With Ward 1 Councilperson Kevin Butler scheduled to resign and assume the position of law director, the City Council will interview candidates on Saturday, February 26th to fill the expected vacancy.

The city received 12 letters of interest from Ward 1 residents seeking the appointment. The successful candidate, who will be sworn in on Monday, will complete the remaining nine months of Butler’s term.

The Council met in committee on Tuesday to make a preliminary determination about which candidates they would interview. Butler abstained from the proceedings. Council members Mary Louise Madigan (Ward 4) and Brian Powers (At-Large) expressed the desire to limit interviews to only candidates considered to be serious contenders. Ward 2 Councilperson Thomas Bullock felt everyone deserved an interview, but did not press the issue.

Madigan read aloud the name of each candidate to gauge the group’s interest level in conducting an interview. If a single councilperson responded in the affirmative, the resident would be granted an interview opportunity. Many names prompted an immediate response, but there were some awkward silences. Timothy Carroll, for instance, who is a fine candidate, was on the cusp of being declined for an interview until Bullock spoke up at the last moment.

To their great discredit, the Council passed over acceptable candidates in J. Patrick Lang and James Gepperth. Luke Madden, who applied but is ineligible because he lives in Ward 2, was not selected for an interview.

Here are the applicants:

David Anderson: The Narragansett Ave. resident owns three Lakewood rental properties and has lived in Ward 1 for over 20 years. He has a background in education and youth development and believes his temperament would offer “thoughtfulness and stability” to the city’s legislative body. (See application .PDF)

Patrick Ballasch: The Woodward Ave. realtor is a frequent attendee at school board and city council meetings and forums. He believes he has a good sense of what’s important in Lakewood. (See application .PDF)

Cynthia Ann Bender: The Lauderdale Ave. resident owns and operates a Lakewood-based property management company. A city resident for over 30 years, one of her goals would be to “maintain a high quality of life in our family-oriented community.” (See application .PDF)

Timothy Carroll: The Maple Cliff Dr. resident has a legal background. He is a past member of his homeowners association and sat on the council of his church. Carroll was a City Council candidate in 2005. (See application .PDF)

David Clifford: The Riverway Dr. resident of 16 years owns a management consulting firm that specializes in business growth, and is an adjunct professor at an area university. (See application .PDF)

Robert Dumbrys: The Woodward Ave. lawyer is a lifelong city resident. He sees the position as “a civic duty just like voting,” and “not as a stepping-stone for wealth or power.” Dumbrys has experience in municipal law. (See application .PDF)

James Gepperth: The Northwood Ave. resident has a background in non-profit social service management.  He has lived in Ward 1 for 20 years and operates a small business there. (See application .PDF)

J. Patrick Lang: The Riverside Dr. resident has a background in non-profit management and program development.  The outgoing Ward 1 representative encouraged him several years ago to pursue public service on council. (See application .PDF)

Luke Madden: The Woodward Ave. resident has 45 years of experience in manufacturing, sales and accounting. Unfortunately, his home is located on the half of the street that is in Ward 2, so he is not eligible for the position. (See application .PDF)

Patrick Metzger: The Clifton Rd. resident has a background in community and economic development at the municipal and county level. He believes his skills will be useful in helping the city “understand and meet challenges that confront it in the short and long term.” (See application .PDF)

Brian Mooney: The McKinley Ave. lawyer is a former four-term member of Brook Park City Council. The primary reason he wants to serve as a councilperson is because it is “fun and exciting.” His top priority would be to work to retain the city’s existing businesses, attract more white-collar office jobs, and improve the city’s housing stock. (See application .PDF)

Bryan Rosser: The Cannon Ave. lawyer is interested in the Ward 1 position because he believes individuals have a civic duty to participate in their governments at all levels. Rosser is a five-year city resident. (See application .PDF)

Cheryl Sullivan: The Lake Ave. resident has a background in health insurance and is a substitute teacher in the city’s school system. Born and bred in Lakewood, Sullivan has lived in other parts of the nation, but returned to the city because it is “one of the best places to live.” (See application .PDF)

The Edgar Building is currently vacant.

The Board of Building Standards earlier this month upheld the city’s public nuisance designation of the Edgar Building located at 15609-17 Detroit Ave., between Merry Arts Pub and Grille and Niko’s.

Arberia, LLC, the property owner, had sought to overturn the building department’s nuisance edict issued in January. It can still file an appeal with the Cuyahoga Court of Common Pleas.

The five-person partnership purchased the building in 2009 for $210,000. It originally planned to bring a restaurant to the partially vacant building and convert the six apartments on the second floor into office space, but kept changing plans.

Substantial alternations were made to the structure without the proper building permits, including the removal of a load-bearing wall on the interior and demolition of a portion of property’s rear wall, according to city officials. The building was left unsecured for a period of time, and had a broken pipe that caused water to stream onto Detroit Ave.

City leaders were magnanimous in their approach towards the primary property owner, Kujtim Dauti. They placed him in the Lakewood Municipal Court’s housing diversion program, something usually reserved for residential property owners.

At a December 2010 building compliance hearing, the city’s prosecutor cited Dauti’s lack of progress and asked Judge Patrick Carroll to remove him from the program.

To demonstrate his commitment, Dauti brought along contractor Marc Brummer with whom he’d signed a $300,000 agreement to repair the building. Brummer told the judge that construction would begin immediately. He said while the bulk of the work was on the inside, he expected to bring in some tarps and heaters and also work outside. Judge Carroll was not impressed, and ordered Dauti dismissed from the diversion program. Brummer placed a lien on Dauti’s property in January for $56,290 in unpaid bills.

Unhappy neighbors speak at appeals hearing

Assistant Building Commissioner Robert Apanasewicz said at the appeals hearing that the entire project suffered from a “lack of leadership and management.” Fire Chief Scott Gilman testified about the poor physical condition of the building, and added, “In my opinion, it poses a distinct hazard to the properties on either side.”

The rear of the Edgar Building was fenced off after a portion of the back wall was demolished.

Dauti contested the notion that any interior load-bearing walls had been removed, a claim that prompted Gilman to laugh aloud. Dauti said that the broken pipes and other problems had been fixed. “It’s nice, neat and clean inside,” he said.

The owner of the building across the street was concerned about her neighbor’s lack of upkeep. The sidewalks weren’t shoveled and a second floor window was left open at all times of the year. In addition, she could see straight through the building due to the partial demolition of the back wall. “I just ask that it is maintained,” she said. “I feel bad for Merry Arts and Niko’s.”

John Granzier, owner of Merry Arts, said he’s had a “very large concern” about the appearance and safety of the property. “The building is literally just falling down,” he said. Granzier said he hoped it would be torn down and used for parking.

Potential buyer’s plans for building ‘quite different’

Richard Conte, Dauti’s attorney, asked the Board to consider deferring its decision on the appeal request due to the potential sale of the building. He said Arberia, LLC has run out of funds due to the bankruptcies of two of its member and it expects to lose most of its investment in the property. However, the group has found a buyer interested in the building and is trying to complete the sale. Apanasewicz spoke with the potential new owner and found his vision for the Edgar Building “quite different” from Dauti’s.

Board Secretary Dru Siley reminded the Board that the status of a sale was irrelevant to the matter at hand and should not be considered.

Board member John Waddell expressed concern about the stability of the building’s partially demolished rear wall, which he happened to observe while it was being worked on.

“I’m nervous as hell about the condition of this building,” he said. “From Day One it has made me nervous.” Siley suggested integrity repairs would need to be performed in order to make the building stable. “We hope the building stays there,” another Board member said.

The Board unanimously voted to uphold the city’s nuisance designation.

Clifton Blvd. nuisance property owner files appeal in county court

Unsatisfied with the Board’s decision to uphold the city’s public nuisance designation of his Clifton Blvd. apartment buildings, William T. Novak has filed an appeal in county court.

The city’s building dept. has continued to keep pressure on Novak to repair his properties.

After successfully prosecuting him last year for housing code violations, the city filed new code violations against Novak in January. Judge Carroll last week found Novak guilty of the charges and issued a $300 fine. Novak will next be in housing court on March 4th. If he hasn’t shown enough progress towards compliance, the judge could issue more penalties.

Other legal updates

- China Garden, who had the transfer of its beer permit blocked after the city filed an objection with the state, is appealing the ruling to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission. In the meantime, it continues to offer home delivery of beer and cigarettes.

- A Cleveland woman is suing the city and the Ganley Auto Group in county court seeking $15,000 plus medical expenses. Clifton Blvd. resident Cynthia Gillespie claims to have suffered permanent injuries to both her knees and hands after tripping on an uneven sidewalk in front of the now-vacant Ganley car lot on Detroit Rd., between Clarence Ave. and Grace Ave. A case management conference is set for March 9th.

Quaker Steak and Lube still expects to be part of plaza project

After Bank of America began foreclosure proceedings in January on its $6.2 million loan to the owner of Lakewood Plaza, observers began to wonder if the proposed revitalization plans for the shopping strip announced a year ago would ever be realized.

The man who knows the answer for certain – Canton-based developer Harry Giltz, Sr. – did not respond to numerous phone calls seeking clarification on the matter. Giltz controls One Lakewood Co., LLC, the corporation that owns Lakewood Plaza.

Former Mayor Edward O. FitzGerald said at a town hall-style meeting in September 2010 that building permits for the exterior renovation had been issued. The company has also paid off $550,000 in delinquent property taxes.

A representative with Quaker Steak and Lube, an anchor tenant of the proposed project, last week confirmed that it has a signed contract and remains committed to the effort.

“It’s still on our radar screen,” said Jaime Cecil, vice president of franchise sales and development. “We’re planning on it. We’re waiting on some contingencies to be resolved.”

Cecil declined to elaborate on the specifics of the matter, but said it sometimes takes as long as two or three years for a restaurant to open after a deal is signed.

CVS on Detroit Ave. wants to expand; developer eyes Edgewater Dr. property

Assistant Director of Planning and Development Dru Siley briefed the City Council yesterday evening on the status of a couple of projects in the pipeline.

The CVS located to the east of the Lakewood Public Library on Detroit Ave. wants to move and expand to the west of the library. It would consume the entire block west of Arthur Ave. where a church now sits. Siley said plans have been submitted and will be reviewed at an upcoming meeting of the Architectural Board of Review.

A developer is interested in redeveloping a 2.6-acre bank-owned property on Edgewater Dr., between Homewood Dr. and Wilbert Rd. The developer has submitted concept drawings. Siley said a community meeting to discuss the proposal is scheduled to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday at Emerson Elementary.

The city, which will continue to operate its own land bank, recently demolished an abandoned apartment building on W. 117th St. with federal funds provided through the county land bank.

Hoping to increase its access to funding for the acquisition, demolition, and rehabilitation of neglected properties, the city is considering an alliance with the Cuyahoga County land bank.

The City Council on Tuesday will discuss in committee a proposed memorandum of understanding with the Cuyahoga Land Reutilization Corp. that would create the framework of a partnership whose purpose it is to return distressed Lakewood properties to tax producing status.

The 20-page draft document outlines how the two entities will coordinate their efforts and sets standards on how properties within the city acquired by the county land bank – largely vacant, abandoned or tax-foreclosed – will be handled. (see .PDF).

The memorandum, for instance, discourages the sale of a rehabbed home to an owner who will rent it out rather than live in it. In addition, the sale of any commercial and industrial property will be subject to a development agreement that requires a specific redevelopment or re-use within a specific period of time.

Interim Mayor Michael Summers at the last meeting of City Council said memorandum negotiations with the county land bank were “through and slow” and “fairly frustrating.”

Gus Frangos, president of the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corp., said Summers’ assessment was “probably a good characterization” of the situation.

Frangos admitted the initial delay in negotiations was the result of his procrastination. “I take the full blame,” he said.

However, the city’s law department contributed to the problem later when it was careless in reviewing sections of the draft agreement that contained language geared towards a different municipality. The issue further bogged down when the city inserted minute details that didn’t belong in a document that was meant to be very broad. As a result, the effort to revise the agreement was a lengthy back and forth process.

Frangos, who is also an attorney and deals with about 100 different properties each month at the county land bank, said the memorandum of understanding with the city is now complete, and ready for the review and approval of the mayor and the city council.

City targeting six structures for demolition

One objective the city hopes to achieve through its relationship with Frangos and the land bank is greater access to financial assistance to help with the demolition of several nuisance structures.

According to the Division of Housing and Building, here are the six properties the city wants to demolish:

1369 Westlake Ave. is nearby 56 West on Detroit Ave.

Address: 1369 Westlake Ave. (Ward 2)

David and Patricia Laform acquired the home in 1987. They received a $144,330 mortgage in 2004. Their lender successfully foreclosed on the property in April 2009, but didn’t move it to sheriff’s sale. The Laforms owe $9,000 for back property taxes, water and sewer, and lawn maintenance fees. The Laforms also own an Atkins Ave. home that has been successfully foreclosed upon, but not sent to sheriff’s sale.

2067 Bunts Rd. is close to the intersection of Bunts Rd. and Detroit Ave.

Address: 2067 Bunts Rd. (Ward 3)

Maureen Kundtz purchased the property in 1978, and lost it in a 2007 foreclosure. CitiFinancial Mortgage acquired the property at sheriff’s sale for $94,900. It owes more than $20,000 in delinquent property taxes and water, sewer, and lawn maintenance fees.

The backyard of 1241 Thoreau Ave. is adjacent to the Clifton Blvd. fire station

Address: 1241 Thoreau Ave. (Ward 4)

Jeffery and Patricia McNerney purchased the home in 1981. Patricia became the sole owner in 2001 after a divorce, and received a $108,000 mortgage in 2003. The home has been in foreclosure since 2009. She was found guilty in October 2010 in Lakewood Municipal Court of failing to comply with an order to maintain the house. McNerney is current on her property taxes.

1635 Hopkins Ave. is located to the rear of The Flying Rib on Madison Ave.

Address: 1635 Hopkins Ave. (Ward 4)

Charles Willis Jr., John Cepec, Michael Cepec, Sr. and five other people took ownership of the home in 1990 through probate court. Beginning in 1999, the property was involved in a decade long foreclosure effort. The city declared the property vacant and abandoned in 2006. The property was sent to sheriff’s sale in 2007 and 2008, and was not bid on in either instance. Plymouth Park Tax Services successfully foreclosed on the property in 2010, but did not sent it to sheriff’s sale.

The property has numerous tax liens. The property owners owe $16,567 in unpaid property taxes and lawn maintenances fees dating back to 2006.

2145 Halstead Ave. is located to the east of the parking lot belonging to the former Lake Erie Screw complex.

Address: 2145 Halstead Ave. (Ward 4)

Coletta Kilbane purchased the house in 2006 for $35,500 with a $28,500 mortgage. Related documention suggests it was acquired as an investment property. Wells Fargo’s 2010 foreclosure was uncontested by Kilbane. The home was appraised at $10,000, and sent to a sheriff’s sale that was cancelled. The property taxes are current, but $1,285 is owed for water and sewer, lawn maintenance, and criminal nuisance fees.

1549-59 Lakewood Ave. is located on the corner of Franklin Blvd. and Lakewood Ave.

Address: 1549-59 Lakewood Ave. (Ward 4)

New York resident William Oscar Graham purchased the six-family brick and wood apartment house in 2005. A juvenile who lived in the property was found to have lead poisoning in 2008 and a lead risk assessment identified lead hazards on the property.

Green Tree Management Systems terminated its property management agreement with Graham in September 2009 due to non-payment of bills. The Lakewood Fire Department visited the property in October 2009 to investigate vandalism to the property’s gas lines. Water service was disconnected that same month due to an outstanding bill of $6,211 and the tenants were ordered out by the city for safety reasons. Foreclosure proceedings were also initiated on a loan of $269,000.

In November 2009, Lakewood Municipal Court Judge Patrick Carroll signed a search warrant permitting city representatives to enter and inspect the property. The city declared the property a public nuisance a month later and served written notice to the owner of its intent to repair or demolish the property. In March 2010, the city issued the same notice to Florida-based Bayview Loan Servicing, the holder of the property’s mortgage.

Bayview Loan Servicing (doing business as IB Property Holdings, LLC) acquired the property at sheriff’s sale for $60,000 in May 2010. It claimed it never received the city’s public nuisance letter and wanted to repair the structure and put it on the market, but was open to a “negotiated transfer” of the property to the city.

In June 2010, the mortgage company filed an appeal of the nuisance designation in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and requested an injunction and temporary restraining order preventing demolition. It claimed the structure did not meet the definition of a public nuisance and the city’s demolition estimate of $66,380 (including $25,000 for asbestos removal) was excessive. The judge in the case issued a temporary restraining order, and the two sides met to discuss the situation.

Due to the way the the building was boarded up, the city's fire department said it will not enter the structure in the event of a fire.

After meeting on June 28, 2010, Bayview agreed to get insurance for the property to protect the surrounding properties from any damage that might occur. Both sides agreed that in the event the vacant structure caught fire, the city’s fire department would not enter the building due to its hazardous nature.

Bayview acknowledged “that the manner in which the structure was secured has rendered the property more hazardous for an interior fire attack and that entry into the structure in the event of a fire would subject the firefighters to imminent danger.” More notably, all parties agreed to leave the property untouched unless instructed to do otherwise by the court.

Bayview consented to an inspection of the property on August 6, 2010 by city building and county health officials. Mark Siefert, of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, wrote the city regarding his observations:

“These units must be thoroughly cleaned of all debris, rotting food, clothes, syringes, any mold or bacteria covered wood and other items, etc. The units need to be treated by a licensed exterminator as I observed a number of different insect infestations. I strongly recommend that the sewer lines for the building be inspected…as I observed evidence of a sewage back-up. I also observed evidence of water intrusion that has caused mold/bacterial growth. These basements should also be sanitized.”

The city issued a building code correction notice to Bayview on August 16, 2010 based on the inspection results. A couple of weeks later, Bayview filed a court notice indicating the city would not work with them “in any fashion to allow the repairs on the property to be performed.”

Bayview’s court appeal is still pending. The city is scheduled to submit a brief in opposition to Bayview’s request by March 4th. Bayview is current on property taxes, but owes a couple of hundred dollars in criminal nuisances fees.

City sells one of the houses it bought and rehabbed

According to data from the Ohio Department of Taxation, the median sales price of residential properties within the city sold through the first six months of 2010 increased over last year.

Among the homes sold was the city-owned house at 1300 Andrews Ave. The city acquired it a little over a year ago for $52,000. The property received extensive interior and exterior renovations. It was placed on the market this summer for $149,900. It sold for $132,600 in December 2010 to Catlin Dirk and Anthony Diaquila. Records on file with the Cuyahoga County Recorder indicate the couple has a $129,238 mortgage and a $10,400 loan from the city.

The asking price for 1598 Wyandotte Ave., another property the city has rehabbed, dropped from $139,900 to $129,900.

A clerk assists a customer at the post office on W. 117th St.

After more than 45 years of duty, the post office located near the corner of W. 117th St. and Detroit Ave. will permanently close on March 25th, the United States Postal Service has announced.

It was selected along with 15 other Cuyahoga County postal branches for review and possible discontinuance in July 2009 as part of the USPS’ nationwide Stations and Branches Optimization and Consolidation Initiative. A preliminary review reduced the list to six branches in September 2009, and then to five in February 2010.

In a December 13th letter announcing the official closing date, USPS District Manager Todd Hawkins wrote: “Because of the drastic decline in mail volume, the Postal Service is in fiscal crisis and must take action to reduce the size of its retail and delivery network. By consolidating, streamlining and adjusting our operations, the Postal Service improves its efficiency and viability.”

The USPS receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage and services to fund its operations. It lost $8.5 billion in 2010, and $329 million in the first quarter of the 2011 fiscal year.

In addition, it is legally prohibited from shuttering a branch solely for economic reasons. It must cite other reasons like declining workload, unsafe conditions, or operational inefficiencies.

Communications Programs Specialist Victor Dubina said the USPS exercised an escape clause in its lease on the building, where the branch has been located since at least 1963, according to postal records.

Dubina said two employees who staff the office, formally known as the Edgewater Finance Station, will be reassigned elsewhere. Customers who rent post office boxes will be able to keep their addresses, and transfer them to the Warren Rd. branch.

Building owner Peter Murphy said he first learned of the USPS’ desire to close in 2009 after reading a Plain Dealer story on the matter. He was surprised, but it prepared him for the registered letter he received last year that announced the end of the lease. “I think Lakewood is going to miss that post office,” he said.

Murphy, who is also president of United Label & Sales Co. on Berea Rd., declined to reveal the terms of his lease with the USPS. “They were a very good tenant,” he said, and added that he understood the reasons behind their decision.

Murphy acquired the W. 117th St. property in 1993 and had his business located in one-half of the structure that is now vacant. Murphy said the building has been for sale for “quite awhile.” He indicated he’s talking with realtors to help attract a buyer, but would not disclose the asking price.

Uneven political response to closure announcement

In the months after the initial list of potential post office closures was published in 2009, city councils in Cleveland and Brook Park passed resolutions in opposition to the plan. (It should be noted that Lakewood City Council and then-Mayor Edward O. FitzGerald never brought forth a resolution objecting to the shutdown of the city’s East End post office)

Congressperson Dennis Kucinich forwarded the resolutions and related documentation to the Postal Regulatory Committee, which has oversight of the USPS. Along with it he attached a letter that outlined his position on the situation: “I have considered each and every post office on the review list and after careful consideration, have come to the conclusion that they should not be closed.”

A message left three weeks ago at Kucinich’s Lakewood office regarding the status of the W. 117th post office was not returned.

Appeals process not well-publicized

With no external signage, the post office maintains a low profile

Whether done intentionally or not, the USPS has released closure-related announcements at points of the year when information tends to get overlooked.

The 2009 notice about branch closure reviews was posted a week after the July 4th holiday when many people are traditionally on vacation. The W. 117th St. office closure determination — which the Plain Dealer has yet to report on — was posted two weeks before Christmas.

It’s a fair bet a number of nearby postal customers are not aware that the post office is going to close. And while some members of Lakewood city government are probably familiar with the situation, they might be in the same boat as the Board of Madison Township Trustees.

Elected leaders of the small town near Mansfield received notice in December that their post office would close in February. However, they weren’t told of their right to appeal until after the 30-day appellate window passed. The Trustees filed an appeal anyway, and the Postal Regulatory Committee has agreed to hear it.

The Committee will either affirm the decision or remand the matter to the USPS for additional consideration. It must affirm the decision by law unless it finds the action was without observance of legal procedure, unsupported by substantial evidence, or arbitrary and capricious in nature.

The Committee cannot conduct its own fact-finding investigation, and must consider the appeal based solely on documents generated by the USPS in the course of its final determination.

The Congressional Research Service study of postal closure appeals showed they are infrequent – possibly because the option is not well-publicized – and unsuccessful.

Of the at least 676 closures between 1998 and 2007, only 25 were appealed. 19 were affirmed, two lacked jurisdiction, three were remanded and one was withdrawn.

Toll on economic development, concern for lower-income customers

Two men stand at the counter of the city's post office on W. 117th St.

Even with its reduced relevancy in the modern age, the post office is a valuable community asset. The East End post office, even though small in size, offered a stable presence to buffer the winds of economic decay blowing along the W. 117 St. Corridor and served lower-income residents in Cleveland and Lakewood’s Ward 4.

The American Postal Workers Union produced a report that provides a hint of what could happen in terms of economic development when a post office pulls out and makes a neighborhood less attractive to other businesses:

“The combination of losing one or two retailers and reducing the area’s ability to attract new replacement businesses can tip a neighborhood business district over the edge into long-term decline. What happens then impacts the remaining businesses and the value of commercial property. Rents stagnate as demand drops with a corresponding loss in property values. Some landlords respond by reducing their investment in routine maintenance and repairs, allowing their properties to deteriorate. That deterioration deters customers from visiting the tenant businesses, which further limits their profitability and leads to additional commercial vacancies. In the worst case, vacant commercial buildings become havens for illegal activity and impact the surrounding residential neighborhoods as well.”

Policy Matters Ohio published a memorandum regarding its concerns about closing post offices that service a lower-income population:

“First and foremost is their implication for low-income neighborhood residents’ access to postal services. These residents have less access to personal transportation and less expendable income for fuel and public transportation. They also have less access to private mailing options that are more prevalent in high-income areas. Removing a branch from their communities may constrain their ability to use the U.S.Postal Service.”

“Third, in financially-strained communities, the presence of the post office as a neighborhood anchor is more vital than in wealthier areas. Businesses and residents who rely on these services will have one less reason to stay in these communities and blighted areas that can least afford it will be burdened with one more empty storefront.”

It is clear the USPS has financial issues and must make changes in the way it conducts business. Shuttering the East end post office is an unfortunate consequence of the situation and a huge disservice to the Ward 4 neighborhood.

The vast majority of Lakewood residents, most of whom conduct their business at the more harried and impersonal Warren Rd. branch, may see the East End location as being nothing more than small outlet on the outskirts of town without much consequence to them.

While it is a modest in stature, the W. 117th St. post office is important to the health of that part of the city, and the lack of response and follow-through from local and federal leaders is cause for concern.

Click on the graph for a larger image.

A couple of months ago we examined the results of the Nov. 2010 Lakewood General Election in terms of voter turnout. Since then, the Cuyahoga Board of Elections has released another piece of information that is worth a glance: voter age.

What do Lakewood Alive Executive Director Mary Anne Crampton, CoolCleveland.com founder Thomas Mulready, and Beck Center CEO Lucinda Einhouse all have in common? Well, aside from being Lakewood residents, they were each born in the same year: 1958 – which happens to be the average birth year of Lakewood voters who participated in the election.

A rough analysis of the data shows that residents born in the 1950s voted in numbers greater than those of any other decade. They occupy eight of the top 10 spots and 10 of the top 15 slots.

While it is possible these results can be attributed to a majority presence of fifty-somethings in the city’s voting age population (the 2010 census results due to be released soon will be telling), this generation clearly takes the basic civic obligation of voting more seriously than most.

Emma Petrie Barcelona, the city’s development officer, said in a recent court deposition that 55% of the city’s housing units are rentals. One could reasonably assume then, that the city has a good amount of younger people. It may be true, but they don’t vote in large numbers. Only 68 22-year-olds handed in a ballot for last year’s general election, a number about half of the total votes cast by city’s 82-year-olds.

2010 General Election: Average voter birth year by ward precinct. Click map to see a larger image

Voters in the Nov. 2010 General Election in Wards 1 and 2 had an average age of 50. Voters in Wards 3 and 4 tended to be a little bit older at 53.

At the ward precinct level, the youngest voters lived in the city’s western half. Four precincts (1-F, 1-G, 1-D, and 2-C) there had the youngest average voting age: 48.

The city’s eldest voters were located in ward precincts with a concentration of senior citizen housing. Ward Precinct 4-J, where the Lakeshore Towers are located, had an average voting age of 62. Ward Precinct 3-E, home to the Westerly Apartments, had an average voting age of 70, 18 years greater than the overall city average.

A comparison between the map depicting voter turnout in Nov. 2010 and the map above shows that older voters were much more active than younger voters. (Want to learn what precinct you’re located in? Check here.)

Mayor, City Council slots up for grabs in 2011

More than 40 residents applied last year for appointment to three vacant positions created by mayoral and council resignations. With six seats up for re-election this year, hopefully many of those same people will throw their hats into the ring.

As of Tuesday, only three individuals had requested candidate petitions from the county’s Board of Elections. The list includes current Ward 2 Councilperson Thomas Bullock and Lakewood Observer flimflam man Jim O’Bryan.

Ward 4 Councilperson Mary Louise Madigan, who ran unopposed in 2007, said at a committee meeting this month that she has not made a decision about seeking a third term. Interim Mayor Michael Summers and interim council members Ryan Knowlin (At-Large) and Shawn Juris (Ward 3) have all expressed the desire to run for election to the posts they were appointed to.

One person not expected to pursue re-election is Ward 1 Councilperson Kevin Butler, who is quitting to take over as the city’s law director. Butler at Monday’s council pre-meeting guessed that five or six candidates would vie for appointment to complete the nine months remaining in his term. “I don’t think it’s going to be a huge crowd,’ he said.

The deadline for Ward 1 residents to submit their interest in the anticipated vacancy is Wednesday, February 16th. Interviews are tentatively scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 19th. Check out the city’s press release for additional details.

Getting on the ballot

Parties interested in getting on the ballot to run for either mayor or city council should visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections at 2925 Euclid Ave. Parking is available at no cost to the rear of the building. The Candidate & Petition Services Dept. staff located on the second floor provides all of the necessary paperwork to prospective candidates and is generally knowledgeable and helpful.

Residents who expect to run for either mayor or city council must have lived in the city for at least one year immediately prior to the day of taking office. They must also be 18 years of age or older, and have been registered to vote for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election. Council candidates running for ward positions must reside in the ward they seek to represent.

Lakewood’s elections are non-partisan, so there are no party primaries and a candidate’s political affiliation does not appear on the ballot. And unlike some other cities in Northeast Ohio, the minimum number of signatures a candidate must collect is very reasonable: 25 autographs for a ward position and 50 John Hancocks for a city-wide slot.

June 30th is the deadline to file a petition and qualify for the September 13th primary.

Money, money, money

Like it or not, money plays a key role in politics. It is difficult to run a successful campaign – even a small one – without the resources to get a candidate’s message across to voters.

It is not the be all and end all, of course, as one multi-millionaire candidate for county executive learned last fall, but it can play a significant factor.

Here’s a look at what winning campaigns have spent in recent years:

(Click candidate name to see campaign finance reports)