What made you decide to run?
Julie Anne and I chose Brecksville because we believed in our hearts that it was where we wanted to raise our family. Since becoming a part of the Brecksville community, it has been nothing but great to us. With getting to know many of our neighbors, and others around town, made me realize I would be a good candidate to help ensure all voices are respectfully heard and ask the tough and direct questions when they are needed. My family will be here for a long time, and I have always felt the calling to help serve others in the community to my utmost ability with knowledge I have learned over the years. I'm invested in Brecksville and I want nothing but the best for our beloved city. I chose to run to ensure that people who care, like me, are involved at the local level so that Brecksville remains one of the best places to work and live.
Preserving Brecksville
Brecksville is a wonderful and well regarded city in Northeast Ohio and beyond. With a lot of possible changes coming with Valor Acres, Central School and the possible sale and development of the Highland Elementary school, multiple properties on Snowville Road, and possibly more to come, the preservation of what makes Brecksville unique is of utmost importance.
While time inevitably marches on, property owners need to know that leaders will fight to maintain the community that drew them here to begin with. They also need to be assured that any changes will only make the city a better place to live for all and that they will not be negatively impacted in any way.
Ensuring Residents Are Heard
As a pharmacist, I've always been taught that actively listening and asking open-ended questions are the best way to really learn what are the issues animating and motivating the people I serve. I believe city council members should do the same thing, when it comes to residents bringing forth their concerns. There needs to be a way to better solicit ideas from the extraordinary citizens of our city.
Following a Plan
Brecksville already had a Master Plan developed in 2019 by the Cuyahoga County planning commission. The city chose not to adopt it, but I do believe that the city needs a guiding reference or benchmark to follow with regard to planning for the future. City politics is very detailed oriented, but sometimes things can get lost when smaller issues get debated. Having an overarching reference that could be referred to would be a great way for holding city officials accountable and ensure we are moving towards our stated goals.
Keep Our Community Informed
Few communities the size of Brecksville can rival the level of service that is provided to our residents. That said, it can sometimes be a challenge to know all that our city has to offer without some serious digging.
A pledge of mine would be to work to improve the ways with which the city can better share all it's fine employees do for our citizens, whether elderly or young, lifelong residents or those who are just moving in. Some of the areas it is the responsibility of city leadership to improve include: an improved city website (some examples), easier registrations and sign ups for community center programs, an easier way to access and upload the city calendar that could sync with cell phone calendars, better use of multiple social media channels, selective newsletter emails to follow, which may also include face to face meetings and an opt in text message service for those who prefer it. Since this campaign season has started, I'm happy to see the city roll out the My Civic 311 app, which includes a number of these items listed above. I'm excited to see this! Residents should download and give this app a try, I genuinely think it is a good step. Continuing initiatives like this with the city website are the logical nest step, as some residents may not want to have to download and use an app. I'm fully committed to doing this.
While our city already does so much, I truly believe that even modest improvements in how we proactively communicate with our residents make us that much better of a place to live and work.
Safety
Brecksville is an amazing city to live in because it is a safe place to live. With all of the chaos in the world, Brecksville consistently ranks as one of the safest cities in Ohio. I plan to help keep it that way through supporting our police, ensuring proper safety measures are taken with city preparedness and even street and sidewalk planning.
Many people have moved or stayed in Brecksville because of the strong community feeling and safety is a major key to that!
Expanding Community Programs Without Growing Costs
Our city has some absolutely amazing workers and offers a great deal of services. That's not to be said that we can't find ways to improve what we offer to better help the community. An example of this is our annual April DEA Drug Take Back event. This is a great event that we need to continue, but we should also a medication disposal program through our police station like many other communities in Ohio do. I would also work with local pharmacies to help bring drug disposal programs to our local pharmacies, as that is a super convenient way for many people of all ages to safely dispose of their medications and possible prevent overdose deaths. All of this is likely possible for very little money, most of which could be covered by current and future grants.
Another example would be requiring developers to put in at least one electric charging station in any new retail spaces that modify or add parking. The auto industry is going this way quickly, for better or worse. Most of the communities around Brecksville have at least one charging station for electric vehicles and currently this puts us at a competitive disadvantage.
If our Community Center were to start accepting Silver Sneakers, this could help reduce an expense for seniors, while possibly adding more revenue to the recreation department that is paid for by Medicare. This could also help foster stronger connections among those who use it. Other area centers of recreation accept Silver Sneakers, but Brecksville has yet to adopt this program
Fiscally Conservative
Ensuring that money is being spent in a wise manner is something that I feel strongly about. Elected officials should exercise caution when approving expenditures in any area.
I've previously shared a way to help reduce city costs with my knowledge of how drug pricing works to a few city council members. This would something I would work to tackle as soon as possible, with those who help make these decisions, which could save the city a considerable sum of money every year while also granting city employees the same or better prescription medication coverage.
Working to attract businesses to areas already prepared and zoned to accommodate them, is another way to help ensure Brecksville residents feel less of a tax burden and improve our Moody's rating, which can affect any bonds that Brecksville may need to issue.
Access and Visibility to Our City Leadership
I've heard many times that any one can show up to city meetings, which is true. The issue is that that may not work for many residents of Brecksville due to work, family or other obligations. I believe it is on the city leadership to be as accessible as possible. This doesn't just mean at city meetings or on social media but to be responsive to any form of communication a resident prefers. This also means responding in a reasonable time to emails, texts, phone calls or whatever method that resident chooses. Finding time for face to face and even reaching out to those who oppose current stances or viewpoints to try to learn all sides of a discussion or topic
To me this is an absolute must for any and all governments, but it is especially important at the local level. People need to see where their tax dollars go and what city officials are working on or have planned. The best way to ensure everything is as it needs to be is to ensure records are well kept and readily available to anyone who may want them. In other words, the utmost transparency.
Reaching Out To Our Resident Experts
Brecksville has a lot of residents with absolutely amazing levels of expertise! Many people in our small town have truly unique and masterful sets of knowledge and skills. Ensuring that we utilize these residents for their knowledge and love of our town is something I'd love to do and show how much a community can grow by maxmizing the abilities of the people who already live here.
Finding Efficiencies
One area that a city should always strive for is candidates who look for ways to become more efficient. This is something I always strive to do, whether at work or in my personal life. I believe Brecksville will have an opportunity for this in a few areas, but one specifically is rubbish removal. Cleveland.com recently published an article where our purchasing director mentioned we have an aging fleet of garbage trucks. Should the city need to purchase new trucks, which seems likely, there are ways for us to buy new ones that use less man power and time through side loading or other styles that can be very fast and efficient while minimizing man power and risk of injury
Central School
I firmly believe that Central School needs to be repurposed, by the city or a developer, swiftly. Brecksville is spending far too much to maintain this building. If a developer can not save the building structure with the help of various federal and state grants and tax credits, I would propose honoring it by trying to reuse the outward facing bricks in any new street facing facades on a new building, with a plaque to explain the history. I do support the rezoning of the property as it is laid out on the November ballot.
Apartments do not feel like a great fit to me for this property, but if done correctly may work. I would strongly support a development that had at least one new restaurant, preferably with some patio or rooftop seating so spring through fall Brecksville would have a unique and vibrant area. An open area that contains some green space is a must for me, in hopes that the space could be incorporated for events like Home Days and provide an area for people to gather. Ensuring the residents who live in Old Town get the chance to provide input is also vital. As I have door knocked, a number of them are concerned about that and rightfully so as it is in their backyard. A few have mentioned that keeping a small local playground like they have now is something they want to keep, so hopefully a new developer can work this into their plans. Sound mitigation is a must as well and all relevant solutions should be evaluated.
Parking would likely be required for any developments to the Central School property. I would highly encourage at least one electric charging station that could serve a minimum of 4 vehicles. Whether we agree with it politically or not, all of the major automakers are going electric. This could serve as a small way to help draw affluent individuals to our town who may need to charge their vehicles, and while they're here, patronize some of our fine local businesses.
Valor Acres
I'd be remiss to discuss the immense undertakings at Valor Acres. I strongly support developing this area, but wish the feedback of nearby residents and their inconveniences were better heard and adjusted to while construction initially took place. Friends of mine have children in this area and shared with me their struggles. The 5 story and taller buildings look out of place to me, and I would have liked to see a maximum height of 4 stories. While I understand the benefits to the builders, many residents have shared with me their feelings on the height of these buildings, and at even 4 stories I think the builders are being given plenty of grace to build what will work for them. Valor Acres is bringing a great deal to town, for both unique housing and different amenities that Brecksville, particularly the south end of town, have not had before.
Valor Acres, along with Sherwin Williams, will be a financial boon for the city. I do believe it will help attract other businesses to Brecksville to help fill a number of vacancies or under utilized properties we have South of Miller road. Growth can be good, but doing so with respect for the residents and their wishes is absolutely vital.