Morganstern has served on council for more than 26 years. She cited as the reason for her resignation her intention to spend more time in Arizona, where she and her husband, Stanley, own a home. Stanley Morganstern resigned from the Orange Board of Education in January, stating his Ohio-based law practice was winding down.

I value and valued Paulette as someone with immense, invaluable institutional knowledge about Pepper Pike.  Her departure will leave a vacuum of practical, direct experience from years with the city government during which no one else left on Council served (Rick Taft being the next most senior council member with about 13-14 years of experience).  I wish her the absolute best of good times ahead wherever her choices take her.

For those residents who are interested, or if you would like to please pass this information along:

Paulette Morganstern’s current term expires at the end of 2013. Council is authorized by the city charter to appoint a replacement within 45 days to complete her term.

Residents who wish to be considered for the position are asked to submit a letter explaining their interest and qualifications by May 10 to Mayor Richard Bain at City Hall, 28000 Shaker Blvd., Pepper Pike, OH 44124.

Thank you again to Paulette for all these years of public service and if you have any questions, comments or concerns, as always, don’t hesitate to be in touch.

Dear Orange Schools families and staff,

On Thursday, January 19th, students in Mrs. McGeown’s 7th grade enrichment science class will be participating in an all day field experience on the Orange Schools Campus. This experience has been planned since last May and relates to the topic of forensic science. Please be assured that if you see students, police, K-9 search and rescue teams in the woods, or on the school campus this Thursday it is part of a simulation and not an actual emergency.

Thank you for supporting the Orange Schools!

Sincerely,

Brian Frank
Principal
Brady Middle School

Many thanks to Julie Germany, Shane Greer & Shane D’Aprile of Campaigns & Elections, Pete Snyder of New Media Strategies (NMS) and all the folks who put on this event.  It was an incredible honor to be involved in not one, not two but three speaking opportunities there (here’s an article about the Innovators Award speeches and presentation) and I’m sure the message that local electeds and constituencies need to “get it” and now and how got across.

And – in the spirit of political leadership in the digital age, while I was at the event, there was a Road & Safety/Finance & Planning meeting in Pepper Pike which I observed, from my hotel in DC, via Skype. Another first for our city & for our city government.  I wasn’t counted for the quorum, there were no votes taken and even if there would have been, I would not have participated.  But it was great for me to follow along during a very long and content-rich meeting so that at this coming week’s City Council meeting, I can participate fully and well-informed.  Many thanks to my colleague Scott Newell who provided the laptop through which I could view the meeting.

The next meeting of the Pepper Pike/Orange Village Democratic Club will be held on Thursday July 21st at the Orange Public Library at 7:00 PM.

We will be discussing the potential merger of Pepper Pike, Orange Village, Woodmere, and Moreland Hills

The discussion will feature our own members. Kathy Mulcahy, Mayor of Orange Village and Rick Taft, member of the Pepper Pike City Council and candidate for Mayor of Pepper Pike

Join us for a lively and informative discussion of this important topic

We look forward to seeing you there.

Lively for sure.

Community Dialogue: Openness in the Making (read this supportive Plain Dealer editorial)

Thursday, June 30, 7:00 pm
Trinity Cathedral, Room C/D
2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

This coming Thursday will be an opportunity to participate in an enlightening and refreshing conversation with senior staff in the new Cuyahoga County administration and Council about their work to make our county government more open and accessible to the people it serves and represents. We will also be joined by statewide Open Government advocate Catherine Turcer who can speak to how our county fits into the statewide context.

Here are our featured guests:
Joe Nanni, Chief of Staff, Council
Nicole Dailey Jones, Communications Director
Majeed Makhlouf, Law Director
Jeff Mowry, Chief Info. Officer
David Merriman, Special Assistant
Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action

Using a innovative community dialogue format called a “Fishbowl,” members from the audience will have a chance to actually join the featured guests at our roundtable to ask questions about work within the county and share their perspectives on the future of our county. It’s rare to have the chance for such an intimate conversation with our county’s leaders. Please come and add your insight to the dialogue.

Parking: Lot on Prospect between E 22nd and E 24th.

I cannot attend – not one but two competing commitments on my agenda (with this one above, three). But I trust all the folks involved and look forward to hopefully some real-time twittering of the event in addition to mainstream media follow-up.

Then, tomorrow at 12noon at the City Club, I will be attending:

Ellen S. Miller
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Sunlight Foundation
Shedding Light on Government

Friday, July 1st, 2011 – noon
Ellen Miller is co-founder and Executive Director of the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based, non-partisan non-profit dedicated to using the power of the Internet to catalyze greater government openness and transparency. She is the founder of two other prominent Washington-based organizations in the field of money and politics – the Center for Responsive Politics and Public Campaign – and a nationally recognized expert on transparency and the influence of money in politics.

Ellen is outstanding in her work and I’ve heard her speak a few times at various forums.  She is also a regular user of Facebook and Twitter and evangelizes excellent information about good government and transparency and openness.

Finally, put this on your calendar as well:

The Transparency Action Plan Summit (TAP Summit) on July 29-30

The Transparency Action Plan (TAP) Summit will be informed by the principle that meaningful public involvement requires access to information. This principle applies at every level from neighborhood block groups all the way to national and international politics.

The Cleveland Coalition and our partners are committed to facilitating a well-informed, outcome-oriented planning session on the topic of county-level transparency. Advancing this issue requires effective leadership both inside and outside governmental institutions. Our coalition intends to provide meaningful leadership to augment work already being advanced by the Cuyahoga County Executive and Council.

The Transparency Action Plan (TAP) Summit will convene representatives from every major sector whose collaboration and productive exchange of ideas and information is essential to the health of our community. These groups include governmental officials, business leaders, legal professionals, IT professionals, nonprofit practitioners, and community activists.

Over the course of two days, participants will be educated about best practices across the country and the world in the area of transparency, the exciting work already underway at the county level, and current opportunities at the county level for innovation. The bulk of the summit will include planning and design phases during which participants will be tasked with developing a plan for advancing transparent practices and policies in our community.

As the name suggests, the Transparency Action Plan (TAP) Summit is a planning event, and as such will serve as the beginning for a path of dynamic, innovative public participation in the months and years ahead. Please join us July 29-30, 2011 to help articulate a strategy for moving our community forward, and establishing Cuyahoga County as a national leader in the area of government transparency and public engagement.

Very excited about all of those events.  Transparency – it does a (government & civic) body good.

Now for the local weekly paper burbmerger roundup:

From today’s Chagrin Valley Times, “Merger talks welcomed with some reservations”

From today’s Chagrin Solon Sun, “Pepper Pike, Orange, Moreland and Woodmere react to merger study talks”

Additionally, the conversation continues at The Civic Commons (Dan Moulthrop hints there at an upcoming Civic Commons podcast about the burbmeger) and there’s also an editorial cartoon in today’s Chagrin Solon Sun that shows the communities walking hand in hand in the persona of a man (with the words “Pepper Pike, Moreland Hills” on the clothing) and a woman (Orange Village, Woodmere on her clothing) and an observer of the couple suggests there’s a rumer going around that they may be getting married.  You’ll be able to see it here once it’s posted online.

There’s been a lot of talk in Northeast Ohio about regional collaboration. Will there finally be some action? Four local communities — Moreland Hills, Orange, Pepper Pike and Woodmere — are considering a merger. On the next Sound of Ideas, we’ll discuss the benefits and the barriers and look at other communities ripe for merger. Would you be happy if your city joined with its neighbors in the name of government efficiency? Let’s talk about it Monday at 9 on 90.3.

Have a great day – and feel free to call into the show or email them if you want to comment:

During the show: 216-578-0903 or 866-578-0903

Last Word line (for after the show comments): 216-916-6397 or email

Show ideas & comments? Contact Executive Editor, David Molpus.

Mayors Merger Statement 6-22-11

Mergers – Briefing & FAQ – June 22, 2011

The Plain Dealer: Four East Side suburbs in Cuyahoga County to study merger

Crain’s Cleveland Business: Mayors of four eastern suburbs in Cuyahoga County to explore merger

Cleveland Magazine: Pepper Pike, Orange, Moreland Hills & Woodmere may merge in 2014

All four communities share schools, senior services, recreation. #burbmerger

Residents would have to vote in 2012 for formal study. Then, vote on whether to merge in 2013.

Communities have tossed around new names. One idea: Chagrin Hills

Orange mayor says her residents don’t care where the truck comes from; they just need to know where to call.

County to help communities study cost savings. Residents could vote in 2013.

Woodmere mayor: “Our community will not be gobbled up.”

Moreland Hills, Orange, Pepper Pike and Woodmere are studying merger

And we have a hashtag now – #burbmerger

From Cleveland Magazine, which ranked Pepper Pike #3 in this years suburb ratings:

@ClevelandMag: Woodmere Mayor Smith: “Time for leaders in smaller communities to try to come together.” #burbmerger (best hashtag ever)

I have to agree – burbmerger is a good one!

Previous Cleveland Mag tweets on the announcement:

One possible name for towns considering merger: Chagrin Hills. #burbmerger

Suburbs shocker: The four merged suburbs will be Orange, Pepper Pike, Moreland Hills and Woodmere. #burbmerger

If voters approve a merger, they should be allowed to crowdsource the name of the new municipality.