I have decided to resign from my office on the Board of Commissioners of Covington, Kentucky.
I ran for the Board of Commissioners with a mission of improving the environment, public health, and safety of Covington and its residents.
During the my time on the commission, I stuck to this mission, and I introduced several items that aligned with this mission:
• First, to improve safety of vulnerable road users, I introduced a resolution that echoed the calls of hundreds of members of the public that wrote to me, expressing the interest in right-sizing the future rebuild of the 4th Street Bridge, keeping the bridge to 3 lanes, engineering the bridge to accommodate a future streetcar, and implementing an enviable pedestrian and bicycle path.
• Second, to improve mobility in Covington, I introduced legislation to require recipients of public right-of-way encroachment permits to provide temporary pedestrian bypasses wherever construction operations obstruct a permanent sidewalk.
• Third, in response to a near-fatal incident of an elderly man being hit by a car, I proposed an order to install “speed cushions” to slow traffic along the residential 43rd Street between Winston and Church.
• Fourth, I introduced legislation to eliminate minimum dwelling unit sizes for triplexes and quadplexes to encourage the proliferation of triplexes and quadplexes, which may offer more affordable housing options amidst this national housing crisis.
I also suggested other initiatives, such as requiring that each round of proposals for developments at the former IRS site go through a public forum, which ensures transparency and accountability as the City embarks on one of the most important projects in decades. And I have been a vocal advocate for the protection of public health in Covington through my opposition to the expansion of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor, a project that may have dire consequences on Covington’s air, water, noise, traffic, and quality of life.
Throughout this experience, I have come to the unfortunate realization that, while I hoped the Commission would be an office from which I could effect positive change, I may better achieve the mission for improved environment, public health, and safety for Covingtonians from a role outside of the Commission, as a private citizen.
I thank those that supported my election, those that brought critical issues to my attention, and especially those that showed up at meetings to partake in the democratic process. And I thank all for respecting my decision to step away from this office.
Nolan Nicaise works for a company specializing in zoning ordinances and consults with diverse cities across the country. He was first elected to the Covington City Commission in 2022.