By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
ERLANGER
Citizens from Erlanger, Elsmere, and Florence came to the Erlanger city building this week to address the proposed ‘road diet’ project that the state has designed and put out to bid without contacting any of the three cities involved in the stretch of Dixie Highway from Commonwealth to Turfway road. Florence Mayor Julie Aubuchon, and Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhoff came to the meeting. Elsmere held a similar meeting on Monday night.
Bob Yeager, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Chief Engineer, prefaced the discussion by explaining how the project came to be.
“It really wasn’t a secret, we just didn’t tell anybody,” he joked.
The well-filled room chuckled a little, but it was mainly because earlier that day the KYTC announced that they were ‘pausing the project’ for now, which took some of the anger away from the prepared statements clutched in the hands of the residents.
He said that the KYTC is responsible for resurfacing of roads, and during the planning sessions, the subject of safety on Dixie Highway was brought up, so possible solutions to deal with the safety of the road were discussed, and when the road diet idea came up they decided to go with it. Yeager thought as they were dealing with grants and road monies the necessity of contacting the mayors for the cities involved with the area of highway was overshadowed, and lost.
Yeager told the audience he had learned his lesson.
Several residents stood up and spoke anyway. Mayor Aubuchon was happy to have this meeting to get everyone on the same page and thanked Mayor Jessica Fette.
Mayor Aubuchon told the audience they absolutely do need to pay attention to the safety of the area, and the safety of the residents.
“I feel like the residents who reached out to our representatives in Frankfort about this matter did so respectfully, and that’s what we need,” Aubuchon said, acknowledging the message was received by the state. “I know you can’t go wrong when you involve the public and let them know what is going on.”
CAMPBELL COUNTY
The Campbell County Fiscal Court began their meeting by having Judge Executive Steve Pendery swear in their newest police officer Brian DeWaine He is an Air Force Veteran who did serve on the North Texas SWAT team. His wife was there to see him be sworn in.
Lee Crume, President and CEO of BE NKY, came to give an overview of his organization and what it does. He told the commission that they are an economic development company that works for all three counties, Boone, Campbell and Kenton, and they strive to help grow the economy of this community and make sure it stays on a prosperous path.
Crume pointed out that the Port Authority, which is a managed, separate, legally created entity of the Fiscal Court, acquired the One NKY building, located at the foot of the Roebling Bridge, and the Spark Haus last year, which are both doing very well. He said that this year they are in the process of renovating the C and O Railroad roundhouse, which sat derelict for some time, and he said that is off to a good start this year.
He also talked about the schools and the K through 12 systems which they would like to work with to help students get careers and be on a great path in their futures. He said they are poised to see an investment in technology pay off.
Updated leases for the Campbell Soccer Club, the Campbell County Rural Knothole Baseball Club Inc, and the Girl Scouts of Kentucky Wilderness Road Council were all approved.
The Annual compensation for the Commissioners, the Campbell County Attorney Steve Franzen, and the Campbell County Coroner Mark Schweitzer were approved and set.
The Annual compensation for the Judge Executive Steve Pendery and County Jailer Jim Daley was approved.
An amendment to the interlocal agreement with the Northern Kentucky SWAT team was approved.
Commissioners agreed to advance Police Officer Paul Wagner to police officer 4.
Commissioners agreed to transfer $20,400 to the Northern Kentucky Area Development District for the administration of the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Commodity Supportive food program.
VILLA HILLS
Villa Hills held their student Government night at Villa Madonna school on Wednesday. Cathy Stover, chair of the Administrative Committee, was in charge of the student shadowing event, which was Councilman Scott Ringo’s responsibility for many years. Two hundred thirty essays were collected from students at three different schools, River Ridge, St. Joseph, and Villa Madonna. The essays were divided up between the officials whom the essay was about, and each official chose one student to be their shadow during the meeting.
Stover said this was the hardest part of the entire evening, but at the end, students were up on the stage with their chosen official, and they were the ones that made the government run that evening.
Everything, from roll call to ordinances, were read aloud by the students and their voices were loud and clear. Each student not only read the city’s business, but also the job description of the official they were representing was described. The ordinance amending the zoning code for manufactured homes was read for the first time but not voted on since it was the first reading. Two municipal orders were read appointing two people to the Villa Hills board of adjustments. Another municipal order passed which authorized the mayor to sign an MOU to be a fiscal agent for playground equipment to be installed on the grounds of the civic club.
A resolution was passed officially thanking the three schools for participating in Government Shadow day in the city.
At the end of the meeting each student received a gift bag.