By David Rotenstein
NKyTribune reporter
At its business meeting this week, the Florence City Council held the final votes for two zoning items and had the first reading of an ordinance on insurance premium fees. Before getting down to business, the council turned the microphone over to Police Chief Jeff Mallery to recognize a longtime volunteer.
“Robert Nelson has given 23 years, nearly a quarter of a century, of dedicated volunteer service to the Volunteers and Police Service Program,” Mallery said before presenting Nelson with a plaque. “Whether supporting community events, providing behind-the-scenes help, or simply being a reliable presence that allows our officers to focus on protecting and serving. Robert has done it all with humility, reliability and unwavering enthusiasm.”
Mallery singled out Nelson’s long service and noted that most volunteers only spend a few years before moving on. “Robert has given a lifetime’s worth of service,” Mallery said.
The council voted unanimously to approve a change of concept development plan for a proposed Jaggers restaurant with a drive-through on the northwest side of Houston Road.
Councilmember Wingo, who also serves on the Planning and Zoning Committee reminded the council that they were simply voting on information forwarded by the Boone County Planning Commission. “We are not allowed to take any additional testimony from anyone that hasn’t spoken at the public hearing that’s held by the Boone County Planning Commission,” Wingo said.
The next zoning item was a zoning text amendment (ZTA) to regulate and define commercial truck parking. The ZTA specifies where stand-alone semi-truck parking may be developed and it imposes standards, including setbacks, screening and maximum stacking heights for containers.
At the Feb. 10 business meeting, the council voted 4-2 to approve the project with council members Angie Cable and Lesley Chambers voting against the ZTA. They repeated their votes for the second reading.
Before voting no, Chambers asked Director of Community Development Todd Morgan if the Florence amendments made the ordinance more restrictive than the county’s. Morgan explained the differences and said that Boone County hasn’t yet finalized its version.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be more restrictive in the end or not,” Morgan said. “They might take a look at what we did and decide to go along with it.”
The final piece of business involved the first reading of an ordinance to set insurance company license fee rates at 4% of the premiums charged life insurance for the first year collected and 4% for all other types of insurance. The new rate is down from five percent
Vice Mayor Diane Whalen asked if the ordinance’s language could be changed to require the council to revisit the fees annually during budget discussions. The ordinance, as introduced, read “City Council may, at its discretion, evaluate the license fee rates imposed.”
Whalen asked that it be changed to something that wasn’t discretionary. “I’d like to see that say shall review or evaluate the license fee.”
The council agreed to the changes and voted unanimously to approve the first reading.