By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
FORT WRIGHT
In a short special meeting this week, Fort Wright council member Dave Abeln submitted his resignation to council, citing increased professional obligations. Abeln has been a member of council for 13 years.
“Dave has been a tremendous advocate and asset to the community and the organization overall,” said fellow councilmember Scott Wall. “As a council, we commend him wholeheartedly for his many contributions to the betterment of Ft Wright.”
Abeln’s position ends on December 31, 2026, and council has taken steps to fill the vacancy.
The city will be accepting letters of interest from residents who are interested in serving the community as a council member. Those who are interested have to be over the age of 18, and should have been a resident of the city for at least a year, and plan to be a resident at least through 2026.
“We respectfully request that your letter of interest include, at minimum, a brief biography of yourself, a statement of how you can help the city of Ft Wright, based on your skill set, as well as what, in your opinion, is the number one challenging issue facing our community,” said Wall.
Letters of interest can be sent to the attention of the City Administrator Jill Cain Bailey one of three ways: via email to jcbailey@ftwrightky.gov, via US mail to 409 Kyles Lane, Ft. Wright, Ky 41011, or in person at the city building between 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
EDGEWOOD
Edgewood city council members listened to a presentation by Megan Bessey from PDS about the final changes to the Z21 zoning that the council members had specified.
Attorney Frank Wichmann gave the first reading of an ordinance that sets the tax rate for the year. Council had discussed the tax rate previously, and at this meeting City Administrative Officer Brian Dehner brought up the subject, and seeing no objection or discussion from council, told Wichmann to go ahead and read the ordinance citing the compensating rate, which would be $.185 per $100 of assessed value for real property, and $.173 per $100 for personal property. Dehner had given council notes on a percent decrease, so until after the second reading, the rates won’t be final.
Council also decided on an option presented by Dehner for the Alcohol, Beverage Control to change the time for package sales and drinks to 8 a.m.on Sundays and all the rest of the days 6 a.m.-2:30 a.m. This was also a first reading.
FORT MITCHELL
Isaiah Guenther, from Rapid Risk Production, came to talk to council about the One Box, which contains drug reversal items. They have already written a grant for Fort Mitchell for $10,000, and although $2,000 will go for the Fire Department, the rest would go for 50 boxes for the city to be used as a pilot program. Council had a few questions, and Mayor Jude Hehman said he thought it was a great idea and wanted to set up another meeting so the city will be able to use the boxes effectively.
Council passed a resolution which adopted the statewide emergency management Mutual Aid and Assistance program.
Mayor Hehman explained that he sent a letter to Blessed Sacrament School about the School Resource Officer because there are rumors flying around that the mayor and council were not in favor of an SRO for the school. Hehman said they did not budget for that position but they are definitely in favor of the SRO. He said that an SRO is not just for an active shooter, but it is about planning and being ready, and it is more of a relationship. He wanted the city’s opinion on the SRO to be in writing so he put it in a letter.
NEWPORT
Newport Commissioners recognized the retirement of police officer K9 Kilo for his seven years of service. They gave him a special chain, and a lot of petting, which he seemed happy about.
Commissioners also read a proclamation honoring Southbank Partners for their partnership with the Purple People bridge since 2005. A commissioners’ order passed which approved and accepted the transfer of the bridge from the Purple People Bridge Company Inc. to the city of Newport and authorizing Mayor Thomas Guidugli to execute a quitclaim deed to effectuate transfer of title.
A presentation was given by Bill Kinzeler on River Roots, a signature event which will kick off the 250th celebration of America on October 8-12 of this year on the Cincinnati and Newport riverfronts. One of the features people can see is a very large fish tank showing the variety of fish that reside in the Ohio river. Other events will be bourbon tasting and beer tasting, as well as many establishments offering food and drink.
Commissioners passed an ordinance setting the tax rates for the year. The new rates are $2.24 per $1000 of assessed value for the ad valorem tax for general fund purposed, and $2.80 per $1000 of assessed value for personal property.
FLORENCE
Florence city council conducted the first reading of the new tax rates. Real estate taxes will be $1.87 per $100 of assessed value, and personal property will be $2.39 per $100 of assessed value. In addition, the city charges $4.4 per $100 of all assessed property for the service costs for the police and fire retirement system, and $.25 on all financial institutions. This represents a 3 percent drop from last year.
Greg Steffen
Another first reading of an ordinance creates a bid for non-exclusive franchise for the placement of facilities for the transmission, distribution, and sale of electrical energy within the public right of way for 20 years. The city had a contract with both Duke and Owen Electric but it expired and another contract had to be bid.
Council listened to a presentation of a resolution from the Boone County Planning Commission which recommends approval, with conditions, a request of the Bank of America for a change in concept development plan for a one acre area which is an outlot for the new Publix store. In their initial concept development plan, the bank’s developers had the wrong color brick, they didn’t have a pitched roof, and their light poles were 25 feet tall. In their revised concept development plan, they lowered the light poles to 20 feet so they were similar to those of the Publix store, and they changed the color of brick to a reddish color, but their roof was not exactly the pitched roof that was required. So the change in concept development plan is that they will not be required to have the pitched roof. Council seemed amenable to the change so the issue will be a resolution on the next meeting agenda.
Another issue was the reappointment of Jeffrey P. Koenig to the Boone Florence Water Commission. It is a four-year appointment. Council member Diane Whalen highly recommended Koenig and said he is a very detail oriented person and he does very well on the commission. Council member Pat Wingo concurred with Whalen’s recommendation. This issue will also be on the next meeting’s agenda.
INDEPENDENCE
Independence city council met in a short session to confirm the final tax rate for the city. Council member Greg Steffen asked for a breakdown of numbers and the resulting monetary numbers for reducing the rate, but Mayor Chris Reinersman said that reducing the tax rate from $.194 to $.192 might result in the city budget going into the red in the next few years and he didn’t want to take that chance. Steffen spoke up and said he would like to have the rate reduced for the people. Council member Carol Franzen said if they lower it now, and the budget goes red in a few years, she didn’t want to have to raise taxes, so she did not want to put the city in a possible bind later. Other council members agreed with her.
The tax rate of $.194 per $100 of assessed value, which is the compensating rate, and $.534 per $100 on personal property passed, with only council member Steffen voting no. the tax rate represents a 12 percent reduction from last year, and Reinersman said the last increase the city had was back in 2015 or 2016.
The other item on the agenda for this special meeting was to accept the bid for paving the lot behind Mt. Zion Baptist church. The church is in downtown Independence, and the city would like to lease the lot for $1 a year for the next 50 years in exchange for paving the lot and maintaining the lot, which is currently gravel. The bid went to Riegler Blacktop, but it is contingent on the lease being drafted, which Attorney Jack Gatlin says will be completed in the next few days, and then signed by both parties.