LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: loveland community heartbeat pac

  • Ryan Kulik announces he is working for Pam Gross campaign

    Ryan Kulik announces he is working for Pam Gross campaign

    Loveland, Ohio – Recent political climate critic, Ryan Kulik told Loveland Magazine this morning that he is now working on behalf of the re-election of Pam Gross to retain her seat on City Council. Kulik has been an outspoken critic of Councilman Rob Weisgerber, The Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC (LCHPAC) whom he recently called, “political motivated amateurs”, and the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance. He has called them all anti-growth and anti-development. Weisgerber is also seeking to be re-elected to Council.

    Ryan Kulik has announced he is working for the Pam Gross re-election committee.

    As recently as September 12 after one of his opinion pieces was published in Loveland Magazine Kulik said in an email to the newspaper, “I am currently not working with anyone associated with the city council. I have talked with a few people who are running, but I have yet to sign a contract to exclusively work for anyone. Due to confidentiality agreements I can not reveal who I have spoken with. I did want you to know all of this so it is clear where I am coming from. As long as I am free from any contracts in the city, I would like to continue to get my opinions out in this volatile political climate. I will keep you updated if any of this changes.”

    Then in an email to the newspaper on September 17 concerning a guest opinion that he submitted about first-time council candidate Tim Butler, that has not yet been published, he said, “It is up to you on publishing the Butler letter. When I wrote the letter I was still an independent player in the political scene. That may change this week. My credibility, if any, as an unbiased source will be in question by the end of the week.”

    Councilwoman Pam Gross

    Loveland Magazine responded to Kulik by asking if he would go ahead and disclose what he was referencing. His response came this morning saying, “I just sent out a press release that should clear up my current situation. Anything I wrote before today was from my own opinion as a resident. Anything after today that I send out concerning the 2017 election will, and should, be seen as a message from the Pam Gross for Loveland City Council campaign.” In the press release, Kulik is quoted as the “Campaign Manager” for the Pam Gross for Loveland City Council campaign.

    Halie Rebeccaschild is the Secretary and Spokesperson for The Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC

    Kulik, a self-described blowhard and political expert has submitted several opinion pieces to Loveland Magazine and is not without his fans and critics after among other things calling community members opposed to the re-election of Gross, “anti-business” and “partisan amateurs”. He said recently, “Their political tactics consist of being filled with rage and discord” and “This group of concerned citizens ignorantly attack hard working public servants.” Kulik called them a mob and “politically motivated flame throwing amateurs.” He warned that the Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC should be well versed in what libel and slander are.

    Halie Rebeccaschild is the Secretary and Spokesperson for LCHPAC. She told Loveland Magazine today that she and the group had suspected that Kulik had been working to re-elect Gross because some of the things he had written had mimicked some of Gross’ talking points at council meetings. She said that there is one thing she wants the public to know about LCHPAC, “We are a grassroots movement and not political professionals.”

    BACKGOUND:

    Ryan Kulik: Loveland Deserves a Better Class of Politics

    James McKenna responds to Ryan Kulik

    Ryan Kulik: Political motivated amateurs have taken over

    Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC responds to Mr. Kulik

    An Apology from Ryan Kulik

    Now Enrolling at All About Kids at Wards Corner today!

     
  • An Apology from Ryan Kulik

    An Apology from Ryan Kulik

    I feel like the time is now to make an apology.

    by Ryan Kulik,

    Recently I spoke to council and submitted my prepared statement to David Miller at Loveland Magazine. (Ryan Kulik: Political motivated amateurs have taken over) (Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC responds to Mr. Kulik) In the days that followed, it was brought to my attention that part of my spoken statement was not one hundred percent factual. I also reflected on my demeanor, and the words I chose in trying to get my larger point across to council, the audience, and anyone watching online. I accepted that I had misspoken on something in my remarks, and proceeded to apologize in the Facebook comment feed in Loveland Magazine. I had planned on making a public mea culpa when the opportunity presented itself. My conscience will not allow me to wait for that moment, I feel like the time is now to make an apology.

    Ryan Kulik

    I’m sorry.

    I am sorry for not having my facts correct when I was trying to ask council why our economic development was in limbo. When I spoke at public forum, I was incorrect when I said the former economic developer had brought a certain amount of money into our community. That was a misstatement. Intentional or not, when someone does not make their point clear, and correct, the larger narrative will always suffer.  I wanted to talk about something of great importance, positive economic growth, and my slip-up cost me the chance to move any meaningful conversation forward. I owe an apology to council for wasting their time, the community for having to double check my words, and to myself for not being professional.

    I am sorry for calling people amateurs. I can clearly see that I was the one playing amateur politics. My ego, coupled with my frustration are all excuses I give myself for trying to claim the mantle of professionalism. Those excuses do not portray the skill of a professional. I am just one Loveland resident who tried to make a personal point on growth and economic prosperity. By letting my ego work in concert with my frustration towards our council, I used baseless adjectives in describing the politically active in our community That means I sought the refuge of a political amateur.

    I owe an apology to council for wasting their time, the community for having to double check my words, and to myself for not being professional.

    I am sorry that my greater point was lost in the all the noise generated about my inarticulate comments to council. I do believe members of our council have been acting in a manner that has stalled the positive economic growth Loveland has been experiencing the last few years. I do think it is wrong for a local Chamber of Commerce to work in conjunction with a Political Action Committee who has openly advocated for the stalling of economic development projects. I do not believe we need an extra layer of bureaucracy added to the required rules for moving any new economic development forward. Extra bureaucracy has always been a hurdle many new businesses would prefer not to jump over. I believe Loveland is a desirable community, and new residential developments would expand the tax base. New residents can help ease the economic burden, and make it less likely that council will approach the residents of Loveland with a tax increase. I believe the city of Loveland needs a proper economic development consultant, whomever that person may be. I am sorry I was not able to engage our council, and our community on my vision for an economically prosperous Loveland.

    With words like amateur, illegal, and corruption being thrown around, Loveland politics has become a lot of noise and has lacked substantive debate. I added to the climate with my poor statement at public forum. I hope the people running for city council, the groups politically mobilized for the election, and the concerned residents like myself can come together and focus on the issues that make Loveland great. I know that is what I am going to do.

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  • Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC responds to Mr. Kulik

    Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC responds to Mr. Kulik

     

    Upon scrutiny, Ryan Kulik’s arguments fail due to his oversimplification and outright error.

    by Halie Rebeccaschild
     
    Mr. Kulik made the following claims at the September 12th City Council meeting, which warrant scrutiny. (Ryan Kulik: Political motivated amateurs have taken over)
     
    Halie Rebeccaschild is the Secretary of the Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC

    First, In his argument that certain sitting City Council members are “anti-business,” Kulik stated, “Legally required public hearings were voted down by this Council to stop positive business growth.” It appears that Mr. Kulik has over simplified the matter, as Council has stopped a public hearing from proceeding only in one case this year, that of the city hall project. The city never moved to a public hearing because residents expressed outrage at multiple City Council meetings in May and June of this year over the planned demolition of Loveland City Hall. In fact, On May 9th, City Council deadlocked on the nature of public engagement. After Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) President Jay Stewart recommended involving residents and holding a work session with Ken Geis, Vice Mayor Angie Settell immediately motioned for a public hearing (1). Such a move would have then fulfilled the legal requirement for a single hearing prior to transferring the city hall property to the autonomous CIC, ensuring demolition of our city hall building in July, as planned. 

    Mayor Mark Fitzgerald, Vice Mayor Angie Settell, and Pam Gross voted no on these public engagement forums.

    Residents had expressed great concern about the city hall project moving too quickly, which may be seen in both April and May City Council meeting minutes. Rob Weisgerber, Kathy Bailey, and Ted Phelps responded to residents by opposing the vote to immediately move to fulfill the single public hearing requirement. Then, Council Member Rob Weisgerber motioned for no less than three resident engagement sessions, which would have brought residents into the planning process on either a 2-story, 2.5 story, or 4-story building. Mayor Mark Fitzgerald, Vice Mayor Angie Settell, and Pam Gross voted no on these public engagement forums, while Council Members Rob Weisgerber, Kathy Bailey, and Ted Phelps voted yes. The deadlocked votes reflect a difference in how much emphasis was placed on resident engagement. 
     

    Not a single resident has come to address Council to demand that the city hall demolition move forward, so who does Mr. Kulik represent?

     
    Mr. Kulik spoke of the public hearing requirement completely out of context of the planned demolition of City Hall, and in such a way that suggested a law was somehow broken in slowing down the city hall project for residents to give necessary sanction. Indeed, if the public hearing had occurred as pushed by Mark Fitzgerald, Angie Settell, and Pam Gross, the transfer of our city hall to the CIC would have been final. Once in possession of the CIC, residents would have had no further input. This process would have prevented residents from thoroughly engaging in the planning for our new, city hall building in Old Loveland. Instead of anti-business, as Mr. Kulik suggests, Rob Weisgerber, Ted Phelps, and Kathy Bailey’s vote for multiple hearings reflect their duty as public servants to residents of Loveland. Residents have been relieved that the planned demolition and any repurposing of city hall will wait until after elections when residents will have their say with their votes. Not a single resident has come to address Council to demand that the city hall demolition move forward, so who does Mr. Kulik represent?
     
    Next, Mr. Ryan Kulik went on to claim that City Council acted wrongly by cancelling Mr. Stansel’s contract. Kulik said, “What is it Mr. Stansel did wrong? I can see where council should have had the discussion on his services, but we never had that discussion. Rob Stansel was hired by the City Manager, not council. Stop lying. This is what the city manager does. The council should have had a chance to vote on his contract when the spending limit was exceeded. We never had this discussion.”
     

    Yet again, Mr. Kulik is mistaken.

    Yet again, Mr. Kulik is mistaken. City Council did have a discussion about cancelling Rob Stansel’s contract just prior to their vote that terminated it on May 9th. Mr. Kulik asks, “What was illegal about the contract? Was it because the spending limit was exceeded? Okay, I understand that.” If Mr. Kulik understands that City Council voted after a discussion to cancel the contract because it violated the City Manager’s spending authority, then what’s his agenda? Why would he want Council to violate our city charter?
     
    Then, Mr. Kulik goes on to say, “[Stansel] secured over $600,000 for, I believe, the Chestnut property.” Not exactly. The “letter of intent” brought by Mr. Stansel to the city died upon expiration on May 5th, 2017, four days prior to City Council voting to terminate Stansel’s contract on May 9th (2,3). Perhaps Mr. Kulik should speak with City Manager Dave Kennedy about why the offer wasn’t pursued. Because at this point, it appears that Mr. Kulik is speaking beyond his knowledge and expertise.

    it appears that Mr. Kulik is speaking beyond his knowledge and expertise.

    Last, Kulik goes on to say, “[Rob Stansel] was working on the Christman property that we’ve heard a lot about.” Yet, again, Mr. Kulik references a development project that brought Loveland residents out in droves against it. Residents from the Brandywine and Butterworth Glen neighborhoods overflowed Loveland City Hall at the public hearing on June 13th when City Council was expected to vote on an ordinance to transfer city land to the Community Improvement Corporation that would have then been sold to Drees Co. and ultimately culminated in a Drees Homes development of 10 acres nearby. Apparently, the residents of those neighborhoods believed the city years ago when it claimed to have bought the Christman property to be a park, and they weren’t too excited about the pending development deal. That’s why the city did not transfer the land to the Community Improvement Corporation, and the private deal between the developer and the commercial real estate firm dissolved.
     
    Upon scrutiny, Ryan Kulik’s arguments fail due to his oversimplification and outright error. In any regard, I appreciate him bringing up three very important topics to Loveland residents, and hope everyone registers to vote by October 10th and comes out to vote this November 7th. 
     
    Halie Rebeccaschild is the Secretary of the Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC.
     
    Citations:
     
    (1) Loveland City Council Meeting, May 9, 2017. Available at http://www.lovelandoh.com/public-meetings
    (2) Loveland City Council Meeting, June 13, 2017. Available at http://www.lovelandoh.com/public-meetings

    (3) SqFt Commercial Letter to Mark Fitzgerald and Rob Stansel titled “Chestnut Land Document,” 4/27/2017.

    Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family.

     
  • Ryan Kulik: Loveland Deserves a Better Class of Politics

    Ryan Kulik: Loveland Deserves a Better Class of Politics

    by Ryan Kulik

    Labor Day is the unofficial start of the political campaign season. Our landscape is soon to be dotted with yard signs, our mailboxes will become filled with campaign literature, and our civic minded neighbors will be knocking on the door to urge us to vote for the candidate of their choice. For the majority of Americans, the 2017 political campaign season will be quiet. In Loveland, it will be quite the opposite.

    I would be lying if I did not say that I was happy to see their plot fail.

    Ryan Kulik

    When my family moved to Loveland in September of 2013 the city council race was essentially a matchup of outsiders Linda Cox and Pam Gross vs Councilmembers Rob Weisgerber, Brent Zuch . The rumor on the streets of Loveland was that Councilmen Weisgerber and Zuch purposefully recruited several of their political allies to run in the 2013 council race. The hope for this coalition was that their slate of candidates would occupy the top four positions on election day, and then Linda Cox and Pam Gross would not be able to get enough votes to win a seat. The plan failed. Ms. Cox and Ms. Gross were the top two vote getters while the scheme seemingly cooked up by Councilmen Weisgerber and Zuch cost the latter his seat. I had never seen such a blatant political stunt like the one allegedly from Weisgerber and Zuch in a local election. I would be lying if I did not say that I was happy to see their plot fail. I learned in my first few days in Loveland that the local political scene was filled with partisan amateurs who were always good for some campaign season entertainment.

    By the time the kids were going back to school, this local group had forced the resignation of Mayor Mark Fitzgerald

    The scheming of the 2017 campaign season did not wait for Labor Day in Loveland. A group of residents seemingly came out of nowhere to claim the “heartbeat” of our community. They started to pack city hall in the early part of the year, and they were demanding transparent from their city leaders. The local media started to take notice of this community driven movement, and their numbers began to grow. By the time the kids were going back to school, this local group had forced the resignation of Mayor Mark Fitzgerald and promised to make the last few months of the 2017 campaign season one that would be memorable.

    Through all the noise, and confusion, caused by this local group, the truth has yet to make an appearance. This “concerned” citizens coalition has shown itself to be nothing but a partisan group dedicated to the campaigns of long time councilman Rob Weisgerber and his hand selected council wannabes. The failed tactics of the 2013 election seem to be rearing their ugly head once again. This time instead of just putting a large slate of candidates up to unseat rivals, Councilman Weisgerber has used a small minority of “concerned” residents to attack his rivals. It is sad as much as it is comical to see this amateur display of politics play out in our backyard.

    Their political tactics consist of being filled with rage and discord.

    The tactics being used by this “concerned” group of citizens reveals everything one needs to know about their electoral plan. No new, positive, ideas are being proposed by this coalition. Their political tactics consist of being filled with rage and discord. This group, who supports Councilman Weisgerber and his hand selected candidates, have stopped the business of the city while they try to score political victories. Their anti-growth agenda has stalled the positive progress Loveland has experienced the last four years. While Councilman Weisgerber and his allies at city hall votes against public hearings for initiatives that will bring visitors and their money to Loveland, this group of citizens loudly protect him by attacking their perceived enemies. While Councilman Weisgerber and his allies at city hall vote against public listening sessions that aim to mend the political discord in our community, this group of citizens disseminate misinformation to get the public unnecessarily enraged. While Councilman Weisgerber and his allies at city hall continue to push an anti-business agenda in Loveland, this group of concerned citizens ignorantly attack hard working public servants. The pure comedy of Councilman Weisgerber’s, and this group of “concerned” citizens, political strategy has produced real consequences of loss of growth and potential loss of future income. Cheap political tactics are robbing Loveland of a rich and profitable future. It is sad and maddening for the good people in our neighborhood.

    The political stunts being perpetrated by Councilman Weisgerber’s mob of “concerned” citizens is embarrassing to the good people of Loveland.

    Councilman Rob Weisgerber has been on Loveland City Council for over twenty years. That is an extremely long time for any one person to have power over the economic health of our community. Two decades produces a long, and questionable, record. He may try and use different political tactics to stay in power, but Loveland deserves leaders who think of our economic wellbeing and not their own hold on power. The political stunts being perpetrated by Councilman Weisgerber’s mob of “concerned” citizens is embarrassing to the good people of Loveland. We deserve a better class of politics in Loveland. We deserve leaders who do not use divisive political strategies for their own personal gain. Thank you for your service Councilman Rob Weisgerber. It is time for you to exit the stage.

    Ryan Kulik shares his home in Loveland with his wife, son, and dog.

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  • [BREAKING] Board of Elections gives Loveland Mayor 5 days to resign or face recall

    [BREAKING] Board of Elections gives Loveland Mayor 5 days to resign or face recall

    Loveland, Ohio – In a statement to the Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC today, Sherry Poland, the Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections said, “On August 4, 2017, the Hamilton County Board of Elections received a petition for the recall election of Mark J. Fitzgerald, and an election of a successor. We have completed the review of the petitions and determined the petitions to be sufficient.”

    Fitzgerald is the Mayor of Loveland and has two years remaining of his elected term of four years as a council member.

    Poland said that if Fitzgerald does not resign within five days, an election will be held at the next general election on November 7. She also informed the community group that attorney Doug Holthus, on behalf of Mark J. Fitzgerald, has requested a protest hearing on the validity of the petitions and that the board has scheduled a Special Meeting on Friday, August 11th at 8:30 AM to hold a hearing.

    Resident Neal Oury has collected signatures to run in the recall election against Fitzgerald, however, has not filed those petitions with the Board of Elections. He did, however, file a petition last week to seek one of the four-year-term open seats on council this fall. He told Loveland Magazine that if the recall petitions are certified, he will withdraw that petition and then file the signatures supporting his candidacy for the direct head-to-head vote against the Mayor.

    BACKGROUND:

    [VIDEO] Interview with Halie Rebeccaschild after turning in Fitzgerald recall petitions for 2nd time

     
  • Loveland Magazine will broadcast this event “Live” on Facebook today

    Loveland Magazine will broadcast this event “Live” on Facebook today

    Loveland Magazine will broadcast this event “Live” on Facebook today at 2 PM from the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
     
    “One week after petitions for the recall of Loveland Mayor Mark Fitzgerald were rejected due to issues with the wording on the petition, Loveland Community Heartbeat PAC (LCHPAC) will be back at the Hamilton County Board of Elections to once again submit recall petitions. This round of petitions includes approximately 1,800 signatures of Loveland residents collected in just one week.”