Big Yellow Taxi Safety...

I don’t know if it’s gas prices, the overall impact of the Great Recession, or better yet — the growing popularity of downtown Kent — or maybe it’s all of the above.  Regardless of the why, we’ve seen a steady increase in taxi services in Kent and with more people climbing into stranger’s cars than ever before, it was time for the City to take a closer look at what it means to be able to run a taxi service in Kent.

The City was actually approached by a taxi cab company who wanted to see the City set minimum standards, similar to what exists in our neighborhing communities, to ensure that all of the companies were competing on a level playing field — meaning make sure everyone had adequate insurance, safe driving records, etc.  

It turned out that some of the companies provide first rate, professional taxi service, but there were other fly by night types of cab companies that charged a lower price because they cut corners.  The City is in the business of looking out for public safety so there was a willingness by City Council to look at some new regulations that would give taxi riders the confidence that someone had checked the drivers and the company out before they climbed into the vehicle and essentially put their life in the hands of a perfect stranger.   

There are currently eight different taxicab companies/ services identified as operating in Kent.  In August Kent City Council passed an ordinance (Chapter 749 Taxicab Regulations) which regulates taxicabs operating in Kent.  The new regulations take effect in thirty (30) days (end of September).  

The ordinance regulates company operations, driver requirements, vehicle safety standards, markings, prohibited acts, and the licensing of cabs operating in the city.  The ordinance, which has been modeled after taxi ordinances of other communities, applies to all taxis that pick up fares inside the city.  

Here’s a link to the new taxi cab regulations.

A Day In the Life of Kent Police Officers...

A day in the life of a Kent Police Officer is pretty interesting.  The combination of the relatively small number of Officers on duty at any time and the diversity of lifestyles found in our community means that Kent Officers end up getting involved in a wide range of situations.  

That’s not to suggest we’ve got a crime problem — we don’t — our crime statistics are better than most cities our size (see a former blog post on the stats), but I’ve had a number of Kent Officers say that they choose to work in Kent because of the level of professionalism and expertise that is required on the job every day. 

I’m sure that the late night alcohol induced shenanigans get old, but because those types of incidents get the most media attention I’m not sure residents have a sense for how well trained and prepared their Kent Police Officers are for all the other Police work that they do. 

Here’s a few recent recognitions by the Kent Police Chief for Kent Officers that didn’t get printed in the newspaper that give you a sense of what I mean:

Kudos to Dave for his outstanding investigation into recent home burglaries on XXXX Drive.  Dave’s determined efforts during the follow-up investigation led to the clearance of five neighborhood burglaries and the confession of the suspect responsible.  Congratulations for a job really well done!

Kudos to the Night shift with special recognition to Jim and his sidekick K-9 Aiko, for the successful tracking, detection, pursuit and apprehension of a fleeing burglar early Sunday morning.  Officers were able to establish the perimeter very quickly which allowed Jim and Aiko to begin their tracking.  Once the suspect was detected, the chase was on.  The suspect apparently thought that he could successfully outrun Aiko.  After running and going over fences, Aiko caught him, knocked him down and controlled him until officers could catch up.   Congratulations to the Night shift, Jim and Aiko for their commendable actions.      

Kudos to Mike for his performance investigating the theft of a credit card and the subsequent shopping spree of the criminals.  After obtaining and viewing the surveillance video, the perps were brought in, interrogated and charged. 

Kent Police Officers and agents from Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation (BCI&I)  arrested a marijuana cultivator who was also found to be disseminating pornographic matter harmful to juveniles while executing search warrants at the property.

K-9 Aiko and Jim, and Mike apprehended a suspect found breaking into vehicles and in possession of a stolen vehicle.

Kudos to KSU-PD for providing us with information which led to the identification and arrest of a Robbery suspect.  Special kudos go to Mark for his great investigative and interrogative technique in getting the suspect to confess.   Congratulations Mark for a job well done!  

Kudos to Jerry for his extraordinary role in the arrest of three burglary suspects this week who were caught in the act on XXXXX Street.  Congratulations Jerry!

Kudos to Matt for his outstanding performance when confronting suicidal knife wielding individuals on two successive nights.  By use of his C.I.T. skills, he successfully diffused the imminent threat of serious harm to them by persuading them to put down their knives and to obtain mental health assistance. Despite the extreme stress of both situations, Matt remained calm, controlled and successfully assisted them in receiving the mental health assistance they needed.  Congratulations to Matt for a job well done!  

Season Ending Movie...

I can’t believe it, but summer 2010 is coming to a close, and the final movie of the season will be shown Friday, August 27th at dusk (around 8:30 to 9:00 pm) at the Home Savings Plaza in downtown Kent.  The movie is the film version of the classic children’s story, Where the Wild Things Are — which seems to be a perfect fit for downtown Kent.   

WHO: Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Downtown Businesses present a DICE Event
WHAT: Sidewalk Cinema DICE Event. Movie: “Where The Wild Things Are”. FREE!
-A Downtown Innovative Community Event (D.I.C.E.)
-An Adaptation of the children’s book by Maurice SendakWHEN: Friday, August 27, at dusk (time varies)

WHERE: Outdoors at The Home Savings Plaza, Main & Water Sts (59 & 43), downtown KentMovies take place the last Friday of the summer months in the open air on The Home Savings Plaza with use of a blimp screen at dusk (weather permitting). Bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating.

ABOUT THE FILM

DIRECTOR: Spike Jonze
WRITERS: Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers (Screenplay) based on the book by Maurice Sendak

RELEASE DATE: October 16, 2009

RUNTIME: 101 MINUTES

RATING: PG

PLOT: An adolescent named Max has an active imagination, and he will throw fits if others don’t go along with what he wants. Max – following an incident with Claire (his sister) and her friends, and following a tantrum which he throws as a result of his Mother paying more attention to her boyfriend than to him – runs away from home. Wearing his wolf costume at the time, Max not only runs away physically, but runs toward a world in his imagination. This world, an ocean away, is inhabited by large wild beasts, including one named Carol who is much like Max himself in temperament. Instead of eating Max like they normally would with creatures of his type, the wild things befriend Max after he proclaims himself a king who can magically solve all their problems.

Kent Skatepark Ribbon Cutting...

For all those shredders and rail riders out there, I’m stoked to report that Saturday, August 28th at noon, the Kent Skatepark will officially open for business.  The Kent Parks and Rec Director has announced a ribbon cutting for 12 noon and then it’s time to ride.  Very cool.   

I stopped by the site on Admore Drive last Friday and here’s a few shots of the finishing touches that are being applied to the skatepark:

KSU New Bike Share Program...

When it comes to traffic and parking, more bikes and less cars are generally considered good things – which is why we were excited to hear that Kent State University was ready to roll out their new bike sharing program on campus starting this Fall.  Bike sharing programs have been common in Europe for decades but they’re still relatively new in the states. 

Example of a Bike Share Program From Minneapolis Minnesota

The early adopters here in the US have been a couple of big cities and a smattering of smaller college towns so Kent’s program is still early enough in the game to warrant being called progressive, which is a label we tend to wear proudly here in Kent.  The City has been involved in the discussions and planning of the new University bike sharing program, with the hope that we can add bike stations in strategic locations, e.g., downtown, around the City too, and not just limit the program to campus. 

So while KSU is getting their feet wet in bike sharing this year, we’ll be watching closely to see how it goes and to hopefully make plans to extend the bike share network beyond the campus borders over the next couple of years. 

Here’s the details from Kent State University:

New Bike Sharing Program Announced for Kent State University

Kent, OH (8/5/10) – The Department of Recreational Services, in collaboration with the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, the Office of the Provost and the Undergraduate Student Government, is pleased to announce the creation of a new bike sharing initiative, Flashfleet. The program will provide Kent State students, faculty and staff with a new form of transportation and recreation throughout the campus.

            “Bike sharing is a unique concept that enables multiple users to borrow bikes for short-term use,” said Kim Rufra, Associate Director of Recreational Services. “Our mission is to provide affordable, easily accessible and environmentally sustainable transportation to Kent State University.”

            By affordable, Rufra means free. Students, faculty and staff simply need to visit one of six designated locations on campus to sign out a bike using their Flashcard. Fees are only assessed if equipment is returned late, damaged or not at all. Guests, with a valid driver’s license, are also allowed to participate in the program as long as the student or staff member assumes liability.

            Scheduled to start operation on Aug. 30, Flashfleet will be available at the following locations: Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Kent Student Center, Dunbar Hall Area Desk, Twin Towers Area Desk, Tri Towers Area Desk and the Stopher Hall Area Desk. Users will be able to borrow bikes, helmets and locks on a daily basis from 8 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. All equipment must be returned to its point of origin before closing. The program is tentatively scheduled to operate until Oct. 31, depending on weather. It will reopen in the spring after the last of the winter storms.

Flashfleet, a second-generation bike share system, was developed from concerns over rising fuel costs, traffic congestion across campus, consistent enrollment increases each semester, physical fitness and a greater consciousness about climate change.

            “The program is modeled after a similar second-generation program at Washington State University,” said Melanie Knowles, Sustainability Manager. “Washington State has now adopted a third-generation bike sharing program, complete with self-contained, solar-powered kiosks that allow users to check-in and check-out bikes from any location.”

            Knowles notes that Flashfleet is a pilot program. The success of this year and the research collected will be used in determining whether a third-generation system would also be suitable at Kent State. Knowles, along with Dr. David Kaplan, a geography professor at the University, acquired a $25,000 grant to study the impact of bike sharing.

Support for the project has been widespread. With the assistance of Residence Services and the Kent Student Center, Recreational Services is able to provide such convenient locations to students all across campus. Furthermore, the Office of Sustainability has provided valuable insight into the creation of the pilot program and will be monitoring trends and the success of Flashfleet throughout the year. The 50 bikes being used for the program, all Trek 7000 Hybrids, will be maintained on a weekly basis by Recreational Services’ Equipment Manager and registered with the Kent State Police.

            “We’re also looking to create a more dynamic bike culture throughout Kent State,” Rufra said. “Currently, there are over 100 bike racks across campus for students to use. Not only do users have easy access here, but they can use our bicycles and visit downtown businesses and other locations in the Kent area.”

            All riders will receive a brochure with biking safety tips, rules and regulations for the program and a map detailing local bike trails in the area. To further encourage riders, Recreational Services is implementing a contest in which one lucky winner will receive their very own Trek 7000 Hybrid Bike on Earth Day, Apr. 22, 2011. All those who participate in the program will be entered into the contest.

            The Department of Recreational Services at Kent State University is proud to provide the students, faculty and staff of Kent State University and members of the surrounding community with outstanding recreational, fitness and wellness opportunities. For more information about Flashfleet, please call Recreational Services at 330-672-4REC, visit us online at www.kent.edu/flashfleet or email flashfleet@kent.edu.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Kim Rufra, Associate Director, krufra@kent.edu, 330-672-0464

Melanie Knowles, Sustainability Manager, mknowle1@kent.edu, 330-672-8039

Jason Hawk, Marketing Coordinator, jphawk@kent.edu, 330-672-0465

Kline and Kavali on the Move...

On Wednesday another downtown Kent icon got retired out to pasture — the old Kline and Kavali trialer that sat at the corner of Erie Street and Depeyster was hoisted up by a crane and carted out to Fred Fuller Park for use by Kent Parks and Recreation.

You may recall that the trailer’s cousin, the old red diner, got picked up by a rehab specialist out of Cleveland a couple of years ago and it’s been undergoing a refurbishment of sorts — although I understand there wasn’t much they could save off of  it. 

The local historians have told me that the trailer used to serve food as well before it became the plumbing headquarters for Kline and Kavali.  I don’t think it had a kitchen in it, so I believe they cooked the food down the street in the red diner and then served it at the trailer — but don’t quote me on that– that’s just what I’ve pieced together from anecdotal stories. 

Ron Burbick purchased the Kline and Kavali property to build Acorn Alley Phase II which meant the trailer had to either find a new home or face a future in the scrap yard.  Fortunately, Parks and Recreation has been looking for something to use in their parks as a mini-office and this turns out to be perfect.  I’m not sure how quickly Parks and Rec will get operational but it’s nice to know that an old friend of downtown Kent will have a second chance.

New AMATS Web Site...

As budget crunches have hit cities there’s been a lot more talk of sharing services between cities.  In a lot of ways it makes sense, cities do the same work so why not try to look for opportunities to cross-over jurisdictional boundaries to plan together and operate more collaboratively.  The City seals may change but the street sweeper sweeps the same in Kent as it does in Hudson, Stow, Ravenna, etc. 

The idea made sense long before local budgets crashed but sometimes it takes a crisis to create a strong enough sense of urgency to overcome inertia and bust through the turf issues that guard jurisdictional borders.  I had a meeting just last week with a neighboring city mayor where we commiserated over budget woes and tried to find a silver lining brainstorming ideas for where it might make sense to look at sharing services.   We specifically talked about the Fire Services study that has been under way for a couple of years now that has looked at how Fire Services among Portage County cities and towns could be re-shaped and blended to save money while improving services and response times.  The study findings should be coming out in the next month and that should give us all something to look at and talk about.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a great example of shared services — AMATS, aka the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, has been bringing together area governments for decades to plan and implement transportation projects that serve our region.  AMATS has wrestled its way through a lot of the logistical challenges that confounds cities that try to partner and in that respect they’re a great model for what could be done in other areas of city government. 

AMATS recently went live with a new web site that gives a great overview of the transportation work that they do in our region.  Here’s a note from the AMATS Director describing their new web site:

The web site was created by Akron’s own 427 Design.  We think that they have done a great job and we are very proud of it.

First of all, we think it looks great.  The overall design concept is at-once retro and modern.  The artwork highlights Akron’s history, its skyline, and other significant regional landmarks.  Symbolically, it is evocative the art-deco age of the 1930s and 1940s; a time when our cities were thriving, our neighborhoods were well-designed, and our communities were connected by a multi-modal transportation system.  Our mission here at AMATS is to work tirelessly to help our region to recapture this sense of connectedness and cohesion; to forge the wonderful amenities that we already possess and transform them into a strong and vibrant community that we believe can be the envy of the nation.

Secondly, and most importantly, the site is easy to use and contains quality content.  It contains pages devoted to Transportation Outlook, our region’s transportation plan; the Transportation Improvement Program, which describes all federally-funded projects in the area; and Connecting Communities, our new initiative geared toward reducing urban sprawl and better coordinating land use and transportation decisions.

The site also includes a wealth of data regarding transportation improvements, traffic data, and demographic trends.  We are particularly proud of the interactive library of maps.  We are also excited about the opportunities that the site presents in terms of encouraging public engagement, dialogue, and discussion of policy issues.  We now have the ability to upload podcasts of important meetings, and future improvements to the site will include a planning-related blog that will allow us to better disseminate information and will allow our constituents to weigh-in on the issues that are important to them.

Our goal is for AMATS to be the type of government agency that can renew the public’s faith in government.  We desire this, not for the purpose of self-aggrandizement, but for the satisfaction of truly serving the public, and serving it well.  I believe that this new web site is an important means to this even more important end.  It is why we are here, and it is why we love our job.

Very Best Regards,

Jason
———————————————————————-
Jason A. Segedy
Director
Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study
806 CitiCenter
146 S. High St.
Akron, Ohio 44308-1423
Work Phone:  (330) 375-2436

City Audit On-Line...

If numbers are your thing, I’ve got just the thing for you — the City’s comprehensive financial audit report is officially out and available on line (direct link) at the State Auditor’s web site.  To the accountants of the world, an audit is a work of art but for the rest of us it’s a lot of numbers, indicators and measures that reflect the City’s financial health. 

I’m pleased to report that the City’s audit had no findings of problems or deficiences when it comes to how the City manages its cash flow.  Our finance division continues to impress the auditors with financial compliance and reporting.  That’s great news because there’s never a good time for cash management concerns and that commitment is recognized in the 2009 audit. 

If I had any advice for the faint of heart number crushers, I’d go to page 27 and just stick to the text narrative.  It’s easy to get lost in the woods of all the financial statistics but it’s certainly there for the more adventuresome among us. 

Here’s the 3rd party auditor firms remarks on the City’s 2009 comprehensive annual financial report:

Community Health...

From the Manager’s chair, as I listen to residents talk about their decisions for why they came to Kent and how they made their choice for where to live, it seems that more people are making that choice based on their lifestyle preferences and quality of life in a community rather than strictly on moving to where the job is. 

Don’t get me wrong, job location still matters but as our economy has shifted away from the time clock driven, got to live close to work, 9 to 5 days of manufacturing to today’s around-the-clock, one-click away, twittered and texted to death on-demand employees, the employees seem to be fighting back, trying to maintain some semblance of sanity by living in places that give them a little peace and quiet for self preservation.  It’s an interesting dynamic and I often wonder if that greater flexibility offered by businesses between the hours of 9 am 5 pm is really worth the intrusion of work into the other 16 hours of our day.   I guess time will tell.

Time deprivation seems to be the personal epidemic of the day.  In the old 9 to 5 world, evenings, weekends and vacations were your time but these days there’s nothing sacrosanct about the 5 to 9 flip side so what used to be large blocks of me time have now been swapped out for slivers of me time, and in those slivers we try to fit in the days (and chores) of our lives.  With that being the case, people look for places where quality me time is readily available.  

Today’s me time is more spontaneous than ever befor - -I’ve got 15 minutes free, so I’m taking a walk, I’m going to shop, I’m going to bike – and that means to be competitive, communities need to offer easy access to personalized spaces, which is why Kent has been working so hard in the last 5 years to create more public space, more hike and bike trails, more convenient shopping, etc. 

Quantifying quality of life is always a bit awkward because it’s such a qualitative term.  It’s like trying to rate great art but still people try and even if it’s imperfect I think it’s a worthy effort which is why I wanted to let you know that there’s a new community survey being circulated that asks for your input on the community health aspect of quality of life. 

The survey is being done as a partnership by the local area hospital networks to better define what community health looks like in our region from the consumers perspective.  It’s important stuff.  After all, if you don’t have your health all the amenities in the world aren’t going to mean anything. 

So take a few minutes and take the survey:

Community Health Survey

Downtown Ice Cream Social...

If you’re looking for a little nostalgic taste of the past, get your horse and buggy to downtown Kent this Saturday, August 14th, from 1 to 4 pm, for the annual Ice Cream Social.  At 25 cents a scoop you can’t go wrong with that Artic Squirrel ice cream. 

The Kent Historical Society is one of the sponsors of this annual event and they report that in the old days, ice cream socials were safe havens where even teenage girls could socialize (or flirt) with budding admirers.  Somethings never change. 

WHO: Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Downtown Businesses Present

WHAT: Kent’s 7th Annual Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social
-Ice Cream at 25 cents a Scoop
-Free Ice Cream for Senior Citizens
-Hula Hoop Demo by Emily Parker (2:30-3pm)
-Musical Performances
-KidzArt Face Painting for Kids
-Kent Historical Society Open for Visits 11am-2pm.

WHEN: Saturday, August 14, 1-4pm

WHERE: Home Savings Plaza, Intersection of Main and Water Streets in Downtown Kent

CONTACT: 330-673-4970

ABOUT THE MUSIC:

Hand Made Organ of John Prtljaga The Organ was started by John in 1990 and continues to be modified to play Old Time Dutch and German Folk Songs, Polkas, and Waltzes. It has 75 Keys and started out as a Wurlitzer 65 Organ. The Case is made of oak and now has the design of an old fashioned Dutch Street Organ. This will be the 3rd year John has made his appearance with this personally crafted instrument.

The Mississippi Shopenhauer –  A trio of fine musicians residing in Portage County. Harry Noden on vocals and guitar. Sam Rettman on harmonica. Dale Gagozy on guitar.  Fingerpickin blues with harmonica.

ALL DICE EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND TAKE PLACE AT THE HOME SAVINGS PLAZA, AT THE CORNER OF WATER AND MAIN STREETS IN DOWNTOWN KENT.

Sponsored by The City of Kent, The Ohio Arts Council, The Henry V. and Frances W. Christenson Foundation, The Kent Parks and Recreation Department, The Home Savings Bank, Woodsy’s Music, City Bank Antiques, The Hall-Green Insurance Agency, Taco Tantos, The Wild Goat Cafe, Rays Place, Star of the West Milling Company, and Family and Community Services of Portage County.