Speramus Meliora, Resurget Cineribus

Greetings to all of my supporters.


As you are well aware by now, my first attempt to win a seat on Livonia City Council was unsuccessful. I have been asked why I thought my efforts did not meet with success and I only say that in my opinion there were two main items that can be attributed to the loss.


First, the low voter turn out. All though the other candidates and the City Clerk stated they were "pleased and delighted" with the 20 to 22 percent turn out of registered voters, I must say that I am disappointed in the numbers. In a city that has 73,510 registered voters, only 17,492 voted. In a free and democratic society, there is no reason for such a low number. This item ties in to my next item.


Second, disenfranchised voters also were a factor. The majority of voters felt that no matter who they voted for that it wouldn't matter since they have become accustomed to being ignored, marginalized and disregarding when it comes to their views and concerns for Livonia. When the voters feel that they aren't part of the system, they don't care who wins. To those people, I must remind them what Huey Long said which is "If you don't vote, you don't matter." You will allow other people to decide what is important for your city and your life. Please remember to stand up and be counted. It's our city and we are responsible for what happens to it.


Regardless, of the loss, I would like thank my supporters and contributors. Their assistance and encouragement was tremendous during this campaign and I hope I can count on them in the future. I would also like to congratulate the winners for a hard fought race. I have even been cordial enough to meet with Maureen Miller Brosnan since Election Day to discuss several issue that I brought up during the campaign that I felt she should attempt to move forward on, specifically the disposition of the old courthouse property, a moratorium on development of undeveloped parcels of land around the City and to focus on the currently vacant properties in Livonia, and that the Mayor's plan of squandering the 1.4 million dollars that Wayne County has given us for Neighborhood stabilization should be block and better, more logical plan should be formulated. Finally, I would like all of my supporters to know that I fully intend to return in two years and run again for seat.

In conclusion, this experience was a tremendous opportunity for me and, may I say, a lot of fun. I just love getting out and meeting people. This was also very enlightening for me as well. For those of you who didn't do the breakdown, here it is. The top voter getter was Jim McCann at 10,392 votes; at last report he spent more than 42,000 dollars on his campaign which breaks down to about $4.10 a vote. Compare that to the number of votes I received, 2577, what my campaign spent, $1300, breaks down to about 50 cents a vote. So the candidate who has lived in the city the shortest amount of time got more votes with less money than a 3rd generation Livonian who is a 2nd generation politician. My final thoughts come from Ms. Brosnan and the Livonia Observer. They both told me that even though I did not win, I did incredibly well for my first time out. They both told me that most first timers finish last and typically get only 500 to 600 votes. They told me that getting almost 2600 in not only remarkable but practically unheard of, especially for someone who wasn't born and raised here or who has lived here for more than 20 years. They were adamant that I run again in two years, which as I have previously stated I intend to do.

Thank you again for all of your encouragement and support. Please continue to email me at electmcgrail@yahoo.com and review this blog. I will keep the blog active with updates on my status and what the city council is up to. Best wishes to all and remember.....
Speramus Meliora, Resurget Cineribus

Incredible support!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the people that I have met during the last two weeks of my campaigning. While meeting the public at Larry's Foodland and the 5 Mile / Merriman Kroger's, I have received a tremendous reception. Although there were some people who weren't interested in talking, those who did were great. Everyone was friendly, engaged and eager to talk and be heard... and I have heard them.

The common theme of our discussions were that the people are fed up with being ignored and marginalized by the Mayor and the City Council. People have had it with the lack of communication between the City and the residents. They have also had enough of weak land use proposals, overly generous tax credits, overlooking existing, Livonia based businesses and the Council culpability in the eroding tax base. The people are ready for a change, someone that will use common sense, who will cast off the shackles of 'business as usual' politics, who will use politics as an instrument of good. They want someone who will bring people together. The people want Lucas McGrail for City Council.

For those who have supported me on-line, be advised that there is a 'meet the candidate' event coming up tomorrow. The details are:
CCCA Candidate's Night
Location: Emerson Middle School, 29100 W Chicago Rd, Livonia, MI 48150
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Date: October 26 (Monday)
www.ClementsCircle.org

Please feel free to stop by to either watch or meet me afterwards. I look forward to seeing you there. Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

Speramus Meliora.

Want to support the campaign? Donate now.

Greetings to all of my supporters.
As you are all aware, in any race for public office, there are two things that drive the engine of victory... communication and resources. Currently, we have an excellent communication system in place but that isn't enough these days. We also need resources. In this race, resources are only available to those with adequate funding. I very much want to be your next member of city council but without proper funding, it will be a very difficult and uphill battle. I know that times are tough right now because of the economy but every little bit can help in this fight for Livonia's future. I ask that if you are looking for fresh ideas, strong goals and 21st century thinking for Livonia, then please contribute. We are asking for 5, 10 or 20 dollar donations but any amount can help. Please use the link below which will take you to PayPal.com, there you will find a donation site set up for the campaign. Payments can be made by e-check, credit or debit cards or by direct bank transfer, all of which are secure and private.

Thank you for your continued support. Speramus Meliora.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8352803

Candidate section of Livonia Neighbors forum

Below you will find the link to the Livonia neighbors forum that list all of the individual candidates for the general election. Feel free to review and discuss the commentary made.
Best Regards
LM

http://s6.zetaboards.com/Livonianeighbors/forum/4001572/

McGrail wins the primary

Well it happened on Tuesday. Our candidate, after a solid week and a half of campaign and meeting the voters won in a very narrow victory to hold the number 8 spot out of a field of 11.

I would just like to say to all my supporters "Thank you". Thank you for your diligent work with the calls and door to door conversations with prospective voters. I really must say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself and loved getting out to meet the people. I am looking forward to a vigorous campaign as we run up to November. However right now is no time to rest on our laurels, as you will see from the results below, it was very close. Frankly, closer than I expected.

Thank you again for all of your support.


LIVONIA
100% of precincts reporting
COUNCIL MEMBER
4-year terms for the three highest vote totals and one 2-year term for the fourth highest vote total, $16,600 annually, 8 advance
* Maureen Brosnan 3,981 votes 18% of total votes
* Steve Crosby 1,007 5%
* Joe Laura (i) 3,449 16%
Christopher Martin 523 2%
* James McCann (i) 3,946 18%
Mark McCusker 770 4%
* Lucas McGrail 773 4%
Glenn Moon 301 1%
* John Pastor (i) 3,021 14%
* Lynda Scheel 3,129 14%
* Conrad Schwartz 982 4%

Candidate signage

Good evening all
I would like to start by thanking everyone who has been supporting me during this run for City Council. For those of you who would like to have one of my lawn signs, please feel free to email your address to electmcgrail@yahoo.com and we'll get you one. Thank you again for your continued well wishes and support. Looking forward to Tuesday. Take care.
LM

Response to Voting record article

He is my official response to the article that ran on Sunday, September 6th:

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090906/NEWS10/909060465&s=d&page=1#pluckcomments


8 September 2009
To the editor
I am writing in response to the article that was published this past Sunday, September 6th, regarding my voting record.

1. The information presented not entirely correct. Previously, The Observer had emailed me a list of elections and votes which showed that since 2004 there were 16 voting cycles, yet The Observer reported that there were 18. In addition to that error, The Observer emailed me a list of the City Clerk's records which showed that I missed 9 voting cycles, not the 11 that the Sunday paper reported.

2. The reporter did not give me the opportunity I requested to address why I did not vote. In some of the instances I was not even living in Michigan due to work responsibilities.

3. I had requested that the reporter call me back so that I could take the time to look at my records to give more detailed responses but again, this request was not honored.

I believe voting is an important civic responsibility. I am not making excuses for missed votes; I am simply trying to provide some background as to why they were missed. I do not believe that a missed vote as a private citizen tarnishes my professional accomplishments and skills, nor do I believe that they will impact my ability to do an excellent job as a future member of City Council. Please remember that voting in general elections is different than voting in-session when you are an elected official. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

With sincere regards,
Lucas C. McGrail, Associate AIA, LEED® AP
Architect

Here are our picks for City Council primary

Well everyone
Everyday there are more and more things happening. Today my campaign treasurer, strategist and wife, told me that the article the Livonia Observer was going to run which listed the candidates that they were endorsing came out. The very first photo and name listed was 'Lucas McGrail'. So I have made their 'elite 8' for the primary election in September. If I win and move on to the 'Fab 4' I will have to work even harder to gain their endorsement again for the general election.

See the link below to read the on line article that ran in today's paper. Thank you for your continued support and with your encouragement I will be the next member of Livonia city council.

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090820/NEWS10/908200550/1027/news10/Here+are+our+picks+for+City+Council+primary

Livonia City Council candidates take aim at issues

On August 12th I participated in the League of Women voters forum which was held in the council chamber at Livonia City Hall. It was a town hall format and consisted of 10 of the 11 candidates for the council. We were given a 1 minute opening remark, were given 1 minute to respond to questions that were asked by the audience, and a 2 minute closing remarks.

I must be honest and say that I really enjoyed myself and felt like I was right at home. I thought that the LWV's conducted a very through and comprehensive event and that it was a great opportunity to get some air time on local cable. Afterwards I have about a dozen people come up and tell me that I did a great job and that I had earned their support. What a great night.

Below you will find the link to the Livonia Observer's website which summarized the forum and listed 3 of the 10 or so questions asked of the candidates. Thank you to everyone for their continued support. I strongly believe that if interest continues in this manner, I will win the primary and be a strong contender for the general in November.

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090818/NEWS10/308180004/1027/Livonia-City-Council-candidates-take-aim-at-issues

Chamber of Commerce - Candidate Interviews

On August 10th, our candidate was interviewed by the Livonia Chamber of Commerce. He was asked two questions about the election which were:
1) Knowing there is going to be reduced revenue, what are you willing to do with the City budget and how will that affect attracting businesses to Livonia?
2) What difference can you make as a member of the Livonia City Council?

If you use this link to the Chamber of Commerce's website to view all the candidates you can listen to what our candidate had to say in response to these questions. Feel free to view all the candidates as well to see how our candidate measures up.
www.livonia.org/candidates.asp

Thank you for your continued support. Speramus Meliora.

Meeting with Livonia's Finest – 07/28/09

Good evening supporters.

On July 28th, I was invited to meet with the senior leadership of the Livonia Police Department.

I was a very interesting and enlightening meeting with Livonia's finest. At 10am, I was welcomed in to the Livonia police headquarters by Police chief Stevenson, Deputy chief Caid as well as their four divisional captains. What can I say about such a pleasant and jovial group of law enforcement professionals? They were pleasant, friendly and extremely polite.

Chief Stevenson and I hit it off right away, perhaps because we are both UD Titans or perhaps its because neither of us have time for baloney. I found that trait to be present with his deputy as well as his captains. We spent over an hour talking about their current successes, their recent history as well as their future improvements and what the law enforcement community sees as the challenges facing their department and the city of Livonia both now and in the future.

After our meeting, two of the divisional captains gave me a full tour of their campus and complex; a complete 'behind the scenes' tour. After seeing their complex from the inside out, I arrived at two inescapable conclusions. First, Livonia PD is clearly one of the top five suburban law enforcement agencies. Their staff, resources and equipment is so extensive, that I believe it could rival a city of four times the size. Second, their headquarters is grossly inadequate for the challenges that will be facing them in the 21st century. Despite the increasing loss and depletion of resources, the LPD is continuing their mission of providing the same level of community safety that Livonians have come to expect. They have continued to foster an atmosphere of inter-department cooperation and community crossovers with neighboring communities. It was my extreme pleasure to meet this law enforcement juggernaut however what I found disturbing, what I found inexcusable was the general condition of their headquarters. Their building, made up of three smaller buildings was most definitely not up to the task of providing for the demands of the 21st century peace officer, the LPD should be commended for their ability to adapt to the inadequate condition of the headquarters without sacrificing performance and professionalism. The reason I say that conditions there are inadequate is because for a top notch law enforcement agency, LPD is forced to deal with a complex which has a leaky basement, fractured and disjointed work stations, poor building flow and arrangement, leaky roofs, and a crumbling front entry plaza. They suffer and endure an outmoded and antiquated facility while tens of thousands of dollars are needlessly wasted due to inefficiency or poor management of city resources.

This shows me a complete lack of prioritizing key and critical issues facing the city and these poor management practices must stop. The LPD is the top public service department within the city, if the working and physical conditions of their headquarters is any indication of other departments such as LFD or the DPW, then there is most certainly something wrong with the management of the aforementioned city resources, which has nothing to do with budgetary issues or shortfalls but rather deficient city management.

I would like to thank Chief Stevenson, Deputy Chief Caid and their divisional captains for their time, input and in-depth tour of their facility. They are a terrific group of professionals and I hope that as Livonia's next city council member I will have the opportunity to work with them in the future.

Thank you for your continued interest. Speramus Meliora (we hope for better things).

From League of Women Voters voter guide

Here is what the League of Women Voters posted about me in their 2009 voters guide. Please take a read and use the link to view what other candidates are saying.

http://www.lwvnww.org/files/vg_9-09_livonia.pdf

Lucas C. McGrail
Old Rosedale, Livonia, MI 48150

Lucas McGrail was born in rural Pitston, ME & grew up onDetroit's east side. He received a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from UD Mercy & is no novice to the structure of city politics or to what is required to build and grow a community. He has 11 years of professional experience in architecture, design, construction administration and project management. His experience in the architectural community and construction industry has allowed him to develop a vast array of tools and skills that will allow him to contribute to the community in a positive manner, which he wishes to bring to city council and afford them the opportunity to benefit from this knowledge. Accessibility and openness is a unique and important aspect of his campaign and political philosophy.He is available at any time to discuss his views and his short and long-term goals for Livonia. He uses logic, honesty and reason to solve complex and difficult issues.

Priorities
Management of city resources - There are many city resources that have been poorly managed, examples can be found in shutter, city owned properties such as Hull & Rosedale Elementary. There must be debate regarding proper management & care for these surplus, but valuable, properties as well as discussions of viable options for reuse.

Execution of city planning & land development -During the last several years, different proposals have come before the city council regarding development &redevelopment of new & existing properties but nearly all of them have been incomplete and did not address issues such as developer dictated city planning and impact to the existing infrastructure &environment. I would demand higher & more comprehensive standards from developers in order to ensure that the city council is making the best informed decisions. I would also work to make components of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards part of every development proposal.

Economic growth for Livonia - The current economic climate seemingly took Livonia's leaders by surprise,even though it shouldn't have. Current leaders have been reactive to the economic climate and not proactive. I would make sure that the city becomes proactive by utilizing all resources at its disposal to ensure proper economic growth.

Status and Disposition of Hull School

I have been watching this issue on the Livonianeighbors.com forum site and I just had to comment. Below you will see my comments related to this horrible situation that the BOE is causing by the actions and the City Council is causing by the indifference.

Good evening everyone.I have been following this discussion with a certain amount of disbelief and shock. Shock in that the school board has shuttered a building of this size and age with no idea of what's its disposition should be. As an architect and planner, I can think of at least 5 different uses for that property that would have little or no financial impact to the city's budget and keep the property utilized by different city agencies. I can also think of another 5 different uses for the building which would have modest to moderate costs to the city which would result in the building developing a positive cash flow verses a negative or non-existent cash flow as it is right now. The fact that it is not only has been shuttered but basically abandoned by the BOE is absolutely disgraceful. The building is about 20 years old or so, it is a valuable asset, cost probably 15 million dollars to build and the BOE is letting it be demolished by neglect, just like what happens in Dearborn, Detroit and in some areas of Wayne, Redford and Westland. The fact that the school board is letting a property, a viable property, sit derelict, should not only infuriate the citizens but should make you tremble with indignation.

Now, on the topic of the continuing vandalism, respectfully, I have to say that the damage is being generated by people who are local. There is no way that someone from Dearborn, Canton, Plymouth or even Detroit just happens to be out driving around, and just happens to find there way to Hull and then just happens to start hanging out and decides to paint or break windows. the only people that would know not only where the property is and that its shuttered are people who are local. The reason that Old Rosedale didn't have similar problems is because of two main reasons: highly visible all day and night; a strong presence of community watch. I must respectfully submit that perhaps the reason Hull is having the people with vandals and the supposed drug dealing that has been referenced here is because it is not a highly visible location and that more community watching is required OR the demand should be made of LPD to step up patrols AND that the BOE get Parks and Rec's over to the site to manage the landscaping, and keep the site clean. If elected to the City Council the first thing I would do is meet with LPD about added patrols, then tell the school board to transfer funds from their operating budget to the DPW's operating budget to pay for grooming the landscape, clean up the parking lot, board up ALL the windows, added additional temporary lighting for security and finally, install water filled or concrete median barricades to prevent any one who is in a car from being up to no good around the building. If anyone wanted to vandalize, that would force them to be on foot or on bikes. I would also have the DPW provide paint and related materials to realize the idea suggested by LPS Reformer which is to paint the window board ups with murals. When I was working on the Detroit Institute of Art project our site fence was being vandalized all the time, but as soon as we allowed the different grammar schools to paint murals on our wooden fencing the vandalism stopped.

My final thought is that this property has many different possible uses, which if people are interested, I'd be happy to share them off forum. But unless the BOE starts acting like responsible stewards of its own properties, then what good are they really. The loss of Old Rosedale was a tremendous failure of the board, especially considering the adaptive reuse potential it had as a historic building. Now its happening again and this time to a practically brand new building like Hull. As a member of city council, I will use my experience and background to protect and secure city assets, not let them rot and wither away. Thank you for your time and attention.

I would like to use this opportunity to tell you about myself and my background.

I believe that I am a very strong candidate for a seat on the Livonia City Council because at this point in my career, I have performed the role of a project engineer, construction estimator, project manager, project architect and construction administrator on a daily basis for my past employers. In these variety of roles, I have had unique opportunities to work one on one with developers, city officials, labor unions, skilled trades and business owners. While serving as a project manager for my second to last employer, I managed six major projects in the City of Detroit, Michigan, five of which were adaptive reuse, and of those five, four were historic buildings all of which fall into the category of historic rehabilitation. Those five adaptive reuse projects which can be found the following districts of Detroit: New Center, Brush Park, Corktown, Central Business district and the Theater district.

Not only does this experience show that I know what it takes to build, grow and in some cases, rebuild a community, but my bachelor’s degree in architecture has also afforded me the requisite knowledge and education to deal with historic structures, new construction, urban design, and city planning in the appropriate manor. This education combined with my “real world” experience over the last 11 years makes me ideal for a seat on the council. I believe these traits embody the spirit of what a council member should be and what the voters are looking for.

In addition to my experience, I have also become a US Green Building council LEED-AP professional as a means to assure efficient and environmentally friendly designs and construction methods which promote proper environmental stewardship. In addition to my educational background and my relevant work experience, I have dedicated a good portion of my career and free time to becoming a self educated expert on American architecture, with special attention to Michigan's architectural heritage and legacy. I am a traveling lecturer on architecture in Michigan and have been interviewed several times by both print and electronic media regarding architecture in Detroit as well as in Michigan.

I appreciate your interest in my candidacy as well as your support. I would love the opportunity to speak with you and win your vote. You can email me at electmcgrail@yahoo.com, I look forward to speaking with you.

Official Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lucas C. McGrail, Assoc AIA
Old Rosedale Gardens
9611 Cranston Ave
Livonia, MI 48150
Phone: 734-367-9028
electMcGrail@yahoo.com

Architect Offers Experience and Expertise for Livonia City Council and the Future of Livonia.

Livonia, MI – 16 June 2009 -- Before you cast your vote, please pause and consider a fresh and new perspective for the office of Livonia City Council, Lucas McGrail, Associate AIA. Whether you are a conservative or liberal voter, Mr. McGrail believes that a city can only grow and move forward by doing so together. McGrail believes that “The health, safety, welfare and well-being of city is not about being on the left or right, it's about doing right.”

No novice to the structure of city politics or to what is required to build and grow a community, Lucas McGrail has 11 years of professional experience in architecture, design, construction administration and project management. His experience in the architectural community and construction industry has allowed him to develop a vast array of tools and skills that will allow him to contribute to the community in a positive manner.

According to Lucas, "The question I get asked most often is, 'Why do I want to be on the city council?' In my career, it is my responsibility to work with all levels of city officials, professionals, individuals and citizen groups. It is also my responsibility to ensure that the best possible solutions are presented and implemented so that the interest of the project and the community are protected. My professional philosophy has always been that if architecture doesn't work for people, then it doesn't matter how many awards it wins, it doesn't work at all. Government should be seen the same way. If it doesn't work for people, then it doesn't work at all.” Mr. McGrail has also stated that “Government is supposed to be an instrument of good; a place where people pull together, especially in difficult times. In order for a city to grow and move forward, we have to pull together, otherwise we will pull apart.”

Mr. McGrail has served as the Construction Administration Leader for one of the 25 largest architecture firms in the world. He also has worked for the largest general contractor in the state of Michigan. He has been a traveling lecturer on American architecture and city planning, as well as a guest lecturer and jurist for Lawrence Technological University. He has been interviewed by several print and television media outlets, such as the LA Times, Hour Magazine, Travel and Leisure, and WUOM public radio as an expert on architecture, adaptive reuse, historical preservation, and city planning. Lucas McGrail has a bachelor’s degree of Architecture from the University of Detroit Mercy, is an associate member in good standing of the American Institute of Architects and an accredited professional with the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Accessibility and openness is a unique and important aspect of Mr. McGrail's campaign. He is available at any time to discuss his views and his short and long-term goals for Livonia. He uses logic, honesty and reason to solve complex and difficult issues.

For information: email electMcGrail@yahoo.com