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10 Point Plan, explained

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    Posted: Oct 22 2011 at 11:17pm

Long-time readers of this Forum know that from time to time I have posted a “10 Point Plan” to both start the City of Middletown on the road to recovery and to restore openness and honesty to City Hall.  For any new readers, I have re-posted my “10 Point Plan” below.

During the next several days, as time allows, I will expound on each of the ten points, so everyone will know exactly what they can expect from me if I am entrusted to represent the citizens of Middletown by being elected YOUR Councilman.

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10 Point Plan
 

1. Immediately reprioritize the city budget, recognizing that the first purposes of city government are public safety and infrastructure. Look at ALL areas of city finances, and NOT just those accounts that recent administrations have chosen to call the “General Fund”.2. Immediately eliminate all charitable, cultural, entertainment, amusement, and similar items from the budget, at least until city finances improve.

3. Immediately resume having City Council work session in public, as well as conducting all other public business in public.

4. Immediately remove all Council members, relatives of Council members, or any other persons having possible conflicts of interest from all public boards and commissions, and from the boards of directors of any organizations receiving tax money from the city of Middletown.

5. Immediately begin making Middletown truly business friendly. Revise all building codes that unnecessarily add to a potential business’s costs, such as unnecessary dormers, unneeded wall breaks, and similar architectural features.

6. Immediately issue a policy paper to all city department heads, instructing them to distribute it, and explain it, to all employees that there will no longer be any unwarranted impediments to business development. Further instruct them to explain to all employees that there is no such thing, for example, as “the right architect“. The right architect is any architect licensed to practice in the state of Ohio, or licensed in any state with reciprocity agreements with the state of Ohio, and that any employee found violating these directives will be summarily discharged.

7. Immediately issue a policy paper to all city employees involved in engineering, planning, zoning, and other business development-related fields instructing them that personal preferences can no longer be tolerated while conducting city business. Include in this policy paper instructions that no city employee’s tastes shall be imposed upon, or even suggested to, any potential business enterprise, and to purge all local codes and ordinances of personal preferences. Include a warning that any violation of this policy will result in immediate summary discharge.

8. Immediately abolish all city codes or ordinances banning, or even discouraging, signs visible from I-75, or from the surface streets in the areas surrounding Interstate highway interchanges, when such signs advertise goods, products, businesses or services available in the City of Middletown.

9. Immediately and in writing, explain to the City Law Director that his first duty is to the citizens of Middletown, and that this duty supersedes any directives from city council.

10. Empanel truly independent charter review committee, with the purpose of proposing changes to the city charter that: A) Mandate that Middletown’s city government return to the true purposes of a municipal government; B) Emphasize the division of powers within the city; C) Ease the procedure for recalling elected officials, and the implementation of the immediate discharge of non-elected officials, who violate city ordinances, charter provisions, or State of Ohio General Law; and D) incorporates the Ohio Attorney General’s “seven tests for compatibility of offices” into the Charter.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 22 2011 at 11:17pm

Point No. 1:

Immediately reprioritize the city budget, recognizing that the first purposes of city government are public safety and infrastructure. Look at ALL areas of city finances, and NOT just those accounts that recent administrations have chosen to call the “General Fund”.

While our City’s “General Fund” has been in the area of $28 million to $30 million in recent years, that has only been part of the story.  Middletown’s TOTAL budget in each of these same years has been nearly $130 million per year!!!

Many have tried to lead the citizenry to believe that the roughly 28 to 30 million dollars in the “General Fund” is the only money about which the administration has any discretion.  This is simply untrue.

While it is true that there are several funds, some known as “Enterprise Funds” and others that are “trust” funds”, which absolutely must be used for the designated purposes, there are a host of other funds over which there is a great deal of latitude as to the spending.  One evidence of this is the way that hundreds of thousands of dollars is found “tucked away in one of our other funds” from time–to-time, and always at an opportune moment to bail the administration out of a jam, or to fund some pet project that benefits only a few.  These sums are always found “tucked away” in some fund other than the General Fund, yet they are available to be used for whatever purpose serves the administration at that moment. 

Even within some of the other funds, there is great latitude as to where/how the monies can be spent.  An example of this is the Gasoline Tax and License Plate Fee Funds.  These funds can be used for road and street repairs and resurfacing or maintenance (they almost never have been recently) or they can be used for grass mowing, or for reprogramming traffic signals, or street signage.

(Has anyone else noticed how screwed up our traffic signals have become???  It used to be that if one travelled at the posted speed limit on our thoroughfares, and made one green light, you could make nearly every green light.  Now it seems no matter how hard you try, you cannot catch two green lights in a row.  It’s as if the signals, even on completely empty roads in the dead of night, sense you approaching and try to “catch” you by changing to yellow and then quickly to red with no other vehicle in sight as far as the eye can see.)

All of that having been said, look for me to be proposing a general overhaul of our accounting system, and a asking a very different set of questions at budget time.

In my view, it is the City Manager’s duty to present City Council with a balanced budget that addresses ALL of the true necessities of our city.  If this one can’t do it, I am certain that there is one somewhere who can.

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot accomplish this alone.  Councilman Picard already has two years remaining on his existing Fourth Ward seat, and we already know from his diatribe at the Community Center Forum that he disagrees, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 23 2011 at 12:50am

Point No. 2:

 Immediately eliminate all charitable, cultural, entertainment, amusement, and similar items from the budget, at least until city finances improve.

Folks, simply put, our City is heading for trouble!!!  We are going broke!!!  At least that’s what the figures that the administration put forth are telling us, and I believe them.  Our municipal debt is rising every year.  The City Manager brought in an outside CPA to tell us that.  (I don’t know why she thought we wouldn’t believe our own Finance Director if he told us.)  Our “Rainy Day Fund” is drying up.  The wolf is not at the door, but he is lurking around the front porch.  Drastic action is required.

We must revert back to the basic purposes of municipal government: Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Economic Development.  Everything else is expendable!!!

All of the things that are “nice”, but not essential, must go.  The citizens must understand that government (and this goes for ALL government: city, state, and federal) has no money of its own.  The only way that any government can get any money to spend is to first take it from its citizens, and Middletown’s citizens have none to spare a on anything non-essential.

Besides, our city government WASTES TOO MUCH MONEY!!! (I typed it in caps to be sure that I was clear!)   Consider our new Public Health building: Look at the marvelous monument that we are building without even knowing if we will have the funds to staff the darn thing!  If the Public Health levy fails, how much of that fine building will sit EMPTY???  And look at all of the lovely “architectural features”!!!  Nice to look at, but were they really necessary???  Couldn’t that same building function just as well if it was built to much more austere specifications??? It seems that, when it is the public’s money being spent, money is no object to the folks at Donham Plaza.  Consider Cincinnati State:  We rushed to buy FIVE buildings when it appears that no more than TWO of them will EVER be used.  Such carelessness with public funds must end!!!

No more “rehabbing homes with the goal of losing $75,000!!!”  MidFest has been subsidized by the taxpayers for decades.  If they can’t make it on their own, perhaps it is time to finish what we are obligated to do, and call it a great run. The same with every other extraneous group that is subsidized by the taxpayers:  We should be supportive, but not financial support them.  We simply cannot afford it.  We cannot afford to pay for the unnecessary extras, while we let the necessities of municipal government go unfunded or underfunded.  How much have we taxpayers spent on the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and what have we got for it???  Perhaps it is time to turn the paid positions in this organization into volunteer slots and use the tax money for streets or police and fire???

Consider the I-75/SR 122 interchange with its hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of “enhanced features”.  Does anyone really think these will actually cause even ONE additional vehicle to take our exit??? (Especially when one must either have already taken the exit or already have passed the exit point BEFORE one can see these “features”.  Of course not!  This was money that could have been much better used repairing/repaving our City’s poor streets.  It makes NO COMMON SENSE!!!

We must stop using CDBG money for “neighborhood beautification” of South Main Street and begin using it to repair and repave the streets in some of our poorer neighborhoods, neighborhoods where the citizens will never be able to afford this administration’s “pay for the re-paving yourself” program. 

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot accomplish this alone.  Councilman Picard still has two years remaining on his existing Fourth Ward seat, and we already know from his record that he disagrees, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 23 2011 at 1:42am

Point No. 3:

Immediately resume having City Council work session in public, as well as conducting all other public business in public.

Open government is essential to freedom.

I cannot understand why our present city council, or those of the past, insist upon keeping as much of their discussion as possible out of the public’s eyesight and earshot.  I can only conclude that they are saying things that they would be ashamed, or afraid, of saying openly.

“City Council Chambers” is so-named because that is where City Council is supposed to meet, so at the first meeting after I am elected I will be proposing that all of our meetings be held right there in City Council Chambers with the cameras rolling.  In this day and age, we should have a City Ordinance to that effect (or perhaps even a Charter requirement). I am ashamed that it has to even be said.  At the very least, it gives the perception of impropriety.

I also believe that “Executive Sessions” are being abused.  It certainly appears that our councils never even know if they are going to be discussing the “buying” or the “selling” of public property, as there never seems to be an executive called for one or the other, they are always called for both.  This is “odd”, if true, to say the very least.  Similarly, I find odd the often used reason: “To consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official.”  For the love of Pete!!! If they aren’t sure whether they are going to “Appoint, employ or dismiss” or if they will “promote or demote”, whether they will  “discipline or give the fella a raise” then perhaps they should be taking group therapy instead of wasting time in an executive session of City Council!!!  Let’s face it: they are just reading a “laundry list” to try to cover their butts while they talk about something they should be discussing in an open meeting, which is explicitly illegal and in violation of the Ohio Sunshine Law.  Further, if Mr. Landen does not explain this to them, then the next executive session should be “to consider the dismissal, demotion, or discipline” of HIM!!!

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot accomplish this alone.  All I can do is to propose this.  It may die for lack of a second, or it may fail if three other Council members do not vote for it, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

Remember, First Ward Voters will be voting for FOUR City Council members:

A First Ward Council member to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Armbruster's term; a Mayor for a four year term; and TWO "at-large" Council members for four year terms.
 
All other City residents will be voting for THREE City Council Members:  The Mayor and TWO "at-large" members.
“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 23 2011 at 3:03am

Point No. 4:

Immediately remove all Council members, relatives of Council members, or any other persons having possible conflicts of interest from all public boards and commissions, and from the boards of directors of any organizations receiving tax money from the city of Middletown.

In my view, this is a “no-brainer”!!!

NO governmental employee should be on ANY board or commission that reports to that governmental employee, or reports to another board, commission, or other body of which that employee is a member!!!  That is the very definition of a “conflict of interest”!!!  The ONLY exceptions would be the rare cases that may be prescribed by our City Charter or the Ohio Revised Code (such the Board of Health).   I assure you all that, if elected, I will NOT accept any appointments to any boards or commissions, first and foremost for the reasons just stated.

But there is another reason.  If one looks at the Middletown Codified Ordinances for the ordinances that established these boards and commissions, the sole duty of most of them is to “advise City Council” on the subject of that board or commission.  Once again, we council members do not need to “advise” ourselves…we do that when we discuss the issues.  We also do not need to influence those who will be advising us.  What would be the purpose of that?  Most importantly, the very purpose of such boards and commissions is to get the thinking of those OUTSIDE of our own body!!!  We don’t need a board or commission to get our own members’ thinking…we get that when we discuss the action items at the council meetings.  We need input from the citizens OUTSIDE of our body!!!

Now I have only ever heard two reasons for council members being on these boards and commissions:

Reason 1:  “How else can we Council members know what is going on?”

  Well, that is simple!  Since the duty of the boards and commissions is to “Advise City Council”, we will “know what is going on when we either read the minutes; OR, we hear a report or recommendation given at an open City Council meeting.  Now, if that is not good enough, each and every one of these board and commission meetings is supposed to be an OPEN, PUBLIC meeting!!!  Any interested council person is free to attend, not as a council person, but as a resident, and listen in on the meeting JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CITIZEN.  So, If some council person thinks that they cannot “know what is going on” without attending the meeting, they are certainly free to attend each and every meeting of each and every board and commission.  As a side note:  Supposedly, the “council liaison” reports back to the full council so that ALL council members can “know what is going on”.  However, in all my years of closely watching City Council, I don’t think that I have heard ANY “Council Liaison” “report back” to the full council more than TWICE!!!   This means that either they are negating their own stated purpose, or they are holding other (closed) meetings in violation of Ohio’s Sunshine law to tell each other “what is going on”.

Reason 2:  “All of the others cities are doing it.”

  Well, sorry, but I wouldn’t accept that as a valid reason from my kids when they were young, and I doubt if Judge Wall would accept “All of the other crooks are doing it” as a valid excuse for a felony, so this is the weaker excuse of two very weak excuses.

I think that membership on all of these boards and commissions is more of a “resume builder” than anything else.  I won’t participate, and if I have my way, we will pass at least an ordinance, and hopefully a Charter Amendment, against it.

But I will need the help of the citizenry on this.  I believe that Middletown has a wealth of knowledgeable, willing, conscientious, public-minded citizens that would be willing to serve on all of the various boards and commissions, if only they knew that the boards and commissions were not to be stacked with all of the same, old “friends of city hall” and cronies that are always on everything.  I will need such citizens to come forward and apply.  I will champion the cause, and perhaps together we can make progress instead of just splashing ink on the society page, or providing empty references for those who intend to seek higher office.

One related item:  Some of the local “public boards and commissions” appear (at least to me) to have no legal basis for their existence in our Codified Ordinances, they just seem to have “evolved”.  Yet they seem to get at least some funds from the public treasury.  I’ll try to put an end to this, or at least see that it gets out into the open.   

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot accomplish this alone.  All I can do is refuse any appointments that are offered to me, and to propose the rest.  Such proposals may die for lack of a second, or they may fail if three other Council members do not vote with me, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

Remember, First Ward Voters will be voting for FOUR City Council members:  A First Ward Council member to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Armbruster's term (NOTE: this should be ME!!!); a Mayor for a four year term; and TWO "at-large" Council members for four year terms.

All other City residents will be voting for THREE City Council Members: The Mayor and TWO "at-large" members.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 24 2011 at 12:25am

Mike, with no offense intended to middletownusa, I hope you are putting this as an ad in the Journal and putting out flyers so all of Ward 1 will be aware of it. If not, I think your targeted message will not be reviewed by the masses needed to separate you from the opponent in the ward.

 

No, I do not intend to put ads in the Journal or put out flyers.  I have spent my limit of campaign funds on yard signs and lapel stickers.  I realize that many see this as a fatal error.  However, I am relying on word-of-mouth from my backers to get me over the top.  I hope that those here on MiddletownUSA will help out by telling their family and friends—and asking them to tell their families and friends!!!

 

One of the concerns I would voice on putting family members on any Committee is usually, you are putting a yes man/ yes woman on do the bidding. In other words, you place a relative in a position that the feedback and agreement you wish to secure. For instance, Joe Mulligan sat on the "Charter" committee that did away with the ward system, giving a small group within the city, what they wished to accomplish in the future---complete control over the direction and expenditures of Middletown.

 

What about the nepotism in city hall which is as bad as the Committees comprised of council member family members? Would you terminate Joe Newlin's son (Magistrate/ police sergeant) as they are father/ son and the many other relatives who work within the city building?

I know in every F500 company I have worked, neptotism is not allowed and its in policy manuals. Will your policy be implemented into the city departments or just council and committees?

 

I agree completely regarding family members on committees, and implied this in my point No. 4.  Perhaps I should’ve been clearer.  I am also against nepotism throughout City Hall, but I think that most of that hiring is governed by Civil Service regulations, isn’t it?  I certainly would support a policy forbidding relatives working under the supervision of relatives, but we must follow the law, and the actual law, not what someone wants to twist it or misinterpret it to be.

As for the rainy day drainage, it went from 25% to 15%, could that be a basis for a campaign theme for sustaining the 1.75% levy- a campaign strategy? You know, we have no money, we ran down the fund by 10%, to buy buildings that are idle? Bill Becker and John Lyons said that at 25%, it gave the city 90 days of a window to pay the bills. That can't be truthful then, or if so, at 15%, in the event something occurred catastropic to taxes and revenue, the city would have perhaps a 30 day surplus. Would you support the fund being at 25% or 0%? Is there a % you think it can be drawn down to?

 

It would be my goal to maintain the Rainy Day Fund at 25%, and certainly keep it at a minimum of 15%.  In fact, if elected, I will try to never again refer to it as the “Rainy Day Fund”.  I prefer the term “EMERGENCY RESERVE FUND”, which more accurately describes it.  When it gets down to 15%, we should certainly batten all the hatches and go into full crisis mode, because we are heading for a financial crisis.  This is not to say that the amount between 15% and 25% is some sort of “slush” fund, it is not!  It should only be touched when there is some sort of emergency, some unforeseeable circumstance.  It should not be used at the convenience of council or the manager

 

As you know, many of your critics on many of your ten points will say you are making policy points as if you are a city manager, not a city council person. I suppose that would include existing council members. Your thoughts---should council adopt or reject city decisions, or be out front, and set them?

 

Both!!!  While it is true that the City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of the city, he/she serves at the pleasure of the City Council.  Council has the authority, by both Charter and the ORC, to pass resolutions and those resolutions may direct the City Manager to implement whatever policies (within the law) that the City Council sees fit.  It is also a fact that Council is always free to terminate the City Manager and hire a new manager whose thinking is more in tune with theirs. Since most City Managers understand this fact (as well as the fact that the council reviews his/her performance and approves or rejects any salary increases), prudent City Manager comply with council’s wishes, even if it must be after clearly warning council when it is felt that those wishes are in error.

 

Is that not really the function now of the Mayor by the change in the city ordinance, that the Mayor has great latitude in impacting city policy?

 

In a word, NO!!!  Even with the Charter change, the Mayor has no greater latitude in impacting city policy than any other council member.  The Mayor is now obliged to give the “State of the City” address every year.  Other than that and the fact that he can no longer be removed from his position as titular head of the council by a vote of council, he has no greater power than the former “Chairman” of the “City Commission”, or the former non-elected mayor; basically, other than what I just mentioned and the fact that he chairs the council meetings and signs the legislation (which any two council members can do) and proclamations, he has no powers greater than any other council member.

 

Would not a personal touch of having Ambassadors or city greeters work just as well, than changing the sign ordinance, as Ann Mort has stated, so businesses and new residents know where the water payment office, the criminal court, civil court, and tax department in Donham?

 

NO!!!  The sign ordinance needs to be changed!!!  As it is now, people have great difficulty even finding many orf our businesses!!!  Please recall the situation about two years ago, with unemployment over 10% and hundreds of people lining up for every job opening, when one of the businesses around Atrium had to beg for a temporary variance to erect temporary signs so applicants could find them.  Even though they had advertised the job openings, and for interested parties to apply at the business, no one was showing up.  They discovered that, even though they had given directions and ALL of their legally allowable signs had been erected, no one could locate their business!!!  So much for our sign ordinance…nothing more needs to be said!

 

That is after you have driven 5 miles downtown dodging the cameras mounted on the traffic lights and the pot holes. But Walmart has greeters, why not Middletown. And, it adds a couple more employees to payroll, unless that's a volunteer position. But would you not agree a Middletown Ambassador only works, reactively, when a company or new resident already has an interest in Middletown, than proactively bringing in business and residents. Ita a concierge, awaiting to serve. I would think a real estate agent would be able to tell a new resident, "here's Donham, you can pay your bills online."

 

Agreed. Better yet, let’s cut the red tape and just make it easier to do business in Middletown.  We must STOP finding ways to keep businesses OUT, and start finding ways to help them IN!!  This goes back to the fact that a few people at city hall want to pick every business, and keep out every one that they, personally, do not want.  That is WRONG and it must stop!!!  Anyone who wants to open a legal business in Middletown in an area properly zoned for that business (or with a variance) must be allowed to do so.  We must stop keeping businesses out of Middletown just because someone in City Hall has a personal bias against some businesses or businesspersons.

 

Do we also need an Ombudsman, to resolve disputes within the city, or just dowbtown city Ambassadors? Forgetful me, I didn't realize Welcome Wagon wasn't around anymore, but I never knew they were charged to be a municipal economic development engine.

 

 

Yes we DO need an ombudsman…but we need one for our CITIZENS!!!  I have thought so for years, and have even thought of volunteering for the job.  However, I was certain that if I suggested this, the suggestion would be rejected out of hand.

The Ambassador message: "Welcome to Middletown. We have drained our general fund reserves. We have 1.75% tax, and intend to raise it to 2.0% within 5 years. We have lots of houses for sell---cheap. We have a pothole potline, call anytime. If you like art, we have it, once a month, with wine and cheese. The schools are below average, but we do have a nice private catholic school if you want to pay $3,000 per child for elementary, and $7,000 for high school. Glad you are here. Do you like to dance---we have a great gala and looking for new blood and eyes."

 

All good reasons for you to spread the word for folks to vote for ME!!!

 

You mention two of the key points Paul Nagy referenced in his debate called PIE- city which focuses upon Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Economic Development. Besides eliminating the sign ban and such out at the interestate, is there any other area in the ten points which addresses the E, as in economic development, besides the freedom to advertise out by 75 and more relaxed architectural standards for building. I thought to some extent, the Fisher development to a lowered price point accomplished some reduction in standards.

 

It’s a shame that the Renaissance development was not protected by covenants or deed restrictions, although I believe it was an illegal development to begin with, so it is difficult for me to gin up too much sympathy.  (The City had declared a moratorium on development for the entire area, and then allowed that one single exception, allowing them a head start while forcing all other developers to sit on their hands.)  

Well, we must do more to become truly “business friendly”, not just say the words.  There is a reason why, of all the interchanges up and down I-75 between Cincinnati and Dayton, we are the only one not thriving.  Developers have waited for complete new interchanges to be built just to the north and south of us, rather than to come here and deal with our City Hall.  It’s a travesty.  Look at the Towne Mall property:  You cannot tell me that someone, somewhere would not like to redevelop that, and that the current owners would not want to deal with them.  I believe that a few people at City Hall with their screwball “quaint village, bike path, doggie park, old professor, walk-to-work, master plan” scheme is the ONLY thing that stands in the way.  If we can put a majority of TRULY business-friendly, common sense people on City Council that will sing the TRUE advantages of Middletown onto City Council, we will claim our rightful place as the real “middle-of-the-metro-plex”!!!

It’s tough to sell Middletown as a “business-friendly, modern, happenin’, commerce center when they keep pointing to our Master Plan and telling prospective developers “NO!  What YOU want to do is NOT what our Master Plan calls for.”  What’s keeping downtown depressed is the same thing that is keeping our entire city depressed: We keep regurgitating the same old, tired, failed plan over and over and refuse to learn from our mistakes and listen to the market!!!  We must look back and learn from our mistakes or we will just keep repeating them!!!

 

If you do a chronology of economic development in Middletown over abou 20 years, it goes like this:

Act I- pre- 1990-2002: Neil Barielle, ED Director, Net Sum gain or loss? Loss

Act II- 2005-2008: Consultants, Bill Murphy and the Middletown Economic Council (call it pre MMF), Neyer Group, Non Profit. Net Suma gain or loss? Loss.

KPI- Atrium, Renaissance

Act III- 2009-2010: Consultants, Mike Robinette and Company (and MMF), Net Sum Gain or Loss? Loss.

KPI- Atrium, Renaissance

Act IV- 2011: Consultants, MMF, a part-time MUM employee, and an attorney, Net Sum Gain or Loss? Loss

KPI- SunCoke, Cincinnati State

Act V- Present, Consultants, MMF, Ibid. Net Sum Gain or Loss? TBD.

KPI- Cincinnati State, Greentree, Renaissance (UDF?)

Once had a CEO say, if I need to hire CONSULTANTS, why do I need CERTAIN EMPLOYEES?

Where in your 10 points do you address this situation, and what is the solution to correct the net NEGATIVE?

And your ten points addresses overabundance of section 8 by which point?

Your ten points have merit, but unless you are submitting your resume for city manager, I don't think 80% of these will be implemented, as the law director would be required to amend ordinances, that council would then vote.

 

Well, I have absolutely NO PROBLEM amending many of our outdated, oppressive, progress-killing, business-unfriendly ordinances!  Do you???

 

Cutting back on charitable activities probably amounts to $100,000 in a $130,000,000 budget.

 

I think that you’d be surprised!  We can start with the paid positions at the Convention and Visitors Bureau and similar organizations. Perhaps TVMiddletown should be a project of MUM, or even Cinci State??  Those are two items that you never hear about during our “budget talks”, yet we spend money on them every year.  Do you wanna guess how much???  (Clue:  Just those two items alone are way more than the figure you mentioned.)  I could go on, but I won’t right now. 

And with the gas fund, it is my belief those funds are mandated to be spent on roads and mowing, not an option to be used for those purposes.

I LIKE MIKE....I am just uncertain if he is running for city council or opting for the city manager position.

Me ... City Manager???  LOL!!!  Perhaps if I was younger and healthier and if this were a city of 200,000…then I might consider it, if the money was right. Wink

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 24 2011 at 12:34am

Point No. 5:

Immediately begin making Middletown truly business friendly. Revise all building codes that unnecessarily add to a potential business’s costs, such as unnecessary dormers, unneeded wall breaks, and similar architectural features.

 

Just as I touched on briefly in an earlier point concerning public buildings (specifically, the new health clinic) there are different levels of commercial and institutional buildings.  Some people and some businesses desire high-end, very stylish, even lavish structures.  Other more frugal people and businesses want bare-bones structures and prefer to put their capital into goods, supplies, equipment or wages.  Just because a business prefers a simple, very economical building, that does not make it an undesirable business.  On the other hand, a very expensive, stylish, high-end structure does not guarantee a desirable business.  Middletown has littered its zoning regulations with a host of building code-type requirements that do nothing but add to the expense of any new commercial or industrial structures that are built (or substantially remodeled) in our city.  It’s as if we are trying to equate expensive structures with quality enterprises.  We all should be smart enough to know that is not the case.  A flim-flam artist driving a new Mercedes is still flim-flam artist, and many wealthy men of high character often drive older, moderately-priced (but always fully paid-off) cars.

I can tell you from my experience in the construction industry that every addition useless “feature” required by our snobbish zoning/building code adds dollars to the cost of a new structure priced to be built by a business considering Middletown as a location.  Especially now with the current economic climate, our city needs every edge that we can offer to prospective businesses.  One advantage we have to offer is economy.  Can we really afford to negate that advantage by forcing every new or expanding business to build an expensive architectural showcase when it is not really necessary just because a few of our City Hall hotshots like that sort of flash???  Do we need the cowboys with the fancy hats or with the ones with the big herds??? 

The Middletown Fire Department Headquarters on Roosevelt and Wikoff is a good example.  I doubt that it could be built there today and meet every one of our requirements.  Would our excellent firefighters respond any quicker if that building’s exterior was all cedar planking and stone facing???  Would there be fewer fires if the building’s sidewalls were not all in the same plane with no breaks???  Would it sleep any more firefighters if  it had a gable roof with phony dormers???  Would the life squad get out the doors quicker if they were wood instead of metal???  Of course the answer to all of those questions is “NO!”  However, if it had all of those things, it would probably been much smaller if the budget had remained the same.  And if it was smaller, some of the items that I mentioned may have been negatively affected!!!

So why must we demand similar expensive cosmetic requirements of businesses who want to locate here, and by doing so chase them away to municipalities that use more COMMON SENSE???

Of course, I will just be one Councilman.  I cannot demand that the zoning requirements and building codes be revised by myself.  All I can do is propose that it be done and state my case to the rest of Council.  It may die for lack of a second, or it may fail if three other Council members do not vote for it, so elect not only me…ELECT ME and VOTE IN SOME HELP FOR ME!!!

Remember, First Ward Voters will be voting for FOUR City Council members:

A First Ward Council member to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Armbruster's term (NOTE: this should be ME!!!); a Mayor for a four year term; and TWO "at-large" Council members for four year terms.

All other City residents will be voting for THREE City Council Members: The Mayor and TWO "at-large" members.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 24 2011 at 5:08pm

Point No. 6:

 Immediately issue a policy paper to all city department heads, instructing them to distribute it, and explain it, to all employees that there will no longer be any unwarranted impediments to business development. Further instruct them to explain to all employees that there is no such thing, for example, as “the right architect“. The right architect is any architect licensed to practice in the state of Ohio, or licensed in any state with reciprocity agreements with the state of Ohio, and that any employee found violating these directives will be summarily discharged.

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Let me be perfectly frank.  I don’t watch every meeting of the Zoning Board, or the Appeals Board, or the Architectural Review Board, or similar bodies, but I have watched occasionally.  It has been a couple of years, but I have heard the same person use the following phrase twice during official proceedings:  “…the right architect…”!!!  Both times it was used in the context:  “With the right architect, this can really be a great…”, and “If they use the right architect, I think we would recommend ...” 

First, we should NOT be blackmailing developers or businesses into using favored vendors by implying that approval may be withheld if they don’t.  That is illegal, unethical and immoral.  Second, even if said “unintentionally”, it smacks of impropriety and, in my opinion, should not only be a “firing offense”, but also should be brought to the attention of the Butler County Attorney and prosecuted to the full extent of the law…no “allowed to resign”, no “it’s time to retire”.  Fire the party and prosecute, and send them to jail if appropriate.

If I am elected, and this kind of malfeasance occurs, they better hope that it is not recorded or that no one shows me the recording.  I won’t need any other votes to take it to the prosecuting attorney!!!  So even if I can’t muster enough votes to make this official city policy, enough people better get on board to warn everyone because there will be follow-up and there will be consequences.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 25 2011 at 5:54pm

Point No. 7:

 Immediately issue a policy paper to all city employees involved in engineering, planning, zoning, and other business development-related fields instructing them that personal preferences can no longer be tolerated while conducting city business. Include in this policy paper instructions that no city employee’s tastes shall be imposed upon, or even suggested to, any potential business enterprise, and to purge all local codes and ordinances of personal preferences. Include a warning that any violation of this policy will result in immediate summary discharge.

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Again, let me be perfectly frank.  City employees’ personal tastes have no place anywhere in the operation of our city, but especially not in the business and technical aspects of it.  The City of Middletown is not the personal “Sim City” of any employee, for him or her to play with and try to build the idyllic village of his or her child-like fantasies.  If any employee wants to build a Sim City, then let them buy the software with their own funds and play with it on their own time.  If they don’t have enough personal time to play Sim City, I’ll be happy to arrange an additional 40 hours (or more) per week of free time for anyone who thinks that the citizens, business owners, or prospective business owners of this city have to kowtow to their personal tastes.

All city decisions must be fact-based on sound business principles.  If you like tweed jackets or angora sweaters, then by all means—wear a tweed jacket or an angora sweater every day.  But do not try to make every one of our citizens, or every entity who tries to do business with us or start a business in our city, wear a tweed jacket or wrap their business in one just because you happen to like it.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 25 2011 at 5:57pm

Point No. 8:

 Immediately abolish all city codes or ordinances banning, or even discouraging, signs visible from I-75, or from the surface streets in the areas surrounding Interstate highway interchanges, when such signs advertise goods, products, businesses or services available in the City of Middletown. *********************************************************************************

Of course this will take a resolution directing the City Manager to have legislation prepared to this effect, as Acclaro pointed out above, but I will propose such action.  And this is just a start.  I believe we have to loosen up our sign ordinance and gave some examples of why above in my reply to Acclaro.  I just can’t for the life of me figure out why we have become “ashamed” of our businesses and feel that it is tacky for them to advertise.  Advertising is effective, and our city demonstrated the height of hypocrisy when we advertised our Weatherwax Golf Course on billboards at the exits just north and just south of our city on I-75, but we ban billboards in our city, even along that same interstate highway!!!  And think about all of the signs we stick in our rights-of-way for MidFest and other city-approved events.  Signs that would be illegal if erected by anyone else, anywhere else in our city!!! What hypocrisy!!!  I guess that it’s only tacky when someone else does it???

We cannot expect people to spend money at our businesses (and thereby for our businesses to thrive) if people cannot identify them or find them!  Sure, there need to be some standards, and there need to be some regulations, but we have gone way overboard.  Look around!  This is the Section 8 capital of Ohio…not Beverly Hills!!!  Allowing our businesses to reasonably advertise their goods and services is not going to ruin our reputation…or our “ambiance”.  Bringing more business and commerce to town will only improve it. 

And right now, we actually DO make many of our businesses plant trees or bushes in front of their signs!!!  This goes beyond hypocrisy…this is stupidity.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 25 2011 at 6:01pm

Point No. 9:

 Immediately and in writing, explain to the City Law Director that his first duty is to the citizens of Middletown, and that this duty supersedes any directives from city council.

*********************************************************************************

It also will take a resolution directing the City Manager to do this, and probably will never happen, but I can try.  I also admit that it is paradoxical that I want what would essentially be a “directive from council” to say that it “supersedes any directives from council”.

The problem that I see is this:  I believe that EVERY city employee’s first allegiance is to the citizens of Middletown.  I also believe that every employee should follow the law.  There should be no question about that.  It is my opinion that the city Law Director spends more time trying to find loopholes and ways around the law than he does explaining to council what the law is and that they have to follow it.

This leads to things such as “Home rule trumps state law.” And “Abstentions count with the majority.”  (I believe that both of these positions are flat out incorrect!)  They also have led to some very, very shaky “conflict of interest” and “no council member shall profit” positions.  I also have sat right in meetings myself, with the law director in attendance, that were “pre-arranged meetings with a majority (a “quorum”) of city council members in attendance, for the purpose of discussing public business” and where public business was discussed, and agreements were reached (not with formal votes, but with “nods”), yet everyone but me insisted that these were NOT “meetings of city council”.  If the council members didn’t know it (or didn’t believe me when I told them) and the City Manager didn’t know it, then the Law Director certain should have known it and should have told them!!!

I just believe that everyone who draws a public paycheck, no matter how large or how small, is a public servant, and their first allegiance to the public which they serve!!!  How it got to the point in Middletown where people don’t seem to understand that and need to have it explained to them, I don’t know.  But that is one of the main reasons that I am running!!!  Perhaps the people who need to be told this in writing should just move on.  Perhaps they are just not cut out to be “public servants”.

“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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 25 2011 at 6:28pm
DQ fighting windmills. 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct 25 2011 at 6:38pm

Point No. 10:

10. Empanel truly independent charter review committee, with the purpose of proposing changes to the city charter that: A) Mandate that Middletown’s city government return to the true purposes of a municipal government; B) Emphasize the division of powers within the city; C) Ease the procedure for recalling elected officials, and the implementation of the immediate discharge of non-elected officials, who violate city ordinances, charter provisions, or State of Ohio General Law; and D) incorporate the Ohio Attorney General’s “seven tests for compatibility of offices” into the Charter.

*********************************************************************************

I believe it is time for our City Charter to be re-written and submitted to the people for acceptance.  I believe that the time has come.  It needs too many changes to attack it piecemeal. 

(Please bear in mind that each and every change, if done individually, must be submitted to the voters for approval.  This leads to confusion and bad choices, like the “two-fer” choice last time of “eliminating wards AND reducing the size of council from 7 to 5.  You couldn’t vote “for” one and “against” the other.  You had to either take both, or reject both.) 

The items I listed above are just for starters.  But I do believe that this Charter Committee should be free from relatives of council members and free from members of MMF.

I truly believe this needs to be done, as it seems that things have just gotten out of hand in our fair city.

In fact, if the unimaginable (LOL) happens and I lose this election, I think that I will re-write it on my own.  It might take me a year or so, but I believe that I can do it in such a way that the ONLY ones who can POSSIBLY be against it would be the crooks!!!  Then I will propose it to the sitting city council, and we can watch to see who votes AGAINST submitting it to you, the people, to vote upon!!!  Big%20smile

“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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