Middletown resident presses council for answers on paperboard demolition debris along Verde Parkway

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — At the Oct. 7 Middletown City Council meeting, resident Marva Gaston urged city officials to provide detailed records and timelines related to the demolition and remaining debris at the former Middletown Paperboard site along Verde Parkway.

Gaston, who identified herself as a Middletown resident at 913 Sixth Avenue, said the site “continues to be a major eyesore” and raised questions about bids, contracts and asbestos remediation. She asked who the consulting firm for the demolition was, how many bids were collected, whether a change order related to missed asbestos left material on-site, and who signed off on completion of work.

Gaston also asked where unused project funds went and said, “Since all funds were not depleted in this project, where did the remaining approximately $1.5 million in funds get allocated?” She asked for copies of contracts and change orders and requested a timeline for remediation and seeding. Gaston said she has monitored the site daily and that she has “yet to see any activity on the site since it was knocked over the week I first approached council.”

Gaston asked the council for greater transparency on this project and on other matters, citing delays in public notification about a separate fatality involving a Middletown resident.

Council response and next steps

Council members did not provide new technical details at the meeting. A council member suggested that the resident submit an official public-records request listing specific questions so staff can compile responsive documents in writing. City Manager Ashley Combs told council she believed records requests could still be submitted online following a recent cyber incident.

Combs said she and staff would follow up on the items Gaston listed; council and staff noted they would check the status of outstanding paperwork and provide responses through the city’s established public-records process.

Why it matters

The questions raised touch on zoning compliance, contract administration, asbestos remediation practices, and use of project funds — all areas where municipal records typically clarify what work was authorized, what change orders were issued, and how remaining appropriations were allocated. Gaston’s request for written records and a timeline, if filed formally, triggers the city’s public-records procedures and creates a record for staff responses and potential follow-up by council.

Ending

Gaston was the only member of the public to speak at the meeting and was allotted four minutes. Council members indicated staff would follow up through the records process and by checking with the city manager’s office.