News archive

Trash Service delayed one day – Week of Feb 5th

This note came from the city manager:

Greetings All,

 

Republic has delayed pick-up by one day.  They are conducting a “blast-call” to their customers for notification purposes.  Just letting you know in case you are asked by a resident.  Thanks.

Postponed Weather - Levy Survey presentation 6:00 pm Tuesday during…

The City Manager just sent out a message concerning the committee meetings tonight:

"Due to the imminent weather coming into our area, the committee meetings originally scheduled for tonight, February 4th have been CANCELLED.  This includes the Public Works Committee and Administration Committee.
 
The most recent forecasts show areas of heavy snow between 5pm and 7pm which might create…

"Random" survey's

Change the way HH city does business…"random" survey's should not be "random" if residents want to participate in a survey but are told they cannot because the survey was/is random.  OPEN government is not conducting a random survey then using the results of that survey to make policy! Let's see an open call to ALL residents (taxpayers and others), property owners and renters alike! 

Discussion about Tax Levy sought for Monday's Council Meeting Jan 2…

If you Download the PDF Packet for Monday's council meeting at the end you will find this read ahead:

City Official Reports and Comments
 
A. Mayor Tom McMasters will begin the City Official Reports and Comments by addressing the City budget and tax levy issues. Examination of the City’s 2014 budget caused the Finance Director to recommend starting a discussion on how best to raise revenues…

City Income or Property tax measure - additional content added Mond…

What is the best course forward? 
 
Are Huber Heights residents interested in a town hall or internet discussion on this issue?
 
Prior to Feb 5th City council will likely vote to place a tax levy on the ballot for May. The only General Session meeting schedule before then will be held Jan 27th. Now is the time to become informed on the issues that makes council believe this is the best way forward.  It is also the time to provide your input on this…

Broadband Communities

The Mayor of Huber Heights doesn't get an office or a computer.  Eventually, I should get an Ipad that will be used in committee meetings instead of printouts, but the Mayor does get a mailbox.  Judging from my first mail pick up, it looks like there will be a lot of magazines delivered to this mailbox.  American City and County has an article in issues & trends titled "All hail shale".  The…

Trash Service Change for next week (6 - 11 Jan).

I received an email from City Manager Rob Schommer relaying a message from Republic concerning trash pick-up next week. 
 
This is the important part of the message: 
 
"With this in mind we have elected to close the offices (Cincinnati, Dayton, Covington & Williamstown) and suspend trash collection for Monday.  Our plan is to resume collection on Tuesday and operate on a one day delayed…

Meet the new Mayor Jan 13, 2014 6 pm

Thanks everyone that came out to the reception, sent me an email, wrote me a note or thought about doing any of these.  I haven't had time yet to look at the video of the council meeting but I think it went alright given that I'm prone to stage fright.

Watch the council meeting from the city website

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Prior…

TIF and Ms. Brock

Monday night Ms Brock spoke Monday at the City Council meeting and was quoted in the Courier.  You can watch the her comments from the city's website.  Citizen comments occur after the presentations of keys to the city and other accolades for service well done.  My wife tells me I should have posted my comment to the article here on HuberResidents.org.  Here it is.


School Board Member Anita…

Council Meeting Dec 9, 2013 and Emergency Legislation

The agenda and read aheads are available for the Monday Dec 9, 2013 meeting.  The biggest items on the agenda are 12G and 12H.  12G tells us Mr. Dave Studebaker turned in his resignation and 12H tells us Chief Schommer will be the interim city manager starting December 27th.  Also, lets talk Emergency Legislation. There are other interesting items but I will let you review them by clicking the…

How about a Music Store in Huber?

Friday while my kids and I were out buying a uculele I was bouncing a Music Store idea off my kids.  This morning I was reading the online addition to the DDN and see that Hauer Music is moving all the way down to Washington Township making a Huber Music store even more viable. 
 
This will be a quick post since I really have a lot of things I want to write and chores I need to do.  For…

Music Center Web Cam is up

From the city's web page you can see it here http://www.hhoh.org/for-residents/music-center.html 


This is a still photo that shows that it worked this morning. 

This link may take you there directly, though I'm having network problems and can't confirm this.

http://webcampub.multivista.com/index.cfm?WebcamPublicEmbedUID=1443F662-56F6-4011-B705-13F69D6FEEC8&fuseaction=aPublicWebcam.getHTTPStream&dc=138624766716

Income (maybe property) Tax marketing firm

I am disappointed that the read ahead for next week's committee meetings are not yet posted.  I did get the agenda's as an email last week.  I'll post further below.  But since the read ahead are missing it gives me the opportunity to address agenda item F from the 25 Nov 2013 Council meeting.

"A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Seek Out And Present To Council For Its Consideration…

2014 City Budget discussion

Last nights Administration Committee meeting included a discussion of the draft 2014 budget.  The short version is available on the city website.  I've scanned and posted the larger version of the draft budget.  Sorry it is not searchable (and it is 11mb).  The city finance director has again this year warned council that there is a systemic problem with the budget (we are spending more than…

Yes, it looks like I will be Mayor

From the Montgomery County Board of Election Website.  The Election Results show that Mark Campbell was re-elected Large, Tom McMasters was elected Mayor and the School Levy did not pass.   In Miami County the Mayoral race was 91 McMasters  69 Fisher,  for Council at Large 80 Hamilton, Campbell 66.  See the full Miami County results.
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Though HuberResidents.org is a…

Huber Home Rental makes national news - Homeowners should be concerned

Update - here is a quote from the November 7th addition of the Dayton Daily News that help clarify the article I wrote originally.

Hedgefund cuts back on request   Investment group seeks less tax relief on Huber Heights units.

  By Lynn Hulsey

"If approved, the appeals would cut the company’s property taxes and would require the return of as much as $524,668 in 2012 tax revenues   already

City taking more School & less county money than we thought

City to take $1.7 million dollars of the school's money from just one TIF property.

Updated - I re-read section (F) of ORC5709.40 and believe I misinterpreted the exemptions for the library, park and Human Services levies. This edit changed the calculation to reflect library, park and Human Services exemptions from TIF.

Monday night during the City Council meeting the Assistant City Manager…

How much do TIF Funds cost the schools?

TIF funds are modified property taxes.  The money in a TIF fund is money that normally would be paid to the schools, police and fire funds, libraries, parks etc. 
My son and I went to the Montgomery County Auditors webpage found the tax levy distribution breakout and then created an Excel file so that we could calculate how much of the money the new Family Dollar (Brandt pk)  and the new…

Tuesday agenda's  Music Center, Debt Financing, $9,450 Marketing Video

Update to time lapse video.  At the Oct 22, 2013 administration committee meeting we learned that the contract for the construction project contained money for site pictures and security video.  The city has chosen to combine these funds with the time lapse funds.  This will allow them to do the time lapse, security and site pictures all through the same vendor.  With all these combined the…

Election Day Nov 5th, Early voting now

This election Huber Heights has two contested races;  Mayor and Council at Large.   There is also a Huber Heights City school levy on the ballot in Montgomery County.  There are Bethel Twp, Pleasant Hill/ Newton Twp Fire,Troy-Miami Library, and Forest Hill Cemetery Levies in Miami County.  Hope I got them all but I only looked up a couple of addresses of friends of mine.  Check your own using the Cox Media group voters

Rushmore Parent Group Watch D.O.G.S. held organizational meeting Oc…

Rushmore Principle Mrs. Molfenter and Mike Baumgartner presented information on a nationally recognized parent group called Watch D.O.G.S.  The event was attended by at least 50 Dads, Granddads and Uncles.  With sponsorship from the Rushmore PTO this looks like a program on the way to bring more men into the schools during the school day.  

Background: WATCH D.O.G.S. invites fathers,

DEC makes tax payment, City Celebrates

Update:  At the Oct 22, 2013 administration committee meeting I asked where the $1.8 million dollar payment would be going.  At this time council hopes that it can be put into the general fund.  I was mistaken in calling this a TIF / Tax payment in the original article.  See the Oct 8, 2012 agenda item for better insight on why the developer paid the city:
 

An Ordinance Authorizing The

Huber Heights fully committed to Music Center

Council voted to authorize the $12 million contract for the Music Center Building Package on Monday.  To date there has been no public discussion that shows council members have seen or understand the financial impact to the city.  The Music Center Validation study available here at HuberResidents.org has not be published by the city and the content raises concerns about the operation and revenue expectation.

Admin Committee meeting notes from Sept 4, 2013

I requested through FOIA the financial reports that show what council used to determine if we had enough money to pay for the Aquatic Center and the Music Center.  I was given the answer to that request at the beginning of the meeting.  I posted them here.

Music Center Update:  

  • There was a discussion on the color scheme.  The project manager recommended using the color scheme that has appear

State releases report cards for area schools

  • Posted 23rd August 2013, 9:11 am
  • By Janell

Nice Job Huber Heights City Schools!  I wouldn't be asking for any new levies anytime soon with these kind of grades.  JMO!

http://www.whiotv.com/news/news/education/state-releases-report-cards-area-schools/nZZGj/



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To search the State's database go to: http://reportcard.education

Music Center Feasibility Study

You can now download the Music Center Validation Study Report

I've been campaigning for 8 months to get any of the council members to request city staff post the reports done in preparation of building the Music Center on the city's website either as news or better yet as part of a meetings agenda or minutes.  I've asked them to make the original report done by the city finance and…

Admin Committee notes Aug 20, 2013, Public Works Committee Cnx

Here are some of the notes I took from the Administration Committee yesterday 20 Aug 2013

The Music Center project manager started the meeting showing council some renderings (pictures) of some of the architectural features.  I missed the absolute beginning of the presentation so I wasn't in the meeting when it was stated definitively but I gather from subsequent comments that the plan is to…

School Levy - Yes or No

I'm sitting down about two weeks before election day for the school levy and thought I would write out the reasons I see for and against the levy. 
 
At first glance it would seem that there couldn't be anyone more likely to vote for the levy than me.  I have four kids in Huber Heights City schools and another about to enter.  I have the resources to send them to private school but I keep…

School Levy Election day was Tuesday Aug 6th.

From the WDTN website:

Huber Heights Schools Levy
Updated: about a minute ago | Precincts reporting: 100%
  Percent Votes
Against  60% 3,462
For 40% 2,287



Hello All,

Remember the special election for the School Levy is on the ballot for August 6th.  Early voting ended Friday so now you have to vote on elections…

Door to door - Tree cutters

I made the mistake of hiring "All Trees" to cut down the Ash tree that was in front of my house. Bryant came to the door soliciting work for the company.  The two other times I had tree cutters do work in my yard I put everything in writing and I made them give me copies of their insurance.  With this company, I was sloppy in having him write out the work - and even then they didn't do what…