Kevin Marsh Announcements

CTM Notifies CPS of Flawed Survey

CTM Trustees voted on May 2 to notify CPS of flaws in the survey that CPS sent to Clifton-area families during April. The full letter is detailed below.

May 9, 2016

Ericka Copeland-Dansby, President Cincinnati Board of Education
Mary Ronan, Superintendent Cincinnati Public Schools
Melanie Bates, Vice President CPS BOE
Eve Bolton, Member CPS BOE
Carolyn Jones, Member CPS BOE
Daniel Minera, Member CPS BOE
A. Chris Nelms, Member CPS BOE

Dear President Copeland-Dansby, Superintendent Ronan, and Members of the Board of Education,

I am writing to you on behalf of Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) regarding the recent survey sent to some of our residents by Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS). Based on recent comments by Superintendent Ronan we understand the intention is to use these survey results for making decisions related to a neighborhood school for Clifton, CUF, and Spring Grove Village. We believe this survey to be incapable of providing any meaningful information on which to base decisions about a neighborhood school.
Please understand that we do not like having to address this problem after the fact, or in public. We regret that we can find no other recourse to prevent the misuse of the survey data. This could have been avoided had we not been shut out of the process:

• Prior to the distribution of the survey, several of our Trustees conveyed concerns to CPS about its questions
• On March 23, the Superintendent agreed to send us the final version with April 15 the due date for comments
• At our April 4 board meeting, President Copeland-Dansby presented a new version of the survey for our review and comment
• We sent it to several experts who found serious problems and offered to work with your survey people, to which Superintendent Ronan agreed (April 11)
• But on April 13, the Superintendent told us we were too late and that the survey had been sent out – without letting us see this new version, and prior to the due date for comments, and inexplicably contrary to her express agreement not two days earlier.
• Since then, our experts have evaluated this new version and are unanimous in finding it unreliable if not misleading. Their complete reviews and credentials are attached.

Clifton has long been a strong supporter of Cincinnati Public Schools and wants to continue this support. We campaign for school levies, raise money for schools, volunteer time and resources to enrich students’ experiences, and are passionate about the value of education for all children. Part of that support includes taking responsibility for helping head off problems we see coming. We tried to head off the survey problem: we warned the Administration that the survey was flawed, but it was sent out anyway. Now we are alerting you that if the survey results are used, they will only lead to bad decisions. That is one very important issue, yet there is a bigger one underlying it, and that is the exclusion of CTM from the planning process. We were led to expect that collaboration would be welcome, but I am sad to report that our experience has not borne this out. What do we need to do to achieve this mutual goal?

At this time, there is a unique opportunity to have a process with strong participation from the community. The need to address the overcrowding at Fairview-Clifton German Language School, the desire to save the CCAC, and the need to provide reliable access to excellent education have inspired our community to work together toward the best outcome possible. Clifton has long been a strong supporter of Cincinnati Public Schools and wants to continue this support. We want to be partners with you and bring our passion, creativity, and all our other resources together to create outstanding educational opportunities for all children in Clifton and beyond.

As previously expressed in motions of our Board and communications from our Trustees, we want to collaborate with CPS to develop a process that includes our participation and involvement in the proposals for Clifton. Please let us work with you to develop this process.

Sincerely,

Eric Urbas
President, Clifton Town Meeting

*** Click Evaluation of April 2016 CPS Survey by Research Professionals to read the analysis referenced in the letter. ***

Kevin Marsh Announcements

CliftonDeer.Org Update

Written by Beth Whelan, for CliftonDeer.Org

CliftonDeer.Org is pleased to report that we have met our $40,000 threshold funding goal and will be launching the program on schedule very soon. A huge thank you to CTM for a matching challenge grant of $2,500 that helped stimulate donations from Clifton residents, and for the suggestion to invite participation by other Clifton organizations, which resulted in a generous grant from the Clifton Community Fund. Our intrepid UC student volunteers recently distributed flyers to all houses within the study area informing residents of what they can expect. If you are in the area bounded by Clifton Ave., Ludlow Ave. and I-75 and have not received one of these flyers, please contact us so we can get one to you.

We’re now focused on establishing bait stations, cleaning the building that will be used as a field surgical center, and preparing volunteers to transport anesthetized deer the nights of the program operations. Finally, we are continuing to look for ways to reduce costs, cover unexpected expenses and put funds toward next year’s costs which are expected to be much smaller than this year’s. One way you can help is to do your Christmas shopping at Ten Thousand Villages in O’Bryonville on November 29th, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. CliftonDeer.org will receive 15% of the value of all purchases you make that day if you tell the cashier at checkout that you’re shopping to support CliftonDeer.org. Another is to donate Marriott Rewards points to defer costs for our out of town team. A third is to enroll in Kroger’s Community Rewards Program and select CliftonDeer.org as your charity of choice. If you can help in any of those ways, please contact us through our web site for details.

Thanks again to CTM and our donors and volunteers, especially our bait station volunteers, for your help and support!

Kevin Marsh Announcements, Uncategorized

CTM Proposed Bylaws Changes

CTM Trustees formed an ad-hoc Bylaws Review Committee during the October meeting this year. Various bylaws topics were set for review. During the November CTM meeting, three bylaws changes were proposed and the Trustees voted to put these changes before the membership at the December 7, 2015 meeting. All CTM members who have paid their dues for 2015 are eligible to vote on these changes.  The CTM Bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting provided the amendments have been introduced in writing at a previous CTM meeting and proper notice has been given.

This post summarizes the changes being proposed. The actual language is linked below at the very end. If you have feedback on these changes, feel free to email Trustees.

Click here to read the current CTM Bylaws as revised by the membership during 2010.

Officer Succession

Current bylaws language is not clear on how the President is succeeded if s/he resigns. Trustees encountered this issue during September. This proposed bylaws change creates a very clear succession plan for President and Vice President by ensuring the Vice Presidents are elected with new titles: 1st Vice President and 2nd Vice President. The 1st Vice President shall succeed the President. The 2nd Vice President shall succeed the 1st Vice President. In addition, the proposed bylaws changes make it mandatory to immediately replace the Treasurer or Secretary position should a Trustee resign either position.

Five Trustee Election Cycle

Current bylaws language does not advise on how to ensure that 5 Trustees are elected each year. The CTM Board is comprised of 15 Trustees.  To have a good balance of veteran and new Trustees, there should be 5 elected each year for full 3 year terms. This balance provides for a more effective Board. This proposed bylaws change create language to ensure that this cycle is preserved when there are more than 5 positions open for election by providing for less than 3 year terms to Trustees who are elected with lowest vote counts.

Nominating Committee Formation and Report

Current bylaws language does not set a deadline on when the Nominating Committee must fully form. The language also has no details on what the Committee’s required report to the Board must contain. If the Nominating Committee is formed too late in the year, it will not have time to properly perform it’s work of finding candidates and preparing for the Fall election of Trustees. This proposed bylaws change sets the August CTM meeting as the latest formation date. The current Board feels that the required Nominating Committee report should have some minimum acceptable standards and details. This proposed bylaws change provides for specific report requirements. This creates a minimum standard for future Nominating Committees to meet.

Proposed Bylaws Language Files

In each of the pdf files linked below, the existing bylaws language is shown first, and the proposed changes for member approval are shown afterwards.  We urge you to read these changes carefully.  If you have feedback on these changes, feel free to email Trustees.

ARTICLE V – Paragraph 2

ARTICLE VI

ARTICLE VIII – Paragraph 1 and 2

 

Kevin Marsh Announcements

Bios for CTM Trustee Candidates

Below are the bios for candidates running for CTM Trustee at the upcoming elections on Monday, December 7 from 6-7pm.  Elections will be held at the Clifton Recreation Center on the 2nd floor in the large meeting room.  The Rec Center is universally accessible to all.  Take the elevator or the stairs to the 2nd floor.

Adam Balz

Adam Balz is a native Cincinnatian and a Clifton resident since 2006. He lives on Woolper Avenue with his wife, Michelle, and two children, Benjamin and Emily. Adam has been an active volunteer with CTM—planting flowers, installing holiday decorations, and coordinating the Memorial Day grill out since moving to Clifton. Adam has been a trustee of Clifton Town Meeting since 2013. He has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a Master’s of Public Administration and is a partial owner of the environmental consulting firm Pegasus Technical Services.

Peter Block

I have been living in Clifton for about 12 years, married to Cathy Kramer, a long time resident. For most of my career I was an independent organizational consultant. In the last ten years I’ve worked with governments and communities on creating more citizen engagement. Author of nine books, two focused on building positive community and more connected neighborhoods.

I’m on the Board of Elementz, an Urban Arts Center, and served on Cincinnati Public Radio Board. I helped begin the Economics of Compassion Initiative which is supporting an alternative economy in the city. CTM matters and I would like to support it as trustee. All the issues of safety, zoning, events, the social fabric are important to me. My strongest interest is in the business district. Eleven empty storefronts are too many. We need to understand more fully why this is occurring and how we can co-operatively do something about this.

Ashley Fritz

I have lived in Clifton, on Middleton Avenue, for the past six years with my husband and our two sons. Clifton is a wonderful neighborhood for my family, and I really enjoy the walkability and friendliness of Clifton. However, I have the same concerns as many residents with regards to safety, education, and the continued revitalization of our business district. As a CTM trustee for the past three years, I have helped manage and edit the Clifton Chronicle and have helped organize numerous CTM sponsored events. For this year’s Clifton House Tour, I was the lead volunteer coordinator. I would like to continue my efforts with the Clifton Chronicle and CTM events, as well as collaborating with others in finding new ways to keep Clifton the best neighborhood in Cincinnati.

Erin Hinson

Erin Hinson is a young professional who has resided in Clifton since 2013. In that time, Clifton has become home to her and the place she desires to establish her roots. Erin Hinson is a proud alumni of Xavier University. She is passionate about soccer which has led her to a role as the St. Lawrence youth soccer coach in her spare time and the captain of an intramural soccer team.

When she’s not coaching or playing soccer, Erin has started several successful companies, including one where she works with small and local businesses to increase their online audience and brand. She also co-founded #UnlockCincinnati, a weekly blog for WCPO.com and a tourism-based marketing company centered around bringing awareness and traffic to the abundant local businesses in all of Cincinnati.

Malcolm Montgomery

What sets me apart from the other candidates? Passion and experience!

I would bring to CTM my passion for protecting and enhancing Clifton, my track record of accomplishments, and a seasoned perspective that will complement a Board that has many relatively new trustees.

I am one of a handful of Lifetime CTM Members. I care enough about protecting and enhancing Clifton as the best neighborhood in Cincinnati to have volunteered over a thousand hours for CTM activities. I served as a CTM Trustee twice, with one term starting in 1990 and a second in 2009. I’m proud of the many things I’ve accomplished in the last 25 years collaborating with others to deliver results for Clifton including the following:

– for our younger residents: completed soccer fields at Mount Storm
for beautification: funded landscaping for the recreation center
– for public safety: served as police liaison; funded hidden cameras to catch drug dealers on our side streets; collaborated on excessive traffic on side streets and enforcement of speed limits
– improving CTM meetings: provided and maintained audio visual system enabling the audience to hear speakers and see handouts and computer presentations
– Quality of life and enhancement of property values – chaired CTM housing and zoning committee, testified before zoning commission and city council for a more effective chronic nuisance law, for better zoning laws, for fairness in the enforcement of zoning regulations, and for neighborhood improvements

I have time to get things done. I am retired from UC and perform only occasional pro bono work in my educational technology consulting business.

Sean Mullaney

I am a lifelong Cincinnatian with brief stays in Chicago and Paris. My wife and I have lived in Clifton for 20 years and we have 2 children. My experience in design, business and real estate gives me a broad background to understand the big picture of our neighborhood. We are fortunate to have amazing parks, stunning architecture and a unique business district in Clifton. I would work to utilize and improve these assets to bring more people to live, work and play in Clifton Gaslight.

Cindy Oakenfull

I have been a Clifton resident for over ten years. My wife, Gillian, and I moved here when we were about to start our family. We chose Clifton as we wanted to raise our family in an open-minded dynamic urban environment that also provided the charm of an historic neighborhood. We now have three sons, Jack 9, Ben 6, and Danny 3. I love everything that Clifton has brought to our lives. My family feels connected to the community – its schools, its businesses, its parks, and its people.

Professionally, I’ve served in various management roles for Paramount Parks, Fifth Third Bank, and GE Capital. Each position provided me the opportunity to build distinct corporate business units within Operations, Sales and Marketing. After 16 rewarding years, I left corporate industry for academia, joining the faculty at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, where Gillian is a marketing professor. In my short time at Miami, I have found a passion for preparing today’s students for the challenges of tomorrow’s workforce.

We care deeply about the future of this community as it stands at the core of my family’s experience. Recently, we have recognized our duty to participate in service roles within the community. Gillian has focused on education by serving on the Local School Decision Making Committee (LSDMC) at Fairview German Language School. In turn, I would like to devote my energy and expertise to the development and stewardship of our neighborhood by serving on Clifton Town Meeting Board.

Eric Urbas

CTM Trustee since Jan 2013
CTM President and Website Committee Chair
I have been a Clifton resident for over 8 years. My wife Michelle grew up in Clifton and has been a resident for most of her life. We have two children who know Clifton as their first and only home. We love living here because of the walk-ability, friendly people, and historic character of the neighborhood. It is a privilege working with and now leading this organization. I hope you will consider voting for me to a second term as Trustee. I will continue to focus on things that are positive for Clifton. I enjoy working with our community partners, business district, and the residents. I will also continue to improve the visibility of CTM and the community through the website and social media. Thank you for your consideration.

Seth Walsh

Seth T. Walsh moved to Clifton after graduating from Xavier University in 2013. He has since fallen in love with the walkable neighborhood and business district, and the friendly and welcoming community. This inspired him to co-found #UnlockCincinnati, a weekly blog for WCPO and a tourism-based marketing company to promote small business in Cincinnati, but also to start his career in community development, bringing the lively energy evident in Clifton to other neighborhoods.

Seth is the Executive Director of the Sedamsville Community Development Corporation, a tiny neighborhood just west of downtown, and is the Project Director/Associate Director for the Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati (CDC Association). He proudly serves on the WCPO editorial board, the WCPO Community Advisory Board, is a board member for UpSpring, and is a founding member of the local Global Shapers chapter. In his spare time, Seth is working on completing a goal of reading one book on every U.S. President.

Kevin Marsh Announcements

CTM Considers Funding for Clifton Deer Project

This coming Monday, 9/14/15, Clifton Town Meeting will be evaluating a proposed one time donation of $5,000 to the Clifton Deer Fertility Control Pilot Program. Because this is a relatively large unbudgeted expense, we wanted to provide the community with some background information and invite residents to attend our 9/14/15 Monthly Board Meeting at 7 pm at the Clifton Recreation Center. The agenda will include this and other topics such as formation of a new CTM committee to respond to the CPS decision regarding Magnet School enrollment and an update on resolving concerns related to noise from the air conditioning units at Good Samaritan Hospital. If you are unable to attend our meeting, please consider sending your comments to us at contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org. We recognize that not everyone will be able to speak on Sept 14 and some may not be able to attend.

Events Leading To This Funding Request
Last fall, the Cincinnati Park Board concluded that, to protect the health of the forests, they needed to reduce the population of deer in three of Clifton’s Parks: Mt. Storm, Rawson Woods, and Edgewood Preserve. At the August and the October CTM Board Meetings, the Park Board proposed starting a program to use certified bow hunters to “cull” the deer herds in the Clifton Parks in the fall of 2014.

Although some residents felt they should accept the Park Board’s opinion that this was their best option, many other residents protested, collected petitions and in October eventually persuaded the Park Board to cancel the bow hunting plans for 2014. The Park Board, however, said that there still was a need to control the deer. They said they could support a non-lethal alternative approach under these circumstances:
1. The non-lethal deer management program would need to be a research project approved by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)
2. CTM would need to vote in favor of the research project proposal so that the Parks would have some evidence of Clifton community support.
3. The project would need to be privately funded.
4. All city, state, and federal approvals and permits would need to be complete by June 15, 2015.

Two alternative approaches were presented to CTM: a sterilization program and a contraception program. CTM narrowly voted in favor of the sterilization program on 2/2/2015. Here is a link to their website: http://cliftondeer.org/donations/. At the time of this vote, we did NOT expect to provide any funding or resources for the project. We were only stating a preference at the request of the Park Board so that they could request ODNR approval for one and only one approach.

On 5/11/2015, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a permit for the program. The Clifton Deer Project started fundraising immediately but they apparently underestimated the challenge of raising $40,000 prior to starting the program in November. Most of the cost is in the first year ($40,000 versus $5,000 or less in subsequent years) because of the experience of their contractor, White Buffalo, indicating that the most effective approach may be to sterilize 95% of the does in the first year of the program. This is actually the research goal that they presented to ODNR: to prove that a program that sterilizes 95% of the does in the first year will effectively reduce deer population in a park system as is found in Clifton that is partially isolated from surrounding forests. For this $40,000 goal, the Clifton Deer Project has raised over $12,000 so far and just received a $20,000 grant from the Humane Society.

Although the Project is still fundraising, this leaves them about $9,000 short of the funding they need to start this program in November. Due to this unexpected shortfall, they are asking CTM to provide a $5,000 matching grant. If they can then get others to donate a matching $5,000, they will have enough money to pay White Buffalo to sterilize most of the does this year.

Arguments For and Against the Funding

    Arguments for the funding

1. The Clifton Deer Project is the only option available this fall/winter to get deer population under control. The number of does in these parks grew from 30 to 40 just since last fall. There is not enough time to switch to bow hunting or to start a new process to gain ODNR approval for the other major non-lethal option of contraception. If you believe the Park Board, getting the deer population under control benefits the ecology of the parks. Also, it reduces collisions between automobiles and deer, reduces the risk of Lyme diseases, and reduces damage to household gardens.
2. The Project is innovative. If successful, it could lead to an ODNR approved option for every neighborhood in Ohio to address deer population issues without hunting. Maryland became the first state to approve this wildlife management technique after a similar study by the same contractor who would lead the work in Clifton, and, if Ohio follows Maryland, non-lethal deer management options could spread.
3. The Humane Society sponsorship is good PR for Clifton. This huge organization is featuring this Clifton project in their national campaign to celebrate their 60th Anniversary.
4. Animals do feel pain. If we can address ecological needs with less pain and suffering, why not do so?
5. The project is close to raising what it needs, but the November deadline is approaching. With CTM’s contribution and additional fundraising by the Project, they are likely to succeed.
6. This project is relatively affordable for CTM. We have some annual expenses ranging from $1,000 to $6,000. A $5,000 one-time expense is relatively affordable. Also, CTM’s $80,000 cash balance is much more than most community councils, and there are many who feel we should be looking for opportunities to use this money on worthy projects.
7. If this program is NOT funded for 2015, costs are likely to increase along with damage to the ecology in the parks by the time we get to 2016. The population of does grew from 30 to 40 in just one year from 2014 to 2015. This caused the budget for the first year to grow from $30,000 to $40,000. This would be likely to increase further if the Deer Project can’t raise enough funds to start the program in 2015.

    Arguments against the funding

1. When we approved this program in February, we were not told we might be asked to provide any funding. The Clifton Deer Project may not have anticipated the challenges of fundraising, but this is still an unpleasant, unexpected outcome for CTM.
2. What is the “will of the people”? This is a tough question to answer because many Clifton are not aware of all the plusses and minuses of this issue. Also, it may be impossible to get majority support for ANY one option because at all the CTM meetings involving this topic some people were advocated bow hunting, others advocated contraception, and a third group advocated this sterilization project. Everyone was passionate and everyone disagreed. Another complication is that one could argue that people living near these parks are more directly affected by the Project and should somehow have more say.
3. Will costs after year 1 exceed current projections? The Clifton Deer Project expects to use sources other than CTM for all funds in years 2-5. They project annual costs in years 2-5 because this study aims to complete 95% of the sterilizations in year 1. But this IS a research project and nothing is certain.
4. Also, although this contractor has had success in similar projects elsewhere, given that it is a research project, there is no guarantee that it will effectively reduce the deer population.