Envision Lorain Community Conversation Guide in Color

8/9/2019 Envision Lorain Community Conversation Guide in Color

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EnvisionLorainCOMMUNITY CONVERSATION GUIDE


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ABOUT THISLorain City administrators together with LorainCity Council want to create a plan to ensure thecity, its residents, and its workers grow and prosperinto the future. Your city government wants futurepriorities for the City of Lorain to be shaped by

the people who live and work here. Both Cityadministrators and City Council would like foryou to have a say in the future direction of yourcommunity!

FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONSWhy is a strategic plan important?

There is much for city governments to dothese days but without a plan it is difficultto set priorities and maintain focus.

Planning experts agree, a community thatdoesnt plan for its future cannot adapt tochange.

Where did the money come from tosupport this planning effort?

60% of the funds to support this planningprocess were provided by a grant from the

Stocker Foundation to the City of Lorain($15,000).

The City of Lorain is using other externalfederal grant money to finance the remaining40% of the project ($10,000). This meansno local tax dollars are being spent on theplanning project and are still directed towardpolice, fire, streets, and other city services.

Why does the City of Lorain need a

consultant to help with this work? The Public Services Institute (PSI) of LorainCounty Community College is providingconsultation to the City of Lorain. PSIhas expertise in these kinds of planningprocesses.

City residents can feel comfortable voicingtheir opinions and viewpoints to anunbiased entity like PSI.

Given the diversity of our community, manyideas are likely to be expressed throughoutthe planning process. PSI will help us all buildsome consensus around strategic prioritiesfor our City.

How can I be assured my opinionswill matter?

Your ideas and suggestions will be carefullydocumented throughout the planningprocess.

Careful attempts will be made to sharewhat we heard from our community backto residents.

Not only will we create a plan, we willorganize our efforts around the plan andmonitor our progress over the next10 years.

INITIATIVE


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THIS WORKBOOK WILL: Encourage you to think about where our City stands today and

what our priorities should be for the future.

Focus on some of our Citys greatest assets.

Highlight some priorities for Ohio and the northeast Ohio region

to stimulate your thinking about what might be done in Lorain

going forward.

Help you consider some of our greatest challenges. Provide an opportunity for you to help shape the future direction

of your city government.

Ensure the final plan is tailored to the needs and desires of its

citizens and leaders.

HOW TO USE THIS WORKBOOK: This workbook is not meant to be something that you complete on your own like you would a survey.

It is intended to be a guide for conversations with your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

The Public Services Institute will be happy to facilitate a conversation for you. Just give us a call at thenumber listed below. If you would like to host and facilitate the conversation yourself, make sure

you choose a recorder who can write very clearly so all ideas shared by the group are captured.

Send the material to PSI or we will pick up the material from you.

SOME IDEAS: Share this workbook with your closest friends and ask them to join you

in discussing the ideal future for your community.

Share this workbook during a staff meeting or in the lunch room

at your place of work.

Think about all the organizations you are associatedwith like church groups, membership clubs, or neighbor-

hood groups and ask your acquaintances to provide

their ideas.

We want to hear from as many people as possible!

Give Us A Call at 800-995-5222extension 7928

Or Visit The City Website at

www.cityoflorain.org

IGETTING

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1 OUR PEOPLEKnown as the International community, Lorain ishome to a wide array of people from many different

cultures and backgrounds. Our young people andothers who live in the City of Lorain learn to respectdifferent cultures and people.

2 OUR NATURAL RESOURCESLake Erie Black River

3 OUR INDUSTRIAL ANDINNOVATIVE HERITAGEManufacturing: Like Ohio, Lorain has a rich historyin manufacturing. Our manufacturing heritagehas instilled a strong work ethic in our people andmanufacturing continues to be the number oneexport industry meaning it brings new moneyinto our community rather than circulating existingmoney like is often the case with other industrysectors like retail.

Entrepreneurship: Its happened before for ourregion! Imagine if the Akron area would have beendubbed the rubber capital of the world without Dr.Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, an entrepreneur whohad an innovative idea that grew a company to beone of our regions and nations largest employer.

Think about the Spitzer, Campana, Stocker, Nordfamilies and others who started successful businessesin the Lorain area contributing to its vitality andstability for many years.

4 OUR GEOGRAPHICPOSITION

Lorain is uniquely situated between major touristdestinations and entertainment hubs in Ohio withCedar Point and in-door water parks to the westand Clevelands Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, theGreat Lakes Science Museum, and many otherarts/cultural amenities to the east.

Lorain is also located within 500 miles of 42%of the entire U.S. population and major marketslike St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, andNew York.

5 OUR TRANSPORTATIONINFRASTRUCTUREWith its water, rail road, and highway access, Lorainis strategically positioned to be a transportationhub which is important to businesses needing tomove goods and services efficiently.

IIOUR HISTORICAL ASSETS &

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTSWhat strengths can we build upon for tomorrow?


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Waterfront Access& Development Partnership with the Lorain Port Authority

to establish Black River Landing Park andthe newly constructed permanent stage to

enhance waterfront access, recreation, andentertainment.

Jet Express ferry service from Lorain to theLake Erie Islands.

Shuttle Boats to the Lorain Lighthouse andupriver for Black River nature tours.

The 62-acre HarborWalk riverside housingdevelopment started in 2000 to stimulateeconomic growth and development.

Renovation and restoration of the 40.59 acreLakeview Park, its historic Rose Garden, and

The Rose Caf through a lease agreement withthe Lorain County Metro Parks saving the Cityof Lorain hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ground work completed to move the sewagetreatment plan and free up lakefront propertyfor further recreational and/or businessdevelopment.

Commercial / RetailDevelopment

IRG redevelopment of former Ford facility. Lighthouse Village retail developmentanchored by Kohls and Home Depot.

Deerfield Development anchored by Lowesand an adjacent residential development.

Attraction of millions of dollars in federalfunding to establish the River Bend CommercePark on Colorado Avenue stimulating jobgrowth and development for Lorain.

Technology Enhancements

Legislation adopted in 2008 to promote city-wide use of advanced energy technology prod-ucts and services in the areas of solar, wind, fuelcells, bio-energy and others to promote a coher-ent economic growth strategy for the city ofLorain (known as the Green Team Resolution)

Lorains first wind turbine constructed adjacentto the Turtle Plastics plant to encourage andpromote energy efficiencies for new businesses.

Implementation of new technology within citygovernment for greater access to public records,

greater awareness of what is happening in localgovernment, and overall efficiency in communica-tions with the local public.

Government Consolidation Consolidation of service garage functions into

one location/facility saving tax payer dollars. Consolidation of utilities department onto one

site also saving tax payer dollars.

RecentAccomplishments

by the

City ofLorain


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IIIOhios Targeted Industries: The Ohio Departmentof Development has identified 9 different industrysectors which are important to the future growthof our state.

Northeast Ohios Targeted Industries: In 2008Northeast Ohio witnessed 83 new business oppor-tunities, attracted 10 new companies producing700 new jobs and adding $30 million in new

payroll. Many of these opportunities are foundin targeted areas similar to the state of Ohio.

Business Growth Opportunities:

Ohio Business Targets

Advanced Energy & Environmental Technologies Aerospace & Aviation Agriculture & Food Processing Bioscience & Bioproducts Corporate & Professional Services Distribution & Logistics Instruments, Controls, & Electronics

Motor Vehicle & Parts Manufacturing Polymers & Advanced Materials

According to the Ohio Department of Development,research & development, advanced manufacturing,and information technology are consideredto cut across all the above industries andnecessary functions for success in thenew economy.

Northeast Ohio Business Targets

Data & Contract Call Centers Advanced Energy Biomedical Cardiovascular Aerospace Food Processing & Distribution Polymers

Distribution & Logistics (like transportationand warehousing companies)

Team Northeast Ohio

ALIGNING OUR FUTURE WIT

What are some additional opportunities for our City?

WHATSHOULDBE THE

BUSINESSTARGETS FORTHE CITY OF

LORAIN?


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STATE & REGIONAL PRIORITIES

Additional Opportunities for Northeast Ohio(Advance NEO):

Government Collaboration & Efficiency

Challenge: Northeast Ohio has too many local governments which leads to duplicated public servicesand higher taxes

Priority: Reduce government costs through: Joint purchasing among 2 or more local governments (like road salt, parts for

government vehicles, paper products,etc.) Resource sharing among local governments (like sharing of fire trucks between

2 or more cities, sharing of personnel, etc.) Consolidation of government offices (like consolidation of departments across

2 or more governments)

Education & Workforce Development

Challenge: People of northeast Ohio dont place enough value on education and the region lags the

nation significantly in the percentage of adults with a college education.

Priority: Ensure education and workforce development programs for high-growth, high-wageindustries.

Growth Through Racial & Economic Inclusion

Challenge: Northeast Ohio has growing income inequalities resulting in an increasing gap betweenthe rich and the poor and greater concentration of poverty in core cities.

Priority: Increase educational attainment in high-poverty communities and provide support tominority-owned businesses.

The Fund for Our Economic Future

Partnership Opportunities:How might the City of Lorain partner with economic development organizations to retain existing jobs,attract, and grow new jobs? How might the City of Lorain benefit from partnerships with other localgovernments? What other types of organizations might the City of Lorain work with to maximizeefficiencies and effectiveness?


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IVREAL CHALLENGES

What do we need to overcome?

GROWTH CHALLENGES

Fewer People: Like many core cities in Ohio, theCity of Lorain continues to decline in population(a net loss of approximately - 10,000 people in 27years). Fewer people causes a shrinking tax base

to help pay forcity services.

ChangingEconomy:Like all of theindustrial mid-west, the Cityof Lorain has

been based on heavy industrial manufacturing.While still important to our area, manufacturingis giving way to new industry sectors in an informa-tion, knowledge based economy. Without newbusiness targets traditional industries will continueto slip away and fewer people will be able to find

jobs with livable wages within the City of Lorain.

DISPARITIES BETWEENOUR PEOPLE & OURNEIGHBORHOODS

High Rates of Poverty: In 2007, 1 in every5 people and 18% of all families in the City of

Lorain lived inpoverty which

was higher thanElyria City, thecounty, and thestate overall.

Gaps in Education & Income Levels:Income levels for City residents are below county,state, and national averages as is educationalattainment.

In 2000, Lorain City residents made an average$4,714 less per person than county residentsoverall.

At the same time, 34% of all Hispanic adults and39% of all African American adults had at leastsome college experience compared to 47% ofWhite adults. Additionally, only 6% of Hispanicadults and 8% of African American adults had abachelor or graduate degree compared with17.5% of White adults (county-wide).

These factors produce inequalities and tend tocontribute to divisions between our people andour neighborhoods.

HOUSING CHALLENGES

Spikes in Housing Vacancy:The vacancy ratein Lorain has increased drastically since 2000, from6.4% to 16.2% in 2007. Housing vacancy contributesto lower property values, to overall crime, and tendsto negatively impact the physical appeal of a neigh-

borhood.

Lower Housing Values: In 2007, medianhousing value for the City of Lorain was consider-ably lower than Elyria City, the county, and the stateoverall. Communities with lower housing values usu-ally lack the mix of housing to support people of alltypes and incomeranges. (includingfamilies with chil-dren, single people,seniors, etc.). This

in turn makes itdifficult to attractmore people tothe city.


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INFRASTRUCTURECHALLENGES

Aging Infrastructure: Many of our nationscore cities are plagued with aging infrastructurelike roads, sewers, bridges, and buildings. Fire Station 4 on Lorains east side is a good

example. It was built in 1919 and two studiesover the past two decades determined that the

station should be replaced due to deterioratedconditions. To date, the replacement has notoccurred.

The City of Lorain estimates 180 miles of roadwaysin need of rehabilitation, reconstruction, orextension through 2013 at a total approximatecost of $44.5 million.

Like housing stock, inadequate infrastructuremakes it difficult to attract people and businessesto a community.

New Technology Infrastructure Needs:

Equally important in todays world are telecommuni-cation and energy infrastructure. Adequate telecommunication infrastructure

enables local governments to communicate moreeffectively and efficiently with its citizens.

Energy infrastructure is needed to attractbusinesses and people who expect high-speedInternet access and other telecommunicationsupport.

Energy infrastructure is needed to keep operatingcosts of government owned buildings down and

are attractive to businesses looking to relocate.

BUDGET CHALLENGES

Almost every city, every county, and every statein America is facing a budget deficit due to thenations economic downturn. Fewer people andfewer businesses means a shrinking tax base fromwhich to support the city services that peopledepend upon. The City of Lorain faced a half million dollar

shortfall on top of a 1.3 million dollar deficit

that existed from 2008 resulting in cuts to therecreation department, fire stations, and othercity services.

When combined, only about 8% of all propertytax support goes to the City of Lorain whileabout 75% goes to the local school district,approximately 12% goes to County government,and about 5% is spent on other purposescounty-wide. This makes it difficult for theCity of Lorain to finance all city services in aneffective manner.

ATTITUDINALCHALLENGES

Attitudes That Hurt Us: Holding onto the past Closed minded Resistant to change Not open to new ideas Down on ourselves Unwilling to adapt

Voices & Choices, January 2006

Probably the greatest impediment to theprogress of Lorain County is not the loss oftalent, nor a lack of leadership, but somethingeven more fundamental: a sense that nothingmuch better is achievable, and that nothing anydifferent is necessarythe deepest problem is

simply the spirit of the place. It expects so little[Needed most are] changes that will both

symbolize a change of attitude and help producethat change.

Peter Szanton


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1. What is going well in the City of Lorain that we should build upon?

a. Why are these things important?

Talked about most by your group: ____________________________________________________

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2. Think about how youd like our City to be what kind of City is that?

a. Why are these things important?b. What would these things look like?c. What difference would these things make?


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3. Given the kind of community we want, what do we want our local

government to do?

a. Why these things?


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VYOUR THOUGHTS


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4. Of all of these things we have talked about, which are the most important

to have for our City?


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5. To what extent are all of the things we want for our City possible?


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6. What challenges do we face in getting the kind of City we want?

a. Why is that a challenge?b. How does it affect our community?


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Public Services InstitiuteLorain County Community College

1005 North Abbe Road, Elyria, OH 44035 440.366.7928

Envision Lorain Community Conversation Guide in Color

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