Cleveland Heights has great opportunities.  I am dedicating myself on City Council to keeping this the best place to be.  I’ve already observed three City Council meetings since the November 8 election and will continue to get up to speed so I can hit the ground running at the beginning of 2012 after I am sworn in.

Here’s what the Board of Elections announced today, November 29:

CLEVE HTS COUNCIL
          Vote for Not More Than  3
              (WITH 37 OF 37 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
           Jeff Coryell  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     6,383   19.48
           Mary Dunbar.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     6,447   19.67
           Phyllis Evans .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     6,494   19.81
           Mike Gaynier  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     4,974   15.18
           Keba Sylla .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,337    4.08
           Dennis R. Wilcox .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     7,140   21.78
              Over Votes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        99
             Under Votes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    13,515

Unfortunately, the microphone that I was using was not working properly during the forum, so some people at the back of the room had trouble hearing me.  I watched only a part of the video, but the sound for the video recording was certainly working at least at the beginning of the forum.  I will assume the recording was working throughout, but let me know if you find otherwise!  Back to the campaign trail.

Thank you for your interest.

Why am I a believer?  Heuer says the school is tackling improvement on several fronts, but he points to three key initiatives to achieve excellence:

• Helping more kids arrive at kindergarten ready-to-learn.  At present, as many as 60 percent are not fully ready.  That means that, rather than building from a base, our schools have to build up the base, and then go beyond.  Our schools do this quite well, but getting more ready at the start of kindergarten will enable our district to get an excellent rating.  That’s why the district is starting a second pre-school program at Noble School, in addition to the one at Gearity, for example.
• Helping more kids be able to read at third-grade level by the time they are in third grade.  About 30 percent of our third-grade students cannot read at grade level.  These students are very likely to perform poorly throughout their school careers, so getting them on track is important.  Amongst other initiatives, all K-3 teachers will become reading specialists so that classroom teachers can get the job done.  New reading programs in the summer also help to keep kids reading year round.
• Helping ninth-graders complete their first year of high school successfully.  A fifth of our ninth-grade high school students don’t complete enough credits to finish the year.  The new Deborah S. Delisle Options Center will help them catch up and finish up.  They can learn online, for example.

We are in a period of exciting change for our school system, and the goals are very high – to put our district on the leading edge educationally and to offer unmatched opportunities for our students.  Many, many of our students continue to demonstrate that they can get a very good education in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights public schools.  This should be true for even more students as the district’s carefully thought out plans are implemented with the support of our community.  We deserve and can have great schools.  Let’s do it!

What neighborhood or area of the city do you live in? Fairfax

How long have you lived in Cleveland Heights? What brought you here? 

Lived in Cleveland Heights since 1970 – 39 years. My husband came to be a professor in the Chemistry Department at Case Western Reserve University. You might say I came because of love.

Tell us about yourself.

Married. Two sons, both grown and married, the elder now living in San Francisco with his wife and two daughters, the younger living in Yokohama, Japan, with his Japanese wife. Graduate of Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, B.A., English Literature; Stanford University, Stanford, California, M.A., Mass Communications (Journalism, with a minor in African Studies); Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio, MBA, Finance and General Management. Former Peace Corps Volunteer teacher (chemistry and English) in Cameroun, West Africa. Former textbook writer and editor, Educational Development Corporation, and Addison-Wesley School Division, both in California near Stanford. Freelance magazine writer and editor. Two years as an account executive with Edward Howard & Co., public relations firm in Cleveland, Ohio; and 20 years as a senior vice president (ultimately) with Dix & Eaton, public relations and investor relations firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Served on National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) national board for five years (2002-2007) and as chairman of the board of NIRI (2005-2006). NIRI, with about 4,300 members, is the professional association for people engaged in investor relations, which involves two-way communications between public companies and investors. Retired since the end of 2007. Hobbies include travel (in addition to living in Cameroun for two years, lived in Oxford, England, for eight months, and Utrecht, The Netherlands, for three months. I have also visited Canada, Belize, many European countries, Japan, China, New Zealand, Iceland, Morocco, South Africa and more.), music (I play the violin, sang in the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for a couple of years, belong to Friends of Apollo’s Fire, etc.), yoga and jogging. Belong to NIRI, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), PRSA and many Heights and Cleveland organizations (St. Paul’s Church, Heights Community Congress, Future Heights, Shaker Lakes Nature Center, Heights Arts, Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Museum of Art, etc.).

If elected, how would you encourage citizens to participate in decision making?

I would first of all want to be sure that citizens who put forth ideas feel that their suggestions are considered seriously and implemented by the city, or they are empowered to implement the idea, if either is appropriate. People in Cleveland Heights have lots of good ideas, but getting things done requires a responsive government.  Encouragement of good ideas should be forthcoming. Otherwise, there should be a discussion of the idea and perhaps of ways to improve it.

I would like to explore the feasibility of having a Cleveland Heights financial and environmental sustainability summit, similar to what Mayor Frank Jackson had in Cleveland. If carefully planned and executed, this would generate lots of ideas from concerned citizens and result in action plans to generate momentum toward becoming the excellent community we all want.

Describe one innovative idea that would transform the city.

Above all, we need a current vision for what we want to be and strategic action plans to achieve our goals. Rather than simply responding to emerging issues, we need to be working effectively to become what we want to be long term. 

Cleveland Heights residents already have a lot of ideas. The city has many programs in place to be successful, but I am unclear on how well implemented they are, and whether they are ever evaluated for effectiveness so they can be improved, or abandoned if ineffective so that something new can be tried. Do we ever benchmark our programs against what other cities are doing to set expectations for employees?

The city needs a better way to educate newcomers to the city of what the rules, regulations and expectations are. Landlords must be more effectively a part of this. Citizens should be encouraged or organized to take responsibility for their neighborhoods, with a rapid response to their concerns (even if the response is an explanation of the process for dealing with the problem and a time frame – hopefully with deadlines – for resolving the issue). Citizens need to know that their engagement is producing results.

Who are the community stakeholders in Cleveland Heights? What ideas do you have for how these stakeholders can work together toward common goals?

Cleveland Heights community stakeholders include everyone in the city, our neighbors in nearby cities, and people at the county, state and federal level. Also included are foundations, such as the Gates Foundation that funded smaller schools within Cleveland Heights High School. We have owners of rental property who do not reside in our city or even our state.

We should engage in collaborative programs with neighboring cities to reduce the cost of government services while maintaining quality. We should ensure that Cleveland Heights residents know about and benefit from county, state and federal services. We should make it as easy as possible for residents to access government services at all levels. This will require collaboration with a variety of government entities. We need to work with owners of rental property to ensure that standards are met. I would like to see a program to encourage young people and families to start out as homeowners by buying two-family homes; this can be a cost-effective arrangement as young people build home equity.

What is your plan for the local economy?

I would like to see Cleveland Heights diversify its tax base by encouraging businesses spun off by University Circle institutions, such as BioEnterprise, for example, to locate in Cleveland Heights. Already, one has moved into the Rockefeller Pointe building. We lack space for businesses. One resident told me his company had to leave Cleveland Heights after employment grew to 55, when space was needed for 70 but unavailable in our city.

Our city seems to have a single-minded dedication to residential construction, especially condos. We also give tax abatement to people who buy these new residential homes. If we are going to give tax abatement, it seems to me that we should instead be giving short-term tax abatement to companies with the potential to ultimately grow into significant sources of taxes for the city. As land becomes available, and assuming we can attract the right developers, I would like to diversify our economy with space for biotech and other growth companies. At the same time, we must maintain the high quality of the businesses already here. People from all over Greater Cleveland already flock to our restaurants, theaters and business districts. 

What are the best qualities of Cleveland Heights and what would you do to sustain them?

The best qualities of Cleveland Heights include its diverse population, recreational and cultural opportunities, wonderful homes and apartments, business districts and schools.  We are well positioned near universities, cultural and health care institutions and should market the attractions of living in Cleveland Heights to people who work for or want to visit them.

I would like to see a stronger effort to maintain integration in parts of our community. I would like to see the city and schools working together more closely to attract all kinds of students into our schools. We need to redouble our efforts in housing inspections and enforcement of rules to maintain the quality of our neighborhoods.

Let’s promote “buy local” programs to support local businesses.

How do you view recent residential and commercial developments in terms of overall planning, architecture, functionality and sense of place? What types of new development do you think are appropriate and realistic for Cleveland Heights?

See answer to the question about a plan for the local economy above. I wish that our community had long had building standards that gave it a more unified look. However, we have not.

Reflecting national trends, condos have been overemphasized.

I have heard a number of older residents say they would like smaller, one-floor housing that they could downsize into. I can envisage a development of cluster homes of this type.

If space becomes available, why can’t we have a biotech or business park to diversify our tax base?

In any case, I would like to see developments that are consistent with the overall architectural style of Cleveland Heights. The proposed RTA structure as an entryway to Cleveland Heights is inappropriate. Some of the churches have done great jobs with additions (Church of the Savior, for example). Eyesores are in the eye of the beholder, but it seems to me that there are some around town.

As a community, we need a vision and strategic action plans to become what we want to be.What do we want to be? How can we get there? Should we take a page from our historic districts and try for compatible new structures or restorations?

Describe one way you think the city could realistically work cooperatively with other local governments to reduce costs and/or improve services.

“Realistically” is the operative word here, because it may be difficult politically to make the right changes.  Consolidations of businesses often do not succeed because of different organizational cultures and poor communications. Collaboration on or consolidation of government services requires gaining buy-in and commitment from key players.

However, costs are going to push collaborations forward. Cities already are beginning to adopt the same accounting and computer programs to facilitate cooperation in purchasing and other areas. Cities should also look at creating uniform regulatory standards for inner suburbs.

By far the biggest cost of government services is people costs. Fire departments already cooperate on fires in neighboring cities. With operative GPS systems, the danger of police and firefighters being unable to find addresses in a larger geographic area is greatly diminished. But getting to know neighborhoods is always going to be important for police, and we need to maintain that.

Despite differences in the services provided by different communities, garbage collection is one area where collaboration would likely offer cost savings with little difference to residents. At a minimum, we should be studying the possibilities to understand the opportunities.

What would you tell a current resident of the City of Cleveland Heights who was thinking of leaving town?

I would say that they must do what is right for them, but if the move is optional, I would ask them to consider what they would be leaving. (See answers to the “best qualities” question above and the “market to a prospective resident” question below.)

Some people leave because of high taxes. I will work to reduce costs of government services through collaboration.

Some people leave because they believe the public schools will fail to educate their children to high standards. I want the city and schools to work together for improved performance. Housing and schools are inextricably linked. The city must be effective in its housing and other programs to ensure ready-to-learn and disciplined children attend our schools.We can raise the visibility of the Heights Parents Center and other effective programs for children and parents. I want to encourage parents to use our public schools as a starting point.

Some people leave for jobs elsewhere. I will support programs in our city and regionally that will strengthen the economy in Northeast Ohio and contribute to growth. 

Unemployment in Cleveland Heights is below state levels because of our proximity to job growth in University Circle, which I applaud.

How would you market the City of Cleveland Heights to a prospective resident?

I would highlight our many wonderful neighborhoods and houses, vibrant business districts with many excellent restaurants and retail stores, parks, cultural and recreational opportunities, schools and proximity to University Circle museums, academic and health care institutions. I would tell them they will love living here – because virtually everyone I meet agrees on that. Our city has an increasing number of historic districts; we should have a scenic route that connects and showcases these treasures of Cleveland Heights that make our city a great place to live.

Please give one concrete example of how you propose to address one of the following real or perceived quality of life issues: crime, litter, vacant storefronts, disengaged youth, foreclosures/vacant houses, population decline, public school performance, high taxes.

Foreclosures/vacant houses are a major problem. Housing and our schools are clearly linked, as school performance depends on who attends. Recognizing this, the city must assiduously continue programs to maintain and upgrade our housing stock and rental properties. Inspections and enforcement of regulations – especially pertaining to rental properties – must be rigorous. 

We must build on favorable trends, such as people moving back to inner-ring suburbs because of concerns about rising gasoline prices and the growing recognition of the environmental cost of sprawl. We need effective marketing programs to encourage this trend, perhaps in collaboration with Shaker Heights and University Circle, as discussed in the article I wrote for the July issue of the Heights Observer.

Throughout Cleveland Heights, I have found vacant homes being fixed up for sale. The city must support these efforts as best it can. We have lots of young families in Cleveland Heights, because our housing is affordable and attractive to young people. We need programs that encourage these families to stay and use our public schools when their children reach school age.

How would you work together with the CH-UH City School District to address the issue you identified above? Please restate the issue you are addressing.

The issue is essentially to “restock” as many Cleveland Heights homes as possible with families with children who are disciplined and ready to learn. We need young people who are preparing to start families moving into our vacant and for-sale properties. We already have many such families, and effective marketing programs that encourage young people to settle in our city can help bring in more.

But many young families move elsewhere when their children reach school age, or put their children into private or parochial schools. So we need programs that encourage and support young families to use our public schools as a starting point. Such programs might involve an enlarged role for the PTA, or perhaps something else.

We also need to build awareness of the importance of using the many excellent institutions and programs that help young children off to a good start – our libraries, Parent’s Center, Invest in Children and others.

Finally, I would like the city and schools to collaborate on civility and other quality of life programs.

Schools and housing are linked, and the city and schools must work collaboratively to make each better. I am committed to that.

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Here is a link to other Cleveland Heights City Council candidates’ answers to the Heights Observer questions:  http://www.heightsobserver.org/read/news-/city-government/cleveland-heights

1. In order of priority, describe the three most important things your city government must address to improve life in Cleveland Heights and how you will get it done: The three most important things city government must address are a lack of a vision, strategic action plans to achieve the vision, and a commitment to implement the plans. First and foremost, we must improve our financial sustainability, housing and other buildings, and schools’ performance. A vision and planning will guide spending priorities, allocation of resources and measurement of progress. We have amazing assets in this community to build on. Through regional collaboration, we can maintain government services for lower cost. We can attract new residents and high-potential businesses through planning and effective marketing of our city and schools.

2. What can the city do to improve and continue trends toward regionalizing city services?: Cleveland Heights can improve and continue trends toward regionalizing city services by working with communities in the First Suburbs Consortium and with University Circle and Cleveland to develop compatible systems and explore cost-saving collaborations. City employees should be trained how to improve productivity, and rewarded for success; serving on the front lines, they know what is needed and should reap benefit from making improvements. We must put the interests of “customers” (residents) first in decision-making.
3. Do you support the Mayors and Managers Association’s developing plan to share revenue among cities in Northeast Ohio? Please provide reasons for your answer.: The Mayors and Managers Association’s developing plan to share revenue aims to get communities in Northeast Ohio to work more collaboratively and reduce competition for industrial development. The initiative includes regional land planning to preserve green space and to reduce the rising cost of infrastructure development in a region without significant population growth. Revenue sharing is credited for some of the growth in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. Proponents say that our real competition is the rest of the world, not our neighbors. Depending on final details, I expect to support this initiative, because it is fair and supports growth.
4. In the current economic climate, what is council doing to ensure the fiscal health of the city besides belt-tightening?: It seems that council is beginning to think about positioning Cleveland Heights for growth as the economy improves, with talk of a business incubator and year-round farms. We need a vision and strategic action plans for our city that include diversification of our tax base, ideally attracting high-potential biomedical and other businesses to our community so that we reduce the tax burden on homeowners. The city has begun to deal with foreclosed and abandoned homes and must become more aggressive in tearing down worthless houses, and repairing and selling homes that can be salvaged to responsible buyers.
5. Given this period of shrinking tax base in our cities, what can you do as a council member to encourage confidence in your community and its future?: Cleveland Heights is relatively well positioned adjacent to University Circle, with its growing educational and healthcare institutions. Our city’s unemployment rate is less than the state average. Cleveland Heights must remain the best place to live. I want to build on our strengths to make an attractive vision reality. We can celebrate our historic homes and the successes of our businesses and citizens. Working together, our city government and schools must make our schools attractive to more families with children who are ready to learn and disciplined. Elect me, and I will engage and empower residents for these positive outcomes.

For the answers to these questions offered by all Cleveland Heights City Council candidates, use this link:  http://chuh.net/lwv/vguide/action-202a1.php