Montlack To Say Farewell After Serving on Council For 24 Years

City Councilman Kenneth Montlack, after serving for 24 years, will attend his last regular meeting as a member of tonight.

Montlack, 72, he would not run for re-election and would retire at the end of his four-year term.

Cleveland Heights Patch asked the 40-year Cleveland Heights resident a few questions about his experience on council in his office at Montlack Managementon Mayfield Road. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Cleveland Heights Patch: What will you miss the most about being on Cleveland Heights City Council?

Kenneth Montlack: The food. No, that’s a joke. I will miss being exposed to new ideas for our community and our region. I don’t plan to resign from life, but I like dealing with ideas and that’s one important part. I certainly will miss working with people that not only get it intellectually, but work hard and are committed to working to make good things happen.

CHP: How do you plan to stay involved?

KM: Well that’s what my wife asked me. The most important thing from her standpoint is that I get out of the house Monday night, because that’s her time. Other than that, I’m continuing my involvement with First Suburbs Consortium and there are a variety of issues right now that I get involved with, so I’m never in a loss for public interest kinds of activities.

CHP: Is there something that stands out as being one of the most important decisions you and council have made, maybe something that councils around the state and country weren’t doing at the time?

KM: Frankly the most, in my opinion, the most important things that we have done are on a continuum, and it has been in that against great challenges. We have worked with the staff of this city, the ones who do the work, to keep Cleveland Heights prosperous.  

CHP: Could you provide an example?

KM: Our redevelopment efforts. We all recognized that for an older, built-out community, it is vital to preserve important parts of our community. And to redevelop other parts, and in the 1990s and in early 2000s when it was possible to redevelop on a larger scale, we did that. I’ve always been grateful for the support of everyone on council and these are, since I’m going back some years, there have been folks who have gone off council, various mayors, council people, for the work of the First Suburbs Consortium, because that’s a regional effort by definition. It meant providing some of the city’s resources for the work of many communities. Not just going it alone as Cleveland Heights.

CHP: Is there something that stands out that was one of the greatest challenges you had as a council member?

KM: I think that any councilperson that is actively involved everyday will come forth with ideas that are not accepted and when that happens, it’s always disappointing. Sometimes you have to keep proposing an idea over and over until eventually maybe other people who thought it was a lousy idea at first suddenly remember it was their idea all along. Every important issue has been one that required a lot of conversation and attitude adjustment. I myself had a hard time with the budget decisions because, among other things, we were talking about altering people’s lives …. Those are tough decisions. Layoffs, cutting, budget cuts, program (cuts).

CHP: What advice would you give to , who will take over in January?

KM: Well, she doesn’t need my advice. She looks like she’s hit the ground running. She’s a good listener. I guess the advice I give to myself over the years is don’t take yourself too seriously, and don’t get city council mixed up by life.

CHP: Can you explain what you mean by that?

KM: You have to have an ego to expose yourself, to run for an elected office and to serve as an elected official, a public official, and a part of that is theatrical by definition, and you make speeches. But again, don’t take yourself too seriously.

CHP: What do you think are some of the most important decisions on council's plate in the future.?

KM: I think in general that communities and societies get the kind of government they deserve. This is directly answering your question. Typically good government goes to the special residents of Cleveland Heights, and one of the things that Cleveland Heights has to keep doing is to support community standards, whether it be in the upkeep of property, the behavior that is expected, or any of the other things that are needed to encourage good, productive people to want to come to Cleveland Heights and stay in Cleveland Heights.

CHP: What is the most controversial pieces of legislation you’ve been involved with and how did it turn out?

KM: Well, let’s see, what is the legislation that has filled the council chambers with angry people? When I first got involved in city matters, even before coming on council, an extremely controversial legislation and city action was around housing or property inspection, which is now taken for granted … I have felt all along, when done right, property inspection has been a great, positive force for Cleveland Heights. Because it was new, some decades go, and was considered an infringement on basic rights and because the housing inspection process needed fine-tuning at the beginning, it was very controversial … Certainly, the domestic registry, that was controversial, there was a very extremely concerned minority that came to city council.

CHP: Do you have a moment that you’re most proud of in your time on City Council?

KM: When I chaired the Planning and Development committee during part of the 1990s and the early (2000s), and that came at a time when there were also funds to go ahead with redevelopment. We were able to encourage most of the housing redevelopment that we see around Cleveland Heights today. So I felt good about that, I feel good about that. I can’t wait for us to continue with that.

I feel good about my involvement in the last few years with safety and security issues, working with the on matters of youth conduct. Those are important activities.