Crawford St.

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   Imagine that! The area around Crawford St., which has the most concentrated Section 8 housing in town, has the highest crime rate, AND, the city didn't plan to provide police protection for the residents to compensate for the increased crime that follows Section 8 areas. Now, we don't have enough police manpower to address the problems. (cue the shock and awe emotion). Hmmm.... Council- Tell us again why you like to attract an excess of Section 8 to the city ?????  We were also enlightened to the fact the we have a position in city government that is labeled " City Housing Program Manager" manned by Skip Batten. Wonder what old Skip does for his money in this position? Was he in Ginger Smith's Revitalization department? One would have thought we would have seen more activity from Mr. Batten, given the housing situation concerning Section 8 and the abundance of run down properties in town. Where have you been Skip and what have you been doing all this time?    

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VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Crawford St. Posted: Mar 22 2009 at 11:13am
	Imagine that! The area around Crawford St., which has the most concentrated Section 8 housing in town, has the highest crime rate, AND, the city didn't plan to provide police protection for the residents to compensate for the increased crime that follows Section 8 areas. Now, we don't have enough police manpower to address the problems. (cue the shock and awe emotion). Hmmm.... Council- Tell us again why you like to attract an excess of Section 8 to the city ????? We were also enlightened to the fact the we have a position in city government that is labeled " City Housing Program Manager" manned by Skip Batten. Wonder what old Skip does for his money in this position? Was he in Ginger Smith's Revitalization department? One would have thought we would have seen more activity from Mr. Batten, given the housing situation concerning Section 8 and the abundance of run down properties in town. Where have you been Skip and what have you been doing all this time?

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 22 2009 at 1:36pm
	Hmmmmm....I thought Skip Batten was in the Building Inspection Department? I don't know when he moved to this new position of "City Housing Program Manager"....maybe he is the inspector for only the Section 8 program now.

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 22 2009 at 2:45pm
	Isn't Section 8 housing Inspection part of Con-So--oops--I mean CONSOC's job???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 22 2009 at 6:45pm
	Citizen Comments July 1, 2008 Dan Tracey, P. O. Box 1712 distributed information about Section 8 administrative expenses that he had requested from the City. Mr. Tracey said the City has access to $300,000 to $400,000 they can use as long as it’s tied to Section 8 programs. He didn’t know how this could be a burden to the City. He said instead of moving jobs from Middletown, add two under Nelson Self. He talked about 2005, 2006 and 2007 expenses. He also stated the City of Middletown is currently mowing the yards of Butler Metropolitan Housing properties. There are some bad Section 8 properties as well. Mr. Schiavone asked the City Manager if she was familiar with these figures. He also asked why there was a huge jump in the salary line item for Skip Batten from 2006 to 2007. Ms. Gilleland responded she wants to get more information to council and the presentation tonight will show there are some additional salaries that could come from these funds. The expenses should be true to the City with the charge back figures. Mr. Kohler explained that Mr. Batten is a block grant employee and none of his salary comes from the General Fund. Mr. Schiavone asked about the $300,000 fund balance. Ms. Gilleland answered it is something she just learned recently. Mr. Kohler explained the maximum amount allocated is around $900,000 and is never the amount that the City spends. He said up to 2004, HUD used to allow funds to be used for other expenses and stopped allowing that in 2004. Mr. Marconi asked who makes the ruling or guidelines on how we spend the money. Mr. Kohler explained that staff time is billed hour for hour. They estimate time spent on program administration and charge that back to HUD. Mr. Marconi asked if HUD required a breakdown. Mr. Kohler stated not specifically, they do require some documentation. Mr. Marconi asked why our council office isn’t getting reimbursed. Mr. Kohler explained time spent on Section 8 programs would have to be documented. Mr. Mulligan referred this discussion to the Housing Subcommittee of Council. Ms. Gilleland will email dates to liaisons Schiavone, Scott Jones and Marconi and will get a meeting set.
	When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 22 2009 at 6:56pm
	Feb 18, 2009 Senator Takes Bus Tour Of Middletown With Local Officials MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - Foreclosures have hit Middletown harder than almost any other city, with nearly 6 percent of the city’s 20,000 homes under active foreclosure. Sen. George Voinovich and local leaders toured the Butler County city, where nearly 1,100 have been foreclosed upon, as the Republican lawmaker collects information to help him develop a plan to restore housing values. “One way we can do that is to come back into our cities like the representatives we have here today, and start rebuilding those values,” Voinovich said. Officials Hope To Boost Area Property Values A $2.2 million grant should help Middltetown put a plan in place to improve real estate value, local officials said. “We will purchase, rehab and sell 20 houses, (and) we also plan to tear down in excess of 50 derelict (houses),” said Skip Batten, a neighborhood improvement advisor. Butler County and the city of Hamilton also received federal money to develop similar plans will rehabilitate or demolish several dozen homes, which Voinovich and local officials said should help boost property values in their neighborhoods.
	When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 23 2009 at 5:09am
	Gosh Guys I think the City Employees need to start wearing different colored shirts so we know who is working for whom when we see them out driving around the city. This HUD MONEY POT sounds like a sweet little cookie jar to me. Yes Sir...nothing like having a city job and a part time HUD job and never having to leave your desk. QUESTION FOR TODAY: Gilleland stated that the City Council Housing Subcommittee would need to meet more often in the future to oversee the Section 8. So will council be paid by HUD for these meeting? So is everyone on this Subcommittee being paid for each meeting?

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 23 2009 at 6:40am
	With Marconit it appears that his main mantra is, *"CITY BE DAMNED, JUST SHOW ME THE MONEY FROM SECTION 8"*, unfortunately for us the Citizens.
	When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Mar 23 2009 at 7:25am
	Well, it certainly looks like old Skipper has worn many hats. He's been a neighborhood improvement advisor, a block grant employee, a building inspector employee, and now a big wig as the City Housing Program Manager! Is there no limit as to Skip's abilities??? He is truely a JOAT.(Jack of all trades- to those not familiar with this acronym).