Middletown Ohio


Find us on
 Google+ and Facebook


 

Home | Yearly News Archive | Advertisers | Blog | Contact Us
Monday, November 25, 2024
FORUM CITY SCHOOLS COMMUNITY
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Council/Ken Cohen/ City Manager
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Council/Ken Cohen/ City Manager

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
 Rating: Topic Rating: 1 Votes, Average 5.00  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Paul Nagy View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Jan 11 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 384
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paul Nagy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Council/Ken Cohen/ City Manager
    Posted: May 12 2014 at 11:34am

Council/Ken Cohen/The New City Manager

“Ken Cohen, president of Cohen Brothers, said the city is facing a “critical decision” as it selects its next city manager. City Manager Judy Gilleland is retiring in early June and the city recently released the names of the 29 applicants.

On Wednesday, while visiting Greenville, S.C., Cohen said Middletown doesn’t need another administrator, rather an innovator, someone who can “take the city forward.” He also stressed that if none of the applicants fit the qualities the city is seeking, more resumes should be accepted. “Do not hire the wrong person,” he said. “Don’t settle.” “                                                                        April 24,2014 –Middletown Journal

Ken Cohen and the Cohen family have been longtime and great supporters of the city of Middletown. Additionally they have been very successful with their businesses in Middletown and elsewhere. Ken Cohen is also the head of MMF or Moving Middletown Forward and was on the trip that was taken to Greenville, South Carolina. With his background and wide frame of reference anything he has to say should be taken with great consideration by City Council.

In the short list of candidates for City Manager, City Council has put Doug Adkins and Les Landen on the list of five  potential candidates. Ken Cohen says, “Middletown doesn’t need another Administrator, rather an innovator, someone who can take the city forward.” The years of   experience of Doug Adkins and Les Landen as part of the administration demonstrate clearly, beyond debate, that they are not innovators and they do not have the ability to “take the city forward”.   “He also stressed that if none of the applicants fit the qualities the city is seeking, more resumes should be accepted. “Do not hire the wrong person,” he said. “Don’t settle.””      

Council, it was insulting to many tax-paying citizens that you put these two names on the short list but please don’t insult Mr. Cohen by ignoring what he says, his experience and the obvious deliberation he has given to the matter. This is an important time in the history of Middletown. “Do not hire the wrong person. Don’t settle.” 

The city of Middletown needs the very best candidate it can find. If it has to spend the necessary money to do so it should not hesitate. The qualifications for the candidate for City Manager should include:

         1.  A Masters Degree in City Administration.

         2.  Successful experience in city turn-around and revitalization.

         3.  The communication ability to truthfully represent council to its citizens and citizens to council w/o

              partiality.

         4.  The goal of attracting new business and people to Middletown.

         5.  Reducing taxes to attract new business.

         6.  Improving the city’s credit rating to where it was before this administration.

         7.  Increase the Rainy Day Fund.

         8.  Increase  support for improving local education.

         9.  All without cutting services.

This requires professionalism not a superman!

City Council has had limited vision. We are a city of huge economic decline. Council’s vision has been limited growth.  Council wanted to reduce population and become a campus/art community. Thus, the consequences have been a declining city and extreme funding of downtown development which has had minor significant results thus far.  It has always been axiomatic that declining economy demands unlimited growth. Council has a moral as well as a fiduciary responsibility at this time to expand its vision.  Council should now continue its forward thrust downtown with putting more of the funding and responsibility on downtown private shareholders. They have not been fair to the rest of the city. They now need to expand their vision and put more emphasis, effort  and funding to the rest of the city. In addition to education and art they need to attract light manufacturing, research, more health facilities and schools, tech companies and others that fit the best vision for the overall good of the city to provide jobs and better the local economy.  With a City Manager as described above and a united council and citizenry behind such an expanded vision, all of the city will once again grow and prosper.  It will do so much faster than the projections for downtown growth that are currently being proposed. Also, to those who will say it is too late let me tell you that idea is contrary to the American pioneer spirit and look around and you will see that cities turn around all of the time throughout the country. If we only half succeed we will be well ahead of where we are and where we are heading now. My motto is shoot for the universe and if you only land on Mars you’ve done pretty good. After all we are only human.

 
Mr. Cohen made his comments while on the South Carolina trip. Those types of trips are stimulating and not necessarily unreasonable. However, it might have been just as good to have spent the same time in Hamilton, Fairfield and Westchester which have had many recent successes attracting new businesses and citizen growth right in our area and if they can do it so can we.

I have been fortunate to have been chosen to be on the Committee to select the City Manager. All that has been requested of the committee thus far has been to fill  out a survey. The committee was not asked to participate in creating a short list and as of yet have not been asked to participate in interviewing candidates along with Council on May the 17th.   Council, PLEASE consider Ken Cohen’s advice that “if none of the applicants fit the qualities the city is seeking, more resumes should be accepted. Do not hire the wrong person. Don’t settle.”        

I’ve written this post because as deeply as I want to be in attendance Saturday, May 17th for the interviewing of the City Manager Candidates  due to some serious circumstances it will be impossible for me to attend but my heart will be there.

Thank you for your consideration.

Paul Nagy 

Back to Top
over the hill View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Oct 19 2012
Location: middletown
Status: Offline
Points: 952
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote over the hill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 12:40pm
Mr.Nagy, Please tell me that you have,indeed, sent a copy of your articulate,responsible, and well written letter to each and every council member as well as our city manger and Ken Cohen himself! But as we know, when you disagree with Ms. Judy she does tend to dig her heels in to get her way. We can only hope your sobering letter will be taken to heart by the responsible parties. Again thank you, Paul
Back to Top
VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 12:55pm
Nice post Paul. Being the pessimistic person that I am concerning city topics, I will say the following doesn't surprise me....

"I have been fortunate to have been chosen to be on the Committee to select the City Manager. All that has been requested of the committee thus far has been to fill out a survey. The committee was not asked to participate in creating a short list and as of yet have not been asked to participate in interviewing candidates along with Council on May the 17th."

THE SITUATION OF ASKING THE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AND THEN HAVING THE RUG PULLED FROM UNDER THEM SEEMS TO BE THE THEME WITH ANY "COMMUNITY INPUT" REQUESTED. IT WOULD APPEAR THEY DO THIS TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, BUT IN REALITY THEY COULD CARE LESS WHAT THE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS HAVE TO SAY.

AND THIS....

"Council, PLEASE consider Ken Cohen’s advice that “if none of the applicants fit the qualities the city is seeking, more resumes should be accepted. Do not hire the wrong person. Don’t settle.” "

I WOULD THINK, CONSIDERING THIS STATEMENT FROM COHEN, THAT LANDEN AND ADKINS WOULD BE IN THE "WRONG PERSON FILE". PERHAPS ANY PERSON, WHO IS PRONE TO SUPPORTING THE CURRENT DIRECTION OF THE CITY, MAY QUALIFY UNDER COHEN'S COMMENT.

WE SHALL SEE.       

I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Back to Top
over the hill View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Oct 19 2012
Location: middletown
Status: Offline
Points: 952
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote over the hill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 1:24pm
Paul could you put your letter in the journal so everyone else can see the true concern lots of people have in those two,especially Adkins as a finalist in this search.
Back to Top
acclaro View Drop Down
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Jul 01 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1878
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 1:38pm
There isn't an innovator nor turn-around candidate in the group.

City manages by profession, are not innovators, they are administrators. Go hire the CEO of Apple if you want innovation. He'll ask about $ 35 Mm in salary and stock per year Mr. Cohen, and 50% ownership.




'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
Back to Top
Paul Nagy View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Jan 11 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 384
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paul Nagy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 8:43pm
Acclaro,
        If there is not an innovator in the group then Council  should do as ken Cohen says,  "Middletown doesn’t need another administrator, rather an innovator, someone who can “take the city forward.” He also stressed that if none of the applicants fit the qualities the city is seeking, more resumes should be accepted. “Do not hire the wrong person,” he said. “Don’t settle.”   

       
There is an innovator/ Administrator out there and Council must find him/or her.  We must not cave in on this important objective. The lives of thousands of Middletown citizens are continuously impacted by bad decisions and our properties continue to decline in value and there are fewer jobs, etc.

         We must all encourage Council to do those things that will get all of our citizens behind them in the best decisions for our city.   

           pn    
      
Back to Top
Vivian Moon View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council


Joined: May 16 2008
Location: Middletown, Ohi
Status: Offline
Points: 4187
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 10:46pm

Updated: 5:39 p.m. Monday, May 12, 2014 | Posted: 4:27 p.m. Monday, May 12, 2014

City manager candidate sees ‘opportunities’ here

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

    MIDDLETOWN Cathy Davison, a former city manager in Steubenville, Ohio, sees a lot of potential in Middletown.

    “There are so many opportunities there even though the city that has been through some hardships,” said Davison, one of the five candidates for city manager.

    When asked about whether the city should concentrate its efforts in the East End, near I-75 and Atrium Medical Center, or downtown, Davison said economic development will occur in the East End “naturally” because of the health care cluster. For downtown to be successful, she said, international companies must be recruited to “repopulate” the empty shops.

    Davison said she has the experience and education needed to move the city “forward.”

    She also has visited Middletown several times, read the Journal-News and the Internet, and said one of the biggest hurdles for the government is to be more transparent.  vcm: I hope she takes a peek at our accounting system before she leaves town. It sure could use a good cleaning up within the next year.

    The other four finalists are: Doug Adkins, community revitalization director for the city; Les Landen, Middletown law director; Jane Howington, city manager, Newport, R.I.; and Willie Norfleet, city manager, Socorro, Texas.

    City manager Judy Gilleland announced her retirement earlier this year and her last day is set for June 6, though she may stay longer to make the transition easier. The city received 29 applicants for the position and the field was narrowed to five, said Noah Powers, the city’s human resource manager. All five candidates will participate in interviews Friday and Saturday with members of the community and City Council.

The public portion of the forum will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the City Council chambers in the basement of the City Building.

    Since August 2013, Davison has served as financial director of Urban Ministries Inc. and adjunct faculty at Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville.

    For more than three years, she served as city manager in Steubenville, with a population of 19,000 and an annual operating budget of $40.8 million. Her other duties included: budget preparation and financial management, public information officer, public and press relations, ballot issue campaign organization and management and labor negotiations.

    While in Steubenville, she said, she negotiated union collective bargaining agreements and managed labor relations contracts.

    In her current position, she handles the finances for a soup kitchen, homeless shelter and neighborhood development center that serves a population of 60,000.

    She owns a bachelor’s degree in political science from Anderson University, master’s degree in organizational leadership from the University of Denver and a master’s in public administration from Norwich University.


All this week the Journal-News is profiling the five candidates for the city manager position. Here are the days those profiles will appear in the newspaper and on-line:

TODAY: Cathy Davison

WEDNESDAY: Doug Adkins

THURSDAY: Jane Howington

FRIDAY: Les Landen

SATURDAY: Willie Norfleet

 

Back to Top
bumper View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Feb 01 2010
Location: over here
Status: Offline
Points: 307
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bumper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 11:01pm
she says,  She also has visited Middletown several times, read the Journal-NewsConfused and the Internet,think she wanted to say middletownusa!!LOL and said one of the biggest hurdles for the government is to be more transparent!!!! ahhhhh shooot she will be heading back to Steubenville for saying that, the big wig club won't go for that...
Back to Top
acclaro View Drop Down
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Avatar

Joined: Jul 01 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1878
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2014 at 11:14pm
International companies populating downtown store-fronts?

Firstly----what countries and what brand to be sold?

Secondly----who is buying?

Won't work.

Landen or Adkins driver seat.




'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
Back to Top
Paul Nagy View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Jan 11 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 384
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paul Nagy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2014 at 2:51am
Over the Hill,
       Thank you for the kind words. I have emailed the letter to all Council members. I doubt the Middletown Journal will print it but I shall ask them.

            pn
Back to Top
Paul Nagy View Drop Down
MUSA Citizen
MUSA Citizen


Joined: Jan 11 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 384
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Paul Nagy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2014 at 2:54am
Acclaro,
          You state,
"Landen or Adkins driver seat."
        Maybe Ken Cohen is? Let's hope so. "We are saved by hope."
              pn
Back to Top
Mike_Presta View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: Apr 20 2008
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3483
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2014 at 4:31am
Originally posted by Vivian Moon Vivian Moon wrote:

City manager candidate sees ‘opportunities’ here

 MIDDLETOWN Cathy Davison, a former city manager in Steubenville, Ohio, sees a lot of potential in Middletown.

    She also has visited Middletown several times, read the Journal-News and the Internet, and said one of the biggest hurdles for the government is to be more transparent. 


Middletown government???  More transparent???  BWA HA HA HA HA!!!  LOL LOL LOL


Actually, this is kind of sad. Cry Cry Cry


Ms. Davison's application is certainly already in the trash can.

“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
Back to Top
Mike_Presta View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: Apr 20 2008
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3483
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2014 at 4:50am
[Setting:  Closed door secret meeting...Attendees:  legal minds in and around Middletown City Hall]

TRANSPARENCY!?!?  Good Grief!!!  Does she want us all to go to JAIL????

[sound of shredder chewing up Ms. Davison's application]

Unidentifiable voice:  Amy!! Send Cathy Davison a letter telling her we greatly appreciate her interest in our City Manager position, but we have decided to go in a different direction and we wish her well in her future endeavors.
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
Back to Top
VietVet View Drop Down
MUSA Council
MUSA Council
Avatar

Joined: May 15 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 7008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 13 2014 at 6:07am
I love this line.....

"we have decided to go in a different direction and we wish her well in her future endeavors."

Hey! It's the same line corporate America gives you when they offer you a separation package. This phrase must be initiated by pulling the ring in the back of the neck on the management hatchet person telling you this.

Davidson.......nope. She folded when she mentioned bringing in "international companies" to occupy the downtown area. That's like asking P&G to relocate their General Offices to downtown. C'mon, she's seen the downtown. Does it really look like it would be attractive to corporate America, much less draw international company interest? Did she notice the content and the "foot traffic"? Square peg, round hole theory.

And the "transparency" thing. As several have said.....not in this town.

Mercy sakes, I hope the choice doesn't come down to Landen or Adkins. If so, God help this city.

I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.113 seconds.
Copyright ©2024 MiddletownUSA.com    Privacy Statement  |   Terms of Use  |   Site by Xponex Media  |   Advertising Information