By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
FORT MITCHELL
Fort Mitchell city council set their tax rate for a first reading at $.108 per $100 of assessed value, which is the same that it has been for 11 straight years.
The Park rate was also the same and has been the same for years at $.02 per $100 of assessed value.
The garbage, waste, trash and recycling rate was set, and Mayor Greg Pohlgeers said that since they are in a contract, the rate has stayed the same as last year.
A municipal order passed which allows for some police cruisers to be surplused so they can be sold.
A resolution passed which allows for residents to purchase flood insurance, especially people who live by St John’s Road, and Avon Drive.
EDGEWOOD
A resident, Dennis Drew, came to the Edgewood council meeting to read council members the riot act for not doing anything, in his mind, to punish the children on ebikes and scooters for excessive speed on sidewalks, and neglect for residents and walkers. He had not realized that his city had done anything to curb this trend, even though council has been trying to find a solution for the city for several months, one that would give police a way to control the problem.
CAO Brian Dehner gave Drew an in depth summary of the efforts council has done so far, and promised an ordinance that can be enforced would not be far away.
Fire Chief Tom Dickman talked to council about changing the work week for firefighters and paramedics, decreasing the hours from 56 hours to a 48 hour work week. He told council members that many cities in Northern Kentucky have gone to this 48 hour work week and Edgewood is losing fire personnel to other cities due to this trend. The result is that the city is short of personnel. When they lose people they have to hire brand new personnel and train them because most firefighters are going to cities with the 48 hour work week.
He said changing their work week to 48 hours would help with long-term stability, recruitment and retention of personnel. When the personnel leave after only 2-to=3 years, it creates a problem with succession. The department has lost two individuals, and just recently lost a third person, while a fourth is on the fence about leaving.
Council members argued that it would cost the city more money, but CAO Dehner said they had saved some money from Dudley Road so they could use the money from that project.
In the end, council voted to go ahead with the change, with Jamie Ruehl being the only no vote.
Tax rates were set with a first reading. Property tax was set at $.182, which is a compensating rate, and a reduction in tax rate since last year it was $.185 per $100 of assessed value. Personal tax rate was set at $.149 per $100 of value.
Mayor John Link announced that the September 7 meeting will be canceled due to Labor day.
INDEPENDENCE
The city of Independence held a meeting on Monday dedicated to the discussion of Flock cameras. The first to speak was Phil Arnold, virtually appearing from the Flock camera company. He calmly told everyone that these cameras are the single greatest change in crime solving since DNA. He touted the successes in finding lost or kidnapped children, and missing persons. Arnold said they don’t have facial recognition, nor do they want it. He said they have never been hacked. Many courts, including the Supreme Court, have ruled that these cameras are not a violation of the Fourth amendment. They never have and never will sell their information because it belongs to the agency that contracts with them. They have seen a 20 percent decline in auto thefts. They have been in business over 25 years.
Then Mayor Chris Reinersman gave the floor to Police Chief Brian Ferayorni, who said he thinks the cameras help police do their job and allow for a virtual gate around the city. He echoed Arnold’s statements that they don’t have facial recognition nor do they record audio, or track people’s movements. The cameras are on publicly traveled roads and they note a car’s make, model and color, as well as their license plate. The chief said there is no expectation of privacy on public roadways. He said it helps police in two ways; first to send a direct alert to officers, and second, they have a 30-day historical data which is cloud-based, and all information is purged after 30 days. He said the data from the cameras are not the sole data for an arrest – it is a tool. He also said they have checks and balances set up so that the officers cannot abuse the information. The Chief produced a QR code that people can go to, as well as he said he will put the contract on the website. There are safeguards in place to protect the information, he said.
All during the talks the residents who had packed the house tried to interrupt, sounding like an irate mob who thought they were being told lies.
One resident, Terry Kleintrup, said when he heard Arnold, he thought of speeches by people who wanted to sell him something. With 17 lawsuits in 17 different cities, he thought having Flock cameras and police in charge of them was like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.
Mayor Reinersman tried to defend these allegations, saying that the wrongdoing by police officers amounts to .0005 of 1 percent. Shout outs from the audience showed that that was not what they wanted to hear.
Dawn Farwick alleged that if the information is sent to the FBI it no longer belongs to the city of Independence. Both Arnold and Ferayorni disputed that.
Every time a resident spoke, the audience followed it by a burst of appreciative applause.
Another resident criticized the police chief for not knowing some of the legal cases and accused him of only looking up data on the cases that supported his opinions.
Most of the residents who spoke cited the fourth amendment and deplored the lack of personal privacy with the use of the cameras. They exhorted the mayor and council to listen to the people who live in their city.
One resident spoke up and said he had been ‘flocked’ for a year for feeding cannabis to rabbits as part of research.
Basically, residents gave a no confidence vote to the Flock cameras and want them out of their city. They talked over Phil Arnold’s last statement, and Mayor Reinersman had to restore order. The cameras were installed in Independence in November of 2023.
No decision was made at the meeting, but council members all indicated that they wanted what the residents wanted. Almost all the residents said they supported the Police force.
FLORENCE
Florence City Council listened to a proposal by Athena corporation for a multimillion dollar complex on Houston road. The proposal is to go ahead with the building with the use of Industrial Revenue Bonds. Jim Parsons, from Keating, Muething, and Klekamp, PLL came to talk about the project, reassuring council members that the issuance of bonds is the correct thing for this project.
The second reading of an ordinance passed which is a concept development plan for a 2.174 acre site located at 7627 Ewing Boulevard to allow a fenced in playground for children with special needs.
Another second reading passed that allows for a change of concept development plan in a 1.7 acre area located between Tanners Gate lane and Tanners Lane to allow the development of a parking area for 21 box trucks, 21 semi-tractors, and 50 passenger vehicles.
A municipal order passed that allows a certain lease agreement between the city of Florence Public Properties Corporation and the city of Florence.
Tax rates were proposed at $2.14 per $1000 of assessed value for real property, $2.53 per $1000 for tangible property and $.27 per $1000 for the police retirement fund although that is bundled in with the tangible property. Mayor Julie Aubuchon said that Florence is the only city in the state permitted to collect this tax.