One minute and 36 seconds.
That’s how long it took the Covington Board of Commissioners to agree to put discussion of the Tri-State Trails’ Bicycle Transportation Plan on the agenda at next week’s meeting.
The agenda item came about after advocates have pushed for better infrastructure for cyclists in Covington and Newport following the death of Gloria San Miguel, who was cycling on the 11th Street bridge between the two cities when she was struck and killed.
Matt Butler, president of the Devou Good Foundation, had been asking people to come to Tuesday’s meeting to speak in support of a plan to make Newport and Covington more pedestrian — and cyclist — friendly.
“Tri-State Trails, Cities of Newport and Covington, KYTC, and Devou Good Foundation are working with an outside engineering firm to repurpose one drive lane of the bridge to a physically protected two-way bike lane,” Butler said in an email sent Tuesday encouraging people to attend the meeting. “In addition, Devou Good is proposing to fund the creation of a bike plan for Newport and Covington.”
The only problem?
Tuesday’s meeting was a caucus meeting, where public comment is not allowed.
About a half hour into the meeting, Covington Mayor Joe Meyer paused things to make sure the crowd knew this.
“This is purely a working meeting to set the agenda,” Meyer said.
He continued to say that, during caucus meetings, commissioners take recommendations from the city staff so the commission can decide whether to put those items on the agenda for the following week, at which point the commission will vote on them — and the public can comment.
When notified of this Tuesday afternoon, Butler told LINK he had talked to one of the commissioners.
“They are going to make a motion to allow comment,” Butler said. “They will need a second for that to happen so no guarantee. Either way, folks will be there and making their presence known.”
Meyer urged everyone who had come to the caucus meeting to come to next week’s legislative meeting, the commission meeting that does allow public comment.
“So if you all want to come back and talk to us at a legislative meeting,” Meyer said. “We’re glad to have you do that. But just be mindful that on this trails agreement. We’re 100% in support of it.”
