By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter

PARK HILLS

Park Hills City Council listened to the first reading of an ordinance setting the tax rate for the year. Since tax bills don’t go out until September, they set their rate early. The tax rate will remain unchanged for next year. Their ad valorem tax is .17 per $100, the abandoned urban property tax is .75 per $100, motor vehicle tax is .334 per $100, and personal tax is .75 per $100.

Another first reading officially added June 19th to the calendar as a federal holiday.

Police Chief Cody Stanley announced that Officer Ricky Grigson will be retiring at the end of the month, and the city hired Chelsea Little as a replacement, but she is still down at the police academy in Richmond. Another new hire is Officer Thomas Bradford, who is already out on the road. Stanley said by this fall the police department should be fully staffed.

Public Works Director Dan VonHandorf related that the count of cars as determined by a machine at the corner of Arlington and Dixie Highway is usually between 500 and 600 a day on North Arlington, but on June 26 the count was 1,286. This could be due to excess traffic or an accident on I-75, and could be a harbinger of extra traffic once the construction starts on the new companion Brent Spence bridge.

FLORENCE

Florence Mayor Julie Aubuchon gave an emotional speech Tuesday night acknowledging the mass shooting which occurred last Sunday in the city, resulting in the deaths of four people plus the shooter, and landing three other people in the hospital with serious injuries.

She said Crossroads Church was opening their doors for anyone who wanted to attend a night of prayer for the victims and the first responders.

“Our city mourns the loss of our community members and prays for those recovering from their injuries,” Mayor Aubuchon said. “My thoughts, as well as the thoughts of all residents of Florence, I know, are with those involved. It has been a very difficult week. We have received positive messages from communities all over the state, some from across the country. I am grateful for this support. This is not how you want your city to be featured on the national news.”

She said if anyone is having trouble processing this tragedy, they can contact Katie James, the Human Services Administrator, or they can call the city building at 859-647-8177.

Council passed the first reading of an ordinance approving the Boone County Comprehensive plan for 2040.

They also passed a resolution adopting the Northern Kentucky Area Development District’s Title VI plan, and appointing the new Human Resources Coordinator, who will start on July 13, as the program coordinator for the plan in the city of Florence.

BOONE COUNTY

The Tuesday night regular meeting of the Boone County Fiscal Court was packed with residents determined to prevent Mark Jacobs from developing Jake’s farm into high end luxury condominiums. The property is at the southeast corner of the intersection of Richwood Road and Schmidt Lane. Judge Executive Gary Moore prefaced the comments by asking the commissioners if they were in favor of the development, and finding no approval, he proposed that the attorney should be asked to draw up a finding of facts to overturn the Planning Commission’s 6-4 recommendation of approval.

He gave the proponents of the project time to speak for it, and Mark Jacobs and his attorney took that time.

“It’s my dad’s farm,” Jacobs said. “I’m going to do something with the farm, and it’s going to happen and it’s going to be first class. It’s going to be different.”

The attorney said that the current zone of A-2 could result in the development of a free range pig farm, and the residents probably wouldn’t want that.

Diana Sipple said the developer doesn’t live in Boone County, and hasn’t talked to the neighbors. She said they don’t appreciate the developer’s threat of ‘If I don’t get what I want, then it’s a pig farm.’ Tim Weaver said residents have a certain quality of life and they want it to stay that way.

“Let’s slow down on this one,” Judge Moore said. He directed the Attorney to compile the information to have a first reading of an ordinance overturning the recommendation of approval.

Commissioner Chet Hand wondered why the Planning Commission didn’t give the court a statement that specifies what goals in the Comprehensive plan the project is in conflict with.

“The zoning ordinances and the comp plan documents are intrinsically restrictive documents, they are not intrinsically permissive,” Hand stated. “If we had a scenario where people could do anything they want with their property, we wouldn’t have any zoning laws at all and we wouldn’t have a comp plan. They could just be able to do anything they want. Therefore, any goal or objective that these plans are in conflict with should be given heavier weight than one it is consistent with.”

He said there are tons of goals and objectives that this plan is in conflict with, and it doesn’t make any sense to approve the plan.

“As a legislative body, we are the ones who set the goals and objectives, and I am saying, that’s what I want to see from the staff of Planning and Zoning,” he said. “I want to know, what are these proposals, any proposals, in conflict with.”

In other business, Deborah Dutton-Lambert was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees in an alternative method used by the court. Judge Moore was happy to have someone on the board from the western part of the county, and Commissioner Hand said she seems to be a good fit. Library Director Carrie Herrmann read a statement disagreeing with the appointment.

A public hearing was held about closing a public alley right of way at 3028 Front Street in Petersburg. No one objected to closing it.

LAKESIDE PARK

Lakeside Park city council voted unanimously Monday night at their regular meeting to pass a municipal order to accept the interlocal agreement with the Kenton County Fiscal court to join their opioid abatement funds with the county funds for the good of the entire county.

An ordinance passed which prohibits any cannabis business in the city. Mayor Paul Markgraf explained that a commercial zone was required for most aspects of the business, and Lakeside Park does not have a commercial zone.

Mayor Markgraf said the city would like to celebrate life milestones of the residents of the city, so if the citizens call the city building with these milestones, they would be glad to announce them.

TAYLOR MILL

Residents started off the regular commission meeting Wednesday night with arguments about the proposed change in the law about ATV vehicles and where and when people can ride them.

Kelly VonHandorf was irate about the fact that her two sons have vehicles, one has an ATV and one has a dirt bike, and they like to be outside riding them but they may not be able to. She said their property is not 5 acres, which is what the city is determining the minimum acreage that residents can ride the vehicles because they are noisy, but her neighbor, Matt Fischer, has 5.2 acres and he has given permission for the boys to ride there.

Another resident, Anni Elias, lives behind the aforementioned properties, and when the vehicles started regularly riding on Fisher’s property, she was stunned at the amount and the intensity of the noise and she wanted the noise to stop. She said she tried to settle the situation peacefully, but when that didn’t work, she brought the police with her to Fischer’s house. Then she had a company come out and survey the land, marking the property lines, and there were several areas where Fischer had extended the riding track but it was in actuality property belonging to Elias. Fischer has yet not moved the track that infringes on Elias’s land, and she alleges there is damage to her land.

Fischer alleges he is being harassed by Elias and it has to stop. VonHandorf thinks it has been blown out of proportion and is upset that the city is limiting ATV riding to people who have 5 acres, when she can’t afford 5 acres. Elias said not only she hates the noise, but she has several neighbors who are sick and or elderly who hate the noise also and want it to stop, especially on her property.

Therefore, since the city has no ordinance concerning ATVs, commissioners voted to pass the first reading of the ordinance limiting the ATV riding to properties five acres and over, which was within the revision of the nuisance and penalties ordinance. Riding is only permitted after 8 a.m. and not after 6 p.m. Once the ordinance has a second reading, the fines start at $100 for the first violation, $250 for the second violation and $500 for the third violation.

There was another ordinance dealing with the revision of shooting permit requirements.

Commissioners passed an ordinance prohibiting any medical marijuana businesses in the city.

Father Thomas Robbins, from Holy Cross and St. Anthony’s, celebrated his Golden Jubilee, and he was presented with a proclamation plaque, and much applause from a grateful audience.

KENTON COUNTY

Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann administered the oath of office to Trey Smith who was promoted to Chief Deputy of Operations at the Kenton County Detention Center.

Kenton County commissioners approved a contract with the Fiscal Court and Dugan-Meyers for pre-construction work on the garage on the fiscal court campus in Covington. County Administrator Joe Shriver explained that the initial amount of $133,000 was quickly spent, and the contract adds a cost not to exceed $300,000 to fund the work through August.

The commissioners passed the second reading of an ordinance levying a license fee on car sharing and transportation. They also passed the second reading of the ordinance prohibiting medical cannabis businesses in the county.