SR43 Lanes ReOpening This Week...

The City Engineer sent word around that the roadway contractor is scheduled to re-open all of the lanes on SR43, north and south bound, at the new Fairchild Avenue Bridge this week.

The contractor is expecting to wrap up the street work early this week and have all of the lanes open on July 25th.  That would also include restoring the left turn from southbound 43 on to the new bridge which I know many people are anxiously waiting for.

I haven’t had a chance to be on the receiving end of a project briefing in the last couple of weeks to hear what’s next for the bridge project but it looks like the majority of the streetwork on both sides of the bridge is complete so I assume they’ll continue to work on finishing the pedestrian/bike bridge and it’s connection to the bike trails on both sides of the bridge.

That would presumably also mean that they’ll be working on the final grading, stormwater and landscaping features from now until early 2013 before calling it a wrap.

As much as I appreciate the value of new investment in our community, I appreciate it most when it’s done and I’m using it, so I’m pleased to see us passing another significant project milestone this week in the biggest bridge project in City history (and all of Portage County history for that matter).

Portage County Economic Development Update...

As the City Manager in Kent I am a member of the Portage County Economic Development Board so I’ve had a front row seat to watch this new organization go from a good idea to an actual generator of jobs in Portage County.

There’s always room for the County to join cities and towns at the economic development table and it’s been great to have a new partner to turn to for leads, contacts, and business opportunities.  More feet on the street, knocking on doors and drumming up business for Portage County is a good thing and I’m pleased with the early returns from effort.

The Portage Development Board is made up of local business leaders that have agreed to volunteer their time (and often their money) to be a part of buildling a better economic future for Portage County.  Everyone wins with a stronger Portage County.

The volunteer board members bring their collective business wisdom to the table and then hand the ball off to the staff to run with it.  It’s a model with a proven track record and it’s encouraging to see Portage County heading down that track.

In the business of economic development, the strength of the local relationships and networks is the difference between being a runner-up and being on the podium announcing new jobs, new technology investments and business expansion.  Building these local relationships is arguably the most important by-product of this new County effort.

The reality is cities have often felt that they are left out on their own to fight for every business scrap, crumb and morsel they could find which naturally led them to be pretty territorial and parochial — with an I have to win so that you lose mentality.  Changing those longstanding perceptions is hard work but that’s exactly what the Portage Development Board is in the process of undoing.

It turns out that we can work together and we do grow stronger as a county by cooperating and combining our resources.  The old scarcity model was wrong; prosperity is contagious and economic growth occurs more frequently in counties that have witnessed job growth irrespective of city boundaries, so your gain will be my gain too.

Here’s a short press release issued by the Portage Development Board:

Press Release

July 11, 2012

Portage Development Board
217 South Chestnut Street
Ravenna, OH  44266
330-297-3470
330-297-3472 (Fax)
behrhart@portagedevbd.org
Contact:  Brad Ehrhart, President

For Immediate Release:
####

Portage Development Board Announces Activity for First Half of 2012
Ravenna, OH – The Portage Development Board announces that it has successfully worked on eight projects that will generate over $125 million in new investment in Portage County.  These
projects will keep 800 people working in Portage County, and over the next three years these projects will create 340 new jobs for the county.  The total annual payroll for jobs retained and to be created is nearly $70 million.

“We have some exciting things happening in Portage County,” said Lissa Barry, Chair of the Portage Development Board (PDB), “and we thank these companies for making an investment in Portage County.”

To accomplish this terrific start to 2012, PDB partnered with Jobs Ohio/Team Northeast Ohio, the Ohio Department of Development, Portage Workforce Connection, the Portage County Port Authority, the Development Financing Authority of Summit County, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Greater Akron Chamber, Neighborhood Development Services, Maplewood Career Center, Portage County, and the communities of Aurora, Brimfield, Kent, Ravenna, Streetsboro, and Tallmadge.

“Collaboration is the key to each of these successful projects,” said Brad Ehrhart, President of the PDB, “We are grateful for the assistance from each of partners.”

In addition to the project work, as of June 30, 2012, we have called on 74 existing companies to see what we can do to assist them to stay and grow in Portage County.  These calls have generated 53 referrals to our partners such the Ohio Small Business Development Center, Portage Workforce Connection, Northeast Ohio Trade and Economic Consortium, the Kent State University College of Technology, and Neighborhood Development Services.  Our goal is to contact over 150 companies in 2012.

Finally, PDB, the county chambers and the city economic developers started sponsoring quarterly Industrial Round Tables that will focus on major business climate issues that are being identified from the business calling program.  Our first Industrial Round Table was held on April 24th at Maplewood Career Center, and it focused on local workforce development resources.  Our second Industrial Round Table will be on September 12th at 7:30 am at Maplewood Career Center and it will focus on the Ohio Workers Compensation System.

The Portage Development Board is a private-public partnership that is responsible for the coordination of economic development activities in Portage County.  The PDB became operational as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit on February 1, 2011.  It is funded by the Portage County Board of Commissioners and contributions from the private sector, local institutions, and local communities.  Its mission is to help companies to stay, grow, start-up, and locate in Portage County.  The board’s goal is job creation and retention.

Formore information on PDB and up-coming events, please call 330-297-3470.

Kent Fireworks Gets the Green Light...

After inspecting the areas closest to where the fireworks are launched this morning (Kramer ballfields in downtown Kent), Kent’s Fire Chief has determined that enough rain has fallen in the last 24 hours to reduce the fire risk to a level where the Chief believes it can be safely managed so he has reversed his earlier decision to cancel the fireworks and they are back on for Saturday night, July 7th.

I believe that the State Fire Marshall has requested extra safety precautions this year that our Chief will work to put into place, e.g., larger safe zone around the launching area, which may mean spectators will have to adjust their favorite viewing spots accordingly.

So if you go to watch, please be patient with any safety changes, and keep your eye out for any rogue sparks!

Traffic Stops...

Nobody likes to see police lights flashing in their rear view mirror but they serve an important purpose. 

Most obviously they help keep our driving habits sharp and within the limits of the law — which frankly in a town that gets a large influx of new teenage (student) drivers each year that’s probably a good thing — and may even be a great thing when it helps save lives.

Regardless of age and driving experience, we all probably get a bit complacent in our driving and the long arm of the law is there to help get us back on track and keep us safe.

But you’d be surprised how many times a simple traffic stop leads to the discovery of other criminal activity.  It turns out that criminals often drive with the same irreverance towards the law that they have in other areas of their lives.

What we’ve found is that a routine traffic stop frequently puts our Police Officers in direct contact with felons with outstanding warrants and lots of criminal ambition and thanks to their less than ideal driving habits we often find ourselves in a position to thwart those ambitions.

Thwarted criminal ambition is a good thing so while a traffic stop ranks up there with a root canal for things that we all least look forward to, you can at least take some solace knowing that traffic stops are one of our most effective means for catching trouble before it happens which helps keep all of us just a little bit safer — both on the streets and in our homes.

I was reminded of this last week when I read the Police Chief’s weekly staff update (see excerpt below) and she credited two Kent Police Officers with some fine Police work at traffic stops that led to two arrests:

Ptl. Bowen made a traffic stop for a minor moving violation and used his investigative skills and training leading to the arrest of a local well known felon.  The arrestee was subsequently found to have drug abuse instruments and a white powder substance on his person.

Ptl. Poe also made a stop of a speeding driver who displayed indications of deceit upon questioning.  Poe’s investigation of the driver led to an arrest after drug abuse instruments and a white powder substance was found.

Great job in your efforts in keeping the streets safe!

Fireworks Rain Dance...

It appears that everyone that’s been doing the rain dance in hopes of restoring the Heritage Festival fireworks has had some success, prompting Fire Chief Williams to send around a notice this morning (Thursday, July 5) that if the weather forecast for additional rain holds true, he’s likely to authorize the fireworks for Saturday night (July 7th).

The Chief is still worried about preventing a flash fire in the fields adjacent to the fireworks launch area but his comfort level definitely rose as the rain fell over the last 12 hours.

The Chief has advised the sponsors of the Heritage Fest that he is re-considering the fireworks permit and he promises to have his final decision by Friday morning so that the Chamber can get the word out regarding the status of the fireworks.

Keep dancing for the sake of fireworks — and lawns all over town.

Drought Takes a Toll...

Living in northeast Ohio I never thought the day would come that I would complain about having too much sunshine, but on behalf of my lawn, that day has come.

Who would have guessed that once June arrived we’d be stuck in a cycle of 90 degree days and sunny skies for what must be close to 5 straight weeks.  That may be a slight exaggeration as I remember a day or two in the 80s but June is usually my favorite month with 70 degree daytime temps and cool evenings.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

This year we skipped a month or two and jumped from Spring into the dog days of August.  My mountain biking has benefitted as the trails have been dry as a bone but my gardens and lawn have suffered greatly.   I have a new appreciation for cactii and sagebrush, as they are about the only plants that thrive under these conditions.

There’s a fine line between a lawn that has gone dormant and one that is dead, and I’m seriously stressed that mine has passed the point of no return.  I do my best to conserve water but until plants, trees and grass are reasonably well established, they need the extra drink to keep the grim reaper and his sickle in my neighbors yard rather than mine.

I suppose I should be grateful that the drought has helped keep my travel costs down since whenever I feel the urge to enjoy a sandy beach all I have to do is go out in my backyard and roll around on what used to be grass but is now an acre of desert sand.   And when I hear the weekly testing of the community storm advisory alaram, images of the dust bowl and sand storms spring to mind.

I haven’t had a chance to catch up with Steve Hardesty, the City’s Water Plant Manager, to ask him how his water reserves are holding up without getting the aquifer recharge that we would normally get in June.  I probably don’t want to know which is why I keep finding reasons not to ask.

I suspect our Finance Director is happy as water usage is likely up, which means water sales figures should be up, but at what price?  It’s hard to call yourself a proud green community when the prevailing color of plants and lawns is burnt sienna.

City Utility Billing Building Landscaping Showing Signs of Drought

Another consequence of all this dry weather is the canceling the 4th of July fireworks show this year due to the extreme fire hazard risk.  The fireworks show in Kent is the annual exclamation mark that signals the end of the Kent Heritage Fest and I know that its going to be missed.

Due to the unusually dry conditions, Kent Fire Chief Williams has decided that the public risk from fire is too great to allow the launching of fireworks following this year’s Heritage Festival.

Chief Williams recognizes that this is going to be a disappointment to the many people that enjoy the downtown fireworks show but he has to look out for public safety first and he is concerned with his ability to protect the public under such ideal conditions for uncontrolled fires to break out.

The downtown location for launching fireworks is great way to end the downtown festival but it definitely presents challenges for fire safety.  Chief Williams explained that the State Fire Marshall was recommending doubling the clear zones for falling fireworks debris this year and that would require closing Franklin Street and cordoning off Franklin properties to prevent any spectators from entering that area — which historically has been one of the most prominent viewing areas and is typically packed full of people.  Holding the public out of that area is likely to present some real logistical challenges.

In addition, with the Kramer Fields bridge still out of service, Chief Williams does not have the ability to bring fire apparatus into the ballfields so if a spark were to set off a fire in the ballfield area he would have a very limited ability to safely suppress the fire.

Chief Willams noted that if we get significant rain later this week he might be able to rescind the fireworks cancellation.

My lawn and I are anxiously hoping for some rain.