2/15/2011 council meeting

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Well, folks, here it is the wee hours of Monday morning, yet there is no workbook posted on line for Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
There certainly should be a workbook. There are several things listed on the agenda that are normally supported by items in the workbook:

Board/Commission Minutes:

Golf Course Commission January 11; April 12; July 12; October 11, 2010

Airport Commission – December 1, 2010

Board of Zoning Appeals- January 5, 2011

Planning Commission- January 12, 2011

Tree Commission- January 19, 2011
Tentative Assessments: 

for the 2010 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Program
Also on the agenda:

A MOTION AGENDA item to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Barry Brown Paving LLC to Construct Section 4 of the Great Connection Bike Path Bike path Contract.

An emergency Ordinance No. O2011-10, an ordinance dedicating right-of-way and accepting the dedication of right-of-way and declaring an emergency.
An emergency Resolution No. R2011-02, a resolution to make adjustments to appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of Middletown, Counties of Butler and Warren, State of Ohio, for the period ending December 31, 2011 and declaring an emergency. (Auto and Gas Fund)

Now all of these things normally have some sort of accompanying documentation in the workbook, even if it is incomplete or filled with gibberish.  I get especially nervous when there is an "EMERGENCY RESOLUTION" making "adjustments" to the Auto and Gas Fund.  (Anyone else wondering if the mysterious but omnipresent "Accounts of 999" will be involved???)
I guess in this new era of pseudo-secret “work” sessions, the new “Openness” policy is to hide everything as much as possible from The People.
Oh well. Liberty and democracy were great…while we had them.

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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 Topic: 2/15/2011 council meeting Posted: Feb 14 2011 at 3:18am
	Well, folks, here it is the wee hours of Monday morning, yet there is no workbook posted on line for Tuesday’s City Council meeting. There certainly should be a workbook. There are several things listed on the agenda that are normally supported by items in the workbook: Board/Commission Minutes: Golf Course Commission January 11; April 12; July 12; October 11, 2010 Airport Commission – December 1, 2010 Board of Zoning Appeals- January 5, 2011 Planning Commission- January 12, 2011 Tree Commission- January 19, 2011 Tentative Assessments: for the 2010 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Program Also on the agenda: A MOTION AGENDA item to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Barry Brown Paving LLC to Construct Section 4 of the Great Connection Bike Path Bike path Contract. *An emergency* Ordinance No. O2011-10, an ordinance dedicating right-of-way and accepting the dedication of right-of-way and declaring an emergency. An emergency Resolution No. R2011-02, a resolution to make adjustments to appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of Middletown, Counties of Butler and Warren, State of Ohio, for the period ending December 31, 2011 and declaring an emergency. (Auto and Gas Fund) Now all of these things normally have some sort of accompanying documentation in the workbook, even if it is incomplete or filled with gibberish. I get especially nervous when there is an "EMERGENCY RESOLUTION" making "adjustments" to the Auto and Gas Fund.** (Anyone else wondering if the mysterious but omnipresent "Accounts of 999" will be involved???) I guess in this new era of pseudo-secret “work” sessions, the new “Openness” policy is to hide everything as much as possible from The People. Oh well. Liberty and democracy were great…while we had them.
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Richard Saunders Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Resident Joined: Jun 30 2010 Status: Offline Points: 232	Post Options Post Reply Quote Richard Saunders Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 14 2011 at 5:36am
	It seems strange that it took the Golf commission over a year to turn in some of their meeting minutes. Would not a ster rebuke from the Council be in order? Perhaps even to remove a member to two for misfeasance?

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 15 2011 at 5:34am
	Here’s one of those things that make you go “hmmm!!!”: City Hall is dead set against billboards and against all kinds of advertising that can be seen from I-75 within our fair city’s corporate limits. They seem to think it is “tacky”, a vexation to the spirit, and has any number of other evil effects. Yet, check out this exact quote from the minutes of the 1/11/2010 Golf Commission meeting (Yes, I DID say 1/11/2010. I guess these folks are so busy golfing it takes them over a YEAR to get around to writing their minutes!!!): “Advertise on I-75 billboards near SR-123 for south-bound traffic and near SR-63 for north-bound traffic” File this in the: *“Do as we say, not as we do!”* folder of our “Good Neighbor Policies”!!! Great job, city hall. Another thing that makes you go “hmmm”???: We will be spending another half million dollars of our hard-earned (make that “borrowed from China”) tax dollars in the name of *“Energy Efficiency and Conservation”* on an extension of our wonderful *BIKE PATH!!!* Any guess exactly how much energy is "conserved" by this bike path every year??? Is it even a *NET SAVINGS???*
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

409 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014	Post Options Post Reply Quote 409 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Feb 15 2011 at 9:31am
	There will be more energy expended constructing this "modern marvel" transportation path for the "masses" than can ever be recouped! But then again, all the people cycling in to buy art and culinary treats may offset this expenditure `

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 15 2011 at 7:40pm
	The silence in council chambers this past hour and forty minutes is deafening!!! Methinks there must be some disagreement.
	“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 15 2011 at 8:40pm
	The financial presentation by Mr. Brossart was the opening salvo in the upcoming tax increase campaign. Be prepared to be reminded of *some* of the things he said quite often in the months to come. Usually it will be taken out of context. Note that he mentioned that we have “an operating levy coming up soon” and mayor Lawrence P. Mulligan, Jr. quietly corrected him that it was “public safety, yes”!!! (We were fooled on this five years ago, so it appears they will try it again.) It is interesting that the *Finance Committee* was *unaware* that the city already had a FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN!!! During Council Comments Mayor Lawrence P. Mulligan, Jr. mentioned that the City Manager briefly touched on Cincinnati State’s latest visit and the progress in her latest newsletter. This newsletter could not be found on the City’s web site as of 8:28 pm this evening, nor was it in my e-mail box at that time. (I am on the e-mailing list for that newsletter.) Back into executive session!!! Why??? My guess is: Arm-twisting for Mr. Smith to resign. Will he at this time??? My guess is 3 to 1 he will not!!! Side note: I'd bet that at least FOUR members of council want him to resign, or else Mulligan would NOT have read that little speech!!!
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012