CITY OF FORT THOMAS,

CAMPBELL COUNTY, KENTUCKY, ON

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2010

Mayor Mary H. Brown called the meeting of council to order at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 6, 2010. The Clerk called the roll and the following Councilmembers were present: Lisa Kelly, Jim Doepker, Jill Steller, Eric Haas, Roger Peterman, and Tom Lampe. Staff members in attendance included: City Administrator Don Martin, City Clerk Melissa Kelly, Fire Chief Mark Bailey, Police Chief Mike Daly, Finance Director Fred Ewald and City Attorney Jann Seidenfaden.

Mayor Brown led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Minutes

The minutes of the November 15, 2010 meeting were presented to council for consideration. A motion was made by Mr. Lampe and seconded by Mr. Peterman to approve the minutes as written. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Visitors and Communications

Beth Hudepohl of 35 Crow Hill addressed council. Mrs. Hudepohl requested that they city leave the lights on the trees in the Central Business District and the Midway until the end of February because they help brighten up the gloomy winter months. Council agreed to try this for a year and see how it goes.

Report of Committees

Report from the Public Works Committee of Council: The Public Works Committee of Council met prior to the council meeting. Don Martin updated the full council on the items that were discussed. The first item of discussion was the establishment of a “No Parking During Snow Event” ordinance pertaining to cul-de-sacs, turnabouts, or dead-end streets. The committee decided to try to educate the public via the newspaper, newsletter, website and Nixel regarding parking in cul-de-sacs during a snow event. The city will see how this works and look into an ordinance for next year if it does not show results.

The second item of discussion was the review of improvements of the intersection of S. Ft. Thomas Ave. and Tower Place. These improvements include a 6’ bump-out for all four corners of the intersection to prevent cars from passing in the curb lane and allowing for improved pedestrian safety at the crosswalks. The work will be completed by city crews. The committee was in favor of the design of the bump outs. The next step it to make an application to the state for approval before the city can move forward.

The third item for discussion was an e-mail from a resident regarding establishing a time limit for bringing leaves to the curb in advance of the scheduled pick-up day. It was the consensus of the committee to not restrict people to a time limit for putting out their leaves.

Reports of Officers

Report from City Administrator: Don Martin presented a report to council. The report included the following:

Tremont Speed Issue Update: The police department has conducted three speed surveys on Tremont Avenue. The information has been forwarded to CDS’s traffic engineer, John Pagano for review and recommendation. The recommendation should be available sometime the week of December 6^th.

Street Sweeper: The city’s new street sweeper has arrived. Personnel have been trained and it is being utilized.

Rossford Park: The city met with the NKU Center for Applied Ecology to discuss the stream restoration process for Rossford Park. Similar to the program soon to begin in Tower Park, a conservation easement and agreement will be drafted for council’s consideration to allow the restoration work to be scheduled. To coincide with this conservation agreement, a similar agreement will be drafted with the Fort Thomas Forest Conservancy to allow for the reforestation of the northeast hillside. By allowing this conservation easement, the city can better avail itself of forestry grant opportunities.

Park Shelters: The park shelters in Highland Hills and Tower Park are moving along on schedule.

Tower Park/Alexander Circle: The city has established a list of potential developers to send letters of interest to regarding Alexander Circle. Also included in the packet will be a site plan of the property developed by CDS. The letters are anticipated to be mailed out by the end of the week.

New Business

Consideration of 2011 Professional Service Fees for City Engineer: CDS has submitted a proposed fees structure for the 2011 calendar year. The proposed rates will not increase from the 2010 rate. A motion was made by Mrs. Steller and seconded by Mr. Peterman to approve the contract with CDS Associates for 2011. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye”: Ms. Kelly, Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman, and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no”: none. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Consideration of Ambulance Billing Agreement: The city currently utilizes MCA Billing Company to collect for ambulance services. Another company, ADPI, has recently become more competitive in the market. Staff is currently reviewing the proposal and negotiating the cost with ADPI to determine if it would be beneficial to switch companies. Staff is seeking authorization from council for the mayor to enter into an agreement with either MCA or ADPI sometime in December after staff has fully investigated the costs and benefits of both proposals. A motion was made by Mr. Lampe and seconded by Ms. Kelly to allow the mayor to enter into a contract with either MCA or ADPI when staff has reviewed all information. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Ms. Kelly, Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman, and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no” –none. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Finance Committee Report on Disbursements: The Finance Committee presented its Report of Disbursements and recommended the payment of warrants numbered 61336 through 61440 for the period of November 16 – December 6, 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” – Ms. Kelly, 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-19-2010: An ordinance amending the Police Policies and Procedures Manual regarding the use of force was presented to council for consideration. A motion was made by Mr. Doepker and seconded by Ms. Kelly to approve Ordinance O-19-2010. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Ms. Kelly, Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, Mr. Peterman, and Mr. Lampe. Voting “no” – none. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Ordinance O-20-2010: An ordinance adopting a supplement to the City of Fort Thomas Code of Ordinances was presented to council for a first reading. This ordinance will be laid over to the next regular meeting of council for consideration.

Resolution R-07-2010: A resolution approving financing for Highland Hills Park and the street sweeper was presented to council for consideration. The city is considering using the KLC or other comparable financing institution. A motion was made by Mr. Doepker and seconded by Ms. Kelly to approve Resolution R-07-2010. Mr. Peterman recused himself from the vote due to the fact that his law firm does work for the KLC. Upon call of the roll, the following members voted “aye” – Ms. Kelly, Mr. Doepker, Mrs. Steller, Mr. Haas, and Mr. Lampe. The motion passed.

With no further business to come before council, the meeting was adjourned.

APPROVED:

_____________________________

Mary H. Brown, Mayor

ATTEST:

____________________________

Melissa K. Kelly, City Clerk