By Patricia Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
PARK HILLS
Mayor Kathy Zembrodt announced that the police department was up to full speed with the return of an officer from the academy.
She also said that the city received approval from the state to reconstruct the small area where the bus stops, since the area is potentially dangerous to people who wait for the bus.
She explained that she met with the Creighton Fund people and said they might be able to get about $45,000 from that fund this year. The city also received a $3,000 grant from the Kentucky League of Cities, and it is a matching grant.
Chris Korba from the Northern Kentucky Area Development District gave council members an update on all the services that they provide for the community and who to get in touch with in the organization for which services.
Council approved the second reading of a change in the personnel policy, in the form of a per diem allowance for police officers who are in training of $50.
Another second reading passed which changes the council meeting schedule. If the regular meeting night falls on a holiday, now the meeting will be held the next Tuesday, at 7 p.m.
A municipal order passed which declared a police vehicle surplus and another order formed standing committees. A third order appointed Council members Steve Elkins and Laura Rippe Cardosi to PDS as representative and alternate.
FT. MITCHELL
Ft. Mitchell city council members were sworn in on Monday night before the regular council meeting by Mayor Jude Hehman. Members are Jerry Deatherage, Jared Arlinghaus, Vicki Boerger, Jeff Dietrich, Greg Pohlgeers, Kim Nachazel, and Alyson Roeding.
Tom Snowden, who lives on Silver Avenue, complained about a neighbor who is letting his property go downhill, which is affecting him and his family, and he said the process is very frustrating. He told about how the neighbor has a dumpster in his backyard that always fills with water, which fosters mosquitoes and explained how the neighbor’s effort in tuckpointing the building filled their backyard with brick dust.
“Something needs to be done,” he stated.
CAO Edwin King encouraged Snowden to call him to see if they can work out a solution.
Mitchell Reeves and Brad Denham were appointed to the Tree Commission, and Douglas Boschart was appointed to the Code Enforcement board.
KENTON COUNTY
Kenton County Fiscal court held a public hearing on a grant for the Transitions Inc Recovery Center, but no one spoke so the hearing was closed.
Alecia Webb Edgington came to the fiscal court meeting to give an update on the Life Learning Center. She did have a video, but there were technical difficulties, so she may present it at a different time.
Augustus Long recently graduated from the Life Learning Center, and he repeated his graduation speech, telling the court that this place turned him around and helped him become a better person.
Commissioners were impressed.
“What you are doing is important,” Commissioner Jon Draud said to Webb-Edgington. “You are doing God’s work.”
Commissioners approved Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann signing a contract with JS Held for them to provide Owner Representative/Project Manager Services. Representatives from the company were present at the meeting and they were happy to be chosen for the chance to work with the county on the new Kenton County park.
A resolution passed that allows Kenton County to be a co-applicant with Campbell County for a federal matching funds grant for the Fourth Street Bridge. Commissioner Draud marveled how the cost of the bridge has almost tripled, since it started at a cost of about $30 million.
FLORENCE
Mayor Julie Aubuchon called for a moment of silence for David A. Osborne, the long time, well loved council member who died last Friday. She read a lovely piece highlighting his service to the city and his devotion to his family, his faith and his friends, which included everyone there. In the silence that followed, Council member Diane Whalen allowed that a moment of silence was very nice, but a round of applause was more like David, and that ensued also.
A black ribbon marked his nameplate.
Mayor Aubuchon read a proclamation for National School Board Recognition Month and presented the plaque to Kathy Reutman, Executive Director of Student and Community Services at Boone County School District.
Council approved a resolution which would allow the mayor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement between Boone County, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Florence to establish terms for the operation and maintenance of traffic signals on US 42 in Florence and Boone County.
COVINGTON
A Covington resident, Thurman Wenzl, attended the Covington commission meeting to state his opposition to a project proposed at last week’s caucus meeting by Tony Kreutzjans of Orleans Development. The project proposes rehabbing a warehouse at 564 Banklick street in Covington to create living spaces which will rent at $1150 to $1495 a month.
“Simply put, the rents are too high,” he stated. He said to be able to afford that much rent a person had to make $46,000 a year, and he said there are a lot of folks who can’t afford that. He told of a friend with a college degree who is looking to be hired at the Kenton County library at $13 an hour, and another friend who is working at the Kroger deli for $15.25 an hour. He said last month he spoke at the Kenton County courthouse and he found out that a clerk’s salary is $18 an hour. Wenzl said housing costs need to be more in the $26,000 to $36,000 range.
He urged commissioners to either decouple the zoning or turn down the project for a revised version. Wenzl has come to the commission meetings on a regular basis to try and keep costs down for housing.
Later, commissioners listened to the first reading of an ordinance changing the zoning from Light Industrial (LI) to Semi Urban Residential (SU). Mayor Ron Washington clarified that the city had no money in the project, and that the city had been asked for a change in zoning.
City Administrator Ken Smith reported that the city is in the process of replacing the parking meters in the city. He also said that there will be kiosks added. Smith called the new meters a bridge to the future, because these new meters will accept coins, credit cards or payments on the app. He also said they are trying to cut down on street clutter by removing some of the poles that the meters are attached to, so that people will have to be aware that their parking meter might be behind the car instead of in front of the car.
ELSMERE
The Elsmere Community Center is set for a facelift. Work was set to start this week, and will take about 4 months to complete.
“The center is outdated, and now it will really look sharp,” said Mayor Marty Lenhof. “It is something we can take pride in.”
Council passed a municipal order which forms a Community Center Advisory council, a step which allows them to continue to apply for funding. Members of the board have to be one member of council, one staff liaison, two residents, and one aging and disability services coordinator.
Council also voted yes on the second reading of the medical cannabis ordinance, which allows cannabis as permitted uses in flex industrial zones and general industrial zones, and the dispensaries in the neighborhood commercial zones.
There was also a first reading of an ordinance amending the hiring and promotional process in the police department. This ordinance adds the position of ‘lieutenant’ to the rosters, and also allows the police chief to create ad hoc committees.
A resolution passed which authorizes the mayor to sign an agreement with NKADD for the Centerline Road project.