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Council/Ken Cohen/ City Manager |
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Paul Nagy
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 11 2009 Status: Offline Points: 384 |
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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 |
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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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
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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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. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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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.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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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. |
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Paul Nagy
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 11 2009 Status: Offline Points: 384 |
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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 |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Updated: City manager candidate sees ‘opportunities’
here
By Rick McCrabb Staff Writer “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 Davison said she has the experience and
education needed to move the city “forward.” She also has visited The other four finalists are: Doug Adkins,
community revitalization director for the city; Les Landen, 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 Since August 2013, Davison has served as
financial director of Urban Ministries Inc. and adjunct faculty at For more than three years, she served as
city manager in While in 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 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
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bumper
MUSA Citizen Joined: Feb 01 2010 Location: over here Status: Offline Points: 307 |
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she says, She also has visited Middletown several times, read the Journal-News and the Internet,think she wanted to say middletownusa!! 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...
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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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. |
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Paul Nagy
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 11 2009 Status: Offline Points: 384 |
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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 |
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Paul Nagy
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 11 2009 Status: Offline Points: 384 |
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Acclaro,
You state, "Landen or Adkins driver seat." Maybe Ken Cohen is? Let's hope so. "We are saved by hope." pn |
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Middletown government??? More transparent??? BWA HA HA HA HA!!! Actually, this is kind of sad. Ms. Davison's application is certainly already in the trash can. |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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[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.
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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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. |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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