By Ryan Clark
Special to NKyTribune
Fearing they could be harming the public’s ability to interact with them in a transparent way, commissioners decided Tuesday to table their proposed new Social Media Policy, which called for disabling citizen comments on city posts.
Last week, commissioners heard the proposed policy after City Manager David Johnston said he encountered a similar situation a few years ago in the Washington state suburb where he previously worked.
Michael Bartlett, the senior assistant city solicitor, said Tuesday that problems have arisen when police have posted “positive” messages on city social media pages only to be met with negative and untrue comments by Internet “trolls.” Bartlett said “sometimes 80” so-called negative messages have been posted at a time.
Last week, Johnston and Bartlett explained that in order to prevent “misleading or untrue commentary,” and other forms of “hijacking” of social media threads, the city will just turn off those comments, making residents unable to do so. Of course, residents could still post their own comments on the city website, and they could still direct message the city via social media. And then there are the meetings, where the public can speak, and they can always call the city building, too.
But commissioners hesitated when the subject was brought up again this week.
Mayor Joe Meyer summed it up when he said the group has been working hard to be transparent, and that if a “happy medium” existed between allowing all comments and allowing none, commissioners would be for it.
That medium would, by law, involve the city disallowing some comments that were specifically outlined in a city policy. City staff will examine what can be done over the next week.
“Limiting citizen engagement in government is not a good idea,” Commissioner Tim Downing said. “There are other things we can do.”
John R. Green Development Project:
Commissioners approved an order Tuesday to execute a development agreement with KY Covington West 7th LLC to provide economic development incentives for the property located at 409-415 West Sixth St., also known as the John R. Green Development.
In May 2017, commissioners entered into a development agreement to redevelop the Mainstrasse neighborhood property. The $32 million project will redevelop 1.5 acres, create 170 market-rate apartments, add 6,000 square feet of retail space and renovate 18,000 square feet of office space. The project will include a three-level, 295-space parking garage – at least 92 of which will be available for public use.
The city will enter into a development and pilot agreement with Ky Covington West 7th LLC to provide $2.5 million in general obligation bonds (or other funding sources) for the project.
City officials pointed out that the city will earn revenue from the 92 public parking spaces, which could go toward paying off the $2.5 million.
It was also determined that if and when the city creates a Parking Authority, the responsibility for those spaces – as well as possibly the debt – could be transferred over to the Authority.
Once financing for the John R. Green Development has been approved, Green will leave the property May 18, which would then pave the way for construction to begin.
The remainder of the timeline looks like this: Construction could begin anywhere from June 30 (at the earliest) to December (at the latest) with completion coming 17-22 months later.
Riverfront Commons:
Commissioners executed an agreement Tuesday with Woolpert, Inc., to prepare a revised Riverfront Commons Phase I Plaza Design in an amount of $15,675, payable from bond funds.
Since 2007, the idea of the Commons has been talked about, originally quoted at $70 million, including walkways, staircases and plazas.
The project was cut back significantly, and at last week’s caucus meeting, it was proposed to be cut back to an even smaller scale, featuring a 50 percent smaller plaza at a lower elevation.
The city hopes the new design will bring the price down to $6.2 million – which is all they have.
The idea seems to be to keep the project moving, with one of the main reasons being that if they don’t, the city stands to lose a $3.9 million grant in December.
Also Tuesday:
– Commissioners approved an order for the publication of a request for proposals for “parking consultant services in order to assess the existing supply, occupancy, management, physical condition, and financial performance” of parking in the city, as well as the adequacy of the existing parking supply to accommodate demand generated by future developments.
– Commissioners approved the hiring of Tom West as the city’s Economic Development Director. (West had been appointed to the position in December under an emergency need for management).
– Commissioners approved the hiring of Maggie Volkering to the position of Finance Technician effective Feb. 14.
– Commissioners approved the hiring of Gary Dean Johnson II to the position of Staff Accountant effective Feb. 14.
– Commissioners approved the appointment of Bob Zapp to a three-year term to the Covington Economic Development Authority effective Feb. 14.
The next Covington Commission meeting will be a caucus meeting held at 6 p.m., Feb. 20 at the Covington City Hall at 20 West Pike St.