By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
It was the most significant item for the Commissioners, but it actually occurred more than an hour before their Tuesday night legislative meeting. At 4:30 Tuesday, Commissioners and members of the community came out to a groundbreaking for a $15 million public infrastructure project to prep the 23-acre Covington Central Riverfront, or CCR site, for private development.
“The fact that we’re finally breaking ground is a great day for our city,” said Commissioner Tim Downing.
“I think it was a great success — a great celebration of the progress we made today,” said City Manager Ken Smith.
With demolition complete, Bray Construction Services has begun the process of constructing a 23-acre, mixed-used neighborhood on land the city bought from the federal government in 2020. A city press release noted that Bray is not only installing utilities but also “restoring the street grid, including streets, sidewalks, alleys and the ‘Russell Street Commons’ promenade.”
Members of the Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus, as well as representatives from Bray Construction, were also present.
Last month, in what Mayor Joseph U. Meyer called an “extraordinary meeting,” he and the city commissioners unanimously approved three contracts to begin construction at the CCR site. The contract with Bray, which calls for a 16-month construction period, will cost $14,894,577.
“We have approved, through contracts, the beginning initiation of the construction of the IRS site — dirt will be moved,” Meyer said last month. “This has been a dream and a challenge, and it’s been a lot of hard work. So, this is a day when, quite frankly, that we ought to celebrate the accomplishment.”
For more information on the site and the city’s plans visit the Covington Central Riverfront webpage.
New Fire Officials Named
Commissioners approved both Corey Deye as the new Covington Fire Department Chief, and James Adams as Deputy Chief Tuesday night at their regularly scheduled legislative meeting.
Deye has served in Covington for 20 years. Before being named 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.
James Adams joined the Covington Fire Department in 2008, and in 2017, he was promoted to lieutenant. “He’s been an integral part of the training of our new employees to be Covington firefighters,” Deye said.
Public Comment Ordinance
Commissioners heard the first reading of an ordinance regarding a code of conduct for public comments, including, among other things: the ability to have like-minded groups choose one representative to speak; the ability to have security remove speakers if they exhibit disruptive behavior, and rules about speakers not using hateful language or bullying tactics.
However, the proposed ordinance has gotten pushback from some members of the community.
Tuesday, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation spoke out against the ordinance.
“These meetings should indeed be a place where the public is welcome and invited to comment, provide input or protest any action or policy of the city, or to simply talk directly to the governing board,” she said. “This ordinance suggests to create a better environment for this, but instead it works to discourage and stifle public comment.”
Last month, the Mayor brought up some of these ideas after dozens of residents had come out over the course of several months to ask commissioners to support a resolution detailing a ceasefire in Gaza. In some of those meetings, the crowds became more boisterous, and in at least one case, a speaker was asked to leave the room after he kept shouting without being recognized.
The ordinance is scheduled to have a second reading and vote in two weeks.
Hiring
Commissioners approved the hiring of William Gonzales, Police officer.
Pool update
Commissioners approved a contract with Swimsafe Pool Management for the 2024 pool season, which effectively includes Randolph Pool and the Latonia Water Park/Splash Pad – but not Goebel Pool, due to its location of being almost right in the path of the pending Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project.
Instead, the city will close the pool early and save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, a city press release said.
Jobs Incentive
Commissioners agreed to a job development incentive with RoveiQ, a company interested in relocating its headquarters from Newport to the fourth floor of 33 E. 7th St. in Covington.
They would add $1,840,764 of existing payroll over three years with seven employees, with the potential to add nine jobs over the next three years. They are considering a three-year lease.
The city staff recommended a 1 percent payroll incentive for all new jobs brought to Covington for year one, a .5 percent payroll incentive for year two, followed by an un-incentivized retention period.
Electric Franchise Bid Ordinance
Commissioners heard a first reading of an ordinance creating and establishing for bid an exclusive electric franchise for the placement of facilities for the transmission, distribution and sale of electricity within the public right of way of the city for a 20-year duration.
Duke Energy legal representatives appeared and made a plea Tuesday during public comment for the city not to consider this ordinance, and even questioned its legality.
However, Mayor Meyer responded that it has been Duke Energy’s lawyers that have repeatedly ignored past requests to negotiate, but said if they would like to continue, they could talk with the city’s lawyers as the ordinance goes throughout the legislative process.
The ordinance will get a second reading and vote in two weeks.
Executive Session
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Meyer asked to go into an Executive Session “dealing with personnel.”
He noted that after the session, they would not conduct any further business on the floor of the chamber.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Covington Commission meeting will be a caucus meeting held at 6 p.m., April 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.