Government briefs: A round-up of government meetings across the region this week

By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter

PARK HILLS

Park Hills city council discussed Police Chief Cody Stanley’s monthly report at the regular council meeting. Councilmember Dr. Joe Daugherty noted that most of the tickets given out to drivers were in the form of warnings, which he said might be okay except for the fact that residents have been complaining to him about vehicles running stop signs and speeding on residential streets.

“We need to just stop the people who are running the stop signs,” Daugherty stated. “Give tickets that they have to pay. After that happens a few times they will stop.”

Councilmember Joe Shields said he thought it was a police matter, and Daugherty said that’s why he is discussing it with the police. Chief Stanley said he doesn’t always have enough officers to be policing the stop signs in the city, and they may have to assign overtime shifts to focus on the issue. Council asked for a price for the overtime at the next meeting.

Discussion continued about a possible solution to cars cutting through residential streets in Park Hills causing a lot of traffic, and the speeding problem. Chief Stanley gave the same advice he has been giving for 8 years.

“Make Amsterdam a one way street approaching Sleepy Hollow,” he said. “I think speed bumps are the way to go, putting them at stop signs.”

He said he thought the start of the new bridge was about two to five years away, and that will probably make traffic problems worse.

LAKESIDE PARK

Two residents came to the regular meeting to discuss the sidewalk project and the benches to be installed.

Cassi Schabell is a candidate for council, but she lives on Arcadia and had attended the recent Public Works meeting. She was told she should come to the council meeting to get answers to her questions about sidewalks.

Mayor Paul Markgraf explained that the sidewalks in the city are 100 percent the responsibility of the resident. However, the city can possibly agree to go in for half of the repair of a trip hazard on any sidewalk, and the city will review the requests on a case by case basis.

Schabell then asked about the proposed benches, which are scheduled to be installed on concrete slabs, possibly accompanied by garbage cans, on the property of some homeowners. She said she had heard that the only property owner that agreed to the benches was the church, but Markgraf corrected her, saying one other property owner had also agreed.

Markgraf also said that two streets were being considered for extensive road work, and if they do get the work, the sidewalks would be replaced at no cost to the residents.

Schabell asked if council would consider repealing the law about residents having to pay for repairs, and Markgraf said that would be something council would have to discuss.

Stephen Combs also came to discuss a few sidewalk issues. He talked about the sidewalk in front of his driveway being slanted toward his driveway causing water issues. He also mentioned people parking on sidewalks, which are against code, and the mayor said it should be reported to the police. Mayor Markgraf said he would come over to Combs’ neighborhood and look at a tree that is overgrown and a possible obstruction for the sidewalk.

Markgraf reported on the results of the city survey, and said that generally the citizens are pleased with the city. Suggestions included ones about the lakes, which are privately owned and the city can’t make any changes in that respect. People also wanted to know if the city would pick up leaves, which they said is a private issue. Markgraf said people have the highest regard for the city staff. They also want the city to have a formal investment policy, and one of the pieces of legislation was a municipal order approving an investment policy.

Council passed the second reading of the tax rates, which included a lower rate for property tax at .240 per $100 of assessed value, and a lower personal tax of 1.481 per $100 of valuation. The motor vehicle tax remains the same at 27.69 per $100 of valuation.

FT. MITCHELL

Ft. Mitchell city council listened to Teddy Edgington, Director of Safety for Catholic Schools, talk about the need to put a School Resource Officer in Blessed Sacrament School. The state legislature recently mandated that all schools should have an SRO, but since it was an unfunded mandate, it made situations more difficult. Added to the difficulty is language that schools themselves can’t officially request an SRO – they have to go through a city, a county or a Sheriff’s office. Edgington is trying to make sure Catholic, or private schools, are protected as well as public schools.

Mayor Jude Hehman said he understands that since the school is within the city of Ft. Mitchell, the city does have some responsibility, and he said while a lot of the SRO positions are filled by retired officers, the SRO at Beechwood is not retired, and the city is paying a premium price to put that officer at Beechwood. Still, he realizes there is a definite gray area, mostly in the form of putting public funds into a private school. He also said there is no line in the budget for an SRO for Blessed Sacrament.

Edgington said that the diocese pays the police department typically, not the city, and pointed out that he is at Covington Catholic high school but his salary of $55,000 is split between the school and the diocese, whereas the city of Independence is paid $35,500 for an SRO for St. Cecilia. Edgewood is paid $36,000 for an SRO for St Pius. Edgington said if the city decides on an SRO, they would like to have one in Blessed Sacrament as soon as possible, especially in light of the recent school shooting.

Hehman reiterated that he thought the city bears some responsibility. Councilmember Jerry Deatherage said that with Ft. Mitchell being a small community, everyone knows someone with kids in Blessed Sacrament.

“What’s the risk if we don’t?” he asked. “That’s what bothers me.”

The project on the old Drawbridge property is nearing the point where construction will be starting, and Hehman said when the construction fence goes up they will probably have to close Royal Drive. When that happens, signs will go up to direct traffic, he said.

A resident of West Maple, Jeb Holbrook, came to complain about the Mercedes Benz car lot taking up parking spaces on the street, sometimes blocking driveways. He also said the tractor trailers were parking on Dixie Highway because there was no room on the street, and that the manager was personally insulting to him.

The manager, Don Paparella, spoke, saying there is always room for the car carriers to come on his lot and make a loop and go back out. He said his employees are permitted to park on the street, and he tells them never to block driveways, or the police will be called. He said if the trucks park where they are not supposed to, he encourages people to call the police to give them tickets, because they are supposed to park on his lot. The resident was taking pictures of his employees and was insulting to an employee, and that incident was the reason he posted on Facebook about the resident.

Mayor Hehman said there were a couple of months where there was a ‘perfect storm’ of parking problems on West Maple because of a dumpster on the street for a house that was being renovated. He said due to three businesses being on that street, plus residents, sometimes the parking is going to be tight, and everyone has to be a good neighbor.

COVINGTON

Two residents who are chairpersons for two separate neighborhood groups, came to the regular meeting of the Covington Commission to denounce an incident that occurred in July where at least one leaflet was found that threatened people on behalf of the KuKlux Klan.

Mayor Joe Meyer commended the leaders, saying he is proud of a community that will not stand for anything resembling hatred, and have made an issue of it.

“The KKK is simply not welcome in Covington,” Mayor Meyer stated. “And we will do anything in our authority that we can do to make sure that those types of flyers, if they are ever put up again, are taken down as soon as possible. That attitude, and those values are not welcome in our city. We have worked very hard to make this a safe community for all people.”

Commissioners agreed, and Commissioner Washington said the KKK has a history of trying to make people fearful, but they don’t know Covington very well.

“Ain’t nobody afraid,” he stated.

Beth Johnson, former Historic Preservation Officer for the city of Covington, announced that they had an awards ceremony for the Cincinnati Preservation Association on May 9. She said the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades won the Preservation Excellence and Education award. She presented the award to the city of Covington to show they are an important partner in historic preservation.

City Clerk Susan Ellis gave a presentation on the Records Retention program, which Ellis has worked hard to revise. She told city members about the improvements made in the system and gave them a basic course in how to look for documents they might need.

The tax rate was amended and then passed, with the real estate tax being set at .277 per $100 of valuation, the same as last year, and the amended personal tax being set at .326 per $100 of valuation, which is a lower tax rate.

KENTON COUNTY

APioneer award was given to Sister Jean Marie Hoffman, at the DCCH Center. She was nominated due to her advocacy for children for 35 years, and sometimes a surrogate parent. Sister Jean Marie personally launched a campaign which ended in a new Welcome Center for DCCH.

Sister Jean Marie thanked the court for the award.

“I always try to put my best foot forward,” she said. “I would ask you to remember the legacy of DCCH. We really try to make a difference in the lives of the children who come through the doors at the home.”

Commissioner Jon Draud asked about the legislation for Resource Officers at the area schools, and told the court he heard on the news that the legislature passed a law that all schools had to have a resource officer.

“I heard that 35 schools didn’t follow the law,” he said. “Thirty-five just don’t have them.”

Police Chief Spike Jones said that all of the schools in unincorporated Kenton County have school resource officers, but it is two other schools that will get officers.

Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann said that Covington has most of the schools in the district that don’t aren’t covered. He said that ‘part of that is budgetary, as well as union contract challenges of staffing to the levels that they need and being able to afford it, which is unfortunate.’ He explained that the city is trying to work through that but said it is not the court’s specific area, and concluded that ‘that is the challenge.’

“The Sheriff’s department is providing four, two at Holmes, and two at other parts of the county,” Knochelmann said.

FLORENCE

Two weeks ago, on August 27, a resident of Florence, Angie Cable, came to the council meeting and had a prepared speech which she paraphrased, saying some good things about how a situation with a resident was resolved, but at the end, she said many of the council members were registered Republicans, including the Mayor, and her mind was boggled by the things that were voted on. Cable is running for city council.

Councilmember Gary Winn also had a prepared speech, knowing she was coming, and he took her to task for always trying to find fault with anything and everything the city did. He asked her how she would feel if someone came into her work and criticized her and her coworkers. He alluded to comments and criticisms she has made against the mayor, the council members, and the department heads on social media, criticisms that were allegedly very personal. Winn said ‘us old fogies, as you call us, are doing the best that we can.’ He ended by saying he would put the city’s department heads up against anyone in the entire state.

At this week’s meeting, a resident, Nancy Corman, who admittedly is not an avid social media person, came to the meeting because she had listened to the meeting and felt bad for Angie Cable, telling Gary Winn and the mayor they should be ashamed of themselves for saying anything against Cable. She didn’t want residents to think council members would speak in a harsh manner to anyone if they stood up. She did not realize the behind the scenes story of what has been going on with social media.

Mayor Julie Aubuchon said she appreciated Corman’s respectful manner, and she explained that the city doesn’t mind getting constructive criticism, but no one likes to be personally attacked on any platform. She said everyone at the table is open to respectful comments and respectful dialogue.

“She has made this personal, she came to attack us,” Mayor Aubuchon stated. “Everything has a context. We all love this city, and we all are dedicated to this city. We don’t always agree. It’s not all about someone bringing a different viewpoint. It’s about respect and civil discourse, and we need to maintain that.”

Council passed the first reading of an ordinance setting the tax rates. The ad valorem tax rate is .238 per $100 of assessed value, and the personal tax is .241 per $100 of valuation.

TAYLOR MILL

Taylor Mill Commissioner Ed Kuehne gave a small remembrance of 9/11 before the regular meeting started, since the meeting was held on the anniversary of that devastating attack. He said 23 years ago 245 firefighters died, 60 police officers died, 8 paramedics and one K9 died. But that was not all. The people who were in the air and died in the planes numbered 246, and 2606 died in the collapse of the buildings and afterward.

Kuehne advised the audience never to take life for granted, to ‘kiss those we love.’

Commissioners voted to pass the second reading of the nuisance ordinance, with a few amendments.

The second reading of the tax rates was also passed, setting the rates at .372 per $100 of valuation for property tax, which is the compensating rate, and is down from .448 per $100 last year, and the personal tax rate at .535 per $100 of valuation. That rate is also a reduction, down from .557 per $100 of valuation.

Another ordinance was voted on and passed, setting the waste collection fee at $255 per unit per year.

ix new streets were added to the city. Tuscanyview Drive, Bella Ridge, Arezzo Street, Barolo Place, Ezra Drive, and Westerholt Court were all formally added to the streets within the city.

Mayor Daniel Bell announced that in the Tuscany subdivision, there were 67 new units added, both single family homes and condos, and there will likely be more to come.

It was announced that Police Chief James Mills graduated from the FBI Academy this week.

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