Good afternoon Don,
I wanted to reach out to you concerning the “yard issue” at 7019 Shull Rd.
I have spoken with Mrs. Lisse and gone to the property to review the situation. Mrs. Lisse has stated that the contractor that she is using for the repairs has stated that they need to wait for “ground settling” prior to reseeding or sodding the yard. As I walked the area, it was clear to me that the ground was not quite “settled” yet, as even I sank several inches stepping in certain areas.
She has also forwarded me several receipts for materials to repair and improve the yard, when the weather cooperates. (If you would like me to forward those to you, please let me know)
I asked her to clean up the weeds and overgrowth in the areas not directly affected, to show good will, and in return I am asking for some time and leniency from the City. She is agreeable to that.
Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to assist in this situation. Mrs. Lisse Was positive in her response to me, so I am happy to help in any way that I can.
Thank you,
Glenn T. Otto
City Council At-Large Huber
Heights, Ohio
Monday’s council meeting includes an item the reads: “the Mayor has reason to believe there is probable cause for the removal of Councilmember Glenn Otto.”
This blog is for people that know there is no legitimate way to justify the Mayor’s belief. The fact so many members of council do not see it is a waste of time, and potentially $25,000 of city money, to discuss hiring outside council to prosecute Mr. Otto, signifies it may be time to replace all of council.
Here is the link to the agenda item[1] where the City Attorney and Mayor provide essays with their justification for seeking the removal of Mr. Otto’s from office.
Attend the Council Meeting at 7pm Monday or Watch Live on your computer or phone
Keep in mind this city attorney often ignores the law and the City Charter and chooses instead to slant his opinions for political purposes. For instance, the city attorney knows the City Charter states, “Council, by an affirmative vote of no fewer than five (5) members, shall appoint a City Manager (referred to in this Charter as the "City Manager" or "Manager") for an indefinite period of time …”[2]
and then tells council the five-year period in this section of the City Manager Employment agreement is legal,
“Section 2. Term of Agreement A. Schommer shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council. This Agreement shall become effective immediately upon the retirement of Schommer from the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund and remain in full force and effect from that date through the 31st day of December, 2022 subject to the termination provisions set forth within the Agreement.”[3]
Additionally, we had a ballot initiative that asked resident if they desired to keep the Charter requirement that tells us the City Manager is required to live in the City of Huber Heights. The residents overwhelmingly chose to keep that requirement. Whether that requirement would be upheld by the Ohio Judicial Supreme court is up in the air with many people believing that it would not but good arguments by some legal experts that it might. If the City Attorney felt obligated to represent the people of the City, he would represent construct the best argument that expressed their desires. Instead, his loyalty is to the City Manager, so he ignores the residents will and only tells us that investigating and expressing the other legal argument is a lost cause.
Do not let the City Attorney or Mayor fool you into thinking their actions come from a dedication to following legal procedures or the best interest of the city. Their actions and recommendations are politically slanted.
This incident with Mr. Otto gives me the opportunity to ask you to evaluate my reputation as mayor. I am pretty proud of all that was accomplished during my term despite the tactics used by council. Though my proposal to change to a strong mayor form of government will stop the political shenanigans we see in the Otto persecution, it is the other issues I’ve written about recently on HuberResidents.org that justifies the change. For instance:
Council demand that the school pay for building city roads wasting $300,000 of a possible $3 million.
Council deciding to spend nearly $800,000 to change two intersections so that the stop lights are held up by mast arms instead of cables when about $1 million could connect Rt 40 to the north area shopping centers and relieve traffic congestion on Old Troy Pike.
It is hard to watch council meetings without getting nauseous from the way they use deceptive spin to hide things like raising the tap in fee for the Chambersburg rd. improvement project from $0 to $5,000.
If you are ready to go to a strong mayor form of government, so we can get rid of political shenanigans and make sound decisions with our tax dollars, we can make that happen. There are a couple of items that will be controversial. First, the change in the form of government will also be an election where the city chooses to select me as the first Strong Mayor. An even more important aspect will be the provision that allows me to choose who serves on council at the first implementation of the new system. Currently, we have a council that has no idea of the importance of a 5-year capital improvement plan. That will be corrected should we go to a strong mayor form of government. Contact me if you are a supporter willing to do the work to bring responsible government to Huber Heights.
StrongMayor@huberResidents.org or stop by and say hello 6934 Sylmar Ct
It’s time to Reform the Ohio Judicial System
Thanks for your support – Tom McMasters
[1] Jun 10, 2019 Agenda Item 11D
[2] City Charter Section 6.01 – Appointment; qualifications; compensation. Council, by an affirmative vote of no fewer than five (5) members, shall appoint a City Manager (referred to in this Charter as the "City Manager" or "Manager") for an indefinite period of time and shall fix the compensation of the Manager. The Manager shall be appointed on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications. At the time of appointment, the Manager need not be a resident of the City, but shall become a resident with six (6) months after appointment, unless otherwise temporarily authorized by Council.
Edited