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Covington Commission to hear first reading of shelter ordinance: YMCA property is closer to sale


By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune staff

It’s about balance, City Manager David Johnston says.

It’s about showing compassion for your residents who are down on their luck, or out of a job or suffering from some kind of mental illness. But it’s also about realizing that other residents may feel unsafe in certain situations, or that business owners can be hurt because customers may be driven away.

So what do you do? What do you do about the homeless situation in Covington?

For starters, city officials decided to look downriver. It seems Louisville has a similar situation, and their solution was something that could be imitated.

Tuesday, at the regularly-scheduled caucus meeting of the Covington City Commission, officials heard a proposal for an ordinance that would create a uniform set of standards for shelters “providing temporary housing in order to ensure the health, safety and welfare of clients, staff and the Covington community.”

“There is no stereotype for homeless people in our community,” Johnston said.

But there can be a uniformity for shelters, and this ordinance will regulate that.

Among the regulations:

A shelter will have adequate waiting room so people will not have to wait outside on streets or alleys

They must allow clients the use of restrooms during the shelter’s hours of operation

Facilities should be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (at least to provide showering opportunities to those in need)

The operator will not allow shopping carts or pets on the premises (except for when the pet is registered to help with disability or support)

Must have written policies and procedures on the use of prescription or over-the-counter medication 

Boarding and lodging should provide sufficient on-street parking as required by the Covington Zoning Code.

Johnston also said he has been in touch, and will continue to meet with, Kenton County Judge-executive Kris Knochelmann to ensure that other cities across the county and region are investigating this issue, too.

“It’s not just that Covington will do our part,” Johnston said. “Everybody has to do their part, too.”

Also Tuesday:

West

Sale of YMCA City Property & Development Agreement

Commissioners moved forward with an order approving the sale of “city-owned parcels to and authorizing the Mayor to sign a development agreement with 614 Madison YMCA LLC for the development of a mixed-use hotel, commercial and office facility at the southeast comer of Madison Avenue and Pike Streets.”

“After a lot of fanfare and a whole lot of work,” the sale of these properties is ready to go through, Economic Development Director Tom West said.

The purchase agreement includes the sale of 21-27 E. Pike (for $198,265), and 614 Madison and 19 E. Pike ($1,698,700), with the developer paying all carrying and closing costs. 

The development agreement includes a $20-plus million hotel, office and commercial development, with no portion to be used for commercial development.

The sale will be on the consent agenda next week.

Tri-State Valet License Agreement Extension

Since 2016, Covington has entered into an annual revocable license agreement with Tri-State Valet, Inc., permitting the company to provide valet services in MainStrasse.

Tri-State pays an annual fee to the city for the use of four parking spaces from 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Saturday.

City Manager David Johnston, who also serves as the Parking Authority Executive Director, previously recommended this agreement be renewed until Dec. 31, 2019. The agreement was approved by the Board of Commissioners and expired Jan. 1.

Johnston and the Parking Authority “recommend a short extension of the existing agreement to allow time to study long-term valet options,” city documents say.

Commissioners agreed to put this on the regular agenda for discussion next week, although Commissioner Michelle Williams wondered what would happen at the end of the extension.

Johnston said if an agreement could not be reached, a new contract would be needed.

Police, Economic Development Hirings

Commissioners moved forward with two hires Tuesday night, one for police and one for economic development.

The hiring of James Elliot as a patrol grade officer I will be put on the consent agenda next week. This will give the department 110 officers out of a possible 114 positions.

The city will also approve the hiring of Matthew Zimmerman, of Franklin, Indiana, as the city’s Manager of Business Attraction next week. Out of 30-plus candidates, Zimmerman was the first pick out of four finalists. “He has experience with small businesses, something the interview team felt was important,” Economic Development Director Tom West said.

Zimmerman also has experience with marketing with One Dearborn, Inc., serving as the marketing director for the Indiana Bond Bank, and the Office of Community & Rural Affairs for Indiana.

Board appointments and reappointments

These will be on the consent agenda next week:

Planning and Development Services Council — Commissioner Williams/Commissioner Downing-Alternate

Devou Park Advisory Committee — Reappoint John Flesch

Code Enforcement Hearing Board — Reappoint Joe Schamer

Human Rights Commission — Reappoint Teri Meyer, Brandon Mims and Geraldine Slusher

Police/Fire Pension Board — Reappoint Tom Hall and Art Heeger

Devou Properties Inc. — Appoint Christopher Henry

Urban Design Review Board — Appoint Paul Tenkotte and Steven “Cody” Chitwood

Etc.

One ordinance will have a second reading and vote next week — the repeal and reenact of chapter 96, for streets and sidewalks.

Commissioner Denny Bowman referenced a letter that Mayor Joseph U. Meyer had written to Gov. Andy Beshear regarding the pension crisis, and said that he would like the letter to be made into a resolution that the entire commission could back. The resolution may be discussed at the meeting next week.

Commissioners ended the meeting by going into an executive session, which Mayor Meyer said would be to discuss property acquisition. He said no further business would be conducted when the session was over.

The next regularly scheduled Covington Commission meeting will be a legislative meeting held at 6 p.m., Jan. 28, 2020, at the Covington City Hall at 20 West Pike St.

Contact the Northern Kentucky Tribune at news@nkytrib.com


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