City Council Round-Up: Daytime Burglary, Snow Plowing, 2013 Street Resurfacing Costs

by PAT LaFLEUR

Reporter, Fort Thomas Matters

Fort Thomas city snow-plowing, costs for the 2013 street resurfacing project, another daytime burglary, and local representation on the OKI Board were all topics of discussion at Monday night’s Fort Thomas City Council meeting. Here’s a recap:

City Snow Plowing

City Administrator Don Martin reported to council on recent calls he and the city have received regarding snow plows in Fort Thomas. With this winter’s increased snow activity, the city has received a number of calls from residents inquiring about the timing and procedures used by Fort Thomas snow-plowers, Martin said. 

According to Martin, a number of residents who called reported shoveling their driveway, sidewalk, and driveway apron only to find a plow had come by later and left a pile of snow blocking their driveway once again.

“This is a situation that, unfortunately, cannot be avoided,” Martin told Council Monday night. Martin said that it would be too time-consuming for plows to clear each individual driveway apron it passes, and it would make the plowing ineffective if plows were to avoid the curb space in front of each driveway apron.

Martin also added that, overall, the city has received more praise than complaints for its response to this winter’s snow events. 

Mayor Mary Brown also chimed in, saying, “I want to commend our Public Works Department for their work this year.”

Daytime Burglary, Linden Ave.

FTPD Chief Mike Daly reported to council on Monday of a daytime burglary that took place between 1-3 p.m. last Wednesday. Daly reported a forced entry into the Linden Ave. home, as well as stolen jewelry. 

No one was home during the break-in, Daly said. 

FTPD is currently investigating.

2013 Street Resurfacing Costs

Monday night’s meeting heard the reading of Ordinance O-02-2014, the apportionment ordinance for the 2013 street resurfacing projects, which focused primarily on the Clover Ridge and Rossford Ave. vicinities. 

The respective costs for the city and property owners for each portion of the project are as follows:

Clover Ridge: $11.60 front-foot cost for city, $7.60 front-foot cost for property owner, total cost of $101,082.54

Rossford Ave.: $11.60 front-foot cost for city, $7.76 front-foot cost for property owner, total cost of $34,485.79

Mel-Lawn Dr.: $9.49 front-foot cost for city, $9.49 front-foot cost for property owner, total cost of $46,405.31

Broadview Pl.: $9.19 front-foot cost for city, $9.19 front-foot cost for property owner, total cost of $49,230.32

Roger Peterman Appointed to OKI Board

Councilman Roger Peterman was nominated and approved to represent Fort Thomas on the OKI (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana) Regional Council of Governments Board of Directors. Over 100 leaders from local governments, planning commissions, chambers of commerce, public transit authorities, environmental organizations, among other governmental bodies sit on the OKI Board.

Peterman accepted the appointment, saying, “This is a crucial part of the Greater Cincinnati community.”

Updates to FtThomas.org?

Councilman Ken Bowman raised the issue of accessibility toward the end of Monday’s meeting, suggesting to the Mayor and Council that “We might not be accessible enough to the public as we could be as elected officials.”

Bowman’s comment was prompted, he said, by a number of residents mentioning that contact information, such as email addresses, for council members are not posted to Fort Thomas’s webpage.

City Administrator Martin and City Clerk Melissa Kelly noted that they would begin the process of posting contact information for council members to the city’s webpage.

The discussion, however, continued when Councilman Jay Fossett asked whether or not it’s time for the entire webpage to be updated, citing neighboring cities like Bellevue that have recently updated their web properties.

“We have this great city,” Fossett said, “and I think our website should reflect that.”