Norwood in Nine: August 25 City Council Meeting
Aug 26, 2020
Show notes
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 150 minutes, which means that by listening to this episode, you can be informed AND reclaim 141 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 August 25, 2020 meeting, including a deep dive into the US Playing Card redevelopment, a new manual for guiding a select group of city employees, and a downright bizarre conversation about happenings in Ward 1.
Listen here:
Read more about “the corner store provision” which is how the art studio in Ward 1 was allowed to be approved.
Watch this video from PLK, which is a four-minute version of their 30-something minute presentation tonight.
—–
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.
Norwood in Nine: August 11 City Council Meeting
Aug 12, 2020
Show notes
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 140 minutes, which means that by listening to this episode, you can be informed AND reclaim 131 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 August 11, 2020 meeting, including a discussion about the US Playing Card project, several insights into road projects, and a lament about requests to address council.
As discussed on the episode, here’s the piece of land that the Joseph Autogroup owns, but is not currently zoned to allow auto dealerships on it.
—–
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.
Examining Affordable Housing in Norwood
Aug 05, 2020
Show notesAshley Creech
Ashley Creech grew up in Norwood, but is worried how much longer she’ll be able to stay here. In the span of just a few years, a one-bedroom apartment she used to live in saw its rent climb from $550 to $925. With Norwood at a crossroads — and attracting ever more interest from investors and homeowners — the question becomes: how does a city get nice things while ensuring that long-term residents will still be around to enjoy those improvements?
Affordable Housing in Norwood seems like a straightforward issue. But under the surface there are numerous, largely-invisible factors shaping our city’s future. At its core, housing impacts the stability of our community, our schools, and our civic life. To help navigate these waters, Jessica Powell from The Port joins Ashley Creech and me for a conversation about housing issues.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
The factors affecting the supply and demand of housing in the region
How cities, developers, and residents can work together
Why it’s more complicated than “if they can’t afford it, they should just move”
and much more
Listen here.
Selected links from the Affordable Housing in Norwood episode
Jessica Powell from The Port
Just how quickly are prices changing in Norwood? On the homeownership side of the equation, five years ago (Aug 2014-2015), there were 211 homes sold with a median sale price of $124. Over the most-recent 12 months, there have been 302 homes sold with a median sale price of $191k. That’s a 54 percent increase in five years. Thanks to Jen McGillis of Keller Williams for that data.
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.
Norwood in Nine: July 28 City Council Meeting
Jul 29, 2020
Show notes
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 142 minutes, which means that by listening to this episode, you can be informed AND reclaim more than two 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 July 28, 2020 meeting, including a decision about the future of our Health Department, a discussion about changing public engagement for zoning meetings, and a new micro park going in.
Listen here:
The micro park that council approved for the southeast corner of Hudson & Floral Aves.
Since this is just the fourth episode of Norwood in Nine, I would love to hear your feedback. If it’s not helpful for you, I don’t need to spend all this time producing it. If you do find it useful, then please say so. I’m just taking a shot in the dark and will be curious to see what you think.
—–
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.
Meet Tom Perry: Executive Assistant to Mayor Schneider
Jul 22, 2020
Show notes
Raised in Norwood, Ohio, Tom Perry never imagined working in public administration. But after a memorable experience in Bowling Green, his perspective shifted. Fast forward a few years and here is, earning his Masters of Public Administration from NKU while serving as the Executive Assistant to the Mayor.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
when or why a citizen would contact Tom for help
how this administration is trying to modernize Norwood’s systems and processes
Tom’s take on what’s holding Norwood back
all the good things the public doesn’t see Mayor Schneider do… and much more
Listen here.
Selected links from the Tom Perry episode
Fill out your census! If not enough people do it, Norwood will get less than its fair share of funding. We need those dollars!
Contact Tom Perry by emailing him here: tperry@norwoodohio.gov.
A great quote shared in the show and one I hope can become a motto for Norwood:
—–
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.
Norwood City Council in 9: July 14, 2020
Jul 15, 2020
Show notes
We’re back for another edition of Norwood City Council in 9, 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 159 minutes, which means that by listening to this episode, you can be informed AND reclaim 150 minutes. 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 July 14, 2020 meeting, including a fascinating, nuanced debate about whether to adopt a mask ordinance, and numerous quick updates about intriguing, upcoming projects.
Listen here:
Since this is just the third episode of Norwood City Council in 9, I would love to hear your feedback. If it’s not helpful for you, I don’t need to spend all this time producing it. If you do find it useful, then please say so. I’m just taking a shot in the dark and will be curious to see what you think.
—–
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.
Norwood City Council in 9: June 23, 2020
Jun 24, 2020
Show notes
We’re back for another edition of Norwood City Council in 9, 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. Hopefully this distillation will save you time and make it easier for the average citizen of Norwood to stay informed.
On this edition of the show, we’ll cover highlights from the June 23, 2020 meeting, including:
Action from the council to prepare to receive CARES act funds
The most emotional moment of the night, courtesy of a Bond Hill resident
Council going into Executive Session to discuss private matters
And a lightning round with updates from Mayor Schneider and more
Listen here:
As referenced in the audio, here is the link to the Fox19 report, which contains the body cam footage from the September 2019 incident.
Since this is just the second episode of Norwood City Council in 9, I would love to hear your feedback. If it’s not helpful for you, I don’t need to spend all this time producing it. If you do find it useful, then please say so. I’m just taking a shot in the dark and will be curious to see what you think.
—–
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.
Norwood City Council in 9: June 9, 2020
Jun 10, 2020
Show notes
On one hand, most people would probably agree that it’s important to be informed about local government. On the other hand, most people would probably say that keeping up with Norwood City Council isn’t always easy or fun. Meetings can run long and procedures can be confusing, and the overall effect can leave people feeling disengaged with their communities.
Toward the goal of making it easier for the average citizen to keep up with the action, I’m trying this new concept: Norwood City Council in 9.
On the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, I’m going to watch the Council meeting and boil it down to its most essential parts. That way, you can keep your two+ hours and still get the meat and potatoes of what happened at the meeting.
On this edition of the show, we’ll cover highlights from the June 9, 2020 meeting, including:
An update from Chief Kramer of the Norwood Police Department
The decision to buy a “new” ladder truck for our fire department
A $30,000 grant to explore the revitalization of Montgomery Rd.
And a lightning round with updates from Mayor Schneider and more
Listen here:
Since this is the maiden voyage of Norwood City Council in 9, I would love to hear your feedback. If it’s not helpful for you, I don’t need to spend all this time producing it. If you do find it useful, then please say so. I’m just taking a shot in the dark and will be curious to see what you think.
—–
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.
Meet Dr. Mary Ronan, the new superintendent of Norwood City School District
Feb 26, 2020
Show notes
Mary Ronan never thought she would work in Norwood. Heck, she never thought she was going to work anywhere. She was retired. But that all changed after a Friday night phone call in the fall of 2019.
Last week, Norwood’s Board of Education voted to remove the “interim” label that Mary Ronan had carried for five months and make her the new superintendent of Norwood City School District. Her new contract will offer a three year time horizon to build on the good things already happening in the district.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
what attracted Mary to NCSD
her top three priorities for the coming years
how she plans to make the district more attractive
her vision for pre-school… and much more
Listen here.
Selected links from the Mary Ronan episode
Learn more about Norwood Ready Kids, which provides programming for children age five and under.
Get more involved with NCSD by calling the Board Office at 513-924-2500 and asking about volunteer opportunities.
Several representatives from Norwood were recently in Columbus to speak against EdChoice.
Did you know that Leila Kubesch was recently named Ohio Teacher of the Year? She is now one of four finalists for the National Teach of the Year recognition.
—–
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 campaigning is over. The ballots have been counted. The results are in. Norwood has elected new leaders. But who are they and what have we learned from this election? Hear about the results and much more on this special election night edition of the podcast.
Topics covered include:
Winners of every election
The stunning performance of the Norwood Republicans
A common thread among top vote getters
The saddest part of the election, and more…
Listen here.
—–
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.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
