The next county government reporter

By Michael Pitman | Friday, August 5, 2011, 05:00 PM

Beginning on Monday, Aug. 8, Lauren Pack will be the next Butler County Government reporter. For the past few years she’s been the county cops and crime reporter — all the big and not so big county court cases were written by her.

As for me, I’m moving to a newly created Warren County Education beat (two beats were combined to make this one). My stories will be appearing mostly in the Warren County papers — the three weeklies, the Warren County edition of the Dayton Daily News and the Middletown Journal. I will begin this tenure, officially Monday but in actuality it will be on Aug. 15.

To reach Lauren, email her at lpack@coxohio.com or call her at (513) 820-2168.

The past year has been fun, frustrating and adventurous covering the county.

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Commissioners hire law firm for representation in apparent worker’s comp default

By Michael Pitman | Monday, August 1, 2011, 03:19 PM

HAMILTON — Butler County Commission hired a Columbus-based law firm to represent the county at the Aug. 17 hearing concerning an apparent worker’s compensation default.

Following an executive session meeting Monday morning to discuss personnel, commissioners hire Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLC, to make the county’s claim about why its worker’s compensation payment — which was $877,820 — was almost a month late.

One estimate claims the county’s missed payment — which was due on May 15 and paid on June 9 — could cost the cash-strapped Butler County $1 million a year, but no one has been able to say how or why. Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Dan Ferguson had previously said he doesn’t believe that figure to be accurate, though he couldn’t provide one that would be more accurate.

No one has been able to say why the payment was made late, other than a letter to the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation attributing it to understaffing. But emails seem to point to a clerical error.

A late payment, according to Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation officials, would put the county in default and puts at risk the county’s discount rating. If the hearing’s verdict goes against the county, state officials said Butler County could be ineligible for future discounts.

Government entities are required to pay 45 percent of their annual payment by May 15 each year. However, since 1989, the county has been participating in a rating program by paying the entire amount in full by May 15 to receive a .0005 percent premium rebate for each day before the Sept. 1 due date for the payment balance.

Thoughts?

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Dynus has come to an end — for the most part

By Michael Pitman | Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 02:20 PM

With Kay Rogers now being sentenced, it was the last piece — the largest piece — in the Dynus scandal that rocked Butler County several years ago.

It took so long to be sentenced following her December 2007 guilty plea because she was helping the FBI in other related investigations.

The official count: 2 years in prison, 5 years probation and must pay her portion of $4 million in restitution, the amount Rogers signed for on Dec. 31, 2004, so Dynus could secure a loan with National City Bank.

The deal ultimately resulted in more than $10 million in elicit loans from National City and Fifth Third banks.

Rogers’ reporting date will be the last official piece of business in this case, which will be set by the Bureau of Prisons, said her attorney Konrad Kircher. That date will fall between 30 to 90 days from Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.

While the Dynus scandal is all but wrapped up, the fiber optics issue has one piece left — Mike Fox. Fox’s sentencing hearing has yet to be set, but his plea agreement for his involvement in NORMAP, the company that built the fiber optics system, indicates he agreed to four years in prison.

Thoughts?

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Win a free Nook e-reader

By Michael Pitman | Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 05:30 PM

Want to win a free Nook e-reader?

Just “like” the Butler County Fair Facebook page.

It will be easier to just click the link, but if you search for the fan page, make sure to search for “The Butler County Fair.” However, there are a couple different results.

There will only be one winner, and it will be drawn from the fans of the Facebook page, said Sheri Lawson, Community Development Professionals director of special projects.

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Want a buidling named for you?

By Michael Pitman | Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 03:41 PM

For $500,000 you can have your name in big letters adorning the new Butler County Fairgrounds building — but it wouldn’t be until next year.

The Butler County Agricultural Society, the managing organization of the county fairgrounds on Ohio 4, has plans to raze its two main buildings — the arts hall and office buildings — sometime on or after Aug. 15. In their place will be a new 30,000-square-foot facility.

The cost is approximately $1.7 million and will be finished, hopefully, by spring, according to fair secretary manager Dan Martin. He said the facility will feature a new arts hall, more space for the fair offices, and a 400-seat banquet hall — suitable for renting.

Hamilton-based Community Development Professionals will assist in the fundraising efforts.

“It’s the 161st fair, so the fair has been around for a very long time in our community and we’ve all enjoyed the benefits of that, and I think it’s great the community can give back,” said Sheri Lawson, CDP special projects director. “The whole idea is to bring more events to Butler County to help us make a healthier community.”

The Agricultural Society will account for up to $1 million of the cost, but the hopes, Lawson said, is the organization won’t have to borrow the full $800,000 loan it has secured.

The building will replace 100-plus-year-old buildings that replacing them is more cost effective than repairing them, Martin said.

The new building is set to be ready for the 162th annual Butler County Fair next year, but available for use this coming spring.

Thoughts?

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A recap of the workers’ comp missed payment

By Michael Pitman | Saturday, July 16, 2011, 07:00 PM

The late workers’ comp bill that allegedly will cost the county $1 million a year — but nobody can explain how that figure was calculated or if it’s accurate — was apparently a clerical error, according to some documents I gathered.

On Aug. 17, we’ll know if the good faiths attempt to pay the bill — which was apparently sent to the wrong state department — will have any ill effects.

Governmental entities were required to pay their 45 percent annual Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation payment on May 15 — a payment due the same time each year. However, Butler County’s payment, which was nearly $877,820, wasn’t made until June 9, and thus, according to the bureau, the county is in default.

Since the county participates in the retrospective rating program, a program they’ve been in since 1989, they were eligible for a discount if they make the full payment by May 15 — and if the payment is made by that date, then the county receives a .0005 percent premium rebate for each day it was paid in full before the Sept. 1 due date for the balance of the workers’ compensation payment.

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Potential November levies

By Michael Pitman | Thursday, July 14, 2011, 02:15 PM

In light of the Butler County Commissioners approving the levy for the Butler County Mental Health Board — a five-year, 1-mill levy — here’s a list of all the potential levies that could be on ballots around the county this November.

Trenton: Continuing fire and EMS levy, 4.5 mills, anticipated to generate $800,000 annually. Cost to owner of a $100,000 home: $45.

Butler County: Mental health board, five years at 1 mill, anticipated to generate $7.8 million annually. Cost to owner of a $100,000 home: $30.62.

Middletown: Middletown Senior Citizens Inc. levy, 10 years at 0.5 mills, anticipated to generate $422,138 annually. Cost to owner of a $100,000 home: $15.31.

Middletown: City health district levy, 10 years at 0.5 mills, anticipated to generate $422,138 annually. Cost to owner of a $100,000 home: $15.31.

Hanover Twp.: Fire and EMS renewal levy, five years at 1.75 mills, would generate about $300,000 annually. Cost to owner of a $100,000 home: Not provided (But it’s probably around $53 per household)

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