Posted By: Randy Lewis                                                             

                                                                 Weekly Update to City Council
                                                                        from the City Manager
                                                                            October 25, 2009

Repairs to Sunset Park after Bike Race
Due to the wet weather ahead of the event, there were added issues this year
with slight damage to the green spaces. The organizers of the bike race are
aware of the issues and are working to correct them as they have in past years.
This is a great event for the park and we appreciate their efforts.

Seeking Input for spending priorities for the 5 year CDBG Plan
City of Middletown, Ohio Public Notice
How would you spend $3.4 million dollars in your community?
The City of Middletown, Ohio is receiving comments regarding housing and
community development needs within the City’s boundaries. The City
anticipates receiving an estimated $685,000 in FY 2010 CDBG funds from the
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Over a period of five years,
those total grant funds are expected to be in excess of $3.4 million. Citizens are
asked to express their views on the allocation of these funds.
Input received will be considered by the City in developing the Five Year
Consolidated Plan to be submitted to HUD. The consolidated plan is the
application for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and
consists of a strategy to address the housing, homeless, and community
development needs of our City. The plan also includes an Annual Action Plan
that identifies the actions to be taking in the coming year to implement the
identified strategies.

All interested citizens of the City are invited to provide input on community
needs. Citizens may:
1. Attend a public meeting to be held on November 5, 2009 at 6:00pm at the
City Building located at 1 Donham Plaza, Middletown, OH 42042. If you have
any special needs, please call Judy D. at (513)425-7939 at least two days
prior to the meeting.

2. Complete an online survey. The survey can be completed by going to
http://www.cityofmiddletown.org/community/comdev.html and clicking on
the “Community Needs Survey” link on the right hand side.

3. Provide written comments that are delivered to: City of Middletown,
Community Revitalization Dept, 1 Donham Plaza, Middletown, OH 45042

If you have questions, please call Kyle Fuchs at (513)425-7950.

Douglass Park Revitalization 2010 Update
Dave Duritsch, Director of Public Works and Utilities, along with Keep Middletown
Beautiful met with members of the 2nd Ward Community Council regarding the
Douglass Park Revitalization project for 2010. This project will be more ambitious
than Sunset Park was this year and we wanted to pull all groups in to solicit
volunteers – the more we have, the more we can do! Earlier in the day, the
project was discussed with the tree commission and we intend to talk with Park
Board at the November meeting. Everyone is onboard with the project thus far
and understands that some of the first steps will be to remove tress, including the
elms along Verity Pkwy.

We are trying to get an earlier, more organized jump on this project, so we will
be working with tree professionals to begin removing some of the trees this fall.
We are using some remaining parks capital funds, coupled with reduced rates
from the tree company, to get a head start and remove the more dangerous
trees now.

Starting next Tuesday, October 27th, Public Works Maintenance will be working
with Tree-Mend-Us to take down the trees along Verity and remove the stumps
and debris prior to snow season. We are also looking into some tree
replacements, in addition to the evergreen transplants, to start the revitalization
while the weather is right for planting.

Public Works and KMB will meet to refine the project and get it out to the public
probably in January so we can generate the momentum leading into April –
Arbor Day and Earth Day – as we did for Sunset.

For more information please contact Dave Duritsch @ 425.7940 –or- Wanda
Glover @ 513.424.1132.

H1N1 Swine Flu Update from our Health Department
The Health Department is heavily engaged now in dealing with the H1N1 swine
flu outbreak. We have received our first shipments of vaccine and are allocating
it to various high risk groups. These high risk groups include pregnant women,
healthcare workers who provide direct patient care on a regular basis,
caregivers and immediate family members of infants 6 months of age and
younger (infants cannot receive the vaccine), children 6 months to 4 years of
age, individuals 5 years to 24 years of age with chronic respiratory or immune
system diseases. The younger members of the community are more seriously
affected should they contract the H1N1 flu and that is why they are receiving
the first vaccinations. Eventually there will be enough to provide a vaccination
for all who would like one, but that will be dictated by how much vaccine is
available and when it is available. We are requesting that people be
considerate and wait until these high risk groups are vaccinated. Healthy
people who get ill with this flu can treat themselves by getting bed rest, drinking
plenty of fluids and treating the fever and body aches with acetaminophen or
ibuprophen.

At present we have distributed vaccines to Ob Gyn groups to give to their
pregnant patients and their staff. We have also provided the Maternal and
Child Health Center some vaccine. We have also provided vaccine to other
healthcare workers and have vaccinated the members of the Fire Department
since they are direct patient care healthcare workers. We are currently
arranging to have children with chronic illnesses get vaccinated in the schools.
We have also coordinated with the school district and the school nurses full
scale vaccination clinics for all of the school children whose parents have filled
out the consent forms and returned them to the school. We have also sent
letters to the parents of children born since April to find out how many
immediate household members would be eligible for a vaccination and we will
be having a clinic for them at our POD location at a future date (to be
announced later).

On the city’s website are consent forms, the Vaccine Information Sheet, and a
letter to parents. If you have not sent in a consent form and have changed your
mind and do wish to have your child vaccinated you can still do so by printing
out the form and sending it in to the school, the sooner the better. Also on the
website is a link to flu.ohio.gov where individuals can pre-register for the vaccine
when it becomes available for your target group. That will speed up the
vaccination clinic process for you when you show up at a clinic.

For any other questions or comments please contact the Middletown Health
Department at 425-1818.

Weatherwax Customer Appreciation Days
Weatherwax is having customer appreciation days beginning Thursday Oct 29
thru Friday Nov 6. 1/2 price greens fees, carts, food and beverage. Specials on
all golf merchandise. Tee times at 425-7886.

Theft Awareness Day
On Saturday, October 31st National City Bank (now part of PNC Bank) is hosting
an Identity Theft Awareness Day. The Middletown Police Department will be
conducting ID Theft Education during this event. They have arranged to have a
shred truck from Cintas at the branch; anyone is welcome to bring any of their
personal documents to shred free of charge. They will also be holding a raffle
for a paper shredder. This is open to the public. 9AM-1PM. Any questions- call
513.217.6170

State Issue Ballot information for the November 3, 2009 General Election
Ohio Issues Report gives Ohioans an opportunity to review the full text and ballot
language of the state issues that will appear on the November 3, 2009 Ohio
ballot. This publication also provides an opportunity for Ohioans to consider the
explanations about the issues and to compare the arguments for and against
the issues.

To view the pdf document go to:
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/Issues_09.pdf
You are urged to study the issues carefully before voting. Please remember to
bring a current, valid form of identification when you go to vote at the polls.

Upcoming Events

October 31 Trick or Treat, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

October 31 Theft Awareness Day with National City Bank and Middletown
Police Department, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., 3359 Towne Blvd

November 1 Daylight Savings Time Ends- Set your clocks back 1 hour

November 2 Middletown Park Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Conference Room
2C

November 2 Middletown Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m., 1515 Girard
Ave.

November 3 Middletown City Council meeting, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers

November 3 Election Day

November 3 City Council Meeting 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers

November 4 Airport Commission meeting, 5:00 p.m., Middletown Regional
Airport, 1717 Run Way

November 5 Chamber of Commerce monthly business luncheon, 11:45 a.m.,
Middletown Senior Citizens, Central Avenue

November 7 Middletown Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, VFW Hall, Coles Road

November 10 Board of Health meeting, 7:30 a.m., City Building, Conference
Room 2C

November 11 Veterans Day Memorial Service 11:00am
Lunch @ American Legion Post 218, Noon, 116 S. Main Street

November 18 Chamber of Commerce Economic Forecast luncheon, Noon –
1:30, Chamber of Commerce, $25 Chamber members (Council
Members, please advise Betsy if you plan to attend)

Links for additional information:
City Manager’s Weekly Update: www.cityofmiddletown.org

Middletown Community Calendar:
http://www.calendarwiz.com/middletowncalendar (copy and paste in your web browser)

Pothole Patrol: www.cityofmiddletown.org or call 727-3691 (Option 2)

Have a great week! Judy