Kohler resigns

Middletown’s city planner resigns

By Ed Richter
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN —
Middletown’s city planner has submitted his resignation and will start the new year with a new job in a new community.

Marty Kohler, who has been in various roles in the city’s planning and zoning departments since 2002, recently submitted his resignation and will take a similar role in Colerain Twp.

Kohler declined to publicly comment about why he resigned his position, which is effective Saturday . His 2015 salary was $89,003.

In addition to the his duties as planner and zoning administrator, Kohler was also the secretary for the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Historic Commission, and the Architectural Review Board.

Kohler has also been involved with the city’s current master plan as well as the zoning code update that is already under way.

Kohler’s most recent evaluation was completed in August 2013 and covered the previous 36 months, according to a review of his personnel file by the Journal-News. Kohler received an overall rating of “meeting standards” in nearly all categories evaluated and an “exceeding standards” rating for the job knowledge category in an evaluation signed in January 2014 by then community revitalization director and now city manager Doug Adkins.

In his comments, Adkins said Kohler was to continue to work on updating the city’s zoning code and to work on code enforcement issues with other city staff members.

Before that evaluation, Kohler, who was then planning director, was evaluated in September 2007 by then Interim City Manager Steve Husemann. Kohler received a split rating of “having a strength or meeting expectations.” In that evaluation, Husemann described Kohler as “an excellent employee. Good judgment, hard working and bright.”

In the years he did not receive an evaluation, Kohler received favorable comments from his supervisors in justifying salary step increases.

Kohler had worked as a senior planner from September 1989 to September 1997 and served as Lebanon’s director of planning and development from October 1997 through April 2002.

The city has hired a new zoning administrator who is scheduled to be confirmed by Middletown City Council at its meeting next week.

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.!!!

We must hope that he is completely out of here, and not left on the jack-booted, Nazi-like "hysterical commission"!

Hopefully, without Kohler, now some businesses that which actually may be able to thrive (or at least are willing to TRY) in Middletown, will be allowed to open here!!

(Of course, we will have to wait for anti-business Joe Mulligan to end his term on council...but without Kohler and at least one of the Mulligans, we may have a chance at real business development).

The Lebanon Story

He seemed to be long on traditional urban planning theory but, was woefully lacking in the realities of the economic marketplace.  So many of his beliefs and actions were detrimental to those of us active in the local commercial real estate industry.   Just ask Jeff, Lenny, etc.

I have been shocked to hear that over the last several years Marty did not not have time to update zoning information since many months we didn't even have a zoning meeting. 
To many mistakes...It was time for a change