CITY OF FORT THOMAS,

CAMPBELL COUNTY, KENTUCKY, ON

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2010

Mayor Mary Brown called the meeting of council to order at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. The Clerk called the roll and the following Councilmembers were present: Jim Doepker, Jill Steller, Eric Haas, Roger Peterman and Tom Lampe. Absent: Lisa Kelly. Staff members in attendance included: City Administrative Officer Don Martin, City Clerk Melissa Kelly, Fire Chief Mark Bailey, Police Lieutenant Rich Whitford, Finance Director Fred Ewald and City Attorney Jann Seidenfaden.

Visitors and Communications

Karen Fischer of 11 Robinette Court addressed Council. Mrs. Fischer asked for clarification of the status of the sidewalks on North Fort Thomas Avenue. Mrs. Fischer reviewed the time line in which the residents of that area have been requesting help from the city. In 2009 the city applied for a grant for Safe Routes to School and did not receive it. The city will continue to look into grant opportunities to fund this project. Mrs. Fischer noted that she had spoken to State Representative Joe Fisher who indicated the State is currently considering bond funds for these type of projects and the city may qualify. Don Martin noted that the Public Works Committee of Council will be meeting on Wednesday, January 20, and this will be discussed at the meeting. It was also recommended that the Police Department perform another stealth state survey on N. Fort Thomas Ave.

Kim Hemplemen of 332C Newman Avenue addressed Council. Mrs. Hempleman has formed a Veteran’s Day Committee that consists of volunteers who are interested in assisting with a celebration and tribute to Veterans who have served our country. The Mayor thanked Mrs. Hempleman for her work on this committee.

Reports of Boards, Committees, or Commissions

Report from the Law, Labor, and License Committee: Jill Steller reported that the Law, Labor and License Committee met prior to the council meeting. It was the consensus of the committee to recommend to the Board of Council to deny the request to join the Campbell County Cable Board. It was also the consensus of the committee to recommend to the Board of Council to deny the request to provide funding for residents to use camera/recording equipment at other locations. The issue may be re-addressed at some point in the future. A motion was made by Mr. Lampe and seconded by Mr. Haas to approve the report from the Law, Labor, and License Committee. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman, and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no” –none. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Reports of Officers

Fire Department Monthly Report for December: Chief Mark Bailey: Chief Mark Bailey presented his monthly report to council for their review. Chief Bailey noted that all of the exercise equipment has been moved downstairs to the basement from the Fire Department. He thanked the Mayor and administration for allowing this facility and also thanked everyone who helped in the move. Chief Bailey also reported that a premature baby was delivered at home the week prior and because of our Fire Department staff, the baby and mother were doing well. A motion was made by Mr. Doepker and seconded by Mr. Lampe to receive and file the monthly report from the Fire Department. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Police Department Monthly Report for December: Lieutenant Rich Whitford: Lieutenant Whitford presented the monthly report from the Police Department to council for their review. Lt. Whitford reported that the Police Department has caught 4 of the suspects connected to 10 burglaries within Fort Thomas and Highland Heights. It was also reported that Chief Mike Daly graduated from the School of Strategic Leadership.

Report from City Administrator, Don Martin: Don Martin reported on the following:

Deer Census: Vision Air Research conducted the deer census fly-over the evening of January 13^th. The report will be provided to the city within 30 days of the census.

VA Homes: The city is currently attempting to schedule meetings with Senator McConnell, Senator Bunning and Representative Davis to request a price reduction on the VA Homes. The city is also compiling a short list of residential developers to discuss the project with. There will be a letter sent to interested parties on our list with supporting documentation for their review.

Historic Tower Repairs: The city is soliciting bids for repairs to the historic water tower in Tower Park. The repairs to this structure will consist of roof repairs and re-pointing of the mortar joints. Bids are due by Friday, February 19, 2010 with a completion date no later than August 31, 2010.

Amphitheater: The city is soliciting bids for the construction of the amphitheater in Tower Park. Bids will be opened on February 5. Once a contractor is chosen, a pre-construction meting will be conducted. The work is required to be completed no later than June 15, 2010.

New Business

Consideration of CDS Proposal of Rossford Park Construction Documents: CDS has presented a proposal to complete the construction and bid documents for Rossford Park improvements. The proposal amount is time and material not to exceed $259,500 plus an estimated $7,000 in reimbursable expense. The total estimated proposal is $266,500. A motion was made by Mr. Doepker and seconded by Mr. Lampe to allow CDS to prepare the construction and bid documents for Rossford Park. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman, and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no” – none. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Police Car Camera Bids: The Police Department was successful in obtaining a grant in the amount of $23,065 to acquire new in-car, dashboard mounted cameras. The lowest bid was received from ITC and has been rejected due to the fact that staff cannot confirm the legitimacy of the type of equipment and failure to comply with bid requirements. The next lowest bid is from Griswold Installation Service in the amount of $23,030. A motion was made by Mr. Lampe and seconded by Mr. Haas to accept the bid from Griswold Installation Service in the amount of $23,030. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no” – none. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

Finance Committee Report on Disbursements: The Finance Committee presented its Report of Disbursements and recommended the payment of warrants numbered 59381 through 59503 for the period of January 4 – 19, 2010. A motion was made by Mrs. Steller and seconded by Mr. Doepker to concur in the recommendation of the Finance Committee. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman and Mr. Lampe. Voting "no" - none. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Ordinances, Resolutions, and Orders

Ordinance O-1-2010: An ordinance setting the date and time of council meetings was presented to council for consideration. This ordinance will set the time of committee meetings for 6:15 p.m. and council meetings at 7:00 p.m. A motion was made by Mrs. Steller and seconded by Mr. Lampe to approve Ordinance O-1-2010. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman, and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no”- none. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

APPROVED:

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Mary H. Brown, Mayor

ATTEST:

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Melissa K. Kelly, City Clerk