Halie S. Rebeccaschild is the Secretary, Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee
by Halie Rebeccaschild,
Neal Oury has offered to dedicate himself to the good of the Loveland community though public service as a city council member over the next four years. He has fought to remove those who have sought to exploit our city, selling it off without your input, and for that, he’s facing serious backlash. Many people might not have had the courage to do what he did, standing up to Mark Fitzgerald this year. People are afraid, and we can see why from the character assault on Neal Oury. It takes tremendous character to bravely face down those with very little themselves.
Many people might not have had the courage to do what he did, standing up to Mark Fitzgerald this year.
Now, he’s being accused of hiding financial difficulties he faced nearly a decade ago. Let’s talk about that.
Neal Oury filed Ch 13 bankruptcy years ago and has continued to pay his debts, overcoming a serious financial setback. That’s exemplary! His family has a proven track record of overcoming obstacles. When asked, he has responded with openness, honesty, and humility about a painful time in his life.
Previous life lessons do not necessarily create bad people.
Previous life lessons do not necessarily create bad people. In the case of Neal and Lynn Oury, it’s created warm, compassionate, community-minded survivors whose record of volunteer service in the last ten years right here in Loveland would put most people to shame. They served this community even as they worked to overcome their financial difficulties of the past.
Neal Oury is an honest and humble community-minded, public servant who has overcome challenges, which is exactly what we need leading our city going forward. He’s proven that he has the life experiences and fortitude to lead us out of the mess Mark Fitzgerald and his majority voting block on city council created. More, he’s pledged to give residents a voice by driving neighborhood representation.
I say, bring on Neal Oury for city council. Let’s see what he can do to help move Loveland forward and out of the mess of the last 2 years.
Vote Oury on November 7 with pride!
Best regards to you, Loveland neighbors.
Halie S. Rebeccaschild B.A., M.A. is the Secretary of the Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee
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Jonathan Goolsby says voters should consider voting for his friend Andy Bateman for Loveland City Council
by Jonathan Goolsby,
A few months back, my phone rang. I saw it was my friend, Andy Bateman.
Normally, we’ll just text; if he was calling, he had something important to say, so naturally I picked right up.
The usual buddy chit-chat, then the crux:
“I’m thinking about running for Loveland city council. What do you think?”
“I’m thinking about running for Loveland city council. What do you think?”
“I think you’d be a great candidate, Bateman,” I said.
And I meant it, too.
Before I tell you why I think so, I want to be up front about something, because I don’t want there to be any appearance of impropriety: I don’t live in the city of Loveland right now.
My folks do, and many of my friends do, so I maintain a deep interest in what goes on economically, socially, politically — heck, even on the high school ballfield — in my hometown.
And, for some time now, I’ve been thinking about moving back.
Like a lot of people my age, who grew up in Loveland, all I ever wanted to do was get out and see other, bigger places.
Well, now I’ve seen ‘em. Lived in a few. And I’ve learned that there’s absolutely something to be said for coming back home to the tranquil, gorgeous Little Miami Valley.
I’m still somewhat active in the Loveland Stage Company. I visit my parents and my friends out there once every couple of weeks or so. I hit up the Whippy Dip. Sometimes, I work from the Starbucks out on Loveland-Madeira.
But when I read and hear about strife and incivility in council chambers — between councilmembers, between councilmembers and the citizens they serve, and yes, between citizens themselves — I think twice about that yielding to that homeward pull.
I don’t like seeing my people at each other’s throats. And if that’s the way folks are gonna operate on a day-in, day-out basis, well, you can count me out. I value my serenity.
But I don’t think I have a monopoly on that.
I think most folks value peace and positive cooperation. It’s just that tensions have been running high — not only in Loveland, but throughout our nation — and people are trapped in cycles of frantic reactivity, when they should be fostering measured, rational proactivity.
They’ve forgotten to listen to each other. They’ve become convinced that government should be a zero-sum game.
“But Andy Bateman isn’t that kind of guy.”
But Andy Bateman isn’t that kind of guy.
How do I know? He and I have been great friends for over 20 years. And friendships don’t last that long if one or the other party is intractably rigid.
“So, you know about everything that’s been going on with Council, right?,” he asked me.
“Lord, yes.”
I was shaking my head on the other end of the line. He knew I was, too, because he sort of chuckled.
“That’s why I want to run. I want to listen to people.”
Now, pause and let that sink in for a minute:
“How many thirtysomethings volunteer with their local historical societies? How many go to city council meetings? How many still use the library for something other than Facebooking?”
A candidate who believes his primary responsibility on Council would be to listen.
Not to preach. Not to adhere to one ideology or another. Not to talk down to people he doesn’t completely agree with. Not to ram pet projects through without regard to other peoples’ feelings.
To listen to people.
And to take what he hears and use that to shape his decision-making. To act conscientiously, candidly and respectfully.
Good night, are we talking about actual democracy here?
“Yeah, man, I just think that people don’t listen to each other enough. I think there’s a real need for it here.”
“Bate, you gotta run. Seriously.”
“I am. I just wanted to know if you thought it was a good idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea. And I think others will, too.”
Look, I get it. He’s my friend. Maybe you think I’m just making an impassioned plea to you on his behalf on that lone basis.
Sure, Andy Bateman and I played in the Loveland High School marching band together. We acted in the same school plays. We ate lunch at the same cafeteria table nearly every day (and I can assure you, he was just as interested in local history, politics and service to other back then — it’s what he talked about).
We ran around town making silly video projects, driving maybe a bit too fast, listening to music maybe a bit too loud. Like most small-town kids, we raised a bit of good-natured, light-hearted hell in our time.
“But having watched Andy grow up — and having grown up with him — over the past 20 years, I can tell you that he has rare qualities.”
But having watched Andy grow up — and having grown up with him — over the past 20 years, I can tell you that he has rare qualities.
He has a candid, open nature. If you talk with him, he’s consistently interested in knowing what you’re thinking, but he’ll tell you what he’s thinking, too. And you’ll know what he’s telling you is the truth.
He’s flexible. I’ve never known Andy to be entrenched or dogmatic in his views. He’s a classic pragmatist. You disagree with him? Tell him why. Show him evidence. He’ll reason with you, and he’s always open to compromise.
When he makes mistakes, he owns them. Andy takes personal responsibility to learn from mistakes and make positive changes. Best of all, he doesn’t tend to repeat them.
“When he makes mistakes, he owns them. Andy takes personal responsibility to learn from mistakes and make positive changes. Best of all, he doesn’t tend to repeat them.”
He’s someone who has never stopped being curious about the world around him and who’s never stopped learning. He’s not afraid to move forward.
But he’s also well-grounded.
How many thirtysomethings volunteer with their local historical societies? How many go to city council meetings? How many still use the library for something other than Facebooking?
Not many.
But that’s Bate. What you see is what you get. You deserve a representative like him.
On Tuesday, November 7th, I hope you’ll vote for my friend, Andrew Bateman, for Loveland City Council.
When Loveland’s alarm clocks ring on November 8th all the work that the candidates and residents have put into this election will be done but the work for our city will just be beginning. Loveland has eight candidates vying to represent us, choosing the right ones is imperative so we don’t go back to where we have been. We have weathered fights over our Loveland Farmers Market, fees charged to vendors working in our city, a recall petition times two of our former mayor, and much infighting amongst the remaining members of council.
My votes go to Neal Oury, Tim Butler, Ted Phelps and Rob Weisgerber. Transparency, resident engagement, and ethical behavior is a promise from all four and that is imperative for me.
Rob Weisgerber represents continuity and history to me. Rob has been on council through good times in Loveland and bad and he is the first to admit that decisions made with the greatest intentions sometimes backfire in the long run. His humility and willingness to devote so much to our city along with continuity and history pull a vote from me for Rob.
Neal Oury represents new ideas but with a great background in Loveland and in management that will be a huge asset to Loveland. Neal has proven his character by his decision to be open with personal hardships he has endured and his neighborly attitude of helping Mark Bersani of Loveland Canoe when their building flooded in March and Neal was right there to lend a hand.
Tim Butler is an innovator who created the SMAC track and cross country program that has served thousands of girls and boys in the Loveland Area. He is someone who has a fresh approach to city council but is a practicing attorney so following rules and regulations is second nature to him. We need someone on council who brings fresh eyes to Loveland but with a backbone to stand up for what our city needs and deserves and Tim brings that in my opinion.
Ted Phelps is another existing councilmember, with less time in the seat than Rob, but still brings some consistency of working with members of City staff and residents. Ted is always attentive during council meetings to whoever is speaking, as an attorney he knows that shows respect. My vote for Ted is due to his always friendly and open to opinions even those he doesn’t agree with but he is extremely respectful and throughful in his interactions.
These four gentlemen will bring a fantastic combination of history with new opinions, attentiveness and respectfulness with a strong backbone to push back when needed, lifelong residents of Loveland and those who have absorbed ideas from other cities, knowledge about rules and regulations in many areas but most important a desire to represent and engage with each other and the residents of our town.
Join me in voting for Neal Oury, Ted Phelps, Tim Butler and Rob Weisgerber on November 7th.
Neal Oury is a candidate for Loveland City Council and provided this Candidate Statement to Loveland Magazine.
Loveland Magazine invites all candidates for public office in the 45140 zip code or within the Loveland City School District boundary to send a similar Candidate Statement for publication. Send to lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com
Neal Oury aspires to serve our community
After being asked many times by several people, I have decided to run for Loveland’s City Council. It is time to give back to the community where I was raised and currently live. I remember Loveland before I-71 or I-275 existed. Loveland was rural, quaint, quiet and residents were involved in their community. Today, Loveland is still quaint, with many changes. The railroad track is now the Bike Trail, Rolke’s is now a multi use development, the Crist Theater is now the Loveland Stage Company. The current Loveland Early Childhood Center was Lloyd Mann School, where I attended starting in the 2nd grade.
My father worked at the railroad tower that was located behind today’s Cindy’s Tavern. I remember going to work with him, watching him pull large wooden levers in order to switch the tracks. We saved cardboard milk cartons for Harry Andrews to make the bricks to build the Loveland Castle. As a child; I played LYO baseball, enjoyed Eats & Treats candy store and shopped at Millitzer’s that was our “mall” located where Pizazz’s is today.
My wife Lynn of 34 years and I have lived in our Loveland home for thirty years where we raised our two children. We are parishioners at St. Columban Parish where I served on Parish Council and as Chairperson, Spiritual Director for the Christ Renews His Parish program, coached girls & boys basketball and volunteered with the HANDS program. I have maintained a Real Estate Brokers License since 1980 and started my business in 1984. I served as Secretary, Treasurer, President, Past President for the Greater Cincinnati chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management. I have served on the Board of Directors of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Apartment Association. I have managed portfolios in excess of 7000 units, as well as, for Fortune 500 Companies. I served on the Loveland Finance Committee, volunteered with the Loveland Farmers Market, The Loveland Amazing Race, the Loveland Stage Co. and Lowe’s Heros. I was awarded the Business Enhancement Award from the City of Loveland in 2005. My company rebuilt Loveland Stage Company after the devastating fire in. 2008.
Communication with people is important to me. Understanding your concerns and opinions on issues, programs and development will help move our community in the direction WE desire. Together we can make it happen through dialogue and resident engagement. Transparency will be visible as we openly discuss future development and other priorities. I envision neighborhood meetings to openly listen to what’s on your mind. I want to get to know resident and personally inviting neighborhood representatives to attend council meetings.
If elected, as a member of Loveland’s City Council, I will listen and respect the opinions of all council members. I will bring to this body a skill set of organization, rational decision making and a inclination to detail with honesty, common sense and integrity.
Once again the citizens of Loveland were denied, by three council members, the right to undertake the business of the city. This is the second meeting of 2017 where, from my perspective, the same three council members failed their oath to the citizens of Loveland. Loveland Charter outlines that two council meetings are required to occur, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
In researching the absences of councilmembers during the last four years, there has never been a time where three council members were missing for a monthly meeting.
There were only 3 times that 2 council members were out for a required charter council meeting
I also looked at what percentage of meetings councilmembers missed during their time on council (this specific calculation is the only way to determine what affect their absences has had on council) because a straight numbers calculation over different periods is not meaningful.
Two council members have missed almost 17% of the required charter meetings, only one is currently on council – Steve Zamagias
One council member has NEVER missed a required charter council meeting – Kathy Bailey
Another council member has only missed one meeting in the last four years, the one where that absence caused a lack of quorum- Vice Mayor Angie Settell
Rob Weisgerber has missed 10% of meetings, Ted Phelps has missed 7.78% while Pam Gross has only missed 5.56% of required charter council meeting during the previous four years.
Based on this review I can am left to believe that only Politics played into the absence of three council members for one required by charter council meeting. Loveland fails when the business of the city is disrupted by officials who sign a pledge to follow the Charter of our city and then fail to live up to that pledge.
Shanda Gentry is a twenty-year resident of Loveland
Only one conclusion can be reached – that their absence was intentional
by Rob Weisgerber
I recently attended the September 26th city council meeting with council members Ted Phelps and Kathy Bailey. This was a scheduled meeting and had been on the calendar, as per the charter. Unfortunately, the meeting never took place due to a lack of quorum when the other three members of council did not show up. (City council no-shows: “Alignment of planets” or “Act of political cowardice?”)
To cancel a meeting requires a vote of the council – there is no unilateral authority by any one member to cancel or reschedule a planned meeting.
Most importantly, I did not find a case where there was a lack of quorum to do the business of the City.
If and when an individual member of council cannot make a meeting, it has not been an issue. However, In my history on council I can’t remember a time when 3 members had last-minute plans come up which caused a lack of quorum, halting a regularly scheduled meeting.
Council members do sometimes have to miss meetings. Almost always council votes to excuse him or her. The fact that people miss meetings is not disputable or even in question in my opinion. As a matter of openness, I have missed roughly 18 meetings over 7 years (that is about 165 meetings). This is about an average of 2 to 3 meetings per year. With legitimate reason or cause, being excused is appropriate for any member of council.
I could not remember in my history on council when we have had 3 members of council miss the same meeting or, even worse, not having a quorum to conduct city business. Nor could I find any request to move a meeting because a couple of members could not make the meeting. This is the real issue. Looking back through the last 8 years of records, I could find about 4 or 5 meetings where 2 members missed the same meeting. No meetings in that time had 3 members missing a meeting. Most importantly, I did not find a case where there was a lack of quorum to do the business of the City.
Several times while on our family vacation, as happened this year in August, I flew home at my own expense to make the scheduled meeting.
The first I had received any information from Vice-Mayor Angie Settell was through the city solicitor, about 60 hours following our last regular meeting. The email stated that there may be a problem and she wanted a special meeting the following week. This discussion should have taken place at the council meeting just 2 and 1/2 days prior. My schedule is very busy and full and I could not accommodate her request. Council members Bailey, Ted Phelps, and I did propose other dates but I received no feedback regarding our offer. I did make it clear that priority has to be given to the scheduled meetings as we all know they are coming and can plan. If I make plans that I can control I schedule them for non-council weeks. Several times while on our family vacation, as happened this year in August, I flew home at my own expense to make the scheduled meeting. There are times outside of my control when I can’t make a meeting due to work commitments.
I did not receive Ms. Settell’s email claiming to be a press release. I also noticed a real issue with the date of the notice being September 19th as meeting alternatives were offered following that date.
In the last several months we have now had Pam Gross, Steven Zamagias, Settell, and former mayor Mark Fitzgerald vote to schedule a meeting where Bailey, Phelps, and I could not attend, a walk out meeting where Gross, Zamagias, Settell, and Fitzgerald created a lack of quorum to do the business of the city by abruptly ending it and walking out. Now we have the same members not showing up so no meeting can occur. Only one conclusion can be reached – that their absence was intentional – again.
While I have missed meetings before, not once did any absence of mine preclude the business of the city getting accomplished. I take my commitment to you and the city seriously.
Rob Weisgerber is a member of Loveland City Council
These three blind mice chose to offend we Loveland residents by disappearing for the week
by Walter D. Golladay
On 26 September, Loveland City Council was scheduled to meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month. Because a quorum of four council members did not happen, the meeting did not officially take place.
For unknown reasons, these three blind mice of Vice Mayor Angie Settell, and Council members Pam Gross and Stephen Zamagias were absent without just cause from their appointed duty station. That being, City Hall, Loveland, Ohio, 7 pm.
These three blind mice chose to conduct personal business elsewhere, not for the benefit of Loveland residents, but for another business, another individual, or themselves.
This Loveland resident has the firm belief that the 3 blind mice chose not to appear in order to prevent a council quorum being established with the City Council members present of Kathy Bailey, Robert Weisgerber and Ted Phelps. Kathy, Robert and Ted would have been the majority council members for the evening.
The three blind mice, need to be held accountable. In explicit detail, they must explain to the Loveland residents where they were that evening, and why they could not attend a long established council meeting date.
The three blind mice must explain to the Loveland residents where they were that evening.
They must also explain why none of them were available to attend alternates council meeting dates of Monday through Thursday, 25 – 28 September.
These three blind mice chose to offend we Loveland residents by disappearing for the week and preventing scheduled City of Loveland business from being conducted.
Should any or all of the three blind mice not be able to offer a valid reason for their absence, then we Loveland residents need to seriously consider not voting for them in the upcoming 2017 General Election.
These 3 blind mice must fully explain their absence at the 26 September Council meeting.
Immediately.
Walter D. Golladay is a resident of Loveland, Ohio
Solicitor responds to request by Tim Canada to subpoena former city manager Tom Carroll
Loveland, Ohio – On Tuesday, August 22, local business owner Tim Canada gave a speech at the Loveland Council meeting and said that former City Manager Tom Carroll spent $15,000 in 2013 when he hired a lobbyist group called the Colwell Group. Canada said that a total of $25,000 was paid to the Colwell Group throughout 2013, but he could not find any authorization from Council He suggested Council issue a subpoena to Carroll to investigate the $25,000 expenditure. He was essentially asking the question to Councilman Rob Weisgerber who was on Council at the time and is seeking re-election. Weisgerber said that he would respond to Canada at a later time.
Later in the meeting, Councilmember Pam Gross did respond to the allegations made by Canada. She also said that the contract with the Colwell Group was illegal, and was the same argument Council Members had for Rob Stansel’s contract. Stansel was the former economic director that had recently been let go because his contract exceeded the spending authority of current City Manager Dave Kennedy. Gross said she appreciated the fact that Mr. Weisgerber wanted to move forward, however she felt it was important to note that the Colwell Group contract was the same as Stansel’s contract and questioned why Stansel’s contract caused such an uproar, but Weisgerber wanted to gloss over the Colwell Group contract.
At the Tuesday, September 12 meeting, Weisgerber responded. He said that there was nothing illegal about the contracts with the Colwell Group, nor were there any City procedures or spending authority violated. He noted that in the 1990’s, Loveland had a city manager that did break up contracts to get around the spending limit and at that time, Council changed the rules to be very specific about the spending limit and how to break up contracts into separate issues/engagements, which are the rules today. He explained that the Colwell Group was used for three separate engagements, had separate contracts, and separate rates for specific issues. He reiterated that nothing illegal was done, no rules were violated, and the City Manager acted within his authority. He turned to Joe Braun the City Solicitor and asked him to confirm what he was saying.
Braun said that he reached out to Canada when he said the City had acted illegally and asked for a subpoena to be issued to the former city manager. He said that he also researched the Colwell Group contracts and asked the clerk of council to pull documents for him so he could check the facts. Braun stated that he came to the same conclusion that Weisgerber did, there was nothing illegal done, there were three separate contracts with the Colwell Group for three separate amounts, three different hourly rates, three different time periods, and three different objectives. He reiterated that there was nothing illegal done and no rules were violated.
In these three LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV videos you can watch Councilwoman Pam Gross and Tim Canada raising the issue of the Colwell Group contract and Weisgerber and Braun saying there was nothing illegal about how Carroll handled them.
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Loveland, Ohio – There was a scheduled Loveland City Council meeting for Tuesday, September 26 at City Hall. Three members of Council were in attendance… Kathy Bailey, Ted Phelps, and Rob Weisgerber. Vice-Mayor Angie Settell, Pam Gross, and Steve Zamagias did not attend. Without a quorum and a fourth member in attendance the meeting was never called to order, no business was discussed, and no legislation passed.
Near the -20:53 minute mark of this video Councilman Ted Phelps addressed the audience and gave his explanation of why there was no meeting.
by Shanda Gentry
Neal Oury aspires to serve our community
by Walter D. Golladay
