Bowman Breakfast...

Last week Kent State hosted the Annual Fall Bowman Breakfast, bringing together the town and gown for good food, conversation and hopefully an insightful presentation from the featured speaker.  This year, I was invited to join Kent State University President, Dr. Lester Lefton, at the podium to discuss the early results of all our collaborations and share some thoughts on what’s next. 

I always write speeches before I give them, but anyone that’s seen me speak knows that I rarely follow them.  I enjoy taking myself and the audience on a bit of an impromptu ride with my speeches — I personally think it’s more interesting to turn a speech into a conversation rather than a lecture from a script. 

That works just fine when I’m the only speaker.  The challenge at the Bowman Breakfast was tag-teaming with Dr. Lefton and not wandering so far afield that I’d lose him or likewise he’d ditch me.  In hindsight, I hope my meanderings brought out the best in both of us as Dr. Lefton is a great impromptu speaker. 

I thought I’d share what I had written in prepation for the presentation — keep in mind the caveat that once again I didn’t follow my script very well and the actual speech was a bit different.  Plus, what you’ll read below doesn’t reflect Dr. Lefton’s remarks that were interspersed with mine as we took turns speaking.  Still, I thought the sentiment was worth sharing. 

Better Kent, Better Kent State, Better Community

Introductory Remarks

Delighted to be here this morning.

I’ve sat out there with you for the last 6 years mingling, chatting and watching Dan Smith stuff his pockets with extra danishes while insightful speakers graced this stage and offered commentary on interesting Kent topics.  

I’m not really sure how I ended up on this side of the podium, but I’m happy to be a distraction for Dan, and share the observations of a City Manager on my favorite topic, the future of Kent.

It’s not typical to have two speakers for the Bowman Breakfast – and that’s not a coincidence this morning, that’s the point. 

We’ve learned a lot in the last 5 years – but the most important lesson of all may have been that we do our best work when we work together. 

This morning we’re going to celebrate the re-awakening of the Kent spirit and the outrageous level of collaboration it has produced between us and our many community partners – the impacts of which are evident today and we hope for generations to come.

The great news is that we stand here today while bull-dozers and backhoes are digging the foundations of our Never Gonna Happen, Impossible, Not For Sale At Any Price downtown project.

But the best news of all is that we discovered that the more we do together, the better we get at it, so the more we do, and the better we get… Each step along the way we serve this community better and fulfill the promise of being that vibrant University City that we’ve all dreamed about.    

Thank You’s

Dr. Lefton and I are lucky enough to be able to stand up here and represent our institutions and all the people that make those organizations great.  Our Boards, Council’s, staff, and supporters that are Kent. 

We share a deep pride in our organizations, and a deep humility for the level of support we receive from the people that call Kent home – which is to say that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people that deserve our gratitude and thanks for everything they’ve done to get Kent to the point where our success is a topic worthy of the tradition of the Bowman Breakfast. 

What we’re celebrating here this morning is leadership, but it’s not the solitary genius CEO; it’s the everyone in our organizations and our community acts like the CEO and does everything in their power to do their part to lead. 

In a community of our size, everyone counts, no contribution is too small.  And it all adds up into this crazy mix of synergy that makes it possible for one person to make a difference and 28,000 of our closest friends to transform a community.   

Dr. Lefton is at the top of my thank-you list. 

Not because he made downtown Kent revitalization a top priority,

Not because he delivered a new hotel & conference center,

and not because of his record setting re-investment in the campus. 

He’s at the top of my list because he’s the guy that said Yes We Can — every time someone tried to tell us — No We Can’t. 

Three small words – Yes We Can – with enormous consequences.  

Just look at the numbers.  The University measures have been off the charts as Dr. Lefton has re-written the book on how to achieve audacious ambitions for Kent State.   

At the same time we’ve had our own record setting going on with record levels of private investment in the City at a time when the economy is dismal. 

Kent State success…Community success…coincidence? I think not.    

Given his track record, its clear that he’s pretty darn good as Dr. Lefton, but I want you to know that he’s even better as Lester. 

Lester is contagious. He’s taught us that it’s not enough to have great ideas, you’ve got to have the kind energy and vision that can get people up out of their seats and rolling up their sleeves to help turn ideas into actions.  That’s leadership.  That’s what Lester has done for Kent in his first 5 years with us. 

People like Lester are Kent’s secret ingredient.  People with a sense of purpose, a passion, a vision and the hootspah to defy convention to do the unprecedented. 

Reflection

Today Lester and I get to be Lewis and Clarke, your community scouts, who’ve journeyed a bit further down the road less traveled and come back bearing maps and pictures of Kent’s future.    

Given the prominence that the Excellence brand has taken on campus, it seems fitting to call this Lester and Dave’s Excellent Adventure. 

Here’s what I know:  the future is not what it used to be.

But if the center holds, it has a chance to be better than we imagined.

Maybe it’s an over-statement, but I think we’re in the midst of one of those defining moments in Kent’s history that will be a chapter in Roger Di Paolo’s sequel to Rooted in Kent.   

These are the days to remember.  We’re straddling a community event horizon – behind us lies a rich and storied legacy while in front of us is a promising and exciting future. 

It seems like just yesterday that Lester and I had lunch at the Franklin Square Deli and we shared a bunch of Why Not Kent moments – why can’t we have a hotel downtown, why can’t there be more restaurants, why can’t we be a destination for people that share our love for vibrant university cities. 

Call us the naive new guys in town who didn’t know any better but we thought we could do these things – and more importantly that we had to.  This was our moon flight – failure was not an option.     

So, over a Turkey sandwich began a new era in the City University relations where the partnership was to take precedence over the partners.

With a newfound confidence in collaboration we started some Strategic Doing.  The community liaison, joint facility studies, esplanade extension, Summit Street improvements, community bulletin board and our little downtown project.    

Flash Forward to September 2011 and the community horizon has changed.  Everywhere you look construction dirt is flying.  Kent, on and off campus, looks better than it has for years and we’re just getting started. 

Take a stroll with me and see for yourself. 

Exit the Student Center – Rissman Plaza redo phase I. landscape, pedestrian orientation, people scaled, sense of place, themes you’ll see repeated in everything we do

Look to your left you’ll notice the library renovations, inside and out, including the oversize mural featuring the friendly faces of Kent students – who do indeed, belong here.

Admire all the new amenities on the plaza you’ll make your way to the Esplanade connection which will be your trusted companion throughout campus and soon off campus as well. 

The esplanade will wind you through campus ending among the public artwork between the renovated Franklin Hall building and Fashion Museum on Lincoln Street. 

And that’s where things are about to get interesting.  Plans are done, land has been swapped, and money is secured to build the new Esplanade Extension which will carry the student body into the heart of the central business district. 

Think of the Esplanade extension as a Kent version of old Route 66 and the Appalachian Trail —  opening up a whole new town gown frontier by physically reconnecting Kent’s commercial district with Kent’s largest group of customers in a park-like setting that is full of its own surprises and amenities. 

The Esplanade is meant to appeal to the age old need to stroll, absorb and contemplate.  The Esplanade will get you where you want to go it will also show how the journey can be the best part of the trip. 

This new pedestrian boulevard is designed to give the Esplanade its own sense of place.  There’s been deep discussions of walkway width, color of pavers, landscaping elements, art opportunities, arches, pocket-parks, wi fi, and just about anything else that will make this a signature facility in Kent.   

The Esplanade extension will pick up at the edge of campus on Lincoln Street and head west down what today is the Erie Street corridor.  The street will be vacated and converted into a linear park like setting, ending at a new signature KSU gateway and great lawn area adjacent to SR 59. 

After soaking in the collegiate sites and sounds of the great lawn area, our walkers will then cross-over SR 59 (at the shiny new intersection) where upon those walkers will then find themselves in the middle of a new hotel & conference center to their left and the new PARTA multi-modal building on their right that will also happen to include a great row of retail stores to tempt their credit cards.   

If our walker doesn’t like those options, they can head west for one block and find themselves standing betweeen two great new dining options:  a new Brico’s restaurant to their left and the new Liziza restaurant and Oak Room on their right.  Another 50 feet or so west will put them at the cross-road where Acron Alley has a dramatic entrance on their right (with access to even more shops and an open plaza) or they can enjoy Aladdin’s restaurant and an outdoor plaza to their left as the alley concept jumps across the street and opens into a welcoming outdoor seating area that will include programmed events.    

With a bit more westernly walking our walkers will see Ametek employees waving from the second story of the buildings to their left while they look through the storefront windows of even more dining and retail options on the ground floor.  Similarly, the right side of the street will bring an enjoyable mix of more mom and pop stores, including a new coffee house that when walking isn’t an option includes drive thru service. 

Arriving at Water Street, our walkers will be lured south by the signature new Davey Tree building at the corner of SR 43 and SR 59, or they can head north into the heart of downtown Kent’s shopping district, or even further west into Kent’s entertainment district.

Roughly 1/2 of a mile from the edge of campus, our walkers will be drawn in by the sites and sounds of the historic train station that has become the local favorite, Pufferbelly restaurant.  If all goes as hoped, public art around the renovated train station will punctuate the end of our official Esplanade walk but well fed walkers need not stop there. 

A short stroll over the historic Main Street bridge will take our walkers to the Kent Dam and with direct access to the Cuyahoga river trail network. With miles of trail connections heading east or west from the downtown trail hub, our walkers will not be disappointed as they are joined by fisherman, artists, visitors and kayakers that consider Kent’s stretch of river one of the best kept secrets in town — and with canoe and kayak rentals available a couple of hundred yards downstream at Tannery Park our walkers can give their feet a rest and enjoy the river up close and personal. 

Perspective

Exciting stuff. 

But never being one to settle, Lester reminded me that the real excitement isn’t what we’ve accomplished, it’s in discovering what we’re capable of accomplishing. 

It’s a bit like having commencement day every day — the promise of tomorrow, the audacity to do the unprecedented. 

This is our flip the tassel day that is already setting off a chain reaction of good things in Kent.  Earlier this year we threw our hat in the ring to try to land a major manufacturer from the left coast and out of 150 cities nationwide we made the top 5.  Sadly, we lost that one but 4 months later we landed another one that will turn out to be the largest manufacturer we’ve had come to Kent in the last 40 years. 

We’re going head to head for new tech companies with places like Akron and Cleveland. 

We’ll win some, we’ll lose some, but for the first time in decades, we’re in the conversation.   Co-incidence?  I think not. 

What’s Next

Progress isn’t just about jobs and the dollars they bring but those dollars make it possible to do all the other things that we think make Kent special.  We’re focused on co-creating a sustainable economic recovery right now so that we can broaden our collaborative horizon to make a difference in other areas of community priorities for decades to come.

Opportunities exist for Public Health, Clinics, Care of elderly, low income, special needs, cultural collaborations, international engagement, etc.

The value of these quality of life elements are priceless, and if we continue to get this collaboration thing right, those opportunities should be endless.

In Closing

For me, this partnership has re-affirmed the notion that there’s strength in numbers — whether it’s tapping into the group’s cumulative brain-power to find work-around solutions for a seemingly insurmountable problem or sharing a mini-celebration moment when another milestone is passed on the journey. 

Progress seems more likely to follow whenever we plan, think, talk, argue and cheer together. 

We’re all familiar with tactical partnerships – I need something from you, you need something from me, we come together, do our thing, and walk away satisfied. 

But I think we’re on to something bigger here.  This is more.  This is authentic.  Like a good friend that has your back not just some time but all of the time. 

It’s the people like Lester that made this happen, but it is our community that will come out the winner.

Thank you.

A Little Extra in Kent...

In today’s economy it’s hard for locally owned businesses to compete with big box pricing and sales volumes. 

Just look at what the Home Depot’s and Lowe’s of the world have done to small town hardware stores.   I’m not casting judgement as to whether this is good or bad, it just is, but it definitely has consequences for places like Kent that have tried to be distinctive in its shopping and eating options by catering to the small mom and pop stores rather than the national chains. 

We think there’s room for both big and small establishments in Kent, we just want to make sure it’s in the right balance for our community.  It wasn’t that long ago that Kent passed on the mega-mall proposal, in part, because of this retail culture clash.   And I think the popularity of Kent’s new Acorn Alley relfects the smaller, local shop preferences of the people that choose to shop in Kent rather than driving out to one of the suburban malls. 

At a time when consumers have less spare change in their pockets, price points are more important than ever – and that puts Kent’s retail strategy favoring small town shops at a competitive disadvantage.  How can anyone compete with the kinds of merchandise turnover that Walmart goes through every day, especially a small shop owner who could be in business for decades and never hit Walmart daily numbers. 

Here’s how — by going the extra yard for customers.  Shopping has become so ubiquitous today through the internet, smart phones, debit cards and every other electronic device that secretly monitors our buying habits, that even luxury items feel commoditized.  Shopping is so over-merchandized that it has lost its luster. 

But people still like luster and the anti-dote seems to be the shopping experience itself.  The big stores try to manufacture a unique shopping experience by misting cologne in the store, mixing funky music tracks, using customized lighting, and creating displays that make you feel like you’re in a club. 

The small shop owners by contrast ususally don’t have the resources to create a re-enactment of a special shopping experience so they have to do it the old fashionned way — with extra personalized service and attention to the customer.  The key ingredient to the small shop is personal contact.  People are yet to be completely outsourced or virtualized so great sales people can still matter. 

I read a great story of a small bike shop with an owner that understood his competitive advantage in the personal touch so he always added something extra to the bike, especially kids bikes.  Need a tire change, no problem, but when you picked the bike up it might have a new set of tassels hanging off the handlebars, or a new bell, new handlebar grips, etc., at no charge.

Obviously the owner had to keep the cost of the extras to a bare minimum but he was more interested in the personal connection that he would make between the bike owner, his shop, and the little add-ons that had some significance to the customer.  This wasn’t purely philanthropic as the little extra would lead to referrals and repeat business — which is the lifeblood of small lifestyle business owners who did what they did, and sold what they sold, out of their own lifestyle preferences. 

The extra yard isn’t so much a tactic to build and flip new businesses for profit;  it’s more about long term and staying afloat in a fiercely competitive retail world filled by giants.

Small business owners defying the odds and convention; that’s classic Kent. 

Managing Code Compliance...

I personally think that one of the hardest jobs in the City belongs to our Code Compliance Officer.  This is the guy that gets called out to knock on a neighbor’s door to find a way to inspire them to cut their lawn, or remove the couch from their porch, or pick up the trash that is spilled across their property because it is in violation of the City’s Code. 

The Code Compliance Officer would probably rate right up there with the Tax Collector for residents’ least favorite function performed by their government.  Yet, the truth is, both are more important than we give them credit for. 

Police, Fire and even Public Service tend to only intrude in our lives when we need them and call for their help — so we all tend to accept their encroachment but the Code Officer doesn’t have such luck. 

He does get called out, but rarely is it a public safety emergency, usually it’s a nuissance problem – and often it’s after neighbors just couldn’t take it any more so the situation is packed full of frustrations and stress — and the Code Officer walks right into the middle of it all.   

The fact is the Code Compliance Officer knew what he was getting into when he took the job, so he’s not asking for any sympathy — but I watch the dynamics and admire the skill it takes to defuse the stress and motivate folks to do something that they clearly don’t want to do. 

The good news is that many problems can be resolved amicably.  A good Code Compliance Officer understands that life throws curve balls at people and sometimes they fall behind in keeping up — so our Officer works hard to keep an open mind and he gives people a chance to remedy the problem on terms that will work for them.   If a more persistent push is needed he has a host of court related actions he can take, but we really try to avoid that, and only look to the court for help with the most chronic offenders. 

I actually didn’t mean to write an Ode to the Compliance Officer but once I got started I couldn’t help myself.  What I intended to do in this post was to share the 2010 Code Compliance Report that tracks the trends and offers statistics on the status of Code Compliance in Kent last year.

Kent Water...

In this part of the country it is easy to take our high quality water supply for granted.  That’s too bad because the volume of our water resources and the premium quality of our water is one of our greatest (and perhaps most under-appreciated) asset.

Given the precipitation, topography and geology of our region, water is one of our more abundant resources.  As a result, plenty of supply seems to have led to a sense of complacency, leaving people to think great water is much more common than it really is.   

I was reminded how untrue this can be when one of our senior staff asked for the morning off to meet with a contractor she hired to install a more advanced water filtering system for her well water outside of the Kent City limits.  After previously living in Kent and having such great tasting water, she was at her wits end over the sulfur odor and taste from her well water in the township.  She was practically begging for City water to be extended to her neighborhood.  Hopefully her new filter will help, but better yet, she needs to move back in to Kent! 

Just take a glance through the headlines from various regions of the U.S. and you’ll find plenty of stories of long-standing water wars.  The wild west was won not so much with Winchesters as it was with pipelines, dams and irrigation ditches.   That dirty water has left a bad taste in many cities that fight for their right to drink water. 

The value of our water quality and supply was evident when we were deep in discussions with a prospective food manufacturer earlier this year that had to have a water supply that met very specific requirements — all of which we met.   

What started me on this water thread was a recent suggestion from former Councilman Hawksley who suggested offering tap water filling stations  for festival or other downtown events that could be used to re-fill bottled water. 

The idea is to reuse those bottles rather than adding more plastic to the waste stream in the name of sustainability. 

I passed along the product to both Kent State University and Main Street Kent and we all have enough interest that we’re starting to look into how much the units cost.

I guess it’s the modern version of the old public drinking fountains. 

Interesting.

The Rider Rumble Event...

I posted yesterday about the efforts of the Kent Police to forge stronger relationships with the community and it looks like their efforts being returned in kind — community memebers have announced the inaugural Rider Rumble Nature Race in support of the Kent Police and Kent Fire Associations.  Read on for the details of the event: 

________________________________ 

Greetings!

Please join us on September 17th as we launch our inaugural Rider Rumble nature race to benefit the Kent Police and Citizens Association and the Kent Fire Fighters Association!

This 3+ mile race will provide an exciting, challenging and competitive event all for a great cause.  This is a family friendly event as kids ages 5-12 can compete on their very own adventure filled race course.  A variety of checkpoint challenges await each runner on the main course as you navigate your way around this beautiful horse property. 

This will be a festive day with food, drinks, entertainment, prizes and a special Ohio State vs Miami Hurricanes viewing party later in the evening! 

Register

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Details:

Date: Saturday, September 17th, 2011 – multiple heats beginning at 10a.m. until 5p.m.

Fee: $50 per person/$35 student/Team rate/$15 kids rate - each racer will receive a “rider rumble” t-shirt – Enter before September 1st and save $10 for individual and $5 each team member!!

Contact: Matt Campana at 330.524.3047 or mcampana@corporatemotivation.net or Damon Lewis at 330.715.0517 or damonmlewis@yahoo.com

_________________________________

Business Stats...

-  A recent report produced by Enrst & Young ranked Ohio as the third friendliest tax environment in the nation.

-   In Ball State University’s Annual Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card, Ohio was one of only two states to ear an “A” grade in manufacturing and logistics. 

That’s why I was impressed with Grand Rapids Michigan, who was recently listed as one of America’s dying cities and rather than try to deny it, they put together a pretty creative video that does a good job making the statement for them. It’s a bit hokey and quirky but I have to admit, I enjoyed watching it and it left me with a favorable view of the City — despite their ranking.

See for yourself:  Click To Watch the Grand Rapids Video  

New County Economic Director...

If we’ve learned anything from all our efforts over the last couple of years to dig out of the economic doldrums, it’s that great partners are difference makers. 

The City of Kent and Kent State University jumped on board the partner train with both feet and other’s have joined that bandwagon along the way.  This core group of partners has paved the way for the flurry of economic activity that we’re witnessing in the downtown and in other parts of Kent as well. 

In that spirit, I am pleased to share the announcement from the newly created Portage Development Board on the hiring of their first Executive Director.  (Yes!  Another partner to add to the mix).  Please welcome Mr. Bradford Ehrhart to our team.

Fighting Breast Cancer In Kent...

The local Celtic Club is once again sponsoring the “Bras Across the Crooked River” event for September 10th in downtown Kent.

This event is a bra donation drive to benefit the American Cancer Society & Honorary Chairperson Lee Runkle, and eight year breast cancer survivor. 

To participate, all you have to do is donate a new or gently used bra to be hung on the Main Street Bridge in downtown Kent.  After the event, the bras will be given to victims of natural disasters and battered woman’s shelters. 

Last year’s event led to the collection of 2,000 bras that were donated. 

The donation points in Kent include:

Kent Sate Student Recreation and Wellness Center, 1550 Ted Boyd Drive
Kent State Student Center, Summit Street
The Arctic Squirrel, 1648 E. Main Street
Kent Area Chamber of Commerce, 138 E. Main Street
Kent Mayor’s Office, 215 E. Summit Street
McKay Bricker Framing, 141 E. Main Street
Pufferbelly Restaurant, 152 Franklin Avenue
Whitehall Terrace, 1698 E. Summit Street

Here’s more details:  http://kent.patch.com/articles/2nd-annual-bras-across-the-river-on-sept-11

Downtown Revitalization Project Financing Done...

Good News,

Tuesday afternoon the banks, contractors, Fairmount and its partners completed all their due diligence, dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s, and then proceeded to sign off on all of the agreements, leases, loans, and the other downtown project related documents.  Dan Smith tells me that as of 4:01 Tuesday afternoon the respective documents were recorded with Portage County, so it is finally official — the Downtown Project is On!

Money doesn’t just make the world go round, it’s also how you get new retail stores, office space and restaurants built — which is why completing the financing was such an important bridge to cross.  The loans and leases signed Tuesday cover the $35 million mixed use project that will include the new Davey Tree and Ametek offices. 

Admittedly this has taken longer than any of us would have preferred but at the end of the day, we put together one of the largest and most complex projects for a City of our size in the state of Ohio at a time when in the economy is really hurting — so a little extra time may be a fair price to pay for our ambitious goals. 

As a result, I also think that we have a project that has been analyzed inside-out and upside down by a lot of different experts and while that took extra time, it should prove to be time well spent as it forced us to ask a lot of hard questions and come to agreements with our partners at the start, rather than later on when problems are harder to fix. 

That’s not to say everything will be problem free from here on out, but the next set of problems should be dealing with construction mobilization, utility relocation, street closures and general construction head-aches, which while they still hurt, are good problems to have as they are part of the process we’ve committed to for Kent’s economic recovery.   

Last week  Kent landed the largest manufacturer in the last 40 years in Kent — MAC Trailer — and this week the ink was signed for the largest revitalization project in Kent’s history.  I’m not sure what we can do for an encore but its sure been a rewarding couple of weeks. 

It would seem fitting to express my gratitude to everyone that made this opportunity possible — beginning with City Council and their bold decisions to buy the land we needed to get this ball rolling — to the senior staff that have put in hundreds (if not thousands) of hours to create something out of next to nothing.  And of course, our growing list of partners.  None of us could have done this by ourselves, but together we could, and we did. 

Next up, approving construction plans, issuing construction permits and getting some dirt flying.   

Hot dog!

Inaugural Kent Police Academy...

For all the high tech wizardry that’s available to fight crime these days, the Kent Police have been working hard on one of the oldest tactics in the book – building stronger relationships with residents.

It’s easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest technology advances but at the risk of sounding too old fashioned, the Kent Police are investing more time than ever before in the people that they serve. 

There’s some exceptionally powerful new surveillance equipment on the market but we’ve found that nothing beats the pairs of eyes of neighbors, motorists or dog walkers. 

Call them old school, but with each step up in technology, the Kent Police are making sure those advances are balanced with stronger ties in the neighborhoods.  The technology is a tool to serve people, not the other way around. 

From the monthly Kent Public Safety series, hosted by the Kent Police, offering residents an inside look at specific public safety issues, to neighborhood meetings and increased foot and bike patrols, the Kent Police wants to get to interact more with the public before problems arise so that when public safety is at risk we know how to work together to keep our community safe. 

The latest initiative in community building is the Inaugural Kent Police Academy. 

The inaugural Kent Citizens Police Academy began last week with 20 area residents in attendance.  The classes are held from 6 to 10 on Thursdays for the next 11 weeks.  The academy will introduce participants to a wide variety of police practice, tactics and operations in order to garner trust and understanding of what the Police do each and every day, and equally important, what we can do to help them help us.

Kent is small enough (“right sized”) in population and geography that relationships can make a difference in preventing crime.  The key is knowing how to work together to do that well — the Police Academy is the latest effort to practice the work of community.