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6/7/2011 council meeting

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=3920
Printed Date: Nov 27 2024 at 3:25am


Topic: 6/7/2011 council meeting
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Subject: 6/7/2011 council meeting
Date Posted: Jun 07 2011 at 7:55pm

The biggest news out of the meeting was that Sarah Mills is leaving to take a position with the City of Kettering. I feel that Ms. Mills will be sorely missed and that our loss will be Kettering’s gain. Having Ms. Mills waiting in the wings would have made it easy for a principled city council or a new city manager to summarily discharge Les Landen. (Landen has to go if Middletown is to have a prayer for a recovery.)

During the Council Comments portion of the meeting, Mayor Lawrence P. Mulligan, Jr. informed us that they “talked about the budget upstairs”, and he assured us that there are some difficult decisions to make and that council will “deliberate very carefully”.

Thank you for that informative description of the discussions, Mr. Mayor, but you failed to mention what was said that council was too afraid or too ashamed to say in council chambers in front of the TV cameras.  Confused



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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



Replies:
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jun 07 2011 at 8:09pm
Mike, anyone whom has lived in Middletown long enough has telephony and doesn't need to hear nor see anything pertaining to 'solutions' on the budget. You know what that discussion is about, goodness, Ms. G. spelled it out before the meeting in her weekly letter:
 
 
The SOLUTION associated with the BUDGET is LEVIES. That SOLUTION has been practived for 30 years, and no other SOLUTION will be offered.What's amusing is Mr. Mulligan's reference to "difficult decisions". And those difficult decisions will be who will be running the levy campaign, when it will begin (2011 or 2012), how much, and who will ask the Atrium and AK for funding help.
 
So, you missed NOTHING. The busdget discussion was focused UPON the LEVY. As Gomer would say, "SURPRISE, SURPRISE", but not.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jun 07 2011 at 8:21pm
Acclaro:
Eaxactly!!!  But we,the people, deserve to hear that conniving...oops--I means discussion...for ourselves!!!  It should have been held in City Council chambers in front of the TV cameras!!!
 
City Council meetings are not supposed to be held in conference rooms when the taxpayers have provided fine CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS exactly for that purpose!!!


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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


Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jun 07 2011 at 11:28pm
Mike, I agree with the effect of sunshine but city council and MMF was put in place a few years ago as we both know city finance department models data to plan for shortfalls. The city does these closed meetings to discuss how they will prevail on a levy out of public eye. So they do this for their own goal, not the city. The discussion was entirely focused upon how to pass the levy. To avoid EVER making a tough decision. Don't thing for a minute sunshine will ce through when talking about levies and the fall of Cincinnati State. Agree sum should shine but vampires much prefer the darkness.


Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jun 08 2011 at 6:44am
From the Journal......

26 full-time jobs at risk in city cuts
City leaders propose job cuts, including 5 seasonal jobs, to help fill $3.7M funding gap.

The police and fire departments — which account for 71 percent of the city’s $30.5 million annual budget — would take the biggest hit.

Two vacancies in the fire department would go unfilled, and eight firefighters would be laid off.

But layoffs are not the only cost-cutting measure proposed. The fire department would add a “wireless surcharge” for dispatch calls and send residents to collection if they don’t pay their EMS bill — measures the proposal estimates could generate $117,500.

WOULD $117,500 REALLY MAKE A DENT IN 3.7 MIL?

Likewise, police officials
said adding red light cameras, collections from the police impound lot and increasing the cost of items in the jail commissary could bring in another $120,000 annually.

WAIT A MINUTE......WE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS WERE TO PROMOTE SAFETY, NOT AS A RELIED UPON REVENUE GENERATOR. ARE THEY NOW ADMITTING THAT WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG? AGAIN, $120,000 WILL MAKE NO DENT ON 3.7 MIL. GRASPING AT STRAWS HERE BOYS AND GIRLS.



Beyond the five full-time, one part-time and five seasonal jobs that would be cut in other departments, City Manager Judy Gilleland said the city likely would reduce mowing and eliminate Saturday transit routes, saving $40,000

AGAIN THE GRASPING OF THE STRAWS

“In my 8½ years in government, these are the most difficult times I’ve witnessed,” Gilleland said.

WELL JUDITH, YOU AND YOUR PALS HAVE CREATED SOME OF THOSE "DIFFICULT TIMES" WITH YOUR FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY AND IGNORANT DECISIONS AND HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF, LADY. WHEN THE FED AND STATE HANDOUTS YOU RELY ON DRY UP, AND YOU HAVE NO CORPORATE AND PAYROLL TAXES TO RELY ON BECAUSE YOU WERE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL IN YOUR FAILURE TO BRING IN DECENT JOBS AND THE TAXES THEY PROVIDE, BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

None of these cuts take into account the 0.5-percent public safety levy. It generates about $2.8 million for the police and fire departments and is set to expire in 2012. Law Director Les Landen said the city has until Aug. 10 to put a renewal issue on the November ballot.

AHHH, THE SALES PITCH

Three other officers promoted will be recognized during a pinning ceremony at 9 a.m. today at the police station. Lt. Rodney Muterspaw, will be promoted to major; Sgt. Jim Cunningham will be promoted to lieutenant; and Officer Ed Sensel will be promoted to patrol sergeant

FOR MUTERSPAW....WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN? DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD JUMP FROM LT. TO MAJOR?????? HE HASN'T BEEN A LT. FOR VERY LONG HAS HE? HE'S ON THE FAST TRACK... GROOMING FOR NEXT POLICE CHIEF PERHAPS? NICE GUY...FORMER NEIGHBOR.


Posted By: middletownscouter
Date Posted: Jun 08 2011 at 8:39am
For those who attended, how much discussion was there on demolishing Sunset Pool? Did it actually get discussed or was it more of a "this is a done deal, we're going to do it" type of thing? Curious if any of the members of council spoke in favor of keeping the pool.


Posted By: AKBobby
Date Posted: Jun 08 2011 at 9:43am
Originally posted by VietVet VietVet wrote:

From the Journal......

26 full-time jobs at risk in city cuts
City leaders propose job cuts, including 5 seasonal jobs, to help fill $3.7M funding gap.

The police and fire departments — which account for 71 percent of the city’s $30.5 million annual budget — would take the biggest hit.

Two vacancies in the fire department would go unfilled, and eight firefighters would be laid off.

But layoffs are not the only cost-cutting measure proposed. The fire department would add a “wireless surcharge” for dispatch calls and send residents to collection if they don’t pay their EMS bill — measures the proposal estimates could generate $117,500.

WOULD $117,500 REALLY MAKE A DENT IN 3.7 MIL?

Likewise, police officials
said adding red light cameras, collections from the police impound lot and increasing the cost of items in the jail commissary could bring in another $120,000 annually.

WAIT A MINUTE......WE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS WERE TO PROMOTE SAFETY, NOT AS A RELIED UPON REVENUE GENERATOR. ARE THEY NOW ADMITTING THAT WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG? AGAIN, $120,000 WILL MAKE NO DENT ON 3.7 MIL. GRASPING AT STRAWS HERE BOYS AND GIRLS.



Beyond the five full-time, one part-time and five seasonal jobs that would be cut in other departments, City Manager Judy Gilleland said the city likely would reduce mowing and eliminate Saturday transit routes, saving $40,000

AGAIN THE GRASPING OF THE STRAWS

“In my 8½ years in government, these are the most difficult times I’ve witnessed,” Gilleland said.

WELL JUDITH, YOU AND YOUR PALS HAVE CREATED SOME OF THOSE "DIFFICULT TIMES" WITH YOUR FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY AND IGNORANT DECISIONS AND HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF, LADY. WHEN THE FED AND STATE HANDOUTS YOU RELY ON DRY UP, AND YOU HAVE NO CORPORATE AND PAYROLL TAXES TO RELY ON BECAUSE YOU WERE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL IN YOUR FAILURE TO BRING IN DECENT JOBS AND THE TAXES THEY PROVIDE, BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

None of these cuts take into account the 0.5-percent public safety levy. It generates about $2.8 million for the police and fire departments and is set to expire in 2012. Law Director Les Landen said the city has until Aug. 10 to put a renewal issue on the November ballot.

AHHH, THE SALES PITCH

Three other officers promoted will be recognized during a pinning ceremony at 9 a.m. today at the police station. Lt. Rodney Muterspaw, will be promoted to major; Sgt. Jim Cunningham will be promoted to lieutenant; and Officer Ed Sensel will be promoted to patrol sergeant

FOR MUTERSPAW....WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN? DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD JUMP FROM LT. TO MAJOR?????? HE HASN'T BEEN A LT. FOR VERY LONG HAS HE? HE'S ON THE FAST TRACK... GROOMING FOR NEXT POLICE CHIEF PERHAPS? NICE GUY...FORMER NEIGHBOR.
 
Vet, there is no Captain rank at the PD. I think it goes Patrol, Detective, Sergeant, Leiutenant and then Major. They cut Captains when they cut three supervisor positions over the years. Now you only have two deputy chiefs (majors).


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AK - What is going on with that?



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