UH's new mayor offers ambitious six-month plan

An interview with University Heights Mayor-elect Susan Infeld on Dec. 15, 2009.

It's been 32 years since someone has been in your position -starting at the job of mayor of University Heights. What would you like to achieve during the first six months of your administration?

First, I want to realign the citizen advisory committees to study areas of interest to residents. I plan to reinstitute the Communication and Development Commission that has been dormant, in order to study ways the city delivers communication to the residents. A new Green Space Development and Sustainability committee is also on my list. It will make recommendations on public spaces and how best to use the land/spaces we currently have or may become available to the city.

I also will adjust the hours of City Hall to be more flexible for residents, by adding early evening hours. Furthermore, a new Web site, capable of taking on-line payments is also needed. This would allow residents to do their business with the city from their home computers….

This is ambitious, what do you have planned for the following six months?

I’d like to deliver city news more conveniently to the citizens by mailing a quarterly newsletter. The city needs to build a citizen e-mail distribution list for paperless communication. This will eventually save the city money in mailing costs.

I will evaluate current collaborative agreements with other governments and agencies to ensure maximum cost savings and productivity for University Heights. Also, researching and evaluating new collaborations for additional services, such as senior programming and road repair programs.

The unused space at University Square is a concern to me. I intend to meet with the owners of Inland Realty to determine how the city can help attract businesses there.

It is important to provide transparency to residents in the building inspection program. A published list of items that inspectors check during inspections can be helpful to residents. Homeowners can then make repairs in a targeted fashion.

What are the three most pressing issues that the city needs to confront at this time and how should they be resolved?

1) The growth needs of John Carroll University. I intend to work with JCU and Shaker Heights to balance the needs of the University and residents in the Fairmount Circle area.

2) The vacant and foreclosed properties in the city. I want to make use of the Cuyahoga Land Bank programs to address this.

3) High taxes. I will vigilantly evaluate city services being delivered to residents to determine their efficiency and effectiveness with the intention to offer new services, with no additional taxes. Finally, I will work with local business and property managers to encourage growth of our retail sector, and also take advantage of any opportunities to bring new employers to University Heights.

Anita Kazarian, a University Heights resident, is a frequent Observer contributor who took a six-month hiatus while running for city council. Her new column will focus on University Heights issues.