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Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > June
June 2008
‘Life in Butler County’
If you’ve ever wondered what kind of correspondence Butler County leaders get, here’s a sample below (a copy was sent to several reporters here). I warn you, it’s not a glowing review of Butler County.
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:56:54 -0700 (PDT) To: williamst@butlercountyohio.org, furmonc@butlercountyohio.org, dixond@butlercountyohio.org, JolivetteG@butlercountyohio.org Cc: jrinaldi@coxohio.com, eschwartzberg@coxohio.com Subject: Life in Butler County
Gentlemen,
I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about the best day of my recent life. That being the day I moved out of Butler county. I moved to Butler county, specifically Woodbridge on the Lake Complex off Cincinnati Dayton Road, about two years ago. I work for a neighboring county court system as a network administrator and at first didn’t mind the commute due to how close things were to where I lived. But as time went on the neighborhood continually degraded to the point of embarrassment to say that I lived there.
Over the last two years I had communicated with the West Chester police leadership about the problems in the neighborhood. Specifically neighbors
loud car stereos as they hang out in the parking lot on the weekends drinking, drug usage, public intoxication, and general annoyances that are addressed more quickly in other parts of SW ohio. When I first moved into the complex an officer usually walked the halls once and a while on weekend evenings and that kind of stuff didn’t go on. But as time went on the officer didn’t do that and things started degrading.
The latest incident occurred last week when a hispanic male, well known apparently by the apartment management, was walking down the sidewalk with a beer in one hand and “himself” in another as he proceeded to urinate as he was stumbling down the sidewalk. No sense in calling the police since he’d be done before they got there and general annoyance calls are low priority, which is understandable due to other things that may have been going on. And I mean who cares if there are children around right…it’s not important to help provide a safe environment for them is it?
I’m not sure if there is a noise ordinance in Butler county that pertains to loud stereos but there should be or at least it should be enforced. I made several calls over the 2 year period for neighbors who would sit out in the parking lot and crank up some thumping loud music. The result was always the same. The police would drive in, the person would turn the stereo down for a little bit, then the police would leave and then the stereo came back up again. It wasn’t a one time thing it was an every weekend or nice evening thing. Again I understand that higher priority things come up. But after continual calls it would appear that perhaps it may need addressed more quickly or at least the people who habitually do it. Maybe an undercover car thru the place once and a while might help identify the ones who drag down the neighborhood?
I had been looking for a house in Butler county for about a year. After a lot of thought and the experiences of the last few months, I found a nice house in Hamilton county. It’s nice when people can sit on their porch in the evenings and not hear anything but the sound of an occasional dog bark!
Now I know that this message will probably just be ignored, but I also know that the new property management of Woodbridge would like to clean things up a bit and by possibly getting some help from the leadership of the county it could make it a reputable and desirable place to live again.
I hope that this doesn’t just get deleted, Butler county has a lot to offer. But as the edges of the county/community continue to deteriorate a new migration may occur and that being one of people moving out of the county.
Thank you for your time and consideration, Doug McGrew
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TweetButler County wins awards
Just received this press release from Butler County:
BUTLER COUNTY WINS NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Butler County recently won eight national awards for exceptional achievement in county government from the National Association of Counties (NACo). NACo recognized one Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) program, four Job and Family Services’ (JFS) programs and three Department of Environmental Services’ (BCDES) programs. The winning program for the CSEA is:
• Felony Non-Support Court: Child support offenders are sometimes dealing with problems such as drug and alcohol addictions, lack of education or psychological issues that make it hard for them to meet their financial obligations. To deal with these problems, the agency created the “Felony Non-Support Court” in 2007. The court convenes once per week where representatives from the CSEA, Prosecutor’s Office, Adult Probation, Community Behavioral Health and the Court of Common Pleas meet to decide the best treatment program for parents found guilty of criminal non-support. The court can order mental health counseling, alcohol or drug dependency programs, continuing education programs, guidance on finding employment and provide transportation services. Since the program’s inception in 2007, 67 parents have entered into the program and the CSEA has collected more than $83,000 in support.
The winning programs for JFS are:
• Contracted Center Staff Training: To improve and/or maintain the quality of care standards for contracted child-care center staff, JFS created a quarterly “no cost” training program. The department’s program gives caretakers the knowledge they need about a variety of topics such as child growth and development, disability awareness, redirecting behavior and how to communicate with parents. Since the program began in 2005, the participation rate has increased by 33%.
• Heart-to-Heart Connection: To help Ohio Works First (OWF) recipients become successful in the workplace, JFS created the “Heart-to-Heart Connection” Program. OWF clients, who must work a minimum of 20 hours per week to maintain their eligibility, now have the opportunity to work alongside JFS employees. The employee acts as both supervisor and caseworker for the client, helping them learn skills critical for successful employment. These skills include proper dress, appropriate workplace behavior, job searching, interviewing, etc. Since the program began, 75% of participants have either obtained a job or left the program to further their education or training.
• LifeSpan “Taking Care” Program: To assist individuals that are living in their homes and needing personal care, LifeSpan offers a specialized training program for family caregivers. LifeSpan assists them in providing quality care, developing “employability” skills for the open job market and meeting their work requirements for JFS. The “Taking Care” Program provides a case manager to work with “temporary aid to needy families” recipients who care for a family member. The program’s goal is to train people so they can establish their home as a valid and safe workplace. As a result of the program, all training participants have been able to demonstrate safe care giving techniques.
• Transformation Station: The Transformation Station Program serves women and their children who live in a homeless or unstable environment. The goal of this program is to provide temporary housing for those who have a difficult living environment that prohibits them from self-sufficiency. Last year, 10 adults and 10 children entered into the program.
The winning programs for BCDES are:
• Residential Recycling Programs: BCDES has made significant improvements to its residential recycling programs over the past two years, making it easier and more convenient for residents to recycle. BCDES began offering long-term collection service for Freon appliances and electronics recycling and replaced its mobile recycling trailer with permanent 24-hour drop boxes located in 10 townships. As a result, citizen participation has increased, program costs have decreased and the county has diverted additional waste from area landfills.
• Increased Collaboration & Public Involvement in Facility Planning: In 2006, BCDES replaced an aging pump station with a new facility to meet the growing needs of the community. Before the project began, BCDES solicited stakeholders’ opinions regarding the design and construction. Without affect the operation or safety of the facility, BCDES constructed the Liberty Fairfield Pump Station to resemble a decorative stable and surrounded it with ornamental fencing. Feedback from stakeholders suggests the community is very pleased with how well the building blends in with the community.
• New Miami Sewer Project: Decaying infrastructure, increasingly stringent regulations and threats to public health and the environment made it crucial for New Miami to construct a new wastewater treatment plant. When cost projections came in higher than expected, BCDES offered to help by requesting funding and donating engineering and project management expertise. The county also administered the grants, built the plant and now owns and operates New Miami’s sewer system. Eligible families also received financial assistance to connect to the sewer system. By pooling resources, the project significantly improved the quality of wastewater service for New Miami residents. The $14.5 million project brings state-of-the-art public sewer service to an area previously served by septic tanks and a leaky, outdated treatment system.
The NACo Achievement Award Program recognizes counties for creative and innovative program development and implementation, efficient administrative management of county agencies and responsible government to local citizens. Since the program’s inception, NACo has honored hundreds of county government initiatives across the nation that have generated professional, well-trained workforces, maintained cost effective measures and enhanced services to diverse populations to improve the overall quality of life.
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TweetRegional transportation summit proposed
Hamilton County’s call for a regional transportation summit follows maneuvering by the city of Cincinnati to wrest control of the Cincinnati Metro from the county. Read about that here.
The city approved its plan last week. Read GCTA.pdf below for a full description of the proposed plan.
What are your thoughts? Is it time for mass transit in Butler County, or are our local leaders just spinning their wheels? ,
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HAMILTON — As gasoline prices tip $4 a gallon and the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County quibble over control of the county’s bus system, area leaders say it’s time to get together and think regionally.
The proposal, first made by Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, is for all the players in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties to meet at a “summit” and discuss regional transportation.
“As a region, it’s something it sounds like we need to talk about,” said Christine Matacic, Liberty Twp. trustee and member of the Butler County Regional Transit Authority board.
Matacic, who’s also president of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana transportation board, believes the meeting should take place under the auspices of OKI. This, she said, would minimize the power play by giving all parties equal say.
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TweetRoad woes
The act of getting people from one place to another has been a source of ire at both the eastern and western extremes of Butler County lately.
To the east, a planned project to widen Butler Warren Road drew much fire from residents there at a public meeting last night. Event planners said the event drew more of a crowd than anticipated. And they were upset. Read that story here.
To the west, Oxford Twp. and the city of Oxford — playfully referred to as the Hatfields and McCoys of Butler County — can’t agree on a transportation plan. At issue: a proposed connector between U.S. 27 and Ohio 73 that the city wants and the township doesn’t. Read that story here.
Are you impacted by either of these projects? What are your thoughts?
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TweetMcCain crowd pleasers
Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain spoke at a town hall meeting at Xavier University today. Read the story here.
The crowd consisted mostly of undecided voters invited after they were picked by random polling, according to campaign reps. Others were university faculty and staff, and McCain supporters.
I kept note of the moments that drew applause from this mixed crowd. They were:
McCain’s arrival, set against the Air Force theme song “Wild Blue Yonder.”
McCain recounting his time spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, followed by, “I will put my country first now and always. You can count on it.”
McCain mentioning that France has a pro-American president, followed by, “If you live long enough, anything can happen.”
The conclusion of McCain’s opening speech, invoking Reagan’s famous “shining city on a hill speech” and the story of Matthew Stanley, 22, who died in Iraq.
McCain’s answer to the first question, is outlined in the above story.
McCain: “I’ve never asked for nor received a pork barrel earmark project for my state and my state is doing pretty well.”
McCain: “The United States of America will never torture a prisoner in our custody.”
McCain refusing to answer a question from a blogger with wearechangeohio.com who attended the town hall meeting as a member of the media then began yelling out questions without being called on.
McCain disagreeing with a questioner who said Iraqi citizens had a better life before the U.S. invasion. “If you ask the Kurds…I think you would find they didn’t have a very good life under Saddam.”
McCain: “I don’t take well to threats.” In response to questions from the aforementioned blogger on why he didn’t meet with Blair Gadsby, who staged a hunger strike outside McCain’s office.
Former Hillary Clinton supporter Rosemary Meinders to McCain: “Thank you for your lifelong service to this country.”
Meinders to McCain: “What’s your position on the Equal Rights Amendment, and what’s the reason you can’t include me and many other women in the constitution of hte United States.”
McCain challenging Barack Obama to join him in town hall meetings, saying “I think they (voters) would like to see us appearing together and responding to the question and comments people have.”
The conclusion of the town hall meeting.
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TweetCrank claims organizational efficiencies
This press release came in from the Butler County Recorder’s office:
Butler County Recorder Danny Crank Gives Commissioners $100,000 Back for General Fund
HAMILTON, OHIO - Through efficient use of office resources, Butler County Recorder Danny Crank was able to present the Butler County Board of Commissioners a present of $100,000 today (Monday).
Crank provided the commissioners an update on his office and the areas where he has been able to save money and find efficiencies. Through these savings, Crank offered to return $100,000 from his office’s computerization fund back to the county’s General Fund.
Crank also updated commissioners on a shared project between the Recorder’s Office and Engineer’s Office. Two Recorder’s Office employees are currently working out of the Engineer’s Office at least three days per week scanning in blue prints, maps and road projects. Soon, the Engineer’s Office will allow the Recorder’s Office access to a special scanner for the preservation of old real estate records.
The Recorder’s Office had the need of a scanner and the Engineer’s Office had the need of personnel to do scanning. By sharing resources, both offices have been able to save taxpayers money.
“I talked with Greg Wilkens a few weeks ago and he is very satisfied the way the project is moving and is very thankful for our assistance,” Crank told commissioners on Monday.
“This is a great example of county officials working together to save taxpayers money,” Commissioner Jolivette said of the project. “Danny and Greg both need to be congratulated.”
The Recorder is also putting staff to work on redacting personal information such as Social Security numbers and bank account numbers from office records. By doing this in-house, instead of contracting with a software vendor to mask the personal information, Crank is saving $185,000.
As president of the Ohio Recorders’ Association, Crank worked very closely with Sen. Niehaus on an identify theft bill that allowed password protection for users of the Recorder’s Office Web site. However, Crank said passage of the latest public records law brought new concerns.
“I am not comfortable with the password system since I must now give a password to anyone that requests one, even if they are outside this country,” Crank said. “Many title companies now have title plants in Third World countries and I am not comfortable giving out personal information to people I do not know.”
More money is being saved from the 2006 decision to go out to bid for a new software vendor for the office.
“We did decide on a new vendor after a 17-year relationship with our previous vendor. As a result of our office going out for bid, my best projection is that over five years we will save approximately $600,000,” Crank told commissioners.
And the office is getting more for less.
“We feel we have the premier software package in the state,” Crank said. “We were the first Recorder’s Office in Ohio to do electronic recording and three weeks ago our software vendor had clients from Michigan come into our office to show our system.”
“We appreciate the teamwork the Recorder’s Office engages in with all county offices. Danny always does a professional job,” commented Commissioner Chuck Furmon.
Commissioner Don Dixon stated, “Dan Crank is a prime example of looking out for the general fund and looking out for taxpayers.”
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TweetCounty waffles on layoffs
Butler County commissioners appear to be reconsidering a planned layoff of 22.5 Environmental Services employees that was supposed to go into effect June 16. Read the story here.
Read more about the proposed layoffs, and corresponding cuts to residential water bills, here.
What do you think?
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TweetCounty going green to save green
County commissioners on Thursday, June 19, announced they were looking at creating a policy in an attempt to cut costs on fuel.
Although they expected to pay between $800,000 and $1 million on gas in 2008, they didn’t expect to pay $4.10 per gallon. And, as a result, they could blow the fuel budget by nearly 15 percent this year.
HAMILTON — In the coming weeks, Butler County commissioners hope to have a new policy in place to help save the environment and save them money.
At least three times so far this year — including the most recent action Thursday, June 19 — commissioners agreed to advance the fuel depot money to cover the rising cost of gas. This time, it was in the amount of $50,000.
During budget season, which usually takes place each fall, commissioners expected to pay between $800,000 and $1 million in 2008 for fuel. But they will likely surpass even the highest amount by nearly 15 percent, said Interim Administrator Tim Williams.
Among the ideas for the policy are requiring departments to car pool more, turn off vehicles — like police cruisers — that would normally idle, re-evaluating which county employees should be entitled to cars and how often they should be driven, according to Commissioner Gregory Jolivette, who proposed the idea this week.
“We need to start getting everybody to think about conservation,” Jolivette said. Gas prices, he said, “are going to eat into our budget and our reserves. Hopefully, we can absorb that (added cost) through growth, but I don’t think we can depend on that.”
Although the policy is more “precautionary,” Jolivette said, it could mean fewer employees would be allowed to drive county vehicles or use county gas. It could also mean eventually keeping more county cars — like those driven by department heads — in the garage.
“This is something we weren’t expecting, so we need to do more,” Jolivette said.
County commissioners are also asking that department heads submit their own ideas for the conservation of fuel and other resources.
Some measures are already being taken.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office has eliminated 20 vehicles that were taken home by employees each night, and they’ve instituted a policy that forces deputies to turn off their vehicles — if it’s safe to do so — instead of allowing them to idle.
Still, like it is for all drivers, the price of gas is a continuing frustration.
“Every time we cut the cost of our fuel, (it) goes up,” said Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2112 or dgreber@coxohio.com.
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TweetChildren services trying to keep kids with kin
Today, June 20, we featured a pair of stories about policies in the works in Butler County Children Services in an attempt to change the agency’s culture.
Executive Director Michael Fox said he wants to improve the foster experience locally by keeping children in their care with family members instead of resorting to out-of-home placement.
Click the link below to read both stories.
Thoughts?
Here’s the first story.
In March, a Butler County foster child was removed from the Mount Healthy home of Charles V. Day after it was alleged the day care and foster care provider showed pornographic images to an 8-year-old girl.
Day, 38, who operates a day care out of a church on Compton Road, was charged Wednesday, June 18, with disseminating harmful material to a juvenile.
Although interviews conducted by Butler County Children Services found the incident to be an isolated one, the latest allegations point to a larger issue, according to local officials: That taking children away from their families should be a last resort.
According to data released this month, county children services case workers have removed 234 children from their biological parents so far this year. Of those, 161 — or about 69 percent — were placed outside their homes or families.
Slightly greater than one-third of those 234 children were placed with a relative. “I think we can do better than that,” said Michael Fox, the child welfare agency’s executive director.
The results of an ongoing study will make sure they will, Fox said.
Fox is slowly turning a ship that has had its anchor mired in redundancies, a sea of useless data, and enough cracks in its checks and balances to nearly sink the entire agency.
Operating under the shadow of the brutal August 2006 death of 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel, Fox — who was appointed to the position in August 2007 — said he is on the cusp of changing the way children services does business.
“But first we had to have the information,” said Fox, referring to the three-month study. “The question is, are we doing all that we can do to minimize the risk (to children)? And the answer (according to the data) is ‘no.’
“When I arrived, that question wasn’t even being asked,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2112 or dgreber@coxohio.com.
Here’s the second story.
HAMILTON — For the first time, Butler County Children Services is using its own information to create new policies and practices, agency officials said this week.
Data collected during an internal audit of placement decisions, case worker tendencies and how money and resources were spent from December 2007 through February 2008 will be used to change the culture of an organization that has influence on the lives of more than 2,500 local children at any given time, officials said.
The overall goal, according to Michael Fox, the agency’s executive director, is protecting clients’ well-being.
“Nothing has changed in this agency about what the first priority is, and that’s protecting children,” Fox said. “This is about making informed decisions about what keeps the child safe and getting the best outcome at the lowest possible price.”
Price is important, especially considering the financial forecast for children services shows a nearly $6 million deficit in 2009. And county commissioners nixed the idea of placing a levy on the November ballot because of the sluggish economy.
As a result, Fox immediately shifted more than $1 million — mostly through staff cuts — from administrative costs to resources for what they call the “front line.”
Although it’s been viewed as controversial, the new program allows children services to help struggling families with bills and other expenses to prevent intervention. And more importantly, Fox said, to prevent out-of-home placement situations.
But the change hasn’t been easy, Fox said. During the past few weeks — and as recently as Tuesday, June 17 — local foster parents, case workers and their supervisors have voiced concerns.
“It’s always been our philosophy,” said Linda Peters, children services quality improvement and information manager, about placing children with family members. But Fox has been given “the resources to do it,” she said.
Greater than two-thirds of the 234 children the agency has placed so far this year have been sent away from their families.
National studies, however — the only benchmark available at this time — suggest children have a better experience when placed with a family member.
Local studies — which are still incomplete — suggest out-of-home placements are less likely to graduate high school and find jobs, and more likely to be homeless and involved with the judicial system.
“It’s not that these kids are more likely to be molested or abused in foster homes,” Fox said. “It’s the outcome. It’s the overall experience.”
The new data also provides supervisors with yet another tool to address tendencies with case workers, analyze best practices and increase accountability regarding decisions about the lives of children, he said.
“We’re not just taking a sample (each month),” Fox said. “We’re monitoring every decision in every case.”
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TweetFoster parents demand loyalty from their leader
A group of Butler County foster parents had a bone to pick with Michael Fox, the executive director of the county’s children services agency.
On Monday night, June 16 — through tears, anger and eventually applause — they got their chance.
About 25 current and former foster parents showed up to the monthly meeting of the Foster Adoption Support Team to discuss recent statements Fox made that appeared in the JournalNews and on its Web site.
About two weeks ago, the JournalNews featured two stories that related to the business of Butler County Children Services. One included details about an agency investigation into a case of alleged abuse (Read that story here), the other about a new program geared toward family preservation (Read that story here).
Days after the articles were published, Fox sent an e-mail to the Journal News highlighting his desire to keep local children in their biological homes and out of foster care. He cited national statistics, among them that more than 30 percent of foster children reported some form of maltreatment while in foster care. (Read Fox’s e-mail and readers’ responses here.)
“You’re the one making these statements, but we’re the ones out there with this burden,” said Mike Hester, vice president of FAST.
Those in attendance Tuesday said those numbers are not representative of Butler County.
Indeed, they’re not.
Of the 120 total licensed foster homes in Butler County — 60 of which are currently taking children — the agency has only investigated 15 complaints against local foster families. And only one of those has been substantiated, and one is pending, Fox said.
The additional 20 complaints were filed against network homes, or those not directly licensed through the county, Fox said.
“We feel like we’re getting run through the ringer by you,” said foster parent Rob Surber.
Fox defended his actions Tuesday, apologizing to foster parents for what amounted to a room full of hurt feelings about negative portrayals of foster parents at the hands of the leader of children services.
“As long as I’m the executive director, we are going to be accessible and we are going to do some things that you all may not like,” Fox said. “But we are not going to sacrifice the needs of our children.”
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TweetDixon: More layoffs coming
County Commissioners said they will be tightening their belts in the coming months as the study into employee salaries — and as a result a pay and hiring freeze — continues.
Commissioners initiated the salary and hiring freeze last month, calling for Personnel Director Douglas Duckett to analyze how Butler County measures up with other counties when it comes to how it compensates its employees. (Read that story here.)
What they’ve found so far isn’t what they had hoped for.
“These salaries are out of line, and we had to take a time out” said Commissioner Donald Dixon, referring to the pay freeze. “And it’s not one (salary), it’s more than 10.” But the process is taking longer than expected, adding to commissioners’ frustration.
“I don’t think we’re any closer now than when we started this thing,” Dixon said. “I feel like we’ve got the same people looking at the same problems giving us the same answers.”
Duckett said other counties are responding slowly to public records requests, but he hopes to have the information gathering portion of the study complete in the next two to three weeks.
Then it will be up to county commissioners to digest the study and make their recommendations.
So the initial June deadline could become August. And in the interim, the pay and hiring freeze will continue, meaning non-bargaining unit employees will receive raises retroactively if they are entitled, Dixon said.
Meanwhile, union members have been receiving their raises according to contract. “By far and large, our county employees work hard and earn every penny they make,” Dixon said. “But our system has been abused. It takes advantage of our taxpayers and it has to stop.”
Shortly after the vote to freeze employee salaries, county commissioners approved cutting 22.5 positions in the Environmental Services Department. There could be more, Dixon said.
“We’re looking at all of our departments, but Environmental Services is not over. There will be more layoffs, but we hope to make them through attrition. If we can’t, there will be more layoffs,” he said.
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TweetChiefs chide commissioner
It was a heated back-and-forth in the commissioners chambers today, June 12.
Nearly a dozen police and fire chiefs and other law enforcement personnel showed up to protest Commissioner Gregory Jolivette’s idea to study combining the county’s nine dispatch centers. (Read that story here.)
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones fired the first shot, asking the other two commissioners to deny Jolivette’s expected motion.
“I’m asking you to please stop this nonsense,” Jones said to commissioners Donald Dixon and Charles Furmon. “We’ve spent enough money on it already.”
Jones and other emergency personnel warned the commission that requesting a study at this point in the process would delay the much needed 800 MHz system.
Jolivette disagreed, saying the project should still move forward.
Needless to say, after nearly 30 minutes of discussion and realizing he didn’t have another supporter on the commission, Jolivette decided against making the motion for a study.
“I don’t think I’m going to make a motion,” he said. “I can count.”
Jolivette said the county made a mistake years ago when they promised to pay for equipment and maintenance on the new 800 MHz system.
Voters approved a 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for the now $36 million communication system. (Read that story here.)
“We should have had some tough love with the municipalities that have dispatch centers,” Jolivette said, adding that the cost to maintain the new system is expected to be between $1 and $1.5 million. “We need to get the ball rolling to say how are we going to pay for the maintenance down the road.”
Law enforcement officials said maintenance was part of the original agreement.
“We all supported that because a quarter percent was going to maintenance,” said Hamilton Fire Chief Joe Schutte. “That should not be an issue right now. If you’re trying to back out of that agreement, they’re not going to like that.”
Jolivette said he planned on honoring the county’s original agreement, saying again they made a mistake.
“I don’t know what we’re afraid of, looking at other counties (who have merged dispatch services,” Jolivette said. “If it (a study) comes back and says it’s a bad idea, I’m going to be the first one that says let’s scrap the idea.”
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TweetButler County GOP leader to step down
Scott Owens, the executive director of the Butler County GOP, said this morning he was touched by the outpouring of support he received at last night’s meeting when he announced his resignation.
Owens said he will officially step down from the position July 1 to provide him with more travel time needed for a recent promotion he received on his full-time job at the government relations firm, LNE Group.
He said last night’s show of appreciation from GOP Central Committee members — a standing ovation — was emblematic of the work that’s been done within the party during the past five years.
“It’s been an absolute joy to serve and work with the Republicans in this county,” Owens said. “But it’s like a full-time job.”
And he already has one … now he has a better one.
Owens said the decision to step down was a difficult one, especially given the expected role Butler County will play in the upcoming presidential election.
He will still remain a Central Committee member, though, and continue to assist the party in getting presidential hopeful John McCain elected to the White House.
In fact, Owens was such a value to the party, it’s likely he won’t be replaced any time soon.
Chairman Tom Ellis said the executive director position will “absolutely not” be filled by July 1.
“Scott will be a difficult person to replace because he really defined the position,” Ellis said. “The key will be finding the right person. It’s not going to be a rush to find a candidate.”
Ellis said the GOP may have to rework the position of executive director, which typically handles administrative duties and provides assistance on campaigns at the local, state and national level.
Either way, Owens said he’ll be ready to go to work for the party this summer.
“There’s no doubt that we have to get out this fall and work harder than we ever have before,” he said.
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TweetCan southwest Ohio cooperate on a regional transit system?
Local government leaders are saying gas prices are causing residents to push more and more for local mass transit systems, though Butler County voters have shot down funding for bus systems in the past.
Efforts are emerging from Cincinnati and Hamilton County to bring Butler County into a regional transit authority with a combined budget and combined board. Local transit leaders are optimistic but unsure how to best go about it. Read a story about that here.
Below, you’ll find letters to various parties involved from Butler County Commission President Todd Portune. The “SORTA Overview” letter is a philosophical overview of the problem, the “Sorta Reorganization” letter outlines Hamilton County’s (and largely, Butler County’s) concerns with Cincinnati’s proposal. The “SORTA wharton…” letter talks about local efforts.
Any thoughts? Would Butler County voters support an expanded mass transit system? ,
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TweetCounty government reform to be studied
Ohio legislators during a special meeting on Monday agreed to form a panel to study changes to Cuyahoga County government, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Lawmakers will allow a nine-member commission to study the future shape of Cuyahoga County government with Gov. Ted Strickland, House Speaker Jon Husted and Senate President Bill Harris each appointing three county residents, the Plain Dealer reported.
Once the study is complete, Cuyahoga County voters could vote on the reform in 2009.
The new form of government is an appealing change for Butler County Commissioner Donald Dixon.
Question: What do you think about reforming county government? Would it work in Butler County?
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TweetBig projects on planning commission agenda
Major projects in Liberty and Oxford townships are going before the Butler County Planning Commission for review Tuesday, June 10.
In Liberty Twp., the county will review a zoning change for a $250 million-plus mixed use development slated for a 110-acre lot just west of Interstate 75. Read about that here.
Columbus-based Steiner & Associates is bringing the proposal, which could break ground on a theater, hotels, department stores and about 200 apartments in 2009.
In Oxford Twp., the county will review an update to the township’s 20-year comprehensive plan that includes provisions for a controversial road planned to connect Ohio 73 and U.S. 27. Read a previous blog here outlining the opponents’ concerns.
The public meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Government Services Center in downtown Hamilton.
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TweetDeWine declines AG run
Looks like former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine will keep his job at Miami University.
Statehouse reporter Laura Bischoff is reporting in her political blog that DeWine will not run for the Ohio Attorney General’s post. Read about that here.
DeWine, a Republican, wasn’t the most popular candidate with some of his party’s more conservative members, such as Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones. Read about that here.
Who do you think is best qualified to take over the attorney general’s office.
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TweetStudy could be coming on dispatch consolidation
Despite heavy opposition from local law enforcement officials, Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said Monday, June 9, that he will attempt to gather support for a consultant to study consolidating the county’s nine dispatch centers.
Jolivette said he will ask Thursday for support from commissioners to direct interim administrator Tim Williams to send out a request for proposal to find a consultant that will tell them whether combining efforts will be cost effective.
Officials from police agencies at the city, township and county level are opposed to the idea because they said it would hurt their level of service to the community and would end up costing more money in technology alone. (Read that story here.)
They’re also opposed to even studying the possibility.
Here’s a 2007 article that talks about the consolidation in Montgomery County.
Question: Do you think the notion is worth studying? Do you think combining dispatch centers would affect police agencies’ customer service?
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TweetInsurance contracts, dog catcher spurring debate
A couple heavy doses of local politics:
Some say West Chester Twp. George Lang got special treatment in securing a contract to handle certain aspects of Butler County’s supplemental insurance program. Read that story here and further analysis of it here.
Sheriff Richard K. Jones wants to be the dog warden. State law says he can’t. So he wants to change state law, or simply make the dog warden’s office irrelevant. Click on the continuation of this blog to read that (I couldn’t find the link online).
Any thoughts on either issue? Why do you think the sheriff wants control of the dog warden’s office? Is it a good idea? Do you think people with ties to the political party in power should do business with the county?
Sheriff sets sights on animal control
By Josh Sweigart Staff Writer
HAMILTON — After being told he can’t take over the Butler County Dog Warden’s office, Sheriff Richard K. Jones is starting his own animal control office.
Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper has told the county that a plan to have the sheriff take over the dog warden’s office would run afoul of state law.
“The dog warden must report to the commission by statute,” Piper said.
So Jones is advertising to hire an animal control officer to do the “same things, they’re just not going to be the dog catchers,” he said.
He’s just hiring one for now, though he envisions a staff of three or four at some point. It will then be up to the county commission to decide what to do with the dog warden’s five workers.
Jones said he can do all the services of the dog warden’s office cheaper because his office already dispatches deputy dog wardens.
“We’re going to speed the process up, and probably do it at a much cheaper rate,” Jones said. “We do most of their responsibilities anyway.”
County commissioners, who now control the dog warden, have never signed off on the plan.
Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said he’s still waiting on the sheriff to make his case.
“If the sheriff says that he can do it better, he needs to be able to prove that to us,” Jolivette said. “I don’t think the dog warden has done a bad job.”
Furthermore, fines assessed for many animal related violations are directed by state law to the dog warden’s budget and are used to house and euthanize strays. It’s unclear how the sheriff would obtain that money or make those payments without it.
Jones said this will all soon be a moot point. He’s hopeful the state Senate will amend a bill currently in committee to allow county sheriffs to take over the dog warden’s responsibilities at a county commission’s request.
Such an amendment was proposed at Jones’ request by state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, to a bill making extensive overhauls to the dog warden’s office proposed by Rep. Shawn Webster, R-Hamilton. But Webster asked the amendment be removed to speed the bill’s passage through the House, which it did.
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TweetCounty layoff backlash
A week before a planned layoff of 22.5 employees in Butler County Environmental Services is set to go into effect, at least one employee is not going quietly.
Shawna Noble went straight to her bosses bosses Thursday, arguing that her job saves the county money, and that commissioners should consider other options besides layoffs. Read the story here.
In other news, below you’ll find an executive summary (BuyoutBill.pdf) of a bill proposed by state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, to prevent another early retirement incentive debacle as happened in Butler County. ,
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TweetCounty to allow easy access to finance records
Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds presented a plan to commissioners Thursday, June 5, that will eventually allow the public to view county finances online.
The auditor’s office and the county information technology department have been working on a Web tool that will allow virtual visitors to search county expenditures.
A link should appear on the auditor’s Web page that will direct local residents to the database once the project is finished in the next few weeks.
Reynolds said the new online database, which is being created internally, should only cost “a few thousand dollars.”
Reynolds stressed to commissioners Thursday that his department will take the necessary steps to protect confidential information. And he said providing such a database online — accessible from anywhere — will save the department money and time it would have spent gathering, copying and distributing similar public records.
County commissioners and other officials came under fire — by the public and this newspaper — about their handling of the countywide fiber optics network and deals gone bad with Dynus Corp. in 2006. Many chastised the way in which alleged deals were made between the county and Dynus from 2002 to when the project fell apart in 2005.
On Thursday, they lauded the idea, asking if the new online system could be applied to other departments, such as their own.
Question: Do you think the new online database is a good idea? Will you use it?
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TweetObama on Butler County issues
Now that Barack Obama is the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee, it seems like a good time to revisit an interview I did with Obama in March.
To hear the interview, click on the audio file below. Click here for the article than ran at the time.
In this seven-minute interview, Obama answers the following questions:
Butler County has historically been a conservative county. We have a huge number of independents who have leaned conservative in previous elections. What part of your platform or message do you believe would appeal to these voters?
Butler County’s sheriff has advocated for the power to arrest illegal immigrants who haven’t been convicted of a crime. Do you believe local law enforcement should have that power?
If you were elected president, how would your actions improve the lives of residents specifically in southwest Ohio?
Many polls put your opponent, senator Clinton, ahead in Ohio by a slim margin. How do you plan to make up this difference with only two days left before the primary?
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Obama then lost Butler County in the primary by about 10 percent of the vote. What do you think of his answers to these questions? About his nomination?
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TweetCombs promoting buyout restrictions in House
After a proposed, $3.8 million early retirement incentive package for 68 Butler County staffers blew up in the county commission’s face, ultimately ending the career of County Administrator Derek Conklin, state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, is trying to keep other counties from going down the same road.
Combs is proposing legislation to stiffen regulations on early retirement buyouts. “It (the bill) says that any government agency that decides to do a buyout must go and have a university that will review that plan and report back to commission on the feasibility of the plan,” Combs said.
Combs said the legislation will “help restore some confidence” in the system.
What do you think?
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TweetDid you hear the sirens?
Last night, as severe storms ripped through most of Butler County, I poked my head outside — much to the chagrin of my wife — to see if I could hear any sirens.
Less than a half mile from my house in Liberty Twp., is a large siren posted atop a large telephone pole. But the only sounds I could hear were the claps of thunder and hail striking my grill.
So I called Butler County Emergency Management Director William Turner this morning and he said that individual jurisdictions are responsible for siren activation.
Siren activation is also dependent on one of two factors, Turner said: A tornado warning or a public safety official notifying dispatch of a funnel cloud.
Both happened near my house last night.
UPDATE: I found out why by speaking with Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Paul Stumpf.
Turner said that communication among the county’s nine dispatch centers has been a problem in the past and was likely an issue last night.
But, he said the county’s new 800 MHz communication system, which is planned to go live in December, will change all that.
Stumpf agreed, but he also indicated that West Chester Twp. officials — at the police department’s dispatch center — control Liberty Twp.’s sirens. What’s more, Stumpf said that while most of the township’s sirens are in proper working order, the one closest to my house on Old Kyles Station Road has been malfunctioning lately. That’s likely why the sirens we heard were so distant.
UPDATE: Poster “Wally” makes a good point below. Turner reminded local residents that sirens are only meant to alert people outside of impending bad weather. They’re not meant to rouse you out of sleep. A weather radio, most of which are available for under $30, are a much safer and more consistent way of protecting yourself.
Tell me, did you hear the sirens last night? Where do you live?
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TweetAnimal shelter plans back to drawing board
(Thanks to Butler County resident Nancy Bender for passing along the picture.)
A work session scheduled for Thursday, June 5 between Butler County Commissioners, Animal Friends Humane Society and the architect designing the new shelter has been called off.
An email sent on Monday, June 2, by county’s interim administrator Tim Williams to the Humane Society, architect Robert Treadon and others said Treadon will be finalizing requests made by Animal Friends two weeks ago. The final plans are expected to be delivered to the county by June 14, according to the email.
The $3.4 million project has been mired in delays for more than a year, and Rick Fox, president of the Animal Friends board of directors said it’s mostly because of a reluctant Treadon.
“He’s been cooperatively uncooperative,” Fox said. “He doesn’t want to bend on his design.”
Treadon said today, June 4, that he will have plans to commissioners within the next two weeks, and that site work — a contractor for which has already been secured — will move forward despite final drawings.
Read more about the Humane Society saga here.
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TweetThe challenge of keeping children safe
In response to a story this weekend that Butler County Children Services is investigating the possible abuse of a 1-year-old, and a recent story that “family preservation” costs are going up at the agency, I received the below e-mail from Children Services Director Michael Fox this weekend.
It provides some interesting insight into the challenges Fox is seeing in trying to keep children safe in their homes and in foster care:
Josh,
The two stories you wrote this past week about child welfare illustrate the challenge as well as it can be done. Taken together they put the continuing challenge of child welfare in perspective.
The foundation of Wednesday’s story “Children Services Program Costs Rise,” where the headline had little to do with the substance of the story was our agency is wasting all this money giving stipends to families to avoid placing children in foster care and that’s a bad thing because we just become one more welfare agency.
As I mentioned to you in our interviews when you were preparing the story, you didn’t just wake up one morning and think: “I think I’ll write a story about how the agency is spending money on rent, utilities, auto allowances etc.”
As I told you, I suspected that someone who disagreed with our willingness to spend money on those and other types of support (things like paying for children to enroll in enrichment classes and Y memberships) wanted you to write a story about how children services was wasting money.
The goal of those who fed it to you was to get a negative story and thereby undermine my efforts to provide more emphasis on family preservation. Our return on investment on those types of things speaks for itself—-taxpayers, children, and families come out ahead if we can keep the children safe at home. Sometimes we can allow a child to stay in its home safely and sometimes it doesn’t or won’t work. Each decision is about managing risk of harm to the child.
The other side of that argument is the flawed assumption that placing a child in foster care means that the child is somehow automatically safe from harm. Today’s story underscores that point. Today’s story also underscores why I am so committed to keeping children with their parents whenever possible, even if it means spending money on unusual things to get the job done.
The assumption underlining today’s story is one of two things: despite our best efforts to monitor and screen foster parents, children still get hurt in foster care, or we aren’t doing a good job screening foster parents, evidenced by this child being harmed. The research is even more explicit and it is the foundation of the changes I am trying, with much difficulty, to make in the culture and practice patterns of this organization.
The goal of the person who gave you today’s story was quite simple and understandable: her children had been removed and she wants them back. Understandable, and I am looking into the facts surrounding the initial decision to see if it made sense. As I mentioned to you, apparently our agency had some previous history with the family.
Most who opt to place children in foster care as a “safe” alternative believe that removing them from whatever threat they discover in the assessment is the end goal. I am trying to get our caseworkers to calculate the “risk of harm” in a broader context that takes into account that the assumption that foster care placement keeps the child safe and is best for the child is not supported by the research as a general principle. Each case is unique.
Here’s the sobering part. The research concludes that about one third of the children who have been in the foster system are abused or maltreated. A Casey Foundation study conducted in partnership with Harvard Medical School and released in April of 2005 found that “One-third (32.8%) of the sample reported some form of maltreatment by a foster parent or other adult in the foster home during their foster care experience, as recorded in their case files. The maltreatment rate includes reported and substantiated reports of abuse and/or neglect.”
This study was done using a study sample of adults who spent time in foster placement as children. Despite the fact that one in three former foster children reported experiencing actual abuse or maltreatment incidents while they were children in foster placement, the number of incidents actually identified and recorded by child welfare agencies as having occurred was incredibly low. The type of abuse experienced while in foster placement was sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and other forms of maltreatment.
Even though nearly 33% of former foster children reported that they were abused while in foster care, the Casey study reported that, “substantiated child maltreatment rates were 0.7% for foster care nationally. Nevertheless, it appears that child safety was not ensured at a high level.”
What explains the big disconnect between what the agencies reported and what former foster children reported? No one knows, but it haunts all of us in child welfare because it indicates that when children are moved out of their homes there is still a high abuse rate, and that is the dilemma of child welfare. Where is the higher risk of harm to the child: leaving them with their parents or putting them in foster placement?
A more recent study (March 2007) conducted by Dr. Joseph Doyle Jr., of MIT measured the outcomes of former foster children in terms of their involvement in crime and other life failures. He found that nearly 20% of inmates spent time in foster care during their youth. His and other studies paint a sobering picture about the relationship between being in the foster system and life success.
Hence, the question: what is actually better for the child? Virtually all of the research concludes that children of similar background and demographics consistently do better when they are kept with their families. The challenge is to balance the risks, and in doing so child welfare workers spend many sleepless nights worrying that they have made the “right” decision about removing or not removing a child from their biological parent.
I cast my lot with doing everything possible to keep children with their biological parents and build a safety net around them with services and support. I also have initiated systems to try to do a better job screening out prospective foster parents, people around children who may present a risk, and building systematic monitoring of children who come under our jurisdiction.
Hey…that’s it for now…I’m going to a Reds game…
mike
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TweetOn county government reform
Cuyahoga county has been a hot topic lately for state lawmakers and local elected officials in every Ohio county. The reason: state lawmakers are voting on a measure that could eventually leave some of those officeholders out of a job.
Here’s an overview of the measure and how it pertains to Butler County. At this point it seems unlikely to make it out of the House, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer is pushing for it hard. Here’s a story by the Plain Dealer that talks about the measure and other reform efforts across the state. Here’s an editorial on why the Plain Dealer is so adamant.
If this type of overhaul were to happen here, it would likely be spurred by County Commissioner Donald Dixon. After all, he’s tried it before (read about that, and the charter reform of Summit County here).
Dixon has been a harbinger of reform lately, which is a dramatic role reversal from when he came on the commission. Read an analysis of his first year on the dais here.
So what do you think, is reform needed in Butler County? The Cuyahoga plan? The Dixon plan? Summit County? Have your own idea?
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