Dave Ruller

Traffic Signal Upgrade, West Main @ Spaulding Drive

June 17, 2017 by Dave Ruller

Traffic accidents happen all of the time but in terms of the damage they cause, they’re not all created equal.

Most of the time, the Police respond, a report is taken, and drivers exchange insurance information to get their respective damage fixed.

Sometimes, the damage is to City property, like traffic poles, so the City collects insurance information to get the damage fixed.

In some of those cases, the drivers may not have insurance or the insurance companies dispute payment for the damages.

In those situations, the City will try to seek a remedy through the court so that the taxpayer isn’t paying for damage that they didn’t cause in the first place.

Sometimes the City wins, and sometimes we lose, but either way it tends to take time to have a case get docketed, heard, and ruled on.

When the City wins, we wait for payment to be received and sometimes we have to initiate collection procedures.

When the City loses, we have to pay for repairs on our own, and sometimes it’s a mixture of both.

If it’s a small job, repair costs can be absorbed in existing budgets.

If it’s a big job, temporary repairs are often made until funds can be budgeted for a permanent fix.

Budgets are tight every year so repairs of all kinds get prioritized.

Sometimes the traffic damage repairs make the first cut, other times they have to wait for another year.

For big jobs, once the funds are available, the engineers have to design the permanent fix. That can take 6 months to a year depending on how many other projects are underway.

Once the design is complete, by law the City has to competitively bid the project. That typically takes 3 months or so from the date of advertising to award.

Once a contractor is awarded the project, the contractor will order materials and schedule the work to begin. That can take another 1-2 months.

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Although that list is long, that’s actually the short version of what has gone on in the repair of the traffic signal at West Main Street and Spaulding Drive.

A serious (and expensive) accident occurred at that intersection in December 2012 — and since then everything that could occur to delay the permanent repair seems to have occurred.

The signal was immediately temporarily patched up to restore traffic function but the pedestrian crossing technology was not able to replaced so it has been “bagged” ever since.

A decision was made that rather than “cut and paste” the intersection back together in a substandard way, the best solution was to start saving up some funds to do a major upgrade to all of the signal equipment in the intersection.

4 years later that permanent, state of the art traffic solution is underway.

The delays were extremely frustrating but it turned out to be the perfect storm of normal delays and a rash of unexpected delays.

As it stands right now, the repair contract was awarded, the contractor has ordered the new poles and signal equipment, the contractor is expected to start prepping the site in July, and when the poles arrive in August, the contractor will get busy completing the installation work.

There’s still plenty of room for more surprise delays but we’re hopeful that we’re getting close to the end of a long and frustrating journey.

University Hospitals Donation to Kent Police

June 16, 2017 by Dave Ruller

As if having a first class medical facility located in Kent wasn’t enough, University Hospitals (UH) continues to support their new hometown with a recent donation of Lifepaks, first aid kits, and tourniquets to the Kent Police Department for officers to carry in their patrol cars.

It’s a generous donation valued at over $42,000 and if it saves even 1 life, it’s priceless.

There’s a friendly rivalry between the Kent Police and Fire Departments, and despite the fact that they have great respect for each, they rarely miss an opportunity to point out how much more important their jobs are than the other.

Ironically, the two professions have never been closer.

More and more Kent Police are being trained to administer basic life saving skills — especially with the tidal wave of Opiod overdose cases — to help stabilize patients before the EMS crews arrive on scene.

Similarly, Kent’s dispatchers have also received new medical training to help them offer advice to 911 callers during certain medical emergencies.

When every second counts, these were logical steps to take to supplement Kent’s EMS services.

UH is making great progress on expanding their facility at the corner of SR261 and S. Water Street to include a 24 hour Emergency Room — but in the meantime they’re doing whatever they can to equip Kent’s first responders with technology that will help make sure patients will make it to the Emergency Room.

Very grateful for all UH is doing in the Kent community.

Tree City Award, Year 32

June 15, 2017 by Dave Ruller

After 32 years it might be easy to take the Tree City Award recognition from the national Arbor Day Foundation for granted but no way that’s happening.

It’s become such a point of pride that even the “new guys” pick up right where the “old guys” left off (congratulations to Gerald Shanley on his City retirement).

Meet Brad McKay, our new City Arborist (among his many other duties) proudly displaying this year’s Tree City Award for Kent Ohio.

Kent works hard to live up to it’s self appointed title as the “Original Tree City.”

Here’s what it takes to be one of the 3,200 communities that have achieved the Tree City designation:

Standard 1

A Tree Board or Department

Someone must be legally responsible for the care of all trees on city- or town-owned property. By delegating tree care decisions to a professional forester, arborist, city department, citizen-led tree board or some combination, city leaders determine who will perform necessary tree work. The public will also know who is accountable for decisions that impact community trees. Often, both professional staff and an advisory tree board are established, which is a good goal for most communities.

The formation of a tree board often stems from a group of citizens. In some cases a mayor or city officials have started the process. Either way, the benefits are immense. Involving residents and business owners creates wide awareness of what trees do for the community and provides broad support for better tree care.

Standard 2

A Tree Care Ordinance

A basic public tree care ordinance forms the foundation of a city’s tree care program. It provides an opportunity to set good policy and back it with the force of law when necessary.

A key section of a qualifying ordinance is one that establishes the tree board or forestry department—or both—and gives one of them the responsibility for public tree care (as reflected in Standard 1). It should also assign the task of crafting and implementing a plan of work or for documenting annual tree care activities.

Ideally, the ordinance will also provide clear guidance for planting, maintaining and removing trees from streets, parks and other public spaces as well as activities that are required or prohibited. Beyond that, the ordinance should be flexible enough to fit the needs and circumstances of the particular community.

For tips and a checklist of important items to consider in writing or improving a tree ordinance, see Tree City USA Bulletin #9.

Standard 3

A Community Forestry Program With an Annual Budget of at Least $2 Per Capita

City trees provide many benefits—clean air, clean water, shade and beauty to name a few—but they also require an investment to remain healthy and sustainable. By providing support at or above the $2 per capita minimum, a community demonstrates its commitment to grow and tend these valuable public assets. Budgets and expenditures require planning and accountability, which are fundamental to the long-term health of the tree canopy and the Tree City USA program.

To meet this standard each year, the community must document at least $2 per capita toward the planting, care and removal of city trees—and the planning efforts to make those things happen. At first this may seem like an impossible barrier to some communities. However, a little investigation usually reveals that more than this amount is already being spent on tree care. If not, this may signal serious neglect that will cost far more in the long run. In such a case, working toward Tree City USA recognition can be used to reexamine the community’s budget priorities and redirect funds to properly care for its tree resources before it is too late.

Standard 4

An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation

An effective program for community trees would not be complete without an annual Arbor Day ceremony. Citizens join together to celebrate the benefits of community trees and the work accomplished to plant and maintain them. By passing and reciting an official Arbor Day proclamation, public officials demonstrate their support for the community tree program and complete the requirements for becoming a Tree City USA!

This is the least challenging—and probably most enjoyable—standard to meet. An Arbor Day celebration can be simple and brief or an all-day or all-week observation. It can include a tree planting event, tree care activities or an award ceremony that honors leading tree planters. For children, Arbor Day may be their only exposure to the green world or a springboard to discussions about the complex issue of environmental quality.

The benefits of Arbor Day go far beyond the shade and beauty of new trees for the next generation. Arbor Day is a golden opportunity for publicity and to educate homeowners about proper tree care. Utility companies can join in to promote planting small trees beneath power lines or being careful when digging. Fire prevention messaging can also be worked into the event, as can conservation education about soil erosion or the need to protect wildlife habitat.

Downtown Kent Welcomes Jabbours Apparel Store

June 14, 2017 by Dave Ruller

I had a chance to cut ribbons and shake some hands as the Kent Chamber of Commerce welcomed the Jabbours apparel store to downtown Kent on Monday.

I was a big fan of the former tenant in the space (Wild Earth Outfitters) and after a look at the Jabbours product line, I’m all in, all over again.

First rate, top shelf, trendy…what more could you ask for in a small locally owned shop?

I get cornered all of the time with “we need (fill in the name of your favorite store) in downtown Kent.”

99% of the time I couldn’t agree more but the City doesn’t operate any stores nor do we own or lease space to retail tenants — that’s up the developers and/or local folks with big dreams and investors.

Admittedly, we market the heck out of downtown Kent and we contribute money to organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Kent Visitor’s Bureau, and Main Street Kent to support those local enterprising spirits that pursue their dreams and open shops in downtown Kent but at the end of the day, we have very little say in who or what goes where.

Which is why we’re grateful to the Ron Burbick’s and Mike Awad’s of Kent who lose sleep trying to come up with the next great business to open.

Fingers crossed, I’m hopeful that Jabbours is exactly that.

When you structure a big investment in your City’s future around a revitalized downtown that features retail and restaurant businesses, you’re pretty motivated to pay attention to the performance of those business sectors that you’re banking on to succeed.

The good news is “experiential,” customized, shopping and dining continues to thrive — which is what downtown Kent does best — and is expected to drive the industry in 2017. Two thumbs up for that prognostication.

For the first time ever, economists report that consumers spent more money eating out than on their home grocery bills. That’s a sea change moment, and hopefully it speaks well to the future of the City’s downtown eateries.

The bad news is restaurants and retail shops are notoriously unpredictable and unstable — and according to the latest numbers they’re also overbuilt — not just nationally, but in the Cleveland Akron Metro Area too.

As the retail supply and demand curve tries to catch up, retail bankruptcy filings have notched record highs and experts are predicting 25% of existing malls will close their doors in 2018 — and industry icons such as Sears, Macy’s and Kmart are closing stores right and left. That’s the kind of news that sends a shiver down the backs of City budget directors.

Thankfully, downtown Kent’s revitalization was designed to be an experience first; dining and shopping second. For the moment, that’s a winning formula for consumers but it’s a fickle business and we know there’s no room for complacency.

On the plus side, the tenant mix in downtown Kent was selected to lean more towards unique and distinct stores that reflect the character of Kent rather than off the shelf big box, homogenized stores that look the same in each of the 2,154 communities that they are located in.

Nothing wrong with big box, it’s just not Kent, and it’s a crowded market with plenty of boxes found within a 10 minute drive. I’m glad they’re close by but they’re not what we do best so we’re proud to showcase the Jabbours of the world instead.

Cities are naturally conservative animals which is why banking on retail and restaurants is so stress inducing.

On the plus side for my nerves, downtown Kent has some great stable, high performing corporate clients (thank you Davey Tree, Smithers Oasis and Ametek) to balance out the drama that is hardwired in the DNA of the retail world.

New Police Station Progress

June 12, 2017 by Dave Ruller

Kent City Council members had a chance to walk through the new Police Station building last week for the first time since the ground breaking in July 2016.

It was an impressive tour.

With a lot of help from the project management team, the building is on budget and on schedule to be complete by the end of this year — and it’s on track to be LEED Certified Silver — a very nice environmental feather to have in Kent’s cap.

An important building at a prominent corner that is designed to accentuate all of the good stuff going in downtown Kent. You couldn’t ask for anything better.

After the walk through, I’m more confident than ever that the building will achieve all of those ambitions.

That’s not to suggest that the construction hasn’t had it’s routine share of surprises — it has, just ask the project manager and watch her teeth start to grind.

There’s no such thing as a surprise-proof building (especially of this size and customization required of a high security building like a Police building) — but the key is how well you respond, and so far so good.

In a municipal facility that houses it’s public safety personnel and the local jail, not surprisingly the building places a high value on high-end security measures.

But — and this is an important qualifier — the best Police Stations are the ones that provide high security and still figure out how to provide a high-touch welcoming experience to the community members that choose to stop by and visit — rather than the ones that we escorted into the building.

By design, the new building intentionally seeks to give the best customer service experience possible to both sets of our customer base and I’m impressed by how well those functions can co-exist under a single “roof.”

I’m anxious to see this building in action as I think it will be a dramatic shift from the current 90 year old building which as made in an era when the goal was to keep people out and others in.

It’s time to expect more out of our Police building and I think we’re about to get it.