Council Agenda 7-03-2012

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So, let me see if I've got this straight: 
62% (more or less) of the property owners on South Main vote to accept an assessment to install decorative, historically inaccurate, fake sidewalk lights to gussy up their properties, based upon an estimate.
The actual bids come in way over the estimate, but the South Main property owners don't want to pay the overage.
Everyone on City staff, and apparently four council members, seem to think that it might be a good idea to simply "assess" the rest of the city's taxpayers for the overage (even though the rest of the City's taxpayers don't want the lights and didn't get to vote on the "assessment").
The City Law Director sits there as if he thinks this is legal.

Is THAT about the size of it???

Hmm...

And I guess that if any of the ancient utility laterals collapse during the prosecution of this work (as is likely to happen when dealing with such old utilities) and thereby run up a large amount of extra work, the City will just "assess" those costs to the rest of the City's taxpayers as well??? 

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Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 06 2012 at 6:34am
	So, let me see if I've got this straight: 62% (more or less) of the property owners on South Main vote to accept an assessment to install decorative, historically inaccurate, fake sidewalk lights to gussy up their properties, based upon an estimate. The actual bids come in way over the estimate, but the South Main property owners don't want to pay the overage. Everyone on City staff, and apparently four council members, seem to think that it might be a good idea to simply "assess" the rest of the city's taxpayers for the overage (even though the rest of the City's taxpayers don't want the lights and didn't get to vote on the "assessment"). The City Law Director sits there as if he thinks this is legal. Is THAT about the size of it??? Hmm... And I guess that if any of the ancient utility laterals collapse during the prosecution of this work (as is likely to happen when dealing with such old utilities) and thereby run up a large amount of extra work, the City will just "assess" those costs to the rest of the City's taxpayers as well???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 06 2012 at 8:31am
	Yep Mike This is a money pit just waiting for an accident to happen. But…but…but who will pay the bill if the accident happens?.

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 16 2013 at 4:46pm
	Well, here we go again!!! The same small group feels entitled to have their “wants” catered to for their enjoyment, but with the rest of the citizenry footing the bill. Consider the following from page 101/127 of the 2/19/2012 City Council workbook: “After consideration by the Main Street Historical Society and City Council, staff recommends approval of an assessment amount equaling 15% more than the original estimated assessment which totals approximately $222,000. This will be combined with additional funding provided by the Historical Society ($11,100) to create a budget of $233,100 to be spent on decorative lighting. The street light spacing will be adjusted to maximize the number of light fixtures provided within this budgeted amount once current pricing from Duke Energy is obtained.” The “Main Street Historical Society”, in effect, gets to levy a tax on the rest of Middletown’s citizens to pay for the electricity for their decorative lights every month from now until the end of time!!! And of course there is the matter of the ancient sewer laterals that will be encountered during construction, which will necessarily lead to a significant amount of legitimate claims for “extra” construction costs by the contractors. Any guesses who will be stuck for these??? The sad part is that there is such an obvious solution: anyone who so desires can install decorative lampposts and gas or electric lights right on their own property, but just a few feet away on the other side of the sidewalk!!! They can do this at their own expense, with the monthly utility costs run through their own meters to their own accounts. They can achieve the SAME RESULTS and leave the rest of us (who will receive no benefits) out of it!!! So WHY do they insist on having the rest of us pay for it??? By the way, please consider Mayor O'bamigan's remark on 1/30/2012 when he advocated cutting funding on some things that were NOT in his front yard: *“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.”* …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 Well, Mayor Obamigan, will these decorative lamposts and lights "necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them" until the end of time??? (And I mean for the rest of us Middletonians...not just for you and your family!!!) And where did the Middletown Historical Society get an extra 11 Grand to throw around??? I thought that they were needy and looking for handouts themselves???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 16 2013 at 5:01pm
	Oh, and let's not forget this: There is absolutely NO RECORD of this area (or any other area of the city) having had a public gas street light system at any time in Middletown's history!!! (There have been some private gas lamp posts privately installed as I have suggested above.) Think that I'm wrong??? Show me!!! How about it, Middletown Historical Society??? With your $11,000 "investment", you are trying to RE-WRITE Middletown's history, not "preserve" it!!!
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 16 2013 at 8:56pm
	Sorg Opera House 1895. From Library Lens at MidPointe Library Systems. Where are the gas lights??? Old Methodist Church on Broad Street (Library lens) Where are the gas lights??? Downtown in the “horse and wagon” days. Does anyone see any gas lamps??? Sorg residence (from Flicker) See any PUBLIC street gas lamp posts??? The John Philip Sousa Band on Main Street in 1898 (Middletown Library) See any Gas lamp posts??? Very earliest picture of the Sorg mansion that I could find (even before the turrets were added) with a Middletown Fire Department horse-drawn wagon in the forefront. Does anyone see any gas street lamps???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 16 2013 at 9:21pm
	And finally: Here is a photo of the Jacoby Building, circa 1890. (It sits on the present location of the HISTORIC Pendelton Art Center! Can anyone see any Gas street lamp posts??? Now ... I'll sit by quietly and wait for someone to post historically accurate pictures showing all of the public gas street lamps lining the streets of Middletown. If no one can do so, then the people on South Main Street are NOT trying to "preserve", "restore", or "replicate" history. They are trying to redecorate their properties to their own tastes and standards *at PUBLIC EXPENSE*, with the City government and the Historic Society being willing accomplices in perpetrating this fraud.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

LMAO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 28 2009 Location: Middletucky Status: Offline Points: 468	Post Options Post Reply Quote LMAO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 16 2013 at 11:23pm
	Like to know how many of the "SNOBS" of South Main Street helped out cleaning the "Historical Sorg Opera House?"My guess would be none. Seems like if they try to force these lights upon us knowing how most people feel about it,is there "LEGAL" action we can take against the city?As it has been said before,Put it to a vote and lets see what happens. I know it cost money to put something on the ballot so why dont the "SNOBS" put up that 11,000.00 to help out the cost? Kind of reminds me of when the whole "SUNCHOKE" was voted on.Are "SPINELESS ONES" didnt care one bit that it was being built by a Retiremeant Home,a Elementary School and a neighborhood. They just cared about kissing AK Steels A$$.

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 10:03am
	Mike Presta - “After consideration by the Main Street Historical Society and City Council, staff recommends approval of an assessment amount equaling 15% more than the original estimated assessment which totals approximately $222,000. This will be combined with additional funding provided by the Historical Society ($11,100) to create a budget of $233,100 to be spent on decorative lighting. The street light spacing will be adjusted to maximize the number of light fixtures provided within this budgeted amount once current pricing from Duke Energy is obtained.” Mike do we have a Main Street Historical Society or was this $11,000 donation made by the Middletown Historical Society?

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 2:17pm
	Vivian: I don't know the answer to your question. All I know is what I read in the workbook, which I quoted exactly in my post. You'll have to ask Robert E. Nicolls, Senior Engineer for the City, who prepared the staff report for that section of the workbook from which the quote was taken (page 101 of 127). Sorry that I couldn't be of more help.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 2:23pm
	It really perplexes me that last year they kept referring to this as "period lighting". I have searched through hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of photos and cannot find any examples of such lighting in Middlletown. Will any Council member have the courage to ask exactly which "period" this lighting is from???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

over the hill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952	Post Options Post Reply Quote over the hill Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 2:25pm
	Well, according to some one I spoke with earlier today, An "unofficial" straw poll done with some of the council members,it appears this thing IS going to pass. Council members are not interested in what the rest of us want. So, I guess all we can do is remember this ,along with the rest of councils decisions in the past,AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY IN NOVEMBER!!!

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 18 2013 at 2:43pm
	Regardless of whether or not there is a "Main Street Historical Society" or if that was a mis-statement referring to the "Middletown Historical Society", I believe that here in Middletown we cannot lend much credence to such organizations. After all, didn't such a group vote to grant a "certificate of appropriateness" to PAC to hang a bunch of junk auto hoods on a building right next to some similar phony gaas street lamps a year or so ago??? How can "historians" such as that be considered anything but a laughingstock???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012