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SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING

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Vivian Moon View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council


Joined: May 16 2008
Location: Middletown, Ohi
Status: Offline
Points: 4187
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 04 2012 at 5:16am

City to be part of county land bank

Grant program provides funds to tear down blighted properties

By Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer Updated 1:31 AM Wednesday, July 4, 2012

MIDDLETOWN — City Council reversed course and agreed to have the city participate in a county land bank and receive $1.35 million in state funds.

Two weeks ago, City Council rejected the idea to join the County Land Reutilization Corp.,

also known as the land bank, and have the quasi-public nonprofit organization apply for the
a $2.7 million Moving Ohio Forward Grant on behalf of Hamilton and Middletown. The grant
would be split between the two cities so long each provides a $1.1 million match.

On Tuesday, council voted 4-0-2 to pass the legislation. Council members Anita Scott Jones

and A.J. Smith abstained; Councilman Josh Laubach was not at the meeting due to a death in
the family.

“I think this is a great opportunity for the city,” said Vice Mayor Dan Picard of the grant and

 land bank. “We have so many properties that are in such terrible shape that we really need
to do as much as we can to get that under control.”

Butler County commissioners approved in May to form the land bank, which can acquire

vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed or other property for rehabilitation or reuse. The land
bank would then clear properties of all
liens, including delinquent taxes.

The Moving Ohio Forward Grant comes from a multibillion-dollar mortgage provider

settlement shared with all states. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced he set $75
million of the state’s share of the settlement aside for the
grant program, which was designed to demolish dilapidated and abandoned homes.

With the grant, Middletown can demolish by Dec. 31, 2013, around 300 vacant and

abandoned properties, about 10 percent of the city’s total. The city currently demolishes
about 40 to 50 homes a year.

Picard said the grant isn’t just taking care of bad-looking properties either.

“It’s not just an aesthetic issue, it’s a criminal issue,” he said. “These houses provide havens

for heroin addicts and other drug addicts and all for kinds of criminal activity and illicit
activity. It eats up our other resources.”

Scott Jones and Smith both abstained because they felt the legislation was being reconsidered

 because it failed despite receiving a majority vote. Council voted two weeks ago 5-1 on both
pieces of legislation, but since Picard was absent at that meeting, the voted needed to be
unanimous. Laubach was the dissenting vote.

“Although I was a proponent of this piece of legislation when it initially came before us, I am

not an proponent of bringing back legislation so quickly because it didn’t go my way,” Scott
Jones said.

Smith also abstained because he was one of three council members that were not at the special

 meeting last week.

“I have not supported in the past bringing back legislation once it’s failed, whether it’s

something I supported or in opposition to,” he said.

 

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acclaro View Drop Down
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Prominent MUSA Citizen
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Joined: Jul 01 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1878
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 04 2012 at 10:10am
This council has been such an incredible disappointment, the runaway train of nepotism, poor behavior, and blatant bully-ism. Mr. Picard, you amaze me with your commentary. Criminals are using houses for heroin transactions? Where do you come up with such nonsense?

I state it again, for the upteenth time. When you have two brothers, an attorney (who practices before two Middletown employees), and a retired city police chief, all having one single tie that unites them all, in Red Crimson and Gold, you only have 4 out 7 that are solely with the city's agenda, and the city with their agenda.

All that money going down to Main Street for the benefit of the Mulligans, and no one cares? This is unlike any city in America.

Lets hope you all remember how they came up with these funds and pandering Dan voted to spend $1.2 Mm, when also saying the levy needed to pass because we needed the bloated fire department. This is the worst council in history, and openly self serving. It won't help your neighborhood, they'll divert the funds elsewhere, but who cares? I surrender, idiots rule.  
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Bill View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Nov 04 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 710
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 04 2012 at 10:44am

Safety levy passage = more city purchasing and renovation or demo of downtown buildings.

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Bocephus View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
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Joined: Jun 04 2009
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Points: 838
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bocephus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 04 2012 at 1:46pm

Only in America Angry

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LMAO View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
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Joined: Oct 28 2009
Location: Middletucky
Status: Offline
Points: 468
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LMAO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 04 2012 at 2:39pm
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VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
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Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 04 2012 at 4:02pm
Nothing surprising here. Picard just doing what he is told to do by his bosses. We all knew the approval on the second go-around was a done deal. Scott-Jones and Mr. Smith standing their ground. The good guys are still out-numbered 4 to 3 on council, at least on this one. The game remains the same.....until the people in this town wake up, give a crap enough to register to vote, educate themselves on what is happening, go to the polls and outnumber the MMF-sponsored voting block contingent who are ruining the city. Meanwhile, the city continues to go down the toilet with their game plan in place and the majority of the citizens seem not to care. The city leaders/MMF are counting on that to remain in effect.
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wowlijetgold View Drop Down
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Joined: Aug 04 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wowlijetgold Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 07 2012 at 4:01am

All things in their being are good for something.

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MapleStory Mesos|WOW Gold|Runescape Gold

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