By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
ERLANGER
Erlanger celebrated Benjamin Brinkhaus day this week.
Mayor Jessica Fette read a proclamation to the St. Henry sixth grade student Tuesday
evening at the regular city council meeting honoring Brinkhaus for his achievements on the St. Henry Academic Team this spring. Ben competed at district, regional and state levels. He
received first place in Arts and Humanities, Social Studies, and General Knowledge at the
District level, first in Social Studies and General Knowledge and third in Arts and Humanities at the Regional level, and ninth in Arts and Humanities, 65th in Social Studies, and 27th in General knowledge on the state level. Also on the state level, he was 10th overall in General Knowledge, and he was in the top ten at the state competition. His prowess earned a trophy and a Governor’s Cup medal presented by Governor Andy Beshear. Ben thanked everyone and explained Bob, his emotional support fish, which doubles as a pencil case, that he wears to competitions. His mom and grandparents and uncle were all on hand to proudly watch him receive this honor.
Council voted to take the first reading of an amendment to the ethics ordinance off the
agenda, and put it back into the caucus meeting for more discussion.
Chris Herrmann, a student from Lloyd High School, came to the meeting to ask again if
council would vote on the issue of having a student member of council to sit in on meetings and offer different views and ideas. He said as of the last official count, there are 19,611 people in Erlanger, and 4,667 are under age 18. According to his calculations, each council member represents 1,660 adults, and he would like a student member who would represent the 4,667 minors in the city.
Assistant City Administrator Mark Collier said he has offered Chris a mentorship, where
he would take time to explain the workings of the city, but he did not get a response from him. Collier said his offer is still open.
Mayor Fette asked for Council to change the date for the second reading of the budget from June 17 to June 10 because she has a chance to be on a school trip with her daughter.
Council agreed.
Collier announced that the 5K put on by the city for the Summer Sendoff will be combined with the Silverlake 5K and will be held on September 20 this year at 8:30 a.m.
FORT WRIGHT
Fort Wright city council discussed the color of a waste water tank for SD-1, and eventually
settled on the color ‘navajo,’ which is a lighter form of brown. Council member Jay Weber
asked if they could put murals on it, since it is rather large, but City Administrator Jill Cain Bailey said she mentioned that to SD-1, and they said no. She did agree that it is large, and she told council to ‘pick a color they like because it is going to live here forever.’
A municipal order passed which approved an interlocal agreement with Kenton Vale for
the city of Fort Wright to provide Fire and EMS protection for a two-year period.
Another municipal order approved an interlocal agreement with Park Hills for Fort Wright to
provide EMS service for a two-year period.
Police Chief Jonathon Colwell told the story about a little girl who does not live very far
from the city building who had her blue bike stolen off her front porch.
“The little girl and her father came up here to report that her bike had been stolen,” said
Colwell. “We had a report that someone found a blue bike in their back yard and we thought it
was hers, but the found bike was an adult bike. She was disappointed.”
Colwell said he works with a person who is in a non-profit who is going to help the city
organize a bike rodeo this summer, and after some discussion, the person showed up at the city building with a brand new bike for the little girl. Colwell said she was very happy.
CAMPBELL COUNTY
The Campbell County meeting began Wednesday with a public hearing about the department of housing for the annual and the five year plan. No one came to the public hearing so it was closed. Later a resolution passed which accepted the report on the plans.
Andy Yeager, from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, came to the meeting to talk about the money that was available for fixing the roads, and to decide which rural secondary roads would be fixed.
He suggested resurfacing Pond Creek Road (Ky1936) from Visalia to Kentucky 536.
The next choice is Persimmon Grove, (KY 1121) from California Crossroads to Kentucky 1996.
Yeager said they could also do a short piece on Steven’s Branch road. He said if the county uses the flex funds, they might be able to do one more street.
A resolution passed which will move the Consolidated Dispatch Center to the new Public Safety building, which isn’t built yet, but if the relocation is approved, the building will have room for the dispatch center in their design. Currently the center is in the Newport Municipal Complex and approval had to be acquired from the city of Newport, the Campbell County Fiscal Court and the city of Ft Thomas, since those three made up the original dispatch center.
Another resolution passed which approved buying a TV system for the detention center with grant money.