Almost a Year

December! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a Councilman for almost a year.  It has been a busy year to say the least!  Back in February my assistant wrote an article on “A Day in the Life of a New Councilman”.  I am writing this one as an update.

I wanted to be a Councilman to see how I might be able to have a positive impact on the city of Euclid.  I wanted to work with Mayor Holzheimer Gail, her staff and my council colleagues to build a better Euclid.  I have enjoyed working with the Mayor and her staff and have found that they have been very helpful in addressing any issues that I have brought to them.  We are fortunate to have many very knowledgeable and dedicated employees.  I have also enjoyed getting to know my council colleagues and learning what is important to them.  We are dedicated to making Euclid a great place to live.

As I look back at this past year, I think we’ve been able to do some of that.  We are moving ahead with the Waterfront Project that has been in the works for a very long time.  This project highlights one of Euclid’s most important resources, our lake.  We hope that by going ahead with this project other positive additions will follow.  This also provides a great opportunity for all Euclid residents to enjoy the lake.

We’ve welcomed new businesses to my ward and to the city. I have tried to be supportive as businesses contemplate opening in my ward, helping them answer questions and navigate through some of the issues that may occur.   I attend as many ribbon cuttings in the city as possible.  I want new businesses to feel welcome and supported.  I have reached out to some of the businesses in my ward and will continue to do so.  These have been great experiences for me.  The owners have been very appreciative.  They usually start out by asking what I want and are a little surprised to find out that I just want to get to know them and see how things are going.  Although I especially look out for my little corner of Euclid, I realize that it’s important to work together to make the whole city a better place to do business.

Anyone that knows me at all knows one of the most important things for me is creating relationships.  As I talk about what has gone on during the last year, you may wonder about actual numbers.  I wondered too so I have been keeping track.  Through November 30th, I have attended almost 200 meetings/events.  I have also had just over 100 contacts from constituents/citizens.  These events have included several Ward Meetings, several Conversation with a Councilman events, a Fireside Chat at the library, several “Keep Euclid Beautiful” Clean-ups and a large Community Resource Event that was planned and sponsored by the Council people in Wards 1, 2 and 3. 

One of the most satisfying parts of being a councilman has been getting to know my constituents and other citizens of the city.  I have found them to be caring, hard working and very hardy!  I appreciate both their support and their honesty in sharing their concerns.  Even the staunchest Euclid supporter has concerns and the best way to deal with them is through respectful dialogue. I always welcome these opportunities and look forward to more of them in the future. 

For the most part, being a councilman has been a very satisfying experience.  There have been difficult times, challenges that cause me to lose sleep like the closing of the YMCA and some of the EPD issues that have been in the news.  I know there will always be challenges and I will continue working hard to prevent them whenever possible and will deal with them once they occur.

During the next year, I look forward to more of the same.  I will continue with emails and Newsletters.  If you want to be included on my email list, please contact me.  If you live in Ward 2 and have any concerns, ideas or thoughts for improvements, I want to hear from you.  You can reach me at (216) 860-1734 or bmoore@cityofeuclid.com.  If you own a business in Ward 2 or in Euclid and would like to me to visit, please email or call.  Together we can continue working to build a city that we will be proud to call home.