Note From Mayor George
Lakewood Residents,
An exciting and action-packed first week kicks off April in Lakewood and the Cleveland area. First, the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four will be in town April 4 to April 7, and we're sure to see a regional uptick in visitors, basketball fans, and players' families.
Then on Monday, April 8, we will have a front row seat to the Total Solar Eclipse - a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime event that will not occur again in Ohio until 2099, and not in Lakewood until 2444.
April also marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the U.S., and given our city's density, layout, and variety of travel types, it is important for all of us to be sure we remember to drive, bike, and walk safely and look out for others.
I hope that the excitement of this month jump-starts our transition to the warm spring and summer months - as well as all the holidays, outdoor activities, and city events that follow!
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A Refresher on Road Safety
As the seasons slowly transition from winter into summer, residents and visitors of all ages will begin to break out their walking shoes, bikes, scooters, and strollers to get around town. Meanwhile, pedestrian-automobile crashes and resulting deaths are on the rise nationwide. For these reasons, it is as important as ever for everyone to look out for one other so we can all get to our destinations safely.
Walkability is a core part of our city's identity, and City Hall is working to keep travelers of every mode safe.
On Friday, March 22, residents and staff of the Westerly Apartments met with Mayor George, the Lakewood Police Department Neighborhood Officers, and Fire Marshall Ryan Fairbanks to discuss safety concerns surrounding incidents pedestrian crossings and drivers.
Mayor George highlighted efforts that the City of Lakewood's planning department has taken to reduce speeding and dangerous driving including increased enforcement efforts by the LPD, implementing wthe city's Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program, speed table placement on residential streets, and radar speed warning signs.
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Taking Safety Into Your Own Hands
The LPD's Neighborhood Officers shared some best practices for pedestrians to stay safe. Even though an accident may be a driver's fault, the officers emphasized that it's better to be safe than correct when it comes to right-of-way.
They advised walkers to follow all rules of the road, make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of a vehicle, and avoid emerging from between parked cars or other blind spots when crossing.
Eyes Forward. Just Drive.
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the U.S., and we will be encouraging drivers on our social media channels to put down their phones whenever they are behind the wheel of their vehicles. Distracted driving kills over 3,000 people per year in the U.S.; these incidents are preventable, and it is our collective responsibility as a community to keep each other safe.
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Mayor's Corner: Lakewood's Moody's Bond Rating
The City of Lakewood recently completed our bond rating process with Moody’s Investors Service, and I am pleased to share that Lakewood was able to achieve a Moody’s Aa2 rating, which is an excellent credit opinion for our city. Maintaining this desirable bond rating is highly beneficial for our residents by allowing the City to pay lower interest when we must borrow funds for high priority capital projects.
My staff understands and appreciates your support of ongoing capital projects through your property taxes, and having low interest costs are a critical factor in avoiding increased tax burdens for you. This is why we champion a culture of fiscal stewardship and excellence as a top priority for our City leadership team. This extends into our bond rating, which is fundamentally important to Lakewood’s ability to continue providing the high level of service and public assets and amenities our residents expect and deserve.
Each year as we compile the City’s budget, our department directors, my office, and City Council work to identify key capital projects within our 5-year capital plan and determine how to pay for them. With many projects in the multi-million dollar range, the City must spread costs over several years to ensure that we do not increase the tax burden on our residents. Through an annual borrowing process, the City issues note obligations to procure the necessary funding. When the projects are complete, we convert the notes into bonds and obtain the Moody’s rating. Key projects in our most recent bond issuance included Foster Pool, the Refuse & Recycling Center, our annual street improvements, and major improvements to our Water and Sewer system to comply with EPA requirements.
The analysis and commentary contained in the bond rating document provides a positive view of the City of Lakewood’s fiscal health. Moody’s noted the City’s “strong financial position” which was “bolstered by a growing revenue trend and healthy local economy.” The Aa2 rating generally means that the City of Lakewood’s bonds are “judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.” That puts Lakewood in the “high-grade” tier of Moody’s rating system.
This Moody’s bond rating is consistent with the excellence I see in the team serving you here at City Hall, who all buy into the principle that fiscal stewardship is core to everything we do. That starts with the Finance Department, which has received the highest level of awards from the State of Ohio for four years running. It also extends to all our department directors and their staff, who work diligently to keep their books clean and to stretch your tax dollars. With another excellent bond rating in hand, the City continues to save tax dollars and promote an affordable, high quality of life for our residents in Lakewood.
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2024 Solar Eclipse - Reminders | |
With the 2024 Solar Eclipse just days away, we want to remind everyone of a few things:
- The parking lot at Lakewood Park will be closed due to construction, but the Park itself will be open to pedestrians and cyclists.
- Traffic is expected to be heavy due to the number of visitors in the Northeast Ohio area from both the eclipse and NCAA Women's Final Four taking place in downtown Cleveland. Please drive patiently and carefully, and watch out for walkers and bikes.
- Be sure that you only view the eclipse using glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 standard. Viewing eclipses without proper eye protection can cause permanent damage to your vision.
- All City of Lakewood municipal buildings will close at 12:00 PM on April 8.
We are excited to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event with all the residents and visitors in our city!
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Fire Engine 3 Enters Service
The Lakewood Fire Department will celebrate the official first day of service of its new Engine 3 on April 9, 2024. The new engine will be housed at Fire Station 3 located at 12567 Clifton Blvd.
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Upcoming Events & Updates | | |
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2024 State of the City Address
The 2024 State of the City Address will take place Wednesday, April 24 beginning at 4:00 PM. The address will be held at Cove Community Center.
The event is open to the public and will be streamed online for those unable to attend in-person.
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Lakewood Diversity Potluck
Join the Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Council on Thursday, May 9 for the Lakewood Diversity Potluck! Attendees will bring a dish that represents their family, culture, or ethnic background, and dishes will be shared.
The event will take place from 6 to 8 PM at the Cove Community Center.
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Bocce! Bocce! At Cove
Get set for Bocce! Bocce! at the Cove Community Center. We have doubled the fun this year with both lawn bocce and court bocce. Games will occur weekly from June 5 through August 1, except for the week of July Fourth.
For more information, contact Nancy Feighan at (216) 529-5061.
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Daytime Bocce
Thursdays, 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM
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Nighttime Bocce
Wednesdays, 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
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