Edward Kelley candidate for Cleveland Heights City Council
Biographical Information
Neighborhood: Boulevard/Forest Hill
Tell us about yourself.
A life long resident for 52 years , born and raised here
Status: Married, 5 children (Eddie 19, Erin 17, Ryan 14, Sean 12 and Patrick 8 1/2)
Groups: Serve on the RTA Board, the Senior Transportation Connection, County Planning Commission, Mayors and Managers, Coach Youth Sports, Eucharistic Minister St. Ann and St. Louis)
If elected, how would you encourage citizens to participate in decision making?
I will continue to encourage our residents to express their thoughts and ideas about what is best for our community. Cleveland Heights is the most vocal active and progressive City in the area with a strong tradition of involvement. We are where we are today because citizens decided to fight for integration, to support the domestic partner registry, to prioritize the importance of good recreation and to make our community a true Home to the Arts. I would continue to listen to the viewpoints of our residents at Council meetings , via email or phone. .I would also encourage residents to apply to be on a City Board or Commission; to find a non profit that reflects their interests and get on the Board; to organize their neighborhood and present their ideas to Council. Decision making in our community comes from many different areas; ultimately decisions are a reflection of the voice of the community.
What are the best qualities of Cleveland Heights and what would you do to sustain them?
The best qualities of the City of Cleveland Heights are our diversity , the quality of our housing and the neighborhoods. To sustain diversity our City needs to continue to reinforce within our City and to the general area that we are proud to be diverse Our diversity is not just racial but in the many different religions , the socioeconomic backgrounds of our residents and our support of different lifestyles. To sustain the quality of our housing we must continue aggressive code enforcement - systematic and point of sale. We must also continue to offer loan programs for maintenance and to continue to seek out funding sources that support our historic properties. To sustain our neighborhoods we must celebrate all that they have to offer by assisting with street meetings, block parties and responding to concerns quickly. In particular, the ongoing priority of infrastructure maintenance must be a consideration.
How would you market the City of Cleveland Heights to a prospective resident?
Cleveland Heights is a very strong product to market - our proximity to University Circle and downtown Cleveland is a natural for citizens who want to be close to their work; our incredibly diverse housing with everything from bungalows to colonials to mansions - we have something for everyone; our commercial districts that have the best restaurants in Northeast Ohio; our art galleries, Cain Park the Cedar Lee Theater, Nighttown - unique one-of-a-kind destinations; our schools that have continued to address the needs of a very diverse student body; our religious institutions representing every faith; our neighborhoods with walkability, proximity to excellent parks with passive and active recreation and vibrant neighborhood groups. We have a very good longstanding relationship with realtors and we often help to “make the sale” by having one of our own residents talk to a prospective resident.
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