One thing is clear about the candidates seeking one of four seats on the Covington City Commission: Mayor Chuck Scheper and his 10-point plan are very popular with them. "I think Scheper is great and people are very impressed with him," said Mildred Rains. The former City Commissioner is seeking a full term at City Hall after being appointed in 2009 and losing in 2010's general election. Rains's support for the mayor and his 10-point plan, an initiative that he designed to solve Covington's financial crisis and other issues, was echoed throughout Thursday evening's candidate forum.
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"Scheper's plan is sound," said Greg Paeth while fellow first-time candidate Ed Faulkner affirmed that he also is a full supporter of the mayor.
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"I endorse what Mayor Scheper and the commission have done up to this point with the 10-point plan, I think it's a good plan," said Roger Hamilton. Fellow commission challenger Chuck Eilerman offered "tremendous credit" for "dealing with the financial crises that we faced."
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"We have got this town beginning to turn around," said incumbent City Commissioner Steve Frank. "I want to get this town moving before the yahoos get their hands on it again." Neil Gilreath, a retired Covington Police Officer, was the only candidate not present of the eight vying for four seats in November. All will automatically advance beyond the primary to the general election, though their names will be May 22's ballot offering an opportunity for bragging rights and possible momentum. Mayor Scheper is not seeking election to the office to which he was appointed following Denny Bowman's September resignation.
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Another plan was also unanimously, at least partially if not enthusiastically, supported by the candidates: The Covington Center City Action Plan, a newly unveiled roadmap to revitalize Downtown Covington and its surrounding neighborhoods. The forum, part of the monthly Covington After Hours, was held at the American Legion Hall in Latonia where no public speaking time was granted. Instead, each candidate, including City Commissioners Sherry Carran and Steve Casper who are running against each other for mayor, stood by a table greeting and talking with voters while passing out campaign materials.
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The River City News spoke with each commission candidate and their comments are below in alphabetical order (Watch for more on their positions in the coming days):
THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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MAYOR ADDS #11 TO HIS 10-POINT ACTION PLAN
During a speech before the Latonia Business Association Wednesday afternoon, Covington Mayor Chuck Scheper freshened up his standard presentation of his 10-point action plan for the city by adding an eleventh point. The addition involves code enforcement and followed visits to approximately thirteen neighborhood associations and civic organization. I pledge to do more than what we've been doing," Scheper said of future efforts to combat blighted and neglected properties. "It's something we hear consistently from the neighborhoods."
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While most of the mayor's speech followed his familiar script, Wednesday's event at Twin Oaks golf course featured subdued celebration that multiple points on that 10-point plan have received check marks, including new union contracts and the elimination of Covington's 911 emergency dispatch center. "This has to become not just out plan, not the just the plan of a unified commission, but also the plan of the community," he said. "We're going to accomplish a lot before I get out of here as mayor."
| OTHER NOTES FROM THE LATONIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION LUNCHEON:
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Three candidates in Covington's 2012 elections were present and spoke briefly, including commission challengers Chuck Eilerman and Greg Paeth. Commissioner Steve Casper, who's running for mayor, also spoke. "It's rather daunting to think I'd be following in his shoes," Casper said of Scheper, "but we think alike and I've pledged what we've started this year will continue next year."
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The new Hometown Urgent Care that just opened on Winston Avenue in a former 5/3 bank location is offering a give-back program for Kenton County Schools students that get their annual physicals there with ten dollars will be given back to the school the students attends.
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It was a beautiful day at Twin Oaks for the luncheon...
| COVINGTON TO BROADEN, INCREASE HOUSING PROGRAM IN 2012-13
The popular housing programs offered by the City of Covington that include facade grants and down payment assistance will continue to bolster home ownership in its original targeted areas of the urban core and Latonia, but during the second half of the next fiscal year the program will broaden and be available across the city.
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Community Development Director Jackson Kinney said Tuesday night at the City Commission meeting that while federal funding for the program will be less, the grants available to property owners and prospective home buyers would increase. A facade grant in 2011 was worth $2,500 but that amount not only doubles to $5,000 next year, it will also be available to multifamily homes on the condition that the owners match the grant. "In neighborhoods where we're trying to have an impact it doesn't matter if they are rental or owner occupied, they all have an impact on the quality of living," Kinney said.
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The federal funding comes through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and two of its programs: HOME and CDBG. In addition to funding the housing programs, funds will go towards commercial rent subsidies, micro loans for small businesses, and and upper floor residential rehab work above retail spaces. Previously those programs were only available to spaces along Short Pike and Madison Avenue but will be expanded to spaces on Scott Boulevard from 8th Street to the river.
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Priority 1 indicates where the housing program will be focused during the first six months of the 2012-13 fiscal year while priority 2 shows the other areas where the program will be available in the second half.
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BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT BENEFITED FROM THE PROGRAM:
A Covington swimming pool is to be shut down; New vehicle fees proposed to fund merged dispatch center; Plus, a full report from last night's no-hitter by a Holy Cross pitcher. Those stories and much more at the link!
NO EARLY RELEASE FOR WOMAN CONVICTED OF COVINGTON MURDER, RAPE
A woman convicted in the 1987 kidnapping, rape, and murder of a woman (a crime that originated in Covington) will not be released early:
The two-member panel rejected 58-year-old Brenda Humphrey's move for immediate release from prison after a quarter-century, after quizzing her for more than 30 minutes about the death of 36-year-old Debbie Pooley, an Ohio native who lived in Covington at the time. The decision means Humphrey, who was sentenced to life without parole for 25 years, will not be eligible for release until at least 2017. The board cited the seriousness of the crime as well as Pooley's death as reasons for the decision after the hearing at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women in Pewee Valley.
AP/Brett Barrouquere | FRANKFORT HEADLINES | Kentucky jobless rate drops to 8.6% press release | House passes roads budget, pill bill WFPL | Law enforcement rally for pill bill Herald-Leader | Attorney General Jack Conway speaks in favor of pill bill:
| SEE ALSO: Conway warns Kentuckians about phony invoice scam press release |
With passage of pill bill and roads budget, eyes turn back to Governor Beshear cn|2
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TREY GRAYSON SAYS BESHEAR, SENATOR WILLIAMS EMBARRASS KENTUCKY:
“I’ve heard a lot of folks saying, ‘David Williams has done a lot for the party, he’s done a lot of good things legislatively but it’s time to go,’” Grayson said. He noted that the public doesn’t have control over that — those decisions are made by legislators at the beginning of January in odd-numbered years. When asked whether both legislative chambers need to pick new leaders, Grayson said, “I think they do.”
More with video at the link. cn|2 | SEE ALSO: Democratic Congressional candidate from Grant County, Bill Adkins, takes on the Tea Party and defends Medicare cn|2 | QUICKIES | Kentucky's community health centers rank near the bottom nationally Herald-Leader | Five Guys opening 3 local locations, including Newport-on-the-Levee Business Courier | Global marijuana march in honor of Gatewood Galbraith WFPL | High school senior shares story from hospital meeting with UK basketball's Darius Miller Herald-Leader | NKU journalism workshop gives local high school students the informatics experience NKU| OHIO CITY DEVELOPING AN ARTS DISTRICT They work in some places, but not everywhere... IndeOnline | GOOD LUCK HOLY CROSS BASEBALL! The Indians take on NewCath tonight in the regional championship of in Class A action with the winner going to the state sectionals. Here's video from last night's no-hitter pitched by a Holy Cross junior:
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DON'T FORGET TO SUPPORT 'KEEP COVINGTON BEAUTIFUL' TONIGHT DURING HAPPY HOUR AT THE PIKE STREET LOUNGE!
Greg Paeth is one of ten candidates for Covington City Commission. He is a journalist who worked for the Kentucky Post and is now President of the Old Seminary Square Neighborhood Association. Here is Paeth's campaign announcement:
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Greg Paeth, a long-time Covington resident who has been active as a volunteer in many Covington organizations for more than 20 years, filed today as a candidate for the Covington City Commission.
“Like cities all over the country, Covington faces significant challenges in continuing to provide critical city services at a time when a weak economy has strangled business and job growth and left many people unemployed. Equally important is finding creative ways to grow the city, attracting new residents who can support businesses that might want to move into a vacant storefront in what was once Northern Kentucky’s most thriving business district,” said Paeth, who lives in the Old Seminary Square neighborhood.
“There are no simple answers to these complex problems. If there were, solutions would have been found decades ago,” he said. “I believe I can work together with other members of the commission and the city staff to develop a strategy that can help breathe some new life into Covington.”
Paeth is a former reporter and editor for The Kentucky Post and The Cincinnati Post, where he worked until the newspaper ceased publication at the end of 2007. Since the newspaper went out of business, he has written articles on a freelance basis for publications in Cincinnati and Lexington and Northern Kentucky University.
He is the current president of the Old Seminary Square Neighborhood Association and serves as its representative to the Covington Neighborhood Collaborative. He also is a member of the Westside Action Coalition and a member of the Covington Urban Partnership board that is working with the Covington Business Council on plans to create a Business Improvement District that would help attract both businesses and residents to the city. Paeth also is a member of the Downtown Center City Action Plan steering committee, the City of Covington’s Vacant Properties Review Commission and is a former member of the city’s Urban Design Review Board. He was one of the stewards who worked on the city-wide strategic plan that was put together several years ago under the leadership of former City Manager Jay Fossett.
Paeth is married to Beverly, an instructional coach with Covington Independent Schools. They have two grown sons, Christian and Joshua, who are married and have careers outside of Northern Kentucky. Greg and his wife also have four grandchildren: Jackson, Ella, Sophie and Xavier.
| The River City News will publish campaign releases from each candidate as they come in.
