EDITOR’S NOTE: Please excuse the quality of our recent video work from the Loveland City Hall council chamber. After the City recently hired a Public Information Officer (PIO), LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV has been put into a small corral to one side of the room, and the podium was placed so that when the public rises to speak, they have their backs toward the audience and our camera. We have talked to the City Manager and the Clerk of Council about how this arrangement significantly degrades our video, “The old set-up allowed a video camera to swing back and forth between those at the podium and the council table. That arrangement had been used for decades.”
Our plea has fallen on deaf ears. The PIO, however, did respond saying, “Unfortunately, the arrangement of the media area will not be moved to accommodate better angles at this time.”
So, for the time being, LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV is forced to show butts instead of faces, except when Councilwoman Pam Gross uses the podium. (See this recent video)
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Loveland, Ohio – Resident Elizabeth Blust spoke at the May 23 Council meeting. She said she only recently became more aware of City politics. The talked about her ethical concerns surrounding activities at City Hall and finished by saying she did not give Mayor Mark Fitzgerald permission to bulldoze the municipal building.
Loveland Sweets is a purveyor of hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, marshmallows, and ice creams. Our house-made candies are prepared in small batches.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please excuse the quality of our recent video work from the Loveland City Hall council chamber. After the City recently hired a Public Information Officer (PIO), LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV has been put into a small corral to one side of the room, and the podium was placed so that when the public rises to speak, they have their backs toward the audience and our camera. We have talked to the City Manager and the Clerk of Council about how this arrangement significantly degrades our video, “The old set-up allowed a video camera to swing back and forth between those at the podium and the council table. That arrangement had been used for decades.”
Our plea has fallen on deaf ears. The PIO, however, did respond saying, “Unfortunately, the arrangement of the media area will not be moved to accommodate better angles at this time.”
So, for the time being, LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV is forced to show butts instead of faces, except when Councilwoman Pam Gross uses the podium. (See this recent video)
[/quote_box_left]Loveland, Ohio – Pat Morganroth appeared at a recent Loveland City Council meeting and talked about the Annual National Wheelchairs Veterans Games that will be held in Cincinnati July 17 – 23. She encouraged residents to attend and volunteer at the event.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please excuse the quality of our recent video work from the Loveland City Hall council chamber. After the City recently hired a Public Information Officer (PIO), LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV has been put into a small corral to one side of the room, and the podium was placed so that when the public rises to speak, they have their backs toward the audience and our camera. We have talked to the City Manager and the Clerk of Council about how this arrangement significantly degrades our video, “The old set-up allowed a video camera to swing back and forth between those at the podium and the council table. That arrangement had been used for decades.”
Our plea has fallen on deaf ears. The PIO, however, did respond saying, “Unfortunately, the arrangement of the media area will not be moved to accommodate better angles at this time.”
So, for the time being, LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV is forced to show butts instead of faces, except when Councilwoman Pam Gross uses the podium. (See this recent video)
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Loveland, Ohio – Russ Dolezal recently went to a Loveland Council meeting. He has lived in Loveland for ten years, but before moving here he lived in Blue Ash and was part of putting on the first Taste of Blue Ash. He talked about how Blue Ash planned their developments carefully and slowed down long enough so the public could be involved and guide the process. He said, “There was a lot of patience involved.”
Dolezal said Blue Ash showed patience in their process to construct a new municipal building and recreation center. and concluded his remarks by quoting W. Axl Rose, “Said woman take it slow, and it’ll work itself out fine All we need is just a little patience.”
We promise the best customer service, and beyond a doubt, the best selection of merchandise in the area Pizazz Studio is a whimsical gift shop in downtown Loveland.
Loveland, Ohio– Resident, Dick Dyson went to the Council meeting on May 23 and asked why Councilwoman Pam Gross was the City Council Representative for the Planning and Zoning Commission and was the Vice President of Community Improvement Corporation.
Loveland, Ohio – On Tuesday, May 23, Tom Morris went to the Loveland Council meeting and asked Council to slow down the demolition of City Hall. He told council members that he moved to Loveland because it was a small town that cared more about its history and its people than its desire for growth and revenue.
Morris said that Loveland Station was a blight and the project was handled terribly from selling the land to changing the laws to appease a single developer.
He also said that the community was now stuck with a cheap looking building and traffic problems.
Morris asks Council to slow the demolition of City Hall and have hearings on the project to see if the community actually wants the project to move forward. He said, “There is a suspicious lack of information about the project”
Morris said, “Instead of talking down to people, perhaps you should be explaining to us like the voting adults we are, why this is a project the City needs.”
Loveland, Ohio – Below you can read the resolution passed by a 7-0 vote at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. There was no discussion during the meeting about the proposal.
Mayor Mark Fitzgerald announced at the beginning of the May 23 Council meeting that he has instituted a “zero tolerance policy” towards whispering or passing documents during meetings. The Mayor in recent months has used his gavel indiscriminately and in a random manner to quiet the audience attending meetings. He routinely warns them against applauding what their fellow citizen’s say during the open forum portion of meetings. Lately, he has warned citizens he will use the police force to remove anyone who disrupts the meetings
Less than five minutes later, when Councilwoman, Pam Gross walked to the same podium the public uses, he allows, and joins, in applauding Gross’ presentation. Then, seconds later, when resident, Mike Meldon followed Gross to the same podium, and the audience applauded Meldon’s comments about how important the environment was to the community, the Mayor said he was issuing his final warning about applause and he will be asking the police to remove anyone who, “Disrespects that request.”
The Mayor was speaking on behalf of all of Council. None objected to the policy. There are two other people sitting at the council table who also remained silent, Dave Kennedy, the City Manager and Joe Braun, the City lawyer. These are the two professionals Council hires to keep them out of trouble. Professionals, who have been hired based on their knowledge and expertise of the law and how a municipality operates within the laws of Loveland’s Charter, the Ohio Constitution, the Ohio Revised Code, and the Constitution of the United States.
[quote_box_left]No matter, Fitzgerald needs counsel now, and there are nine people who have a sworn duty to deliver it to him, because, sitting on your hands is equivalent to sitting on the Constitution.[/quote_box_left]In addition, the Loveland Police Chief is almost always in the room, another professional the City has hired to protect citizen’s rights.
Nine people who are sworn to protect our citizens have sat silent and not objected while the Mayor, at random whim, takes away the public’s right to free speech, and threatens to use the “color” of the police department for enforcement.
See below just recent examples of how Fitzgerald shows favor to certain subjects and individuals and bullies other silent.
If in his randomness, Fitzgerald continues, or heaven forbid has someone removed from the room or arrested, he will have hoed himself and taxpayers a deep, deep furrow because of his discrimination. He will certainly lose in court, and it will be taxpayers paying the bills.
Fitzgerald’s discriminatory, gavel is causing turmoil in our community and doing harm to the Community’s reputation.
Perhaps there are three “majority” members of Council who are afraid that if they cross the Mayor they will be treated to the same wrath and scolding, but that is not an adequate excuse. Perhaps the other three “minority” members of Council are sitting on their hands, thinking ahead to election time, letting the Mayor dig his deeper furrow.
No matter, Fitzgerald needs counsel now, and there are nine people who have a sworn duty to deliver it to him, because, sitting on your hands is equivalent to sitting on the Constitution.
In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, you will see clips of the Mayor indiscriminately enforcing his rule against applause within about ten minutes of issuing his warning. He allows applause when fellow council member Pam Gross takes the podium, and himself is seen applauding, but gives the audience a final warning when the next speaker, a resident, speaks about the importance of Loveland’s environment.
In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, you will see other clips of the Mayor indiscriminately enforcing his rules. In one clip from several meetings ago you will see Fitzgerald telling resident Tom Calarco to turn around and speak to Council and not the public. Calarco had only turned his head, looking to see if there were any police officers in the room, whom he had just complimented. In the next clip, you will see Fitzgerald allowing Councilwoman Gross to rearrange the microphone on the podium so she could stand behind the podium, and address the audience with her back to the rest of Council.
Loveland, Ohio – Mayor Mark Fitzgerald announced at the beginning of the May 23 Council meeting that he has instituted a “Zero tolerance policy” towards the public’s whispering or passing documents among themselves during meetings. He said it was because it was intentionally, “Preventing the audience from hearing or knowing the business of the body discussed.”
He further stated that a disruptive person waives their right to attend council meetings and the Council can remove the person from the meeting.
The Mayor was speaking on behalf of all of Council. None objected to the policy.
Loveland, Ohio – Diane Powers and Steven Smith took to the open forum podium at the May 9th Council meeting and both played out how they would like council member to proceed with the possible tearing down of City Hall and replacing it with a four-story commercial building in Historic Downtown. The plan is for City Hall to occupy the second floor, with retail on the bottom and apartments on the top two floors.
This memorandum is the Community Improvement Corporation’s (CIC) update to City Council regarding their recommendations and options for build a new City Hall. This recommendation was presented to City Council at their meeting on May, 9. City Council was expected to vote on setting a date and time for public hearings on the recommendation, but could not reach consensus on how the meetings should be conducted, or how many meetings to have.
Loveland, Ohio– On May 9th Jay Stewart the President of the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) presented the final recommendations to City Council with options on how to repurpose the City Building. Part of the recommendation was for Council to hold “public hearings” on the recommendations before proceeding with the project. Mayor Mark Fitzgerald asked for a motion to hold a hearing at the next meeting.
Both Weisgerber and Phelps wanted more than a “public hearing” style of opportunity for the public to weigh-in on the proposal. They want a more give and take opportunity for the public, where there would be dialogue, instead of monologue; a more informal format. Weisgerber said he wanted, “General sessions, informational sessions, or charrettes with the public to get input.”
Phelps said that this was the first-time the CIC has addressed City Council to discuss the repurposing of City Hall. He had the same questions as Weisgerber, and, “More.” He wanted to find out more about the process and how the CIC arrived at their recommendations, and why the three- story option was eliminated. Both Phelps and Weisgerber said that he would not be in favor of holding a public hearing at this point.
Fitzgerald thought Council should follow the recommendation of the CIC.
The motion by Vice-Mayor Angie Settell was voted down with a 3-3 tie vote. Fitzgerald, Settell, and Pam Gross voted, “Yes.” Ted Phelps, Rob Weisgerber, and Kathy Bailey voted, “No.” Stephen Zamagias was absent.
Weisgerber then moved to have no less than three open sessions with the public in Council Chambers, during after-work hours that all of Council can attend, to talk about design options and receive public input. The motion was seconded by. Bailey. The motion received loud applause from the audience.
Phelps said the meetings proposed by Weisgerber would allow, “Stakeholders, neighboring property owners, and downtown residents to weigh-in on the project.”
Fitzgerald then said he did not understand why Weisgerber did not want to begin with the formal type of public hearing at the next council meeting that was the recommendation of the CIC. He then abruptly shut off debate on the motion and called for a vote.
The motion also failed, with a 3-3 tie, reversing their votes on the earlier Settell motion.
During the open forum part of the meeting, Diane Powers asked Council to have three or four, “across the table discussions” to build trust and dialogue with the residents and stakeholders. She urged Council to “take some time off” before they position themselves, and take a vote.
Fitzgerald said he found it, odd that Powers would want to delay the recommendation of the CIC, because, “It would not preclude other meetings.”
Steven Smith also took a turn at the podium urging more community input on the project and explained in a detailed handout, how it could be accomplished.
These two LOVELAND MAGAZINE VIDEOs are of the Council votes.
![[LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV] Pat Morganroth talks about Annual Wheelchairs Veterans Games](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/maxresdefault-29-100x65.jpg)
![[LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV] Russ Dolezal tells Council, “Woman take it slow.”](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/maxresdefault-27-100x65.jpg)
![[VIDEO] Dick Dyson wants answers about Pam Gross sitting in too many seats](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/maxresdefault-23-100x65.jpg)
![[VIDEO] Tom Morris says there is a suspicious lack of information about City Hall project”](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/maxresdefault-22-100x65.jpg)
![[EDITORIAL] Council and City staff must curb Mayor Fitzgerald’s reign of error](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/qtq80-7MqV1B-100x65.jpeg)
![[VIDEO] Mayor announces Zero Tolerance Policy: No whispering or passing papers during meetings](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/frog-free-speech-feature-w_lines-100x65.png)
