In the sweet sounds of retail the only thing better than hearing cash registers ringing up student cash purchases is the whooosh sound of credit cards being swiped at local merchant establishments.  Retailers don’t care how they spend it, just spend it if they can.  Purchasing power at its best.  But there’s a whole other side to students that some cities, including ours, is trying to tap into.  That’s the production side; students generating new ideas, new services and best of all new businesses.  They may start small but don’t underestimate the power of small giants — heck Bill Gates started in a garage.    

The good news for the City is that Kent State is working harder than ever to engage the student body with the community both as a consumer and producer.  The hotel conference center and the other downtown revitalization efforts, including Mr. Burbick’s Phoenix project, are all about creating more opportunities for students to keep their money in Kent.  If we’re keeping it real, we’ve got to keep it local for student cash-ola.   

On the production side the Center for Entrepreneurship has been planning ways to get business students a chance to test their wings before they leave the nest.  These student run businesses will have space dedicated in the Phoenix project which means you’ll be able to shop at student based stores in Kent this summer. 

It’s my understanding that the University is sponsoring an entrepreneurship competition to select which student businesses get a chance to fly in the new retail space.  Here’s a note that I got from one student looking for some of my feedback to her business idea:

I am in the process of entering a Retail Store Competition that is
hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship & Business Innovations at the
University.  This competition will eventually select one individual student to
start operating their venture in a future retail facility located in downtown
Kent.

In addition, all activities at the studio would be focused on conservation
and Eco-friendly considerations. Almost all products and supplies used
& sold would be non-toxic, organic, and/or ‘green’. I feel that this
would educate and create awareness of a futuristic green economy
throughout the community.

If you don’t want to wait until summer to support a student business swing by the Kent Free Library and drop in the Bookends Cafe:

Bookends Cafe @ The Kent Free Library 

Kent Free Library patrons who think nothing goes better with a good book than a good cup of coffee will now be able to enjoy their favorite beverage, as well as other drinks and snacks, in the Bookends Cafe.

The Library’s Board of Trustees partnered with budding entrepreneurs from the Kent State University College of Business Administration’s Center of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation program, who will manage and staff the cafe.

KSU’s Department of Dining Services will supply items such as coffee, tea, and cold drinks as well as a selection of cookies, brownies, biscotti, and fruit.  

According to Julie Messing, Director of the Center, the library’s cafe is the first of a number of student-run businesses that will be located on and off-campus.  “This is a student-driven program providing extensive experiential learning.  Students will get college credit or be paid for working at the cafe–but not both at the same time.”

John Ryan, president of the Library Board of Trustees, says, “I know our patrons will enjoy having a cafe at the library.  This is a great partnership for us and for the entrepreneurship students at Kent State University.”

In case you’re wondering what sort of economic impact all this might have, I’d say that in the beginning it will be fairly modest but take a look at the kind of numbers for student run businesses out of UMass that has 35 years of program experience:

• Dollars of Revenue for all Student Businesses:
  • FY08 $756,700
  • FY07 $708,000
  • FY06 $741,900
  • FY05 $787,300
  • FY04 $746,773
  • FY03 $752,961
  • FY02 $738,602
  • FY01 $726,354
• Student Payroll – Self Funded:
  • FY08 $274,900
  • FY07 $258,000
  • FY06 $243,000
  • FY05 $240,000
  • FY04 $247,000 
     
  Years in Service

  • Bike Co-Op: 16, since 1990
  • Campus Design & Copy: 16, since 1990
  • Earthfoods: 30, since 1976
  • Greeno Sub Shop: 23, since 1983
  • People’s Market: 33, since 1973
  • Sweets & More: 31, since 1975
  • Sylvan Snack Bar: 35, since 1971
  • Tickets Unlimited: 20, since 1986

At the risk of stating the obvious; we’re always looking for ways to use technology to improve City services.  Granted that’s not exactly a news flash statement but as a cornerstone of how we do our business I figure it’s worth stating explicitly.  Technology is pretty much a no brainer in everything we do from plowing snow to dispatching emergency personnel.  The internet age has spawned a whole host of new technology applications with the customer in mind.  Something as simple as this blog site was one small step and then we added the Citizen Action Center which we felt was a great leap for Kent-kind.     

What I particularly like about the Citizen Action Center is the way it bundles together so many different customer applications.  It provides a dynamic customer interface that lets the user define how much or how little they want.  If they want to keep it basic it provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions.  If they have something unique it allows for customized questions.  If they want to report a problem it has service request forms.  And if they just want to glance at the many different services offered in the City’s portfolio, it provides a clearinghouse of City service information.  

As great as the customer input side is, it is equally valuable on the inside to the managers of our services on the output side.  The technology tracks the data, it summarizes, analyzes and reports trends, averages and other meaningful customer request information so that we can see very quickly what our customers are seeing in the community and what’s important to them.  

With that in mind, I really consider the Citizen Action Center to be one of our first serious efforts in customer relationship management.  It’s an integrated approach to boost customer service by gathering customer data swiftly, aggregating it, evaluating it and incorporating it into our daily decision process.  Much like customer relationship management in the private sector we hope to use this technology to build a more satisfied and loyal customer base, to reduce our costs in serving our customers, and to make it easier to acquire new customers.

The Citizen Action Center is fundamentally a management tool that we use to put citizens on-line not in-line.  With computers penetrating nearly half of the US population we’ve got an opportunity to use electronic government to provide faster, move convenient and more accurate services that improve the lives of people.  

We want the Citizen Action Center to be a single portal from which citizens can access multiple functions. It’s off to a good start.  Here’s a snapshot of usage on the Citizen Action Center:

In the first year, the Citizen Action Center

-    The Frequently Asked Questions were viewed by 7,409 people
-    The most viewed questions were:  1. Can I have a fire in my backyard? (885 people); 2. Do I need a permit for a garage sale? (731 people); 3. What do I need a permit for? (616); 4. Do I need a permit to re-shingle my roof? (591 people); 5. Does the City provide garbage service? (568 people)
-    Received 59 service related inquiries
-    Received 16 service requests
-    56% of the service reports were for public works items such as potholes, street lights, broken sidewalk, drainage problem, snow and traffic signals
-    31% of the service reports were for building and property maintenance issues such as overgrown grass/weeds, abandoned vehicle.
-    13% of the service reports were for trash/debris
-    For those requests that the City performs in-house, the request was resolved in an average of one week
-    For those requests that the City contracts or refers to another service provider (e.g., power company for street lights) the request was resolved in an average of 2 weeks 
-   For specific customized questions and inquiries, the average time it took to provide an answer was 8.32 days 
-   Examples of customized questions include:  What are the dates for spring cleaning?  Is there any way to obtain a list of locations in Kent that are capable of hosting a wedding reception for 200 people?  Where can I dump a dump truck full of asphalt shingles?  My son is moving from Illinois to Kent, Ohio, is there a big financial institution nearby where I can deposit funds?  What are the guidelines for developers keeping property maintained for commercial zoned areas?  My family is considering moving to Kent, can you recommend a website that might list statistics for Kent and provide information on family friendly neighborhoods?  When is our city going to catch up with others and have track picked up throughout the whole city?  How can I register for a Civil Service test? 

Like anything else with technology you only get out of it what you put into it so I encourage everyone to use this service.  Some pothole been bugging you lately, send in a report.  Not sure how to handle a tax filing, ask us.  The service is designed in a way that the more use it gets the more useful it will become. 

I mentioned yesterday that Traffic Engineering is as much a behaviorial science (the psychology of drivers) as it is a hard science of numbers and because of that I think its one of the hardest engineering disciplines going.  Hydraulic engineers can predict with a high level of accuracy what water will do under various hydraulic conditions and Civil Engineers that specialize in wastewater have predictable formulas for what happens in sewer pipes for all that stuff that flows downhill to get to the wastewater plant. The Traffic Engineers have some terrific, well researched, and statistically valid models too but much to their dismay people aren’t nearly as predictable as water.  Water does what it’s told, people not so much. I’m not saying Traffic Engineers are perfect but I honestly believe that their success rate would be higher if us drivers actually did what we were supposed to do behind the wheel.      

I wasn’t planning a civics lesson in good driver behavior but in the interest of safety I’m willing to play the role of Jiminy Cricket and be your conscience.  But even old Mr. Cricket had trouble explaining right and wrong Click Here when it came to traffic temptations.  

The axiom that I find most appropriate to the Traffic Engineering world is the law of unintended consequences.  Many times what appears to be a logical traffic solution to the general driving public, e.g., throw in a stop sign, drop in a new traffic signal, add speed bumps, etc. can be a bad idea and bad ideas in the traffic world means someone gets hurt.  It’s usually not that the idea is bad, it’s the specific application of it.  I know it seems counter-intuitive but just because traffic signals work really well at a lot of intersections doesn’t actually mean they’ll work well everywhere.  Too much of a good thing isn’t always so good in traffic circles.        

Here’s a couple of good answers and explanations from the Institute of Traffic Engineers that relate to one of the most common questions we get asked: 

WON’T A ‘TRAFFIC SIGNAL’ REDUCE CRASHES AT OUR INTERSECTION? 

Traffic signals don’t always prevent crashes, In many instances, the total number of crashes and injuries increase after they’re installed.

Where signals are used unnecessarily, the most common results are a reduction in right-angle collisions but an increase in total crashes, especially the rear-end type collision. In addition, pedestrians are often lulled into a false sense of security.

In deciding whether a traffic signal will be an asset and not a liability, traffic engineers evaluate the following criteria:

*Does the number of vehicles on intersecting streets create confusion or congestion?

*Is traffic on the main street so heavy that drivers on the side street will try to cross when it is unsafe?

*Does the number of pedestrians trying to cross a busy main street create confusion, congestion or hazardous conditions?

*Does the number of school children crossing a street require special controls for their protection? If so, is a traffic signal the best solution?

*Will the installation of a signal allow for continuous, uniform traffic flow with a minimum number of vehicle stops?

*Does an intersection’s crash history indicate that a signal will reduce the possibility of a collision?

Traffic engineers compare the existing conditions against nationally accepted minimum standards established after many years of studies throughout the country. At intersections where standards have been met, the signals generally operate effectively with good public compliance. Where not met, compliance is generally reduced resulting in more hazards.

While a properly placed traffic signal improves the flow and decreases crashes, an unnecessary one can be a source of danger and annoyance to all who use an intersection: pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Traffic Control Devices (TCD’s) such as Traffic Signals, Stop Signs and Speed Limit Signs are installed to regulate traffic flow and improve safety. The installation of these TCD’s should be based on the professional judgement of Traffic Engineers after careful study of the location to be controlled. The study should consider such factors as crash frequency and type, vehicle speeds and traffic volumes.

On occasion, an elected official, with a true “politician’s” zeal to please everyone, influences the installation of a traffic control device against the advice of the Traffic Engineer, The elected official’s motivation is often an angry or persistent citizen rather than the objective professional judgement of the Traffic Engineer.

Many elected officials do not realize that there are National guidelines for the installation of Traffic Control Devices. The Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) gives Transportation Engineers the uniform standards to safely assist motorists as they travel. It defines a series of uniform Traffic Control Devices (Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings) which are clear in their messages as applied on the nation’s roadway system.

The March 1990 issue of “Public Roads” magazine, published by the U.S. Department of Transportation, contained an article on “Motorist Compliance With Standard Traffic Control Devices.” The article examined the following forms of motorist non-compliance:

“Speeding

“Not coming to a full stop at STOP signs

“Failing to yield right of way to pedestrians

“Ignoring active railroad crossing devices

“Making illegal turns

“Using lanes improperly

“Violating traffic signal indications

“Driving too fast through work zones

“Encroaching on centerlines

“Violating passing zone restrictions

The behavioral studies collected compliance and other data at a large number of typical sites over extended periods of time. In the process, hundreds of thousands of motorists were observed. The clear conclusion was that motorist non-compliance is a problem. 

One of the recommendations in the US DOT article was: “To ensure that the motoring public maintains a healthy respect for TCD’s, traffic professionals must use them prudently. Through concerted efforts of the nature outlined above (Engineering, Enforcement and Education), the safety and efficiency of our streets and highways can be maximized. ”

There’s no question that it’s easy to second guess Traffic Engineers, after all we’ve got a driver’s license, but when it comes to putting my life in the trust of someone else I want the trained professional rather than the armchair engineer any day.   

Whenever you’ve got to close a street or a bridge to make repairs it’s going to have a ripple effect on surrounding traffic. That’s what detour planning is all about.  Obviously if you’re repairing something for safety reasons the last thing you want to do is create a safety hazard while you’re trying to make something else safer.  I know it looks like detouring means hanging a few orange signs around but there’s actually a surprising amount of advance planning and engineering analysis that goes into detouring.  It’s true that most of the times detours can be handled with a few well placed signs but other times the City has a whole series of action steps planned with contingency plans ready to kick in if the initial efforts need some back up.  That’s exactly what’s going on with Spaulding Drive bridge repair which is getting ready to begin this summer.    

The Spaulding Drive bridge over Fishcreek can easily go unnoticed as a bridge since it is a comparatively smaller structure that is mostly out of the site of the driver and with the exception of the hand-rails there’s no real change in the road to make you realize you’re even going over a bridge.  Appearances can be deceiving though and it is still a bridge that is in need of repair. 

As a matter of fact, earlier this month we posted a lower weight limit on the bridge as a precaution against excess loading given the weakened state of the bridge right now.  The reduction only affected very heavy trucks, e.g., trash trucks and concrete trucks, but it’s evidence that this structure is reaching the end of its safe service life.    

With bridge repairs imminent the staff has been working on how to deal with the traffic issues resulting from the temporary bridge closure.  Obviously the folks that live over in the Silver Meadows neighborhood rely on Spaulding Drive to get to SR 59 and for the next 8 months they will have to make a much more round-about trip using Fairchild Avenue.  Not only is that inconvenient it is a safety concern based on ingress/egress at the already challenging Silver Meadows/Fairchild Avenue intersection.  

The City’s Engineering staff have been busy making plans and communicating with residents in this neighborhood in anticipation of the bridge closure.  Here’s a summary of the action that they’ve been working on: 

- The issue was taken to the Traffic Engineering and Safety Committee to recommend an appropriate plan of action

- The road is anticipated to be closed during the summer vacation for Kent City Schools

- Traffic data was collected in February 2009 to get a baseline view of traffic at the intersection

- Traffic will be monitored after the detour is initiated. This will be done at least one week after the closure to allow motorists to adjust their daily commute to the detour.

- Based on the amount of traffic increase or decrease and the additional delays incurred at the intersection we will determine if the increase needs addressed

- To address any detrimental increase in delays and congestion we included in the construction plans a requirement to have police officers at the intersection to direct traffic at peak hours of the day. This would be done at an additional cost to the City.

-  A number of residents in that area have also requested a signal be constructed at the intersection to address the issue. Installation of a traffic signal requires a traffic study to “Warrant” a signal. This would not be done for temporary traffic conditions, but for typical traffic conditions at the intersection. No recent warrant analysis has been done for this intersection. Lastly, if the intersection “warrants” a signal, that does not mean one has to be installed. The project (construction of a signal) would be added to the list of needs within the City and prioritized based on safety, traffic congestion and cost. A typical mast arm signal would cost appx. $200,000 to design and install.

In the end, traffic engineering is as much a social science as it is a hard science so even though we’ve got some good hard data that is guiding our planning process we will have to wait and see how drivers handle the changes.  Usually the best detour plans follow the KISS principle of keeping it simple.  Truthfully, the fewest changes possible is always safer because motorists tend to creatures of habit and the fewer the surprises the better.  But that being said our goal is still safety and if we see something in the plan is not working we will react quickly and decisively.

Stay tuned.     

In the realm of things we take for granted I’d make a case that fire hydrants are near the top of the most underappreciated list. As brave and well trained as our Fire employees are they are not going to be saving many lives using a bucket brigade. They will however save your life or someone you love when they rush to the scene of a fire and they find a fire hydrant ready and waiting to be used. Quite frankly the fire hydrant was a game changing invention that leveled the playing field between the fire fighter and fire, giving fire crews a fighting chance to save lives. Certainly building sprinkler systems and smoke detectors have made significant contributions to fire safety but my vote still goes for the lowly fire hydrant that stands guard all hours of the night waiting to come to my rescue if I need it.

This benevolent hunk of metal sits quietly yet ever-ready to be called into action watching over us as we sleep. Perhaps because hydrant design hasn’t really changed in the last 150 years we overlook it as old school and take it for granted. It may not vibrate, beep or have customized ring tones and bells and whistles that capture our Blackberry, cell phone, and IPod trained attention spans but it deserves more respect as a saver of lives than the way most of the dogs in town treat it.

Proudly it stands barrel chested through rain, sleet and snow – armed and ready to deliver over 500 gallons of water per minute.  The pressure at the hydrant tends to be around 50 psi but when you run it through the pumps on the fire engine these babies can pack a punch which is exactly what you need when the goal is to surround and drown the fire because someone’s life depends on it.  

Like any good soldier, hydrants accept their duties without question but they do need a little TLC to make sure that when they are called to duty all their parts and pieces are working as they should be.  With that in mind, City crews are getting ready to start the annual hydrant flushing program today.  It’s a chance to clean out the old pipes out and make sure all the valves are working properly so that we have the kind of fire flow we’ve come to depend on.           

As the City begins its annual hydrant maintenance program show your hydrant a little love and give it a hug (although I’d recommend waiting until the flushing is done).

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MONTHLY FIRE HYDRANT FLUSHING

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2009

The City of Kent will be performing routine maintenance of the City’s water distribution system on Friday, March 20th 2009. The maintenance being performed will require the flushing of hydrants in the Southwest and Northwest sections of the City of Kent on Friday between the hours of 7:00AM and 5:00PM.

The maintenance of the water distribution system including the flushing of some hydrants is necessary to clean and maintain the quality of the distribution lines and to maintain water quality and pressure.

During this maintenance you may experience a discoloration of the water in your household. This discoloration does not indicate that the water is unsafe but may have a displeasing appearance and can stain laundry. Because of the possible discoloration, the City recommends that the following procedure be followed during and after the time of flushing before washing clothes:

· Run a glass of water from your tap (allow water to run for 3 to 5 minutes before filling the glass);

· Check the glass for clarity. If clear, clothes may be washed.

If you have any problems or questions regarding the flushing, please call the Service Department at 678-8105.

City of Kent , Ohio
Eugene K. Roberts
Director of Public Service

At a time when we’re watching every nickel and dime to try to hold off the kind of financial slide that has caused some of our neighboring cities to lay off employees and cut services, I am thrilled to report that with Jim Bowling in his corner Gene Roberts climbed into the steel cage to fight for a share of the $14 million stimulus dollars that was available in our region.  The match had it’s highs and lows and plenty of blood, sweat and tears but at the sound of the bell in the final round Kent was still standing.  Besides being a moral victory, our prize money added up to $3 million in cold hard cash.  $3 million bucks, that’s a lot of pennies my friend.  If Clint Eastwood won an Academy for his Million Dollar Baby I will personally build a monument to honor Gene Roberts for producing this $3 Million Dollar Baby for Kent.

What this money does is allow us to afford the bridge project and still pave streets, repair pipes and keep all of our other capital projects moving forward.  If we had not been successful we would have had to put all of our other infrastructure projects on-hold which would have set us back for years.  You just can’t play catch up with infrastructure and these funds make sure we won’t have to.

Major props to Gene and Jim for always being prepared so that when the moment is right for Kent, we can navigate through the trouble spots and come out the other side better than when we went in.   

.  

I am in no way trying to make light of the importance of lobbying our Congressional representatives — it’s very important and I’m proud of the fact that for the first time the City and University leadership were shoulder to shoulder in DC advocating for Kent with a single voice — but I just couldn’t resist the temptation to lead in with the headline Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.  Dan Smith, our Economic Development Director joined our Law Director at Dr. Lefton’s request to meet with our Congressional folks and put some face time in with the folks that will be considering and possibly fighting for earmarks on Kent’s behalf.  It’s pretty clear that one on one we have a hard time beating the Akron’s and Cleveland’s of the world but as a city/university team we make a great impression that will hopefully be remembered at vote time. 

The point of the trip was to support our partners at Kent State and to make sure that our elected delegation was aware of our accomplishments and our needs.  Visits like this aren’t a one time thing — we’ll have to go back and keep knocking on doors, shaking hands and sharing our vision until we’re high on their radar screen.  Even then, there’s no guarantees of funding but we do know that if you don’t go you’re not going to get a dime.

As a side note, due to the financial sensitivities in our City right now our City contingent traveled and paid for all their accommodations on their own nickel.  That’s a real testament to their commitment to our community.     

Here’s an article that appeared on the Kent State web site after the trip.  In the spirit of full disclosure I have to admit to combining the trip photo with an old movie poster. 

Kent State President Lester A. Lefton recently presented his “State of the University” address to lawmakers, alumni and other dignitaries in Washington, D.C. He was accompanied by representatives from the city of Kent, including Jim Silver (left), law director, and Dan Smith (center), economic development director. Photo by Bob Christy

Kent State, Kent City Leaders Forge Connections to Congress

Kent State University President Lefton A. Lefton, members of his administration and Kent city leaders recently returned from the national’s capital where they met with congressional leaders and staffers to discuss the issues facing higher education, Ohio economy and communities.

The visit allowed the Kent area leaders to meet with the Ohio’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan and Zach Space, to discuss joint opportunities associated with the recent federal stimulus package, which encourages collaborations and partnerships on infrastructure projects that are ready to go.  Congressman Ryan stressed his support for collaborations as a key ingredient in regional development.

The networking trip was part of Dr. Lefton’s annual update to federal legislators, congressional staffers, alumni and friends on key Kent State initiatives and accomplishments. The address took place in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

“This is a unique and important program for Kent State that helps create and deepen the relationships between our university, our community and our elected representative,” Dr. Lefton says. “By involving the leaders of the City of Kent, we have another opportunity to strengthen our connection and further demonstrate that our success and future are intrinsically linked and our collaboration can only benefit the area residents and all of Ohio.”

“It is vitally important that our ties remain close as we work side-by-side to enhance and grow the region’s economy.”
 
Joining the Kent State delegation to Washington were City of Kent Law Director Jim Silver and Economic Development Director Daniel Smith. Also joining Dr. Lefton was Dr. Steven Schmidt, director of the Division of Surgical Research at Summa Health System.