News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area
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Loveland City Council will hold a special meeting on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. to discuss their goals, strategic priorities, and any other business as may properly come before the municipal body which may be considered and acted on. The meeting will be held at the Loveland Safety Center, located at 126 S. Lebanon Road and is open to the public.
![[Coming] City Council swearing in ceremony and selection of Mayor and Vice-Mayor](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/feature-mihaela-on-video-camera.jpg)
Baily and Weisgerber continue as Mayor and Vice Mayor
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Magazine Reporter Mihaela Manova covered last night’s City Council meeting and will have complete coverage of the swearing-in of the successful candidates in the November election.
Last night Council selected a Mayor and Vice-Mayor for the next two years. She will also have that news.
Mihaela has video of the complete ceremony including speeches, photos, and video interviews of the next Mayor and the winners of the election in the can and it will be published soon.
Loveland, Ohio – On December 2, Loveland City Council will meet to swear in the recently elected members. The meeting will begin at 7 PM at City Hall.
Kathy Bailey is the current Mayor, however, after municipal elections in Loveland, Council meets in an “Organizational Meeting” and votes among themselves a Mayor and Vice-Mayor for the next two years.
Sitting at the Council table that night will be the three who finished at the top of the November 5th election; current Mayor, Kathy Bailey (2,642 votes), newly elected member, Andy Bateman (2,190 votes); and, current member, Kent Blair (1,873 votes). Current member Angie Settell (1,247 votes) was not re-elected. Council has 7 members.
The other candidates not elected were, Pat Ahr (1,183 votes) and Cory O’Donnell (769 votes).
Sitting with those who won on November 5th will be current members, Vice-Mayor Rob Weisgerber, and members Tim Butler, Neal Oury, and Ted Phelps.
Let’s have some fun and see if readers can see into the future, “Who is most likely to be Loveland’s next Mayor?”
Just for fun, we’ve thrown in our favorite write-in candidate, Ms. Loveland Frog! Because after-all it would be nice to have a “tad” more gender equality and hear something besides just 7 human voices croaking “Yes” in unison for the next two years.
If you find value in reading these Election Results and the expense involved in putting it together, please…
These results have been posted after the Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren County Boards of Elections have published their “Unofficial Results” and all precincts have reported 100% unless noted as of 12:30 AM. Official results must be certified by the various Boards in the coming weeks.
Combined Operating and Bond Levy
Clermont Co.
YES – 1219
NO – 4101
Hamilton Co.
YES – 1185
NO – 4394
Warren Co.
YES – 43
NO – 139
TOTAL –
YES – 2447
NO – 8634
Bond Levy 5.24 mills – 34 years
Warren Co.
YES – 91
NO – 106
Clermont Co
YES – 1264
NO – 1668
TOTAL
YES – 1355
NO – 1774
4.96 mills Bond Levy
YES – 3508
NO – 3675
4 mills Bond Issue
YES – 6067
NO – 3758
Additional Levy 4.99 mills for 4 years
YES – 5522
NO – 4389
Pat Ahr
Clermont Co. – 249
Hamilton Co. – 866
Warren Co. – 68
TOTAL – 1183
Kathy Bailey
Clermont Co. – 659
Hamilton Co. – 1840
Warren Co. – 143
TOTAL – 2642
Andy Bateman
Clermont Co. – 581
Hamilton Co. – 1493
Warren Co. – 116
TOTAL – 2190
Kent G. Blair
Clermont Co. – 481
Hamilton Co. – 1290
Warren Co. – 102
TOTAL – 1873
Cory O’Donnell
Clermont Co. – 216
Hamilton Co. – 509
Warren Co. – 44
TOTAL – 769
Angela L. Settell
Clermont Co. – 243
Hamilton Co. – 931
Warren Co. – 73
TOTAL – 1247
Arthur R. Jarvis
Clermont Co. – 2631
Hamilton Co. – 2241
Warren Co. – 81
TOTAL – 4953
Kathryn Lorenz
Clermont Co. – 2931
Hamilton Co. – 2611
Warren Co. – 85
TOTAL – 5627
Phil Beck – 2459
CJ Carr – 1745
Joseph C. Grossi – 2968
Edward J. Haskins – 670
Kyle Mitchell – 626
Benjamin Redman – 600
Sandra Russell – 753
Emily Chestnut
Clermont Co. – 3659
Hamilton Co. – 0
TOTAL – 3659
Mike Durkee
Clermont Co. – 1789
Hamilton Co. – 0
TOTAL – 1789
Dave Meranda
Clermont Co. – 3572
Hamilton Co. – 0
TOTAL – 3572
James Rhodes
Clermont Co. – 1606
Hamilton Co. – 0
TOTAL – 1606
Bob Hausermann – 1999
Bill Pitman – 953
Laura Engled – 2449
John Benthien –
Warren Co. – 142
Clermont Co – 1323
TOTAL – 1465
Julie Casey –
Warren Co. – 106
Clermont Co. – 1709
TOTAL – 1815
Derrick Holmes –
Warren Co. – 37
Clermont Co. – 1116
TOTAL – 1153
Deborah S. Gray –
Warren Co. – 152
Clermont Co. – 2308
TOTAL – 2460
Ken Tracy – 6356
Eric C. Ferry – 6249
Kari L. Bloom – 10014
Heather S. Russell – 17396
Clermont Co. –
YES – 697
NO – 281
Hamilton Co. –
YES – 1909
NO – 1044
Warren Co. –
YES – 165
NO – 59
TOTAL –
YES – 2771
NO – 1384
Renewal with an Increase 17 mills – for Fire & EMS – for 5 years
For – 915
Against – 310
Tax Levy (Renewal) – .34ml 5yr – Family Services & Treatment Programs
For – 111,399
Against – 48,980
Tax Levy – (Renewal) – 4.13ml 5yr – Developmental Disabilities
For – 121,513
Against – 38,881
For – 3922
Against – 2370
For – 3082
Against – 2239
Clermont County Board of Elections
Hamilton County Board of Elections
Warren County Board of Elections
Loveland, Ohio – The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance and Loveland Magazine will co-host a Meet the Candidates night this Wednesday.
The school is at 801 South Lebanon Road.
This event is FREE and the public is encouraged to attend
by Bill and Cyndi Gillings,
Changes in the City of Loveland are happening rapid-fire. After recovering from a devastating fire in its downtown in 2017, Loveland has reinvigorated its charming historic core by expanding
Bill and Cyndi Gillings live in the Paxton Woods neighborhood of Miami Township.
recreation, shopping, and restaurant/bar options. By anyone’s estimation, the city’s growth is on a steep trajectory with its ambitious city master plan, creation of a historic preservation district, and the addition of new venues and events. Loveland is dreaming big.
“Pat Ahr enters the Loveland City Council race with a “Breath of Fresh Air” campaign that promises better city-citizen communication, equal focus outside the historic core, and fiscal responsibility.”
Into this exciting phase steps Pat Ahr. A new face on the Loveland political scene, Ahr is a 15-year Loveland resident and retired registered nurse. She is running for a city council seat in the November 5 election, prompted to do so by a few key issues.
“I believe that as a city we are not communicating as well as we should,” Ahr says, laying out one of the pillars of her campaign. “I want to include all of Loveland in city discussions.” Ahr believes the current makeup of the city council has lent itself to block voting, and that the city would be better served by having a wider variety of viewpoints represented by elected officials.
“We need different voices on the council and not just people who agree on every point and push things through,” she emphasizes. “While I think that the council has done a lot to move Loveland forward, they are viewed–as a group–by many in the city as unkind. I want to bring kindness back to the council. We need to treat each other with respect. And I want the community to be involved in this transition to civility.”
If elected, Ahr will lean on her expertise as a communicator to make sure the public has a seat at the discussion table. This is second nature to her. “As a nurse, you must communicate at multiple levels–dealing with doctors, nurses, patients, patients’ families, and insurance,” she lists. “The communication is endless.”
Ahr will institute office hours for the public so all citizens can share their opinions and ideas outside the only current outlet for doing so: the monthly city council meeting. “Twice a month, I will hold meetings so the community can talk to me about what is going on in Loveland,” she says. “We’ll meet at a local restaurant or coffee shop, and I will encourage people of all ages to come. We must connect on a different level than just through the information put on the city website or by attendance at council meetings where you have to sign in to talk and where you can’t rebut as you would in a normal conversation. I want to give–and receive–more information than what you can get from that format.”
But it’s not just how city council communicates, it’s also what they are communicating about that concerns Ahr. “To date, all the focus of the city has been on the downtown district, but we are outgrowing what we can do there. We need to be bringing in new businesses with taxable revenue comparable to other towns in Cincinnati. And we need to address the unique needs of all areas of Loveland.”
Ahr points to the Loveland-Madeira Road Corridor as an obvious focal point. “I attended community meetings for the city’s master plan, and I listened to parents talk about how they have to drive to Anderson and Milford to get to places that kids really enjoy–like Jump Zone and entertainment venues like that,” she says. “Could we have a year-round pool? Or a Loveland workout center, like the Y that was planned years ago, to keep people in Loveland? We invite all these people from outside to enjoy our downtown, but we need to look at what people who live here would enjoy.”
After improving communication with the public, Ahr’s second mission will be to address the city’s parking issue. “The city’s third-party master plan designers said we have enough parking in the city and that we just need to educate the public about where it is,” she says. “But now the city has put out an RFP (request for proposal) for a parking garage with $7 to $8 million price tag. And they are guessing at costs. They should have done a preliminary RFP and then put the idea of the garage out to the public as an idea with an accurate price tag on it,” she says.
“Pat Ahr has lived in Loveland for over 15 Years
Retired Registered Nurse for 43 years
Expertise in Brand Management and Marketing
Regional Marketing Director across the Midwest
Managed Direct Sales for Multiple Businesses and Organizations
Understands Government Regulations having Assisted with Buyouts and Takeovers”
Considering the amount of money a garage could cost taxpayers, it is worth looking at alternatives first, Ahr says. “Let’s follow what the master planners suggested and educate the public on where to park. Maybe create a map we put in restaurants and in holders on the bike trail that would help people navigate the town and figure out where to park,” she suggests. “Try things first and build on the ideas before spending taxpayer money.”
The fiscal responsibility that colors Ahr’s opinion on the parking garage flows through her opinions on everything with which the city gets involved. This attention to management, processes, and regulation comes from her experience participating in acquisitions and takeovers of healthcare entities during her 43-year nursing career.
Take the school levy as an example. While not a city financial issue on the face of it, the school levy concerns Ahr. “Right now, the number-one thing everybody is talking about is the school levy and what is going in where and why we are being asked for so much money. People support schools for different reasons, both emotional and intellectual. I believe in education, but at what cost? I think every family needs to make the decision to support or reject the levy for themselves.”
That said, she has an eagle eye on what this school decision could mean for the taxpayers of Loveland. “The city must look at infrastructure to support the school,” she reminds. “The City is saying the schools are separate from us, but we need to be working together with them or we will blindside the taxpayers down the road on infrastructure costs, such as road improvements, after and on top of the tax for the schools.”
Politics is in Ahr’s DNA. She is the great-great-granddaughter of our nation’s 12th president, Zachary Taylor (1784-1850). A Kentucky native, Taylor was a full-fledged war hero through his service in the Mexican War. He was in office for only 16 months before he died. “He was a president against slavery,” Ahr says proudly.
As important as her illustrious roots are her present-day kin. She and her husband, Barry, have four children and nine grandsons. That’s right–all boys. “I love them so much,” she says. “And we have one more on the way.” No word on the gender of the new addition, which is okay with Ahr. “I look forward to two surprises in November,” she says.
by Cory O’Donnell
Who’s watching out for Loveland’s resident taxpayers? Our city leaders have ventured down a road with a questionable road map. The city is in the midst of possibly the most expensive civic project ever with $7+ million of resident taxpayer money on the line to construct a parking garage.
Cory O’Donnell lives in the White Pillars Subdivision and is a Loveland City Council Candidate
Who would argue the need for a parking facility given the explosion of visitors to the downtown area? Certainly, there needs to be adequate parking to support the masses that want to enjoy the available offerings. 
Visitors welcome the day when they don’t have to circle the downtown area for what seems to be an eternity to secure a valuable parking spot. Alternatively, some come to spend their time and money only to turn around and go home…nowhere to park.
Imagine the business owners that are giddy with the prospect of the resident taxpayers footing the bill to get more cash through their doors. Who could blame them for the smiles on their faces? Not me; what a gift!
But here’s where the roadmap leads to resident taxpayer disaster. There is no published plan to recover the $7+ million and make the taxpayers whole. Further, my calculator can’t get to a full lot, 365 days a year for 30 years, that will recover resident taxpayer investment.
I am far from knowledgeable about developing, constructing and managing a public parking garage. My assumption is our city leaders are well versed in public policy, zoning, codes, and other daily municipal functions, but there are specialists in private development that have the knowledge and expertise to make this happen on a for-profit basis.
Is it too late to get the proper road map that assures resident taxpayers are not left holding this massive debt?
P.S. Our city is already committed to close to $48,000 annually in debt service for the Christman Farm property on Butterworth Road acquired in 2007 which has remained vacant all these years and has disappeared from the city council’s interest. This translates to hundreds of thousands of resident taxpayer’s dollars being flushed down the proverbial toilet for too many more years.
Can you afford more? Who’s going to step up to the plate and get the answers?
Loveland, Ohio – In 2018, the City contracted with Yard and Company to prepare and create a Downtown Master Plan.
The Planning and Zoning Commission met on August 20 to hear Yard and Company present their final plan.
During the presentation, it was not clear that Yard and Company were yet aware of City plans for a parking garage and new entrance into the downtown from St. Rt. 48, or that the school district has an option to purchase 110 acres of Grailville property for a new school campus.
The Commission voted unanimously to approve and adopt the plan and send it along to City Council for their consideration.
Here is the Plan: Downtown Strategic Development Plan
![[VIDEO] Parking garage coming to Historic Downtown](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/feature-loveland-parking-garage.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – City Council held a public hearing on August 13, to hear public comments on the proposed purchase of 1.15406 acres of land in Historic Downtown and to construct a parking facility. An entrance to the garage from Rt. 48 is an integral part of the plan presented by City Manager, Dave Kennedy.
The property includes eleven parcels contiguous to First Street to the west and Second Street/State Route 48 to the east. The parcel total 1.15406 acres.
Peter and Matthew Ross agreed to a selling price of $550,000 which matched the appraisal obtained by the City. The total “appropriation” cost according to Kennedy, will be $571,150. Council has already authorized Kennedy to purchase the land.
Council gave the City Manager authority to complete the purchase in May once he completed studies to see if there were such things as environmental or soil problems that would prevent the city from building a garage on the site. These videos are of Kennedy’s report to Council and the public comments they received during the public hearing. After the public hearing, Council debated whether or not to give the City Manager further direction and support for moving ahead with the purchase.
To built the garage would cost between 6 and 6.8 million dollars in addition to buying the land.
Here is LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video from the public hearing.
You can view the slides the City Manager presented below, or by opening this .pdf in a separate window: Ross Presentation.
Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
Subsurface Investigation and Geotechnical Recommendations
Peter and Matthew Ross Parcels Summary
Proposed Parking Facility Layout Option 1
Proposed Parking Facility Layout Option 2
Aerial View and Possible Entrance Locations
Feasibility Study – (Completed 8-9-19)
![[Loveland Magazine TV] Councilwoman Angie Settell expresses concerns about proposed City Charter](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/maxresdefault-4.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – While speaking about proposals to change the City Charter, Councilwoman Angie Settell raised concerns about whether the Finance Director should be reporting to the City Manager or City Council.
She said that the Council’s first responsibility is to be the keeper of the taxpayer’s money and that there needed to be checks and balances and a level of protection was being eliminated for no valid reason.
She also raised concerns about proposed changes to the role of the Vice-Mayor in situations where the Mayor is incapable of performing their duties.
The occasion was during a meeting on June 11, when Council was holding a public hearing to receive comments regarding proposed revisions to the Charter of the City.
Councilmembers, Ted Phelps and Tim Butler; and acting Solicitor Matt Fellerhoff responded to Settell’s concerns.
Read the proposed and current charter here: Proposed Loveland Charter
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