HOUSING ISN’T A PROBLEM, IT’S A SYMPTOM

As advertised on the City Manager’s blog, July 31, 2017, Mr Adkins’ first “Housing Meeting for the Public” took place 8/3/2017. It was reported in the Saturday, August 5, 2017 Journal News article, “Middletown explains housing issues city faces” by Ed Richter, with a subheading titled “Residents supportive of efforts to address ongoing challenges”. Again, staff writer, Ed Richter’s reporting presents an enhanced and slanted view of Mr Adkins special interests, exactly as Mr Adkins likes it.

The current “housing problem”, in Mr Adkins opinion, is most undesirable. He keeps his dark and gloomy description of Middletown’s supposed “housing problem” prominently displayed and furiously discussed because it serves the purpose of hiding the real problems. Of course, no mention is ever made of how or why this supposed “housing problem” evolved, because, Mr Adkins’ overall policies as city manager have been a major cause of our problems which have AFFECTED housing. The Journal News articles’ subheading goes on to say that “residents are supportive of efforts to address ongoing challenges” which plays up a positive for Adkins same old rhetoric about housing but fails to mention the well taken opposing view in the article.

The sole purpose of this and subsequent meetings seems apparent: Cover up the real problem (with the help of the Journal News) by convincing the public that our housing situation is THE MAJOR PROBLEM that Middletown faces. Nothing could be further from the truth. Housing is not a problem at all, but is the result of Middletown’s real problem… a long list of mismanagement with devastating results. We are the only area community that has not made a significant recovery from the recession.

The Monday 8/7/17 Journal News announced the Planning Commission will make a ‘50-year decision’ which will address the ((non existent) need for larger family homes in Sawyer Mill which is in Franklin School District of Warren Co. (so about 80% of the property tax goes to Franklin Schools). And the new Ryan Homes being considered are of questionable quality for the federally required specifications that were agreed to on the original construction. Lowering the standards for new construction may cause current residents to lose property value and/or consider moving away! That’s certainly counter productive, as usual. Does the Planning Commission think that Ryan Homes will build on speculation? If they expect Middletown to finance this endeavor will city hall put us deeper in debt? Moodys will be downgrading us again if this involves new bonds. We can’t even afford to pay our current bills.

Anyway, we will not be attractive in the real estate market for old or new home buyers until we remedy the real problems.

Here’s an abbreviated version of the long list of problems and reasons why no one wants to live here:

A short-sighted city hall caused the loss of our major contributors to the tax base; such as AK Steel Corporate Offices and Black-Clawson. They didn’t appreciate what they had until it was gone. When the recession hit, many of our industries moved away or succumbed to Middletown’s ‘tax and spend like there’s no tomorrow’ policies. No effort was made to prevent these losses. Instead of encouraging new business to move in, every possible road block imaginable was thrown in the way; things like stringent rules for facades, restricted parking location and restricted signage all resulted in prospective new business going some place where they were actually welcomed.

Jobs disappeared and people moved away to a better job market, which adversely affected income tax revenue and devastated property tax revenue for schools, which necessitated an additional school tax levy. Our schools’ academic rating dropped to one of the lowest in the state because the city decided to spend the extra revenue to build new school houses instead of raise the quality of education.

Even though we pay the higher taxes, city coffers were nearly emptied by frivolous spending and giveaways of property to a favored few in the downtown area. That favored few had no money or expertise to fulfill their promise of rehabbing and/or establishing new businesses. So, many of the downtown properties (some of which are bought back giveaways by the city) have been left to rot and become blight right under city hall’s nose. Stinks, doesn’t it??

Section 8 housing was sought after as the answer to the city’s nearly bankrupt condition, which invited in our current low income, indigent, and drug addict population, which resulted in more people exiting Middletown to escape the thievery and violence that ensued.

This brief list doesn’t tell all of the city’s problems! But addressing and solving at least some of our REAL problems will improve Middletown’s reputation which will improve our ability to attract a better demographic; and the new populace can THEN determine what housing they need.

HOUSING ISN’T A PROBLEM, IT’S A SYMPTOM!!

I made this reply to Doug’s City Manager Blog on the city’s website under 

Housing Meetings for the Public…

but I doubt that he will allow it to be posted

Whistler's Mom

https://citymanagermiddletown.com/2017/07/31/housing-meetings-for-the-public/#comment-968" rel="nofollow - August 8, 2017 at 2:46 pm

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Constant repetition of most anything… even a lie, eventually gives it the “appearance” of credibility. Housing isn’t a problem, it’s a symptom! But your constant claim of a housing problem has the public fooled into belief. Fix our real problems and housing issues will fix themselves with little or no city input or expense. Work on our infrastructure and amenities, improve academic rating of our schools, invite instead of discourage business and jobs… you can fill in more.

I would have liked to add a list of costly major mistakes the city has made every year or so and point out that the ‘50 year decision’ that the Planning Commission is contemplating is likely going to make the list and be a real ‘doozy.’ Warren Co.,Franklin School District will reap all the revenue from the school tax levies from all of Middletown’s endeavors in Warren Co Those endeavors include Sawyer Mill and The Renaissance. Poor ole’ Middletown will live with this one for 45 years more than Doug’s 5 year plan(s).

Some of the previous major blunders are:

Trinity Place

Lake Mistake

Renaming & Moving our hospital to Warren Co,Franklin School District and demolishing the original hospital

Losing our major industries and jobs and losing that income tax base

Purchasing the Thatcher Estate

Building all new schools at the expense of academic excellence

Bringing in Section 8 which attracted indigents and drug addicts

Razing 400 properties (even though some could have been rehabbed) and losing our property tax base

 The Planning Commission could(should) shelve their recent housing research into Amelia/Ryan Homes for future reference, and instead come up with some realistic plans for making Middletown competitive with surrounding communities that are outpacing us. Middletown needs fresh ideas from Planning that don’t involve the same old housing (non)issues.

Planning could(should) recommend losing the numerous obnoxious, unnecessary planning and zoning ordinances that discourage new business and industry, in favor of stream lining the process of setting up new businesses in Middletown. That could actually help solve our jobless condition and lack of tax base … then many other problems would just cease to be.

The Planning Commission, hopefully, will wake up to the fact that they have a voice and are not obligated to follow or repeat the city manager’s rhetoric and needless micro-management with the subsequent mistakes and problems that continue to hold us back. And all the oppressive redundant bureaucracies, groups, committees and commissions, etc., created at Mr Adkins’ suggestion, could (should) be abolished. If the The Planning Commission has nothing to offer as alternative to Mr Adkins’ plan(s) then of what use are they? Oh, forgot, you could be “decommissioned” and asked to resign for disagreeing with Mr Adkins if you are not one of his bobble-heads.

Our current condition and problems will persist until Middletown shakes it’s bad reputation and becomes a desirable place to live and work. Housing isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom. We need business, industry, jobs and sensible government that will promote achieving those goals. Stop clinging to useless past policies which are not working! Take us in a new direction that we can be proud to declare as good and positive.

Mr Adkins has said that tearing down 400+ homes would rid us of blight and raise the value of the remaining real estate in Middletown. It did neither! In some cases, truly blighted areas were ignored while some nicer homes for possible rehab were razed in order to reach a quota. He said in the recent ‘housing meetings for the public’, that his discussion wouldn’t involve tearing down more housing. But that doesn’t mean it’s off his to do list and with probable intent to make the same a fore mentioned mistakes! Mr Adkins’ meetings did not succeed in explaining away mistakes and he indicated that there would be no change of course. It will be his way or no way. Now he wants to build more housing which will likely cost the city big bucks to achieve. So, Mr Adkins, neither one of these actions has significantly improved Middletown’s condition… tearing down or building new. All of the new home construction plans have been or will be in Warren Co. Franklin school district with little or no benefit to Middletown’s tax base!!!

The current set of plans and policies is in direct opposition to the growth and improvement of Middletown. We are just marking time! When will our city government take some positive steps? It will require some backbone and willingness to consider alternative choices and then make appropriate changes. To those who read this blog but have remained silent … if you think we need positive change you need to support positive change … express your opinion … vote … and take part in the proces

Planning Commission Members

The only new housing trend in Middletown is empty lots.

How many Middletonians are aware that nothing can be built on the lots where homes were razed?

That sounds outrageous, doesn’t it? And you probably think it isn’t true. Oh, but it is true.

There is no official ordinance that prohibits building on those lots. But Mr Adkins coaxed council into changing some building codes, such as set backs, that make it impossible to build on those lots without violating the code. Why? And no exceptions or variance will be made for those lots. Sneaky and underhanded, but not quite illegal?!?! You know, he’s a lawyer and knows how to do those things. Council can fix this, but will they?

There could be new housing all over town on those empty lots and it could be local, even individual enterprise to fund it. The residents would get to decide for themselves what kind of housing they want in their own neighborhood. The tax base broadens, neighborhood pride goes up and all it takes is removing the shackles.

Our city manager seems to think empty lots represent revitalization! It’s really just one more way that Middletown is kept from recovering or moving forward. Is this part of Mr Adkins five year plan?

We have been throwing money away and gone backward for years. The city lost income from real estate taxes and has to pay to keep empty lots mowed or give property away to the mowing contractor (who then discovers he has been given a liability).

In order to receive grant money for half the cost of razing properties, the land had to be turned over to the land bank. Was the land turned over? Was the grant money received or was that lost too? Did the tax payer shoulder all of the bill for razing properties?

The city coffers and the tax payers pockets are both empty