(VIDEOS) WOULD "BOSS" HOOVER APPROVE OF WHAT HE IS SEEING OF NORTH CANTON GOV'T?

Note:  Graphic consists of a remix of
SCPR photos taken of depicted items

UPDATE
03:48 PM

OSBORNE REBUTTAL
 TO
HELD'S ASSESSMENT
(In Appendix)

VIDEOS

MAYOR HELD ON "BOSS" HOOVER
============================== 
OSBORNE ON NC GOV'T CRITIQUES
==============================
CITIZEN COVEY

ON

MAPLE STREET

TREE REMOVAL
==============================
COMPLETE HELD VIDEO
(Response to Osborne Criticisms)
===================================

  BONUS FOOTAGE
IN THE APPENDIX SECTION
============================== 
McCLEASTER & NC JCC PRESENTATION
==============================
  

One of the most used sayings in largely Christian America in terms of accountability is:  "WWJD" What would Jesus do?

And North Canton, being a bastion of Christianity would be no exception.

But there might be a modification.

Because he likely made North Canton a hugely successful community of yesteryear, his name remains to this very day a revered name in The Dogwood City.

View this video clip of current North Canton mayor David Held as he talks with the SCPR post August 25th North Canton City Council meeting about "Boss" Hoover.



The context of Held's "in awe" words of The Hoover Company founder was an attempt by North Canton civic activist (also a former councilman) Chuck Osborne's gambit at last night's regular city council meeting to draw a contrast between "Boss" Hoover and the successor owner (Maple Street Commerce) of what was once the building complete.

In Osborne's "public speaks" presentation, the SCPR largely focused the camera on city council members to try to get a sense of whether or not Osborne's theme was striking a cord.

Osborne cast "Boss" Hoover as a community builder whereas he was clearing trying to make Maple Street Commerce and by obvious implication North Canton City Council (past and present) and by further extension, the Held administration as community destroyers.

As he apt to do, Osborne "left no stone unturned" in his quest to make his overriding point.

At the end of this blog (Appendix) the SCPR has included a written version of Osborne's remarks so that readers can check it out to measure The Report's take on Osborne's assessment of North Canton - August, 2014 - against the words he actually used.

It seems to the SCPR that in building evidence to support his overall theme of community building versus community destruction, Osborne focused on:

• "Boss" Hoover as a city father who recognized the importance of building community (The North Canton Community Building - 1923) along with his business as a pathway to success,
• Hoover:  charitable, paternal and benevolent,
• a giver
• Maple Street Commerce, (formed in early 2008 by developer Stuart Lichter to manage the complex)
•  
  
• a greedy company,  Osborne says, taking every advantage of North Canton government and by extension Ohio and North Canton taxpayers,
• a taker
• North Canton government,
• a giver away of North Canton resources for inadequate return

The consequences, Osborne says or implies, include:

• $6,753,000 spent for economic development with inadequate return,
• a loss of community-ness,
• a wrecking of community assets, that is to say,
• the unnecessary destruction of trees,
• the projected cutting down of some 180 additional trees,
• the disruption of Stark Parks hiking trails, and
• the continued viability of the North Canton YMCA

 SCPR Note:  Here is a photo of Maple Street and vicinity trees either cut down or projected to be cut down.

To end his speech and to make North Canton government officials conscious of their accountability, Osborne invokes "Boss" Hoover with an emotive:

W. "Boss" Hoover is watching!

Earlier today (10:00 a.m.), Osborne was at Maple and North Main protesting what he calls the destruction of North Canton.  Rod Covey tells the SCPR he joined in the protest for about 40 minutes.

The question for the SCPR and ultimately North Cantonians is whether or not they as citizens of a community with a long, deep and rich history need to be the "eyes and ears" of "Boss" Hoover in 2014?

The obvious answer is that North Cantonians can honor the magnanimity of "Boss" Hoover and preserve the remaining fruits thereof by heeding the prompt of Citizen Osborne to scrutinize each and every North Canton City Council and Held administration move.

Here is the complete video of Mayor Held's response to Osborne's criticisms.



It could be that council and the mayor have done the best that anyone could under the circumstances of the unfolding of a different economic, cultural, social and political mix than when "Boss" Hoover lived.

However, it does seem to the SCPR that North Canton is far short of the mark of what the Lichter artist's rendition of projecting what the Hoover complex might one day become.

Such is for North Cantonians to decide at the ballot box.

But they owe it to Hoover, to themselves and to future generations of North Cantonians "to be on the watch."

As Osborne pointed out, the "Boss" is watching and they should be too!

APPENDIX LIST:

• OSBORNE'S REBUTTAL REMARKS
• OSBORNE WRITTEN COMMENTS
•  
• McCLEASTER ON NORTH CANTON JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

APPENDIX 1:  OSBORNE REBUTTAL 

Rebuttal Remarks to Today's Blog - August 26, 2014

        Chuck Osborne
        Today at 2:15 PM

To:  Martin Olson

Hello Martin,

In regards to the statements made by Mayor Held, in your video interview, I would disagree on the following points:

First, Mayor Held’s statement that the majestic Pin Oak trees that lined East Maple had to come down to allow for the expansion of the street is untrue. The street was only widened five feet. The trees that lined East Maple sat a considerable distance back from the street. I measured the distance myself and if memory serves me right, the trees were close to twenty feet from the street. The distance the trees sat back from the street would easily have accommodated the widening plus the addition of the sidewalk and still have been about five feet further back. In short, the trees could have been incorporated in the redesign of the street and saved.

Second, I disagree that the North Canton YMCA is not being threatened. McKinley Street is literally in the shadows of the YMCA and if the City vacates McKinley Street to Maple Street Commerce, the YMCA will be hindered in the performance of their mission. Development plans of Maple Street Commerce will be literally at the doorstep of the YMCA.

Third, Mayor Held says that Stark Parks has no objections to the relocation of their trail. This statement is ludicrous. Stark Parks is not in the habit of expending public tax dollars constructing trails only to abandon the trails after they are constructed. Unfortunately, in the agreement between Stark Parks and Maple Street Commerce, Stark Parks agreed to terms with Maple Street that left them no choice but to relocate their trail. The agreement required of Stark Parks a one-time relocation of the trail at the expense of Stark Parks should Maple Street Commerce make that request. I would have to say here that Maple Street Commerce did not deal in good faith with Stark Parks at the time the agreement was signed.



Contrary to what Mayor Held has stated the relocation of the trail to a sidewalk on East Maple is not how Stark Parks wants to spend public money. So, in short, I think it is safe to say that Stark Parks is not happy with how this has turned out for them.

Lastly, Mayor Held touts the development of Waterside as a success. The City partnered with the developer in 2007 with the construction of a road that costs nearly $1.0 million. That was seven years ago. A state grant in the amount of $350,000 was extended to assist with the road construction. In 2017, that $350,000 must be repaid to the state. Here we are, seven years later and there is no development. I do not see any success in this situation.

Thanks,

Chuck Osborne  

APPENDIX 2.   OSBORNE COMMENTS

[Osborne] Prepared Comments Made to
NORTH CANTON CITY COUNCIL
August 25, 2014

CORPORATE GREED IS OVERTAKING NORTH CANTON
 AND THE INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE AND ENRICH OUR
COMMUNITY

 “The North Canton Community Building was founded in 1923 by W. ‘Boss’ Hoover who gave the original ‘Community Building’ to North Canton for the enjoyment of its citizens. The current building was completed in 1970, with a major addition in 1983 and a new Wellness Center addition in 2002.”

This information is from the Website of the North Canton YMCA.

Unfortunately, “Boss” Hoover is no longer with us today nor is the company that he founded. The charity and paternalism championed by W. “Boss” Hoover and the Hoover Company for our community are gone. That benevolence is not something Maple Street Commerce, now the owners of the former Hoover property, feel compelled to show our community.

What has Maple Street Commerce done for our community since becoming owners of what is now called the Hoover District?

The roles have been reversed as it is the community that is now the benefactor. Corporate millionaires now expect to be served by the community upon which they have descended to suck from them as much as City leaders will hand out.

How much has North Canton provided to the millionaire owners of the Hoover District since their arrival in 2008?

First was $440,000 to purchase cranes for their first tenant, Meyers Controlled Power. Then it was $3,000,000 to renovate factory space for The Shroer Group. Then another $1.0 million for further office space on the second floor for additional tenants. Most recently and most noticed by the public is the expenditure of $2,253,000 for what has been described as a widening of East Maple Street. The so-called widening of East Maple in actuality simply creates on-street parking in front of the office building.

It is through this recent construction that the majestic Pin Oaks which lined East Maple Street were destroyed in spite of the fact that the majestic Oaks were located far enough away from the finished widening of East Maple Street to have remained.

In total, our small community has provided close to $6,753, 000 and this does not include the many tax abatements that the City and the North Canton City School District have had to accept to help make lease terms with Maple Street Commerce acceptable to new tenants.

I suspect “Boss” Hoover is rolling over in his grave at this point, but that is not all that Maple Street Commerce has inflicted on our little community.

Plans to expand the south parking lot could lead to the destruction of hundreds more trees that serve as a buffer to the surrounding neighborhoods. If that happens, home values and neighborhood harmony will be impacted very negatively.

Community institutions are also feeling the greed of Maple Street Commerce.

Stark Parks will be forced to relocate a trail if the south parking lot is expanded. The forced relocation of the trail will result in the squandering of thousands of dollars of public money that were expended to build the trail.

Lastly, I am concerned about the future viability of the North Canton YMCA. That concern is for two reasons.

First, the new entrance to the YMCA parking lot, presently under construction, is wholly inadequate. At 22 feet in width, it is much too narrow and will not serve the needs of the motoring public. Many of you on this Council have looked at this poor design and concur.

The new entrance to the Hoover District parking lot is 33 feet wide. Why wasn’t the entrance to the YMCA parking lot afforded an equally inviting navigable entrance?  Further, bus traffic and emergency vehicles will have great difficulty maneuvering in the poorly designed network of curbs.

Second, the vacation of McKinley Street will soon be decided before the Planning Commission. The vacation of McKinley Street should go entirely to the YMCA. The YMCA has parking and growth needs of its own that need to be filled. And that need is now.

Maple Street Commerce, through its plans that may or may not be realistic and that may or may not come to fruition, is making a demand for parking that is unfair to the North Canton YMCA.

McKinley Street is located in the very shadows of the YMCA building. To not vacate the entire length of McKinley Street to the YMCA will simply put a chokehold on their future.

Please do not undermine the seeds that W. “Boss” Hoover planted over ninety-one years ago.

Economic development should not come at any and all costs to the community.

I ask this council to protect our community and the institutions that serve us. Save the Stark Parks trail. Support the North Canton YMCA in every way possible. And protect the City and its residents from the rampant “Corporate Greed” that we see consuming our community.

W. “Boss” Hoover is watching!

Thank you,

Chuck Osborne, Resident
City of North Canton

APPENDIX 2:  McCLEASTER NC JCC

"NORTH CANTON: A CITY THAT WORKS?"

Recently, Canton Repository columnist Jim Hillibish wrote a piece North Canton:  A city that works (May 10, 2013).

Well, Hillibish couldn't have consulted with North Canton civic activist and former Councilman Chuck Osborne prior to penning his North Canton Chamber of Commerce-esque glossy brochure material.

Moreover, he could not have visited Osborne's website. (LINK)

If one takes a cue from Osborne, one would think nearly "nothing works in North Canton."

Just take a look at a list of complaints he has logged with the Stark County Political Report (via emails) going back no further than January of this year.

And here is a LINK to a prior Stark County Political Report blog which, in turn links to blogs which detail other examples (i.e. street sweepings, the Maples Street Commerce project, and the Bitzer Park Veterans' Memorial) of Osborne's chronic vexation of North Canton City Council.

So which is it?  "A city that works?" or "A city that does NOT work?"

How about something in between?

There are some things with which to be impressed with North Canton about AND there are things to be unimpressed with about The Dogwood City.

All of which brings yours truly to this question:  Is activist Osborne a help or a hindrance to being "a city that works?"

Or, put another way:

• Is his motivation to help the city:

or

•  Is his motivation primarily to self promote and/or work out political comeuppance?

As readers of the SCPR know, yours truly nearly always applauds those Stark County citizens (i.e. civic activists) who are willing to stick their necks out in endeavors designed to be a check and balance on the excesses and deficiencies of government.

And Osborne has been a recipient of some of those accolades over the five plus years of The Report's existence.

However, with his latest effort to reform(?) North Canton government; it is becoming more and more apparent to yours truly that he is more interested in keeping his name in the headlines and, perhaps, work out political vendettas than in working with the city's political/governmental leadership to make North Canton "a city that works;" not in the sense of a journalistic puff piece, but as a matter of - day-in, day-out, reality.

The SCPR's take on North Canton is that as municipalities go these days, with the huge financial problems brought on by the State of Ohio ripping away massive amounts of state funding of local government, North Canton is demonstrating that it can and is adjusting and endeavors to be "a city that works."

City leaders like to point to the Maple Street Commerce project (the city's Hoover industrial complex rehab and economic development effort) as a huge success.

Yes, there is some success in that it may have (depending whose numbers one believes) perhaps, upwards of 1,000 jobs or so.  However, that number, whatever it truly is; is a long way from the 3,000 jobs that one key North Canton insider tells the SCPR the project should have produced by now.

So the telling barometer of whether or not North Canton "is a city that works" largely has to do with getting the city back on track in having, maintaining and producing jobs as in the Hoover heyday period.

Even it he makes a point or two here and there, many of Osborne's offerings to make North Canton "a city that works" are of a nit picking, insubstantial variety.

Osborne's latest project:  making the mayor's office a full time position, is not (in the opinion of the SCPR) about making North Canton government more efficient and responsive to the "real" needs" its citizenry.

It is likely, in part, borne of a Osborne political vendetta against Mayor David Held.

Held and Osborne have been - in a political context - at one another's throats for years.

So much so that the basis of the acrimony often gets lost in the fight.  These two appear not to like each other.  And the "make the mayor full time" effort seems to be the latest in a series of back and forths between the two.

If his amendment passes - of forcing Held out of the mayor's office inasmuch as he is the executive director of the prestigious and well-paying Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District.

Having to make s choice, the SCPR thinks Held would opt out of the mayor's office.

Osborne undoubtedly understands this likely outcome.

Moreover, The Report sees Osborne's "amend the charter" effort as grandstanding pure and simple so that the name Chuck Osborne makes the headlines between now and November 6, 2013 and beyond.

In yours truly's discussion with Osborne on his justifications for pushing the petition, The Report's take is that the those reasons are tortured and forcibly cobbled together (e.g. a full time mayor can help Administrator Grimes with the day-to-day administrative tasks in the wake of the administrative director's post being left vacant) to make it "appear" that Osborne cares about helping Grimes get North Canton's administrative work done.

Osborne says that the bump up in the mayor's annual income (he suggests to $65,000) would come from the money previously paid to now vacant director of administration.

Such reasoning rings hollow.

If Grimes has a need for help, there are better ways to bring it on board than the full time mayor proposal.

In a historical context, we all know how Osborne is always harping on saving North Canton money.   With his successful 2012 amendment, he convinced North Cantonians to end health care benefits for part-time elected officials.

Except, of course, when he was councilman he took health care benefits.

How is that different from what any other politician?

Osborne has had one office-seeking electoral success in North Canton. 

After losing his reelection bid, he ran for mayor, for council several times and tried to get the third ward seat via appointment when Tim Fox resigned last year to become law director.

To the SCPR, Osborne's incessant drive to achieve elective office manifests a motivation to achieve political power for its own sake which is attendant to his seeming desire to always be in the limelight in constantly cooking up one thing or another to be unhappy with North Canton Council or the Held administration about.

His "make the mayor a full time position" is his third effort since 2005 to force his ideas on council.

As mentioned above, he won last year on the health care issue.

However,  he was unable in 2005 to get a measure on the ballot to redirect North Canton's Community Improvement Corporation monies to the city's general fund.

So it appears to The Report that he is in a sense forcing his way onto council via the petition process.

Doing such is a proper and helpful exercise for citizens in general.

However, when it becomes a substitute for being unable to get elected/appointed as councilman in repetitive tries, then the SCPR thinks it is fair to conclude that the process is being used by him to circumvent the articulated will of the voters in rejecting his candidacies in 2003 and beyond.

Over the years of doing the SCPR, yours truly has been supportive of Osborne on occasion.  But those blogs were done in the context of believing that he was primarily acting as a civic minded citizen working to make North Canton a better city.

The Report is saddened to pretty much come to a realization/belief that Osborne primarily aspires to be a political power broker for the ego enhancing fix it brings to him; not necessarily for the merit of a given proposal itself.

Such is not a formula which helps make North Canton "a city that works!"

IS THERE TAXPAYER ACCOUNTABILITY FROM NORTH CANTON CITY OFFICIALS?

More and more it appears that it is becoming murky as to whether or not the move of Myers Controlled Power from Massillon is going to pay off for North Canton.

Murky is the operative word.

How so?

North Canton city officials do not seem to have a handle on the numbers being bandied about in terms of jobs being maintained or increased?

The SCPR has asked North Canton Economic Development Director Eric Bowles and North Canton Council president Daryl Revoldt about reports that one tenant of the Hoover campus ("HOOVER" - which Maple Street Commerce - "MAPLE STREET") is rehabbing is out and that another (MYERS) is struggling.

Other than confirming that the Flower Factory (FLOWER) has vacated Hoover with its 12 jobs, Bowles was shockingly unable to confirm or deny or provide specific alternative information on the questions being asked.

Daryl Revoldt, who knows a thing or two about economic development, chose to ignore the SCPR's questions. Does this mean that Revoldt only answers questions he feels comfortable with?

Apparently, Bowles and Revoldt either don't know the numbers or do not think they are accountable to the public.

Bowles made some sort of vague reference to the SCPR to some other company subleasing from FLOWER but had no idea what number of jobs that the sublessee was bringing to HOOVER.

The move by FLOWER cost North Canton an actual 12 jobs and a hoped for total of 100. Has the sublessee replaced any of the actual or hoped for 100? Again, no one in North Canton government seems to know or are not talking.

It cost North Canton Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) $440,000 to buy three cranes to bring MYERS from Massillon to HOOVER. It is believed that MYERS brought at least 100 jobs to HOOVER per its obligation in an agreement entered into between MYERS, CIC and MAPLE STREET about one year ago. When the North Canton press conference was held in mid-2008 heralding the MYERS relocation 10.5 miles from the 44646 zip code to the 44720 zip code, the "non-contractual" word was that MYERS might be up to 220 jobs in about a year.When contrasting what CIC did for MYERS in forking out the $440,000 (Massillon only anted up $25,000 in relocation expenses when MYERS moved to Massillon in 2000 bringing 100 jobs); is it acceptable that MYERS is struggling to maintain the 100 jobs, if that?

Now comes word that MYERS has laid off at least 20 employees and maybe as many as 26. Again, North Canton Economic Development Director Eric Bowles said he didn't know the exact number. Revoldt is not talking.

So what is the number of total jobs that the HOOVER remake has brought to North Canton and at what cost?

A more basic question is whether or not North Canton officials have the wherewithal to make the HOOVER project work?

Revoldt appears to be equipped (in terms of understanding the mechanics of re-development) to pull the renaissance of North Canton off. The SCPR is encouraged he attended the recent Stark State conference on fuel cell development which might be indicative he is acquiring a "vision." But, like LeBron James and his teammates, are there missing parts to his North Canton team that will prevent North Canton from becoming a "champion" economic development city?

North Cantonians should be alarmed that city officials either do not know the numbers or are choosing to "not be accountable" to taxpayers. Moreover, Stark Countians and, indeed, all Ohioans - from a taxpayer standpoint (because of Job Ready Site grants) are entitled to know the real numbers.

The SCPR has learned that MAPLE STREET may be having difficulty in obtaining the necessary financing to rehab HOOVER to receive the recently announced relocation of Altercare from Jackson Township into North Canton.

Is this true/untrue? Will North Canton officials answer the question? Can they answer the question?

As uncomfortable as squaring up with reality North Canton officials may feel; they have no choice. They must level with the people and constantly redirect their couse until they get on a job productive course.

Accountability, transparency and producing for the general community welfare are among a whole range of obligations incurred by those holding public office.