Community Newsletter November 2023 Edition | |
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Note from Mayor Meghan F. George | |
Financial accountability and wise stewardship of your tax dollars continue to be a fundamental pillar of my administration. As the City of Lakewood enters budget season again this fall, our department chiefs are working diligently with our finance team to align our expected revenues to continue supporting high-quality services and investing in the strategic needs of our community. We all look forward to partnering with Lakewood City Council to allocate a budget that recognizes the fiscal realities we face, yet also continues to position our city for the future and deliver the public services our taxpayers expect
and deserve.
With these goals established, it’s also important to acknowledge that the City faces another tight general fund budget and tough choices to make in addressing the capital needs of the Lakewood’s aging infrastructure. In doing so, we continue to strategically leverage our federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and aggressively seek additional grant funding and low interest loans to help mitigate the City’s significant capital burden. Those capital needs include things such as long overdue improvements to Winterhurst Ice Rink and the requirement to modernize our sewer and water infrastructure. As the pressures of inflation and ongoing increases to interest rates continue to affect everyone’s bottom line, we at City Hall are more vigilant than ever in carefully planning the budget for this coming year, and we must all be realistic about what is pragmatic to expect.
Around budget time each year, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office also announces annual awards, and I am thrilled to share that the City of Lakewood has once again achieved the prestigious Auditor of State Award with Distinction. To earn this award, a government entity must achieve a “clean” audit report. That means meeting a number of challenging criteria – everything from a strict adherence to accounting principles and avoiding material deficiencies or weaknesses in reporting to also having no ethics referrals, no financial concerns, and meeting obligations for public meetings and public records standards.
This is the fourth consecutive year that the City of Lakewood has achieved this award from the Ohio Auditor, and once again, most of the credit for this goes to our tremendous team in Lakewood’s finance department. Less than 5% of the of the 6,000 government entities audited in the State of Ohio typically receive this designation, so it shows how hard our finance team is working and how successful they are in keeping your tax dollars accounted for every year. The State Auditor also once again awarded Lakewood its highest rating of four stars for our professionalism in responding to public records requests. We are all very proud of this distinction as well, because it highlights our commitment to transparency in the City’s work.
Congratulations are in order to everyone who plays a role in these successes at City Hall, including the Finance and Law Departments that take the lead on these efforts and also the entire Lakewood administrative team that works seamlessly and cooperatively to provide the financial resources and services that our residents deserve.
Mayor Meghan F. George
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Upcoming Events & Updates | |
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Saturday, November 11- Veterans Day Ceremony
Community members are welcome to attend the Veterans Day Ceremony at Lakewood Park from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 12 - Car Seat Safety Check
The Lakewood Fire Department The Lakewood will hold another car seat safety check on Sunday, November 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Fire Station #1, 14601 Madison Avenue. This free event is open to Lakewood families who are interested in having fire department personnel install their child safety seats or check for proper set up. Click here to register.
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Veterans Day Ceremony
The City of Lakewood’s Veterans Day Ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 11 at 11:00 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial in Lakewood Park, 14532 Lake Avenue. This annual Veterans Day observance is a tribute to the men and women who served our country in the armed forces.
After the ceremony, join us in the Women’s Club Pavilion for coffee and doughnuts.
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H2O HOME ALONE
H2O “Help to Others” is hosting a presentation of HOME ALONE on Wednesday, November 29th at Cove Community Center. This unique program communicates safety information to Lakewood youth, ages 9-12. The presentations are designed and delivered by high school leaders who have researched with safety professionals. They craft each session to be engaging and age-appropriate for their audience.
Each youth attendee is required to come with an adult who receive valuable safety information presented by local experts from Lakewood Police, Fire and EMS, as well as a cyber crimes expert. Registration will open in early November and will be available on the City of Lakewood website. If you would like to be notified when registration begins, please add your information to this survey.
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Lakewood Police Department Promotion
Mayor George recently administered the oath of office to newly promoted Sergeant Ron Bunner. Congratulations Sergeant Bunner!
Pictured (L to R): Police Chief Kevin Fischer, Sergeant Bunner, and Mayor George
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Congratulations, Damian Starcovic!
Recently Mayor George presented Damian Starcovic with a proclamation recognizing his 40 years of service to the City of Lakewood. Damian's last day was October 31st.
Damian started his career with the City of Lakewood in 1983 as a laborer in the Division of Refuse and Recycling. Before long, he transferred to the Streets Division and served as a laborer before joining the Water/Sewer Department in 1985, working in a variety of areas and roles before being promoted to Group Leader in 2009. He was fluent in all aspects of the city's sewer system and was an enormous asset to the department.
In Damian's retirement, he plans on spending time with family and and his beloved pets as well as rebuilding historic cars.
Congratulations, Damian, and thank you for your service to the City of Lakewood.
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Lakewood Police Citizens' Academy
The Lakewood Division of Police is offering a unique opportunity to get an inside look into the workings of and role of Lakewood’s Police Department. The Lakewood Police Citizens’ Academy is a 9-week program starting Wednesday, January 10, 2024 and continuing through March 6, 2024. The academy will be held each Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Lakewood Police Department. The deadline to apply is Friday, December 8, 2023.
The Citizens’ Police Academy is for Lakewood residents or individuals who work in Lakewood, are 21 years of age or older, and who are interested in learning more about the Division of Police. There is no fee to attend. During the sessions, students will be presented with information, and hands on activities to familiarize them with a variety of police related topics.
Participants will be permitted to schedule a ride along with a patrol officer for one evening. Class size is limited. To learn more and fill out an application, click here.
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Leaf Collection
The City of Lakewood will began collecting loose leaves on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will continue through Friday, December 15, 2023, weather permitting. Leaves can also be placed in paper yard/leaf bags (no plastic bags) and set out on your regular refuse and recycling collection day. Limited bulk leaf collection may occur after December 15th if weather conditions warrant an extension of leaf collection.
Due to the large volume of leaves on Clifton Boulevard and Lake Avenue, there will be additional pick-ups for those streets. Click here for more information.
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Lakewood Chamber of Commerce Safety Panel
On Friday, October 27th, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce hosted an engaging panel discussion on public safety, led by Shawn Leininger, Director of Planning & Development. The discussion included insights from Mayor George, Police Chief Kevin Fischer, Fire Chief Tim Dunphy, Building Commissioner Chris Parmalee, and Director of Public Works Chris Gordon.
The wide-ranging discussion on Lakewood's holistic approach to safety included initiatives such as the Safe Place program, safety audits for business, crisis intervention training, the Neighborhood Paramedic Program, and more. Thank you to all who partipated in this important conversation.
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We are Hiring!
The City of Lakewood is currently seeking applicants for the following openings:
- Fleet Mechanic
- Animal Control Officer
- Sewer Maintenance
For more information and to apply, please click here.
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City of Lakewood | lakewoodoh.gov
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