By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
After the resignation of former Fire Chief Mark Pierce last week, the city’s commission unanimously approved Corey Deye to serve as interim Chief. Deye, who had previously served as assistant chief in charge of training, was just recently promoted to deputy chief in December.
The commission approved the change at their regularly scheduled legislative meeting Tuesday, after Pierce’s decision — which will go into effect March 31 — will mark an end to his 30-year career.
Interim Fire Chief Corey Deye with trainee (City of Covington photo)
“I love Covington, and I love being a firefighter in Covington,” Pierce said last week. “But wise people always told me, ‘You’ll know when it’s time to leave,’ and that time has come.”
City leaders immediately began the search to find his replacement.
“We want to thank Mark for his many years, decades actually, of service to Covington residents and the department itself, and we wish him success in whatever he decides to do next,” City Manager Ken Smith said.
Deye has served in Covington for 20 years. Before being named interim chief, he was hired in July 2004, appointed battalion chief in September 2021, and then promoted to assistant chief in December 2021. He earned his associate of applied science degree in fire service technology from Cincinnati State Technical & Community College.
Deye helped create the Department’s EMS Peer Review program and the Covington Police Department’s SWAT Paramedic Program, and has been working to improve the department’s record management software, officer training, swift water response, and active fire training facility.
The move comes in a month when the department’s administration has been under fire for the management of its staff and overtime hours. Two weeks ago, Mayor Joseph U. Meyer questioned the management, and Commissioner Shannon Smith suggested a third-party audit to determine if the department is understaffed. Ken Smith reported that the city budgets $400,000 in unscheduled overtime for the fire department per year. However, last year, the overtime ballooned to $1.3 million, and with pension and Social Security costs, was actually a lot more, he said.
Covington commission (NKyTribune photo)
“My first reaction here is that this is a serious budgetary management problem within the fire department,” Mayor Meyer said.
The outgoing chief had a celebrated career. Pierce was hired by the city on May 1, 1995. He worked his way up the ranks to be named interim chief on Jan. 1, 2018, replacing the departing Dan Mathew, and was sworn in as chief on May 15 of that year.
“From the time I was a very young person, all I ever wanted to do was to be a firefighter,” Pierce said last week.
Israel response
Gaza ceasefire request
Once again, several residents turned out Tuesday to comment on the topic of a Gaza ceasefire.
And even though Mayor Meyer has repeatedly said the Commission is not expected to respond to the public comments, he made an exception this week.
After many of the speakers indicated that they were against their tax dollars going to support Israel, the Mayor retorted.
“I would like to point out that the Board of Commissioners has listened again respectfully and patiently to all of your comments and I feel compelled to address one issue that was raised,” Meyer said. “Not a penny of city of Covington tax dollars goes to Israel. None.”
With that, the public comment portion was over, and the rest of the meeting proceeded.
Covington Central Riverfront (or IRS) Site
Commissioners approved two required studies of the Covington Central Riverfront (or IRS) site: For archeological review and for traffic impact.
KZF will conduct the traffic study, for $307,143, and K&V Cultural Resources Management will conduct the archaeological study for $282,475.
Austinburg Park Renovations
Commissioners approved $133,059 for Recreation InSites, LLC to renovate the Austinburg Park playground.
“Austinburg Park is located on the east side of Covington, right against the Licking River Trail System,” city documents report. “The playground is highly outdated and is in need of revitalization. This is the next step in a line of redevelopment projects for the Austinburg Park.”
The redevelopment of the playground will include:
• Construction of the Vista Adventure Course 4
• Vista Sky Tower 9
• Merry-go-all
• Six swings
• Four benches
• Engineered Wood Fiber (EWF)
Resignations
Commissioners approved the resignation of Officer Samantha Meredith, Police Department
Hires
Commissioners approved the hiring of: David Coots, Contract Officer, Justin Schmidt, Police Officer, Christopher Siler, Police Officer, and Christine Patt, Devou Park Ranger
Reappointments
Commissioners approved the reappointments of: Tom Haggard, Housing Authority of Covington, Dennis Williams, Devou Properties Incorporated, and Christopher Henry, Devou Properties Incorporated
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Covington Commission meeting will be a caucus meeting held at 6 p.m., March 5, 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.
