By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
FORT MITCHELL
Fort Mitchell city council passed the second reading of an ordinance designed to curtail irresponsible behavior on electric bikes and scooters in the city.
The ordinance mirrors the existing e-scooter ordinance, with the difference that class 3 e-bikes and e-moto’s are banned from the sidewalk.
“I wanted to get this second reading done, but I know council might have an appetite for a few changes that I am certainly open to,” Mayor Greg Pohlgeers. “I work for you. It’s my job to bring you a common sense ordinance that you can pass.”
The three changes that he thought council might want is first of all, a speed change, limiting how fast the e-bikes can go, from 15 mph to 10 mph. Secondly, the Mayor knew council might want a ‘walk your wheels’ limit for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon when school gets out on Beechwood Road. The third change would be possible confiscation of vehicles and/or fines for repeat offenders.
Council indicated their support for the walk your wheels part of it, but passed the ordinance as it stands.
Council also passed the ad valorem tax rate, which is .108 per $100 of assessed value. The park tax passed at 2 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Council member Jerry Deatherage explained about the new investment strategy in the city.
Mayor Pohlgeers announced the creation of the Ft Mitchell Civic Academy. He said there will be four classes. The first will be a tour of the Kenton County government, which will include the Sheriff, Homeland Security, Emergency Management, and Dispatch. The second class will be the Kenton County Detention Center, which will include the County Attorney, the Commonwealth Attorney, the US Attorney, and the Jailer. The third class will be at the Ft. Mitchell city building, including fire, police, and Planning and Development services, and the fourth class will be a round table discussion with Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann and Mayor Pohlgeers. More information will be forthcoming.
Pohlgeers said that Royal Drive should be open by the middle of next week. He also said that he wants to institute an Employee and Council spotlight, because he is proud of how everyone has come together to work as a team.
INDEPENDENCE
Independence city council listened to the first reading of an ordinance that lowered the ad valorem tax rates. The new rate for real property will be $.193 per $100 of assessed value, and for tangible property the new rate is $.534 per $100 of assessed property. Both of these numbers are significantly lower than the compensating rates.
Mayor Chris Reinersman administered the oath of office to Doug Wolking on his promotion to Sergeant.
It was announced that there were two bids for concrete used for various projects throughout the city which both came in at $168 per 500 cubic yards. Council voted to accept both bids, one from Hometown Concrete and one from Ernst Concrete because if one company can’t accommodate the request the other one usually can.
There is a small portion of Pelly Road, about 100 feet, which is a state road, that needs a deeper fix than most areas, and CAO Chris Moriconi recommended that the city fix the area in question themselves so that it can be done. He recommended that they do a 4-inch deep repair instead of a 2- inch deep repair at a cost of $14,600. They expect to have it done sometime in October.
FLORENCE
The city of Florence held a short special meeting Tuesday night to pass the second reading of the tax rates.
The ad valorem tax rates for this new year are $1.87 per $1000 of assessed value for real property, and $2.26 per $1000 of assessed value for personal property. There is also a special assessment for Hazardous Employees Retirement of $1.37 per $1000 of assessed value, however, Council had the option to lower this rate to better align the total for real and tangible personal property with historical averages, so they lowered that rate to $.27 per $1000 of assessed value. A Special Assessment of $0.27 per $1,000 would bring the real property total tax rate down 8 percent versus previous year.
The average Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen approximately 3 percent over the course of the last 12 months. An 8 percent decrease in the property tax would help to offset the cost of inflation on the taxpayer and constituted a third-straight year of property tax decreases for city residents.
Florence Police Officer Haley Ransler was promoted to Corporal. Ransler has been at the police force for five years and she is a drone operator as well as a Women’s Self Defense Instructor. Mayor Julie Aubuchon administered the oath of office while her family looked on proudly.
ERLANGER
The city of Erlanger proudly introduced the new member of the Police Force, a K9 named Samo. The city was able to acquire Samo from the Haverkamp Foundation, an organization that was set up by Nancy Haverkamp in honor of her son Matt Haverkamp, who was a K9 officer handler in Golf Manor, Ohio, who died in an automobile accident several years ago. Samo’s handler will be Specialist Clay Centers.
The business spotlight was on Premier Athletics of Northern Kentucky located on Kenton Lands Road in Erlanger.
A resident of Linwood Avenue came to talk about the proposed sidewalk on the street, which some residents don’t think they need. There will be a workshop on September 23 in two sessions, 8 a.m. to noon and again at 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Joe Scheben came to talk about the pay raises for the mayor and council. He felt that the raise for the mayor was too much.
Mayor Jessica Fette praised Nancy Haverkamp for her work in memory of her son and then gave a shout out for the new Flow bike park in the Eons park.
CAO Mark Collier mentioned two new exhibits at the Depot museum which is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
He also said the McAlpin Avenue and Hope Lane sewer work and paving work is scheduled to begin next week.
Council passed the second reading of the ordinance which raises the mayor’s pay from $15,000 a year to $22,000, a rate increase of 46.67 percent, and the council’s pay from $4468.20 a year to $4800, a rate increase of 7.43 percent. Council members Diana Niceley and Tyson Hermes voted no, but the ordinance passed.
The first reading of the tax rate was held, with the ad valorem rate for real property at $.241 per $100 of assessed value, and $.195 per $100 of assessed value for tangible property, both of which are compensating rates. Twelve percent of all taxed revenue will be set aside for the parks.
FORT WRIGHT
Fort Wright city council passed the second reading of an ordinance regarding placing an administrative hold on licenses if there are any unpaid taxes.
They also passed a resolution agreeing to be part of the Law Enforcement Navigator program established by Kenton County to use the opioid abatement funds for Ft. Wright. There had been a previous agreement but the county attorney asked for some changes in the agreement and Ft. Wright attorney John Brooking said there were enough changes that they constructed a new resolution.
Public Works Director Jeff Bethel reviewed the five year road plan with council, and council member Bernie Wessels said he thought it should go to the finance committee so they could produce recommendations. Mayor Dave Hatter also agreed that they should get a new City Administrator on board to help with the recommendations on elevated monetary needs for the program.
Bethell also showed the materials for the new salt shed and Council voted for the materials that they were shown.
Fire Chief Steve Schewe explained that they only got one bid for a new ambulance from Specialty Truck, who deals in the Horton brand, for $333,785. Schewe said that it includes a load system and new cot which accounts for at least $50,000 of that price. Council agreed to have Chief Schewe go ahead with the purchase. He told them it will probably be a two year wait for the ambulance.
Mayor Hatter updated the council members on the search for a new CAO, while thanking Chief Schewe for stepping into the role in the interim. He said they have received 30 applications, although some of the applications did not adhere to the rules, and he admitted it has been slower than he expected. Hatter said the deadline is September 18, and after that he will interview the people with the goal of narrowing the list down to three or four qualified candidates. The chosen few will then go through a second interview, possibly with council members.
“We have not wrecked the ship yet in the past two days that Jill (Bailey) has been gone,” he joked. “It’s not an easy role to fill. I miss Jill already. Stay tuned.”
As far as tax rates, Hatter said it will probably end up being between $1.87 and $1.85 percent per $1000 of assessed value for the real property, which is a decrease from last year’s rate of $1.99, but Hatter is definitely considering it, even though the $1.87 rate would mean a $1,000 cut to the budget. He gave council members all the information he had, and asked them to look at it and get back to him.
Council approved having the veterans who put on the Highland Veteran’s day event to borrow the city’s speaker system. Hatter said he likes to keep everything above board with this approval.
Council approved the first reading of an ordinance that some tangible tax amounts to be moved to an inactive role on the tax rolls. The amount is about $1200 for delinquent tax accounts.
They also approved the first reading of an ordinance which puts limits drone delivery services in the city. Kenton County Planning Commission suggested the rules, and Attorney Brooking constructed an ordinance with all of those suggestions. Since Walmart is considering drone deliveries, if they don’t follow the rules they will be fined.