Candidate's Forum - Kyle Baker

Please describe your current job and past experience. 50 words

• Cleveland Metroparks - Director of Real Estate/Legal Counsel (acquired/protected 1,000+ acres of greenspace and procurement/contracting for construction projects).
• Thompson Hine - attorney practicing construction, real estate, and government contracts law. 
• Lakewood - Planning Commission/Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation. 
• Ohio - externed for Ohio Supreme Court/Ohio House of Representatives.

1.) No one can dispute the fact that there has been an influx of businesses, mostly bars and restaurants, and a gentrification of the community. The previous two administrations had the residents carrying more than their fair share of the burden for this build-up through failed developments, taxes, property evaluation, and giveaways to both businesses and developers. 

Describe 3 programs you are looking to start that would principally benefit residents. Highlight which ones will help current Lakewoodites stay in their homes and/or improve their daily life. 250 words

(1)    Property tax relief/low interest loans for home improvement. The new county property reevaluation will net $3-4 million in additional municipal revenue for Lakewood.  Those funds should be used to help seniors/those on fixed incomes with property tax relief/to provide low/no interest loans for home improvement focused on accessibility/aging in place (either directly from the City or with local non-profits like LakewoodAlive/Lakewood Community Services Center). 

(2)    Climate resiliency planning/implementation.  With potential federal infrastructure investment, we should implement the recommendations of the Resiliency Planning Task Force like incentivizing solar panels/battery storage technology/increasing fiberoptic connections to neighborhoods/potentially burying power lines to position Lakewood as a place with a resilient power grid for a future that includes much more work from home.  With more frequent extreme storms and heat, there are more power outages, which are not only inconvenient, but dangerous for those with health issues/seniors and cost our residents/businesses in lost productivity.  With solar panels/battery technology/better fiberoptic internet, a household/business could remain powered through grid outages allowing for a more climate resilient Lakewood. 

(3)    Citywide snow removal programs.  Some other suburbs do snow removal on all sidewalks.  Lakewood has nearly 180 miles in sidewalks, so this would be expensive.  However, we should study using American Rescue Plan/federal infrastructure dollars on capital equipment for sidewalk snow removal focusing on the main commercial corridors/pathways to school (possible partnership with Lakewood City Schools).  This would provide for a safer/more accessible system of sidewalks for Lakewood residents/visitors. 

2) What will you do to provide relief to residents whose quality of life has been impaired by the ever increasing intrusion of businesses into our residential areas? This includes outdoor dining, speeding/parking, loud behavior, accessibility to our sidewalks, crime etc. 150 words

Speeding/pedestrian safety/accessible sidewalks can be addressed with increased speed enforcement and traffic calming measures.  With enforcement, Lakewood Police should emphasize it to send a message that speeding is not tolerated here.  With traffic calming, I have been an advocate for complete streets which integrates people and place in planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of our public rights of way (streets, sidewalks, and public spaces). This ensures we place safety over speed, balance the needs of different modes of travel, and support local land uses, residents, and businesses. This would increase safety, decrease car speeds, and improve the bicycle regional transportation network. This includes street treatments that let drivers know that the public right of way is not just for them (i.e., narrowing intersections, creating bumps at cross-walks, adding separated shared-use paths, large speed bump mats, traffic chicanes, reducing speed limits where allowed and feasible, etc.).