MINUTES OF A REGULAR
MEETING
OF THE BOARD OF COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF FORT THOMAS,
CAMPBELL
COUNTY, KENTUCKY, ON MONDAY,
SEPTEMBER 19, 2005
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Council, City of Fort Thomas, was called to
order by Mayor Mary H. Brown at 8:00 P.M. on Monday, September 19, 2005.
The Clerk called the Roll, with the following Councilmembers present: Barbara Runge, Jim Doepker, Karen Lied,
Eric Haas, Roger Peterman and Tom Lampe. Also attending were: Jeff Earlywine, City
Administrative Officer, City Clerk Dottie Ivie, City
Treasurer Fred Ewald, City Attorney Jann Seidenfaden, Chief of Police
Mike Daly and Fire Chief Mark
Bailey.
The Mayor led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and then
asked for disposition of the Minutes from the prior meeting. Minutes from
the August 1, 2005, meeting were held over so that some
corrections suggested by Mr. Doepker regarding an
appeal from a Tree Board decision could be made. It was moved (Doepker) & seconded (Runge) to
approve the minutes, as corrected. A voice vote was unanimous Aye; motion
carried. Minutes from the September 6, 2005, meeting were approved, upon
motion (Runge), second (Doepker) and unanimous Aye voice vote; motion
carried.
Since there were a number of visitors in the audience specifically for the
appointment of our new Firefighter/Paramedic Eric Scherpenberg, Mayor Brown
said she would change the Agenda to make this appointment. She
called him to the podium along with Fire Chief Bailey for the presentation of
his new insignia and a framed Executive Order. She asked Scherpenberg to introduce his family members and then
welcomed him to the “city family.” This is his first day of work, and his
appointment now restores the number of firefighters to the full complement of
18, Chief Bailey said.
Mr. Joe Powers, 34 Overlook Drive and Mr. William Sporing, 29 Overlook Drive, addressed Council
separately regarding their concerns about potholes, gravel accumulating along
the street, and needed repairs to that street; and about safety in exiting from
Overlook onto U.S. 27. Mr. Powers brought copies of digital photos of the
holes and stated that “the three young men who worked on the holes didn’t patch
them properly, and they said they would return, but didn’t.” He stated
that the concrete junctions have not been tarred in over two years and that
needs to be done. He also complained about several large trucks (over ¾
ton) that are being parked on the street regularly and requested that the Police
Department check the number of trucks, as well as do something about dogs
running loose on the street. Mr. Sporing voiced
his frustration and trying repeatedly over the years to get a traffic light for
egress from Overlook
Drive. He said efforts and contacts with
Senator Jim Bunning have resulted in a flashing light but not in a traffic
light.
Sporing continued that “drivers pay no attention to the
flashing light that was installed.” Mr. Earlywine said that a curbing project for that street has
been on the State’s list for a long time, which could provide safer driving
along that roadway; and he suggested that the Animal Control Officer should be
contacted for dogs running loose.
The
Fire Department Monthly Report was presented by Chief Mark Bailey and was
received and filed upon motion (Runge), second (Lied)
and unanimous Aye voice vote. Police Chief Mike
Daly then presented the Monthly Police Department Report and it
was received and filed, with a motion (Lampe), second (Runge) and unanimous Aye voice vote.
Fred Ewald presented a brief review of a Police/Fire
Pension Board meeting held just prior to the Council meeting. The Board
members discussed the most recent actuarial report for the fiscal year 2004 and
authorized a 5% bonus to be paid to the remaining retirees by separate check in
October 2005 due to increases in investment revenue and a decrease in annual
pension expense. These meeting are held annually. Ewald’s report was received and filed upon motion (Doepker), second (Lied) and unanimous Aye Roll Call
vote.
After discussion, it was moved and seconded to confirm the date and time voted
on in From the Fountain for Trick or Treat. The majority of those
voting (about 80 phone calls, e-mails, or letters) preferred Sunday, October 30,
2005 from 5 to 7 P.M; however Mayor Brown and other Councilmembers had specific groups that were counting on it
being on Monday night. Upon motion (Peterman) and second (Doepker), the original time printed on the flyer that went
out in all mailed tax bills (Oct. 30, 5-7) was supported. The vote was 4
Aye; 2 No; motion carried.
Mr.
Lampe made a statement in regards to the on-going efforts of various citizens
and groups such as Northern Ky. Action, requesting Fort
Thomas’ participation in a request to Campbell County that there be a county-wide ban on
smoking. He said that that Fort Thomas will “take no
action” on this issue. Setting that as a motion, with a second (Haas),
there was a voice vote taken, with unanimous Aye votes 6-0); motion
carried.
Mr. Earlywine then reviewed for Council an Agreement
for Drainage System Improvements on Bonnie Lane and it was approved, upon
motion (Lampe), second (Haas) and unanimous Aye voice
vote that the Mayor be authorized to sign the agreement.
Mr. Earlywine then presented a complete staff report
and update on the Towne Center Redevelopment Project. He reviewed the
beginnings of the project, starting with meetings of the Fort Thomas Forward
group in 2000, up to Spring, 2001, when the initial
concept was presented to Council.
He
introduced two of the partners from Fort Thomas Enterprises who were in the
audience, Mr. Henry E. (Bud) Pogue and Mr. Hank Pogue and said that during the
process of negotiation over the past months, Mr. Dave Van Horn has also attended
representing Citizens Bank. The total projected cost of the current plan,
$940,000, will be participated in by the City at $615,000, by Fort Thomas
Enterprises at $230,000, and by Citizens Bank at $95,000.
There
are a number of other issues, such as roofing, where the cost would be split
with the Bank. Council received a memorandum outlining the ways that the
City might finance the project, including: 1) sale of the bank building,
for an estimated $767,100 (current appraised value); 2) initiate a $650,000 loan
and carry debt, currently maximized at $750,000. This option would deplete the
City’s borrowing capacity somewhat and might prevent the City from moving on
with plans to the Midway area for improvements there. 3) a combination of payments and cash reserves, from unreserved
surplus funds, with a negotiated two-pronged lease with the Bank.
Earlywine continued that, at this point, the
staff hopes to complete a joint development agreement among all the partners
and, by the end of this year, hire a firm to supervise the construction, review
bids, and get the project underway. Both Hank and Bud Pogue stated their
willingness to “go to the next level” with this project and expressed their
pleasure in working with Mr. Earlywine and
representatives from Cardinal Engineering and the Bank in bringing the project
to this point. There was general discussion on topics including the impact
on Hagedorn Lane, possible addition
of garage parking under one of the proposed buildings,
encouraging more economic development and helping to enhance future development,
and concerns about traffic.
Earlywine stated that in order to address an
overall better flow of traffic from the South to the Towne Center development, a plan that has been
suggested for decades is that of a connector road from Montvale to the
Hagedorn
Lane area. Mr. Bud Pogue said that in addition
to his concerns with traffic flow, he would remind the city that they need to
move ahead and not insist on restoration of a lot of old buildings that might
better be replaced. He is supportive of hiring a qualified construction
manager for this project and of letting the market dictate development. It
was moved (Lampe) and seconded (Runge), that the staff
be authorized to proceed with the afore-mentioned agreement. A Roll Call vote
was unanimous Ayes; motion carried.
Mr.
Earlywine reported that the street resurfacing
contractor will be working within the City next week and will complete the
streets on the 2005 Street Resurfacing Program with an anticipated delay on the
“dogleg” portion of North Fort
Thomas Avenue and West
Southgate. On the Pier Wall projects on Waterworks Road,
Newman
Avenue and in Tower Park,
there will be a delay due to overhead electrical wires that need to be relocated
and numerous Cinergy employees deployed to assist with clean-up from Hurricane
Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Other projects discussed were: Rossford, Highland Avenue and
Washington Avenue/Custis Avenue, and the property
known as Mike’s Garage, at 931 N.
Ft. Thomas Avenue. There was some discussion of
the increasing traffic and congestion caused by the students, trucks, and litter
at lunchtime, some signage that seems to be getting out of hand, and Council’s
desire to make the center of town area as attractive and inviting as
possible. Mr. Earlywine will monitor all of
these areas of concern expressed by Councilmembers
Runge and Peterman.
The Finance Committee presented their Report on Vouchers for the period and upon
motion, second and Roll Call vote, Council concurred in their recommendation to proceed with payments.
Ordinance O-25-2005, Adopting a new Police Department
SOP Manual was given a second reading and was adopted upon motion (Lied), second
(Doepker) and unanimous Aye Roll Call
vote.
Executive Order EO-9-2005, Appointing Eric Scherpenberg as a Firefighter/Paramedic was presented
earlier on the Agenda and, as an executive order, required no Council
action. There being no further business to come before Council, the
meeting was adjourned at 9:50 P.M.
APPROVED:
______________________________
Mary H. Brown, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Dorothy A. Ivie, City Clerk