12/20/11 Workbook
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=4285
Printed Date: Nov 22 2024 at 3:36am
Topic: 12/20/11 Workbook
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Subject: 12/20/11 Workbook
Date Posted: Dec 17 2011 at 4:59am
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According to the agenda, the City Manager will be presenting a “Cincinnati State Update”, but it gives no further clue as to what that update will include. Let’s hope that it finally includes some concrete information instead of the usual “We expect a deal by____________ (fill in whatever date you want to guess)”. The City Manager’s report on “local preferences” contains some interesting comments: “local vendors already enjoy natural advantages, including a more intimate knowledge of their municipality’s needs,…” Hmm…the very same could be said about local Realtors and commercial developers, couldn’t it??? So why don’t we let them handle the local real estate and commercial development instead of City Hall??? I find it laughable that the City Manager finalizes her argument AGAINST local preferences with the following quote: “…the existence of preference programs upsets the free market forces that set prices and ensure adequate competition. It can also be argued that establishing any manner of preference in the public procurement process challenges an organization’s ethics by defining a new process to express favoritism in how tax revenues are spent and to establish a market that is no longer fair to all interested parties.” So...why is it that she, and the City Council, can’t see that this is exactly what they are doing when they subsidize a single enterprise (for example, Pendleton), with tax money, giving them an insurmountable advantage over any possible competitor (and thus establishing a monopoly)??? I guess that she only understands free market economics when one of her pals isn’t involved, or when her significant other or friends do not have a personal interest in the business area involved. The very words that SHE quoted sure indicate that SHE “gets it”. Yet, she is proposing that we upset the free market again with the Sorg Opera building and the other white elephants MMF and Verdin have their sights on. And the free-market, supposedly financial and law educated Republicans on Council appear ready to go along with her anti-free market binge. This seems more like the National-Socialists approach to me. I might remind the Manager and the members of Council what the Manager says under the “CONFORMITY TO CITY POLICY” of this report on local preferences: “It is the City’s policy to be responsive to the citizens of Middletown in a cost-effective way that will reduce the amount of tax dollars needed to operate the City.” I hope that each and every council member will keep this City Policy in mind when they cast their votes on providing money for the purchase of the Sorg Opera building, and similar structures.
From the minutes of the November 2, 2011, Airport Commission meeting: “Aeronca has offered to help pay for a sign made of steel for the airport. Designs have been discussed and submitted to Marty Kohler.” I have to wonder if our city sign ordinances will be applied as stringently to this sign as they are to the signs of businesses that Kohler does not favor??? I hope so. Perhaps then it will become obvious how stupid these ordinances actually are, and perhaps they will finally be thrown out. But I doubt it. Kohler will somehow find a way to allow a proper sign for the airport while keeping the stifling ordinances in effect to apply to any business he deems as “tacky”.
The only controversial legislation on the agenda appears to be Agenda Item 3, the $75K for MMF (which I already discussed briefly above). We already know where this is going: According to the Middletown Journal, MMF has made an offer to buy the former Sorg Opera house. We already know that this is to please the same small group that we already have We also know that $75K is just the start. This building was forced into foreclosure by the City. They did not like the business plan that the former owner was following (too tacky for one of the “sacred” buildings) nor did they like the color scheme (too tacky to be across the street from the historical society), so they constantly harassed them until they could no longer operate. So, not only will the City have to bring all of the items for which they cited the previous owner up to snuff, at a cost that we taxpayers cannot afford, we know that the Historic Commission will delight in asking for a full restoration (to be supervised by a local “historian”, of course) at a cost of millions to we taxpayers before the coveted “certificate of appropriateness” can be granted. (No…I doubt if junk auto hoods will be deemed “appropriate” as a façade for this building. After all, this will be at the taxpayers’ expense---money is no object!!!) What I can’t understand is: We are a city that is supposedly going bankrupt. We cannot afford our police, or our firefighters, nor can we afford to maintain our crumbling infrastructure. Our City’s debt is increasing EVERY year!!! Where in the heck are we going to get all of this money??? ------------- “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: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Dec 17 2011 at 6:16am
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Mike Yep you can bet that before noon Wednesday we will be the proud owners of the Sorg Opera House.
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Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Dec 17 2011 at 5:42pm
| Hope it doesn't catch on fire after the new year! And I have know knowledge that it could, want to stop it at that. The city wants to own these properties, have they really had the fire dept. go thru ever building and inspect them? |
Posted By: jag123
Date Posted: Dec 17 2011 at 8:51pm
Sign plans have been submitted and approved. Very strict rules. It will be paid for by Magellan AeroSpace and Middletown Aviation Foundation. It will be sharp. Great things going on at the airport.
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Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Dec 18 2011 at 9:27pm
| jag123, you lost me. ?? |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 19 2011 at 6:51am
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looks as if Santa will only stop downtown this year, to "bail out" the deceased Sorg Theater(after being left to rot for 5 years). Will cost infinitely more to bring it back now, after poor planning/decisions. City will eventually buy all of the former downtown dead zone b4 giving it all away to out-of-towners, and we will pay for it. Vacant/dormant/useless purchased buildings litter the area while our streets continue to deteriorate(unless you live in a brightly/expensively lit historic district!), and public safety(police/fire/health dept) are cut back. Could Mr.Becker, Mr.Allen and Ms.Scott Jones come to their senses and give us the best present of all by stopping this madness 2morrow evening? Or will they continue to dig us in deeper, while talking down to us? |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 19 2011 at 10:34am
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And yes, we are
STUPID. Only those at City Hall can
understand things like big numbers. We are too dumb. Okay, now try to
follow the bouncing ball (this is all from the 12/20/2011 workbook, pages 100,
& 101 of 119): First we transfer
$1,139,000 from the City Income Tax Fund to the Fire Relief & Pension
Fund (Fund #726). Then, later on, we
transfer $1,426,496 From the Fire Relief & Pension Fund (Fund
#726) to
the General Fund (Fund #100). So, did
the Fire Relief & Pension Fund (Fund #726) already have about $300K that
they didn’t need??? If so, what the heck
is going on??? (About $1.5 million is enough for a lot of police and
firefighters, if we don’t buy the Sorg Mansion.) Next, we transfer $877,000 from the City Income Tax Fund to the
Police Relieve and Pension Fund (Fund #725).
Then, later on, we transfer $1,153,354 from the Police Relief & Pension
Fund (Fund #725) to the General Fund (Fund #100). Once again, mucho dinero that wasn’t needed
transferred to a fund that wasn’t needy.
What the heck is going on??? Why
does our finance department keep getting awards??? And last, but not least: $3,151,345 From the Public Safety
Levy Fund (Fund #200) to the General Fund (Fund #100). That’s the entire Public Safety levy amount
for the year (even though they want us to think it was somewhere around $2.5
million, due to the poor economy)!!! So, the next time you hear that the Public Safety Levy didn’t
bring in as much as it was supposed to bring in ($3 million), ask for your $151,345
to be returned. And the next time they
say that they keep the Public Safety money separate, tell them to look at the
12/06/2011 Workbook, where it shows that they transferred it ALL into the
General Fund. And the next time they tell you that they “know where every
penny goes”, ask them why they approved the transfer of over THIRTY-FOUR
MILLION DOLLARS in a typical year such as 2011, with most of it within the
General Fund!!!! (I’ll tell you right now what they will tell you: that “you
don’t understand…go sit down.” ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
spiderjohn wrote:Posted By: jag123
Date Posted: Dec 19 2011 at 10:55am
| Stanky: I was commenting on Mike's post about the sign at the airport. |
Posted By: middie83
Date Posted: Dec 19 2011 at 10:28pm
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Groundswat: I know the fire marshal was through recently this year for their annual fire inspection because they weren't allowed to have any events in the one portion until they got a bunch of stuff up to code.
Still don't agree with the city buying it up though...I'll leave it at that as most of us know how I feel about our city manager and her decisions. |
Posted By: middie83
Date Posted: Dec 19 2011 at 10:32pm
| Mike: where can I get a copy of the workbook? Nevermind found it on the city's site. |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 5:56pm
| Thanks- wasn't pointing fingers but it wouldn't surprise me if wonder women and crew aren't following the rules. Trust the down line people and deal with MF on building inspections. Hess , I believe helps me out. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 7:01pm
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So, tonight they voted to give MMF $75,000 for “property
development”!!!
They all hemmed and hawed about what the money would be used
for. For cripes sakes!!! It was in the newspaper that MMF has made an
offer on the Sorg Opera house!!! (Their
offer was no doubt contingent upon getting $75K of the taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.) “Property development” my butt!
Mr. Picard spoke eloquently about MMF when he said they were “Businessmen who have invested their own time, their own effort…” Their time and effort, but NOT their own MONEY in these screwball risky schemes, Mr. Picard!!! These are wealthy men with real estate and commercial development backgrounds. Why aren’t they willing to use their own money to buy the Sorg Opera house??? Its asking price is less than $60K. Most of these people spend more than that on cars. If this is such a great idea, why hasn't one of them bought this great investment for their own account???
------------- “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: TonyB
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 9:49pm
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Mr. P, I think you raise an excellent point. I've made no secret that I thought that if the city was going to develop property downtown, that the Sorg Opera House should be part of the economic engine to build an "arts center" there. If MMF acquire the Opera House with funds given to them by the city, don't the taxpayers who, in essence, acquired the building, have the right to know what the plans are? Where is the funding for renovation to come from? Most important from a tax-payer perspective, what kind of ROI are we to expect? Where's the business plan for this property? I tell you something that I don't want to hear; "mothball"!!! Will this property be sold or leased to a developer? Once again, there seems to be a lack of "vision" articulated by council and our CIC. Do they not have a plan or do they just not want to communicate the plan to the taxpayers? Why would they hem and haw about this if they have a clear plan? Hopefully, tomorrow when they purchase the property, we will get some information. |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 7:47am
| We need another (Fund) Mr. P. When will council look in the mirror and understand how this city looks to the rest of the county? Can't they understand how it looks to have the Admin.moving money around like checkers. I would agree that $75k is not alot of money in the realm of the over all budget but to act like you don't know how it's going to be spent if in fact the paper story is true is an insult to the taxpayer. Did I miss one of them asking MMF about the Sorg? |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 9:43am
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correct swat--+ the Downtown Inc. + a new director(of?) on top of it all. Once again they talk down to us, by not even mentioning that an offer from MMF has "allegedly" been made on the Sorg Theater property PRIOR to last night's Council approval of the funding(which probably will be used to secure the loan). So--that $$ will be tied up and/or gone immediately. So--from where will the improvement funding come, and what will be the end result of the project + the economic impact to the ENTIRE community? Future funding? The place couldn't survive when run by the Opera Company, by ACF functions, movies,talent shows, rock acts or even wrestling matches over the last few decades. It was allowed to literally fall apart and has become the major eyesore of the area DESPITE it's historic designation. Is it REALLY worth the cost of restoration? We don't need and can't afford a larger historical society since we can't /won't support our existing entity. These MMFers are largely a well-intentioned, intelligent, successful group of long-term residents and public activists who honestly shouldn't need Ms.Hamet, Mr.Landen or the city manager to speak for them. MMF has been around since 2005, has supposedly only filed a financial report in their initial year, and has only raised $10,000 in capital over that period. Not very active or productive imo. When they ask the city to fund them, it takes on a whole new attitude and obligation of clarity and responsibility. So--since Councilmembers Becker and Mulligan are active members of MMF, why were they allowed to vote on this issue?
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Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 1:39pm
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Downtown Coordinator, for Downtown Middletown Inc.
http://www.preservationdirectory.com/preservationblogs/ArticleDetail.aspx?id=2700&catid=3 - http://www.preservationdirectory.com/preservationblogs/ArticleDetail.aspx?id=2700&catid=3 Funding for the Sorg Opera House http://www.preservationdirectory.com/PreservationGeneralResources/GrantsFundingSources.aspx - http://www.preservationdirectory.com/PreservationGeneralResources/GrantsFundingSources.aspx
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 1:44pm
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OK, the cat's officially out of the bag; MMF intends to purchase the Sorg Opera House. They aren't planning to use the $75,000 to purchase but to use it as collateral to obtain a loan. According to Mr. Cohen, they have a plan. I wonder what will happen when MMF is dissolved by the Secretary of State for failure to file annual financial reports. Be prepared for a lot of hemming and hawing about this. What happens then? |
Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 2:31pm
I really need to go to a meeting to ask our "SPINELESS ONES" for a loan.Something is not right about them just handing over 75k and dont ask what for and our we going to get paid back? Im guessing that 2 out of the 3 live on Main Street or in another Historic neighborhood. I wont beat around the bush as some do,They are crooks and scammers.
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Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 2:43pm
| It would have been nice if someone with half an interest in that place would have at least covered up the windows in recent months to prevent rain getting in. |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 3:50pm
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Stanky, I'm with you on that one. Those windows have been uncovered since June. I can't imagine what those rooms look like if birds were able to fly in unimpeded. Just more renovation expense. |
Posted By: NOLA
Date Posted: Dec 21 2011 at 8:05pm
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Having been in that building numerous times in the past year; if the city administration and MMF believe they are going to fix that building for less than $500,000 they are kidding themselves. I want to know who will actually hold the deed or note when this is done.
The actions of this administration and the select few influence peddlers have pushed me over the limit of what I am willing to tolerate. FORGET renewing the 25% income tax for public safety (its not a levy); if this is how poorly they manage revenue; they shouldn't have access to anymore. Maybe we can create a "citizen committee" to determine how the city can be managed.
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Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 6:47am
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“Regardless of whether it’s implemented by a separate organization or by the city, the intention is to use it for property development.” Well, now that we taxpayers have been “MMF’ed” out of
$75,000, perhaps it’s time for The Mayor and his gang to take another trip to
Las Vegas. Since there’s no oversight,
nor any restrictions on how this money can be spent, perhaps they’ll form
another “separate organization” and call it G.A.M.B.L.E. (Government Agents Making Bets and Laughing at Everyone)!!! Other suggestions for “property development”??? I saw a poor chap on Central Avenue walking
towards downtown about 1:00 AM this morning sipping "tea" from a container in a
brown paper bag. He had undoubtedly just
debarked from the commuter train at our historic train depot. This screams out the need of an historic Olde Tyme trolley service from the historic
depot to historic downtown (with continuing service to historic South Main
Street, and a branch line to the historic Manchester Inn, of course). ------------- “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: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 7:06am
------------- “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: ground swat
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 7:17am
| Snyders law " emergency financial managers". Pretty scary but the bill was signed and the Michigan governor would like to act. Already have a group that meets once a month at the chamber to talk about crime, good turnout. Don't know if a group could pull together for over site. Sad when only 6 people show for a town hall and know one goes to the podium during council. Anyone notice how the Nov. Elections turned out? |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 7:21am
------------- “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: NOLA
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 9:05am
| Mike, that wouldn't surprise me at all to totally restore the building. It suffers from abuse, water and other damage. I would estimate it would be about $750,000 to get the building to a state where it could " |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 9:27am
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Mr. P, The $3 to $4 million figure is a reasonably accurate figure for a restoration of the theater portion of the building. There's no telling what kind of damage that has been done to the "Commercial" part of the building. It also should be noted that curtains, lighting and sound equipment, and safety inspections for the "fly" system will be needed. I'd say that $5 million is closer to what it will take for a full restoration of the entire building. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 8:08pm
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Well, I guess I was wrong.
I guess that this is a hot property—so hot, in fact, that someone
decided to buy it for far above the $59,000 asking price!!! On 21 DEC 2011, the deed was passed to BAYVIEW LOAN
SERVICING LLC for $100,500!!! ------------- “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: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 8:19pm
------------- “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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Posted By: NOLA
Date Posted: Dec 22 2011 at 8:55pm
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http://bayview-loan-servicing.pissedconsumer.com/
Sounds like they may be someone te city would like to do business with. 
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Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Dec 23 2011 at 6:21am
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Well, well, well… I see that our new best friends, Bayview Loan Servicing, seem to be buying some other foreclosed property around town. On December 22, they acquired title to 1701 and 1707 GERMANTOWN ROAD. I can’t imagine why these folks from Florida would be interested in this property…unless they have inside information from executive sessions at City Hall that there might be some development going on out that way in the near future??? NAH!!! They probably just can’t bear to see a
------------- “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: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Dec 23 2011 at 7:20am
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Mike |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Dec 23 2011 at 11:09am
| Evidently, City Council wasn't the only ones unaware about plans for the Opera House. I find it a trifle suspicious that the day after council appropriates the money to MMF, the property they were supposedly going to purchase with the money winds up in the hands of an out-of -state mortgage company for almost double what MMF offered. Does that mean that MMF will have to have more money to purchase the property? Did this company have some inside information that allowed them to purchase the property knowing that they could make a profit from the city on the sale? Could this be part of the plan by MMF to purchase the property? Something is going on here that merits a more critical analysis. I just hope that the taxpayers haven't been taken to the cleaners (again) by this whole affair. |
Posted By: middletownscouter
Date Posted: Dec 28 2011 at 12:12pm
| It says validity "Forclosure" and lists the previous owner. Could this simply be the record of the title being moved from the previous owner who went into forclosure into the hands of the Bank? |
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Dec 28 2011 at 1:16pm
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Scouter, I don't think that the bank would have listed a purchase price since it would be a repossession. I guess if the bank takes possession it doesn't have to list the title transfer with the county. What I find interesting is that not one word of this has been transmitted by the Journal. I take that to mean that either this is not "good news" or this is the MMF plan. I'm surprised there has been no follow-up by the Journal to that story. Doesn't say much for their investigative journalism or their ability to inform the public. |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Dec 28 2011 at 2:43pm
| It"s only 75k, needs to be six figures for the news people to get involved. There busy covering shoppers returning gifts! |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jan 07 2012 at 5:07am
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Here is an interesting piece of news: There seems to be more interest in commercial property on
Germantown Road!! As of January 5, the former DAVEY’S MARKET (in the 1500
block of Germantown Road at the corner of the intersection with Wilbraham Road)
has been purchased by N & G TAKHAR OIL LLC. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |