by Michael Monks
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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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The meeting was short but busy meeting for the Covington City Commission's Tuesday night meeting. Here is your recap:
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Farmers Market to move from Goebel Park to Roebling Point
Renaissance Covington manager Katie Meyer, who's tasks include management of the Farmers Market, presented the plans for and rationale behind the market's move from Mainstrasse to Roebling Point. Covington's Farmers Market spent its first season at Goebel Park last year but Meyer's presentation suggested that it lags in regional competition behind Boone County and Bellevue, that management structure is burdensome, and that the vendors are not happy with their isolation in the park. Starting this season the market will move to Court Street in Roebling Point in front of the former Kenton County Jail where brunch crowds at the nearby restaurants are ideal and ample customers. A grant will fund an outside manager to take over the market's direction and will also pay for the ability to accept food stamps and WIC and provide regular musical acts. The presentation was met with approval from the commission with Commissioner Sherry Carran, who served as the market's first manager at its inception, saying that she liked all the suggestions.
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Covington boasts of more new businesses
Rebecca Volpe of the Community Development department offered a monthly business report. The city has seven new start-ups, five expansions, seven relocations, two retention projects, and four home-based businesses to celebrate. The commercial rent subsidy program is also gaining interest. "We have several applications pending," Volpe said. "We've seen a huge increase in interest in the last thirty days for these programs."
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Firefighters get pay raise in 4-1 vote
Firefighters get pay raise in 4-1 vote
Four Covington firefighters received a 14% increase in pay as they transition into their dual roles as firemen and paramedics. The department is currently operating with 27 paramedics, the lowest permitted by the City's agreement with the firefighters union. Chief Chuck Norris said the goal was to have 32 paramedics in the department. Commissioner Steve Frank opposed the raises, voting no without comment. Another firefighter up for a 14% raise listed as a separate item on the agenda saw his pay increase approved unanimously.
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Fire Department approved to purchase new vehicles
The commission unanimously voted to accept the $105,393.52 bid by Crossroads Ford Lincoln for the purchase of four 2013 police interceptors. Chief Norris explained that three vehicles were removed from service and that formerly backup vehicles are being used. Te money comes from the city's capital improvements fund. "This commission shifted funds to create a budget so that we could have this because we had skipped over it for years," said Commissioner Steve Casper.
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"If you could make a city financially solvent by not replacing vehicles and not fixing streets, we'd be the most solvent city on Earth," said Commissioner Frank.
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City shifts remaining federal homeless funds to NKADD
In President Obama's Recovery Act Covington received $679,522 for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing. $670,000 was directed to the Northern Kentucky Area Development District so that it could handle the Hearth housing program for homeless or near-homeless people. At Tuesday night's meeting, NKADD representatives were granted the remaining $9,522 that the City retained. The Hearth program was described as successful and was credited with the first reduction in homelessness in Covington in years. The program's funding will be gone in May and it will cease to exist.
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Section 8 property owners face eviction from program
As part of Covington's new tax amnesty program, property owners that accept taxpayer money through the section-8 housing program and are behind on their city property tax payments will have to catch up on payments or be eliminated from the program. Those property owners that face expulsion from the program will be given a window of time to get current on their balance and after the deadline if the taxes are not paid, the owners will no longer be able to participate in the program. "A lot of our problems are section-8 problems and a lot of our section-9 problems are people not paying us," said Commissioner Shawn Masters.
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"I don't think we should be held hostage by these leeches," said Frank. "The landlord gets our money and then turns around and doesn't pay taxes on it."
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Quickies
Quickies
Mayor Chuck Scheper and the commissioners recognized the help offered by Covingtonians and City staff during the tornado relief effort; The animal control officer position was officially eliminated as the city will now yield to Kenton County for that service; The city agreed to a $35,000 contract with Atkins-Elrod & Associates to serve as consultants for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program; Two police officers were unanimously approved for 6.468% pay raises; A resolution in opposition to KY House Bill 478 passed unanimously.
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