Mr Adkins has revisited an item (on his City Manager’s Blog/CityofMiddletown.org) concerning the BUTLER COUNTY Small Business Development Center (SBCD). The original post is dated March 24, 2017. An excerpt in new post, dated May 8, 2017, titled Economic Development Week says virtually the same thing as the old one:
“On a local scale, Middletown has seen over 20 new small businesses open in the heart of Downtown Middletown, bringing locally-made products and services right to your backyard. Not only are your local small businesses great, they’re backed by the best Small Business Development Center in the country: Middletown’s Small Business Development Center was recently named the Best SBDC of 2017, making it the first Ohio SBDC to win the national award.”
The original post had 2 comments following it...but the second comment made by whistlersmom has been edited out… because it was critical and uncomplimentary. I copied the entire post and the comments which include a reply by Adkins and posted it here just a few posts previous to this. Check it out!
Both of Adkins’ posts leave the reader with the FALSE impression that the award and all accolades belong mainly to Middletown. Nothing could be further from the truth. Again the award was NOT given to the MIDDLETOWN SBDC, but to BUTLER COUNTY SBDC in Hamilton where Director David Riggs has his office. There is a very slim chance that Riggs will be in the “Middletown office.” Middletown IS a part of Butler County SBCD, but Hamilton is where the MAJORITY of small businesses are starting up and beginning to thrive, NOT Middletown. Adkins made no answer when asked on his first post to enumerate the successful small business start-ups still in operation in Middletown and what percentage they were of the total in Butler County. Guess why!!!!
It’s shameful that Mr. Adkins is allowed to “thrive” on half truths and innuendo. The unvarnished truth needs to be told but it’s hard to find the truth among so many years of REPEATED propaganda. Adkins is living vicariously thru others who are doing the real work. Middletown is reaping the chaff and none of the wheat.
And as Mr. Adkins has suggested, I do think about Middletown’s economic predicament on a daily basis with great sadness.
As to the rest of Adkins “points” he tried to make on the Economic Development post on his blog:
1.) The small businesses downtown have provided lower paying entry level jobs, very little gain in income tax for the city.
2.) AK Steel Research and Innovation Center moved from the “downtown” area to the Eastend and received an extended tax abatement on the property. Because it is Warren County and in Franklin City School District, Middletown might have to pay to Franklin Schools the amount they would have received in property taxes from AK.
3.) NTE Energy Power Plant brings more pollution to Middletown. We had no power plants here previous to them, so we are ADDING new pollution. We are just lucky they didn’t decide to build a coal fired power plant. We already have SunCoke, a high polluter. And AK Steel, too. It’s a shame we can’t get nice clean jobs like AK Headquarters.
4.) Has anyone seen activity at Goetz Tower’s apartment construction?
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
More from the City
Manager’s Blog that needs our attention! The invitation to leave a
comment has to be on MUSA because critical comments will edited out
and will not be tolerated on Adkins’ blog.
I’ve heard many times that if I would just bring more
manufacturing jobs back to Middletown, this blue collar town would
rebound just fine. We are always on the lookout for new
opportunities but the problem right this minute isn’t adding jobs,
it’s getting existing jobs filled.
The Journal ran a nice article detailing the problem local
manufacturers are facing filling existing open positions.
The Dayton Region Manufacturers Association, which represents
14 local counties, reports that local manufacturers are trying to
fill between 3,400 – 4,000 manufacturing jobs each year in the
area. Our Middletown manufacturers are all hiring at this
time. In addition, the last time I talked to Atrium Medical
Center, they had an additional 300 open, unfilled positions at the
hospital.
Bringing additional jobs here means we all (government, business
and the community) are going to have to be very creative in how
we bring new people to Middletown to work. It’s a Middletown,
a southwest Ohio and a Statewide shortage of incoming new talent.
The City is looking at adding new bus routes from
neighboring communities to start opening up additional transportation
options to bring workers to the City. Our existing housing
policies and housing stock will also play a part in our success or
our failure. People generally want to live close to where they
work, and it is critical that we have attractive housing
available in all price ranges to make this an attractive community to
live, work and play in.
Schools, jobs, and the city are all intertwined. None can be
fully successful without all three functioning well.
Points from Adkins’
blog:
“The problem
right this minute isn’t adding jobs, it’s getting existing jobs
filled.”
Specifically,
where in Middletown, are these existing manufacturing jobs? Do they
pay a living wage? Are they full time or part time? Do they require
special schooling or training?
“The Dayton Region Manufacturers Association, which represents 14
local counties, reports that local manufacturers are trying to fill
between 3,400 – 4,000 manufacturing jobs each year in the area.”
The
areas in Butler County that have job openings are not in Middletown,
but are in Hamilton where they are being recognized for a superior
job of revitalization and the influx of 800 jobs. The other 13 counties
are where the local manufacturers have the rest of the jobs that need to be filled.
Adkins needs to help Middletown by attracting
manufacturers that will provide real jobs so that the taxes are
spread over more citizens. More good jobs would provide income for
working class people to buy or rent properties rather than the
section 8 folks, the drug dealers and the criminals. (Didn’t I see
where Middletown had surpassed the murder rate for all of last year?
But that little problem is also overlooked.) Adkins will again use
“the Adkins Method” of ignoring the real problems of Middletown.
Instead he will just continue to raise water and sewer bills to use
as a slush fund to cover the rising cost of living in Middletown!
And residents will individually foot the bill for installing curb,
gutter and sidewalk where repaving is taking place. Adkins recently
said that if the citizens wanted more street repairs they would have
to pay higher taxes.
“Bringing
additional jobs here means we all (government, business and the
community) are going to have to be very creative in how we bring new
people to Middletown to work. The City is looking at adding new bus
routes from neighboring communities to start opening up additional
transportation options to bring workers to the City.”
Why would we have
to bring in new people to work here? Oh yeah, all those that wanted
jobs had to leave Middletown to find work. That left the section 8
folks, the drug dealers and the criminals. Reread the above article
from Adkins’ blog. That kind of thinking for the last many years is
the reason
Middletown
struggles while those around us recover or even thrive.
“Our existing housing policies and
housing stock will also play a part in our success or our failure.
People generally want to live close to where they work, and it is
critical that we have attractive housing available in all price
ranges to make this an attractive community to live, work and play
in.”
If our housing policies play a part in our success then we are
doomed to failure! Adkins advocates continuing to tear down smaller
homes which are in the price range of blue collar families that the
sought after manufacturing jobs would support. People want to live
close to work but without jobs Middletown can not attract working
class or middle class citizens. The idea of building higher quality
homes in a (government created) lower class slum is a pie in the sky
con job that will never happen. Until council and the city manager
faces the real problems of Middletown, the down hill spiral
continues.
“Schools, jobs, and the city are all
intertwined. None can be fully successful without all three
functioning well.”
This is a true statement. Since our schools constantly under
perform, there are no good jobs in Middletown and the city government
doesn’t have a clue as to how to turn Middletown around.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
"Schools, jobs, and the city are all intertwined. None can be fully successful without all three functioning well"
And you see, that's where the problem exists. The schools are abysmal and have been for decades. We build new schools for them and they keep providing low performance. We get nothing for our tax dollar from the schools.
The jobs here are mostly service oriented low paying fast food, grocery, dollar store, clerk positions paying a wage where two or possibly three of these jobs would provide a livable wage nowadays, or, industrial park/small company wages paying in the range of $10 to $17 bucks an hour which would put the wage earner at the very bottom of the "livable wage" category. Need more AK Steel Research Center or Atrium Medical Center type jobs paying those types of wages to provide a decent standard of living. Also need to attract those types of people to the city as residents. Not enough affluence for them here at this time.
The city? I think we all can come to a conclusion about the city and it's success to date.
None of these three segments of our city impress any of us. I believe that Mr. Adkins and company are trying to repair the damage but may not be successful enough to bring it back to where it should be. It is a monumental task.
Don't have an indication that the schools are doing anything different while they build their Taj Mahal's. I see no indication that they want to try totally new approaches to change the malaise they have created. Doesn't seem to be that much interest from the superintendent on down to try to improve. The same old story on the test results indicate they are satisfied with bottom rung performance. Perhaps the new superintendent will inspire change that Ison didn't seem to care about. Glad he's gone.
Jobs? Yes, there is a lack of high tech skills as to workforce selection now. Just wonder where all the machinists and other skilled trade people are for employers to select from. Isn't Butler Tech turning out graduates for employers to choose from or do the graduates leave school and sit on the couch, too lazy to go apply for work? What happened to the school/learn on the job apprentice programs employers had at one time? What part is Cincy State or MUM playing in all of this?
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
We convened, I believe, our 10th Heroin Summit yesterday at Atrium Medical Center yesterday morning. One of the startling statistics was that Middletown is on pace to spend about $100,000 on Narcan this year. This has spawned a number of conversations across social media about the City’s expenses and priorities.
I’m simplifying Ohio laws considerably, and there are exceptions to what is below, but the City has very few options in not supplying Narcan. Under Ohio law, when we are called to render aid, we generally have to treat whatever condition we encounter. There is no three strikes and you’re out law on the books in Ohio. In addition, we have a good Samaritan law in Ohio which encourages people to call in overdoses and prohibits police from arresting people onsite for heroin related activity associated with the overdose. What this means is that if police and EMS are called to an overdose, the paramedics must render aid (this time, and the second time, and the third time), and if there is heroin related paraphernalia laying around from the overdose, the police must often ignore it and not arrest anyone for the activity.
I’m not going to try to get into the moral implications of whether those laws are good or bad, they simply are the law in Ohio at this time. What this means is that Middletown will spend about $1.5 million a year responding to and reacting to opioid addiction problems in the city. That’s money that could be spent on other priorities.
People always get a little squeamish when I talk about this subject. I firmly believe anytime the city is using $1.5 million of your tax dollars for non-productive uses, it’s critical that we continue to talk about it and do whatever is possible at the local level to solve the problem.
We can’t arrest our way out of this. I can’t keep it out of the city. Below is a story on NBC news last night showing Montgomery County as the leader in addiction in the country:
And Middletown smack dab in between them. It’s a Middletown problem. It’s a southwest Ohio problem. It’s an Ohio problem. It’s a national epidemic.
So what do we do as a city? We have implemented the best practices being used throughout the country. We have five K-9 drug dogs that are pulling drugs off the street daily. Our patrol and narcotics divisions have more drug arrests than ever before. Our Heroin Response Team has placed 140+ people into treatment from Middletown. Middletown Municipal Court has a Vivitrol program to reduce dependency. We are making progress despite the increasing numbers.
Here’s my challenge to you as a city. There are a lot of things in this epidemic that are beyond our control. What we do control is the culture of this city and its tolerance to drugs, drug dealers and this lifestyle. Most of our shootings this year have been drug related. More often than not, people won’t come forward to be witnesses. There are a few bars in town that cater to these dealers. Boca is one and we’re shutting it down. If you want to avoid violence in Middletown, don’t go to these bars after midnight. Nothing good happens there. I’ll say this publicly; if you are a bar operator in this town and you cater to this crowd, we will find you and we will shut you down as well. Period. No more chances. No more questions and second and third chances.
While I can’t keep this scourge out of Middletown, we all know that there are a number of local, home grown Middletown drug dealers who are poisoning our residents for money and we tolerate it. We catch many of them over time, but finding witnesses to testify is almost always a problem.
When I’ve talked to some of our residents about our local drug dealers, and we know who they are, I hear things like “That’s just Tommy. I went to school with him. He isn’t that bad” or “I know its wrong, but Tommy gets groceries for the old lady down the street and helps neighborhood people when they need cash, so we all just kind of tolerate it.”
We are going to have to find a better way to deal with poverty in this city than having drug dealers buy groceries and hand out cash.
There is no world where someone who sells opioid drugs is ok. They are the scourge of this city and it’s up to us to let them know we don’t want that here and won’t tolerate their poisoning of our population. If you care about this city and you know these people, it’s up to you to let them know they need to take their business outside of Middletown. Our city won’t get better if you watch them poison our residents and you take no action. It won’t get better if you see drug deals and shootings and you won’t cooperate with MPD. We’re all in this together. Let’s fight the good fight.
And yes, this topic gets me aggravated. And frustrated. And pissed off. I wish everyone in the city was as angry as I am about this. I’m tired of drug dealers and I’m tired of watching residents die. We have so many positive things happening in this city and this is one of the few things holding us back from full recovery.
OK…. rant over.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
"Isn’t there already a little used, newly built halfway house/rehab unit at the
corner of Central and Marshall?"
So that is what that building is huh? Across from the Cincinnati Eye Institute, right? Thought it looked more like a business than a private residence. I wondered why they would demolish the old house there and build a new building in it's place. Funny, if this is a rehab place, there is no sign in front of it saying so. Wonder why? Could it be that the people in that area would have strongly objected to it being there? If this is a drug rehab place, that's a lousy underhanded thing for the city to do to those people.......and they didn't even have a chance to object during what should have been a public meeting before building it.
No story in the Journal about this as I remember. Secretive and under the radar situation if, indeed, this is a druggie rehab center and not helping with the old city government/citizen trust factor at all.
How about it Mr. Adkins. Is this a rehab center and if so, why wasn't it announced to the public? We have a right to know what kind of crap is in our neighborhoods. Bad situation here Mr. Adkins as to the trust factor between you city building people and the citizens.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
The group home was approved as a Conditional Use by the Planning Commission in December 2015. It is operated by ResCare Ohio, Inc. and is for the assisted living of seven or less residents that have developmental disabilities who require supervision for 24 hours a day. The only conditions that were placed by Planning Commission was to 1) require screening from surrounding residences and 2) reconfigure the driveway.
Thanks!
Ashley Combs | City Planner City of Middletown — Community Revitalization 1 Donham Plaza Middletown, Ohio 45042-1932 (513) 425-7922 Office (513) 425-7921 Fax
Ok, Mr. Adkins has answered two of the concerns. One, that the building is for the developmentally disabled and not a drug rehab facility and two, that this information was not placed in the Journal for all to view but rather on the city website under the agenda choice in the planning meeting notes from a meeting held previously. Where is the information verifying that the surrounding neighbors approved of this facility as noted in statement 1 in Ashley Combs memo? How do we know that the neighbors approved of this being located there?
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Right or wrong, please remember that Planning Commission approves or denies the conditional use request, not individual citizens.
Any property within 200 ft. of the group home property would have been notified by mail. In addition, a legal add would have also been placed in the papers.
The minutes of the Planning Commission meeting are below. Forgive my lack of ability to insert a working link:
It looks as though four residents spoke against the project. The minutes reflect the discussion. We've had no public safety issues with the property since it has opened. They've been good neighbors other than occasionally taking longer than I'd like to mow their grass.
"It looks as though four residents spoke against the project. The minutes reflect the discussion."
And you see Mr. Adkins, that is where a problem exists. The city committees ask for citizen input (in this case what will be located in an existing neighborhood that is established and has certain expectations).It wasn't there when the people bought their homes. The four people who lived around there attended, offered their resistance to the project and it was ignored and the building was placed there anyway. So much for showing up, standing your ground to protect the continuity of your neighborhood and walking out the door as if you were never there. Same thing happens when you have a rental home in an established neighborhood and the rental sticks out like a sore thumb. Wasn't there when the people on the block bought their homes. How do the majority homeowners, who take care of their place handle that?
This scenario is not only in Middletown but occurs in all towns where city officials ask for public opinion, the public attends, offers their opinions about THEIR neighborhood and the people who don't live there decide to trample all over the people as they deny their wishes. I believe there was a story in Liberty Township (might be Warren County, forget) where residents objected to a gas station and truck stop combo was planned. Many people attended, voiced their objections to the additional traffic and truck stop noise, potential prostitution on the truck parking area and the general downgrading of their property and were not listened too either. A repeat event if you read the papers long enough to come to the conclusion that the elected city council and city appointed commissions could care less what the people want as they sit behind those little desks and conduct not the will of the people but what THEY want to happen. It is frustrating to see over and over again.
Just wondering how the Planning Committee people would handle this situation if the home was built in their established neighborhood. Additionally, I will ask you, right or wrong, how would you handle it if a home such as this was built in your neighborhood by the high school? You know your neighbors. Would they be happy with this decision if they were the recipients of this against their wishes? Honest answer requested without double talk evasion please.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
You are really opposed to a developmental disability group home from building in a neighborhood? I mean - yeah its in a neighborhood, but on the corner where there's a huge school across the street?
Wow - look I can support a lot of your thoughts and Ideas my friend - but this one seems a bit insensitive.
I was a member of the big church on the corner across the street for many years (that is now the Academy) - and if no one had a problem with that church - that group home isn't a problem.
Furthermore - 4 citizens logging complaints about it - none of them were anything other than people just standing in the way, especially after the folks said they'd work with the neighbors to do whatever they could to make it work.
If you read the minutes - the commission then discussed - there were some back and forths between the commission and the developers. Come on now - nothing here seems out of place or in any way untoward.
Plus - I'm happy for this - these facilities are needed, the people are very quiet, rarely make noise, these people are able to live somewhat independently - and as the parent of a 15 yr. old autistic child - I'm glad this place exists and I hope we are able to facilitate more of these in our community.
Bob
"Every government intervention [in the marketplace] creates unintended consequences, which lead to calls for further government interventions." -Ludwig van Mises
Bob: "You are really opposed to a developmental disability group home from building in a neighborhood?"
My post never said I was opposed to the dd building. There have been instances where long term residents have been opposed to certain building proposals placed in their neighborhoods that are perceived to be a negative addition. I was speaking on behalf of the four opposing residents of the neighborhood. You tend to misconstrue all that I post Bob. Please read the posts as they are written.
Bob: "Wow - look I can support a lot of your thoughts and Ideas my friend - but this one seems a bit insensitive"
Not meant to be insensitive. Sometimes the truth is cruel because it tends to desensitize things. The truth eliminates the "feelings factor" and arrives at a conclusion using facts. Sometimes the truth is hurtful but it still is reality. Might be insensitive to you and others but the truth nevertheless. Some people look at the addition of a dd home as a negative. It has been documented in newspapers many times. The old "not in my backyard" story. Right or wrong, at times, it is the perception of the dd that fosters the insensitivity you speak about. Not everything operates on the dam kinder/gentler/"feely good" concept.
Bob: "I was a member of the big church on the corner across the street for many years (that is now the Academy) - and if no one had a problem with that church - that group home isn't a problem"
Probably a difference in acceptance between a church and a dd home to some. I can see a church as being considered more desirable to existing residents of a neighborhood. Would be for me as well. Again....perception as to the "damage" it may do to property values, etc. Perhaps the concept of forcefitting a home like this into an already established neighborhood is not the right thing to do to some, especially when the objections to the home are ignored and the existing homeowners rights and desires are trampled on.
Bob: "Furthermore - 4 citizens logging complaints about it - none of them were anything other than people just standing in the way, especially after the folks said they'd work with the neighbors to do whatever they could to make it work."
What? So "standing in the way" to defend your rights as a homeowner and protecting your most valuable asset is bad? Seriously? These people had a right to resist this home if they thought their most valuable asset was threatened. Surely you can understand that logic can't you? And, it doesn't do any good to suggest that "they will work with the people and do whatever they could to make it work" if the people told them they didn't want it there in the first place. It does no good to force this on the people and then try to soften the blow by telling them that after we force this down your throats, we'll try to make sure you don't choke to death. And that's suppose to make everything alright? Horsecrap Bob.
Bob: "If you read the minutes - the commission then discussed - there were some back and forths between the commission and the developers. Come on now - nothing here seems out of place or in any way untoward"
Back and forth between the commission and developers? Left a key component out here Bob. Where was the "back and forth" between the commission, developers AND THE RESIDENTS WHO WERE OPPOSED?
Bob: "Plus - I'm happy for this - these facilities are needed, the people are very quiet, rarely make noise, these people are able to live somewhat independently - and as the parent of a 15 yr. old autistic child - I'm glad this place exists and I hope we are able to facilitate more of these in our community"
Ahh, and now I know why you have such an affinity for this situation and such a passion for defending the dd side of things.
Bottom line here Bob. The existing dessenting residents had no real leverage nor were they actually listened to nor their objections considered in the matter. It was a public invitation to speak out......but actually, only a passification move by the Planning Commission so they could record it on their meeting agenda notes. People in power NEVER LISTEN nor do they take the side of the objectors in situations like this. It was decided before the first of the four people spoke. Just check the history on how these little councils, commissions and people in power have voted. Always for their agenda and to hell with the objectors and when that occurs, the decision is not made with an objective thought process weighing both sides of the matter.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
No double talk. This is simply the system that is in place to handle these types of issues. We elect people to represent us. They appoint a Planning Commission. People are notified and have a right to be heard. The Planning Commission makes the final choice. If the public doesn't like the choice, they can file an appeal in Common Pleas Court.
I'm not saying it is a perfect system. It is full of flaws from bias and human failings.
There was a saying I heard once, and I don't know where it originated, but the statement was "democracy is the worst form of government... except for all the others." The idea was that this system is hopelessly flawed, but you get to say what you want on this forum without the government putting you in jail, etc., like you might in North Korea or other parts of the world.
We may disagree on many things, but I hope you will always believe this: I could go run a city with new infrastructure, less crime, more money and less problems. I'm here because I want to be here and because I believe I can leave the city in better shape than I got it.
We'll just have to muddle through the rest of it together.
"If the public doesn't like the choice, they can file an appeal in Common Pleas Court."
Realistically, most of the public do not have the time nor money to pursue this endeavor therefore letting it slide. In some circumstances, and in more well to do neighborhoods, class action suits are introduced as in the filling station/truck stop situation I mentioned. Basically the system is not set up convenience/financial wise for the average citizen to pursue these things.
"I'm not saying it is a perfect system. It is full of flaws from bias and human failings"
Ahh but there are issues within a democracy that should and could be changed with some effort. Some who are part of the government (be it city/state/federal) don't want some things changed because the current situation benefits there needs and their side of the fence.
"We may disagree on many things, but I hope you will always believe this: I could go run a city with new infrastructure, less crime, more money and less problems. I'm here because I want to be here and because I believe I can leave the city in better shape than I got it."
NOW, THAT statement has some meaning Mr. Adkins and I appreciate your efforts and your desire to tackle an almost impossible situation based on the damage that has been done to this city.
"We'll just have to muddle through the rest of it together"
And I will do that until I get an indication that this city government has stopped listening and started to ignore the people. This has happened with past administrations. So far, I appreciate your participation here and your attempt to interact with this forum. It is refreshing when compared to the Gilleland years. Just wish council would decide to participate here as well. They don't seem interested.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
From the workbook
for council meeting Wed. July 5, 2017:
Res. No. R2017-10
Auth. Transfers
Resolution No.
R2017-10, a resolution authorizing the transfer of monies from
various funds to the Income Tax Fund and declaring an emergency was
read.
Mr. S. Bohannon moved to approve Resolution No.
R2017-10, a resolution
authorizing the transfer of monies from various funds
to the Income Tax Fund
and declaring an emergency. Ms. D. Bronston seconded.
Motion carried. Ayes:
S. Bohannon, T. Moon, D Picard, L. Mulligan, D.
Bronston.
Res. No R2017-11
Auth. Transfer
Resolution No.
R2017-11, a resolution authorizing the transfer of monies from the
Income Tax Fund to the General Fund and declaring an emergency was
read.
Mr. D. Picard moved to approve Resolution No.
R2017-11, a resolution
authorizing the transfer of monies from the Income
Tax Fund to the General
Fund and declaring an emergency. Mr. T. Moon
seconded. Motion carried.
Ayes: T. Moon, D Picard, L. Mulligan, D. Bronston,
S. Bohannon.
Res. No. R2017-12
Auth. Transfer
Resolution No.
R2017-12, a resolution authorizing the transfer of monies fromthe
General Fund to various funds and declaring an emergency was read.
Ms. D. Bronston moved to approve Resolution No.
R2017-12, a resolution
authorizing the transfer of monies from the
General Fund to various funds and
declaring an emergency. Mr. S. Bohannon seconded.
Motion carried. Ayes: D
Picard, L. Mulligan, D. Bronston, S. Bohannon, T.
Moon.
Do the three
resolutions that were approved as emergencies, appear to be a game of
“hide the money?” Why do we even have separate funds if money can
flow so freely from one fund to another at Mr Adkins’ whim? The
answer is it’s illegal.
Notice that money
went from various funds (are these funds taken from Enterprise funds
or dedicated funds that can not legally be transferred?) to the
Income Tax Fund (Resolution R2017-10). Then from the Income Tax Fund
to the General Fund (Resolution R2017-11) and then from the General
Fund back to various funds (could these possibly be any Enterprise
funds or dedicated funds now made to appear under a general fund
category?) (Resolution R2017-12). Sounds like a vicious circle to
me. What was the purpose of having our money jump through hoops and
land in nearly the same spot where it started? Laundry??
Once again the
bobble heads were programmed to vote on emergencies with no
discussion (and obviously with no thought). Is this council’s and
Adkins’ answer to the fiscal transparency that Middletown wants and
needs from their government today? This may be just the tip of the
iceberg. Though it may be difficult to extract information from the
Middletown financial transparency portal, but with perseverance it
may yield some explosive information about how and where our money is
used or misused and why the city’s credit rating outlook (according
to Moody’s) is negative.
Moody's
Affirms Middletown, Outlook Negative
Global
Credit Research - 02 Dec 2016
New
York, December 02, 2016 -- Summary Rating Rationale
The
negative outlook reflects the risk that the city's available
operating reserves and liquidity, weakened by recent advances to
other funds, are not reimbursed as expected. Additionally, the
negative outlook incorporates the prolonged declining trends in
tax base values and local labor force participation.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
The secretive, behind the scenes money transfers have been going on for decades down at the city building. It was done during the Becker Administration, the Gilleland Admin. and continues with the Adkins Admin. It has been questioned many times by various people in the city with no real explanation that has been validated nor believed to date. It is a continuation of the old shell/peanut carnival game played many times over. If you notice, with each instance you have cited as to money transfer, it never states WHY nor for what purpose the money is needed for transfer. Must be important and needed quickly though as they are all "declared an emergency"......
As you state, so much for transparency concerning finances emanating from the city building. It would appear that, once again, the people are kept out of the loop in relation to their city government. Why can't they explain the need at approval time in the council meetings, what the money is for and for public input as to the use of their money? Mr. Adkins has told us that the city finances are open to the public on the city website. While that may be true, does the city information provided spell out each transaction and exactly what the money transfers are for? Why the need to make multiple transfers to finally get the money to the intended source? The city financial program remains a mystery to me in understanding all that is transpiring regarding the money flow. It is voodoo finances as it is currently presented to the public IMO.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Apparently
our city manager is way out of touch with reality and remains totally
oblivious of the facts and figures concerning the fiscal condition of
our sad, debt ridden city; OR he is trying to hide his own heavily
dedicated involvement in our continued downfall. This becomes
obvious if you compare the article, “Middletown bond rating
downgraded” in the Friday, July 28, 2017 Journal News, to Mr
Adkins’ numerous rosy pictures of Middletown that he paints in his
City Manager’s Blog on the city’s website.
The
Journal article is by staff writer, Ed Richter, a long time ally of
city hall. In my opinion, most, if not all, of his reporting on
Middletown is biased and slanted for the purpose of covering up the
ugly truth with rosy rhetoric dictated to him by Adkins/City Hall.
The article has no direct quote from Moodys’ report of the bond
rating downgrade. Instead, the Journal News article reinterprets
Mr Adkins rosy interpretation of the report. You see, we
are already twice removed from the unvarnished truth of
the report. I believe that a copy of the actual report is not
available on the city website, so we must rely on the evidence at
hand to determine the reason for the bond rating downgrade:
You
will find, in the minutes of the July 25th council
meeting, that three ordinances were approved to
refinance a total of more than $13 million in bonds.
That will help triggerMoodysto lower the city’s credit rating
again. As a result,the
city will pay a higher interest rate for subsequent bond
sales and/or refinancing. This is not the first
time those bonds have been refinanced, in fact, this is at least the
third time and probably several more. Meanwhile, very little has
been paid on the principal. That means that over time we pay a
higher interest rate on close to the original amount of the bond, and
we will pay higher interest on new bonds. Moodys has lowered our
rating several times over the last couple years. And it will likely
happen again! Moodys has also pointed out
a poor outlook for replenishing city funds,
due to the lack of jobs and income tax revenue, as
reason to downgrade Middletown’s rating.
We will
not gain ground nor avoid slipping deeper in debt if we can’t even
begin to pay it off! The city’s source of monies for
payment of bonds is the General (slush) Fund which is
often illegally replenished with fund
transfers from Enterprise Funds. There’s that old shell game
again! VietVet has aptly described this as ‘voodoo finances’
in his last post on this topic. Enterprise Funds, Auto and Gas Tax
Funds and Storm Water Sewer Capital Reserve are being clandestinely
transferred, misused or drained away. (The evidence is there, but
well hidden, on the city’s website in the ‘Financial
Transparency’ checkbook.) City administration regularly
claims that we don’t have enough funds in the Storm Water Sewer
Fund(a protected enterprise fund) for
the EPA mandated, separation
of sanitary sewers and storm water sewers
downtown. The city set up that EPA mandated
enterprise fund beginning about the 1970’s, by adding to our
water bills, a charge designated for the purpose of separating
the sewers. That fund, the Storm Water Sewer Fund, should
have a balance of many millions of $$ but instead has nearly been
bankrupted by illegally transferring it’s funds to the
non-designated, unprotectedStorm Water Sewer
Capital Reserve Fund. There the protected funds lose their
identity and are used illegally to pay for NEW
sewer installationsPLUS any expense
which might be remotely related to each installation, like
landscaping, road paving, etc. For example, Storm Water Sewer
Funds were used in partial payment of a purchase of land on Hook
Drive purportedly for development. Using these funds to purchase
property is a blatant misuse. In order to continue the misuse of
Storm Water Sewer Funds, Mr Adkins had Council approve continually
increasing charges on our water bills to replenish the Storm Water
Sewer (enterprise)Fund. Up goes the water bills.
You can bet that those designated enterprise funds
will be illegally drained away again, having never been used for
their EPA mandated, original purpose of separating the sewers
downtown.
Also,
speaking of the misuse of funds, there are all sorts of illegal
transfers among dissimilar city funds. For example, City Council
always approves Mr Adkins’ repeated requests for transfers TO
THE INCOME TAX FUND from
various unnamed funds.
The Income Tax Fund is
there to
be drawn upon for city expenses and
not to
be a receptacle of unrelated funds of unknown source. Why
would any funds ever be transferred TO
the income tax fund??? To
hide the fact that the Income Tax Fund is bankrupt???
The
state auditor’s office is closely watching the repeated drop in
Moody’s’ ratings. And city hall knows it.
Now,
compare the facts with Mr Atkins’ many posts on the city website
that claim everything is wonderful. He falsely claims (see the
previous paragraph) that income tax revenue is up and our coffers are
filling, but he doesn’t tell you that it’s a temporary boost in
funds due to income tax derived from construction jobs which have or
will soon come to an end. There is now little or no new construction
activity. Construction on Nicolas Place “luxury” apartments may
have slowed or halted. They recently lowered the rent and made
special offers/rebates to attract renters to occupy the completed
buildings, which may result in considerable loss for that investor.
A lot of incentive
is needed to capture people who are willing to live in Middletown’s
jobless, bombed out housing void that Mr Atkins continues to
embellish upon and from which it is impossible to recover by
subsidizing a handful of individually owned, downtown storefronts
that provide one or two jobs each… Over the last 20 years the
city has lost about all of its major industry and withthem the jobs and the income tax revenue that
entails. Those that left to
relocate are:
AK Steel Corporate Office
(with
300 high level jobs), Black-Clawson, Square D, etc.
More
high income tax revenue was
lost when Mr Adkins/City
Council displaced
the lawyers
who’s
offices were located in upper
floors of the former CG&E
building and First National Bank building. Many
of those lawyers are now located in West Chester and
Austin Landing.
Our
former CG&E building is
now “occupied”
by the
nearly defunct Middletown
location of Cincinnati
State, which is also
in possession
of (a
gift from the city) the
First National Bank building (PARID:
Q6511008000063) that
now stands empty and unused.
Shall this
building go the way of
abandoned projects to the point of neglected ruin and be torn down?
A $1M
grant went to HEP to
remodel
the former CG&E
building into
classrooms for Cincinnati State,
but they
abandoned the
project.
There went a million
$$$.
The Senior Citizens
Building (PARID:
Q6511011000034)
which had been given
to HEP-CSTCC
OHIO LLC was sold
back to the city
for $30,000+
because it
was a HUD subsidized
property which could
only be transferred
to a non-profit enterprise.
Yes, the city lost $30,000 on this deal and is now stuck with
another empty building which has not been re-purposed and
must be maintained by the city or
let it go to ruin and tear it down. The
city could use it as office space instead of paying rent for offices
in Goetz Tower. And, if the
city needed office space, why is one floor of the city building
occupied by the Board of Education?
Other
companies just shut down their Middletown location, such
as Champion Paper and
West Carrollton Parchment (in the former St Regis building).
Home
owned businesses like
Dillman’s, our premier
local grocery chain, shut
down due to loss
of customer base … a
result of city hall’s
thoughtless and irresponsible governing with extreme fiscal
stupidity.
SPENDING
MORE MONEYon
everything except the essentials, apparently
doesn’t matter because Doug
Adkins
says,
on
his blog, that we
now
have
so much revenue pouring in. That
supposed revenue must be coming
from our continually increasing water and
sewer
bills and/or
fromEnterprise
Fund
transfers
to the General
(slush)Fund.
Mr
Adkins’ claims, in his City
Manager blog (City
Revenues Year to Date June 30, 2017),
that the
main source of a
half a million dollar increase in revenue is
due
to an increase in INCOME
TAX REVENUE..That
kind of income tax revenuecould
not possibly exist or
be sustained by
our
current lack
of a
significantjob
market in Middletown.Remember
that the Income Tax Fund was being pumped
up by transfers from unnamed funds! At
this rate we
may be bankrupt before
the end of Mr Adkins” 5 year plan. Maybe
we are already.
And
just to reveal who Adkins
really is… think about this. Adkins’
continues to insist on giving Middletown and himself credit for the
work of others in the Middletown-Hamilton
Small Business Development Center, when
he and Middletown had absolutely nothing to do with the awards they
received for their
outstanding work. (See
his July 24, 2017 post titled ‘Congratulations”.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
WCPO
is looking for ratings during sweep week and they are upset that
Chief Muterspaw and I wouldn’t participate in their gotcha
journalism on area police departments.
The
lead in for their story shows a great picture of me sitting at
Council where Craig Cheatham shoves a microphone in my face and
appears to be surprised that I’m not going to talk to him by
ambush. I think the closed caption says “We’re not going to
do this tonight.”
Let
me expand. We’re not going to do this anytime we get
microphones shoved in our faces to go on a witch hunt for Middletown
employees. I don’t do interviews by ambush, and I don’t
participate when media are looking specifically for ways to make
Middletown look bad. This isn’t reporting news.
It’s creating news
from incidents that happened 1-3 years ago.
I
answer to City Council and the residents of this community. Not
to WCPO.
I
hope when the story runs, the story will have
extensive coverage of all of MPD’s activities including:
Last
weekend’s Candy with a Cop, where Middletown Police Department and
community partners distributed Halloween candy to young children too
sick or disabled to go trick or treating this week.
MPD
participation in Halloween without Heroin, where Police and the
community joined together to meet, eat and share stories and
solutions to the drug problem in Middletown.
Our
quarterly Coffee with a Cop, where MPD, dispatch and jail employees
meet with the community quarterly to update the residents on MPD
activities and to answer community questions.
Chief
Muterspaw’s outreach to area churches on Sunday mornings to
discuss opiate addiction.
Chief’s
ongoing quarterly meetings with local pastors to discuss how the
religious community can partner with law enforcement to improve the
community.
The
great work being done by the MPD Citizens Advisory Board.
The
extensive participation of the community in National Night Out each
August.
Our
series of community dialogues over the past two years with the
African American community to discuss race relations in the city and
particularly ways to collectively improve communication between MPD
and the community.
The
recruitment and expansion of our Neighborhood Watch program in
Middletown.
The
great work MPD has done as part of the Heroin Response Team, getting
over 250 opiate addicted individuals into treatment over the past 18
months.
The
great work MPD has done in reducing the opiates coming into the city
with a 40% increase in felony drug arrests in 2017.
I
could go on and on, but you get the idea….
Wouldn’t
it be cool if we also reported on all the things MPD does right every
day?
My
guess is that you won’t see any of the above on WCPO as part of
this story. That won’t win sweeps week.
Do
we make mistakes? Of course. Chief Muterspaw has been the
first to point out that as we handle so many things during the course
of the year, human officers in stressful situations, will
occasionally fail in their duties.
So
let’s play the hand WCPO wants to play.
Let’s
start with the definition of discipline.
On
Dictionary.com, the first definition of discipline
is: trainingto act in accordance with rules;
That’s
the goal. Behave appropriately. My guess is that the WCPO
story will have little to do with training or conforming
behavior to the rules. I could be wrong. You watch
and see.
WCPO
looked at several years of discipline records to get their story.
I’ll just look at 2015 forward.
From
January 1, 2015 through September 30, 2017, MPD responded to 108,409
calls for service. Those calls for service resulted in
17,060 arrests. During that time, the City received 38 citizen
complaints against MPD. 8 of those complaints were found to be
legitimate complaints with improper conduct by MPD in some fashion.
We
definitely make mistakes. But according to our citizens, we
don’t make too many of them. Using the 8 sustained
complaints, we make an average of approximately 13,551 calls between
sustained complaints. I’m not sure human beings
in daily stressful situations can do much better. When it
does happen, we use discipline where appropriate, to correct the
behavior and to prevent recurrence of the improper conduct.
Where appropriate, we also remove officers from duty.
My
understanding is that WCPO wants to focus on two complaints they
believe were not handled appropriately. That takes us to 2
incidents, more than a year old, in 108,409 calls for service in
which WCPO believes we acted inappropriately. Said differently,
using WCPO standards, even when we made mistakes that required
discipline, we correctly handled 108,407 out of 108,409 calls for
service.
See
if the story tonight looks like that. 99.998% correctly
handled, even when an officer was disciplined as part of a sustained
complaint.
That
doesn’t win sweeps week, I suppose. Is it any wonder that
people are not lining up to be police officers anymore?
Make
sure you tell them “I dont know” You should be used to be
telling the people of Middletown that by now.
The
microphone, so descriptively, “got shoved in your face” Mr
Adkins, because you reneged on an agreement with WCPO to be
interviewed along with Chief Mutterspaw. Having second thoughts on
how to avoid telling the truth?
It
was too easy to shut down TV Middletown and stop recordings of the
Planning Commission and other meetings, which were the residents only
sources of unbiased information on the city’s business.
Fortunately for Middletown citizens, you are not capable of gagging
or eliminating regional news media. How can the news media’s
presence at a public meeting of city council be considered an
“ambush”? You, Mr Adkins, are “not going to do this anytime”
to discuss anything with the media or the citizens when you know you
don’t have answers for the questions they are going to ask. When
is the last time you answered to a resident in a council meeting or
open forum? Council doesn’t ask you any questions because you
tell them what to think, what to say or not to say, how
to vote and who knows what else.
It
is the purpose of the news media to report the truth; they did not
“create” the incidents which you so desperately want to avoid
discussing. Remember when Nixon resigned? Many were of
the opinion that the cover up was worse than the crime!
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing" Edmond Burke
Adkins: "Craig Cheatham shoves a microphone in my face and appears to be surprised that I’m not going to talk to him by ambush"
Now you know how some of us feel when we try to talk to you or any member of this city government. Ambush is the optimum word here. Doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling as to the repercussions of the conversation does it.
Adkins: "I don’t do interviews by ambush, and I don’t participate when media are looking specifically for ways to make Middletown look bad."
The media doesn't have to make Middletown look bad. The city leaders, including you as city manager, have had your moments when you have provided the ammunition for looking bad. So, by your comment, you only wish to talk about the good things in Middletown and are willing to be in denial about the bad things, right? You've heard this a million times. Admission of problems is the first step in solving those problems. It would appear that the city government is in as much denial as the school district on the subject of admitting they have problems.
Adkins: "This isn’t reporting news. It’s creating news from incidents that happened 1-3 years ago"
There are situations that were created 1-3 years ago (or longer) that still have not been addressed much less solved Mr. Adkins. Many are in the downtown area and many deal with real estate transactions and lending money to developers who are "friends of the city". And lets not forget the old $350,000 fine that was levied on the city for the removal of the dam over a decade ago when Lake Middletown was the disaster of the moment. And hey, how about that big loan for the Rose building fiasco? Duncan Oil property buyouts of the Office Outfitter land, gas station and the Ted's Pool Hall property ring a bell? And what did we get for that... more empty lots. I know, I know, you weren't the city manager in the Lake Middletown days but it still is another notch on the old gun handle to mark the many city screw-ups that have occurred over the years and continue to this day. The Duncan Oil fiasco happened on your and Gilleland's watch I believe. Did you think we forgot? And how about that cabinet shop property deal downtown? We have a list of "incidents" that have happened where you provided fuel to the media fire. It IS news if it happened. You can't pick and choose what you want the media to report. Good news, as you would like to see reported is great, but must be counterbalanced with the bad news. That is called objective journalism and does not occur in the city mouthpiece called the Journal. Perhaps you are not familiar with the concept if the Journal is all you read.
Adkins: "I answer to City Council and the residents of this community."
Then start including ALL of us, not a select few, when you feel obligated to answer to someone. Exclusion is a terrible thing to see in your government operation. It also breeds apathy in your community. Many, who have attempted to talk to the city, have been ignored so long they no longer care Mr. Adkins.
Mr. Adkins elaborates on the performance of the police department and the accomplishments of the Chief, all worthy of praise.
It is a shame the city leaders don't perform as well as the police/fire departments as to accomplishments and actual positive results. The operation of this city falls far behind the operation of the police/fire departments as to actual measurable results and that falls directly on you Mr. Adkins. We need more "Muterspaw", results oriented type managers on council, in the city building and in our city government in general. We do not have that now.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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