Mike Robinette Gone!!
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Council
Forum Description: Discuss individual members and council as a legislative body.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3584
Printed Date: Nov 23 2024 at 3:30pm
Topic: Mike Robinette Gone!!
Posted By: randy
Subject: Mike Robinette Gone!!
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 6:47pm
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I have just confirmed that Economic Development Director Mike Robinette has resigned his position with the city of Middletown. In an email from the city manager to council, his position ends at the end of this month. And states that he has an opportunity to go to a better job in the private sector.
I will post the email sent from City Manager as soon as I can. ------------- Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357 |
Replies:
Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 6:59pm
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Well, that's a start.
Not at all sure I believe the reason!
Now give the airport back to Dave.
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Posted By: Smartman
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 7:22pm
| Is he taking his drinking buddy with him? |
Posted By: Steve Lewis
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 7:28pm
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Lets hope we can move on and repair the damage from the other night. I do feel that by letting your ward reps. and senior staff know how you feel they do ask questions. I spoke my mind and heard from several council people who gave me time to vent. Lets hope we make a good choice in hiring a new director, we have much at stake for our towns future. ------------- Steve Lewis |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 7:52pm
Good news indeed. Great news actually!!  Now, we need to hear that Kohler, Landen and Gilleland are next to go. Council could help expedite that if they cared about the city but the old guard doesn't have enough guts to relieve a person of their duties. Need to pay attention to the replacement for Robinette. IMO, can't be a person who will repeat the effort of Robinette. Must be MUCH MORE aggressive in the pursuit of decent paying jobs. Most of the job choices that have come to this city the last 20 years offer no hope for the people who wish to upgrade their standard of living. A shame that alot of people living in this town must leave each day to work elsewhere to earn a decent living.
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Posted By: jag123
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 7:59pm
Good luck to Mr. Robinette. Now, more cleaning house to do.
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Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 8:24pm
One down,about 6 to go.Now would be a good time for you A.J. to follow in your drinking buddy's shoes.You sir are nothing but a loud mouth that thinks you can do as you please.See you at the next meeting when I ask you to be removed.
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Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 8:46pm
http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/middletown-city-official-resigns-read-his-resignation-letter-1052799.html">
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Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 9:12pm
| I'm not sure this is an altogether good thing. Like the Bengals sacrificing the occasional assistant coach, we could be in for more of the same now that a head was lopped off. Hopefully this doesn't mean AJ stays. |
Posted By: Hermes
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 9:35pm
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Perhaps this is why he and AJ were out "celebrating"? Or what he is calling a "resignation" could very well be a "firing" ?
Well doesn't matter,now we need at least one more to resign and I hope SHE does it soon.
------------- No more democrats no more republicans,vote Constitution Party !! |
Posted By: randy
Date Posted: Jan 12 2011 at 10:08pm
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We all know that this is not about some new job opportunity; it is about the embarrassment he caused this city with his actions at Applebee’s. I don’t care that he is gone I just wish someone would tell the truth about why he left. The constant smoke screens are tiresome. Someone needs to be held accountable for that night and not able to resign a job and then use that job as a reference for some other job. We all know that’s what will happen, he will find a job for some other city and Judy will give straight A’s as a reference. No one will ever hear about the night he harassed some poor girl, threatened her boy friend and then drove home drunk (allegedly) ------------- Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357 |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 6:02am
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With eleven months' worth of salary, statutory taxes, fringe benefits and the like suddenly gone, the city is well over $100,000.00 closer to a balanced budget for 2011. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Arthur Loversky
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 7:20am
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This is good ONLY if we can find someone better. Sad to see anyone lose their job over a transgression like this.
Distresses me that people worry more about two single guys off the clock acting up in a local tavern(representing no one other than themselves) then what goes on with the same people during the working day and at city meetings.
Intoxicated people drive home from restaurants and bars every night. Been happening for centuries.
We have a chance to improve ourselves now, Will the same names that picked Mr.Robinette pick his successor? If so, what will change?
These people who work for us are human beings with the same issues after work as everyone else. They are no different than you and your family(except having a much better benefit package). Intolerence and hypocrasy can also be very destructive and dangerous. Do you really think that this man leaving will change anything? Are there more resignations to follow? ------------- got art? you do now! |
Posted By: randy
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 8:22am
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"
Distresses me that people worry more about two single guys off the clock acting up in a local tavern(representing no one other than themselves) then what goes on with the same people during the working day and at city meetings.'
Well first thing Art, Robinette is not single he is dating the mayor of Trenton. Second thing is, these guys represent the city all the time, part time either. One is elected and the other pretty much hand picked. So I dont your statements are correct. Their jobs are not 9-5. We should all be concerned about how these people conduct them selves out side of the city building. ------------- Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357 |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 9:10am
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Robinette should have been fired for his off the clock actions, and not given a chance to resign, being govt. employee's, it does not matter if your a public works worker or if your in admin. what went on at applebee's with Robinette and AJ was sexual harrassment and charges should have been made.. and i would hope that these two idiots are not allowed in the parking lot of applebee's, AJ how could u ever show your face and to have anything to do with city gov??? that 9 year old language you used ( F U) shows you are unfit to be in city gov and any other form of gov.... |
Posted By: Arthur Loversky
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 11:02am
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I would think that it would be up to the female involved to file any harrassment charges.
The investigating officers didn't observe anything that warranted further action on their part.
Applebee's hasn't filed any complaint to my knowledge.
Why everyone here thinks this to be their business and see cause for termination or removal from position is beyond me. How many of you have recently been guilty of drinking and driving? Quite a few, I would imagine. If you were to injure my family, friends, co-workers or me, I could care less as to whether you were a municipal employee or elected official. Even if you were on the job, that would be secondary.
On the other hand, I didn't care for Mr.Robinette's approach as economic development director. Don't understand the fixation with that downtown area while the rest of the business community has disintegrated. That downtown area is so far gone that most younger people have no interest in it at all, and have never seen anything happen there. It would be best suited to servicing the social service programs. The offices are already there. The food pantries, shelters, and outreach pprograms are all there. The people that use these services live mostly in that area. It is the section 8 mecca of this town. The Manchester Inn is now closed. The Thatcher properties are being sold and either vacated and "mothballed". Maybe it is the arts entities that are going to be poorly located there. "They" have tried many variations of the arts concept over the last 10+ years, with nothing having any stay power. Time to leave the area property owners on their own to improve their situation, and to stop waiting for continued municipal assistance. The town simply can't afford it any more.
I don't care for or understand Mr.Robinette's and the city's vendetta eith Mr.Robinson and his partners on the east end. Why try to over-charge them for a worthless piece of property when city has given away the farm in the downtown area?
Time for Council to take charge of this city and give fim and fair direction to city administation.
Council hires these people, and is responsible for their direction and actions(while on the clock!). ------------- got art? you do now! |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 11:21am
Sure Council could challenge--but in terms of interviewing, negotiating and extending the offer--Council's role is limited.
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Arthur Loversky wrote:Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 11:26am
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Arthur Loversky says "Why everyone here thinks this to be their business and see cause for termination or removal from position is beyond me"- Response.....because the one subject is a councilman, elected to serve the people and because the other is a city employee, with his salary paid for by the tax money collected from the city residents/city businesses and in a capacity to serve the citizens in an economic develop capacity for benefit of said citizens. IE- both are servants of the people and by the nature of their positions, are expected to be held accountable for their actions at all times, so as not to bring negative attention to an already ravaged town as to reputation. Both failed to do so.
Arthur further asks "How many of you have recently been guilty of drinking and driving?" Response.... Perhaps several of us. Perhaps some of us don't drink at all. But the bottom line is that most of us are not so ignorant as to act obnoxious in public and ask a person of the opposite sex to take the clothes off when drinking, we don't yell out stupidity like "I am the law" for all to hear, we don't think so highly of ourselves to think we can do as we please and we don't speed out of a parking lot with an open container, drawing attention to ourselves. Your post from "On the other hand"....right on target. 
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Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 11:48am
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE |
Posted By: Talking Heads
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 2:24pm
| I see from the Journal article that the major and city manager boast Mr. R's achievements. Great, however, it is plausible that this public embarrassment and potential sexual harassment issue is the reason for the resignation letter (which by the way was written so quickly that Mr. R made a typo.) His other drinking buddies, Mr. Mayor and Ms. City Manager have allowed him to leave on a "positive note." AND, they are allowing him to remain on taxpayers' payroll under his terms. Just doesn't seem right. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Jan 13 2011 at 10:01pm
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I would like to dedicate this next clip to our own
"Two Wild and Crazy Guys"!!!!!!
Mike and AJ
especially the last tune of the mix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y33g1mNU3yU&feature=related - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y33g1mNU3yU&feature=related
party on, dudes!
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 6:21am
How about "The Damage Is Done" from Foreigner? Appropriate for AJ's reputation and for Robinette's "Economic Development Plan". 
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Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 7:18am
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what "damage", Vet?
I am not damaged at all.
I think that everyone has gone on with their lives.
Mike and AJ made fools of themselves.
Had nothing to do with "city business".
Business as usual resumes Tuesday--that is where everyone should focus.
Where do we go from here?
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Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 7:18am
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From story in today’s eJournal: “Robinette said he feels the city has made tremendous progress on projects such as the $7.4 million Greentree Health Sciences Academy … during his time.” From “Success In the Middle” (The City Of Middletown’s 2008 Economic Development Report, signed by Mayor Lawrence P. Mulligan, Jr.): “The Greentree Health Sciences Academy will be an exciting addition to the campus when it is completed in 2009...” I dunno, but it appears that either Robinette, or Mulligan, or both nay have taken liberties with the truth!!! ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 8:38am
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Mike, you are probably right. But with so little progress being made right now (at least for what I know), you have to spread out the good word over multiple years.
Really, I can't blame them. But it sure would be nice to see a more PUBLIC PR campaign in place. Seem all the effort is behind closed doors. Sure you need some of that, but what about marketing to the average SMB (Small to Medium Business)? Low cost office space, able to market and get employees from Dayton and Cincinnati. For large Corporations, where is the marketing about our affordable housing market, central location on the interstate, growing medical campus, and large area labor pool? I don't see the press releases. I don't see the marketing campaign. I don't see any effort on the internet to promote Middletown in a meaningful way. Nothing like CincinnatiUSA.com If you are looking for people to relocate to Middletown, why is the city NOT using the internet? Why are Middletown's greatest assets being kept a secret? Perhaps the new guy will be someone who know a bit about making public your pr campaign. Someone like Bill Murphy would do rather nicely. I know we can't get Bill. But someone 'like' Bill has to be available. 
Photo: John Salyer, Fred Debiasi, Bill Murphy making rounds, visiting SMB in Middletown. http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2008/07/24/grass-roots-economic-development-in-middletown/ - Grass Roots Economic Development in Middletown ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 10:32am
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Spider.....Don't understand how you could interpret that I meant you were damaged. How did you arrive at that conclusion? Merely suggested that while we were on the "appropriate song for the situation kick" that I would offer that song as if to imply that Smith had "damaged" his personal and political self and that what Robinette had done to the city during his tenure was damaging.....that's all.
This incident itself may not have had anything to do with city business but it sure ain't helpin' the city image either. Robinette himself surely had plenty to do with the "city business" as he helped establish this cluster we have now in stagnated econ. devel and, with the help of Kohler's incompetency in planning, has made a joke out of "business friendly". "Where do we go from here?"....gotta get rid of the perps first before we go anywhere, IMO. Can't start out in a new direction until you eliminate the roadblock keeping the city from doing so. That would be most of council and the city manager and her clowns. JMO |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 11:01am
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John- I asked Robinette the same questions about marketing Middletown's amenities that you mentioned ie. labor, affordable housing, location between two major cities. He called me a year or so ago and he mentioned that there are systems in place, computer-wise, that are being used periodically to contact the city about possible development. I asked him if the city ever sends out packets to employers looking to relocate in Ohio and other states, instead of waiting for someone to "come knockin'" and he said the city didn't do that on a repetitive basis. I also asked him if the city did anything else beside computer and mail out contacts to potential employers but he wouldn't elaborate. Indications are that his department wasn't a ball of fire in doing this.
There is a reason why Middletown is lagging behind everyone else in this area in development and job opportunities. Either they aren't trying as hard as the other cities, don't know how to approach potential new businesses/residents, created too high of taxes to make it appealing, developed too many obstacles driving businesses away, don't have the proper network and contacts or they have screwed this town up so badly, that any mention of locating to Middletown is not taken seriously. |
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 11:32am
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I totally disagree Bill Murphy had an y impact upon Middletown. 4th/ 5th generation websites are a means of generating buzz and interest, but do not promote a city to the point of bringing in residents and businesses. Sites generate ad revenue, and give information, as Middletown has totally revamped it's website. It has done all it can by "regionalizing" itself.
The bar is pretty low if anyone advocates a Bill Murphy clone be found. Taxes, or the lack thereof, and quality of life and convenience, propel both businesses and residents. Middletown has neither, Its taxes are high, and the "low housing" is attributed by the incomprehensible failure to put money into maintaining streets and infratsructures---simply put, it is a mess, and everyone knows that as a fact.
The situation with Mr. Robinette and AJ Smith was a matter outside the realm of daily work, but a needless embarrassment for both parties. I ask, knowing Robineet's background was more in finace, and not business nor economic development, how was he an appropriate candidate? Simply because he had a few connections in the Miami Valley? That doesn't get you much, nor has it. Everything that has transpired has nothing to do with any initiative spurred by the city. And, its impact has been negligible. Add to that the fact Ohio is losing about 300,000 residents, with the rust belt sector cemented to its identity, and giving away houses and eduaction, and buikdings for "art" does nothing to bring in tax revenues, quality schools, and a thriving community.
Face facts: Middletown lost two ED's in a short period of time, a football coach, and many businesses. Its throwing money on PAC and Cinci State on a prayer someone else can figure it out. The city is dead, beyond recovery, and continues repeating the same mistakes constantly. Save tyhe money, don't even waste time nor money on a ED. Let Neyer and the others that really run the city, continue on. People WANT OUT of Middletown---NOT IN.
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Posted By: Hermes
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 1:07pm
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Wonder why the city never mentioned that "Greentree" is not a "new business" but just relocating from Monroe ?
The way the city carries on they make it out to be some big new adventure that Robinette successfully carried out and conquered. Especially when Greentree was planning to relocate all along.
Another one them "Hhhmmmm's" ------------- No more democrats no more republicans,vote Constitution Party !! |
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 1:19pm
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I've heard Mr. R enjoyed his golf games during working hours. No doubt drumming up tons of business. In my days at the city I never would have dreamed of such a thing. |
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 1:48pm
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Neil, that's why the city keeps the golf course open, so it is a perk for its employees. Mr. Robinette was a retired double dipper who made no impact upon Middletown, and was nothing more than friend of Judy, given a job, as she was friend of interim city manager. This laughing stock mentality just keeps on and on.
No one at city hall is making strides in moving forward, the game is to create this false image has much brighter the future will be, until they retire. Any other city in Ohio, where the residents have a backbone, they'd be fired in a New York minute. In Middletown, its part of the game.
Expect PAC to close shop within 3 years. Cinci State is a shell game tetering on disaster before it begins. City getting ready to invest capital funds for equipment, when they should outsource it to Superior Blacktop. What city hall has done would be a crime in most cities, but its business as usual in Middletown.
Had enough of AJ Smith. This young man is delusional. Too much drama queen. Texting messages coming in, and now he wants secret service protection. This city is nothing but a Three Stooges comedy hour 24/7.
No worries on Robinette, Rhonda will find some work for him in Trenton, after she gets her slary restored with Freking & Betz's hammer. A city of entitlement in ruins.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 23 2011 at 9:13am
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Journal Jan 23.....
"In the short term, Middletown City Manager Judy Gilleland said the city departments can absorb Robinette’s responsibilities. But the job or its responsibilities can’t go unfilled forever. “There is a difference between what a staff and a team can absorb in the short term versus the long term. While we’re not going to miss a beat in the short term, like other communities, staff is spread very thinly across departments and economic development is a priority,” Gilleland said." So, Robinette wasn't doing that much and Gilleland is "parting out" his job duties. She says "other departments can absorb his responsibilites" If true, then, when you are cutting jobs, as you say you are doing in the city building, why not cut some of these high paying directors jobs and have the remaining directors "absorb some responsibilities"? Gilleland states "economic development is a priority". Good one Judith! Horsepucky
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Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jan 23 2011 at 6:24pm
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This quote is from a local newspaper article about economic development:
If Turley would just pay attention to Middletown City Hall, he would know that businesses aren’t concerned by things like that. If Turley would just pay attention to Middletown City Hall, he would know that all a relocating business looks for in a new location is bike paths, doggie parks, and historic districts. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |