November 27, 200717 yr are the ambassadors on Euclid ave much? the spouse reports a walk home from CSU after dark with mostly darkened street lights, blocked side walks abutting open trenches, no foot traffic except a dozen plus mostly aggressive panhanders, and and 2 E lines that blew right by the stops with blinders on (hence why he was walking). What are the hours of these of the DT ambassadors? If she's a CSU student or staff, the CSU police offer free escorts.
November 27, 200717 yr the spouse is a "he" but was walking all the way to the Flats so CSU probably would not go that far (!), plus being a guy, he would never bother to ask. He takes 2 wheels (scooter) most of the year, but when the weather is bad (snow, ice or heavy rain) he does a combo of e line and walking. This year things are worse in every area as far as e line service and walking conditions (from CSU to TC) the walk to the flats from TC is pretty darn good-generally well lit and enough foot and auto traffic to not feel too desolate. thanks for the #, maybe one day I will use it-you never know! Thanks for the explanation regarding lights on Euclid. As a side note, do the DT ambassadors report street light outages? I am not just talking just an odd one here or there, but vast stretches? I don't understand why this is so frequent. As I have mentioned, I have noticed Public Square and/or Superior completely dark -worse during big events -for example Ingenuity Fest. While I admit, I do not report this every time (usually digging up scraps of paper with numbers), I think if someone is working every day DT and their job involves safety-they should be reporting.
November 27, 200717 yr ^yeah, euclid between e9th and the playhouse is a "scary" dark spot with zero lighting.
November 28, 200717 yr The ambassadors report the lights out every day and those reports are sent on to CCP and CEI. After it gets sent to them I think it disappears into the black hole that is Cleveland Public Power.
November 28, 200717 yr ^yeah, euclid between e9th and the playhouse is a "scary" dark spot with zero lighting. Man, Pope, you're on your game this week with the snappy comments! I too have noticed some lighting problems on Euclid. Between E.4 and Star Plaza can be intimidating, to say the least... I walked down to E.4 after work a week or so ago and wished I had gone down Prospect because the lighting is better.
November 28, 200717 yr ^you know, I think I may need one of those before I go on vacation. I love spreading the Word. I saw them again at Big Fun last weekend.
February 7, 200817 yr Year end statistics for everyone to munch on. YEAR TO DATE From January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 • 27,046 Pedestrian contacts, that’s 6,000 more people than can fit into the Q. • 661 Escorts • 9,193 Business Contacts • 1,122 Piles of Dog Waste • 11,357 Motorist Contacts • 4,763 Passive Panhandlings • 1,128 Aggressive Panhandlings • 296 Requests for Police • 46,118 miles ridden on the bikes, or around the world nearly 2 times. • 243,660 lbs of trash picked up, over three Boeing 737-400 aircraft in weight • 1,338 instances of Graffiti removed • 82,136 Vehicle Miles • 1,667 hours of power washing sidewalks, over 69 days of continuous washing.
February 7, 200817 yr hey, can you define "contacts"? Like Me talking to a DCA ambassador, or calling, or? Also when it comes to passive/aggressive panhandling, Is that a person reporting it to the DCA, or observed by the DCA?
February 7, 200817 yr "82,136 Vehicle Miles" Not being very green, are we? ;-) Just kidding - I think it's great to see DCA's accomplishments in a list like this. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
February 7, 200817 yr hey, can you define "contacts"? Like Me talking to a DCA ambassador, or calling, or? Also when it comes to passive/aggressive panhandling, Is that a person reporting it to the DCA, or observed by the DCA? Contact is on the street communication. It's anything more than a Hi, how are you. Most of the time it's directions. Panhandling is observed by DCA, either direct communication or in the case with a guy and a cup that isn't violating any laws, simply witnessing. I'm waiting for a witty comment about the dog crap.... :-D
February 15, 200817 yr What I most object to is the notion that we should just pretend they do not exist. Isn't that one of the reasons people move to Avon?
February 15, 200817 yr I absolutely hate those white oval CLE+ stickers! Why did Positively Cleveland follow the trend rather than create its own? As Clevelanders, we should try to stand out and not blend in. Even if the CLE+ was white on a dark-colored background, that'd be an upgrade, in my opinion.
February 15, 200817 yr I'm waiting for a witty comment about the dog crap.... :-D Well, when you realize that there were only 6 more "aggressive panhandlings" reported (or dealt with?) than piles of dog waste removed, it makes you wonder what the true scourge of downtown really is. As the population of downtown rises, I think the DCA will need to expand it's pooper scooper budget. I long for the day that even the number of passive panhandlings is dwarfed by the number of dog waste removals.
February 16, 200817 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 2, 200817 yr I reported an aggressive panhandler on Huron to the DCA today and they had safety patrol there in about 3 minutes. The panhandler became noticeably less aggressive and after a couple of minutes just gave up. It was pretty impressive.
March 3, 200817 yr Awesome! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 17, 200817 yr What a total f#cking crock of sh!t - wanna see a case where a labor union has become a self-serving leech on the city? Read on: Cleveland ordered to pay union employees for the cleaning they didn't do Posted by Gabriel Baird, Henry J. Gomez and Patrick O'Donnell May 17, 2008 06:49AM Peggy Turbett/Plain Dealer file Tired of Cleveland looking like a dump? Well, don't hire anyone to clean up public property. A union representing city laborers has objected to downtown business owners paying private crews for the last two years to rid public grounds of trash. And a labor arbitrator agreed that the work should have been done by public employees. More at cleveland.com clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
May 17, 200817 yr Wow this really has me pissed off, and I can't stand the public officials going for it. Garbage.
May 17, 200817 yr I can't even describe how pissed off I am...how is it that other cities do it but Cleveland can't ?
May 17, 200817 yr This really gets me as well. However it is in the union contract, then the d*** union is correct. I just can't believe that they would pursue this interpretation of the contract. How low can they go??
May 17, 200817 yr I think the safety ambassadors should keep on cleaning and working. If I were an ambassador and a city worker came up to me and told me to stop, saying "it's my job" I'd tell him/her to prove it. I think there's a big difference between practical law and paper law -- goes to the principle that possession is 9/10ths of the law. If there's a document that says you are to do a job but you don't do it, yet someone else steps in and does it for you, you lost your right to bitch. So Local 1099, stop pretending like you care more about this city and less about yourselves. Either step up or step aside. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 17, 200817 yr ^As I read it, the union doesn't mind if DCA is working. I think that they actually like it. It allows the union members to get paid for work that they don't have to do. The contract dictates that they have the exclusive right to clean the public areas of downtown. If anyone else does it, then the union gets paid.
May 17, 200817 yr Union lawyer Mangano said Local 1099's contract prohibits the city from letting cleanup duties in public areas go to outside crews, even if the crews do the work for free. He said the city should have paid overtime or hired more laborers to do the work. This is a freaking joke. Does that mean I'm not allowed to pick up a stray McDonald's wrapper from the ground because that work is supposed to be done by city employees? I'm not allowed to clean anything for free. Is this a case where records aren't kept of exactly what the ambassadors cleaned? Could it be one of those $1 arbitration awards if the arbitrator can't find any proof of how much work was done on public property? And what does this mean for the program? These guys, by most accounts, do a good job and now it seems they'll be out of work. Thank god for the union.
May 17, 200817 yr This would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic. How can a group that never got the job done say it's their responsibility to get the job done?
May 17, 200817 yr Wow, this is absurd. There are plenty of examples of BIDs or non-profits cleaning public property in other cities with strong public unions- there has to be way to fix this...though maybe not until the union contracts come up again.
May 18, 200817 yr This is the union being threatened by the prospect of city contracts going to private stake holders. Make no mistake about it, they have 0 interest in working late hours, being personable with visitors and generally helping the city grow.
May 18, 200817 yr And people wonder why unions have such a bad rap these days. How pathetic. I'm also surprised this wasn't identified as an issue during the formation of DCA as part of due diligence. I assume they at least talked with City beforehand. Where were the objections then? Something doesn't smell right here.
May 18, 200817 yr And people wonder why unions have such a bad rap these days. How pathetic. I'm also surprised this wasn't identified as an issue during the formation of DCA as part of due diligence. I assume they at least talked with City beforehand. Where were the objections then? Something doesn't smell right here. Yep, my thoughts exactly. They also let it build up for a while before making a demand, etc.. City: We need more business' and residents downtown. Stake Holders: We need more clean up, more cops and general up keep to attract more business and residents to downtown. City: We're broke, so without more business' and residents to build up a tax base, we can't pay for more clean up, more cops and general up keep. Stake Holders: Fine, we will pay for it ourselves. City Workers: the city should be paying us overtime for those jobs that we don't currently perform well, if at all. We demand you pay us or stop cleaning things up, policing the area and generally keeping the area kept up. Stake Holders: Please tell me why I bother doing anything short of boarding up my building with you idiots in charge?
August 22, 200816 yr For Immediate Release: August 21, 2008 Downtown Cleveland Improvement Corporation Elects Bob Stark to Board Downtown Cleveland: Today, Downtown Cleveland Improvement Corporation (DCIC) announced the nomination of Bob Stark to its Board. DCIC represents the property owners of Downtown Cleveland’s Special Improvement District. Together with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, they provide the Clean & Safe Ambassador program, economic development opportunities, business attraction and retention efforts and marketing initiatives for Downtown Cleveland. In 2007, Robert L. Stark Enterprises purchased property in the Warehouse District, at the corner of W. 3rd and St. Clair, and relocated their headquarters there from Cleveland’s east side. The move brought 40 jobs into Downtown, and was a major step in Bob Stark’s development plans for the Warehouse District. “We are pleased to have someone with Bob’s vision and enthusiasm on our board,” said Doug Miller Chairman of Downtown Cleveland Improvement Corporation. “Bob Stark’s vision for the Warehouse District is in line with the Downtown Cleveland Improvement Corporation’s mission of making Downtown Cleveland the most dynamic city in region,” said Joe Marinucci, President of Downtown Cleveland Alliance. “We are excited to have him as a part of our team.” ### "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 9, 200816 yr I sweep the sidewalk and street, pick paper and broken glass and pick the weeds not only in front of my own place but often as I go around the neighborhood. I also carry paint(white,gray and brick red) and brushes in my car and will paint over graffiti and gang signs. Pity the poor fool that would try to stop me.
September 9, 200816 yr I sweep the sidewalk, pick paper and broken glass and pick the weeds not only in front of my own place but often as I go around the neighborhood. I also carry paint(white,gray and brick red) and brushes in my car and will paint over graffiti and gang signs. Pity the poor fool that would try to stop me. You sound like a handy man to have around. Next time im in the mood to renovate, which will be soon...you get a call! lol
January 13, 200916 yr Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the DCA for making an effort to plow/salt the sidewalk in front of the former NBC/East Ohio building on East 6th. It's not perfect, but it's SO much better than it usually is! clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
January 13, 200916 yr Now if only we could do something about the 5 or 6 properties that do nothing along Euclid between E12th and Tower City. I really don't think it's DCA's responsibility, but it would be nice if they could help here. I think it's despicable that this happens regardless of if the building is occupied or not (there's still a property owner that should be held accountable). I witnessed a wheelchair bound man forced to use Euclid because the sidewalk was impassable. You'd think the scam artists would be having a field day with this and the sheer fear of liability would force people to do some minimal maintenance but apparently not. ...Ok, that's my only rant for the year about this.
May 22, 200916 yr Does anyone have an update on what happened with the arbitration of the union's complaint? The thread kinda just fizzled on the topic.
May 22, 200916 yr ^Ditto on what everyone is saying...great website! I'm even enjoying their blog: http://www.downtowncleveland.org/blog/
June 5, 200916 yr Interesting idea from the DCA's website: http://downtowncleveland.org/page/cityadvocates.aspx DCA City Advocates GET INVOLVED! The Downtown Cleveland Alliance is launching a new program called DCA City Advocates. Designed to get more members of the downtown community involved in our mission and to identify potential new organizational leaders, the DCA City Advocates will take action on behalf of Downtown, literally advocating for downtown development and the urban lifestyle. Each City Advocate will have the freedom to interpret “actions” for downtown as they see fit. Examples might include writing a letter to the editor, becoming active on a taskforce focused on a particular downtown issue, brokering meetings for suburban businesses who are interested in downtown office or retail space, helping a friend or relative find an apartment downtown or creating an event that supports the city in some way. City Advocates will be expected to complete approximately 20 actions by the end of the 8 month period (July 2009 through February 2010) leading up to DCA board elections. Those who achieve this goal will be invited to submit their resumes for consideration by the DCA Nominating Committee. One or two director positions will be made available for City Advocates to have a one-year, full-fledged voting position on the DCA board. Interested in becoming a DCA City Advocate? Sign up with Laura Kushnick by July 10, 2009 by calling 216-736-7799 or emailing [email protected]. An orientation will be held in mid-July. Each City Advocate will have a photo and short bio on this website, and will be expected to write regular updates for our blog, letting us and the greater community know about the actions you've been taking for Downtown. DCA looks forward to welcoming energetic, passionate people with fresh ideas into the fold of our organization. We fully expect that this process will produce excellent candidates to join our board and to become involved in our mission in a variety of ways. Contact us anytime with your questions.
June 6, 200916 yr Great idea - other cities have this and I wish I could've been an official one when I lived Downtown.
June 17, 200915 yr ^That is just shocking (referencing to the unions suing for the Downtown Alliance pulling the weeds)
June 17, 200915 yr Hopefully, some UOers can make it out and be heard: http://www.downtownclevelandalliance.com/page/sidsurvey.aspx Future of Downtown Survey Since 2006, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance has managed the Downtown Cleveland Special Improvement District (SID). The SID collects a special assessment on downtown properties to fund enhanced services, including uniformed safety ambassadors, sidewalk cleaning teams, marketing programs and special events. By state law, SID revenue must be used to enhance, not replace, the level of service that City government can provide. Through the SID, everyone downtown has had a role in helping to achieve the goal of a downtown Cleveland that is safe, clean and vital. The SID is set to be renewed in 2010 and as a part of the renewal process, the Alliance is seeking feedback on how it can continue to provide services that are of value to ratepayers. Your input will be considered as plans are made to continue an enhanced level of service for downtown Cleveland. To encourage your participation in this survey, we will select three lucky respondent to receive gift certificates at one of our best downtown restaurants. Thank you for your time and interest in Downtown Cleveland! Click here to begin the online survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=P0XTzxP7tzzbjFeebWHbNQ_3d_3d Forums In addition to the above online survey, we encourage downtown stakeholders and those interested in the future of Downtown Cleveland to attend a series of upcoming forums. Let your voice be heard on the future of Downtown Cleveland! Forum One Tuesday, June 23rd 8:00-9:30am 200 Public Square, 3rd Floor, Great Lakes Room Forum Two Tuesday, June 23rd 2:00-3:30pm Idea Center (1375 Euclid), Main Board Room, 2nd Floor Forum Three Tuesday, June 23rd 5:30-7:00pm Reserve Square Embassy Suites Hotel, Renaissance Room, 7th Floor Forum Four Wednesday, June 24th 1:00-2:30pm KA Architecture, 9th Street Design Studio
June 17, 200915 yr Nobody wants to hear my screaming small fry at a forum, but I did take the survey, thanks for posting.
Create an account or sign in to comment