The streets---again
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=4615
Printed Date: Nov 23 2024 at 7:50am
Topic: The streets---again
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: The streets---again
Date Posted: Jun 14 2012 at 10:08pm
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Today's Journal....
Millions spent to improve streets, but more is needed, councilman says MIDDLETOWN — The city will spend $2.1 million this summer on road improvement projects, but one councilman said Middletown needs to find ways to increase the amount. The amount the city is spending on road improvements is not enough, said City Councilman Josh Laubach, who’s been a strong advocate for the city to invest more money in road repairs. “I don’t think we are keeping pace with our current rate of repairs,” he said. JOSH, THE CITY HASN'T KEPT PACE WITH STREET REPAIRS SINCE THE 80'S WHEN THEY CONVINCED THE VOTERS TO MOVE THE STREET MONEY TO ANOTHER FUND AND NEVER STARTED PLACING THE MONEY BACK INTO THE STREET ACCOUNT AFTER THAT. I WONDER WHAT OUR STREETS WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE IF THE MONEY AND THE YEARLY MAINTENANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN KEPT UP FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES. DID THE CITY THINK THE STREETS WOULD LAST FOREVER WITHOUT SOME ATTENTION? Council is anticipated to approve the Main Street improvement project, which will resurface the road from First Avenue to 11th Avenue, and repair sidewalks, curbs and gutters. Decorative lights, which will be paid through property assessments, will be erected as part of the project. IMAGINE THAT. MAIN ST. GETS THE ATTENTION BEFORE MANY STREETS THAT ARE IN A HELL OF A LOT WORSE SHAPE THAN THIS AREA. WONDER WHY? 
Laubach said over the years, the city has spent more on personnel-related costs, which has contributed in directing money away from repairing streets. While he’s not advocating a tax levy for street repairs, if the city’s costs continue to rise, that may be the only choice. NOW WAIT A MINUTE JOSH. DON'T GO TALKING ABOUT A TAX LEVY FOR STREET REPAIR WHEN YOUR COUNCIL, AND COUNCIL'S BEFORE YOURS, MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE FUNDS TO THE ORIGINAL STREET REPAIR FUND BUDGET. ASKING THE PEOPLE TO CORRECT YOURS AND PREVIOUS COUNCIL SCREW UPS IS FLAT OUT WRONG. I WOULD IMAGINE MOST VOTERS WOULD SEND A STRONG "NO" TO THAT IDEA. YOUR CITY MANAGER, ASKING CITIZENS TO CONSENT TO THEIR BLOCK RECEIVING NEW ASPHALT, AT THEIR EXPENSE THROUGH ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS DIDN'T HELP YOUR CAUSE IN ENCOURAGING THE PEOPLE'S COOPERATION EITHER. “If we don’t prioritize a greater amount of funds, we’re going to get to a point of no return,” he said. WHY PRIORITIZE GREATER AMOUNTS TO THE STREETS AFTER ALL THIS TIME? WASN'T A PRIORITY FOR TWO DECADES WITH COUNCIL. WASN'T THEN AND DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH NOW FOR A CONSENSUS ON COUNCIL TO ACT ON IT. AT THE RATE OF MONEY SPENT TO MILES IMPROVED AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT YOU AREN'T MAKING A DENT IN PLAYING CATCH UP, IT PROBABLY IS TOO LATE ALREADY. YOURS AND PREVIOUS COUNCILS HAVE WAITED TOO LONG. YOU"RE HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING UP WITH THE MAIN THOROUGHFARES. YOU WON'T START ON THE RESIDENTIAL STREETS FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS AT THIS PACE AND BY THEN, THEY WILL HAVE TURNED TO GRAVEL. THE SEWERS ARE GOING THE SAME WAY. YOU GUYS FAILED TO TAKE CARE OF ONE OF THE MOST VITAL ASPECTS OF THE CITY. WHILE YOU WERE WORKING ON YOUR PET PROJECTS, NONE OF WHICH INCLUDED THE STREETS, WE WERE ALL DODGING THE MINI-GRAVEL PITS IN THE STREETS. NOW YOU REALIZE THE NEGLECT? WHY? YOU ALL WERE DRIVING ON THE DAM STREETS TOO, WEREN'T YOU? |
Replies:
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jun 14 2012 at 11:39pm
Come on, Vet. City
Hall explained that South Main Street from 11th to First Avenue had
to be repaved because it was heavily travelled and one of the main gateways
into the city, so it was necessary to make a good impression. Of course, South Main from 11th on
south to the city limits is in just as bad (if not worse) condition so it sure
seems like the “first impression” would already have been made by the time any
motorists got to the corner of 11th and Main, but I’m sure that the
folks at city hall know more about that type of thing than I do. And sure, all of the property owners on South Main could have installed fake gas lamps near the sidewalks on their own property, and saved the taxpayers the $5,500 per year (more in the future as energy costs "necessarily skyrocket") in power usage, but that would have been a lot of trouble for them. After all, each one would have had to go before the HISTORIC COMMISSION and plead for a variance, since fake gas lights would be historically inaccurate. (There have NEVER been public gas street lights in Middletown, EVER!!! Calling them “period” lights is a scam.) How pathetic it is that we are being forced to spend taxpayers' funds to make the vaunted South Main Street Historic District historically INaccurate!!! ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
VietVet wrote:Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Jun 15 2012 at 10:01am
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Gotta love the misleading Journal headline: "Millions spent....".
As if the whopping $2 million is too much. And almost all of that from fed handout money. The Journal headline should read: "How can city spend so little on aging roads?"
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jun 15 2012 at 10:47am
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Its a real shame 48,500, aren't pounding down the city council doors, and asking why city money is being used for the Mulligans, Kohler, and MMF living on Main. Who cares though. JL really not been very effective. Stack deck against him. Why bother. As it was, as it is, as it will be.
------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Jun 15 2012 at 3:41pm
Again our Spineless Ones looking after their own.I can point out other streets that need repair more then the Great Historical Main Street.Congrats to you Mayor and Mr.Kohler,again you show how much you care. BUTTWIPES!!!!!!!!!!
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