By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
The Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD) Annual Meeting and Open House Thursday was highlighted by tours and a ribbon-cutting for its newly expanded offices in Florence.
The expansion will allow the NKADD to remain in its Spiral Drive location and consolidate some services currently located off-site.
NKADD Board Chair George Zubaty and Executive Director Lisa Cooper at Thursday’s Annual Meeting and Open House
NKADD Executive Director Lisa Cooper said the ability to provide additional services in a central location on a bus line is a tremendous asset for low-income clients who may not have private transportation.
“This space is going to allow us to continue to provide services to the region,” Cooper said. “This whole area is dedicated to service provision. With the additional space we can serve a lot more folks in the community, which is what we are all about.”
The NKADD provides case management and other services for the aging and/or disabled population. The organization also offers workforce development support to businesses and those seeking work, and community development assistance to local government entities in its eight-county service area.
The NKADD is one of fifteen state-supported agencies that comprise a network of multi-county planning and development organizations.
In addition to Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties, the NKADD service area also includes Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Owen and Pendleton counties in Northern Kentucky.
Williamstown Mayor Richard Skinner at the ribbon-cutting for the NKADD expansion.
Williamstown Mayor Richard Skinner said the NKADD provides a host of essential services for the more rural counties in the southern portion of its service area.
“It brings together all eight counties and really makes it much simpler to communicate as a region,” Skinner said. “They have been a great influence in our city and in the counties and we are lucky to have them.”
Williamstown has a population of about 4,000 and portions of the city are located in both Grant and Pendleton counties.
In November 2013, the City of Florence agreed to issue up to $2.4 million in general obligation bonds to support the NKADD renovation project, which also included the refinancing of some existing debt.
At the time of approval, the decision was anticipated to save the NKADD up to $400,000 over the life of the loan. The savings are expected to be realized from the lower interest rate through the bond refinancing, compared to that which the NKADD could obtain independently.
Florence Director, Business and Community Development Joshua Wice said the NKADD is an asset to the entire region and provides a wide range of services on a shoestring budget
“The amount of responsibility they have taken on to help our communities grow has been phenomenal and the have helped us as well.” Wice said. “When they came to us, they were looking at whether they were going to acquire a new building or purchase another existing building in town; eventually it just made sense to add on to this building. We were happy to step up and contribute the bonding authority to be able to do that.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the property was to be turned over to the City of Florence until the bond offering, which is expected to extend 18 years, is repaid. The parcel currently has an assessed value of $1.7 million, which does not include the recent enhancements, according to the Boone County PVA
The Boone County Fiscal Court declined to consider a similar request from the NKADD in 2013, prompting the organization to seek assistance from the City of Florence.
NKADD Associate Director-Human Services Ann Wildman leads a tour of the organization’s expanded offices on Spiral Drive in Florence.
Ann Wildman, associate director human services, said the organization’s on site staff has grown considerably in recent years, from 65 at the time of the bond request to about 90 now.
“We just simply ran out of room, so the addition was really necessary,” Wildman said.
The increase in staff is primarily due to the expansion of the organization’s Medicaid waiver program and additions in some of the NKADD’s Workforce Division programs.
The expansion will allow the 15 staff members who provide Medicaid waiver assistance and are now spread throughout the building to be consolidated into one area.
There will also be separate entrances at the rear of the building for employees and for client services.
“We will have a reception area there, which will provide a little more anonymity for those seeking assistance,” Wildman said.
Many of the programs in the NKADD Workforce Division that were previously housed in a rented building on Price Pike near Boone County High School, will be brought into the expanded facility.
The Employment Connections program, for example, helps clients with creating a resume, improving job skills and finding employment. The Youth Connect Program works with young people up to age 21 to identify a career path and obtain the skills needed in their chosen field. Both will now be housed at the Spiral Drive office.
Dustin DiChiara, a Boone County businessman and a member on the Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board said a lot of planning went into the expansion project and it shows.
“I’m completely blown away by the quality of the work and the utilization of the much-needed space,” DiChiara said. “They do a ton of great work in our communities and I’m glad they had the funding support to get the resources and the tools they need as well.”
Construction began in February and is nearing completion, with just a few finishing touches needed to meet the target occupancy date of late October.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com
