10 Point Plan, explained

Point No. 1:

While our City’s “General Fund” has been in the area of $28 million to $30 million in recent years, that has only been part of the story.  Middletown’s TOTAL budget in each of these same years has been nearly $130 million per year!!!

Many have tried to lead the citizenry to believe that the roughly 28 to 30 million dollars in the “General Fund” is the only money about which the administration has any discretion.  This is simply untrue.

While it is true that there are several funds, some known as “Enterprise Funds” and others that are “trust” funds”, which absolutely must be used for the designated purposes, there are a host of other funds over which there is a great deal of latitude as to the spending.  One evidence of this is the way that hundreds of thousands of dollars is found “tucked away in one of our other funds” from time–to-time, and always at an opportune moment to bail the administration out of a jam, or to fund some pet project that benefits only a few.  These sums are always found “tucked away” in some fund other than the General Fund, yet they are available to be used for whatever purpose serves the administration at that moment. 

Even within some of the other funds, there is great latitude as to where/how the monies can be spent.  An example of this is the Gasoline Tax and License Plate Fee Funds.  These funds can be used for road and street repairs and resurfacing or maintenance (they almost never have been recently) or they can be used for grass mowing, or for reprogramming traffic signals, or street signage.

(Has anyone else noticed how screwed up our traffic signals have become???  It used to be that if one travelled at the posted speed limit on our thoroughfares, and made one green light, you could make nearly every green light.  Now it seems no matter how hard you try, you cannot catch two green lights in a row.  It’s as if the signals, even on completely empty roads in the dead of night, sense you approaching and try to “catch” you by changing to yellow and then quickly to red with no other vehicle in sight as far as the eye can see.)

All of that having been said, look for me to be proposing a general overhaul of our accounting system, and a asking a very different set of questions at budget time.

In my view, it is the City Manager’s duty to present City Council with a balanced budget that addresses ALL of the true necessities of our city.  If this one can’t do it, I am certain that there is one somewhere who can.

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot accomplish this alone.  Councilman Picard already has two years remaining on his existing Fourth Ward seat, and we already know from his diatribe at the Community Center Forum that he disagrees, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

Point No. 3:

Open government is essential to freedom.

I cannot understand why our present city council, or those of the past, insist upon keeping as much of their discussion as possible out of the public’s eyesight and earshot.  I can only conclude that they are saying things that they would be ashamed, or afraid, of saying openly.

“City Council Chambers” is so-named because that is where City Council is supposed to meet, so at the first meeting after I am elected I will be proposing that all of our meetings be held right there in City Council Chambers with the cameras rolling.  In this day and age, we should have a City Ordinance to that effect (or perhaps even a Charter requirement). I am ashamed that it has to even be said.  At the very least, it gives the perception of impropriety.

I also believe that “Executive Sessions” are being abused.  It certainly appears that our councils never even know if they are going to be discussing the “buying” or the “selling” of public property, as there never seems to be an executive called for one or the other, they are always called for both.  This is “odd”, if true, to say the very least.  Similarly, I find odd the often used reason: “To consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official.”  For the love of Pete!!! If they aren’t sure whether they are going to “Appoint, employ or dismiss” or if they will “promote or demote”, whether they will  “discipline or give the fella a raise” then perhaps they should be taking group therapy instead of wasting time in an executive session of City Council!!!  Let’s face it: they are just reading a “laundry list” to try to cover their butts while they talk about something they should be discussing in an open meeting, which is explicitly illegal and in violation of the Ohio Sunshine Law.  Further, if Mr. Landen does not explain this to them, then the next executive session should be “to consider the dismissal, demotion, or discipline” of HIM!!!

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot accomplish this alone.  All I can do is to propose this.  It may die for lack of a second, or it may fail if three other Council members do not vote for it, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

Remember, First Ward Voters will be voting for FOUR City Council members:

Mike, with no offense intended to middletownusa, I hope you are putting this as an ad in the Journal and putting out flyers so all of Ward 1 will be aware of it. If not, I think your targeted message will not be reviewed by the masses needed to separate you from the opponent in the ward.

No, I do not intend to put ads in the Journal or put out flyers.  I have spent my limit of campaign funds on yard signs and lapel stickers.  I realize that many see this as a fatal error.  However, I am relying on word-of-mouth from my backers to get me over the top.  I hope that those here on MiddletownUSA will help out by telling their family and friends—and asking them to tell their families and friends!!!

One of the concerns I would voice on putting family members on any Committee is usually, you are putting a yes man/ yes woman on do the bidding. In other words, you place a relative in a position that the feedback and agreement you wish to secure. For instance, Joe Mulligan sat on the "Charter" committee that did away with the ward system, giving a small group within the city, what they wished to accomplish in the future---complete control over the direction and expenditures of Middletown.

What about the nepotism in city hall which is as bad as the Committees comprised of council member family members? Would you terminate Joe Newlin's son (Magistrate/ police sergeant) as they are father/ son and the many other relatives who work within the city building?

I know in every F500 company I have worked, neptotism is not allowed and its in policy manuals. Will your policy be implemented into the city departments or just council and committees?

I agree completely regarding family members on committees, and implied this in my point No. 4.  Perhaps I should’ve been clearer.  I am also against nepotism throughout City Hall, but I think that most of that hiring is governed by Civil Service regulations, isn’t it?  I certainly would support a policy forbidding relatives working under the supervision of relatives, but we must follow the law, and the actual law, not what someone wants to twist it or misinterpret it to be.

As for the rainy day drainage, it went from 25% to 15%, could that be a basis for a campaign theme for sustaining the 1.75% levy- a campaign strategy? You know, we have no money, we ran down the fund by 10%, to buy buildings that are idle? Bill Becker and John Lyons said that at 25%, it gave the city 90 days of a window to pay the bills. That can't be truthful then, or if so, at 15%, in the event something occurred catastropic to taxes and revenue, the city would have perhaps a 30 day surplus. Would you support the fund being at 25% or 0%? Is there a % you think it can be drawn down to?

It would be my goal to maintain the Rainy Day Fund at 25%, and certainly keep it at a minimum of 15%.  In fact, if elected, I will try to never again refer to it as the “Rainy Day Fund”.  I prefer the term “EMERGENCY RESERVE FUND”, which more accurately describes it.  When it gets down to 15%, we should certainly batten all the hatches and go into full crisis mode, because we are heading for a financial crisis.  This is not to say that the amount between 15% and 25% is some sort of “slush” fund, it is not!  It should only be touched when there is some sort of emergency, some unforeseeable circumstance.  It should not be used at the convenience of council or the manager

As you know, many of your critics on many of your ten points will say you are making policy points as if you are a city manager, not a city council person. I suppose that would include existing council members. Your thoughts---should council adopt or reject city decisions, or be out front, and set them?

Both!!!  While it is true that the City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of the city, he/she serves at the pleasure of the City Council.  Council has the authority, by both Charter and the ORC, to pass resolutions and those resolutions may direct the City Manager to implement whatever policies (within the law) that the City Council sees fit.  It is also a fact that Council is always free to terminate the City Manager and hire a new manager whose thinking is more in tune with theirs. Since most City Managers understand this fact (as well as the fact that the council reviews his/her performance and approves or rejects any salary increases), prudent City Manager comply with council’s wishes, even if it must be after clearly warning council when it is felt that those wishes are in error.

Is that not really the function now of the Mayor by the change in the city ordinance, that the Mayor has great latitude in impacting city policy?

In a word, NO!!!  Even with the Charter change, the Mayor has no greater latitude in impacting city policy than any other council member.  The Mayor is now obliged to give the “State of the City” address every year.  Other than that and the fact that he can no longer be removed from his position as titular head of the council by a vote of council, he has no greater power than the former “Chairman” of the “City Commission”, or the former non-elected mayor; basically, other than what I just mentioned and the fact that he chairs the council meetings and signs the legislation (which any two council members can do) and proclamations, he has no powers greater than any other council member.

Would not a personal touch of having Ambassadors or city greeters work just as well, than changing the sign ordinance, as Ann Mort has stated, so businesses and new residents know where the water payment office, the criminal court, civil court, and tax department in Donham?

NO!!!  The sign ordinance needs to be changed!!!  As it is now, people have great difficulty even finding many orf our businesses!!!  Please recall the situation about two years ago, with unemployment over 10% and hundreds of people lining up for every job opening, when one of the businesses around Atrium had to beg for a temporary variance to erect temporary signs so applicants could find them.  Even though they had advertised the job openings, and for interested parties to apply at the business, no one was showing up.  They discovered that, even though they had given directions and ALL of their legally allowable signs had been erected, no one could locate their business!!!  So much for our sign ordinance…nothing more needs to be said!

That is after you have driven 5 miles downtown dodging the cameras mounted on the traffic lights and the pot holes. But Walmart has greeters, why not Middletown. And, it adds a couple more employees to payroll, unless that's a volunteer position. But would you not agree a Middletown Ambassador only works, reactively, when a company or new resident already has an interest in Middletown, than proactively bringing in business and residents. Ita a concierge, awaiting to serve. I would think a real estate agent would be able to tell a new resident, "here's Donham, you can pay your bills online."

Agreed. Better yet, let’s cut the red tape and just make it easier to do business in Middletown.  We must STOP finding ways to keep businesses OUT, and start finding ways to help them IN!!  This goes back to the fact that a few people at city hall want to pick every business, and keep out every one that they, personally, do not want.  That is WRONG and it must stop!!!  Anyone who wants to open a legal business in Middletown in an area properly zoned for that business (or with a variance) must be allowed to do so.  We must stop keeping businesses out of Middletown just because someone in City Hall has a personal bias against some businesses or businesspersons.

Do we also need an Ombudsman, to resolve disputes within the city, or just dowbtown city Ambassadors? Forgetful me, I didn't realize Welcome Wagon wasn't around anymore, but I never knew they were charged to be a municipal economic development engine.

Yes we DO need an ombudsman…but we need one for our CITIZENS!!!  I have thought so for years, and have even thought of volunteering for the job.  However, I was certain that if I suggested this, the suggestion would be rejected out of hand.

The Ambassador message: "Welcome to Middletown. We have drained our general fund reserves. We have 1.75% tax, and intend to raise it to 2.0% within 5 years. We have lots of houses for sell---cheap. We have a pothole potline, call anytime. If you like art, we have it, once a month, with wine and cheese. The schools are below average, but we do have a nice private catholic school if you want to pay $3,000 per child for elementary, and $7,000 for high school. Glad you are here. Do you like to dance---we have a great gala and looking for new blood and eyes."

All good reasons for you to spread the word for folks to vote for ME!!!

You mention two of the key points Paul Nagy referenced in his debate called PIE- city which focuses upon Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Economic Development. Besides eliminating the sign ban and such out at the interestate, is there any other area in the ten points which addresses the E, as in economic development, besides the freedom to advertise out by 75 and more relaxed architectural standards for building. I thought to some extent, the Fisher development to a lowered price point accomplished some reduction in standards.

It’s a shame that the Renaissance development was not protected by covenants or deed restrictions, although I believe it was an illegal development to begin with, so it is difficult for me to gin up too much sympathy.  (The City had declared a moratorium on development for the entire area, and then allowed that one single exception, allowing them a head start while forcing all other developers to sit on their hands.)  

Well, we must do more to become truly “business friendly”, not just say the words.  There is a reason why, of all the interchanges up and down I-75 between Cincinnati and Dayton, we are the only one not thriving.  Developers have waited for complete new interchanges to be built just to the north and south of us, rather than to come here and deal with our City Hall.  It’s a travesty.  Look at the Towne Mall property:  You cannot tell me that someone, somewhere would not like to redevelop that, and that the current owners would not want to deal with them.  I believe that a few people at City Hall with their screwball “quaint village, bike path, doggie park, old professor, walk-to-work, master plan” scheme is the ONLY thing that stands in the way.  If we can put a majority of TRULY business-friendly, common sense people on City Council that will sing the TRUE advantages of Middletown onto City Council, we will claim our rightful place as the real “middle-of-the-metro-plex”!!!

It’s tough to sell Middletown as a “business-friendly, modern, happenin’, commerce center when they keep pointing to our Master Plan and telling prospective developers “NO!  What YOU want to do is NOT what our Master Plan calls for.”  What’s keeping downtown depressed is the same thing that is keeping our entire city depressed: We keep regurgitating the same old, tired, failed plan over and over and refuse to learn from our mistakes and listen to the market!!!  We must look back and learn from our mistakes or we will just keep repeating them!!!

If you do a chronology of economic development in Middletown over abou 20 years, it goes like this:

Act I- pre- 1990-2002: Neil Barielle, ED Director, Net Sum gain or loss? Loss

Act II- 2005-2008: Consultants, Bill Murphy and the Middletown Economic Council (call it pre MMF), Neyer Group, Non Profit. Net Suma gain or loss? Loss.

KPI- Atrium, Renaissance

Act III- 2009-2010: Consultants, Mike Robinette and Company (and MMF), Net Sum Gain or Loss? Loss.

KPI- Atrium, Renaissance

Act IV- 2011: Consultants, MMF, a part-time MUM employee, and an attorney, Net Sum Gain or Loss? Loss

KPI- SunCoke, Cincinnati State

Act V- Present, Consultants, MMF, Ibid. Net Sum Gain or Loss? TBD.

KPI- Cincinnati State, Greentree, Renaissance (UDF?)

Once had a CEO say, if I need to hire CONSULTANTS, why do I need CERTAIN EMPLOYEES?

Where in your 10 points do you address this situation, and what is the solution to correct the net NEGATIVE?

And your ten points addresses overabundance of section 8 by which point?

Your ten points have merit, but unless you are submitting your resume for city manager, I don't think 80% of these will be implemented, as the law director would be required to amend ordinances, that council would then vote.

Well, I have absolutely NO PROBLEM amending many of our outdated, oppressive, progress-killing, business-unfriendly ordinances!  Do you???

Cutting back on charitable activities probably amounts to $100,000 in a $130,000,000 budget.

I think that you’d be surprised!  We can start with the paid positions at the Convention and Visitors Bureau and similar organizations. Perhaps TVMiddletown should be a project of MUM, or even Cinci State??  Those are two items that you never hear about during our “budget talks”, yet we spend money on them every year.  Do you wanna guess how much???  (Clue:  Just those two items alone are way more than the figure you mentioned.)  I could go on, but I won’t right now. 

And with the gas fund, it is my belief those funds are mandated to be spent on roads and mowing, not an option to be used for those purposes.

I LIKE MIKE....I am just uncertain if he is running for city council or opting for the city manager position.

Me ... City Manager???  LOL!!!  Perhaps if I was younger and healthier and if this were a city of 200,000…then I might consider it, if the money was right.

Point No. 6:

 Immediately issue a policy paper to all city department heads, instructing them to distribute it, and explain it, to all employees that there will no longer be any unwarranted impediments to business development. Further instruct them to explain to all employees that there is no such thing, for example, as “the right architect“. The right architect is any architect licensed to practice in the state of Ohio, or licensed in any state with reciprocity agreements with the state of Ohio, and that any employee found violating these directives will be summarily discharged.

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Let me be perfectly frank.  I don’t watch every meeting of the Zoning Board, or the Appeals Board, or the Architectural Review Board, or similar bodies, but I have watched occasionally.  It has been a couple of years, but I have heard the same person use the following phrase twice during official proceedings:  “…the right architect…”!!!  Both times it was used in the context:  “With the right architect, this can really be a great…”, and “If they use the right architect, I think we would recommend ...” 

First, we should NOT be blackmailing developers or businesses into using favored vendors by implying that approval may be withheld if they don’t.  That is illegal, unethical and immoral.  Second, even if said “unintentionally”, it smacks of impropriety and, in my opinion, should not only be a “firing offense”, but also should be brought to the attention of the Butler County Attorney and prosecuted to the full extent of the law…no “allowed to resign”, no “it’s time to retire”.  Fire the party and prosecute, and send them to jail if appropriate.

If I am elected, and this kind of malfeasance occurs, they better hope that it is not recorded or that no one shows me the recording.  I won’t need any other votes to take it to the prosecuting attorney!!!  So even if I can’t muster enough votes to make this official city policy, enough people better get on board to warn everyone because there will be follow-up and there will be consequences.

Point No. 8:

 Immediately abolish all city codes or ordinances banning, or even discouraging, signs visible from I-75, or from the surface streets in the areas surrounding Interstate highway interchanges, when such signs advertise goods, products, businesses or services available in the City of Middletown. *********************************************************************************

Of course this will take a resolution directing the City Manager to have legislation prepared to this effect, as Acclaro pointed out above, but I will propose such action.  And this is just a start.  I believe we have to loosen up our sign ordinance and gave some examples of why above in my reply to Acclaro.  I just can’t for the life of me figure out why we have become “ashamed” of our businesses and feel that it is tacky for them to advertise.  Advertising is effective, and our city demonstrated the height of hypocrisy when we advertised our Weatherwax Golf Course on billboards at the exits just north and just south of our city on I-75, but we ban billboards in our city, even along that same interstate highway!!!  And think about all of the signs we stick in our rights-of-way for MidFest and other city-approved events.  Signs that would be illegal if erected by anyone else, anywhere else in our city!!! What hypocrisy!!!  I guess that it’s only tacky when someone else does it???

We cannot expect people to spend money at our businesses (and thereby for our businesses to thrive) if people cannot identify them or find them!  Sure, there need to be some standards, and there need to be some regulations, but we have gone way overboard.  Look around!  This is the Section 8 capital of Ohio…not Beverly Hills!!!  Allowing our businesses to reasonably advertise their goods and services is not going to ruin our reputation…or our “ambiance”.  Bringing more business and commerce to town will only improve it. 

And right now, we actually DO make many of our businesses plant trees or bushes in front of their signs!!!  This goes beyond hypocrisy…this is stupidity.