Kevin Marsh Uncategorized

Connecting with Clifton Town Meeting

Welcome to 2017!  We recommend you bookmark this post as below are some key information about Clifton Town Meeting for your use.

Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) has a Board of 15 Trustees. The organization has a set of bylaws that governs its operation and action. http://www.cliftoncommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CTM-Bylaws-Revised-Dec-2015.pdf

Your Trustees for 2017 are as follows:

Eric Urbas – President
Cindy Oakenfull – Vice President 1
Malcolm Montgomery – Vice President 2
Ashley Fritz – Secretary
Shaun McCance – Treasurer
Adam Balz
Peter Block
Christine Celsor
Brad Hawse
Nicholas Hollan
Rama Kasturi
Seth Maney
Kevin Marsh
Michael Moran
Joyce Rich

There are many ways to interact, engage, volunteer, and communicate with CTM.

In person options

We have monthly Board meetings. The schedule is set every January at the first Board meeting of the year. Generally, the meetings are on the first Monday of the month from 7-9pm at the Clifton Recreation Center. Exact dates will be posted on the Clifton Community Calendar website page.

You can speak at these meetings on a specific topic or at the end of the meeting. Community members should sign up to speak on an agenda item before the start of the meeting. Not all agenda items will have time reserved for public input. Individual input on agenda items will be no more than two minutes. Community members are able to speak on non-agenda issues during the public questions and concerns agenda item. Individuals with statements are asked to sign in before the start of the meeting. Statements will be no more than three minutes during the questions and concerns agenda item.

Our Committees are always seeking volunteers for specific activities or for longer term participating on the work of the Committee. Your involvement, be it big or small, is welcome and desired.

Events CTM produces or co-sponsors annually:

•Memorial Day Parade & Cook Out
•CliftonFest Booth
•Golf Outing
•Lantern Walk
•Holidays on Ludlow

The Clifton House Tour is held every 3 years on Mother’s Day. Next Tour is 2018. Planning always starts in the year prior to the event.

2017 Event Captains
Event – Captain
House Tour – Adam Balz
Memorial Day Parade/Cookout – Nicholas Hollan
Clifton Fest Booth – Joyce Rich
Golf Outing – Eric Urbas
Lantern Walk – Adam Balz
Holidays on Ludlow – Joyce Rich

All events are more successful when we have volunteers from the community to participate in planning or on the day of the event.

Committees and Chairpersons for 2017

Committee – Chairperson
Beautification – Adam Balz
Business – Peter Block
Chronicle – Ashley Fritz
Website / Social Media – Shaun McCance
Membership – Kevin Marsh
Housing and Zoning – Christine Celsor
Nominating – Ashley Fritz
Public Safety – Kevin Marsh
Clifton Community LLC – Eric Urbas & Shaun McCance
Transportation – Seth Maney
Parks – Rama Kasturi
Education – Nicholas Hollan
Ad Hoc Committees
Fundraising – Brad Hawse
By-Laws – Malcolm Montgomery
Save the CCAC – Malcolm Montgomery

Liaison Role
Uptown / NOU – Joyce Rich
Invest In Neighborhoods – Shaun McCance
TriHealth – Brad Hawse
Clifton Community Fun – Eric Urbas
CPBA – Peter Block
Ludlow 21 – Joyce Rich
Clifton Market – Rama Kasturi
UC Health – Brad Hawse

Some of our Committees hold public engagement / discussion meetings to gather input on specific topics. These are announced in advance by email and put onto social media channels.

Emails to CTM

CTM has multiple emails that you can use to convey information, concerns, questions, etc:
•Our primary email is contactctm@Cliftoncommunity.org. This email is monitored daily. Your email is forwarded to the most appropriate person or Committee for response. When in doubt, use this email for all purposes.
•Financial matter to address with our Treasurer, please email ctmtreasurer@cliftoncommunity.org
•Matters dealing with Housing & Zoning, you can email the Committee directly at housingandzoning@cliftoncommunity.org
•Matters related to the Education Committee, you can email the Committee Chair directly at clifton-school@cliftoncommunity.org
•Submit an article / photo for the Clifton Chronicle or wish to place an ad, you can email vblack1@cliftoncommunity.org

Emails from CTM

CTM has a subscriber, opt-in, email list that is used to send information & announcements related to Clifton. We never sell or share this list, and we do not email you constantly. 3-5 emails a month including the monthly CTM meeting agenda. You can opt-in at this link: http://eepurl.com/bemMm5

The Education Committee has has a subscriber, opt-in, email list that is in use for topics related only to guaranteed access to quality education and the current effort to create a neighborhood area public school. We never share or sell this list, and we do not email you constantly. You can opt-in a this link: http://eepurl.com/bR8pAn

Clifton Community Website

CTM maintains the Clifton Community website at http://www.cliftoncommunity.org/ This website contains a variety of news, calendar, public safety links, prior CTM meeting minutes, Clifton Chronicle issues, links to institutions & businesses in Clifton, and much more. There are links on the website to submit questions / concerns directly to CTM.

The Clifton Community Calendar has a moderated submission link that you can use to create entries for community events on the calendar. http://www.cliftoncommunity.org/calendar/

Social Media

CTM operates various social media accounts:

•Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/CliftonTownMeeting
•Twitter account – https://twitter.com/cliftontownmeet @cliftontownmeet
•NextDoor Clifton account – https://clifton.nextdoor.com/login
•The Education Committee has a Facebook Group called “Citizens For Clifton Area Neighborhood School” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1165996130112593/

Social media “likes”, shares & retweets do not imply Board positions or agreement. We like to promote Clifton related events for the good of the community.

Postal Mail

We accept mail at PO Box 20042, Cincinnati, OH 45220. This is the slowest way to contact us.

Membership

Our organization is always seeking the financial support of the community through a variety of membership options. You can start or renew a membership online at http://www.cliftoncommunity.org/products-page/membership/ We run a more detailed membership drive effort each year as well describing the benefits of being a member.

Thank you. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you.

Kevin Marsh Announcements

CTM Election Results

CTM Trustee elections were held on December 5, 2016. Members cast 108 ballots. Trustees elected were Kevin Marsh, Joyce Rich, Christine Celsor, Seth Maney, and Brad Hawse.

CTM President Eric Urbas thanked all candidates who ran for election, and he also expressed gratitude for the service of departing Trustees Ben Pantoja, Erin Hinson, and Adam Hyland.

Kevin Marsh Announcements

CTM Trustee Nominations for 2017

We are seeking candidates to run for Trustee positions during the 12/5/2016 meeting of the Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) Board. If you think you might enjoy serving as a Trustee, please email contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org by October 21st.

UPDATE on Nov 11 — Click here to see the bios of all the candidates for Trustee.

CTM is Clifton’s neighborhood community council. As such, CTM seeks to understand the interests of Clifton residents and to represent those interests with the City of Cincinnati. In addition, CTM supports a wide range of events and projects that help make Clifton a great place to live, work and play. Examples include: Holidays on Ludlow, the Memorial Day Parade, CliftonFest, the Clifton House Tour, and the restoration of the Probasco Fountain.

As a Trustee, you will share your voice and skills regarding community events, beautification projects, and issues related to education, safety, transportation, business development, and housing and zoning. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other organizations such as Uptown Consortium, CCAC, TriHealth, CPBA, Ludlow 21, and Clifton Community Fund.

Trustee Expectations:

  • Serve a 3 year term
  • Attend and participate in monthly CTM meetings
  • Serve on at least one CTM committee
  • Be informed about issues that affect Clifton

If you are interested in becoming a CTM Trustee, please email contactctm@cliftoncommunity.org no later than October 21st.

  • Provide a telephone number if possible. We will email you more information, but would also like to call you to answer any questions you may have.
  • You must have a current CTM Membership at the time of the election. Memberships are available to Clifton residents, Clifton property owners, and operators of businesses in Clifton. For more information about CTM Membership, see http://www.cliftoncommunity.org/products-page/membership/
  • Before the election, you must submit a biographical summary of 200 words or less so that voters can learn about you. We will email you examples from past elections.
  • Please submit your bio by 10/28/2016 so that we can include it in the next Clifton Chronicle newsletter. If that is too soon for you, we will accept bio’s as late as 11/04/2016.

If you’d like to join our energetic, committed committed group of CTM Trustees, please contact us soon.

Kevin Marsh Announcements

New CTM Education Social Media Groups

The CTM Education Committee has launched a new place on Facebook. & NextDoor Clifton regarding guaranteed access to quality public education with a focus on a new neighborhood area school.

Do you live in or near the neighborhoods of Clifton, CUF, Spring Grove Village, or the zip codes 45220 / 45219? Are you are interested or supportive of access to quality education for all children potentially including a new neighborhood school? Is the current school situation confusing, or do you want more information ?

Join this group today! This group is maintained by the Clifton Town Meeting Education Committee as a way to educate and engage with the community. This group welcomes civil discussion and constructive input.

Click here for Facebook group.
Click here for NextDoor group.

The Community Councils of Clifton, CUF and Spring Grove Village agree that the Clifton Cultural Arts Center must remain in its current building. Plans and designs for a new neighborhood school will be considered only for other locations.

Kevin Marsh Announcements

Joint Statement on Education & CCAC to CPS

Working Group

Clifton Town Meeting – CUF Neighborhood Association – Spring Grove Community Council – Clifton Cultural Arts Center – Fairview-Clifton German Language School Parent and Community Representatives

Joint Statement

Over the last several months, representatives from Clifton Town Meeting, CUF Neighborhood Association and the Spring Grove Village Community Council have been meeting with community partners from the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) and parent and community representatives of the Fairview-Clifton German Language School LSDMC in an effort to develop a comprehensive, unified plan that guarantees quality school access for all residents of the three communities, ensures that Fairview-Clifton German Language School remains a highly rated school and securely maintains CCAC in their current building under the terms of the 2005 lease agreement.

Throughout the past six months our joint goal has been to identify a solution that addresses both the needs of the District and communities and creates a win for all parties. After many weeks and hours of discussion, we have agreed upon a collaborative, inclusive approach that we believe meets that goal:

  • Expand classroom space on Fairview’s current location to cover a 3-year increase in kindergarten magnet enrollment with a build-out of the current building and the temporary use of modular classrooms during the build-out;
  • Commit and allocate necessary physical, financial and staff resources to ensure that all students at Fairview continue to receive a quality education;
  • Scale back enrollment to the pre-expansion level of 100-125 kindergarten magnet students after three years;
  • Keep CCAC in the 1906 building under the current lease agreement without possibility of termination until the completion of the lease period, and/or CPS to offer CCAC the option to purchase the property;
  • State on all print and electronic documents produced by CTM, CUF or Spring Grove Community Councils that, “The Community Councils of Clifton, CUF and Spring Grove Village agree that the Clifton Cultural Arts Center must remain in its current building. Plans and designs for a new neighborhood school will be considered only for other locations”;
  • Begin a neighborhood school based on an informed community engagement process, for the 2018-19 school year at a temporary location with one grade level, adding another grade level each subsequent year;
  • Create a neighborhood school to a suitable size that accommodates the demand of the neighborhoods. Possible sites include: Fairview expansion build-out, Hughes High School Annex or the former Fairview School Annex.

Click here to see the signed version of the Joint Statement of Spring Grove Village, CUF and Clifton

=== PRESS RELEASE ===

Cincinnati – Representatives from Clifton Town Meeting (CTM), CUF (Clifton Heights-University Heights-Fairview) Neighborhood Association and the Spring Grove Village Community Council (SGV), along with community partners from the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) and parent and community representatives of the Fairview-Clifton German Language School Local School Decision Making Committee (LSDMC) will hold a press conference on Monday, August 22, at 5:30 pm at the Cincinnati Public Schools Education Center at 2651 Burnet Avenue in Corryville to release a Joint Statement.
The Joint Statement is the result of months of weekly meetings between these community stakeholder groups who are all deeply engaged and invested in the education, diversity, vibrancy, inclusion, and cohesiveness of our neighborhoods and community institutions.

The solutions presented in the Joint Statement convey the priorities of the communities:
• access to quality education for all children potentially including a new neighborhood school;
• preservation of the high level of educational quality at Fairview-Clifton German Language School in the face of pressure to expand;
• safeguarding of the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, an essential community asset, in its current location.

The collective group, commonly known as the “Working Group,” reflects the interests of thousands of our city’s children, parents, and residents. In early 2016, the Working Group began meeting to address urgent community issues: the challenge of overcrowding at Fairview Clifton German Language School, the threat of losing CCAC, our cultural center and a valued educational partner for CPS schools, including Fairview, and improved access to quality public education for residents of Clifton, CUF and Spring Grove Village.

Members of the Working Group, joined by dozens of community members, are asking to work collaboratively with the CPS Board of Education and Administration to determine the details and specifics of a practical, long-term strategy, which addresses all of the concerns listed in the Joint Statement. “Stakeholders from many different groups and three distinct neighborhoods have come together and worked hard to develop the comprehensive solution embodied in this Joint Statement,” said Clifton Town Meeting Vice President Malcolm Montgomery. “We believe that together with CPS we can give these children a great education and preserve the cultural center of our neighborhoods and beyond.”

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