By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
EDGEWOOD
Two residents, Jake Roneker and Linda Dault came to the regular council meeting to propose making a part of Presidents Park into a class one arboretum. They estimated the cost of the beginning steps would cost about $2200, and they told council that there are two foundations where they could get grants, but they need the city’s help to obtain the grants.
Two residents spoke up about Flock cameras, one for and one against. Sandra Cleveland said that any negative about the cameras is based on assumption, and they should pay more attention to the positive aspects of the cameras, such as how they help to keep crime down in the city. Brett Olsen said the city ceded their power to keep the city safe by having the cameras, and he thought the money could be better spent in the city. Another person came to speak because he visits the city a lot, but Mayor John Link said they wanted to limit the comments to residents who live in the city.
Council member Jeff Schreiver asked for the subject of Flock cameras to be on the agenda, so then he asked Police Chief Jimmy Kreinest some questions about them, even though the city has officially turned them off. Schreiver asked who can ask to access the information, and other council members joined in with questions of their own.
The October meeting of council will have the subject of Flock cameras on the agenda as a major topic where more information will be provided.
Council approved the second reading of the tax rates. The ad valorem tax rate for real property is $.182 per $100 of assessed value, and $.149 per $100 of assessed value for personal property.
City Attorney Frank Wichmann was preparing to hold the first reading of an ordinance about ebikes, escooters and other vehicles, but council wanted to discuss it first to make sure what rules were in the ordinance. After discussion, council members decided they would like to add the rule that kids will have to walk their bikes across crosswalks. Attorney Wichmann recommended postponing the first reading until next meeting rather than altering the current first reading to include the new rule.
KENTON COUNTY
Kenton County Fiscal court held a public hearing for the closing out of the 2024 and 2025 Recovery Kentucky Community Development Block Grant programs. A representative of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District came to officially close out the programs. No one was present for comments on the close out of the programs.
Jim Parsons, from KMK Consulting, and a prominent public finance attorney, was at the meeting to talk about payment in lieu of taxes for Innovative Opening Solutions, a business in Cincinnati which was related to Erlanger Hardware. He said they are opening a business in Covington in the Latonia area which will bring about 50 jobs. Covington will issue the IRB bonds, for 15 years, to receive some tax incentives, and the city and county will receive 20 percent, while the schools will receive 50 percent from the PILOT. Parsons said that the county will benefit from payroll taxes once the business is up and running. Commissioners voted to approve the project.
A first reading of an ordinance was held which provides for a partial credit of its occupational license fee as part of an economic development project for Whitehorse Freight LLC under the Kentucky Business Investment Program.
Several executive orders passed, some of which dealt with resignations of two people from the Animal Shelter, and the appointment of another person to the Animal Shelter.
BOONE COUNTY
Jennifer Watts came to the regular fiscal court meeting Tuesday night to again ask the court to use their voice to help with Gayle Pille’s property being used to bury a sewer pipe underground, rather than use an alternate route that will not destroy the old growth trees that have been there for a long time and cannot be replaced. Judge Executive Gary Moore said they have sent a letter, after evaluating the comments from the last meeting, asking SD-1 why they chose the route through Pille’s land instead of a less intrusive route. Commissioner Chet Hand also sent a letter to Adam Chaney, Executive Director of SD-1, asking him to tell people exactly why they chose that route.
“I can’t tell you how devastating this is,” said Pille. “The construction goes right behind my house. It is just criminal, what they are doing to my property.”
Judge Moore announced that the Boone County Safety Communications center was recognized as Kentucky’s 2026 Public Safety Answering Point 911 Agency of the Year. Daniel Aylor, Director of the center, was available to talk about the specific incident officer involved shooting on Service road last year, where many law enforcement agencies were involved in the incident. Judge Moore told him to pass on their congratulations, and told him they are proud of the department.
The project of a change in concept development plan for a 45.5 acre site on the east side of Burlington Pike between Shady Hollow Lane and Springfield Boulevard was on the agenda for a second reading. At the last meeting there were people who spoke in opposition to the project mainly because of the traffic in the area, so commissioners asked for more information on the project.
However, Commissioner Hand said that without the change in concept development plan, the current zoning would permit twice as many units on the property, so he realized it was better to approve the change. The second reading passed.
The Director of Fish and Wildlife Brian Blank gave an update on what the department does during the year. He also talked about the Hunters for the Hungry program where farmers and hunters can shoot and donate deer that they shoot to feed the hungry. Blank said there are quite a few deers in this area, way too many for the area, so if anyone would like to participate in the program, the details are on the website of the Fish and Wildlife. He said each doe provides 40 pounds of ground venison which will generate 200 meals for people.
In a caucus meeting on Thursday evening people attended to find out about UTV’s as well as ebikes and motorized scooters.
Larry Snyder came to tell the court about a day last October when he and his wife were taking a walk on the multiuse path near their home close to the Fairgrounds. He said they always stay to the right, trying to occupy less space so others can share. Suddenly, he said, a 15-year-old on a motorized scooter, came out of nowhere and hit his wife from behind, sending her into the air and landing hard, breaking her femur, the strongest bone in the body and breaking her knee in three places.
“Police did not respond because it was not a motor vehicle accident,” he said.
The mother of the boy on the scooter was there, telling them it was an accident and her son didn’t see the couple walking because the wind was in his eyes. However, Snyder remembers seeing a cell phone go flying during the incident.
Snyder’s wife Janice spent four weeks in the hospital and another 6 weeks in therapy, after having a plate and seven screws in her knee and her broken femur set.
Snyder said there was no sign that the scooter was approaching them.
“You can’t hear them,” he said.
Apparently, while that is the most egregious example of problems, there have been other incidents. Data from the Boone County Sheriff’s office showed that there were 19 incidents of vehicles with scooters since December 30, 2024, and two of them were seven-year-olds who
were riding the scooters. Emergency medical services were called both times for injuries. Nothing was completely decided, but commissioners listened carefully and asked a lot of questions. Assistant County Attorney Bill Noble provided a lot of information with slides supporting his efforts.
Other questions that need to be dealt with are helmets, texting, and headphones, as well as how to determine who is at fault, and who has right of way.
Ralph Mitchell, who had been the commissioner of the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission, talked to the court, basically telling them if they don’t put in an educational component that can be taught in schools and other facilities, it won’t matter much what they do.
He told them that there is grant money to be acquired for educational purposes.
Putting this data together with the legislative efforts of several cities in the Northern Kentucky area, the court will come up with basic rules that govern the ‘micromobility’ devices which the county currently doesn’t have. More discussion on the subject is likely. They will be conferring with the state also.