Klepacz, George
Candidate for Council At Large
Biographical Information
Address:
6118 Dora Blvd
Independence, Ohio 44131
Current Occupation:
Council At Large; retired Cleveland Public Schools High School teacher
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Oberlin College 1963
Master of Arts in Teaching, Oberlin College 1966
Please answer the following questions in no more than 300 words.
1. Why are you the best candidate for office?
As a seasoned member of council, I believe I have a wealth of life experiences and unique point of view which have served me well in dealing with council matters. During six years on council I have worked with other members as a team seeking solutions to problems. I believe it's important not to let ego get in the way of achieving programs beneficial to residents. A few of the many projects undertaken and completed during my tenure include: (1) Major improvement in communicating with residents by expanding the city newsletter and posting ordinances in many locations. (2) Major infrastructure investments in neighborhoods and commercial areas. Several neighborhoods have been renewed through major street reconstruction. Brecksville Road was resurfaced from Rockside to the Brecksville border. The Rockside Road reconstruction project, a topic of "should do" but "never done" since 1988 is nearly complete. The corner of Rockside and Brecksville Roads has been upgraded and has become a worthy gateway to the city. (3) Adopted a city plan for the rational development of north Brecksville Road. (4) Elmwood Park was expanded with the addition of lighted athletic fields, a press box, new Kiwanis Pavilion and an outdoor swimming pool. (5) City/school system cooperation resulted in building a new high school, field house and community rooms. Six years ago Independence was not even in the top fifteen in Cleveland Magazine's rating of suburbs. We are now ranked third. Moody's recently upgraded our bond rating. All of this has been accomplished while maintaining fiscal responsibility and the lowest property tax rate in Cuyahoga County. Redevelopment of our downtown area is the city's current focus. My experience and involvement in our other successful projects will serve me well in working with my colleagues and the administration as we tackle this next major initiative.
2. If elected or re-elected, what are your top three (3) priorities and why?
(1) Currently, the major task facing the city is the redevelopment of the downtown area. We need a mix of housing, commercial, and small retail establishments. We are currently examing specific proposals from developers to aid in this task. The creation of an adult living community within the confines of our city charter is also a priority issue. We wish to accomplish this while continuing to target specific infrastructure rebuilding projects within existing neighborhoods. This coming year we should be able to complete the reconstruction of the Archwood-Fillip roadways. (2) Additionally, we need to preserve and expand the usefulness of green space in the city. City-owned land behind the Research Center on Brecksville Road would be an ideal location to build hiking trails accessible to our residents. A dog park in our green space would also be welcomed by many of our residents. (3) Expand the scope of our existing CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program. Working alongside community volunteers, our police and fire departments have developed and practiced contingency plans to deal with community emergencies. We have already trained over three hundred volunteers and have started a new series of classes to train additional people. Natural disasters in other parts of the country have shown how necessary is preparedness in responding effectively to these emergencies.
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