FLORENCE
Florence city council listened to evidence brought by Attorney Tom Nienaber concerning the property at 37 Goodridge Avenue in Florence. For 26 months the city has attempted to persuade the homeowner to clean up his property, which has repeatedly had over three-foot tall grass, bags of garbage on the front porch and appliances in the front yard. The city has tried to make a deal with the parents of the homeowner, but that hasn’t worked either, and they had independently tried unsuccessfully to get their son committed. Members of a local church came on the property and cut the grass for him and tried to clean up, but most people who come on his property are allegedly threatened.
Neighbors who have put up with the eyesore property near theirs came to the meeting, which the homeowner did not attend, because they are upset by the seemingly blatant disregard for consideration of the homeowner who brings down the value of the neighborhood by his trashy property.
His 102 fines total $39,872. Attorney Nienaber has presented a case for foreclosure to recoup the money.
Council members Angie Cable and Lesley Chambers asked if the fines could be reduced, so that if the house was foreclosed on, he wouldn’t have to pay so much in fines. Attorney Nienaber said they would be happy to work with him, but he hasn’t shown any interest.
After Council went into closed session, they came out unified to have the city file civil suit against Burr Travis III, the owner of the property. Despite some of the council members being very upset for the homeowner’s plight, all six of them were able to look at a difficult situation and make a decision for the good of all the residents, while keeping the door open for negotiation with the homeowner.
Twelve firefighters took the oath of office from Mayor Julie Aubuchon. Joe Melville, FF/EMT, Mutaz Al Ramahi, FF/EMT, Zachary Doyle, FF/EMT, Aidan Bray, FF/EMT, Justin Schmidt, FF/EMT, Bradley Althauser, FF/EMT, Cody Flickenger, FF/EMT, Connor Gregory, FF/EMT, Kyle Merkin, FF/EMT, Evan Kerns, FF/EMT, Kyle Wilhite, Paramedic, and Eric VanMeter, FF/ Paramedic, all joined the Florence Fire Department.
INDEPENDENCE
Independence city council watched as three new police officers were sworn in. Whitney Buerger, Preston Coon, and Devin Mullins took the oath of office from Mayor Chris Reinersman and are now the newest members of the Independence Police Force.
A municipal order passed which declared two items surplus, a bob cat excavator and a skid steer.
Council discussed a parcel of land near the Huntington Bank by Turkeyfoot and Industrial roads, because a resident Nathan Atkinson, wanted to look into the possibility of changing the zoning from Large Residential Subdivision to Neighborhood Commercial. The process of changing a zone through PDS was explained, but Atkinson wanted to know if council members would be amenable to the change before he spent money looking into developing a car wash on the site.
TAYLOR MILL
The city of Taylor Mill has a new Fire Chief, which they chose shortly after General Fernbach retired at the end of June. Mayor Dan Bell administered the oath of office to Lieutenant Bryan Lynch at the regular commission meeting while his family looked on.
City Administrator Brian Haney reported that the city received two bids for working on the streets in the city. The two bids were from Riegler and Eaton, and the low bid was from Riegler at $283,164. Commissioners approved the bid with one abstention from Commissioner Dan Murray, who lives on one of the streets involved.
Commissioner Mark Kreimborg announced that former commissioner Ed Kuehne was made VP of the TANK Board of Directors.
BOONE COUNTY
Boone County Commissioners listened to an explanation of an insurance grant check in the amount of $10,000 from KAC0, presented by Michael Ray, Safety and Loss Control Manager, for the public works department, who purchased a zero gravity lifting device.
A proclamation was issued declaring the month of July as Recreation and Parks Association Month.
A public hearing was held before the meeting which deals with a request to vacate the right of way of Locust Street in Taylorsport. County Administrator Matthew Webster said that it wasn’t ever more than a paper street, which is to say it was a street on the records but not in reality. Commissioners voted on a resolution which approved the request to vacate.
A resolution passed which authorizes funding for the NKY Cares Opioid Team which utilizes opioid abatement funds.
Another resolution passed which accepts the bid for road salt for the county and the city of Florence for $89.50 per ton of salt, submitted by Morton Salt.
Commissioners passed a resolution for the county to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with Campbell County Fiscal Court for the provision of shared veterinary services.
Commissioners also approved the formation of the Boone County Archive Commission to be able to preserve historical items.
ELSMERE
Elsmere city council voted to pass several municipal orders at their regular council meeting.
The first approved a trailer from Public Works to be surplus, and another approved the interlocal agreement with St. Henry church to provide an SRO.
A municipal order approved the bid from Century Construction for a city welcome sign for a price of $49,175. It will be installed at 4517 Dixie Highway.
Another municipal order approved the bid from Riegler Blacktop to resurface the roadways on the 2025 plan.
A final municipal order approved the bid from Brown Equipment company for a price not to exceed $55,000 for an asphalt hot box.
Police Chief Russell Brown announced that they are adding another SRO to their agreement with St. Henry. He also said the annual kick off to summer held on June 12 was a great success and attracted 600 to 700 people.