and will be timed to permit enough gaps for drivers to get out of their side streets safely. If the predicted traffic improvements do not occur, we will request a review of the overall plan. But we can’t assess results until the whole system is in. Right now, the confluence of Lee Road waterlines; Lee Road resurfacing; and Lee Road traffic lights is causing a large mess. We’re sorry. I drive that way every day so I know just how bad it is.

Please call my office whenever you have any concerns. Have a Happy and Safe Halloween with your family.

July 2005

This is a quick update on where we are regarding the totally unacceptable round of recent power outages. FirstEnergy (at the highest levels) is aware of our total dissatisfaction and the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has agreed to conduct an independent investigation into the problem. Here are a few details:

1. First, we gathered the facts by mapping all the outages. According to our records, at least 30 streets throughout the City have had serious power outages (over 1 hour) just since last Wednesday, July 13. If you experienced an outage, please send as much information about the outage as you can recall, including the date, time and weather conditions, along with your name and address, to karin.petrosky@shakeronline.com. We need as much information as possible to address FirstEnergy’s assurances that the outages were unavoidable because they were caused either by a lightning strike on a Northfield transformer on Sunday, or by other storms. We believe the incidents and causes are more widespread, and more systematic than that.
2. This morning, we conveyed to Dennis Chack, President of The llluminating Company (the FirstEnergy operating company that serves Shaker Heights), that Shaker residents have reached the absolute end of their patience with FirstEnergy. We have given him the telephone numbers of everyone who called to find out what is happening with their electric service so he can call them and hear firsthand what a disastrous impact the unreliability of service is having on residents and businesses in the City.
3. Next, we called Alan Schriber, Chair of the PUCO, to request an independent investigation by the PUCO into reliability problems in Shaker Heights. The PUCO has the sole responsibility and authority to investigate and require FirstEnergy to take action to fix the reliability problem. Mr. Schriber has agreed to intervene, to dedicate the PUCO Staff to the effort, and to set clear objective standards for performance. We had met with Mr. Schriber in June of this year, so he was already familiar with Shaker’s concerns.
4. We then called Chuck Jones, Senior Vice President of FirstEnergy, to let him know we have taken the matter to the PUCO, and to convey to him our residents’ total frustration and lack of faith in his company’s ability to identify and fix the reliability problem. Mr. Jones said he would work with us and with the PUCO to resolve the problem. In the meantime, he will probably write to all Shaker residents outlining the Company’s plan for our City. Again, this was the second meeting that we have had with Mr. Jones.
5. Over the past 18 months, we, City Staff and Council have met with FirstEnergy numerous times, we have held several public meetings with representatives of FirstEnergy, we have conducted extensive public records requests to gather the facts, and we have been able to get FirstEnergy to present and begin to implement a plan for inspection, repair and upgrade of a portion of the electric service infrastructure in Shaker. We have conveyed to the PUCO and FirstEnergy that this plan is too little, too late. The plan must upgrade the entire infrastructure throughout Shaker and implementation must be completed more expeditiously.
6. As soon as we receive more information, we will provide you updates.  We will communicate with all residents, most likely through the media.  If you have friends or neighbors concerned about this issue, please forward this email and ask them to send their email address to Karin, above, for further updates. 

Thanks for your help.

(signed by Mayor Judy Rawson and Councilmember & Chair, Safety & Public Works Committee Earl Leiken)

April 2005

As we recover from the weekend, and anticipate permanent spring weather, we have lots of very good news for Shaker, as well as some troubling proposals from the State legislature.

First and foremost, just about all of the Shaker Town Center redevelopment issues have finally been resolved.  Ground breaking for the first loft building will occur sometime between July and September. The building design is as exciting as what you’ve seen at Sussex Courts and South Park Row,  and will contain ground floor space for live-work, with airy condos above, ranging in price from $175,000 to $350,000 and up. The Shopping Center will receive a full face-lift, to be completed in November. The owner has a new leasing agent, who will start filling the space soon with shops that reinforce the South side of Chagrin.

South Park Row is selling with astonishing speed, and at very high prices. At the same time, our “Green” infill homes provide high quality homes in Lomond. The new one at Lindholm and Scottsdale just sold for $260,000!  In 2002 & 2003, average housing sales prices increased 8.3% in Shaker, and we continue to lead the County in retaining residents (36%), even when they downsize or “upsize.”

Over the next 30 years, these three projects (Sussex Courts, Kensington Station and South Park Row) should bring in at least $270 million to the City and $362 million to schools.

Perhaps of most interest to you: Alan Schriber, the Chairman of PUCO, initiated a meeting with me about finally achieving reliable power in Shaker Heights – and  getting it done this year. This is a huge breakthrough, after a 1 ½ year battle with local CEI  officials. I believe we have finally been heard – both by PUCO and by top officials at First Energy. Staff and I and the Public Service committee will follow up aggressively. Thanks to so many residents who attended meetings on this issue, and helped us mount an effective protest. In case you’re curious, last weekend’s storm took out hundreds of tree lawn trees, mostly in Eastern Shaker. As to outages, I’m blaming Mother Nature, not CEI – on this one!

Now – Here's the discouraging news.

Income tax revenues are almost flat in Northeast Ohio; health care and labor costs are high; and budgets in all cities are increasingly difficult to balance. This year Shaker has a $2.5 million operating deficit, so available cash was used to balance the budget. An operating deficit is forecast for 2006, so Council, Directors and I are working very hard to close the gap without compromising the quality of basic services. This is not easy. 

On top of that, the State legislature is balancing its budget on the back of local governments, schools and libraries. 

A 20% cut in the Local Government Fund (passed by the House) will cost the Shaker community $850,000 (city; schools; library).

Elimination of the Sponge Tax (passed by the House) will cost the City another $636,000 per year. That is equivalent to 7.5 police officers or one- third of the annual road resurfacing allocation .

Those two cuts alone would add another $1 million to the City’s annual deficit.

The crowning blow is that some legislators are actively seeking complete elimination of the Ohio Estate Tax. This idea (which would benefit only 14,000 or 0.1% of Ohio residents per year) would be devastating to Shaker’s budget. We would lose an additional $3.5 million per year (based on 2004 revenues), for a total annual deficit of $7.0 million - 18% of our combined operating and capital budgets. 

There’s no way we could address such a monumental, annual deficit without a tax increase. So in effect, the legislature is helping a few by shifting the tax burden to all local residents across the State. Local governments statewide would lose $ ¼ billion dollars annually for an idea that would benefit only 1 in 1000 taxpayers. I attach a very strong editorial from the New York Times on the general subject of the Estate Tax.

The City of Shaker Heights has not raised city taxes since 1982, in recognition of the need to remain competitive. All that hard work – over many decades and several mayors – may go for naught. We’re all trying to work with the legislature to persuade them not to penalize local governments in this way. I’ll keep you posted.

April 2004

Since the orange barrel season in Shaker is going to be particularly intense this year, I am writing sooner than I expected to. Plus, I have some other interesting updates.

We are working with the County Engineer, the Sewer District and our own contractors to stagger the road repair projects over the next few months. Please check the web for full facts. For the moment, key roads are:

Shaker Blvd., westbound (completion date: May 4)
Torrington, S. Woodland to Parkland (completion date: May 5)
Shelburne, N. Park west to City limits (May 3 to August 6)
Chadbourne, entire road (completion date: September 29)

I plan to improve my health and avoid the traffic headaches by biking more. Of course, I can understand if you feel my expertise on this sport is questionable. At the moment, I’m humbly in the market for a new bike, after which I will sign the official pledge to lock my bike and close my garage door. 

Sewer repairs: The sewer repairs on Chagrin will finish on June 30th, with the next project beginning in August in the Thornton Park area. We’ve done our best to stagger this work also.

More infrastructure improvements:  We are hiring an outside engineer to help us assess and prioritize both our road and sidewalk work. This is a major priority for 2004-5. We have maintained a good list of all the complaints called in by residents, and will incorporate them in the assessment.

Use of (one-time) 2003 tax revenues:  The extraordinary income and estate tax receipts from last year will give wings to our efforts to undertake additional housing and commercial reinvestment projects. It will also allow us to pursue improvements in our recreation and green space opportunities which require such significant capital dollars. Specifically, we are developing integrated plans for:

Housing - focusing even more effectively on the “weak links”;
Commercial – improving our commercial districts so they appeal to shoppers and small businesses; complement the neighborhoods; and strengthen the tax base.
Recreation - green space and leisure time to improve quality of life in wise, affordable ways.

Let me update you on each of these in turn.

Housing:  The departments of Neighborhood Revitalization, Housing Inspection, Police, Fire and Health are working closely to improve housing throughout the City.

We have invited the School Board and Library Board to join us in a joint work session on May 10 to discuss the recommended strategies for 2004-5. Basically, we have used code enforcement as effectively as we can; it’s time to look at some new strategies to address the classic “neighborhood nuisances” that hurt a neighborhood’s reputation.

At the same time, we have some wonderful new housing types under construction or in design review throughout    the City (historic infill homes in Moreland and western Lomond); gorgeous loft and senior buildings for Shaker   Town Center (at price points from $170,000 to $350,000 and up); Sussex Courts; and Belgian Village.

Well-maintained homes in Shaker are very hot! Average housing values for single family homes appreciated by   11% in 2003. That’s a higher average appreciation rate than in many of our competitors to the east. Certified    Shaker two-families also move very quickly – particularly to doctors here on fellowship.

Commercial Areas: To help ease the tax burden on all of us we need new investment in the community’s tax base.

Council and I have listened carefully to your concerns about taxes, and are committing significant effort to    economic development/reinvestment in our commercial and retail areas.

A study will start soon to examine opportunities in the Van Aken-Warrensville area. We believe that there are a  number of good Shaker companies interested in fully wired, flexible space right here in Shaker.

We’ll try to keep you posted on this through the web. We are in the process of interviewing for an Economic   Development Director who can work closely with Council, me and Shaker businesses to identify emerging   opportunities and then go after them.

Recreation: Our Recreation, Green Space and Leisure Time Assessment has been launched!    

There is a strong passion for arts and culture in Shaker. As you may have read, Shaker supported Issue 31 more strongly than any other suburb. So how do we convert that into a market niche?

Horseshoe Lake Park, Southerly Park, the Nature Center areas, and the ribbon linking our lakes, schools and  parks are a real treasure! We want to work with the community to develop an innovative, interconnected plan and then tap into federal dollars for parks and fitness. My visit to NYC and Central Park on the first warm Saturday in New York really inspired a fresh look.

We need to refurbish and beautify the Thornton Park pool. The Community Life and Health committee is hearing from outside engineers as to cost and options.

Council has informally set aside $2 million to jumpstart innovative ideas in all these areas. We are working hard to get as much community attendance and feedback as possible.

Please plan to come to the first Community Forum on May 18 at 7:00 PM in the Community Building. This is the forum to explore all points of view and requests for improved programs. We are looking for residents willing to be  trained (on May 17, time and location to be announced) and then serve as neutral facilitators during the small group discussions on May 18. Please call the Planning Department if you would be willing. The training is actually pretty impressive, and it’s a useful skill for leadership in other areas. Thanks.

I hope to see you on May 18. If I don’t, the Memorial Day Parade, Block Parties, Fourth of July fireworks or various summertime gatherings will surely give us a chance to catch up.

March 2004

It’s been a very busy few weeks, so I thought you might enjoy an update on the high points.

I am encouraged by developments at Shaker Square. Peter Rubin ( the prospective buyer and a Shaker resident) states that he loves the Square, and views this as far more than just another redevelopment project. His emphasis on beauty, excitement, pedestrian interest, local/regional stores and green space seems just right to me. I invited him to brief Shaker City Council on the plan, and we were all encouraged. As you might expect from Shaker officials, we emphasized the importance of first-rate architecture and urban design. I know he is talking to all merchants, including the Farmer’s Market during his period of due diligence. Mayor Campbell and I continue to plan for improved, coordinated security – both at the Square and on Larchmere. Superintendent Freeman and I are in close communication on the implications of Shaker Square on the Shaker community.

Boise Cascade has completed its transition, and has moved close to 200 employees into its Shaker Office Max building – which is receiving upgrades and reinvestment. I have been meeting with the new leaders, and plan to take the Police Chief and Fire Chief to lunch there to make clear the kind of personalized service they can expect from the City of Shaker Heights. Continuing our regional approach, I will next invite Team NEO and Greater Cleveland Partnership to meet with us on long-term possibilities for Boise in the region.

Last week, I served on a national panel in St. Louis (with representatives from Chicago, Louisville, Minneapolis and Brookings), describing what First Suburbs Consortium has done in Cleveland to spur coordinated economic development for the region. St. Louis has a governmental structure that is even more fragmented than Cleveland’s, which of course undermines any chance of momentum and change. The audience demonstrated real interest in the kind of collaboration going on among suburbs in Cleveland, including joint fire dispatch (which Shaker has with Cleveland Heights and University Heights).  

We are planning the Memorial Day Parade already! This year, we are emphasizing the International Theme (as a lead-in to the International Children’s Games which will engage all of Cleveland in July.)  So please help us build fun and community into a new, reinvigorated parade. We’re encouraging resident groups to walk in the parade, sharing music, dancing and international dress. Naturally, there will be a fun competition for the best entries, followed by the annual pancake breakfast at the end – this year to be held at Thornton Park.

In the Fall, we will continue last year’s wildly successful AutumnFest with a weekend devoted to community activities, fitness, football games, and the Arts. A new street fair on Friday night is in the conceptual stage: a whole new and exciting concept.

Shaker Town Center is moving along – these things sure take time! Key dates include:

April 15 - work begins on Chagrin Blvd. narrowing and streetscape
July 15 - construction of new Center Street begins
July 15 - target date for groundbreaking of loft buildings

We kicked off the Recreation and Green space Assessment two weeks ago with a lengthy discussion about how to get as much community input as possible. Please plan to come to the large community meetings to help us assess the best use of our facilities and resources.  We are actively looking for advocates and good thinkers (of all ages) willing to engage in small-group brainstorming at each of these meetings. Council and I will be listening carefully, and really hope the community will turn out to chart Shaker’s future. Look for more information in the May issue of Shaker Life  and on our website. Key dates are: May 18, July 13 and September 21. All meetings are at 7:00 PM in the Community Building.

Nickelodeon Magazine (Nick Jr.) names Shaker as one of the ten most family-centered and fun towns in America, emphasizing our library story hours, cosmopolitan atmosphere, block parties, green space and a High School Band with as much prestige as the Varsity teams. So, we're cooking!

Finally, we would like to add your email address to the City's email list service. This list enables us to keep you informed about important City events as well as to send you little helpful reminders -- like when to postpone putting your trash out because pickup is delayed by a holiday.