With so many faces around town, it may be difficult to distinguish the department heads who are responsible for bringing in businesses, hauling out the trash, buying supplies, building structures, prosecuting the accused and planning for the city’s future.
So here’s a glimpse at some of the individuals working behind the scenes to deliver top-notch services and maintain public safety around town. Rest assured they toil away endlessly on your behalf, so be sure to thank them if you happen to bump into one of them. Their dedication is endless, and they deserve a round of applause.
Public Service
Chris Stuhm’s work is so behind-the-scenes, you probably never really see him. But you appreciate his department’s handywork all over the city. In fact, they arrive before you do to every parade, Easter egg hunt, sports tournament, planting day and every other special event hosted by the city, and they stay long after you’ve left.
Stuhm’s 58 members of the service department dedicate every day to service. Whether it’s mowing the grass at Clague Park, keeping buildings cool for your refreshment, maintaining the city’s fleet of vehicles, overseeing the grounds at Evergreen and Maple Ridge cemeteries, cleaning storm sewers or snow removal, they are caring for the grounds and delivering the services you’ve come to expect.
With more than 20 years in the department, Stuhm served as facilities and vehicle manager and deputy director prior to becoming the Director of Public Service.
While he now oversees operations of the entire department, including the budget, fleet and service workers including mechanics, office staff, managers, housekeeping individuals and HVAC personnel, Stuhm is no stranger to what it takes to get the job done. He is also keenly aware of each detailed service that not only residents can rely on, but other co-workers as well.
“It’s a robust city and we’re a full-service city, so the residents here benefit from flooding assistance to dye testing and leaf collection,” he explains. “We answer to not only all the residents 24/7, but we also support and respond to all the inside departments like police and fire, city hall, the rec center and all the other departments we work hand in hand with.”
The department is also heavily involved in composting leaves and grinding curbside brush-collection materials into wood chips.
Although he may still be finding his footing at the helm, Stuhm’s feet are firmly planted in knowing each task that is expected by the service department. And it’s a challenge he confronts head on.
“It’s a full-time job and a half providing all of the services we provide,” he admits. “But I just enjoy the day-to-day challenge.”
Purchasing
As the Director of Purchasing, Larry Surber knows a little about a lot of what goes on in every city department. That’s because every purchase — from pens and paper to fire trucks — funnels through his office for a stamp of approval.
The purchasing department is run by two people, Surber, and secretary Samantha Walling, who handles all of the administrative functions. The two are responsible for “procuring goods and services at the best value for the city,” Surber explains. But that’s not as easy as it sounds.
City charter rules and state statutes regulate government spending, which means purchases over certain price points require cities to do a little legwork.
“It’s a little different than the private sector. If they want something, they could just go buy it,” Surber explains. “In my case, depending on the dollar amounts, I either have to get multiple quotations, bid it, or buy it through a cooperative purchasing program.”
In addition to the bidding process — which includes writing, soliciting, opening and evaluating an average of 12 to 20 bids per year — Surber is constantly evaluating items such as financial software and PA systems.
“We talk with the vendors, look at their different solutions that they’re proposing, and try to make a determination on what’s the best fit,” he notes. “Because it’s more of a design/build; it’s not like I’m comparing a Chevy and a Ford pickup truck.”
Another area Surber is responsible for is scrutinizing and ultimately selecting all of the utility contracts for the city.
“People don’t think about it and some probably don’t realize it, but we have to go out to bid for gas and electrical services,” he notes.
And if you think the options are difficult in selecting a utility carrier, try building a ladder truck from scratch for the fire department.
“There’s not a dealership where we just go buy those,” Surber quips. “They’re all built to order.”
Only after 509 line items and a committee to assess the rig can a purchase like that be made, he notes.
Planning and Economic Development
There’s a blueprint that maps out how every piece of property can be used in Westlake — it’s called zoning. Jim Bedell’s job is to help businesses, developers and residents navigate the procedures for bringing their visions to life.
“When a new development is coming to our community, or if it is here already and they want to change something, planning is often their first stop,” Bedell explains. “We check zoning and planning and platting codes to see if it’s something that can be approved administratively or requires planning commission approval.”
The Planning Department provides staff support to Westlake’s planning commission that reviews all new development plans, conditional use permits, signs, storefronts, subdivision plats and rezonings for retail and office establishments, restaurants, institutional facilities, industrial and residential developments. The planning commission reviews an estimated 95 cases per year for things as simple as a new wall sign or as complex as a new shopping center. Every month, staff prepares detailed reports and analysis used by the commission in making their determinations. Around 175 items are reviewed annually for in-house administrative approval too.
Planning staff also author’s Westlake’s Comprehensive Guide Plan containing future community development goals,
objectives, proposals, and policies adopted by the planning commission. In addition to aiding the planning commission, the department’s Clerk of Commissions provides administrative support to the Board of Building and Zoning Appeals, Civil Service Commission and Records Commission.
Bedell adds that he enjoys the problem-solving aspect of serving the public. “It’s not uncommon for our residents and developers to have differing viewpoints,” he notes. “We try to find that common ground to keep all parties happy, which is all about problem-solving and conflict resolution. So while it can be a challenging profession, it’s also deeply satisfying and never boring.”
Planning and Economic Development work together to help the city stay and grow strong. Michelle Boczek is the conduit between the city and the business community. Whether it’s answering questions from existing businesses or working with real estate brokers and consultants to find the perfect location for a new business, her mission is the same.
“My job is to do what I can to keep [businesses] here so that the tax dollars remain here in the community, which then supports city services,” she explains.
At 1.5% —Westlake’s local income tax is one of the lowest in Cuyahoga County, something the mayor takes pride in.
“That money goes into the general fund and that helps to fund basically all the city services here,” she notes. “So that’s why it’s so important to make sure that we have a thriving business community.”
Boczek does her best to help businesses by assisting with tax-incentive programs, and internally by applying for grants for economic development improvement projects.
When she’s not tracking tax abatements, creating reports to comply with state requirements or developing strategic plans for economic development, she’s talking with seniors at the community center at a Coffee and Conversation about new businesses coming to town. Of course, most of the information is considered top secret until a deal is inked and the company agrees to sign a lease.
But when all the pieces fit together, she can proudly announce that she assisted in creating incentives that bring in businesses like CommuteAir, a regional airline and United Express partner. The company is relocating its corporate headquarters to a 29,950-square-foot facility at 2205 Crocker Road in Crocker Commons and expects to be settled in by spring 2025. They’re bringing 180 jobs with them, Boczek says.
“We all work for the residents, but I also then work on behalf of the business community. I like that. It’s sort of a side that most people don’t get to touch,” she notes.
Public Relations
If there’s a message that needs conveying to residents or city employees, chances are Jorden Shevel has a hand in writing it.
From the city newsletter to the website to social media, Shevel puts his skills to the test every day writing news stories, public announcements and internal memos as well as assisting the mayor in delivering pertinent information.
“I collaborate with the mayor to efficiently deliver his message to the community,” notes Shevel, a city employee for nearly two years.
The Kent State University graduate has also taken the helm to streamline communications to improve the dialogue between residents and the city. Very soon, instead of calling or emailing a department head, Shevel notes, residents will be able to simply send a message to relay words of praise or report a problem via a new mobile app, which will be an offshoot of the city’s new website.
“I hope it improves two-way communication,” Shevel says. “Especially because we get a lot of ‘Report a Concern’ messages, and I think it’s a good idea for people to be able to reach out to their city and the directors.”
He also does all the videography, photography and a bi-weekly podcast for the city. So, you might see his face around town, but he won’t actually be in any photos because he’s the one taking them.
Engineering
As the Director of Engineering Jim Smolik knows his way around every roadway, sidewalk, sewer line and water line in Westlake.
But that’s just where his list of duties begins.
When Mother Nature unleashes unrelenting rain storms in early spring, it’s only a matter of time before basements and backyards across Northeast Ohio begin to pool with stormwater surge. And when they do, the engineering department is ready to assist Westlake’s residents with rear-yard drainage and basement-mitigation assessments.
“A home is [a resident’s] largest investment,” Smolik explains. So the city of Westlake realizes that and we try to be there as a technical advisor to the resident if they need it,” Smolik explains. “We will come out and do an investigation and provide a recommendation on how to mitigate your problem in the most cost-effective way.”
And with roots that run as deep as his, Smolik can almost diagnose a problem before he sees it.
But when it comes to what makes his job truly interesting, Smolik points to the multitude of projects in which he is invited to collaborate.
For instance, the recreation department is currently working on three projects simultaneously:
1. Installing synthetic turf on two multipurpose fields at Parkside Athletic Fields
2. Upgrading the recreation center fields with two baseball fields with synthetic turf infields and one multipurpose field
3. Upgrading the Meadowood Golf Course to include a driving range and practice facility
“I would have never thought in a million years doing this job, I would ever be helping design a driving range,” Smolik quips. “And it’s not a simple driving range either. We’re putting all kinds of technology into it because this is Westlake, and we always want to do the best that we can on these projects.”
Smolik says the variety is what keeps him going and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“That’s what makes it interesting,” he explains. “Every day is a little bit different as far as what types of problems we’re solving.”
Building
Donald Grayem oversees the day-to-day operations of the building department. He supervises his 9 employees, as well as the best interests of residents and the community as a whole.
“We’re an extension of the state of Ohio’s building standards and we work on enforcing codes to get compliance just as they would,” notes Grayem, the Chief Building Official.
It is for this reason that he defines the work his department does conducting 4,000 to 5,000 building inspections a year as customer service.
“The service we provide makes our city safer, and our housing stock remains very strong because of what we do,” he says.
In addition to coordinating daily inspections, conducting plan reviews of new establishments and enforcing the zoning code, Grayem encourages inspectors to take the time at each site to answer questions and lend their expertise where applicable.
He adds they try very hard to fight the stigma that pulling permits for a project at a residence opens the door to costly violations or other trouble. Rather, he wants to be known as a valuable resource for residents to seek answers that will ultimately save money — and sometimes lives — when a building or structure is built properly.
He cites the department’s dedication to fire prevention and education as a top priority that has paid dividends and spared more than a couple structures from becoming a total loss.
Of course, there are also the incidents that no one can plan for, such as a vehicle running through a guardrail and dangling from a second-story parking garage. Even then, Grayem will be on hand not to punish — but to protect — both the citizens and to ensure the structure is sound.
Another arm of his department — property maintenance — aims to protect the quality of residents’ properties by enforcing zoning and building codes and construction regulations.
“My whole career here, 32 years, Westlake has been developing and developing correctly when it comes to buildings and zoning,” he reports. “You can drive through Westlake and notice there’s something different about this city, and that’s a good thing.”
Law Department
Imagine having a job as important as creating, updating and writing the language for the city’s Constitution. As a charter city, Westlake is one of more than 300 cities in the state that operates its government under local “home rule.” This means that charter cities adopt laws that take precedence over state laws and residents vote to approve or deny them via ballot issues, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
As Law Director, Michael Maloney is responsible for revising, drafting and changing this document.
“It gives us a lot of local control over the city’s business,” Maloney explains. “My department is very involved in revisions, changes and drafting because it’s such a legally weighty document.”
Maloney also acts as the city’s lawyer, advising the mayor, council and department directors on any matters that require guidance.
When it comes to public interaction, Maloney’s office dutifully fulfills any public-record requests received and pledges that his office remains dedicated to an open government and full disclosure of information to residents.
And with the assistance of two assistant prosecutors, Maloney ensures the welfare and safety of residents by prosecuting anyone who commits a crime within the city limits — a role he embraces with enthusiasm.
“I get great professional satisfaction in handling Westlake’s criminal cases. My responsibilities with law enforcement are by far the favorite part of my job,” he admits. “I’m a prosecutor. “When I started practicing right out of law school, prosecuting was absolutely my passion.”
Although Maloney’s job comes with many hats as an elected official, he says he takes pride in representing residents, not just because he is an employee, but a resident himself.
“I’m glad I landed here,” he says. “I live here, I work here, and I think most residents agree that this is kind of a special situation we have in Westlake. It really is.”
