Our View: An Opportunity Missed

Troy's Local Government Gives Little Guidance on What's Next

On Monday Night. March 18th, the Troy City Council convened before a packed audience of residents and stakeholders However, due to the absence of three members, no resolutions or ordinances were passed. The council only votes the council was able to conduct were to approve the minutes from their previous meeting and to adopt the Council's Rules of Procedure for the current session.

However, it wasn’t the items that were on the legislative agenda that brought people to the meeting. Rather, significant attention to the event was due to a behind-closed-doors executive session involving the city administration, the city council, and external legal counsel, which is according to city records is costing taxpayers up to $20,000.

While many would have expected a number of people in the audience leave before the executive session, approximately four dozen residents chose to stay throughout the 85-minute executive session, eagerly awaiting the council's reconvening.

During the open session for public comments, three individuals addressed the council. Among them was Ben Sutherly, President of the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance, who highlighted the organization's achievements in stabilizing the building at 112-118 West Main Street. The alliance has reached its fundraising goal of $750,000, nearly completed replacing the old roof, and continued masonry work. These efforts are visibly showing the committment the organization has towards the downtown.

In his remarks, Mr. Sutherly also reported to the council that this project faces significant challenges, including new, unprecedented requirements such as a load test and an approved scaffolding plan and permit. Even small things like the City Administration referring to the building at 112-118 West Main Street as the “IOOF/Old Miami County Courthouse” building have fallen on deaf ears. Undeterred, the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance has carried on and work continues to be done to stablize the building at an impressive pace.

For those residents expecting any guidance or direction from the City Administration, they undoubtedly left the meeting highly disappointed. After nearly an hour and a half of closed-door discussion, there were no comments from the city administration about spending $20,000 on new outside legal counsel or the city’s request for the courts to stop work on the IOOF/Old Miami County Courthouse or the city’s position on the requirements for load tests or even the city’s desire to get West Main Street back open.

And that is the most disappointing and most telling part of the whole proceedings that took place on March 18th.

A large part of leadership is communication. There were over four dozen residents looking for some type of communication, some type of leadership, and they were left wanting and waiting. The time for communicating with, and not at, residents and downtown stakeholders has come and gone and each day where there is no open dialogue about our sacred downtown is yet another opportunity wasted by those who hold the mantle of leadership in our community.

There are small businesses that are withering on the vine downtown. There is a clear feeling of detachment that local government has with its own citizens. There is no clear sense of where this city wants downtown to go.

And even in spite of the failed leadership and direction, it’s hard to overlook those actions that are going well. Over 200 individuals, businesses, and organizations put forward funds to make the IOOF/Old Miami County Courthouse stabilization a priority. There are clear and concrete efforts every day put forward by contractors to breathe life back into Downtown Troy. There are stakeholders who want to see our community thrive.

To put it bluntly, there are those that are working hard to get West Main Street back open and there are those that are not.

As a quick reminder, don’t forget that this publication is still accepting responses for this month’s community survey. You can access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PF6SPPN

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