Community Newsletter
May 2023 Edition
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Note from Mayor Meghan F. George
The Public Works Department is the glue that holds our city infrastructure together. Sometimes Lakewood can seem like a small town, but in our roughly 6 square miles, we are packed with over 50,000 people, 217 streets, 180 miles of sidewalks, and 74 acres of parks, not mention multiple City-owned properties. It takes an incredible amount of effort to maintain and operate all of this real estate day-in and day-out. Our hardworking Public Works team continues to do fantastic work, and we should all be thankful for what they do to make Lakewood such a desirable place to live. 

For context, last year alone, the City resurfaced three miles of roadways, planted over 400 new trees, and responded to a number of emergency issues that regularly present themselves due to our aging infrastructure. This only touches the surface of the work that goes on. As I often say, we all love our historic city and the charm that goes along with that – but it also is a lot of work to keep some of that aging infrastructure in good shape.

As we approach the summer, it is certainly busy season for the Public Works Department once again. In the months to come, they will be performing and overseeing a large number of important projects. These include major infrastructure efforts such as the new sewer interceptor which will run the length of our city as well as the completion of the Foster Pool rebuild in Lakewood Park before swim season and our new combination refuse and recycling center and animal shelter on Berea Road. These multimillion dollar projects are challenging to manage and our public works team has done a great job ensuring they live up to our city needs. Public Works continues to keep our parks maintained daily while also working on a number of improvements. For example, we will also see improvements at the Kauffman Park tennis courts, Niagara Park playground equipment and pickle ball courts at Lakewood Park.

Beyond some of these more major and visible projects, the day-to-day and week-to-week demands for public works in a city as dense as Lakewood is constant. Street resurfacing, crack sealing, and sidewalk replacement will be in high gear during warm weather months, along with tree planting and tree care. It would be impossible to list everything our Public Works Department does in a single column, but hopefully this provides a taste of the work.

I also want to say a word of thanks to our new public works director, Chris Gordon, who has really hit the ground running, and kept things operating smoothly in the department. As you are out and about in the warmer weather in our lovely city, I encourage you to say hello to Chris and our Public Works team who do so much for us all.

Mayor Meghan F. George
Upcoming Events & Updates
Saturday, May 13 - Pet Food Drive
Lakewood Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board and the Lakewood Community Services Center are collecting dry dog and cat food for 118 Lakewood families receiving food delivery due to economic hardship.

To donate, please bring a bag of unopened pet food to the LCSC at 14230 Madison Avenue on Saturday, May 13th between 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, click here.
ReadyNotify

In an effort to continuously enhance communications with residents and businesses, the City of Lakewood is encouraging the community to register for the Cuyahoga County ReadyNotify System. The ReadyNotify system is provided by the County to participating communities to send important messages to residents.

The City of Lakewood plans to begin utilizing the system beginning on June 1st for limited Public Works emergencies. Messages from the City of Lakewood will be limited to emergency declarations and other information deemed necessary to inform residents and businesses about local conditions. This includes emergency water main breaks, snow bans, and emergency refuse changes. Every effort will be made to share information between 6:00am and 10:00pm.

If you have previously registered for the ReadyNotify system, we are asking you to re-register. Re-registering is vital for current users to ensure that the system has accurate contact information and to enable added functionality and features.

For more information, and instructions for registering, click here.
Jorge Ragghianti Received 2023 Ohio Fire Service Citizen Award

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Mr. Jorge Ragghianti was recognized with a 2023 Ohio Fire Service Citizen Award at the Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame and Fire Awards Ceremony. Mr. Ragghianti was honored for his heroic action saving two children from a burning vehicle. Mayor George, Chief Tim Dunphy, and Fire Marshal Fairbanks were in attendance to watch Mr. Ragghianti receive his award. Congratulations and thank you to Mr. Ragghianti!

Click the link here to see the video honoring the heroic actions of Mr. Ragghianti.
Arbor Day Tree Planting

On Friday, April 28th, Mayor George joined members of the Tree Advisory Board and our forestry crew to help plant a tree in Lakewood park in honor of our dedication to urban forestry.

The City of Lakewood has been named a 2022 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the 46th year to honor its dedication to urban forestry health and management.
Lake Road - Clifton Boulevard Corridor Improvements
Public Meeting

Please join us on Tuesday, May 9th between 6-7:30 p.m. at Cove Community Center, 12525 Lake Avenue, for a public meeting on the Lake Road-Clifton Boulevard Corridor Improvements.

For more information, please click here.
Bring your Child to Work Day

On Thursday, April 27th, the City celebrated National Bring your Child to Work Day. A number of our staff brought their children to City Hall to share more about the important work that they do for our community.

Pictured below are a number of staff members from departments including Planning, Housing & Building, and Public Works, with their children.
ME/WE Education & Support Group

The City of Lakewood is sponsoring an education and self-help support group program for those persons who are concerned about a loved one's use of alcohol or other drug use. Meetings will begin on Saturday, May 13th and will be held both virtually and in person at The Cove Community Center weekly on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

To register please call 216-978-8236 or stop by the Cove Community Center at 12525 Lake Avenue. For more information, click here.
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program

Cuyahoga County Residents that are at or below 175% of the federal poverty guidelines and meet a number of criteria related to water utility may be eligible for this one-time benefit to be used in emergencies when faced with disconnection.

For more information about the program and to find out if you qualify, click here.
We are Hiring!

The City of Lakewood is currently seeking applicants for the following openings:

  • City Planner
  • Entry Level Patrol Officer

For more information and to apply, please click here.
City of Lakewood | lakewoodoh.gov