By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
The Northern Kentucky Eggs ‘N Issues event Tuesday featured the region’s judges-executive who spoke on a wide range of topics at the Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport in Erlanger.
Judges-executive Gary Moore of Boone County, Steve Pendery of Campbell County, Stephen Wood of Grant County and Kris Knochelmann of Kenton County presented an overview of their respective jurisdictions and took questions from the audience.
Grant County Judge-executive Stephen Wood (left) draws a laugh from (left to right) Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore, Kenton County Judge-executive Kris Knochelmann and Campbell County Judge-executive Steve Pendery at Tuesday’s Eggs ‘N Issues. Photo by Mark Hansel
Topics included regionalism, the impact of the heroin epidemic in the area and funding for the Brent Spence Bridge replacement. The county leaders also heaped praise on each other and credited the collaborative effort that keeps Northern Kentucky at or near the top in the state for economic growth and prosperity.
Knochelmann was singled out for his efforts to reform the Kenton County Airport Board into a more inclusive and representative body.
Regarding the Brent Spence Bridge, Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore said that he is opposed to tolls, but all options should be up for discussion.
“We see a lot of finger pointing – its’ a Federal problem, no it’s a state problem, no you are local leaders, you need to come up with a solution – and the finger pointing needs to end,” Moore said. “We need to come together at all levels of government and put some ideas on the table. It’s time to stop saying what we are against and come up with a plan of what we are for.”
Knochelmann addressed the ongoing heroin epidemic that permeates the region. He said somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 Northern Kentuckians are abusing opiates and heroin every day bur regional leaders are responding to the challenge.
Northern Kentucky leaders filled a conference room at the Cincinnati Airport Holiday Inn in Erlanger to hear the region’s judges-executive speak and answer questions. Photo by Mark Hansel
“Friends, we have a devastating heroin problem facing us in Northern Kentucky and as a region…we are going to keep attacking this problem,” Knochelmann said. “The three judges-executive – Boone, Kenton and Campbell – have asked the Northern Kentucky Health District to have in place, by Jan.1, a vigorous education and prevention initiative. We have asked the (Northern Kentucky Area Development District) to lead the way in a help line and getting it up and running by Jan. 1 as well.”
The three counties also agreed earlier this year to jointly fund the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy to help find a solution to the ongoing scourge of addiction.
Pendery called Northern Kentucky the most economically vibrant area in the state and cited examples in Campbell County to demonstrate that success.
“Our success has happened because we have disciplined ourselves to make investments in those things that offer the best rate of return,” Pendery said. “Regionalism, consensus building, sound investment, our formula works. Here’s a small sampling of why it’s fun to be judge executive; $97 million is being invested in the Health Innovation Center at NKU and ground will be broken soon. The ambition will not just be to produce more diplomas, but to create new solutions to existing problems and actually reduce health care costs.”
He also pointed to successful residential projects underway in Newport and in Dayton, where five $1 million homes will be on display at Manhattan Harbor during Homefest 2015.
Wood’s inclusion was another example of the increased emphasis on regionalism.
Northern Kentucky is often thought of as just Boone Campbell and Kenton counties, but for agencies such as the Health Department and the NKADD, the region also includes Grant County.
Wood talked about growing up without much to do in Williamstown and coming to the northern counties for entertainment and how he thinks that is finally about to change.
“Grant County is where the future may be coming and I think it will,” Wood said. I think it’s where, regionally, a lot of things are going to take place. Grant County is uniquely situated for growth in the next decade and we as a team…are ready to go forward and take advantage of the situation the best we can.”
Grayson (provided)
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President Trey Grayson said Grant County is an integral part of the region that also provides a bridge to Central Kentucky.
“As Scott County has grown so much as suburban Lexington, Grant County is really poised to become an integral link,” Grayson said. “It’s kind of like what has happened on the northern side of Cincinnati, where Dayton and Cincinnati have come together through that West Chester area. At some point we will probably come to think of Grant County just as they think of West Chester and Butler County as an integral part of a larger region.”
The next Eggs ‘N Issues takes place Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Receptions in Erlanger and the topic will be the Ark Encounter, which is scheduled to open next summer in Grant County. For more information about Eggs “N Issues or the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, click here .
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com
.
