Move Norwood Forward: The Podcast of the Highlands

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Latest Episodes:

Making Norwood Ohio the Strongest Town it Can Be Apr 05, 2022

Is Norwood Ohio the Strongest Town in America? It’s hard to say for sure, but through a recent contest put on by Strong Towns, our city has been thrust into the limelight. And while thousands of Norwoodians have taken time to vote, it’s important to realize that this isn’t just a popularity contest. This is a crucial opportunity to engage with Strong Towns principles.

On this episode of the Move Norwood Forward podcast, Alisha Loch and Mike Skelly join the show to talk about the six principles for a strong town.

Alisha Loch is a mother of three, lover of cities, and Board Member for Norwood Together. Living in south Norwood near Wasson Way, she has gotten involved with projects to expand the city’s bicycle friendliness.

Mike Skelly is employed by the City of Norwood as a Community Development Director. Arriving in our community in 2021, he brings years of professional experience and a sincere willingness to help.

Yes, the purpose of this episode is to engage with the Strong Towns principles, but I will also encourage you to vote for Norwood in the Strongest Town championship round. Voting runs April 4-7, 2022.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

Principles for making a Strong Town
Current projects that are emblematic of the S.T. approach
Why it’s been a year since I’ve done anything with Move Norwood Forward
… and much more

Listen here.

More links to help make Norwood Ohio the Strongest Town

Learn more about the city’s financial solvency, including revenues and expenses, by visiting the Norwood Auditor website. Even if the charts are a few years old, you can still get the basic gist.

Read more about Factory 52, a mixed-use project that’s going on the former site of the US Playing Card factory. Since 2009, this parcel has set empty, rendering one percent of Norwood’s most valuable commodity useless.

Check out Norwood Together and everything they’ve got going on.

Wasson Way is a bike trail that runs east-west across several of the region’s “near in neighborhoods”. It touches Norwood on the south boundary of the city and may someday go up the west side of Ward 1.

An alternative to the many breweries in the region, Northwood Cidery is a new business that’s going in next to Victory Park.

The Montgomery Road revitalization plan aims to make “the pike” a place to GO TO, not just blow through.

Alisha referenced the Norwood flood of 2016 as a galvanizing moment for our community.

Before coming to Norwood, Mike Skelly worked for Carlisle, PA, which won the 2016 Strongest Town contest.

Mike talked about the unusual nature of a city being reliant on Income Tax revenue. In this article, How a city goes bankrupt, I detailed the four basic levers that Norwood has to improve its financial situation.

Are you sick of the high price of gasoline? Norwood has a number of great bus lines that run through the city, which you can locate with the Transit App. Pro tip: this app works everywhere in the world that has public transit and was a life saver when Jessica and I went to Paris.

Mike Skelly praises Norwood leaders from 2013, who had the foresight to create the corner store provision. This bit of law allows certain businesses to go into historically-commercial buildings in residential areas.

If you’re fired up about the topic of this podcase, feed your soul with Jane Jacobs books. Or simply start by reading about the concept of eyes on the streets.

Two books mentioned on the show are: Strong Towns: A Bottom Up Revolution To Rebuild American Prosperity and Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps To Making Better Places

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Making Norwood Ohio the Strongest Town it Can Be appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Photo of Dr. Darrin Wilson from Northern Kentucky University — **Asset Based Community Development with Dr. Darrin Wilson** Jan 17, 2021

How does a community move forward? On one hand, citizens could focus on all the negatives and jump from one problem to the next, like a game of whack-a-mole. Or they could take the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.

In this long-form interview with Dr. Darrin Wilson from Northern Kentucky University, we focus on ABCD as a tool for embracing a community’s strengths and doubling down on them.

Raised in rural Kentucky, Dr. Wilson has seen this approach work in a wide array of communities. From big businesses to great storytellers, blank walls to local universities, there are countless assets that can be leveraged for community prosperity. But, first, you’ve got to know where to look.

As Dr. Wilson said in the episode, ABCD is a way for communities to “Get busy living or get busy dying. And Norwood is too wonderful of a place to let die.”

Listen here:

Links from the interview with Dr. Darrin Wilson

In Asset Based Community Development, there are the types of assets to be leveraged:

**Human** – knowledge, skills, and abilities of people in a community. “What pool of talent do we have?”
**Social** – Strong or weak bonds. Neighbors knowing each other. Kids playing together. Community organizations. Churches.
**Physical** – Buildings, roads, sewers, water systems. Reactivating old buildings.
**Financial** – Banks, corporations, community wealth,
**Environmental** – Qualities of community’s water, soil, air, accessing natural beauty and views of natural features
**Political** – Govt institutions, political activism, interest groups, neighborhood associations, school boards, regional governments
**Cultural** – history, values, traditions, “sense of place”

Overview of Charles Tiebout’s theory about people “voting with their feet.”

Check out how the laneways of Melbourne, which are an asset made from an eyesore.

Similar to the Hudson-Floral Micro Park, Ryan Salzman of Bellevue, KY turned an unused space into a public art installation and gathering place.

The following is the **Asset Based Community Development** map, which is a key tool for planning.

Learn more about the origins of The Catalytic Fund, which brings projects to life in Northern Kentucky. More recently, they’ve worked with the Northern Kentucky Chamber on a public art and way-finding project.

Dip your toes into the world of CDFIs.

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Asset Based Community Development with Dr. Darrin Wilson appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Graphic of an Asset Based Community Development map, which can be used to identify strengths of Individuals, Associations, and Local Institutions. — **Asset Based Community Development with Dr. Darrin Wilson** Jan 17, 2021

How does a community move forward? On one hand, citizens could focus on all the negatives and jump from one problem to the next, like a game of whack-a-mole. Or they could take the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.

In this long-form interview with Dr. Darrin Wilson from Northern Kentucky University, we focus on ABCD as a tool for embracing a community’s strengths and doubling down on them.

Raised in rural Kentucky, Dr. Wilson has seen this approach work in a wide array of communities. From big businesses to great storytellers, blank walls to local universities, there are countless assets that can be leveraged for community prosperity. But, first, you’ve got to know where to look.

As Dr. Wilson said in the episode, ABCD is a way for communities to “Get busy living or get busy dying. And Norwood is too wonderful of a place to let die.”

Listen here:

Links from the interview with Dr. Darrin Wilson

In Asset Based Community Development, there are the types of assets to be leveraged:

**Human** – knowledge, skills, and abilities of people in a community. “What pool of talent do we have?”
**Social** – Strong or weak bonds. Neighbors knowing each other. Kids playing together. Community organizations. Churches.
**Physical** – Buildings, roads, sewers, water systems. Reactivating old buildings.
**Financial** – Banks, corporations, community wealth,
**Environmental** – Qualities of community’s water, soil, air, accessing natural beauty and views of natural features
**Political** – Govt institutions, political activism, interest groups, neighborhood associations, school boards, regional governments
**Cultural** – history, values, traditions, “sense of place”

Overview of Charles Tiebout’s theory about people “voting with their feet.”

Check out how the laneways of Melbourne, which are an asset made from an eyesore.

Similar to the Hudson-Floral Micro Park, Ryan Salzman of Bellevue, KY turned an unused space into a public art installation and gathering place.

The following is the **Asset Based Community Development** map, which is a key tool for planning.

Learn more about the origins of The Catalytic Fund, which brings projects to life in Northern Kentucky. More recently, they’ve worked with the Northern Kentucky Chamber on a public art and way-finding project.

Dip your toes into the world of CDFIs.

—

Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Asset Based Community Development with Dr. Darrin Wilson appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

A mirror from outside Norwood Dec 19, 2020

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what’s true in Norwood.

We get so wrapped up in our own bubble that it’s easy to forget that we’re not alone in this local governance thing.

Should we keep this city service or outsource it? Should we allow this ordinance change or not? How are we going to pay our bills?

When facts and emotions clash, it seems necessary to bring in an impartial observer to help separate the truth from the hysteria.

On this long-form edition of the podcast, President and CEO of Management Partners, Jerry Newfarmer, joins the show to discuss best practices in local government.

Who is Jerry Newfarmer?

After spending years as the city manager of Fresno, CA; San Jose, CA; and the City of Cincinnati, Mr. Newfarmer started Management Partners to help local governments operate better. Having worked with hundreds of municipalities across the United States, he brings valuable perspective to the discussion. Moreover, as a 30-year resident of North Avondale, he has kept an eye on Norwood across the years.

In this conversation, we discuss:

The 50 year shift in Norwood’s economy
Pros and Cons of operating as a statutory city
What it would take to adopt a charter
Metrics for evaluating efficiency and effecitveness of city services
Why it’s so hard for politicians to make changes to city staffing
The importance of a long-term financial plan for a city
and much more.

Listen here:

Selected links from the interview with Jerry Newfarmer

Check out the City of Montgomery’s strategic plan, with which Mr. Newfarmer was involved. Gosh, would I love to see something this thoughtful and comprehensive for Norwood.

Read more about the ways that state decisions have hurt local budgets over the last decade.

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post A mirror from outside Norwood appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

**Norwood in Nine: December 8 City Council Meeting** Dec 09, 2020
Two council meetings in two nights? Bring it on.

In the wake of Monday night’s special meeting, Council reconvened on Tuesday for another lengthy session. Although the discussion about Dispatch carried on, it took on a new life this time. Other agenda items included:

A new program for treating low-level offenders dealing with homelessness, substance addiction, or mental health issues.
An update about the water system in Norwood
A change to 2021 appropriations in response to COVID
and much more

Listen here:

Check out the full resolution passed about the Mayor below.

To read the entirety of the December 8th council packet, click here.

Although there isn’t specific information about the LEAD program, you can read more about the entity behind it, the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition.

Friendly reminder: you can get announcements and agendas for all upcoming meetings by emailing council@norwoodohio.gov and asking to be added to *the sunshine list.*

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Norwood in Nine: December 8 City Council Meeting appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Norwood in Nine: December 7 Special Meeting of City Council Dec 08, 2020

It was a special meeting, indeed.

Following up on the contentious November 24th meeting, Mayor Schneider scheduled this session to discuss Norwood’s Dispatch. More specifically, the purpose of this gathering was to inform the Council and the public about why the mayor is looking to contract with the Hamilton County Communications Center, which would eliminate the need for Norwood to have its own Dispatch center.

In a meeting that lasted nearly three hours, emotions ran high, patience was tested, and many left feeling disappointed — like the whole thing was a charade. But what else would you expect from a meeting that saw more than 430 comments on the Facebook broadcast?

This edition of the show dives into:

Key takeaways from Police Chief Kramer, Fire Chief McCabe, and the Director of the Hamilton County Communications Center.
Biggest areas of concern among Council members.
Impassioned speeches from Mayor Schneider, Auditor Stith, and others.
The cost savings of such a move… and much more.

Listen here:

P.S. sorry, but there’s no Jess in this episode. All of her yelling about council contained expletives, so none could remain in the final draft. It was that kind of night.

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The post Norwood in Nine: December 7 Special Meeting of City Council appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

**Norwood in Nine: November 24 City Council Meeting** Nov 25, 2020
After a few brief, calm council meetings, it would have been easy to think that 2020 would *go out like a lamb*. But tonight’s meeting opened a new can of worms that got messy quickly.

In this edition of Norwood in Nine, we recap the November 24th Norwood City Council meeting, which lasted 130 minutes. Usually, I am to keep these episodes under ten minutes, but that was impossible tonight — or maybe I was just energized by tonight’s spirited discourse.

This edition of the show dives into:

the Mayor’s exploration of outsourcing city services to the county
council’s decision to extend a Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) district for 30 years
The pros and cons of Norwood possibly partnering with Adsposure
And much more… Check it out:

To get a sense of how the cost of Dispatch impacts the city’s budget, here’s a quick overview of last year’s budget. The four biggest expenses are:

Fire Dept & EMS: 31.26%
Police Dept: 27.66%
Public Lands & Buildings: 5.00%
Dispatch: 3.98%

To learn more about TIFs, check out the Ohio Development Services agency website.

Here’s more information about Adsposure and their business model.

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Norwood in Nine: November 24 City Council Meeting appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

**Norwood in Nine: November 10 City Council Meeting** Nov 11, 2020
We made it through election season and now we can get back to the day-to-day management of our local government. On this edition of Norwood in Nine, I break down the top takeaways from tonight’s 43-minute city council meeting. While I won’t claim to be an expert on Norwood’s issues, I try to keep up with things.

After an unusually brief Council meeting at the end of October, this outing was even shorter. Why might that be? I offer a hypothesis on the show. Additionally, you’ll hear about other top takeaways, including traffic calming, the Joseph Volkswagen project, and lots of sowing from the mayor. Check it out:

On the last episode, I got a question about traffic calming. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it refers to any action a municipality could take to reduce vehicle speeds and increase pedestrian safety. Read this article to see some specific tactics.

I mentioned the site of the proposed Joseph Volkswagen dealership. If you had trouble picturing it, here is where it may go.

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Norwood in Nine: November 10 City Council Meeting appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Norwood in Nine: October 27 City Council Meeting Oct 28, 2020

After a one-meeting hiatus, we’re back for another edition of Norwood in Nine, where I break down the top takeaways from city council meeting. While I won’t claim to be an expert on Norwood’s issues, I try to keep up with things.

Tonight’s meeting lasted just 68 minutes, thus making it the shortest council meeting in months. All the same, listening to this episode will allow you to reclaim 59 minutes of your life, while still being informed. That’s just more time that you can spend doing good in the ‘wood.

On this edition of the show, we’ll cover highlights from the October 27, 2020 meeting, including murals, the chronic nuisance ordinance, early talks about a levy renewal (or a new levy?), and much more.

To understand the new mural ordinance, it’s important to understand Norwood’s zoning map, particularly the M-1, M-2, O, CBD and GBD districts.

If that zoning map isn’t nerdy enough for you, here are the codified ordinances of Norwood, which really get into the weeds.

Did you know that you can read the ordinances for yourself? They’re now being posted on the NorwoodOhio.gov site. Here’s the council packet, which includes all ordinances, communications, and other relevant material.

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The post Norwood in Nine: October 27 City Council Meeting appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Norwood in Nine: September 22 City Council Meeting Sep 23, 2020

We’re back for another edition of Norwood in Nine, where, after every council meeting, I break down the top takeaways. While I won’t claim to be an expert on Norwood’s issues, I try to keep up with things.

Tonight’s meeting lasted 192 minutes — gasp! — which means that by listening to this episode, you can be informed AND reclaim three hours of your life. That’s just more time that you can spend doing good in the ‘wood.

On this edition of the show, we’ll cover highlights from the September 22, 2020 meeting, including murals, the US Playing Card project, flooding on Elm Avenue, and a new ambulance!

Sorry in advance for running over nine minutes… there was just A LOT to cover. Listen here:

Central to the mural debate is an understanding of Norwood’s zoning map.

If that zoning map isn’t nerdy enough for you, here are the codified ordinances of Norwood, which really get into the weeds.

Read the ordinances for yourself! Here’s the council packet, which includes all ordinances, communications, and other relevant material.

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The post Norwood in Nine: September 22 City Council Meeting appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Norwood in Nine: September 8 City Council Meeting Sep 09, 2020

Tonight’s meeting lasted 139 minutes, which means that by listening to this episode, you can be informed AND reclaim 130 minutes of your life. That’s just more time that you can spend doing good in the ‘wood.

On this edition of the show, we’ll cover highlights from the September 8, 2020 meeting, including a massive public turnout to address council about murals, a chronic nuisance ordinance that got tabled, and much more.

Listen here:

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The post Norwood in Nine: September 8 City Council Meeting appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.