By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter
There was a void, said Pete Nerone, director of the Devou Park Advisory Council.
“One that’s been there for a long time, that’s finally being filled,” he added.
He was talking about the need for a unified branding effort for Devou Park. In a report to the city Commission Tuesday night, he and Matt Butler — chair of special projects for the Devou Good Project, which works with local nonprofits — reported how they’ve helped fill that need.
The Devou Good Foundation provided a $60,000 donation, and after a nine-month process where park officials worked with an outside consultant (talking to residents, hosting focus groups and studying quantitative analysis from Facebook and email surveys) they were able to create a website.
“Devou Park needed a brand strategy to bring all its different entities together,” Butler said.
The new site pulls together things like the Behringer-Crawford Museum, bike rentals, the Overlook, golf opportunities, park trails and biking paths, among other attractions. Other sections of the site feature topics like “Meet Devou,” which includes a history of the park, as well as a list of those who work there, and an Event Calendar.
Butler said the site will utilize Google Analytics to measure how much traffic will go to outside sites.
There are also local wayfinding signs, (which stay on brand by using the same fonts) placed throughout the park.
“The park is an asset for our city and our region,” said Commissioner Jordan Huizenga. But he also wondered how Butler and Nerone would share this story with the world.
“This is basically the first step to get everybody together,” Butler said, explaining that it would be a multi-phase project.
Financial report says city is ‘right on track’
“What I can say, in confidence, is that the city is right on track,” said city Finance Director Muhammed Owusu.
Owusu presented a first-quarter finance update to the Commission Tuesday night, reporting that the city’s spending and revenue was in order for this time of year.
Just three months into the fiscal year, the city has spent 21 percent of its $52.8 million general fund budget, while collecting about 21 percent of its projected revenues.
He did, however, go on to say that the trend must continue.
“We need to stay vigilant,” he said, adding that “we must continue to watch our expenditures to stay on track.”
Also on Tuesday:
– Three positions were created and put on the consent agenda for next Tuesday’s legislative meeting:
• Human Resource Generalist
• Historic Preservation and Planning Specialist
• Solid Waste and Recycling Supervisor
– Mayor Joseph U. Meyer noted that the Riverfront Commons project has received all permits and is now only awaiting approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The uninterrupted, 11.5-mile walking, biking and running trail will connect all of the River Cities to Cincinnati and other local trails.
Once the Corps approval is received, the city will send the contract out for bid and get it signed by the end of the year, Meyer said. Even if the Corps does not yet officially approve, the city can still get an informal approval and move forward with the same timeline, Meyer said.
– On Tuesday, Commissioners will vote on an ordinance allowing for the construction of The Park Pointe project, an 82-home subdivision on a hillside overlooking the city. The project would build single-family homes on the 27.7-acre site of the former Hilltop Campus of Gateway Community & Technical College.
Most of the land — 20.2 acres — is in Covington, with the rest in Park Hills.
– Mayor Meyer noted that he would not be at next week’s commission meeting. Instead, he will be traveling to the country of Georgia, which is a former Soviet republic located at the intersection of Europe and Asia.
There, he will observe the country’s election process and report back when he returns.
The next regularly scheduled Covington Commission meeting will be a legislative meeting held at 6 p.m., Oct. 23, at the Covington City Hall at 20 West Pike St.
Contact the Northern Kentucky Tribune at news@nkytrib.com
Under Mayor Joe Meyer’s leadership, professionalism and progress are coming to Covington. He is putting good people in place, bringing unity to Devou Park. Meanwhile, Huzenga wants a regional asset somehow displayed to the world. How shallow. Still Covington moves ahead.