By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
Tuesday night, the Covington Mayor Joseph Meyer gave a response on behalf of the city commission. But it may not have left many satisfied.
For more than a month, dozens of residents have attended Covington’s regular legislative meetings to support a resolution for a ceasefire to the conflict in Gaza. They came out again Tuesday night and again made passionate pleas for the city to draft, or accept their proposed resolution, which reads, in part, “Fostering peace and stability requires addressing the root causes of this conflict and acknowledging the rights and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians, whereas hundreds of thousands of lives are in intimate risk if a permanent ceasefire is not achieved.”
Mohammad Ahmad, a Covington resident, once again spoke passionately Tuesday night in favor of the resolution.
The Covington commission (Photo by Ryan Clark/NKyTribune)
“I hope you all had a great start to the new year — I wish I could say the same,” he said. “It’s been very difficult seeing, obviously, what’s happening in Palestine right now. I just hope that you consider that the moral majority … supports the ceasefire. I know many people might wonder, why should the city take a position on this? Why should the city consider this? … I know this city prides itself as being a beacon of diversity and inclusion and tolerance, so I just hope that Covington continues to embody those values by hopefully putting this on the agenda — if not now, in the near future.”
This time, Mayor Joseph U. Meyer answered back.
“(You) deserve some sense of where the Commission stands on your request,” he said. “I can tell you that we have heard, and we have sincerely considered your request and the proposed resolutions — and the resolutions asked for a lot more than peace …. but we appreciate the manner in which you all have conducted yourselves, and presented your ideas, and the passion and concern that you have for the fate of Palestinians and the war in Gaza and Israel.
“We are all appalled by the war and the innocent Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza,” he continued. “We are equally appalled by the Hamas invasion of Israel and the assaults against the innocent civilian Israelis …. We hear your plea — we also hear the plea from the Israeli perspective just as sincerely.”
The Mayor then went on to describe how the issues of Palestine reach back to the end of World War I, with the last 100 years seeing protest riots, revolts, Arab invasions, and peace plans that were proposed and agreed to, but not implemented.
“We all want peace,” Meyer said. “This Board of Commissioners, as the representative of the people of Covington, is not capable of picking sides when all we’ve heard, in detail, is one side of the argument. So, it is beyond our responsibility to handle this and we as a city have never gotten involved in international affairs.”
He went on to say that, contrary to some comments, the city also did not adopt a resolution on the Ukraine situation.
With that, the Commissioners went on with the rest of their Tuesday night legislative agenda.
Ordinance — Greenup Alley
Commissioners heard the first reading of an ordinance to close a portion of the first unimproved 10-foot-wide alley east of Greenup Street and perpendicular to 15th Street East.
“The owner(s) of 1514-16 Greenup St., 1516 Greenup St., and 1500 Collins St., Doug and Noah Gastright, contacted city staff to request the city vacate a portion of the 10-foot alley running between the Greenup Street and Collins Street properties,” city documents say. “The Gastrights are renovating the residential dwelling at 1514 and 1516 Greenup. If the alley is vacated, the Gastrights intend to split the property at 1500 Collins with part consolidated into 1516 Greenup and the other part consolidated into 1514 Greenup.”
Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center
Commissioners approved the execution of a memorandum of understanding with the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center. As in the past, the city will reimburse Carnegie up to $10,000 for operating expenses and up to $50,000 for energy/utility related expenditures.
Life Saving Award
Markie Behannan, security officer at Holmes Middle School, was honored Tuesday night with a Life Saving Award.
On Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, a 13-year-old student began choking during lunch. Behannan, a lifelong resident of Covington, performed the Heimlich Maneuver and saved the youngster. He was presented with a proclamation along with the award.
“I was glad to be present,” Behannan said. “I’m happy to save his life and what I’ve learned by doing the Heimlich.”
“Thanks for your wonderful contribution,” Meyer said.
New Hire
Commissioners approved the hiring of Toni Brown, Accounting Manager, Finance Department.
Appointment
Commissioners approved the appointment of: Mayor Joseph U. Meyer, Planning and Development Services Council
Promotions
Commissioners approved the promotions of Rebecca Blackburn, Tax Auditor, Finance Department and Police Sergeant Justin Meyer to Lieutenant
Retirement
Commissioners approved the retirement of: Police Specialist Anthony Jansen
Election rules
Meyer also had a message for candidates who have filed for the upcoming election: Follow the rules.
“This is the first time in eight years that we’ve had a significantly contested election,” Meyer said. “First, I want to congratulate commissioner Washington on his likely election in November.
“Over the past several years, the city has adopted new rules for the conduct and behavior and use of our city resources during elections,” he continued. “There are some things I want to mention, so that we can all be aware of them and for the candidates so that they can be aware that these rules apply to them, too …. Candidates, as well as employees, as well as incumbents … no officer or employee can use city time, funds, personnel, equipment — including the e-mail network — or any other personal or real property, to support or oppose the campaigns of any candidate.”
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Covington Commission meeting will be a caucus meeting held at 6 p.m., Jan. 16, at the City Building at 20 W. Pike St. in Covington. The meetings can be followed live on Fioptics channel 815, Spectrum channel 203, the Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky (TBNK) website, the TBNK Facebook page @TBNKonline, and the TBNK Roku channels.
