So Much For Listening To The People

Looks like council has approved $600,000 bucks to buy the old Middletown High School, Jefferson school and another property in town for future development in the Oakland area. How many times do we have to see the city in the real estate business, bs the public about being successful in selling the properties and, in the end, literally giving the property away for little to nothing. Does the Manchester Hotel and what played out there ring a bell with anyone? How about the old Rose Furniture building? Oh, and the Goetz Tower as well. This city doesn't know how to successfully market a property to the private sector. Hasn't demonstrated it as yet. This city loves to take on white elephant properties with no hope of success. Let the private sector determine what properties are worth, what properties can be marketed as and determine how successful they will be. Even that doesn't work at times. Look at the old library on 1st Ave. The guy who bought that had great pipe dreams with a brewery, meeting rooms and more, but has yet to get started after purchasing the property years ago. What's the holdup? How about the failed promises from Grau and the Manchester. This deal between Grau and the city has been a total failure from day one.

Condrey, as mayor, is off to a bad start on this. I voted for her expecting the start on a different path and focus. I was happy with Larry Mulligan out of the picture after 12 years of futility. I expect this public exclusion thinking from worthless, do nothing Joe Mulligan. He is like the rest as he sits there behind the council desk acting like he is listening to the concerns of the people when, in actuality, is dozing off with his eyes open. Just another city clown with the city agenda as the operational bible. The people's opinions don't matter to this city government. Never did. I would expect the newcomers on council to have some individual thinking capacity and not imitate the status quo. Maybe provide a different prospective. Vitori and Nenni, along with Condrey should show some interest in the opinions of the people. Apparently not, as we have yet another rubber stamp vote on approval. Nothing has changed with the change in council makeup. It's the same old song and the same old beat since the old guard has gone. This city will never improve operations if it keeps repeating failed ways. (same goes for the schools by the way) When will they ever learn?

She was indeed the lone 'no' vote.

Hmmm. Now why would a person connected to economic development want to remove all revenue generating entities from the city? Absolutely makes no sense. What does the man have against the Smith Park activities, Balloon Fests and Light Up Middletown? Does old Matt have a hidden agenda that he is not revealing? It would appear Matt is in the wrong job, doesn't understand the concept of economic development and no one is overseeing Matt's job activities. Does council agree with his ideas? If this is true, why hasn't Matt been removed?

Agree with your assessment on council members. Both Mulligans were worthless as council members and we have an encore with the current member. Agree, didn't do anything his first time around and not doing anything this time either. At least he's consistent in his lackluster effort to effect change or offer ideas that will help the city. Yeah, we knew that Vitori and Moon, as downtown business owners, were not going to help the city with the exception of the downtown area for which they have a personal interest in maintaining. This is why having an overabundance of downtown business owners on council is not a good thing with regard to an interest in seeing the entire city prosper. Council is becoming loaded with downtown interest people. Not good. They should exclude themselves from voting on any downtown activity coming before council. Otherwise, it could be perceived as a conflict of interest IMO. Where does acting city manager Cohen stand in all of this? Is she a big supporter of downtown, and, if so, she should attempt to lose her bias to that area of town and act like a real city manager in her interest for the ENTIRE city.

I haven't read the latest plan for the airport. I have spent time with Matt E(years ago), and found him to be reasonable, however simply a soldier.

After losing Sunset to the sewer system and another large eastern park to soccer, I can't imagine Smith going also.

imo Mr.Hart and his crew revived Hook field, and have given incredible sky show efforts to most main events revolving around Hook and Smith. His last microbrew fest @ Hook was the party of the year--very impressive and very well attended. I respect his efforts.

I can't see a lot of people flying in to Hook, however I wouldn't mind catching a flight out of here......

After Doug, and the latest Council/Admin changes, I am out of the loop on happenings within Donham.

I DO know that many are most unhappy about the 5th/3rd/Goetz first floor rental arrangement for a building in distress for years(counting) and at an extremely high cost. Somewhat similar feelings for the former school site purchases(particularly Oneida and the proposed Oakland project), the strange road changes on Verity, and Mr.P's mentioned expensive downtown road re-do.

We shall see how Council navigates hiring a new city manager and ED director(with a fancy new headquarters prioritizing the former downtown of course). To their credit, they are all intelligent well-intentioned locals from families with long histories of community involvement. We can only hope that they learn quickly--we wanted "new" young faces--now we somewhat have that.

Like Mr.P and the old crew, I am too far gone and detached to be very involved, after decades of such....

Go for it!
It takes a lot of face time and honest constructive thinking to crack the fraternity---$$ spent is minor imo.