Middletown council members live on Facebook today to answer concerns
Apr. 25—Two Middletown City Council members are taking to social media to answer questions and address concerns from residents.
Zack Ferrell and Rodney Muterspaw, who successful ran together in the November 2021 election, are hosting a Community Talk on Tuesday night on Facebook live.
People have emailed the two councilmen questions and can continue throughout the show that's expected to start at 7 p.m. and last 90 minutes. The show will be shot in one of their homes and broadcast live on Facebook, then be available for viewing on YouTube, Muterspaw said.
Ferrell and Muterspaw have hosted four in-person Town Hall meetings at Java Johnny's, Triple Moon, Swire Inn and at the Amanda/Oneida Salvation Army building. Those meetings, attended by 35-40 people, have informed the councilmen about neighborhoods throughout the city, they said.
They're hoping Facebook live allows more residents to have their voices heard.
"This city belongs to the people in it, so we want them involved and invested as possible," Ferrell said. "They have to know their thoughts and opinions matter."
Muterspaw said the submitted questions have dealt with what he calls the "city's hot topics," including the proposed East End development, revitalization of downtown properties, body cameras for the police department and the possibility of building an aquatic center.
"We will answer them as best we can," said Muterspaw, a former police chief who is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway..
"Transparency is key," Ferrell said.
Ferrell and Muterspaw, both Middletown natives, have "a love of the city," Muterspaw said.
"We want to hear what people are most concerned about in the city," Ferrell said. "We're here to make their lives better; that's why we ran. People need help, we want to be able to do that for them. We want to meet people where they're at."
It's all about making Middletown the "best possible city," Muterspaw said. That starts with listening to the needs of the residents. He stressed the importance of people being involved in their community.
He said a former basketball coach often told him: "Complaining without a solution is whining."
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HOW TO PARTICIPATE
WHAT: Community Talk with City Council members Zack Ferrell and Rodney Muterspaw
WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 25
WHERE: Facebook Live
EMAIL QUESTIONS: Rodney Muterspaw at rodneym@cityofmiddletown.org or Zack Ferrell at zachf@cityofmiddletown.org.
